cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Firearms training: what is actually taught?

Introduction Firearm safety instructors and public health professionals are natural allies in the quest to prevent firearm injuries. We audited basic firearm classes to provide information that can help familiarise public health professionals and others with the content covered. Methods With the advice of expert instructors, we created an audit form. Volunteers audited 20 basic firearm classes in seven north-eastern states. Results All trainers covered a wide variety of safety issues. Some specific basics were covered in 90+% of the classes, including how to safely load/unload a gun, keeping your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot, and being aware of your target and what is behind it. In 50%–75% of the classes, the trainer covered topics such as operating a safety, clearing jams and cartridge malfunctions, and recommended storing guns unloaded and locked when not in use. Few instructors covered firearm suicide prevention (10%) or domestic violence (10%). Most encouraged gun ownership, gun carrying, gun use in self-defence and membership in a gun rights group. Discussion From a public health standpoint, we would like to see more instructors covering topics such as firearm suicide and alternatives to gun use in self-defence, and to recommend safer storage of firearms.
Regulatory Controls in Relation to Overproduction of Fungal Cellulases

A growing trend in the development of viable processes for the conversion of renewable cellulosic biomass to glucose is the use of microbial cellulases as biological catalysts. Unfortunately, the cost of the cellulase enzymes has been prohibitive for large scale industrial application in saccharification of cellulose. The high cost of cellulase is due largely to the low yield and to the low specific activity of enzymes from the available microbial strains. Improvement of the cellulolytic microbial strains can be considerably enhanced through selective screening programs. However, the rationale for selection and the chance of isolation of more useful strains are hampered by our lack of understanding of mechanisms controlling the synthesis and secretion of cellulase. Successful genetic cloning and expression of the cellulase genes from Tviohodevma or any other cellulolytic microorganism is similarly dependent upon a sound basic knowledge of the control mechanisms. Tviohodevma genetics is an unexplored abyss. Although Tviohodevma is reported to have a sexual stage, in the Hypoovea (1,2) mating types are generally unavailable. Thus, traditional methods of delineating genetic linkages are elusive.
Tension and Compression of a Cord

Consideration will be given to a cord or strand consisting of three wires with the cross section shown in Figure 9.1. The method can be extended to other types of cross sections. If the three wires are just contacting each other in the undeformed state, Eq. (3.8) becomes $$ r = R\sqrt {1 + \frac{1}{{3si{n^2}\alpha }}} ,$$ (9.1) where R is the wire radius, r denotes the helical radius of a wire, and a is the helix angle. When the cord is loaded, the following can be written: $$ \bar r = R\left( {1 - v\zeta } \right)\sqrt {1 + \frac{1}{{3si{n^2}\bar a}}} ,$$ (9.2) where it is assumed that the wires remain in contact with each other, r is the deformed helical radius, a is the new helix angle, y is Poisson’s ratio, and is the axial wire strain. Since the change in the helix angle △a and the wire strain are assumed small, Eq. (9.2) can be written as $$ \frac{{\bar r}}{R} = \frac{r}{R}\left[ {1 - v\xi - \frac{{\cos \alpha }}{{\left( {1 + 3{{\sin }^2}a} \right)\sin \alpha }}\Delta \alpha } \right].$$ (9.3)
An open-label pilot study of a home wearable light therapy device for postpartum depression.

We sought to establish the feasibility and preliminary effects of home-wearable light therapy for postpartum depression, and its effects on circadian measures. Eight women within 6 months postpartum were prescribed 60 min of daily morning light therapy for 5 weeks. The device was well tolerated. Significant improvements were observed in self-report and clinician-rated depression symptoms, with little change in objective circadian measures. Home-wearable light therapy is feasible for postpartum women and may be a promising treatment for postpartum depression. Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT02769858
Death in the digital age: A systematic review of information and communication technologies in end-of-life care

Abstract Background: End-of-life (EOL) communication plays a critical role in ensuring that patients receive care concordant with their wishes and experience high quality of life. As the baby boomer population ages, scalable models of end-of-life communication will be needed to ensure that patients receive appropriate care. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) may help address the needs of this generation; however, few resources exist to guide the use of ICTs in EOL care. Objective: The primary objective was to identify the ICTs being used in EOL communication. The secondary objective was to compare the effectiveness of different ICTs in EOL communication. Methods: The study was a systematic review, following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. We systematically searched seven databases for experimental and observational studies on EOL communication between doctors and patients using ICTs, published in 1997–2013. Results: The review identifi...
Analysis and Application of Thermography in Medical Diagnosis

Thermography is the term used to describe the technique of mapping skin temperature patterns and the interpretation of that information to assess physiologic status. The temperature map is typically obtained with a scanning infrared radiometer; a CRT typically provides a visual image of the map. Temperature levels may be displayed by various shades of grey or by colors representing discrete temperature levels. Photographs of the displayed image provide a record of the temperature patterns. Liquid crystals applied directly to the skin or encapsulated in sheets of plastic have also been used to portray skin temperature. Skin temperature maps have been used in a wide range of medical applications. These applications include, but are not limited to, breast cancer detection, assessment of peripheral vascular disease, soft tissue trauma, infection, rheumatology, detection of thyroid cancer, viability of skin flaps, monitoring densitized tissues, diagnosis of occlusive disease of the carotid artery, and diagnosis and treatment-monitoring in headache. Applications will be treated in detail later in this chapter.
A Real-Time, Analog/Digital Co-Designed 1.89-GHz Bandwidth, 175-kHz Resolution Sparse Spectral Analysis RISC-V SoC in 16-nm FinFET

