cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
HIGH-STRENGTH AND HIGH-MODULUS COPOLY (p-PHENYLENEPYROMELLITIMIDE/BIPHENYLTETRACARBOXIMIDE) FIBERS

In order to obtain high-strength, high-modulus and thermo-stable fibers, copolyimide fibers were prepared from p-phenylenediamine/pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA)/3, 3', 4, 4'-biphenyltetra carboxylic dianhydride (BPDA) copolymers by chemical imidization and subsequent hot-drawing. Drawability and tenacity increased with increasing content of BPDA in the copolymers, and PMDA/BPDA (mole ratio 30/70) copolyimide fiber showed tenacity 21.6g/d and initial modulus 1130g/d. Heat durabilities of these copolyimide fibers were much superior to those of para-aramid fibers such as Kevlar® and Technora®.
Synthesis, Chemical Properties, and Preliminary Evaluation of Substituted CBI Analogs of CC-1065 and the Duocarmycins Incorporating the 7-Cyano-1,2,9,9a-tetrahydrocyclopropa[c]benz[e]indol-4-one Alkylation Subunit: Hammett Quantitation of the Magnitude of Electronic Effects on Functional Reactivity

The synthesis of 7-cyano-1,2,9,9a-tetrahydrocyclopropa[c]benz[e]indol-4-one (CCBI), a substituted CBI derivative bearing a C7 cyano group, is described in efforts that establish the magnitude of potential electronic effects on the functional reactivity of the agents. The CCBI alkylation subunit was prepared by a modified Stobbe condensation/Friedel−Crafts acylation for generation of the appropriately functionalized naphthalene precursors followed by 5-exo-trig aryl radical−alkene cyclization for synthesis of the 1,2-dihydro-3H-benz[e]indole skeleton and final Ar-3‘ alkylation for introduction of the activated cyclopropane. The most concise approach provided the CCBI subunit and its immediate precursor in 14−15 steps in superb overall conversions (15−20%). Resolution of an immediate CCBI precursor and its incorporation into both enantiomers of 34−39, analogs of CC-1065 and the duocarmycins, are detailed. A study of the solvolysis reactivity and regioselectivity of N-BOC-CCBI (25) revealed that introduction...
In situ TEM Observations of Grain Growth in Nanograined Thin Films

In situ transmission electron microscopy analysis is used to study the stability of nanograined and ultra-fine grained thin films at elevated temperatures. In the free-standing Au and Cu films, grain growth was dependent on annealing temperature and time with growth observed in both materials at temperatures greater than 373K. Both materials exhibited abnormal grain growth although it was more prevalent in Au than in Cu, which may be a consequence of pinning of the Cu grain boundaries by impurities. The formation and destruction of twins was observed to play a critical role in the grain growth, with the twins retarding the growth in gold, but not in Cu. In constrained Au films no grain growth was observed on annealing at temperatures below 636 K. At 636 K, the eutectic temperature, the microstructure transformed to the eutectic structure with the first stage being the annihilation of the grain structure.
Acquisition of Conversation Skills and the Reduction of Inappropriate Social Interaction Behaviors.

Three students with severe disabilities were taught to independently initiate a conversation and participate in conversation turntaking throughout a 10-min session across a variety of school and co...
The Changing Family and Aging Populations

This is an expanded version of comments on the future of the demography of aging at an invited session of the 2008 annual meeting of the Population Association of America. In an introduction, John Haaga offers reasons for a revival of interest in population aging, including greater realization of plasticity in aging trajectories at both individual and societal levels. Linda Martin proposes that population scientists working in aging emulate those studying fertility and family planning in previous decades, learning from interventions (in this case, aimed at increasing retirement savings and reducing disability at older ages). Changes in family structure will increasingly affect new cohorts of the elderly, and Linda Waite speculates on the ways in which changes in the economy, medicine, and the legal environment could affect the social context for aging. Research on mortality at older ages is “alive and well” asserts James Vaupel, who sets out six large questions on mortality trends and differentials over time and across species. Lastly, Wolfgang Lutz expands the scope of projections, showing the considerable uncertainty about the timing and pace of population aging in the developing world and the effects on future elderly of the increases in educational attainment in much of the world during the second half of the twentieth century.
Caring about patients and caring about money: The American Psychiatric Association code of ethics meets managed care

Although the medical profession's codes of ethics have rightly been criticized for having claimed authority to decide questions of medical ethics for society, codes continue to provide crucial guidance to the individual clinician in matters of ethics. Examination of the code of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) shows that while it emphasizes the psychiatrist's fiduciary responsibility to individual patients, it ignores the crucial dimension of stewardship responsibilities to society. As a result, the ethical pronouncements of the APA have thus far been of little use to clinicians with regard to the major issues posed by managed care. In contrast, the code of the National Association of Social Workers considers the ethics of social institutions as well as those of individual practitioners, and advises clinicians on how to manage the inevitable and legitimate tensions between fiduciary and stewardship commitments. Until the APA extends the scope of its ethical vision, it will not be able to help clinicians struggle constructively with the question of how it is possible to "care about patients" and "care about money."
Taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic dimensions of rodent biodiversity along an extensive tropical elevational gradient

