cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A review of the epidemiological evidence on health effects of nitrogen dioxide exposure from gas stoves

This review addresses the evidence on the health effects of exposure to emissions of NO2 from gas stoves, covering findings of 45 epidemiological studies. These studies had addressed diverse outcome measures, including the risks of acute respiratory illness, decreased pulmonary function, respiratory symptoms and asthma exacerbation. Although most studies have focused on schoolchildren, studies of adults and more recently, prospective studies of infants have also been carried out. The findings have not been consistent across all studies in showing adverse effects. We conclude that the evidence does not support a causal relationship between exposure NO2 or use of a gas stove and increased risk for respiratory morbidity at the levels of NO2 typically associated with gas stoves. Some studies do show increased risk for respiratory health effects, however, and the evidence does not support the conclusion that NO2 emitted by gas stoves is risk-free. Further research would be indicated if populations receiving exposures in a range of interest can be identified. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. This review addresses the evidence on the health effects of exposure to emissions of NO2 from gas stoves, covering findings of 45 epidemiological studies. These studies had addressed diverse outcome measures, including the risks of acute respiratory illness, decreased pulmonary function, respiratory symptoms and asthma exacerbation. Although most studies have focused on schoolchildren, studies of adults and more recently, prospective studies of infants have also been carried out. The findings have not been consistent across all studies in showing adverse effects. We conclude that the evidence does not support a causal relationship between exposure NO2 or use of a gas stove and increased risk for respiratory morbidity at the levels of NO2 typically associated with gas stoves. Some studies do show increased risk for respiratory health effects, however, and the evidence does not support the conclusion that NO2 emitted by gas stoves is risk-free. Further research would be indicated if populations receiving exposures in a range of interest can be identified. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF A PASS-FAIL GRADING SYSTEM

Pass-fail grading was reviewed using a sample of 300 undergraduates to obtain data on the effect of taking such course work on grade-point average and the number of hours taken. Other interests were to explore how college of major and academic year influenced eligibility and the decision of students to take pass-fail courses. Eligibility was related to college of major but not to academic level for undergraduates who were sophomores or beyond. Students utilizing their pass-fail option took more total hours and in addition, earned a higher quarterly gradepoint average than eligible students enrolled exclusively in A-F hours. Suggestions for future research in studies in pass-fail grading are given.
Examining Entrepreneurs' Presentation Effectiveness in Generating Stakeholder Interest: Observations From the Medical Device Industry

Entrepreneurs make countless pitches and presentations to prospective stakeholders that are critical to securing needed resources. Our study examines whether or not certain aspects of visual presen...
Does pertussis activate tuberculosis

Summary There were 1,747 patients with pertussis admitted to the Cleveland CityHopital between January, 1938, and Aug. 1, 1947. In thirty-eight patients, an x-ray diagnosis of a suspicious tuberculous lesion was made. Twenty-three had positive reactions to the tuberculin test; three of the latter were in older children with negative x-ray findings, while nineteen actually had tuberculosis (excluding the patient, N. S., on whom an autopsy was performed). In no instance, save in the case of G. H., reported in detail, could any evidence be found on which to base the conclusion that the tuberculosis was activated by the pertussis. It cannot be said that pertussis does not possibly activate this disease, but all evidence is to the contrary, and the burden of proof rests on the shoulders of whoever makes this assertion. Certainly it is clear that reactivation of tuberculosis following pertussis is so rare that it is probably a coincidence.
Near-surface air temperature as substitute for skin temperature in regional surface flux estimation

Abstract Wind velocity and temperature profiles measured by radiosondes were used in combination with near-surface air temperatures, in order to derive surface fluxes of sensible heat H and of momentum u∗ . The role of the near-surface air temperature was to stabilize the otherwise noisy radiosonde profiles. The computational procedure was developed from standard Monin-Obukhov flux-profile relationships for the atmospheric surface layer. The measurements were made in the context of the International Alpine Experiment ALPEX at the Rietholzbach catchment in a region of complex rugged terrain of the Swiss Fore-Alps. The positive correlation ( r = 0.7) between the profile derived values of H and those obtained at a central station of the catchment, supports the existence of a surface layer even above this very rough terrain. The values of latent heat flux (evaporation) obtained from these H values by means of the energy budget agreed well ( r = 0.94) with lysimeter measurements at the central station.
Autocrine production of extracellular catalase prevents apoptosis of the human CEM T-cell line in serum-free medium

