cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Determinants of reproductive success across sequential episodes of sexual selection in a firefly

Because females often mate with multiple males, it is critical to expand our view of sexual selection to encompass pre-, peri- and post-copulatory episodes to understand how selection drives trait evolution. In Photinus fireflies, females preferentially respond to males based on their bioluminescent courtship signals, but previous work has shown that male paternity success is negatively correlated with flash attractiveness. Here, we experimentally manipulated both the attractiveness of the courtship signal visible to female Photinus greeni fireflies before mating and male nuptial gift size to determine how these traits might each influence mate acceptance and paternity share. We also measured pericopulatory behaviours to examine their influence on male reproductive success. Firefly males with larger spermatophores experienced dual benefits in terms of both higher mate acceptance and increased paternity share. We found no effect of courtship signal attractiveness or pericopulatory behaviour on male reproductive success. Taken together with previous results, this suggests a possible trade-off for males between producing an attractive courtship signal and investing in nuptial gifts. By integrating multiple episodes of sexual selection, this study extends our understanding of sexual selection in Photinus fireflies and provides insight into the evolution of male traits in other polyandrous species.
Reinventing warranty at HP: an engineering approach to warranty

The mechanisms used to understand and reduce warranty costs often focus exclusively on the analysis of product failures. However, warranty costs can also be incurred by events such as support calls that do not involve a product failure. We describe a method used by a major electronics manufacturer to understand warranty costs by modeling warranty events. Furthermore, event modeling that uses a time-dependent warranty event rate instead of the more standard average rate of failure allows the improved prediction of warranty costs and better accruals. As a result of the modeling, warranty engineers can help product managers more accurately predict the costs associated with removing certain warranty events, changing warranty policies and offering extended warranties for their electronic products. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A GIS-derived integrated moisture index to predict forest composition and productivity of Ohio forests (U.S.A.)

A geographic information system (GIS) approach was used in conjunction with forest-plot data to develop an integrated moisture index (IMI), which was then used to predict forest productivity (site index) and species composition for forests in Ohio. In this region, typical of eastern hardwoods across the Midwest and southern Appalachians, topographic aspect and position (rather than elevation) change drastically at the fine scale and strongly influence many ecological functions. Elevational contours, soil series mapping units, and plot locations were digitized for the Vinton Furnace Experimental Forest in southeastern Ohio and gridded to 7.5-m cells for GIS modeling. Several landscape features (a slope-aspect shading index, cumulative flow of water downslope, curvature of the landscape, and water-holding capacity of the soil) were used to create the IMI, which was then statistically analyzed with site-index values and composition data for plots. On the basis of IMI values for forest land harvested in the past 30 years, we estimated oak site index and the percentage composition of two major species groups in the region: oak (Quercus spp.), and yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) plus black cherry (Prunus serotina). The derived statistical relationships were then applied in the GIS to create maps of site index and composition, and verified with independent data. The maps show the oaks will dominate on dry, ridge top positions (i.e., low site index), while the yellow poplar and black cherry will predominate on mesic sites. Digital elevation models with coarser resolution (1:24K, 1:100K, 1:250K) also were tested in the same manner. We had generally good success for 1:24K, moderate success for 1:100K, but no success for 1:250K data. This simple and portable approach has the advantage of using readily available GIS information which is time-invariant and requires no fieldwork. The IMI can be used to better manage forest resources where moisture is limiting and to predict how the resource will change under various forms of ecosystem management.
Incentives and Barriers to Research Participation and Brain Donation Among African Americans

Successful African American recruitment for aging research requires sensitivity to factors that influence participation. In this work, a structured face-to-face educational interview was used to recruit African Americans for a longitudinal aging study and to collect information about attitudes related to research. The interview was designed to build trust and respect for research and to educate participants about the need for minority participants. Of the 91 African Americans aged 65 and older who completed interviews, 65 (71%) agreed to participate in the longitudinal study and approximately half agreed to brain donation. Those who enrolled and consented to brain donation were more likely to consider benefit to themselves or direct family unit as the main motivator for participation (P < .01). The study also found a significant increase in agreement to brain donation across enrollment periods (P = .0005).
On appropriate models for characterizing hyper-rayleigh fading

