cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
MULTIPLE-UNIT RECORDINGS DURING SLOW FIELD-POTENTIAL SHIFTS IN LOW-[Ca2+]o SOLUTIONS IN RAT HIPPOCAMPAL AND CORTICAL SLICES

Multiple-unit and field-potential recordings in low-[Ca2+]0 solutions were used to study epileptiform bursts generated in hippocampal region CA1 and medial entorhinal cortex, a cortical region that is not as densely packed or highly laminated as the hippocampus. As expected in CA1, multiple-unit activity appeared as large spikes that corresponded one-to-one with population spikes in the field-potential recordings. During the negative field-potential shifts that lacked large population spikes, the multiple-unit recordings showed an increase in baseline activity. Initiation of the negative field-potential shift always coincided with increased multiple-unit activity. Slices displaying a post-burst positive overshoot showed a corresponding decrease in multiple-unit activity. In addition to the large ictal-like events in CA1, small-amplitude field-potential shifts were also observed, these events were associated with increases in baseline spike activity in the multiple-unit recording. These small-amplitude field-potential shifts appeared to precede the occurrence of the ictal-like events, but they decreased in frequency during low-[Ca2+]0 exposure. Recordings in normal artificial cerebrospinal fluid (nominally 1.3 mM [Ca2+]0) showed rhythmic, multiple-unit bursts of action potentials and corresponding negative small-amplitude field-potential shifts in the medial entorhinal cortex of immature rats (two-to three-weeks old), but not of adult rats. Rhythmic, spontaneous bursts of activity in low-[Ca2+]0 solution were found in both immature and adult medial entorhinal cortex, and were similar in amplitude to the small field-potential events generated in CA1. The probability of burst generation was higher in the immature than the adult medial entorhinal cortex, and the bursts in the immature cortex had more robust multiple-unit activity and an increased burst frequency compared with adult. These results indicate that the medial entorhinal cortex can also generate spontaneous synchronous bursts of activity in low-[Ca2+]0 solutions, and they suggest that the increased susceptibility of medial entorhinal cortex from immature versus adult rats to generate intense bursts of electrical activity does not require active chemical synaptic transmission. The various forms of epileptiform activity in low-[Ca2+]0 solutions probably arise from different contributions of electrical and ionic mechanisms of synchronization in these neuronal populations. The data suggest the hypothesis that ionic mechanisms (i.e. changes in [K+]0) may synchronize neurons in cortical regions (e.g. entorhinal cortex) that are not as densely packed and highly laminated as the hippocampus and dentate gyrus. The data also support the hypothesis that these mechanisms contribute significantly to the increased seizure susceptibility of the immature brain.
Annuity Planning and Consumption-Investment Choices in Retirement Planning

Annuities can be effective tools in managing longevity risk in retirement planning. This paper develops a framework that merges annuity purchase decisions with consumption-investment selections. After introducing a pricing model and a benefit payment model for an annuity, we construct a multi-period wealth evolution model. An optimization problem is formulated with an objective of maximizing life time utility of consumptions and wealth. Optimal decisions are determined as a trade off between consumption and investment among an annuity, a risky and a risk-free asset.
The homeobox gene goosecoid controls cell migration in Xenopus embryos

Abstract goosecold (gsc) , a homeobox gene expressed specifically in the dorsal blastopore lip of the Xenopus gastrula, is considered to play an important role in Spemann's organizer phenomenon. Lineage tracing and time-lapse microscopy were used to follow the fate of embryonic cells microinjected with gsc mRNA. Microinjected gsc has non-cell autonomous effects, recruiting neighboring uninjected cells into a twinned dorsal axis. Ectopic expression of gsc mRNA in ventral blastomeres as well as overexpression of gsc in dorsal blastomeres leads to cell movement toward the anterior of the embryo. The results suggest a function for gsc in the control of gastrulation movements in groups of cells, but not in dissociated cells, and demonstrate that a vertebrate homeobox gene can regulate region-specific cell migration.
First Heart Sound Amplitude in Experimentally Induced Alternans

A close relationship between the amplitude of the first heart sound and the rate of rise of left ventricular pressure was established in 13 dogs with experimentally-induced alternans. The alternation of the first heart sound occurred in a concordant manner in 12 dogs. A particular type of alternans occurred in one dog in which left ventricular pressure alternated without alternation of its rate of rise; in this dog, no alternation of the first heart sound was detected. While this particular animal represented an exception, the close correlation between rapidity of pressure rise and amplitude of first heart sound was further confirmed. Isolated alternation of the second heart sound and difficulties in the acoustic detection of alternans are discussed.
Ethanol causes increases in excitation and inhibition in area CA3 of the dorsal hippocampus.

