cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Aortic Polytetrafluoroethylene Graft: Further Experience

Objectives: We analysed our results with the use of aortic polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) grafts over the last 7.5 years. A historical comparison was also made between the results with non-stretch PTFE (NS-PTFE) (1987–91) and stretch PTFE (S-PTFE) grafts (1991–94). Materials: 244 infrarenal aortic replacements or bypasses with PTFE grafts were performed at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics from January 1987 to June 1994. Infrarenal aortic replacement was indicated for aortic aneurysmal disease in 192 patients (elective 151, symptomatic 20, ruptured 21) and bypass for aorto-iliac occlusive disease in 52 patients (disabling claudication 28, limb salvage 24). Patients ranged in age from 37 to 93 years (mean 68 years). There were 161 males and 83 females. Medical risk factors included hypertension (55%), coronary artery disease (31%), COPD (23%), diabetes mellitus (12%), chronic renal failure (9%), and smoking (61%). Aortic replacement or bypass was done with a NS-PTFE graft in 108 patients (44%) and a S-PTFE graft in 136 patients (56%). Postoperative ultrasound (US) scans and/or CT-studies were available in 40 patients with NS-PTFE and 26 patients with S-PTFE grafts. Main results: The 30 day operative mortality was: elective AAA patients (1.3%), symptomatic AAA patients (10%), ruptured AAA patients (48%), limb salvage patients (4.1%) and disabling claudication patients (0%). Graft related complications included five graft limb thromboses (4 NS-PTFE, 1 S-PTFE). Two thromboses occurred perioperatively and the three others at 24, 28 and 30 months postoperatively. Two other graft related complications included a mixed pseudomonas and streptococcus groin infection with a culture negative perigraft fluid collection occurring 3 weeks following surgery (NS-PTFE), and distal aortic anastomotic suture line bleed on the first postoperative day following replacement of a ruptured AAA with a S-PTFE graft. Based on US and/or CT imaging studies, the mean internal diameters of the bodies of 40 NS-PTFE and 26 S-PTFE grafts were 11% and 10% greater than the manufacturer's specified sizes at a mean follow-up duration of 36 and 10 months respectively. Conclusions: These data reveal that a PTFE graft performs satisfactorily in the aortic position with minimal adverse clinical sequelae over a 7.5 year period. Continued long term follow up data will determine the ultimate suitability of aortic PTFE grafts.
Numerical Study of the Transient Vaporization of an Oxygen Droplet at Sub- and Super-Critical Conditions

Unsteady vaporization of a droplet in a high-pressure quiescent environment has been studied. With spherical symmetry and constant pressure, the process is diffusion controlled. At low pressures droplet heating is significant for most of the droplet lifetime, and an unsteady analysis of the gas phase is required. Then, the vaporization of a liquid oxygen droplet in gaseous hydrogen at moderate and high pressures is considered. At super-critical pressures, the surface temperature reaches the computed critical mixture value where a model for super-critical combustion is needed. The details of the diffusion layer of dissolved hydrogen do not significantly affect the results. Various methods are explored to compute the gas-phase density. Under the model's assumptions, homogeneous nucleation is not likely to occur.
The changing U.S. labor force and occupational differentiation by sex.

The degree of occupational differentiation by sex in the U.S. labor force is examined utilizing various measures and occupational classifications over the period 1900—1970. A consideration of comparable occupations over time indicates that while occupational differentiation by sex is still substantial, an irregular, measurable decline in that differentiation has occurred during this century. Existing labor force structure seems relatively unimportant in explaining this ongoing change. Apparently more significant are social and historical factors as they have influenced specific occupations in certain decades.
Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma: the birth of a diagnosis and a concept

This review deals with one of the newly adopted entities in the second edition of the histologic typing of CNS tumours by the World Health Organization: pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma and reviews the clinical features, gross and microscopic characteristics as well as the common and some of the unusual variants of this tumor. The steps and events leading to the recognition of the basic character of this neoplasm and its designation as an independent entity are recollected and a few characteristic MRI scans and photomicrographs of pleomorphic xanthoastrocytomas are provided.
Transport Processes as Foundations of the Heisenberg and Obukhoff Theories of Turbulence

The transfer of energy across the spectrum is investigated by the method of the harmonic analysis of the Navier-Stokes equation. The phase correlation which enters into the transfer is determined by the statistical considerations of transport processes. The results obtained allow a theoretical explanation to be given to the Heisenberg and Obukhoff postulates, delimiting the conditions of their applicability. By extending the above considerations of transport processes to shear flow, the production of turbulent energy from the mean flow is determined in spectral terms. As an application, the spectral laws for energy and shear are derived, and compared with measurements.
Evidence that ideal and attractive figures represent different constructs: A replication and extension of Fingeret, Gleaves, and Pearson (2004).

