cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lifetime reproductive performance in female pigs having distinct reasons for removal

This study describes the reasons for removal of female pigs distributed across parity categories, and evaluates how parameters of lifetime productivity differ for females having distinct removal reasons. The study analyzed lifetime records ® from 7973 females. Those records were obtained from 28 herds from the PigCHAMP research database having high-quality data during a five-year period. Female life expectancy corresponded to 3.3 parities at removal or 1.6 years spent in the breeding herd. The most common removal reason was culling attributed to reproductive disorders (33.6%), followed by culling for sub-optimal litter performance (20.6%). Sows culled for old age (8.7% of the removals) spent proportionally fewer days in non-productive periods, and produced more weaned pigs annually and over a lifetime than females removed for other reasons (P , 0.05). In contrast, females culled for reproductive failure accumulated the largest proportion of non-productive days (NPD) during the time spent in the breeding herd, and produced the fewest weaned pigs per lifetime and per year (P , 0.05). These findings indicate that culling for reproductive reasons is more common among low-parity females, which suggests that minimisation of NPD at early reproductive cycles is crucial to optimise female lifetime reproductive efficiency. © 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Introduction: Gender, Welfare, and States of Punishment

This article provides both an introduction to this special section and a substantive analysis of convergence in the welfare and penal systems in the contemporary United States. After placing this section’s contributions in a conceptual and empirical context, I map out some of the ways the gender regimes of the U.S. welfare and penal systems are being combined and coordinated. Although these state arenas remain somewhat distinct in form and function, I argue that there are striking parallels in their policies, discourses, and practices that are suggestive of new strategies of governance that cut across state systems. I also argue that feminist state scholars are uniquely situated to analyze these overlaps and to theorize the linkages among gender regimes, welfare regimes, and penal regimes across time and place. In the past decade, comprehensive social policy reforms were enacted across a variety of welfare states, prompting feminist scholars of the state to devote much of their work to analyzing and explaining these shifts. With all the attention directed at the gender politics of welfare state reform, changes underway in other state arenas often fell outside our intellectual radar screen. This is particularly true of the penal system, which remains uncharted territory for feminist state scholars despite dramatic shifts in the empirical realities of punishment. Although these changes occurred in many contexts, they were especially pronounced in the United States (Stern 1998; Downes 2001). 1 Since the 1980s, an astonishing number of men and women circulated through
New algorithms for improved speaker identification

This paper focuses on developing new algorithms for improving speaker identification accuracy. Forty nine male speakers from the DARPA resource management continuous speech database were used for training and testing. Mel-frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCC) components were used for training and testing. Vector quantisation (VQ) was used for classification. In addition to presenting identification results, this paper shows the error reduction rate relative to a baseline system.
Application of correlated residual dipolar couplings to the determination of the molecular alignment tensor magnitude of oriented proteins and nucleic acids

Residual dipolar couplings (RDC) between nuclear spins in partially aligned samples offer unique insights into biomacromolecular structure and dynamics. To fully benefit from the RDC data, accurate knowledge of the magnitude (Da) and rhombicity (R) of the molecular alignment tensor, A, is important. An extended histogram method (EHM) is presented which extracts these parameters more effectively from dipolar coupling data. The method exploits the correlated nature of RDCs for structural elements of planar geometry, such as the onebond 13 C � − 13 C α , 13 C � − 15 Ni+1 ,a nd 15 Ni+1− 1 H N+1 couplings in peptide bonds of proteins, or suitably chosen combinations of 1 D C1 � H1 � , 1 D C2 � H2 � , 1 D C1 � C2 � , 2 D C2 � H1 � , 2 D C1 � H2 � ,a nd 3 D H1 � H2 � couplings in nucleic acids, to generate an arbitrarily large number of synthetic RDCs. These synthetic couplings result in substantially improved histograms and resulting values of Da and R, compared with histograms generated solely from the original sets of correlated RDCs, particularly when the number of planar fragments for which couplings are available is small. An alternative method, complementary to the EHM, is also described, which uses a systematic grid search procedure, based on least-squares fitting of sets of correlated RDCs to structural elements of known geometry, and provides an unambiguous lower limit for the degree of molecular alignment.
“Combustion always produces carbon dioxide and water”: a discussion of university chemistry students' use of rules in place of principles

On the basis of responses to written questions administered to more than one thousand introductory chemistry students, we claim that students often rotely apply memorized combustion rules instead of reasoning based on explanatory models for what happens at the molecular level during chemical reactions. In particular, many students argue that combustion produces carbon dioxide and/or water, even when the reactants do not contain hydrogen or carbon, an answer that is inconsistent with the principle of atom conservation. Our study also corroborates the finding that students frequently say that oxygen is “necessary for” or “used in” combustion reactions without connecting this reasoning to conservation principles, suggesting that this likewise may be a rotely applied, memorized rule.
Fertility and sperm quality of broiler breeder males infected with subgroup J avian leukosis virus.

