cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of phenylamide herbicides on the physical properties of phosphatidylcholine membranes

A number of phenylamide herbicides are observed to uncouple electron transport in isolated chloroplasts and mitochondria and alter the H+ permeability of artificial liposomes. Several of these phenylamides were incorporated into phosphatidylcholine multilamellar and small unilamellar vesicles to measure their effects on the physical properties of membranes. X-ray diffraction analysis of the multilamellar vesicles revealed that the herbicides partitioned into the hydrocarbon chain region of the bilayer, but caused only minimal perturbations on hydrocarbon chain packing. 31P-NMR spectroscopy of these multilamellar vesicles showed both a broadening and lowering of the phase transition temperature of the bilayer lipids upon addition of the herbicides. 13C-NMR spectroscopy of small, unilamellar phosphatidylcholine vesicles was performed to measure the effects of the phenylamides on the chemical shifts and the spin-lattice relaxation times of the individual phosphatidylcholine carbon atoms. None of the added compounds had any measurable effect on the 13C-NMR chemical shifts of the phosphatidylcholine. However, the herbicides significantly modified spin-lattice relaxation times of certain of the lipid carbon atoms. These results generally indicate that the herbicides orient in the lipid bilayers such that the hydrocarbon chains of the phenylamides associate with the hydrocarbon chains of the lipid, whereas the phenyl moiety resides in the polar region of the bilayer.
A new era of resource responsibility for sensor networks

Sensor networks have taken off, but they are still notoriously difficult to program. Our group has deployed sensor networks for volcano monitoring and rehabilitation medicine, and each time we find that tuning the network to achieve the right trade-off in terms of data quality, battery lifetime, and bandwidth usage is quite painful. To make things worse, resource availability fluctuates over time, as does the load that the application places on those resources. The severely constrained and decentralized nature of sensor networks makes this problem fairly challenging.In this talk, I will argue that the software for sensor networks should be designed around the fundamental abstraction of resource-aware programming. In this model, the application has direct visibility and control over resources as a first-class primitive. This requires the application code to take responsibility for its own resource management decisions, since it cannot expect a "bailout" from the OS. This approach enables much more effective adaptations to changing conditions, and supports a rich space of resource-management policies.In this talk, I will present three related systems that leverage this approach: Pixie, a new sensor node operating system; Lance, a network-wide resource management plane; and Mercury, a platform for maximizing data quality in a wearable sensor network. I will present examples and evaluations based on our real-world deployments.
The Isoleucine Requirement of the Laying Hen

Abstract WHILE the requirements of the chick for the essential amino acids are known to a considerable extent those of the laying hen have been established only for trytophan, lysine, methionine and cystine (Ingram et al., 1951a, b) and leucine (Cravens, 1948). Work by Grau and Almquist (1944) with bovine blood protein indicated that the primary deficiency of blood cell protein was isoleucine. The following experiments were designed to ascertain the isoleucine requirements of the laying hen using blood meal as the protein carrier. EXPERIMENTAL Groups of four Single Comb White Leghorn pullets were kept in laying batteries with raised wire floors. Feed, water, and oyster shell were supplied ad libitum. The hens were inseminated weekly with pooled semen from New Hampshire males. The eggs were collected daily and pedigree hatched. At the time of setting, all eggs were weighed individually. The hens were fed a complete practical ration (Robblee et al., …
The gatekeeper effect: The impact of judges' admissibility decisions on the persuasiveness of expert testimony

In a pair of mock-trial studies of a possible “gatekeeper” effect, our participants were presented with a summary of a trial that included a piece of expert scientific evidence. The judge’s decision was manipulated to admit the scientific evidence, as well as the quality of the evidence and the credibility of the expert. Participants were found to be less critical of and more persuaded by expert evidence when it was presented within a trial, compared with the same evidence presented outside of a courtroom context. These findings suggest that, when judges allow expert testimony to reach the jury although the evidence is of low quality, they imbue it with undeserved credibility. Furthermore, no changes in participants’ perceptions of the evidence were found if the mock jurors were explicitly informed that the judge had evaluated the evidence, suggesting that the participants assumed that judges normally review evidence before allowing it to reach the jury. In addition, implications for basic research are discussed, as the moderating effects of a gatekeeper have not previously been considered by established models of persuasion.
The biomechanical relevance of anterior rotator cuff cable tears in a cadaveric shoulder model.

