cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effects of fire and tephra deposition on forest vegetation in the Central Cascades, Oregon

High-resolution charcoal and pollen analyses were used to reconstruct a 12,000-yr-long fire and vegetation history of the Tumalo Lake watershed and to examine the short-term effects that tephra deposition have on forest composition and fire regime. The record suggests that, from 12,000 to 9200 cal yr BP, the watershed was dominated by an open Pinus forest with Artemisia as a common understory species. Fire episodes occurred on average every 115 yr. Beginning around 9200 cal yr BP, and continuing to the present, Abies became more common while Artemisia declined, suggesting the development of a closed forest structure and a decrease in the frequency of fire episodes, occurring on average every 160 yr. High-resolution pollen analyses before and after the emplacement of three distinct tephra deposits in the watershed suggest that nonarboreal species were most affected by tephra events and that recovery of the vegetation community to previous conditions took between 40 and 100 yr. Changes in forest composition were not associated with tephra depositional events or changes in fire-episode frequency, implying that the regional climate is the more important control on long-term forest composition and structure of the vegetation in the Cascade Range.
Endoscopic photodynamic therapy for obstructing esophageal cancer: 77 cases over a 2-year period.

rid=""id="" Correspondence to: J. D. Luketich, 200 Lothrop Street, C-800, Presbyterian Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
Completely thoracoscopic, intra-pleural reduction and fixation of severe rib fractures

Author(s): Pieracci, Fredric M; Johnson, Jeffrey L; Stovall, Robert T; Jurkovich, Gregory J
Short-term irradiance forecastability for various solar micro-climates

Abstract The purpose of this work is to present a simple global solar irradiance forecasting framework based on the optimization of the k -nearest-neighbors (kNN) and artificial neural networks algorithms (ANN) for time horizons ranging from 15 min to 2 h. We apply the proposed forecasting models to irradiance from five locations and assessed the impact of different micro-climates on forecasting performance. We also propose two metrics, the density of large irradiance ramps and the time series determinism, to characterize the irradiance forecastability. Both measures are computed from the irradiance time series and provide a good indication for the forecasting performance before any predictions are produced. Results show that the proposed kNN and ANN models achieve substantial improvements relative to simpler forecasting models. The results also show that the optimal parameters for the kNN and ANN models are highly dependent on the different micro-climates. Finally, we show that the density of large irradiance ramps and time series determinism can successfully explain the forecasting performance for the different locations and time horizons.
Electromagnetic-mass splittings of charmed baryons in a quark-diquark model

Relations between the electromagnetic-mass splittings of charmed baryons are obtained using a quark-diquark model with brokenSUs symmetry.
A taxonomy of estimands for regulatory clinical trials with discontinuations

The National Research Council Panel on Handling Missing Data in Clinical Trials recommended that protocols for clinical trials ‘explicitly define... causal estimands of primary interest’. In discussions with sponsors of clinical trials since the publication of the National Research Council report, the expression causal estimands has been the subject of confusion. It may not be entirely clear what the National Research Council panel meant, and in any case, it has not been clear how this recommendation might be put in practice. This paper's purpose is to say how the working group understands it and how we think it should be put in practice. We classify possible choices of estimand according to their usefulness for regulatory purposes in various clinical settings. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Efficient and Time Scale-Invariant Detection of Correlated Activity in Communication Networks

In many real-world networks, interactions between entities are observed at specific moments in continuous time, such as email, SMS messaging, and IP traffic. The majority of methods for analyzing such data first aggregate communication over designated time blocks, resulting in one or more discrete time series, to which existing tools can be applied. However, regardless of how the block lengths are chosen, discretizing time inherently introduces information loss and biases analysis towards patterns occurring at the designated time scale, effects which can be especially pronounced in networks with a high degree of temporal variability. Due to this, there has been increasing interest in using stochastic point processes to model network activity. We present a novel approach based on such models to detect times and sets of entities with temporally correlated recent activity. We develop efficient algorithms and compare our approach to existing and baseline methods through experiments on synthetic and real-world data.
Hospitals In ‘Magnet’ Program Show Better Patient Outcomes On Mortality Measures Compared To Non-‘Magnet’ Hospitals

Hospital executives pursue external recognition to improve market share and demonstrate institutional commitment to quality of care. The Magnet Recognition Program of the American Nurses Credentialing Center identifies hospitals that epitomize nursing excellence, but it is not clear that receiving Magnet recognition improves patient outcomes. Using Medicare data on patients hospitalized for coronary artery bypass graft surgery, colectomy, or lower extremity bypass in 1998–2010, we compared rates of risk-adjusted thirty-day mortality and failure to rescue (death after a postoperative complication) between Magnet and non-Magnet hospitals matched on hospital characteristics. Surgical patients treated in Magnet hospitals, compared to those treated in non-Magnet hospitals, were 7.7 percent less likely to die within thirty days and 8.6 percent less likely to die after a postoperative complication. Across the thirteen-year study period, patient outcomes were significantly better in Magnet hospitals than in non-M...
Evolution of Sociality in Marmots