Abstract CCRF-CEM is a human T-cell line originally isolated from a child with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. At cell densities > 2 x 10(5) cells per ml, CEM cells grow in serum-free medium, but at lower cell densities the cultures rapidly undergo apoptosis, or programmed cell death. The viability of low-density CEM cells could be preserved by supplementing the serum-free medium with "conditioned" medium from high-density CEM cultures, but a variety of known growth factors and lymphokines were ineffective. Fractionation of conditioned medium by sequential chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, propyl agarose, chromatofocusing, and hydrophobic-interaction HPLC resulted in the isolation of a 60-kDa protein capable of sustaining CEM growth in the absence of serum. The active protein was identified as human catalase based on its amino acid sequence and composition and was subsequently shown to exhibit catalase activity and to be replaceable by human erythrocyte catalase or bovine liver catalase. Comparison of the level of intracellular catalase activity with the amount released into the culture medium demonstrated that the latter accounted for < 3% of the total catalase activity present in the cell culture. These findings show that, despite its low amount, the catalase released by CEM cells, and perhaps by T cells in general, provides a critical first line of defense against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) present in the extracellular milieu.
Dynamic iterations for the solution of ordinary differential equations on multicore processors

In the past few years, there has been a trend of providing increased computing power through greater number of cores on a chip, rather than through higher clock speeds. In order to exploit the available computing power, applications need to be parallelized efficiently. We consider the solution of Ordinary Differential Equations (ODE) on multicore processors. Conventional parallelization strategies distribute the state space amongst the processors, and are efficient only when the state space of the ODE system is large. However, users of a desktop system with multicore processors may wish to solve small ODE systems. Dynamic iterations, parallelized along the time domain, appear promising for such applications. However, they have been of limited usefulness because of their slow convergence. They also have a high memory requirement when the number of time steps is large. We propose a hybrid method that combines conventional sequential ODE solvers with dynamic iterations. We show that it has better convergence and also requires less memory. Empirical results show a factor of two to four improvement in performance over an equivalent conventional solver on a single node. The significance of this paper lies in proposing a new method that can enable small ODE systems, possibly with long time spans, to be solved faster on multicore processors.
Esomeprazole and aspirin fixed combination for the prevention of cardiovascular events

Low dose aspirin therapy plays a fundamental role in both the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular events. Although the evidence using low dose aspirin for secondary prevention is well-established, the decision to use aspirin for primary prevention is based on an evaluation of the patient's risk of cardiovascular events compared to their risk of adverse events, such as bleeding. In addition to the risk of bleeding associated with long term aspirin administration, upper gastrointestinal side effects, such as dyspepsia often lead to discontinuation of therapy, which places patients at an increased risk for cardiovascular events. One option to mitigate adverse events and increase adherence is the addition of esomeprazole to the medication regimen. This review article provides an evaluation of the literature on the concomitant use of aspirin and esomeprazole available through February 2013. The efficacy, safety, tolerability, cost effectiveness, and patient quality of life of this regimen is discussed. A summary of the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interactions between aspirin and esomeprazole, as well as other commonly used cardiovascular medications are also reviewed. The addition of esomeprazole to low dose aspirin therapy in patients at high risk of developing gastric ulcers for the prevention of cardiovascular disease, significantly reduced their risk of ulcer development. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies suggested that esomeprazole did not affect the pharmacokinetic parameters or the antiplatelet effects of aspirin. Therefore, for those patients who are at a high risk of developing a gastrointestinal ulcer, the benefit of adding esomeprazole likely outweighs the risks of longer term proton pump inhibitor use, and the combination can be recommended. Administering the two agents separately may also be more economical. On the other hand, for those patients at lower risk of developing a gastrointestinal ulcer, both the additional risk and cost make the inclusion of a proton pump inhibitor unwarranted.
The association of depo-medroxyprogesterone acetate and breast cancer

The use of depo-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) as an injectable contraceptive for women has continued to be controversial for over 10 years. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved it for contraceptive use but the World Health Organization has. We undertook a case-control study to clarify the possible association of breast cancer and DMPA use. Subjects were selected from women enrolled in the Grady Memorial Hospital Family Planning Clinic in Atlanta, Georgia, from 1967 to 1979. The risk of breast cancer in DMPA users compared to nonusers is identical. The small number of women with breast cancer, the short average exposure to DMPA, and the lack of detail about the subjects themselves caused us to interpret our results cautiously. However, it seems reasonable to conclude that short-term use of DMPA among black women is not associated with any increased risk of breast cancer.
Li2S-Carbon Sandwiched Electrodes with Superior Performance for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

DOI: 10.1002/aenm.201300655 As the petroleum resources deplete and the concern on environmental pollution increases, utilization of renewable energies (e.g., solar and wind) and the adoption of electric vehicles are becoming more desirable. However, the development of an electrical energy storage system that can meet the rigorous requirements on the weight and volume for electric vehicles or on the cycle life and cost for stationary storage is a challenge. Li-ion batteries, representing the highest energy density battery chemistry, are believed to be one of the most promising technologies. However, the capacities of the current insertion oxide cathodes (e.g., layered and spinel oxides) have reached their limits of <300 mAh g −1 , [ 1 ] which forces the materials community to develop alternative high-capacity cathode materials that can support multiple electrons per molecule, such as sulfur and oxygen. [ 2 ]
Resources and the flexible allocation of work in the desert ant, Aphaenogaster cockerelli

