cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Factors associated with trauma symptoms among runaway/homeless adolescents

Runaway/homeless youth often suffer from exposure to chronic family distress and confront numerous traumatic events that may produce symptoms of PTSD. This study evaluated runaway/homeless youth's PTSD symptoms and associated factors. Data were collected at youth emergency shelters. Ninety-eight percent of participants had elevated PTSD symptom scores. Although use of inhalants and LSD was associated with PTSD symptoms, only depression, anxiety, and dissociation, mother's ecstasy or LSD use, youth's worry about family relationships, and poor family communication predicted higher PTSD scores. Runaway/homeless youth entering emergency shelters services must be evaluated concerning trauma and associated comorbid symptoms.
Antecedent and consequent conditions of student questioning: An analysis of classroom discourse across the university

This study examined the relation of student questions to teacher comments in college classrooms across the university, with the interact as the unit of analysis. Thirty classrooms were audiotaped and transcriptions analyzed. Our analysis produced six categories of student questions, with an average of 3.6 student questions asked per hour of instruction. Eight categories of antecedent teacher comments and seven categories of consequent teacher comments also emerged from the analysis. We discuss these results with regard to previous research and consider explanations and implications of the findings.
Investigation of the Photoconductive Effect in Lead Sulfide Films Using Hall and Resistivity Measurements

A long-standing question in the theory of photoconductivity in semiconductor films is whether the change in conductivity can be attributed completely to a change in carrier density, or whether current amplification occurs through modulation of barrier potentials. This question is studied in chemically deposited films of lead sulfide by measuring the fractional change in Hall coefficient, $\frac{\ensuremath{\Delta}{R}_{H}}{{R}_{H}}$, and the fractional change in resistivity, $\frac{\ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\rho}}{\ensuremath{\rho}}$, under illumination. The measurements were made over the temperature range -41\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C to +31\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C. It was found that $\frac{\ensuremath{\Delta}{R}_{H}}{{R}_{H}}=(\frac{\ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\rho}}{\ensuremath{\rho}})(1\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.06)$ in this temperature range. Expressed in terms of the Hall mobility, ${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{H}=\frac{{R}_{H}}{\ensuremath{\rho}}$, the result is that $\frac{\ensuremath{\Delta}{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{H}}{{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{H}}=0\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.06\frac{\ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\sigma}}{\ensuremath{\sigma}}$. A model of photoconductivity is considered, which assumes that the primary photoeffect is a change in the density of majority carriers in the PbS crystallites and that secondary barrier amplification effects can occur by trapping of minority carriers at the intercrystalline barriers. Application of our result, $\frac{\ensuremath{\Delta}{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{H}}{{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{H}}=0$, to this model leads to the conclusion that photoconductivity in chemically deposited lead sulfide films can be accounted for by changes in majority carrier concentration in the PbS crystallites; no barrier amplification occurs.
NF‐κB inhibitory activity of compounds isolated from Cantharellus cibarius

The inhibitory activities of the extracts of Cantharellus cibarius and isolated compounds were investigated in an enzyme-based ELISA NF-kappaB assay. Of the tested compounds, ergosterol, ergosterol peroxide and cerevisterol were noted to have the most potent inhibition of NF-kappaB activation. The ability of the active metabolites to inhibit the NF-kappaB translocation from the cytoplasm to the nucleus was assessed using a cell-based NF-kappaB assay. The isolated compounds were elucidated through the analysis of various spectroscopic methods.
Correlation of complications of body contouring surgery with increasing body mass index.

Background There have been conflicting reports regarding the incidence of postoperative complications in body contouring procedures in obese and morbidly obese patients. Our subjective impression has been that the complication rate is significantly higher for these patients than it is for other weight groups. Objective The purpose of our study was to conduct a retrospective chart review to delineate our institution's complication rate in body contouring operations across all weight groups and to identify predictors of poor outcomes/complications that would help guide patient selection. Methods The records of 129 patients who underwent a single body contouring procedure at The Penn State Hershey Medical Center from 1993 to 2002 were reviewed. Patients were categorized based on their body mass index into the following weight groups: ideal, overweight, obese, morbidly obese, and severely morbidly obese. The complications were grouped into minor, major, or combined (minor or major). Patients who underwent combined procedures were excluded from the study. Results There was a statistically significant association between minor (P = .0006), major (P = .0098), and combined (P Conclusions This study demonstrates two points: (1) it confirms that there is a significant increase in the occurrence of complications among morbidly obese and severely morbidly obese patients undergoing a single body contouring procedure, and (2) it shows there is an increase in the occurrence of complications with worsening degree of obesity. The (post–weight loss) body mass index at the time of body contouring surgery is a predictor for postoperative complications.
Physiologic Differentiation of Pulmonic Stenosis with and without an Intact Ventricular Septum

