cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Preservation is predictable: quantifying the effect of taphonomic biases on ecological disparity in birds

Evolutionary inferences from fossil data often require accurately reconstructing differences in richness and morphological disparity between fossil sites across space and time. Biases such as sampling and rock availability are commonly accounted for in large-scale studies; however, preservation bias is usually dealt with only in smaller, more focused studies. Birds represent a diverse, but taphonomically fragile, group commonly used to infer environmental conditions in recent (Pleistocene and later) fossil assemblages, and their relative scarcity in the fossil record has led to controversy over the timing of their radiation. Here, I use simulations to show how even weak taphonomic biases can distort estimates of richness, and render variance sensitive to sample size. I then apply an ecology-based filtering model to recent bird assemblages to quantify the distortion induced by taphonomy. Certain deposit types, such as caves, show less evidence of taphonomic distortion than others, such as fluvial and lacustrine deposits. Archaeological middens unsurprisingly show some of the strongest evidence for taphonomic bias, and they should be avoided when reconstructing Pleistocene and early Holocene environments. Further, these results support previously suggested methods for detecting fossil assemblages that are relatively faithfully preserved (e.g., presence of difficult-to-preserve taxa), and I use these results to recommend that future large-scale studies include facies diversity along with metrics such as rock volume, or compare only sites with similar taphonomic histories.
Event-related desynchronization in reaction time paradigms: a comparison with event-related potentials and corticospinal excitability

Abstract Objectives : To study cortical activity in different motor tasks, we compared event-related desynchronization (ERD) and event-related potentials (ERPs) in different reaction time (RT) paradigms with the time course of corticospinal excitability. Methods : Nine right-handed, normal subjects performed right or left thumb extensions in simple, choice and go/no go auditory RT paradigms. Eight subjects had participated in a previous study evaluating changes in corticospinal excitability during the same paradigms. Twenty-nine EEG channels with electrooculogram and bilateral EMG monitoring were collected. ERPs and ERD of 10 and 18–22 Hz bands were obtained with respect to tone administration and EMG onset. Results : Trials with movement showed lateralized ERP components, corresponding to the motor potential (MP), both in the averages on the tone and on EMG. The MP corresponded well in time and location to the rise in corticospinal excitability on the moving side observed in the previous study. Sensorimotor ERD, followed by event-related synchronization (ERS), was present for trials with movements and for the no go. ERD was present contralaterally during movement preparation and in no go trials, while it was bilateral during motor execution. No go ERD was followed more rapidly by ERS than in trials with movement. This finding suggests that in no go trials, there is a brief active process in the sensorimotor areas. ERD and ERS do not correspond, respectively, in time and location to increases and decreases in corticospinal excitability. In fact, ERD is bilateral during movement execution, when corticospinal inhibition of the side at rest is observed. Contralateral no go ERS occurs later than corticospinal inhibition, which is bilateral. Conclusions : These findings may suggest that ERD is compatible with both corticospinal activation and inhibition, ERS indicating the removal of either, resulting in cortical idling.
Simultaneous carriage of multiple genotypes of Staphylococcus aureus in children.

The co-existence of multiple genotypes in colonization by Staphylococcus aureus has not been fully investigated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the heterogeneity of S. aureus carriage in children. We evaluated 125 nasal and perianal swab samples that were positive for S. aureus from 76 children scheduled for elective surgery. For each sample, at least four colonies with the same or different morphotypes were selected for analysis. Multiple-locus variable-number tandem-repeat fingerprinting was used to determine the genetic relatedness and to characterize the clonality of the S. aureus strains. Of the 125 swabs, 91 (73 %) contained meticillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA), 8 (6 %) contained meticillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), and 26 (21 %) contained MSSA and MRSA simultaneously. A total of 738 S. aureus strains were evaluated with a mean of 6 colonies (range 4–15) picked from each culture. Of the 125 swabs, 32 (26 %) samples contained two genetically distinct S. aureus strains and 6 (5 %) contained three different genotypes. Multiple S. aureus strains simultaneously carried by individual children were genetically unrelated to each other. We concluded that the co-existence of multiple genotypes of S. aureus was common. The significance of multiple carriage is yet to be determined, but this intraspecies interplay could be important to pathogenicity and virulence in S. aureus.
Comparison of the three-dimensional structures of a human Bence-Jones dimer crystallized on Earth and aboard US Space Shuttle Mission STS-95.