Social insect colonies can respond to changes in resource availability by altering their foraging behavior. Colonies of the desert ant, Aphaenogaster cockerelli, responded to experimental changes in the distribution and type of available resources by adjusting the numbers of ants engaged in foraging and other tasks outside the nest, and by adjusting the temporal patterns of these activities. Colonies foraged more intensely for protein resources than for seed resources, and for high-density resources more than for low-density resources. This flexible allocation and resource use may promote coexistence with interspecific competitors such as ants in the genus Myrmecocystus.
Global approaches to understanding ubiquitination

Ubiquitination - the linkage of one or more molecules of the protein ubiquitin to another protein - regulates a wide range of biological processes in all eukaryotes. We review the proteome-wide strategies that are being used to study aspects of ubiquitin biology, including substrates, components of the proteasome and ubiquitin ligases, and deubiquitination.
Pain reduction in local anesthetic administration through pH buffering.

The effects of pH buffering on the pain of administration and efficacy of three local anesthetics (1% lidocaine, 1% lidocaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine, and 1% mepivacaine) were investigated in a randomized, prospective, double-blind study of 25 adult volunteers. Plain and buffered solutions of the three local anesthetics were prepared, and a 0.5 intradermal injection of each was administered. Pain of anesthetic infiltration was rated from zero to ten. The area of anesthetized skin surrounding each injection site was measured at time intervals following each injection. Buffering the local anesthetics significantly reduced the mean quantitative pain estimates compared to the nonbuffered controls: 1) 1% lidocaine compared with buffered 1% lidocaine, 4.9 ± 0.4 versus 1.1 ± 0.2 ( P −6 ); 2) 1% lidocaine with epinephrine compared with buffered 1% lidocaine with epinephrine, 5.1 ± 0.4 versus 1.8 ± 0.4 ( P −6 ); and 3) 1% mepivacaine compared with buffered 1% mepivacaine, 5.1 ± 0.4 versus 0.9 ± 0.2 ( P −6 ). Onset, extent, and duration of skin anesthesia were not statistically altered by pH buffering. The pain of local anesthetic administration can be dramatically reduced by buffering the local anesthetic prior to its infiltration. Anesthetic efficacy is not compromised, and patient acceptance may be significantly increased.
Faith Development Theory as a Context for Supervision of Spiritual and Religious Issues

Although there is a growing interest in spirituality and religious issues in counseling, little has been written for the supervisor. This article addresses this need by demonstrating how J. Fowler's (1981) model of faith development stages can inform supervisory work with spiritual and religious issues. Faith Development Theory is a growth-oriented approach to spiritual and religious development that focuses on adaptive rather than pathological qualities and fits well with developmental models of supervision. Fictitious scenarios illustrate the utility of J. Fowler's (1981) theory for working with spiritual and religious issues that surface in supervisory contexts.
Online-coupled meteorology and chemistry models: history, current status, and outlook

The climate-chemistry-aerosol-cloud-radiation feedbacks are important processes occurring in the atmosphere. Accurately simulating those feedbacks requires fully-coupled meteorology, climate, and chemistry models and presents significant challenges in terms of both scientific understanding and computational demand. This paper reviews the history and current status of the development and application of online-coupled meteorology and chemistry models, with a focus on five representative models developed in the US including GATOR-GCMOM, WRF/Chem, CAM3, MIRAGE, and Caltech unified GCM. These models represent the current status and/or the state-of-the science treatments of online-coupled models worldwide. Their major model features, typical applications, and physical/chemical treatments are compared with a focus on model treatments of aerosol and cloud microphysics and aerosol-cloud interactions. Aerosol feedbacks to planetary boundary layer meteorology and aerosol indirect effects are illustrated with case studies for some of these models. Future research needs for model development, improvement, application, as well as major challenges for online-coupled models are discussed.
On the inversion of Mel-frequency cepstral coefficients for speech enhancement applications

The use of Mel-frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCCs) is well established in the fields of speech processing, particularly for speaker modeling within a Gaussian mixture model (GMM) speaker recognition system. The use of GMMs for speech enhancement applications has only recently been proposed in the literature; the concept of direct inversion of the MFCCs, however, has not been studied. In this paper we present a means to invert MFCCs for use in speech enhancement applications. Results for cepstral inversion is evaluated on the TIMIT speech corpus using perceptual evaluation of speech quality (PESQ).
Identifying Aquatic Habits Of Herbivorous Mammals Through Stable Isotope Analysis