Relationships among taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic dimensions of biodiversity provide insight about the relative contributions of ecological and evolutionary processes in structuring local assemblages. We used data for rodent species distributions from an extensive tropical elevational gradient to 1) describe elevational gradients for each of three dimensions of biodiversity, 2) evaluate the sufficiency of species richness as a surrogate for other dimensions, and 3) quantify the relative support for mechanisms that increase or decrease phylogenetic or functional dispersion. Taxonomic biodiversity was quantified by species richness, as well as by richness, evenness, diversity, dominance, and rarity at generic and familial levels. Morphological and categorical traits were used to estimate functional biodiversity, and an ultrametric mammalian supertree was used as the basis for estimating phylogenetic biodiversity. Elevational gradients of each dimension of biodiversity were strong, with significant linear and non-linear components based on orthogonal polynomial regression. Empirical linear and non-linear regression components were consistently different than those expected based on species richness for generic, familial, and phylogenetic biodiversity, but not for functional biodiversity. Nevertheless, the congruence of dimensions of biodiversity based on correlation analyses indicated that any one dimension is a useful surrogate for the other dimensions for rodents at Manu. Given variation in species richness, assemblages from lowland rainforests comprised more biodiversity than expected, whereas assemblages from cloud and elfin forests represented less biodiversity than expected. Warm temperatures, vertical complexity of the vegetation, and high productivity likely facilitate niche differentiation in rainforests, whereas cricetid rodents are competitively superior to other clades in the less structurally complex, less productive, and colder, high elevation habitats.
Particle Damping of Composite Honeycomb Beams by the Power Input Method

Damping loss factors are evaluated for honeycomb composite beams with differ ent configurations of particle damping . Damping effectiveness is evaluated in two ways. First, measured frequency response functions are used in a conventional, polynomial curve -fitting modal method to evaluate damping loss factors at several natural res onanc es in the low frequency range. Secondly, the power input method is applied to evaluate damping loss factors over a broad frequency range. Both damping estimation methods (modal method and power input method) yield consistent loss factor estimations. The effect of different damping configurations has been studied, showing substantial differences in loss factor. Most interestingly, loss factors as high as 0.1 9 have been measured, corroborating reports by others. Further, a simplified fluid model of t he partially -filled honeycomb cell has been found to predict the frequency band of peak damping . This technology then, shows the potential for designing high levels of damping in distinct frequency bands, which is of interest for aircraft interior noise su ppression.
Heterogeneous selection at specific loci in natural environments in Arabidopsis thaliana

Genetic variation for quantitative traits is often greater than that expected to be maintained by mutation in the face of purifying natural selection. One possible explanation for this observed variation is the action of heterogeneous natural selection in the wild. Here we report that selection on quantitative trait loci (QTL) for fitness traits in the model plant species Arabidopsis thaliana differs among natural ecological settings and genetic backgrounds. At one QTL, the allele that enhanced the viability of fall-germinating seedlings in North Carolina reduced the fecundity of spring-germinating seedlings in Rhode Island. Several other QTL experienced strong directional selection, but only in one site and seasonal cohort. Thus, different loci were exposed to selection in different natural environments. Selection on allelic variation also depended upon the genetic background. The allelic fitness effects of two QTL reversed direction depending on the genotype at the other locus. Moreover, alternative alleles at each of these loci caused reversals in the allelic fitness effects of a QTL closely linked to TFL1, a candidate developmental gene displaying nucleotide sequence polymorphism consistent with balancing selection. Thus, both environmental heterogeneity and epistatic selection may maintain genetic variation for fitness in wild plant species.
NTT DoCoMo and m‐commerce: A case study in market expansion and global strategy

This case discusses and evaluates NTT DoCoMo's overseas expansion and global strategies in the wireless and mobile phone industry. The primary objective of this work is to examine NTT DoCoMo's recent acquisitions within the concept of internationalization and global expansion issues. Analysts believe that in the next five years, NTT DoCoMo will become one of the leading players in the global wireless industry because of increasing consumer demand and growth potential. On the other hand, NTT DoCoMo may also face a heightened competition and will be challenged by other competitors in Japan and other markets. © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Point Process Models for Spotting Keywords in Continuous Speech

We investigate the hypothesis that the linguistic content underlying human speech may be coded in the pattern of timings of various acoustic ldquoeventsrdquo (landmarks) in the speech signal. This hypothesis is supported by several strands of research in the fields of linguistics, speech perception, and neuroscience. In this paper, we put these scientific motivations to the test by formulating a point process-based computational framework for the task of spotting keywords in continuous speech. We find that even with a noisy and extremely sparse phonetic landmark-based point process representation, keywords can be spotted with accuracy levels comparable to recently studied hidden Markov model-based keyword spotting systems. We show that the performance of our keyword spotting system in the high-precision regime is better predicted by the median duration of the keyword rather than simply the number of its constituent syllables or phonemes. When we are confronted with very few (in the extreme case, zero) examples of the keyword in question, we find that constructing a keyword detector from its component syllable detectors provides a viable approach.
Competitive learning and soft competition for vector quantizer design