Recent work presented empirical data for which the small-scale fading statistics were more severe than Rayleigh; a phenomena deemed hyper-Rayleigh fading. This paper considers whether commonly utilized small-scale propagation models can be appropriately adapted to represent this class of fading. The work argues that the most meaningful model for the hyper- Rayleigh regime is based on a physical wave model (as opposed to stochastic); in particular, the TWDP model, where Deltaap1, holds the greatest promise. The crux of the argument is that the stochastic models significantly over-predict the amount of constructive interference in comparison to what is physically realizable.
Novel Mechanism for Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Neuronal Migration Involving Gas6/Ark Signaling to p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is the central regulator of the reproductive axis. Normal sexual maturation depends on the migration of GnRH neurons from the olfactory placode to the hypothalamus during development. Previously, we showed restricted expression of the membrane receptor adhesion-related kinase (Ark) in immortalized cell lines derived from migratory but not postmigratory GnRH neurons. In addition, Ark and GnRH transcripts were detected along the GnRH neuron migratory route in the E13 mouse cribriform plate. In the present study, we examined the role of Ark and its ligand, Gas6 (encoded by growth arrest-specific gene 6), in GnRH neuron migration. Gas6 stimulated lamellipodial extension, membrane ruffling, and chemotaxis of immortalized NLT GnRH neuronal cells via the Ark receptor. Gas6/Ark signaling promoted activation of the Rho family GTPase Rac, and adenoviral-mediated expression of dominant negative N17Rac abolished Gas6/Ark-induced actin cytoskeletal reorganization and migration of GnRH neuronal cells. In addition, p38 MAPK was activated downstream of Ark and Rac, and inhibition of p38 MAPK with either SB203580 or adenoviral dominant negative p38alpha also blocked Gas6/Ark-mediated migration. Finally, downstream of Rac and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), Gas6/Ark signaling promoted activation of MAPK-activated protein kinase 2 and induced phosphorylation of HSP25, a known regulator of cortical actin remodeling. The data are the first to demonstrate a migratory signaling pathway downstream of Ark/Axl family receptors and suggest a previously unidentified role for p38 MAPK in neuronal migration. Furthermore, these studies support a potential role for Ark in the regulation of GnRH neuronal migration.
Chemical composition and physical properties of extruded snacks containing crab‐processing by‐product

The crab-processing industries generate millions of pounds of by-product annually, which results in a loss of edible product and presents a considerable waste disposal problem. The purpose of this research was to investigate the use of crab-processing by-product (CB) in the development of a calcium- rich expanded snack. The specific objectives were to examine the effects of type of CB (wet or dry), feed composition and screw speed (150 or 250rpm) on selected properties of extruded snacks. Product formulations consisting of 0-400gkg −1 CB combined with corn meal and potato flakes were processed in a twin-screw extruder. The resulting extrudates were analysed for proximate and mineral (calcium, sodium) composition, pH, water activity (aw), total plate count, bulk density, expansion ratio and colour. Both CB type and level of incorporation had significant effects (P 0.05) on expansion ratio and bulk density. A high processing temperature (157 ◦ C) and low aw resulted in undetectable microbial growth on the extrudates. This research demonstrates that ground crab-processing by-product can be successfully incorporated into an expanded snack product. Further research will evaluate consumer response to this novel value-added product.  2003 Society of Chemical Industry
Polycationic salts. VI. Synthesis andin vitro studies of 2-ionene oligomer derivatives of styrene as bile acid sequestering agents

Several vinylbenzyltri-n-alkylammonium salts were prepared via the Menshutkin reaction in high yields by the reaction of vinyl benzyl chloride (VBC) and tertiary amines. Additional salts based on 2-ionene oligomers were synthesized via a sequential Menshutkin reaction. The 2-ionene oligomers were further reacted with VBC to afford the vinyl benzyl chloride-2-ionene halide monomers in nearly quantitative yield. The monomers were polymerized in either aqueous or organic solvents with azo initiators in high yield with correspondingly high inherent viscosities. The polymers were measured spectrophotometrically for their bile acid sequestering activity with an in vitro enzymatic reaction. Several of the measured polymers exhibited 15–28% greater activity relative to cholestyramine. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 701–713, 2004
Transplantation of Lacerated Corneas

We performed penetrating keratoplasties in eight eyes with opaque corneas from healed corneal lacerations that extended into the corneoscleral limbus. We found dense fibrovascular membranes that extended from the laceration site over the surface of the iris into the angle in several cases and posteriorly to involve the ciliary body in all cases. In seven eyes moderate to severe increases of intraocular pressure occurred postoperatively. Additionally, five eyes had retinal detachments which were either present at the time of surgery or which developed postoperatively. The corneal grafts remained transparent in all eight eyes and visual acuity improved in four.
An imputation-enhanced algorithm for ICU mortality prediction

ICU patients are vulnerable to in-ICU morbidities and mortality, making accurate systems for identifying at-risk patients a necessity for improving clinical care. Here, we present an improved model for predicting in-hospital mortality using data collected from the first 48 hours of a patient's ICU stay. We generated predictive features for each patient using demographic data, the number of observations for each of 37 time-varying variables in hours 0–48 and 47–48 of the stay, and the last observed value for each variable. Missing data are a common problem in clinical data, and we therefore imputed missing values using the mean value for a patient's age and gender group. After imputing the missing data, we trained a logistic regression using this feature set. We evaluated model performance using the two metrics from the 2012 PhysioNet/CinC Challenge; the first measured model accuracy using the minimum of sensitivity and positive predictive value (Event 1), and the second measured model calibration using the Hosmer-Lemeshow H statistic (Event 2). Our model obtained Event 1 and 2 scores of 0.516 and 14.4 for test set B and 0.482 and 51.7 for test set C, respectively, providing better estimates of in-hospital mortality risk than existing methods such as SAPS-I.
An analysis of ARQ and hybrid FEC-ARQ transmission over a meteor burst channel

