cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
BENEFIT-COST ANALYSIS OF STATE HIGHWAY PROGRAM AS A WHOLE: CONCEPTUALIZING THE NULL ALTERNATIVE

Benefit-cost analysis (BCA) of highway projects is usually based on comparisons with a null or no-build alternative. More generally, any meaningful BCA must compare whatever is being evaluated with a reasonably complete and well-defined alternative state of affairs, sometimes referred to as the counterfactual world. The analysis, specification, and modeling of the counterfactual world used in a retrospective BCA of the Kansas Comprehensive Highway Program (1989-1997) are described. Retrospective BCA for a state highway program as a whole raises important issues not addressed in previous literature. Generally, the policy client is concerned with state impacts, not national impacts. Also, a benefit-cost ratio (BCR) is much more useful to policy makers concerned about future programs than is net present value. Unfortunately, measured BCRs are sensitive both to choice of counterfactual world and to conceptualization of costs versus negative benefits. Benefit-cost literature increasingly emphasizes the importance of documenting a well-defined counterfactual alternative. That is important because the net benefit of a project (i.e., benefit less cost) equals the sum of valuations of all differences between the actual world and the counterfactual world. Hence, in the absence of the counterfactual, the BCR is not well defined. A model for these concepts is provided, and the relationship to opportunity cost is clarified. The specific counterfactual used in the Kansas study is then described.
Hirudin and other thrombin inhibitors experimental results and potential clinical applications.

Thrombosis results from the activation of the hemostatic system by pathologic stimuli. It is a dynamic process that involves various blood cells and proteins, the nature of blood flow, and substrate characteristics. The classic description of the hemostatic system encompasses the coagulation and fibrinolytic systems, the platelets, and the endothelium. Thrombin plays a central role in thrombus formation, interacting with the components of the hemostatic system and vessel wall.
Determining human target facing orientation using bistatic radar micro-Doppler signals

Micro-Doppler radar signals can be used to separate moving human targets from stationary clutter and also to identify and classify human movements. Traditional micro-Doppler radar systems which use a single sensor, monostatic system, suffer from the drawback that only the radial component of the micro-Doppler signal will be observed by the radar operator. This reduces the sensitivity of human activity recognition if the movements are not directly towards or away with respect to the line-of-sight to the radar antenna. In this paper, we propose the use of two bistatic micro-Doppler sensors to overcome this limitation. By using multiple sensors, the orientation of oscillating targets with respect to the radar line-of-sight can be inferred, thereby providing additional information to the radar operator. This approach can be used to infer the facing direction of the human with respect to the radar beam.
New method for calculating stable and unstable periodic orbits of one-dimensional maps

Abstract A new iterative method of calculating periodic orbits of one-dimensional maps is presented, based on a lemma of Metropolis, Stein and Stein, with accelerated convergence based on Feigenbaum's scaling hypothesis. We are able to calculate global bifurcation diagrams, including unstable branches.
Computational Discovery Of The Electronegative Channel In RNA Loop-loop Interactions

The most common motifs found in nature and used in bionanotechnology are hairpin loops which consist of a helical part and a loop with unpaired residues. The unpaired residues in these elements can lead to further super-assembly of RNA structures via formation of the loop-loop interactions. These loop-loop interactions regulate biological functions in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms such as gene expression in different viruses and are also actively used in bionanotechnology for self-assembly of RNA building blocks into novel nanostructures. It has been observed that the super-assembly of RNA directly depends on the presence and specific concentration of ions. In order to understand the role of ions in loop-loop formation and stability, we conducted a series of explicit solvent atomistic molecular dynamics simulations of distinct kissing loops elements taken from various organisms. In our simulations we varied the concentration of different ions (such as Na+, K+, Mg2+, and Cl−) from zero to 1M solution and examined known destabilizing mutations. We discovered that in most organisms the loop-loop assembly process depends on the presence of electronegative and hydration channel. The properties of this channel are independent of the concentration and the type of ions. The size of this channel and RNA sequence determines the stability. We also examined the formation of the channel during self-assembly and discovered the critical threshold for the channel formation.
Identification of amino acids involved in the sialidase activity of the mumps virus hemagglutinin-neuraminadase protein.