SUMMARY. In order to assess the effects of subgroup J avian leukosis virus (ALV-J) on semen quality, broiler breeder males were separated by ALV-J status (ALV-J positive = POS, ALV-J negative = NEG) at 44 wk of age. Of the 249 males originally placed at 1 day of age, 101 (40.6%) died by 43 wk of age. Observations of tumor expression and high mortality suggest that many of the males that died prior to 44 wk of age were infected with ALV-J. From 47 to 56 wk of age, hens were inseminated every third week with 7.5 × 107 sperm. Fertility and hatch data were collected by incubating eggs laid during the 2 wk postinsemination (WPI). The number of sperm that penetrated the perivitelline membrane of the ovum was determined from eggs laid on the eighth day postinsemination. Sperm mobility index (SMI) was determined at 58 and 60 wk of age from all males producing semen. Whereas SMI and sperm hole penetration measurements indicated that the sperm quality from treatments POS and NEG were similar, fertility was signific...
Abstract 390: Micro RNA-499 Protects the Heart Against Adverse Post Myocardial Infarction Remodeling and Regenerates Damaged Myocardium by Promoting Endogenous Cardiac Stem Cell Differentiation

The intrinsic capacity of the heart to regenerate and replace damaged myocardium by promoting cardiac stem cell differentiation is one of the key repair mechanisms following acute injury to heart. Mitochondrial dysfunction plays an important role in various heart disorders including myocardial infarction. Micro RNAs are implicated in pathogenesis of various cardiac diseases. Cardiac specific miR-499 was shown to regulate mitochondrial fission by inhibiting Drp-1 (Dynamin-related protein). We hypothesize that mitochondrial division inhibitor (Mdivi-1) ameliorates adverse post myocardial infarction remodeling by increasing the expression of miR-499 thereby promoting the ventricular cardiac stem cell differentiation . To verify this, we created myocardial infarction in wild type (C57BL6/J) animals and treated them with Mdivi-1(50mg/kg BW) for 4 weeks. Cardiac function was assessed by echocardiography and pressure volume loop. Individual micro RNA assay was performed to compare miR-499 expression among the groups. Endogenous cardiac stem cell expression was assessed by C-kit marker. Our results showed that Mdivi-1 promotes miR-499 expression and cardiac stem cell differentiation. Echo data revealed improved ejection fraction and left ventricular function. Based on these findings we conclude that Mdivi-1 ameliorates adverse post myocardial infarction remodeling by promoting miR-499 expression and cardiac stem cell differentiation.
High-Performance Fibers

The article contains sections titled: 1. Introduction 1.1. Definition and Classification 1.2. Historical Overview. 2. Heat-Resistant Fibers 2.1. meta-Oriented Aromatic Polyamide Fibers 2.1.1. Solution Polymerization 2.1.2. Interfacial Polymerization 2.1.3. Fiber Formation 2.1.4. Washing, Drawing, Heat Treatment 2.1.5. Fiber Properties 2.1.6. Uses 2.2. Fibers from Heterocyclic Polymers 2.3. Fibers from Melt-Processable Polymers 2.4. Cross-linked Fibers 3. High-Strength and High-Modulus Fibers 3.1. para-Oriented Aromatic Polyamide Fibers 3.1.1. Fibers from Lytropic Solutions 3.1.2. Fibers from Isotropic Solutions 3.1.3. Fiber Structure 3.2. Polyazole Fibers 3.2.1. Fiber Structure 3.3. Fibers from Thermotropic Polymers 3.4. High Strength Polyethylene Fibers 3.4.1. Gel Spinning 3.4.2. Extrusion Process 3.4.3. Fiber Structure 3.5. Properties and Uses of High Strength Fibers 3.5.1. Fiber Properties 3.5.2. Uses
Abstract LB-232: MEK2 signaling pathway alone is sufficient but not necessary for melanoma cell proliferation

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC The Raf-MEK-ERK signaling pathway plays a critical role in survival of many types of cancers, including melanoma. Targeting this pathway by using MEK inhibitors is a rational therapeutic strategy for melanoma treatment. Despite their success in pre-clinical studies, MEK inhibitors have failed to obtain satisfactory responses in clinical cancer trials. An improved understanding of MEK signaling in melanoma survival will facilitate the design of more effective therapeutics. There are two isoforms of MEK; MEK1 and MEK2. Although they are thought to be functionally redundant, recent studies have suggested that these two signaling molecules have non-overlapping cellular functions. To test this we developed a novel experimental system to allow signaling through individual MEK pathway in human melanoma SK-MEL-28 cells. In this system, multiple MEK/MKK pathways are inhibited by anthrax lethal toxin (LeTx), a Bacillus anthracis-secreted toxin which specifically and proteolytically inhibits members of MEK/MKK proteins. MEK1 or MEK2 signaling is rescued by expressing a cleavage-resistant MEK mutant (MEK1cr or MEK2cr) able to actively signal in the presence of LeTx. Using this approach, we determined that MEK2 signaling, and not MEK1, is sufficient for melanoma cell proliferation and anchorage-independent growth. To explain this we hypothesized that MEK1 and MEK2 signaling differentially regulate downstream effectors to control cell survival. To test this and to identify the non-overlapping effectors downstream to MEK1 and MEK2, we compared gene expression profiles using Agilent 60-mer Whole Human Genome Microarrays. We found that global suppression of MKK signaling by LeTx treatment significantly altered expression of 20% of represented genes. These mainly include genes involved in survival pathways such as the pathways of DNA replication, E2F transcription factors, rRNA processing, and cell proliferation, as well as oncogenic pathways such as Myc and Ras. Of these genes, approximately half were rescued by expression of one of MEK1cr or MEK2cr. Whereas MEK2cr had a more pronounced effect on expression and predominantly rescued signaling associated with cell proliferation, MEK1cr rescued signaling normally associated with epithelial to mesenchymal transition. Our findings demonstrate that MEK1 and MEK2 have non-redundant cellular functions and differentially regulate downstream effectors in SK-MEL-28 cells. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-232.
Crossbeam Rainbow Schlieren Deflectometry Technique for Scalar Measurements in Turbulent Flows