Using the probabilistic models for meteor burst channel parameters, expressions are derived for performance characteristics of an automatic-repeat-request (ARQ) communications system. Performance measures such as throughput rate, waiting time to receive a message correctly, and probability of successful message delivery within some specified time are functions of packet size and transmission data rate. It is shown that a hybrid FEC-ARQ (forward-error-correction-ARQ) strategy yields higher throughput, lower waiting time, and increased probability of correct packet reception, as compared to uncoded transmission, but only when the code rate approaches 1. The coding employed was rate 1/n and rate k/nconvolutional. >
SELF-POST-TENSIONING FOR CONCRETE BEAMS USING SHAPE MEMORY ALLOYS

This study explores the use of shape memory alloys for self-post-tensioning concrete beams. SMAs have the ability to regain their original shape after being deformed up to 6–8% strain. This shape recovery is a result of an underlying reversible solid-solid phase transformation, which can be induced by either a stress (superelastic effect) or a temperature change (shape memory effect). The shape memory effect can be exploited to prestress concrete. The heat of hydration of grout can thermally activate SMA tendons to obtain self-post-tensioned (SPT) concrete. NiTi-based SMAs are promising due to their corrosion resistance and resistance against low frequency/cycle fatigue failure. NiTiNb alloys are a class of SMAs that exhibit a wide temperature hysteresis and transformation temperatures near the service temperatures required for practical application. Here, NiTiNb shape memory alloys are studied to design an optimized SMA that can be activated using hydration heat. The material design and characterization of the SMA tendons are discussed. The temperature increase due to the heat of hydration of four commercially available grouts is investigated. The bond behavior of SMA tendons is evaluated through pullout tests. Digital Image Correlation method is used for monitoring the slippage of the SMA tendons. The feasibility of developing SPT concrete is assessed through experimental studies. The use of SMAs, which possess high fatigue and corrosion resistance, as post-tensioning tendons in concrete members will increase the service life and provide life cycle cost savings for concrete bridges. The replacement of steel tendons with SMA prestressing tendons will prevent corrosion-induced deterioration of tendons in concrete structures. The use of heat of hydration of grout to activate the shape memory effect of SMA tendons will provide self-stressing capability. This will greatly simplify the tendon installation. The need for jacking equipment or electrical source will be eliminated.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
The Colonial Elite of Early Caracas: Formation and Crisis, 1567-1767

"A remarkably clearheaded and persuasive use of complex and incomplete materials to construct one of the best views yet of the internal dynamics of colonial Latin American society."--John V. Lombardi, Johns Hopkins University
The subnormal structure of general linear groups

Let A be an associative ring with 1. For any natural number n, let GLnA denote the group of invertible n by n matrices over A, and let EnA be the subgroup generated by all elementary matrices ai, j, where aeA and 1 ≤ i ≡ j ≤ n. For any (two-sided) ideal B of A, let GLnB be the kernel of the canonical homomorphism GLnA→GLn(A/B) and Gn(A, B) the inverse image of the centre of GLn(A/B) (when n > 1, the centre consists of scalar matrices over the centre of the ring A/B). Let EnB denote the subgroup of GLnB generated by its elementary matrices, and let En(A, B) be the normal subgroup of EnA generated by EnB (when n > 2, the group GLn(A, B) is generated by matrices of the form ai, jbi, j(−a)i, j with aA, b in B, i ≡ j, see [7]). In particuler,is the centre of GLnA
Boundary‐layer behavior on continuous solid surfaces: I. Boundary‐layer equations for two‐dimensional and axisymmetric flow

This study deals with boundary-layer flow on continuous solid surfaces. Flow of this type represents a new class of boundary-layer problems, with solutions substantially different from those for boundary-layer flow on surfaces of finite length. In this paper the boundary-layer behavior on continuous surfaces is examined, and the basic differential and integral momentum equations of boundary-layer theory are derived for such surfaces. In subsequent papers these equations will be solved for the boundary layer on a moving continuous flat surface and a moving continuous cylindrical surface, for both laminar and turbulent flow in the boundary layer.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Persistence and Production in T-Cell Development