Background: Anterior tears of the supraspinatus tendon are more likely to be clinically relevant than posterior tears of the supraspinatus. We hypothesized that anterior tears of the supraspinatus tendon involving the rotator cuff cable insertion are associated with greater tear gapping, decreased tendon stiffness, and increased regional tendon strain under physiologic loading conditions compared with equivalently sized tears of the rotator cuff crescent. Methods: Twelve human cadaveric shoulders were randomized to undergo simulation of equivalently sized supraspinatus tears of either the anterior rotator cuff cable (n = 6) or the adjacent rotator cuff crescent (n = 6). For each specimen, the supraspinatus tendon was cyclically loaded from 10 N to 180 N, and a custom three-dimensional optical system was used to track markers on the surface of the tendon. Tear gap distance, stiffness, and regional strains of the supraspinatus tendon were calculated. Results: The tear gap distance of large cable tears (median gap distance, 5.2 mm) was significantly greater than that of large crescent tears (median gap distance, 1.3 mm) (p = 0.002), the stiffness of tendons with a small (p = 0.002) or large (p = 0.002) cable tear was significantly greater than that of tendons with equivalently sized crescent tears, and regional strains across the supraspinatus were significantly increased in magnitude and altered in distribution by tears involving the anterior insertion of the rotator cuff cable. Conclusions: These findings support our hypothesis that the rotator cuff cable, which is in the most anterior 8 to 12 mm of the supraspinatus tendon immediately posterior to the bicipital groove, is the primary load-bearing structure within the supraspinatus for force transmission to the proximal part of the humerus. Conversely, in the presence of an intact rotator cuff cable, the rotator cuff crescent insertion is relatively stress-shielded and plays a significantly lesser role in supraspinatus force transmission. Clinical Relevance: Clinicians should consider early repair of rotator cuff cable tears, which may need surgical intervention to address their biomechanical pathology. In contrast, surgical treatment may be more safely delayed for rotator cuff crescent tears.
Manipulation by the crab claw is dependent upon chordotonal organ afference

In crabs, the propus-dactylus (PD) chordotonal organ consists of about 80 bipolar sensory neurons whose dendrites are inserted into an elastic strand that spans the distalmost joint of chelae (claws) and walking legs. Movement of the dactyl to a closed position elongates the strand, while opening the dactyl shortens the strand. In response, the sensory neurons signal movements and positions. Is the crab dependent upon afference from the PD organ for voluntary control of the dactylus of the chelae? We quantified the manipulations of a standard food item by Dungeness crabs Cancer magister with intact chelipeds. Next, crabs were fed after the distal end of the elastic strand of the PD organ was detached (dPD) from the dactylus of both chelae or following a sham operation. All crabs fed avidly, but, in contrast to preoperative and sham crabs, statistical analysis revealed that dactyl-dependent manipulation (gripping, scraping, grasping, pull- ing, carrying, and cutting) by dPD crabs significantly decreased; crabs rarely used the dactyl fol- lowing detachment of the elastic strand. Manipulations not dactyl-dependent that involved the chelipeds and walking legs to aid feeding (cradling, stabilizing, and guiding) significantly increased. Physiological recordings indicate that the position-sensitive neurons of the PD organ fire tonically following detachment, but the firing rate is greater than that characteristic for the dactyl open position. Results support the hypothesis that feedback from the PD organ is required for the initiation and execution of precise contractions of the opener and closer muscles during directed movements of the dactyl. J. Exp. Zool. 279:579n586, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc. Chordotonal organs (CO) are proprioceptors that provide feedback regarding joint movement and position in arthropod limbs. Those of Decapoda Crustacea have been subjects of considerable ana- tomical and electrophysiological study. Each or- gan consists of either an elastic strand or sheet in which are imbedded sensory neuron endings (Whitear, '62). The organs have been named with the initials of the joint they monitor. For instance, the organ spanning the propus-dactylus joint is referred to as the PD organ (Burke, '53). The elec- trophysiological responses of CO neurons fall into two general categories: large units that fire phasically during movements and small units that fire tonically to maintained positions of joints (Wiersma and Boettiger, '59; Wiersma, '59). Out- put by CO has been shown to mediate resistance (Bush, '62, '65; Evoy and Cohen, '69; Spirito et al., '72), assistance (Vedel, '80, '82; DiCaprio and Clarac, '81), and intersegmental reflexes (Vedel et al., '75; Bush et al., '78; Clarac et al., '78).
A Separate Education: The Segregation of American Students and Teachers

Despite the obvious connection between the two, student and teacher segregation are rarely examined together. To help fill that gap, this essay explores what is known about the extent of interracial exposure for students and teachers in U.S. public schools. This article reviews evidence underscoring the paramount importance of school integration. A description of the legal landscape governing desegregation follows, as well as a discussion of why current patterns of racial isolation persist. The essay next describes the demographics and segregation of today's students and teachers. In particular, the essay focuses on the growing segregation of students of color, the lingering isolation of white students, and the ways in which the overwhelmingly white teaching force reinforces patterns of student segregation. We close with a discussion of the implications of these trends.
Evolving gaits for increased discriminability in terrain classification