In the past, the rainbow schlieren deflectometry technique has been employed to obtain scalar measurements in non-reacting and reacting laminar steady or unsteady flows. The technique has been limited to laminar flows because the path integrated beam deflection angle data must be de-convulated to obtain the local flow properties. In this study, a cross beam approach, whereby two orthogonal beams are employed is explored for statistical measurements in turbulent flows. The theoretical framework of the cross beam correlation technique requiring assumptions of homogeneous and isotropic turbulence is presented. The workability of the technique is verified using numerical simulations of an unsteady laminar helium-air jet.
SEXUAL DYSFUNCTION ASSOCIATED WITH OUTCROSSING IN NEUROSPORA TETRASPERMA, A PSEUDOHOMOTHALLIC ASCOMYCETE

The vegetative thallus of Neurospora tetras- perma naturally exists as a self-fertile heterokaryon with nuclei of both A and a mating types. Meiosis and as? cospore development are programmed to package A and a nuclei in each spore, maintaining self-fertility in subsequent generations. This pseudohomothallic life cycle is predominately inbreeding. Mechanisms exist, however, which give rise to single mating-type hom- okaryons that may behave as functionally heterothallic outcrossing individuals. Ten self-fertile isolates from five sites were resolved into their A and a components. These, together with A and a laboratory wild type strains, were crossed in all combinations to assess the potential for outbreeding. Reproductive success was judged by rating perithecium and ascus production, ascospore abortion, and viability and self-fertility of progeny. Disruption of the sexual cycle at various de? velopmental stages was seen in 91% or 100 of 110 outcrosses. Few, if any, heterokaryotic self-fertile progeny were produced from most outcrosses, indi? cating that sexual reproduction was relatively unsuc- cessful and that outbreeding largely interrupts the pseudohomothallic life cycle. Sexual dysfunction was apparent in crosses whether parents originated from the same local population or from geographically dis? tant populations. However, severity of disruption and thus reproductive isolation were somewhat correlated with geographic distance between parents. Dysfunc? tion appeared to be initiated by protoplasmic incom? patibility between mated haplotypes not normally combined in nature. Control crosses which restored
The design and fabrication of nickel-base superalloys

Superalloy design and fabrication are challenging tasks. Slight variations in composition can improve one property and simultaneously degrade another. To determine the optimum composition, a thorough review of literature and microstructural theory is necessary, and a series of calculations should be completed to predict specific properties that are required for an application. Once the composition is determined, careful control of the solidification process is critical, as inhomogeneities, porosity and poor dispersion of precipitates can ruin the careful plans of the alloy designer. Final preparation of the superalloy requires heat treatment to optimize the microstructure.
Epidemiological analysis of HIV infection among drug users in Changping district of Beijing in 2006-2011

Objective To understand the status of HIV infection among intravenous drug users(IDUs) in Changping district and their behavior.Methods IDUs were recruited using snowball method in the community during annual monitoring period,while new IDUs admitted to the correction sites were required to comlete a questionnaire survey and blood samples were collected for HIV antibody detection.Results There was no significant difference in annul HIV infection rates among IDUs from 2006 to 2011(χ2=6.272,P0.05).Over the years,the awareness rate of AIDS knowledge among drug users was on a upward trend(χ2=211.899,P0.001),while the number of IDUs was on a slowly downward trend(χ2=46.29,P0.001) with fewer drug users sharing the needles(χ2=13.549,P0.05).Conclusions Although more and more IDUs have the knowledge of AIDS and be aware of their behavior,some intervention measures still need to be applied to further reduce HIV infection among drug abusers.
Plasma concentration profile of epidural alfentanil. Bolus followed by continuous infusion technique in the parturient: effect of epidural alfentanil and fentanyl on fetal heart rate.