Since May 1957 cardiac catheterization has been carried out in 46 patients with pulmonic stenosis and an intact ventricular septum (pulmonic stenosis) and 42 patients with pulmonic stenosis and a right-to-left shunt through a septal defect (tetralogy of Fallot). Right atrial pressures were usually higher in pulmonic stenosis. Average pulmonary arterial and left atrial mean pressures were similar in the 2 groups, as were the pulmonary blood flows. Although significant differences between right ventricular and systemic arterial systolic pressures may be demonstrated in tetralogy of Fallot, simultaneous right ventricular and left ventricular or aortic systolic pressures were always within a few mm. Hg of each other. The postectopic right ventricular systolic pressure was always at least 10 mm. Hg above its previous level in pulmonic stenosis, whereas in tetralogy of Fallot it almost never exceeded its previous level by more than 10 mm. Hg. All patients with tetralogy of Fallot had flat-topped right ventricul...
Two Vashtis: Morrison's BELOVED and the Book of Esther

In Beloved, Toni Morrison employs the story of Vashti, wife of King Xerxes of Persia, as told in the Old Testament Book of Esther. Morrison gives the name Vashti to a minor character in Beloved, th...
Second-mode internal tides in the East China Sea deduced from historical hydrocasts and a model

during the two-year deployment period. To obtain temperature (T) and specific volume anomaly (d) profiles from t and sea surface temperature (SST), observed respectively by PIES and satellite, we constructed multi-index gravest empirical mode (MI-GEM) fields [Park et al., 2005] using historical hydrocasts. However, comparison between the MI-GEM fields and the historical hydrocasts reveals that the MI-GEM fields fail to capture 44% and 52% of the T and d variance, respectively, in the p = 100–200-dbar layer. This may be caused by 2nd- or higher-mode variations of vertical structure, since t is insensitive to all but the lowest baroclinic mode [Watts and Rossby, 1977]. [4] In this study, we demonstrate that 2nd-mode ITs in the ECS are responsible for failure of the MI-GEM fields to captureadequatelyTand dvariationsinthep=100–200-dbar layer as seen in historical hydrographic measurements. We verify our observations with a numerical simulation of ITs.
Estrogen and follicle stimulating hormone interactions on follicle growth in rats.

The effects of an estrogen (Diethylstilbestrol, DES) and its interaction with follicle stimulating hormone on the ovary were studied in hypophysectomized female rats. DES stimulated increased incorporation of tritiated thymidine into granulosa cell DNA, followed by an increase in the number of granulosa cells. In addition, DES increased ovarian incorporation of tritiated FSH, an effect which was shown to be time and dose related, inhibited by unlabeled FSH, and not seen with tritiated HCG. FSH was less effective than estrogen in stimulating granulosa proliferation but appeared to stimulate antrum formation after appropriate estrogen induced maturation. When the two hormones were given sequentially, there was a marked enhancement in the number of follicles containing antra and a marked increase in ovarian weight. The possible physiologic significance of these observations is discussed. (Endocrinology 90: 1492, 1972)
Plant flavone apigenin binds to nucleic acid bases and reduces oxidative DNA damage in prostate epithelial cells.

Oxidative stress has been linked to prostate carcinogenesis as human prostate tissue is vulnerable to oxidative DNA damage. Apigenin, a dietary plant flavone, possesses anti-proliferative and anticancer effects; however, its antioxidant properties have not been fully elucidated. We investigated sub-cellular distribution of apigenin, it’s binding to DNA and protective effects against H2O2-induced DNA damage using transformed human prostate epithelial RWPE-1 cells and prostate cancer LNCaP, PC-3 and DU145 cells. Exposure of cells to apigenin exhibited higher accumulation in RWPE-1 and LNCaP cells, compared to PC-3 and DU145 cells. The kinetics of apigenin uptake in LNCaP cells was estimated with a Km value of 5 µmole/L and Vmax of 190 pmoles/million cells/h. Sub-cellular fractionation demonstrated that nuclear matrix retains the highest concentration of apigenin (45.3%), followed by cytosol (23.9%), nuclear membranes (17.9%) and microsomes (12.9%), respectively. Spectroscopic analysis of apigenin with calf-thymus DNA exhibited intercalation as the dominant binding mode to DNA duplex. Apigenin exposure resulted in significant genoprotective effects in H2O2-stressed RWPE-1 cells by reduction in reactive oxygen species levels. In addition, apigenin exposure suppressed the formation of 8-hydroxy-2′ deoxyguanosine and protected exposed cells from apoptosis. Our studies demonstrate that apigenin is readily taken up by normal prostatic epithelial cells and prostate cancer cells, and is incorporated into their nuclei, where its intercalation with nucleic acid bases may account for its antioxidant and chemopreventive activities.
Phonon-dislocation interaction in deformed lithium fluoride

The thermal conductivity has been measured over the temperature range 0.06–6 K for a LiF crystal before and after deformation by compression in which all possible dislocation-slip planes were activated, and after reduction in sample size and, finally, following γ-ray irradiation. At temperatures below 1 K the results are in agreement with a model of phonon scattering by fluttering dislocations. At T≥1 K the data suggest that dislocation dipoles may dominate the scattering of phonons.
Bisexuality: An Exploratory Review

