cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Qualitative exploration of critical health literacy among Afghan and Congolese refugees resettled in the USA

Objectives:Previous research that revealed a high prevalence of low health literacy among immigrants and refugees tended to over emphasise functional health literacy as a risk factor for low health status and poor disease management. Despite a significant knowledge gap, little has been investigated regarding critical health literacy (CHL) in refugee populations whose culture deeply interweaves individual and contextual capacity to promote health.Design:This study adopted a qualitative approach to explore CHL that is built through community health workshops (CHWs) with Afghan and Congolese refugee communities in US resettlement.Setting:As part of a community-based participatory research project, the study was conducted with Afghan and Congolese refugees resettled in the USA.Method:A series of open-ended questions for focus group interviews were embedded in each workshop session explore health literacy skills and capacity over time. This study adopted a hybrid thematic design whereby the conceptual framewor...
Corneal thermal damage quantification from birefringence image analysis using morphological filtering

Decreased corneal collagen birefringence in transmission polarizing microscopy is an observable quantitative measure of degree of tissue damage. a damage assessment algorithm based on monochrome tissue images exhibiting decreased birefringence is presented, identifying image regions with designated damage values. Initially, several video frames of the microscopic tissue image are time-averaged to reduce additive noise components, and an additional multiplicative correction for optical nonuniformities is performed. Subsequently, linear scaling improves the low contrast of the birefringence image by increasing the image value set to the standard 8-bit range of integers in the interval. Finally, morphological erosion employing a 5 X 5 pixel template reduces impulsive bright tissue artifacts. Formal damage quantification consists of a 25 X 25 pixel template mean filtering of the image, followed by background subtraction and scaling. This produces the components required for the damage computation according to the volume fraction kinetic damage model. In this investigation, the corneal damage region resembles and edge. Therefore, standard edge detection algorithms applied to the eroded image are compared the damage region identified by this algorithm. This damage quantification algorithm provides significantly superior edge delineation relative to Roberts, Sobel, Frei-Chen, Laplacian of Gaussian, and Blur-Minimum and Erosion Residue morphological edge detection algorithms.
Left Ventricular Outflow Tract Obstruction

Left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO) accounts for 5–10% of all congenital heart defects. LVOTO occurs at the valvar (70%), subvalvar (14%), and supravalvar (8%) level, and several levels of obstruction often coexist (8%) [1]. Another type of muscular subaortic stenosis, present with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, is known as hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy. LVOTO may be further compounded by other left-sided anomalies (small left atrium, abnormal mitral valve, small left ventricle, aortic coarctation, or interrupted aortic arch) [1–4]. An often-seen complex of LVOTOs is the Shone’s complex, a combination of a parachute mitral valve, supra-annular mitral ring, subaortic stenosis, and coarctation of the aorta [5]. Ventricular septal defects, abnormal attachments of the mitral or tricuspid valve apparatus, and pulmonary venous anomalies may also coexist with LVOTO. Critical LVOTO presents as shock in the early neonatal period. Less severe defects may become clinically significant later in childhood or remain silent into adulthood [6].
Recent Algorithms for Two Versions of Graph Realization and Remarks on Applications to Linear Programming

The matroid- and binary-graph-realization problems are compared, a well-known application to linear programming is discussed, and several concrete algorithms are described, including one of Seymour, one due to the author and a third due to the author and D. Wagner.
Incidence rates of brain cancer following an outbreak of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Previous studies utilizing data from the Nevada Cancer Registry suggested a transient increase in non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) and brain cancer in northern Nevada following an outbreak of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) in that area which was not seen in southern Nevada which had no reported CFS outbreaks. A subsequent study from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) using data from the NCI’s Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program and Medicare documented the association between CFS and NHL on a national basis but no other cancer association was seen. Since brain cancer has a younger age distribution than NHL, we returned to the Nevada Cancer Registry and used ten more years of data and additional analyses to determine if there was an association between CFS and brain cancer by age. This study confirmed the increased incidence of brain cancer following the outbreak in northern Nevada but not southern Nevada with the increase limited to the under 65 age group, thus explaining why the SEER-Medicare analysis only analyzing data in the 65 and above age group did not detect this association.
Pessimism of the will, optimism of the intellect: endings and beginnings

ABSTRACTThis essay argues for the need for an ‘optimism of the intellect’ – in the form of the need for cultural studies – in the face of a growing ‘pessimism of the will.’ It illustrates the value of cultural studies by considering three contemporary problematics: post-truth, polarization and consent.
Modeling Oscillations in TWTs by Using the Tesla-Family of 2D Large-Signal Codes

