cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On the Effectiveness of Marketing Planning

I recently updated my boxscore of studies on the effectiveness of planning (Armstrong 1989). I found seventeen empirical studies that concluded that formal planning led to better performance, four that showed no effect, and three that showed that formal planning produced poorer results. The results from MPNZ do little to change the weight of the evidence. My conclusion from all of the evidence to date is that traditional formal planning produces better results. Some planning procedures, primarily those related to beating the competitors, yield poorer results. Hopefully, this study will stimulate further research on what planning procedures improve performance. In particular, experimental and laboratory studies should be conducted. These studies, as well as any additional crosssectional studies, should include information on the planning processes, the conditions faced by each firm, and the impact of planning on key stakeholders.
Theory of decoupling in the mixed phase of extremely type-II layered superconductors

The mixed phase of extremely type-II layered superconductors in perpendicular magnetic field is studied theoretically via the layered XY model with uniform frustration. A partial duality analysis is carried out in the weak-coupling limit. It consistently accounts for both intra-layer (pancake) and inter-layer (Josephson) vortex excitations. The main conclusion reached is that dislocations of the two-dimensional (2D) vortex lattices within layers drive a unique second-order melting transition at high perpendicular fields between a low-temperature superconducting phase that displays a Josephson effect and a high-temperature ``normal'' phase that displays no Josephson effect. The former state is best described by weakly coupled 2D vortex lattices, while the latter state is best characterized by a decoupled vortex liquid. It is further argued on the basis of the duality analysis that the second-order melting transition converts itself into a first-order one as the perpendicular field is lowered and approaches the dimensional cross-over scale. The resulting critical endpoint potentially accounts for the same phenomenon that is observed in the mixed phase of clean high-temperature superconductors.
Development of optimal controllers for a DFIG based wind farm in a smart grid under variable wind speed conditions

Variations in wind speed cause different transient responses in a Doubly Fed Induction Generator (DFIG)-based wind farm. Transients during grid disturbances, depending on controller parameters, can lead to a system collapse, especially when significant fluctuations exist in wind speed despite the presence of SmartParks (energy storage). When a fault is introduced, the variable frequency converter (VFC) is the most susceptible part in a DFIG. The VFC is controlled by a set of Proportional Integral (PI) controllers. Parameters of PI controllers are very difficult to tune using traditional methods due to nonlinearity in DFIGs and the increasing complexity of smart grids. This paper presents an implementation of a new efficient heuristic approach, the Mean Variance Optimization (MVO) algorithm, on a digital signal processor, for online tuning of PI controllers on the rotor-side converter of a DFIG. With the MVO-optimized PI controllers on the wind farm, the entire smart grid remains stable under grid disturbances for a wide range of wind speeds. The results demonstrate that intelligent controller tuning is critical for optimal operation of DFIG-based wind farms in a smart grid despite the presence of energy storage.
Urea is the best molecule to target adequacy of peritoneal dialysis

For hemodialysis, a large base of data shows the validity of modelling the dialysis dose and reliably estimating protein intake from equilibrated Kt/V urea (eKt/VU), the total dialyzer urea clearan...
Community influences on antenatal and delivery care in Bangladesh, Egypt, and Rwanda.

This article on determinants of pre-hypertension and hypertension in rural southwest China is an interesting study with more than 11,000 subjects. The finding that pre-hypertension is more prevalent than hypertension provides evidence of the need for early intervention in the population and intervention strategies that are appropriate for the diverse ethnic groups that exist within the population. As the authors note, the prevalence of hypertension has risen in the last decade in China. This increase follows a worldwide trend regarding the growing burden of noncommunicable diseases as a serious public health concern; moreover, half of all noncommunicable disease deaths worldwide are cardiovascular in nature. Le and colleagues were able to recruit a very large population for this study and maintain a high level of participation— more than 94%. This study does not show the strong relationship to individual income that is reported in many studies; however, it does demonstrate the importance of ethnicity as it relates to pre-hypertension and hypertension. The authors suggest that genetic factors, various diet-related factors, and lifestyles may be more important determinants for blood pressure levels than individual income. What is significant in this study is that the size provides an opportunity to look at differences within what might appear to be a fairly homogenous population. In fact, the population is quite diverse, and the diversity provides evidence of the need for more tailored interventions for reducing pre-hypertension and hypertension.
STATISTICAL APPROACHES VERSUS WEATHER GENERATOR TO DOWNSCALE RCM OUTPUTS TO POINT SCALE: A COMPARISON OF PERFORMANCES

