cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dynamics of P dissolution processes in the matrix and rhizospheres of bald cypress growing in saturated soil

Abstract Phosphorus release to ground or surface waters is commonly observed in wetlands that were restored on previously drained and farmed land, but the precise location of where the P is dissolved within the soil is unknown. This study compared the concentration of dissolved P in both the rhizospheres and soil matrix under saturated conditions. Experiments were conducted in rhizotrons (glass-walled boxes) which were filled with Ap horizon material from an Aeric Alaquod in a restored wetland. Phosphorus release was monitored from the rhizospheres of bald cypress roots (Taxodium distichum, L.), and an unplanted control representing the soil matrix. The rhizotrons were saturated for 120 days, and soil water was collected twice monthly at three depths. Numbers of live and dead roots were determined monthly. Following saturation, vigorous root growth was observed near the surface (0 to 22 cm depth) throughout the 120 days saturation period, while up to 30% of the roots in the lower layer (41 to 59 cm depth) died after 20 days of saturation. Rhizosphere processes did not increase P concentrations in the soil solution compared to the matrix controls. In the top layer of the planted treatment dissolved total P concentrations were 3.5 times lower than matrix concentrations (peak DTP of 700–900 μg P L− 1””) due to oxygen loss by root aerenchyma. Significantly larger amounts of dissolved organic C and Fe2 + were found in the rhizospheres than the matrix. Dissolved total P concentrations in the rhizosphere were equal to DTP concentrations in the matrix during the first 54 days of saturation, but lower than those of the matrix thereafter, most likely due to plant uptake. These findings indicate that under saturated conditions plant rhizospheres do not cause more P to be released to the soil water over that of the matrix, and may contain lower amounts of P than the soil matrix due to plant uptake. These results pertain to soils having an organic C concentration of at least 26 g kg− 1 or higher.
The role of excited electronic states in ion fragmentation: C6H6+

Abstract The present article presents a critical review of our understanding of the fragmentation behavior of the electronically excited C 6 H 6 + system. This system produces a number of primary ionic fragments at low excitation energy. The determination of the structure of these fragments is discussed. The evidence for structural isomerization is reviewed, both for fragmenting and non- fragmenting C 6 H 6 + ions. The energetics of various ionization and fragmentation processes is established and presented, leading to conclusions about the relative stability of various C 6 H 6 + isomer states. The competition between fragmentation, internal conversion, and reradiation of electronic excitation energy is examined. Lastly, the methodology for estimating heats of formation of molecules and ions of unusual structure is briefly discussed.
Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of Heparin Oligosaccharides with both Anti-factor Xa and Anti-factor IIa Activities

Heparan sulfate (HS) and heparin are highly sulfated polysaccharides. Heparin is a commonly used anticoagulant drug that inhibits the activities of factors Xa and IIa (also known as thrombin) to prevent blood clot formation. Here, we report the synthesis of a series of size-defined oligosaccharides to probe the minimum size requirement for an oligosaccharide with anti-IIa activity. The synthesis was completed by a chemoenzymatic approach involving glycosyltransferases, HS sulfotransferases, and C5-epimerase. We demonstrate the ability to synthesize highly purified N-sulfo-oligosaccharides having up to 21 saccharide residues. The results from anti-Xa and anti-IIa activity measurements revealed that an oligosaccharide longer than 19 saccharide residues is necessary to display anti-IIa activity. The oligosaccharides also exhibit low binding toward platelet factor 4, raising the possibility of preparing a synthetic heparin with a reduced effect of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. The results from this study demonstrate the ability to synthesize large HS oligosaccharides and provide a unique tool to probe the structure and function relationships of HS that require the use of large HS fragments.
Friction and failure of electroplated sliding contacts