As a rule, codes that operate in the time domain, such as Particle in Cell (PIC) codes, are a more natural choice as a tool to explore the stability of beam-driven devices. However, the extensive computer resources required for PIC simulation as compared with those needed for hybrid codes such as TESLA1, motivate the development presented here. We report recent advances in the development of the TESLAfamily of 2D large-signal codes (such as TESLA-FW2 or TESLA-Z3, for example), with a focus on algorithms to model self-oscillations in TWT amplifiers. The TESLA codes operate essentially in the frequency domain, making it a challenge to find unstable modes without prior knowledge of their frequency.
Distinguishing Core from Peripheral Psychiatric Symptoms: Addictive and Problematic Internet Gaming in North America, Europe, and China

We explore the problem of distinguishing the relatively constant versus culturally variable dimensions of mental suffering and disorder in the context of a cross-cultural study of Internet gaming-related distress. We extend the conceptual contrast of “core” and “peripheral” symptoms drawn from game studies and use a framework that synthesizes cultural and neurobiological understandings of emotional distress. In our framework, “core” symptoms are relatively constant across cultures and therefore presumed to be more closely tied to a neurobiological base. By contrast, we treat as “peripheral” symptoms those that are more culturally variable, and thus less directly tied to the neurobiology of addiction. We develop and illustrate this approach with a factor analysis of cross-cultural survey data, resting on previous ethnographic work, through which we compare online gaming distress experienced in North America (n = 2025), Europe (n = 1198), and China (n = 841). We identify the same four-factor structure across the three regions, with Addiction always the first and most important factor, though with variability in regional factors’ exact item composition. The study aims to advance an integrative biocultural approach to distinguishing universal as opposed to culturally contingent dimensions of human suffering, and to help resolve debates about whether problem gaming represents a form of addiction.
15 School Psychology

The early history of school psychology was linked to intelligence testing and identification of children with special education needs. Over the past two decades, the field has moved from a predominant focus on individual child testing and placement toward prevention and problem-solving, consultation within schools. Recent reform initiatives and legislative changes have created both challenges and opportunities for school psychology to move beyond a traditional testing role. The education of today's school psychologists prepares them to provide a range of intervention, prevention, health promotion, and program development and evaluation services. The emphasis in contemporary school psychology has shifted from the diagnosis of children who are referred for learning or behavior problems to prevention of school failure and promotion of academic success. This chapter traces the historical development and describes the current status of school psychology, highlighting legislative, policy, and professional initiatives that have contributed to the evolution of the field. Keywords: school psychology; NASP; Lightner Witmer; scientist-practitioner; IDEA
DNA/Protein Interactions in Mammalian Differentiation

Summary Chromatin (chromosomal nucleoprotein) from mammalian cells is an effective template for synthesis of RNA by bacterial RNA polymerase but is less efficient than an equivalent amount of DNA. When tested by RNA-DNA hybridization it is found that this RNA is copied from a restricted set of all the transcribable sequences in DNA. Chromatin from a given organ gives rise to a characteristic RNA which is similar to natural RNA from that organ but is different, quantitatively and qualitatively, from both natural RNA and RNA transcribed from chromatin from different organs. Hence, organ-specific masking of DNA occurs in vitro and is preserved in isolated chromatin. For a given normal tissue the findings are highly reproducible among different animals of the same species. However, when cell division is induced in an organ, DNA synthesis is preceded by an increase in RNA synthesis. This is associated with a marked but rather transient change in the types of RNA in the nucleus. This, in turn, is preceded by a transient, corresponding change in DNA masking in chromatin. In mouse kidneys, stimulated to proliferate by folic acid injection, the change in DNA masking is apparent within an hour. The major components of chromatin, DNA, histones and non-histone proteins, can be isolated; they can also be caused to recombine in such a way as to give accurately reconstructed material. This has the same physical, ultrastructural and template properties as the chromatin from which the components were derived. Experiments using this system indicate that histones non-specifically mask DNA; the unmasking property appears to reside in the non-histone fraction.
Concentration inequalities and performance guarantees for hypocoercive MCMC samplers

In this paper we provide performance guarantees for hypocoercive non-reversible MCMC samplers $X_t$ with invariant measure $\mu^*$ and our results apply in particular to the Langevin equation, Hamiltonian Monte-Carlo, and the bouncy particle and zig-zag samplers. Specifically, we establish a concentration inequality of Bernstein type for ergodic averages $\frac{1}{T} \int_0^T f(X_t)\, dt$. As a consequence we provide performance guarantees: (a) explicit non-asymptotic confidence intervals for $\int f d\mu^*$ when using a finite time ergodic average with given initial condition $\mu$ and (b) uncertainty quantification bounds, expressed in terms of relative entropy rate, on the bias of $\int f d\mu^*$ when using an alternative or approximate processes $\widetilde{X}_t$. (Results in (b) generalize recent results (arXiv:1812.05174) from the authors for coercive dynamics.) The concentration inequality is proved by combining the approach via Feynmann-Kac semigroups first noted by Wu with the hypocoercive estimates of Dolbeault, Mouhot and Schmeiser (arXiv:1005.1495) developed for the Langevin equation and recently generalized to partially deterministic Markov processes by Andrieu et al. (arXiv:1808.08592)
Child and Adolescent Medicine