Abstract Large-bodied, semiaquatic herbivorous mammals have been a recurring component of most continental ecosystems throughout the Cenozoic. Identification of these species in the fossil record has largely been based on the morphological similarities with present-day hippopotamids, leading to the designation of this pairing of body type and ecological niche as the hippo ecomorph. These morphological characters, however, may not always be diagnostic of aquatic habits. Here, enamel δ13C and δ18O values from living hippopotamuses were examined to define an isotopic signature unique to the hippo ecomorph. Although δ13C values do not support unique foraging habits for this ecomorph, living and fossil hippopotamids typically have low mean δ18O values relative to associated ungulates that fit a linear regression (δ18Ohippopotamids = 0.96 ± 0.09·δ18Ofauna − 1.67 ± 2.97; r2 = 0.886, p < 0.001). Modeling of oxygen fluxes in large mammals suggests that high water-turnover rates or increased water loss through fece...
Effective thermal conductivity in thermoelectric materials

Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) are solid state heat engines that generate electricity from a temperature gradient. Optimizing these devices for maximum power production can be difficult due to the many heat transport mechanisms occurring simultaneously within the TEG. In this paper, we develop a model for heat transport in thermoelectric materials in which an “effective thermal conductivity” (κ_eff) encompasses both the one dimensional steady-state Fourier conduction and the heat generation/consumption due to secondary thermoelectric effects. This model is especially powerful in that the value of κeff does not depend upon the operating conditions of the TEG but rather on the transport properties of the TE materials themselves. We analyze a variety of thermoelectric materials and generator designs using this concept and demonstrate that κ_(eff) predicts the heat fluxes within these devices to 5% of the exact value.
Inhibition of Src with AZD0530 Reveals the Src-Focal Adhesion Kinase Complex as a Novel Therapeutic Target in Papillary and Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer

Context: Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and Src are overexpressed and activated in many cancers and have been associated with tumor progression. The role of the Src-FAK complex has not been characterized in papillary and anaplastic thyroid cancer (PTC and ATC). Objective: The goal of this study was to determine the role of Src and FAK in the growth and invasion of PTC and ATC. Design: PTC and ATC cells were treated with the oral Src inhibitor, AZD0530, to determine the consequences of Src inhibition using growth and invasion assays. FAK and phospho-FAK levels were analyzed in cell lines as well as in PTC tumor samples. Results: AZD0530 treatment inhibited the growth and invasion in four of five thyroid cancer cell lines, and inhibition did not correlate with basal levels of phospho-Src. Instead, we show for the first time that FAK, a critical substrate and effector of Src, is phosphorylated at tyrosine residue 861 (pY861) in PTC and ATC cells, and high levels of phospho-FAK correlate with AZD0530 sensitivity...
Personality Certainty and Politics: Increasing the Predictive Utility of Individual‐Difference Inventories

Research on political psychology has benefitted from using individual-difference measures to predict political attitudes and behavior. And, previous research has further identified a number of specific variables that enhance the predictive utility of individual-difference scales. However, a potentially important factor that has been overlooked is the certainty with which people make their responses. The present research establishes that the certainty with which people respond to scales is associated with stability of the scale responses over time and correspondence between the scale and related outcomes. In addition, the effects of certainty in political ideological identification in predicting politically relevant outcomes hold when controlling for a number of previously established moderators. This research suggests that measuring certainty in answers to individual-difference scales can be a useful and efficient way to increase the predictive utility of those scales within the political domain and beyond. This benefit is demonstrated with need for cognition (Study 1), need to evaluate (Study 2), and ideological identification (Studies 2 and 3).
“Anything With Two Heads Is a Monster” Religious Leaders' Perspectives on Marital Equality and Domestic Violence

Religious leaders from Jewish, Christian, and Islamic faiths were interviewed about their understanding of the intersection of intimate partner violence (IPV) and religion. The present article explores the leaders' understanding of how relationship dynamics relate to IPV, focusing particularly on concepts of equality and submission. On the whole, the leaders were concerned that religious prescriptions of disproportionate power, such as the teachings of male leadership and female submission, could be interpreted to support IPV practices. Tensions between leaders' desire to salvage marriages and to protect victims are explored.
Dangers of anecdotal reports

The anecdotal case study tradition in psychoanalysis has a long, hallowed history and continues to seem the best way to describe our clinical encounters. But reliance on memory in the absence of witnesses or other kinds of corroboration (such as audio recording) can (a) protect standard theory from necessary corrections; (b) lead to the underreporting of technical mistakes, outright clinical failures, and, paradoxically, innovative approaches; (c) tempt us to substitute, by way of narrative smoothing, what ought to happen for what actually transpired; and (d) lead to the loss of an invaluable, one-of-a-kind set of observations that can never be replaced. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Clin Psychol 57: 37–41, 2001.
Biofluidmechanics of Reproduction