To properly evaluate weather variables regulating the occurrence of geo-hydrological hazards, the current constraints of climate models imply the need of adopting statistical approaches in cascade to GCM/RCM for the assessment of the potential variations associated to climate changes. Since, in the last years, several approaches, often freely available, have been proposed and applied to investigate various hazards in different geographical areas and geomorphological contexts, a deeper understanding about their performances and constraints is crucial; in the work, it is carried out focusing the attention on two kind of approaches widely adopted in impact studies: bias correction methods(in particular, quantile mapping tools) and weather generators. Both methodology have been applied to outputs of an high resolution RCM simulation carried out on Italian territory for analyzing two very localized (and then challenging) landslide case studies. Beyond an assessment about relative performances in reproducing weather variables on the areas, the goal concerns an increasing awareness about how these approaches could affect the climate signal, physically detected by RCM, not only in outputs weather variables but also in derived components of soil surface budgets strictly governing the occurrence of landslide phenomena.
Capacitor based multiplexing circuit for silicon photomultiplier array readout

Several different multiplexing readout methods have been investigated for reading out silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) arrays. However, it is still challenging by using these methods to maintain signal integrity for overall good signal and imaging performance while reducing the number of readout and processing channels. One common issue to resistor based multiplexing method is the position-dependent timing shift among different channels, which can in principle be calibrated and corrected but add complexity to the detector calibration and operation process, and can be very difficult to apply for a practical PET system for routine imaging applications. To solve such and other problems, we explored a capacitor-based multiplexing method for our PET detector to read SiPM with a common cathode which has not been addressed previously. To achieve good detector performance, we required output signal without undershot/overshot suited for excellent charge integration, and without timing shift among different channels. The design applies a capacitor network to divide the charge of signals from a SiPM into two branches, with the division of charge based on the position of the SiPM in the network. Only one capacitor value is needed. The number of readout channels can be reduced from N×N to 2N. Evaluation circuit was tested with pulsed signals and a practical PET detector which consisted of an 8×8 SiPM array and LYSO scintillator array. The results showed that signal rise and fall times from different channels were the similar, no output signal undershot, and no timing shift among different channels. The resistive and capacitive multiplexing methods were compared for their noise level, energy resolution, rise time, and timing resolution as function of channel numbers. Capacitive multiplexing method shows better noise and timing performance with much better timing and energy consistent from all detector area. A PCB circuit board with capacitor multiplexing has been developed for PET detector applications.
Assessing 30-day quantity-frequency of U.S. adolescent cigarette smoking as a predictor of adult smoking 14 years later.

Abstract Background To improve measures of monthly tobacco cigarette smoking among non-daily smokers, predictive of future non-daily monthly and daily smoking. Methods Data from United States National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, tracking adolescents, ages 12–21, over 14 years were analyzed. At baseline, 6501 adolescents were assessed; 5114 individuals provided data at waves 1 and 4. Baseline past 30-day non-daily smokers were classified using quantity-frequency measures: cigarettes smoked/day by number of days smoked in the past 30 days. Results Three categories of past 30-day non-daily smokers emerged using cigarettes/month (low:1–5, moderate: 6–60, high: 61+) and predicted past 30-day smoking at follow-up (low: 44.5%, moderate: 60.0%, high: 77.0%, versus 74.2% daily smokers; rτ= −0.2319, p Conclusions Non-daily smokers smoking over three packs/month were as likely as daily smokers to be smoking 14-years later. Lower levels of non-daily smoking (at ages 12–21) predicted lower likelihood of future monthly smoking. In terms of surveillance and cessation interventions, high NDSI smokers might be treated similar to daily smokers.
Ab Initio Computational Studies of Mg Vacancy Diffusion in Doped MgB2 Aimed at Hydriding Kinetics Enhancement of the LiBH4 + MgH2 System

We report an ab initio density functional theory (DFT) study that investigates the effect of transition metal dopants on diffusion of Mg vacancies in MgB2. This study has implications for the diffu...
Optimal Fast Control and Scheduling of Power Distribution System Using Integrated Receding Horizon Control and Convex Conic Programming

In this paper, a convex optimal power flow (OPF) formulation integrated within receding horizon control (RHC) architecture using second-order conic programming (SOCP) is proposed. The main advantages of the proposed method are 1) global optimal scheduling with faster computation time; 2) dynamic models with online control within optimization routine; and 3) integration of uncertain resources and measurements. The effectiveness of this method is evaluated using modified IEEE 32-bus and IEEE 119-bus distribution test systems considering network constraints such as energy market interactions, storage dynamics, and uncertain model of wind generation. The efficiency of the proposed method compared to RHC ac optimal power flow (RHC-ACOPF) is also evaluated using real-time simulator. The results show that the proposed method outperforms the RHC-ACOPF and guarantees global optimal solution. The proposed method also provides effective usage of energy storage system since dynamic modeling of energy storage within the optimization algorithm is possible using RHC integration.
VALIDATION OF AN INCOMPLETELY COUPLED TWO-COMPARTMENT NONRECYCLING CATENARY MODEL FOR TURNOVER OF LIVER AND PLASMA TRIGLYCERIDE IN MAN.