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) replication depends on CD4 and coreceptor expression as well as host factors associated with the activation state of the cell. To determine the impact of the activation stage of thymocytes on the HIV-1 life cycle, we investigated R5 and X4 HIV-1 entry, reverse transcription, and expression in discrete thymocyte subsets at different stages of T-cell development. Early after infection, preferential entry and replication of R5 HIV-1 were predominantly detected in mature CD3+/hi CD27+ thymocytes. Thus, R5 HIV-1 targets the stage of development where thymocytes acquire functional responsiveness, which has important implications for HIV pathogenesis. In contrast, X4 HIV-1 expression and replication were primarily found in immature CD3−/+/low CD27− CD69− thymocytes. HIV-1 proviral burden and virus expression in thymocyte subsets correlated with the expression of the highest levels of the respective coreceptor. R5 and X4 HIV-1 entered and completed reverse transcription in all subsets tested, indicating that the activation state of thymocytes and coreceptor expression are sufficient to support full reverse transcription throughout development. Although R5 HIV-1 is expressed mainly in mature CD3+/hi CD27+ thymocytes, 5.3% of HIV-1-infected immature thymocytes express R5 HIV-1, indicating that potentially latent viral DNA can be established early in T-cell development.
Parent-child interactions among low-income Mexican American parents and preschoolers: Do clinic-referred families differ from nonreferred families?

This study compared low-income Mexican American parents of young children referred for behavior problems to their nonreferred counterparts on an observational measure of parent-child interactions. Referred Mexican American parents demonstrated more negative behaviors than their nonreferred counterparts in both nondirective and highly directive situations. However, no differences were found at moderate levels of directiveness. The most and least directive situations in the Dyadic Parent-Child Interaction Coding System best differentiated referred from nonreferred Mexican American families, and families differed more in their negative behaviors than positive behaviors. Many of the parenting behaviors that have been found to differ between referred and nonreferred Caucasian families were also observed to differ between their Mexican American counterparts.
Clinical relevance: an issue in biostatistical training of medical students

Summary. Significant trends in teaching biostatistics to medical students include: (1) recognition of the dependence of advancement in the medical sciences upon the quantitative sciences; (2) integration of biostatistics and other disciplines such as epidemiology and community medicine; (3) increased emphasis on clinical relevance through the introduction of such topics as medical decision-making, evaluation of diagnostic test, genetic counselling and evaluating health-science literature; (4) growing emphasis on analytic skills and computer literacy as precipitated by the presence of computerbased patient and medical information systems, expert systems, imaging and signal analysis systems; (5) the emergence of new applications of statistics in health and medicine; and (6) changes in the learning environment, for example emphasis on small-group discussions and problem-solving sessions. The evolution and future directions of biometrical training in medicine as precipitated by these trends, and the response of course directors at the Medical University of South Carolina to the demand for a‘new’ curriculum in biostatistics for medical students are described.
Assessment of clinical parameters associated with increased frequency of mutant T cells in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objective. To determine the clinical features that contribute to an increased frequency of mutant T cells (FMC) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods. During in vivo T cell division, there are errors in replication which give rise to mutations throughout the genome. An estimate of such mutations may be obtained by focusing on mutations in the hprt gene, which can be screened by assessing relative growth of T cell clones in the presence and absence of 6-thioguanine. In this study, peripheral blood T cell clones from 47 patients with SLE were assessed, and the frequency of mutant T cells (FMC) determined. An attempt was made to correlate the FMC with disease measures. Results. Patients with SLE had a spectrum of FMC values, ranging from normal to almost 1,000 times normal. Total duration of active disease (rs = 0.94), past highest disease activity index (rs = 0.80), and number of lupus flares (rs = 0.76) correlated most strongly (P < 0.0001) with FMC by Spearman's rank order analysis. In contrast, current disease activity index and current anti-DNA level did not correlate with FMC. Similar correlations between FMC and cumulative past lupus disease activity were found by linear regression analysis (rp = 0.89 for the correlation between the natural logarithm of FMC and cumulative duration of active disease). By both statistical tests, therapy was found to be only a minor contributor to FMC. Conclusion. In our patient population, a high FMC value appears to reflect cumulative clinical lupus disease activity, involving both intensity and duration of past active disease.
Hamstring Graft Size Prediction A Prospective Clinical Evaluation

BackgroundRecently we retrospectively collected clinical data to predict hamstring graft diameter. Prospective data collection will improve and further define prediction of hamstring graft size.HypothesisClinical anthropometric data can be used to predict hamstring graft size.Study DesignCohort study (prevalence); Level of evidence, 1.MethodsFifty consecutive patients with anterior cruciate ligament deficiency scheduled for reconstruction using hamstring autograft were prospectively evaluated. Preoperatively we recorded height, weight, body mass index, age, gender, leg length, thigh length, shank length, bilateral thigh circumference, and Tegner score. Intraoperative measurements of both the gracilis and semitendinosus tendons were made, including absolute length before fashioning the graft and final diameter of the quadrupled graft using sizing tubes calibrated to 0.5 mm. Bivariate correlation coefficients (Pearson r) were calculated to identify relationships among clinical data and intraoperatively meas...
Goal-Oriented h-Adaptivity for the Multigroup SPN Equations