Mammalian fertilization requires the coordinated activity of motile spermatozoa, muscular contractions of the uterus and oviduct, as well as ciliary beating. These elastic structures generate forces that drive fluid motion, but their configurations are, in turn, determined by the fluid dynamics. We review the basic fluid mechanical aspects of reproduction, including flagellar/ciliary beating and peristalsis. We report on recent biological studies that have shed light on the relative importance of the mechanical ingredients of reproduction. In particular, we examine sperm motility in the reproductive tract, ovum pickup and transport in the oviduct, as well as sperm-egg interactions. We review recent advances in understanding the internal mechanics of cilia and flagella, flagellar surface interaction, sperm motility in complex fluids, and the role of fluid dynamics in embryo transfer. We outline promising computational fluid dynamics frameworks that may be used to investigate these complex, fluid-structure interactions.
Decreased Renal Heme Oxygenase-1 Expression Contributes to Decreased Renal Function During Cirrhosis

Heme oxygenase (HO) is the rate-limiting enzyme in the degradation of heme, catalyzing the oxidative cleavage of heme molecules to biliverdin, carbon monoxide, and iron. The present study was designed to investigate the role of HO-1 in the pathogenesis of renal dysfunction during cirrhosis. Biliary cirrhosis was induced in rats by common bile duct ligation (CBDL). Animals were studied 2 and 5 wk after surgery. In kidney from CBDL rats, HO-1 protein expression increased slightly at 2 wk but was abolished at 5 wk. In addition, we confirmed histologically that HO-1 expression was suppressed in renal tubules and interlobular arterioles in 5-wk-old CBDL rats. Conversely, HO-1 expression in liver was strongly increased. Consistent with the development of cirrhosis and renal dysfunction mean arterial pressure (MAP), glomerular filtration rate (GFR), and renal blood flow (RBF) were decreased in CBDL rats compared with sham-operated controls. In sham rats, treatment with the selective HO inhibitor zinc protoporphyrin markedly decreased GFR and RBF to values similar to those measured in CBDL rats without decreasing MAP. In conclusion, decreased renal HO-1 expression contributes to deteriorated renal function and hemodynamics during cirrhosis. This finding provides a novel mechanism for the pathophysiology of renal dysfunction during cirrhosis.
Relationship between shallow- and intermediate-depth seismicity in the Eastern Aleutian Subduction Zone

The transition from shallow interplate thrusting to intermediate-depth seismicity is often poorly observed, but critical for understanding the fate of the downgoing slab. In order to better examine the transition, 1448 earthquakes are relocated from data recorded by a regional seismic network in the eastern Aleutian arc, using an improved three-dimensional velocity model and accurate ray tracing. Single-event first-motion solutions are determined from these rays for 31 slab events. The interplate thrust zone is a planar fault zone, dipping 10–15° at 25–35 km depth, and is no more than 5–10 km wide. Most intermediate-depth earthquakes are localized to a plane no wider than 5 km near the top of the descending plate. Fault-plane solution orientations for these events vary by several tens of degrees in orientation, although 73% show T axes aligned within 45° of the slab dip. A parallel seismic zone, 20–25 km deeper into the slab, also shows down-dip plunges of T axes for 3 of 5 solutions. The fault-plane solutions are poorly explained by plate bending or unbending about a neutral fiber. Hypocenters show that intermediate-depth events are confined near the subducted oceanic crust, supporting compositional rather than pure thermal control of intermediate-depth seismicity. One explanation is that the upper-plane events are an indirect consequence of phase changes in subducted crust. Perhaps similar processes are important in producing earthquakes in the lower, parallel zone.
A Whole Surface Approach to Crowd Simulation on Arbitrary Topologies

Recent crowd simulation algorithms do path planning on complex surfaces by breaking 3D surfaces into a series of 2.5D planes. This allows for path planning on surfaces that can be mapped from 3D to 2D without distortion, such as multistory buildings. However, the 2.5D approach does not handle path planning on curved surfaces such as spheres, asteroids, or insect colonies. Additionally, the 2.5D approach does not handle the complexity of dynamic obstacle avoidance when agents can walk on walls or ceilings. We propose novel path planning and obstacle avoidance algorithms that work on surfaces as a whole instead of breaking them into a 2.5D series of planes. Our "whole surfacea approach simulates crowds on both multistory structures and highly curved topologies without changing parameters. We validate our work on a suite of 30 different meshes, some with over 100,000 triangles, with crowds of 1,000 agents. Our algorithm always averaged more than 40 FPS with virtually no stalling.
Is there a permanent component in US real GDP

