cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Kangaroo rats revisited: re-evaluating a classic case of desert survival

Kangaroo rats are the archetypical organisms for mammalian survival in North American deserts, yet there are contradictions in the data surrounding their physiology and ecology. The traditional view has been that these nocturnal rodents have little tolerance to high temperatures (e.g., >30°C), reside in cool, humid burrows to escape the heat of the day, and nearly exclusively rely on a dry, carbohydrate-rich diet from which they metabolically derive most of their water supply. To test this view, we measured the microclimates, activity, and diet of Merriam's kangaroo rats (Dipodomys merriami) from a xeric location within the center of the Sonoran Desert. We arrive at the following conclusions: 1. Burrows are much hotter during the summer than previously appreciated. For over 100 days of the year, soil temperatures exceed 30°C at depths to 2 m. For over 50 days, temperatures exceed 35°C at depths to 1.5 m. These high temperatures at such depths preclude kangaroo rats from locating to cool temperatures (e.g., 35°C) throughout the daytime during the summer instead of residing deep within the soil. This finding supports recent laboratory experiments that show kangaroo rats have much higher thermal tolerances than previously realized. 3. Kangaroo rats do not restrict their activity to the coolest periods of the night, but are active immediately following sundown, during the hottest time of the night. 4. Burrows are not persistently humid, but can be quite dry. 5. Insects and succulent vegetation constitute a significant portion of a kangaroo rat's diet and may be key to their survival in the hot desert environment.
The Influence of a Twice-a-Day Feeding Regimen After Photostimulation on the Reproductive Performance of Broiler Breeder Hens

Broiler breeder hens are typically provided a restricted amount of feed once a day. This feed is rapidly consumed; therefore, the hens fast for an extended period of time before their next feeding. In the current research, the effects on reproductive performance of implementing a twice-a-day vs. a once-a-day feeding program after photostimulation were investigated. Pullets and cockerels were reared on a skip-a-day feeding program. Pullets were weighed at 20 wk of age and then distributed into 30 laying pens such that each pen had a similar BW distribution. Each individual laying pen consisted of 35 hens and 4 roosters. At 21 wk of age, the birds were photostimulated for reproduction and 15 of the laying pens were placed on a once-a-day feeding schedule, whereas the other 15 pens were placed on a twice-a-day feeding schedule. The total amount of feed provided per day to all the laying pens was the same. Birds fed once a day received all their feed at 0630 h, whereas birds fed twice a day received 60% of their total feed allotment at 0630 h and the other 40% at 1500 h. Even though both treatment groups began egg production at the end of wk 23, birds fed twice a day laid more (P < or = 0.05) eggs through 42 wk of age than those fed once a day. Additionally, the average egg weight for the entire production period, which lasted until the birds were 60 wk of age, was greater for hens fed twice a day. Overall BW uniformity for the entire experiment was significantly better for hens fed twice a day vs. once a day. However, cumulative mortality was significantly higher for hens fed twice a day than for those fed once a day. The results indicate that feeding broiler breeder hens twice a day after photostimulation may enhance reproductive performance during the early lay period.
Improved spatial and temporal performance of a phase-conjugate resonator with an intracavity mode homogenizer

The temporal stability, spatial uniformity, and transverse dimension of the oscillating modes of phase-conjugate resonators have been improved by incorporation of passive intracavity elements designed to homogenize the resonator modes. We have demonstrated a reduction of the gain competition between the modes supported by a resonator by using an intracavity light pipe or a tapered fiber-optic bundle. In one resonator configured for optical data-processing applications, the homogenizers significantly reduced optical turbulence and facilitated expanding the transverse dimension of the mode to support 7 × 103 pixels.
Fluid flow induces Rankl expression in primary murine calvarial osteoblasts

Mechanical loading of bone generates fluid flow within the mineralized matrix that exerts fluid shear stress (FSS) on cells. We examined effects of FSS on receptor activator of nuclear factor κ B ligand (RANKL), a critical factor for osteoclast formation. Primary murine osteoblasts were subjected to pulsatile FSS (5 Hz, 10 dynes/cm2) for 1 h and then returned to static culture for varying times (post-FSS). Protein levels were measured by Western analysis and mRNA by Northern analysis, RT-PCR and quantitative PCR. There were 20- to 40-fold increases in RANKL mRNA at 2–4 h post-FSS. RANKL protein was induced by 2 h post-FSS and remained elevated for at least 8 h. Effects were independent of cyclooxygenase-2 activity. Small increases (up to three-fold) in mRNA of the decoy receptor for RANKL, osteoprotegerin, were seen. Five min of FSS, followed by static culture, was as effective in stimulating RANKL mRNA as 4 h of continuous FSS. FSS induced cAMP activity, and H-89, a protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor, blocked the FSS induction of RANKL. H-89 also inhibited the PKC pathway, but specific PKC inhibitors, GF109203X and Go6983, did not inhibit FSS-induced RANKL. FSS induced phosphorylation of ERK1/2, and PD98059, an inhibitor of the ERK pathway, inhibited the FSS induction of RANKL mRNA 60%–90%. Thus, brief exposure to FSS resulted in sustained induction of RANKL expression after stopping FSS, and this induction was dependent on PKA and ERK signaling pathways. Increased RANKL after mechanical loading may play a role in initiating bone remodeling. J. Cell. Biochem. 98: 1271–1283, 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Circuits with light at the nanoscale: meta-nanocircuits and metactronics