Background and Objectives. A combined bolus and continuous epidural infusion technique of opioid and bupivacaine mixture has been described, although no pharmacokinetic data for this technique exists. The study documents the plasma concentration profile of epidural alfentanil in parturients using this technique, and evaluates the fetal heart rate tracing for associated changes following opioid administration. Methods. Twenty-four subjects were randomized to receive epidural alfentanil 500 μg in 10 mL 0.125% bupivacaine, group A, or fentanyl 50 μg in 10 mL 0.125% bupivacaine, group B, as a bolus dose, followed by continuous infusions of alfentanil 20 μg/mL in 0.125% bupivacaine (group A) or fentanyl 2 μg/mL in 0.125% bupivacaine (group B) for labor analgesia. Plasma drug levels for each group were examined using repeated measures analysis of covariance. Results. Fetal heart rate tracings were recorded throughout the study and were retrospectively analyzed by a “blinded” perinatologist. Data from fetal heart rate tracings were examined by repeated measures analysis of variance. Mean infusion rates were 9.3 ± 2.1 mL/hour and 9.6 ± 1.7 mL/hour for groups A and B, respectively. Mean study duration was 3.7 hours in group A, and 3.0 hours in group B. Low plasma levels precluded analysis of fentanyl data. Group A subjects exhibited stability of drug levels over time. Fetal heart rate tracings in 21 patients demonstrated no changes associated with epidural opioid infusion in either group. Conclusions. With the dosage regimen used in this study, an initial epidural bolus with continuous infusion technique generates a steady state plasma concentration of alfentanil that is below levels associated with direct respiratory depression.
High resolution isotopic analysis of U-bearing particles via fusion of SIMS and EDS images

Image fusion of secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) images and X-ray elemental maps from energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) was performed to facilitate the isolation and re-analysis of isotopically unique U-bearing particles where the highest precision SIMS measurements are required. Image registration, image fusion and particle micromanipulation were performed on a subset of SIMS images obtained from a large area pre-screen of a particle distribution from a sample containing a mixture of several certified reference materials (CRM) U129A, U015, U150, U500 and U850, as well as a standard reference material (SRM) 8704 (Buffalo River Sediment) to simulate particles collected on swipes during routine inspections of declared uranium enrichment facilities by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). In total, fourteen particles, ranging in size from 5–15 μm, were isolated and re-analyzed by SIMS in multi-collector mode identifying nine particles of CRM U129A, one of U150, one of U500 and three of U850. These identifications were made based on the measured isotopic composition which was accurate to a few percent of the certified value and which proved to be consistent with the respective National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) certified atom percent values for 234U, 235U, 236U and 238U for the corresponding CRMs. This work represents the first use of image fusion for nuclear safeguards application, resulting in improved accuracy and precision of isotope ratio measurements for U-bearing particles. Implementation of image fusion is essential for the identification of particles of interest that fall below the spatial resolution of the SIMS images.
Pharmacological basis of contractile effects of peptidoleukotrienes on rabbit colonic muscularis mucosae

The present study was designed to determine the mechanism(s) underlying the excitatory effects of several sulfidopeptide leukotrienes (LTs) on the muscularis mucosae in three regions of the rabbit colon. Proximal colonic muscularis mucosae was refractory to LTs C4, D4, and E4. In addition, it exhibited no responses to prostaglandin (PG) E2 and only a minimal contractile response to PGF2 alpha. Mid and distal colonic muscularis mucosae each responded to LTs C4, D4, and E4 and PGs E2 and F2 alpha with concentration-dependent contractions. In both regions, responses to LTD4 and LTE4 were abolished by indomethacin (10(-6) M) pretreatment. LTC4-induced responses were reduced approximately 50% by this procedure. The residual contraction to LTC4 was resistant to both tetrodotoxin (10(-6) M) and atropine (10(-6) M). In separate experiments, responses to LTC4 were also reduced by approximately 50% if LTC4 conversion to LTD4 and LTE4 was first prevented by L-serine borate (45 mM) in combination with L-cysteine (10 mM). It is concluded that proximal colonic muscularis mucosae lacks the appropriate functional excitatory LT and PG receptors. On mid and distal colonic muscularis mucosae, the actions of LTD4 and LTE4 and, in part, LTC4 are the result of PG production, whereas LTC4 has an additional direct action, possibly mediated through a selective LTC4 receptor.
Do Zones of Deterrence Exist

China’s entry into military superpower status posed a more general question: What will happen to the balance of power if more countries enter the arms race? Chapter 4 showed that when a third party entered into the cold war the balance of power became more precarious. In general, three or more elements in any interactive system constitute an entirely different world from two because the indirect effects such as alliances echo back on the direct relationships and can overwhelm them.
State Space Modeling of Neural Spike Train and Behavioral Data