Crystals of a human (Sea) Bence-Jones dimer were produced in a capillary by vapor diffusion under microgravity conditions in the 9 day US Space Shuttle Mission STS-95. In comparison to ground-based experiments, nucleation was facile and spontaneous in space. Appearance of a very large (8 × 1.6 × 1.0 mm) crystal in a short time period is a strong endorsement for the use of microgravity to produce crystals sufficiently large for neutron diffraction studies. The Sea dimer crystallized in the orthorhombic space group P212121, with a = 48.9 A, b = 85.2 A, and c = 114.0 A. The crystals grown in microgravity exhibited significantly lower mosaicities than those of ground-based crystals and the X-ray diffraction data had a lower overall B factor. Three-dimensional structures determined by X-ray analysis at two temperatures (100 and 293 K) were indistinguishable from those obtained from ground-based crystals. However, both the crystallographic R factor and the free R factor were slightly lower in the models derived from crystals produced in microgravity. The major difference between the two crystal growth systems is a lack of convection and sedimentation in a microgravity environment. This environment resulted in the growth of much larger, higher-quality crystals of the Sea Bence-Jones protein. Structurally, heretofore unrecognized grooves on the external surfaces of the Sea and other immunoglobulin-derived fragments are regular features and may offer supplementary binding regions for super antigens and other elongated ligands in the bloodstream and perivascular tissues. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Molecular systematics of the Catesbaeeae-Chiococceae complex (Rubiaceae): flower and fruit evolution and biogeographic implications

The classification of the Catesbaeeae and Chiococceae tribes, along with that of the entire Rubiaceae, has long been debated. The Catesbaeeae-Chiococceae complex (CCC) includes approximately 28 genera and 190 species primarily concentrated in the Greater Antilles (nearly 70% of the species), Central and South America, and in the western Pacific (three genera). Previous molecular studies, with broad sampling of the Rubiaceae, have shown the CCC to be a monophyletic group. The present study is a more detailed examination of the generic relationships within the CCC using two data sets, the nuclear ribosomal ITS regions and the trnL-F chloroplast intron and spacer. Maximum parsimony analyses lend further support to the previous hypotheses that the CCC is monophyletic and sister to Strumpfia maritima. However, within the complex several genera do not form monophyletic groups. Previous studies of the Rubiaceae suggest that the ancestral fruit type in the CCC is a multiseeded capsule. Indehiscent, fleshy fruits appear to have evolved three to four times within this lineage. Changes in floral morphologies within the complex tend to correspond to cladogenesis among and within genera. Finally, molecular analyses suggest one or possibly two long-distance dispersals from the Americas to the western Pacific.
Using Count-Bys to Increase Multiplication Facts Fluency

The count-by technique was taught to a 4th-grade student with learning disabilities. The procedure involved learning to translate a multiplication problem into a count-by problem (e.g., 3×4 transla...
Some Theory and Algorithms Pertaining to Machinability and Visibility

In previous work, we and others have developed visibility-based tool path generation schemes. Almost all previous research implicitly assumes that all visible parts are machinable. Though usually true practice, this assumption hides several subtleties inherent to the geometry of the machining process. Here, we define machinability in a stricter sense, as a generalization of the robotic path planning problem. Then, we define various “tight” necessary conditions for strict machinability, and show the connections between these conditions. After demonstrating the richness of the information contained in visibility, we show how to compute visibility effectively. Visible directions constitute an approximate feasible configuration space of a cutting tool. We also address questions pertaining to the topological connectivity of the feasible space. The theoretical results of this paper lay down a firmer foundation of machining path planning.© 2002 ASME
Fast multiplier schemes using large parallel counters and shift switches

We present novel fast parallel multiplier schemes. In contrast to the full adder binary logic based traditional designs, we use (incomplete) large parallel counters and large shift switch compressors, which are built based on shift switch logic, a logic with shift switches as logic elements performing modulo arithmetic operations on (non-binary) state signals. With the unique feature of shift switch logic our parallel multiplier schemes have shown superiority in speed and in area compactness. This is provided through the use of a stage-reduced partial product reduction network, the efficient signal interconnection and the simplified final carry lookahead adder. Compared to the well-known designs, our approach possesses higher regularity and simplicity on circuit structures, characterized by both the recursive shift switch networks which localize the major part of partial product reduction and the deliberated utilization of uneven arrival signals which minimize the delay of the multipliers.
Citizens' Conceptualizations of Democracy: Structural Complexity, Substantive Content, and Political Significance

Empirical evidence of how citizens around the world understand democracy highlights the predominance of the liberal model of democracy. Yet the existence of a dominant view does not mean that all citizens in every nation exclusively endorse a liberal conceptualization. Hence, this article asks whether public beliefs about the meaning of democracy affect people’s political attitudes and behaviors. Using data from the 2006–2007 Latin American Public Opinion Project AmericasBarometer surveys, the author develops a taxonomy to categorize democratic conceptualizations in terms of structural complexity and substantive content. The author then examines the effects of the structure and substance of democratic conceptualizations on attitudes toward democracy and on patterns of political participation. Findings indicate that variance in the structure of citizens’ democratic conceptualizations brings several effects on political attitudes and behaviors. As to the substantive content of democratic conceptualizations,...
Elements of Computational Science and Engineering Education