Imagine optical circuit elements so small that you could fit many of them in a tiny microscale volume (e.g., a cell)! Imagine that such circuits could work with light at the nanoscale instead of electronic currents! What could you do with such optical nanocircuits? Would you be able to use them in wireless gadgets at nanoscales, like a "nanoradio", that may connect our nanoworlds? Could these tiny optical nanocircuits be coupled with biological entities and thus provide nanoscale sensors? The fields of metamaterials and plasmonic optics may provide road maps for such futuristic nanocircuits and wireless nanosystems and sensors. In recent years, the two fields of metamaterials and plasmonic optics have each seen exciting developments. Owing to some of the fascinating features that are common in both areas, the two fields are merging into a single topic that may be called "metaplasmonics". We have been developing and investigating some of the fundamental concepts and theories, and key features of such metaplasmonic structures, devices, and circuits. These nano-optical circuit elements and components may be envisioned as a tapestry of properly-arranged nanostructures (e.g., nanoparticles) of sizes much smaller than the wavelengths of light. Indeed, "lumped" nanocircuit elements can be envisioned at the optical wavelengths. This field, for which I have coined the term metactronics, addresses metamaterial-inspired optical nanocircuits and nanosystems (N. Engheta, Science, 317, 1698-1702, 2007). In my group, a variety of ideas and paradigms for nanocircuit functions and systems, optical antennas and sensors for beam shaping and photonic wireless at the nanoscale, optical nanoscopy, nanospectrometer for molecular spectroscopy, nanotagging and barcodes based on these optical circuits are being studied. In this talk, I will give an overview of these studies, present insights into these findings, and forecast future ideas and road maps in these areas.
THE DETECTION OF SYMPATRIC SIBLING SPECIES USING GENETIC CORRELATION ANALYSIS. I. TWO LOCI, TWO GAMODEMES

Four models are presented describing zygotic frequencies at two loci for one or two sympatric but genetically differentiated populations or "gamodemes." Linkage disequilibrium within gamodemes is allowed in two of the models. Maximum likelihood criteria are used to fit the models to the observed numbers of zygotes in a sample. A fitting-testing sequence for choosing a best model is described and the power of the test is analyzed. The statistical characteristics of the genetic parameter estimates were examined by simulation studies. In general, estimates were reliable when allele frequency differences between gamodemes were greater than 0.30 at both loci. This method may be used to study the population structure of samples with fewer heterozygotes than expected for Hardy-Weinberg populations, including the detection and genetic description of sibling species having overlapping ranges.—An example is given for Drosophila longicornis and D. propachuca , two sibling species within the mulleri complex of the repleta group which have been studied in detail using more conventional techniques. The reanalysis using the approach derived in this paper confirmed the reproductive isolation of these two species, and hinted at the possibility of further subdivision within D. propachuca.
Analysis of factors affecting positron emission mammography (PEM) image formation

Image reconstruction for positron emission mammography (PEM) with the breast positioned between two parallel, planar detectors is usually performed by backprojection to image planes. Three important factors affecting PEM image reconstruction by backprojection are investigated: 1) image uniformity (flood) corrections, 2) image sampling (pixel size) and 3) count allocation methods. An analytic expression for uniformity correction is developed that incorporates factors for spatial-dependent detector sensitivity and geometric effects from acceptance angle limits on coincidence events. There is good agreement between experimental floods from a PEM system with a pixellated detector and numerical simulations. The analytic uniformity corrections are successfully applied to image reconstruction of compressed breast phantoms and reduce the necessity for flood scans at different image planes. Experimental and simulated compressed breast phantom studies show that lesion contrast is improved when the image pixel size is half of, rather than equal to, the detector pixel size, though this occurs at the expense of some additional image noise. In PEM reconstruction counts usually are allocated to the pixel in the image plane intersected by the line of response (LOR) between the centers of the detection pixels. An alternate count allocation method is investigated that distributes counts to image pixels in proportion to the area of the tube of response (TOR) connecting the detection pixels that they overlay in the image plane. This TOR method eliminates some image artifacts that occur with the LOR method and increases tumor signal-to-noise ratios at the expense of a slight decrease in tumor contrast. Analysis of image uniformity, image sampling and count allocation methods in PEM image reconstruction points to ways of improving image formation. Further work is required to optimize image reconstruction parameters for particular detection or quantitation tasks.
Cervical cancer screening among women ≥ 70 years of age in the United States—A referral problem or patient choice