A cultural shift toward visibility of LGBTQ people combined with technological connectedness has ensured that today’s children are exposed to a more diverse array of concepts regarding sexual identity than previous generations were. Consequently, children and adolescents are exploring ideas relating to sexual identity at earlier ages and with greater depth than before, and LGBTQ youth are coming out at earlier ages and defining more nuanced self-concepts of sexual identity than ever before (including using a more diverse set of identifiers than L-G-B-T). This chapter discusses psychosocial development of LGBTQ youth including best practices for care; sexual anatomy, gender identity and expression, and differences of sex development across development; and psychosocial vulnerabilities and resilience in LGBTQ youth.
Disgust regulation between menstrual cycle phases: Differential effects of emotional suppression and reappraisal

Abstract Background and objective Immunosuppression is characteristic of the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle and is accompanied by an adaptive disgust response to reduce contact with pathogens. However, research has not examined the effects of emotion regulation on disgust during the menstrual cycle. Accordingly, the present study examines the effect of suppression and reappraisal on disgust during the luteal and follicular phases of the menstrual cycle. Method Menstrual cycle phase was estimated in a sample of naturally cycling women (n = 73), and those in the follicular or luteal phase were assigned to suppress or reappraise disgust while watching a disgust-inducing video. Physiological arousal during the video and avoidance of disgust cues in a public restroom after the video were also assessed. Results No differences were observed in self-reported disgust to the video between those who suppressed and those who reappraised in the luteal phase. However, women in the follicular phase who suppressed reported less disgust than those who reappraised. The emotion regulation strategies did not influence physiology during the video or avoidance after the video as a function of menstrual cycle phase. Limitations Hormone assay data was not collected to confirm menstrual cycle phase and a relatively small sample of naturally cycling women was used. Conclusions Suppression may be a more effective strategy than reappraisal for reducing verbal disgust in the follicular phase but not in the luteal phase. The implications of these findings for the treatment of disgust-based disorders among women are discussed.
Vitamin D in chronic kidney disease: is there a role outside of PTH control?

Purpose of review Vitamin D deficiency is common in patients with kidney disease and many patients receive vitamin D supplementation. Several large, well-designed clinical trials have been published in the last few years evaluating the effects of vitamin D supplementation on important outcomes for patients with kidney disease including effects on cardiovascular disease, secondary hyperparathyroidism, and kidney disease progression. Recent findings Several negative trials have been published showing no effect of cholecalciferol supplementation on cardiovascular events, kidney disease progression, and albuminuria. Long-term supplementation does not appear to be associated with kidney stone disease. Vitamin D supplementation decreases parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels and high levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D may be required for maximal suppression. Summary There appear to be no effects of vitamin D supplementation on noncalcemic outcomes including progression of kidney disease, albuminuria, or cardiovascular disease. The primary reason to use vitamin D in kidney disease remains to lower PTH levels.
Puncture of prolapsed ureterocele at bedside without anesthesia or sedation.

Summary We describe a fast and easy puncture technique of prolapsed ureteroceles at the bedside without anesthesia or sedation.
Immune-related adverse events on body CT in patients with small-cell lung cancer treated with immune-checkpoint inhibitors.

Abstract Purpose Investigate the incidence and imaging characteristics of radiologically-evident immune-related adverse events (irAEs) on body CT in patients with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) treated with immune-checkpoint inhibitors. Methods The study included 53 patients with relapsed/refractory SCLC (27 men, 26 women) treated with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors alone or in combination with CTLA-4 inhibition, who had baseline and at least one follow-up body CT during therapy. Body CT scans were reviewed to detect and characterize organ-specific irAEs including thyroiditis, pneumonitis, hepatitis, pancreatitis, enteritis, and colitis. Results Nineteen patients (36 %) developed radiologically-evident irAEs. The median time from therapy initiation to irAE onset was 7.1 weeks. Pneumonitis and colitis were most common, noted in 9 patients (17 %) each. Seven colitis cases demonstrated pancolitis, and two cases showed segmental colitis associated with diverticulosis. The common radiographic patterns of pneumonitis were acute interstitial pneumonia (AIP)/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) pattern (n = 4) and cryptogenic organizing pneumonia (COP) pattern (n = 3). Other irAEs included thyroiditis (n = 3), enteritis (n = 2), hepatitis (n = 1), and pancreatitis (n = 1). Older age (p = 0.03) and prior radiotherapy to any organ (p = 0.03) was associated with overall irAEs. Prior chest radiotherapy was significantly associated with pneumonitis or thyroiditis (p = 0.0004). Conclusion Radiologically-evident irAEs were noted on body CT in 36 % of patients with SCLC treated with immune-checkpoint inhibitors. Colitis and pneumonitis were most common. Prior chest radiotherapy was a predictor of the development of both pneumonitis and thyroiditis. Awareness of risk factors and CT findings of irAEs is important for early detection and accurate diagnosis of potentially serious immunotherapy toxicities.
Information avoidance behavior: Does ignorance keep us uninformed about antimicrobial resistance?