Pool sizes and turnover rates of hepatic triglycerides and of lipids of three plasma lipoprotein fractions of human subjects were defined from studies of the rates of incorporation of labeled free glycerol and of labeled palmitate into these lipids, and of distribution and clearance from plasma of intact, endogenously labeled lipoproteins. Incorporation of labeled glycerol and labeled palmitate into plasma lipoproteins was prompt. Triglycerides of the lowest density lipoprotein class (Sf > 20) were most highly labeled of all plasma lipoproteins, and turnover was most rapid in this class. The kinetic behavior of radioactive plasma triglyceride was more complex when palmitate was used than when glycerol served as a labeled precursor, probably because glycerol recycled less than did palmitate. An incompletely coupled, two-compartment, nonrecycling catenary (linked in series) model of hepatic triglyceride and of plasma Sf > 20 triglyceride was validated. The Sf > 20 triglycerides turned over in a volume approximating that of plasma. Apparently unique to man of various species previously reported is the relatively slow turnover and consequent rate-determining role of Sf > 20 triglyceride in this two-pool system. The hepatic pool greatly exceeded that in plasma and turned over approximately three times more rapidly.
Ultrasound biologic effects: A suggestion of strain specificity

Pregnant hybrid LAF1/J mice were exposed to continuous-wave ultrasonic energy at a frequency of 1 MHz at a spatial peak intensity of either 2.5 W/cm2 or O W/cm2 (sham) for 20 seconds on the eighth day of gestation. Fetal weight (day 18 of gestation) and postpartum pup weight (21, 29 and 42 days post conception) were determined. No significant differences in weight were observed. This result differs from findings in others studies using outbred mouse strains. It is suggested that hybrid mice exposed to ultrasonic energy in utero may be more resistant to alterations in fetal and pup weight progression as compared with outbred strains.
Deriving the Rate of Salt Rise at the Cape Fear Slide Using New Seismic Data

Recently acquired 2-D seismic data from offshore North Carolina provides images of salt diapirs and landslides in the Carolina Trough that give insight into the interaction between slope sediments and intruding salt from below. The best example of this is the Cape Fear Slide Complex in which at least two salt diapirs are surrounded by the lower headwall of the slide. Here, we present seismic images that were collected for the Eastern North American Margin Community Seismic Experiment. We describe the morphology of the slide and diapirs in order to infer rates of salt rise. We have tentatively estimated a post-slide growth rates of 517 m per million years (m/Ma). However, as the analysis continues, it is possible this estimate will change. This research provides significant insight into the interplay of salt and slope failure processes in an ocean basin setting.
Swinging Chain Model

This chapter describes a swinging chain model, which is a collection of cylinders linked end-to-end to form a chain. The two ends of the chain are fixed in space, and the chain dangles between them. This model demonstrates how a top-level physically-based model is defined, illustrating the use of the library of modules. In particular, the model makes use of the geometric constraints supported by the fancy-forces mechanism. The purpose of this model is to demonstrate how a top-level model is defined and how the prototype modeling library is tested. The chapter illustrates rigid-body dynamics and constraints, and other fancy forces. This model has only one high-level conceptual object in it: a linked chain. The two endpoints are fixed in space and let the chain dangle and swing under the influence of gravity, with some damping so that the chain will come to rest in a catenary shape.
Delayed Venous Drainage in Ruptured Arteriovenous Malformations Based on Quantitative Color-Coded Digital Subtraction Angiography.

Abstract Objective Clinically applicable hemodynamic risk factors to predict arteriovenous malformation (AVM) rupture are missing in the literature. The aim of this study was to identify hemodynamic parameters in ruptured and unruptured AVMs based on catheter angiography. Methods Patients with frontal and temporal AVMs and Siemens syngo iFlow color-coding angiography were included in this study (n=71). Clinical and radiological data (age, gender, Spetzler-Martin (SM) and supplemented SM grade, and rupture status), and hemodynamic features (contrast mean transit time (MTT) of feeding arteries, draining veins, AVM nidus, and the cerebral circulation time (CCT)) were analyzed. Univariable analysis was performed to compare findings between ruptured and unruptured AVMs. Results In total, 35 ruptured and 36 unruptured AVMs were analyzed. Clinical characteristics and AVM grades were comparable between ruptured and unruptured AVMs. Ipsilateral CCT (5.2 vs 4.0sec, p=0.035), MTT between Tmax of ipsilateral internal carotid artery (ICA) and Tmax of sinus entry of the draining vein (3.2 vs 2.0 sec, p Conclusions Ruptured AVMs have significantly prolonged venous drainage times compared to unruptured AVMs, which suggest restricted AVM drainage and increased blood pressure within the AVM nidus. Prospective studies are needed to determine the predictive power of these measurements.
Keeping Quiet: Factors that Hinder Anger Expression at Work

More research is emerging that finds workplace anger expression (versus suppression) is more likely to promote positive individual and organizational outcomes. However, many angry employees at work choose to remain silent rather than express their anger. What factors contribute most to this decision? Using content and factor analysis, we identify three key categories of factors that hinder anger expression at work, most to least frequent, respectively: professional courtesy, fear of repercussions, and organizational norms. We argue that rather than self-focused concerns of retaliation or sanctioning, most people fail to speak up when angry because of perceptions that “professionals” do not express anger, or the concern that anger expression shows a lack of respect for fellow organizational members. Although this is admirable in its other-oriented (versus self-centered) focus, there is a false assumption that keeping one’s anger and concerns hidden about a problematic workplace situation is helpful for the organization. Management can play a key role in changing social norms to allow for honest and helpful expressions of anger by employees without fear of appearing unprofessional or receiving organizational sanctions.
Age, vascular health, and Alzheimer disease biomarkers in an elderly sample.