Abstract The mechanisms of friction and failure of electroplated gold contacts have been investigated. Brass balls and plates which were electroplated with nickel and gold were used as contact specimens. Reciprocating sliding tests were conducted with a sphere-on-flat geometry. The frictional force, electrical contact resistance and acoustic emission (AE) signals were continuously recorded during the sliding tests. Scanning electron microscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy were used to identify the failure process. In addition, lubricated sliding tests were conducted with polyphenyl ether as a lubricant. Three stages could be distinguished in the unlubricated sliding tests. In stage I, the friction coefficient increased steadily and prows formed on the ball surface, which then were rubbed off. In state II, cracks initiated and propagated at the nickel-brass interface of the ball specimen and eventually emerged to the surface. The friction coefficient was more or less constant in this stage until plate-like wear particles were delaminated from the nickel-brass interface of the ball specimen. In stage III, wear particles continually delaminated from the ball specimen and adhered to the plate surface, resulting in high and fluctuating friction as well as severe wear. The r.m.s. values of the AE signal remained more or less constant in the first two stages but fluctuated significantly in stage III. Lubrication was very effective in delaying the interfacial failure. The implications of these findings for the design of electrical connectors are discussed.
Asymmetric mean reversion in corporate profits

This article applies the Enders and Granger (1998) unit root test against the stationary alternative with asymmetric adjustment to after-tax corporate profits. Both the standard Dickey–Fuller (1981) model and the momentum threshold autoregressive (MTAR) model reject the null hypothesis of a unit root; however, asymmetric mean reversion is found with the MTAR model. The findings are consistent with economic theories of entry and exit and traditional competitive macroeconomic models.
Parallel algorithms for computing linked list prefix

Given a linked list chi/sub 1/, chi/sub 2/, ....chi/sub n/ with chi/sub i/ following chi/sub i-1/ in the list and an associative operation O, the linked list prefix problem is to compute all prefixes O/sup j//sub i=1/chi/sub 1/, j=1,2,...,n. In this paper the authors study the linked list prefix problem on parallel computation models. A deterministic algorithm for computing a linked list prefix on a completely connected parallel computation model is obtained by applying vector balancing techniques. The time complexity of the algorithm is O(n/rho + rho log rho), where n is the number of elements in the linked list and rho is the number of processors used. Therefore their algorithm is optimal when n {ge}rho/sup 2/logrho. A PRAM linked list prefix algorithm is also presented. This PRAM algorithm has time complexity O(n/rho + log rho) with small multiplicative constant. It is optimal when n {ge}rho log rho.
Electrocardiographic changes in cerebrovascular hemorrhage

Abstract The electrocardiographic abnormalities found in localized cerebrovascular hemorrhage which have been documented by computerized tomography (CT) scans are described. Frontal lobe hemorrhages are associated especially with the electrocardiographic abnormalities of QT prolongation and neurogenic T waves. Brain stem hemorrhage seems to be associated with noncardiogenic pulmonary edema, and sudden development of atrial fibrillation. It is proposed that the cause of ECG abnormalities in association with lesions in the vincinity of area 13 on the orbital surface of the frontal lobe, or around the circle of Willis, results from alterations in sympathetic and parasympathetic tone mediated by fibers from the orbito-frontal area to the heart via the stellate ganglia.
The effects of Ca++ ions on the C14-catecholamine biosynthesis from C14-tyrosine in slices from the striatum of rats.

Abstract The effect of Ca++ ions on C14-catecholamine biosynthesis from C14-tyrosine was investigated in slices obtained from the striatum of rats pretreated with a monoamine oxidase inhibitor. The C14-dopamine biosynthesis from C14-tyrosine is significantly increased in slices incubated in media deprived of Ca++ ions. Addition of calcium to the incubation media evokes a dose dependent decrease of C14-dopamine biosynthesis. It is postulated that in absence of Ca++ ions a diminished feedback inhibition induces an acceleration in catecholamine biosynthesis.
Thyroid doses and risk to paediatric patients undergoing neck CT examinations

Objective To estimate thyroid doses and cancer risk for paediatric patients undergoing neck computed tomography (CT).
Comparison between clinical and radiological evaluation before and after medical therapy in patients with Crohn’s disease: new prospective roles of CT enterography