Publisher Summary State space modeling is an established framework for analyzing stochastic and deterministic dynamical systems that are measured or observed through a stochastic process. This highly flexible paradigm has been successfully applied in engineering, statistics, computer science, and economics to solve a broad range of dynamical systems problems. The revolution in neuroscience recording technologies in the last 20 years has provided many novel ways to study the dynamic activity of the brain and central nervous system. These technologies include multielectrode recording arrays functional magnetic imaging electroencephalography and magneto encephalography, diffuse optical tomography, calcium imaging, and behavioral data. Because a fundamental feature of many neuroscience data analysis problems is that, the underlying neural system is dynamic and is observed indirectly through measurements from one or a combination of these different recording modalities, the state space paradigm provides an ideal framework for developing statistical tools to analyze neural data. Neural spiking activity recorded from single or multiple electrodes is one of the principal types of data recorded in neurophysiological experiments. Because neural spike trains are time series of action potentials, point process theory has been shown to provide an accurate framework for modeling the stochastic structure of single and multiple neural spike trains.
Explaining Public Support for Counterproductive Homelessness Policy: The Role of Disgust

Federal, state, and city governments spend substantial funds on programs intended to aid homeless people, and such programs attract widespread public support. In recent years, however, state and local governments have increasingly enacted policies, such as bans on panhandling and sleeping in public, that are counterproductive to alleviating homelessness. Yet these policies also garner substantial support from the public. Given that programs aiding the homeless are so popular, why are these counterproductive policies also popular? We argue that disgust plays a key role in the resolution of this puzzle. While disgust does not decrease support for aid policies or even generate negative affect towards homeless people, it motivates the desire for physical distance, leading to support for policies that exclude homeless people from public life. We test this argument using survey data, including a national sample with an embedded experiment. Consistent with these expectations, our findings indicate that those respondents who are dispositionally sensitive to disgust are more likely to support exclusionary policies, such as banning panhandling, but no less likely to support policies intended to aid homeless people. Furthermore, media depictions of the homeless that include disease cues activate disgust, increasing its impact on support for banning panhandling. These results help explain the popularity of exclusionary homelessness policies and challenge common perspectives on the role of group attitudes in public life.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome's societal induced psychological, sociological, and psychosomatic workplace effects

Case Studies and Phenomenological studies repeatedly showed that the physical effects of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) are still present in the workplace today. However, what was missing from these studies was how the effects of CTS plague an employee with CTS psychologically, psychosomatically, physically, and sociologically after they have been exposed to repeated hierarchal Anschluss leadership tactics from their employer in the workplace.
Using the McSweeney Acute and Prodromal Myocardial Infarction Symptom Survey to Predict the Occurrence of Short-Term Coronary Heart Disease Events in Women.

Abstract Background Few instruments capture symptoms that predict cardiac events in the short-term. This study examines the ability of the McSweeney Acute and Prodromal Myocardial Infarction Symptom Survey to predict acute cardiac events within 3 months of administration and to identify the prodromal symptoms most associated with short-term risk in women without known coronary heart disease. Methods The McSweeney Acute and Prodromal Myocardial Infarction Symptom Survey was administered to 1,097 women referred to a cardiologist for initial coronary heart disease evaluation. Logistic regression models were used to examine prodromal symptoms individually and in combination to identify the subset of symptoms most predictive of an event within 3 months. Results Fifty-one women had an early cardiac event. In bivariate analyses, 4 of 30 prodromal symptoms were significantly associated with event occurrence within 90 days. In adjusted analyses, women reporting arm pain or discomfort and unusual fatigue were more likely (OR, 4.67; 95% CI, 2.08–10.48) to have a cardiac event than women reporting neither. Conclusions The McSweeney Acute and Prodromal Myocardial Infarction Symptom Survey may assist in predicting short-term coronary heart disease events in women without known coronary heart disease.
Soil microbial community restoration in conservation reserve program semi-arid grasslands.

Abstract The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) in the Southern High Plains (SHP) is known to play a crucial role in maintaining ecosystem health by reducing soil erosion. However, the restoration of soil biological health (biological community and its function) over time under CRP have not been clearly elucidated. The objective of this study was to describe the changes in the soil microbial community composition using a CRP chronosequence. Soil samples (0-10 cm and 10-30 cm) were collected in 2012 and 2014 from 26 fields across seven counties within the SHP and included seven croplands (representing 0 y in CRP), 16 CRP fields of varying ages (8-28 y as of 2014), plus three rangelands (representing no disturbance for > 30 y). Multiple regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the impacts of CRP restoration on soil microbial biomass. Shifts in soil microbial community composition, according to fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) profiles, with increasing CRP restoration years were explored using multivariate ordination. Total microbial biomass (using total FAME content as a proxy) increased with CRP years at 10-30 cm in 2012 and both depths in 2014. Although different environmental conditions were present during the two sampling years (2012 followed a record extreme drought in 2011 with conditions improving in 2014), the physiological stress of microbial community indicated by ratios of saturated to monounsaturated FAME biomarkers consistently decreased with CRP restoration years in both sampling years and both depths. A shift in microbial community composition was measured during CRP restoration at 0-10 cm in both sampling years (and at 10–30 cm in 2012) with an increase in relative fungal abundance through the initial 15 y of CRP and then a decline after 15 y. The overall increase in soil microbial biomass and decrease in microbial physiological stress indicators with increasing years under CRP illustrates how this is a valuable restoration program for building soil health in fragile, sandy SHP soils. The mechanisms underlying the decline in fungal abundance in years 15–28 are unclear and the associated reduction in the fungal to bacterial ratio does not necessarily reflect reduced soil health. Overall, the CRP program is an effective restoration practice in the SHP that can restore overall soil biological attributes including microbial biomass, re-establish the soil microbial community with decreased microbial physiological stress, and improve soil microbial functions related to C sequestration.
Pineal Calcification, Melatonin Production, Aging, Associated Health Consequences and Rejuvenation of the Pineal Gland.