Objective To investigate the associations between age, vascular health, and Alzheimer disease (AD) imaging biomarkers in an elderly sample. Methods We identified 430 individuals along the cognitive continuum aged >60 years with amyloid positron emission tomography (PET), tau PET, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans from the population-based Mayo Clinic Study of Aging. A subset of 329 individuals had fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET. We ascertained presently existing cardiovascular and metabolic conditions (CMC) from health care records and used the summation of presence/absence of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, cardiac arrhythmias, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, diabetes mellitus, and stroke as a surrogate for vascular health. We used global amyloid from Pittsburgh compound B PET, entorhinal cortex tau uptake (ERC-tau) from tau-PET, and neurodegeneration in AD signature regions from MRI and FDG-PET as surrogates for AD pathophysiology. We dichotomized participants into CMC = 0 (CMC−) versus CMC > 0 (CMC+) and tested for age-adjusted group differences in AD biomarkers. Using structural equation models (SEMs), we assessed the impact of vascular health on AD biomarker cascade (amyloid leads to tau leads to neurodegeneration) after considering the direct and indirect age, sex, and apolipoprotein E effects. Results CMC+ participants had significantly greater neurodegeneration than CMC− participants but did not differ by amyloid or ERC-tau. The SEMs showed that (1) vascular health had a significant direct and indirect impact on neurodegeneration but not on amyloid; and (2) vascular health, specifically the presence of hyperlipidemia, had a significant direct impact on ERC-tau. Interpretation Vascular health had quantifiably greater impact on neurodegeneration in AD regions than on amyloid deposition. Longitudinal studies are warranted to clarify the relationship between tau deposition and vascular health. Ann Neurol 2017;82:706–718
Personality Change in Adulthood: Dynamic Systems, Emotions, and the Transformed Self

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the role of emotions and emotional processes as agents of personality change. It examines several sources of data from contemporary research and examines how well the data conform to the theory. The chapter also illustrates the framework of dynamic systems theory, viewing both the emotion system and the personality system as dynamic systems. In the physical world, the seemingly solid world of matter often undergoes radical transformation of state. Similarly, the seeming solidity of personality can be caught up in transformation in response to certain mutative agents and experiences in ways that are not yet clearly understood. The mutative phenomena often appear to be small or even incidental to change. Minor perturbations can also give rise to large system wide changes. The chapter concludes by highlighting that the study of the change process, whether in psychotherapy, in micro-narrative research, or other creative approaches to the analysis of transformative life experiences, promises an exciting new opening for research on personality.
Contributions of Influenza Virus Hemagglutinin and Host Immune Responses Toward the Severity of Influenza Virus: Streptococcus pyogenes Superinfections.

Abstract Influenza virus infections can be complicated by bacterial superinfections, which are medically relevant because of a complex interaction between the host, the virus, and the bacteria. Stu...
Some Structural and Stereochemical Aspects of Coumarin Biosynthesis

Although predictions on the course of chemical progress can be widely off the mark, the main outlines of coumarin chemistry seem to be broadly established if one takes as a criterion, the new coumarin structures reported in the past decade. With the exception of a series of 3-substituted 4-hydroxy-5-methylcoumarins, probably biosynthesized from acetate and largely confined to the tribe Vernonieae (Compositae),1 most of the structures of new coumarins reported in this period are predictable variants of established structural patterns. Methods of coumarin isolation and structure determination are straightforward by modern standards. The literature contains a sizable data base of spectroscopic parameters making structure determination a fairly routine procedure.
Importance of the needle bevel during spinal and epidural anesthesia

Background and Objectives. The needle bevel has an important effect on the path that the needle takes as it traverses tissue. Many anesthesiologists, especially trainees, are unaware of the magnitude of this effect. There is a need for a model, constructed from readily available materials, that can be used to demonstrate the bevel effect and to assess various strategies for accurately advancing the needle. Methods. Styrofoam blocks were prepared. The following needles were studied: 25-gauge Quincke, 22-gauge Quincke, 18-gauge Quincke, 24-gauge Sprotte, 25-gauge Whitacre, 22-gauge Tuohy, and 17-gauge Tuohy. The effect of bevel orientation on deflection from midline was measured. Representative results were photographed. Results. The bevel has a significant effect on the path of Quincke and Tuohy needles. The deflection is more pronounced for thinner needles. Pencil-point needles show much less deflection than Quincke needles. Conclusions. Styrofoam blocks provide a model for teaching the basics of spinal and epidural anesthesia. By utilizing styrofoam the trainee can master needle control and gauge the effect of bevel orientation.
Effects of an Intruder Crisis Drill on Children's Knowledge, Anxiety, and Perceptions of School Safety