Abstract Figure rating scales are commonly used to measure body dissatisfaction through discrepancy indexes (e.g., difference between current and ideal body) and recent methodological work by Fingeret, Gleaves, and Pearson suggests that distinctions between referent bodies (e.g., ideal or most attractive) are unnecessary. The purpose of the current study was to replicate these findings using both male and female figure rating scales and an opposite-sex comparison group. We examined the relationship between three referent figures (Ideal, Most Attractive to the Opposite Sex, and Most Attractive) and attractiveness attributions in 365 undergraduate men ( n = 164) and women ( n = 201). Results suggested that referent figures were associated with different attractiveness attributions for both male and female figures, but physical characteristics differed only in male figures. The impact of referent bodies on discrepancy indexes was also explored. Considerations for future research using figure rating scales are discussed.
Paleoclimatic forcing of magnetic susceptibility variations in Alaskan loess during the late Quaternary

Visual matches and statistical tests suggest correlations between marine isotope curves, retrodictive solar insolation at lat 65°N, and magnetic susceptibility profiles through late Quaternary age Alaskan loess sections. The susceptibility changes largely appear to reflect variability in magnetite content due to climatically controlled changes in wind intensity and competence. Magnetic susceptibility profiles through massive loess can provide stratigraphic context for intercalated paleosols and tephras. A prominent paleosol correlated with marine isotope stage 5 occurs several metres above the Old Crow ash in loess sections, indicating that this important tephra is older than suggested by thermoluminescence dates, and may have been deposited ca. 215 ±25 ka.
Sequence specificity of drug-DNA interactions

Methods for determining sequence specificities of anticancer drugs, carcinogens, and mutagens which interact with natural DNA's are presented. For drugs which nick or covalently bind to DNA and thus leave a permanent record of their residence position on the helix, the sequences important in drug action can be readily determined. For agents which interact with DNA in an equilibrium fashion, "footprinting" analysis, a technique used to investigate protein-DNA binding, has proved to be useful in studying drug-DNA interactions. The sequence specificities of a number of small ligands which interact with natural DNA's are also presented.
Thermodynamics of multicomponent hydrate forming mixtures

Abstract A generalized model for calculating hydrate equlibria for multicomponent gas mixtures is presented. The model uses a modified Langmuir constant which accounts for aspherical interactions between gas molecules and the hydrate lattice. The Kihara parameters obtained using this method agree with those obtained from virial coefficient data.
CHEMICAL REACTOR MODELLING FOR PURPOSES OF CONTROLLER DESIGN

Abstract The relation between modelling and design of control systems for chemical reactors is discussed, using several practical examples. Criteria for controlability and satisfactory response are proposed. The dependence of the controller structure on the properties of the reactor model is investigated, and it is shown that the most important decisions in controller design occur during process design. The information required for controller design is different from the information required for scaleup, and depends on the design approach. Examples chosen are control of a fluid catalytic cracker, a hydrocracker, and a crystallizer. Control and reactor modelling are not only often separate activities by themselves, but they are done in separate groups and current practice is to call the control engineering in after the design is finished or the plant either operates or is scheduled to start operation. If we want to make significant advances, we have to realize that some of the most important decisions that...
Discriminating Seismic Signatures of Steam Injection From Lithology Variations: Feasibility Study In a Venezuela Heavy Oil Reservoir

In this paper we study the feasibility of discriminating the effects of lithology from pressure, temperature, and fluid effects on the elastic properties of western Venezuela heavy oil reservoir rocks. In general terms the reservoir is shallow (700-770 meters of depth), with unconsolidated shaly-sands highly saturated with heavy oil (11 API). To perform this work we had available the petrophysical evaluation (volume of shale, water saturation, porosity, and density), and monopole and dipole sonic logs from two wells. General information of the field production allowed us to define the possible ranges of variations for each of the studied reservoir characteristics. We show that neither the increments of pore pressure, nor the substitution of the initial fluids by water, modeled to simulate the steam injection in the reservoir, modified considerably the seismic velocities and densities. On the other hand, lithologic variations and temperature increments alter the elastic rock properties in a consistent and predictable way. The rock physics modeling of this paper shows the real possibility of discriminating the effects of lithology from temperature related effects using conventional 3D seismic data. However, the single final-migrated stack section is not enough to complete a satisfactory discrimination. AVO and/or near and far-offset inversions must be used in order to include additional information in the data analysis.
An analytic approach to low sensitivity design of active distributed RC networks

Abstract Analytic equations are developed for the sensitivity functions of a class of active distributed RC networks including the sensitivity of the center frequency, the real and imaginary parts of the dominant pole, and the dominant pole Q to changes in network parameters as a function of the transformed P plane pole locations. An analytic design procedure is given for controlling the sensitivity of the dominant pole Q to changes in amplifier gain by causing the Q to be dependent upon a resistance ratio and increasing the gain. Equations are given for determining the sensitivity of Q to changes in the resistance ratio and practical limitations are also discussed. Several possible configurations for controlling the sensitivity of Q are given as well as design examples.
PN code synchronization effects on narrow-band interference rejection in a direct-sequence spread-spectrum receiver

