cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Verification testing to confirm VO2max attainment in persons with spinal cord injury.

Context/Objective: Maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) is a widely used measure of cardiorespiratory fitness, aerobic function, and overall health risk. Although VO2max has been measured for almost 100 ...
Thus spake the Medusa: Problems with gendered writing in Nietzsche and Cixous

At the very least, I suppose, the conjunction will strike some readers as odd: Helene Cixous and Friedrich Nietzsche. And indeed, it would seem difficult to conceive of two more disparate thinkers. For, whereas one associates Cixous with the theory and practice of a triumphant, feminine writing — of “ecriture feminine” — Nietzsche’s name is often seen as synonymous with the worst sort of misogyny — a kind of unapologetically aggressive “ecriture masculine”.1 What could the two possibly have in common? Surprisingly, as it turns out, a very great deal.
Sterilization regret among Puerto Rican women

This study examined sterilization regret among Puerto Rican women with contraceptive tubal sterilizations (TS) using retrospective data from a population-based survey of women aged 15 to 49years. Twenty-one percent of the 846 respondents expressed some regret, with 11% stating definite dissatisfaction with the decision. Factors associated with regret were young age at TS, absence of daughters, someone else making the decision to be sterilized, medical indications for TS, sterilization failure, and living with a new marital partner. There were no significant effects associated with the timing of sterilization, whether interval or postpartum, or with the type of last delivery. Other factors not independently associated with regret included years since TS, parity, education, and age at follow-up.
Reinventing CS50

Computer Science 50 is Harvard College's introductory course for majors and non-majors alike, enrollment in which both rose and fell along with the dotcoms. Although enrollment peaked in 1996 at 386 students, it had settled by 2002 in the neighborhood of 100.We set out in 2007 to combat that trend by tackling two problems. We hypothesized that CS50 suffered from two, one of perception and one of design. Although, per end-of-term surveys, the course had never lacked for good teachers or good content, the consensus on campus for years had been to beware this particular course. And the course's own syllabus may very well have been dated in the eyes of students who had begun to carry regularly modern hardware and software in their backpacks and pockets.Not only did we proceed to revamp every one of CS50's problem sets, we brought its syllabus more in line with technological trends already familiar to students. And we altered the tone of the course to appeal to those "less comfortable" with computing on campus. But we took care to preserve the course's rigor and underlying fundamentals, lest we do our own students a disservice.Our new approach appears to be working. Between 2006 and 2007, enrollment in CS50 more than doubled from 132 to 282 (+114%). Between 2007 and 2008, enrollment increased another 17% to 330, though even more striking was that year's 48% increase in female enrollment. By 2009, enrollment remained strong at 338.We present in this work what we have done and why we have done it.
Cardiac Measures of Cognitive Workload: A Meta-Analysis.

Objective:We aimed to provide an assessment of the impact of workload manipulations on various cardiac measurements. We further sought to determine the most effective measurement approaches of cogn...
What does it mean to be post-Soviet? Decolonial art from the ruins of the Soviet empire: by Madina Tlostanova Durham: Duke University Press, 2018, 160 pages ISBN: 9780822371274 (paperback) Price: $23.95

What exactly constitutes the post-Soviet human condition is a question that Russians have been asking of themselves (and others have been asking Russians) for nearly three decades. In What Does It ...
“Any Alternative Is Great If I’m Incarcerated”: A Case Study of Court-Ordered Community Service in Los Angeles County:

California courts increasingly order community service for those convicted of nonviolent and minor misdemeanors or infractions, assigning unpaid work to be performed. While court-ordered community ...
Agricultural financing and optimising output for sustainable economic development in Nigeria : an empirical analysis

This study empirically analyse Agricultural financing and optimising Output for sustainable economic development in Nigeria. Agricultural financing is proxied by the endogenous components of government secured Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme (ACGS) loans and Output is proxied by Gross Domestic Product. Data were sourced from CBN statistical bulletin, 2012 and analysed using Multiple Regression techniques. Research findings indicate that though there is a positive relationship between ACGS funds and Output growth in Nigeria, the trends in their growth rate as revealed by their graphs is not commensurate. The graphs characteristics suggest that Agricultural sector contribution to GDP growth was very minimal during the period under review. However, other statistical parameters passed the test of significance. We therefore conclude that there is a positive relationship between the variables though it appears insignificant. We recommend that Government should take proactive decisions by making deliberate efforts to improve the finances of stakeholders in the Agricultural sector rather than just policies. Also, were commend that regulatory authority surveillance on sectorial credit allocation by banks should be strengthened considering the consequences and implications of the shortage of food production for domestic consumption, earnings from Agricultural exports and the adverse effects on the living standard of citizenry.
Facilitators and Barriers Surrounding the Role of Administration in Employee Job Satisfaction in Long-Term Care Facilities: A Systematic Review