Limbs are an attractive approach to certain niche robotic applications, such as urban search and rescue, that require both small size and the ability to locomote through highly rubbled terrain. Unfortunately, a large number of degrees of freedom implies there is a large space of non- optimal locomotion trajectories (gaits), making gait adaptation critical. On the other hand, these extra degrees of freedom open many possibilities for active sensing of the terrain, which is essential information for adapting the gait. In previous work, we developed a metric for terrain classification that makes use of the loping body motion (i.e. gait bounce) during locomotion. In this work we present a framework for evolving gaits to better differentiate the gait bounce signal across terrains. This framework includes a limb/terrain interaction model that estimates gait bounce based on established models of wheel/terrain interaction, and an objective function that can be optimized for terrain discriminability. Additional objective functions for improved locomotion are presented, as well as culling agents that help guide the evolution process away from real-world impossibilities.
Mechanisms of Hormone-Mediated Carcinogenesis of the Ovary

Experimental ovarian carcinogenesis has been investigated in inbred and hybrid strains of mice and induced by a diversity of mechanisms including X-irradiation, oocytotoxic xenobiotic chemicals, ovarian grafting to ectopic or orthotopic sites, neonatal thymectomy, mutant genes reducing germ cell populations, and aging. Disruptions in the function of graafian follicles by a variety of mechanisms results in a spectrum of ovarian proliferative lesions, including tumors. The findings in mutant and genetically engineered mice support the concept of a secondary (hormonally mediated) mechanism of ovarian tumorigenesis in mice associated with sterility. Multiple pathogenic factors that either destroy or diminish the numbers of graafian follicles in the ovary result in decreased sex hormone secretion, especially estradiol-17 β, leading to a compensatory overproduction of pituitary gonadotrophins, particularly LH, which places the mouse ovary at an increased risk for developing tumors in chronic studies. The intens...
Yersinia pestis CO92ΔyopH Is a Potent Live, Attenuated Plague Vaccine

An in-frame deletion of the yopH gene in Yersinia pestis CO92 attenuates virulence in both bubonic and pneumonic plague models. When it is used as a live, attenuated vaccine, CO92ΔyopH provides a high degree of protection from parental and respiratory challenge with Y. pestis CO92.
Selective binding of nuclear alpha-synuclein to the PGC1alpha promoter under conditions of oxidative stress may contribute to losses in mitochondrial function: Implications for Parkinson’s disease

Abstract Alpha-synuclein has been reported to be present in the nucleus and levels enhanced by oxidative stress. Herein, we sought to investigate the mechanistic role of nuclear alpha-synuclein. We found that alpha-synuclein nuclear localization coincided with enhanced chromatin binding both in an in vitro and a corresponding in vivo brain oxidative stress model previously characterized by our laboratory as well as in PD brain tissues. Genome-wide chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-on-chip analysis of alpha-synuclein:promoter binding in response to oxidative stress in vitro revealed that binding occurs at several promoters belonging to a range of functional categories including transcriptional regulation. Interestingly, given the important role of mitochondrial dysfunction in PD, this included binding to the promoter for the master mitochondrial transcription activator, PGC1alpha in vitro , in vivo , and in human brain tissue with age and PD. To test the possible mechanistic impact of alpha-synuclein PGC1alpha promotor binding, we assessed PGC1alpha promoter activity, mRNA, and protein levels and expression of candidate PGC1alpha target genes in our in vitro model. All were found to be reduced in conjunction with increased levels of aberrant mitochondrial morphology and impaired mitochondrial function. Exogenous PGC1alpha expression was found to attenuate alpha-synuclein-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction and subsequent neurotoxicity in vitro. Our data suggest that nuclear alpha-synuclein localization under conditions of oxidative stress may impact on mitochondrial function in part via the protein’s capacity to act as a transcriptional modulator of PGC1alpha. This represents a novel role for alpha-synuclein as it relates to mitochondrial dysfunction in PD.
A DNA vaccine for multiple sclerosis.

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease in which safety is of paramount importance when developing a potential therapeutic. Antigen-specific treatments provide a method for achieving efficacy while maintaining safety. DNA vaccines are one such form of treatment that have been tested in clinical trials Objective: To determine if a DNA vaccine is a viable method of antigen-specific treatment of MS. Results/conclusion: Phase I and II trials of BHT-3009, a DNA vaccine encoding myelin basic protein, demonstrated that it was safe, well-tolerated, and caused antigen-specific immune tolerance. BHT-3009 showed efficacy in reducing brain lesion activity as well as clinical relapses in patients that were immunologically active at baseline. BHT-3009 is a promising therapy in development for MS, and may prove to be one of the first antigen-specific treatments for this disease.
The cost of injury: hospital charges for pregnant trauma patients, 1999 to 2003