We investigate application of goal-oriented mesh adaptivity to the SPN multigroup equations. This technique utilizes knowledge of the computational goal and combines it with mesh adaptivity to accu...
Consistency among School Psychologists in Evaluating Discrepancy Scores: A Preliminary Study

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether school psychologists possess the psychometric knowledge necessary to evaluate discrepancy scores. Experienced school psychologists were asked to evaluate two discrepancy examples and to rate the usefulness of various test measures for different purposes. Despite knowing that (a) standard scores were the scores of choice for discrepancy analysis, (b) age and grade equivalents offered little usefulness, and (c) standard error of measurement was important, respondents made inconsistent choices in evaluating the discrepancy examples. These findings are explained by the failure of a substantial number of subjects to engage in standard statistical procedures for testing differences between scores. Participants also tended to misinterpret percentile ranks as useful for discrepancy analysis. The implications of these findings for learning disabilities classification and research are discussed.
Reassessing folic acid consumption patterns in the United States (1999–2004): potential effect on neural tube defects and overexposure to folate

BACKGROUND In the United States, folic acid fortification of cereal- grain foods has significantly increased folate status. However, blood folate concentrations have decreased from their postfortification high as a result, in part, of decreasing food fortification concentrations and the popularity of low-carbohydrate weight-loss diets. OBJECTIVES The objectives of the study were to quantify changes in folate intake after folic acid fortification and to estimate the effect on neural tube defect (NTD) occurrence. DESIGN Expanding on an earlier model, we used data from 11 intervention studies to determine the relation between chronic folate intervention and changes in steady state serum folate concentrations. With serum folate data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), we used reverse prediction to calculate postfortification changes in daily folate equivalents (DFEs). With the use of NHANES red blood cell folate data and a published equation that related NTD risk to maternal red cell folate concentrations, we calculated NTD risk. RESULTS Folate intake decreased by approximately 130 microg DFE/d from its postfortification high, primarily as a result of changes seen in women with the highest folate status. This decrease in folate intake was predicted to increase the incidence of NTD by 4-7%, relative to a predicted 43% postfortification decrease. In addition, the number of women consuming >1 mg bioavailable folate/d decreased. CONCLUSIONS Folate consumption by women of childbearing age in the United States has decreased. However, the decrease in those women with the lowest folate status was disproportionately small. Consequently, the effect on NTD risk should be less than would be seen if a uniform decrease in folate concentrations had occurred. These results reinforce the need to maintain monitoring of the way fortification is implemented.
A Review of “The Osteology of Neovenator salerii (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Wealden Group (Barremian) of the Isle of Wight”, by Stephen L. Brusatte, R. B. J. Benson, and S. Hutt. 2008. Palaeontographical Society Monographs 162 (No. 631), 75 pp. + 45 pls., £120, ISSN 0269-3445

Allosauroids were a widespread theropod superfamily, but the best-known representatives are Allosaurus itself (Gilmore, 1920; Madsen, 1976) from North America and Sinraptor (Currie and Zhao, 1993) ...
Asymmetric Naivete: Beliefs About Self-Control

The issue of people's beliefs regarding their own and others' present-bias is pivotal in studying interactions between multiple present-biased individuals. While several studies document individuals' naivete about their own present-bias, beliefs regarding others remain unexplored. This paper investigates beliefs about own and others' present-bias within the same experimental setting. Subjects engaged in a real effort task are asked to predict their own future behavior and the average behavior of the other subjects. Participants making predictions regarding their own decisions provide an estimate of self-awareness, while those making predictions regarding others provide beliefs about the present-bias of others. Consistent with the interpretation of naivete about own present-bias as driven by overconfidence, I document a wedge in beliefs regarding self and others: subjects display virtually no awareness of their own present-bias, but predict significant present-bias in others.
Two Thumbs Up: An Excel-Based 'Movie' To Teach Term Structure Dynamics

SUBJECT AREAS: Term structure of interest rates; Dynamics; Treasury bills; Treasure securities; Business cycle. CASE SETTING: 1970 to present, U.S. risk-free, zero-coupon yield curves. For twenty years, the modern theory of the term structure of interest rates has been based on dynamic models of how interest rates and other relevant factors evolve randomly over time. Yet most undergraduate and M.B.A. textbooks that cover the term structure say nothing about its dynamic features. The only exception to this rule is a handful of specialized textbooks intended for advanced courses in fixed-income securities or derivative securities. The insurmountable obstacle to covering term structure dynamics has always been the rigorous demands of continuous time mathematics. We offer a new approach. We explain simple techniques by which Microsoft Excel can be used to construct a #movie# of the term structure. This movie dramatically illustrates the important dynamic features of the term structure, including: 1. short rates are more volatile than long rates, 2. occasional sharp reactions to government intervention, 3. volatility is correlated with the level (i.e., volatility is lower when the level is lower), and 4. reversal in the slope of the yield curve is a noisy predictor of the business cycle. We also make available the finished product to download at a Web address: www.bus.indiana.edu/finweb/holden.htm The raw material for this movie is a historical term structure database of monthly U.S. yield curves over the past 26 years. With a standard computer / projection setup, the instructor can show this movie in class. After seeing the visual history of the yield curve, students will immediately recognize the #stylized facts# about the term structure.
Clinical Ethics and Law