The 14 species of marmots (Marmota) can be placed in one of four social systems: solitary; female kin matriline; adult male with two females and immature offspring; and a family group consisting of a territorial pair, subordinate adults, and immature offspring. Body size and hibernation are two critical features of marmot biology from which sociality evolves. The high correlation (r = 0.91) between immergence mass and mass loss suggests that species are heavier because they require more mass to survive the hibernation period. Marmots increase mass either by having a larger frame or by increasing the amount of mass per frame. Emergence and immergence mass are linearly related to body length; but change in mass is curvilinearly related to body length: large species use relatively more mass. An analysis of mass:length ratios reveals that species with a relatively high immergence mass use considerable mass during the hibernation period whereas species with a relatively high emergence mass use considerable mass after emergence. The consequence of large body size and a short growing season is that young in all but one species require two or more growing seasons to reach reproductive maturity. All species reach a maturity index for dispersal by age one; however, only two species disperse by that age and several species delay dispersal beyond the age of first reproduction. All species are reproductively mature by age two, but many species delay reproduction for one or more years. Delayed dispersal produces social groups of high relatedness. A cost of sociality is reproductive suppression; reproductive loss is partially compensated by increased survivorship and alloparental care. Subordinate adults also may reproduce or succeed to territorial status. Alloparental care occurs during hibernation when subordinate adults assist in social thermoregulation of closely related young. Thus, marmots have the characteristics of cooperative breeding. The following sequence of events is hypothesized to have occurred in the evolution of marmot sociality. Large size and a short growing season required the retention of offspring in their natal group for one or more additional years to reach maturity. Habitat saturation led to delayed dispersal, which in turn, increased survivorship. When subordinate adults remained in the social unit, they could participate in social thermoregulation and alloparental care.
Signalign: An Ontology of DNA as Signal for Comparative Gene Structure Prediction Using Information-Coding-and-Processing Techniques

Conventional character-analysis-based techniques in genome analysis manifest three main shortcomings—inefficiency, inflexibility, and incompatibility. In our previous research, a general framework, called DNA As X was proposed for character-analysis-free techniques to overcome these shortcomings, where X is the intermediates, such as digit, code, signal, vector, tree, graph network, and so on. In this paper, we further implement an ontology of DNA As Signal, by designing a tool named Signalign for comparative gene structure analysis, in which DNA sequences are converted into signal series, processed by modified method of dynamic time warping and measured by signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The ontology of DNA As Signal integrates the principles and concepts of other disciplines including information coding theory and signal processing into sequence analysis and processing. Comparing with conventional character-analysis-based methods, Signalign can not only have the equivalent or superior performance, but also enrich the tools and the knowledge library of computational biology by extending the domain from character/string to diverse areas. The evaluation results validate the success of the character-analysis-free technique for improved performances in comparative gene structure prediction.
An Evaluation of Methods to Attract Urban Mesocarnivores to Track Plates and Camera Traps

Abstract Developing efficient methods to noninvasively monitor urban mesocarnivores is important to better understand how these ecologically significant species use the urban landscape. In particular, relatively little research has evaluated bait and scent lure attractants for carnivores. To compare different attractants, we deployed 32 track plate stations in six natural areas in Seattle for three-week trapping sessions in summer 2013. At each station, we used either chicken or canned tuna bait and either catnip oil or fish oil as a scent lure. We also compared track plates to camera traps at 18 of these stations. We captured five species of wild and domestic carnivores (including a carnivorous marsupial) as well as three rodent taxa at one or both devices. Bait type and lure type were not strong predictors of the total number of mammals detected at a device. Camera traps detected 1.58 (95% CI: 0.70–2.46) more species than track plates at each bait station. Among the three most common mesocarnivores: rac...
Changes in platelet volume produced by temperature, metabolic inhibitors, and aggregating agents.

SummaryThe volume of normal human platelets, measured with a Coulter Counter, was approximately 5.8 μ3 when the platelets were disc-shaped. Platelet volume increased gradually between 15 and 30% when platelets from ACD blood were maintained at less than 10°;C or incubated with fluoride, or iodoacetate plus cyanide. Platelets from blood anticoagulated with EDTA swelled progressively; this was partially reversed in ACD plasma. Adenosine diphosphate or thrombin in concentrations causing aggregation in platelet-rich plasma induced rapid platelet swelling. ADP-induced swelling was prevented by adenosine monophosphate, but not by arcaine or EDTA, although all three compounds prevented ADP-induced clumping. Epinephrine in a concentration capable of causing aggregation did not produce swelling. All of the conditions which caused platelet swelling were associated with change in shape of platelets from smooth discs to spiny spheres. The technique described for measuring rapid changes in platelet volume should prove...
The Historical Treatment of the Problem of Value Judgements: An Interpretation