Abstract We previously described sialidase-deficient variants of the O'Take strain of mumps virus obtained by growth under the selective pressure of the competitive sialidase inhibitor 2-deoxy-2,3-dehydro- N -acetylneuraminic acid (DANA). In this report, we describe the production of a sialidase-deficient variant of the RW strain of mumps virus using an identical selection protocol. The biologic activities of the RW variant, RW(DANA)v1, were identical to those described for O'Take-(DANA)v1 and included a lack of detectable sialidase activity, unchanged hemagglutination activity, and expression of cell-to-cell fusion in infected cell monolayers. Analysis of the structural proteins of each virus by both two-dimensional tryptic peptide mapping and monoclonal antibody binding assays suggested that limited changes occurred in the hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) proteins and that only the HN proteins were altered. The complete nucleotide sequence of the RW(DANA)v1 HN was determined and compared to the HN sequence of the RW parent. Two nucleotide differences accounting for two nonconservative amino acid differences were noted; an IIe to a Thr at amino acid 181 and a GIn to Lys at amino acid 261 from RW to RW(DANA)v1, respectively. By comparing the data presented here with those reported for several other paramyxoviruses, we tentatively identify amino acid 181 as a critical residue in the active site of the mumps virus sialidase enzyme.
Climate relicts and their associated communities as natural ecology and evolution laboratories.

Climate relicts, marginal populations that have become isolated via climate-driven range shifts, preserve ecological and evolutionary histories that can span millennia. Studies point to climate relicts as ‘natural laboratories' for investigating how long-term environmental change impacts species and populations. However, we propose that such research should be expanded to reveal how climate change affects ‘interacting' species in ways that reshape community composition and evolution. Biotic interactions and their community and ecosystem effects are often genetically based and driven by associations with foundation species. We discuss evolution in climate relicts within the context of the emerging fields of community and ecosystem genetics, exploring the idea that foundation relicts are also natural community and ecosystem laboratories and windows to future landscapes.
Magnetic and electrical characterization of heavily boron-doped diamond

For a heavily boron-doped diamond (BDD) film, temperature variations of the electrical conductivity {sigma} and magnetic susceptibility {chi} are reported. The room temperature {sigma} {approx_equal}143 ({omega}-cm){sup -1} corresponds to a carrier concentration {approx_equal}10{sup 3} ppm, and its temperature variation yields an activation energy E{sub a} {approx_equal}28 meV from 140 to 300 K and E{sub a}{approx_equal}0.88 meV from 40 to 80 K. It is argued that larger boron doping leads to lower magnitudes of E{sub a}. The {chi} vs. T data (1.8-350 K) fits the Curie-Weiss law, with the concentration of paramagnetic species {approx_equal}120 ppm and a diamagnetic susceptibility {approx_equal}-0.4x10{sup -6} emu/g Oe. The results obtained from the measurements of {sigma} and {chi} are discussed and compared.
A Bayesian technique for estimating continuously varying statistical parameters of a variational assimilation

¶Nonhydrostatic models with horizontal grid resolutions of around 10 km are becoming operational at several forecasting centers. At these scales it is particularly desirable that the covariances employed in variational or statistical analysis schemes be defined in a more general way than the spatially homogeneous and isotropic covariance models that have been typical in the analysis schemes adopted at larger scales. But allowing covariances to be defined in a more adaptive way leads to a much larger parameter space required to specify them. This note addresses the challenging problem of inferring, from observed meteorological data, a set of continuous parameters defining the error covariances used to analyze data in a variational assimilation scheme. The method we propose is a Bayesian extension of the “maximum-likelihood” technique, which means that prior information about the parameters is brought into play. The method uses a stochastic approximation in the computation of some of the required terms, which are difficult and costly to evaluate by other, more standard methods. One important advantage of the proposed Bayesian approach is that it makes it possible to estimate objectively a spatially dependent but smoothly varying set of parameters in a consistent manner, provided the scale over which the variations occur is sufficiently large. This ability is illustrated in the idealized tests presented here.
The response of an elderly audience to nutrition education articles in a newspaper for seniors

Abstract This study monitored a nutrition education project that sought to provide accurate, understandable nutrition information to senior citizens by publishing articles in a free monthly newspaper that is targeted and distributed to an elderly audience in south central Kansas. Recipients of the newspaper are 60 years of age or older. Using a systematic sampling procedure from a random start, we obtained a sample of the newspaper's readership from the total readership of 38,000. In conducting telephone interviews with our sample population (n = 297), we obtained the following information: Nutrition articles attracted many readers (68.4% read at least one of five monthly articles); of those that reported reading the article(s), 25.7% also reported changing their eating or food-buying habits as a result of the articles; the three most frequently used sources of nutrition information were physicians, newspapers, and books/magazines; and a majority (75.0%) of the sample felt food choices were limited by income. This study demonstrated that a “senior” newspaper that provides nutrition information targeted to an elderly audience can develop a substantial readership while providing nutrition information that can influence reported eating and food-buying behaviors.
Self-Injurious Behavior in Prison A Case Study