This article provides a review of the existent research on bisexuality and consolidates what data exists on bisexuals and bisexuality. This review includes those studies that could be located in which bisexuality was treated as a sexual orientation distinct from homosexuality. Several issues relevant to defining bisexuality are examined, as are factors involved in the adoption of a bisexual identity and problems associated with the maintenance of a bisexual lifestyle. In addition, a number of studies are reviewed that address differences between bisexuals and either heterosexuals or homosexuals. Only one study was located that examined individual differences within a bisexual sample. Finally, the traditional emphasis on the role of gender in partner selection is briefly examined and suggestions for future research into bisexuality are presented.
Lincoln and the Constitutional Dilemma of Emancipation

On the afternoon of January 1,1863, following nearly two years of bloody civil war, Abraham Lincoln set in motion events that would reconnect the detached cord of Union and that would begin to reconcile the nation's .?uvu*^^^.*^.^^.....,.^...,^.....,.,,,, practices to its avowed democratic princi ples. Interpreting Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution broadly, the president used his war powers to proclaim freedom for those enslaved laborers caught in the dehuman izing grip of one of the Confederacy's most sacrosanct institutions. His bold move chal
E. coli o157:H7 population reduction from alfalfa seeds with malic acid and thiamine dilauryl sulfate and quality evaluation of the resulting sprouts.

It has been reported that washing seeds with a 20000 ppm Ca(OCl)2 solution as recommended by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is unable to eliminate E. coli cells attached to seed surfaces, and the bacterial cells that have survived a sanitation wash can proliferate during sprouting to a high population. The objectives of this research were to examine the efficacy of malic acid (MA) and thiamine dilauryl sulfate (TDS) combined treatments on the inactivation of E. coli O157:H7 on alfalfa seeds, to study the growth of the remaining E. coli cells during sprouting, and to evaluate the sprout quality. When 10 g of inoculated alfalfa seeds were washed in a 10% MA-1% TDS solution, a complete elimination of E. coli was achieved. The same result was observed by washing the seeds in a 20000 ppm Ca(OCl)2 solution. However, when the seed size was increased to 50 g while maintaining the same seed-to-sanitizer ratio, both the MA + TDS and the 20000 ppm chlorine washes failed to completely inactivate the E. coli cells on the seeds. Nevertheless, the 10% MA-1% TDS solution was significantly more effective in E. coli count reduction compared to the 20000 ppm chlorine wash. The E. coli O157:H7 cells remaining on the seeds after treatments with both sanitizers grew up to 7 to 8 log CFU/g sprout after 96 h of sprouting. Under the treatment conditions used in this study, none of the treatments resulted in significant differences in germination rate, yield, or quality of the sprouts.
Developmental psychology: Its nature and models

This paper proposes that a truly developmental psychopathology requires that (1) all psychopathologies be viewed within a developmental context and (2) all psychopathologies be regarded as deviations from normal development. While lip service is given to these propositions, the current approach to psychopathology is a static one, being primarily concerned with classification. However, the field has advanced sufficiently so that it is now possible to formulate a number of models which serve to conceptualize psychopathology in explicitly developmental terms. While the traditional models of fixation and regression are still valid, a number of new ones, some cross‐sectional, some longitudinal, must be added. These new models are described and illustrated.
The structural and magnetic properties of Pr1−xErxAl2

We report on the effect of Er addition to PrAl2 on the lattice parameters, magnetic behavior, heat capacity, and magnetocaloric effect by using x-ray diffraction, magnetization, and heat capacity measurements. Unlike Pr0.6Er0.4Al2, other alloys we studied in the pseudobinary (Pr1−xErx)Al2 system do not exhibit a sharp peak in heat capacity with the application of magnetic field. Both the cubic lattice parameter and the Curie temperature decrease with increasing Er concentration. The nuclear specific heat coefficient decreases from 660 mJ K mol−1 for x = 0.05 to a nearly negligible value for x = 0.95. The magnetic entropy and adiabatic temperature change varies from 2 to 4 J mol−1 K−1 and 2.5 to 5 K at ΔH = 20 kOe for x = 0.05 to 0.95, respectively. These values of the magnetocaloric effect are comparable to those of the other rare-earth dialuminides systems.
Labor adjustment costs in a destination country: the case of Mexico

Abstract Rodrik [Rodrik, D., 1997. Has Globalization Gone Too Far? Institute for International Economics, Washington, DC.] argues that firms use the threat of moving to low-cost (generally developing) markets to make employment more flexible at home. Although a large literature documents significant adjustment costs in developed countries, we know little about their size and importance in developing countries that receive capital. We employ monthly Mexican data from the GATT–NAFTA period to estimate adjustment costs in Mexico. We consider adjustment costs for production and non-production workers and allow for asymmetry. While patterns of adjustment costs are similar as in developed countries, adjustment costs in Mexico are generally an order of magnitude smaller.
Three-dimensional architecture of the suspensory apparatus of the lens of the Rhesus monkey