This chapter will venture to explain the ways in which economists and other social scientists have dealt with the problems of values, or valuation, particularly in relation to income distribution.
Genetic algorithm design of a 3D printed heat sink

In this paper, a genetic algorithm- (GA-) based approach is discussed for designing heat sinks based on total heat generation and dissipation for a pre-specified size and shape. This approach combines random iteration processes and genetic algorithms with finite element analysis (FEA) to design the optimized heat sink. With an approach that prefers “survival of the fittest”, a more powerful heat sink can be designed which can cool power electronics more efficiently. Some of the resulting designs can only be 3D printed due to their complexity. In addition to describing the methodology, this paper also includes comparisons of different cases to evaluate the performance of the newly designed heat sink compared to commercially available heat sinks.
Support vector machines for automated snoring detection: proof-of-concept

Background Snoring has been shown to be associated with adverse physical and mental health, independent of the effects of sleep disordered breathing. Despite increasing evidence for the risks of snoring, few studies on sleep and health include objective measures of snoring. One reason for this methodological limitation is the difficulty of quantifying snoring. Conventional methods may rely on manual scoring of snore events by trained human scorers, but this process is both time- and labor-intensive, making the measurement of objective snoring impractical for large or multi-night studies.
Characterization of a Novel MMS-Sensitive Allele of Schizosaccharomyces pombe mcm4+

The minichromosome maintenance (MCM) complex is the conserved helicase motor of the eukaryotic replication fork. Mutations in the Mcm4 subunit are associated with replication stress and double strand breaks in multiple systems. In this work, we characterize a new temperature-sensitive allele of Schizosaccharomyces pombe mcm4+ Uniquely among known mcm4 alleles, this mutation causes sensitivity to the alkylation damaging agent methyl methanesulfonate (MMS). Even in the absence of treatment or temperature shift, mcm4-c106 cells show increased repair foci of RPA and Rad52, and require the damage checkpoint for viability, indicating genome stress. The mcm4-c106 mutant is synthetically lethal with mutations disrupting fork protection complex (FPC) proteins Swi1 and Swi3. Surprisingly, we found that the deletion of rif1+ suppressed the MMS-sensitive phenotype without affecting temperature sensitivity. Together, these data suggest that mcm4-c106 destabilizes replisome structure.
Thrombin-Induced Inflammation in Human Decidual Cells Is Not Affected By Heparin.

Objective:Thrombin (Thr) generation at the uteroplacental interface induces inflammation and weakens fetal membranes. Tissue factor (TF) is a powerful procoagulant that is increased by Thr in decidual cells (DCs). The TF expression may play an important role in modulating Thr-induced inflammation. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of heparin, including nonanticoagulant (desulfated) heparins, on basal and Thr-induced expression of TF and inflammatory cytokines in DCs.Methods:Fetal membranes were collected from term pregnancies undergoing unlabored cesarean delivery and then DCs were isolated and cultured. Third passage DCs were conditioned in defined media for 1 week and then treated with 1 of the 4 heparins (enoxaparin, unfractionated heparin, and 2 desulfated heparins) with and without Thr (2.5 U/mL) for 24 hours. Supernatant levels of interleukin (IL) 6, IL-8, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor α, and interferon γ (IFN-γ) were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Western blots wer...
Estimating the Effects of A La Carte Pricing: The Case of Cable Television

Consumer groups have been complaining about rising cable television prices. One proposed solution to combat these rising rates is to allow consumers to choose cable channels on a channel-by-channel basis (so-called a la carte offerings). In this paper, we explore the likely implications of a government regulation that would require cable and satellite operators to offer television channels on an a la carte basis. Using a policy simulation in which we explicitly model the strategic interaction between cable providers and programming networks, we find that consumer welfare goes up unambiguously under a la carte pricing. The expected monthly expenditure per household falls by approximately 15 to 20 percent and consumer welfare increases considerably. On the other hand, even ignoring the (technological) fixed costs associated with compliance with an a la carte regulation, we find that cable operator profits will fall. Finally, as we might expect, some programming networks benefit from a la carte pricing, while others are harmed (due, at least partially, to increased competition among close substitutes).
Big Data Analytics in Uncertainty Quantification: Application to Structural Diagnosis and Prognosis

AbstractThis study investigates the use of big data analytics in uncertainty quantification and applies the proposed framework to structural diagnosis and prognosis. With smart sensor technology ma...
Stability Measure Comparison for the Design of a Dynamic Running Robot

Estimating the effect of design changes on the stability of robots designed to run over rough terrain is a difficult task. No current predictor or measure is currently universally accepted. The most common techniques, including the ‘stability margins’ commonly used in walking machines and the return-map eigenvalue analysis used on simple models, are not fully applicable to these fast and complex systems. This paper describes a comparison of three approaches to measuring stability applied to a redesign of our hexapedal running robot, Sprawl.
Subject Pronoun Expression in Santomean Portuguese