The authors provide a convergence analysis for the Kohonen learning algorithm (KLA) with respect to vector quantizer (VQ) optimality criteria and introduce a stochastic relaxation technique which produces the global minimum but is computationally expensive. By incorporating the principles of the stochastic approach into the KLA, a deterministic VQ design algorithm, the soft competition scheme (SCS), is introduced. Experimental results are presented where the SCS consistently provided better codebooks than the generalized Lloyd algorithm (GLA), even when the same computation time was used for both algorithms. The SCS may therefore prove to be a valuable alternative to the GLA for VQ design. >
Algebras arising from bipartite planar graphs

Let G be a bipartite planar graph and k[G] its associated monomial algebra. We find a linear system of parameters for k[G] and a maximal regular sequence in P(G), the presentation ideal of k[G]. This allows us to bound the coefficients of the Hubert series, and in some cases to compute it exactly. The techniques of the theory of Grobner bases are used throughout.
Noise in high speed digital systems

The author surveys the characterization and sources of noise in digital systems. The principal methods of characterizing noise in digital systems, including jitter and bit-error rate (BER) specifications, are explained, and the manner in which these are produced is described. The various sources of noise generated within, and coupled into, digital circuits are briefly reviewed. Design guidelines for minimizing the effects of noise are then developed. >
Review symposium on Liah Greenfeld, Mind, Modernity, Madness: The Impact of Culture on Human Experience. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2013, x + 670 pp.

The grandest and most powerful sociological theories are theories of modernity – its rise, its structure and its consequences. Indeed, the classical works of Marx, Durkheim, Weber, Simmel – to name...
Rigorous coupled-wave-theory analysis of dipole scattering from a three-dimensional, inhomogeneous, spherical dielectric, and permeable system

This paper presents a rigorous coupled-wave-theory analysis (RCWT) of the electromagnetic (EM) radiation, which occurs when a centered electric dipole excites power and energy in a general three-dimensional (3-D) inhomogeneous spherical system. The formulation of this paper consists of a multilayer state-variable (SV) analysis of Maxwell's equations in spherical coordinates (the SV analysis used transverse-to-/spl gamma/ spherical EM field components), as well as a presentation of the EM fields which exist in the interior and exterior regions (which bound the inhomogeneous spherical system). A detailed description of the matrix processing which is involved with finding the final EM fields of the overall system is given. Three numerical examples of the RCWT method are studied. The first example presents EM scattering when a centered dipole radiates through a uniform material shell. In this example, numerical results of the RCWT algorithm are compared with numerical results as obtained by a Bessel-function matching algorithm, and excellent agreement was found between the two methods. The second example presents centered dipole radiation when the spherical system is a dielectric shell, which is inhomogeneous in the (/spl theta/, /spl rho/) directions, and the third example presents centered dipole radiation when the spherical system is inhomogeneous in the (/spl gamma/,/spl theta/,/spl rho/) directions. Several examples and plots of the power diffracted into higher order modes by the inhomogeneity profiles are given. As the thickness of the inhomogeneous dielectric shell is increased, it is observed that, through diffraction, power is increasingly depleted from lower order modes into higher modes, The depletion of power from lower to higher order spherical modes with increasing shell thickness is noted to be very similar to the variation of diffraction-order power efficiency, which is observed when the layer thickness of a planar transmission diffraction grating is increased.
Phosphate Homeostasis and Root Development in Arabidopsis Are Synchronized by the Zinc Finger Transcription Factor ZAT6

Phosphorus availability is limited in many natural ecosystems. Plants adapt to phosphate (Pi) deficiency by complex molecular processes. There is growing evidence suggesting that transcription factors are key components in the regulation of these processes. In this study, we characterized the function of ZAT6 (zinc finger of Arabidopsis 6), a cysteine-2/histidine-2 zinc finger transcription factor that is responsive to Pi stress. ZAT6 is induced during Pi starvation and localizes to the nucleus. While the RNAi suppression of ZAT6 appeared to be lethal, its overexpression affects root development and retards seedling growth as a result of decreased Pi acquisition. The ZAT6 overexpression also resulted in altered root architecture of older plants, with consequent changes in Pi acquisition. These results indicate that ZAT6 regulates root development independent of the Pi status of the plant, thereby influencing Pi acquisition and homeostasis. In addition, the expression of several Pi starvation-responsive genes was decreased in ZAT6 overexpressing plants, thereby confirming the role of ZAT6 in regulating Pi homeostasis. This study thus indicates that ZAT6 is a repressor of primary root growth and regulates Pi homeostasis through the control of root architecture. To our knowledge, ZAT6 is the first cysteine-2/histidine-2 zinc finger transcription factor reported to regulate root development and nutrient stress responses.
Tight, efficient bounds on the solutions of chemical kinetics models