Abstract We examine the role of subjective and objective knowledge of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and antibiotic use in livestock production on information avoidance behavior. The study also assesses the effects of AMR information on perceptions of AMR. Survey data were collected from 1,030 individuals in the U.S. to evaluate knowledge and perceptions of AMR. Participants also made a choice to access or avoid AMR information in the form of an animated video produced for a lay audience. Results show that 39 percent of participants avoided AMR information and those with little or no subjective or objective knowledge of AMR were more likely to avoid information than more knowledgeable individuals. Among participants who chose to access AMR information, the perceived importance of AMR increased the most for those with little or no subjective knowledge of AMR, raising important questions about how to encourage willfully uninformed individuals to access information about critical issues.
Sensitivity to targeted therapy differs between HER2-amplified breast cancer cells harboring kinase and helical domain mutations in PIK3CA.

Background HER2-amplified breast cancer is a clinically defined subtype of breast cancer for which there are multiple viable targeted therapies. Resistance to these targeted therapies is a common problem, but the mechanisms by which resistance occurs remain incompletely defined. One mechanism that has been proposed is through mutation of genes in the PI3-kinase pathway. Intracellular signaling from the HER2 pathway can occur through PI3-kinase, and mutations of the encoding gene PIK3CA are known to be oncogenic. Mutations in PIK3CA co-occur with HER2-amplification in ~ 20% of cases within the HER2-amplified subtype. Methods We generated isogenic knockin mutants of each PIK3CA hotspot mutation in HER2-amplified breast cancer cells using adeno-associated virus-mediated gene targeting. Isogenic clones were analyzed using a combinatorial drug screen to determine differential responses to HER2-targeted therapy. Western blot analysis and immunofluorescence uncovered unique intracellular signaling dynamics in cells resistant to HER2-targeted therapy. Subsequent combinatorial drug screens were used to explore neuregulin-1-mediated resistance to HER2-targeted therapy. Finally, results from in vitro experiments were extrapolated to publicly available datasets. Results Treatment with HER2-targeted therapy reveals that mutations in the kinase domain (H1047R) but not the helical domain (E545K) increase resistance to lapatinib. Mechanistically, sustained AKT signaling drives lapatinib resistance in cells with the kinase domain mutation, as demonstrated by staining for the intracellular product of PI3-kinase, PIP3. This resistance can be overcome by co-treatment with an inhibitor to the downstream kinase AKT. Additionally, knockout of the PIP3 phosphatase, PTEN, phenocopies this result. We also show that neuregulin-1, a ligand for HER-family receptors, confers resistance to cells harboring either hotspot mutation and modulates response to combinatorial therapy. Finally, we show clinical evidence that the hotspot mutations have distinct expression profiles related to therapeutic resistance through analysis of TCGA and METABRIC data cohorts. Conclusion Our results demonstrate unique intracellular signaling differences depending on which mutation in PIK3CA the cell harbors. Only mutations in the kinase domain fully activate the PI3-kinase signaling pathway and maintain downstream signaling in the presence of HER2 inhibition. Moreover, we show there is potentially clinical importance in understanding both the PIK3CA mutational status and levels of neuregulin-1 expression in patients with HER2-amplified breast cancer treated with targeted therapy and that these problems warrant further pre-clinical and clinical testing.
An unavoidable convenience: How post-millennials engage with the news that finds them on social and mobile media:

The growing reliance on social media via mobile devices is changing how individuals obtain, engage with, and learn from news content. Based on the cognitive mediation model of learning from the new...
Family and housing instability: Longitudinal impact on adolescent emotional and behavioral well-being

This study investigated the longitudinal effects of family structure changes and housing instability in adolescence on functioning in the transition to adulthood. A model examined the influence of household composition changes and mobility in context of ethnic differences and sociodemographic risks. Data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health measured household and residential changes over a 12-month period among a nationally representative sample of adolescents. Assessments in young adulthood measured rates of depression, criminal activity, and smoking. Findings suggested housing mobility in adolescence predicted poorer functioning across outcomes in young adulthood, and youth living in multigenerational homes exhibited greater likelihood to be arrested than adolescents in single-generation homes. However, neither family structure changes nor its interaction with residential instability or ethnicity related to young adult outcomes. Findings emphasized the unique influence of housing mobility in the context of dynamic household compositions.
Five Common Mistakes Made by New Child Welfare Lawyers - And How to Avoid Them