Clinical ethics and law are disciplines with overlapping concepts, yet each discipline has unique parameters and a distinct focus. For example, the ethics concept of respect for autonomy is expressed in law as individual liberty. Each of these disciplines has its forums and authority; however law may ultimately “resolve” a clinical ethics dilemma with a court order.
Agriculture and Ecosystem Services: Strategies for State and Local Governments

In recent years, ecologists and economists focusing on agriculture have forged a vision of agricultural lands as housing the natural capital capable of providing a stream of diverse good and services, including ecosystem services such as increased biodiversity, carbon sequestration, pollination, groundwater recharge, and improvement of water quality. This Article explores the emerging theme of farms as multifunctional land uses and suggests ways state and local governments can help ground it through flexible, efficient policy instruments. Although federal farm subsidy programs surely could be repositioned to better promote farm multifunctionality directly, the benefits of multifunctional agricultural production, compared to the conventional commodity production orientation, are primarily local. On this policy front, therefore, I envision federal policy providing support to state and local innovations rather than dominating the field as has been the case historically.Part I examines the theme of farms as multifunctional production units as it is developing in ecological literature, then examines farm policy through four guiding principles: cross-cutting regulatory approaches; trade-offs; scaling regulatory authority to the problem; and expanding the use of decentralized strategies. Part II provides a general survey of the potential future scenarios of agricultural land uses and the tools state and local policy could use to help break the logjam of agriculture-environment policy by promoting the multifunctionality of farms. My focus is on exploring how state and local land use policy can play that role with respect to the production of ecosystem services from farms, which are, after all, profoundly local in character. Part III of the Article then uses two case studies from Florida to focus on two such tools in particular - payments for ecosystem services (PES) and the transferable development right (TDR). Although distinct in several ways, including fiscal impact, the role of regulation, and the medium through which provision of ecosystem services is rewarded, these two approaches share design issues being worked out in two newly-initiated programs in Florida, as summarized in Part III.This Article makes the case that state and local policy, through PES, TDR, and similar techniques, can have a significant role to play in moving toward that vision. Federal farm policy should encourage and support such state and local initiatives, as it is in the national interest to maintain and enhance the natural capital that agricultural lands contain and can deliver locally across the landscape.
Rhythmicity of spinal neurons activated during each form of fictive scratching in spinal turtles.

Are behaviors that rely on common muscles and motoneurons generated by separate or overlapping groups of pattern-generating neurons? This question was investigated for the three forms of scratching in immobilized, spinal turtles. Individual neurons were recorded extracellularly from the gray matter through most of the spinal cord hindlimb enlargement gray matter, but were avoided in the region of motoneuron cell bodies. Each form of fictive scratching was elicited by mechanical stimulation of the body surface. The rhythmic modulation of spinal neurons was assessed using phase histograms and circular statistics. The degree of rhythmic modulation and the phase preference of each rhythmically active neuron were measured with respect to the activity cycle of the ipsilateral hip flexor nerve. The action potentials of rhythmic neurons tended to be concentrated in a particular phase of the ipsilateral hip flexor activity cycle no matter which form of fictive scratching was elicited. This consistent phase preference suggests that some of these neurons may contribute to generation of the hip rhythm for all three forms of scratching, strengthening the case that vertebrate pattern-generating circuitry for distinct behaviors can be overlapping. The degree of rhythmic modulation of each unit during fictive scratching was consistently correlated with the dorsoventral location of the recording, but not with the mediolateral or rostrocaudal location; neurons located more ventrally tended to be more rhythmic. The phase preferences of units were related to the region of the body surface to which each neuron responded maximally (i.e., the region to which each unit was broadly tuned). Units tuned to the rostral scratch or pocket scratch region tended to have a phase preference during ipsilateral hip flexor activity, whereas units tuned to the caudal scratch region did not. This suggests the hypothesis that the hip flexes further during rostral and pocket scratching, and extends further during caudal scratching, due to the net effects of a population of spinal interneurons that are both broadly tuned and rhythmically active.
Factors Impacting Hispanic High School Students and How to Best Reach Them for the Careers in the Construction Industry