Abstract An efficient method is presented for computing time-varying, component-wise bounds on the solutions of chemical kinetics models subject to an interval of permissible parameters. The model may be any system of ordinary differential equations whose right-hand side may be written as a stoichiometric matrix premultiplying a vector of potentially nonlinear rate functions, and model parameters may include initial conditions, kinetic rate coefficients, controls, disturbances, etc. The method presented differs from other bounding methods in that it takes advantage of the special structure of chemical kinetics models, including known physical bounds and the presence of affine reaction invariants. The method is demonstrated for several case studies, and it is shown that the resulting bounds are nearly always significantly tighter than those computed by a similar method which does not take reaction invariants into account. Finally, the additional computational cost of taking reaction invariants into consideration is negligible.
Theodosius Dobzhansky on Hybrid Sterility and Speciation

![Figure][1] It is a truth universally acknowledged that Genetics and the Origin of Species , Theodosius Dobzhansky’s acclaimed 1937 book, launched the modern evolutionary synthesis, characterized by uniting the findings of genetics with the facts of natural history. Dobzhansky’s title
Interaction of CD38 Variant and Chronic Interpersonal Stress Prospectively Predicts Social Anxiety and Depression Symptoms Over 6 Years

Variation in the CD38 gene, which regulates secretion of the neuropeptide oxytocin, has been associated with several social phenotypes. Specifically, rs3796863 A allele carriers have demonstrated increased social sensitivity. In 400 older adolescents, we used trait-state-occasion modeling to investigate how rs3796863 genotype, baseline ratings of chronic interpersonal stress, and their gene-environment (GxE) interaction predicted trait social anxiety and depression symptoms over six years. We found significant GxE effects for CD38 A-carrier genotypes and chronic interpersonal stress at baseline predicting greater social anxiety and depression symptoms. A significant GxE effect of smaller magnitude was also found for C/C genotype and chronic interpersonal stress predicting greater depression; however, this effect was small compared to the main effect of chronic interpersonal stress. Thus, in the context of chronic interpersonal stress, heightened social sensitivity associated with the rs3796863 A allele may prospectively predict risk for social anxiety and (to a lesser extent) depression.
Lessons from the Limitation on Itemized Deductions

Commentators have long regarded section 68, the overall limitation on itemized deductions, as primarily a hidden increase in marginal rates. In this report, the authors use tax return data to show that the effects of the provision are more complicated. For most taxpayers, as expected, section 68 operates as an increase in the marginal rate on income (but not deductions). For a significant number of very-high-income taxpayers, however, section 68 operates as a true limitation on itemized deductions, permitting a deduction of only 20 cents on the dollar. In addition, commentators had failed to notice that section 68 operates to force a significant percentage of taxpayers to use the standard deduction rather than itemizing. By measuring more precisely the different ways section 68 applies, the authors gain a fuller picture of that section's effects on the tax rates faced by various taxpayers. More generally, their research demonstrates the importance of understanding the interaction between different provisions of the code and the danger in relying on aggregate and average data in making predictions.
Direct Waveform Inversion

We propose a new direct waveform inversion (DWI) idea to directly invert the waveform data without a global initial model and no iteration is needed for model updating. This approach offers the possibility to overcome the challenges in many full-waveform inversion (FWI) methods that are based on model perturbation approaches whose effectiveness critically depends on the choice of the initial model and optimization schemes. The DWI combines seismic imaging and velocity model building into one single process. We strictly enforce the causality of the wavefield in the inversion. Starting from the sourcereceiver region, we build the model outward recursively by fitting the earliest part of the waveforms. The DWI idea is applicable to one-, two-, and three-dimensional spaces. We show numerical examples to support our idea using full waveform data including both free-surface and inter-bed multiples in the data.
Dopamine and serotonin signals for reward across time scales.

Neurons that release different neurotransmitters transmit different information about rewards
Can Mycophenolate Mofetil Be Successfully Tapered in Myasthenia Gravis? (P05.172)

