cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Phytoplankton composition in relation to primary production in Chesapeake Bay

The dominant phytoplankton taxa during seasonal periods of peak primary productivity were identified during a 4 yr study (July 1989 to June 1993) in Chesapeake Bay. Maximum phytoplankton abundance occurred from late winter to early spring, and was dominated by a few species of centric diatoms. This development was followed by more diversified assemblages of diatoms and phytoflagellates that produced additional concentration peaks in summer and fall; all these maxima were accompanied by concurrent productivity peaks. High summer productivity resulted when the phytoplankton concentrations of diatoms and phytoflagellates were augmented by an increased abundance of autotrophic picoplankton. There was variability in both the seasonal and annual growth maxima of these algal populations and in total productivity. Higher cell concentrations and productivity were associated with higher nutrient levels on the western side of the bay, at sites adjacent to major tributaries. Periods of highest productivity were in spring and summer, ranging from 176 to 346 g Cm-2yr-1 over the 4 yr period, with a mean annual productivity of 255 g Cm-2yr-1. The bay stations rates ranged from 82 to 538 g Cm-2yr-1.
Listening to the Ugliness of Hetero-Erotic Miscommunication in Bruno Dumont’s Twentynine Palms

Focusing on Bruno Dumont’s Twentynine Palms, this chapter locates aural forms of ugliness as phobic markers of sexual and gender difference but does so counterintuitively, through situating hetero-erotic communication as profoundly disagreeable. It shows that the film’s forms of ugliness become ways to negotiate points of encounter among feminist agency, the emasculated male body, and masculinist violence. Channeling minoritarian experience through deprivileged contexts of heterosexual and male supremacy, Twentynine Palms establishes the meeting points of its ugly experiences as sensations and interactions that exceed pleasures and desires associated with conventions of relationality. By investigating such excesses, this chapter traces its “erratic erotics”: wayward consequences of communicative encounters that reassess minority difference most noticeably as anti-aesthetic bodily sound in the film. Rape, murder, and suicide do not result in a purely nihilistic casting of the film’s outcomes but become ugly sonic embodiments of agency and difference.
The relationship of weight suppression to treatment outcomes during behavioral weight loss

Many adults enter behavioral weight loss (BWL) programs at a weight below their highest lifetime weight. The discrepancy between highest lifetime weight and current weight is known as weight suppression (WS). Research has yet to characterize WS during BWL or investigate its relation to weight loss outcomes or treatment acceptability. Adults (N = 272) in a 12-month BWL program were assessed. WS was calculated by subtracting measured baseline weight from self-reported highest lifetime weight. Participants with higher WS lost significantly less weight than those with lower WS during treatment, although they still had clinically meaningful weight losses (e.g., participants with WS above the median: 7.8 kg; participants with WS below the median: 12.0 kg). WS was unrelated to weight losses at 24-month follow-up. Controlling for weight loss, treatment acceptability was unrelated to WS. BWL appears appropriate for those with high WS, but future research should aim to improve outcomes in this group.
Predicted Risk of Mortality Score predicts 30-day readmission after coronary artery bypass grafting.

Quality metrics and reimbursement models focus on 30-day readmission rates after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Certain preoperative variables are associated with higher rates of readmission. The purpose of this study was to determine whether STS Predicted Risk of Mortality (PROM) scores predict 30-day readmission following CABG. A retrospective review of all patients undergoing isolated CABG between 2002 and 2017 at a US academic institution was performed. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association between PROM and 30-day readmission, and the area under the receiver-operator curve (ROC) was calculated to estimate predictive accuracy. During the study period, 21,719 patients underwent CABG and 2,023 (9.2%) were readmitted within 30 days. Readmitted patients were sicker with higher rates of comorbid conditions and higher STS PROM scores (1.03% vs 1.42%, GMR 1.33, CI 1.27–1.38, p < 0.0001). Median time to readmission was 8 days (IQR 4–15) with length of stay 5 days (4–6). By PROM quintile, higher PROM scores were associated with increased odds of readmission. PROM-adjusted 30-day mortality was higher in the readmitted group (1.04% vs 0.21%, OR 4.53, CI 2.67–7.69, p < 0.001), and mid-term survival was worse as well. PROM alone was a modest predictor of readmission (area under ROC 0.59, CI 0.57–0.60) compared to insurance status (0.55, 0.53–0.56), ejection fraction (0.52, 0.50–0.54), and history of heart failure (0.51, 0.50–0.52). STS PROM scores are associated with increased risk of readmission following CABG.
Approaching the Sella through the Nonpneumatized Sphenoid in Pediatric Patients.