Previous literature has shown how associate engagement has positively impacted on productivity, job satisfaction, safety, retention, consumer sentiment, and financial performance in hospitals and healthcare systems. However, a lack of research showing the relationship between associate engagement and job satisfaction within the long-term care environment has existed. Our objective was to investigate characteristics within the long-term care environment that promote and detract from associate job satisfaction and extrapolate the best practices in maintaining job satisfaction and engagement. This systematic review queried CINAHL, PubMed (MEDLINE), and Academic Search Ultimate databases for peer-reviewed publications for facilitators and barriers commensurate with employee job satisfaction in long-term care facilities using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) and the Kruse Protocols. The authors identified 11 facilitators for job satisfaction and 18 barriers to job satisfaction in the 60 selected articles. The top four facilitators were Supportive Leadership, Capable and Motivated Employees, Positive Organizational Values, and Social Support Mechanisms. The top four barriers were condescending management style, high job demands, lack of self-care, and lack of training with medically complex patients. The systematic review revealed the importance of maintaining satisfied employees in the long-term care workplace through am emphasis leadership and on the facilitators identified to best serve their associates and improve care for residents.
Low-Index Stoichiometric Surfaces of CuBiW2O8

Abstract CuBiW2O8 (CBTO), a theoretically predicted, recently synthesized novel quaternary metal oxide, has been identified as a promising solar light absorber. In the present paper, the surface properties of CBTO are studied to further examine the applicability of the material for solar energy applications. Surface studies of quaternary oxides via first principles methods are rare in the literature. We present here a systematic approach to identifying stable surfaces and the origin of their stability. First, the emergence of the electronic properties from the interplay of cations is explored in bulk CBTO. Calculated XRD data is used to label the surfaces on the experimental XRD plot. For the dominant low-index stoichiometric surfaces, we calculate surface bond strengths, cleaving energies, and surface energies via the slab model within periodic boundary conditions. To calculate the surface energies of a quaternary oxide such as CBTO, we review the existing methodologies and propose a guideline for defining the lower and upper bounds of the slab thickness used in the linear fit model. Surface energies are then used to predict the equilibrium crystal shape via Wulff construction.
Linking Peer-Mediated Interventions to Address Conversational Difficulties in Adolescents With Autism

Purpose Adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) commonly experience an array of pragmatic language difficulties that can interfere with their ability to engage in reciprocal or balanced con...
Distribution and Fractionation of Uranium in Weapon Tested Range Soils

Uranium is a chemically toxic and radioactive heavy metal. Depleted uranium (DU) is the byproduct of the uranium enrichment process, with a majority of U as uranium-238, and a lower content of the ...
One-Third of Open Access Colon Cancer Screening Requests Require a Clinic Appointment

ABSTRACT Background Open access colonoscopy (OAC) allows for patients at low-risk for endoscopic complications to receive a colonoscopy (CSP) without a preprocedural appointment. This can reduce wait times for screening and increase appointment availability for symptomatic patients. Methods At Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, we enacted an OAC program in 2014 for our TRICARE beneficiaries. Patients due for colon cancer screening or polyp surveillance can submit an online questionnaire through a secure website. Our scheduling department reviews all questionnaires, and patients with prespecified criteria are seen in clinic prior to their procedure. The remainder of patients have their surveys reviewed by a gastroenterologist for suitability and are scheduled for CSP or computed tomographic colonography. In 2018, the OAC program was expanded to all military hospitals in the national capital region (NCR). Results Prior to expanding Walter Reed's OAC program, 6713 total screening requests were made. The requested procedure was CSP in 69.9% of patients. Of patients who fell outside the 45-75 age range, 14.1% were under the age of 45, and 2% were over the age of 75. 31.6% of OAC patients required a clinic appointment. Following incorporation of the NCR, 2290 screening questionnaires have been completed without significant change to the absolute percentages of those requiring appointments. Conclusion By avoiding unnecessary clinic visits for asymptomatic individuals, OAC programs increase availability in gastroenterology practices to see symptomatic patients.
Risk Factors for Loss of Lung Sliding in a Medical Intensive Care Population With Acute Respiratory Failure.

Background Point of care bedside ultrasound is widely utilized as a rapid technique to evaluate patients with acute pulmonary emergencies, including acute pneumothorax. The presence of a pneumothorax is a known cause of loss of lung sliding by ultrasound examination, but no other risk factors have been clearly identified. We attempted to identify demographic and patient characteristics that are risk factors for loss of ultrasonographic lung sliding in the absence of a pneumothorax. Methods Data were collected on 159 patients admitted to the medical intensive care unit with acute respiratory failure, undergoing routine admission lung ultrasound. The lung ultrasound examination consisted of 3 views of each hemithorax using a phased array abdominal probe. Results There were 4 confirmed pneumothoraces out of 20 patients with loss of lung sliding at ≥1 ultrasound interrogation points on either hemithorax. Hypercarbic respiratory failure [odds ratio (OR), 5.59] and low body mass index (OR, 0.88) were statistically significant risk factors for the loss of lung sliding in the absence of pneumothorax. There was a trend toward significance in patients with a known history of a decreased forced expiratory volume 1/forced vital capacity ratio (OR, 0.02), COPD/asthma exacerbation as the cause of their respiratory failure (OR, 4.52) and previous pneumothorax (OR, 11.53). Conclusion Common diagnoses and comorbidities are associated with the loss of ultrasonographic lung sliding, in the absence of pneumothorax.
Trends in best-in-class energy-efficient technologies for room air conditioners