Summary The effects of ethanol on synaptic transmission in hippocampus were studied by changes in the response of CA3 pyramidal cells to stimulation of two afferent pathways, the dentate (mossy fiber) pathway, and the commissural pathway. Both sources produce an excitatory response as measured either by single unit spiking or by population spike followed by a period of post-stimulus inhibition (PSI). After the injection of 3 g/kg ethanol (i.p.), both the excitatory responses and the duration of PSI are significantlly increased. Because these changes occur in both afferent Pathways, they are not pathway specific, but may be the result of the local microcircuitry in area CA3. Although the change in excitatory and inhibitory responses can occur simultaneously detailed statistical analyses show that neither the magnitude nor onset times are correlated. Thus, the two responses are functionally separable. In addition, the increase in the duration of PSI is related to the rate of rise of blood ethanol level and shows short-term tolerance. The maximum change in the PSI occurs after blood ethanol levels plateau suggesting a secondary process is necessary before neurophysiological effects are apparent.
An Evaluation of Adverse Drug Reactions Associated With Antipsychotic Use for the Treatment of Delirium in the Intensive Care Unit.

Purpose:This investigation evaluated the incidence, severity, and harm of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) associated with antipsychotic use for intensive care unit (ICU) delirium.Methods:In this pros...
On implementation of the discrete Fourier transform-the STUSE algorithm for spectral estimation

The discrete short-time Fourier transform implemented as the STUSE (short-time unbiased spectrum estimation) algorithm, which includes both Fourier-domain coherent smoothing and power-domain incoherent smoothing, is examined in terms of its resolution capability in power spectrum estimation. An analysis of the STUSE algorithm in terms of the effective spectral window allows insight into how the influence of the finite window length on a spectral estimate can be lessened by linearly combining biased estimates. Comparison is made to the weighted overlapped segment averaging algorithm, which has been previously characterized as a special case of the STUSE algorithm. >
Paradoxical increases in serum IgM and viscosity levels following rituximab in Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia.

Background: The anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody rituximab is an important therapeutic in Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia (WM), producing response rates of 50 –70%. Responses, which are based on serum IgM levels, have typically been evaluated at 12 weeks. Paradoxically, we have observed that serum IgM levels can abruptly rise following rituximab therapy in patients with WM, and can often lead to morbidity on the basis of hyperviscosity. Patients and methods: Eleven WM patients with CD20+ tumor cells who received rituximab at our Institution and had serum IgM levels measured within a 12-week period following start of therapy were evaluated. Therapy consisted of four weekly infusions of rituximab at 375 mg/m 2 . Pre- and post-therapy serum IgM levels were determined by nephelometry and corresponding serum viscosity levels were determined by viscometry. Results: Ten of the 11 patients demonstrated an abrupt rise in serum IgM levels, with a >25% increase occurring in eight (73%) patients. Mean serum IgM levels for all 10 spiking patients rose from 4370 (range, 655– 7940) to a peak of 5865 (range, 872– 11 800) mg/dl (P = 0.004), which occurred at a mean of 4 (range, 1 –8) weeks following initiation of therapy. Mean serum viscosity levels also increased from 3.5 to 5.6 centipoise (CP) (P = 0.09) in eight patients for whom pre- and post-therapy studies were obtained. A subdural hemorrhage occurred in one patient when serum IgM levels rose from 7530 to 11 800 mg/dl, and serum viscosity increased from 3.9 to 10.1 CP. Two other spiking patients with pre-therapy IgM levels of >5000 mg/dl experienced worsening headaches and/or epistaxis attributed to increasing serum viscosity. Conclusions: Abrupt increases in serum IgM levels commonly occur following rituximab therapy in WM. Careful clinical and laboratory monitoring is warranted, particularly if patients have pretherapy serum IgM levels of >5000 mg/dl. The mechanism of this effect is under active investigation, and may be related to CD20 signaling triggered by rituximab.
Results of Recent Large Cholesterol-Lowering Trials and Implications for Clinical Management

Abstract Three recent large clinical trials—the West of Scotland Coronary Prevention Study, the Scandinavian Simvastatin Survival Study, and the Cholesterol and Recurrent Events Trial—have all confirmed that cholesterol lowering with HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors is safe and effective therapy to prevent an initial or recurrent coronary event in patients at high risk for coronary heart disease. However, a number of questions related to the treatment of lipid disorders and risk reduction for coronary heart disease remain, including the cholesterol concentration at which treatment would best be initiated, the optimal cholesterol reduction or goal to be attained, and the mechanisms by which HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors reduce the risk for clinical events.
Comparing climate change and species invasions as drivers of coldwater fish population extirpations.