Abstract the three-dimensional ultrastructure of the lens suspensory apparatus and its supporting tissues were determined in the adult Rhesus monkey eye, Single zonular bundles (4–6 μm) composed of parallel oriented fibrils were traced from the lens surfaces to the ciliary body. There are four major tracts of zonular fibrils; the anterior lens to pars plana, the equatorial region to ciliary process, the posterior lens to pars plana, and the posterior lens to ciliary process to pars plana. The course and insertion patterns of the anterior and posterior zonules suggest separate functions. The anterior zonules are arranged in a pattern suited for anterior face contour changes required in accommodation. The posterior zonular pattern is better arranged for maintenance of lens position. The anterior hyaloid membrane is seen as a mesh-work of fibrils with attachments around the ora serrata and on the lens posterior. It also serves as a lens support structure. In contrast, the adjacent vitreous is composed of fibrils plus globular units which are probably hyaluronic acid. The construction of the ciliary processes, the inserting posterior zonules, and the circumferential fibrils between the ciliary processes form a complex capable of reversible response to ciliary muscle contraction. In the light of these findings, a reconsideration of the prineipal theories of accommodation is in order.
Accelerated Recovery from Reserpine Depression by Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors

IT is generally accepted that pretreatment with a strong monoamine oxidase inhibitor, for example iproniazid, antagonizes the behavioural depression induced by reserpine1. The converse experiment in which the inhibitor is given after reserpine in an attempt to terminate the depression apparently has not been as well explored; at least two papers, however, have reported failures to obtain such a reversal2. In the present experiments, chronically reserpinized animals were under observation for extended periods (weeks) before and after treatment with iproniazid or β-phenylisopropylhydrazine (JB 516). The conditioning techniques used provided an objective assay of behaviour changes. Under these conditions, the behavioural depression produced by reserpine was clearly alleviated by a single injection of a monoamine oxidase inhibitor, although the onset of the arousal lagged about a day after the dosing.
Isolation from genomic DNA of sequences binding specific regulatory proteins by the acceleration of protein electrophoretic mobility upon DNA binding

We report an efficient and flexible in vitro method for the isolation of genomic DNA sequences that are the binding targets of a given DNA binding protein. This method takes advantage of the fact that binding of a protein to a DNA molecule generally increases the rate of migration of the protein in nondenaturing gel electrophoresis. By the use of a radioactively labeled DNA-binding protein and nonradioactive DNA coupled with PCR amplification from gel slices, we show that specific binding sites can be isolated from Escherichia coli genomic DNA. We have applied this method to isolate a binding site for FadR, a global regulator of fatty acid metabolism in E. coli. We have also isolated a second binding site for BirA, the biotin operon repressor/biotin ligase, from the E. coli genome that has a very low binding efficiency compared with the bio operator region.
Hunting for headings: sighted labeling vs. automatic classification of headings

Proper use of headings in web pages can make navigation more efficient for blind web users by indicating semantic divisions in the page. Unfortunately, many web pages do not use proper HTML markup (h1-h6 tags) to indicate headings, instead using visual styling to create headings, thus making the distinction between headings and other page text indistinguishable to blind users. In a user study in which sighted participants labeled headings on a set of web pages, participants did not often agree on which elements on the page should be labeled as headings, suggesting why headings are not used properly on the web today. To address this problem, we have created a system called HeadingHunter that predicts whether web page text semantically functions as a heading by examining visual features of the text as rendered in a web browser. Its performance in labeling headings compares favorably with both a manually-classified set of heading examples and the combined results of the sighted labelers in our study. The resulting system illustrates a general methodology of creating simple scripts operating over visual features that can be directly included in existing tools.
Disease modeling within refugee camps: a multi-agent systems approach

The displacement of people in times of crisis represents a challenge for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief and stakeholder agencies. Major challenges include providing adequate security and medical facilities to displaced people. Within this paper, we develop a spatially explicit multi-agent system model that explores the spread of cholera in the Dadaab refugee camps, Kenya. A common characteristic of these camps is poor sanitation and housing conditions which contribute to frequent outbreaks of cholera. We model the spread of cholera by explicitly representing the interaction between humans (host) and their environment, and the spread of the epidemic. The results from the model show that the spread of cholera grows radially from contaminated water sources and can have an impact on service provision. Agents' social behavior and movements contribute to the spread of cholera to other camps where water sources were relatively safe.
Latin America: Looking North or South?: The United States and Latin America at Century's Turn

This article is adapted from a longer essay prepared at the invitation of Politica Externa in Rio de Janeiro and draws on the Astor Lecture Dr. Lowenthal delivered at St. Anthony's College, Oxford.
Dissipativity theory for discontinuous dynamical systems: Basic input, state, and output properties, and finite-time stability of feedback interconnections

