cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inferring biogenic and anthropogenic carbon dioxide sources across an urban to rural gradient

We continuously monitored CO2 concentrations at three locations along an urban-to-rural gradient in the Salt Lake Valley, Utah from 2004 to 2006. The results showed a range of CO2 concentrations from daily averages exceeding 500 p.p.m. at the city center to much lower concentrations in a non-urbanized, rural region of the valley. The highest values were measured in the wintertime and under stable atmospheric conditions. At all three sites, we utilized weekly measurements of the C and O isotope composition of CO2 for a 1-year period to evaluate the CO2 sources underlying spatial and temporal variability in CO2 concentrations. The results of an inverse analysis of CO2 sources and the O isotope composition of ecosystem respiration (δ18 O R) showed large contributions (>50%) of natural gas combustion to atmospheric CO2 in the wintertime, particularly at the city center, and large contributions (>60%) of biogenic respiration to atmospheric CO2 during the growing season, particularly at the rural site. δ18 O R was most enriched at the rural site and more isotopically depleted at the urban sites due to the effects of irrigation on ecosystem water pools at the urban sites. The results also suggested differences in the role of leaf versus soil respiration between the two urban sites, with seasonal variation in the contribution of leaf respiration at a residential site and relatively constant contributions of leaf respiration at the city center. These results illustrate that spatial and temporal patterns of urban CO2 concentrations and isotopic composition can be used to infer patterns of energy use by urban residents as well as plant and soil processes in urban areas.
Troubles with Materiality: The Ghost of Fetishism in the Nineteenth Century

L'A. tente d'expliquer pourquoi le concept de fetichisme a continue a etre utilise de facon recurrente, notamment dans les interpretations sur l'origine de la religion, malgre les efforts repetes de deconstruction et d'invalidation du concept par les sciences religieuses du 19 eme siecle. Situant son interrogation dans les contextes discursifs et disciplinaires dans lesquels, au-dela de la science des religions, l'idee ou le terme de fetichisme avait une resonance ou une signification particuliere, il examine la question du fetichisme notamment dans les debats sur le materialisme et le spiritualisme, dans l'anthropologie religieuse, dans la psychanalyse, ainsi que dans la theorie de K. Marx sur le fetichisme de la marchandise.
Breast Carcinoma Met Astatic to the Vagina

Breast carcinoma tends to follow a protracted course. By the time the patient succumbs to her disease, it is often widely metastatic (2). It is well recognized that the ovary is a frequent site of metastasis (3), but this tumor is also said to occur with some frequency in the uterus, retroperitoneal lymph nodes, peritoneum, and inguinal nodes (1). Vaginal occurrence of breast carcinoma is, on the other hand, extremely rare, with only one case described in detail in the literature (4). We describe here 3 other such cases and discuss the significance of our findings.
Changes in the timing of winter-spring streamflows in eastern North America, 1913-2002

[1] Changes in the timing and magnitude of winter-spring streamflows were analyzed for gaging stations in eastern North America north of 41° north latitude during various periods through 2002. Approximately 32 percent of stations north of 44° have significantly earlier flows over the 50, 60, 70, and 90 year periods; 64 percent have significantly earlier flows over the 80 year period; there are no stations significantly later flows for any time period examined. Flows for the average of all stations north of 44° became earlier by 6.1, 4.4, 4.8, 8.6, and 6.5 days for the 50 through 90 year periods, respectively. Changes over time in monthly mean runoff support the flow timing results—January, February, and particularly March runoff show much higher percentages of stations with increases than with decreases over all time periods and May runoff shows relatively high percentages of stations with decreases.
Financial Indicators for Critical Access Hospitals

ABSTRACT: Context: There is a growing recognition of the need to measure and report hospital financial performance. However, there exists little comparative financial indicator data specifically for critical access hospitals (CAHs). CAHs differ from other hospitals on a number of dimensions that might affect appropriate indicators of performance, including differences in Medicare reimbursement, limits on bed size and average length of stay, and relaxed staffing rules. Purpose: To develop comparative financial indicators specifically designed for CAHs using Medicare cost report data. Methods: A technical advisory group of individuals with extensive experience in rural hospital finance and operations provided advice to a research team from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Twenty indicators deemed appropriate for assessment of CAH financial condition were chosen and formulas determined. Issues 1 and 2 of the CAH Financial Indicators Report were mailed to the chief executive officers of 853 CAHs in the summer of 2004 and 1,092 CAHs in the summer of 2005, respectively. Each report included indicator values specifically for their CAH, indicator medians for peer groups, and an evaluation form. Findings: Chief executive officers found the indicators to be useful and the underlying formulas to be appropriate. The multiple years of data provide snapshots of the industry as a whole, rather than trend data for a constant set of hospitals. Conclusions: The CAH Financial Indicators Report is a useful first step toward comparative financial indicators for CAHs.
Is shale gas drilling an energy solution or public health crisis