The multidisciplinary nature of computational science and engineering (CSE) and its rela- tion to other disciplines is described. The stages through which CSE education is evolving, from initial recognition in the 1980s to present growth, are discussed. The challenges and benefits of different approaches to CSE education are discussed, as is the emergence of a set of core elements common to different approaches. The content of courses, curricula, and degrees offered in CSE are reviewed, and a survey is made of all undergraduate de- gree programs. The curricula of different programs are examined for the common "tool set" they define and analyzed for their relative weighting of computing, application, and mathematics. A trend toward a standard curriculum is noted.
Moral Constraints on Permissible Genetic Design

This paper takes a step beyond the enhancement debate, into the domain of genetic design. It explores what morality may have to say about the creation of “designer babies,” that is, about new human beings whose genetic code is either composed from scratch or produced through modification of a fertilized human egg cell or of a human clone. I pose this bewildering question in the context of an imagined future world in which genetic design is much more advanced in a way that makes it safe, predictable, and reasonably affordable. Such a future world may be less than a century away. I also impose three artificial limits on the discussion: I consider genetic design or redesign only in regard to a one-cell organism that, once designed, will grow and develop “naturally” without any further genetic interventions. I confine the discussion to the design of what clearly are human beings, that is, beings whose genetic endowments all lie within the parameters of the existing human gene pool. And I assume a social world much like ours, in which the creation of new human beings is initiated by human adults who generally love and care for the child and who bear a legal responsibility to safeguard the child’s basic interests until it reaches maturity. In such a world, I conclude, the law may be quite permissive with regard to the genetic design choices of parents.
Integration of eddy-current and friction brakes in conventional and hybrid vehicles

Conventional friction brakes suffer severe limitations, including challenging integration with electronic driving aids. The integration of an eddy-current brake with the conventional friction brake was developed to remedy to these shortcomings [1]. The present work analyzes the impact of eddy-current brakes uses in conjunction with conventional friction brakes in both conventional and hybrid automobiles.
Corrections to the /sup 11/B(p,. gamma. /sub 0/)/sup 12/C cross section and its implications

We have performed two independent measurements of the $^{11}\mathrm{B}(p, {\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{0})^{12}\mathrm{C}$ reaction over the energy range of ${E}_{p}=5\ensuremath{-}14$ MeV. The two measurements are in good agreement with each other and indicate that the previously accepted results are in error. The new values for the ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{0}$ cross section reported here resolve several outstanding conflicts. Their implications are discussed.NUCLEAR REACTIONS $^{11}\mathrm{B}(p, {\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{0})^{12}\mathrm{C}$, $5\ensuremath{\le}{E}_{p}\ensuremath{\le}14$ MeV; measured ${E}_{\ensuremath{\gamma}}$, absolute cross sections for $\frac{d\ensuremath{\sigma}}{d\ensuremath{\Omega}}$ (90\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}, ${E}_{{\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{0}}$), $\frac{d\ensuremath{\sigma}}{d\ensuremath{\Omega}}$ (90\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}, ${E}_{{\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{1}}$).
A graph-based approach to construct target-focused libraries for virtual screening.

Due to exorbitant costs of high-throughput screening, many drug discovery projects commonly employ inexpensive virtual screening to support experimental efforts. However, the vast majority of compounds in widely used screening libraries, such as the ZINC database, will have a very low probability to exhibit the desired bioactivity for a given protein. Although combinatorial chemistry methods can be used to augment existing compound libraries with novel drug-like compounds, the broad chemical space is often too large to be explored. Consequently, the trend in library design has shifted to produce screening collections specifically tailored to modulate the function of a particular target or a protein family. Assuming that organic compounds are composed of sets of rigid fragments connected by flexible linkers, a molecule can be decomposed into its building blocks tracking their atomic connectivity. On this account, we developed eSynth, an exhaustive graph-based search algorithm to computationally synthesize new compounds by reconnecting these building blocks following their connectivity patterns. We conducted a series of benchmarking calculations against the Directory of Useful Decoys, Enhanced database. First, in a self-benchmarking test, the correctness of the algorithm is validated with the objective to recover a molecule from its building blocks. Encouragingly, eSynth can efficiently rebuild more than 80 % of active molecules from their fragment components. Next, the capability to discover novel scaffolds is assessed in a cross-benchmarking test, where eSynth successfully reconstructed 40 % of the target molecules using fragments extracted from chemically distinct compounds. Despite an enormous chemical space to be explored, eSynth is computationally efficient; half of the molecules are rebuilt in less than a second, whereas 90 % take only about a minute to be generated. eSynth can successfully reconstruct chemically feasible molecules from molecular fragments. Furthermore, in a procedure mimicking the real application, where one expects to discover novel compounds based on a small set of already developed bioactives, eSynth is capable of generating diverse collections of molecules with the desired activity profiles. Thus, we are very optimistic that our effort will contribute to targeted drug discovery. eSynth is freely available to the academic community at www.brylinski.org/content/molecular-synthesis .
Differences in mRNA populations of short and long bovine conceptuses on Day 15 of gestation.