Abstract Using three recent panel unit root methodologies, we strongly reject the unit root hypothesis for real per capita income for the 48 contiguous states from 1929 to 1995. The rate of convergence is sensitive to assumptions of the heterogeneity of the intercept, first order autoregressive coefficients, lag length and accommodating for a trend break after the 1973 oil shock.
A Meta-Analysis of Writing Interventions for Students With Learning Disabilities:

In this meta-analysis, the impact of writing interventions on the quality of writing produced by students with learning disabilities (LD) was assessed. Ancestral and electronic searches were used to locate experimental, quasi-experimental, and within-subjects design studies with participants in Grades 1–12 with documented LD. The effects of writing interventions on participants’ writing quality were averaged across 43 eligible studies to calculate an average weighted mean effect size (ES). Average weighted mean ES were also calculated for six writing treatment subgroups that contained four or more studies each (i.e., strategy instruction, dictation, procedural facilitation, prewriting, goal setting, and process writing). Overall, writing interventions had a statistically significant positive impact on the writing quality of students with LD (ES = 0.74). All writing treatment subgroups also had positive average weighted ES, but only four were statistically different from zero (i.e., strategy instruction ES = 1.09, dictation ES = 0.55, goal setting ES = 0.57, and process writing ES = 0.43). In addition, treatments designed specifically to enhance writing processes (e.g., planning, revising) were only effective when instruction was provided. Implications for the types of writing treatments and the types of instruction that may be most beneficial to students with LD are discussed and directions for future research are provided.
Academic software engineering: what is and what could be? Results of the first annual survey for international SE programs

According to data received from an international survey, almost 6800 students are enrolled in software engineering degree programs in 11 countries, as of January, 2001. A total of 94 academic programs in software engineering are in place at 60 univcrsities with 350 full-time faculty and nearly 200 part-time faculty teaching hundreds of undergraduate and graduate courses in the discipline. Over 5500 people have obtained degrees in software engineering since 1979. The authors are conducting the first of an ongoing annual survey of international academic software engineering programs, as a joint ACM/IEEE-CS project. This status report covers: history, audience, initial survey, initial partial results available on the WWW, request for evaluation of WWW-site, request for additional questions for next version of survey, time-line for next version of the survey, “lessons learned,” and some future directions. The annual report and survey results will be posted on a wide variety of web pages. A more current report, based on the sabbatical of the first author, will be presented at the conference. The sabbatical involves the initial development of an “International Software Engineering University Consortium - ISEUC.” A sample scenario for an employee in industry who becomes a student in ISEUC is given.
Ultrasound in Sports Medicine

The applications of ultrasound in managing the clinical care of athletes have been expanding over the past decade. This review provides an analysis of the research that has been published regarding the use of ultrasound in athletes and focuses on how these emerging techniques can impact the clinical management of athletes by sports medicine physicians.
Between North and South: Delaware, Desegregation, and the Myth of American Sectionalism Brett Gadsden. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2013.

Between North and South: Delaware, Desegregation, and the Myth of American Sectionalism Brett Gadsden. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2013.Brett Gadsden's work is designed to challenge outmoded binaries. Most prominently, Gadsden challenges the sectional binary between North and South in the black freedom struggle. Indeed, massive resistance occurred in both the North and South in the aftermath of Brown v. Board of Education (1954). When the Milford Board of Education admitted a small cadre of black students to the local white high school, white citizens of Delaware actively resisted such attempts. In this respect, Gadsden's work affirms what Joseph Crespino and Matthew Lassiter refer to as "the myth of southern exceptionalism." Unfortunately -as this work argues well-southern resistance to civil rights advances beyond Jim Crow was not unique or exceptional to the region.Between North and South closely examines three under treated and interrelated concepts in civil rights historiography: "civil rights liberalism, geographic sectionalism and white reaction" (3). In the process, various binaries beyond sectionalism are challenged and unpacked with aplomb: "accommodation versus agitation, desegregation versus separatism, civil rights liberalism versus black power, and integration versus community control" (6). The dynamic, adaptive nature of desegregation efforts defy such generalized categories. Civil rights organizations-grassroots activists and national branches-saw the necessity of organizational flexibility. As the contours of white resistance changed, so too did the movement.Joining the chorus of researchers re-evaluating the role of liberalism in shaping white resistance and racial reform, Gadsden helps to re-write the role of liberalism in the struggle: "this volume figures liberals and members of the Democratic Party who had been historically aligned with civil rights goals more centrally in the conservative ascendency and white backlash politics" (16). Just as liberals played a role in the "get tough" movement, they served as more than a foil to the Jim Crow South. Probing the limits of liberal consensus, readers see how politicians were increasingly pulled in two directions: one in support of the continuous march towards human rights, the other to protect what suburbanites increasingly invoked as property rights.Intended to offer a window into broader political culture in the United States, Gadsden centers his study in Delaware. Aptly chosen to illustrate the artificial dichotomy of "sectional imaginarles," Delaware is represented as a border state-or as Chancellor of the University of Delaware explained, "a northern state with a southern exposure" (12, 8). …
An Archimedean Analogue of the Root Number

