cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Degradation of Perfluoroalkyl Ether Carboxylic Acids with Hydrated Electrons: Structure–Reactivity Relationships and Environmental Implications

This study explores structure-reactivity relationships for the degradation of emerging perfluoroalkyl ether carboxylic acid (PFECA) pollutants with ultraviolet-generated hydrated electrons (eaq-). The rate and extent of PFECA degradation depend on both the branching extent and the chain length of oxygen-segregated fluoroalkyl moieties. Kinetic measurements, theoretical calculations, and transformation product analyses provide a comprehensive understanding of the PFECA degradation mechanisms and pathways. In comparison to traditional full-carbon-chain perfluorocarboxylic acids, the distinct degradation behavior of PFECAs is attributed to their ether structures. The ether oxygen atoms increase the bond dissociation energy of the C-F bonds on the adjacent -CF2- moieties. This impact reduces the formation of H/F-exchanged polyfluorinated products that are recalcitrant to reductive defluorination. Instead, the cleavage of ether C-O bonds generates unstable perfluoroalcohols and thus promotes deep defluorination of short fluoroalkyl moieties. In comparison to linear PFECAs, branched PFECAs have a higher tendency of H/F exchange on the tertiary carbon and thus lower percentages of defluorination. These findings provide mechanistic insights for an improved design and efficient degradation of fluorochemicals.
The Affordable Care Act's Dependent Care Coverage Expansion and Behavioral Health Care.

Background In September 2010, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) extended dependent care coverage to individuals under the age of 26, allowing young adults to remain on their parent's private insurance. Aims of the study This policy offers a natural experiment to examine the impact of expanded insurance coverage on mental health and substance use treatment utilization and payment composition. Methods Using National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) and Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data between 2005 and 2014, this study employs a difference-in-differences approach with 23-25 year olds as the treatment group and 27-30 year olds as the control group to examine the impact of the expansion on insurance coverage, behavioral health treatment utilization, and treatment payment source. Results Results indicate that the dependent care coverage expansion is associated with an increase in insurance coverage, greater mental health treatment utilization, and an increase in payment for behavioral health treatment by private insurance. Discussion This study shows that insurance coverage increased and financial barriers to getting behavioral health treatment fell. Improving access to care only led to increases in mental health treatment utilization, while substance use treatment utilization remained unchanged. Implications The ACA succeeded in extending insurance benefits to a population that has been historically underinsured. Along with those benefits, young adults enjoyed greater access to behavioral health care and a measure of financial protection from high costs. While the evidence has yet to be presented for the full implementation of the ACA, if these results are typical of its other provisions, then the ACA will have achieved some of its most important objectives.
A Case Study of k-means Clustering using SYCL

As opposed to the OpenCL programming model in which host and device codes are written in two programming languages, the SYCL programming model combines them for an application in a type-safe way to improve development productivity. As a popular cluster analysis algorithm, k-means has been implemented using programming models such as OpenMP, OpenCL, and CUDA. Developing a SYCL implementation of k-means as a case study allows us to have a better understanding of performance portability and programming productivity of the SYCL programming model. Specifically, we explained the k-means benchmark in Rodinia, described our efforts of porting the OpenCL k-means benchmark, and evaluated the performance of the OpenCL and SYCL implementations on the Intel® Haswell, Broadwell, and Skylake processors. We summarized the migration steps from OpenCL to SYCL, compiled the SYCL program using Codeplay and Intel® SYCL compilers, analyzed the SYCL and OpenCL programs using an open-source profiling tool which can intercept OpenCL runtime calls, and compared the performance of the implementations on Intel® CPUs and integrated GPU. The experimental results show that the SYCL version in which the kernels run on the GPU is 2% and 8% faster than the OpenCL version for the two large datasets. However, the OpenCL version is still much faster than the SYCL version on the CPUs. Compared to the Intel® Haswell and Skylake CPUs, running the k-means benchmark on the Intel® Broadwell low-power processor with a CPU and an integrated GPU can achieve the lowest energy consumption. In terms of programming productivity, the lines of code of the SYCL program are 51% fewer than those of the OpenCL program.
Social media use predicts later sleep timing and greater sleep variability: An ecological momentary assessment study of youth at high and low familial risk for depression

Abstract Introduction Social media (SM) use has been increasingly recognized as a potential contributor to poor sleep. Few studies have examined SM use and sleep using ecological momentary assessment (EMA), compared different types of media use (SM, television, gaming), or examined whether youth at high and low familial risk for depression are differentially affected by SM use. Methods The current study included 76 youth (46% female; Mean age = 11.28 years) who were recruited based on parental history of recurrent depression (N = 35 high risk; N = 41 low risk) in the United States. Youth completed a 9-day EMA protocol, which included current activity at time of prompt and daily sleep onset and offset times. Regression and multilevel models were conducted to examine the effects of media use on sleep. Results Results indicated that youth who used more SM (mean and number of days) went to sleep later, but did not have shorter sleep duration. Youth with more SM use also had higher levels of variability of both sleep timing and sleep duration across the 9-day period. There were no effects of gaming or TV on sleep, and youth at high risk for depression did not have differences in SM use or its effects on sleep compared to low-risk youth. Conclusions These findings indicate a unique impact of SM use on sleep timing and variability for youth (regardless of risk status), which may suggest a unique and modifiable pathway through which SM use contributes to poor health.
How Often Did the Athenian Dikasteria Meet? A Reappraisal