A 1.89-GHz bandwidth, 175-kHz resolution spectral analysis SoC, integrating a subsampling ADC frontend with a digital reconstruction backend and implementing a 21,600-point FFAST sparse FFT [1] has been generated using the Chisel [2] and BAG [3] frameworks in 16-nm CMOS. Three sets of 25×, 27×, and 32×subsampling SAR ADCs acquire signal with ~5.4-6.3 ENOB/slice. The digital backend consists of mixed-radix 864-, 800-, and 675-point FFTs, a signal location estimator, and a peeling decoder that recovers aliased signals from a sparsely populated spectrum. A single-issue, in-order RISC-V Rocket processor interacts with the spectrum analyzer for post-processing and calibration. The ADC consumes 49.8mW with a 3.78-GHz input clock. At 400MHz and 0.7-V VDD, the Rocket core and the FFAST DSP together consume 133.5mW.
Total synthesis of natural (−)- and unnatural (+)-Melearoride A

Abstract This communication details the first total synthesis of the 13-membered macrolide, (−)-Melearoride A, as well as unnatural (+)-Melearoride A. The synthesis features a concise 13 step synthesis (11 steps longest linear sequence) that offers flexible stereo-control and multiple opportunities for unnatural analog synthesis to delve into antifungal SAR. The route features a cuprate addition, an Evans asymmetric alkylation, and a ring-closing metathesis (RCM) to close the 13-membered macrocyclic core.
Finance, social value, and the rhetoric of GDP

The global financial crisis is usually seen as a failure of neoclassical economic theory and neoliberal policy, but it also represented an epistemological failure. Forecasters who missed the crisis neglected to include the financial sector in their models, while aggregate indicators such as GDP failed in spite (or perhaps because) of their heavy emphasis on financially driven growth. In contrast to both critics and proponents of GDP who see it as a purely statistical measure, this article argues that GDP is in fact a form of numerical rhetoric. Political messages in such estimates were explicit until the early twentieth century, but have since become implicit in hidden assumptions. To uncover the narratives built-in to GDP’s view of finance, the article conducts a thought-experiment comparing GDP with two counterfactual indicators corresponding to historical views of finance as either non-productive or an actual cost to society. The analysis shows how changing this single assumption leads to very different narratives regarding the class-balance of workers vs. capitalists, the relative importance of consumption, and the extent of space that exists for public policy to influence the economy. The article concludes with some thoughts on making the implicit assumptions in GDP explicit, and opening up the debate to the broader public in a transparent way.
Why Venture Capitalists Stray From Their Industry Comfort Zones

Within the industry of venture capital I analyze what are the contributing factors that lead to venture capitalist investing outside of their preferred investment industry, despite a documented subpar result when doing so. I find that the greatest contributing factor to be the VC’s preferred industry deal flow, where low deal flow significant increases the likelihood of a VC making non-preferred industry investments. The next greatest contributing factors are if the VC has a high percentage of recent investments that are non-preferred industry investments or if the VC has low levels of VC industry specialization. Additionally, higher recent IPO activity in a non-preferred investment industry, higher past experience levels, lower round numbers, higher the number of co-investing VC investors, all significantly increase, although to a lesser extent, the likelihood of a VC investing outside of their preferred investment industry. No support is shown that VCs make non-preferred industry investments for the purpose of diversification.
Direct C–H α-Arylation of Enones with ArI(O2CR)2 Reagents

α-Arylation of α,β-unsaturated ketones constitutes a powerful synthetic transformation. It is most commonly achieved via cross-coupling of α-haloenones, but this stepwise strategy requires prefunct...
The Stemmed Point Tradition of Western North America

ABSTRACTIn April 2018, the Center for the Study of the First Americans, Hakai Institute, and University of Victoria co-sponsored a five-day workshop investigating the origins of Western Stemmed tec...
General theoretical bases of the political decision-making process

In the framework of reformation changes in the state and society, the issues of the political decision-making theory developing on the basis of neoclassical realism are of particular relevance and determine the directions for research of specialists of different industries. Domestic and foreign researchers in the field of political science, who study the process of political decision-making, analyze it at three principal levels: global, state and sub-state. The global level reflects the international character of states’ activities; includes the global dependence of political decision-making, in which international organizations, institutions and norms reduce the anarchy of political decision-making in the country; is formed under the influence of the building and distribution of states and international system images. The state-level reflects the degree of unity that is achieved with the joint participation of both the state and the entire national community of people in political decision-making and in responding to the challenge posed by the international environment. Not only the state level, which considers the attributes of the state as a system of different institutions with their peculiarities of political decision-making, should be distinguished, but also the sub-state level, in which the interaction of social, including individual, and state actors in the process of political decision-making takes place. The issues of population mobilization in the course of implementing a political decision in the Ukrainian context are determined as the presence of various domestic «obstacles» to the implementation of those initiatives that come from the state or public structures. The authors distinguish the most important of them: the bureaucratic nature and corruption of the implementation process of public initiatives in political, social or economic spheres; low political diversity, lack of political party representation in parliament and low functional «maturity» of the legislative branch; an underdeveloped political culture of participation creates burdens when making a political decision since the political system lacks information at its «entrance»; socio-economic problems of the majority of the population that prevent it from responding to political initiatives
Consistency and objectivity of automated embryo assessments using deep neural networks.