Abstract Objective Clinical guidelines recommend that women with a history of adequate screening and not otherwise at high risk may discontinue cervical cancer screening after 65 years of age. However, screening remains common among US women over 65 years old. This study was conducted to examine whether overutilization was attributable to provider’s recommendation or patient choice. Method This cross-sectional study used data from 1752 female participants (70 + years) from the 2013 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). We quantitatively assessed the proportions of provider-recommended and patient self-initiated Pap smears. Results Among female respondents, 40.8% had a Pap smear within the past 3 years, 19.4% had a Pap smear in the last year, and 39.7% reported receiving a recommendation for a Pap smear from their provider in the past year. Among women who received a recommendation to obtain a Pap smear, 39.8% did so within the past 12 months compared to 5.9% of women who did not receive a recommendation (adjusted odds ratio 10.5, 95% confidence interval 7.39–15.0). About 70% of women who visited an obstetrician/gynecologist and reported receiving a recommendation to have a Pap smear did so in the past year, while 32.3% of women who visited an obstetrician/gynecologist but did not receive a recommendation obtained one. Conclusion Pap smears were common among women ≥ 70 years of age. Health care providers may need additional education on current guidelines regarding indications for Pap smears in this age group to help reduce screening of patients who may not benefit.
The incidence and distribution of slipped capital femoral epiphysis in Connecticut and Southwestern United States

The incidence and distribution of slipped capital femoral epiphysis in Connecticut and in the Southwestern part of the United States were studied. The annual incidence of diagnosed cases among Connecticut residents was estimated to be 3.41 per 100,000 population under age twenty-five, and in New Mexico, 0.71 per 100,000. The ratio of male to female cases in Connecticut, 2.67, was higher than the ratio of 1.70 among Southwestern cases. Median ages at diagnosis were thirteen for males and eleven for females in both regions. Blacks were at greater risk for slipped epiphysis than whites, the annual incidence rates in Connecticut being 7.79 for black males, 6.68 for black females, 4.74 for white males, and 1.64 for white females. Urban-rural differences were slight. In Connecticut, no significant social class gradient was observed, whereas its the Southwest, cases were likely to be residents of poorer communities than controls.
The Problem of Post-War Land Settlement and Agricultural Production

ARMS for returning servicemen have been a topic for discussion during every major war and are now being considered again as a way of providing jobs, homes and employment for veterans. Current proposals include legislation which would provide long-term low interest loans to war veterans for the purchase of homes and farms, and would accord them preference in the selection of public domain lands or lands in projects to be developed with public funds.1 States as well as the Federal Government are giving attention to post-war employment. Several States, including Wisconsin, have appointed commissions to investigate and plan for post-war employment opportunities in agriculture as well as in other fields of activity. Other nations too, are developing programs for soldier land settlement. Canada has enacted land settlement
Optimization of a UDP-glucuronosyltransferase assay for trout liver S9 fractions: activity enhancement by alamethicin, a pore-forming peptide.

1. An existing assay for UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) activity in trout liver microsomes was optimized using trout liver S9 fractions. Individual experiments were conducted to determine the time dependence of UGT activity as well as optimal levels of S9 protein, uridine 5'-diphosphoglucuronic acid (UDPGA), substrate (p-nitrophenol) and alamethicin, a pore-forming agent added to eliminate latency. 2. Addition of Mg2+ (to 1 mM) or bovine serum albumin (BSA; to 2% w/v) had variable effects on activity, but these effects were minor. Eliminating alamethicin from the system resulted in very low levels of activity. A portion of this activity could be recovered by adding Triton X-100 or Brij 58; however, the optimal concentration range for either detergent was very narrow. 3. When expressed on a pmol/min/g liver basis, UGT activities determined using this updated assay were substantially higher than those reported previously for uninduced trout. 4. These results clearly demonstrate the advantages of using alamethicin for the removal of latency in UGT activity studies with trout and may have broad implications for the study of UGTs in other fish species.
Outer Automorphisms of S6

(1982). Outer Automorphisms of S6. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 89, No. 6, pp. 407-410.
THE NATURE OF NICHE EXPANSION IN WEST INDIAN ANOLIS LIZARDS II: EVOLUTIONARY COMPONENTS