Abstract Background Traumatic injuries during pregnancy are the leading cause of nonobstetric maternal mortality. We aimed to determine hospital charges for trauma activations during pregnancy. Methods We used the Illinois State Trauma Registry data from 1999 to 2003. Using STATA for bivariate and regression analyses, we compared total hospital costs for women more than 24 weeks pregnant with nonpregnant women. Results Six hundred thirty-five pregnant women (2.4% of 26,806 female trauma patients) were admitted during the study period. In multivariate regression, pregnancy was associated with lower hospital charges; however, for any given length of stay, pregnancy increased hospital charges (α = $17,864.80, P = .001). Pregnancy also independently predicted increased length of stay for similar injury severity. Conclusions When controlling for injury severity, pregnancy independently predicted an increased duration of hospitalization and hospital charges. These findings have important implications for resource allocation and care of trauma in pregnancy.
Throughput Analysis for Parallel ARQ over Correlated MIMO Channels

We treat the throughput analyses of parallel ARQ schemes over correlated MIMO channels with adaptive modulation and coding (AMC). To describe the packet transmission over multiple parallel logic channels, we extend the existing burst- error model for single channel to multiple parallel logic channels. Based on such a packet error model, we derive the throughput of different parallel ARQ protocols. Moreover, to describe the temporally correlated physical channel fading, we generalize the existing Markov model for single channel to multiple parallel channels for MIMO systems. Then we develop a method for calculating the packet-level model parameters from the parameters of the physical-layer model and the MIMO transceiver. Using the above hierarchical throughput analysis framework, we investigate the potential throughput gain or throughput loss of parallel ARQ over the conventional serial ARQ in MIMO systems. Our results reveal that as SNR increases, parallel ARQ can achieve higher throughput gain or less throughput loss compared to serial ARQ; parallel SW can achieve throughput gain in most of the MIMO scenarios but increasing the number of antennas does not always bring higher gain; parallel GBN with large number of antennas and independent buffers can achieve throughput gain; parallel SR incurs throughput loss.
Scavenging by Spiders (Araneae) and Its Relationship to Pest Management of the Brown Recluse Spider

Experiments reported in Sandidge (2003; Nature 426: 30) indicated that the brown recluse spider, Loxosceles reclusa Gertsch & Mulaik, preferred to scavenge dead prey over live prey and that the spiders were not detrimentally affected when fed insecticide-killed crickets. Extrapolations made in subsequent media coverage disseminating the results of this research made counterintuitive statements that pesticide treatment in houses would increase brown recluse populations in homes. This information was presented as if the scavenging behavior was specialized in the brown recluse; however, it was more likely that this behavior has not been well studied in other species. To provide a comparison, the current laboratory study examined the likelihood of non-Loxosceles spiders to scavenge dead prey. Of 100 non-Loxosceles spiders that were tested (from 11 families, 24 genera, and at least 29 species from a variety of spider hunting guilds), 99 scavenged dead crickets when offered in petri dishes. Some of the spiders were webspinners in which real-world scavenging of dead prey is virtually impossible, yet they scavenge when given the opportunity. Therefore, scavenging is a flexible opportunistic predatory behavior that is spread across a variety of taxa and is not a unique behavior in brown recluses. These findings are discussed in relation to pest management practices.
BER Degradation by Signal-Reshaping Processors With Noninstantaneous Response

We show analytically that if the response of a signal-reshaping processor is slower than (or comparable to) the time scale of variations of the temporal profile of the input signal, then such a processor necessarily degrades the signal's bit error rate (BER). Here, the BER comparison is made for the cases where the receiver is placed immediately before and immediately after the processor. As primary examples of such processors, we consider all-optical 2R (reamplification and reshaping) regenerators, but also mention that the aforementioned BER degradation can occur in wavelength converters and electronic components of the receiver.
Health Insurance Coverage of Mexican American Families in the U.S. The Effect of Employment Context and Family Structure in Rural and Urban Settings

This article examines the impact of the employment context and family structure on the health insurance status of Mexican families. Data from the 1987 National Medical Expenditure Survey were used to (a) examine the differences in the extent of family coverage among Latino families in the U.S., (b) determine whether differences in the residential distribution of these families is responsible for these differences, and (c) assess the impact of family characteristics and the employment context on the health insurance status of Mexican and non-Latino White families within and across residential groups. Although residential differences existed in both the way Latino families access health insurance and in the impact of family characteristics and the employment context on the odds of having family coverage, it was not found to explain the difference in health insurance. The extended family had a significant impact on the odds of having no one insured in the family versus having everyone insured.
Thermal effects on movement patterns of yellow baboons