In recent years, CT enterography (CTE) has emerged as an important methodology to study patients with Crohn’s disease (CD). The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between clinical response to therapy and CTE findings in CD patients. Forty-five patients with proven CD underwent CTE before and after medical therapy. In CTE we evaluated bowel thickness, longitudinal extension of parietal thickening, presence of target signs and extraintestinal signs. The clinical response to therapy was judged based on clinical global assessment and classified as improved, worsened or stable disease. Radiological judgement was compared to clinical judgement. The Cohen kappa test, t test or Anova analysis and χ 2 test were used for comparisons. Among 45 enrolled patients, 21 (47 %) improved clinically, five (11 %) worsened, 19 (42 %) remained stable. Clinical improvement was significantly correlated to reduced intestinal thickness, reduced longitudinal extension of the disease, increased diameter of pathological bowel and reduced target signs (p < 0.05). Worsening conditions were significantly correlated to increased longitudinal extent, increased parietal thickness and reduced lumen diameter (p < 0.05). CT judgement was in agreement with physician’s clinical assessment in 34 patients (76 %), showing improved disease in 16/21 patients (76 %), stable disease in 14/19 patients (74 %) and worsening in 4/5 patients (80 %). No agreement was observed in 11 (24 %) patients. CT enterography provide specific and measurable parameters in evaluating the response to therapy in CD patients.
Pho85/Cdk5 is a Positive Regulator of Phosphatidylinositol 3,5-Bisphosphate via Direct Phosphorylation of Fab1/PIKfyve

The signaling lipid phosphatidylinositol 3,5-bisphosphate (PI(3,5)P2) plays critical roles in multiple tissues and multiple organisms. PI(3,5)P2 is regulated in part via a protein complex that contains the PI3P-5-kinase Fab1, the PI(3,5)P2 lipid phosphatase, Fig4, and the scaffold Vac14. In yeast, as well as in neurons, PI(3,5)P2 levels are transiently and rapidly elevated in response to selected signals. However to date, the upstream signaling pathways that regulate PI(3,5)P2 have not been identified. Here we report that in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the CDK, Pho85 and the cyclin, Pho80 are required for the acute elevation of PI(3,5)P2 upon hyper-osmotic shock. Pho85-Pho80 directly phosphorylates Fab1 and positively regulates the synthesis of PI(3,5)P2. Furthermore, we find that Pho85-Pho80 phosphorylation of Fab1 likely generates a conformation change that activates Fab1 lipid kinase activity. Cdk5- p35, the mammalian homologue of Pho85-Pho80, is particularly critical in neuronal physiology and regulate multiple pathways. Notably, we find that mammalian Cdk5-p35 directly phosphorylates peptides of mammalian Fab1/PIKfyve, which strongly suggests that PIKfve is a direct target of Cdk5-p35 in tissue culture cells. These studies reveal a conserved, new down stream target of Cdk5, and provide insights into how PI(3,5)P2 is regulated.
Intensification of small game resources at Klissoura Cave 1 (Peloponnese, Greece) from the Middle Paleolithic to Mesolithic

Abstract In many parts of the Mediterranean Basin, resource intensification occurred across the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition, and again before the beginning of the Mesolithic. Central to understanding resource intensification is distinguishing human demographic pressures from environmental factors. This paper examines the intensification of vertebrate resources at Klissoura Cave 1 in the Peloponnese, Greece, from marine oxygen isotope stage (MIS) 5a until the early Holocene (from about 80,000 to 10,000 years ago) against the backdrop of changing environments. Occasional fluctuations in large game resources, as well as changing proportions of certain small game (e.g. great bustard) correlate to environmental shifts in the eastern Mediterranean during the Late Pleistocene. Prey choice models are used to understand human demographic pressures and resource intensification. Small game animals are ranked according to these models, with slow-moving species (e.g. tortoises) classified as higher-ranking and fast-moving species (e.g. hares and birds) categorized as low-ranking. Two major shifts are apparent in the sequence. The first is an overall increase in the use of small game animals in the Upper Paleolithic and later diets as compared to ungulate prey. The second is a decrease in higher-ranked small game and a corresponding increase in low-ranked small game animals. These trends are evident using either number of identified specimen (NISP) counts or proxy measures of prey biomass. An application of diversity indices indicates that there is no temporal trend in prey evenness, though fluctuations in evenness values have different meanings for ungulate and small-bodied prey. An increase in evenness of ungulate species typically correlates with climatic amelioration. Increasing evenness values for small game animals, however, are related to environmental factors in some instances, and changes in human exploitation patterns in other cases.
An autoradiographic study of subcortical forebrain projections from mediodorsal and adjacent midline thalamic nuclei in the rabbit.