Trial days were probably fewer than the widely-accepted 150–200 per year: avoidance of monthly festival days cannot be proved, and fourth-century procedure suggests that dikasteria were convened only when other methods of dispute resolution failed.
Symmetries from locality. III. Massless spin-2 gravitons and time translations

We relax the assumption of time translation and Lorentz boost symmetry in theories involving massless spin-2 gravitons, while maintaining a basic notion of locality that there is no instantaneous signaling at a distance. We project out longitudinal modes, leaving only 2 degrees of freedom of the graviton. Our previous work, which assumed time translation symmetry, found that the Lorentz boost symmetry is required to ensure locality at leading order. In this work, without assuming time translations or Lorentz boosts, we show that locality of the exchange action between matter sources demands that massless spin-2, at leading order, organizes into Einstein-Hilbert plus a Gauss-Bonnet term with a prefactor that is constrained to be a particular function of time; while in the matter sector we recover time translation and Lorentz boost symmetry. Finally, we comment on whether the time dependence of the Gauss-Bonnet prefactor may be forbidden by going to higher order in the analysis and we mention that other possibilities are anticipated if graviton mass terms are included.
Sleep Breathing Disorders in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

DMD is an X-linked recessive associated with mutations in the dystrophin gene. Progressive respiratory muscle weakness resulting in respiratory failure and cardiomyopathy are the major causes of morbidity and mortality. Mechanical ventilation, aggressive airway clearance, and glucocorticoid therapy have increased survival into the third decade. OSA occurs in approximately 64% of patients and is associated with increased body mass index and corticosteroid use. Hypoventilation can occur either with OSA or in isolation. Indications for nocturnal assisted ventilation include symptoms of hypoventilation or sleep disordered breathing, abnormal sleep study, awake SpO2 45 mmHg, forced vital capacity < 50% predicted, and maximal inspiratory pressure < 60 cm H20.
Normative cervical spine kinematics of a circumduction task

Abstract Neck pain is a prevalent condition and clinical examination techniques are limited and unable to assess out-of-plane motion. Recent works investigating cervical kinematics during neck circumduction (NC), a dynamic 3D task, has shown the ability to discern those with and without neck pain. The purposes of this study were to establish 1) confidence and prediction intervals of head-to-torso kinematics during NC in a healthy cohort, 2) a baseline summative metric to quantify the duration and magnitude of deviations outside the prediction interval, and 3) the reliability of NC. Thirty-nine participants (25.6 ± 6.3 years, 19F/20M) without neck pain completed left and right NC. A two-way smoothing spline analysis of variance was utilized to determine the mean-fitted values and 90% confidence and prediction intervals for NC. A standardized effect size was calculated and aggregated across all axes (Delta RMSD aggregate), as a summative metric of motion quality. Confidence and prediction intervals were comparable for left and right NC and demonstrated excellent reliability. The average sum of the Delta RMSD aggregate was 2.76 ± 0.55 for left NC and 2.74 ± 0.63 for right NC. The results of this study demonstrate the feasibility of utilizing normative intervals of a NC task to assess head-to-torso kinematics.
Progress of Tensor-Based High-Dimensional Uncertainty Quantification of Process Variations

Uncertainty quantification under process variations is an important topic in computational electromagnetics (EM) and electronic design automation (EDA). The popular stochastic methods become computationally inefficient when the number of uncertain parameters grows. A promising technique to address this challenge is tensor computation. This short paper reviews some recent tensor methods for high-dimensional uncertainty quantification in the field of EDA and computational EM.
From Gamma-Ray Bursts to Supernovae

Gamma-ray bursts are highly energetic astronomical events lasting from tens of milliseconds to tens of minutes. A wealth of new data is providing clues for the origin of these events, and in a striking twist, researchers are returning to an old idea that links gamma-ray bursts to supernovae.
A network processor based passive measurement node

The complexity of network systems and the heterogeneity of end systems will make networks increasingly difficult to manage. To understand the operational details of networks it is imperative that sufficient information on their behavior is available. This can be achieved through network measurement.
Real-Time Randomized Motion Planning for Multiple Domains