High-volume horizontal hydraulic fracturing, a controversial new mining technique used to drill for shale gas, is being implemented worldwide. Chemicals used in the process are known neurotoxins, carcinogens, and endocrine disruptors. People who live near shale gas drilling sites report symptoms that they attribute to contaminated air and water. When they seek help from clinicians, a diagnosis is often elusive because the chemicals to which the patients have been exposed are a closely guarded trade secret. Many nurses have voiced grave concern about shale gas drilling safety. Full disclosure of the chemicals used in the process is necessary in order for nurses and other health professionals to effectively care for patients. The economic exuberance surrounding natural gas has resulted in insufficient scrutiny into the health implications. Nursing research aimed at determining what effect unconventional drilling has on human health could help fill that gap. Public health nurses using the precautionary principle should advocate for a more concerted transition from fossil fuels to sustainable energy. Any initiation or further expansion of unconventional gas drilling must be preceded by a comprehensive Health Impact Assessment (HIA).
Dilaton and axion as compensators coupled to N=1 supergravity

We present a locally N=1 supersymmetric model of the dilaton {phi} and the two-form tensor (axion) B{sub {mu}}{sub {nu}} as compensators without propagation. This is a generalization of our previous model with global N=1 supersymmetry to local N=1 supersymmetry. The dilaton {phi} and the axion B{sub {mu}}{sub {nu}} are, respectively, absorbed into the vector A{sub {mu}} and the three-form tensor C{sub {mu}}{sub {nu}}{sub {rho}}, where the latter is dual to the ordinary auxiliary field D in the usual vector multiplet. With local N=1 supersymmetry, we have three multiplets: the multiplet of supergravity (e{sub {mu}}{sup m},{psi}{sub {mu}}), linear multiplet (B{sub {mu}}{sub {nu}},{chi},{phi}), and the vector multiplet (A{sub {mu}},{lambda},C{sub {mu}}{sub {nu}}{sub {rho}}). We find that the field strengths of B and C need the following particular Chern-Simons terms for consistency with local supersymmetry: G{identical_to}3dB-6BD{phi}+3mBA+mC and H=4dC-6BF+4GA+8CD{phi}-4mCA. The newly established supergravity couplings provide the supporting evidence of the consistency of our basic system of the dilaton and axion as compensators.
Application of Tranexamic Acid in Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery

Tranexamic acid has gained recent interest in orthopedics and trauma surgery because of its demonstrated benefit in several clinical trials. It is inexpensive and effective at reducing blood loss and blood transfusion requirements without a significant increase in morbidity or mortality. The optimal timing, dosing, and route of administration in orthopedics are yet to be elucidated. Significant investigation of tranexamic acid use in joint replacement and spine surgery has promoted its incorporation into the everyday practice of many of these surgeons. The paucity of studies regarding its use in orthopedic trauma has limited its integration into a field that may stand to benefit most from the drug.
O-Charts: Towards an effective toolkit for teaching time complexity

Scientists, business analysts, and others in a growing number of fields are trying to cope with the vast amount of data being generated. The lack of software that can efficiently process large data sets hinders insight into complex relationships. One of the most important concepts in learning how to construct efficient code is time complexity analysis with Big-O notation. Students often find time complexity difficult to learn and too abstract to apply in any meaningful way. Common instructional methods consist of a combination of mathematics and intuitive analysis which are often too cumbersome for practical application or cannot be extended to complex algorithms. Unfortunately, there are few tools available for teaching time complexity that students find concrete, straightforward, and applicable to real problems. In this paper, we present O-Charts, a first step in the development of a practical toolkit for teaching and applying time complexity analysis. O-Charts allow the systematic analysis of deeply nested loops where the use of control variables makes the number of executions difficult to define, calculate, and explain. We report initial results and our plans for future work.
What we feel and why we buy: the influence of emotions on consumer decision-making

Each specific emotion is associated with a set of cognitive appraisals that drives the influence of the emotion on decision-making through nuanced psychological mechanisms. We present an integrated view of the current literature on how emotions – both related and unrelated to the decision at hand – play an important role in shaping consumer decision-making. Emotions embedded in marketing stimuli influence decision-making via processes driven by cognitive appraisals. Emotions that are unrelated to the decisions influence decision-making via carried over appraisal tendencies. We present perspectives on why and under what conditions emotions serve as antecedents to decision-making, and call for future research to examine how emotional influences can both undermine and help consumer decision-making.
Latent Graph Inference and Validation