Objective The purpose of this study is to specifically assess pediatric patients with nonpneumatized sphenoid sinuses who have undergone transsphenoidal resections of skull base tumors and assess the complications and outcomes. Methods Data was collected by a retrospective chart review done on children ages 7 and under who underwent endoscopic tumor resection and had a partially or completely nonpneumatized sphenoid sinus on preoperative computed tomography imaging. Surgical data collected included surgical corridor, gross total versus subtotal resection, repair method, use of septal flap, intraoperative and postoperative cerebrospinal fluid leak, and estimated blood loss. Results Six patients were identified that fit our inclusion criteria who underwent surgery between November 2015 and April 2018 (3 males, 3 females; average age = 4.28 years). Tumor pathologies include three craniopharyngiomas, Rathke cleft cyst, meningocele, and neuroblastoma. All cases involved varying percentages of sphenoid sinus pneumatization. All cases except one craniopharyngioma and the neuroblastoma required removal of cancellous bone to access pathology. Degree of sphenoid pneumatization tended to be greater with age and resulted in less intraoperative bleeding. The two youngest patients with completely nonpneumatized sphenoid sinuses lost 61.73 and 17.52% of their total blood volume intraoperatively. Procedures were able to be adequately performed and pathology completely addressed with minimal postoperative complications and no postoperative CSF leaks. Conclusions Intraoperative challenges including hemorrhage are likely in nonpneumatized patients, and thus surgeons should be prepared with adequate vascular access and blood products. Hemorrhage and total blood volume loss are increased in the younger patients with no sphenoid pneumatization. Despite the additional challenges, a nonpneumatized sphenoid sinus is not a contraindication for an endoscopic resection in the pediatric population.
Spatial and temporal gradients in the cosmological constant

It is possible that there may be differences in the fundamental physical parameters from one side of the observed universe to the other. I show that the cosmological constant is likely to be the most sensitive of the physical parameters to possible spatial (or temporal) variation, because a small variation in any of the other parameters produces a huge variation of the cosmological constant. It therefore provides a very powerful indirect evidence against spatial gradients or temporal variation in the other fundamental physical parameters, at least 40 orders of magnitude more powerful than direct experimental constraints. Moreover, a gradient may potentially appear in theories where the variability of the cosmological constant is connected to an anthropic selection mechanism, invoked to explain the smallness of this parameter. Some suggestions are made about how one may observe such a spatial gradient. In the Hubble damping mechanism, I calculate the possible gradient. While this mechanism demonstrates the existence of this effect, it is too small to be seen experimentally, except possibly if inflation happens around the Planck scale.
High-Speed Integrated Photodiodes

The talk reviews progress in photodiodes for high-speed applications. Recent results from high-power photodiodes with 145 GHz bandwidth and high-speed waveguide photodiodes for the detection of light at $2\ \mu m$ wavelength will be discussed.
Modeling the Hemodynamic Response Function for Prediction Errors in the Ventral Striatum

Abstract To make sensible inferences about neural activation from fMRI data it is important to accurately model the hemodynamic response function (HRF), i.e., the hemodynamic response evoked by a punctuate neural event. HRF models have been derived for sensory areas, where it is relatively clear what events cause a neural impulse response. However, this is obviously harder to do for higher order cortices such as prefrontal areas. Therefore, one HRF model is commonly used for analyzing activity throughout the brain, despite the fact that hemodynamics are known to vary across regions. For instance, several fMRI studies use a canonical HRF to analyze ventral striatum (VS) activity where converging evidence indicates that reward prediction error signals drive neural activity. However, the VS is a target of prominent dopaminergic projections, known to modulate vasculature and affect BOLD activity, suggesting that the HRF in the VS may be especially different from those in other brain areas. To address this, we use data from an experiment focused on learning from prediction-error signals to derive a VS-specific HRF model (VS-HRF). We show that this new VS-HRF increases statistical power in model comparison. Our result is of particular relevance to studies comparing computational models of learning and/or decision making in the VS, and for connectivity analyses, where the use of an (even slightly) inaccurate HRF model can lead to erroneous conclusions. More broadly, our study highlights the importance of the choice of HRF model in determining the significance of the results obtained in classical univariate fMRI analysis.
Single-shot phase retrieval with complex diversity

The concept of complex diversity is introduced that adequately accounts for special considerations in the design of the system and the reconstruction algorithm for single-shot phase retrieval techniques. Complex-number pupil filters containing both amplitude and phase values are extracted by numerical propagation from a computer-generated hologram design, which generates multiple images in a single acquisition. The reconstruction is performed by a Fourier iterative algorithm modified with an area restriction to avoid noise amplification. Numerical simulations show that the complex diversity technique estimates extrinsic Kolmogorov aberration better than conventional single-shot techniques for a distant point object. Experiments show that sensorless adaptive optics correction is achieved using the complex diversity technique.
Vegetation-Dependent Response to Drought in Salt Marsh Ammonia-Oxidizer Communities

We investigated the impacts of drought on ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and bacteria (AOB) in a salt marsh and compared the response to the total bacterial community. We analyzed abundance and community composition of amoA genes by QPCR and TRFLP, respectively, in three vegetation zones in 2014 (pre-drought), 2016 (drought), and 2017 (post-drought), and analyzed bacterial 16S rRNA genes by QPCR, TRFLP, and MiSeq analyses. AOA and AOB abundance in the Spartina patens zone increased significantly in 2016, while abundance decreased in the tall S. alterniflora zone, and showed little change in the short S. alterniflora zone. Total bacterial abundance declined annually in all vegetation zones. Significant shifts in community composition were detected in 2016 in two of the three vegetation zones for AOA and AOB, and in all three vegetation zones for total bacteria. Abundance and community composition of AOA and AOB returned to pre-drought conditions by 2017, while bacterial abundance continued to decline, suggesting that nitrifiers may be more resilient to drought than other bacterial communities. Finding vegetation-specific drought responses among N-cycling microbes may have broad implications for changes in N availability and marsh productivity, particularly if vegetation patterns continue to shift as predicted due to sea level rise.
Sternoclavicular Joint Infections: Improved Outcomes With Myocutaneous Flaps