Motion planning is a critical component for autonomous mobile robots, requiring a solution which is fast enough to serve as a building block, yet easy enough to extend that it can be adapted to new platforms without starting from scratch. This paper presents an algorithm based on randomized planning approaches, which uses a minimal interface between the platform and planner to aid in implementation reuse. Two domains to which the planner has been applied are described. The first is a 2D domain for small-size robot navigation, where the planner has been used successfully in various versions for five years. The second is a true 3D planner for autonomous fixed-wing aircraft with kinematic constraints. Despite large differences between these two platforms, the core planning code is shared across domains, and this flexibility comes with only a small efficiency penalty.
Absence of [125I] alpha-bungarotoxin binding to motor nerve terminals of frog, lizard and mouse muscle

The existence of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) on the motor nerve terminals of vertebrates has long been controversial. We have re- examined this issue by electron microscope autoradiography with [125I] alpha-bungarotoxin, following separation of nerve terminals from muscle fibers by collagenase and protease treatment. We found no label over nerve terminal membranes other than that due to background, and we calculate upper limits of less than 0.1% of the postsynaptic AChR density for nerve terminals in frogs, lizards, and mice. We conclude that there are essentially no presynaptic acetylcholine receptors that bind alpha-bungarotoxin at vertebrate neuromuscular junctions.
Good Sleep Health in Urban Children With Asthma: A Risk and Resilience Approach

Objectives To identify children demonstrating “good” sleep health in a sample of urban children with persistent asthma; to compare sociocontextual, asthma clinical characteristics, and sleep behaviors in children with “good” versus “poor” sleep health; and to examine protective effects of family-based health behaviors on sleep health. Methods Participants were 249 Black (33%), Latino (51%) and non-Latino White (16%) children with asthma, ages 7–9 years, and their primary caregivers. Results 32 percent of children had “good” sleep health. Well-controlled asthma and better lung function were more likely in this group. In the context of urban risks, sleep hygiene appeared to be a protective factor associated with better sleep quality. The protective effect of asthma management functioned differently by ethnic group. Conclusions This study identifies protective processes that may guard against urban risks to optimize sleep health in children with asthma. Intervention programs can be tailored to consider specific supports that enhance sleep health in this high-risk group.
Wage and Salary Administration in a Dynamic Economy

The article reviews the book “Wage and Salary Administration in a Dynamic Economy,” by Leonard R. Burgess.
Aflatoxin B1 Activation in Human Lung

Inhalation exposure to the carcinogen aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in certain occupations is considerable. Because circumstantial epidemiological evidence suggests that AFB1 inhalation may cause primary lung cancer, we investigated AFB1 activation by human lung microsomes. Microsomes were incubated with [3H]AFB1 (124 microM), and activation to the AFB1-8,9-epoxide was measured as the AFB1-glutathione (AFB1-GSH) conjugate by HPLC. The formation of AFB1-GSH was in the range of 0.05-0.073 fmol/mg protein/min. The role of cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A in this activation was investigated by oxidation of nifedipine (a prototype substrate for CYP 3A), by immunoinhibition, and by immunoblot analysis. Nifedipine oxidation varied from 0.2 to 19.2 pmol/mg protein/min in microsomes from different subjects, but did not correlate with AFB1 activation. Anti-human polyclonal CYP 3A4 IgG inhibited AFB1 activation. CYP 3A isoforms were immunoestimated to be in the range of 0.01-1.90 pmol/mg protein. Neither CYP 1A2 nor associated activity was detected in the lung microsomes. These data indicate that human lung microsomes activate AFB1 to form the exo-AFB1-8,9-epoxide and that CYP(s) of the 3A subfamily may be responsible for this activity. The relatively low amount of AFB1 activation in human lung compared to that in human liver can be explained by the scarcity of CYP-containing cells in the lung. In situ AFB1 activation and resultant carcinogenic risk are distinctly possible in occupational settings where inhalation of AFB1-contaminated dusts occurs.
E red cell system in pigs: irregular genetic transmission.

. Three pigs exhibiting unexpected E blood group phenotypes prompted family studies and special matings as a means of elucidation. Evidence is presented for 2 new alleles, Eabg (E10) and Eadbg (E11). A rearrangement of the theoretical alignment of the genetic units controlling the E system is proposed to accommodate the observed phenotypes. Recombination frequencies at 2 points within the complex E locus are estimated to be 0.20 and 0.04 %.
DNA Models and Algorithms for NP-Complete Problems

A goal of research on DNA computing is to solve problems that are beyond the capabilities of the fastest silicon-based supercomputers. Adleman and Lipton present exhaustive search algorithms for 3Sat and 3-coloring, which can only be run on small instances and, hence, are not practical. In this paper, we show how improved algorithms can be developed for the 3-coloring and independent set problems. Our algorithms use only the DNA operations proposed by Adleman and Lipton, but combine them in more powerful ways and use polynomial preprocessing on a standard computer to tailor them to the specific instance to be solved. The main contribution of this paper is a more general model of DNA algorithms than that proposed by Lipton. We show that DNA computation for NP-complete problems can do more than just exhaustive search. Further research in this direction will help determine whether or not DNA computing is viable for NP-hard problems. A second contribution is the first analysis of errors that arise in generating the solution space for DNA computation.
Dialogic strategies and outcomes: An analysis of environmental advocacy groups' Facebook profiles