The pineal gland is a unique organ that synthesizes melatonin as the signaling molecule of natural photoperiodic environment and as a potent neuronal protective antioxidant. An intact and functional pineal gland is necessary for preserving optimal human health. Unfortunately, this gland has the highest calcification rate among all organs and tissues of the human body. Pineal calcification jeopardizes melatonin’s synthetic capacity and is associated with a variety of neuronal diseases. In the current review, we summarized the potential mechanisms of how this process may occur under pathological conditions or during aging. We hypothesized that pineal calcification is an active process and resembles in some respects of bone formation. The mesenchymal stem cells and melatonin participate in this process. Finally, we suggest that preservation of pineal health can be achieved by retarding its premature calcification or even rejuvenating the calcified gland.
NUDGING: UM GUIA (MUITO) RESUMIDO

This brief essay offers a general introduction to the idea of nudging , along with a list of ten of the most important nudges . It also provides a short discussion of the question whether to create some kind of separate behavioral insights unit, capable of conducting its own research, or instead to rely on existing institutions.
Echinodermata Collected at Rocas Alijos

Over 600 species of echinoderms are known from central eastern Pacific waters, but considerably fewer shallow-water taxa are reported from the region’s oceanic islands (Maluf, 1988, 1991). The relative impoverishment of the island fauna stems from biogeographic factors. However, the limited list of island species is, to some extent, an artifact of incomplete biological surveys. Therefore, additional information on eastern Pacific island biota is of systematic and zoogeographic importance. Data for certain remote localities are of special value. One such site, Rocas Alijos, lies in a transitional region between the temperate Californian and the tropical Panamic provinces.
Weyl Group, Root Datum

2.1.1. Assume that a Cartan datum (I, ·) is given. For any i ≠ j in I such that (i · i)(j · j) - (i · j) 2 > 0 we define an integer h(i,j) ∈ {2,3,4,… } by \({\cos ^2}\frac{\pi }{{h(i,j)}} = \frac{{i \cdot j}}{{i \cdot i}}\frac{{j \cdot i}}{{j \cdot j}}\) We have h (i,j)=h(j,i)=2,3,4 or 6 according to whether \(\frac{{2i \cdot j}}{{i \cdot i}}\frac{{2j \cdot i}}{{j \cdot j}}\) is 0,1,2 or 3.
Altruism in Health Care

Can a commitment to social justice and to altruism in medicine coexist? Can medicine remain a locus of human generosity and compassion as health care provision becomes more and more a social responsibility? Over the past decade a number of writers, myself among them, have sought to assert that there is a fundamental human right to health care. In different ways we have argued that access to health care cannot be allowed to depend upon one’s financial resources or on the free generosity of some health care providers. Each person, we have said, has a legitimate moral claim to a fair share of the health resources a society provides ([11, 12, 24, 33]). But even as we have argued this way, it has been incumbent upon us to consider the costs of the right we would affirm. On the economic side, this matter has received attention as thinkers have explored the problem of how quality of care can be conjoined with equality of its distribution ([4, 9]). But far less attention has been given to the possible moral costs of this right. In what follows I want to examine one of these possible costs by asking whether some of the altruistic moral attitudes and practices traditionally associated with medical care can survive in an environment of social or legally established rights and claims.
Financial Therapy: Establishing an Emerging Field

This chapter outlines the origins of financial therapy—an emerging field interested in the integration of cognitive, emotional, behavioral, relational, and economic aspects with financial health. This chapter differentiates among financial therapy, financial coaching, and financial planning; explores ethical considerations; and discusses the importance of theory and evidence-based practices in the development of the field of financial therapy. The chapter concludes with a rationale of the need for financial therapy, ethical considerations for the field, and future directions.
High cost of bias: Diminishing marginal returns on NIH grant funding to institutions

Abstract Scientific output is not a linear function of amounts of federal grant support to individual investigators. As funding per investigator increases beyond a certain point, productivity decreases. This study reports that such diminishing marginal returns also apply for National Institutes of Health (NIH) research project grant funding to institutions. Analyses of data (2006–2015) for a representative cross-section of institutions, whose amounts of funding ranged from $3 million to $440 million per year, revealed robust inverse correlations between funding (per institution, per award, per investigator) and scientific output (publication productivity and citation impact productivity). Interestingly, prestigious institutions had on average 65% higher grant application success rates and 50% larger award sizes, whereas less-prestigious institutions produced 65% more publications and had a 35% higher citation impact per dollar of funding. These findings suggest that implicit biases and social prestige mechanisms (e.g., the Matthew effect) have a powerful impact on where NIH grant dollars go and the net return on taxpayers’ investments. They support evidence-based changes in funding policy geared towards a more equitable, more diverse and more productive distribution of federal support for scientific research. Success rate/productivity metrics developed for this study provide an impartial, empirically based mechanism to do so.
Effect of adoption of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for advanced ovarian cancer on all-cause mortality.