The impact of imperfect synchronization on the performance of prediction-error interference rejection filters in noncoherent direct-sequence (DS) spread-spectrum communications is considered. Bit-error-rate analysis (BER) analysis (BER) of binary DPSK (differential phase-shift keying) data modulation used in conjunction with direct-sequence spread-spectrum is used as a performance measure. A first-order noncoherent delay-lock loop is used for the pseudonoise (PN) code tracking. Conditional BER results for the DS/DPSK systems for fixed values of the code tracking error are obtained. The average BER of the system is then evaluated by averaging the conditional BER expressions over the probability density function of the code tracking error. Results include the effects of both a single fading tone and a narrowband Gaussian interferer on the overall system performance. Interferer offset frequency is considered in determining the code tracking loop noise as well as the receiver BER. >
Effects of Posthatch Glucose on Poults Fed and Fasted During Yolk Sac Depletion

Abstract The advantage of glucose administration after hatching was examined in terms of poult performance and body changes 3 days after administration. A .5-mL dose of 50% glucose in saline was either subcutaneously (sc) injected in the neck or intubated into the crop. Controls did not receive glucose nor were they handled. Controls and poults given glucose were divided into two groups and either brooded with feed and water or kept in transportation boxes and fasted. Poults that were fasted lost weight, and glucose treatments did not alter this loss; however, access to feed and water led to a gain in weight. Those poults given glucose had greater weight gains and feed consumption than controls. Liver, yolk sac, and carcass contained increased moisture in response to glucose when feed and water had been provided, whereas only the carcass expressed this change when the birds were fasted. Most changes to glucose were greater from sc than oral dosing, and neither egg weight of origin nor sex influenced the extent of poult response.
History-dependent sorption in humic acids and a lignite in the context of a polymer model for natural organic matter

We examined sorption of two apolar compounds in three samples of macromolecular natural organic matter (NOM) in order to test whether history-dependent (“irrevers ible”) behaviors, including sorption hysteresis and the conditioning effect, agree with a pore deformation/creation hypothesis applicable to the glassy organic solid state as proposed in the polymer literature. The compounds are 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene (TCB) and naphthalene (Naph). The NOM samples are a soil humic acid (H-HA), an Al3+-exchanged form of the same humic acid (Al-HA), and a low-rank coal (Beulah−Zap lignite, BZL). The HAs, at least, are believed free of environmental black carbon. The degree of nonlinearity in the isotherm and the ratio of hole-filling to solid-phase dissolution increased in the order of hardness (stiffness) of the solid: H-HA < Al-HA < BZL. Independent of solid, solutes show a 14−18 kJ/mol preference for hole “sites” as compared to dissolution “sites”, which we attribute to the free energy needed in the dissolution...
Transparency, Liberalization, and Financial Crisis

Lack of transparency increases the probability of a banking crisis following financial liberalization. In a country where government policy is not transparent, banks may tend to increase credit above the optimal level. Mehrez and Kaufmann investigate how transparency affects the probability of a financial crisis. They construct a model in which banks cannot distinguish between aggregate shocks and government policy, on the one hand, and firms' quality, on the other. Banks may therefore overestimate firms' returns and increase credit above the level that would be optimal given the firms' returns. Once banks discover their large exposure, they are likely to roll over loans rather than declare their losses. This delays the crisis but increases its magnitude. The empirical evidence, based on data for 56 countries in 1977-97, supports this theoretical model. The authors find that lack of transparency increases the probability of a crisis following financial liberalization. This implies that countries should focus on increasing transparency of economic activity and government policy, as well as increasing transparency in the financial sector, particularly during a period of transition such as financial liberalization. This paper - a product of Governance, Regulation, and Finance, World Bank Institute - is part of a larger effort in the institute to research governance and transparency and apply the findings in learning and operational programs. (For details, visit www.worldbank.org/wbi/gac.) The authors may be contacted at gmehrez@worldbank.org or dkaufmann@worldbank.org.
Setting the stage for CE2016: A revised body of knowledge

The audience will discuss the current state of the effort to update the 2004 document titled "Curriculum Guidelines for Undergraduate Degree Programs in Computer Engineering," also known as CE2004. The presenters represent the ACM and the IEEE Computer Society (IEEE-CS), which are leading the effort. They will engage participants on ways of improving the body of knowledge so that the document reflects the state-of-the-art of computer engineering education and practice that is relevant for the coming decade.
Moral development and the gifted: An initial investigation

A recent study to assess the level of moral reasoning in gifted students indicates that the level of responses were highly associated with intellectual functioning.
A Japanese child's use of stative and punctual verbs.