Previous studies of advocacy groups’ Web sites suggest that the use of dialogic strategies could lead to greater dialogic communication. This study examined whether dialogic strategies utilized by environmental advocacy groups via their social networking profiles lead to greater dialogic engagement between organizations and visitors. This study offers the first examination of the relationship between the creation of an online space for dialogue and actual dialogic engagement by identifying and measuring six dialogic outcomes.
Affinity improvement of a therapeutic antibody to methamphetamine and amphetamine through structure-based antibody engineering

Methamphetamine (METH) abuse is a worldwide threat, without any FDA approved medications. Anti-METH IgGs and single chain fragments (scFvs) have shown efficacy in preclinical studies. Here we report affinity enhancement of an anti-METH scFv for METH and its active metabolite amphetamine (AMP), through the introduction of point mutations, rationally designed to optimize the shape and hydrophobicity of the antibody binding pocket. The binding affinity was measured using saturation binding technique. The mutant scFv-S93T showed 3.1 fold enhancement in affinity for METH and 26 fold for AMP. The scFv-I37M and scFv-Y34M mutants showed enhancement of 94, and 8 fold for AMP, respectively. Structural analysis of scFv-S93T:METH revealed that the substitution of Ser residue by Thr caused the expulsion of a water molecule from the cavity, creating a more hydrophobic environment for the binding that dramatically increases the affinities for METH and AMP.
Pediatric solid tumor genomics and developmental pliancy

Pediatric solid tumors are remarkably diverse in their cellular origins, developmental timing and clinical features. Over the last 5 years, there have been significant advances in our understanding of the genetic lesions that contribute to the initiation and progression of pediatric solid tumors. To date, over 1000 pediatric solid tumors have been analyzed by Next-Generation Sequencing. These genomic data provide the foundation to launch new research efforts to address one of the fundamental questions in cancer biology-why are some cells more susceptible to malignant transformation by particular genetic lesions at discrete developmental stages than others? Because of their developmental, molecular, cellular and genetic diversity, pediatric solid tumors provide an ideal platform to begin to answer this question. In this review, we highlight the diversity of pediatric solid tumors and provide a new framework for studying the cellular and developmental origins of pediatric cancer. We also introduce a new unifying concept called cellular pliancy as a possible explanation for susceptibility to cancer and the developmental origins of pediatric solid tumors.
Surface states of wurtzite semiconductor nanowires with identical lateral facets: A transfer-matrix approach

The focus of this paper is to investigate systematically surface states of semiconductor nanowires of wurtzite crystals with identical lateral surfaces. We first calculate the surface spectrum of a semi-infinite crystal. Then, using cyclic boundary conditions, we calculate the quantized spectrum of the surface states in nanowires. We find that the spectrum of the nanowire surfaces consists of a number of quantized levels inside the band gap. We further study absorption coefficients due to dipole transitions between the surface states in such nanowires. We demonstrate that such transitions lead to absorption above the fundamental band edge transition. Our calculations also show that the absorption coefficient induced by the transitions between the surface states depends weakly on the light polarization.
Impact of limited population diversity of genome-wide association studies

The article describes the limited population diversity of genome-wide association studies and its resulting impact on the development of commercial genetic tests with restricted applicability and usefulness to certain groups, potentially increasing existing disparities. To enable development of new clinical tools applicable to all groups, much more focus is needed to engage minority communities to enroll in genetics or genomic research studies and on investigators to reach out to underrepresented communities.
FUNDAMENTAL CONDITION OF GLASS FORMATION

The fundamental condition for glass formation is the existence of strongly bonded large networks or long chains of atoms in the liquid. Such chains or networks prevent or hinder the orderly orientation of atoms in the chains or networks themselves and also that of atoms, not in the networks in the liquid, near the melting point or liquidus temperature. A liquid structure will persist when the liquid is cooled below the melting point or liquidus temperature and will continue until free, long-range movement of atoms becomes impossible. In order to obtain such long chains or large networks, it is necessary that (1) the bond strength of atoms in the chains or networks be very strong; (2) the small ring formation of these strongly bonded atoms be at a minimum; and (3) the relative numbers of various atoms in the chains or networks be such that at least a continuous chain is configuratively and structurally possible; at the same time, the coordination numbers of the glassforming atoms should be as small as possible to keep the bond strong. The general treatment is applied to all kinds of glasses, particularly oxide glasses. The bond strengths of all M—O single-bond linkages in these glasses are calculated and tabulated here for the first time. The bond strength of all the glassformers was found to be greater than 80 kilocalories per Avogadro bond, that of the intermediates between 60 and 80, and that of the modifiers below 60; the transition is continuous, and the division into glassformers, intermediates, and modifiers is arbitrary.
Invyswell: a hybrid transactional memory for haswell's restricted transactional memory