ABSTRACTThe shortage of skilled workers that the construction industry is currently experiencing can be attributed to the negative public perception of construction careers. This study describes the perceptions of Hispanic 11th grade high school students toward the construction industry based on elements such as demographics, family unit impact on decision-making, and information sources for decision-making. In particular, this study identifies and prioritizes barriers that prevent a student from pursuing a career in the construction industry. Data was collected through a survey administered to Hispanic high school juniors attending public high schools in five cities in Texas. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. It was found that low wages, dangerous and dirty conditions and family unit disapproval are the main perceived barrier that prevents students from pursuing careers in the construction industry, respectively. In addition, the study proposed efforts that would be effective in overcom...
Determining left ventricular hypertrophy in overweight-obese youth using electrocardiogram criteria.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE There is an escalating prevalence of obesity in youth that increases the risk for cardiovascular alterations such as left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). The purpose of this study is to identify the most effective electrical voltage measurement for determining LVH in youth who are overweight and obese. METHODS A retrospective chart review was conducted to determine sensitivity, specificity, and the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve of 4 popular electrical voltage measures. RESULTS Our findings indicated the sensitivity and specificity for Cornell product (50.0%; 96.2%), Cornell voltage (52.9%; 98.0%), Romhilt Estes (50.0%; 100.0%), and Sokolow-Lyon index (60.0%; 86.4%) consecutively. CONCLUSION The Romhilt-Estes and Cornell voltage measures displayed the highest specificity and could prove to be beneficial as a screening method to rule out LVH in overweight and obese youth.
Abstract 4965: Oncoprotein PMLRARα directly suppresses Fas-mediated apoptosis through forming an apoptotic inhibitory complex with c-FLIPin vivo

Objective: Many genotoxic therapies, including radiation, depend on intact Fas signaling to eradicate cancer cells. Defective Fas signaling is an important cause of cancer resistance to therapy. Restoring Fas apoptosis or sensitizing cancer cells to Fas-mediated apoptosis would improve the efficacy of many cancer therapies. To elucidate a role for specific regulators of Fas signaling in cancer cells, we sought to identify potential modulators of Fas expressed in cancers and target them to selectively sensitize cancer cells to Fas-mediated apoptosis as a component of chemotherapy. Methods: Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry was used to identify Fas-associated proteins; co-immunoprecipitation and Western blot were used to detect interactions of PMLRARα, PML, c-FLIP and Fas, and to examine the components of death-inducing signaling complex (DISC) and caspase-8 cleavage. Deletional mutagenesis was used to map the interaction domains. PML shRNA lentivirus and As2O3 were used to knock down PML and PMLRARα. Flow cytometry analysis of propidium iodide- and Annexin-V-stained cells was used to detect apoptosis. Mice were transfected with PMLRARα, monitored for survival, and tissues were analyzed for apoptosis by staining for cleaved caspase-3 and TUNEL. Results: We identified promyelocytic leukemia protein (PML) as a Fas-interacting protein using mass spectrometry analysis. The function of PML is blocked by its dominant-negative form PMLRARα. We found PMLRARα interaction with Fas in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL)-derived cells and APL primary cells, and PML-Fas complexes in normal tissues. Binding of PMLRARα to Fas was mapped to the B-box domain of PML moiety and death domain of Fas. PMLRARα blockage of Fas apoptosis was demonstrated in U937/PR9 cells, human APL cells and transgenic mouse APL cells, in which PMLRARα recruited c-FLIP L/S and excluded procaspase-8 from Fas death signaling complex. PMLRARα expression in mice protected the mice against a lethal dose of agonistic anti-Fas antibody (P Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4965. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-4965
Solidification Processing and Fracture Behavior of RuAl-Based Alloys

Alloys of RuAl-Ru were processed using various solidification methods, and the fracture behavior was examined. The fracture toughness values for RuAl-hcp(Ru,Mo) and RuAl-hcp(Ru,Cr) alloys ranged from 23 to 38 MPaVm, while the volume fraction of RuAl ranged from 22 to 56 percent. Increasing the volume fraction of RuAl resulted in a decrease in fracture toughness. The hcp solid solution was shown to be the more ductile phase with a fracture toughness approaching 68 MPa√m, while the B2 solid solution (RuAl) was found to have a fracture toughness less than 13 MPa√m. An alloy of Ru-7Al-38Cr (at.%) that consisted of a hcp matrix with RuAl precipitates had the highest room temperature toughness and the greatest hardness.
Strategies and Realization for SCADA System of Xiaowan Hydropower Station in Isolated Operation

Basing on the isolated operation for Xiaowan hydropower plant,this paper expounds the problems in the isolated operation for giant hydropower plants,and then presents specifical strategies of supervisory control and data acquisition(SCADA) system,such as signal translating and control strategy.The test results illustrate that the proposed strategies lay a solid foundation for the island mode normalization operation of Xiaowan hydropower station.
Refinable polycube G-splines