The practice of self-injurious behaviors (SIBs) within corrections disproportionately consumes resources and negatively impacts staff. To date, the majority of empirical studies on the topic have relied upon quantitative methodologies that fail to include the perspective of the actual offender who is engaging in self-injury, thus reinforcing mischaracterizations and confusion. In response, this manuscript features a case study of an offender currently housed in a maximum security prison who routinely engages in self-injury. Findings are presented along the tripartite themes of family background, suicidality, and SIB. Policy implications include supporting a systematic reorientation toward therapeutic responses in lieu of the current punitive responses that may in fact be iatrogenic.
Dilute nitride lasers and photodetectors

Dilute nitride alloys are attractive candidates for lasers and detectors between 1.25 and 1.6 /spl mu/m. We have demonstrated the first low-threshold continuous-wave 1.55 /spl mu/ GaAs-based lasers and the first > 1.5 /spl mu/m monolithic VCSELs using GaInNAsSb quantum wells as the active region and photodetectors based upon similar alloys.
Dynamic simulation of cage rotor induction machine — A simplified and modular approach

This paper adopted an easy to understand Simulink Induction Motor Model. A somewhat different induction machine model equations in which flux linkage equations are expressed in terms of reactances rather than inductances is used. The Simulink blocks utilized is divided into fourteen sub-systems with each subsystem solving one of the model equations in a detailed, easy to understand form. The results obtained correlates with the results obtained using inductance based flux linkage approach.
Urinary biomarkers for early diabetic nephropathy: beyond albuminuria

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the most common cause of end-stage kidney disease in the USA and accounts for a significant increase in morbidity and mortality in patients with diabetes. Early detection is critical in improving clinical management. Although microalbuminuria is regarded as the gold standard for diagnosing the onset of DN, its predictive powers are limited. Consequently, great efforts have been made in recent years to identify better strategies for the detection of early stages of DN and progressive kidney function decline in diabetic patients. Here, we review the various urinary biomarkers that have emerged from these studies which hold promise as more sensitive diagnostic tools for the earlier detection of diabetic kidney disease and the prediction of progression to end-stage kidney disease. A number of key biomarkers present in the urine have been identified that reflect kidney injury at specific sites along the nephron, including glomerular/podocyte damage and tubular damage, oxidative stress, inflammation and activation of the intrarenal renin–angiotensin system. We also describe newer approaches, including urinary microRNAs, which are short noncoding mRNAs that regulate gene expression, and urine proteomics, that can be used to identify potential novel biomarkers in the development and progression of diabetic kidney disease.
REBASE: restriction enzymes and methyltransferases

REBASE contains comprehensive information about restriction enzymes, DNA methyltransferases and related proteins such as nicking enzymes, specificity subunits and control proteins. It contains published and unpublished references, recognition and cleavage sites, isoschizomers, commercial availability, crystal and sequence data. Homing endonucleases are also included. REBASE contains the most complete and up-to-date information about the methylation sensitivity of restriction endonucleases. In addition, there is extensive information about the known and putative restriction-modification (R-M) systems in more than 100 sequenced bacterial and archaeal genomes. The data is available on the web (http://rebase.neb.com/rebase/rebase.html), through ftp (ftp.neb.com) and as monthly updates via email.
New tools for examining undergraduate students' STEM stereotypes: Implications for women and other underrepresented groups

The authors describe the scale development process for three new scales designed to measure attitudes and perceptions about scientists and offer implications for how these tools can be used on college campuses and for future research.
The situational inventory of body-image dysphoria: psychometric evidence and development of a short form.

Objective Among the facets of the multidimensional body-image construct is the experience of dysphoric emotions about the body in specific situational contexts. The present article reviews the evidence concerning a unique measure of this facet, the Situational Inventory of Body-Image Dysphoria (SIBID). Method The reliability and validity of the SIBID were examined across multiple studies conducted by the author. Because the 48-item length of this measure may preclude its use by some researchers, a 20-item short-form was developed and evaluated. Results Findings consistently confirmed the SIBID's internal consistency, stability, and convergent, discriminant, and construct validity. The short form was found to be a psychometrically sound alternative to the longer version. Discussion The SIBID has utility in assessing negative body-image affect. Its use in research with both clinical and nonclinical populations is encouraged. © 2002 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 32: 362–366, 2002.
New Stimulation Technologies in a Major Gas Field in the Middle East

In their natural state, most gas wells in the Middle East do not produce at their optimum level. This is mainly attributable to formation tightness or near-wellbore damage caused by drilling operations; however, a properly designed and executed stimulation program can enable more commercial gas production rates at higher flowing wellhead pressures (FWHPs). For this reason, and others, stimulation jobs (e.g., hydraulic fracturing and matrix acidizing) are common completion operations in the Middle East. In recent years, stimulation technologies have witnessed major advances, as their use has been the main driver for production from tight reservoirs worldwide. This paper outlines eight new stimulation technologies that have been recently deployed in a major gas field in the Middle East. In addition, the paper looks at candidate selection, the main characteristics and benefits of the technologies, and post-treatment results. Overall, the production results from the use of these technologies have been very positive and impressive, and the forecast is that their implementation will grow considerably over the coming years. The value of these new technologies will become even more significant as our industry accelerates the development of unconventional resources.
Effect of plasma fluctuations on in-flight particle parameters