In this paper we develop dissipativity theory for discontinuous dynamical systems. Specifically, using set-valued supply rate maps and set-valued connective supply rate maps consisting of locally Lebesgue integrable supply rates and connective supply rates, respectively, and set-valued storage maps consisting of piecewise continuous storage functions, dissipativity properties for discontinuous dynamical systems are presented. Furthermore, extended Kalman-Yakubovich-Popov set-valued conditions, in terms of the discontinuous system dynamics, characterizing dissipativity via generalized Clarke gradients and locally Lipschitz continuous storage functions are derived. Finally, these results are used to develop feedback interconnection stability results for discontinuous dynamical systems by appropriately combining the set-valued storage maps for the forward and feedback systems.
Science review: Redox and oxygen-sensitive transcription factors in the regulation of oxidant-mediated lung injury: role for hypoxia-inducible factor-1α

A progressive rise of oxidative stress due to altered reduction–oxidation (redox) homeostasis appears to be one of the hallmarks of the processes that regulate gene transcription in physiology and pathophysiology. Reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species serve as signaling messengers for the evolution and perpetuation of the inflammatory process that is often associated with the condition of oxidative stress, which involves genetic regulation. Changes in the pattern of gene expression through reactive oxygen species/reactive nitrogen species-sensitive regulatory transcription factors are crucial components of the machinery that determines cellular responses to oxidative/redox conditions. The present review describes the basic components of the intracellular oxidative/redox control machinery and its crucial regulation of oxygen-sensitive and redox-sensitive transcription factors within the context of lung injury. Particularly, the review discusses mechanical ventilation and NF-κB-mediated lung injury, ischemia-reperfusion and transplantation, compromised host defense and inflammatory stimuli, and hypoxemia and the crucial role of hypoxia-inducible factor in mediating lung injury. Changes in the pattern of gene expression through regulatory transcription factors are therefore crucial components of the machinery that determines cellular responses to oxidative/redox stress.
Verb inflections and noun phrase morphology in the spontaneous speech of Spanish-speaking children with specific language impairment

Spanish-speaking preschoolers with specific language impairment (SLI) were compared to typically developing same-age peers (TD-A) and younger typically developing children matched for mean length of utterance (TD-MLU) in terms of their use of grammatical morphology in spontaneous speech. The children with SLI showed high levels of accuracy on present tense and past tense (preterite) verb inflections. However, their use of definite articles and direct object clitics was significantly more problematic than for either the TD-MLU or the TD-A children. Substitutions and omissions were observed, especially in contexts requiring plural articles and clitics. Many of the details of the observed Spanish SLI profile were predicted by Wexler's (Extended) Unique Checking Constraint (EUCC) proposal. Remaining details in the data could be accommodated by making additional assumptions within the same general linguistic framework as the EUCC. Some of the differences between the findings from Spanish and those from previous studies on related languages such as Italian suggest the need for clinical assessment and intervention procedures that are shaped as much by language-specific details as by the language's typology.
A 10 micron laser heterodyne spectrometer for remote detection of trace gases

Infrared heterodyne spectroscopy provides a means of measuring the intensity profiles of individual rotation-vibration spectral lines with high sensitivity. Considerable effort has been expended on optimizing these instruments for remote measurements of gases in planetary atmospheres with the result that present-generation spectrometers are beginning to provide new and startling results on the planets. The fundamental principles of laser heterodyne spectroscopy are discussed. Detailed considerations of the optical design and the electronic design of the spectral-line receiver are given. Representative results obtained with this spectrometer are discussed, including precision frequency measurements of NH3 (nu-2) lines, detection of auroral emission from Jupiter, and measurements of terrestrial O3 and CO2.
Hormone replacement therapy and associated risk of stroke in postmenopausal women.

Background There is little information about the risk of stroke in relation to time since initiation of hormone therapy and in relation to estrogen dose. Methods We conducted a population-based case-control study at Group Health Cooperative (GHC), a health maintenance organization in the greater Seattle (Wash) area, to assess the association of hormone replacement therapy with the risks of incident ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. Cases were all postmenopausal women with incident stroke at GHC during July 1989 through December 1998 (726 ischemic strokes and 213 hemorrhagic strokes). Controls were randomly selected from GHC enrollees and frequency matched to cases on age and calendar year (n = 2525). Hormone use was assessed from computerized pharmacy data. We reviewed the medical record to confirm eligibility and assess other risk factors. Results After risk factor adjustment, ischemic stroke was not associated with current use of estrogen with progestin (odds ratio [95% confidence interval]: 0.97 [0.69-1.37]) or without (0.94 [0.72-1.23]) compared with never use. Similarly, hemorrhagic stroke was not associated with current use of estrogen with progestin (0.74 [0.43-1.28]) or without (1.06 [0.71-1.56]). However, the risks of ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke were increased 2-fold during the first 6 months of hormone use (ischemic stroke: 2.16 [1.04-4.49], hemorrhagic stroke: 2.20 [0.83-5.81]). Risk of ischemic stroke also increased with estrogen dose (Pfor trend = .03). Conclusion The transitory increase in risks of ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke associated with initiation of hormone replacement therapy merits further investigation.
A theoretical analysis of relational job design and compensation