The majority of pregnancy loss in cattle occurs between Days 8 and 16 of gestation, coincident with the initiation of conceptus elongation and the onset of maternal recognition of pregnancy. Differences in conceptus length on the same day of gestation may be related to an inherent lack of developmental competency or may simply be a consequence of asynchrony with the maternal environment. The objective of this work was to characterize differential patterns of mRNA expression between short and long bovine conceptuses recovered on Day 15 of gestation. Embryos were produced from super-ovulated Holstein donor cows, and groups of Grade-1 and Grade-3 compact morulas were transferred into recipient heifers at Day 6.5 of their cycle. Conceptuses were recovered at Day 15 of gestation, and measured to assess overall length and area. Total RNA was extracted and analyzed on individual GeneChip Bovine Genome Arrays (Affymetrix, Santa Clara, CA). Gene expression was compared between conceptuses derived from the transfer of Grade-1 versus Grade-3 embryos; no differences were identified in the profiles of Day-15 conceptuses of these different embryo grades. When gene expression was compared between conceptuses classified as either short (mean length of 4.2 ± 0.1 mm [standard error]) or long (24.7 ± 1.9 mm) upon recovery at Day 15 of gestation, a total of 348 genes were differentially expressed. Of these, 221 genes were up-regulated and 127 were down-regulated in long compared to short conceptuses. In summary, differences in gene expression were identified between conceptuses recovered on Day 15 of gestation, based on their length. These data may be used to identify genes and cellular pathways involved in enhanced conceptus elongation that could serve as markers of successful pregnancy. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 83: 424-441, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Quantification of transferrin in human serum using both QconCAT and synthetic internal standards

Transferrin, an iron transport protein, is a clinically important biomarker in diseases such as iron-deficiency anemia. Current diagnostic methods for transferrin levels lack quantitative accuracy, suggesting the need for alternative approaches like LC-MS with isotope-labeled peptides as internal standards. Besides solid-phase synthesis, isotope-labeled peptides are also generated by a method called QconCAT where peptides are expressed from DNA in the presence of heavy isotope media. After evaluation of the expressed QconCAT, this study compares transferrin levels obtained by synthetic peptides versus QconCAT peptides as internal standards. Transferrin levels obtained by both internal standards give overlapping, or nearly overlapping, uncertainty values and are near ≈200 mg/dL of transferrin in human serum. Close agreement between the two methods suggests that the quantitative values are reasonable. Using QconCAT and synthetic peptides in parallel gives a refined focus on method development, and the resul...
TARDIS: An Automation Framework for JPL Mission Design and Navigation

Mission Design and Navigation at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory has implemented an automation framework tool to assist in orbit determination and maneuver design analysis. This paper describes the lessons learned from previous automation tools and how they have been implemented in this tool. In addition this tool has revealed challenges in software implementation, testing, and user education. This paper describes some of these challenges and invites others to share their experiences.
Acetylcholine excites neocortical pyramidal neurons via nicotinic receptors

The neuromodulator acetylcholine (ACh) shapes neocortical function during sensory perception, motor control, arousal, attention, learning, and memory. Here we investigate the mechanisms by which ACh affects neocortical pyramidal neurons in adult mice. Stimulation of cholinergic axons activated muscarinic and nicotinic ACh receptors on pyramidal neurons in all cortical layers and in multiple cortical areas. Nicotinic receptor activation evoked short-latency, depolarizing postsynaptic potentials (PSPs) in many pyramidal neurons. Nicotinic receptor-mediated PSPs promoted spiking of pyramidal neurons. The duration of the increase in spiking was membrane potential dependent, with nicotinic receptor activation triggering persistent spiking lasting many seconds in neurons close to threshold. Persistent spiking was blocked by intracellular BAPTA, indicating that nicotinic ACh receptor activation evoked persistent spiking via a long-lasting calcium-activated depolarizing current. We compared nicotinic PSPs in primary motor cortex (M1), prefrontal cortex (PFC), and visual cortex. The laminar pattern of nicotinic excitation was not uniform but was broadly similar across areas, with stronger modulation in deep than superficial layers. Superimposed on this broad pattern were local differences, with nicotinic PSPs being particularly large and common in layer 5 of M1 but not layer 5 of PFC or primary visual cortex (V1). Hence, in addition to modulating the excitability of pyramidal neurons in all layers via muscarinic receptors, synaptically released ACh preferentially increases the activity of deep-layer neocortical pyramidal neurons via nicotinic receptors, thereby adding laminar selectivity to the widespread enhancement of excitability mediated by muscarinic ACh receptors.
Reinterpretation of the Expected Electronic Density of States of Semiconductor Nanowires