Objective To evaluate the consistency and objectivity of deep neural networks in embryo scoring and making disposition decisions for biopsy and cryopreservation in comparison to grading by highly trained embryologists. Design Prospective double-blind study using retrospective data. Setting U.S.-based large academic fertility center. Patients Not applicable. Intervention(s) Embryo images (748 recorded at 70 hours postinsemination [hpi]) and 742 at 113 hpi) were used to evaluate embryologists and neural networks in embryo grading. The performance of 10 embryologists and a neural network were also evaluated in disposition decision making using 56 embryos. Main Outcome Measures Coefficients of variation (%CV) and measures of consistencies were compared. Results Embryologists exhibited a high degree of variability (%CV averages: 82.84% for 70 hpi and 44.98% for 113 hpi) in grading embryo. When selecting blastocysts for biopsy or cryopreservation, embryologists had an average consistency of 52.14% and 57.68%, respectively. The neural network outperformed the embryologists in selecting blastocysts for biopsy and cryopreservation with a consistency of 83.92%. Cronbach's α analysis revealed an α coefficient of 0.60 for the embryologists and 1.00 for the network. Conclusions The results of our study show a high degree of interembryologist and intraembryologist variability in scoring embryos, likely due to the subjective nature of traditional morphology grading. This may ultimately lead to less precise disposition decisions and discarding of viable embryos. The application of a deep neural network, as shown in our study, can introduce improved reliability and high consistency during the process of embryo selection and disposition, potentially improving outcomes in an embryology laboratory.
Optimizable Risk Factors Contributing to Mortality in Patients With Heart Failure Undergoing Noncardiac Surgery

This cohort study uses gap decomposition analysis to ascertain the factors associated with postoperative mortality in patients with heart failure.
Case 37: A “Code Blue”

You are in the corridor outside many operating rooms when a nurse sticks her head out of one of the operating rooms and shouts: “We need you now.” You run into the room. The room is very dark as a knee arthroscopy is taking place. The patient, you are told, is a 25-year-old healthy male football player, who has suddenly crashed. You can see that he is being ventilated with an endotracheal tube (ETT). All eyes are on the monitors. The vital signs are as follows; HR 140 bpm, BP and oxygen saturation are nonrecordable. There is no end-tidal CO2, but a normal looking airway pressure wave form.
Fingerprinting the vibrational signatures of dopants and defects in a fully random alloy: An ab initio case study of Si, Se, and vacancies in In0.5Ga0.5As

Correct identification of local configurations of dopants and point defects in random alloys poses a challenge to both computational modeling and experimental characterization methods. In this paper, we propose and implement a computationally efficient approach to address this problem. Combining special quasirandom structures, virtual crystal approximation, and real-space lattice static Green’s functions, we are able to calculate, at moderate computational cost, the local phonon density of states (LPDOSs) of impurities in a random alloy crystal for system sizes, surpassing the capabilities of a conventional, cubic-scaling, density functional theory. We validate this method by showing that our LPDOS predictions of substitutional silicon in GaAs and InAs are in excellent agreement with the experimental data. For the case study, we investigate a variety of local configurations of Si and Se substitutional dopants and cation vacancies in quasirandom In 0.5 Ga 0.5 As alloys. In all cases, the impurity LPDOS in a random alloy exhibits qualitatively different signatures from those in the pure binary compounds GaAs and InAs. Specifically, they are characterized by a wide continuous band (rather than narrow discrete peaks) of vibrational modes at frequencies typically higher than the bulk modes, a sign of coupling between localized vibrations of the impurity and those of its random neighboring host atoms. The accuracy and computational cost of this approach open a way to the simulation of impurities in random structures on a large scale and the prediction of vibrational signatures of alloys with defects.
Actuated Traffic Signal Performance Evaluation along Arterials using Wi-Fi Travel Time Samples and High-Resolution Traffic Signal Events Data:

Understanding traffic progression on arterials is critical for traffic signal control and urban traffic management. Traffic conditions are highly dynamic and evolve over time. Therefore, it is nece...
Making Friends and Mourning Losses, 2011–2013