Species are influenced by multiple environmental stressors acting simultaneously. Our objective was to compare the expected effects of climate change and invasion of non-indigenous rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) on cisco (Coregonus artedii) population extirpations at a regional level. We assembled a database of over 13,000 lakes in Wisconsin, USA, summarising fish occurrence, lake morphology, water chemistry, and climate. We used A1, A2, and B1 scenarios from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) of future temperature conditions for 15 general circulation models in 2046–2065 and 2081–2100 totalling 78 projections. Logistic regression indicated that cisco tended to occur in cooler, larger, and deeper lakes. Depending upon the amount of warming, 25–70% of cisco populations are predicted to be extirpated by 2100. In addition, cisco are influenced by the invasion of rainbow smelt, which prey on young cisco. Projecting current estimates of rainbow smelt spread and impact into the future will result in the extirpation of about 1% of cisco populations by 2100 in Wisconsin. Overall, the effect of climate change is expected to overshadow that of species invasion as a driver of coldwater fish population extirpations. Our results highlight the potentially dominant role of climate change as a driver of biotic change.
Estimating soil hydraulic parameters from transient flow experiments in a centrifuge using parameter optimization technique

[1] A modified version of the Hydrus software package that can directly or inversely simulate water flow in a transient centrifugal field is presented. The inverse solver for parameter estimation of the soil hydraulic parameters is then applied to multirotation transient flow experiments in a centrifuge. Using time-variable water contents measured at a sequence of several rotation speeds, soil hydraulic properties were successfully estimated by numerical inversion of transient experiments. The inverse method was then evaluated by comparing estimated soil hydraulic properties with those determined independently using an equilibrium analysis. The optimized soil hydraulic properties compared well with those determined using equilibrium analysis and steady state experiment. Multirotation experiments in a centrifuge not only offer significant time savings by accelerating time but also provide significantly more information for the parameter estimation procedure compared to multistep outflow experiments in a gravitational field.
The Metabolism of Raw Versus Heated Soybeans in Birds with Colostomies

Abstract SOYBEANS have a growth inhibitory effect which has puzzled investigators for many years. Long ago Osborne and Mendel (1917) found that this growth inhibition could be largely eliminated by heating the soybeans. Succeeding investigators, Mitchell and Smuts (1932), Hayward, Steenbock and Bohstedt (1936 a, b), Hayward and Hafner (1941), and Almquist, Mecchi, Kratzer and Grau (1942) found that the addition of sulfur containing amino acids, cystine or methionine, to the diets reversed the inhibition. Shrewsbury, Vestal and Hauge (1932) concluded from their results that the beneficial effect of heat upon soybeans was due to increased food consumption, with a slight increase in digestibility of the nitrogen. Johnson, Parsons and Steenbock (1939), reported essentially the same digestibility of the nitrogen and sulfur in heated or raw soybeans. They suggested from sulfur balance studies the existence of an unavailable sulfur compound in raw soybeans which was absorbed and excreted in the urine. . . .
Sensor-Based Feedback Systems in Organizational Computing

Radical change is needed in today’s organizations. While e-mail, instant messaging, wikis, prediction markets, and the like have proliferated across myriad sectors, the fundamental practice of management has failed to keep pace. Sensors can automatically measure social behavior occurring in physical space as well as the virtual world. Moreover sensor-based feedback is poised to help create the change necessary to improve performance and satisfaction of workers. In this paper we summarize previous work on sensor-based feedback systems and propose new systems at the individual, group, and organizational level. Our goal is to help direct future research towards these promising avenues.
Circulation-based models for Boussinesq internal bores

Existing control-volume models for predicting the front velocity of internal bores enforce the conservation of mass and streamwise momentum, but not vertical momentum. Instead, they usually invoke an empirical assumption relating the up- and downstream energy fluxes to obtain an additional equation required for determining the pressure jump across a bore. The present investigation develops a control-volume model for internal bores on the basis of mass and momentum conservation alone, without the need for considering energy. This is accomplished by combining the streamwise and vertical momentum equations to obtain a vorticity relation that no longer involves pressure. Hence, this vorticity equation, in combination with the conservation of mass, is sufficient for evaluating the bore velocity. The energy loss across the bore can then be predicted by the streamwise energy equation and compared to the assumptions underlying earlier models. The flux of vorticity across the internal bore predicted by the new model is seen to be in close agreement with direct numerical simulation results. Any discrepancies with experimentally measured bore velocities are shown to be due to the effects of downstream mixing.
Murallas y Fronteras: El desplazamiento de la relación entre Estados Unidos - México y las comunidades trans-fronterizas

By necessity, this article embeds a discussion of contemporary transborder communities –communities spread out in multiple locations in the U.S. and Mexico– in the history of U.S.-Mexico during the 19th and 20th centuries. The flexibility of the U.S.-Mexico border through time and as experienced by those who carry it metaphorically with them wherever they are suggests that rather than using concepts such as “the wall” to establish limits and difference that we focus on the concept of multiple borders. I will argue that the concept of “transborder” which
C reactive protein concentration and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after electrical cardioversion

Background: To test the hypothesis that a high C reactive protein (CRP) concentration would predict recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) after cardioversion in patients taking antiarrhythmic drugs. Methods: 111 patients who underwent direct current cardioversion for symptomatic AF were enrolled. Blood was drawn for CRP determination before cardioversion on the same day. All patients were taking antiarrhythmic drugs before and after electrical cardioversion. Results: After a mean follow up of 76 days, 75 patients had recurrence of AF. In univariate analysis, the median CRP concentration was significantly higher in patients with AF recurrence (3.95 mg/l v 1.81 mg/l, p = 0.002). Among the 55 patients with CRP in the upper 50th centile, 44 (80%) experienced recurrence of AF over a total follow up of 8.98 patient years, whereas among the 56 patients with CRP in the lower 50th centile, 31 (55%) experienced recurrence of AF over a total follow up of 14.3 patient years (p Conclusions: CRP is independently associated with recurrence of AF after electrical cardioversion among patients taking antiarrhythmic drugs. These results suggest that inflammation may have a role in the pathogenesis of AF resistant to antiarrhythmic drugs.
Corrosion of Austenitic Alloys in Supercritical Water