In Part One of this paper (Lister, 1976b), Anolis lizards were found to undergo a variety of ecological responses to reduced competition, including major habitat shifts as well as within-habitat expansion in the diversity of perch heights, micro-climatic sites and prey sizes utilized. Here I analyze the evolutionary components of these changes in niche width in order to determine if niche expansion involves the evolution of ecotypes adapted to different habitats, the evolution of a generalist phenotype, or the evolution of an array of phenotypes specializing on different resources within a given habitat. Ecotypic variation is well documented in natural populations (Mayr, 1963), and we might reasonably expect the evolution of ecotypes if a colonizing species invades novel habitats in the absence of its competitors. Within-habitat niche expansion might entail either the evolution of a generalist phentoype or the evolution of an array of phentoypes each specializing on formerly unutilized foraging sites or prey items. If the former strategy is involved, then there should be directional selection for a new mean morphology which may be larger than the source area phenotype or intermediate between the extremes of more tightly packed fauna (Grant, 1965; Keast, 1970). Individuals in the broadniched population would ultimately be phenotypically similar, each equally capable of utilizing the same diverse set of resources. However, if within-habitat expansion proceeds via the evolution of ecological specialists, then theoretically some form
Direct Numerical Simulation of a Rectangular Supersonic Jet Impinging on a Solid Wall

This paper presents preliminary results obtained by direct numerical simulations for a supersonic rectangular air jet impinging on a wall. Unsteady Navier-Stokes equations are solved using a fifth-order WENO scheme coupled with a fourth-order low storage RungeKutta time scheme. The flow structure and mean flow properties are presented for two cases for the distance between the nozzle exit and the wall. Comparisons of DNS data with experimental data are very encouraging.
Orthomodular Lattices and Quantum Physics

(1978). Orthomodular Lattices and Quantum Physics. Mathematics Magazine: Vol. 51, No. 5, pp. 299-303.
Skin Color as Health Pathology: The Implications of Eurocentrism for Social Work Practice and Education

People of color live shorter lives than those of European descent and they are more likely to encounter significant health risk. As pertains to skin color cardio disease, hypertension, depression and skin bleaching suggest that the current level of study involving skin color as health pathology is acutely insufficient. That insufficiency relative to health pathology is sustained by intellectual influences of Eurocentrism. Eurocentrism manifests as a tendency to interpret and prioritize the world in Western terms, values and experiences. That is all matters including disease which pertain to other than a Eurocentric existence are by irrelevance determined to be non-existent. If Social Work health practitioners in the U.S. are to understand people of color, understanding the implications of skin color for their overall health and well-being will be imperative to the assessment and ultimate resolution of their presenting problems.
New Scalp Acupuncture Therapy in the Treatment of Children with Mental Retardation

Objective: To observe a new scalp acupuncture for children with mental retardation. Methods: Select 120 cases of children aged 12- 36 months with mental retardation. Randomly divide them into a new scalp acupuncture group( the modern acupuncture group),traditional scalp acupuncture group( traditional acupuncture group) and no scalp acupuncture group( the control group),40 cases in each group. The light and moderate levels of mental retardation were 20 cases respectively. New acupuncture group received new scalp acupoints method with acupuncture plus intelligent training plus therapy and traditional acupuncture group received traditional scalp acupuncture method,namely,acupuncture plus intelligent training plus exercise therapy,while the control group only received intelligence training plus exercise therapy. The course of treatment was for 3months. Gesell development quotient( DQ) was measured before and after treatment,and the difference of DQ between groups was calculated. Results: The effect in new acupuncture group on mild mental retardation and moderate mental retardation was obviously superior to that of the traditional group and the control group,P 0. 05,with a statistically significant difference,and in the traditional acupuncture group only the effect on mild mental retardation was significantly better than that of the control group,P 0. 05,with a statistically significant difference. The efficiency of the new acupuncture group was significantly higher than that of other two groups,P 0. 05,wwith a statistically significant difference. Compared with the control group,the efficiency of the traditional group was significantly higher than that of the control group,but it was not statistically significant. Conclusion: The new scalp acupuncture treatment for mental retardation in children is obviously superior to the traditional scalp acupuncture therapy.
Sawtooth: Interface as Visualization

Sawtooth is an audiovisual improvisation environment in which an information-rich visual interface for the performer simultaneously serves as an aesthetic visual experience for the audience. Gestural input is captured by video camera and translated into audiovisual performance through direct mappings and the initiation of autonomous algorithmic processes. This paper describes Sawtooth's design, with particular attention to the integration of gesture capture, visual feedback to the performer, and audience visual experience.
The Effect of Labels on Categorization: Is Attention to Relevant Features a Good Index of Infants' Category Learning?