Abstract Improving the efficiency of room air conditioners (RACs) could provide significant energy and associated emissions savings, particularly in emerging economies with hot climates where the cooling demand is expected to increase dramatically. To help accelerate efficiency improvements, this study identifies “best-in-class” high-efficiency RAC components and products. The findings show that manufacturers tend to minimize manufacturing costs by using RAC designs that are readily available or standardized to their production, and they share components across various models. High-efficiency RAC models use advanced compressor technologies optimized at a low frequency, large heat exchangers with thermodynamically effective materials and designs, highly efficient direct current fan motors, advanced metering devices, and smart sensors for temperature and humidity control. Recently RAC manufacturers have been improving seasonal efficiency – better reflecting part-load operation – especially via variable-speed (inverter) drives for compressor motors. Recent highest-efficiency RAC models use low global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants, having transitioned from conventional high-GWP refrigerants, in regions where RACs that use these low-GWP refrigerants are commercially available. Recently demonstrated innovative technologies show trends toward smart hybrid designs, evaporative cooling, and solid-state materials beyond the conventional vapor-compression technology. This information could help policymakers improve their RAC market-transformation programs to align with the most-efficient global technology.
Brillouin laser stabilization to a single ion

We stabilize a 20-Hz linewidth fiber-cavity stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) laser to an Sr+ ion in the demonstration of an optical atomic clock.
Effect of pancreatic endotherapy on quality of life in chronic pancreatitis patients: A systematic review.

Effect of pancreatic endotherapy on quality of life in chronic pancreatitis patients: A systematic review
Deep-learning model observer for a low-contrast hepatic metastases localization task in computed tomography.

Purpose Conventional model observers (MO) in CT are often limited to a uniform background or varying background that is random and can be modelled in an analytical form. It is unclear if these conventional MOs can be readily generalized to predict human observer performance in clinical CT tasks that involve realistic anatomical background. Deep-learning-based model observers (DL-MO) have recently been developed, but have not been validated for challenging low contrast diagnostic tasks in abdominal CT. We consequently sought to validate a DL-MO for a low-contrast hepatic metastases localization task. Methods We adapted our recently-developed DL-MO framework for the liver metastases localization task. Our previously-validated projection-domain lesion- / noise-insertion techniques were used to synthesize realistic positive and low-dose abdominal CT exams, using the archived patient projection data. Ten experimental conditions were generated, which involved different lesion sizes / contrasts, radiation dose levels, and image reconstruction types. Each condition included 100 trials generated from a patient cohort of 7 cases. Each trial was presented as liver image patches (160×160×5 voxels). The DL-MO performance was calculated for each condition and was compared with human observer performance, which was obtained by 3 sub-specialized radiologists in an observer study. The performance of DL-MO and radiologists was gauged by the area under localization receiver-operating-characteristic curves. The generalization performance of the DL-MO was estimated with the repeated 2-fold cross-validation method over the same set of trials used in human observer study. A multi-slice Channelized Hoteling Observers (CHO) was compared with the DL-MO across the same experimental conditions. Results The performance of DL-MO was highly correlated to that of radiologists (Pearson's correlation coefficient: 0.987; 95% C.I.: 0.942, 0.997). The performance level of DL-MO was comparable to that of the grouped radiologists, i.e. the mean performance difference was -3.3%. The CHO performance was poorer than the grouped radiologist performance, before internal noise could be added. The correlation between CHO and radiologists was weaker (Pearson's correlation coefficient: 0.812, and 95% C.I.: [0.378, 0.955]), and the corresponding performance bias (-29.5%) was statistically significant. Conclusion The presented study demonstrated the potential of using the DL-MO for image quality assessment in patient abdominal CT tasks. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Natural Antisense Transcript: A Concomitant Engagement with Protein-Coding Transcript

The vertebrate genome contains large spans of non-coding RNA, which for the most part were considered of little functional value to the organism. Recent studies have indicated that vertebrate genomes may have stored hidden secrets in this large span of non-coding RNA, which we refer to here as “Natural Antisense Transcripts (NATs).” NATs can be found in introns, exons, promoters, enhancers, intergenic sequences, and untranslated regions of the genome. They can be located in either the plus or minus DNA strand. NATs utilize several mechanisms that include DNA replication interference, chromatin remodeling, transcriptional interference, RNA masking, double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-dependent mechanisms and translation interference to mechanistically regulate gene expression. Recently, NAT levels have been identified as dysregulated in various disease states. This review presents an overview of the current state of NAT biology and highlights the main points with specific examples.
Design of a test rig for measurement of stiffness and damping characteristics of computer keyboard keys

Describes the development of a special-purpose test rig for the measurement of stiffness and damping characteristics of computer keyboard keys. The ultimate aim of this project is to gain a more complete understanding of the tactile "feel" of computer keyboard keys by quantifying their mechanical impedance. To achieve this goal, a computer-controlled test rig that can measure key displacement, velocity, and contact force has been designed. The objectives of the measurement and data analysis, and a description of the hardware and software configuration, including the data acquisition method and motion control system, are presented.
Upstroke time ratio. A new concept in differentiating valvular and subvalvular aortic stenosis.