This paper examines the effect of thermal environment on movement patterns of free-ranging yellow baboons (Papio cynocephalus). For Amboseli baboons, one source of potential thermal stress is intense midday heat, and a plausible thermoregulatory response is for animals to simply move into the shade. I therefore examined the hypothesis that baboons would choose quadrats with higher shade availability (as measured by vegetation cover) in response to increasing midday heat loads (as measured by air temperature and solar radiation).
Stomatal responses to increased CO2: implications from the plant to the global scale

Increased atmospheric CO 2 often but not always leads to large decreases in leaf conductance. Decreased leaf conductance has important implications for a number of components of CO 2 responses, from the plant to the global scale. All of the factors that are sensitive to a change in soil moisture, either amount or timing, may be affected by increased CO 2 . The list of potentially sensitive processes includes soil evaporation, run-off, decomposition, and physiological adjustments of plants, as well as factors such as canopy development and the composition of the plant and microbial communities. Experimental evidence concerning ecosystem-scale consequences of the effects of CO 2 on water use is only beginning to accumulate, but the initial indication is that, in water-limited areas, the effects of CO 2 -induced changes in leaf conductance are comparable in importance to those of CO 2 -induced changes in photosynthesis. Above the leaf scale, a number of processes interact to modulate the response of canopy or regional evapotranspiration to increased CO 2 . While some components of these processes tend to amplify the sensitivity of evapotranspiration to altered leaf conductance, the most likely overall pattern is one in which the responses of canopy and regional evapotranspiration are substantially smaller than the responses of canopy conductance. The effects of increased CO 2 on canopy evapotranspiration are likely to be smallest in aerodynamically smooth canopies with high leaf conductances. Under these circumstances, which are largely restricted to agriculture, decreases in evapotranspiration may be only one-fourth as large as decreases in canopy conductance. Decreased canopy conductances over large regions may lead to altered climate, including increased temperature and decreased precipitation. The simulation experiments to date predict small effects globally, but these could be important regionally, especially in combination with radiative (greenhouse) effects of increased CO 2 .
Motion-contrast sensitivity: visibility of motion gradients of various spatial frequencies

The purpose of our experiments was to estimate basic sensitivity to motion gradients and to evaluate the evidence for second-order integration and differentiation of motion signals. We measured sensitivity to spatially sinusoidal contrast modulation between two oppositely moving bandpass-filtered noise images. The motion-contrast sensitivity function, defined as the inverse of threshold modulation amplitude as a function of modulation spatial frequency, was bandpass in shape with declines at both highest and lowest frequencies. The functions for three noise spatial frequencies had approximately the same shape when modulation frequency was expressed as a fraction of noise frequency. We compared the data with a model in which linear motion filters, whose outputs are squared or rectified, are followed by a second stage of excitatory or inhibitory pooling. The data are consistent with a model in which (1) all excitatory pooling occurs at the linear stage and (2) the second stage contains a large inhibitory pooling area, with a radius approximately eight times that of the linear receptive field.
On the determination of zooplankton lipid content and the occurrence of gelatinous copepods

Wax esters extracted and purified from the copepod CaJanus pacificus elicit a different response in quantitative thin-layer chromatography-flame ionization detection (TLC-FID) than simpler, saturated wax esters available from commercial sources and commonly used for instrument calibration. Failure to use native copepod wax esters in calibration procedures results in underesti- mates of 18-32% in wax ester content, depending on the mass of lipid loaded on chromarods. In con- trast to wax esters, triacylglycerols from the copepod Eucalanus califomicus, as well as phospholipids from E.califomicus and C. pacificus, elicited no significant difference in detector response in com- parisons with commercially available standard compounds. Extraction of copepod lipids in solutions of chloroform:methanol results in the release of non-lipid material. Therefore, indirect gravimetric measures of lipid content that rely on calculation of lipid mass by difference after 'de-fatting' cope- pods greatly overestimate the true lipid content. Lipid-specific assays with appropriate calibration standards are essential for the accurate quantification of the lipid content of planktonic animals. The water content differs appreciably among co-occurring species of copepods, averaging 82-84% in Rhn- calanus nasutus, C.pacificus and Melridia pacifica, but 93% of body mass in E.califomicus. The occur- rence of gelatinous tissues in some planktonic copepod species underscores the need to take account of structural and life history diversity among taxa. Care must be taken in the selection of the inde- pendent variable used to scale zooplankton lipid content and other structural and metabolic relation- ships.
A comparison of betahistine hydrochloride with placebo for vertebral-basilar insufficiency: a double-blind study.