The Intel Haswell processor includes restricted transactional memory (RTM), which is the first commodity-based hardware transactional memory (HTM) to become publicly available. However, like other real HTMs, such as IBM's Blue Gene/Q, Haswell's RTM is best-effort, meaning it provides no transactional forward progress guarantees. Because of this, a software fallback system must be used in conjunction with Haswell's RTM to ensure transactional programs execute to completion. To complicate matters, Haswell does not provide escape actions. Without escape actions, non-transactional instructions cannot be executed within the context of a hardware transaction, thereby restricting the ways in which a software fallback can interact with the HTM. As such, the challenge of creating a scalable hybrid TM (HyTM) that uses Haswell's RTM and a software TM (STM) fallback is exacerbated. In this paper, we present Invyswell, a novel HyTM that exploits the benefits and manages the limitations of Haswell's RTM. After describing Invyswell's design, we show that it outperforms NOrec, a state-of-the-art STM, by 35%, Hybrid NOrec, NOrec's hybrid implementation, by 18%, and Haswell's hardware-only lock elision by 25% across all STAMP benchmarks.
Microdetermination of cadmium and EDTA in protein solutions

Abstract Two simple high-precision methods have been developed for the microassay of cadmium and of the di-sodium salt of EDTA (ethylenediamine-tetraacetic acid). Chief interest centered on analyzing solutions containing from 0 to 10 γ of Cd or, alternatively, from 0 to 27 γ of EDTA in the presence of 0–48 mg of renal protein, the corresponding sensitivities being indicated by standard errors of estimate, ± 0.13 γ Cd and ± 0.76 γ EDTA, respectively. Cadmium was assayed as the dithizonate, the light absorption of this complex at 610 mμ being a linear function of Cd over the range specified. Assays of EDTA were based on the principle that this chelating agent increases light absorption in Cd solutions at 610 mμ by blocking the formation of the cadmium-dithizonate complex. Light absorption at this wavelength was found to be linearly related to EDTA. Digestion with hydrochloric acid and removal of excess HCl, in vacuo , was employed for deproteinization, instead of procedures more commonly used. This resulted in a considerably simplified extraction procedure as well as in high accuracy for cadmium and EDTA estimates as determined by very extensive statistical analysis of the basic experimental data reported in a separately available appendix. Incomplete factorial arrangements and their analysis of variance, along with appropriate regression techniques, yielded calibration charts suitable for routine application.
Temporal variation of Synechococcus clades at a coastal Pacific Ocean monitoring site

Marine cyanobacteria from the genus Synechococcus are found throughout the world's oceans and are important contributors to global primary productivity and carbon cycling. Cultured isolates and environmental DNA clone libraries of Synechococcus have demonstrated the diversity of these microbes. However, the natural distribution of this diversity through space and time and the ecological significance of their distribution are still poorly understood. To understand the seasonal dynamics of Synechococcus diversity, we have developed a quantitative PCR strategy using the gene encoding as a subunit of DNA-dependent RNA polymerase (rpoC1) and applied it to a 3-year time series of surface samples from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography pier (La Jolla, CA, USA), a coastal site in the northeastern Pacific Ocean. Synechococcus from clades I and IV were dominant throughout the time series and correlated with total Synechococcus abundance. The relative abundance of these two dominant clades showed evidence of a seasonal cycle. Synechococcus from clade IV were typically more abundant, but those from clade I dominated during periods just before the annual spring bloom of Synechococcus. Synechococcus from clades II and III were absent during spring and early summer, but appeared at low abundances in late summer and winter possibly due to changes in circulation in the Southern California Bight. As the first long-term time series describing Synechococcus population diversity, these temporal dynamics were used to interpret the genetic/genomic diversity observed in the environment and the potential factors regulating their distribution.
Sums of heights of algebraic numbers

For At(x) = f(x) - tg(x), we consider the set {ΣAt(α)=0 h(α) : t ∈ Q}. The polynomials f(x), g(x) are in Z[x], with only mild restrictions, and h(α) is the Weil height of α. We show that this set is dense in [d, ∞) for some effectively computable limit point d.
The use of state crime and accident records for targeted, direct‐mail solicitations: Commercial speech, access and privacy

Direct‐mail solicitations targeted to individuals identified in state crime and accident records raise privacy concerns. State statutes seeking to restrict the commercial use of information in these records raise First Amendment implications for both the senders and receivers of information in this context. This article analyzes conflicting court opinions on the constitutionality of state statutes seeking to limit direct‐mail solicitations targeted to individuals involved in crimes and accidents through controls on availability and use of information contained in public crime and accident records. The article suggests that statutes permanently barring commercial access to public crime and accident records or banning commercial use of information obtained from these records run afoul of the recently invigorated commercial speech doctrine and violate the First Amendment.
Physiological aspects of competitive cross‐country skiing