The influence of arc root fluctuations in direct current (DC) plasma spraying on the physical state of the particle jet is investigated by correlating individual in-flight particle temperature and velocity measurements with the instantaneous voltage difference between the electrodes. In-flight diagnostics with the DPV-2000 sensing device involve two-color pyrometry and time-of-flight technique for the determination of temperature and velocity. Synchronization of particle diagnostics with the torch voltage fluctuations are performed using an electronic circuit that generates a pulse when the voltage reaches some specific level; this pulse, which can be shifted by an arbitrary period of time, is used to trigger the acquisition of the pyrometric signals. Contrary to predictions obtained by numerical modeling, time-dependent variations in particle temperature and velocity due to power fluctuations induced by the arc movement can be very large. Periodic variations of the mean particle temperature and velocity, up to ΔT=600 °C and Δv=200 m/s, are recorded in the middle of the particle jet during a voltage cycle. To our knowledge, this is the first time that large time-dependent effects of the arc root fluctuations on the particle state (temperature and velocity) are experimentally demonstrated. Moreover, large fluctuations in the number of detected particles are observed throughout a voltage cycle; very few particles are detected during parts of the cycle. The existence of quiet periods suggests that particles injected at some specific moments in the plasma are not heated sufficiently to be detected.
Effects of caffeine on cigarette smoking and subjective response

We examined the effects of oral caffeine on cigarette smoking and subjective response in a group of six smokers who smoked cigarettes ad libitum in a naturalistic laboratory environment. A within-subject, repeated-measures design was used, and each subject received placebo, caffeine base (50 to 800 mg), or d-amphetamine sulfate (25 mg) on several occasions before 90-min daily smoking sessions. There was no evidence of an increase in the number of cigarettes smoked or the amount of smoke inhaled per session after caffeine. Caffeine increased salivary caffeine concentrations, arm tremor, and self-reported measures of mood and subjective response. The major subjective effects of caffeine were increases in tension-anxiety and dysphoric-somatic effects. In contrast, d-amphetamine induced increases in the number of cigarettes smoked and in the amount of smoke inhaled per session. The major subjective effects of 25 mg of d-amphetamine were increases in measures of well-being, euphoria, and mental efficiency. Results demonstrate that caffeine and d-amphetamine have different effects on cigarette-smoking behavior as well as on subjective response and suggest that the positive correlation between cigarette smoking and coffee drinking is not the result of a simple pharmacologic effect of caffeine.
On Paulo Freire’s Philosophy of Praxis and the Foundations of Liberation Education

This essay examines the ontological and epistemological foundations of Paulo Freire’s philosophy of praxis and critiques the structure of his argument. It outlines a more consistent historicist interpretation of liberation education that retains the liberatory power of modernism and its critique of dehumanization, recognizes the malleability and contradictions of identity, embraces epistemic uncertainties and the varieties of reason in knowledge, and respects the plural conceptions of the good which can shape moral and political life. Finally, the essay argues that this understanding of liberation education requires an ethics grounded in militant nonviolence.
PhyloDet: A Scalable Visualization Tool for Mapping Multiple Traits to Large Evolutionary Trees

Summary: Evolutionary biologists are often interested in finding correlations among biological traits across a number of species, as such correlations may lead to testable hypotheses about the underlying function. Because some species are more closely related than others, computing and visualizing these correlations must be done in the context of the evolutionary tree that relates species. In this note, we introduce PhyloDet (short for PhyloDetective), an evolutionary tree visualization tool that enables biologists to visualize multiple traits mapped to the tree. Availability: http://research.microsoft.com/cue/phylodet/
Online resources for persons recently diagnosed with HIV/AIDS: an analysis of HIV-related webpages.

The Internet is a major source of HIV-related information and resources for persons recently diagnosed with HIV/AIDS (PRDHA). This study examined the types of HIV-related websites that appear as a result of HIV-related keyword searches and the extent to which website information targets PRDHA. The first page of HIV-related webpages from 18 keyword searches was coded. Among 137 webpages meeting inclusion criteria, 63% represented HIV-informational websites, 31% targeted HIV-positive individuals, and over half contained or provided access to HIV prevention, treatment, and transmission information. Thirty-three percent of webpages contained or provided access to PRDHA-targeted information, with a greater percentage of those webpages having mobile, non-English, and “Ask the Expert” features compared with non-PRDHA targeted webpages. Implications for PRDHA include the following: (1) they should explore HIV-related websites to gain insight into the credibility of the information contained on those sites; (2) PR...
Enrichment of proteolytic activity relative to nitrogen in preparations from the rumen for in vitro studies