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine the mechanism by which austenitic iron- and nickel-based alloys oxidize in pure supercritical water. Austenitic stainless steel alloys Type 304 (UNS S30400) and Type 316L (UNS S31603) and nickel-based Alloy 625 (UNS N06625) and Alloy 690 (UNS N06690) were exposed in deaerated supercritical water over the temperature range from 400°C to 550°C. Exposure experiments resulted in the formation of a two-layer oxide on Type 304 and Type 316L in which the outer layer is porous magnetite (Fe3O4) and the inner layer is a denser iron-chromium spinel. In Alloy 690 the outer layer is iron-rich and the inner layer is composed of chromia (Cr2O3), nickel oxide (NiO), and Ni(Cr,Fe)2O4. The oxide on Alloy 625 was too thin to measure. Inner and outer oxides have the same grain orientation as the matrix on the stainless alloys, and on Alloy 690, the inner oxide has a common orientation with the matrix but the outer layer consists of randomly oriented oxides. The inner/outer...
Goliath's Curse: Coercive Threats and Asymmetric Power

States typically issue compellent threats against considerably weaker adversaries, yet their threats often fail. Why? Expanding on a standard model of international crisis bargaining, I argue that a theory of reputation-building can help shed light on this puzzle. The model casts reputation as a strategic problem, showing that challengers issuing compellent threats have incentives to anticipate the reputation costs that target states incur when appeasing aggressors. If challengers can recognize these costs and offset them with side payments or smaller demands, then even reputation-conscious targets will acquiesce. I argue, however, that military strength contributes to information problems that make challengers more likely to underestimate their targets' reputation costs and insufficiently compensate them. In this way, military power can undermine the effectiveness of compellent threats. The logic is illustrated by the 1939 Russo-Finnish crisis, and the argument's implications for the study of coercive diplomacy are explored.
Changes in the baroreflex during pregnancy in conscious dogs: heart rate and hormonal responses.

This study was performed to test the hypothesis that reflex increases in heart rate, PRA, and plasma concentrations of vasopressin, angiotensin-II, ACTH, and cortisol are reduced during pregnancy. The hypothesis was tested by measuring, in pregnant and nonpregnant conscious dogs, changes in arterial and atrial pressures, heart rate, and plasma hormone concentrations during 30-min infusions of three doses of nitroprusside (1, 2, and 4 micrograms/kg.min). Between-group differences were determined by comparing the relationships between arterial or atrial pressure and plasma hormone concentrations. Hypotension-induced increases in heart rate and plasma levels of vasopressin, ACTH, and cortisol were blunted when the dogs were pregnant. In contrast, reflex increases in PRA and angiotensin-II were increased. These results indicate that the activity of the baroreceptor reflex is altered during pregnancy in dogs.
Interannual Variability in the Gulf of Alaska during the 1991–94 El Niño

Abstract Mass and heat budgets in the Gulf of Alaska during the 1991–94 El Nino are examined using hydrographic data from several cruises undertaken as part of the International North Pacific Ocean Climate program and the repeated Canadian hydrographic sections out to Ocean Weather Station Papa. The geostrophic ocean circulation resulted in convergence of heat into the region in spring 1992 and spring 1993. The advective heat convergence in spring 1992 corresponded to an average surface heat flux from the ocean to the atmosphere of about 74 W m−2 in comparison with only 30 W m−2 during spring 1993. The larger ocean heat loss to the atmosphere in 1992 followed a winter of large tropical SST anomalies and anomalously low pressure in the Aleutian low.
Military Conflict and the Politics of Narrative: Explaining the Rise and Fall of the Cold War Consensus

Contemporaries and historians have often blamed the errors and tragedies of US policy during the Cold War on the “Cold War consensus.” Its usual periodization, according to which it came together by around 1948 and persisted until the late 1960s when it unraveled amidst the trauma of the Vietnam War, fits well with a common theory of change in ideas and discourse. That theory expects stasis until a substantial unexpected failure (in this domain, military defeat) discredits dominant ideas and unsettles dominant coalitions. But the Cold War consensus has never been systematically studied. This article does so for the first time via a large-scale content analysis of foreign affairs editorials. By this measure, the consensus did not coalesce until well into the 1950s and began to erode even before the Americanization of the Vietnam War in 1965. To make sense of this puzzle, I argue that the theoretical conventional wisdom is inadequate when it comes to the dominant public narratives that underpin and structure debate over national security. I argue that the politics of protracted military failure impede change in these dominant narratives, while victory generates political space for unorthodox ideas to penetrate. Process-tracing reveals causal dynamics consistent with my theory highlighting the domestic politics of the military and diplomatic battlefield: failure in the Korean War, which might have undermined Cold War globalism, instead facilitated the Cold War narrative’s rise to dominance (or consensus); and the triumph of the Cuban Missile Crisis made possible that dominant narrative’s breakdown before the upheaval of Vietnam. This hard and important case suggests the need to rethink the relationship between success, failure, and change in dominant narratives of national security—and perhaps in other policy domains as well.
Photorefractive phase shift induced by hot-electron transport: multiple-quantum-well structures