Objective: To determine if mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) can be tapered without worsening in patients with myasthenia gravis (MG). Background MMF is frequently used in the treatment of MG, but no studies address long term management. Design/Methods: The Duke MG Patient Database was reviewed to identify all patients who were prescribed MMF from 1999-2011. Two hundred fifty-seven patients with adequate data were identified and 147 reached Minimal Manifestation Status (MMS) or Pharmacologic Remission (PR) after starting MMF. Their records were reviewed to determine if a taper of MMF had been attempted and were analyzed for factors including initial and worst MGFA scores, duration of MG prior to starting MMF, MMF dose, and concurrent therapies. If MG symptoms recurred after the dose of MMF was tapered, the dose at which relapse occurred and the subsequent clinical course were recorded. Patients were required to be on a stable lower dose of MMF for 6 months for a taper to be deemed successful. Results: MMF taper or discontinuation was attempted in 60 of 147 patients. Forty-four attempts (73%) were successful. No significant differences were found between the taper success and failure groups, other than an increased rate of prednisone use in the relapsing group (42% vs 14%). In the sixteen patients who failed attempts at an MMF taper, most developed only ocular symptoms and 69% again achieved MMS or PR after the prior dose was restored. The mean dose at which relapse occurred was 1066 mg/day (mean starting dose 2375 mg/day). Only one patient required addition of therapy (prednisone). Conclusions: In this retrospective analysis, 73% of MG patients tolerated MMF dose reduction without worsening. Concurrent prednisone use was associated with a higher rate of taper failure. In patients who did relapse, their symptoms were minor and most improved after the prior dose was restored. Disclosure: Dr. Hobson-Webb has received personal compensation for activities with Frederick O9Connor Medical Consultants as a consultant.Dr. Hobson-Webb has received research support from Genzyme Corporation. Dr. Juel has nothing to disclose. Dr. Guptill has nothing to disclose. Dr. Massey has nothing to disclose. Dr. Sanders has received personal compensation for activities with Athena Diagnostics, Accordant Health Services, Jacobus Pharmaceuticals, CytoKinetics, Bayhill Therapeutics, and GlaxoSmithKline, Inc.
Effect of Inflow Modeling on Coupling between Rotor Flight Mechanics and Aeromechanics

The current generation of CFD/CSD computational tools used in rotorcraft aeromechanics requires pilot control input to predict the aeroelastic loads developed in a maneuver. In a previous study, a new methodology was developed that coupled the flight mechanics of a helicopter in a prescribed maneuver with the aeroelastic coupling framework. The methodology was run for the UH-60A Black Hawk helicopter undergoing UTTAS 11029 maneuver. The coupling methodology showed good convergence of pitch inputs to flight test data for steady flight, but there were difficulties in convergence for maneuvering flight. The current study addresses these convergence issues by coupling the flight dynamics model with the wake model from the CFD solver. The enhanced methodology shows strong convergence in both steady and maneuvering flight regimes. The predicted control angles and airloads compare reasonably well with flight test data.
Cutaneous squamous carcinoma and related lesions.

The epidemiologic, etiologie, and prognostic factors in cutaneous squamous carcinoma depend heavily upon the status of the immune systems of the skin and body. Because UV radiation is both mutagenic and immunosuppressive, exposure to it will ultimately set the stage for the development of cutaneous carcinoma. If other immunobiologic-altering factors are added to UV radiation exposure, then both a susceptibility to invasion by oncogenic viruses and the development of squamous cell disorders, including squamous cell carcinoma, will exist. Although these factors are not totally controllable, a better understanding of them will allow the physician to more effectively tailor preventative care, treatment decisions, and counseling advice.
EFFECT OF ORAL ADMINISTRATION OF PREDNISOLONE ON THYROID FUNCTION IN DOGS

To determine the effect of oral administration of prednisolone on thyroid function, 12 healthy Beagles were given 1.1 mg of prednisolone/kg of body weight every 12 hours for 22 days after 8 days of diagnostic testing of the dogs before treatment with prednisolone. Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) response tests were performed before treatment (days 1 and 8 of the study) and during treatment (days 21 and 28 of the study). Blood samples were collected daily at 8 AM and 2 and 8 PM to rule out normal daily hormone fluctuations as the cause of a potential decrease in serum triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), and free T4 (fT4) concentrations. Serum T3, T4, and fT4 concentrations before treatment and 1 day and 21 days after the first prednisolone dose were compared by analyses of variance. Post-TSH and -TRH serum T3 and T4 concentrations before and during treatment were compared, using the Student t test for paired data. Oral administration of prednisolone significantly (P less than 0.005) decreased serum T3, T4, and fT4 concentrations in the 8 AM and 2 and 8 PM samples obtained 1 day and 21 days after the first prednisolone dose. Serum T4 and fT4 concentrations in 8 AM and 2 PM samples were significantly (P less than 0.05) lower 21 days after the first prednisolone dose than they were at 1 day after the first dose. Before treatment, serum T4 concentration in the 2 PM samples was significantly (P less than 0.05) higher than serum T4 concentration in 8 AM and 8 PM samples.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Light-induced vasodilation: spectral and aging effects

Nearly half a century after its discovery, the precise origin of light-induced vasodilation (photorelaxation) continues to elude the biomedical community. Here we describe spectroscopic experiments that carefully characterize and identify the chromophore responsible for this phenomenon, and its decline in response with aging.
Emission Taxes and Product Differentiation in the Presence of Foreign Firms

Industries characterized by differentiated products are important contributors of greenhouse gases and currently subject to market-based policies such as emission taxes. In the context of developing countries, fears about foreign investment leaving the country are often used as an argument not to address industry emissions through emission taxes. This paper develops a Cournot model with product differentiation in the presence of abatement efforts where host and foreign firms are subject to an emission tax. The analysis indicates that abatement efforts and differences in pollution intensity coefficients across firms may play a significant role in the characterization of optimal policy. The analysis also suggests that the government may opt to encourage foreign, less pollution-intensive firms via higher taxation. Additionally, this paper examines how an optimal emission tax may be adjusted as products become more differentiated; industry emissions may fall/rise as a result of more differentiated products. One important contribution of this paper is that it emphasizes the role of abatement efforts, product differentiation, and differences in pollution intensity coefficients across firms in the characterization of the optimal emission tax.
Plant immunity against viruses: antiviral immune receptors in focus