This study investigated the use of stative, process, punctual, and non-punctual verbs by a child acquiring Japanese as a first language between the ages of 1;0 and 4;11 in an attempt to find evidence for two of Bickerton's (1981) proposed language acquisition universals, which form part of the language bioprogram hypothesis of language acquisition. As predicted by Bickerton's state-process hypothesis, it was found that all sampled present progressive verb forms occurred with process verbs while these forms were never used with stative verbs. Also, with only one exception, all omissions of present progressive forms occurred with the early use of ‘mixed’ verbs, i.e. verbs which behave syntactically as process verbs in Japanese but are nonetheless semantically stative. However, contrasting with Bickerton's hypothesis that children initially use the past tense to mark punctuality, no relationship between past tense use and punctuality was found.
216. Development of donor specific chimerism and tolerance in composite tissue allografts under ab-t cell receptor monoclonal antibody and cyclosporine a treatment protocols

Purpose Recently, we induced donor specific tolerance to rat hind-limb allografts under 35 days course of ab TCR mAb and Cyclosporine A. In this report, we investigated the role of shorter ab-TCR/CsA protocols on the tolerance induction. Materials and Methods We performed fifty-two hind-limb transplantations, between Lewis-Brown-Norway (LBN, F1) donors and Lewis recipients to test the impact of 21, 7 and 5 day protocols of combined ab-TCR/CsA treatment on tolerance induction. Donor specific tolerance and immunocompetence were tested by mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) in vitro and by standard skin grafting in vivo. The efficacy of immunosuppressive protocol and donor specific chimerism was assessed by flow cytometry. Results All transplants under 5,7, and 21 days of combined ab-TCR/CsA therapy survived over 350 days. Clinical tolerance and immunocompetence were confirmed by skin grafting in vivo and MLR in vitro. Flow cytornetry revealed high level of donor chimerism in the peripheral blood of the long term survivors. Conclusion The extention of survival of limb allografts and allounresponsiveness were directly associated with the development of stable chimerism in the tolerated recipients.
Respiratory syncytial virus‐ and human metapneumovirus‐associated emergency department and hospital burden in adults

Objective Determine the burden of illness associated with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and human metapneumovirus (HMPV) in adults, especially young adults. Design Prospective surveillance study using RT-PCR for the diagnosis of RSV and HMPV. Setting One academic Emergency Department (ED), one academic hospital and three middle Tennessee community hospitals. Sample We prospectively enrolled Middle Tennessee residents ≥18 years old evaluated in the emergency department (ED) or hospitalized for respiratory symptoms May 2009 through April 2010. We collected nose/throat specimens for RSV and HMPV reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing and obtained demographic and clinical data. Main outcome Measures Rates of ED visits and hospitalizations were calculated using the proportion of enrolled patients positive for each virus multiplied by the number of Middle Tennessee residents evaluated in EDs and/or hospitalized in Tennessee for acute respiratory illness during the study period. Results Three thousand two hundred and fifty six patients were eligible; 1477 (45·4%) were enrolled; 1248 (84·5%) of these consented to additional testing and had adequate samples. RT-PCR identified 32 (2·6%) patients with RSV and 33 (2·6%) with HMPV. The median duration of symptoms before ED presentation was 3·3 days with RSV and 2·8 days with HMPV, and before hospital admission was 4·5 days with RSV and 3·5 days with HMPV. The annual hospitalization and ED visit rates were similar for RSV and HMPV. The hospitalization rate associated with each virus was about 10 per 10 000 persons aged ≥50 years; ED rates were approximately 2 times higher. Hospitalization rates were about 2 per 10 000 persons aged 18–49 years, with ED rates 5–6 times higher. Conclusion RSV and MPV are associated with substantial disease in adults, with hospitalization and ED visits rates increasing with age.
Methyl bromide alternatives for bell pepper (Capsicum annuum) and cucumber (Cucumis sativus) rotations

Abstract Two field trials were conducted to determine the effect of soil fumigant and herbicide combinations as potential alternatives for methyl bromide (MBr) in bell pepper–cucumber rotations. For the first bell pepper–cucumber trial, fumigant levels were a non-treated control, MBr+chloropicrin (Pic) (67/33%, respectively) at a rate of 400 kg/ha, Pic at 400 kg/ha, metam sodium (MNa) at 945 l/ha, 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D)+Pic (83/17%, respectively) at 330 l/ha, and anhydrous ammonia (ANH 4 ) at 300 l/ha. For the second bell pepper–cucumber trial, fumigants levels were the same, except that ANH 4 was substituted by 1,3-D+Pic (65/35%, respectively) at 330 l a.i./ha. Fumigants were only applied during the bell pepper seasons. Herbicides used were napropamide at 4.50 kg/ha, metolachlor at 2.25 kg/ha, pebulate at 4.50 kg/ha, in addition to an untreated check. Applied herbicides did not interact with fumigants and had excellent control of goosegrass ( Eleusine indica L.), southern crabgrass ( Digitaria ciliaris L.) and smooth pigweed ( Amaranthus hybridus L.), but only poor to fair control of purple nutsedge ( Cyperus rotundus L.). The fumigants 1,3-D+17% Pic, MNa, and Pic had reduced nematode root galling compared with the unchecked control. All fumigants tested for bell pepper, except ANH 4 , successfully showed significant residual effects for cucumbers in the same plots. In most cases, 1,3-D+17% Pic, and Pic were comparable to MBr.
Deletion Mutagenesis Identifies a Haploinsufficient Role for γ-Zein in opaque2 Endosperm Modification