In response to calls to evaluate the effectiveness of school crisis drills, this study examined the effects of children's crisis drill participation on their knowledge, skills, state anxiety, and p...
Constraint Incorporation and the Structure Mismatch Problem

Knowledge compilation is an emerging research area that focuses on “compiling” a problem solver’s inefficient, explicit knowledge representation into more efficient, implicit forms. The compilation techniques we are developing produce a generate-and-test problem solver where the generators produce values for solution parameters, and the testers check the satisfaction of the problem constraints. To improve the efficiency of the generate-and-test problem solver, our approach uses constraint incorporation to modify the generators so they only generate values that satisfy the problem constraints. A structure mismatch problem occurs when an “inappropriate” solution representation, used to specify the generated result, is chosen which causes constraint incorporation to fail. We examine two forms of this problem. The constraint factoring problem occurs when the constraint, expressed in terms of a particular solution representation, is not factorable into constraints on the individual parameter generators. This problem is complicated by the compatible factoring problem; the need to find a single solution representation that allows the decomposition of all constraints into constraints on the individual parameter generators. This paper summarizes the RICK compiler, a Refinement-based constraint Incorporator for Compiling Knowledge which avoids the constraint factoring problem. This paper illustrates an extension to RICK that allows it to also solve the compatible factoring problem.
Detecting interesting events using unsupervised density ratio estimation

Generating meaningful digests of videos by extracting interesting frames remains a difficult task. In this paper, we define interesting events as unusual events which occur rarely in the entire video and we propose a novel interesting event summarization framework based on the technique of density ratio estimation recently introduced in machine learning. Our proposed framework is unsupervised and it can be applied to general video sources, including videos from moving cameras. We evaluated the proposed approach on a publicly available dataset in the context of anomalous crowd behavior and with a challenging personal video dataset. We demonstrated competitive performance both in accuracy relative to human annotation and computation time.
Association of Friday School Report Card Release With Saturday Incidence Rates of Agency-Verified Physical Child Abuse.

Importance Corporal punishment is a leading risk factor for physical abuse. Strong anecdotal evidence from physicians and other professionals working in child protection suggest that punishment-initiated physical abuse for school-aged children increases after release of report cards. However, no empirical examination of this association has occurred. Objective To examine the temporal association between school report card release and incidence rates (IRs) of physical abuse. Design, Setting, and Participants This retrospective study reviewed calls to a state child abuse hotline and school report card release dates across a single academic year in Florida. Data were collected in a 265-day window from September 8, 2015, to May 30, 2016, in the 64 of 67 Florida counties with report card release dates available (16 960 days). Participants included all children aged 5 to 11 years for whom calls were made. A total of 1943 verified cases of physical abuse were reported in the study period in the 64 counties. Data were analyzed from October 2017 through May 2018. Exposures School report cards release across a single academic year, measured daily by county. Main Outcomes and Measures Daily counts of calls to a child abuse hotline that later resulted in agency-verified incidents of child physical abuse across a single academic year by county. Results During the academic year, 167 906 calls came in to the child abuse hotline for children aged 5 to 11 years; 17.8% (n = 29 887) of these calls were suspected incidents of physical abuse, and 2017 (6.7%) of these suspected incidents were later verified as cases of physical abuse before excluding the 3 counties with no release dates available. Among the 1943 cases included in the analysis (58.9% males [n = 1145]; mean [SD] age, 7.69 [1.92] years), calls resulting in verified reports of child physical abuse occurred at a higher rate on Saturdays after a Friday report card release compared with Saturdays that do not follow a Friday report card release (IR ratio, 3.75; 95% CI, 1.21-11.63;P = .02). No significant association of report card release with IRs was found for any other days of the week. Conclusion and Relevance This association of school report card release and physical abuse appears to illustrate a unique systems-based opportunity for prevention.
Managing the Mississippi River Floodplain: Achieving Ecological Benefits Requires More Than Hydrological Connection to the River

Floodplains are vital to the structure and function of river-floodplain ecosystems. Among the many ecological services provided by floodplains are nutrient cycling and seasonal habitats for fish, including spawning, nursery, foraging and wintering habitats. Connections between the river channel and floodplain habitats are essential to realize these ecological services, but spatial and temporal aspects of the connection and contemporary geomorphology must also be considered in restoration efforts. This chapter synthesizes available information to compare floodplain function and needed management strategies in two extensive reaches (upper impounded and lower free-flowing) of the Mississippi River, USA. The upper impounded reach is the 523-km reach from about Minneapolis, Minnesota to Clinton, Iowa. This reach has been impounded and channelized for navigation. Mean annual water-level fluctuation ranges from 1 to 2 m in the navigation pools in this reach. Floodplain environmental conditions that affect nitrogen cycling and fish production vary seasonally and longitudinally within and among navigation pools. Significant issues affecting ecological services include sedimentation, constrained water level fluctuations, island erosion and seasonal hypoxia. The lower free-flowing reach, the 1570-km reach from the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to the Gulf of Mexico, has no dams and average annual fluctuations of 7 m throughout most of the reach. Despite the substantial flood pulse, floodplain inundation is often brief and may not occur annually. Significant issues affecting floodplain ecological function are the short duration and thermal asynchrony of the flood pulse, sedimentation and loss of connection between the river channel and permanent/semi-permanent floodplain water bodies due to channel incision. Needs and strategies for floodplain enhancement to increase ecological services, particularly nitrogen cycling and fish production, differ along the longitudinal gradient of the Mississippi River and provide informative contrasts to guide floodplain management. Prediction of the effects of climate change on this system will be complicated by the magnitude of the watershed that encompasses 41 % of the continental USA and multiple climatic regions.
Identifying Team Selection and Alignment Factors by Delivery Method for Transportation Projects