Sternoclavicular joint (SCJ) infection is a rare disease and its management remains controversial. Our institution has adopted an aggressive surgical approach of radical SCJ resection combined with myocutaneous flap (MCF) closure whenever possible. We reviewed our experience with this approach in the management of this condition. From July 2004 to June 2018, 50 consecutive patients were treated surgically for SCJ infections. Patient demographics, imaging studies, microbiology, and operative variables were analyzed. All patients underwent ipsilateral SCJ resection. Wound closure was performed with primary pectoralis advancement MCF closure at the initial operation in 25 patients, delayed MCF closure following temporary wound vacuum therapy and redebridement in 19 patients, and definitive wound vacuum therapy (DWVT) in 6 patients. End points were recurrence of infection, perioperative morbidity, and mortality. Localized swelling (100%) and pain (100%) were the most common presenting symptoms. MSSA was isolated in 50% of tissue cultures. Comorbidities included tobacco smoking 52%, diabetes mellitus 50%, intravenous drug use 34%, poor dental hygiene 32%, and obesity 28%. We had no deaths within 90 days of operation. Complications; seroma in 1 patient (2%), chest wall hernia in 1 patient (2%), retained drains in 1 patient (2%), recurrent osteomyelitis infection in 3 patients (6%), and hematomas in 5 patients (10%). Patients treated with primary MCF closure at the initial operation had a 0% (0/25) rate of recurrence compared to 5.26% (1/19) in delayed MCF closure. Overall, there was only a 2.27% (1/44) recurrence of infection in primary and delayed MCF closure combined, compared to 33.33% (2/6) in patients treated with DWVT closure. SCJ infections require an aggressive approach. Wound closure with an MCF (primary or delayed) is associated with less recurrence of infections compared with DWVT closure. Radical resection of the entire SCJ with MCF (primary or delayed) should be considered the preferred management strategy in patients with SCJ infections.
Isotopic constraints on plant nitrogen acquisition strategies during ecosystem retrogression

Plant root associations with microbes such as mycorrhizal fungi or N-fixing bacteria enable ecosystems to tap pools of nitrogen (N) that might otherwise be inaccessible, including atmospheric N or N in large soil organic molecules. Such microbially assisted N-foraging strategies may be particularly important in late-successional retrogressive ecosystems where productivity is low and soil nutrients are scarce. Here, we use natural N-stable isotopic composition to constrain pathways of N supplies to different plant functional groups across a well-studied natural soil fertility gradient that includes a highly retrogressive stage. We demonstrate that ectomycorrhizal fungi, ericoid mycorrhizal fungi, and N-fixing bacteria support forest N supplies at all stages of ecosystem succession, from relatively young, N-rich/phosphorus (P)-rich sites, to ancient sites (ca. 500 ky) where both N supplies and P supplies are exceedingly low. Microbially mediated N sources are most important in older ecosystems with very low soil nutrient availability, accounting for 75-96% of foliar N at the oldest, least fertile sites. These isotopically ground findings point to the key role of plant-microbe associations in shaping ecosystem processes and functioning, particularly in retrogressive-phase forest ecosystems.
CKD-Associated Pruritus: New Insights Into Diagnosis, Pathogenesis, and Management

Chronic kidney disease-associated pruritus (CKD-aP) is a common, troubling and in some cases debilitating problem for patients with CKD and end-stage renal disease. Despite a prevalence rate of approximately 20% in CKD and 40% in end-stage renal disease, and a clear association with poorer psychosocial and medical outcomes, this condition is often underreported by patients and overlooked by health care providers. This is likely due, in part, to uncertainty regarding its pathogenesis and treatment. Most commonly, CKD-aP is attributed to toxin build-up, peripheral neuropathy, immune system dysregulation, or opioid dysregulation. Prior treatment studies of CKD-aP have targeted these potential etiologies but have been limited by noncontrolled design, small sample size, and non-uniform definitions of CKD-aP. Recently, several large, randomized controlled trials targeting opioid dysregulation have yielded promising results. These trials have spurred new hope for understanding and treating this condition.
Voting with Your Feet in the United Kingdom: UsingCross-Migration Rates to Estimate Relative Living Standards

This article reexamines and extends the literature on the use of migration rates to estimate compensating differentials as measures of regional quality of life. I estimate an interregional migration regression for the UK and use the results to measure regional quality of life and standard of living. The results suggest a North-South divide within England, and that Scotland and Wales have relatively high levels of both. The results also lead to a rejection of regional standard-of-living equivalence (long-run regional equilibrium) in the UK.
Lion in Sheep's Clothing: Glioblastoma Mimicking Intracranial Hemorrhage

Intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) as a unique image finding, is a rare presentation of glioblastoma (GBM), and can pose a diagnostic challenge. Hypertensive vascular changes are responsible for the majority of the ICH cases, where hemorrhage from brain tumors account only for 5.1% to 7.2% of cases and, the etiology seems to be multifactorial. We present a clinical case of a 70-year-old male who came to the emergency department after a syncopal episode at the workplace, associated with nausea and vomiting. Computed tomography scan and magnetic resonance imaging showed intracranial subdural hematoma, subarachnoidal and interventricular hemorrhage without any underlying lesion. Follow-up imaging in one month showed a new ICH with a thick peripheral mass concerning an underlying neoplasm. The patient underwent tumor resection and immunohistochemical staining confirmed glioblastoma. Despite a multiapproach treatment, including, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and follow-up surgery, the outcome was poor. GBM is a great mimicker and may initially present with unassuming intracranial hemorrhage with a much more sinister hidden diagnosis. A high index of suspicion on initial imaging based on the patient's demographics with early tissue diagnosis is crucial in arriving at the correct diagnosis. This case reinforces the importance of close interval follow-up in patients with spontaneous ICH, maintaining a high suspicion for brain tumors. To date, GBM remains a poor prognosis despite combined surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy treatment.
Targeting Sedentary Behavior in CKD: A Pilot and Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial

Background and objectives We tested the feasibility of reducing sedentary behavior common in CKD. Design, setting, participants, & measurements We carried out a Sit Less, Interact, Move More intervention in a 24-week parallel-group, randomized controlled trial in patients with stages 2–5 CKD. In the intervention group (n=54), accelerometry performed at baseline and repeated every 4 weeks was used to develop and monitor adherence to individualized plans targeting sedentary and stepping durations. The control group (n=52) was provided national physical activity recommendations; accelerometry was performed at baseline and every 8 weeks. Between-groups changes from baseline to the average follow-up values at weeks 8, 16, and 24 of the sedentary and stepping durations were the coprimary end points. Results The mean age was 69±13 years. Fourteen percent were on dialysis or received a kidney transplant. Eight percent of the control group and 17% of the intervention group were lost to follow-up. Sedentary and stepping durations did not change in the control group. Within the intervention group, the maximum decrease in sedentary duration (−43; 95% confidence interval, −69 to −17 min/d) and increase in stepping duration (16; 95% confidence interval, 7 to 24 min/d) and the number of steps per day (1265; 95% confidence interval, 518 to 2012) were seen at week 20. These attenuated at week 24. In mixed effects models, overall treatment effects between groups on sedentary (−17; 95% confidence interval, −43 to 8 min/d) and stepping (6; 95% confidence interval, −3 to 15 min/d) durations and the number of steps per day, a secondary end point (652; 95% confidence interval, −146 to 1449), were not significantly different. The intervention significantly reduced secondary end points of body mass index (−1.1; 95% confidence interval, −1.9 to −0.3 kg/m2) and body fat percentage (−2.1%; 95% confidence interval, −4.4% to −0.2%). Conclusions It is feasible to reduce sedentary duration and increase stepping duration in patients with CKD, but these were not sustained. Clinical Trial registry name and registration number: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), NCT02970123
Whose Labour, Whose Land? Indigenous and Labour Conflicts and Alliances over Resource Extraction

Relationships between labour movements and Indigenous peoples are important for understanding the interconnections between settler colonialism, capitalism, and environmental crises. These relationships are also relevant for assessing contemporary environmental politics and possibilities for union revitalization and mobilizing climate justice coalitions. Yet, there is limited research on labour-Indigenous relationships. This chapter argues that scholarship is needed on how and why unions and Indigenous groups have conflicted and aligned around the environment and resource extraction. The U.S. and Canada are used as emblematic settler colonial countries to examine the history of Indigenous people’s relationships to unions and the importance of land and sovereignty. Possibilities for divisions and solidarity around energy and climate justice are illustrated through the Dakota Access Pipeline protest movement in the U.S.
Site-Specific DNA Functionalization through the Tetrazene-Forming Reaction in Ionic Liquids

Development of multiple chemical tools for deoxynucleic acid (DNA) labeling has facilitated wide use of their functionalized conjugates, but significant practical and methodological challenges remain to achievement of site-specific chemical modification of the biomacromolecule. As covalent labeling processes are more challenging in aqueous solution, use of nonaqueous, biomolecule-compatible solvents such as an ionic liquid consisting of a salt with organic molecule architecture, could be remarkably helpful in this connection. Herein, we demonstrate site-specific chemical modification of DNAs through a tetrazene-forming amine-azide coupling reaction using an ionic liquid. This ionic liquid-enhanced reaction process has good functional group tolerance and precise chemoselectivity, and enables incorporation into DNA of various useful functionalities such as biotin, cholesterol and fluorophores which could be incorporated into DNA through this method. A site-specifically labeled single stranded nucleotide, or aptamer interacting with a growth factor receptor (Her2) was successfully used in the fluorescence imaging of breast cancer cell lines. The non-traditional medium-promoted labeling strategy described here provides an alternative design paradigm for future development of chemical tools for applications involving DNA functionalization.
Cervical Cancer Prevention Behaviors Among Criminal-Legal Involved Women from Three U.S. Cities.

