cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Retaining Talent: Replacing Misconceptions With Evidence-Based Strategies

Despite extensive scholarly research and organizational interest in employee turnover, there remains a gap between science and practice in this area. This article bridges this gap and replaces several misconceptions about turnover with guidelines for evidence-based retention management strategies focused on shared understanding of turnover, knowledge of cause-and-effect relationships, and the ability to adapt this knowledge and apply it to disparate contexts. We provide new tools such as an illustration of the relative strength of turnover predictors, a summary of evidence-based HR strategies for managing turnover, and a new framework for implementing evidence-based retention strategies. We conclude with a research agenda to build on this evidence-based understanding.
Variability of global upper-tropospheric water vapor derived from satellite infrared observations

Uncertainties in the amount and variability of global atmospheric water vapor content weaken our ability to define the present climate system and lessens our confidence in future predictions of climate change. In particular, the small amount of water vapor in the upper troposphere contributes disproportionately to the Earth's radiation budget. In this paper, infrared observations of global upper tropospheric water vapor are analyzed to examine variability on seasonal and interannual time scales. Particular attention is given to the intersatellite calibration of the seven instruments used to piece together the time series of observations from 1981-1990 (and extending the record through 1993 by IGARSS). A method for identifying and removing the intersatellite biases is discussed and implemented. Analysis of the adjusted time series shows upper troposphere water vapor variability related to the seasonal cycle of the monsoon circulations and interannual variability related to El Nino/Southern Oscillation warm and cold events. >
Load Control for Turbine Blades: A Non-Traditional Microtab Approach

Active flow control and load mitigation concepts developed for traditional aeronautical applications have potential to decrease torque, bending and fatigue loads on wind turbine blades and to help increase turbine life. Much of the early work in flow control focused on steady aerodynamic benefits. More recent technologies have focused on unsteady flow control techniques which require a deeper understanding of the underlying flow physics as well as sensors to record the various time-dependent aerodynamic phenomena and fast actuators for control. This paper identifies some developmental control concepts for load mitigation along with a new translational microfabricated tab concept available for active flow and load control on lifting surfaces and explores their applicability for wind turbine rotor blades. Specifically, this paper focuses on experimental results based on an innovative microtab approach for unsteady, active load control. Previous papers on this effort by Yen et al. focused on the multi-disciplinary design methodology and the significant lift enhancement achieved using these micro-scale devices. The current research extends the effort to include dynamic results with discontinuous tab effects, effects on drag, and lower (pressure side) and upper surface (suction side) tab deployment effects for the prototype airfoil as well as for the S809, a representative wind turbine airfoil. Results show that the microtab concept can provide macro-scale load changes and is capable of offering active control of lift and drag forces for load alleviation.Copyright © 2002 by D. T. Yen Nakafuji et al. and ASME
High school biology today: what the committee of ten did not anticipate.

Since the recommendation of biology (or natural history, as it used to be called) in 1893 as part of the high school science curriculum, biology was considered a descriptive subject. In the late 1890s biology consisted of zoology, botany, and physiology. The group that decided on the high school science course configuration was the Committee of Ten. The committee was organized by the National Education Association (NEA) in 1892 to deal with the issue of uniform college entrance requirements. This essay argues that the decision of the Committee of Ten to place biology before chemistry and physics needs to be reexamined. The committee’s recommendations are still being implemented over a hundred years later, and the issue of high school science course sequence is currently being debated. Charles W. Eliot, then president of Harvard University, chaired the Committee of Ten. Eliot had been active in the NEA and was considered a leader in both precollege and higher education. In addition, he was a scientist and considered reasoning power as the central function of the schools (Kleibard, 1995, p. 41). The rest of the committee consisted of key figures from colleges and high schools. There were nine subcommittees each devoted to different academic subjects of which three were responsible for science. One science subcommittee was for physical science (physics, astronomy, and chemistry), another for natural history (botany, zoology, and physiology), and a third for geography (physical geography, geology, and meteorology). The general recommendations of the Committee of Ten regarding natural history (biology) were that:
Entropy of search logs: how hard is search? with personalization? with backoff?

How many pages are there on the Web? 5B? 20B? More? Less? Big bets on clusters in the clouds could be wiped out if a small cache of a few million urls could capture much of the value. Language modeling techniques are applied to MSN's search logs to estimate entropy. The perplexity is surprisingly small: millions, not billions.Entropy is a powerful tool for sizing challenges and opportunities. How hard is search? How hard are query suggestion mechanisms like auto-complete? How much does personalization help? All these difficult questions can be answered by estimation of entropy from search logs.What is the potential opportunity for personalization? In this paper, we propose a new way to personalize search, personalization with backoff. If we have relevant data for a particular user, we should use it. But if we don't, back off to larger and larger classes of similar users. As a proof of concept, we use the first few bytes of the IP address to define classes. The coefficients of each backoff class are estimated with an EM algorithm. Ideally, classes would be defined by market segments, demographics and surrogate variables such as time and geography
Enhanced stimulant and metabolic effects of combined ephedrine and caffeine.