Abstract The upstroke time ratio is based on the relationship in duration and contour of the central and peripheral artery pressure curves. Although differing in contour, the normal central and peripheral arterial pulses show a constant relationship in the duration of their upstroke slopes. This relationship is altered by aortic valve and left ventricular outflow abnormality. The upstroke time ratio measures this difference and can, therefore, be used to differentiate between aortic and subaortic valvular stenosis. It is expressed as Radial artery corrected upstroke time Central aorta corrected upstroke time All studies were made during diagnostic cardiac catheterizations. Patients with involvment of any valve other than the aortic were not included in this study. The upstroke time ratio results were as follows: 12 normal subjects, 0.50 to 0.70; 12 with rheumatic aortic valvular stenosis, 0.80 to 0.87; 5 with congenital (bicuspid) valvular stenosis, 0.68 to 0.77; 4 with aortic subvalvular ring, 0.54 to 0.63; and 3 with idiopathic hypertrophy of left ventricular outflow tract, 1.0 to 1.2. The upstroke time ratio is useful in differentiating between aortic and subaortic stenosis and in diagnosing idiopathic hypertrophy with a subaortic fibrous stenosis. Other differential hemodynamic findings are mentioned.
Towards a Social Network Approach for Monitoring Insider Threats to Information Security

Monitoring threats to information security is increasingly becoming important to protecting secured organizational documents. There is increasing number of threats to information security, which originates from the internal users of the system. Insider is defined as a trusted person and has access to classified documents. Our focus here is on understanding mechanisms for monitoring insiders working with the intelligence community. The analyst working with the intelligence community usually works on a TOI (Topic of Interest) and AOI (Area of Interest) so that they can develop a report about a very specific question. How do we ensure that these analysts do not perform malicious act during their course of collection, analysis and report generation for a given task? We suggest the need for social network monitoring of these analysts, which would help decreasing the threats of malicious intent of the insider. In this paper, we first provide a logical representation of analyst workflow model. Secondly, we describe the use of social network approach in general and suggest its application to monitoring insider threats. Thirdly, we provide an analysis of the properties and characteristics of social network analysis as they relate to monitoring insider threats for the intelligence community.
Electronic Bandstructure of an Incommensurate Crystal

The consequences of an incommensurate lattice modulation on the electronic energy levels have been studied by optical transmission experiments on Rb2ZnBr4. The results are analyzed with a simple tight-binding model in which the superspace symmetry of the crystal is taken into account.
Recentralizing groundwater governmentality: rendering groundwater and its users visible and governable

Groundwater use, particularly for agricultural purposes, has exploded globally. This was driven by the advent of deep tubewell groundwater lifting technology, state-led incentives for its adoption and de facto groundwater regulatory regimes around the world that by and large gave landowners the right to pump unlimited amounts of groundwater. As a result, many parts of the world are now facing severe groundwater overdraft. This has prompted calls for new forms of decentralized governance specific to groundwater, which has been dominated historically by institutions and policies created to manage surface water. This article makes three interrelated arguments about this regulatory shift. First, the rapid growth of energized groundwater extraction has created an unstable configuration of state actors, groundwater users, abstraction technologies, and flows of water and power. Second, given this heterogeneous assemblage, the dispersed character of groundwater extraction, and its rapid decline, attempts to craft groundwater specific governance are leading to innovations in rendering groundwater and hence its users visible and governable. In turn, this is setting in motion new kinds of groundwater governmentalities as state and civil society institutions attempt to rein in this system. So that third, rather than this leading to truly decentralized groundwater governance, we instead are witnessing a resurgence of the ‘resource-state’ and the recentralization of policies and institutions that attempt to control decentralized groundwater users and ecologies. These are working to dispossess existing users rather than engage them in the policy-making process. The article concludes with avenues for future research on understanding specific ‘groundwater governmentalities’. WIREs Water 2015, 2:21–30. doi: 10.1002/wat2.1058 Conflict of interest: The author has declared no conflicts of interest for this article. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
Chloroplast development in pigment deficient mutants of maize: I. Structural anomalies in plastids of allelic mutants at the w3 locus

A fine structure study of the plastids of normal and mutant seedlings was undertaken in an attempt to correlate what is known of the genetics and biochemistry of two allelic mutants to plastid structure and development. Seedlings of normal, albino (w3), pastel (pas8686), and the albino/pastel (F1) heterozygote were grown for 11–14 days in the dark, then exposed to light for 24 hours. Samples were taken in the dark and at intervals up to 24 hours, fixed, embedded, and sectioned for electron microscopy. Structural changes that occur in leaf mesophyll chloroplasts of the normal and mutant plants grown in dark and exposed to light are compared in four series of micrographs to show: structure and disorganization of the prolamellar body, lamellar formation, and subsequent breakdown or aberrant organization of internal structure. Probable relationships of chlorophyll, carotenoid, and carotenoid precursors to chloroplast structure are discussed.
A unified modeling and design methodology for RFICs using parameterized sub-circuit cells