The photorefractive transport models that include hot-electron transport nonlinearities in the photorefractive transport equations introduce a new phase-shift mechanism that explains the large energy exchange recently observed in semi-insulating multiple-quantum-well structures during photorefractive beam coupling. We show that carrier heating by large applied electric fields contributes a nonlinear transport length that limits the magnitude of the space-charge electric field and introduces a photorefractive phase shift that can approach π/2. The nonlinear contribution is dependent on field strength and on fringe spacing and should be a general property of velocity saturation in the direct-gap semiconductors. These results may force a reinterpretation of apparent trap-limited behavior in bulk photorefractive semiconductors even under nonresonant excitation.
Reduction of sensory sharpening processes associated with chronic alcoholism.

The alcohol withdrawal syndrome can include hallucinations in several modalities. This investigation was based on a multifactorial model of hallucinogenesis in which hallucinations are thought to be related to a number of central and peripheral factors. Lateral inhibition is a sharpening mechanism in sensory transduction, and it would be expected that its’ failure would produce a “noisy” sensory signal. The toxic effects of prolonged exposure to alcohol on this system in combination with personality factors and with other aspects of the withdrawal process might contribute to the development of hallucinations.
Stress fractures: pathophysiology, clinical presentation, imaging features, and treatment options

Stress fracture, in its most inclusive description, includes both fatigue and insufficiency fracture. Fatigue fractures, sometimes equated with the term "stress fractures," are most common in runners and other athletes and typically occur in the lower extremities. These fractures are the result of abnormal, cyclical loading on normal bone leading to local cortical resorption and fracture. Insufficiency fractures are common in elderly populations, secondary to osteoporosis, and are typically located in and around the pelvis. They are a result of normal or traumatic loading on abnormal bone. Subchondral insufficiency fractures of the hip or knee may cause acute pain that may present in the emergency setting. Medial tibial stress syndrome is a type of stress injury of the tibia related to activity and is a clinical syndrome encompassing a range of injuries from stress edema to frank-displaced fracture. Atypical subtrochanteric femoral fracture associated with long-term bisphosphonate therapy is also a recently discovered entity that needs early recognition to prevent progression to a complete fracture. Imaging recommendations for evaluation of stress fractures include initial plain radiographs followed, if necessary, by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which is preferred over computed tomography (CT) and bone scintigraphy. Radiographs are the first-line modality and may reveal linear sclerosis and periosteal reaction prior to the development of a frank fracture. MRI is highly sensitive with findings ranging from periosteal edema to bone marrow and intracortical signal abnormality. Additionally, a brief description of relevant clinical management of stress fractures is included.
Study of the Excess Adsorption of the Eluent Components on Different Reversed-Phase Adsorbents

The excess adsorption isotherms of methanol-water and acetonitrile-water mixtures are compared for C 4 , C 8 , and C 18 types of reversed-phase adsorbents with the same type of silica support (Hypersil). Adsorption behavior of the organic modifier is also measured for three different types of C 8 adsorbents (Bakerbond, Supelcosil, and Hypersil) and on the Ultracarb-ODS at different temperatures. It is shown that the adsorption behavior of acetonitrile for all types of bonded phases is similar, but that of methanol shows an obvious dependence on the alkyl chain length of the bonded phase
Unintegrated circular HIV-1 DNA in the peripheral mononuclear cells of HIV-1-infected subjects : Association with high levels of plasma HIV-1 RNA, rapid decline in CD4 count, and clinical progression to AIDS

We observed 36 HIV-infected patients to evaluate whether the presence of tandem 2-long terminal repeat circular unintegrated HIV-1 DNA (2-LTR) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) at baseline was associated with acceleration of HIV disease. Detection of 2-LTR at baseline correlated with high plasma HIV-1 RNA levels (p 50 cells/mm3 over the first 18 months of follow-up (p = .04), and the average annual CD4 decline was 35% in patients with 2-LTR compared with 16% in those without 2-LTR (p = 0.06). Detection of 2-LTR in PBMC at baseline was an independent predictor of high plasma HIV-1 RNA levels and subsequent CD4 cell decline in this cohort of patients with predominantly nonsyncytium-inducing (NSI) isolates at baseline. The presence of 2-LTR in PBMC appears to be reflective of ongoing HIV-1 replication, as measured by plasma HIV-1 RNA levels, and identifies persons at risk for immunologic and clinical decline.
Analysis of “Powder Keg Theory” in State Escape Statutes:

Escape research has debunked the powder keg theory that all escapes are inherently violent and may explode into violence at any given time. The vast majority of escapes takes place from minimum secure facilities and do not involve force at time of escape or recapture. Nevertheless, federal defendants often receive unduly harsh sentences based on prior escape convictions because courts assume that the majority of escapes are violent for purposes of sentencing enhancement. This study analyzed all 50 U.S. state escape statutes to determine which states classify escapes in a manner consistent with the powder keg theory. Results indicated that the majority of state statutes neither concurred with the powder keg theory nor favored a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between escapes and potential violence. Policy implications of these findings and potential pathways for future escape research are discussed. This article concludes that criminal acts of escape must be reconsidered for sentencing purpo...
Polarized GP2 secretion in MDCK cells via GPI targeting and apical membrane-restricted proteolysis

The major zymogen granule membrane protein in the exocrine pancreas is glycoprotein 2 (GP2), a glycosyl phosphatidylinositol (GPI)-linked membrane protein. Despite its GPI anchor, GP2 is secreted into the pancreatic duct. We examined the mechanism underlying the secretion of GP2 in isolated pancreatic acini and transfected Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells (MDCK-GP2). MDCK-GP2 cells release GP2 almost exclusively (> 95%) from the apical membrane. Using GP2 as a model, we defined a novel mechanism of polarized protein secretion in which a secretory protein is targeted via a GPI anchor to the apical plasma membrane, whereupon the mature form is released by proteolysis. Furthermore, we described two features of MDCK cells that enhance the polarized release of GP2: an apical plasma membrane-restricted distribution of the protease responsible for GP2 membrane cleavage, and a transcytotic pathway to reroute basolateral plasma membrane GP2 to the apical cell surface.
The Optimal Replacement Policy

In the previous chapter we artificially restricted the choices available to the landowner in order to simplify our results. We allowed decisions only after floods.
Milled carbon microfiber-reinforced poly(phenylenesulfide) coatings for abating corrosion of carbon steel

Effectiveness of milled carbon microfibers, 7.5 μm in diameter and 100-200 μm long, in increasing the thermal conductivity, tensile strength, and elongation of fiber-reinforced poly(phenylenesulfide) (PPS) composite coatings was investigated. Thermal conductivity depended on the fiber content of the composites; the maximum content (5 wt% fiber) was responsible for a 2.6-fold enhancement over that of non-reinforced ones. However, the most effective amount of fiber in improving the tensile strength and elongation of the composition coating films was 3 wt%, reflecting 5.2 times and 2.6 times improvements, respectively, compared with those of the non-reinforced ones. The composite coatings adequately protected the underlying carbon steel against corrosion in 250°C CO 2 -laden brine. The reason for their great hydrothermal stability was the conformational changes in the molecular structure of PPS, from sulfide bridging to sulfone bridging, which increased the thermal stability of the matrix.
James McGill Buchanan and Individualism

“For three millenniums,” says H.L. Mencken (1927), philosophers “have been searching the world and its suburbs for the truth--and they have yet to agree upon so much as the rules of the search.” He adds, “If you want to find out how a philosopher feels when he is engaged in the practice of his profession, go to the nearest zoo and watch a chimpanzee at the wearying and hopeless job of chasing flies. Both suffer damnably and neither can win.” Mencken’s diagnosis is that philosophers chase after The Absolute, which he calls a banshee. He is probably right, since to validate our understanding, we have to understand how the human brain evolved. We must therefore independently ground the theory of evolution, a theory, like all scientific theories, that is constantly changing. Rather than find The Absolute, we find circularity, but science makes the circle a virtuous one, one that is ever-expanding. This book will apply the first system of metaphysics designed to be compatible with modern science, that developed by Mario Bunge, to the old problem of individualism and collectivism. But before expounding Bunge’s system, let us examine the works of a specimen individualist and a specimen collectivist. First, the individualist.
Transfer Length Probabilistic Model Updating in High Performance Concrete

A High Strength Reduced Modulus High Performance Concrete (HSRM-HPC) is being developed for the construction of railroad ties. This new material has the potential to produce ties with a longer life span than those built from traditional concrete because the reduced Young’s modulus could avoid stress concentrations. Railroad ties are commonly fabricated as prestressed concrete elements. The transfer length is an important parameter on these structural elements because the rail is placed toward the ends of the element. This paper uses Bayesian model updating to infer the transfer length with limited experimental data from a test performed in one prestressed beam. The material characteristics, experimental setup, and transfer length model are described in detail. Results show histograms of the transfer length obtained from the models considered.
Quantifying Retinal Microvascular Changes in Uveitis Using Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography

Purpose To quantify retinal capillary density and morphology in uveitis using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography angiography (SD-OCTA). Design Cross-sectional, observational study. Methods Healthy and uveitic subjects were recruited from 2 tertiary care eye centers. Prototype SD-OCTA devices (Cirrus; Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc, Dublin, California, USA) were used to generate 3 × 3-mm 2 OCTA images centered on the fovea. Subjects were placed into 3 groups based on the type of optical microangiography (OMAG) algorithm used for image processing (intensity and/or phase) and type of retinal segmentation (automatic or manual). A semi-automated method was used to calculate skeleton density (SD), vessel density (VD), fractal dimension (FD), and vessel diameter index (VDI). Retinal vasculature was assessed in the superficial retinal layer (SRL), deep retinal layer (DRL), and nonsegmented retinal layer (NS-RL). A generalized estimating equations model was used to analyze associations between the OCTA measures and disease status within each retinal layer. A P value Results The SD, VD, and FD of the parafoveal capillaries were lower in uveitic eyes compared with healthy eyes in all retinal segments. In addition, SD and VD were significantly lower in the DRL of subjects with uveitic macular edema. There was no correlation in any capillary parameters and anatomic classification of uveitis. Conclusions Quantitative analysis of parafoveal capillary density and morphology in uveitis demonstrates significantly lower capillary density and complexity. SD-OCTA algorithms are robust enough to detect these changes and can provide a novel diagnostic index of disease for uveitis subjects.
Assessing Paraprofessionals’ Perceived Educational Needs and Skill Level with Function-based Behavioral Intervention

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this survey study was to assess the perceived skill level and educational needs of special education paraprofessionals in the area of function-based intervention and to identify paraprofessionals’ preferred training delivery method(s) and any variables that affect paraprofessionals’ preference for these methods. Special education paraprofessionals working during the 2012–2013 school year in the state of Virginia were asked to complete an anonymous online survey. A total of 487 special education paraprofessionals responded to some or all survey items. Findings suggest that a large number of paraprofessionals reported low skill level and high educational needs across 10 domains of function-based intervention. Overall, paraprofessionals preferred training that is delivered within school settings, involves experiential learning, and requires minimal time. Implications for practice, limitations, and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Public Health, Historical and Moral Lessons for the Preparation of School Health Educators: The Case of Childhood Obesity and the Need for Social Responsibility

Background: The health conditions of working-class children during the Industrial Revolution in England documented the relationships among poverty, unsanitary conditions, and disease. This evidence helped to establish how the context of people's lives greatly influences their health and how social reform and public policy play key roles in improving children's health. The replication of these actions that are based on the ideology and need for social responsibility can be implemented by modern-day Health Educators as they address the problems of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), including the problem of childhood obesity. Methods: A systematic review and analysis of historical documents and an analysis and application of egalitarian views of justice were used to demonstrate a need for social responsibility in the field of school health education. Results: Historical and epidemiological evidence illustrate the need for social responsibility. In addition, Health Educators have a moral obligation and justific...
Regless: just-in-time operand staging for GPUs

The register file is one of the largest and most power-hungry structures in a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), because massive multithreading requires all the register state for every active thread to be available. Previous approaches to making register accesses more efficient have optimized how registers are stored, but they must keep all values for active threads in a large, high-bandwidth structure. If operand storage is to be reduced further, there will not be enough capacity for every live value to be stored at the same time. Our insight is that computation graphs can be sliced into regions and operand storage can be allocated to these regions as they are encountered at run time, allowing a small operand staging unit to replace the register le. Most operand values have a short lifetime that is contained in one region, so their value does not need to persist in the staging unit past the end of that region. The small number of longer-lived operands can be stored in lower-bandwidth global memory, but the hardware must anticipate their use to fetch them early enough to avoid stalls. In RegLess, hardware uses compiler annotations to anticipate warps’ operand usage at run time, allowing the register file to be replaced with an operand staging unit 25% of the size, saving 75% of register file energy and 11% of total GPU energy with no average performance loss.CCS CONCEPTS• Computer systems organization → Single instruction, multiple data; • Software and its engineering → Compilers;
An assessment of hydrothermal treatment of dairy waste as a tool for a sustainable phosphorus supply chain in comparison with commercial phosphatic fertilizers

Hydrothermal treatment has been proven efficient in immobilizing phosphorus and other macronutrients from animal waste; however, there are still gaps in understanding the best end-use applications for nutrient-dense biochars. In this research, aqueous phase phosphorus availability (P aq) of biochars produced at various temperatures and residence times was determined in pH 5.5 citric acid for 8 weeks. Further, P aq of commercially available composted manure and fertilizers was also determined for comparison. P aq was found to plateau after 4 weeks in aqueous phase. Hydrothermal treatment temperature and residence time were found to improve nutrient immobilization efficiency, while conversely lowering P aq. Comparing to commercially available fertilizers, biochars produced from hydrothermal treatment are low in P aq, despite high P2O5% found in the solids. A preliminary process study evaluating energy consumption and CO2 emissions associated with recycled P2O5 recovered from the process operating at 200 °C was conducted, indicating CO2 emissions with respect to soluble phosphorus are significantly higher in comparison with commercial phosphatic fertilizers. Further recommendations regarding life cycle analysis of the phosphorus supply chain are also discussed.
Pathologic Outcomes of Gleason 6 Favorable Intermediate-Risk Prostate Cancer Treated With Radical Prostatectomy: Implications for Active Surveillance.