Abstract Three experiments compared treatment of rumen contents on recovery of proteolytic activity per ml rumen fluid (PA) and per mg nitrogen (PA/N). Proteolytic activity was determined by degradation of azocasein for 2 h, and N was determined by the Kjeldahl method. The first experiment compared effects of chilling, blending, rinsing, fractionating by centrifugation at 400 g and 20 000 g , and their interactions. The second experiment compared rumen fluid from a fistulated cow to the same rumen fluid that was incubated in continuous culture (dilution rate=0.07 h −1 ) in media with high sugar content. The third experiment compared effects of extracting centrifugation pellets of rumen fluid with buffered media, media with detergent, and acetone. For all experiments, most activity was found in the centrifugation pellets. Rinsing of rumen solids with cold buffer increased PA and PA/N. Chilling tended to increase PA slightly, but had no effect on PA/N. Blending rumen contents did not affect PA, but decreased PA/N. Incubation in continuous culture did not affect PA/N. Mixing rumen fluid precipitate with buffered media solubilized 18% of PA. Treatment with detergent or acetone solubilized 51% and 48% of PA respectively. Activity per mg N was 3.9 times greater in supernatant than in original sample after treatment with detergent or acetone. Proteolytic activity was enriched most by treatment with detergent or acetone, and additional recovery and enrichment were provided by rinsing of rumen solids.
Binding of sperm-reactive antibodies in human sera to surface-associated antigens on human sperm compared by indirect immunobead, immunofluorescence, and immunogold assays.

: Human sera were identified as positive or negative for sperm-reactive antibodies in a solid-phase enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELI-SA). Of these, 28 positive and 22 negative sera were blind-coded and used as first antibody to compare three immunoassays, a modified liquid-phase indirect immunobead assay (IRA); a liquid-phase indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA); and a solid-phase indirect immunogold assay (IGA). These three immunoassays perform both as sperm-reactive antibody detection assays and as sperm-associated antigen localization assays. As antibody detection assays, the IBA, IFA, and IGA gave 37, 27, and 28 positives and 13, 23, and 22 negatives, respectively. The usefulness of the IBA as an antigen localization assay was limited by the size of the marker, while the smaller IFA and IGA markers enabled increased resolution of binding patterns of sperm-reactive antibodies to surface-associated sperm antigens. Although the antigen-antibody binding patterns were almost identical for IFA and IGA, suggesting the same sperm-associated antigens were detected by both assays, the IGA reaction product was stable, higher in resolution, and visible by light microscopy.
Target Analysis of the Experimental Measles Therapeutic AS-136A

No effective therapeutic is currently in place for improved case management of severe measles or the rapid control of outbreaks. Through high-throughput screening, we recently identified a novel small-molecule class that potently blocks activity of the measles virus (MeV) RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) complex in transient replicon assays. However, the nature of the block in RdRp activity and the physical target of the compound remained elusive. Through real-time reverse transcription-PCR analysis, we demonstrate that the lead compound AS-136A blocks viral RNA synthesis in the context of an infection. Adaptation of different MeV strains to growth in the presence of the compound identified three candidate hot spots for resistance that are located in conserved domains of the viral polymerase (L protein) subunit of the RdRp complex. Rebuilding of individual mutations in RdRp-driven reporter assays and recombinant MeV traced the molecular basis for resistance to specific mutations in L. Mutations responsible for resistance cluster in the immediate vicinity of the proposed catalytic center for phosphodiester bond formation and neighboring conserved domains of L, providing support for effective inhibition of a paramyxovirus RdRp complex through interaction of a nonnucleoside small-molecule inhibitor with the L protein. Resistance mutations are located in regions of L that are fully conserved among viral isolates, and recombinant MeV harboring individual resistance mutations show some delay in the onset of viral growth in vitro. Taken together, these data support the hypothesis that acquiring mutations in these L domains may reduce virus fitness.
CEO Power, Internal Control Quality, and Audit Committee Effectiveness in Substance vs. in Form

During the past decade, new regulations have been adopted to improve audit committee effectiveness. Prior research has generally provided evidence in support of these regulations and suggests that a more independent and expert audit committee is more effective. We posit that CEO power reduces or even eliminates the improvements in audit committee effectiveness resulting from independent and financially expert committee members. Thus, CEO power may result in an audit committee that appears effective in form but is not in substance. We construct a composite index for CEO power by combining ten CEO characteristics and employ the incidence of internal control weaknesses as a proxy for audit committee monitoring quality. Since all of the firms in our sample have completely independent audit committees, we use financial expertise to examine the impact of CEO power on audit committee effectiveness. We find that, when CEO power is low, audit committee financial expertise is negatively associated with the incidence of internal control weaknesses. However, as CEO power increases, this association monotonically weakens. When CEO power reaches a sufficiently high level, this association is no longer negative. The moderating effect of CEO power on audit committee effectiveness is more prominent when the CEO extracts more rents from the firm through insider trading. Our results are not driven by the CEO’s involvement in director selection. Our paper suggests that more expert audit committees in form do not automatically translate into more effective monitoring. Rather, the substantive monitoring effectiveness of audit committees is contingent on CEO power.
Membrane Trafficking of Angiotensin Receptor Type-1 and Mechanochemical Signal Transduction in Proximal Tubule Cells