AbstractOne critical antecedent to project success is team alignment. Industry professionals should focus on practices that can improve project team selection, team building, and identifying challe...
Identification of oleaginous yeasts that metabolize aromatic compounds

The valorization of lignin is critical for the economic viability of the bioeconomy. Microbial metabolism is advantageous for handling the myriad of aromatic compounds resulting from lignin chemical or enzymatic depolymerization. Coupling aromatic metabolism to fatty acid biosynthesis makes possible the production of biofuels, oleochemicals, and other fine/bulk chemicals derived from lignin. Our previous work identified Cutaneotrichosporon oleaginosus as a yeast that could accumulate nearly 70% of its dry cell weight as lipids using aromatics as a sole carbon source. Expanding on this, other oleaginous yeast species were investigated for the metabolism of lignin-relevant monoaromatics. Thirty-six oleaginous yeast species from the Phaff yeast collection were screened for growth on several aromatic compounds representing S-, G-, and H- type lignin. The analysis reported in this study suggests that aromatic metabolism is largely segregated to the Cutaenotrichosporon, Trichosporon, and Rhodotorula clades. Each species tested within each clade has different properties with respect to the aromatics metabolized and the concentrations of aromatics tolerated. The combined analysis suggests that Cutaneotrichosporon yeast are the best suited to broad spectrum aromatic metabolism and support its development as a model system for aromatic metabolism in yeast.
Insulin-Dependent Type 2 Diabetes Treated with Berberine, Alpha-Lipoic Acid and a Ketogenic Diet: A Case Report

Type II diabetes, with or without insulin, is at an all-time high and a related co-morbidity of other chronic medical problems. This patient, adamant about not staying on insulin, added berberine (with alpha-lipoic acid), adopted a low carbohydrate ketogenic diet, and lost weight as adjuvant therapies to insulin and metformin. In about six months his physician had discontinued his insulin, he had lost 57 pounds, and lowered his blood pressure.
Repeated Bursts: Gravitational Waves from Highly Eccentric Binaries

Compact object binaries formed from dynamics interactions will generically have non-zero orbital eccentricity. The gravitational waves from such binaries can change drastically depending on how large the eccentricity is, ranging from emitted in small a subset of orbital harmonics at low eccentricities, to being concentrated into intense bursts of radiation from each pericenter passage at large eccentricities. Gravitational waves from such highly eccentric binaries present themselves an intriguing systems for probing fundamental physics, but also present interesting challenges in terms of detection. The presence of orbital eccentricity in the gravitational wave signature gives an unequivocal method of determining the origin of the binary, while the highly dynamical nature of pericenter passage often enhances the physics associated with matter and gravity. The generation of faithful models of the repeated burst signals has proven challenging, and often sub-optimal detection strategies like power stacking are considered for detection. This chapter reviews our current understanding of eccentric binaries, the leading efforts to model their gravitational wave emission, and the physics that can be probed with these detections.
Glutathione S-Transferase P Influences Redox Homeostasis and Response to Drugs that Induce the Unfolded Protein Response in Zebrafish

We have created a novel glutathione S-transferase π1 (gstp1) knockout (KO) zebrafish model and used it for comparative analyses of redox homeostasis and response to drugs that cause endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and induce the unfolded protein response (UPR). Under basal conditions, gstp1 KO larvae had higher expression of antioxidant nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) accompanied by a more reduced larval environment and a status consistent with reductive stress. Compared with wild type, various UPR markers were decreased in KO larvae, but treatment with drugs that induce ER stress caused greater toxicities and increased expression of Nrf2 and UPR markers in KO. Tunicamycin and 02-{2,4-dinitro-5-[4-(N-methylamino)benzoyloxy]phenyl}1-(N,N-dimethylamino)diazen-1-ium-1,2-diolate (PABA/nitric oxide) activated inositol-requiring protein-1/X-box binding protein 1 pathways, whereas thapsigargin caused greater activation of protein kinase-like ER kinase/activating transcription factor 4/CHOP pathways. These results suggest that this teleost model is useful for predicting how GSTP regulates organismal management of oxidative/reductive stress and is a determinant of response to drug-induced ER stress and the UPR. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: A new zebrafish model has been created to study the importance of glutathione S-transferase π1 in development, redox homeostasis, and response to drugs that enact cytotoxicity through endoplasmic reticulum stress and induction of the unfolded protein response.
The genome of the gymnosperm Picea glauca encodes a single Nucleobase Cation Symporter 1 (PgNCS1) that displays a broad yet unique solute specificity profile