This chapter consists of twenty essays written by Anthony E. Clark from 2011 until 2013. They largely represent Clark’s scholarly reflections on the diurnal lives of China’s Catholics, including bishops and lay faithful who occupy church pews and participate in the life and transformations of China’s Catholic Church. Based upon personal encounters with China’s Roman Catholic community and consultation of archival materials held in archives throughout China and Europe, these essays provide new details and analyses regarding the early modern and modern eras of China’s Christian history. Among the subjects considered in these essays are the dissimilar leadership strategies of such bishops as Aloysius Jin Luxian and Cardinal Joseph Zen, China’s shortage of Catholic clergy, accounts of Boxer era martyrdom, liturgical celebrations in post-1949 China, and the continuing dialogue between China’s state officials and the Holy See.
Morbidity and mortality associated with sequential flow reduction embolization technique of cerebral arteriovenous malformations using n-butyl cyanoacrylate

Background Endovascular embolization of cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVM) with liquid n-butyl cyanoacrylate (n-BCA) serves multiple purposes including AVM occlusion and flow reduction in preparation for other treatment modalities. The objective was to study the clinical, structural, and angiographic factors affecting complications associated with AVM treatment by sequential n-BCA embolizations for nidal occlusion versus quantitative flow reduction in preparation for surgical resection or radiosurgery. Methods We performed a retrospective review of all patients who underwent endovascular embolization of cerebral AVM at our institution between 1998 and 2019, during which time the technique of traditional embolization evolved to a strategy of targeted sequential flow reduction guided by serial flow imaging based on quantitative magnetic resonance angiography, in conjunction with a shift away from nidal penetration. Results Among 251 patients, 47.8% of patients presented with ruptured AVM. On average, each patient underwent 2.4 embolizations, for a total of 613 sessions. Major morbidity related to embolization occurred in 18 (7.2%) patients, but this occurred disproportionately in the traditional embolization strategy (n=16, 8%) in contrast with the flow-targeting strategy (n=2, 3.8%). Four patients (1.6%) died in the overall group, and these all occurred with the traditional embolization strategy (2% of 199 patients); no deaths occurred in the flow-targeting strategy (n=52). Conclusion Embolization with n-BCA targeted to sequential flow reduction and feeder occlusion with limited nidal penetration prior to definitive surgical or radiosurgical treatment can be safely performed with low overall morbidity and mortality.
Illness perceptions as a mediator between emotional distress and management self-efficacy among Chinese Americans with type 2 diabetes.

Objectives: Emotional distress and illness perceptions have been linked to patients’ self-efficacy for diabetes management. This study, guided by Leventhal’s Self-Regulatory Model, explores the dir...
NEDD4-like ubiquitin ligase 2 protein (NEDL2) in porcine spermatozoa, oocytes, and preimplantation embryos and its role in oocyte fertilization†.

The ubiquitin-proteasome system plays diverse regulatory and homeostatic roles in mammalian reproduction. Ubiquitin ligases are the substrate-specific mediators of ubiquitin-binding to its substrate proteins. The NEDD4-like ubiquitin ligase 2 (aliases NEDL2, HECW2) is a HECT-type ubiquitin ligase that contains one N-terminal HECW ubiquitin ligase domain, one C-terminal HECT ubiquitin ligase domain, one C2 domain, and two WW protein-protein interaction modules. Beyond its predicted ubiquitin-ligase activity, its cellular functions are largely unknown. Current studies were designed to investigate the content and distribution of NEDL2 in porcine spermatozoa, oocytes, zygotes, and early preimplantation embryos, and in cumulus cells before and after in vitro maturation with oocytes, and fibroblast cells as positive control by western blot and immunocytochemistry, and to examine its roles during oocyte fertilization. Multiple isoforms of NEDL2 were identified by WB. One at approximately 52 kDa was detected only in the germinal vesicle (GV) stage and metaphase II oocytes, and in early preimplantation embryos. Other isoforms were high mass bands at 91, 136, and 155 kDa, which were only detected in somatic cells. Interestingly, ejaculated spermatozoa prominently displayed the same 52 kDa band as oocytes; they also had two minor bands of 74 and 129 kDa, which were not detected in somatic cells or oocytes. By immunofluorescence, NEDL2 showed a diffused cytoplasmic localization in all cell types and accumulated in distinct foci in the germinal vesicles (GVs) of immature oocytes, in maternal and paternal pronuclei of zygotes and nuclei of embryo blastomeres and somatic cells. In blastocysts, the labeling intensity of NEDL2 was stronger in the inner cell mass than in trophoblast, indicating higher NEDL2 content in the ICM cells than in trophectoderm. NEDL2 abundance was 10 times higher in post-maturation oocyte-surrounding cumulus cells than that of cumulus cells before in vitro maturation with hormones, indicating that NEDL2 may have a unique role in cumulus cells after ovulation. Microinjection of anti-NEDL2 antibody into oocyte before IVF did not affect the percentage of oocytes fertilized, percentage of oocytes cleaved, or blastocyst formation. However, the anti-NEDL2 antibody decreased the number of pronuclei, accelerated the formation of nuclear precursor bodies at 6 h postfertilization, inhibited sperm DNA decondensation, and resulted in more fertilized oocytes without male pronuclear formation. In summary, NEDL2 may play a key role during fertilization, especially during sperm DNA decondensation.
Evaluation and Management of Pulmonic Valve Disease

The goal of this review is to provide information about the causes, consequences, exam, echocardiographic findings, and guideline-based treatment options for pulmonic valve lesions. Balloon pulmonic valvuloplasty and surgical valve replacement are the primary treatment options for hemodynamically significant stenosis and regurgitation, respectively. Transcatheter pulmonic valve replacement has emerged as a treatment option for select native valve lesions or dysfunctional surgical conduits. Symptoms of pulmonic valve disease can be overlooked, and long-term effects on right ventricular function may be irreversible. An understanding of the pathophysiology and treatment of pulmonic disease is important, and consultation with a congenital heart disease specialist is warranted.
Increasing fatty acid oxidation elicits a sex-dependent response in failing mouse hearts.