Cellular localization and trafficking of the major angiotensin receptor, AT1, was studied in mouse proximal tubule cell lines because angiotensin II concentrations in the luminal fluid of proximal tubules are greater than the Kd of the receptor and would predict high turnover rates of the receptor. Mouse proximal tubule cells can exist in 2 polarized, differentiated states after confluence: a protoepithelium and a highly differentiated epithelium. The latter is distinguished by greater polarization of the microtubule cytoskeleton and collection of apical microtubule-dependent membrane proteins in condensed apical recycling endosomes (CARE) in proximity to the primary cilium. AT1, AT2, and the sodium hydrogen exchanger NHE3 are localized to CARE. With fluid movement, AT1 receptors externalize from CARE to the apical plasma membrane and allow luminal angiotensin II to initiate cell signaling. These data suggest that fluid movement controls receptor externalization and, hence, a model in which ciliary deflection results in transduction of a mechanical stimulus into the chemical signaling of the AT1 receptor.
Cottonseed Meal Diets Improve Body Weight Uniformity in Broiler Breeder Pullets

SUMMARY Due to its low nutrient density, cottonseed meal (CSM) may be a potential alternative feed ingredient for soybean meal (SBM) in broiler breeder pullet diets to improve flock BW uniformity. A major concern when utilizing CSM in poultry diets, however, is the presence of gossypol. It was determined in an initial experiment that when broiler breeder hens are fed a diet containing CSM, gossypol accumulates in the liver. When CSM is removed from the diet, however, hepatic gossypol levels dissipate within a few weeks. In a subsequent study, in order to achieve the breeder guideline ideal weight, broiler breeder pullets reared with a diet containing CSM from 2 to 18 wk of age had to be fed a larger amount than birds consuming a standard SBM diet. The CV of bird weight was significantly lower during the rearing period for birds reared with the corn and CSM diet. This difference in uniformity was maintained as the hens entered the breeding period. Egg weight, hatchability, and fertility were equivalent for hens reared with a diet containing CSM and those reared with a standard diet throughout the growing period. The results suggest that broiler breeder pullets reared on a diet containing CSM as the major protein source have improved flock BW uniformity and normal subsequent reproductive performance.
Rate-allocation strategies for closed-loop MIMO-OFDM

A closed-loop MIMO-OFDM transmitter can exploit channel knowledge using eigenbeamforming to create MN parallel channels, where M is the number of antennas at both ends and N is the number of OFDM tones. We find that the penalty due to a flat-frequency constraint, which forces each tone to convey the same amount of information, becomes negligible as M grows. We propose low-complexity bit-allocation strategies by combining the flat-frequency constraint with previously-reported spatial bit-allocation strategies (Sung, J.H. and Barry, J.R., Proc. IEEE VTC 2003 Spring, p.813-17, 2003). A fixed (nonadaptive) allocation across space and frequency performs remarkably well with M as small as 4.
David Hume and the “Politics of Humanity”:

Recently a call has gone up for a revival of the "politics of humanity." But what exactly is the "politics of humanity"? For illumination this paper turns to Hume's analysis of humanity's foundational role in morality and modern politics. Its aims in so doing are twofold. First, it aims to set forth a new understanding of the unity of Hume's practical and epistemological projects in developing his justifications for and the implications of his remarkable and underappreciated claim that humanity is the only sentiment on which a moral system can be founded. Second, by attending to Hume's substantive definition of humanity and its relationship to benevolence and sympathy in particular, it aims to clarify the relationship between the principal elements of the politics of humanity: "humanism" or secularism, "humane" or other-directed values, and mutual recognition of our shared "humanness.".
Assessment of the Technical Potential for Micro-Cogeneration in Small Commerical Buildings across the United States: Preprint

This paper presents an assessment of the technical potential for micro-cogeneration in small commercial buildings throughout the United States. The cogeneration devices are simulated with the computer program EnergyPlus using models developed by Annex 42, a working group of the International Energy Agency's Energy Efficiency in Buildings and Community Systems (IEA/ECBCS). Although the Annex 42 models were developed for residential applications, this study applies them to small commercial buildings, assumed to have a total floor area of 500 m2 or less. The potential for micro-cogeneration is examined for the entire existing stock of small U.S. commercial buildings using a bottom-up method based on 1,236 EnergyPlus models.
The Importance of Encoding Versus Training with Sparse Coding and Vector Quantization