Graphs are a fundamental model to describe complex statistical relationships over many scientific domains. In this context, graphs are commonly used to investigate relational phenomena which are not directly observable. Our work formulates a Latent Network Inference problem and develops inference methods in a common context for scientific applications where there is an absence of ground truth.
Quantifying Treatment Benefit in Molecular Subgroups to Assess a Predictive Biomarker

An increased interest has been expressed in finding predictive biomarkers that can guide treatment options for both mutation carriers and noncarriers. The statistical assessment of variation in treatment benefit (TB) according to the biomarker carrier status plays an important role in evaluating predictive biomarkers. For time-to-event endpoints, the hazard ratio (HR) for interaction between treatment and a biomarker from a proportional hazards regression model is commonly used as a measure of variation in TB. Although this can be easily obtained using available statistical software packages, the interpretation of HR is not straightforward. In this article, we propose different summary measures of variation in TB on the scale of survival probabilities for evaluating a predictive biomarker. The proposed summary measures can be easily interpreted as quantifying differential in TB in terms of relative risk or excess absolute risk due to treatment in carriers versus noncarriers. We illustrate the use and interpretation of the proposed measures with data from completed clinical trials. We encourage clinical practitioners to interpret variation in TB in terms of measures based on survival probabilities, particularly in terms of excess absolute risk, as opposed to HR. Clin Cancer Res; 22(9); 2114-20. ©2016 AACR.
Preparation and Properties of the Y-Ba-Cu-O Thin Films

We investigated superconducting YBa2Cu3Oy (YBCO) thin films, which were prepared with two synthetic processes using rf-magnetron sputtering :(a)deposition at low substrate temperature with post-annealing at around 900°C and (b)deposition at high substrate temperature around 650°C with or without post-annealing. We obtained the high Tc superconducting YBCO thin films with each process.The films prepared with process(a) had, however, poor Jc below 10A/cm2 at 77K and their surfaces were rough. On the other hand, the films prepared with process(b) had higher Jc and smoother surfaces than those with process(a). Further improvement in surface morphology was made by raising substrate temperature to 700°C at the start of the deposition.
Comparative stimulant and diuretic actions of caffeine and theobromine in man.

Human subiects ingested measured quantities of caffeine and theobromine, separately and together, at random. The double-blind technique was used. Caffeine altered self-estimates of sleep latency and sleep quality in a dose-dependent fashion and increased overnight urinary sodium excretion. Theobromine in equivalent doses had no detectable effect on sleep parameters or on urine composition, nor did it interact significantly with caffeine when the two were ingested together. Theobromine is much weaker than caffeine or entirely inert in these situations.
Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy for Ureteral Calculi

Second generation tubless lithotriptors allow for easy prone positioning of patients, resulting in increased use of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) for calculi in the ureter, especially in the mid and lower third portions. The 3-month stone-free rate with single stones using a Dornier HM3 and a Medstone STS lithotriptor in the upper ureter was 79% (316 patients) and 81% (188), respectively, while in the mid ureter it was 60% (20 patients) and 81% (32), respectively, and in the lower ureter it was 80% (5 patients) and 85% (26), respectively. The retreatment rate with single stones using the Dornier HM3 and the Medstone STS devices was 5% and 4%, respectively, in the upper ureter, 13% and 12%, respectively, in the mid ureter, and 0% and 5%, respectively, in the lower ureter. The second procedure rate after ESWL with single stones using the Dornier HM3 and the Medstone STS units was 6% and 6%, respectively, in the upper ureter, 15% and 16%, respectively, in the mid ureter, and 0% and 17%, respectively, in the lower ureter. Expectant management is still an acceptable method to treat small ureteral stones, and it is questionable whether ESWL is the appropriate treatment for lower third ureteral stones compared to equally effective and less expensive ureteroscopy.
To Loosen the Safety Valve: Eastern Workers and Western Lands

When Abraham Lincoln signed the Homestead Act in 1862, the era of the American common man had apparently reached its zenith. The government had thrown open the vast public domain for family settlement. Homesteads of 160 acres would be granted to heads of families upon payment of a small filing fee and satisfaction of residence and improvement requirements. This essay examines the democratic promise of the Homestead Act. And it looks closely at the collection of individuals who attempted to make the Homestead Act's egalitarian promise reality. In the end, that attempt failed. Perhaps it was a chimerical pursuit from the start. As Carlos Schwantes has observed, the search for independence in the American West often ended where it began: with the dreariness of wage work.' Vast numbers of Americans could not even reach the West; their West would necessarily remain the domain of myth. Yet an understanding of what they saw and sought in the West can help clarify the twin processes of nineteenthcentury American industrialism and working-class political development. The passage of the Homestead Act owed much to the efforts of an unlikely collection of reformers.2 A few voices from the West, several powerful industrial leaders, and key journalists such as Horace Greeley combined to influence and support the aims of the newly-created Republican party. But eastern labor also had an important voice. In the years following the Panic of 1837, the eastern working class clamored for greater access to the public domain. This movement, centered in New York under the leadership of George Henry Evans and John Cummerford, "aimed to insure the individual's right to the natural resources of the country." Laborers saw the West as an avenue of escape from economic distress magnified by a
Bandgap and exciton binding energies of hexagonal boron nitride probed by photocurrent excitation spectroscopy