To test the effectiveness of betahistine HCl in reducing the frequency of transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) caused by vertebral-basilar artery insufficiency, we randomly assigned 26 patients with a typical history of the condition to a placebo-drug or a drug-placebo sequence, each sequence lasting two months. During the study, the frequency of TIAs did not differ significantly between the placebo and the drug groups. Subjective responses indicated some value for betahistine as a palliative agent.
Fuzzy logic control: a systematic design and performance assessment methodology

Fuzzy logic and its applications to modelling and control of dynamical systems has been at the centre of controversy over recent years. The successes and failures of this new technology have brought it to the attention of the public media, the professional societies and the trade periodicals.
Mapping motion II: motion capture and the visualisation of dance

There is a long and rich tradition of visualising human movement in the history of dance. When considering traditional dance notation in Envisioning Information, Edward Tufte pointed to the dilemmas involved in reducing "the magnificent reality of time and three-space into little marks in flatland," another instance of the difficulty of "escaping flatland" (Tufte 1990, 119). In "Mapping Motion: The Principles of Motion Capture and the Law of Projection," presented at EVA London 2013, I examined performance capture in 3D animation, as used in films such as Avatar and The Lord of the Rings, to understand how Wittgenstein's law of projection could illuminate the broader principles involved in this powerful and rapidly developing art form. In this talk, I will present a parallel case study of projective visualisation in dance, another art form significantly affected by, and in the minds of some of its most significant and creative practitioners extended by, motion capture. LifeForms, a computer choreographic software tool developed at Simon Fraser University, was used by legendary choreographer Merce Cunningham to create revolutionary dances. In "Wittgenstein and Tufte on Thinking in 3D," presented at EVA London 2012, I argued that the mapping relation captured by the law of projection in the Tractatus contributed to our understanding of Tufte's theories of envisioning information. There, the projective relation mapping information to visual data displays is central to escaping flatland. In this talk, I will explore whether such a mapping relation, and the law of projection informing it, can also ground the principles of representation involved in motion capture as it functions creatively in computer visualisations of dance. While the argument is grounded in concrete practices of electronic visualisation, my concern will be to argue that Wittgenstein's logic of depiction, informed by his law of projection, illuminates the theoretical underpinnings of these important case studies.
“There is no free here, you have to pay”: actual and perceived costs as barriers to intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy in Mali

“There is no free here,” the words of a Malian husband, illustrate how perceptions of cost can deter uptake of intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy (IPTp). The Malian Ministry of Health (MOH) recommends a minimum of three doses of IPTp at monthly intervals. However, despite a national policy that IPTp be provided free of charge, only 35 % of pregnant women receive at least one dose and less than 20 % receive two or more doses. This study explored perceptions and experiences of IPTp cost in Mali and their impact on uptake, using qualitative interviews and focus groups with pregnant women, husbands and mothers-in-law. Study team members also interviewed and observed health workers at four health centres, two in Sikasso Region and two in Koulikoro. Despite national-level policies, actual IPTp costs varied widely at study sites—between facilities, and visits. Pregnant women may pay for IPTp, receive it free, or both at different times. Health centres often charge a lump sum for antenatal care (ANC) visits that includes both free and fee-based drugs and services. This makes it difficult for women and families to distinguish between free services and those requiring payment. As a result, some forego free care that, because it is bundled with other fee-based services and medications, appears not to be free. Varying costs also complicate household budgeting for health care, particularly as women often rely on their husbands for money. Finally, while health facilities operating under the cost-recovery model strive to provide free IPTp, their own financial constraints often make this impossible. Both actual and perceived costs are currently barriers to IPTp uptake. Given the confusion around cost of services in the two study regions, more detailed national-level studies of both perceived and actual costs could help inform policy and programme decisions promoting IPTp. These studies should evaluate both quantitatively and qualitatively the cost information provided to and understood by pregnant women and their families. Meanwhile, unbundling free and fee-based services, making clear that IPTp is free, and ensuring that it is provided at no cost could help increase uptake. Free community-based distribution might be another route to increased uptake and adherence.
Effects of Surface Curvature on Flow Interactions of Small Cylindrical Protuberances and the Supersonic Turbulent Boundary Layer

This a combined experimental and computational study to evaluate the aerodynamic forces resulting from the interaction of small cylindrical protuberances and the boundary layer of a cylindrical body in Mach 3.0 flow. It is a continuation of a study on the effects of the same protuberances on the flow over a flat plate model. Cylindrical pin protuberances with diameters of 2 mm and 6 mm were tested. Protuberance heights of 2 mm, 4 mm and 6 mm were tested on a 63.5 mm diameter cylinder with an ogive nosecone. The boundary layer thickness was approximately 2.6mm. The set 2 mm diameter protuberances were also tested in a group of four at all three heights. Oil flow visualization, schlieren photography, and pressure data were recorded with a variety of pin configurations to capture a three dimensional understanding of the flow structures. Both schlieren and pressure data were captured a 10 kHz to capture the unsteady flow behavior. The results were that the there was a decrease of between 5 and 9% in the side forces produced by the pins. The drag was increased in some cases but reduced by up to 31% for the largest pins. Flow visualization showed that the upstream separation point did not move due to the curvature but the lateral spread of the separation front was limited and the peak pressures decreased due to flow relief from the addition on curvature.
POLICE PROTECTION AND CHANGES IN URBAN POPULATION