In an analysis that blends ideas from organizational behavior and economics, I propose a new theoretical model that integrates relational job design and compensation. In the model, employers choose both a level of compensation and levels of relational job architecture (both the degree to which workers have contact with the beneficiaries of their work, and the degree to which a job offers opportunities for employees to affect the lives of beneficiaries) with an eye toward maximizing profit. Higher levels of compensation increase the average productivity of new hires, whereas higher levels of relational job architecture motivate existing employees to work harder. Several key predictions emerge from the theory: (1) higher levels of relational architecture, and sometimes higher levels of compensation, yield greater worker effort, (2) the response of worker effort to an increase in the degree to which the worker values monetary compensation has an inverted-U shape, (3) increases in the price of the firm's service or product yield increases in compensation, and also changes in the provision of relational architecture that depend on the way in which both components of relational architecture affect the worker's cost of exerting effort. Themes emphasized throughout are the benefits of embedding ideas from organizational behavior in the optimizing frameworks that are fundamental to economics, and also the benefits of merging theories of job design with theories of compensation. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Dynamic Instabilities of Simulated Hurricane-like Vortices and Their Impacts on the Core Structure of Hurricanes. Part I: Dry Experiments

Abstract A series of numerical simulations of dry, axisymmetric hurricane-like vortices is performed to examine the growth of barotropic and baroclinic eddies and their potential impacts on hurricane core structure and intensity. The numerical experiments are performed using the fifth-generation Pennsylvania State University–National Center for Atmospheric Research (PSU–NCAR) Mesoscale Model (MM5) with a 6-km horizontal grid. To examine internal effects on the stability of vortices, all external forcings are eliminated. Axisymmetric vortices that resemble observed hurricane structures are constructed on an f plane, and the experiments are performed without moist and boundary layer processes. Three vortices are designed for this study. A balanced control vortex is built based on the results of a full-physics simulation of Hurricane Floyd (1999). Then, two other axisymmetric vortices, EXP-1 and EXP-2, are constructed by modifying the wind and mass fields of the control vortex. The EXP-1 vortex is designed t...
Dynamic model and force control for two manipulators handling a pin-jointed object

A dynamic model for two coordinated robots handling a pin-jointed object system is developed. Both kinematic and dynamic constraints are considered, but dynamic constraints are specifically studied. The dynamic model is obtained bv combining the dynamic model for each manipulator with dynamic constraints. The force/torque acting at the end-effector is formulated by a different approach. With this external force expression, the force control problem can be simplified as torque compensation in joint space. Therefore, the original PID (proportional plus integral plus derivative) joint position control loop of an industrial robot can be preserved. An additional force feedback loop is used for compensation of extra external force. >
Laser-guided direct writing of living cells

To perform their myriad functions, tissues use specific cell-cell interactions that depend on the spatial ordering of multiple cell types. Recapitulating this spatial order in vitro will facilitate our understanding of function and failure in native and engineered tissue. One approach to achieving such high placement precision is to use optical forces to deposit cells directly. Toward this end, recent work with optical forces has shown that a wide range of particulate materials can be guided and deposited on surfaces to form arbitrary spatial patterns. Here we report that, when we use the light from a near-infrared diode laser focused through a low numerical aperture lens, individual embryonic chick spinal cord cells can be guided through culture medium and deposited on a glass surface to form small clusters of cells. In addition, we found that the laser light could be coupled into hollow optical fibers and that the cells could be guided inside the fibers over millimeter distances. The demonstration of fiber-based guidance extends by 2 orders of magnitude the distance over which optical manipulation can be performed with living cells. Cells guided into the fiber remained viable, as evidenced by normal cell adhesion and neurite outgrowth after exposure to the laser light. The results indicate that this particle deposition process, which we call "laser-guided direct writing," can be used to construct patterned arrays of tens to hundreds of cells using arbitrary numbers of cell types placed at arbitrary positions with micrometer-scale precision.
The dissolution kinetics of quartz in aqueous mixed cation solutions

Abstract The dissolution kinetics of quartz is quantified in dilute mixtures of magnesium, calcium, barium, and sodium chloride salts in near-neutral pH solutions over the temperature range of 175 to 295°C. Measurements using single-salt solutions show that the rate-enhancing effects increase in the order: Mg2+ The behavior observed in salt mixtures is quantified by an empirical expression based on a competitive cation–surface interaction model. The kinetic model assumes that salt-enhanced dissolution rates are determined by the intrinsic ability of each type of cation, i, to enhance rates (kmx,i) and their concentration(s) at the surface (Kad,i). Estimates of these parameters are obtained by fitting the model to data from the rate versus concentration experiments conducted in single-salt solutions. The resulting kinetic expression gives good predictions of rates measured in salt mixtures and is consistent with previous models of cation-enhanced dissolution kinetics of quartz. The model predicts that magnesium and calcium have greater roles in regulating quartz dissolution rates despite lower concentrations in natural waters than sodium and potassium because of their larger surface interaction strengths.
Can nutrients alone shift a sedge meadow towards dominance by the invasive Typha × glauca