One-dimensional semiconductor nanowires hold the promise for various optoelectronic applications since they combine the advantages of quantized in-plane energy levels (as in zero-dimensional quantum dots) with a continuous energy spectrum along the growth direction (as in three-dimensional bulk materials). This dual characteristic is reflected in the density of states (DOS), which is thus the key quantity describing the electronic structures of nanowires, central to the analysis of electronic transport and spectroscopy. By comparing the DOS derived from the widely used “standard model”, the effective mass approximation (EMA) in single parabolic band mode, with that from direct atomistic pseudopotential theory calculations for GaAs and InAs nanowires, we uncover significant qualitative and quantitative shortcomings of the standard description. In the EMA description the nanowire DOS is rendered as a series of sharply rising peaks having slowly decaying tails, with characteristic peak height and spacing, al...
Continuum Models for the Mechanical Response of Paper and Paper Composites: Past, Present, and Future

Paper and paper composites are utilized in applications where they are subjected to multiaxial stress states and changing environmental conditions. Such materials exhibit nonlinear anisotropic material behavior which is time dependent and affected adversely by slight changes in moisture content and temperature. At present, lack of adequate theoretical models often hampers the design and development of structurally optimized paper products. Therefore, it has been common practice in the pulp and paper industry to use trial and error, and empirical approaches. Accurate continuum models for the mechanical behavior of paper and paper composites are needed to guide the paper product design process. In this work, a limited review of the existing methods for modeling the mechanical response of paper and paper composites is given. At first, a brief overview of the goals of current modeling techniques based on hydrogen bond, fiber network, and continuum approaches is presented. The governing equations and capabilities of current continuum models are then discussed in greater detail. Theories which include linear elastic (generalized Hooke's Law), nonlinear elastic (hyperelastic), linear viscoelastic, nonlinear viscoelastic, and inelastic constitutive relations are addressed. Finally, applications of existing continuum theories to the analysis of paper materials in structural configurations are presented. After these discussions, the limitations of the available continuum models are assessed and future research needs are suggested.
Performance of container and bareroot loblolly pine seedlings on bottomlands in South Carolina

The performance of container and bareroot loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L. ) seedlings from the same improved seedlot was compared on highly productive bottomland sites in South Carolina. At the time of planting, size and quality of the open-grown container stock were equal to or better than bareroot material. When outplanting conditions were ideal, field plantings in March, April, and May of 2 successive years indicated equal performance of the 2 stock types. When conditions were more stre.ssfu1, container stock survived andgrew better than bareroot seedlings. Needle-tip burn caused by postplanting app1ication.s of herbicides had no long-term effects on seedling growth. South. J. Appl. For. 17(2): 80-83.
Pronase E-Based Generation of Fluorescent Peptide Fragments: Tracking Intracellular Peptide Fate in Single Cells

The ability to track intracellular peptide proteolysis at the single cell level is of growing interest, particularly as short peptide sequences continue to play important roles as biosensors, therapeutics, and endogenous participants in antigen processing and intracellular signaling. We describe a rapid and inexpensive methodology to generate fluorescent peptide fragments from a parent sequence with diverse chemical properties, including aliphatic, nonpolar, basic, acidic, and non-native amino acids. Four peptide sequences with existing biochemical applications were fragmented using incubation with Pronase E and/or formic acid, and in each case a complete set of fluorescent fragments was generated for use as proteolysis standards in chemical cytometry. Fragment formation and identity was monitored with capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection (CE-LIF) and matrix assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) to confirm the presence of all sequen...
Survivorship analysis of Cambrian and Ordovician trilobites

Cohort analysis is used to investigate survivorship of trilobites originating during the Cambrian and Ordovician. Using a time-homogeneous branching model, it is estimated that trilobite genera and species originating during the Ordovician survived three times longer than Cambrian genera and species. Monte Carlo simulation of survivorship is used to show that (1) Cambrian and Ordovician survivorship are significantly different, (2) Ordovician cohorts conform more closely to the time-homogeneous model than do Cambrian cohorts, and (3) deviations from temporal homogeneity are more often produced by extraordinary extinction than by unusually slow turnover.When Early Ordovician cohorts are decomposed into genera within families that originated in the Cambrian versus the Ordovician, no evidence that Cambrian and Ordovician survivorship differences are clade-specific can be found. Ordovician genera of Cambrian affinity and of Ordovician affinity become extinct at similar rates.Some of the ultimate causes of these differences in survivorship include (1) taxonomic inconsistency, (2) greater environmental stability in the Ordovician, and (3) more highly structured ecosystems in the Ordovician that may have led to the weeding out of extinction-prone taxa.
A Cohort Study of Mortality in Individuals With and Without Schizophrenia After Diagnosis of Lung Cancer.