This paper presents, for the first time, a cell-based modeling and design platform for RFICs aiming to shorten design cycle time by eliminating iterations between schematic and post-layout simulations and to minimize the risk for costly mask re-spin. Based on a pre-characterized RF sub-circuit cell library, which contains not only active devices and passive components but also routing interconnects, this methodology systematically alleviates the common RF model inaccuracy due to layout discrepancies between actual circuits and device model test structures. By exploiting the modularity in RF circuits at the sub-circuit level, the proposed design platform achieves a balance between circuit design flexibility and device model accuracy compared to the conventional approach of using pre-characterizing single transistors. This paper describes the implementation of the parameterized sub-circuit cell layout and the macro modeling techniques for a 0.13-/spl mu/m CMOS RF sub-circuit cell library. Measurement results from a characterization test chip for validating the macro circuit models are presented.
Predictors of Smoking and Alcohol Use in Japanese and Japanese-American College Students

This study investigates and identifies the predictors of cigarette smoking and alcohol use and acculturation of Japanese and Japanese American students in Hawaii. The Transtheroetical Model (TTM) was applied to investigate smoking and alcohol behavior and attitudes. A cross-sectional self-report survey was conducted through convenience sampling and the snowball sampling technique. The total 92 participants (Japanese 69.6%; Japanese Americans 30.4%) completed either English version or Japanese version of survey. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance, chi-square, and regression to test significance. These analyses indicate that onset of smoking and drinking is associated with Japanese culture. To some extent acculturation is influential factor in both smoking and alcohol behavior. However, nationality and age have stronger associations with smoking; education is stronger factor to predict alcohol use than acculturation among Japanese and Japanese American students. Results indicate a need for cultural-specific interventions for Japanese and Japanese Americans.
Crisis Instability and US-China Relations: The Present (If Not Clear) Danger

Two concerns have driven much of the debate about international security in the post Cold War era. The principal concern has been the potentially deadly mix of nuclear proliferation, rogue states, and international terrorists, a concern that became clearly dominant after the 9/11 attacks. The second concern, one whose prominence has waxed and waned since the mid-1990s, is the potentially disruptive impact of China if it emerges as a peer competitor of the United States, challenging an international order established during the era of American preponderance. Reflecting this second concern, some have expressed reservations about the dominant post 9/11 security agenda, arguing that China could challenge American global interests in ways that terrorists and rogue states cannot. In this essay, I raise a different concern prompted by China’s changing role in the early 21st century. I suggest that a more pressing issue, one to which not enough attention has been paid, is the danger of instability during a Sino-American crisis. For at least the next decade, while China remains relatively weak, the gravest danger in Sino-American relations is the possibility they will find themselves in a crisis that could escalate to open military conflict. In contrast to the long term prospect for a new great power rivalry between the US and China that ultimately rests on uncertain forecasts about big shifts in national capabilities and debatable claims about the motivations of the two countries, the danger of instability in a crisis involving these two nuclear-armed states is clear and present. It is a danger that rests neither on hypothetical future capabilities nor questionable assumptions about each side’s intentions. In what follows, I identify not just preemptive pressures that could pose the most serious risk during such a crisis, but also related, if slightly less dramatic, incentives to use force that could produce instability.
Sonic hedgehog Regulates Proliferation and Inhibits Differentiation of CNS Precursor Cells

Activation of the Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signal transduction pathway is essential for normal pattern formation and cellular differentiation in the developing CNS. However, it is also thought to be etiological in primitive neuroectodermal tumors. We adaptedGAL4/UAS methodology to ectopically express full-lengthShh in the dorsal neural tube of transgenic mouse embryos commencing at 10 d postcoitum (dpc), beyond the period of primary dorsal–ventral pattern formation and floorplate induction. Expression of Shh was maintained until birth, permitting us to investigate effects of ongoing exposure to Shh on CNS precursors in vivo. Proliferative rates of spinal cord precursors were twice that of wild-type littermates at 12.5 dpc. In contrast, at late fetal stages (18.5 dpc), cells that were Shh-responsive but postmitotic were present in persistent structures reminiscent of the ventricular zone germinal matrix. This tissue remained blocked in an undifferentiated state. These results indicate that cellular competence restricts the proliferative response to Shhin vivo and provide evidence that proliferation and differentiation can be regulated separately in precursor cells of the spinal cord. Thus, Hedgehog signaling may contribute to CNS tumorigenesis by directly enhancing proliferation and preventing neural differentiation in selected precursor cells.
The impacts of climate variability on welfare in rural Mexico