By keeping a few rules of thumb in mind, new attorneys can set themselves up for a creative, proactive, and skilled child welfare litigation practice in which ongoing learning and controlled risk-taking can form the centerpiece of a very rewarding career. As a clinical professor of Child Advocacy, I’ve had the pleasure of introducing many years’ worth of law students to the thrill and responsibility of their first real lawyering jobs. I have also had the opportunity to observe the most commonly repeated mistakes made by these soon-to-be new lawyers. This paper presents a description of some of those mistakes, together with some advice on how to avoid them.
Electromagnetic Band Gap Structures in Antenna Engineering

Preface 1. Introduction 2. FDTD Method for periodic structure analysis 3. EBG Characterizations and classifications 4. Design and optimizations of EBG structures 5. Patch antennas with EBG structures 6. Low profile wire antennas on EBG surfaces 7. Surface wave antennas Appendix: EBG literature review.
Plaut-Vincent's infection of the vagina

Abstract 1. 1. A case of vaginitis due to infection with the fusiform bacillus and spirilli organisms is reported. 2. 2. It is of some interest that in the majority of the cases reported, other parts of the body, usually the mouth, were also infected with the Plaut-Vincent's organisms.
Elimination of cross-components of the discrete pseudo Wigner distribution via image processing

The authors introduce an autocomponent selection (ACS) algorithm to remove the cross-components produced by the discrete pseudo-Wigner distribution (DPWD). The ACS treats the DPWD as an image with polarity. This image is processed with an averaging filter to eliminate negative values. The result is then compared with a preprocessed DPWD to classify each image pixel. This approach yields a subset of the DPWD free of redundancies. Unlike traditional smoothing technique, this algorithm does not reduce the time-frequency resolution. >
ykcowrebbaJ - Alice in the Hands of Her Translators: Emer O'Sullivan Looks at the German Alice Tradition

Anyone who takes Anglo-German children's book relations seriously finds themselves standing before the curious history of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland as it has been interpreted in Germany. In her latest scholarly book in German, entitled Kinderliterarische Komparatistik (English roughly: Comparative Children's Literature Studies ), Emer O'Sullivan traces the varied approaches over the last century to this peculiar piece de resistance.
Incidence of potentially human papillomavirus–related neoplasms in the United States, 1978 to 2007

BACKGROUND Population-based studies comprehensively describing incidence patterns of human papillomavirus (HPV)-related preinvasive and invasive neoplasms prior to widespread HPV vaccination are sparse. METHODS Age-adjusted incidence rates (IRs), IR ratios (IRRs), and annual percent changes (APCs) in IRs were calculated for potentially HPV-related tumors diagnosed in the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program during 1978 through 2007. RESULTS Overall IRs for preinvasive tumors were significantly higher than for invasive squamous cell tumors of cervix (IRR = 3.42), vulva (IRR = 1.87), and vagina (IRR = 1.19) and significantly lower for adenomatous cervical tumors (IRR = 0.43), and squamous cell tumors of penis (IRR = 0.64), anus (males, IRR = 0.53; females, IRR = 0.14), and head and neck (HN females, IRR = 0.02). Incidence of preinvasive squamous tumors of cervix, vagina, and penis rose rapidly over time and decreased for invasive neoplasms. The most rapid increases occurred for preinvasive (males, APC = 16.0; females, APC = 7.3) and invasive anal tumors (males, APC = 3.6; females, APC = 2.3). IR patterns were generally similar among evaluable racial/ethnic groups, with the exception of H&N invasive tumor IRs which increased exclusively among white males. CONCLUSIONS Contrary to the opposing trends of preinvasive and invasive squamous tumors of cervix, vagina, and penis, preinvasive and invasive anal tumor IRs increased significantly over time by sex, age, and racial/ethnic groups. Successful HPV vaccination programs are needed to measurably reduce incidence of HPV-related neoplasms in the future, particularly for cancer sites with rising incidence rates for which effective screening modalities are limited. Cancer 2013;119:2291–2299. © 2013 American Cancer Society.
Regulation of the in vitro anamnestic antibody response by cyclic AMP. IV. Evidence for participation of prostaglandins of the E series in the early events.

Abstract The addition of KLH to KLH-primed rabbit lymph node cell cultures induced an anamnestic antibody response. The further addition of prostaglandins of the E series, but not PGF1 α , enhanced this antibody response manifold. The addition to these cultures of prostaglandin synthetase inhibitors together with KLH inhibited antibody production. At the concentration (10 −4 ) required to inhibit antibody synthesis, by a variety of criteria one of these inhibitors, indomethacin, was shown not to exert its effects through cytotoxicity. By contrast, two other inhibitors of prostaglandin synthesis, Ro-20-5720 and Ro-3-1314, inhibited antibody synthesis because of their cytotoxicity. The inhibition of the antibody response by indomethacin did not occur when PGE1 or PGE2 was added concurrently to these cultures, clearly showing that inhibition was due to a deficiency of prostaglandins. These findings strongly suggest that induction and/or regulation of the in vitro anamnestic antibody response of KLH-primed lymph node cells to 1 and 100 μg KLH requires continued prostaglandin synthesis. Potential mechanisms for the regulation of the antibody response by prostaglandins are discussed.
Using Affective Attitudes to Identify Christian Fundamentalism: The Ten Commandments Judge and Alabama Politics