5537Background: Use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery for advanced epithelial ovarian cancer is controversial in the United States. Methods: Use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for stage ...
Teaching Judicial Politics through a Supreme Court Simulation.

This article describes various iterations of a Supreme Court simulation that we developed for undergraduate political science classes. We address when simulations should be used to introduce a topi...
The existence and evolution of morphotypes in Anolis lizards: coexistence patterns, not adaptive radiations, distinguish mainland and island faunas

The evolution of distinct ecologies and correlated morphologies ("ecomorphs," in combination) among similar species allows sympatric occupation of diverse microhabitats. Particular ecomorphs may evolve repeatedly, that is, convergently, as separate lineages arrive at similar solutions. Caribbean Anolis lizards (anoles) are a classic ecomorph system, particularly well-studied for the diverse morphotypes resulting from adaptive radiations. But few studies have analyzed the equally species-diverse mainland Anolis. Here, we use clustering analyses of nine traits for 336 species of Anolis to objectively identify morphological groups (morphotypes). We analyze the presence of recovered morphotypes on mainland and islands in general and relative to the composition of 76 mainland and 91 island anole assemblages. We test for evolutionary convergence of morphotypes within and between mainland and island environments by mapping our recovered morphotypes onto recent phylogenetic estimates and by analyzing four of our measured traits using program SURFACE. We find that particular morphotypes tend to be restricted to either mainland or island environments. Morphotype diversity and convergence are not concentrated within either island or mainland environments. Morphotype content of assemblages differs between mainland and island areas, with island assemblages displaying greater numbers of morphotypes than mainland assemblages. Taken with recent research, these results suggest a restructuring of one of the classic adaptive radiation stories and a reconsideration of research concerning island-mainland faunal differences. Island radiations of anoles are unexceptional relative to mainland radiations with regard to species count, rates of speciation and phenotypic evolution, morphotype diversity, and rates of convergence. But local island assemblage appear to be more diverse than mainland assemblages. The explanation for this assemblage disparity may reside in one of the classic hypothesized island-mainland environmental differences (i.e., greater numbers of predators/competitors/environmental complexity on the mainland). Similarity between mainland and island anole radiations may indicate exceptional evolution in the anole clade overall or ordinary evolution in an extraordinarily studied clade.
The Evidence Project risk of bias tool: assessing study rigor for both randomized and non-randomized intervention studies

Different tools exist for assessing risk of bias of intervention studies for systematic reviews. We present a tool for assessing risk of bias across both randomized and non-randomized study designs. The tool was developed by the Evidence Project, which conducts systematic reviews and meta-analyses of behavioral interventions for HIV in low- and middle-income countries. We present the eight items of the tool and describe considerations for each and for the tool as a whole. We then evaluate reliability of the tool by presenting inter-rater reliability for 125 selected studies from seven published reviews, calculating a kappa for each individual item and a weighted kappa for the total count of items. The tool includes eight items, each of which is rated as being present (yes) or not present (no) and, for some items, not applicable or not reported. The items include (1) cohort, (2) control or comparison group, (3) pre-post intervention data, (4) random assignment of participants to the intervention, (5) random selection of participants for assessment, (6) follow-up rate of 80% or more, (7) comparison groups equivalent on sociodemographics, and (8) comparison groups equivalent at baseline on outcome measures. Together, items (1)–(3) summarize the study design, while the remaining items consider other common elements of study rigor. Inter-rater reliability was moderate to substantial for all items, ranging from 0.41 to 0.80 (median κ = 0.66). Agreement between raters on the total count of items endorsed was also substantial (κw = 0.66). Strengths of the tool include its applicability to a range of study designs, from randomized trials to various types of observational and quasi-experimental studies. It is relatively easy to use and interpret and can be applied to a range of review topics without adaptation, facilitating comparability across reviews. Limitations include the lack of potentially relevant items measured in other tools and potential threats to validity of some items. To date, the tool has been applied in over 30 reviews. We believe it is a practical option for assessing risk of bias in systematic reviews of interventions that include a range of study designs.
Modulating the Electrode–Electrolyte Interface with Cationic Surfactants in Carbon Dioxide Reduction

Copper is among the most studied electrocatalyst for CO2 conversion due to its remarkable ability to form high-order carbon products. However, controlling factors that lead to high carbon product s...
Recognizing Video Events with Varying Rhythms.