Shifting attention to category relevant features has been demonstrated in adults to be a successful strategy for categorizing novel objects. The current experiment was aimed at exploring whether infants would use a similar strategy for category learning when objects were presented with and without labels. Using an eye tracker, 6to 8-month-old infants were familiarized and tested with a novel visual category where only half of the features were relevant for category membership. There was some evidence that infants learned the target category only when objects were not labeled. Furthermore, infants who learned the target category did not appear to optimize their attention to the category relevant features. In addition, contrary to some theoretical accounts, there was no evidence that labels facilitated categorization by highlighting category relevant features.
A Quasi-Experiment Examining Expressive and Receptive Vocabulary Knowledge of Preschool Head Start Children Using Mobile Media Apps

This study examined the efficacy of using different types of mobile media apps to increase the receptive and expressive vocabulary development of 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old preschool children living in economically disadvantaged communities. Children and teachers in four Head Start classrooms participated in the quasi-experimental study, which included an 8-week intervention in which the children interacted with one of two types of apps: one classroom used four scaffolding-like vocabulary apps for an average of 1.8 h per day (n = 16) and one classroom used four open-ended vocabulary apps for an average of 1.3 h per day (n = 15). Two classrooms served as comparison groups (n = 18; n = 14) which used apps that were chosen by the Head Start program with no specific instructional method for approximately 1 h per day. Children’s vocabulary was assessed pre- and post-intervention using the PPVT-4, the EVT-2, and iPad Receptive and Expressive Vocabulary Assessments. Using a repeated measures analysis of variance with split plot analysis, children who used scaffolding-like vocabulary apps performed statistically significantly higher on the PPVT-4 than children who used open-ended vocabulary apps. There were no significant differences between groups on the EVT-2. The study contributed to the literature on teacher instruction of utilizing scaffolding-like apps to increase preschool vocabulary knowledge.
Bangladesh’s Structural Transformation: The Role of Infrastructure

This chapter reviews structural transformation and its consequences for the welfare of rural households in Bangladesh. We argue that public investment in road, electricity, and financial institutions triggers structural transformation, which increases and diversifies rural income, raises consumption expenditure, reduces poverty, and increases educational achievements. Data analysis suggests that household income goes up by 10% and consumption expenditure by 4.7%, as a result of an increase of one microfinance institution (MFI) branch in a village. Grid connectivity and road investment also increase income and expenditure, and lower poverty. Analysis also shows that income increases more for non-farm sources than for farm sources as a result of infrastructural investment. These developments point to a structural transformation at play in rural Bangladesh.
Defining and Assessing the Governance of Agrarian Sustainability

The goal of this paper is to suggest a modern and practical framework for analyzing and assessing the system of governance of agrarian sustainability. New interdisciplinary New Institutional Economics framework (combining economics, organization, law, sociology, behavioral and political sciences) is incorporated and agrarian sustainability property defined, principle mechanisms and modes of governance (institutions, market, private, public, hybrid) of agrarian sustainability classified, and a holistic approach for identifying components and factors, assessing efficiency, and improving the system of governance presented. Suggested framework is to be further discussed and improved while its application requires new type of micro and macro-economic data for agents’ preferences and behavior, activities and efficiency of agrarian organizations, effects and impacts on social, community and natural environment, etc.
The Arrow of Care Map: Abstract Care in Ideal Theory

This paper advances a framework to conceptualize societal care-giving arrangements abstractly. It is abstract in that it brackets the meaning of our particular relationships. This framework, which I call “the arrow of care map”, is a descriptive tracking model that is a necessary component of a theory of justice, but it is not a normative prescription in itself. The basic idea of the map is then multiply specifiable to track various ascriptive identity categories as well as different categories of care labor. In this way, the idea of the arrow of care map serves as a conceptual frame within which to begin to understand every human society’s care-giving arrangement. I characterize it as a component of “ideal theory” insofar as it seeks to clarify our values, without the immediate aim of formulating principles to govern a just society. The resultant partial theory of justice is one that responds to non-ideal theory’s critiques of the ideological nature of liberal contractarianism’s idealizations and abstractions while moving towards new visions of a just society.
Knowledge of oral health benefits of tea in an urban dental patient population

Aims: Much has been written about the health benefits of green tea in both the scientific and lay literature. The purpose of this cross-sectional survey study was to determine dental patient knowledge of the composition of green tea and attitudes regarding the potential oral health benefits of green tea consumption. Materials and Methods: A nine-item questionnaire, with several items in a multipart format, was distributed in paper and pencil form to a convenience sample of dental patients in the waiting area of an urban dental school. Data were entered into Qualtrics Research Suite software and analyzed using descriptive statistics and Chi-square with significance at P
Appropriate fossil calibrations and tree constraints uphold the Mesozoic divergence of solenodons from other extant mammals.