Polycube G-splines form a 2-manifold guided by a mesh of quadrilateral faces such that at most six quads meet at each vertex. In particular, this replicates the layout of the quad faces of a polycube. Polycube G-splines are piecewise bicubic and polycube G-spline surfaces are almost everywhere tangent-continuous (G1) based on rational linear reparameterization. They can be constructed in two different ways. One construction interprets the quad mesh vertices in the fashion of C2 bicubic splines - this provides for good shape; the other interprets the 2×2 inner Bezier coefficients of each bicubic as C1 bicubic B-spline coefficients - this offers four degrees of freedom per patch and enables adaptive refinement so that the resulting G-spline spaces are nested, i.e. any G-spline surface can be exactly re-represented at different levels of refinement. Graphical abstractDisplay Omitted HighlightsPolycube G-splines form a 2-manifold guided by a mesh of quadrilateral faces.At most six quads meet at each vertex.Bi-3 Polycube G-spline surfaces are G1 with rational linear reparameterization.Polycube G-splines have four degrees of freedom per patch.G-spline spaces are nestedly refinable.
A study to identify the need for videotaped training material for civilian clubs

A STUDY TO IDENTIFY THE NEED FOR VIDEOTAPED TRAINING MATERIAL FOR CIVILIAN CLUBS by Terry Clark The purpose of this study is to determine if there is a need and a market for the production of video-taped employee training films specifically geared to subjects unique to club management. Data was collected by telephonic inquiries to the major commercial film houses affiliated with the production of hospitality training films, by inquiry with all nationally organized club management associations, and routine queries with professionals in the field on the subject matter. The hypothesis is upheld by the research and the study goes further to suggest an answer to this need by production of training films.
Narrating uncertainty: Variants of uncertain significance (VUS) in clinical exome sequencing

Exome sequencing is an innovative next-generation sequencing technology that examines the majority of disease-causing genes with a single test. Physicians and patients resort to exome sequencing to probe for a genetic cause of disease. The technology produces about 20,000 variants and many are of uncertain clinical relevance. Drawing from ethnographic field notes and audio recordings of over 1,500 patient cases discussed at genetic data board meetings over a three-year period, this article reports on how a collective of laboratory scientists and clinicians contend practically and conceptually with variants of uncertain significance (VUS). Rather than standardizing the inclusion criteria for a VUS, the collective contextualizes each VUS with its own evidentiary narrative. The VUS then becomes subject to revision based on evolving evidence, further testing, and updated interpretations. We argue that the epistemic uncertainty of VUS becomes productive; it indicates future causality and suggests that genetic causes can explain patients’ symptoms even if no known pathogenic variants could be located.
HBT Circuit Arrays for Optical Communication and Interconnection

Next generation optical communication and interconnection systems need arrays of laser drivers, receivers, and regenerator circuits. We report on the development of AlGaAs/GaAs HBT transmitter and receiver arrays operating at speeds up to 2.488 Gbit/sec.
Are Voters Mobilized by a ‘Friend-and-Neighbor’ on the Ballot? Evidence from a Field Experiment

In his seminal work on Southern politics, V.O. Key observed that voters disproportionately support local candidates at the ballot box. While empirical analyses have confirmed “friends-and-neighbors” voting across numerous electoral contexts, no one has directly examined voter turnout as the mechanism linking place of residence to vote choice. We argue that place of residence is a social identity that incentivizes citizens to turn out to vote on behalf of the local candidate. We test this mobilization mechanism using a randomized field experiment conducted during a 2014 state legislative primary election. Our results show that county ties between candidates and voters likely boost turnout. Our findings contribute to our understanding of the importance of place identity for turnout decisions in low-information elections.
Freeman, Philip The World of Saint Patrick New York, NY: Oxford University Press 225 pp., $23.95, ISBN 9780199372584 Publication Date: September 2014

In The World of St. Patrick, Philip Freeman provides a tremendously valuable compilation of some of the most interesting and useful medieval documents relating to the development of early Christian...
New prediction models for concrete ultimate strength under true-triaxial stress states: An evolutionary approach

Abstract The complexity associated with the in-homogeneous nature of concrete suggests the necessity of conducting more in-depth behavioral analysis of this material in terms of different loading configurations. Distinctive feature of Gene Expression Programming (GEP) has been employed to derive computer-aided prediction models for the multiaxial strength of concrete under true-triaxial loading. The proposed models correlate the concrete true-triaxial strength (σ1) to mix design parameters and principal stresses (σ2,σ3), needless of conducting any time-consuming laboratory experiments. A comprehensive true-triaxial database is obtained from the literature to build the proposed models, subsequently implemented for the verification purposes. External validations as well as sensitivity analysis are further carried out using several statistical criteria recommended by researchers. More, they demonstrate superior performance to the other existing empirical and analytical models. The proposed design equations can readily be used for pre-design purposes or may be used as a fast check on deterministic solutions.