Recognizing Video events in long, complex videos with multiple sub-activities has received persistent attention recently. This task is more challenging than traditional action recognition with short, relatively homogeneous video clips. In this paper, we investigate the problem of recognizing long and complex events with varying action rhythms, which has not been considered in the literature but is a practical challenge. Our work is inspired in part by how humans identify events with varying rhythms: quickly catching frames contributing most to a specific event. We propose a two-stage \emph{end-to-end} framework, in which the first stage selects the most significant frames while the second stage recognizes the event using the selected frames. Our model needs only \emph{event-level labels} in the training stage, and thus is more practical when the sub-activity labels are missing or difficult to obtain. The results of extensive experiments show that our model can achieve significant improvement in event recognition from long videos while maintaining high accuracy even if the test videos suffer from severe rhythm changes. This demonstrates the potential of our method for real-world video-based applications, where test and training videos can differ drastically in rhythms of sub-activities.
End-of-life care in schizophrenia: a systematic review.

Objective: Schizophrenia is a severe and persistent mental illness with profound effects on patients, families, and communities. It causes immense suffering on personal, emotional, and socioeconomic levels. Individuals with schizophrenia have poorer health outcomes and die 10–20 years younger than the general population. Economic costs associated with schizophrenia are substantial and comprise 2.5% of healthcare expenditures worldwide. Despite psychosocioeconomic impacts, individuals with schizophrenia are subject to inequitable care, particularly at end of life. A systematic review was conducted to examine disparities in end-of-life care in schizophrenia and identify factors that can be targeted to enhance end-of-life care in this vulnerable population. Design: A comprehensive search was conducted using the databases Ovid MEDLINE(R), Ovid EMBASE, Ovid PsycINFO, Ovid Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Ovid Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Scopus from 2008–2018. Keywords included schizophrenia, palliative, end-of-life, and hospice. Two authors independently reviewed titles and abstracts; disagreements were resolved by consensus. Results: The search identified 123 articles; 33 met criteria: 13 case reports, 12 retrospective studies, 5 literature reviews, and 3 prospective studies. Articles were divided into major themes including healthcare disparities, ethics, and palliative care. Palliative care was the most frequent theme comprising >50% of the articles, and there was considerable thematic overlap with ethics and palliative care. Almost half the articles (45%) were related to schizophrenia and comorbid cancer. Conclusions: Increased awareness of potential healthcare disparities in this population, creative approaches in multidisciplinary care, and provision of adequate palliative services and resources can enhance end-of-life care in schizophrenia.
Scaling of Subcellular Structures.

As cells grow, the size and number of their internal organelles increase in order to keep up with increased metabolic requirements. Abnormal size of organelles is a hallmark of cancer and an import...
Decarceration Problems and Prospects

Incarceration rates in the United States are far higher than in the world's other Western democracies, so high that they are referred to as mass incarceration. After nearly 40 years of sustained gr...
Subset Sum Instances in ZFC Limbo

Our main result, Theorem 2.5, shows the existence of a vast infinity of subset sum problems solvable in polynomial time. The only proof we have of this result uses the ZFC independent Jump Free Theorem of Harvey Friedman, thus putting Theorem 2.5 in what we call ZFC limbo. The mathematics we use is elementary and at the level of a good undergraduate course in combinatorics or design and analysis of algorithms. The statement of the Jump Free Theorem is also easily understood at this level (but not the proof).
The Inequitable Global Burden of Lip and Oral Cancers: Widening Disparities Across Countries.

Purpose In light of continued innovation in cancer immunotherapy regimens and surgical management, no studies currently exist assessing the effect of these advances on global disparities in lip and oral cavity cancer disease burden. The purpose of this study is to characterize longitudinal trends in disease burden caused by lip and oral cavity cancers globally. Materials and Methods This retrospective, longitudinal cohort study extracted data on lip and oral cavity cancer disease burden from The Global Health Data Exchange for 1990-2017. The primary predictor variable was country human development index (HDI). The primary outcome variable was disease burden, measured by age-standardized disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) per 100,000 population, listed for each individual country. Additional variables assessed include country-level data on alcohol consumption and tobacco smoking. Concentration indices were also calculated. Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance tests with Bonferroni correction were utilized with a significance threshold of 0.008. Results A total of 185 countries met inclusion criteria. Global age-standardized DALYs increased from 44.5 ± 35.7 to 51.1 ± 41.1 from 1990 to 2017. High HDI and medium HDI countries showed a +37.6% and +22.4% median increase in DALYs, respectively, which is significantly greater than very-high HDI (+3.8%) and low HDI countries (−0.5%) (P Conclusions High and medium HDI countries experienced a disproportionate growth in lip and oral cavity cancer disease burden. These findings may have resulted from increased life expectancy among these countries. Global and public health policy initiatives should focus on understanding the mechanisms driving these disparities with the goal of reducing disease burden globally.
The problem of undersampling for models of archaeological occupations derived from shovel testing and its consequences for significance determinations

Archaeologists working in the Eastern United States routinely employ shovel testing as a method for site discovery and delineation in areas of dense ground cover, and as a means of collecting infor...