Abstract The mammalian order Eulipotyphla includes four extant families of insectivorans: Solenodontidae (solenodons); Talpidae (moles); Soricidae (shrews); and Erinaceidae (hedgehogs). Of these, Solenodontidae includes only two extant species, which are endemic to the largest islands of the Greater Antilles: Cuba and Hispaniola. Most molecular studies suggest that eulipotyphlan families diverged from each other across several million years, with the basal split between Solenodontidae and other families occurring in the Late Cretaceous. By contrast, Sato et al. (2016) suggest that eulipotyphlan families diverged from each other in a polytomy ∼58.6 million years ago (Mya). This more recent divergence estimate for Solenodontidae versus other extant eulipotyphlans suggests that solenodons must have arrived in the Greater Antilles via overwater dispersal rather than vicariance. Here, we show that the young timetree estimates for eulipotyphlan families and the polytomy are due to an inverted ingroup-outgroup arrangement of the tree, the result of using Tracer rather than TreeAnnotator to compile interfamilial divergence times, and of not enforcing the monophly of well-established clades such as Laurasiatheria and Eulipotyphla. Finally, Sato et al.’s (2016) timetree includes several zombie lineages where estimated divergence times are much younger than minimum ages that are implied by the fossil record. We reanalyzed Sato et al.’s (2016) original data with enforced monophyly for well-established clades and updated fossil calibrations that eliminate the inference of zombie lineages. Our resulting timetrees, which were compiled with TreeAnnotator rather than Tracer, produce dates that are in good agreement with other recent studies and place the basal split between Solenodontidae and other eulipotyphlans in the Late Cretaceous.
Antioxidants in Physical Exercise and Sports Performance

Skeletal muscle contraction generates reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are signaling molecules involved in exercise and force generation. Although ROS levels are maintained at physiological levels by endogenous antioxidants, exercise can alter the oxidant-antioxidant balance in contracting muscles. Regular exercise strengthens the antioxidant defense system via ROS-mediated adaptive responses, while strenuous exercise induces ROS accumulation and oxidative stress. Excess ROS level damages intracellular components and impairs muscle function, potentially limiting physical performance. The manipulation of antioxidant status can restore redox homeostasis and reduce exercise-induced oxidative damages. However, the effectiveness of antioxidant supplementation is unclear due to the complicated and multifaceted roles of ROS in both exercise-induced oxidative injuries and adaptation. The intensity, duration, and types of exercise are also likely to contribute to the effect of ROS in exercise. This chapter provides an updated discussion on ROS and antioxidants in aerobic and anaerobic exercises as well as their multifaceted effects on oxidative balance and physical performance.
What would help low-income families?: Results from a North American survey of 2-1-1 helpline professionals:

Almost half of young American children live in low-income families, many with unmet needs that negatively impact health and life outcomes. Understanding which needs, proactively addressed, would most improve their lives would allow maternal and child health practitioners and social service providers to generate collaborative solutions with the potential to affect health in childhood and throughout the life course. 2-1-1 referral helplines respond to over 16 million inquiries annually, including millions of low-income parents seeking resources. Because 2-1-1 staff members understand the availability of community resources, we conducted an online survey to determine which solutions staff believed held most potential to improve the lives of children in low-income families. Information and referral specialists, resource managers, and call center directors (N = 471) from 44 states, Puerto Rico, and Canada ranked the needs of 2-1-1 callers with children based on which needs, if addressed, would help families most. Childcare (32%), parenting (29%), and child health/health care (23%) were rated most important. Across all childcare dimensions (e.g. quality affordable care, special needs care), over half of the respondents rated community resources inadequate. Findings will help practitioners develop screeners for needs assessment, prioritize resource referrals, and advocate for community resource development.
Adaptive Local Realignment of Protein Sequences

Abstract While mutation rates can vary markedly over the residues of a protein, multiple sequence alignment tools typically use the same values for their scoring-function parameters across a protei...
Prekindergarten is Coming - Are Early Childhood Graduates Adequately Prepared?

(1988). Prekindergarten is Coming - Are Early Childhood Graduates Adequately Prepared? National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators Bulletin: Vol. 9, Bulletin No. 30. Early Childhood Teacher Education Issue, pp. 8-10.
Deterministic and Stochastic Dynamic Programming

Dynamic programming is one of the more widely used techniques for dealing with combinatorial optimization problems. Dynamic Programming can be applied to problems that are solvable in polynomial time, as well as problems that cannot be solved in polynomial time (see Appendix C). It has proven to be very useful for stochastic problems as well
University mission and academic freedom: Are they irreconcilable?