Quality Protein Maize (QPM) is a hard kernel variant of the high-lysine mutant opaque2. Using γ-irradiation, we created opaque QPM variants to identify opaque2 modifier genes and to investigate deletion mutagenesis combined with Illumina sequencing as a maize (Zea mays) functional genomics tool. A K0326Y QPM deletion mutant was null for the 27- and 50-kD γ-zeins and abolished vitreous endosperm formation. Illumina exon and RNA sequencing revealed a 1.2-megabase pair deletion encompassing the 27- and 50-kD γ-zein genes on chromosome 7 and a deletion of at least 232 kb on chromosome 9. Protein body number was reduced by over 90%, while protein body size is similar to the wild type. Kernels hemizygous for the γ-zein deletion had intermediate 27- and 50-kD γ-zein levels and were semivitreous, indicating haploinsufficiency of these gene products in opaque2 endosperm modification. The γ-zein deletion further increased lysine in QPM in its homozygous and hemizygous states. This work identifies 27-kD γ-zein as an opaque2 modifier gene within the largest QPM quantitative trait locus and may suggest the 50-kD γ-zein also contributes to this quantitative trait locus. It further demonstrates that genome-wide deletions in nonreference maize lines can be identified through a combination of assembly of Illumina reads against the B73 genome and integration of RNA sequencing data.
Lasing and intermode correlation of whispering gallery mode in dye-doped polystyrene microspheres

The advantage of organic materials like polystyrene is their plasticity so that they can be made into any shape. Polystyrene has a rather large refractive index of 1.58 and can be easily doped with the required laser dye and also can be made into spheres of the required size. Fabrication of microspheres was basically carried out by J. Vanderhoff and his assistants at Lehigh University. The host material in all of these samples is polystyrene. Microspheres doped with Bis-MSB, PPO and alpha-NPO dyes were studied with suitable lasers like UV, N2 and XeCl excimer. We have observed enhanced emission and lasing action at certain wavelengths which correspond to the whispering gallery modes of polystyrene spheres. Characterization of the lasing process in microspheres with respect to their sizes will be presented. The 2D crystalline structure on a periodic array thin films of polystyrene microspheres has been studied by both diffraction and microscopic techniques and will be presented as well.
Growth-Stimulating Effects of Human Growth Hormone Therapy in Turner’s Syndrome

Prior to 1982 and during the first 25 years of its clinical availability, the use of human growth hormone (hGH) for the treatment of Turner’s syndrome was very limited because of inadequate supplies. A review of the published literature is enlightening in that a number of studies did describe growth acceleration during hGH administration to patients with Turner’s syndrome. However, in comparison to the growth responses achieved in hypopituitarism, the growth acceleration described in Turner’s syndrome was not considered adequate to justify the expenditure of hGH needed. A few investigators reported no significant growth acceleration at all.
Enhanced Metabolic Flexibility Associated with Elevated Adiponectin Levels

Metabolically healthy individuals effectively adapt to changes in nutritional state. Here, we focus on the effects of the adipocyte-derived secretory molecule adiponectin on adipose tissue in mouse models with genetically altered adiponectin levels. We found that higher adiponectin levels increased sensitivity to the lipolytic effects of adrenergic receptor agonists. In parallel, adiponectin-overexpressing mice also display enhanced clearance of circulating fatty acids and increased expansion of subcutaneous adipose tissue with chronic high fat diet (HFD) feeding. These adaptive changes to the HFD were associated with increased mitochondrial density in adipocytes, smaller adipocyte size, and a general transcriptional up-regulation of factors involved in lipid storage through efficient esterification of free fatty acids. The physiological response to adiponectin overexpression resembles in many ways the effects of chronic exposure to β 3 -adrenergic agonist treatment, which also results in improvements in insulin sensitivity. In addition, using a novel computed tomography-based method for measurements of hepatic lipids, we resolved the temporal events taking place in the liver in response to acute HFD exposure in both wild-type and adiponectin-overexpressing mice. Increased levels of adiponectin potently protect against HFD-induced hepatic lipid accumulation and preserve insulin sensitivity. Given these profound effects of adiponectin, we propose that adiponectin is a factor that increases the metabolic flexibility of adipose tissue, enhancing its ability to maintain proper function under metabolically challenging conditions.
Jésus, le mamzer (Mt 1.18)

La controverse sur la virginite de Marie a domine l’exegese de Mt 1.18 dans des debats recents. Les references critiques de la litterature rabbinique n’ont fait que confirmer cette tendance – a tort, comme nous le verrons. Notre tâche ici est premierement, d’expliquer comment une forte tradition academique – poussee par son interet sur la virginite de Marie – s’est appropriee certaines references rabbiniques, et deuxiemement, de nous concentrer sur la question de la culture contextuelle de Mt 1.18 que la litterature rabbinique peut nous aider a comprendre et cela dans une nouvelle perspective.
Commentary: The analysis of variance and the social complexities of genetic causation