Studies on Subject Pronoun Expression (SPE) in the Portuguese-speaking world have shown a distinction between European Portuguese, which is a Null Subject Language (NSL) with high rates of null subjects, and Brazilian Portuguese, which is controversially treated as a partial-NSL and exhibits a considerably lower rate of null subjects. No specific studies have been conducted on the matter on Santomean Portuguese, but we know that both null and overt subject personal pronouns exist in this variety of Portuguese. The objective of this paper is to investigate variation in SPE in Santomean Portuguese, and to situate this variety of Portuguese in comparison with other varieties. Results of the variationist analyses show that Santomean Portuguese patterns more like European Portuguese in its high rate of use of null subject. Interestingly, and contrary to previous studies, Santomeans with a higher level of education disfavor the use of null subject, which I relate to a sensitivity to grammatical ideology and the favoring of the overt subject in more formal situations. Most of the results regarding the linguistic predictors, which are stronger than the social predictors, relate Santomean Portuguese to other varieties of Portuguese, and to Spanish.
Solar oscillations interacting through a mean field

The “mean field” produced by the temperature and opacity fluctuations of the five minute modes in the sun is shown to change the temperature and density spatial structure of the linear 25 minute mode near the top of the photosphere. The effective medium, measured by the coefficients in the differential equation for the linear mode, can be altered by as much as 19 percent by the 5 minute mode “mean field,” indicative of possible nontrivial nonlinear processes in the photosphere.
Parathyroid Hormone and Parathyroid Hormone—Related Peptide in Calcium Homeostasis, Bone Metabolism, and Bone Development: The Proteins, Their Genes, and Receptors

The actions of amino-terminal PTH (parathyroid hormone) and PTHrP (PTH related peptide) fragments are mediated through the common PTH/PTHrP receptor that belongs to a distinct family of G-proteincoupled receptors, which typically signal through two second-messenger pathways, cyclic adenosine monophosphate, and inositol phosphate. Similar to the widely expressed PTHrP, the mRNA encoding the PTH/PTHrP receptor is found in a large variety of fetal and adult tissues, but its expression is most abundant in three tissues: kidney and bone, where it mediates the calcium-homeostatic endocrine actions of PTH; and the metaphyseal growth plate, where it mediates the autocrine/paracrine actions of locally synthesized PTHrP. In contrast to the common PTH/PTHrP receptor, the closely related PTH-2 receptor is activated only by PTH, but not by PTHrP, and it may have a distinctive primary ligand, the recently described hypothalamic PTH-like molecule. Expression of the PTH-2 receptor is restricted to relatively few tissues and its mRNA levels are typically much less abundant than those encoding the PTH/PTHrP receptor; its biological importance remains to be determined. Perhaps PTH is its ligand in some organs or tissues, and another ligand mediates other biological actions in other (or all) sites.
Predicting the Accuracy of Bayes Classifiers

A statistical procedure is presented that estimates the probability of error of a Bayes pattern classifier from experimental data. The algorithm is demonstrated on two pattern classification problems, including one that involves multi- spectral satellite images.
Discovering Anomalies to Multiple Normative Patterns in Structural and Numeric Data

One of the primary issues with traditional anomaly detection approaches is their inability to handle complex, structural data. One approach to this issue involves the detection of anomalies in data that is represented as a graph. The advantage of graph-based anomaly detection is that the relationships between elements can be analyzed, as opposed to just the data values themselves, for structural oddities in what could be a complex, rich set of information. However, until now, attempts at applying graph-based approaches to anomaly detection have encountered two issues: (1) Numeric values found in the data are not incorporated into the analysis of the structure, which could augment and improve the discovery of anomalies; and (2) The anomalous substructure may not be a deviation of the most prevalent pattern, but deviates from only one of many normative patterns. This paper presents enhancements to existing graph-based anomaly detection techniques that address these two issues and shows experimental results validating the usefulness of these enhancements.
Pathophysiology of the Nonchromaffin Paraganglia

Early attempts to clarify the function of the carotid body were concerned with the effects of bilateral glomectomy on the entire organism or of unilateral extirpation on the remaining glomus. These experiments were performed at a time when the widely accepted paraganglion hypothesis had proclaimed a glandular role for this organ analogous to the adrenal medulla and were directed at establishing a deficiency syndrome resulting from the elimination of the presumed internal secretion by ablation of these organs. With the exception of the report by Mulon (1904), injection of “carotid gland” extracts had already failed to produce a pressor effect (Gomez, 1908; Vincent, 1910; Frugoni, 1912), so that effects other than cardiovascular were now sought.
People, Practices, and Patterns: Transforming into a Learning Institution.