Educational freedom, rightly understood, depends upon the freedom to shape - and (for individuals) to choose to study in or teach in - distinctive educational institutions. This implies an obligation upon faculty who have chosen to commit themselves to such an institution to teach in a way that engages positively with its educational project. Policies which provide scope and encouragement for schools and universities to represent distinctive and coherent viewpoints are an essential condition of educational freedom in a pluralistic society. These issues are discussed with reference to the ‘values project‘ of Free University in Amsterdam and to debates, in the Netherlands and the United States, over the distinctive character of schools.
DRAMATIC IRONY IN ROTIMI'S THE GODS ARE NOT TO BLAME AND GOLDSMITH'S SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER

The article explores how dramatic irony which is a style in literature, used by playwrights to give the audience or readers more insight about the characters and situations in a play, was used by Rotimi in his play The Gods Are not Blame and Goldsmith's She Stoops to Conquer, to create suspense and a high level of climax. This work focuses on the importance, usefulness and ways in which dramatic irony occurs in a piece of drama, and various techniques and devices used by these authors in their works. Hence, this article presents a detailed analysis of the above mentioned as regards dramatic irony. Drama as a genre of literature has been part of the earliest Greek performance. In analyzing plays only but limited works have been done in the area of dramatic irony in relation to the out listed plays. Therefore, this research work aims at demonstrating the effectiveness of dramatic irony as a style in creating works of art. It also seeks to point out that aside all efforts gearing towards a tragic end as can be seen with , Rotimi’s The Gods are not to Blame it can bring some comic relief in which all ends well as seen in Goldsmith’s She Stoops to Conquer .
Identifying Informed Short Selling: An Empirical Analysis

We present an empirical model to identify informed short selling. The model is based on a unique database of firms that were identified by an independent research firm as promising short targets. We find that financial statement variables, such as accrual, sales growth, gross-margin and SG&A, and valuation indicators, such as book-to-market ratio and return momentum, contain information that is correlated with the information set of short sellers. In out of sample tests, the firms identified by our model as short candidates exhibit high short interest ratios and poor future returns. We document that the empirical model can forecast returns better than the short interest ratio and can distinguish valuation shorts from arbitrage shorts. Overall, these findings provide new insights into the decision process of short sellers.
Endocarditis caused by Stenotrophomonas maltophilia-A rare presentation of an emerging opportunistic pathogen.

Abstract First isolated in 1943, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (S. maltophilia) has historically been of little significance as it was considered a pathogen of low virulence noted to rarely infect immunocompromised hosts. However, over the last 30 years the prevalence of infection caused by the organism has increased significantly. Bacterial endocarditis from S. maltophilia remains exceedingly rare with only a small number of reported cases in the literature. This case involves a 27 year old male with sickle cell anemia with an indwelling right subclavian port who presented to the emergency department with myalgias, fever, and chills. His initial blood cultures grew Gram negative rods later identified as S. maltophilia. Transthoracic echocardiogram showed a mass in the right atrium. Transesophageal echocardiogram revealed a large C-shaped mass with attachment to the tricuspid annulus, mitral valve wall, and port tip in right atrium. The patient underwent sternotomy with removal of the vegetation to prevent embolization. He was treated with intravenous ciprofloxacin and oral trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole to complete a full 6 weeks of therapy, making a full recovery. This report will further explore the unique presentation of this pathogen along with its epidemiology, resistance mechanisms, risk factors for infection, diagnosis, and appropriate antimicrobial treatment.
Magnetic Properties of Proton Irradiated Fe2.7GeTe2 Bulk Crystals

van der Waals (vdW) magnetic materials show promise in being the foundation for future spintronic technology. The magnetic behavior of Fe2.7GeTe2 (FGT), a vdW itinerant ferromagnet, was investigated before and after proton irradiation. Proton irradiation of the sample was carried out at a fluence of 1×1018 cm-2. The magnetization measurements revealed a small increase of saturation magnetization (Ms) of about 4% upon proton irradiation of the sample, in which, the magnetic field was applied parallel to the c-axis. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy for pristine and irradiated FGT revealed a general decrease in intensity after irradiation for Ge and Te and an increase in peak intensity of unavoidable surface iron oxide. Furthermore, no noticeable change in the Curie temperature (TC =152 K) is observed in temperature dependent magnetization variation. This work signifies the importance of employing protons in tuning the magnetic properties of vdW materials.
Toward a Greater Understanding of Crisis Leadership: A Christian Perspective and the Opportunities in Crisis