Background: This study aims to understand how criminal-legal involved women from three U.S. cities navigate different health resource environments to obtain cervical cancer screening and follow-up ...
Productivity Convergence: Theory And Evidence

A vast new literature on the sources of economic growth has now accumulated. This book critically reviews the most significant works in this field and summarizes what is known today about the sources of economic growth. The first part discusses the most important theoretical models that have been used in modern growth theory as well as methodological issues in productivity measurement. The second part examines the long-term record on productivity among Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, considers the sources of growth among them with particular attention to the role of education, investigates convergence at the industry level among them, and examines the productivity slowdown of the 1970s. The third part looks at the sources of growth among non-OECD countries. Each chapter emphasizes the factors that appear to be most important in explaining growth performance.
Technology in the Mathematics Classroom

AbstractThis article describes the development and implementation of a graduate course for mathematics education students that integrates mathematics and technology. The idea came from a need to prepare mathematics education students to use technology in the classroom, not only as a productivity tool, but also as an instructional and assessment tool. The course was developed by a mathematics education professor and an educational technology graduate student. One objective was to affect student perceptions of mathematics, technology, and instructional and assessment strategies. Instructors modeled a variety of teaching and assessment strategies to reinforce the course content. Reflections at the end of the course indicate that expert and novice teachers who took the course responded positively to material and models.
Positive Semidefinite Matrices

This chapter studies the positive semidefinite matrices, concentrating primarily on the inequalities of this type of matrix. The main goal is to present the fundamental results and show some often-used techniques. Section 7.1 gives the basic properties, Section 7.2 treats the L¨owner partial ordering of positive semidefinite matrices, and Section 7.3 presents some inequalities of principal submatrices. Section 7.4 derives inequalities of partitioned positive semidefinite matrices using Schur complements, and Section 7.5 and 7.6 investigate the Hadamard product of the positive semidefinite matrices. Finally, Section 7.7 shows the Cauchy–Schwarz type matrix inequalities and the Wielandt and Kantorovich inequalities.
Complex Geometry Effects on Cavity Resonance

The flow over an aircraft bay is often represented using a rectangular cavity; however, this simplification neglects many features of actual flight geometry that could affect the unsteady pressure field and resulting loading in the bay. To address this shortcoming, a complex cavity geometry was developed to incorporate more realistic aircraft-bay features including shaped inlets, internal cavity structure, and doors. A parametric study of these features was conducted based on fluctuating pressure measurements at subsonic and supersonic Mach numbers. Resonance frequencies and amplitudes increased in the complex geometry compared to a simple rectangular cavity that could produce severe loading conditions for store carriage. High-frequency content and dominant frequencies were generated by features that constricted the flow such as leading-edge overhangs, internal cavity variations, and the presence of closed doors. Broadband frequency components measured at the aft wall of the complex cavities were also sig...
Dynamic Scheduling for Large-Scale Distributed-Memory Ray Tracing

Ray tracing is an attractive technique for visualizing scientific data because it can produce high quality images that faithfully represent physically-based phenomena. Its embarrassingly parallel reputation makes it a natural candidate for visualizing large data sets on distributed memory clusters, especially for machines without specialized graphics hardware. Unfortunately, the traditional recursive ray tracing algorithm is exceptionally memory inefficient on large data, especially when using a shading model that generates incoherent secondary rays. As visualization moves through the petascale to the exascale, disk and memory efficiency will become increasingly important for performance, and traditional methods are inadequate. This paper presents a dynamic ray scheduling algorithm that effectively manages both ray state and data accesses. Our algorithm can render datasets that are larger than aggregate system memory, which existing statically scheduled ray tracers cannot render. For example, using 1024 cores of a supercomputing cluster, our unoptimized algorithm ray traces a 650GB dataset from an N-Body simulation with shadows and reflections, at about 1100 seconds per frame. For smaller problems that fit in aggregate memory, but are larger than typical shared memory, our algorithm is competitive with the best static scheduling algorithm.
Enough Remains to Work With

The Adequacy of the Fossil Record. Stephen K. Donovan and Christopher R. C. Paul, Eds. Wiley, Chichester, UK, 1998. 322 pp. $125, £50. ISBN 0-471-96988-5. The contributors discuss theoretical issues, quantitative approaches, and case studies demonstrating that the incomplete fossil record provides data adequate for examining a wide range of evolutionary questions.
Niobium in R and (S6, 6e) and HR 1105 (S5,3)

Lines of the first multiplet of niobium are strong in R And and HR 1105. These lines are also present in other S stars: HR 8714, R Cam, V Cnc, R CMi, and T Sgr. They are also visible in the M stars, β Peg and μ UMa. An approximation to the abundance ratio, Nb/Fe, has been deduced from pairs of lines having nearly equal intensity. In R And the ratio is about 200 times the solar value.
Drew Westen: The Political Brain: The Role of Emotion in Deciding the Fate of the Nation Bryan Caplan: The Myth of the Rational Voter: Why Democracies Choose Bad Policies