Objective Individuals with serious mental illness have increased mortality relative to those without these illnesses. Although cancer is a leading cause of death, few studies have evaluated potential disparities relative to mortality for individuals with serious mental illness who are diagnosed with cancer. In this study, we evaluated mortality after diagnosis of a common malignancy (lung cancer) in a prototypical serious mental illness (schizophrenia). Methods Using administrative data in the Veterans Affairs system, we identified 34,664 individuals who were diagnosed with lung cancer between October 1, 2001, and September 30, 2005. We conducted a survival analysis comparing individuals with and without ICD-9-CM schizophrenia using data through September 30, 2010. Controlling variables were age, gender, smoking status, marital status, service connection, homelessness status, and presence of a substance use disorder. Results Our results demonstrated significantly poorer survival after lung cancer diagnosis for individuals with schizophrenia compared to those without schizophrenia. The hazard ratio for all-cause mortality associated with schizophrenia was 1.33 (95% CI, 1.22-1.44). Conclusions Individuals with schizophrenia are at higher risk of death after diagnosis of lung cancer than those without schizophrenia. Future studies should further characterize cause of death, quality of cancer care received, and barriers to care.
Design of Shifting and Permutation Units using LSDL Circuit Family

Migration of designs into a smaller technology node, that traditionally resulted in an increase in performance, is yielding reduced returns as we scale into the sub-90 nm domain. This has made it imperative to explore alternative methods like improvements in circuit design to sustain growth in performance of Integrated Circuits. The Limited switching dynamic logic (LSDL) circuit family has been suggested as an efficient and high performance circuit design technique to overcome the problem of stagnating performance. In this paper, we present case studies in design of arithmetic units using LSDL selector circuits. The first unit we present is a shifter, with the added novelty that it can provide the shifted data in complemented or non-complemented form without requiring an additional module for performing the negate operation. The second unit is a permute unit, used to line up data in media units using a single instruction, so that the media unit can operate on the data. However, existing permute units have a severe limitation in that they can move only discrete immutable bytes. Our module overcomes this by enabling extraction of any set of eight consecutive bits in a data stream, thus providing bit-level granularity in the permute operation, without altering the format of the existing permute instruction.
Perceiving a calling and well-being: Motivation and access to opportunity as moderators

Abstract The current study examined moderator variables that may accentuate the effect of perceiving a calling on well-being amongst a large and diverse sample of working adults ( N = 746). Drawing from Self Determination Theory (SDT; Deci & Ryan, 2000) and the Psychology of Working Theory (PWT: Duffy, Blustein, Diemer, & Autin, 2016), perceiving a calling was hypothesized to have greater effects on wellbeing for individuals with greater calling motivation and access to vocational opportunity, as assessed by income and work volition. Three moderated, multiple mediator models using structural equation modeling were run to test these hypotheses. Specifically, life meaning and living a calling were positioned as mediator variables in the relation of perceiving a calling to life satisfaction and the paths from perceiving a calling to the mediators were proposed to be significantly moderated. Calling motivation was found to be a significant moderator for both paths, supporting propositions of SDT. As the motivation to pursue one's calling increased, the direct effects on life meaning and living a calling and the indirect effects on life satisfaction were stronger. Income was also found to be a significant moderator, supporting propositions of the PWT, but only in the relation of perceiving a calling to living a calling. It was proposed that work volition—a variable related to the perception of vocational opportunity—may be better positioned as correlate of calling variables versus a moderator variable affecting the impact of having a calling. Practical implications are discussed.
A Little Goes a Long Way: Low Working Memory Load Is Associated with Optimal Distractor Inhibition and Increased Vagal Control under Anxiety

Anxiety impairs both inhibition of distraction and attentional focus. It is unclear whether these impairments are reduced or exacerbated when loading working memory with non-affective information. Cardiac vagal control has been related to top-down regulation of anxiety; therefore, vagal control may reflect load-related inhibition of distraction under anxiety. The present study examined whether: (1) the enhancing and impairing effects of load on inhibition exist together in a non-linear function, (2) there is a similar association between inhibition and concurrent vagal control under anxiety. During anxiogenic threat-of-noise, 116 subjects maintained a digit series of varying lengths (0, 2, 4, and 6 digits) while completing a visual flanker task. The task was broken into four blocks, with a baseline period preceding each. Electrocardiography was acquired throughout to quantify vagal control as high-frequency heart rate variability (HRV). There were significant quadratic relations of working memory load to flanker performance and to HRV, but no associations between HRV and performance. Results indicate that low load was associated with relatively better inhibition and increased HRV. These findings suggest that attentional performance under anxiety depends on the availability of working memory resources, which might be reflected by vagal control. These results have implications for treating anxiety disorders, in which regulation of anxiety can be optimized for attentional focus.
Milli-watt radioisotope power to enable small, long-term robotic “Probe” space exploration