The Challenge: Organizational transformation takes time, energy, and patience. Intentional change was engaged by an academic-administrative unit, The Hub for Innovation in Learning and Technology (the Hub). The Hub aspires to help Michigan State University (MSU) “reinvent itself as a learning institution” by transforming ourselves so that we might transform others. The authors, all current employees of the Hub, provide an in-depth look into the challenges and triumphs of purposeful organizational change. Potential Consequences: Without change, MSU would maintain existing gaps on measures of student success among different demographic groups. The key audience of these efforts are learners in the university while considering the surrounding system of faculty, staff, administrators, curriculum, assessment, and student engagement efforts. Description/Analysis/Methods: The Hub catalyzes innovative ways to collaborate, learn, research, and impact learning. We design new opportunities that take advantage of skills and connections across the disciplines. The Hub adapted work practices that can sustain transformation. The Hub also built a physical space reflective of these strategies. Rationale/Reflection/Replication: Initial practices resulted in a series of careful, bold learning pathways focused on new capacity and professional development for stakeholders. We extrapolated experiences, practices, and findings for other transforming university, business, and organizational contexts.
Congruence in Exchange: The Influence of Supervisors on Employee Performance in Family Firms:

A pluralistic focus on economic and noneconomic goals creates dissonance for family firm employees. Drawing on social exchange theory, this study explores the idea that congruence between superviso...
Identification of high-risk human papillomavirus and Rb/E2F pathway genomic alterations in mutually exclusive subsets of colorectal neuroendocrine carcinoma

Colorectal neuroendocrine carcinomas, both small cell and large cell types, are highly aggressive tumors with poor prognosis compared with colorectal adenocarcinoma. The molecular drivers of neuroendocrine carcinoma are best defined in small cell lung cancer, which shows near-universal genomic alterations in TP53 and RB1. The genetics of colorectal neuroendocrine carcinoma remain poorly understood; recent studies demonstrated infrequent RB1 alterations and genetics closely resembling colorectal adenocarcinoma. To better define the molecular pathogenesis of colorectal neuroendocrine carcinoma, we performed capture-based next-generation sequencing on 25 cases and evaluated for expression of p53, Rb, p16, and high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) subtypes using immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, and polymerase chain reaction. Rb/E2F pathway dysregulation was identified in nearly all cases (23/25, 92%) and occurred via three distinct mechanisms. First, RB1 genomic alteration was present in 56% (14/25) of cases and was accompanied by Rb protein loss, high p16 expression, and absence of HR-HPV; these cases also had frequent genomic alterations in TP53, the PI3K/Ras and Wnt pathways, as well as in DNA repair genes, with 4/14 cases being hypermutated. Second, 16% (4/25) of cases, all left-sided, had TP53 alteration without RB1 alteration; half of these harbored high-level amplifications in CCNE1 and MYC or MYCN and arose in patients with ulcerative colitis. Finally, 28% (7/25) of cases, all rectal or anal, lacked genomic alterations in RB1 or TP53 but were positive for HR-HPV. Our data demonstrate that Rb/E2F pathway dysregulation is essential in the pathogenesis of colorectal neuroendocrine carcinoma, akin to neuroendocrine carcinomas in other anatomic sites. Moreover, colorectal neuroendocrine carcinomas stratify into three distinct molecular subgroups, which can be differentiated based on Rb protein and HR-HPV status. HR-HPV infection represents a distinct mechanism for Rb and p53 inactivation in cases lacking genomic alterations in either gene. Differential treatment strategies for hypermutated and HPV-driven cases could improve patient outcomes.
Gendered Racism Biases: Associations of Phenotypes with Discrimination and Internalized Oppression Among Latinx American Women and Men

How closely people of color resemble their in-group members has implications for their identities and well-being. However, intersectional research on psychological consequences of skin complexions among Latinx Americans is sparse. The present study investigated Latinx American women (N = 152) and men (N = 107) in a Chicago community sample. Using regression analyses, results examined whether skin tones were associated with their experiences of discrimination and endorsement of internalized racism (i.e., acceptance of anti-Latinx stereotypes). At higher levels of socioeconomic status (SES), the lightest-skinned Latina women reported higher internalized racism and lower discrimination; this association was not significant among men. At higher SES levels, darker subgroups of women reported lower internalized racism and higher discrimination. Findings suggest that colorism processes are likely gendered for Latinx Americans since darker and lighter complexions carry some psychological disadvantages (particularly for Latina women) depending on their social environment. Implications for theory and health disparities are discussed.
Revealing the Role of Combined Loading on the Tension–Compression Asymmetry in a Textured AZ31 Magnesium Alloy

In wrought Mg alloys, such as AZ31 alloy, a strong basal texture is developed during the rolling process, which leads to a high tension–compression anisotropic behavior at room temperature and irrespective of deformation rate. This classic anisotropy mainly arises due to activation of different deformation modes such as slip versus twin.
Recent literature on bryophytes—113(2)