Objective Herbal weight loss and athletic performance–enhancing supplements that contain ephedrine and caffeine have been associated with serious adverse health events. We sought to determine whether ephedrine and caffeine have clinically significant pharmacologic interactions that explain these toxicities. Methods Sixteen healthy adults ingested 25 mg ephedrine, 200 mg caffeine, or both drugs in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study. Plasma and urine samples were collected over a 24-hour period and analyzed by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry for ephedrine and caffeine concentrations. Heart rate, blood pressure, and subjective responses were recorded. Serum hormonal and metabolic markers were serially measured during a 3-hour fasting period. Results Ephedrine plus caffeine increased systolic blood pressure (peak difference, 11.7 ± 9.4 mm Hg; compared with placebo, P = .0005) and heart rate (peak difference, 5.9 ± 8.8 beats/min; compared with placebo, P = .001) and raised fasting glucose, insulin, free fatty acid, and lactate concentrations. Ephedrine alone increased heart rate and glucose and insulin concentrations but did not affect systolic blood pressure. Caffeine increased systolic blood pressure and plasma free fatty acid and urinary epinephrine concentrations but did not increase heart rate. Compared with ephedrine, caffeine produced more subjective stimulant effects. Clinically significant pharmacokinetic interactions between ephedrine and caffeine were not observed. Women taking oral contraceptives had prolonged caffeine elimination (mean elimination half-life, 9.7 hours versus 5.0 hours in men; P = .05), but sex differences in pharmacodynamic responses were not seen. Conclusions The individual effects of ephedrine and caffeine were modest, but the drugs in combination produced significant cardiovascular, metabolic, and hormonal responses. These enhanced effects appear to be a result of pharmacodynamic rather than pharmacokinetic interactions. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2004) 75, 259–273; doi:10.1016/j.clpt.2003.11.375
Protective role of gluteofemoral obesity in erosive oesophagitis and Barrett's oesophagus.

Objective Abdominal obesity has been associated with erosive oesophagitis (EO) and Barrett9s oesophagus (BO). As gluteofemoral obesity protects against diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease, we hypothesised that gluteofemoral obesity would be inversely associated with EO and BO. Design We conducted a cross-sectional study on 822 male colorectal cancer screenees who were recruited to also undergo upper endoscopy. An additional 80 patients with BO clinically detected by upper endoscopy referred for clinical indications were recruited shortly after their diagnoses of BO. Logistic regression was used to estimate the effects of abdominal obesity (waist circumference), gluteofemoral obesity (hip circumference) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) on EO and BO (vs neither condition). Results There were 225 cases of either BO or EO and 675 controls. After adjustment for potential confounders, a positive association was observed between waist circumference and BO and/or EO, which became stronger with further adjustment for hip circumference. In contrast, hip circumference was inversely associated with BO and/or EO. Compared with the lowest quartile of WHR, the adjusted ORs were 1.32 (95% CI 0.747 to 2.33) for the 2nd quartile, 1.54 (95% CI 0.898 to 2.63) for the 3rd quartile, and 2.68 (95% CI 1.57 to 4.55) for the highest quartile. Similar results were obtained for BO and EO treated as separate outcomes. Conclusions In a population of older, mostly overweight men, the distribution of obesity is associated with the presence of EO and BO. Abdominal obesity appears to increase the risk of these outcomes, whereas gluteofemoral obesity may be protective.
A Commentary on Historical Perspectives on Invariant Measurement: Guttman, Rasch, and Mokken

In Historical perspectives on invariant measurement: Guttman, Rasch, and Mokken Engelhard (2008) discusses one of the keystones of modern measurement, measurement invariance (cf. Thurstone, 1928), ...
The Nature, Classification, and Generic Structure of Proposals:

A study of forty current business/technical/professional writing textbooks suggests that little disciplinary agreement exists about what proposals are and how they differ from some kinds of reports; how the various types of proposals should be classified; and what structural features characterize the genre. Though many texts blur the distinction between proposals and internal recommendation reports, the two are never the same. The textbooks present a bewildering array of classification systems, often failing to distinguish between situation and function. A function-based system could divide all proposals into two categories-analytic (research proposals, R&D proposals, and consulting proposals) and service/product, with bids representing a special case. The lack of disciplinary agreement also makes it difficult for textbook users to internalize a generic structure that will serve for all proposal-writing tasks. Such a structure would include the following: situation, objectives, methods, qualifications, co...
Modeling photovoltaic performance in periodic patterned colloidal quantum dot solar cells