Abstract The physiological demands of cross‐country skiing require competitive skiers to have high maximal oxygen uptakes and anaerobic thresholds. Anaerobic capacity has a relatively less important role, but may be of greater importance today with the faster race velocities resulting from the new skiing techniques of ski skating. Although use of the ski skating techniques results in faster race velocities than the classical techniques, it has been found that under some conditions the double‐pole technique is more economical than other skiing techniques. It is suggested that this results from a more effective storage and recovery of elastic energy, a greater proportion of the forces being directed along the line of travel, and a lower air resistance due to greater trunk and hip flexion with the double‐pole technique. The greater economy of the double‐pole technique suggests that this may be advantageous in certain race conditions if the upper body is adequately prepared. The greater propulsive forces gene...
Economic Development in Taiwan: A Model of a Political Economy

Taiwan has exhibited a very successful pattern of rapid economic growth and declining income inequality over the past three decades based on four major structural transformations: 1) agricultural reform, 2) import-substitution industrialization, 3) export-led growth, and 4) change from labor-intensive to technology-intensive production. After describing Taiwan's economic record, this paper provides an interpretation by developing a model of the R.O.C.'s political economy based on the relationships among social structure and inequality, economic structure and performance, the role of the state, the nature of domestic elites, and foreign economic and political relations.
Farewell to Danto and Goodman

Dans le cadre du scandale qui a marque la philosophie de l'art depuis la parution du «Monde de l'art» d'A. Danto et la definition de la copie par N. Goodman, l'A. critique les conceptions de la contrefacon artistique developpees par l'un et l'autre theoricien en termes d'indiscernabilite et de perception. Soulignant l'incoherence du premier et l'arbitraire du second, l'A. denonce l'approche reductionniste de la realite de l'oeuvre d'art chez Danto, d'une part, et l'approche reductionniste de la distinction entre art autographique et art allographique chez Goodman, d'autre part
Analysis of Heart Development in Cultured Rat Embryos

Abstract The long-range goal of this research is to establish an in vitro system that will permit pertubation of mammalian heart development and in situ examination of the cellular and molecular events underlying cardiac morphogenesis. Rat embryos at 9.5–11.5 days of gestation were placed in culture bottles containing rat serum and Tyrode's solution. Embryos cultured for 24 and 48 h were compared to age-matched in vivo controls for morphological score, morphometric analysis of heart development, and confocal and electron microscopic analysis of myofiber pattern formation. Morphological scores indicated that embryos cultured for 24 h from day 9.5 to 10.5 had essentially normal development when compared to age-matched embryos allowed to develop in vivo . Development of embryos maintained for 48 h in culture was slightly delayed at 66–68% of age matched in vivo embryos. Analysis of hearts from embryos allowed to develop 9.5–11.5 days in vivo plus 24 and 48 h in culture showed that the ventricular thickness and height, as well as the truncal, atrial and ventricular diameters were equivalent to those of hearts from age-matched in vivo controls. Hearts from embryos allowed to develop from 11.5–12.5 days in vitro and cultured for 24 and 48 h had smaller left ventricular and atrial dimensions than controls. Cardiac myofibrillogenesis and myofibrillar pattern formation in embryos cultured from 9.5 days of in vivo development for 48 h were also normal. These studies indicate that the rat whole embryo culture system is a useful model to study several critical periods in mammalian heart development.
Modeling the effect of cross-language ambiguity on human syntax acquisition

A computational framework is presented which is used to model the process by which human language learners acquire the syntactic component of their native language. The focus is feasibility --- is acquisition possible within a reasonable amount of time and/or with a reasonable amount of work? The approach abstracts away from specific linguistic descriptions in order to make a 'broad-stroke' prediction of an acquisition model's behavior by formalizing factors that contribute to cross-linguistic ambiguity. Discussion centers around an application to Fodor's Structural Trigger's Learner (STL) (1998) and concludes with the proposal that successful computational modeling requires a parallel psycholinguistic investigation of the distribution of ambiguity across the domain of human languages.
Measuring supply chain efficiency from a green perspective

Purpose – This paper aims to examine whether some countries achieve logistics efficiency at the cost of undermining environmental quality. In so doing, a hybrid index, the green logistics performance index (GLPI) combining both the LPI and the environmental performance index (EPI), is constructed.Design/methodology/approach – Being a macro analysis measuring the green supply chain efficiency of a country, this paper utilizes the secondary data compiled by the World Bank and the World Economic Forum. A series of simple regression analyses were conducted in order to find out the varying degrees of association between the LPI, the EPI, the GLPI and the national income level.Findings – As active logistics activities can have an impact on carbon footprints such as greenhouse gas emissions, it was found that some countries chose to increase their income level at the expense of the environment degradation. Consequently, the GLPI is suggested as a good indicator of a country's green logistics efficiency, showing ...
Risk factors for HPV infection among American Indian and white women in the Northern Plains.