Photocurrent excitation spectroscopy has been employed to probe the band structure and basic parameters of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) epilayers synthesized by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. Bias dependent photocurrent excitation spectra clearly resolved the band-to-band, free exciton, and impurity bound exciton transitions. The energy bandgap (Eg), binding energy of free exciton (Ex), and binding energy of impurity bound exciton (Ebx) in h-BN have been directly obtained from the photocurrent spectral peak positions and comparison with the related photoluminescence emission peaks. The direct observation of the band-to-band transition suggests that h-BN is a semiconductor with a direct energy bandgap of Eg = 6.42 eV at room temperature. These results provide a more coherent picture regarding the fundamental parameters of this important emerging ultra-wide bandgap semiconductor.
Relationship between air mass type and emergency department visits for migraine headache across the Triangle region of North Carolina

An estimated 240 million people worldwide suffer from migraines. Because migraines are often debilitating, understanding the mechanisms that trigger them is crucial for effective prevention and treatment. Synoptic air mass types and emergency department (ED) visits for migraine headaches were examined over a 7-year period within a major metropolitan area of North Carolina to identify potential relationships between large-scale meteorological conditions and the incidence of migraine headaches. Barometric pressure changes associated with transitional air masses, or changing weather patterns, were also analyzed for potential relationships. Bootstrapping analysis revealed that tropical air masses (moist and dry) resulted in the greatest number of migraine ED visits over the study period, whereas polar air masses led to fewer. Moist polar air masses in particular were found to correspond with the fewest number of migraine ED visits. On transitional air mass days, the number of migraine ED visits fell between those of tropical air mass days and polar air mass days. Transitional days characterized by pressure increases exhibited a greater number of migraine ED visits than days characterized by pressure decreases. However, no relationship was found between migraine ED visits and the magnitude of barometric pressure changes associated with transitional air masses.
Abstract 1863: Using a cell based model system to characterize CYP17A1 genetic variants

Androgen and estrogen steroid hormones are potent growth stimuli for both prostate and breast cancer. Cytochrome P450 17A1 (CYP17A1), a P450 monooxygenase, is required for the synthesis of these hormones and is the target of abiraterone, a drug approved for the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer. CYP17A1 catalyzes the 17α hydroxylation of the C21 steroids pregnenolone and progesterone and has a lyase activity that cleaves the C17-20 bond to produce the sex steroid precursors, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and androstenedione. We identified twelve nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in CYP17A1 and hypothesized that the resultant amino acid changes might alter hydroxylase and lyase activity and thereby impact steroid hormone synthesis. This hypothesis was examined by transiently transfecting HEK293T cells, with either wild-type or polymorphic CYP17A1 constructs. Cells were treated for 3 hours with tritiated ([3H]) progesterone and the production of hydroxylated (OH) metabolites analyzed by HPLC. In cells transfected with wild-type CYP17A1, 8.11% and 55.5% of the [3H]-progesterone was recovered as 16-OH progesterone, and 17-OH progesterone, respectively. Using the ratio of 17-OH progesterone to 16-OH progesterone as a quantitative measure of CYP17A1 enzyme activity, wild-type CYP17A1 yields a ratio of 6.9+/- 0.05. In contrast, the SNP (rs200063521) which causes an aspartic acid to histidine amino acid change at residue 216, results in a 2.2 fold decrease in 16OH-progesterone synthesis compared to wild-type suggesting altered hydroxylase function. CYP17A1 protein expression, as determined by western blot analysis, suggests that a glycine to arginine conversion at residue 162 (rs141821705) results in decreased protein levels. Studies to further characterize the CYP17A1 variants are underway. This work could lead to a better understanding of the role of CYP17A1 SNPs in cancer progression and response to CYP17A1 targeted therapies. Citation Format: Cameron P. Capper, Jiayan Liu, Lauren McIntosh, Jose M. Larios, Michael D. Johnson, Paul F. Hollenberg, Richard J. Auchus, James M. Rae. Using a cell based model system to characterize CYP17A1 genetic variants. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 1863. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-1863
Processing of the Common Precursor to ACTH and Endorphin in Mouse Pituitary Tumor Cells and Monolayer Cultures from Mouse Anterior Pituitary

Adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) and β-lipotropin (β-LPH) have been shown to be derived from the same high-molecular-weight precursor protein (common precursor) in mouse pituitary tumor cells (AtT-20/D16v cells) (Mains et al., 1977; Nakanishi et al., 1977; Roberts and Herbert, 1977a, b). When messenger RNA from AtT-20 cells is translated in a reticulocyte cell-free system, a single form of the precursor is synthesized with a molecular weight of 28,500 (28.5K pro-ACTH-endorphin) (Roberts and Herbert, 1977a,b). The use of the “polysome runoff technique” (Dintzis, 1961) has made it possible to arrange the tryptic peptides of ACTH and β-LPH relative to one another (Roberts and Herbert, 1977b) in the 28.5K precursor as shown in the model of structure in Fig. 1. In this model, β-LPH is located at the C terminus of the precursor and ACTH is adjacent to β-LPH near the middle of the molecule, leaving an unidentified sequence of approximately 100 amino acids at the N terminus. A 31,000-molecular-weight form of the precursor has been isolated from AtT-20 cells and shown to have a structure very similar to that depicted in Fig. 1 (Eipper and Mains, 1978). Thus, a single protein contains the sequence of α(l–39)ACTH, α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH), and the component hormones of β-LPH: β-endorphin, β-MSH, and Met-enkephalin.
Implementation of Hysterectomy Pathway: Impact on Complications

Abstract Objective Hysterectomy is one of the most common surgical procedures in the United States. For women who need hysterectomy, it is important to ensure that minimally invasive hysterectomy procedures are used appropriately to reduce surgical complications and improve value of care. Although we previously demonstrated a reduction in total abdominal hysterectomy rates after the implementation of hysterectomy pathway treatment algorithm in 2012, this study focuses on exploring the effect of pathways implementation on surgical outcomes. Methods All retrospective medical records for hysterectomy surgeries performed for benign indications at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center hospitals between the fiscal years (FY) 2012 and 2014 were identified. We analyzed the health care outcomes by route of surgery and year using Χ2 test for categorical data, and non-parametric approaches for non-normal continuous variables. Results A total of 6,569 hysterectomies for benign indications were performed between FY 2012 and 2014. In FY 2012, 1,154 patients (59.15%) had a length of stay of 1 day or less, whereas in FY 2014 this number increased to 1,791 (74.53%; p Conclusions Implementation of hysterectomy pathway has been associated with reduction of surgical complications in benign hysterectomy settings. Implementation of clinical pathways offers an opportunity for improving patient outcomes that should be investigated in various health care settings and across procedures.
Building ties to solve the identity dilemma: An identity-based model for developing women leaders

In most organizations, women are still significantly underrepresented in top management, and despite efforts by both researchers and practitioners, are failing to ascend into leadership roles. In t...
Seasonal Sensitivity of the Northern Hemisphere Jet Streams to Arctic Temperatures on Subseasonal Time Scales

AbstractNear-surface Arctic warming has been shown to impact the midlatitude jet streams through the use of carefully designed model simulations with and without Arctic sea ice loss. In this work, a Granger causality regression approach is taken to quantify the response of the zonal wind to variability of near-surface Arctic temperatures on subseasonal time scales across the CMIP5 models. Using this technique, a robust influence of regional Arctic warming on the North Atlantic and North Pacific jet stream positions, speeds, and zonal winds is demonstrated. However, Arctic temperatures only explain an additional 3%–5% of the variance of the winds after accounting for the variance associated with the persistence of the wind anomalies from previous weeks. In terms of the jet stream response, the North Pacific and North Atlantic jet streams consistently shift equatorward in response to Arctic warming but also strengthen, rather than weaken, during most months of the year. Furthermore, the sensitivity of the j...
Correction to: Routine Sildenafil Does Not Improve Clinical Outcomes After Fontan Operation.

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake. The presentation of Table 2 was incorrect .The corrected table is given below.
Skip row planting configuration shifts grain sorghum water use under dry conditions.

Abstract Grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. [Moench]) is grown as a dryland crop in the semi-arid Central Great Plains. Growing the crop in a skip row configuration has been proposed as a means of delaying water use during the vegetative stage such that more water will be available to be used during the more critical flowering and grain filling stages, thereby improving yield under water stress conditions. The objective of this study was to determine if grain sorghum grown in a skip row configuration used water differently than sorghum grown in conventionally spaced rows. Grain sorghum was grown for three years at Akron, CO in three planting configurations: conventionally spaced rows 0.76 m apart, one row planted and one row skipped (P1S1), and two rows planted and two rows skipped (P2S2). Each planting configuration was planted at two seeding rates. Soil water was measured at several distances from the planted row at planting, flowering, and physiological maturity. Soil water depletion and water use were not affected by seeding rate. Grain sorghum was found to extract water at distances of 114 cm from the planted row. When growing season conditions were dry and starting soil water contents were low, skip row planting shifted the water use such that greater water use was seen during the second half of the growing season than with the conventionally spaced planting. These results support the observation of greater sorghum yields with skip row planting than with conventional row spacing during dry growing seasons. Mention of trade names or commercial products in this publication is solely for the purpose of providing specific information and does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for com-munication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Direc-tor, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Senegalese Foreign Policy: Leadership Through Soft Power from Senghor to Sall