Political psychology, in its early days, was largely focused on voting behavior. Understanding citizen choice in the democratic state dominated the nascent discipline as it struggled for identity. ...
Validity Curry Strengthened

Several authors have argued that a version of Curry's paradox involving validity motivates rejecting the structural rule of contraction. This paper criticizes two recently suggested alternative responses to “validity Curry.” There are three salient stages in a validity Curry derivation. Rejecting contraction blocks the first, while the alternative responses focus on the second and third. I show that a distinguishing feature of validity Curry, as contrasted with more familiar forms of Curry's paradox, is that paradox arises already at the first stage. Accordingly, blocking the second or third stages won't suffice for resolving the paradox.
Organic syntheses by means of noble metal compounds—XLVII : Reaction of butadiene with aldehydes and ketones catalyzed by palladium-phosphine complexes

Abstract Palladium catalyzed reaction of butadiene with carbonyl compounds yields 1-substituted 2-vinyl-4, 6-heptadien—1-ols or 2-substituted 3,6-divinyltetrahydropyrans. Four stereoisomeric pyrans were characterized by NMR analysis. The reaction mechanism is discussed.
Globalization and English Language Teaching in Ukraine.

"Breadbasket of Europe," "Cradle of Slavic nations," "Little Russia," "the Ukraine"?the country now known as Ukraine was established in the 10th century as one of the most powerful states in Europe. Because of its strategic position and rich natural resources, its people suffered centuries of oppression, ending when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 (Bilotserkivsky, 2007). It was then that Ukraine stepped onto the bumpy road of "quadruple transition of state and nation building, democratization and market ization" (Kuzio, 2000, p. 143). Hampered by Soviet legacies of totalitar ianism and pervasive corruption, Ukraine suffered more than a decade of economic decline, which was especially punishing for the poor. In spite of a subsequent economic breakthrough (followed by the current global crisis), the postcolonial era has come at a cost: The population of Ukraine is dramatically decreasing, falling from 52 million in 1992 to 46 million in 2009 (State Statistics Committee of Ukraine, 2009). Paradoxically, Ukraine's independence coincided with the fourth great wave of Ukrainian emigration?zarobitchanslw (earning a living)?which continues apace. Over the past five years, 90,000 college-educated Ukrainians have left in search of better jobs and higher standards of living (Kozlovets', 2008, p. 16), with the United States being their main destination (Prybytkova, 2009). A second major reason for English's growing practical
Network theoretic conditions for existence and uniqueness of steady state solutions to electric power circuits

Surveys available network theoretic results on conditions under which the unique and operationally acceptable load flow solution exists. The main topic is the problem of establishing system-dependent bounds on input and network topology within which the unique solution exists. Both decoupled real-power-phase angle and reactive-power-voltage problems are studied. The particular emphasis is on the conservativeness of the sufficient conditions under which the power network has the properties of a nonlinear resistive network. Several new results and open questions are reported regarding conservativeness of sufficient conditions for solution existence. >
Divine Presence and Epistemic Trust

The experience of divine presence is compelling. Yet it immediately confronts the Epistemology of Doubt that has dominated modern philosophy since Descartes. Among its many limitations, this tradition is ill-equipped to understand divine self-presentation. But an alternative tradition can be conceived. Drawing on Thomas Reid and G. E. Moore, as well as other thinkers, we can envision an Epistemics of Trust. This is not so much a theory (like those offered by Alston and Plantinga) as a research program, in the sense expounded by Imre Lakatos, that would address a wide range of knowings. It is here applied to two experiences of divine presence, Moses’ and the author’s own. The analysis illuminates not only the experiences, but the nature of the divine reality presenting itself.
Satisfaction with cultural/heritage sites: Virginia Historic Triangle.

SUMMARY This study attempted to investigate the relationship between cultural/heritage destination attributes and overall satisfaction, and to identify the difference in the overall satisfaction of tourists in terms of selected demographic and travel behavior characteristics. The expectancy-disconfirmation theory provided a conceptual framework for this study. This theory holds that consumers first form expectations of products or service performance prior to purchasing or use. The study area for this study was Virginia Historic Triangle (Williamsburg, Jamestown, and York-town). The survey was conducted at five different sites in the Virginia Historic Triangle. The findings indicate that there is a relationship between destination attributes and overall satisfaction with cultural/heritage experience. The study also reveals that overall satisfaction may show variation by gender, length of stay, and decision horizon. The study concludes with appropriate marketing and management implications.
Modeling a new generation of RF devices: MOSFETs for L-band applications

Results on large-signal modeling efforts for a novel MOSFET technology for L-band RF applications are presented. A parameter extraction procedure which yields accurate RF MOS large-signal models using DC and S-parameter data is presented along with a comparison of measured and modeled class-B amplifier, mixer, and S-parameter data. >
Drafting Effective Powerpoint Slides

This article addresses drafting effective PowerPoint slides in preparation for a continuing legal education or other legal presentation. It addresses the following topics: the appropriate amount of text, the presentation of the text, incorporation of visuals, the formatting of the slides, and the pacing of the slides.
Prostaglandin Gβγ signaling stimulates gastrulation movements by limiting cell adhesion through Snai1a stabilization