The Picea glauca genome contains a locus that encodes for a nucleobase cation symporter 1 (PgNCS1). As a gymnosperm, P. glauca belongs to a key taxonomic position for an ongoing evolution-function analysis of viridiplantae nucleobase cation symporter 1 proteins (NCS1). Here the solute transport and binding properties for PgNCS1 are determined through heterologous expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains deficient in functional NCS1 loci. PgNCS1 displays a broad, yet unique, solute specificity profile –common with other plant NCS1. Yeast containing PgNCS1 transport adenine, guanine, hypoxanthine, xanthine and uracil and are sensitive to growth on 8-azaadenine. Neither cytosine nor 5 flourocytosine are transported by PgNCS1 but along with caffeine and uric acid, act as competitive inhibitors of [3H]-adenine and [3H]-hypoxanthine uptake. This transporter displays high affinity for adenine (Km = 2.67 μM), guanine (Ki = 1.71 μM) and hypoxanthine (Ki = 1.82 μM) but lesser affinity for xanthine (Ki = 5.36 μM). Arabidopsis plants that are deficient in their endogenous NCS1, yet carry PgNCS1, show significant uptake of [3H]-adenine. The results support previous studies and together confirm a broad nucleobase transport and binding pattern for plant NCS1 across the viridiplantae. PgNCS1 displays a broad yet unique nucleosbase transport and binding profile. It transports adenine, guanine, hypoxanthine, xanthine and uracil but only binds cytosine, caffeine, and uric acid.
Foreword: The Criminal-Civil Distinction and Dangerous Blameless Offenders

Our legal system distinguishes criminal law from civil law, and criminal commitment from civil commitment. We speak of a "crime," rather than a "violation" or a "breach," and "punishment," rather than "sanction" or "liability." Why is criminal law kept distinct? One can conceive of a system in which no such criminal-civil distinction exists. An actor who commits a violation of the legal rules of conduct (not a "crime") would have jurisdiction taken over him (not "convicted"), during which time he would be corrected or sanctioned (but not "punished"). Under this system, what is now dealt with as criminal law would be treated as just another aspect of civil law. In fact, because it is not unusual for different aspects of civil law to have different procedures, perhaps even current criminal procedures could be followed. Some academics have proposed just such a system,1 although I know of no society in which such a system currently operates. Why are societies persistent in maintaining a distinct system labelled as "criminal"? Criminal law is not unique in the conduct it punishes; some conduct violates criminal and civil law.2 Nor is criminal law unique in the deprivations that it imposes; civil commitment, tort law, and a variety of other civil measures can deprive a person of his or her
An Algorithm to Quantify Inducible Protein Condensates In Eukaryotic Cells

Reorganization of cellular proteins into subcellular compartments, such as the rearrangement of RNA-binding proteins into cytoplasmic stress granules and P-bodies, is a well-recognized, widely studied physiological process currently under intense investigation. Using the assembly of a novel, inducible, nuclear granule formed from the yeast RNA-binding transcription termination factors Nab3 and Nrd1, we present a freely-accessible, high-throughput and unbiased algorithm written in MATLAB that detects and measures protein distribution, partitioning, and sequestration into subcellular compartments captured by fluorescence microscopy; an invaluable advancement to current image analysis methods which utilize experiment-specific custom scripts or subjective manual counting. Employing our algorithm, we quantified thousands of cells, ensuring rigorous examination of Nab3 granule formation across strains with reproducible statistical analyses. We document strain differences in Nab3 granule formation and an associated growth defect. Additionally, we applied our algorithm to immunofluorescent images of the inducible polymerization into filaments of an enzyme in human cells, demonstrating the algorithms versatility and adaptability. SUMMARY STATEMENTWe describe a computational tool that enables the quantification of protein condensation during assembly of a subnuclear compartment. The algorithm scores assembly of fluorescently tagged proteins in yeast or human cells.
ALLOCATION OF BUS COSTS BY TIME OF DAY - A RE-EVALUATION

It is becoming increasingly clear that bus operators are requiring data on financial performance by time of day and also between different segments of the same route. This article looks at the costs part of the financial equation and analyses how they should be attributed to various times of day and attempts to develop a rule for deciding on service charges based on avoidable costs operation, but recognising the need to cover fixed costs. A distinction is made between the two concepts of costs; allocated costs and avoidable costs. The three types of allocated costs are discussed (i.e. Crew costs, wage related costs and vehicle standing costs). Each type is in turn analysed for allocation to different time periods. Avoidable costs such as crew costs, fuel, oil, tires, etc. are also considered.
Avaliação da qualidade no ensino superior: a baixa complexidade no cenário da América Latina