Fix an integer m>1 and let k be a number field embedded in ℂ containing the m-th roots of unity. Let X be a smooth, projective, geometrical1y connected curve over k such that Aut(X/k) contains a cyclic subgroup G of order m. The symbols m, k, X and G have this fixed meaning throughout the talk.
Dynamical response theory for driven-dissipative quantum systems

We discuss dynamical response theory of driven-dissipative quantum systems described by Markovian master equations generating semigroups of maps. In this setting thermal equilibrium states are replaced by nonequilibrium steady states, and dissipative perturbations are considered in addition to the Hamiltonian ones. We derive explicit expressions for the linear dynamical response functions for generalized dephasing channels and for Davies thermalizing generators. We introduce the notion of maximal harmonic response and compute it exactly for a single-qubit channel. Finally, we analyze linear response near dynamical phase transitions in quasifree open quantum systems. It is found that the effect of the dynamical phase transition shows up in a peak at the edge of the spectrum in the imaginary part of the dynamical response function.
Left/Right Symbolism and the Body in Ancient Maya Iconography and Culture

Throughout Maya history the left and right sides of the human body, left/right spatial orientation, and handedness have had important cultural and symbolic meanings. This essay examines left/right symbolism in relation to the body, which is generally overlooked in studies of archaeological societies and material culture, and discusses how it relates to ancient Maya ideology and behavior. New information from Classic Maya iconography, plus corroborative information from Maya ethnography and cross-cultural investigations, support the proposition that left/right symbolic differences and hierarchies were present in ancient Maya society. For the Classic Maya, as with contemporary Maya peoples, the right hand or side of the body often signified “pure, powerful, or superordinate,” and the left frequently symbolized “weaker, lame, or subordinate” in particular cultural contexts. Hence, in Classic Maya imagery, kings face to their right and use their right hands, while subordinates are oriented to their left and frequently use their left hands. Following comparative anthropological analyses, consideration of handedness and human body symmetry help explain the left/right dichotomy and the apparent primacy of the right in Classic Maya spatial reference, social order, and worldview. The findings of this study have important implications for the examination of left/right symbolism in material culture, images of the body, and ideology in other societies.
Behavioral and neural mechanisms underlying cognitive vulnerability models of depression.

Major depressive disorder significantly impacts the developmental trajectory of youth as well as adults, and cognitive vulnerability models of depression have contributed to our understanding of the onset, maintenance, and recurrence of depression. To date, the bulk of research has focused on three prominent theories: (a) Beck’s cognitive model of depression, (b) hopelessness theory of depression, and (c) response styles theory. Although these etiological models have provided a wealth of information about how and why depression arises, less is known about the behavioral and neurobiological mechanisms that underlie these cognitive vulnerability factors. The article provides an overview of neural correlates for critical, but selective, cognitive vulnerability factors implicated in depression in youth and adults. Moreover, recommendations are provided for future research as it relates to etiology and treatment.
Legacy of a Humanist Sociologist The Work of Ray P. Cuzzort

Ray P. Cuzzort (1926–1999) was a well-known and highly regarded member of the Association of Humanist Sociology during his career. His book, Using Social Thought: The Nuclear Issue and Other Concer...
Groups of Extensions and Cotorsion Groups

The extension problem for abelian groups (as a special case of the general group-theoretical question formulated by O. Schreier) consists in constructing a group from a normal subgroup and the corresponding factor group. The classical way of discussing extensions is via factor sets which we follow in our presentation (simplified for the abelian case). Then we introduce Baer’s group Ext, an extremely important device, and discuss its fundamental properties. The intimate relationship between Hom and Ext has been pointed out by Eilenberg–MacLane [1]; this led to the interpretation of Ext as a derived functor of Hom and has been exploited extensively in Homological Algebra. Another important functor is Pext, the group of pure extensions, which appears unexpectedly as the first Ulm subgroup of Ext.
Optimization study on dilute sulphuric acid pretreatment of corn straw

Optimization on dilute sulphuric acid pretreatment of corn straw was studied in this paper.On the basis of assay of five pretreatment factors including pretreatment temperature,time,concentration of dilute,ratio of solid to liquid and crushing mesh number,Box-Behnken design and response surface analysis were used to obtain the optimal parameters,which is 120 ℃,75 min,1.0% sulphuric acid,ratio of solid to liquid(1∶15) and 40 meshes of smashed corn straw.The pentose yield was 64.37% under the optimal conditions,which agreed with the predicted values of 65.018% by quadratic regression equation model.It showed that the response surface methodology was feasible for optimizing pretreatment condition of dilute sulphuric acid.
MEASURING EFFECTS WITHOUT RANDOMIZED TRIALS ? OPTIONS, PROBLEMS, CHALLENGES