Gastrulation movements form the germ layers and shape them into the vertebrate body. Gastrulation entails a variety of cell behaviors, including directed cell migration and cell delamination, which are also involved in other physiological and pathological processes, such as cancer metastasis. Decreased Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) synthesis due to interference with the Cyclooxygenase (Cox) and Prostaglandin E synthase (Ptges) enzymes halts gastrulation and limits cancer cell invasiveness, but how PGE2 regulates cell motility remains unclear. Here we show that PGE2-deficient zebrafish embryos, impaired in the epiboly, internalization, convergence and extension gastrulation movements, exhibit markedly increased cell-cell adhesion, which contributes to defective cell movements in the gastrula. Our analyses reveal that PGE2 promotes cell protrusive activity and limits cell adhesion by modulating E-cadherin transcript and protein, in part through stabilization of the Snai1a (also known as Snail1) transcriptional repressor, an evolutionarily conserved regulator of cell delamination and directed migration. We delineate a pathway whereby PGE2 potentiates interaction between the receptor-coupled G protein βγ subunits and Gsk3β to inhibit proteasomal degradation of Snai1a. However, overexpression of β-catenin cannot stabilize Snai1a in PGE2-deficient gastrulae. Thus, the Gsk3β-mediated and β-catenin-independent inhibition of cell adhesion by Prostaglandins provides an additional mechanism for the functional interactions between the PGE2 and Wnt signaling pathways during development and disease. We propose that ubiquitously expressed PGE2 synthesizing enzymes, by promoting the stability of Snai1a, enable the precise and rapid regulation of cell adhesion that is required for the dynamic cell behaviors that drive various gastrulation movements.
Life-Style Analysis of Major Bank Credit Card Users:

While life-style analysis appears to be a major tool in segmenting the bank credit card market, few studies have considered the multidimensional nature of the life-style variables which are frequently employed to characterize bank credit card users. In an attempt to overcome this problem, principal axis factor analysis, combined with a varimax rotation procedure, was used to identify the underlying life-style dimensions. Once these life-style dimensions were established factor scores were used as the predictor variables in developing bank credit card users from nonusers. The results of the study indicated that a general credit usage dimension and to a lesser degree a fashion consciousness dimension were most important in differentiating between users and nonusers of bank credit cards.
38 FACTORS MOTIVATING PHYSICIANS TO HIRE PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS IN RURAL OFFICE PRACTICES

Factors motivating physicians to hire physician assistants (PA) are not well delineated, yet 23% of PA activities in primary health care settings in Iowa involve children less than 15 years old. Of 64 Iowa physicians who employed PA from 1973 to 1977 in their offices, 75% completed a ten point scale questionnaire. 37/51 (73%) of these physicians still employed PA at time of study and 8/13 (62%) had terminated PA employment. 31 of these 51 practice sites with PA in active practice had populations < 10,000. Factors which strongly motivated physicians to hire PA were MD practice from multiple offices serving populations < 5,000 (40% of sites). Other motivating factors were physician's belief that MDs should delegate certain tasks to non-MDs (65%), and also MD's desire to provide innovative care (51%), optimal care (55%), new services (33%), more of the usual service (63%), to more patients (57%), and to reduce waiting time for appointments (49%). Non-motivating factors were prior MD's work or educational experiences with similar health personnel, the MD's desire to provide services at less cost, reward faithful employee, increase earning, compete favorably with colleagues, work fewer hours, and to create time for continued education. Similar motivating factors were found among physicians who had hired and dismissed PA. These findings have educational, legislative and social implications.
Development and characterization of microsatellite markers in the gray triggerfish ( Balistes capriscus )

Twenty one microsatellite markers were isolated from two enriched genomic libraries of the gray triggerfish, Balistes capriscus. The number of alleles detected varied between 4 and 27, and expected heterozygosity estimates ranged from 0.502 to 0.967 (n = 35). Genotypic proportions conformed to Hardy–Weinberg expectations for all but two of the loci. The microsatellite markers developed in this work will be precious to conservation genetics studies of the gray triggerfish.
Serum Transaminase Elevations as Indicators of Hepatic Injury Following the Administration of Drugs

During the preclinical, early clinical, late-stage clinical, and postmarketing phases of the pharmaceutical discovery and development process, one important aspect of drug safety assessment involves monitoring for possible drug-induced hepatic injury. Hepatic injuries vary in nature from direct, intrinsic effects that are observed in most recipients and more than one species to rare idiosyncratic responses seen only in a few clinical subjects. Histological types of injuries vary from hepatocellular to hepatobiliary with multiple cellular effects characteristic of each type. Of the various clinical laboratory markers for hepatic injury, serum transaminases, especially alanine aminotransferase (ALT), are the most universally important indicators for studies ranging from early preclinical animal testing to postmarketing patient monitoring. This review examines the characteristics of hepatic toxicity that result in serum ALT changes, the differences in the etiology of hepatic responses which govern when liver injury is most likely to be detected during the four phases of the drug discovery and development process, and those modulating factors which affect the utility of ALT as a dependable marker of hepatic injury in clinical populations. The paper concludes with a summary of some ancillary methods for early preclinical screening such as in vitro metabolism and toxicity assays, gene and protein expression analysis, and some strategies for enhancing the probability for the early detection of idiosyncratic hepatotoxic responses which are infrequent but significant factors in the safety assessment process.
Neuronal activity during seizures in monkeys