Abstract Background Reduced fatty acid oxidation (FAO) is a hallmark of metabolic remodeling in heart failure. Enhancing mitochondrial long-chain fatty acid uptake by Acetyl-CoA carboxylase 2 (ACC2) deletion increases FAO and prevents cardiac dysfunction during chronic stresses, but therapeutic efficacy of this approach has not been determined. Methods Male and female ACC2 f/f-MCM (ACC2KO) and their respective littermate controls were subjected to chronic pressure overload by TAC surgery. Tamoxifen injection 3 weeks after TAC induced ACC2 deletion and increased FAO in ACC2KO mice with pathological hypertrophy. Results ACC2 deletion in mice with pre-existing cardiac pathology promoted FAO in female and male hearts, but improved cardiac function only in female mice. In males, pressure overload caused a downregulation in the mitochondrial oxidative function. Stimulating FAO by ACC2 deletion caused unproductive acyl-carnitine accumulation, which failed to improve cardiac energetics. In contrast, mitochondrial oxidative capacity was sustained in female pressure overloaded hearts and ACC2 deletion improved myocardial energetics. Mechanistically, we revealed a sex-dependent regulation of PPARα signaling pathway in heart failure, which accounted for the differential response to ACC2 deletion. Conclusion Metabolic remodeling in the failing heart is sex-dependent which could determine the response to metabolic intervention. The findings suggest that both mitochondrial oxidative capacity and substrate preference should be considered for metabolic therapy of heart failure.
The Effects of a Pain Management-Focused Mobile Health Behavior Intervention on Older Adults' Self-efficacy, Satisfaction with Functioning, and Quality of Life: a Randomized Pilot Trial.

This report investigates the impact of a remote physical activity intervention on self-efficacy, satisfaction with functioning, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) as assessed by the SF-36 in obese older adults with chronic pain. The intervention was group-mediated in nature and based in social cognitive theory and mindfulness-based relapse prevention. Participants (N = 28; 70.21 ± 5.22 years) were randomly assigned to receive either the active intervention, which focused on reducing caloric intake and increasing steps across the day or to a waitlist control condition. Over 12 weeks, intervention participants reported a moderate, positive improvement in self-efficacy for walking relative to control. They also reported large magnitude improvements in satisfaction for physical functioning as well as improvements on pain and the physical functioning subscales of the SF-36. These findings expand on previous research showing similar effects in response to structured exercise, this time via a protocol that is likely to be scalable and sustainable for many older adults. Additional work on larger and more diverse samples is warranted.
Impact of COVID-19 on Lung Allograft and Clinical Outcomes in Lung Transplant Recipients: A Case-Control Study.

Background The impacts of COVID-19 on lung allograft function, rejection, secondary infection, and clinical outcomes in lung transplant recipients (LTRs) remain unknown. Methods A 1:2 matched case-control study was performed to evaluate rehospitalization, lung allograft function, and secondary infections up to 90 d after COVID-19 diagnosis (or index dates for controls). Results Twenty-four LTRs with COVID-19 (cases) and 48 controls were identified. Cases and controls had similar baseline characteristics and lung allograft function. LTRs with COVID-19 had higher incidence of secondary bacterial infection (29.2% versus 6.3%, P = 0.008), readmission (29.2% versus 10.4%, P = 0.04), and for-cause bronchoscopy (33.3% versus 12.5%, P = 0.04) compared with controls. At d 90, mortality in cases versus controls was 8.3% versus 2.1% (P = 0.21), incidence of invasive fungal infections in cases versus controls was 20.8% versus 8.3% (P = 0.13) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) decline ≥10% from baseline occurred in 19% of cases versus 12.2% of controls (P = 0.46). No acute cellular rejection, acute antibody-mediated rejection, or new donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies were observed among cases or controls within 90 d post index date. Conclusions We found LTRs with COVID-19 were at risk to develop secondary infections and rehospitalization post COVID-19, compared with controls. While we did not observe post viral acute cellular rejection or antibody-mediated rejection, further studies are needed to understand if LTRs with COVID-19 who did not recover baseline lung function within 90 d have developed chronic lung allograft dysfunction stage progression.
Confessions of an Agnostic: Apologia Pro Vita Sua

Francis Collins, the director of the NEH and well-known Christian, has said that agnosticism is a bit of a cop-out. Either be a Christian or be an atheism, but have the guts to make up your mind. I shall argue in a positive way for agnosticism, showing that it can be as vibrant a position as belief or non-belief. It gives you a renewed appreciation of life and the world in which we live.
Does the spatial distribution of social ties impact neighborhood and city attachment? Differentials among urban/rural contexts