Colloidal quantum dot (CQD) solar cells have attracted tremendous attention mostly due to their wide absorption spectrum window and potentially low processability cost. The ultimate efficiency of CQD solar cells is highly limited by their high trap state density. Here we show that the overall device power conversion efficiency could be improved by employing photonic structures that enhance both charge generation and collection efficiencies. By employing a two-dimensional numerical model, we have calculated the characteristics of patterned CQD solar cells based of a simple grating structure. Our calculation predicts a power conversion efficiency as high as 11.2%, with a short circuit current density of 35.2 mA/cm2, a value nearly 1.5 times larger than the conventional flat design, showing the great potential value of patterned quantum dot solar cells.
Whole genome sequence of the emerging oomycete pathogen Pythium insidiosum strain CDC-B5653 isolated from an infected human in the USA

Pythium insidiosum ATCC 200269 strain CDC-B5653, an isolate from necrotizing lesions on the mouth and eye of a 2-year-old boy in Memphis, Tennessee, USA, was sequenced using a combination of Illumina MiSeq (300 bp paired-end, 14 millions reads) and PacBio (10 Kb fragment library, 356,001 reads). The sequencing data were assembled using SPAdes version 3.1.0, yielding a total genome size of 45.6 Mb contained in 8992 contigs, N50 of 13 Kb, 57% G + C content, and 17,867 putative protein-coding genes. This Whole Genome Shotgun project has been deposited at DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank under the accession JRHR00000000.
Effect of naltrexone on human alcohol consumption.

Combination treatment with antidepressants and psychotherapy is a common strategy in treating depression. Surprisingly little published literature on the effects of such combinations on antidepresant compliance is available. In contrast, literature is plentiful, particularly from the 1970s, on the effects of combined treatment on outcome. Although various negative interactions have at times been suggested, controlled trials are reasuring and indicate enhanced benefit, either by additive effects, by effects on different outcome measures such as symptoms or interpersonal relationships, or by mutual potentiation. A ceiling effect has been observed in some studies in which the better of the two single treatments produces as much benefit as can be obtained, with no additional benefit from the second treatment in its presence but benefit in its absence. However, it is important to note that the research designs used in most controlled trials are not adequate to study compliance because much effort is devoted toward maximizing compliance; compliance is better studied in the naturalistic situation. There is evidence in bipolar disorder that psychotherapy enhances compliance to lithium. In attaining good drug compliance in patients receiving psychotherapy, consideration needs to be given to collaboration between the drug therapist and psychotherapist, the nature of the psychotherapy, and the attitude of the psychotherapist. In general studies of compliance, patients who are engaged in treatment, are satisfied with it, and are better informed, also tend to comply better with medication regimens
Silica-scaled chrysophytes and heliozoa from the Caribbean Island of Dominica (Lesser Antilles)

Abstract. Phytoplankton samples from five freshwater lakes and ponds on the island of Dominica were examined for silica-scaled chrysophytes and heliozoa using transmission electron microscopy. Three species of Synurophyceae were observed: Synura echinulata, S. petersenii and Mallomonas tonsurata; two species of Chrysophyceae: Paraphysomonas vestita and Spiniferomonas trioralis; and five species of heliozoa: Acanthocystis nichollsi, Raineriophrys erinaceoides, Raphidiophrys intermedia, Raphidocystis tubifera and Polyplacocystis marginata. The species composition was not indicative of a tropical environment, but included taxa found worldwide. All are new records for Dominica.
ON THE NEW TRANSFORMATION-BASED APPROACH TO VALUE-AT-RISK: AN APPLICATION TO INDIAN STOCK MARKET

We consider a case of VaR analysis when adequately long historical return series for a portfolio/asset is available. Though the primary task here is to estimate the quantile of return distribution, a potential difficulty occurs when returns follow fait-tailed and/or skewed distribution making the simple and convenient normality assumption unrealistic. We also found that the returns in stock market in India do not follow normal distribution. In order to handle this non-normality while estimating VaR, we adopted the transformation-based strategy proposed by Samanta (2003). The performance of the transformation-based VaR models is compared with two competing VaR models. Empirical results are quite interesting and identify the transformation-based method quite useful and sensible.
Enzymic Digestion of Lactalbumin Versus Casein in Vitro.