Abstract Where wetlands receive urban runoff, Typha spp. and other invasive plants often displace the native vegetation. We tested the ability of nutrients (N and P) to increase vegetative growth of T. × glauca (a hybrid of T. latifolia and T. angustifolia). In the greenhouse, 17 treatments revealed that T. × glauca required both N and P for growth, and total leaf length was most stimulated where a higher proportion of P was added (7N:1P vs. 14N:1P, with N constant and P changed), regardless of concentration (the High treatment was 4× the Low treatment). In Gardner Marsh (Madison, Wisconsin, USA), we set up 28 plots (1 × 6 m) that bisected the boundary between sedge meadow (graminoids) and T. × glauca, and we added a common lawn fertilizer (9N:1P:4K) at high (62.5 g/m2), medium (31.3 g/m2), low (15.6 g/m2), and control (0 g/m2) rates on five dates, with n=7 plots/treatment. After one growing season, fertilizer addition increased T. × glauca ramet density, height, and biomass, especially where the sedge me...
Impact of Multiple-Purpose Reservoir System on Regional Environment

In 1933 the Tennessee Valley needed the resource tools with which to improve itself economically. In addition to the tools to rehabilitate agriculture, the TVA provided the developed river. Flood control has made the level land on the shoreline safe from floods and, therefore, safe for industrial use. The waterway provides low-cost barge transportation. The impoundment of water provides abundant supplies for cities and industries. It provides a great source for water-based recreation, vital to the welfare of all in today’s world. And, of course, TVA dams and steam plants provide large amounts of electric power at low cost. Capitalizing on opportunities in the Tennessee Valley in the future will require bold new programs to upgrade the quality of life in the region, particularly in the rural areas. It will require imaginative planning to guide the development of rapidly growing small towns and comprehensive approaches to revitalize existing cities and even create new ones. In some instances, it will require carefully coordinated development.
Skin biopsy in assessing meralgia paresthetica

Introduction: Meralgia paresthetica is a focal neuropathy caused by compression of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (LFCN). The disease can be difficult to assess by neurophysiological or imaging studies. Methods: We studied 5 patients who presented to our neuromuscular clinic from April 2012 to December 2014 with a clinical suspicion of meralgia paresthetica and had skin biopsies with intraepidermal nerve fiber density (IENFD) evaluation. Results: The mean age at onset was 37.2 (range 21–59) years. There were 4 women and 1 man. Two were obese, 2 wore tight jeans, and 1 had mild diabetes mellitus. IENFD was reduced in the symptomatic proximal thigh in all 5 patients and was also reduced in the asymptomatic thigh in 2 patients. It was normal in the distal leg in 4 patients. Conclusion: Meralgia paresthetica is associated with loss of small intraepidermal nerve fibers. Skin biopsy with IENFD evaluation may be a useful diagnostic tool for this disease. Muscle Nerve 53: 641–643, 2016
The Effects of High Temperature Annealing and Composition on the Dielectric Properties of Thin Films of BaxSrzTiO3

Single phase, (100) oriented Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO3 films have been deposited by pulsed laser deposition onto (100) LaAIO3, SrTiO3, MgO substrates. The dielectric properties of these films were measured using interdigitated capacitors as a function of DC bias and temperature at 1 MHz and as a function of DC bias at 1 to 20 GHz at room temperature. Deposited films were annealed over a temperature range of 900 to 1350 C for 1 to 8 hours to observe its effect on dielectric properties. Chemical analysis on films deposited from stoichiometric targets showed the films to be up to 6% deficient in Ba and Sr under typical PLD deposition conditions. Optimal annealing conditions and target stoichiometries for minimizing dielectric loss and maximizing tuning are discussed.
Visual Responses of Tarnished Plant Bug Adults on Apple

Both sexes of overwintering Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois) adults visit apple buds and blossoms (where they feed and cause injury) as well as apple foliage, twigs, and small branches. With the ultimate aim of developing a visual monitoring trap, we compared responses of the adults to 15×20-cm sticky-coated rectangles of different hues and shades hung in apple trees. Non-UV reflecting Gloss White and Zn white, Zoecon Yellow, and clear Plexiglas rectangles captured equivalent numbers of adults, significantly more than other hues of yellow, green, orange, blue, red, black, UV-reflecting aluminum foil, or Pb white rectangles. The fact that captures on clear Plexiglas were as great or greater than captures on pigmented rectangles approximating the spectral reflectance pattern of apple buds, blossoms, foliage, or bark suggests that the adults are not specifically oriented to the hue of tree structures which they visit. Significant differences in captures between certain pigments do suggest, however, that visual stimuli play at least some (still undetermined) role in the orientation of adults within or to trees. Additional findings indicate that a sticky-coated, non-UV reflecting white or Zoecon Yellow rectangle, hung vertically at ca. 0.7 m above ground, is the most efficient method yet devised for detecting L. Lineolaris adults in apple trees.
Diverse Drought Spatiotemporal Trends, Diverse Etic-Emic Perceptions and Knowledge: Implications for Adaptive Capacity and Resource Management for Indigenous Maasai-Pastoralism in the Rangelands of Kenya