Background Among the environmental limitations that affect plant growth, viruses cause major crop losses worldwide and represent serious threats to food security. Significant advances in the field of plant-virus interactions have led to an expansion of potential strategies for genetically engineered resistance in crops during recent years. Nevertheless, the evolution of viral virulence represents a constant challenge in agriculture that has led to a continuing interest in the molecular mechanisms of plant-virus interactions that affect disease or resistance. Scope and conclusion This review summarizes the molecular mechanisms of the antiviral immune system in plants and the latest breakthroughs reported in plant defence against viruses. Particular attention is given to the immune receptors and transduction pathways in antiviral innate immunity. Plants counteract viral infection with a sophisticated innate immune system that resembles the non-viral pathogenic system, which is broadly divided into pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP)-triggered immunity and effector-triggered immunity. An additional recently uncovered virus-specific defence mechanism relies on host translation suppression mediated by a transmembrane immune receptor. In all cases, the recognition of the virus by the plant during infection is central for the activation of these innate defences, and, conversely, the detection of host plants enables the virus to activate virulence strategies. Plants also circumvent viral infection through RNA interference mechanisms by utilizing small RNAs, which are often suppressed by co-evolving virus suppressors. Additionally, plants defend themselves against viruses through hormone-mediated defences and activation of the ubiquitin-26S proteasome system (UPS), which alternatively impairs and facilitates viral infection. Therefore, plant defence and virulence strategies co-evolve and co-exist; hence, disease development is largely dependent on the extent and rate at which these opposing signals emerge in host and non-host interactions. A deeper understanding of plant antiviral immunity may facilitate innovative biotechnological, genetic and breeding approaches for crop protection and improvement.
Microaggressions: Strong Claims, Inadequate Evidence

The microaggression concept has recently galvanized public discussion and spread to numerous college campuses and businesses. I argue that the microaggression research program (MRP) rests on five c...
The Developing World as the Dragon's Den: Assessing the Role of Environmental Factors in Chinese Development Finance

To what extent are decisions regarding Chinese investment in the developing world motivated by environmental factors? A considerable body of work has explored the reasons why China has made a major push to become the lender of choice among developing countries. However, comparatively less scholarly effort has been deployed to explain variation in Chinese investment decisions. In an attempt to fill this gap, this paper presents an empirical test of the hypothesis that China deliberately seeks to invest in countries with poor environmental records and lax environmental protections. Drawing upon project- and country-level foreign assistance data regarding investments made by China’s two policy banks (China Development Bank and Export-Import Bank of China) in Africa and Latin America during 2013 and 2014, this paper reports the findings of a statistical analysis that assesses the explanatory potential of de facto and de jure measures of environmental performance. The results of the study lead to several policy recommendations for China, Western donors, and developing countries struggling to accommodate the often-competing demands of environmental protection and economic development.
Instructional Strategy: Didactic Media Presentation to Optimize Student Learning.

Context: Subject matter is presented to athletic training students in the classroom using various modes of media. The specific type of mode and when to use it should be considered to maximize learn...
A 0.4% PAE 194-GHz Signal Source With 1.5-mW Output Power in 65-nm Bulk CMOS Technology

This letter presents an amplifier-frequency doubler chain in thin digital 65-nm bulk CMOS process. Injection locking is applied to the amplifier to increase the power gain and compensate for the conversion loss in the frequency doubler. The doubler uses a compact low-impedance transmission line (LZ TLine) for effective dc decoupling in the output matching network. Measurement results show a peak output power of 1.5 mW at 194 GHz, and a peak PAE of 0.4% at 196 GHz. The locking range is measured as 8.5 GHz (92.5~101 GHz) with 2-dBm input fundamental power, and can be extended to 15 GHz with 4-dBm input power.
Effects of the Arizona Alcohol Warning Poster

An Arizona law, effective January 1, 1992, requires establishments that sell alcohol to display a poster that warns of the risk of drinking alcohol while pregnant. In Study 1, the authors measure t...
The Dynamics of Phase Separation Near the Critical Point: Spinodal Decomposition and Nucleation

It is useful to view phase separation as occurring either by nucleation or by spinodal decomposition. Nucleation is associated with metastability, i.e. the existence of an energy barrier and the occurrence of a rare but large energy fluctuation.1–4 Spinodal decomposition, on the other hand, refers to phase separation in an initially unstable system; one in which even the smallest fluctuation will grow because an energy barrier is negligible or zero.5–7
Gamow-Teller strength in the beta + decay of 37Ca.