Since the experimental evidence concerning the nutritive value of lactalbumin is conflicting, an intensive study has been initiated in this laboratory to investigate the biological value of this protein from the standpoint of digestion, metabolism, and growth. Casein (being a protein of indisputable excellent biological value) was used as a standard of comparison.In this report a summary is given of the results of tryptic-ereptic digestion of lactalbumin versus casein in vitro. The casein was furnished by Merck and prepared according to the method of Hammersten. The lactalbumin was obtained from Harris Laboratories which is the purest product obtainable with a minimal ash content.The technique employed has been described.1 The proteins were studied in 3 concentrations, 120, 180, and 210 mg. As a source of trypsin and erepsin pancreatic and intestinal extracts were taken from rats of our colony stock diet, on which ration excellent growth is obtained.
Skin-Stiffener Stresses in Composite Plates and Shallow Shells:

The development of an approximate analysis for predicting stresses in the skin-stiffener interface region of composite plates and shallow shells is presented. The analysis determines interlaminar normal stress and transverse shear stresses in the direction of the stiffener axial coordinate and the direction of the in-plane coordinate perpendicular to the stiffener axis. The analysis accounts for skin-stiffener interfaces with nonzero thickness and for curvature in the skin and stiffener. The interlaminar normal stress and transverse shear stresses at the interface are applied to the lower face of the skin and the upper face of the stiffener flange as unknown functions, and the displacements in the skin and flange are related through the deformation of the interface bond layer. The Rayleigh-Ritz method is used to determine the unknown functions that yield the interlaminar stresses at the skin-stiffener interface. Distributions of the interface stresses are presented, and these results show that the stresse...
A Sociological Conception of Morale

not manipulation or fraud. In the short run, their fate was tied up with production. High wages for parents meant better education for children, and better education meant opportunity to ascend the economic scale. With this experience, programs of revolutionary political action were entirely alien. The positive political program was to educate legislators to their social responsibilities, and to educate the electorate to what issues were really at stake.
The Soviet Leadership Problem

In a framework for analyzing more deeply and comprehensively the question of leadership in the Soviet political system, the roles and functions of the top leader within the collective leadership are considered; so is the problematic relationship of the leadership to the party elite and other functional elites in adopting and implementing major policies calculated to modernize (make more efficient) the operation of highly bureaucratized administrative structures. There is a reciprocal impact of these issues upon public attitudes and motivations as both are perceived by the leadership. Incorporated in the framework are a number of basic analytical concepts from a variety of literatures. The conflict between the requisites of modernization and the imperatives of the political culture is discussed, and matters for the research agenda are noted.
Beyond the Tremors: What Counselors Should Know About the Mental Health Needs of Clients Diagnosed With Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the 2nd most common neurodegenerative disorder, affecting 1% to 4% of people by age 80 (Black, 2011). However, co-occurring psychological disorders, such as depression, anxiety, and apathy, are significantly underdiagnosed. Professional counselors are uniquely qualified to assist clients with these mental health complications of PD.
Needs Assessment of Coastal Land Managers for Drought Onset Indicators in the Southeastern United States

ABSTRACT Nolan, C.B.; Tufford, D.L., and Chalcraft, D.R., 2016. Needs assessment of coastal land managers for drought onset indicators in the southeastern United States. The ability to detect the onset of drought is important to coastal resource managers because the knowledge enhances preparedness and mitigation. Existing drought indicators, however, were generally designed with agricultural, hydrological, meteorological, socio-economic, or wildfire management in mind and generally quantify deficits in freshwater availability. It is unclear whether coastal resource managers find existing indicators adequate for managing coastal resources and, if not, what information would be most useful to manage resources under threat of drought. A needs assessment was conducted with 30 land managers and natural resource specialists of the coastal Carolinas region to enhance the understanding of drought indicators and to comprehend the indicators' utility for managing coastal natural resources. Eighty-three percent of p...
Tracking ocean heat uptake during the surface warming hiatus

Ocean heat uptake is observed to penetrate deep into the Atlantic and Southern Oceans during the recent hiatus of global warming. Here we show that the deep heat penetration in these two basins is not unique to the hiatus but is characteristic of anthropogenic warming and merely reflects the depth of the mean meridional overturning circulation in the basin. We find, however, that heat redistribution in the upper 350 m between the Pacific and Indian Oceans is closely tied to the surface warming hiatus. The Indian Ocean shows an anomalous warming below 50 m during hiatus events due to an enhanced heat transport by the Indonesian throughflow in response to the intensified trade winds in the equatorial Pacific. Thus, the Pacific and Indian Oceans are the key regions to track ocean heat uptake during the surface warming hiatus.
Year of operation as a risk factor in the late results of valve replacement.