The retired diplomat Amadou Diop, who served under Presidents Senghor, Diouf, and Wade, has aptly described Senegal’s strengths and weaknesses in international affairs: “When we look at Saudi Arabia, its people have wealth based largely upon petrol, China has human capital, the US has financial capital.
Incremental methods for computing bounds in partially observable Markov decision processes

Partially observable Markov decision processes (POMDPs) allow one to model complex dynamic decision or control problems that include both action outcome uncertainty and imperfect observability. The control problem is formulated as a dynamic optimization problem with a value function combining costs or rewards from multiple steps. In this paper we propose, analyse and test various incremental methods for computing bounds on the value function for control problems with infinite discounted horizon criteria. The methods described and tested include novel incremental versions of grid-based linear interpolation method and simple lower bound method with Sondik's updates. Both of these can work with arbitrary points of the belief space and can be enhanced by various heuristic point selection strategies. Also introduced is a new method for computing an initial upper bound - the fast informed bound method. This method is able to improve significantly on the standard and commonly used upper bound computed by the MDP-based method. The quality of resulting bounds are tested on a maze navigation problem with 20 states, 6 actions and 8 observations.
In Defense of the American Party System

The American party system has been criticized on four main grounds: (1) the parties do not offer the electorate a choice in terms of fundamental principles; their platforms are very similar and mean next to nothing; (2)they cannot discipline those whom they elect, and therefore they cannot carry their platforms into effect; (3) they are held together and motivated less by political principle than by desire for personal, often material, gain, and by sectional and ethnic loyalties; consequently party politics is personal and parochial; and (4) their structure is such that they cannot correctly represent the opinion of the electorate; in much of the country there is in effect only one party, and everywhere large contrib-utors and special interests exercise undue influence within the party.1
The waiting-list group.

ABSTRACTThis report describes a pilot study of a waiting-list group (preliminary process group [PPG]) that provided treatment for applicants to a university affiliated, urban mental health center. ...
Unraveling the "new morbidity": adolescent parenting and developmental delays.

Baumeisters concept of the "new morbidity" pertains to the linkages between poverty adolescent mothers and a series of developmental delays in their children. Outlined are three possible causes of the mild mental retardation and learning disabilities that are found disproportionately among the offspring of adolescents. First there may be a direct genetic transmission of mild mental retardation. Second adolescent mothers are likely to have a lack of support from a social network be unprepared cognitively and emotionally to assume responsibility for child rearing and to look to an infant to meet their own needs. Third the interaction of genetic and environmental deficits leads to a parenting style that deprives the child of stimulation that could potentially overcome these deficits. A secure mother-infant attachment relationship provides the foundation for the development of social emotional attentional and self-regulatory processes. When this attachment relationship is insecure as a result of the mothers unreadiness to parent the child cannot proceed to exploration of the environment--a critical component of cognitive development. If the infant has a difficult temperament the risk of physical and emotional abuse increases further compromising the childs future development. By 3 years of age many of these children are showing declines in mental functioning delays in receptive language skills and poor motor and social skills. Research is urged to identify events in this chain that can be targeted for early intervention.
Endovascular Reconstruction of Subclavian Artery Aneurysms in Patients with Arterial Thoracic Outlet Syndrome.

Background Subclavian artery aneurysms associated with thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) have traditionally been managed by open surgical reconstruction. Endovascular subclavian artery reconstruction is novel in the setting of arterial TOS (aTOS). Our objective is to report our results with endovascular subclavian artery reconstruction in aTOS patients over a 10-year period with attention to surgical approach and late results. Methods Patients who underwent stent-graft reconstruction of subclavian artery aneurysms associated with aTOS between 2006 and 2016 were identified in a prospective database. Data collected included age, gender, presentation, surgical details, and outcomes. Results Over the study period, 869 TOS procedures were performed. Of these, 7 (0.8%) were aTOS related subclavian artery aneurysms managed with stent-graft repair. All presented with upper extremity pain (7) and a majority with limb-threatening ischemia (6). Other significant findings included subclavian artery aneurysm (7), cervical rib (4), and clavicular fracture (3). TOS decompression was accomplished via transaxillary cervical and first rib resection. Stent-graft deployment was performed concurrently with TOS decompression via brachial artery approach. The mean follow-up period was 24.9 months (range 1–60). Two patients required reintervention for stent thrombosis (1.5 months, 36 months) and 1 required balloon angioplasty for in-stent restenosis (24 months). Limb salvage was achieved in all patients with no major amputations, no minor amputations, and restoration of normal function in all. Conclusions Our experience indicates that stent-graft reconstruction of subclavian artery aneurysms associated with aTOS is successful. This procedure was characterized by short surgical times, low blood loss, and no complications. It may be subject to late graft thrombosis or stenosis and requires life-long surveillance.
Types of leisure, leisure motivation, and well-being in university students