Calculations are presented for the Gamow-Teller strength distribution in the {beta}{sup +} decay of {sup 37}Ca and compared to results extracted from recent beta decay data and from ({ital p},{ital n}) data on the analog nucleus {sup 37}Cl. The strength distribution is shown to be sensitive to the Hamiltonian, and comparison with experiment indicates a need for further improvement in the 1{ital s}0{ital d} shell Hamiltonian. It also indicates that the quenching of the Gamow-Teller operator in the upper part of the 1{ital s}0{ital d} shell is similar to that deduced from previous analyses.
Plea Bargaining in the Dark: The Duty to Disclose Exculpatory Brady Evidence During Plea Bargaining

Ninety-seven percent of federal convictions are the result of guilty pleas. Despite the criminal justice system’s reliance on plea bargaining, the law regarding the prosecution’s duty to disclose certain evidence during this stage of the judicial process is unsettled. The Supreme Court’s decision in Brady v. Maryland requires the prosecution to disclose evidence that establishes the defendant’s factual innocence during a trial. Some courts apply this rule during plea bargaining and require the disclosure of material exculpatory evidence before the entry of a guilty plea. Other courts have held or suggested that the prosecution may suppress exculpatory evidence during plea bargaining, forcing the defendant to negotiate and determine whether to accept a plea offer or proceed to trial without it. Substantial disparities therefore exist in the bargaining power and decision-making ability of criminal defendants, depending on where they are charged. This Note addresses the divide in how courts approach Brady challenges to guilty pleas. After analyzing the development of plea bargaining and the Brady rule, this Note concludes that a guilty plea is not valid if made without awareness of material exculpatory evidence possessed by the prosecution. To provide additional support for the recognition of pre– guilty plea exculpatory Brady rights, this Note presents a case study of two 2012 Supreme Court decisions establishing the right to effective assistance of counsel during plea bargaining, and argues that the same justifications for recognizing that right during plea bargaining apply to Brady as well.
What is Pharmacy Compounding

Pharmacy compounding usually involves a small quantity of custom-made prescriptions. However, this has changed over the years to what some term large-scale production.
Progress in ligand design for monolayer-protected nanoparticles for nanobio interfaces

Ligand-functionalized inorganic nanoparticles, also known as monolayer-protected nanoparticles, offer great potential as vehicles for in vivo delivery of drugs, genes, and other therapeutics. These nanoparticles offer highly customizable chemistries independent of the size, shape, and functionality imparted by the inorganic core. Their success as drug delivery agents depends on their interaction with three major classes of biomolecules: nucleic acids, proteins, and membranes. Here, the authors discuss recent advances and open questions in the field of nanoparticle ligand design for nanomedicine, with a focus on atomic-scale interactions with biomolecules. While the importance of charge and hydrophobicity of ligands for biocompatibility and cell internalization has been demonstrated, ligand length, flexibility, branchedness, and other properties also influence the properties of nanoparticles. However, a comprehensive understanding of ligand design principles lies in the cost associated with synthesizing and characterizing diverse ligand chemistries and the ability to carefully assess the structural integrity of biomolecules upon interactions with nanoparticles.
Breastfeeding and handedness: a systematic review and meta-analysis of individual participant data.

This study aims to determine whether breastfeeding duration affects the prevalence of nonrighthandedness in later life. A systematic search for studies on this topic was completed in 2018, and risk...
Utopias, Dystopias and Heterotopias: The Coming of Age in Post-Civil War Spain in Almudena Grandes’ El lector de Julio Verne

AbstractIn 2012 Almudena Grandes published El lector de Julio Verne, the second instalment of her Episodios de una guerra interminable series. This work offers the reader a unique view of post-Civi...
Criticality Experiments with Subcritical Clusters of Low Enriched UO2 Rods in Water with Uranium or Lead Reflecting Walls

A series of criticality experiments with 2.35 and 4.31 wt% 235U enriched UO2 rods in water has provided well-defined benchmark-type data showing that both depleted uranium and lead reflecting walls...
Tigecycline to treat Stenotrophomonas maltophilia ventilator-associated pneumonia in a trauma intensive care unit as a result of a drug shortage: A case series.

What is known and objective Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is an intrinsically multidrug-resistant (MDR) organism which commonly presents as a respiratory tract infection. S. maltophilia is typically treated with high-dose sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (SMX/TMP). However, SMX/TMP and other treatment options for S. maltophilia can be limited because of resistance, allergy, adverse events or unavailability of the drug; use of novel agents may be necessary to adequately treat this MDR infection and overcome these limitations. Case description This small case series describes two patients who underwent treatment with tigecycline for ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) caused by S. maltophilia after admission to a trauma intensive care unit. At the time of admission for the two reported patients, a national drug shortage of intravenous (IV) SMX/TMP prevented its use. Tigecycline was chosen as a novel agent to treat S. maltophilia VAP based on culture and susceptibility data, and it was used successfully. Both patients showed clinical signs of improvement with eventual cure and discharge from the hospital after treatment with tigecycline, and one patient demonstrated confirmed microbiological cure with a negative repeat bronchoscopic bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). What is new and conclusion To our knowledge, this small case series is the first documentation of utilizing tigecycline to treat S. maltophilia VAP in the United States. Although it likely should not be considered as a first-line agent, tigecycline proved to be an effective treatment option in the two cases described in the setting of a national drug shortage of the drug of choice.
Remote Entanglement via Adiabatic Passage Using a Tunably Dissipative Quantum Communication System.