While vector quantization (VQ) has been applied widely to generate features for visual recognition problems, much recent work has focused on more powerful methods. In particular, sparse coding has emerged as a strong alternative to traditional VQ approaches and has been shown to achieve consistently higher performance on benchmark datasets. Both approaches can be split into a training phase, where the system learns a dictionary of basis functions, and an encoding phase, where the dictionary is used to extract features from new inputs. In this work, we investigate the reasons for the success of sparse coding over VQ by decoupling these phases, allowing us to separate out the contributions of training and encoding in a controlled way. Through extensive experiments on CIFAR, NORB and Caltech 101 datasets, we compare several training and encoding schemes, including sparse coding and a form of VQ with a soft threshold activation function. Our results show not only that we can use fast VQ algorithms for training, but that we can just as well use randomly chosen exemplars from the training set. Rather than spend resources on training, we find it is more important to choose a good encoder—which can often be a simple feed forward non-linearity. Our results include state-of-the-art performance on both CIFAR and NORB.
“It takes fire to make steel”: Stories of two African American males finding purpose through their college experiences

Purpose – This study aims to understand the asset and success factors that contributed to college completion of African American males who persisted through college. Only a dismal 22 per cent of African American males receive bachelor’s degrees compared to 41 per cent of White males (Kena et al., 2015). Design/methodology/approach – The data were analyzed using interpretive phenomenological analysis. The authors interviewed two first-generation African-American males from rural backgrounds to capture their experiences of their process to college completion. Findings – Themes, based in cultural capital theory, that impacted their college persistence were identified within their pre-college experiences, college experiences and post-college perceptions. Recommendations for helping rural African-American males attend and persist through college are offered. Research limitations/implications – Only two participants from one predominately white institution in the southeastern USA were interviewed. Rural student...
CP Violation in Charmed Particle Decays

The discovery of hadrons bearing new quantum numbers (''charm,'' collectively) would open up new possibilities to pursue the issue of CP violation. The matter of CP signatures for charm-changing processes is discussed in general, model-independent terms save for the assumption that $delta$C/$delta$Q = 1 in semileptonic channels. We note certain qualitative differences in the analysis, as compared to charm-conserving reactions. We then raise the issue of indirect effects of CP violation in charm-changing interactions on the neutral K-meson system. In particular, an example is discussed in which CP symmetry breakdown is located in the charm-changing interactions and in which the present CP evidence for charm-conserving decays is qualitatively accommodated. The operational distinctions between this mechanism and another interesting possibility, the presence of a ''second'' superweak interaction (one with abs. value of $delta$C = 2), turn out to be delicately linked to CP tests for exclusive decay processes. (AIP)
Modification of kidney immunogenicity with standard Concanavalin A and its subfractions.

Pretreatment of kidneys with purified Concanavalin A (25mg/L) allowed for a significant prolongation of survival after allotransplantation in minimally immunosuppressed mongrel dogs. Kidneys pretreated with standard Concanavalin A, impure fraction or the lipopolysaccharide had no prolongation of survival. In fact, the impure fraction and the lipopolysaccharide showed a diminished transplant kidney survival. These studies confirm the beneficial effect of Concanavalin A when the purified form is utilized in modifying kidney allograft survival.
The Use of Social Media by Physical Educators: How Do We Ensure Quality Control?

The purpose of this article is to pose questions regarding the use of social media for the good of physical education and how professionals should hold their colleagues accountable for sharing reliable and valid information on social media.
The role of immunologic and viral markers in predicting clinical outcome in HIV infection.

Objective: In an ideal world, one clinical marker would explain all the variance in a disease system. In reality, however, this is rarely the case and HIV disease is no exception. This review considers several specific markers that have demonstrated some use in clinical trials and/or epidemiologic studies of antiretroviral therapy. Discussion: CD4 lymphocyte count, HIV viral load and perhaps immune activation markers can be used to measure the activity of antiretroviral therapy. Some recent studies are presented and the results discussed. Conclusion: Sustained improvements in several markers (particularly HIV viral load and CD4 cell count) in combination appear to be the most predictive of clinical benefit. No current viral or immunologic markers adequately reflect toxicities attributable to antiretroviral therapy. Lamivudine/zidovudine combination therapy leads to sustained changes in several markers, and appears to be well tolerated. This may translate into significant clinical benefit but the duration of such benefit remains unknown.
A Plantar Closing Wedge Osteotomy of the Medial Cuneiform for Residual Forefoot Supination in Flatfoot Reconstruction