Objective American Indian (AI) women living in the Northern Plains have high incidence and mortality rates for cervical cancer. We assessed risk factors for human papillomavirus (HPV) infection among AI and White women.
Pulmonary hypertension secondary to left ventricular systolic dysfunction: Contemporary diagnosis and management

Pulmonary hypertension secondary to left ventricular systolic dysfunction is often a poor prognostic marker in chronic heart failure. In this article, we review evidence supporting modern strategies addressing pulmonary hypertension in patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction, including right-sided heart catheterization with vasoreactivity testing and subsequent parenteral, oral, and inhaled therapy. We delineate a diagnostic approach to secondary pulmonary hypertension and outline evidence-based therapeutic strategies for management in acute and chronic heart failure.
Initiation of solC3H10T12 cell transformation by formaldehyde

Abstract The effects of formaldehyde were evaluated in the C3H 10T 1 2 Cl 8 cell transformation system. Treatment of the cells with 0.1–2.5 μg/ml of formaldehyde alone did not result in significant rates of transformation. If formaldehyde treatment was followed by continuous treatment with 0.1 μg/ml of the tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate (TPA), transformed foci were produced. Methanol and formic acid lacked significant transforming activity under either treatment regimen. The results suggest that formaldehyde is an initiating agent for C3H 10T 1 2 Cl 8 transformation. The fact that some compounds may act solely as initiators should be considered when this transformation system is used to study chemicals which may interact with cells by mechanisms similar to that of formaldehyde.
Conservatism in the arrangement of genetic material in rodents.

The Giemsa banding pattern of the karyotype of Neotoma micropus is compared with the banding patterns of seven other rodent species that are progressively more distantly related to N. micropus . Results of comparisons imply that there is a tendency for arrangement of genetic material on chromosomes to be conserved. Results also lend support to systematic inferences based on characters of the glans penis and suggest that the type of approach employed here may be useful in characterizing phylogenetic relationships between genera, tribes, subfamilies, and families of rodents.
A general proof rule for procedures in predicate transformer semantics

A proof rule for the procedure call is derived for procedures with value, result and value-result parameters. It is extended to procedures with unrestricted global variables and to recursive procedures. Like D. Gries's proof rule, it is based on the substitution rule for assignment. However, it is more general and much simpler to apply. Assume that {U} S {V} has been proved about the procedure body S. The proof rule for determining whether a call establishes predicate E is based on finding an "adaptation" A satisfying A?V ? E?, where E? is derived from E by some substitution of parameters.
Mammographic density and breast cancer risk in White and African American Women

Mammographic density is a strong risk factor for breast cancer, but limited data are available in African American (AA) women. We examined the association between mammographic density and breast cancer risk in AA and white women. Cases (n = 491) and controls (n = 528) were from the Carolina Breast Cancer Study (CBCS) who also had mammograms recorded in the Carolina Mammography Registry (CMR). Mammographic density was reported to CMR using Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) categories. Increasing mammographic density was associated with increased breast cancer risk among all women. After adjusting for potential confounders, a monotonically increasing risk of breast cancer was observed between the highest versus the lowest BI-RADS density categories [OR = 2.45, (95 % confidence interval: 0.99, 6.09)]. The association was stronger in whites, with ~40 % higher risk among those with extremely dense breasts compared to those with scattered fibroglandular densities [1.39, (0.75, 2.55)]. In AA women, the same comparison suggested lower risk [0.75, (0.30, 1.91)]. Because age, obesity, and exogenous hormones have strong associations with breast cancer risk, mammographic density, and race in the CBCS, effect measure modification by these factors was considered. Consistent with previous literature, density-associated risk was greatest among those with BMI > 30 and current hormone users (P value = 0.02 and 0.01, respectively). In the CBCS, mammographic density is associated with increased breast cancer risk, with some suggestion of effect measure modification by race, although results were not statistically significant. However, exposures such as BMI and hormone therapy may be important modifiers of this association and merit further investigation.
Antiglobulin Testing for CR1-Related (Knops/McCoy/Swain-Langley/York) Blood Group Antigens: Negative and Weak Reactions Are Caused by Variable Expression of CR1

The Knops, McCoy, Swain-Langley and York antigens have recently been identified as being on complement receptor type 1 (CR1, CD35, C3b/C4b receptor). We examined the relationship between CR1 expression and the reactivity of the CR1-related blood group antigens with their specific antibodies. RBC from donors of selected phenotypes were tested by hemagglutination using two monoclonal antibodies to CR1, as well as anti-Kna, -McCa, -S1a, -'Kn/McC' and -Yka. Monoclonal antibodies 3D9 and E11 required approximately 250 and approximately 400 CR1/RBC to obtain a positive reaction. Agglutination of antigen-positive cells by human polyclonal antisera was related to the CR1/RBC: thus, cells expressing 20-100 CR1/RBC were negative and included the previously designated null phenotypes for this collection, 100-150 were weak or negative, and greater than 200 were usually positive. One RBC sample carried Yka on the 190,000 dalton (A or F allele), but not the 220,000 dalton (B or S allele) variant of CR1, and gave inconsistent reactions with Yka antisera. These data provide an explanation for certain of the serologic characteristics of the CR1-related blood group antigen system.
Dynamical LEED analyses of the Pt(111)-p(2× 2)-NO and the Ni(111)-c(4 × 2)-2NO structures: substrate relaxation and unexpected hollow-site adsorption