Abstract Conclusions from lesion studies on the subcortical efferent connections of the thalamic mediodorsal nucleus have been varied and conflicting. In this autoradiographic study, tritiated proline was injected into the mediodorsal nucleus and adjacent midline nuclear areas (intermediodorsal nucleus and paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus) of 18 rabbits. Terminal labeling from injections that included parts of the paraventricular nucleus was seen in the following ipsilateral areas: central amygdaloid nucleus, lateral septum, a restricted portion of the nucleus of the stria terminalis, entorhinal cortex and the entire extent of the medial (periventricular) hypothalamus. Injections that encroached into the intermediodorsal nucleus produced ipsilateral labeling in most of the nucleus accumbens, layers II and III of the olfactory tubercle, the magnocellular portion of the posterolateral basal amygdaloid nucleus and the caudate nucleus. Injections restricted to the mediodorsal nucleus produced labeling only in the ipsilateral caudate nucleus. It is concluded that medial portions of the mediodorsal nucleus only project to the caudate nucleus; whereas the midline nuclei project to the other eight subcortical areas in addition to the caudate nucleus. By attributing to the midline nuclei many of the projections previously associated with the mediodorsal nucleus, many discrepancies from earlier reports can be explained by lesion of fibers of passage. Efferent functional relationships of the mediodorsal nucleus with subcortical centers may be established through the caudate projections or projections to other thalamic structures, such as the adjacent midline nuclei.
Highlights of the DNA Vaccines 2011 Meeting

In July 2011, DNA vaccine researchers from the world over met once again to present and discuss their research at the 2011 DNA Vaccine meeting held July 12–14 in beautiful San Diego, CA along scenic Coronado Bay. This meeting, presented under the auspices of the International Society of DNA Vaccines, centered on the theme of “Building on Clinical Progress and Exploring New Targets”. This provocative meeting covered studies on a number of important immunotherapy and vaccine targets, including those for infectious agents as well as those for non-infectious diseases. A number of these studies are included in the special issue highlighting the presentations made at this meeting. As well, we are very pleased to have the opportunity to present these papers in a peer-reviewed Special Issue of the excellent journal Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics. In this issue a number of important viral infectious agents are targeted, i.e., human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Ebola. Bacterial and parasitic agents also were targeted, as exemplified by the papers included in this issue on Staphylococcus aureus andmalaria, respectively. Likewise, several cancer immunotherapy papers targeting melanoma are highlighted. There has also been a continued interest and effort in the field to utilize immune co-stimulatory molecules to further drive the potential efficacy of DNA vaccines and immunotherapeutics. This is exemplified by papers in this issue using interleukin-12 (IL-12), CCL25 chemokine, granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and interleukin-28 (IL-28). Importantly, the use of these immunomodulatory agents has been applied to infectious agents as well as cancer. Lastly, there has been a continued interest and work in the area of applying “forcing” methods to assist the DNA to get into cells, with subsequent enhanced expression and associated biological activity. This is exemplified by presentations that include the use of in vivo electroporation as well as more novel delivery methods such as magneto-permeabilization and helium plasma, both of which are contact-independent modalities. All of these studies, as well as the others presented at the conference, have the important role of further documenting and potentially validating the clinical potential of the DNA plasmid vaccine and immunotherapy technology. In sum, we look forward to welcoming you and your colleagues back to San Diego in December 2012 for the next DNA Vaccines Meeting, which of note will occur 20 years after the first reports of the ability of genes expressed from naked DNA plasmids to induce relevant immune responses against some important infectious agents. We hope that this meeting will again be a productive and provocative venue with publication opportunities to further push the recent advancements of DNA plasmids in the vaccine and immunotherapy arenas to their full clinical potential. San Diego, here we come again! Hope to see you all there! Sincerely, Kenneth E. Ugen PhD Guest Editor David B. Weiner PhD Guest Editor
The Impact of Gene Expression Variation on the Robustness and Evolvability of a Developmental Gene Regulatory Network