This paper examines the impacts of weather shocks, defined as rainfall or growing degree days more than a standard deviation from their respective long-run means, on household consumption per capita and child height-for-age. The results reveal that the current risk-coping mechanisms are not effective in protecting these two dimensions of welfare from erratic weather patterns. These findings imply that the change in the patterns of climatic variability associated with climate change is likely to reduce the effectiveness of the current coping mechanisms even more and thus increase household vulnerability further. The results reveal that weather shocks have substantial (negative as well as positive) effects on welfare that vary across regions (North vs. Center and South) and socio-economic characteristics (education and gender). The heterogeneous impacts of climatic variability suggest that a"tailored"approach to designing programs aimed at decreasing the sensitivity and increasing the capacity of rural households to adapt to climate change in Mexico is likely to be more effective.
Synthesis of Chiral (E)‐Crotylsilanes: [3R‐ and 3S‐]‐(4E)‐Methyl 3‐(Dimethylphenylsilyl)‐4‐Hexenoate

Synthesis of chiral (E)-crotylsilanes: [3R- and 3S-]-(4E)-methyl 3-(dimethylphenylsilyl)-4-hexenoate intermediate: (±)-1-(Dimethylphenylsilyl)-1-buten-3-ol (2a) catalyst: 12 mg (2.05 × 10−5 mol) of bis(η-divinyltetramethyldisiloxane)tri-tert-butylphosphineplatinum(0) intermediate: (3S)-1-(Dimethylphenylsilyl)-1-buten-3-ol (3a) intermediate: (3R)-1-(dimethylphenylsilyl)-1-buten-3-ol acetate (3b) intermediate: (3R)-1-(Dimethylphenylsilyl)-1-buten-3-ol (3c) product: (3S, 4E)-Methyl 3-(dimethylphenylsilyl)-4-hexenoate (4a) Keywords: acylation; addition, to CC; alkylation, O-alkylation; cleavage, reductive; deacylation; enzymatic reactions; enzymatic reactions; hydroboration; metalation reactions, silicon; metal-catalyzed reactions, platinum; rearrangements; reduction, CO2R CH2OH; resolution
A graph polynomial and its applications

Let G b e a finite graph. A polynomial P(G, x) associated with G is defined, and a formula for P(G,x) in terms of the subgraphs of G is derived. This characterization is then applied to obtain results on coverings, 1-factors and graphical reconstructions.
Improving Adolescent Social Competence and Behavior: A Randomized Trial of an 11-Week Equine Facilitated Learning Prevention Program

There is growing evidence that promoting social competence in youth is an effective strategy to prevent mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders in adulthood. Research suggests that programs delivered in collaboration with schools are particularly effective when they target social and emotional skill building, utilize an interactive instructional style, provide opportunities for youth participation and self-direction, and include explicit attempts to enhance youth social competence. A relatively new but popular approach that incorporates these characteristics is human animal interaction, which can be implemented in educational settings. We report the results from a randomized clinical trial examining the effects of an 11-week equine facilitated learning (EFL) program on the social competence and behavior of 5th-8th grade children. Children (N = 131) were recruited through referral by school counselors and school-based recruitment and then screened for low social competence. Researchers randomly assigned children to an experimental (n = 53) or waitlisted control group (n = 60). Children in the experimental group participated in an 11-week EFL program consisting of once-weekly, 90-min sessions of individual and team-focused activities, whereas children in the control group served as a wait-listed control and participated 16 weeks later. Parents of children in both groups rated child social competence at pretest and posttest. Three independent raters observed and reported children's positive and negative behavior using a validated checklist during each weekly session. Results indicated that program participation had a moderate treatment effect (d = .55) on social competence (p = .02) that was independent of pretest levels, age, gender, and referral status. Results showed that higher levels of program attendance predicted children's trajectories of observed positive (β = .500; p = .003) and negative behavior (β = -.062; p < .001) over the 11-week program.
Modulation of vascular tone by endothelin‐1: role of preload, endothelial integrity and concentration of endothelin‐1

1. Endothelin-1 (ET-1) has been shown to exert both arterial relaxant and constrictor effects. To examine the mechanisms of these divergent effects, rat aortic rings were suspended in an organ bath (baseline preload, 5 g) and exposed to ET-1 (10(-11) to 10(-7) M). ET-1 contracted these rings in a concentration-dependent fashion. 2. When aortic rings were contracted with noradrenaline (NA) to 1 g of tension, ET-1 caused further contraction of these rings. In rings precontracted to 2 to 4 g of tension, low concentrations of ET-1 (10(-11) to 10(-9) M) caused a significant relaxation, but high concentrations (greater than or equal to 5 x 10(-9) M) caused a marked contraction, indicating both relaxant and contractile effects of ET-1 depending on the preload and ET-1 concentration. 3. To determine the mechanism of ET-1-induced relaxation, aortic rings were pretreated with the cyclo-oxygenase inhibitor indomethacin, NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA) an inhibitor of synthesis of endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF), or oxyhaemoglobin (Hb) which decreases the activity of EDRF, prior to their exposure to ET-1. Both indomethacin and L-NMMA markedly (P less than 0.01) attenuated ET-1-induced relaxation, whereas Hb totally abolished it. Removal of the endothelium from aortic rings also abolished ET-1-mediated relaxation. 4. The relaxant effect of ET-1 in NA-precontracted rings was associated with marked accumulation of guanosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate (cyclic GMP), whereas ET-1-induced contraction of quiescent rings was not. 5.In manually stretched rings (4 g of tension), ET-l caused only concentration-dependent contraction, but no cyclic GMP accumulation.6. Thus, ET-1 contracts rat aortic rings with intact endothelium and those which are passively stretched. However, stimulation of rat aortic rings with NA to modest tension alters the contractile effect of ET-1 to a potent relaxant effect. The ET-l-mediated relaxation in this setting appears to be endothelium-dependent and is related to release of both cyclo-oxygenase products and EDRF.
Unique monooxygenation pattern indicates novel flavin-containing monooxygenase in liver of rainbow trout