Diversidad y riqueza de musgos y lo´quenes en Colombia—generalidades y methodologo ´a. In J. O. Rangel (ed.), Colombia, Diversidad Biotica 6: 1-17. Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Unibiblos, Bogota ´. (With English abstract.)
Localizing Sparse Direct Solvers for Circuit Simulations

We report results obtained using a preconditioned fast iterative solver to model electrostatic circuit problems. The method of moments is used to discretize integral equation-based formulations of the underlying circuit problem. A compressed representation of the system matrix is obtained using the fast multipole method, and the resulting linear system is solved using a preconditioned iterative method. Preconditioners are constructed from a class of localization-based sparse direct solvers, and numerical performance is reported for realistic application ns. The impact of incorporating a multilevel matrix binormalization method is also examined, and resulting tradeoffs are discussed.
The Radio Hobby in the Service of National Socialism, 1935–1945

This chapter looks at the remnants of the radio hobby during the Nazi Era and the Second World War, and shows how the Nazis feared hobbyists but still needed their expertise, allowing a handful of “ham radio” enthusiasts limited scope to pursue their interests, so long as they supported the regime and contributed to rearmament. Because of both technical change and political repression, the other radio clubs disappeared, but ham radio remained active and even grew during the Third Reich, albeit in a highly regimented form. As it turned out, even the Nazis needed hobbyists. Hams were used to hide and help secret rearmament, and even during the Second World War, they played a role as experts in radio technology.
Use of child support enforcement actions and their relationship to payments

Abstract Many noncustodial parents do not pay the support they owe. The child support enforcement program has a number of tools to facilitate child support collections in response to nonpayment, such as suspending licenses and holding court hearings. Despite policy interest in raising levels of compliance with child support orders, little recent research exists on the use of enforcement actions or their effectiveness. In this analysis, we provide descriptive statistics on the use of enforcement actions and whether there is a relationship between these actions and beginning to pay. We use state administrative data for a sample of noncustodial fathers in the state of Wisconsin. We find that most nonpaying fathers receive at least one enforcement action during their first nonpayment spell, where the most common action is a letter. Actions beyond letters are relatively infrequent, and almost never used as a first step. Most enforcement actions are associated with beginning to pay support, though suspending licenses is sometimes related to a lower likelihood of beginning to pay. Our analysis is not causal, and so does not provide strong evidence about whether (and when) various enforcement tools should be used. However, it provides new evidence on an understudied question, and a basis for future research on the effectiveness of alternative approaches.
Evaluating and presenting uncertainty in model‐based unconstrained ordination

Variability in ecological community composition is often analyzed by recording the presence or abundance of taxa in sample units, calculating a symmetric matrix of pairwise distances or dissimilarities among sample units and then mapping the resulting matrix to a low-dimensional representation through methods collectively called ordination. Unconstrained ordination only uses taxon composition data, without any environmental or experimental covariates, to infer latent compositional gradients associated with the sampling units. Commonly, such distance-based methods have been used for ordination, but recently there has been a shift toward model-based approaches. Model-based unconstrained ordinations are commonly formulated using a Bayesian latent factor model that permits uncertainty assessment for parameters, including the latent factors that correspond to gradients in community composition. While model-based methods have the additional benefit of addressing uncertainty in the estimated gradients, typically the current practice is to report point estimates without summarizing uncertainty. To demonstrate the uncertainty present in model-based unconstrained ordination, the well-known spider and dune data sets were analyzed and shown to have large uncertainty in the ordination projections. Hence to understand the factors that contribute to the uncertainty, simulation studies were conducted to assess the impact of additional sampling units or species to help inform future ordination studies that seek to minimize variability in the latent factors. Accurate reporting of uncertainty is an important part of transparency in the scientific process; thus, a model-based approach that accounts for uncertainty is valuable. An R package, UncertainOrd, contains visualization tools that accurately represent estimates of the gradients in community composition in the presence of uncertainty.
E-Cigarette Use Associated With Asthma Independent of Cigarette Smoking and Marijuana in a 2017 National Sample of Adolescents

Abstract Purpose Knowledge about the health consequences of e-cigarette use in adolescence remains limited. Available studies of asthma among adolescents are based on data collected five or more years ago, and evidence from more recent generations of e-cigarette products is needed. Methods We analyzed data from the 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, a cross-sectional study with a representative U.S. national sample of high school students. Multivariable analyses tested for associations of ever and 30-day e-cigarette use with asthma controlling for cigarette smoking, marijuana use, demographics, and obesity. Results A significant association with asthma was found for ever use of e-cigarettes, adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.15 (confidence interval [CI], 1.02–1.30; p = .02) and for currently using e-cigarettes, AOR = 1.30 (CI, 1.10–1.53; p = .002). Also related to asthma were current cigarette smoking, AOR = 1.24 (CI, 1.03–1.51; p = .03) and obesity, AOR = 1.48 (CI, 1.30–1.68; p Conclusions E-cigarette use was significantly associated with asthma in recent data on adolescents, controlling for several disease-relevant covariates. The results are consistent with studies based on previous generations of e-cigarettes and support the significance of e-cigarettes as a continuing public health concern.
Music education students’ intrinsic and extrinsic motivation: A quantitative analysis of personal narratives:

In this study, I sought to identify the characteristics of musical experiences that contribute to young musicians’ motivation for musical engagement. A comprehensive review of the literature produc...
PrEP discontinuation among Latino/a and Black MSM and transgender women: A need for PrEP support services.