Ogburn (1937) reported that the number of police officers in major cities expressed as a proportion of the population was greater in those cities whose populations were decreasing than in those whose populations were increasing. In order to explore whether the same phenomenon was currently in evidence, data on cities in the USA in 1970 with a population of 250,000 or more were examined. Data on the number of police officers in the cities in 1970 were obtained from the Uniform Gime Reports, as was the crime index (which was expressed as a rate per unit population). Data on the population of the cities in 1960 and 1970 were obtained from the United States Statistical Abstract. Cities with increasing populations had a smaller ratio of police officers/ population than cities with a decreasing population (on a median test x2 = 9.06, df = 1, p < 0.01; respective medians of 1.7 and 3.2 police officers per 1,000 people). The two groups of cities did not differ in population (x2 = 0.07, df = 1). However, cities with increasing populations did have significantly higher crime indexes than cities with decreasing populations (x2 = 6.06, df = 1, p < 0.02) for 1975, but not for 1970 (x2 = 0.67 ) .l This suggests an important problem. Cities with increasing populations are typically going to confronr a greater crime problem, yet have proportionately fewer police officers to deal with this problem. REFERENCE
Patient age influences perceptions about health care communication.

Objective: The study’s objective was to determine if a patient’s age is independently associated with how he/she perceives interactions with health care providers. Methods: We used a secondary, crosssectional analysis of nationally representative data from the 2002 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). We measured the independent association between patient age and six outcomes pertaining to communication and decision-making autonomy, while simultaneously controlling for gender, race, ethnicity, family income, educational attainment, census region, rural residence, insurance status, and usual source of care. Results: Compared to patients ≥ 65 years, patients ages 18–64 were less likely to report that their provider “always” listened to them, “always” showed respect for what they had to say, and “always” spent enough time with them. Discussion: Patient perceptions of health care interactions vary by age. A better understanding of how and why age is associated with patientprovider communication could be useful to design practice-level interventions that enhance services and also to develop national policies that improve health care delivery and health outcomes.
The Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement: A California Perspective

The Streamlined Sales Tax Project is a national effort to develop a standardized sales tax system. In November 2002, the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement (the "Agreement") was approved by 30 states and the District of Columbia. As of November 2004, 21 states enacted legislation to reform their sales tax system in accordance with the Agreement. California became an active voting participant in this effort in January 2004. The next step is for California to decide whether to conform its sales and use tax laws to those of the Agreement. Preliminary analysis by the California State Board of Equalization indicates that conforming to the Agreement would require a major overhaul of the state's sales and use tax system. Taxes collected on sales throughout the state would be affected, not just taxes on sales made over the Internet. This report analyzes the impacts of joining the Agreement on the California sales and use tax system. The report also analyzes state revenue losses due to the inability to enforce use tax collection on remote sales (mail catalog and electronic sales). Advocates for the streamlining process argue that use tax compliance would improve if all states were to comply with the SSUTA.
On Building Corporation Culture in China

Corporation culture is a spirit,value standards,basic faith and behavior conduct insisted and abided by whole employees.It is formed and fostered step by step in the long process of production and management of a corporation under some kind of economic and cultural background.In order to develop a corporation,people must pay attention to the problems and solutions of building corporation culture and promote corporation culture.
Colorectal Neoplasms: Screening and Surveillance After Polypectomy

Screening for colorectal cancer in average-risk individuals begins at age 50 and may continue to age 75. Screening intervals vary according to personal and family history. A number of screening modalities now exist, though colonoscopy remains the gold standard as it is both diagnostic and therapeutic. Attention to quality improvement guidelines can enhance the efficacy of colonoscopy screening. Surveillance after colonoscopic polypectomy is dependent on polyp type, size, and number. Management considerations for occult carcinomas noted after polypectomy are based on histology and polyp morphology (sessile vs. pedunculated).
SPEECH BREATHING KINEMATICS AND MECHANISM INFERENCES THEREFROM

ABSTRACT This paper discusses a kinematic method for analyzing chest wall behavior and illustrates its use in inferring speech breathing function. Data are presented from a representative normal subject and from subjects with congenital deafness, motor neuron disease, Friedreich's ataxia, and acute paralytic poliomyelitis.
Eight- and Nine-Node Elements

Purpose of Lesson To formulate the stiffness matrices and evaluate the modeling characteristics of eight- and nine-node finite elements using strain gradient notation.
Migraine: Treasure hunt in a minefield - exploring migraine with GWAS.