Abstract Dynamical LEED analyses of ordered structures of NO molecules chemisorbed on Pt(111) and on Ni(111) conclusively yield threefold-coordinated hollow-site adsorption and reasonable bond lengths. Both metal surfaces exhibit molecular induced substrate relaxations; those in Ni(111) are greater than those in Pt(111). The Pt(111)-p(2 × 2)-NO structure has NO adsorbed in a threefold fee site with a small buckling of the first metal layer. NO of the Ni(111)-c(4 × 2)-2NO structure is adsorbed in threefold fee and hep sites with a 0.16 A buckling of the first metal layer. The hollow-site adsorption on both metal surfaces invalidates long-standing bridge and top-site assignments based on vibrational spectroscopy measurements, calling that approach into question. The threefold hollow-site adsorption determined for these systems also contrasts with the lower coordinated bridge and top sites generally found for CO molecules on the same metal surfaces.
Prognostic significance of venous thrombus in renal cell carcinoma. Are renal vein and inferior vena cava involvement different

ABSTRACTPurpose: The prognostic significance of the level of venous involvement in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is controversial. It has been suggested that the 1997 TNM classification of venous involvement system should be revised.Materials and Methods: The records of 226 patients who underwent a nephrectomy and tumor thrombectomy, 117 for renal vein (RV) and 109 for inferior vena cava (IVC) involvement, between 1989 and 2001 were reviewed and compared to those of 654 patients undergoing nephrectomy without venous involvement.Results: In patients with localized RCC (N0M0), the risk of recurrence after nephrectomy was significantly increased in patients with venous thrombus compared to patients without venous thrombus (p = 0.005). However, the difference was not significant in a multivariate analysis including T stage (1, 2, 3 or 4), Fuhrman grade and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status. In patients with localized RCC disease specific survival was similar (p = 0.536) in patients with RV (T...
Evolutionary Genetics: The nature and origin of mating types

Specialized genes in lower eukaryotes prevent fusion between gametes of identical mating type; their molecular characterization has revealed features that may shed light on the evolutionary origin of mating types.
Making the System Work for Home Care Quality

: The post-acute and long-term care systems are changing rapidly, with an increasingly important role being played by home care. Under the current system, home care does not consistently meet the needs of older people living in the community. This problem is caused, in large part, by the existing system of financing and regulating home care. This paper examines how the current system funded by Medicare, Medicaid, state programs, private insurance, and out-of-pocket spending affects the delivery and quality of home care services. Specifically, this paper analyzes how financing, coverage of services, reimbursement, quality regulation and assurance, and information coordination affects the quality of home care. The paper concludes by drawing implications for policy.
A Survey of Sri Lanka's Endangered and Endemic Western Purple-Faced Langur (Trachypithecus Vetulus Nestor)

Abstract: The western purple-faced langur is a Sri Lankan endemic listed by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) as one of the 25 most endangered primates in the world. The extremely endangered status of Sri Lanka's endemic langur, found nowhere else on earth, is due to the fact that it is primarily a tree-dwelling, leaf-eating monkey, the range of which includes the most densely populated areas of the country. In these areas of high human density, forests have been intensively exploited for several decades, and deforestation has adversely affected its preferred habitat and sources of food. During a recent survey, the western purple-faced langur was found most often in small and widely scattered groups, indicating that it is declining and has been extirpated in a number of areas within its range. This tendency, if left unchecked, would ultimately lead to extinction throughout its range. Although it faces a perilous future, certain facts uncovered during the survey indicate that it is still possible to prev...
Chemical Exchange 2DIR of Base Pair Opening Fluctuations in RNA Tetraloops: A Simulation Study

Hydrogen bonds play an important role in RNA structure and dynamics. Fluctuations in base pair openings could be the starting point of unfolding processes or could indicate potential docking sites for ligands or proteins. The effects of hydrogen bond formation and breaking kinetics in RNA base pairs on the linear and coherent third order infrared spectra of small UUCG tetraloops in solution can be described by Markovian, not necessarily Gaussian, fluctuations. We have simulated these spectra using the stochastic Liouville equations. Slow fluctuations are described phenomenologically. Fast fluctuations are characterized by an N-state jump model for hydrogen bond configurations, where N depends on the specific tetraloop. Bases in the RNA strands that exhibit high levels of fluctuation are isotope labeled and the chemical exchange 2DIR spectra are calculated. The existence and evolution of the resultant cross peaks at different waiting times provides information on the coupling interactions between base pairs in the loops, which will be used to help characterize unfolding mechanisms of the RNA strands.