Abstract From six monkeys with chronic alumina gel-induced epileptogenic foci a total of 44 neurons was recorded extracellularly before, during, and after spontaneous seizures. In all cases the unit activity was recorded when the monkeys were undrugged and awake. In six experiments two units were recorded simultaneously through the same electrode. Neurons near the periphery of the focus often ceased firing at the initiation of the ictal event, whereas units (both normal and epileptic) within the focus synchronized with both multiunit background activity and local field potential spikes just preceding the onset of clinical seizures. (The epileptic neurons appeared to synchronize before the normal cells.) During the clonic phase and/or generalization of the seizure, units both within and on the periphery of the focus fired in synchrony with local field potential spikes. These data indirectly support two concepts of focal epileptogenesis: (a) that an epileptogenic neuronal aggregate and (b) “pacemaker” epileptic neurons sustain the epileptogenicity of chronic foci.
Cancer and mental disorders in a national community sample: findings from the national comorbidity survey.

Objective: To determine the association between cancer (past 12 months) and mental disorders (past 12 months) among community-dwelling adults. Methods: Data were
Photon correlation spectroscopy of atactic polystyrene in the bulk state near Tg

Abstract The dynamic characteristics of light scattered by atactic polystyrene in the glass transition region have been determined by photon correlation spectroscopy. The results are interpreted based on the assumption that the relaxation function can be represented by: ⊘(t) = α exp {-(t/τ)β} We find that above Tg, the correlation function exhibits two relaxation modes: one corresponds to the α-relaxation process with a wide distribution of relaxation times; the other may be the β process with a single exponential decay. The average relaxation times for each process are two orders of magnitude slower than those which characterize the frequency-dependent modulus in conventional mechanical relaxation experiments. This stems from the fact that the light scattering experiment is equivalent to the measurement of a time-dependent volume creep compliance rather than a dynamic modulus.
Sonophoric nanoprobe aided pH measurement in vivo using photoacoustic spectroscopy

Presented here is a novel method of in vivo pH sensing utilizing a hybrid optical imaging technique, photoacoustic imaging (PAI), and pH sensitive polymeric nanoprobes. Nanoprobes with hydrophobic core containing a pH sensitive dye were synthesized and used to measure the pH level ex vivo first and then in vivo by performing experiments on a rat joint model, with an achieved precision of less than 0.1 pH units. The ability of the hydrophobic functional groups in the polyacrylamide matrix to shield the molecular dye from being affected by the proteins in the plasma, and prevent the dye from leaching out, is also demonstrated.
4E-BPs Control Fat Storage by Regulating the Expression of Egr1 and ATGL

Early growth response transcription factor Egr1 controls multiple aspects of cell physiology and metabolism. In particular, Egr1 suppresses lipolysis and promotes fat accumulation in adipocytes by inhibiting the expression of adipose triglyceride lipase. According to current dogma, regulation of the Egr1 expression takes place primarily at the level of transcription. Correspondingly, treatment of cultured adipocytes with insulin stimulates expression of Egr1 mRNA and protein. Unexpectedly, the MEK inhibitor PD98059 completely blocks insulin-stimulated increase in the Egr1 mRNA but has only a moderate effect on the Egr1 protein. At the same time, mTORC1 inhibitors rapamycin and PP242 suppress expression of the Egr1 protein and have an opposite effect on the Egr1 mRNA. Mouse embryonic fibroblasts with genetic ablations of TSC2 or 4E-BP1/2 express less Egr1 mRNA but more Egr1 protein than wild type controls. 35S-labeling has confirmed that translation of the Egr1 mRNA is much more effective in 4E-BP1/2-null cells than in control. A selective agonist of the CB1 receptors, ACEA, up-regulates Egr1 mRNA, but does not activate mTORC1 and does not increase Egr1 protein in adipocytes. These data suggest that although insulin activates both the Erk and the mTORC1 signaling pathways in adipocytes, regulation of the Egr1 expression takes place predominantly via the mTORC1/4E-BP-mediated axis. In confirmation of this model, we show that 4E-BP1/2-null MEFs express less ATGL and accumulate more fat than control cells, while knock down of Egr1 in 4E-BP1/2-null MEFs increases ATGL expression and decreases fat storage. Background: Insulin suppresses lipolysis in adipocytes by inducing Egr1 that inhibits expression of ATGL. Results: Stimulation of mTORC1 or genetic ablation of 4E-BP1/2 increase expression of Egr1 regardless of its mRNA levels. Conclusion: Regulation of Egr1 by insulin takes place predominantly at the level of translation via mTORC1/4E-BP. Significance: Translational control of the Egr1 expression explains the role of mTORC1 in regulation of lipolysis.