The actuarial thromboembolic rates of aortic and mitral silicone ball valves used during the second decade of cardiac valve replacement are significantly lower than the rates for the same prostheses implanted during the first decade, as shown in the following table: Mitral Aortic 1200/60 1965-1972 1973-1979 1965-1972 1973-1979 No. of patients 84 74 133 230 Follow-up: maximum/mean (yr) 14/7.9 6/1.8 14/7.8 6/2.1 Five-year embolus-free rate (±SE) 68 ± 6% 96% ± 4% 77% ± 4% 87% ± 4% The embolus-free rates are significantly different (p
Differential Binding Partners of the Mis18α/β YIPPEE Domains Regulate Mis18 Complex Recruitment to Centromeres

The Mis18 complex specifies the site of new CENP-A nucleosome assembly by recruiting the CENP-A-specific assembly factor HJURP (Holliday junction recognition protein). The human Mis18 complex consists of Mis18α, Mis18β, and Mis18 binding protein 1 (Mis18BP1/hsKNL2). Although Mis18α and Mis18β are highly homologous proteins, we find that their conserved YIPPEE domains mediate distinct interactions that are essential to link new CENP-A deposition to existing centromeres. We find that Mis18α directly interacts with the N terminus of Mis18BP1, whereas Mis18β directly interacts with CENP-C during G1 phase, revealing that these proteins have evolved to serve distinct functions in centromeres of higher eukaryotes. The N terminus of Mis18BP1, containing both the Mis18α and CENP-C binding domains, is necessary and sufficient for centromeric localization. Therefore, the Mis18 complex contains dual CENP-C recognition motifs that are combinatorially required to generate robust centromeric localization that leads to CENP-A deposition.
Combined role of vitamin D status and CYP24A1 in the transition to systemic lupus erythematosus

Objective We examined whether measures of vitamin D were associated with transitioning to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in individuals at risk for SLE. Methods 436 individuals who reported having a relative with SLE but who did not have SLE themselves were evaluated at baseline and again an average of 6.3 (±3.9) years later. Fifty-six individuals transitioned to SLE (≥4 cumulative American College of Rheumatology criteria). 25-Hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) levels were measured by ELISA. Six single-nucleotide polymorphisms in four vitamin D genes were genotyped. Generalised estimating equations, adjusting for correlation within families, were used to test associations between the vitamin D variables and the outcome of transitioning to SLE. Results Mean baseline 25[OH]D levels (p=0.42) and vitamin D supplementation (p=0.65) were not different between those who did and did not transition to SLE. Vitamin D deficiency (25[OH]D CYP24A1 rs4809959, where for each additional minor allele increased 25[OH]D was associated with decreased SLE risk: zero minor alleles (adjusted OR: 1.03, CI 0.98 to 1.09), one minor allele (adjusted OR: 1.01, CI 0.97 to 1.05) and two minor alleles (adjusted OR: 0.91, CI 0.84 to 0.98). Similarly, vitamin D deficiency significantly increased the risk of transitioning to SLE in those with two minor alleles at rs4809959 (adjusted OR: 4.90, CI 1.33 to 18.04). Conclusions Vitamin D status and CYP24A1 may have a combined role in the transition to SLE in individuals at increased genetic risk for SLE.
Sequencing of therapies in advanced prostate cancer.

After several decades with only modest changes in the therapeutic paradigm, rapid progress in understanding the biology of advanced prostate cancer has been translated into more accurate terminology, such as “castration-resistant” (as opposed to “hormone-refractory” or “androgen-independent”) prostate cancer, as well as clinically meaningful therapeutic developments.
After the great recession : financial sophistication and housing leverage

ABSTRACTUS households face various choices in saving for retirement, with one of the most common decisions related to maintaining or paying off a mortgage. Using the 2010 and 2013 Survey of Consumer Finances, this study investigates the relationship between financial sophistication and mortgage decisions among middle-age households. A Heckman two-stage selection model is employed to investigate two separate decisions: mortgage holding and loan-to-value (LTV) ratios among mortgage holders. Results indicate that financial sophistication is positively associated with carrying a mortgage and higher LTV ratios. These results imply that financially sophisticated households may be using leverage to increase asset returns.
Multiplicative Number Theory I: Classical Theory

Prime numbers are the multiplicative building blocks of natural numbers. Understanding their overall influence and especially their distribution gives rise to central questions in mathematics and physics. In particular their finer distribution is closely connected with the Riemann hypothesis, the most important unsolved problem in the mathematical world. Assuming only subjects covered in a standard degree in mathematics, the authors comprehensively cover all the topics met in first courses on multiplicative number theory and the distribution of prime numbers. They bring their extensive and distinguished research expertise to bear in preparing the student for intelligent reading of the more advanced research literature. This 2006 text, which is based on courses taught successfully over many years at Michigan, Imperial College and Pennsylvania State, is enriched by comprehensive historical notes and references as well as over 500 exercises.
Payday Loan Regulation and Neighborhood Crime

This study examines how a payday loan regulation has affected crime in neighborhoods where payday loans used to be prevalent. The empirical evidence suggests that financially motivated crime declined both in the short and intermediate terms in Chicago after the state regulated the cost of loans, limited repeated borrowing, and prohibited aggressive debt collection. No measurable declines in non-financial crime are detected, neither are changes in foreclosures or other business activities. Several potential mechanisms suggested by the criminology literature are discussed. It was most likely that the lending restrictions alleviated financial damages that could motivate crime in extreme cases.
MEASURING SPORT-SPECIFIC PHYSICAL ABILITIES IN MALE GYMNASTS: THE MEN'S GYMNASTICS FUNCTIONAL MEASUREMENT TOOL.