Purpose Disparities persist in HIV infection among Black and Latino men who have sex with men (BLMSM) and Black and Latina transgender women (BLTW). Increasing uptake and subsequent consistent use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), an effective biomedical strategy for preventing HIV acquisition, can dramatically reduce HIV incidence in these populations. The purpose of this study was to explore reasons for PrEP discontinuation among BLMSM and BLTW living in Los Angeles County to inform the development of support services for these populations to remain persistent with their PrEP regimen. Methods In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 BLMSM and 7 BLTW who reported either temporary or indefinite PrEP discontinuation. A thematic analysis approach was used to analyze qualitative data. Results Four themes emerged related to reasons for PrEP discontinuation, including: (1) lower perceived HIV risk related to changes in sexual behavior; (2) structural or logistical barriers (e.g., lapse or loss of health insurance, cost, difficulty navigating complex medical systems); (3) anticipated and experienced medication side effects, with a sub-theme of interactions between PrEP and feminizing hormone medications; and (4) challenges with medication adherence. Conclusions PrEP is an important prevention tool for BLMSM and BLTW, particularly during periods of heightened HIV risk. However, both individual (e.g., inability to adhere to medication, changes in HIV sexual risk behaviors) and structural/logistical (e.g., loss of insurance, navigating complex medical systems) factors can cause temporary or indefinite PrEP discontinuation. Additional support services, beyond those offered by medical providers, are needed to help BLMSM and BLTW PrEP users overcome barriers to discontinuation and assist them to remain persistent with their PrEP regimen. We describe potential options for support services such as PrEP case management, expanded PrEP navigation services, or text messaging services.
Preliminary Design of a Hot Hydrogen Test Loop for Plasma-Material–Interaction Evaluation

One of the most pressing issues in the commercial development of fusion energy is the design and testing of high-temperature materials that can withstand high heat and particle fluxes while maintai...
A Political Economy Critique of the American Welfare State

Despite its rapid expansion over the last decade, the American welfare state appears unable to remedy many of the social problems it has been designated to solve. In many instances, the welfare state has become as much a part of the problem as the solution. Unfortunately, most proposals to reform the welfare state do not go beyond the liberalconservative conception of the welfare state as a backup to the capitalist market system. This conception of the welfare state is part of a larger comitment to a free market-pluralist ideology that singles out certain social phenomena as problematic and limits the range of interventions considered acceptable. Thus, the welfare state's ideological commitments create a built-in tendency to maintain the status quo. Political economy is presented here as a particular analytic perspective that challenges the values and assumptions of the free market-pluralist ideology and thus offers a critique of the American welfare state that cannot be formulated within the free market-pluralist conception of reality. , Based on a paper presented at the Annual Meetings of the Society for the Study of Social Problems, New York City, August 28, 1976. I would like to thank Reginald K. Carter, David G. Gil, Elliott Sclar, and Roland L. Warren for their helpful comments on earlier drafts of this article.
Performance competencies and appraisal practices for professional hall directors in large residence hall systems

The purpose of this study was to identify the processes and effectiveness of performance appraisal for professional hall directors in large residence hall systems as viewed by hall directors and their supervisors. The study identified the significant differences that exist between the perceptions of hall directors and their supervisors concerning the practices and overall effectiveness of the appraisal process. Competencies associated with being an effective hall director also were identified. The sample was comprised of 54 universities with residence systems housing 4001 or more residents that employ professional hall directors and were members of ACUHO-I. Iowa State University residence life employees were not included in the data collection because they were represented in the focus groups and pilot study. Forty-eight of the 53 institutions (90.6%) provided usable data sets. A total of 754 hall directors and hall director supervisors were invited to complete the research instrument. Of the sample, 586 of the total were hall directors (77.7%) and 168 were hall director supervisors (22.3%). A total of 358 of the 586 hall directors (61.1% response rate) and 108 of 168 hall director supervisors (64.3% response rate) responded to the questionnaire. A four-part instrument was designed using a literature review, Delphi Technique, and two focus groups and distributed to the population. Part I of the instrument included 49 competencies that respondents were asked to rate on a 5-point scale from essential to not necessary. Part II identified current institutional practices for performance appraisal. Respondents indicated yes, no, or don't know for the institutional practices. Part III included 64 statements of recommended performance appraisal practices. Respondents were asked to indicate levels of agreement on the presence of each practice at their respective institution.
ER Stress Marker GRP78 Colocalizes with LRRK2 in Human Parkinson’s Disease. (P2.145)