Abstract Using social network data from the American Social Fabric Project (ASFP), this study examines how the distance to social alters may lead to different perceptions of neighborhood and city attachment among urban versus rural residents, and considers which types of relations play influential roles in shaping attachment. Overall, a key finding is that having more local neighborhood ties is positively associated with attachment at both the neighborhood level and city level, holding for any social relationship in our sample and for urban and rural environments. Notably, long distance ties are not irrelevant for attachment; rather, we see that long distance ties are associated with greater neighborhood and city attachment. Among different social relations measured, neighborhood safety ties consistently show the strongest positive relationship with neighborhood and city attachment. Surprisingly, we find that the spatial distribution of social ties appears more consequential for attachment in the rural sample than it does in the urban sample. Further, geographically dispersed ties also matter for urban versus rural settings: physically close and midrange core discussion ties are associated with weaker attachment for urban residents, whereas they do not affect rural residents’ perceptions of attachment.
Greek Immigration to Richmond, Virginia, and the Southern Variant Theory

iv Chapter One: Greek Immigration to the South and the Southern Variant 1 Part I: The First Wave 6 Part II: The Second Wave 18 Chapter Two: The Southern Variant and First Wave Greek immigrants in Richmond, Virginia 23 The U.S. Census 24 Newspapers 32 Church Records 41 Chapter Three: The Second Wave of Greek Immigration and the Southern Variant in Richmond, Virginia 60 The Transformation of the Greek Church in Richmond 63 Greek Women in Richmond 94 Second-Wave Greeks and Jobs in Richmond 100 The Greek Restaurant in Richmond 104 Conclusion 107 Bibliography 112
The Balance Between Adjustment and Financing

When inflows change to outflows, a country often has less than a year in which to take steps to adjust. Adjustment is via some combination of expenditure-switching policies, such as devaluation, and expenditure-reducing policies, such as higher interest rates. Recent experience suggests that if the country chooses to finance rather than adjust, then it is likely to find that the crisis is much worse when it comes. Specifically, the country may then find that there does not exist any combination of policies that preserves internal balance -- i.e., avoids a recession -- while simultaneously meeting the external financing constraint.
Clinical evaluation of the 'head-up' display of anesthesia data. Preliminary communication.

To solve the problem of monitoring the patient during administration of anesthesia, a commercially available headup display (HUD) was evaluated during one day of surgery at the Ohio State University Hospitals. This monitor is mounted on a headband worn by the anesthesiologist. It projects a monochrome image of monitor data directly into one eye. Eleven anesthesiologists tested the device. Most users were able to adjust to the monitor in about fifteen minutes. Nine of the testers expressed a desire to evaluate the monitor further. Their major complaints were that the connecting cable between the HUD and its computer was too short, the resolution of the monitor was inadequate, and the data on the screen were not organized in a familiar way. If these problems could be corrected, most users believed that this HUD could be a valuable tool to aid the anesthesiologist in the operating room.
A Block Fourier Decomposition Method

In this paper, we present a parallel block decomposition method for a special class of block tridiagonal matrices K ? Rpq × pq of the form K = block-tridiag [B,A,B] and its variants, where A and B, A,B, ? Rp×p, are general square matrices. Our decomposition method is closely related to the classical fast Poisson solver using Fourier analysis (simply referred to as FPS in this paper). Unlike FPS, our approach orthogonally decomposes K into q diagonal blocks, instead of p blocks as achieved by FPS. Furthermore, FPS employs the eigenpairs of A and B and requires that A and B be symmetric and commute. Our approach does not impose any such constraints and uses only the eigenvectors of the tridiagonal matrix T = tridiag [b, a, b] and its variants, in a block form, where a and b are scalars. Therefore, this approach has wider applications than FPS and lends itself to parallel and distributed computations for solving both linear systems and eigenvalue problems as well.
The Scaling Limitations of Internal Combustion Micro Engines

Over the past decade, there has been a large push for the miniaturization of internal combustion engines. This is largely due to the relatively high energy density of hydrocarbons, which tend to be the preferred energy source of these engine types. This paper covers the multitude of scaling issues that remain prevalent in micro engine development, specifically focusing on engine displacements in the order of one cubic centimeter. The paper reviews obstacles caused by the disproportionate increase in the ratio of surface area to volume, including excess heat transfer as well as tribological factors. Issues caused by increased operational speeds are also addressed with special consideration given to residence and reaction time inequities. The fabrication limitations of these engines are also considered. Possible solutions to these scaling issues as well as promising applications are briefly discussed.
Transcriptional regulation of mosquito oogenesis