The idea of using information routinely generated in the course of health care delivery for assessing the relative efficacy of alternative therapies has an undeniable attraction. If feasible, it would enable the difficulties of running a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to be bypassed. But grave obstacles, both practical and theoretical, beset the effort. If, nonetheless, the data base approach is chosen, certain suggestions may be helpful. First, make sure that necessity actually prevents using an RCT. Reconsider that question. Special attention is due to two variants of the usual RCT: the "firms" approach and the large simple trial. If, after reconsideration, a data base approach still is chosen, then let the undertaking be carefully planned, with participation from those who will produce the data and also from future users of the results. Let the planning result in a protocol, and in provisions for a quality assurance program. Finally, it is time to respond to a challenge left us by David Byar: arrange to record why the patient is being given the therapy selected. This information should be a powerful adjustment variable; arranging to collect it will call for imaginative thinking, experimentation, and patience, but it is an idea deserving much effort.
The Rise and Fall of Protestantism in Ireland, 1534–1603

The sixteenth century in Ireland witnessed great turmoil and uncertainty. Throughout the century English monarchs sought to increase control over their Irish colonies, and in the process exported to Ireland many of the same problems that existed in Tudor England — problems of constitutionalism, of the relationship between the crown and local government, and above all, the problem of religious conformity.1 Just as the changing religious climate brought about by the turbulence of the Tudor succession affected political alignments in England, so also was the case in Ireland.2 Issues of political, cultural, social, and religious identity became increasingly confused, as elements from each area became entangled in a great morass of shifting definitions. Did being English necessarily mean being Protestant? Was there a difference between those who spoke Gaelic in the towns as opposed to those in the rural hinterlands? Was someone who spoke English but who was born in Ireland more politically suspect than a transplanted settler who was born in England? It would take over a century before popular rhetoric had produced some sort of consensus on these questions. During the sixteenth century, however, both government policy and popular attitudes appear confused, inconsistent, and subject to extreme variation in interpretation. To simplify discussion, the terms that would come to be used in the seventeenth century will be used here: ‘Old Irish’ or ‘Gaelic-Irish;’ ‘Old English;’ and ‘New English.’ It must be noted, though, that these specific terms were not used in any systematic sense during the sixteenth century.3
Professorship at Amsterdam

Van der Waerden finally gets a full professorship in Holland, but right in his inaugural lecture announces his resignation.
Radial Variation in the Stellar Mass Functions of Star Clusters

A number of recent observational studies of Galactic globular clusters have measured the variation in the slope of a cluster's stellar mass function $\alpha$ with clustercentric distance $r$. In order to gather a deeper understanding of the information contained in such observations, we have explored the evolution of $\alpha(r)$ for star clusters with a variety of initial conditions using a large suite of $N$-body simulations. We have specifically studied how the time evolution of $\alpha(r)$ is affected by initial size, mass, binary fraction, primordial mass segregation, black hole retention, an external tidal field, and the initial mass function itself. Previous studies have shown that the evolution of $\alpha_G$ is closely related to the amount of mass loss suffered by a cluster. Hence for each simulation we have also followed the evolution of the slope of the cluster's global stellar mass function, $\alpha_G$, and have shown that clusters follow a well-defined track in the $\alpha_G$-$d\alpha(r)/d(ln(r/r_m))$ plane. The location of a cluster on the $\alpha_G-d\alpha(r)/d(ln(r/r_m))$ plane can therefore constrain its dynamical history and, in particular, constrain possible variations in the stellar initial mass function. The $\alpha_G$-$d\alpha(r)/d(ln(r/r_m))$ plane thus serves as a key tool for fully exploiting the information contained in wide field studies of cluster stellar mass functions.
The Destruction of Magdeburg in 1631: The Art of a Disastrous Victory

Around 8 a.m. on 20 May 1631, imperial troops breached the walls of Magdeburg. Taking this strategic city on the Elbe River was considered imperative for controlling northern Germany and blocking the advance of Swedish King Gustavus Adolphus and his Protestant allies. Whether intentional or accidental, fire spread uncontrolled across the city destroying 1,700 of 1,900 buildings. Some 20,000 defenders and civilians died. Eye-witnesses describe horrific incidents of plunder, murder and rape. This essay explores the role that broadsheets played in shaping public opinion. Texts and images publized the conquest as a great victory for General Jean Tserclaes, Count de Tilly, or, alternatively, as proof of Catholic and imperial barbarity. Tilly and his troops were demonized for violating the symbolic Maiden of Magdeburg in what became known as the darkest episode of the Thirty Years’ War.