Background:Residual forefoot supination is commonly encountered during a flatfoot reconstruction, and a new technique for its treatment is described. Contrary to the standard Cotton osteotomy, a plantar closing wedge osteotomy of the medial cuneiform (PCWOMC) was performed, which has a number of advantages.Methods:We followed 10 feet in 9 patients who had a PCWOMC performed as the last step of a standard flatfoot reconstruction for the correction of residual forefoot supination. These patients were evaluated pre- and postoperatively by standardized radiographic parameters, Short Form-12 (SF-12), and Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS).Results:Patients were followed for an average of 25.8 months with final radiographic analysis performed at an average of 9.9 months. A significant difference (P < .001) between pre- and postoperative parameters was demonstrated for both lateral talus–first metatarsal angle and medial-cuneiform-to-ground distance. Likewise, there was a statistically significant improvement in...
BACKGROUND RESEARCH AND FIELD MONITORING OF RIVERWALK STALLS, DOWNTOWN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

During the latter part of 1986, the Center for Archaeological Research, The University of Texas at San Antonio, monitored the construction of a set of Riverwalk stalls constructed in a section of the Riverwalk north of Commerce Street between st. Mary's and Navarro Streets. Excavation was mostly in river bank fill deposited during the construction of the Riverwalk under the Works Project Administration. During excavations, a well was encountered and a part of it was disturbed. A sample of artifacts from the well fill indicated that it was associated with the Nette Drug Store and dated between ca. 1870 to 1900. In order to preserve the contents, the well was covered and protected. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT i LIST OF FIGURES i
CT and MR evaluation of intracranial involvement in pediatric HIV infection: a clinical-imaging correlation.

PURPOSE To review the cranial CT and MR examinations of 29 children with perinatally transmitted HIV infection and correlate the imaging findings with clinical and pathologic data. METHODS 28 children were examined with CT, four with MR. RESULTS CT abnormalities were seen in 25 children studied (89%), including cerebral atrophy (25 children), basal ganglia calcification (10 children), periventricular frontal white matter calcification (four children), cerebellar calcification (one child), white matter low attenuation areas (two children), intracranial hemorrhage (three children) and cerebral infarction (one child). Intracranial calcifications were only seen in association with cerebral atrophy and were never seen prior to 1 year of age. Calcifications in the periventricular white matter or cerebellum were always associated with basal ganglia calcifications. MR abnormalities were seen in all four children studied; cerebral atrophy (four children), areas of high signal intensity in white matter (four children), loss of normal posterior pituitary high signal intensity (one child). Cerebral atrophy appeared to be a nonspecific finding that was seen in some children in the absence of neurologic signs and symptoms. All children with intracranial calcifications had developmental delay. Intracranial hemorrhage was seen in children with severe thrombocytopenia. Focal intracranial infections were unusual and neoplastic lesions were not found. CONCLUSIONS Cerebral atrophy, basal ganglia calcifications, and focal white matter lesions were the most common abnormalities seen neuroradiologically in our series of HIV-infected children; cerebral atrophy was a nonspecific finding.
Photonic-Fock-state scattering in a waveguide-QED system and their correlation functions

We investigate the problem of arbitrary photonic-Fock-state scattering in a waveguide-QED system which consists of a one-dimensional waveguide coupled to a two-level system. By imposing the open boundary conditions that directly describe the physical settings, we construct a complete set of eigenstates of the system, and elucidate the mathematical structures of the eigenstates. In particular, we show that the eigenstates include a set of multiphoton extended states and multiphoton bound states, formed by all possible partitions of the photon number $N$. The total number of the eigenstates is exactly described by the integer number partition function $Z(N)$. Using the set of eigenstates, we form the scattering matrix, which facilitates the calculations of the scattered photon states, for the scattering processes. With the scattered photon states, we compute the photon correlation functions that manifestly exhibit the bunching and antibunching behaviors in the scattered photon states. As a concrete example, we discuss in detail with a focus on the three-photon Fock state. Such a capability to generate photonic entanglement from unentangled Fock states will have broad applications in quantum information processing.
The Transition to Cloud-Based Student Printing

At Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, OH and Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA, student printing has traditionally used up a great deal of resources. This included hardware to maintain and replace, software to manage and deploy, and provision of supplies. Student printing also did not provide much in the way of convenience. While printing from a computer lab was easy enough, mobile printing was so painful at BWU that most students didn't use it, and Muhlenberg had not yet found a tenable solution. We did not provide for guest printing and color printing had to be sent to specific printers in specific locations. We had no campus card integration. In the Summer of 2015, BWU implemented wēpa, a cloud-based printing solution to reduce the use of these resources while not only minimizing the impact to students, but providing additional opportunities to the students. Muhlenberg College launched w?pa for the spring term, 2016. Come to this panel session to hear more about the challenges we faced, how we implemented wēpa, and our lessons learned.