Scientific articles published 30 years earlier can be interesting to revisit for various reasons. Lewontin’s classic article on the analysis of variance in human behavioural genetics warrants continued attention for perhaps the worst of them: the article makes several correct observations that continue to remain under-appreciated in some research and much discussion about the causal role of genes in human outcomes. 1 The lucidity of Lewontin’s arguments has historically proven no match for the allure of overly simple characterizations of outcomes as being x% due to genes and (1 x)% not due to genes. 2 Moreover, Lewontin’s main points speak beyond questions about genetics and could even be said to prefigure the best parts of more recent complaints about regression analysis as a tool for causal inference in observational studies. 3 The problem is manifested in the social statistics analogue of an optical illusion: when one says x% of variance in some outcome (say, depression) is attributable to genes, one appears to be making a statement about the ultimate nature of that outcome. Heritability estimates are estimates of population parameters, however, meaning that they depend crucially on how genotypes and environments are distributed in the studied population. When calculations are made on oddly composed samples and with little information about either genotypes or environments, appropriate interpretation of precise heritability estimates can become downright mysterious. Likewise, discussions of the ‘effect’ of a risk factor on a disease are typically based on estimates of population-specific ‘average causal effects’. 4 Whenever genetic effects vary across environments and the effects of risk factors vary across persons, simple answers follow only when questions are posed in terms of aggregate characterizations of particular populations, and such answers may change radically as populations or their aggregate circumstances change. Lewontin recognized that population-dependent estimates are a poor substitute for actually understanding the specific action and interactions of causes. Lewontin erred, however, in declaring heritability estimates to be ‘useless’. Estimates of population parameters are perfectly meaningful and possibly useful when properly recognized for what they are. 5 As importantly, the cumulation of high heritability outcomes from many studies have together had the genuinely useful consequence of making headway against various unfortunate, if often well-intentioned, resistances to contemplating the genetic contribution to behaviour that remain all too pervasive in some quarters of social science. This has provided a better foundation for social science to engage data and research with genotypic measures as they become increasingly available. 6
Effect of hot-carrier injection on n- and pMOSFET gate oxide integrity

N- and pMOSFETs with 9-nm gate oxide are compared. Injected hot holes are about 100 times as effective as electrons at 10.5 MV/cm of oxide field in causing oxide breakdown. Gate current in nMOSFETs under stress conditions is due to holes and electrons. The gate current in pMOSFETs is about 1000 times as large, but solely due to electrons. PMOSFETs can tolerate 1000 times more charge injection than nMOSFETs, but not more drain current stress. >
Soft diffuse interfaces in electrokinetics - theory and experiment for transport in charged diffuse layers

Charged and uncharged soft interfaces are present in a variety of microfluidic and biological systems. The electrokinetic properties of these fixed-diffuse-charge systems are dependent on (1) the components of the working fluid, (2) the bounding surface of the diffuse charge layer, and (3) the chemical and mechanical properties of the film itself. Here, we describe recent and past literature to provide a framework for the interpretation of data, utilizing the electrokinetic coupling matrix, and a description of the experimental techniques relevant for microfluidic systems. In this work, we focus on experiments on, and models for, flat surfaces with constant film mass.
On the Electrodynamic Force of Dielectric Barrier Discharge

A numerical investigation of air surface dielectric barrier discharge in atmospheric pressure is presented. The phenomenon of the random micro discharge has been modeled with a two-dimensional drift-diffusion model. Calculations have been performed to determine the best condition for increasing the electrodynamic force. Two groups of simulations have been carried out to evaluate the influence of the dielectric material and the externally applied voltage up to 8 kV to the discharge characteristic. Comparisons have been made for both the instantaneous force and the time-averaged force: Results show that an increase of the applied voltage leads mainly to a longer duration of the discharge period and a greater value of the instantaneous force. On the other hand, the significant electrodynamic force is confined within a very small domain immediately adjacent to electrodes regardless with respect to the external voltage and the dielectric material.
The Role of Homeobox Genes in Vascular Remodeling and Angiogenesis

Homeodomain-containing transcription factors are critical in the regulation of cell proliferation, differentiation, and migration, and they play an important role in organogenesis and pattern formation during embryogenesis. There is evidence that some of them are oncogenes or tumor suppressors. The cardiovascular system undergoes extensive remodeling during embryogenesis and disease states such as atherosclerosis and tumor-induced angiogenesis, and homeobox genes may play an important role in regulating these processes. Recently, homeobox genes have been detected in both vascular smooth muscle and endothelial cells, and they are implicated in pathological processes such as arterial restenosis after balloon angioplasty and tumor-induced angiogenesis. The cellular function of some of these genes is beginning to be elucidated. Therefore, we briefly review what is currently known about the involvement of homeobox transcription factors in both physiological and pathological vascular remodeling and angiogenesis.
The Role of Mission Orientation in Sustainable Business Education