PURPOSE/BACKGROUND Despite the availability of various field-tests for many competitive sports, a reliable and valid test specifically developed for use in men's gymnastics has not yet been developed. The Men's Gymnastics Functional Measurement Tool (MGFMT) was designed to assess sport-specific physical abilities in male competitive gymnasts. The purpose of this study was to develop the MGFMT by establishing a scoring system for individual test items and to initiate the process of establishing test-retest reliability and construct validity. METHODS A total of 83 competitive male gymnasts ages 7-18 underwent testing using the MGFMT. Thirty of these subjects underwent re-testing one week later in order to assess test-retest reliability. Construct validity was assessed using a simple regression analysis between total MGFMT scores and the gymnasts' USA-Gymnastics competitive level to calculate the coefficient of determination (r2). Test-retest reliability was analyzed using Model 1 Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). Statistical significance was set at the p<0.05 level. RESULTS The relationship between total MGFMT scores and subjects' current USA-Gymnastics competitive level was found to be good (r2 = 0.63). Reliability testing of the MGFMT composite test score showed excellent test-retest reliability over a one-week period (ICC = 0.97). Test-retest reliability of the individual component tests ranged from good to excellent (ICC = 0.75-0.97). CONCLUSIONS The results of this study provide initial support for the construct validity and test-retest reliability of the MGFMT. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level 3.
Applying voucher markets in rural local municipalities: fiscal capacity and competition in the Korean elderly program

Vouchers increase the level of social services offered at local levels. This results in new management for local governments and enhancing competition in remote areas becomes a challenge. This stud...
Myth 7: An Egalitarian Nation

Myth: America has a well-deserved reputation for equality of opportunity. People who work hard and take risks succeed, not people who depend on government handouts. There is nothing wrong with inequality of outcomes; in market economies it motivates people. A guarantee of equal outcome is not going to inspire people to prodigious efforts. The current obsession with income equality is based on envy.
Simulated water quality effects of alternate grazing management practices at the ranch and watershed scales

Abstract Inappropriate grazing management with high stocking rates can result in significantly higher levels of runoff, sediment and nutrient losses to surface water resources. An assessment of water quality effects of various grazing management practices enables the selection of appropriate management practices. The overall objective of this study was to assess the impacts of alternate grazing management practices including the heavy continuous (HC), light continuous (LC) and adaptive multi-paddock (MP) grazing, and no grazing (EX; exclosure) on water quality at the ranch and watershed scales in the rangeland-dominated (71% rangeland) Clear Creek Watershed (CCW) in north central Texas using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). The SWAT model was calibrated and validated for water quality predictions using the measured data on county-level crop yield (1980–2013), and monthly sediment (1994–2009), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) loads (1986–2009) at the watershed outlet. The ranch-scale assessment results at two study ranches indicated that when the grazing management was changed from the baseline MP grazing to HC grazing, the simulated average (1980–2013) annual surface runoff, sediment, TN and TP losses increased within the ranges of 106%–117%, 6.0–8.1 ton ha−1, 8.3–11.5 kg ha−1, and 1.6–2.6 kg ha−1, respectively. At the watershed-scale, shifting grazing management from the baseline HC grazing to the improved MP grazing decreased surface runoff, sediment, TN and TP loads by 47.0%, 39.7%, 35.1% and 34.1%, respectively. Thus, adaptive MP grazing was found to be the best grazing management practice for the CCW in terms of water quality protection and improvement in ecosystem functions such as reduced soil erosion and increased nutrient retention at both ranch and watershed scales. However, the magnitudes of water quality benefits due to adoption of MP grazing vary according to the extent of grazing lands in a watershed.
Measurement of distal histidine coordination equilibrium and kinetics in hexacoordinate hemoglobins.

Abstract The kinetics of ligand binding to hemoglobins has been measured for decades. Initially, these studies were confined to readily available pentacoordinate oxygen transport proteins like myoglobin, leghemoglobin, and red blood cell hemoglobin. Bimolecular ligand binding to these proteins is relatively simple, as ligand association is largely unimpeded at the heme iron. Although many techniques have been used to examine these reactions in the past, stopped-flow rapid mixing and flash photolysis are the most common ways to measure rate constants for ligand association and dissociation. Expression of recombinant proteins has allowed for examination of many newly discovered hemoglobins. The hexacoordinate hemoglobins are one such group of proteins that exhibit more complex binding kinetics than pentacoordinate hemoglobins due to reversible intramolecular coordination by a histidine side chain. Here, we describe methods for characterizing the kinetics of ligand binding to hexacoordinate hemoglobins with a focus on measurement of histidine coordination and exogenous ligand binding in both the ferrous and the ferric oxidation states.
ADVANCES IN THE DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF BRONCHOLITHIASIS