Milli-watt Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS) based on Radioisotope Heater Units (RHUs) could be an ideal power source for certain spacecraft that cannot use solar power due to large distances from the sun, or other environmental constraints, and where they enable or significantly enhance the ability of a mission to meet its scientific or operational goals. Various modular, compact RHU-based thermoelectric (TE) generator concepts developed or derived from current NASA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) projects satisfying this need have been investigated. These modular, compact and low mass power systems could support small, highly-mobile robotic exploration packages, and could be incorporated into different robotic package concepts, spacecraft or satellites. Current modular RPS design concepts with 40mW, 80mW and 120mW power levels use RHUs and Bi 2 Te 3 TE converters. Skutterudites materials could be used in the future if new higher thermal energy output and higher temperature miniature heat sources were developed, for example, using technologies currently in the General Purpose Heat Source (GPHS) used in higher electric power output RTGs. Small (a.k.a., “mice-like”) robotic packages could effectively utilize these RHU-driven power levels to accommodate crawling, climbing, monitoring, taking measurements, and communicating during long-term planetary missions aimed at gathering environmental and geologic data (i.e., over multiple decades). Waste heat from the cold side of the TE converter could also be directed toward the electronics and / or energy storage (e.g. batteries) to keep them within design temperature ranges. In addition to power generation and electronics / battery heating, the RHU / TE configuration could be designed to survive an external 500°C bake out procedure for critical spacecraft sterilization, environmental certification and planetary protection. Analytical studies have been performed to optimize various design configurations for power, mass, volume and robotic mobility. Specific power (mW/kg) and volumetric specific power (mW/cm3) characteristics of various design configurations will be presented and key conceptual design tradeoffs will be discussed. Hot- and cold-side thermal interfaces required to meet power and mass goals and associated design sensitivities will also be discussed. RHU / TE systems must overcome critical design challenges to survive high-g loadings in some robotic applications and we will examine the mass impacts required to satisfy various dynamic loading environments up to 10,000 g's. Power can be generated for a minimum of 30 years or more using plutonium-238 dioxide heat sources (given that Pu-238 has an 87.7 year half-life) with some reduction in power as the heat source naturally degrades.
A Comparison of the Nutrient Intakes of Macronutrient-Based Dieting and Strict Dieting Bodybuilders

The purpose of this study was to provide a descriptive assessment of the nutritional habits of competitive bodybuilders and compare the nutrient intakes of macronutrient-based dieting and strict dieting individuals. Data from 41 subjects (30 males and 11 females) were used in analyses. Participants completed a comprehensive food frequency questionnaire, and diets were analyzed using a computer system. Males consumed an average of 2,577.2 kcal (SD = 955.1), with an average fat intake of 83.6 g (SD = 41.3), an average carbohydrate intake of 323.3 g (SD = 105.2), and an average protein intake of 163.4 g (SD = 70.4). There were no significant differences between male macronutrient-based dieting and strict dieting bodybuilders when mean intakes were compared for all nutrients, including the macronutrients, selected vitamins and minerals, dietary fiber, added sugars, and saturated fat. Females in this study consumed an average of 1,794 kcal (SD = 453.1), with an average fat intake of 58.3 g (SD = 23.1), a mean carbohydrate intake of 217.8 g (SD = 85.9), and an average protein intake of 103.8 g (SD = 35.7). For females, macronutrient-based dieters consumed significantly greater amounts of several nutrients, including protein, vitamin E, vitamin K, and vitamin C. Over half of individuals from all groups consumed less than the recommended amounts of several of the micronutrients. Based on this information, it is recommended that competitive bodybuilders should be advised to take their micronutrition into greater consideration.
Leo Strauss and the Recovery of Medieval Political Philosophy

Leo Strauss is known primarily for reviving classical political philosophy. Strauss recovered that great tradition of thought largely lost to the West by beginning his study of classical thought with its teaching on politics rather than its metaphysics. What brought Strauss to this way of reading the classics, however, was a discovery he made as a young political scientist studying the obscure texts of Islamic and Jewish medieval political thought. In this volume, Joshua Parens examines Strauss's investigations of medieval political philosophy, offering interpretations of his writings on the great thinkers of that tradition, including interpretations of his most difficult writings on Alfarabi and Maimonides. In addition Parens explicates Strauss's statements on Christian medieval thought and his argument for rejecting the Scholastic paradigm as a method for interpreting Islamic and Jewish thought. Contrasting Scholasticism with Islamic and Jewish medieval political philosophy, Parens clarifies the theme of Strauss's thought, what Strauss calls the "theologico-political problem," and reveals the significance of medieval political philosophy in the Western tradition. Joshua Parens is professor of philosophy and politics and dean of the Braniff Graduate School at the University of Dallas.
Climate Variability and Change: Food, Water, and Societal Impacts