This article develops a new and useful indicator to aid in identifying Christian fundamentalism. “Affect” measures individuals' affective attitudes toward the role of Christian fundamentalists in Alabama politics. We demonstrate the analytic utility of this indicator by quantitatively comparing it to other more traditional and direct measures of fundamentalism, such as belief in the Bible as the literal word of God, self-identification as a fundamentalist, and whether one considers oneself to be “born again.” We then compare the utility of these different measures of Christian fundamentalism in explaining electoral support for the archetype Christian fundamentalist political candidate, the “Ten Commandments Judge” Roy Moore, former chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. We find that our affect indicator compares well to other measures of fundamentalism and actually outperforms all of the more traditional measures in explaining support for Moore. Data used in the analysis come from a public opinion poll conducted by the USA Polling Group in April 2006. Este articulo desarrolla un nuevo y util indicador para ayudar a identificar el fundamentalismo cristiano. “Afecto” mide las actitudes afectivas de los individuos hacia el rol de los cristianos fundamentalistas en la politica de Alabama. Demostramos la utilidad analitica de este indicador al compararlo cuantitativamente con otras medidas mas tradicionales y directas del fundamentalismo, tales como la creencia de la Biblia como la palabra literal de Dios, auto-identificacion como fundamentalista, y si uno se considera a uno mismo “nacido de nuevo.” Despues comparamos la utilidad de estas diferentes medidas del fundamentalismo cristiano para explicar el apoyo electoral al candidato politico cristiano fundamentalista arquetipico: Roy Moore, “Juez de los Diez Mandamientos,” ex-presidente del tribunal de la Corte Suprema de Alabama. Encontramos que nuestro indicador Afecto se equipara con otras medidas del fundamentalismo y en realidad supera a todas las mas tradicionales mediciones que explican el apoyo a Moore. La informacion utilizada en el analisis proviene de una encuesta de opinion publica realizada por el USA Polling Group en Abril del 2006.
Modeling and Forecasting the Realized Volatility of US Dollar/Canadian Dollar Using High Frequency Data

This paper first examines the properties of the realized volatilities of US Dollar/Canadian Dollar spot exchange rate covering a time span of about three years and then the deseasonalized volatilities are estimated and forecasted using a fractionally-integrated model. The key feature of the realized volatilities is that they are model-free and also approximately measurement-error-free. More strikingly, the distribution of logarithmic realized volatilizes is approximately Gaussian. Our observations in this paper are consistent with previous studies. Usually a U-shaped pattern of the intraday volatilities should be observed due to opening-closure effects in the global market. We do not see a typical U-shaped pattern in the intraday volatilities for US Dollar/Canadian Dollar. The reasons are given in this paper. Because the intraday volatilities generated using the high frequency data shows this kind of intraday seasonality, we do a seasonal adjustment before estimation. After seasonal adjustment, we use ARFIMAX model to estimate and forecast the deseasonalized volatilities and the results are promising. And the future research will focus mainly on designing a ready-to-use automatic trading model based on the predicted volatilities in this paper.
LOOKING TO CHARLES TAYLOR AND JOSEPH ROUSE FOR BEST PRACTICES IN SCIENCE AND RELIGION

. People discussing science and religion usually frame their conversations in terms of essentialist assumptions about science, assumptions requiring the existence (but not the specification) of criteria according to which science can be distinguished from other forms of inquiry. However, criteria functioning at a level of generality appropriate to such discussions may not exist at all. Essentialist assumptions may be avoided if science is understood within a broader context of human practices. In a philosophy of practices, to label a practice as “scientific” is to make a practically motivated provision for a way of speaking. Charles Taylor and Joseph Rouse have produced complementary philosophies of practice that promote this kind of understanding. In this essay I review the work of Taylor and Rouse, identify apparent residues of essentialism that each seems to harbor, and offer a resolution to some of their disagreements. I also criticize a form of essentialism commonly employed in Christian circles and outline an anti-essentialist view of science that may be helpful in science-and-religion discussions.
Observable differences among prime, variable, and absorption costing firms