In order to determine the present clinical spectrum of broncholithiasis and the impact that chest computed tomographic (CT) scans, laminograms , and fiberoptic bronchoscopy ( FOB ) have had on the diagnosis and treatment of this entity, we reviewed our experience between 1970 and 1982. Nineteen patients were identified with this diagnosis. Cough, hemoptysis, and obstructive pneumonia were the most common presentations. Lithoptysis occurred in only 3 patients. The chest radiographic findings were nonspecific, but in 8 of the 19 patients, laminograms or chest CT scans helped establish the diagnosis; FOB was performed on 18 patients and was abnormal in each case, with 8 intrabronchial calcifications identified. However, FOB has limited therapeutic indications in this disorder. Depending on the patient's clinical status and underlying lung disease, observation, bronchoscopic removal of the stone, or surgical resection may be indicated.
Evaluating Multi-Model (Metadata-Semantic) Information Retrieval System.

Abstract—In this paper, we present a variety of methodsto evaluate a multi-model information retrieval system. Theevaluation methods are divided into three steps: (1) evaluatinga metadata driven search engine, (2) evaluating a personalizedcluster-based semantic search engine, and (3) evaluating a dualrepresentation of the semantic user proﬁle for personalized Websearch in an evolving domain. The ﬁrst part of this paper presentsan overview of the most popular information retrieval models andtheir evaluation methods. The second part is dedicated to thespeciﬁc evaluation methods that we used to evaluate each modelof our platform. This platform is already being used by onlinestudents at WKU. As of 2006 the “HyperManyMedia” searchengine has been ranked number 24 on “The Ultimate Guide toUsing Open Courseware 1 ” (between Cambridge University andHarvard Business).Index Terms—Evaluation Methods, Precision, Recall, Informa-tion Retrieval I. I NTRODUCTION What is information? [7] divided information into three cate-gories: information-as-process, information-as-knowledge, andinformation-as-thing. It stated that “information is anythingthat can change person’s knowledge [7].”[16] looked at an information system from the user’sprospective. His framework is human centered, where “theinformation seeker deﬁnes the task, controls the interactionwith the search system, examines and extracts relevant in-formation, assesses the progress, and determines when theinformation-seeking is complete [16]”. The framework for thispaper is based on a student-centered approach, where a studentsearches for information, the system retrieves relevant infor-mation to the student’s query, the student uses the informationand, at the end, evaluates its relevance.[14] distinguished between Data and Wisdom. Data isequally available to any user, it is received, stored and retrieved
Framework for assessing individuals with rare genetic disorders associated with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD): the example of Phelan McDermid Syndrome.

AbstractBackground: Specialized strategies are needed to understand the complex neuropsychological impairments reported in individuals with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD) associated with rare genetic disorders. Methods: This narrative review focuses on assessment of individuals with Phelan-McDermid Syndrome (PMS) as a condition commonly associated with PIMD. Published case series and prospective studies were reviewed to evaluate approaches to cognitive, language, motor/sensory, and behavioral domains. This review is framed using general principles for neuropsychological evaluation in PIMD. Results: Neuropsychological assessment domains and tools varied across published reports. Adaptive behavior measures, out-of-range developmental assessments, and social-communication measures were commonly used. Available findings were used to shape a recommended framework with potential to improve measurement of clinical outcomes and advance scientific discovery. Conclusions: The recommended fra...
Five Steps Forward – Developing Pedagogical Expertise During Teacher Education

Developing the teachers’ pedagogical studiesi at The University of Lapland in Finland, has been based on the students’ evaluation and feedback on the study program over the course of several years (2004-2007; N=113). According to students’ interviews, interdisciplinarity is a remarkable challenge to the construction of teacher identity, and it has a strong effect regarding expectations for the studies under discussion. The theoretical background of a new mode, as a part of the studies, known as the “Five steps forward pathway”, to support the reflection process during pedagogical studies, is discussed in this article; as well the main findings of the study explore students’ and teachers’ experiences closely after they have used the mode for the first time. In consequence, it has been found that there are needs to strengthen the development process of teacher identity, to find ways to increase students’ awareness of their prior learning outcomes in the context of teaching, learning and studying and to increase interaction and better integration of single modules of the studies. Students study to become teachers after graduation or as a minor subject in a Master’s degree on different fields of sciences. Non-degree pedagogical studies are continuing studies for those who are interested in becoming teachers for different schools or who want to work as an expert in different sectors where pedagogical know-how is demanded or beneficial. At the University of Lapland the focus in these studies is on vocational education and adult education. To increase the quality of the studies, students are seen as critical partners in the development of the studies and the metaphor of steps taken along the learning pathway invites designers and educators to join the students in shared learning.
Physical Activity, Sleep, and Biobehavioral Synergies for Health