The Eastern treehole mosquito, Aedes triseriatus (Say), is the primary vector of La Crosse virus (LACV) in the United States. LACV is maintained in natural populations in part by transovarial transmission from infected females to their progeny. Our understanding of the innate immune response in mosquito ovaries is a fundamental step toward understanding the transmission cycle of LACV and other vertically transmitted arthropodborne viruses. We investigated signaling mechanisms between the nutrient content of the vertebrate blood meal and activation of mosquito egg development. In particular, the target of rapamycin (TOR) serine/threonine protein kinase is a central regulator of nutritional signaling, and we examined the roles of TOR and its downstream target, S6K, in Ae. triseriatus by RNA interference. We also examined the transcriptomes of Ae. triseriatus and Ae. aegypti (L.) ovaries by Illumina RNA-seq. We assembled 17,743 novel transcript sequences from Ae. triseriatus ovary mRNA using a novel and highly accurate assembly method, and we identified genes that are differentially regulated during the processes of follicular atresia, apoptosis, and autophagy. Distinct differences exist between the transcriptional regulation of Ae. triseriatus and Ae. aegypti oogenesis. TOR and many other proteins with previously unknown function are transcriptionally regulated during apoptosis and autophagy in mosquito ovaries during oogenesis.
Mapping Quaternary alluvial fans in the southwestern United States based on multiparameter surface roughness of lidar topographic data

[1] Quaternary alluvial fans have diverse surface morphologies related to both depositional and weathering processes. Numerous studies have demonstrated that the surface expression and morphometry of alluvial fans can be used as an indicator of their relative age of deposition, but only recently has there been an effort to utilize high-resolution topographic data to differentiate alluvial fans by surface age with automated and quantifiable routines. We developed a quantitative model for mapping the relative age of alluvial fan surfaces based on multiparameter surface roughness values computed from 1 m resolution lidar topographic data. Roughness is defined as a function of observational scale and integration of slope, curvature, and aspect topographic parameters. Alluvial fan roughness values were computed across multiple observation scales (3 × 3 m to 150 × 150 m) based on the standard deviation (SD) of slope, curvature (tangential), and aspect topographic parameters. Plots of roughness value versus size of observation scale suggest that the SD of each parameter over a 7 × 7 m observation window best identified the signature of surface roughness elements. Roughness maps derived from slope, curvature, and aspect at this scale were integrated using fuzzy logic. The integrated roughness map was then classified into five relative morphostratigraphic surface age categories (active wash to ~400 ka) and statistically compared with a similar fivefold surface age map of alluvial fans developed using traditional field surveys and aerial photographic interpretation. The model correctly predicted the distribution and relative surface age of ~61% of alluvial fan landforms based on traditional mapping techniques.
Los hijos de la providencia: el abandono como circulación en el Chile decimonónico

INTRODUCCION La historiografia social latinoamericana recien esta empezando a abordar el tema de la infancia, pero hay una dimension historica de la ninez que ya ha recibido la atencion de los investigadores: el fenomeno de la infancia abandonada. Ya contamos con una amplia gama de estudios sobre el abandono de los ninos y las casas de expositos en Brasil, Chile, Mexico y otros paises. [1] Los historiadores han mostrado las proporciones masivas del abandono de ninos y han ofrecido explicaciones acerca de por que tantos ninos fueron expuestos en establecimientos de beneficencia, quienes fueron estos ninos y cuales fueron las consecuencias demograficas de estas practicas. Los resultados de estos estudios no dejan de interesar y de sorprender. LA HISTORIOGRAFIA SOCIAL LATINOAMERICANA recien esta empezando a abordar el tema de la infancia, pero hay una dimension historica de la ninez que ya ha recibido la atencion de los investigadores: el fenomeno de la infancia abandonada. Ya contamos con una amplia gama de estudios sobre el abandono de los ninos y las casas de expositos en Brasil, Chile, Mexico y otros paises.1 Los historiadores han mostrado las proporciones masivas del abandono de ninos y han ofrecido explicaciones acerca de por que tantos ninos fueron expuestos en establecimientos de beneficencia, quienes fueron
The TEDS framework for assessing information systems from a human actors' perspective: Extending and repurposing Taylor's Value-Added Model

Developed in the early 1980s—well before Internet and web-based technologies had arrived—Taylor's Value-Added Model introduced what is now better known as the human-actors' needs perspective on information systems/information technology (IS/IT) artifacts. Taylor distinguished six top-level criteria that mattered most to human actors when using IS/IT artifacts. We develop this approach further and present the TEDS framework as an analytical instrument for actor- and utilization-specific evaluation of IS/IT artifacts as well as a practical tool for moderating and formulating design specifications. We use the empirical case of a comprehensive comparative professional sports team web site evaluation project to illustrate the power and versatility of the extended analytical framework. (Robert S. “Bob” Taylor, visionary and Dean of the School of Information Studies at Syracuse University passed away on January 1, 2009. This article is dedicated to his memory and honors his pioneering impact on the fields of information science and information systems. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)
Energy Levels of Neon and Argon

The energy levels for the neon $2{p}^{5}3d$ and argon $3{p}^{5}5d$ configurations have been calculated completely from the first-order perturbation theory and compared with the observed values.
On detecting new heavy quarks at hadron colliders

Abstract The implications of the existence of a new quark that is heavy enough so that its decay products include an on-shell W boson are discussed. It is argued that in this case the production and subsequent decay of quark-anti-quark pairs of this new flavor will yield a large enough rate of W + W − →l ± vjj events that the two jet mass distribution associated with events selected by the usual W→l ν signal will exhibit and observable W resonance. This feature could serve as a signal for the presence of new heavy quark production at hadron colliders.
Assembly manual for the proteasome regulatory particle: the first draft