Effective quantum communication between remote quantum nodes requires high fidelity quantum state transfer and remote entanglement generation. Recent experiments have demonstrated that microwave photons, as well as phonons, can be used to couple superconducting qubits, with a fidelity limited primarily by loss in the communication channel [P. Kurpiers et al., Nature (London) 558, 264 (2018)NATUAS0028-083610.1038/s41586-018-0195-y; C. J. Axline et al., Nat. Phys. 14, 705 (2018)NPAHAX1745-247310.1038/s41567-018-0115-y; P. Campagne-Ibarcq et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 120, 200501 (2018)PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.120.200501; N. Leung et al., npj Quantum Inf. 5, 18 (2019)2056-638710.1038/s41534-019-0128-0; Y. P. Zhong et al., Nat. Phys. 15, 741 (2019)NPAHAX1745-247310.1038/s41567-019-0507-7; A. Bienfait et al., Science 364, 368 (2019)SCIEAS0036-807510.1126/science.aaw8415]. Adiabatic protocols can overcome channel loss by transferring quantum states without populating the lossy communication channel. Here, we present a unique superconducting quantum communication system, comprising two superconducting qubits connected by a 0.73 m-long communication channel. Significantly, we can introduce large tunable loss to the channel, allowing exploration of different entanglement protocols in the presence of dissipation. When set for minimum loss in the channel, we demonstrate an adiabatic quantum state transfer protocol that achieves 99% transfer efficiency as well as the deterministic generation of entangled Bell states with a fidelity of 96%, all without populating the intervening communication channel, and competitive with a qubit-resonant mode-qubit relay method. We also explore the performance of the adiabatic protocol in the presence of significant channel loss, and show that the adiabatic protocol protects against loss in the channel, achieving higher state transfer and entanglement fidelities than the relay method.
White Noise and Unnecessary Evil: Balancing Security and Community in Synagogues

Violent hate crimes at places of worship such as synagogues in recent years have engendered a distinctive dilemma for religious institutions: How can one ensure people’s safety and security without compromising the warm and welcoming environment that these communities seek to create? Drawing upon five interviews with Jewish leaders, this article explores how this dilemma is being negotiated by synagogues in Chicago. After presenting three key predicaments faced by synagogues as regards security, the article argues that securitization should be understood as a form of “white noise,” necessary to religious institutions’ functioning and yet necessarily invisible. Indeed, although security is now an essential feature of many synagogues, it is also at constant risk of undermining their cordial ambience through providing a reminder of one’s mortality, requiring that it be present, but in the background. Consequently, synagogues today are compelled to find a careful balance between hospitality and openness, with diverse and often paradoxical implications.
Managing Chernozem for Reducing Global Warming

Chernozems or Black Earth in Russian (Mollisols in the USDA taxonomy), cover a total of 916 million ha or 7% of the world’s ice-free land: 485 Mha in Eurasia, 290 Mha in North America and 102 Mha in South America. On the occasion of the first World Soil Day, 5th December 2005, the Chernozem was proclaimed Soil of the Year because of its environmental, economic and societal significance. Chernozems are formed under grassland across the Steppes of Eastern Europe, Russia and Central Asia, the Prairies in North America and on the Pampas in South America, under a wide range of climate with mean annual temperatures of 5–20 °C and annual rainfall of 500–1500 mm. Their thick, humus-rich topsoil contains 4–16% organic matter or 2–8% soil organic carbon (SOC) which creates a favourable structure, high water retention capacity and large plant nutrient reserves; and their subsoils exhibit a concentration of primary and secondary carbonates. Land misuse and soil mismanagement have accelerated soil erosion, undermined their productivity and depleted SOC with associated emissions of CO2, CH4 and N2O. Fifty years or more of continual cultivation has depleted SOC down to depths of 120–130 cm with losses of 38–43% from the top 0–10 cm layer. Restoring degraded Chernozems is a win-win-win strategy with agronomic, environmental, economic and societal benefits including advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Restoration would sustain and enhance crop yields, use-efficiency of inputs and advance SDG2 (Zero Hunger). It would reduce gaseous emissions and sequester carbon while reducing risks of accelerated soil erosion and non-point-source pollution, advancing SDGs 6 (Clean Water) and 13 (Climate Action). It would improve farm income and profitability and advance SDG1 (No Poverty). And it would improve societal wellbeing and advance SDG3 (Good Health and Wellbeing). An important global benefit of restoring degraded Chernozems would be adaptation and mitigation of climate change by offsetting anthropogenic emissions; SOC sequestration with improved management can be 0.7–1.5 MgC/ha/y.