Introduction: Glucose related Protein 78 (GRP78)[1], a key signaling molecule of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress[2], and leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2)[3], represent promising therapeutic targets of Parkinson’s Disease (PD)[4, 5]. GRP78 protects cells in early stages of ER stress[2] and LRRK2 is the leading genetic cause of PD[3]. We earlier showed that LRRK2 upregulates GRP78, through p38 pathway, in response to 6-hydroxydopamine exposure or human α-synuclein over-expression in dopaminergic neurons of C. elegans, human neuroblastoma cells and murine cortical neurons[6]. Here, we present neuropathological evidence for relationship of GRP78 and LRRK2 in human PD. Materials & Methods: We performed immuno-staining of adjacent serial sections of the substantia nigra of 9 PD (neuropathologically confirmed Lewy bodies) patients (aged 53-84) and 4 age-matched controls. Results: We found co-localization of GRP78 with activated p38 and LRRK2 in the cytoplasm of dopaminergic neurons. Such co-localized immunoreactivity was not observed in 4 age-matched controls. Co-localization of GRP78 with activated p38 and LRRK2 in the cytoplasm of dopaminergic neurons of PD patients. Conclusions: We propose that there is a potential relationship of ER stress, and its regulator GRP78, with LRRK2 in PD. This relationship may have important diagnostic and therapeutic implications in PD. Work In Progress: Researchers are actively exploring the role of ER stress and GRP78 as key players in the pathogenesis of PD[7], including LRRK2 associated genetic PD[8]. Our report provides supportive evidence for such a potential relationship in the context of human PD pathology. We are further investigating the role of GRP78, the key regulator of ER stress, in living PD patients and controls. Disclosure: Dr. Gupta has nothing to disclose. Dr. Feng has nothing to disclose.
New approaches to studying the foraging ecology of small cetaceans

Abstract Dolphins and porpoises spend the majority of their lives underwater, out of the view of human observers. Consequently, scientists have relied on indirect means to study the foraging ecology of these animals. These indirect methods, such as examining the stomach contents of carcasses, provide an incomplete and often biased view of their feeding ecology. Promising new technological developments with data loggers and satellite telemetry are beginning to offer alternative methods to studying the foraging ecology of small cetaceans. Data loggers have long been used with other marine vertebrates but have not been suitable for dolphins or porpoises because the devices must be retrieved to recover stored data. Recent advances in their recovery have overcome some of these difficulties and loggers have now been successfully deployed on several species of small cetaceans. A new generation of small satellite-linked transmitters has allowed researchers to follow the movements and diving behaviour of animals from their offices. Continuing developments in these fields will afford new opportunities to study the lives of dolphins and porpoises and better understand how they find and obtain food at sea.
A passively proliferation-proof fusion power plant

This paper investigates whether a fusion power plant could be designed to be passively proliferation-proof. Even low neutron production rates enable fissile-fuel breeding, so such a fusion reactor must burn neutron-lean fuels. To burn these fuels economically requires a high-power-density fusion concept, and a D-{sup 3}He field-reversed configuration will be analyzed here. The paper discusses physics and engineering design features that would defeat attempts to modify the reactor to burn the neutron-rich fuels D-T and D-D. These include burning an advanced fusion fuel, utilizing direct energy conversion, minimizing the radius to leave inadequate room for D-T neutron shielding of superconducting magnets, designing a single-module, full-lifetime fusion core requiring no module changeout, and using an organic coolant.
Pitfalls in Diagnostic Hematopathology: Part I

Pitfalls in diagnostic hematopathology are underestimated and underreported. Major causes of diagnostic error in hematopathology include: 1) inadequate material; 2) inadequate workup; 3) inadequate clinical correlation; 4) over or under interpretation; 5) challenges in hematopathology. In the first part of this review series, I will focus on the pitfalls in diagnosing and differentiating chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) and mantle cell lymphoma, and discuss the strategies to avoid potential diagnostic errors based on my personal experience.
A u-p finite element analysis of the effect of joint curvature and tissue thickness on the indentation of articular cartilage

The highly hydrated, viscoelastic nature of articular cartilage enables it to aid in lubrication and load distribution in diarthrodial joints. The u-p finite element method models the tissue as consisting of two phases-a solid phase of collagen fibrils and proteoglycan aggregates and a fluid phase of interstitial water. The method, using solid displacements (u) and fluid pressures(p) as the nodal parameters, is a valuable tool to investigate tissue behavior under different loading and geometric configurations. The present study analyzed the mechanical response of cartilage under small strain conditions when the tissue was subjected to indentation loading. Because many analytical treatments of the indentation configuration assume the cartilage-bone layer to be an infinite plane, the authors assessed the effects of curvature of joint surfaces on the mechanical behavior of cartilage. Additionally, the effect of the thickness of the tissue on its behavior was investigated. >