Sleep is essential for most health functions, and pharmacological treatments for promoting sleep have limited efficacy. A nonpharmacological treatment such as exercise is appealing given the relative ease with which it can be performed and its concomitant health impact. This chapter reviews the evidence supporting the relationship between exercise and sleep, including epidemiologic studies, acute laboratory-based studies, and randomized controlled exercise-training studies. The chapter emphasizes emerging studies exploring temporal relationships between exercise and sleep, exercise modalities, common sleep disorders, and sedentary behavior. Finally, we propose a new paradigm that focuses on the dynamic interplay of a spectrum of health behaviors—sleep, sedentary behavior, and exercise—and how these behaviors can be collectively optimized to produce maximal health benefits.
African Ethnonyms and Toponyms: An Annotated Bibliography

A major trend in African Studies today consists in using traces of African culture embedded in African names and naming practices to recover or reconstruct African heritage. African names are oral records that can be meticulously processed and analyzed by African and Africana scholars. The emphasis is placed on two categories of names: ethnonyms and toponyms. Ethnonyms are names of people and ethnic groups whereas toponyms are names of places. These two categories of names constitute two important subfields of African onomastics. In addition, they are related in three interesting ways. First, some ethnic groups derive their names from place names and vice versa. Secondly, unlike other types of names such as anthroponyms or personal names, which can easily change or disappear according to the biography of the bearer, toponyms and ethnonyms have a durable life span.Toponyms in particular constitute fixed landmarks whose durability makes them important data for historical research. Thirdly, and more importantly, ethnonyms and toponyms constitute an intricate and semiotic structure, a kind of palimpsest that crystallizes a layer of meanings of community experience. These meanings can be conceived of as approaches or facets of the collective experience of a group. There are at least five facets: the geographical, the historical, the linguistic, the symbolic, and the socio-political facets. This bibliography contains annotations of sources on ethnonyms and toponyms from the Maghreb region and Sub-Saharan Africa dating from 1930 to the present, regardless of the origin, nationality and race of the authors. The principal criterium for the selection of publications is the geographic location of the ethnic groups they describe or analyze. I have also tried to ensure that all the facets described above are represented in my bibliography. English, French and German have been my three research languages. In some rare cases I have used sources in Portuguese and Afrikaans after having native speakers check my approximative understanding of the texts.
Magnesium and cardiovascular biology: an important link between cardiovascular risk factors and atherogenesis

In this review, a rationale is presented for how hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, end-stage renal disease, renal dialysis, and prolonged stress can all lead to atherosclerosis, ischemic heart disease, and stroke. The data indicate that Mg deficiency caused either by poor diet and/or errors in Mg metabolism may be a missing link between diverse cardiovascular risk factors and atherosclerosis. Data from our laboratories and others indicate that reduction in extracellular and intracellular free Mg ions (Mg2+) can induce an entire array of pathophysiological phenomena known to be important in atherogenesis, that is, vasospasm, increased vascular reactivity, elevation in [Ca2+]i, formation of proinflammatory agents, oxygen radicals, platelet aggegation, reduction in cardiac bioenergetics, cardiac failure, oxidation of lipoproteins, gender-related modulation of endothelial-derived relaxing factor/NO, changes in membrane fatty acid saturation, changes in membrane plasmalogens and N-phospholipids (suggesting changes in intracellular phospholipid signals), and probably transcription factors.
The use of loglinear model to evaluate factors associated with sero-prevalence of Campylobacter fetus in dairy cattle.

Abstract Campylobacter fetus is one of the leading infections causing bovine infertility and abortion. In a cross-sectional study, the associations of parity, herd, serological status against Leptospira hardjo and Haemophilus somnus with the sero-prevalence of Campylobacter fetus in dairy cattle were evaluated. Four hundred dairy cows from three herds were included in the study. Blood samples from the cows were collected in December 1986. An enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) was used to determine positive or negative status of cows against Campylobacter fetus , Haemophilus somnus and Leptospira hardjo antigens. Loglinear analysis was used to describe the relationship of four categorical variables with the sero-prevalence of Campylobacter fetus . The final loglinear model was interpreted as a logit model. The final loglinear model included a three-way interaction among Campylobacter fetus , Leptospira hardjo and herd and a two-way interaction between Campylobacter fetus and parity. The adjusted odds of being a positive Campylobacter fetus reading were highest for cows with parity >6 (e.g. 27.8, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 12.9, 60.1); it was next highest for cows in parity Campylobacter fetus , Leptospira hardjo and herd are discussed.