The study examined the spatiotemporal distribution of drought in the Maasai rangelands of Kenya. The implications of this distribution, in concert with the documented existing and/or projected social and biophysical factors, on critical rangeland resources in Maasai-pastoralism are discussed using an integrated approach. Participatory interviews with the Maasai, retrieval from archives, and acquisition from instrument measurements provided data for the study. Empirical evidence of the current study reveals that drought occurrences in this rangeland have been recurrent, widespread, cyclic, sometimes temporally clustered, and have manifested with varying intensities across spatial, temporal, and, occasionally, social scales; and they have more intensity in lower than higher agroecological areas. An estimated 86% of drought occurrences in this rangeland, over the last three decades alone, were of major drought category. The 2000s, with four major drought events including two extreme droughts, are an important drought period. A strong consensus exists among the Maasai regarding observed drought events. In Maasai-pastoralism, the phenomenon called drought, pastoralist drought, is simultaneously multivariate and multiscalar: its perception comprises the simultaneous manifestation of cross-scale meteorological, socioeconomic, and environmental factors and processes, and their various combinations. The inherent simultaneous multivariate and scalar nature of the pastoralist drought distinguishes it from the conventional drought types, particularly the meteorological drought that predominantly guides drought and resource management in the rangelands of Kenya. In Maasai-pastoralism, the scarcely used (33%) meteorological drought is construed as rainfall delay/failure across spatial and/or temporal scale, and never its reduced amount. Collectively, the current findings reveal that knowledge about drought affects the way the manifestation of this climatic hazard is perceived, communicated, and characterized; hence, ceteris paribus, alongside its spatiotemporal distribution, shapes the nature of the adaptive capacity of and resource management in Maasai-pastoralism. Studies that anticipate enhancing the drought-adaptive capacity of the Maasai should account for cross-scale social and biophysical factors, their processes, and interactions; they must engage the affected inhabitants, and utilize and integrate multiple data sources and approaches. These necessities become more crucial for informing adaptation under the present spatiotemporal distribution of drought as well as in relation to the projected increase in occurrence and intensity of this climatic hazard as the climate continues to change, and as pressures from socioeconomic globalization persistently proliferate into the Maasai’s social and biophysical landscapes.
The healthy human microbiome

Humans are virtually identical in their genetic makeup, yet the small differences in our DNA give rise to tremendous phenotypic diversity across the human population. By contrast, the metagenome of the human microbiome—the total DNA content of microbes inhabiting our bodies—is quite a bit more variable, with only a third of its constituent genes found in a majority of healthy individuals. Understanding this variability in the “healthy microbiome” has thus been a major challenge in microbiome research, dating back at least to the 1960s, continuing through the Human Microbiome Project and beyond. Cataloguing the necessary and sufficient sets of microbiome features that support health, and the normal ranges of these features in healthy populations, is an essential first step to identifying and correcting microbial configurations that are implicated in disease. Toward this goal, several population-scale studies have documented the ranges and diversity of both taxonomic compositions and functional potentials normally observed in the microbiomes of healthy populations, along with possible driving factors such as geography, diet, and lifestyle. Here, we review several definitions of a ‘healthy microbiome’ that have emerged, the current understanding of the ranges of healthy microbial diversity, and gaps such as the characterization of molecular function and the development of ecological therapies to be addressed in the future.
Assessment of contents of lead and copper in commercial tea in Shenzhen

Objective:The contents of lead and copper in commercial tea in Shenzhen were investigated during the period of 2006 to 2008 and their hygienic quality was measured,the contents of lead in eight kinds of tea were compared.Methods:229 tea samples were collected during three years and the contents of lead and copper were determined by atomic absorption spectrometer,their hygienic quality was measured refer to the standard values of maximum levels of contaminants in foods.Results:The contents of lead and copper in commercial tea were within the range of the GB standard during three years except one sample with ineligible lead content among 107 tea samples in 2008.The average concentration(4.4 mg/kg) of lead in ginseng oolong tea was higher than other seven kinds of tea.Conclusion:The sanitary status of commercial tea in Shenzhen is generally fine,the average concentration of lead in ginseng oolong tea is relatively high.
Anxiety Disorders, Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders

Anxiety is one of the most common presenting symptoms in psychiatry and general medical practice. It can serve as a window into various causes of distress. Anxiety can manifest as an isolated episode (such as in panic attack) or as a debilitating and chronic illness (such as in obsessive-compulsive disorder, OCD, or posttraumatic stress disorder, PTSD). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) defines fear as “the emotional response to real or perceived threat” and anxiety as “the anticipation of future threat”. Anxiety disorders exhibit excessive fear and anxiety associated with situations or objects. Note that both fear and anxiety are necessary components of our “fight and flight response” as humans. When the response is out of proportion, persistent, and falls beyond the cultural context, anxiety and fear may interfere with one’s functioning, hence a disorder.