A lot has been said about leadership and crisis independently, but there are still major gaps. One of the most significant gaps which is necessary to set the groundwork for future research is in providing simple yet comprehensive overviews of the terms, supporting theories, and the opportunities to look at crisis leadership differently. This chapter reviews past research on crisis and leadership to bring forth comprehensive definitions while clarifying what the terms are and what they are not both independently and as a joint phenomenon. Second, it builds on existing research by offering a Christian perspective on crisis leadership and what sets it apart from other non-Christian forms. It highlights the benefits of a Christian perspective while suggesting that crisis situations should be embraced because of the opportunities they present. This chapter is an extension of current research that suggests the opportunity to look at crisis leadership with a more positive lens. The expectation is that the clarity brought forth will serve as a springboard for additional research and practice in leadership and to positively embrace the potential in crisis situations.
Responsibilization and social forestry in Indonesia

Abstract The current expansion of social forestry in Indonesia represents an unprecedented transfer of forest management responsibilities to user-groups across the archipelago. The Indonesian state aims to formalize co-management across 12.7 Mha of forest area to enhance community well-being and environmental as well as economic outcomes for the Indonesian public. Contemporary social forestry in Indonesia thus represents a form of natural resource responsibilization. Analyzing Indonesian social forestry as a process of responsibilization provides insight into how social forestry is performed, whether the alignment between community well-being and societal benefits is valid, and existing tensions that occur through the responsibilization of communities for forest management. Using responsibilization theory to examine social forestry policy, this research first identifies the activities that create social forestry in Indonesia and responsibilize new actors for forest management. The transfer of specific control rights to user-groups occurs through a constellation of administrative actors, bureaucratic activities, and virtual platforms. These activities reify user-groups and seek to unite community well-being objectives with environmental and economic benefits to the larger Indonesian public. However, the responsibilization of user-groups for forest management results in three important tensions. First, well-being and well-doing objectives are not always aligned and result in important trade-offs concerning community empowerment. Second, social forestry initiatives are seemingly optional, but they lack free-entry and formal channels for challenging state decisions. Third, at present there is an asymmetry between resources dedicated to approving social forestry permits versus capacity building, monitoring, and evaluating management outcomes. These three tensions provide insights for social forestry in one of the world's most significant tropical forest countries, and they point to promising future work in advancing scholarship on natural resource management and responsibilization.
Thoracic esophageal diverticula. Why is operation necessary

Diverticula of the thoracic esophagus are uncommon disorders. The indications for surgical intervention in asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic patients are unclear. Among 20 patients referred during a 20-year period, 6 were male and 14 female, with a median age of 65 years. Two had had previous diverticulectomies. Dysphagia was present in 9 (45%) and regurgitation in 11 (55%). Nine patients had severe nocturnal cough with symptoms of aspiration. In two of these nine and in three other patients (25%), pulmonary symptoms were the only manifestation of disease, with no or minimal esophageal symptoms. In one patient the diagnosis of the presence of bronchial asthma for several years was incorrect; one patient had massive aspiration before hernia repair, in one a bronchoesophageal fistula and lung abscess developed, and two had severe persistent cough. All patients had a diagnostic barium esophagogram and endoscopy. Operation was performed in 17 patients, whereas three others declined operation. There was one hospital death. Follow-up is complete on 17 of 19 patients until June 1991. All operative survivors but one are free of symptoms. Of three patients refusing operation, one died of aspiration pneumonia, another died of myocardial infarction, and one with severe dysphagia is living. Because of the prevalence of aspiration (45%) and the potential for life-threatening pulmonary complications in some patients (15%), we conclude that operative intervention should be undertaken in all patients with thoracic esophageal diverticula regardless of the presence or absence of symptoms.
The effect of in-plane shear properties on the ballistic performance of polyethylene composites

Abstract Using developed experimental and analytical methods for in-plane shear characterization of quasi-statically loaded polyethylene (PE) laminates, this work evaluates the effect of the in-plane shear behavior has on ballistic performance (limit velocity and back face deflection). As in-plane shear is a matrix-dominated phenomena and processing pressure is known to noticeably influence the shear properties of polyethylene composites, the matrix materials and processing conditions are varied in order to probe an array of configurations. The in-plane shear properties are assessed through quasi-static tensile testing of laminates with [±45°] orientation and the ballistic performance is evaluated using a laboratory gas gun and high speed DIC. It is found that the in-plane shear strain for the more compliant HB 212 material is twice that of the HB 210 material during a ballistic event, which corresponds to the 5% increase in limit velocity of HB 212 over HB 210. The source of the shear deformation in PE materials is fiber rotation as evidenced by the quasi static tests.
Slow-K® (Ciba)

Potassium ion is the principal intracellular cation of most body tissues. Its concentration may diminish whenever the rate of potassium loss through renal excretion and also through the gastrointestinal tract exceeds the rate of potassium intake. This depletion may develop as a consequence of prolonged therapy with oral diuretics, primary or secondary hyperaldosteronism, diabetic ketoacidosis, severe diarrhea, or inadequate replacement of potassium in patients on prolonged parenteral nutrition.