Abstract How does a firm decide whether to be an absorption coster, variable coster, or prime coster? Although accountants have been unable to collectively resolve the variable-absorption costing debate that has been going on in the accounting literature for years, individual firms do resolve the issue. This study starts from the premise that similarities should exist within a group of firms choosing to produce the same cost data. After determining that one can categorize firms as prime costers, variable costers, or absorption costers, the researcher compares prime costers, variable costers, and absorption costers on four groups of characteristics that have been suggested in the accounting literature as possible guides to the firm's costing method. Of the four, cost structure tends to distinguish between different method choices. Variables that result in different costing methods producing net income figures, industry membership, and the importance of various uses within the firm are less useful in predicting whether a firm is a prime, variable, or absorption coster.
Micromechanics applications in data storage

High rate of areal density growth rate enables the reduction in cost per MB and increasing demand for data storage. Micromechanics is soon likely to be needed to accommodate the increased mechanical position precision needed for reading and writing data. Two examples will be described. A microactuator can be used as the fine actuator of a two-stage actuator servo system for very high bandwidth magnetic head slider positioning. This device is batch-fabricated metal structure using high-aspect-ratio lithography and stencil plating. The fabrication process and characteristics will be described. As a second example, micromachined atomic force microscope (AFM) probes are used to generate and detect fine pits on the surface of a polymer disk. An areal density of 25 Gb/in2 is achieved with a data reading rate of above 1 Mb/s. A very low mass (0.3 ng) silicon nitride AFM probe has been used in this study, and the fabrication and performance are described.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
High-speed, direct-reading glossmeter

A high-speed, direct reading glossmeter which measures specular reflectance at 20°, 60°, and 85° angles has been developed. This instrument employs a direct parallel beam at each viewing angle, and utilizes an efficient optical system and compensated barrier cell circuits to activate a stable positioning servomechanism. The barrier cell circuitry combined with adjustable receptor apertures provide good linearity. Gloss values in ASTM units are read directly from the counter dial to the nearest 0.1 unit. Experience with glass, ceramic, and organic polymer films on flat surfaces has shown that repetitive measurements can be made five times faster and with greater reproducibility than with commercially available instruments. The eighteen instruments in current use demonstrate its suitability as both a laboratory and production control instrument.
Muon spin relaxation studies in organic superconductors and organic magnets

Abstract Muon spin relaxation (μSR) measurements of the magnetic field penetration depth λ in (BEDT-TTF) 2 -X, alkali-doped fullerenes, and (TMTSF) 2 ClO 4 have shown that these organic superconductors are characterized by large ratios of T c / T F = 0.01 ∼ 0.1, where T F represents an effective Fermi energy for the low-energy response of the superconducting carriers. Zero-field μSR studies of the spin density waves (SDW) in (TMTSF) 2 -X revealed a very sharp change of the order parameter near T N with a common SDW amplitude for X = PF 6 , NO 3 and ClO 4 . We also present the temperature dependence of the spontaneous magnetic field in an organic ferromagnet β phase p-NPNN.
A comparison of hyphal growth of Candida albicans in six liquid media

Six liquid media were compared for their ability to promote hyphal growth of Candida albicans. The two clinical isolates used in this study reacted similarly. The proportion of hyphal growth and the time at which hyphal development reached a peak varied in the media tested. All media produced secondary growth characteristics of lateral budding after peak hyphal development. The Lee-Buckley-Campbell (LBC) synthetic medium induced the highest proportion of filaments; which were also longer than in the other media tested.
Origin of Manganese-Rich Layers in Arctic Sediments: ABSTRACT

A sediment core from the Wrangel abyssal plain (T3 69-12, lat. 80°21.9^primeN, long. 173°33^primeW, water depth: 2,867 m; core length: 374 cm) was analyzed for CaCo3, Mn, P2,O5, Al, Fe, and trace elements; in total, 15 samples from the interval 0-350 cm were used for these analyses. Three carbonate layers were found (5-16% CaCO3), interspaced by carbonate free strata (0-2% CaCO3), resembling lithologic variations described by Herman in other Arctic cores. The carbonate-free fractions of the carbonate layers show higher contents of Mn (0.4-0.9%) and P2O5 (0.215-0.237%) than the carbonate-poor layers in which the corresponding values range between 0.15-0.25% and 0.183-0.211%. The Al and Fe values show no major variations, ranging between 7.5-9.9 and 4.3-5.5%, End_Page 2471------------------------------ respectively, suggesting that most abiogenic constituents are terrigenous. The stratigraphy by Herman suggests that the CaCO3-Mn-P2O5-rich layers were deposited during glacial periods. Similar climatically related variations are described from the Caribbean by Wangersky and Hutchins, and by the writer. Analyses of pelagic sediments from the Coral Sea, the Black Sea, and western Pacific show that similar variations also occur in other oceanic regions; future dating of these cores will illuminate this problem further. The origin of these sediments is very poorly understood. A possible but unlikely explanation (proposed earlier by the writer) is that chemical weathering was more intense during glacial periods. It is characteristic, however, that all sediments with CaCO3-Mn-P2O5 covariations, with ut exception, are found in basins with restricted entrances, but nowhere in the major oceanic basins. During the glacial maxima, sea level was considerably lower than at present, enhancing the isolation of many of these basins. As a result, oxygen-poor bottom waters were more likely to develop, enhancing the migration of manganese upward as has been described from the East Pacific by Lynn and Bonatti. The Mn-rich layers in the sediments thus could be "fossil top sediments" enriched in manganese. This mechanism may not explain the enrichment in P2O5. However, in more poorly vented basins, labil layering and overturn of water masses are known to occur under certain circumstances. This could explain the covariation between CaCO3, Mn, and P2O5 /SUB> in many of these cores. End_of_Article - Last_Page 2472------------
Correspondence From Henry L. Gantt to an Old Friend Reveals New Information About Gantt