This research aimed at investigating types of leisure motivation, leisure satisfaction, leisure patterns, health status, demographic backgrounds, and the relationship between these and current leis...
Electrical contact uniformity and surface oxidation of ternary chalcogenide alloys

Uniform metal contacts are critical for advanced thermoelectric devices. The uniformity of the contact resistance for gold, tungsten, and SrRuO3 electrodes on polycrystalline ternary Bi2Te3-based alloys for different types of surface cleaning procedures was characterized. The presence of a nanometer-thick native oxide layer on the Bi2Te3 surface leads to large and non-uniform contact resistance. Surface treatments included solvent cleans and chemical and dry etching prior to metallization of the Bi2Te3. Only etching the surface led to a significant improvement in contact resistance uniformity. None of the tested contacts reacted with the underlying Bi2Te3 substrate. Etching resulted in the removal of the native oxide on the Bi2Te3 surface, which was characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The average thickness, chemistry, and dry etch rate of the native oxide was further characterized using XPS. The non-uniformity in contact resistance suggests that the native oxide grows non-uniformly on polycrystalline bismuth telluride surfaces.
A framework to consider energy transfers within growth theory

Abstract Growth theory has rarely considered energy despite its invisible hand in all physical systems. We develop a theoretical framework that places energy transfers at centerstage of growth theory based on two principles: (i) goods are material rearrangements and (ii) such rearrangements are done by energy transferred by prime movers (e.g., workers, engines). Using a mathematical model we derive the implications of these principles for an autarkic agent that maximizes utility subject to an energy budget constraint and maximizes energy surplus to relax such constraint. The solution to these problems shows that growth is driven by positive marginal energy surplus of energy goods (e.g., rice, oil), yet materializes through prime mover accumulation. This perspective consolidates under one framework several results from previous attempts to insert energy within growth theory, reconciles economics with natural sciences, and provides a basis for a general reinterpretation of economic growth as the interplay between human desires and thermodynamic processes.
Dynamic Crack Growth Normal to an Interface in Bi-Layered Materials: An Experimental Study Using Digital Gradient Sensing Technique

The dynamic fracture behavior of layered architectures is experimentally studied. Specifically, crack penetration, trapping, and branching at an interface are examined. A newly introduced optical technique called Digital Gradient Sensing (DGS) that quantifies elasto-optic effects due to a non-uniform state of stress is extended to perform full-field measurements during the fracture event using ultrahigh-speed photography. By exploiting the richness of two simultaneously measured orthogonal stress gradient fields, a modified approach for extracting stress intensity factors (SIFs) is implemented for propagating crack-tips under mixed-mode conditions. The method is first calibrated using a quasi-static experiment complemented by finite element simulations before implementing it for studying dynamic mixed-mode fracture mechanics of layered configurations. The layered systems considered consist of two PMMA sheets bonded using an acrylic adhesive with the interface oriented normally to the initial crack propagation direction. Interfaces are characterized as ‘strong’ and ‘weak’ by their crack initiation toughness. The dynamic fracture of monolithic PMMA sheet is also studied in the same configuration for comparison. The crack growth and fracture parameter histories of propagating cracks are evaluated. The interface is shown to drastically perturb crack growth behavior resulting in higher dissipation of fracture energy by exciting crack trapping, branching, and mixed-mode growth mechanisms.
Tumor mutational burden and PTEN alterations as molecular correlates of response to PD-1/L1 blockade in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer

Purpose: Few patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC) benefit from immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Based on immunotherapy response correlates in other cancers, we evaluated whether high tumor mutational burden (TMB) ≥10 nonsynonymous mutations/megabase and PTEN alterations, defined as nonsynonymous mutations or 1 or 2 copy deletions, were associated with clinical benefit to anti-PD-1/ L1 therapy in mTNBC. Experimental Design: We identified patients with mTNBC, who consented to targeted DNA sequencing and were treated with ICIs on clinical trials between April 2014 and January 2019 at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Boston, MA). Objective response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were correlated with tumor genomic features. Results: Sixty-two women received anti-PD-1/L1 inhibitors alone (23%) or combined with targeted therapy (19%) or chemotherapy (58%). High TMB (18%) was associated with significantly longer PFS (12.5 vs. 3.7 months; p=0.04); while PTEN alterations (29%) were associated with significantly lower ORR (6% vs. 48%; p=0.01), shorter PFS (2.3 vs. 6.1 months; p=0.01), and shorter OS (9.7 vs. 20.5 months; p=0.02). Multivariate analyses confirmed that these associations were independent of performance status, prior lines of therapy, therapy regimen, and visceral metastases. The survival associations were additionally independent of PD-L1 in patients with known PD-L1 and were not found in mTNBC cohorts treated with chemotherapy (n = 90) and non-ICI regimens (n = 169). Conclusions: Among patients with mTNBC treated with anti-PD-1/L1 therapies, high TMB and PTEN alterations were associated with longer and shorter survival, respectively. These observations warrant validation in larger datasets.
The Ten Years’ War: Politics, Partisanship, And The ACA

After decades of failed efforts to overhaul American health care, the Affordable Care Act’s 2010 enactment was the most important health reform achievement since Medicare and Medicaid’s passage. Bu...
Pilot Case Study in Games as Polling Systems, Generating Knowledge about Fake News

This research reports on heuristics in the design and implementation of games as polling systems. Adapting previous research in human computation games, this paper examines the opportunity to collect player opinion through game mechanics. The goal is to make more engaging experiences and exploit poll-taker as player instinct response. This case study describes the design, development and data collected through three playable polls focused on news sources and media literacy. This is a pilot analysis, outlining the propensities and limitations of using games as polling systems and reporting on the findings from a limited release involving 287 play sessions.
Priority, persuasion, and the virtue of perseverence : William Huggins's efforts to photograph the solar corona without an eclipse

l'ingenuosite instrumentale et methodologique de l'astronome William Huggin est decrite, ainsi que son pouvoir de persuasion et sa perseverance dans sa reussite a photographier la couronne solaire sans une eclipse
Site Characterization Through Hierarchical Bayesian Model Updating Using Dispersion and H/V Data

In this study, a hierarchical Bayesian model inversion method is developed for site characterization and site response using surface wave measurements and H/V spectral ratios. The hierarchical Bayesian method estimates a velocity profile with uncertainty assessment using both surface wave derived dispersion curves and ambient noise derived H/V spectral ratios. In the proposed hierarchical inversion framework, prior distributions are assumed for the soil parameters and shear wave velocity distribution at each soil layer is estimated. The proposed inversion process is evaluated experimentally when applied to field measurements at a site in the greater Boston area. In this application, soil stratigraphy is assumed from a boring log a-priori and prior Gaussian distributions are assumed for the soil parameters using SPT blowcounts and/or local shear wave velocity data. The prior probability distributions of shear wave velocities are updated to their posterior distributions through the hierarchical Bayesian inference where the mean and covariance of model parameters are estimated as hyperparameters. The Metropolis-Hastings algorithm and Gibbs sampler is used for estimating the updating parameters and hyperparameters. The hierarchical Bayesian approach provides a mechanism to use both the dispersion curve and the H/V spectral ratio in the shear wave velocity inversion. The estimated uncertainty bounds derived from the hierarchical Bayesian approach using dispersion curves and H/V spectral ratios are more informative than those using classical Bayesian inference schemes and dispersion curves alone.
What Is Home Sharing in Relation to the Hospitality Industry

In this chapter, home sharing is discussed in the context of the commercial hospitality industry. The gross revenue, number of properties, and rooms for major hotel brands are identified and contrasted with Airbnb, the largest home-sharing provider with abundant available data. The details of how Airbnb started and how it operates is set forth, and prices for home sharing vs hotels in major US markets are provided.
18F-labeled radiotracers for in vivo imaging of DREADD with positron emission tomography.

Abstract Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADD) are a preclinical chemogenetic approach with clinical potential for various disorders. In vivo visualization of DREADDs has been achieved with positron emission tomography (PET) using 11C radiotracers. The objective of this study was to develop DREADD radiotracers labeled with 18F for a longer isotope half-life. A series of non-radioactive fluorinated analogs of clozapine with a wide range of in vitro binding affinities for the hM3Dq and hM4Di DREADD receptors has been synthesized for PET. Compound [18F]7b was radiolabeled via a modified 18F-deoxyfluorination protocol with a commercial ruthenium reagent. [18F]7b demonstrated encouraging PET imaging properties in a DREADD hM3Dq transgenic mouse model, whereas the radiotracer uptake in the wild type mouse brain was low. [18F]7b is a promising long-lived alternative to the DREADD radiotracers [11C]clozapine ([11C]CLZ) and [11C]deschloroclozapine ([11C]DCZ).