Vertebrate flavin-containing monooxygenases (FMOs) have only been isolated from mammalian organisms. However, many FMO substrates include pesticides which may adversely affect fish and other aquatic organisms residing in adjacent waterways to treated fields. Although FMO activities have been identified in fish, the exact isoform profile is uncertain. Utilizing prochiral methyl tolyl sulfides (MTS) and isoform-selective antibodies, an attempt was made to identify specific FMO isoforms which may be involved in sulfoxidation reactions which have been shown to bioactivate thioether pesticides, such as aldicarb. Rainbow trout hepatic microsomes treated with detergent to eliminate cytochrome P450 contributions catalyzed the formation of the sulfoxide of MTS in 75% S enantiomeric excess. These catalytic results contrast activities of the five other FMO isoforms including FMO1 (> 98% R) and FMO3 (50% R). Benzydamine N-oxidation was also observed as were methimazole, thiourea, and aldicarb sulfoxidation reactions. Antibodies to FMO1 recognized a single protein of 60 kDa in trout liver microsomes, while anti-FMO3 antibodies only slightly reacted with a 55-kDa microsomal protein. These results indicate a novel isoform profile in rainbow trout liver implicating either a mixture of competing FMO isoforms or a FMO1-like isoform displaying unique catalytic activity.
Tracing Student Responsiveness to Intervention with Early Literacy Skills Indicators: Do They Reflect Growth toward Text Reading Outcomes?.

This study investigated four widely-used early literacy skills indicators in reflecting growth toward first-grade text reading skills. Examining the progress of 101 students across kindergarten and first grade, Letter Naming Fluency (LNF) and Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF) were more accurate than Initial Sounds Fluency and Phoneme Segmentation Fluency in discriminating between students grouped according to successful or unsuccessful first-grade reading outcomes. LNF and NWF slope also discriminated between groups, but graphed observed scores suggested potential problems in identifying students with persistently low achievement. Results suggest the need for continued refinement of early literacy skills measures for instructional decision-making.
Detailed performance and waiting-time predictability analysis of scheduling options in on-demand video streaming

The number of on-demand video streams that can be supported concurrently is highly constrained by the stringent requirements of real-time playback and high transfer rates. To address this problem, stream merging techniques utilize the multicast facility to increase resource sharing. The achieved resource sharing depends greatly on how the waiting requests are scheduled for service. We investigate the effectiveness of the recently proposed cost-based scheduling in detail and analyze opportunities for further tunings and enhancements. In particular, we analyze alternative ways to compute the delivery cost. In addition, we propose a new scheduling policy, called Predictive Cost-Based Scheduling(PCS), which applies a prediction algorithm to predict future scheduling decisions and then uses the prediction results to potentially alter its current scheduling decisions. Moreover, we propose an enhancement technique, called Adaptive Regular Stream Triggering(ART), which significantly enhances stream merging behavior by selectively delaying the initiation of full-length video streams. We analyze the effectiveness of the proposed strategies in terms of their performance effectiveness and impacts on waiting-time predictability through extensive simulation. The results show that significant performance benefits as well as better waiting-time predictability can be attained.
Thermal and Transport Properties of Six Ionic Liquids: An Experimental and Molecular Dynamics Study

Experimental measurements and molecular dynamics simulations are used to determine the density, heat capacity, self-diffusivity, shear viscosity, and thermal conductivity of six ionic liquids over a range of temperatures. The ionic liquids examined are 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis[(perfluoroethyl)sulfonyl]imide ([bmim][Pf2N]), 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]imide ([bmim][Tf2N]), 1-butyl-2,3-dimethylimidazolium bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]imide ([bmmim][Tf2N]), 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]imide ([bmpyr][Tf2N]), N-butyl-N,N,N-trimethylammonium bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]imide ([N4111][Tf2N]), and N,N,N-trimethylammonium-N-butanoic acid bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]imide ([N4111][COOHTfN]). The results of this work suggest that several of these ionic liquids have properties that would enable them to be successful high temperature heat transfer fluids. In particular, their energy storage densities and thermal conductivities are quite favorabl...
Acquired Hyperopia with Choroidal Folds