Many business schools embrace a mission or purpose to develop leaders with a focus on values and principles. In this article, we discuss the role of the institutional mission in teaching sustainability within a business school, and illustrate how mission can be adopted as a framework for discussing and operationalizing sustainability. Specifically, we provide examples of how to adopt mission orientation within a core business course in order to achieve a deeper awareness of sustainability issues and how a single business decision can impact many stakeholders. Moreover, while several of the pedagogical methods presented draw from Jesuit tradition, the strategies discussed can be applied within secular institutions. This article describes how this framework was used to encourage students to make sound and conscientious decisions in a business setting. In addition, we suggest methods for navigating obstacles in integrating mission orientation into undergraduate and graduate level courses.
Revenue Management for a Multiclass Single-Server Queue via a Fluid Model Analysis

Motivated by the recent adoption of tactical pricing strategies in manufacturing settings, this paper studies a problem of dynamic pricing for a multiproduct make-to-order system. Specifically, for a multiclass Mn/M/1 queue with controllable arrival rates, general demand curves, and linear holding costs, we study the problem of maximizing the expected revenues minus holding costs by selecting a pair of dynamic pricing and sequencing policies. Using a deterministic and continuous (fluid model) relaxation of this problem, which can be justified asymptotically as the capacity and the potential demand grow large, we show the following: (i) greedy sequencing (i.e., the cμ-rule) is optimal, (ii) the optimal pricing and sequencing decisions decouple in finite time, after which (iii) the system evolution and thus the optimal prices depend only on the total workload. Building on (i)--(iii), we propose a one-dimensional workload relaxation to the fluid pricing problem that is simpler to analyze, and leads to intuitive and implementable pricing heuristics. Numerical results illustrate the near-optimal performance of the fluid heuristics and the benefits from dynamic pricing.
Dosing of Renal Replacement Therapy in Acute Kidney Injury

The impact of the intensity of renal replacement therapy on outcomes in patients with acute kidney injury has been studied intensively during the past decade. In this review, we consider the concept of dose of renal replacement therapy in acute kidney injury and summarize the recent clinical trials addressing this topic. Although several single-center trials suggest that more intensive therapy is associated with improved outcomes, 2 large multicenter randomized trials do not find a benefit with higher doses of therapy. Based on these studies, we provide recommendations for the delivered intensity of renal replacement therapy in acute kidney injury.
Activities of suppliers and technicians during the provision of complex and standard wheeled mobility devices.

Purpose: The objective of this time-motion study was to document the type and duration of activities performed by wheelchair suppliers during the provision of wheeled mobility and seating devices. Method: Researchers observed eight rehabilitation technology suppliers and four rehabilitation technicians over two weeks in two metropolitan areas. Results: Data were collected on 500 client interactions, resulting in 864 activities that were classified as complex rehabilitation technology (CRT) or standard wheeled mobility equipment (STD). Data indicate that the majority of the activities were relatively short (median = 0.25 hours) but the distribution of activity durations was highly skewed. A difference existed in activity time across device complexity (p = 0.039), with CRT-related activities averaging about 0.1 hours longer in duration than STD activities. When assessing mobility types independently, activity times across device complexity differed for manual and power wheelchair at p = 0.0001 and p = 0.086...
Dining for Safety: Consumer Perceptions of Food Safety and Eating Out

This study investigates whether perceptions about food safety are related to how often consumers eat at restaurants. More specifically, it examines how the following affect the frequency of eating at restaurants: (a) concern about food safety issues, (b) food safety performance of restaurants, (c) how often consumers think about food safety, (d) the belief of having had food poisoning, (e) knowledge about food safety, and (f) sociodemographic variables. Using data from a nationwide telephone survey conducted with 1,014 randomly selected U.S. adults, the results indicated that perceptions of food safety do influence how often consumers eat at restaurants. Concern about food safety issues, thinking about food safety, and having experienced food poisoning were related to frequency of dining out. When comparing those who eat at restaurants rarely, occasionally, and often, most of the significant differences were between those who eat at restaurants rarely and those who dine out occasionally or often.
Transparent conductors for full spectrum photovoltaics

Low transparency of conventional transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) in the IR region (λ∼1000 nm) due to absorption and reflection by the high concentration of free carrier restricts the applications of materials to photovoltaics that do not use the infrared part of the solar spectrum. In order to maintain low resistivity with reduced free carrier absorption, TCOs with high mobility are required. We have found that among metal oxides, CdO has all the essential requirements for low resistance and high infrared transmission: low electron scattering rates and high electron mobility. In this work we report the electrical and optical properties of CdO, undoped and doped with various n-type dopants, grown using pulsed laser deposition (PLD). We found that nominally undoped CdO films have Hall mobilities in the range of 50–150 cm2/Vs with carrier concentrations of 3×1020–2×1019 cm−3 corresponding to a high compensation ratio k=0.7. However, with appropriate intentional doping, ideal uncompensated CdO with extremely high conductivity (>104 S/cm) and an excellent transmission window in the range from 400 to >1500 nm can be achieved. These properties make CdO an ideal TCO for photovoltaics with low band gap absorbers including Si and high efficiency multijunction cells.
Angle-of-arrival-assisted Relative Interferometric localization using Software Defined Radios