Climatologists now state with a high degree of certainty that global climate change is real, is advancing more rapidly than expected, and is caused by human activities, especially through fossil fuel combustion and deforestation. Environmental public health researchers, in assessing future projections for Earth’s climate, have concluded that, on balance, adverse health outcomes will predominate under these changed conditions. The number of pathways through which climate change can affect the health of populations makes this environmental hazard one of the most perilous and intricate challenges that we face in this century. By contrast, the potential health co-benefits from departing from our current fossil fuel-based economy may offer some of the most beneficial health opportunities in over a century.
Educating Students with Learning Disabilities in Inclusive Classrooms

EDUCATING IN INCLUSIVE CLASSROOMS 4 much of the school day SWD are included in the general education environment and the degree to which inclusive practices help to achieve desirable student outcomes (McLeskey, 2007). Much of the debate has centered on students with learning disabilities (LD) in particular. Students with LD differ from students with other more severe disabilities as there are no physical characteristics that accompany their disability (Raymond, 2008). Typically, the nature of their disability is mild though it effects both their academic achievement and life out of school (Raymond, 2008).
Parental distress and desire for information regarding long-term implications of pediatric cancer treatment.

BACKGROUND Parents of children with cancer have unmet information needs regarding future limitations resulting from cancer or its treatment. Prior research has demonstrated that, in early care discussions, clinicians focus on the acute effects of therapy rather than long-term limitations, partly due to worries of causing distress. The validity of concerns regarding distress is unknown. In the current study, the authors evaluated parental distress associated with information regarding future limitations, and the extent to which distress is associated with information preferences. METHODS The authors surveyed 355 parents of children with cancer within 3 months of diagnosis, and the children's physicians at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The primary outcome was parental distress associated with information regarding long-term limitations. RESULTS Approximately 46% of parents found information regarding future limitations to be extremely or very upsetting. In multivariate analysis, parents were more likely to consider information regarding future limitations distressing if they also found prognostic information upsetting (odds ratio [OR], 5.36; P<.001), struggled to accept their child's illness (OR, 2.57; P<.001), or had depression (OR, 1.79; P=.01). However, approximately 92% of parents considered information regarding potential future limitations to be extremely/very important. Those who found information regarding future limitations distressing were more likely to consider it important (96% vs 89%; P=.03) and to desire a precise understanding of their child's risks (92% vs 80%; P=.001). CONCLUSIONS Although information regarding future limitations caused by cancer treatment is upsetting to many parents, the majority of them desire this information, and those who are distressed are more likely to value this information.
The Relationship between HR Functional Investments, HRM Practices, and Organizational Outcomes

We investigated the direct, indirect, and interactive effects of investments in the human resource function (HRFI) on two key organizational outcomes: employee turnover and labor productivity. We p...
Assessing multiple features of partner support for smoking cessation in dual-smoker couples.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a new scale to measure multiple aspects of partner support for quitting smoking relevant to dual-smoker couples, called the Partner Support for Quitting Sc...
Multimodal Wearable Sensors to Measure Gait and Voice.

Background Traditional measurement systems utilized in clinical trials are limited because they are episodic and thus cannot capture the day-to-day fluctuations and longitudinal changes that frequently affect patients across different therapeutic areas. Objectives The aim of this study was to collect and evaluate data from multiple devices, including wearable sensors, and compare them to standard lab-based instruments across multiple domains of daily tasks. Methods Healthy volunteers aged 18-65 years were recruited for a 1-h study to collect and assess data from wearable sensors. They performed walking tasks on a gait mat while instrumented with a watch, phone, and sensor insoles as well as several speech tasks on multiple recording devices. Results Step count and temporal gait metrics derived from a single lumbar accelerometer are highly precise; spatial gait metrics are consistently 20% shorter than gait mat measurements. The insole's algorithm only captures about 72% of steps but does have precision in measuring temporal gait metrics. Mobile device voice recordings provide similar results to traditional recorders for average signal pitch and sufficient signal-to-noise ratio for analysis when hand-held. Lossless compression techniques are advised for signal processing. Conclusions Gait metrics from a single lumbar accelerometer sensor are in reasonable concordance with standard measurements, with some variation between devices and across individual metrics. Finally, participants in this study were familiar with mobile devices and had high acceptance of potential future continuous wear for clinical trials.
Block vs. Friedman on Hayek

When I first received Milton Friedman’s letter in response to my article “Hayek’s Road to Serfdom” I did not realize it would lead to more. Over the past few years I have shared these letters with several colleagues, friends, and students. However, such are his fame and accomplishments that I thought these back-and-forth letters might be of interest to a wider audience of the Journal of Libertarian Studies (JLS) readers.