In a powerful display of international collaboration, a new genome-wide association study has mapped susceptibility loci for migraine on the basis of genetic data from 375,000 individuals. The study implicates several new loci in migraine — many of them suggestive of vascular pathophysiology — but the functional relevance of many now-detected risk alleles remains elusive.
Joint Detection and Localization in Sensor Networks Based on Local Decisions

A generalized likelihood ratio test (GLRT) based decision fusion method that uses quantized data from local sensors is proposed to jointly detect and localize a target in a wireless sensor field. The signal intensity is assumed to be inversely proportional to a power of the distance from the target. The GLRT, its corresponding maximum likelihood (ML) estimator, and the Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) are derived. Simulation results show that this fusion rule has a significantly improved detection performance, compared with the counting rule (for hard local decisions) or the intuitive fusion rules based on the average of sensor data (for soft local decisions).
Sex differences in the neuro-immune consequences of stress: Focus on depression and anxiety

Women appear to be more vulnerable to the depressogenic effects of inflammation than men. Chronic stress, one of the most pertinent risk factors of depression and anxiety, is known to induce behavioral and affective-like deficits via neuroimmune alterations including activation of the brain's immune cells, pro-inflammatory cytokine expression, and subsequent changes in neurotransmission and synaptic plasticity within stress-related neural circuitry. Despite well-established sexual dimorphisms in the stress response, immunity, and prevalence of stress-linked psychiatric illnesses, much of current research investigating the neuroimmune impact of stress remains exclusively focused on male subjects. We summarize and evaluate here the available data regarding sex differences in the neuro-immune consequences of stress, and some of the physiological factors contributing to these differences. Furthermore, we discuss the extent to which sex differences in stress-related neuroinflammation can account for the overall female bias in stress-linked psychiatric disorders including major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders. The currently available evidence from rodent studies does not unequivocally support the peripheral inflammatory changes seen in women following stress. Replication of many recent findings in stress-related neuroinflammation in female subjects is necessary in order to build a framework in which we can assess the extent to which sex differences in stress-related inflammation contribute to the overall female bias in stress-related affective disorders.
Direct and indirect cost of managing alzheimer’s disease and related dementias in the United States

Care of individuals with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) poses special challenges. As the disease progresses, individuals with ADRD require increasing levels of medical care, caregiver support, and long-term care which can lead to substantial economic burden. Areas covered: In this expert review, we synthesized findings from studies of costs of ADRD in the United States that were published between January 2006 and February 2017, highlighted major sources of variation in costs, identified knowledge gaps and briefly outlined directions for future research and implications for policy and program planning. Expert commentary: A consistent finding of all studies comparing individuals with and without ADRD is that the average medical, non-medical, and indirect costs of individuals with ADRD are higher than those without ADRD, despite the differences in the methods of identifying ADRD, duration of the study, payer type and settings of study population. The economic burden of ADRD may be underestimated because many components such as direct non-medical costs for home safety modifications and adult day care services and indirect costs due to the adverse impact of ADRD on caregivers' health and productivity are not included in cost estimates.
The Impact of Courts on Public Management: New Insights From the Legal Literature:

This article challenges some of the accepted wisdom about the relationship between courts and public institutions. The authors raise a reasonable doubt concerning whether judges as a whole are refu...
Geometrically-induced loss suppression in plasmoelectronic nanostructures (Conference Presentation)

Nanostructured metals have utilized the strong spatial confinement of surface plasmon polaritons to harness enormous energy densities on their surfaces, and have demonstrated vast potential for the future of nano-optical systems and devices. While the spectral location of the plasmonic resonance can be tailored with relative ease, the control over the spectral linewidth associated with loss represents a more daunting task. In general, plasmonic resonances typically exhibit a spectral linewidth of ~50 nm, limited largely by the combined damping and radiative loss in nanometallic structures. Here, we present one of the sharpest resonance features demonstrated by any plasmonic system reported to date by introducing dark plasmonic modes in diatomic gratings. Each duty cycle of the diatomic grating consists of two nonequivalent metallic stripes, and the asymmetric design leads to the excitation of a dark plasmonic mode under normal incidence. The dark plasmonic mode in our structure, occurring at a prescribed wavelength of ~840 nm, features an ultra-narrow spectral linewidth of about 5 nm, which represents a small fraction of the value commonly seen in typical plasmonic resonances. We leverage the dark plasmonic mode in the metallic nanostructure and demonstrate a resonance enhanced plasmoelectric effect, where the photon-induced electric potential generated in the grating is shown to follow the resonance behavior in the spectral domain. The light concentrating ability of dark plasmonic modes in conjunction with the ultra-sharp resonance feature at a relatively low loss offers a novel route to enhanced light-matter interactions with high spectral sensitivity for diverse applications.