In this work, we present SDR-ARI - a Software Defined Radio (SDR) approach to an Angle-of-arrival-assisted Relative Interferometric (ARI) RADAR transceiver. It has a number of desirable attributes including the ability to reduce the synchronization, network, and hardware requirements when operating as the sole RADAR modality and its ability to augment existing pulsed and CW RADAR algorithms. While, ARI encoding was initially proposed in prior work, no implementation had been completed and only a pure hardware approach to the receiver was reported. We have developed and implemented a software-defined model in Matlab, and have designed, simulated, and implemented an SDR-ARI transceiver utilizing USRP hardware and gnuRadio software. The use of software-defined radio has allowed us to implement ARI in a timely manner. The proposed approach is described and analyzed.
No Evidence That Bacillus thuringiensis Genes and Their Products Influence the Susceptibility of Corn Residue to Decomposition

Th e possibility that Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) corn (Zea mays L.) residues resist decomposition compared to non-Bt residues would present direct (soil carbon turnover times) and indirect (changes in tillage practices) eff ects on carbon budgets in agricul- tural systems. We evaluated the relative decomposition of residue from two pairs of Bt and non-Bt corn hybrids from diff erent seed manufacturers buried in the root zone of adjacent Bt and non-Bt corn plots over a period of 384 d. We found no persistent diff erences in residue decomposition among the diff erent hybrids regardless of the seed manufacturer or the presence of the Bt genes (both cry1Ab and cry3Bb1 genes present in each Bt hybrid) in the residue. No signifi cant diff erences in residue composi- tional properties or fl exural strength of intact stalk sections were observed among the four hybrids. Both Bt and non-Bt residues buried in the root zone of a Bt corn hybrid decomposed faster than those buried in the root zone of the corresponding, near- isogenic non-Bt hybrid. A subsequent replicated laboratory study showed no diff erence between the decomposition of cellulose fi lter paper buried in the root zone of growing and senescing Bt and non-Bt hybrids. We conclude that (i) the presence of Bt genes and their products in chopped residue does not aff ect its decomposability; (ii) the presence of Bt genes does not aff ect the mechanical strength of the stalks; and, (iii) Bt products released from growing or senescing Bt corn plants do not adversely aff ect decomposition activities in the surrounding soil.
Pre-hispanic Use of Cocoa

Native to South America, Theobroma cacao was cultivated in Mesoamerica by at least 1800 B.C.E. Cacao became a widespread trade item and form of tribute. Elites, priests, and warriors consumed a variety of chocolate drinks using distinctive drinking ­vessels, means of frothing, and additives. The healthful properties were recognized, and chocolate was used to treat a variety of ailments before European contact.
Sorption of testosterone on partially-dispersed soil particles of different size fractions: Methodology and implications

Abstract Sorption of hormones to soil particles of different size fractions (DSFs) has been studied to understand their fate and transport (F/T) in soils. Conventional studies fractionated the soil particles into DSFs by using the high speed stirring method and/or adding surfactants to fully disperse the bulk soil. However, the natural processes (e.g., soil erosion, irrigation) often are relatively mild, and many soil particles may be still in the aggregate form. In this study, a method was developed for conducting the sorption test of a representative hormone (i.e., testosterone) to bulk soils first and then analyzing the results against DSFs. Results indicated the particle size distribution (PSD) of the two representative soils tested with partially-dispersed and fully-dispersed methods was significantly different due to the attachment of clay particles on sand and silt. Testosterone was sorbed mainly by the dominant aggregates even though they might have relatively lower sorption affinity than that of clays. However, the small particles (
Codifying the ‘Laws of Humanity’ and the ‘Dictates of the Public Conscience’: Towards a New Global Treaty on Crimes Against Humanity

On 17 July 2014 the United Nations International Law Commission voted to move the topic of a new treaty on crimes against humanity to its active agenda and appointed a Special Rapporteur. The expectation is that the Commission will ultimately send a complete set of Draft Articles to the United Nations General Assembly in due course. This could lead to the adoption of a new global treaty on crimes against humanity, filling a normative gap that has persisted for nearly seventy years. This chapter asks why – and whether – the international community should finally codify crimes against humanity in an international convention, particularly given its recent inclusion in the Statute of the International Criminal Court. It considers the normative foundations and practical application of crimes against humanity by international and national courts, and how a new treaty might strengthen both the preventive and punishment dimensions of national and international responses to these crimes. Finally, given the recent challenge to the legitimacy of the International Criminal Court by States resisting its jurisdiction as well as the more existential challenge posed by sceptics of international justice writ large, it offers a modest defence of what one might call ‘the international criminal justice project’ on legal and moral grounds.