This article provides fresh insights into the life of Henry L. Gantt by examining the papers of Duncan C. Lyle (1847-1938), Gantt's confidant, friend, and former teacher at the McDonogh School in Maryland. Lyle's papers at the McDonogh School include previously unrecorded articles and personal letters of Gantt's along with articles about him. These materials reveal new information about Gantt during his collaboration with Frederick W. Taylor and during his later years when he acted independently. Of particular interest are items pertaining to Gantt's involvement with a group called The New Machine and the question of Gantt's sanity in his later years.
A Retrospective Evaluation of How Weight Change Varies with Gender and Living Situation in Elders with Documented Cognitive Impairment

Abstract A common concern for cognitively impaired elders is weight loss. Sixty-eight (20 men; 48 women) geriatric patients with documented cognitive impairment were retrospectively identified from a community-based geriatric assessment clinic. Subjects lived in situations that ranged from living alone to institutionalization. Inclusion of subjects was based on an initial Folstein score of less than 25. Memory test scores, level of depression and weight were recorded multiple times over a period of 6 to 30 months after initial assessment. Weight change was defined as the difference between the initial recorded weight and weight at last follow up. Adjusting for depression, men and women who lived in nursing homes gained the most weight (mean 3.5kg ± 4.7). Women living with a family member (other than a spouse) also appeared to gain weight (mean 2.1kg ± 6.2), whereas those individuals living with a spouse generally maintained weight status, with slight losses (mean −.86kg ± 4.8). Individuals living alone had slight, but the greatest, mean loss of weight (mean −1.3kg ± 4.7). Overall, women who lived with a family member (other than a spouse) or in an institution gained significantly more weight than those living alone or with a spouse ( p Although the progression of weight loss in the elderly is complex, it appears that spouse or filial caregiver nutrition education would be a first step toward reducing weight loss in cognitively impaired men living in the community. Nutrition education should include information on how to access nutrition respite services or meal programs, and provide strategies for the development of skills related to assisted feeding, easy meal preparation and/or encouragement of eating by family caregivers.
Structural Damage Detection using Best Approximated Dead Load Redistribution

Presented in this article is a novel damage detection method based on best approximation of dead load stress redistribution due to damage. It is a simple, economical, fast, and passive method that requires no artificial means of loading. The measurement is made of strain readings due to dead load at different stages of the structure during its life cycle. The approach is by finding a ‘null plane’, which is a unique identity of each structural member, such that the measurement is closest to its orthogonal projection on this null plane. The detection procedure resembles the process of finding the shortest distance from a point to a plane in elementary geometry. Both theoretical proof with a flexibility formulation and practical procedure with a stiffness formulation are given. The feasibility of the proposed method, together with the false positive test, are studied in a numerical example of a synthetic frame structure. Measurement noise influence is also conducted using perturbed strain measurement.
Site-specific inactivation of phosphatases by ferrate ion☆

Abstract Ferrate ion, FeO42−, an analog of orthophosphate ion, PO43−, has been found to be a potent inactivator of phosphatase. All phosphatases tested, including acid and alkaline nonspecific monoesterases as well as some specific monoesterases and a diesterase, were inactivated by treatment with ferrate. Inactivation, which occurs rapidly and irreversibly, can be demonstrated with concentrations of ferrate ion of 1 to 10 μ m . Protection against ferrate inactivation was afforded by phosphate and by specific competitive inhibitors. It is therefore postulated that ferrate ion interacts on a phosphate binding site in the inactivation of phosphatases. Phosphoglucomutase and alcohol dehydrogenase were inactivated by ferrate ion while several enzymes which do not utilize phosphate-containing substrates were unaffected.
Relative Humidity: Important Modifier of Pollutant Uptake by Plants

Laboratory measurements of foliar uptake of sulfur dioxide and ozone by red kidney beans demonstrated a strong effect of relative humidity on internal pollutant dose. Foliar uptake was enhanced two- to threefold for sulfur dioxide and three- to fourfold for ozone by an increase in relative humidity from 35 to 75 percent. For the same exposure concentration, vegetation growing in humid areas (such as the eastern United States) may experience a significantly greater internal flux of pollutants than that in more arid regions.