Abstract Background The safety of active surveillance (AS) for Gleason 6 favorable intermediate-risk (FIR) prostate cancer is unknown. To provide guidance, we examined the incidence and predictors of upgrading or upstaging for Gleason 6 FIR patients treated with radical prostatectomy. Patients and Methods We identified 2807 men in the National Cancer Database diagnosed from 2010 to 2012 with Gleason 6 FIR disease ( Results Fifty-seven percent of the cohort had PSA of 10 to 20 ng/mL; 25.5% patients with PSA of 10 to 20 ng/mL and 12.4% with cT2b to T2c disease were upgraded or upstaged. In multivariable analysis, predictors of upgrading or upstaging included increasing age (P = .026), PSA (P = .001), and percent PBC (P 30% risk of upgrading or upstaging, whereas cT2b to T2c patients with Conclusion We found that Gleason 6 FIR patients with cT2b to T2c tumors had a low risk of harboring higher grade or stage disease and would be reasonable AS candidates, whereas patients with PSA of 10 to 20 ng/mL had a high risk and might generally be poor AS candidates.
Bye-Bye Teacher-Scholar, Hello Teacher-Scholar? Possibilities and Perils of Comprehensive Internationalization.

This article develops the claim that the Teacher-Scholar Model (TS) is ill-suited for the strategy of comprehensive internationalization (CI) which strives for global learning. CI depends on student engagement with international people and organizations. Although non-research collaborations promise to integrate the largest numbers of undergraduate students, the popular TS Model prioritizes international research collaborations. The basis of this prioritization is the contested association of scholarship with better teaching, and more recently evidence-based practice. This article considers some of the consequences of this prioritization, and proposes an update to the TS Model. The update is informed partly by; lessons from service learning and other community focused activities; a non-research collaboration involving Haitian stakeholders from the non-profit and public sectors and thirty extremely poor Haitians with disabilities; and the perceptions of fifty-seven undergraduates from a Carnegie R2 University. The proposal is also informed by an illustration of how different merit models might impact faculty who work on non-research projects. This article demonstrates that even in cases where global learning is enhanced, and collaboratorsΓCO goals are realized, the TS Model is likely to undervalue faculty work. The proposed update, the Teacher Scholar-Practitioner Model, (TSP) is consistent with evidence of complex knowledge flows between practice, scholarship, and teaching. This evidence, which confirms that practice can produce original knowledge and inform scholarship and teaching, is affirmed by examples from a few innovating institutions. Their uses of merit models that align with investments in social aspirational student learning can guide for advocates of comprehensive internationalization. ┬a┬a┬a
Benjamin Franklin: the religious life of a founding father, by Thomas S. Kidd, New Haven, Yale University Press, 2016, 278 pp., US$35.00 (hardback), ISBN 978 030 021749 0

Given the prestige of origins, the religiosity of the United States’ founding fathers has long been of concern for those who wish to debate whether or not this country was intended to be a secular ...
Effect of Interim Mindanao Electricity Market (Imem) to Mindanao Generation Schedule During Imem Commercial Operation

Power supply deficiency in Mindanao had been a concern for years resulting in the depletion of gross power reserve in the island thus, DOE along with other government agencies created the Interim Mindanao Electricity Market (IMEM) to address the problem that can utilize the excess and unused capacity in the Mindanao Power Grid. The study analyzed the capability of IMEM to supply additional capacity by determining significant change on Mindanao Generation Schedules during the first week of its commercial operation from the secondary data downloaded from the public information website of Philippine Electricity Market Corporation (PEMC) dated December 3, 2013, to December 9, 2013. Based on the result output of SPSS20 Dependent T T-Test analysis, there was a significant difference in the Average Total Generation Schedule indicating that IMEM was able to draw out possible generation capacities from excess and unused capacities in the Grid. Specifically, it suggests that values on “With IMEM” condition were higher compared to “No IMEM” condition. Therefore, Mindanao Generation Schedule increased during the first week of IMEM commercial operation. Keywords: Power, deficiency, electricity market, unused capacities
Moral Tensions in Critical Care Medicine: “Absurdities” as Indications of Finitude

Warren Reich’s parable [15] presents us with moral dilemmas because we are free beings with finite capacities and resources, but infinite expectations and hopes. Though we are all doomed to die, and many of us to suffer, we often dream of immortality, including physical immortality. We are reluctant to accept the notion that, as finite beings, not gods and goddesses, we have finite resources. We are, however, pressed to make the painful choices of humans, which gods and goddesses may avoid. We must choose, both as individuals and as societies, which goals and endeavors are worthy of what portion of our efforts and resources: critical care, the arts, the humanities, or the fleeting, fleshy pleasures of this life. If one places most of one’s resources in the development of critical care facilities for all who might come, under all circumstances, there will be little left for a good police force, good roads, good restaurants, good bourbon, and good art. Humans must choose among competing possibilities for the investment of their resources.