Six healthy adults suddenly developed a unilateral or bilateral hyperopic shift in refractive error of up to 6 diopters. Fundi of affected eyes showed typical choroidal folds. Visual acuity was improved to normal or near normal by plus lenses, and refraction and fundus appearance have remained stable for up to 23 years. The benign syndrome of acquired hyperopia with choroidal folds deserves emphasis in order to spare patients from unnecessary and potentially hazardous neurosurgical or orbital investigation.
An analysis of the effects of RFID tags on narrowband instrument landing systems

The use of RFID tags to identify and track cargo is already common, and expected to grow. Inevitably, many such tags will be used on air freight shipments. Therefore, the effects of such RFID tags on common avionics is an issue of concern to owners, operators, regulators and the traveling public. A recent study by NASA Langley Research Center identified a particular RFID device having a relatively high level of emissions in the 328.6-335.4 MHz band associated with the instrument landing system glide slope function. This paper summarizes a small NASA-supported study performed by the technical staff of the Honeywell Aerospace Advanced Technology organization to estimate the effects of the measured emission levels and signal structure on the Glide Slope guidance function. The paper includes a derivation of the guidance error variance, a model for accommodating RFID duty cycle, and application of the simple analysis recommended by RTCA/DO-294B. The conclusion is that, under likely operating conditions, low duty cycle RFID tags such as the specific family identified by NASA should have no meaningful effect on GS operation. Extrapolations to other narrowband receiver systems reach similar conclusions.
Plato, Phaedrus 263b6

Οὐκο⋯ν τ⋯ν μέλλοντα τέχνην ῥητορικ⋯ν μeτιέναι πρ⋯τον μέν δeῖ τα⋯τα ⋯δῷ διῃρ⋯σθαι, κα⋯ eἰληɸέναι τιν⋯ χαρακτ⋯ρα ⋯κατέρου το⋯ eἵδουδ, ⋯ν ᾧ τe ⋯ν⋯γκη τ⋯ πλ⋯θος πλαν⋯σθαι Kα⋯ ⋯ν ᾧ μή (Phaedrus 263b6–9). To the best of my knowledge the soundness of the first six words of this sentence (Οὐκο⋯ν…μeτιέναι) has never been questioned, yet to accept them as they are in the manuscripts means to close one's eyes to the direction of the argument.At 260d5–9 rhetoric personified and allowed to plead its case makes the ‘big’ statement that anyone learning how to speak would do well to know the truth about his subject but that even if he knows it he would not be able ἄνeν ⋯μο⋯, i.e. without the aid of rhetoric, πeίθeιν τέχνῃ. From that point on the issues are whether rhetoric justly claims to be a τέχνῃ, what territory it covers and how the procedure of someone practising it τέχνῃ may differ from that of one for whom it is an ἄτeχνος τριβή (see 260e3–5). Even if rhetoric engages in ⋯πάτη (261a6ff.) and proves e.g. one and the same thing to be both just and unjust (261c5ff., d3f.), success will be with ⋯ τέχνῃ το⋯το δρ⋯ν (clO); witness Zeno of Elea, a master in such arguments λέγοντα τέχνῃ when he makes the same things appear like and unlike or one and many (261d6–9). To judge shrewdly what kind of subjects deceive people more easily (261eff.) the rhetorician himself must have a firm grasp of the truth: λόγων ἄρα τέχνην, ⋯ ⋯ταῖρe, ⋯ τ⋯ν ⋯λήθeιαν μ⋯ eἰδώς, δόξας δ⋯ τeθηρeυκώς, γeλοίαν τινά, ὡς ἔοικe, κα⋯ ἄτeχνον παρέξeται(262c 1 ff.).
Tellurium-loaded zeolites: II. The nature of the dehydrocyclization site

Abstract A study of the elution of tellurium from TeNaX and TeKX by hydrogen at elevated temperature has shown that the reducing atmosphere can prevent complete elution of tellurium from the catalyst. The inferred necessity of hydrogen for the formation of the aromatization site has been combined with the results of a separate crystallographic analysis and leads to a model for the active entity that rationalizes essentially all of our knowledge on these systems. The catalytically active entity is believed to be a tellurium ion, in the supercage of the zeolite base, coordinated to Site II and Site III cations. Support for this model comes from catalytic experiments designed to show the criticality of the presence of Site III cations.
The relative influence of urban climates on outdoor human energy budgets and skin temperature. I. Modeling considerations.

An attempt is made to provide a tool for systematically analyzing variations of outdoor human energy budgets and skin temperatures as a result of different urban street canyon geometries and vegetative properties. To this end, three previously developed numerical models were combined. The interaction of the models and the derivation of the necessary human-urban view-factors is discussed. Some sample results are given for non-urban macadam and park plains, to be used later as standards in the comparison of the impact of urban morphology on human comfort.
Critical angles for channeling of H+, D+ and He+ ions in single crystal gold films in the energy interval 1–17 keV

Abstract The critical angles for channeling are obtained from measurements of transmitted ion intensity in the forward direction through gold crystal foils as a function of foil orientation. The results agree with theoretical predictions for the low energy region.