A questao da baixa complexidade em Instituicoes de Ensino Superior (IES) surge como um desafio aos sistemas de avaliacao da qualidade. Tendo como abordagem metodologica a investigacao qualitativa, este estudo propoe-se a aprimorar a compreensao do atual sistema de Educacao Superior do Chile propondo uma classificacao de Instituicoes em tipologias. Faz-se, ainda, uma analise do caso brasileiro. Os resultados demonstram que o processo de avaliacao da qualidade deve primar pela descoberta dos pontos positivos e negativos inerentes as relacoes institucionais subsidiando o processo de tomada de decisao bem como criando novos rumos ou fortalecendo os ja existentes. Palavras-chave: Complexidade. Avaliacao. Qualidade. Ensino Superior. Quality evaluation in highereducation: a low complexityscenario of Latin America Abstract The issue of low complexity in Higher Education Institutions is a challenge to the systems of evaluation of quality. Therefore, with a methodological approach to qualitative research, the present study intends to improve the understanding of the current system of higher education in Chile by rating institutions into typologies. Besides that, the Brazilian university system situation is analyzed as well. The results show that the process of quality assessment should highlight the positive and negative aspects inherent to the institutional relations which encompass the decision-making process aswell as create new paths or strengthen the existing ones. Keywords: Complexity. Assesment. Quality. Undergraduate Education.
Large scale features of the hot component of the interstellar medium

The interstellar medium contains identifiable hot plasma clouds occupying up to about 35% of the volume of the local galactic disc. The temperature of these clouds is not uniform but ranges from 105 up to 4 × 106°K. Besides the high temperature which places the emission spectrum in the soft x-ray band, the implied pressure of the hot plasma compared to the cooler gas reveals the importance of this component in determining the motions and evolution of the cooler gas in the disc, as well as providing a source of hot gas which may extend above the galactic disc to form a corona. The following report presents data from the A-2 soft x-ray experiment on the. HEAO-1 spacecraft concerning the large scale features of this gas. These features will be interpreted in terms of the late phases of supernovae expansion, multiple supernovae and the possible creation of a hot halo surrounding the region of the galactic nucleus.
Failing to Give Enough: When Researcher Ideas About Giving Back Fall Short

This research note is part of the thematic section, Limits to Giving Back, in the special issue titled “Giving Back in Field Research,” published as Volume 10, Issue 2 in the Journal of Research Practice.
Process induced damage: what challenges lie ahead?

In the past few years, as the MOS transistor gate dielectric has become thinner - below 20 /spl Aring/ - there have been many questions regarding plasma and process induced damage (PID) effects on the thin gate oxide; such as "There is no traditional gate oxide breakdown observed as the gate oxide becomes thinner, and hence no damage effect?" Once the thin gate oxide quality and tunneling effects are understood, the gate oxide damage and PID effects have taken on new meanings. Meanwhile, question on the relevancy of PID lingers -"Would PID still be a concern in future advanced semiconductor manufacturing?" This paper presents a forward looking of advanced technology roadmaps - the implementation of strained silicon (SSi) on bulk or on insulator substrate, the advancement of fully depleted silicon-on-insulator (FDSOI) and double-gated structures, the planned introduction of high K gate stack, and the emerging of new memory technologies - and the projected implications on PID effects.
THE EFFECT OF DOSE LEVEL OF ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS UPON FATTY ACID COMPOSITION OF THE RAT LIVER.

Rats were fed various levels of either ethyl linoleate, ethyl arachidonate, or ethyl linolenate. Weight gain, fat-deficiency status, and fatty acid composition of the liver lipids were determined. Dietary linoleate, fed in excess of 1% of calories, maintained good growth and cured fat deficiency. Increasing amounts of dietary linoleate were stored in the liver lipids and converted into fatty acids of the linoleate family—20:4 and 22:4. The concentration of 20:3 was decreased. Dietary arachidonate cured fat deficiency three times more effectively than linoleate. Increasing amounts of dietary arachidonate were stored in liver lipids and converted to 22:5ω6. The level of 20:3 was lowered three times more effectively than when linoleate was fed. No fatty acids of the linolenate family were synthesized from linoleate or arachidonate. Dietary linolenate did not support weight gain as efficiently as did linoleate or arachidonate. Fat-deficiency symptoms could not be cured completely. Increasing amounts of dietary linolenate increased the levels of fatty acids of the linolenate family; linolenic acid was stored, and 20:5, 22:5ω3, and 22:6 were synthesized from linolenate. The level of 20:3 was lowered in the same fashion as when linoleate or arachidonate was fed. Thr level of 20:4 was decreased with increasing amounts of dietary linolenate.
Ground-state properties of the two-dimensional Hubbard model

Using all appropriate symmetries for a two-dimensional square system, we have been able to diagonalize exactly the Hubbard Hamiltonian on the 4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}4 and 18-site lattices. We calculate the ground-state energies, hole-hole interactions, and various correlation functions as functions of the Coulomb repulsion U and band filling, and compare the Hubbard-model results with those obtained from the t-J and strong-coupling models.