The proteasome is the most complex protease known, with a molecular mass of approx. 3 MDa and 33 distinct subunits. Recent studies reported the discovery of four chaperones that promote the assembly of a 19-subunit subcomplex of the proteasome known as the regulatory particle, or RP. These and other findings define a new and highly unusual macromolecular assembly pathway. The RP mediates substrate selection by the proteasome and injects substrates into the CP (core particle) to be degraded. A heterohexameric ring of ATPases, the Rpt proteins, is critical for RP function. These ATPases abut the CP and their C-terminal tails help to stabilize the RP-CP interface. ATPase heterodimers bound to the chaperone proteins are early intermediates in assembly of the ATPase ring. The four chaperones have the common feature of binding the C-domains of Rpt proteins, apparently a remarkable example of convergent evolution; each chaperone binds a specific Rpt subunit. The C-domains are distinct from the C-terminal tails, but are proximal to them. Some, but probably not all, of the RP chaperones appear to compete with CP for binding of the Rpt proteins, as a result of the proximity of the tails to the C-domain. This competition may underlie the release mechanism for these chaperones. Genetic studies in yeast point to the importance of the interaction between the CP and the Rpt tails in assembly, and a recent biochemical study in mammals suggests that RP assembly takes place on pre-assembled CP. These results do not exclude a parallel CP-independent pathway of assembly. Ongoing work should soon clarify the roles of both the CP and the four chaperones in RP assembly.
High-temperature area-type titanium-dioxide rectifiers

Although the experiments reported here were conducted on relatively few specimens, the results are important. They definitely indicate that significant advances have been made in the maximum temperature of operation and in the forward-to-reverse resistance ratio of titanium dioxide rectifiers.
Complex Molecules in Sagittarius B2(N): The Importance of Grain Chemistry

The complex molecules vinyl cyanide (CH2CHCN), methyl formate (HCOOCH3), and ethyl cyanide (CH3CH2CN) were observed in the Sgr B2 star-forming region with the BIMA millimeter wavelength array. A region with diameter less than 0.1 pc toward the Sgr B2(N) molecular core is found to be the major source of these molecules. Also, this source is coincident with continuum emission from dust and a center of H2O maser activity. Ultracompact (UC) H 11 regions are located within 0.1 pc. Strikingly, none of these molecules is detected toward Sgr B2(M), a core located 1 minute south of Sgr B2(N). The existence of complex molecules, a large mass of dust, high-velocity H2O masers, and UC H 11 regions strongly suggests that the Sgr B2(N) region has just begun to form stars, while the absence of strong dust emission and large molecules suggests Sgr B2(M) is more evolved. The detection of large molecules coincident with continuum emission from dust supports the idea found in current chemical models that grain chemistry is of crucial importance for the formation of these molecules.
Dosimetry of Chlorinated Quinone Metabolites of Pentachlorophenol in the Livers of Rats and Mice Based upon Measurement of Protein Adducts

The dosimetry of chlorinated quinones arising from metabolism of pentachlorophenol (PCP), in the livers of male Sprague-Dawley rats and B6C3F1 mice was investigated via measurements of cysteinyl protein adducts and estimates of the second-order reaction rate constants between the quinones and the proteins. We had previously shown that adducts of tetrachloro-1,4-benzoquinone (Cl4-1,4-BQ) and tetrachloro-1,2-benzosemiquinone (Cl4-1,2-SQ) were observed at the highest levels in the livers of Sprague-Dawley rats to which PCP had been administered by gavage (5-40 mg/kg body wt) (Biomarkers 1, 232-243, 1996). In the current study we observed that adducts of Cl4-1,4-BQ and tetrachloro-1,2-benzoquinone (CL4-1,2-BQ) were predominant in the livers of B6C3F1 mice receiving 20 mg PCP/kg body wt. The second-order rate constants, representing in vitro reactions between Cl4-1,2-BQ and Cl4-1,4-BQ and various cysteine residues of hepatic proteins of liver cytosol and liver nuclei, were estimated to be 0.012-1.96 L(g protein)(-1) hr(-1) in rats and 0.082-1.67 L(g protein)(-1) hr(-1) in mice. The estimated tissue doses of the quinones to liver cytosol decreased in the order rat Cl4-1,4-BQ > mouse Cl4-1,4-BQ > mouse Cl4-1,2-BQ and to liver nuclei in the order mouse Cl4-1,2-BQ > mouse Cl4-1,4-BQ > rat Cl4-1,4-BQ. The corresponding doses of Cl4-1,2-SQ could not be inferred due to our inability to estimate the second-order rate constants. After aggregating the estimated contributions of all quinone species, mice had a fourfold greater dose to liver nuclei than rats, whereas rats had a threefold greater dose to liver cytosol. The increased nuclear dose to mouse liver compared to that of the rat suggests that the mouse is at greater risk to hepatic DNA damage from PCP-derived quinones. Investigation of the time course of levels of unconjugated tetrachlorohydroquinone (Cl4HQ) in the livers indicated that about 0.4% of Cl4HQ was oxidized to Cl4-1,4-BQ in both rats and mice.