Regulatory interactions buffer development against genetic and environmental perturbations, but adaptation requires phenotypes to change. We investigated the relationship between robustness and evolvability within the gene regulatory network underlying development of the larval skeleton in the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. We find extensive variation in gene expression in this network throughout development in a natural population, some of which has a heritable genetic basis. Switch-like regulatory interactions predominate during early development, buffer expression variation, and may promote the accumulation of cryptic genetic variation affecting early stages. Regulatory interactions during later development are typically more sensitive (linear), allowing variation in expression to affect downstream target genes. Variation in skeletal morphology is associated primarily with expression variation of a few, primarily structural, genes at terminal positions within the network. These results indicate that the position and properties of gene interactions within a network can have important evolutionary consequences independent of their immediate regulatory role.
Race and school achievement in a desegregated suburb: reconsidering the oppositional culture explanation

Recent research suggests that oppositional culture and a burden of acting White are likely to emerge for Black students in desegregated schools in which Whites are perceived as having greater educational opportunities. Using interviews with Black and White students in one desegregated secondary school, this ‘school structures’ argument is assessed. While Black students perceive race‐based limitations to their opportunities for getting ahead and are cognizant of racial patterns of track placement within the local school context, the authors found no evidence that Black students oppose school achievement. These findings are important because they shed light on some of the educational dilemmas that Black students encounter, which have received limited attention in prior work on oppositional culture. These dilemmas include cross‐race peer pressure from Whites among high‐achieving Black students and dilemmas of low achievement among Black students who struggle academically. Based on the findings, future lines ...
A dip process for thermal barrier coating on superalloys

Abstract A new cerium oxide thermal barrier coating for superalloys has been investigated. The coating is applied by hot dipping superalloy substrates into a molten bath of low melting point Ce-Ni alloy. Annealing and selective oxidation of cerium at low oxygen activities produce a duplex coating of a continuous outer layer of cerium oxide (CeO2) and an inner composite CeO2-substrate layer. The effects of coating composition and processing variables on the microstructure and integrity of the coating on nickel- and cobalt-base alloys were studied in detail. Isothermal and cyclic oxidation tests showed that coating spallation could occur and was associated with the oxidation of nickel and cobalt incorporated in the coating. A model for the formation of the CeO2 barrier and the subscale region is proposed that explains the presence of unwanted nickel and cobalt.
Aging Effects on Substance Use Among Midlife Women: The Moderating Influence of Race and Substance

This article examines the impact of aging on midlife women's substance use, particularly differences in aging out according to race and substance used. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze 2 waves (1979, 1994) of National Survey on Drug Use and Health data among women ages 30 to 55 (N = 2,035). Black women reduced their marijuana use as they aged faster than White women did. In addition, Black women reduced their use of illicit drugs as they aged, but White women did not. Women did not reduce their misuse of prescription drugs, regardless of race. Implications for practice and policy are discussed.
Pairing in finite cluster models

Abstract The Hubbard Hamiltonian and some of its extensions are studied by exact diagonalization on small clusters. Properties of systems containing two holes in an otherwise half filled band are emphasized.
Regulation of the Eβ gene in vivo: lessons from Eβd transgenic mice

We have examined the expression and regulation of the MHC class II E beta d gene in both cell lines and in transgenic mice. In transient transfection assays, as little as 192 bp of the E beta d proximal promoter was sufficient to direct constitutive expression of a reporter gene in a B cell line and to confer inducibility by IFN-gamma in a macrophage cell line. To determine if the same E beta d promoter sequences were also sufficient to direct correct expression in vivo, E beta d transgenes bearing either 4.1 or 0.2 kb of upstream sequence were introduced into an inbred mouse strain with a non-expressed endogenous E beta gene. Expression of both transgenes mirrored the expression of the endogenous I-A protein in thymus, B cells and macrophages with regard to both constitutive and cytokine-inducible expression. These results indicate that for the E beta gene only 200 bp of proximal promoter sequence are required to achieve tissue-specific and cytokine-inducible expression. This is in striking contrast to the E alpha gene, the only other murine class II gene whose promoter has been analyzed in vivo, which has been shown to require 2.0 kb of upstream sequence for appropriate expression. These data demonstrate, therefore, that the location of critical regulatory elements for the E beta and E alpha genes may differ.
Complex Interactions Among Diet, Gastrointestinal Transit, and Gut Microbiota in Humanized Mice

Background & Aims Diet has major effects on the intestinal microbiota, but the exact mechanisms that alter complex microbial communities have been difficult to elucidate. In addition to the direct influence that diet exerts on microbes, changes in microbiota composition and function can alter host functions such as gastrointestinal (GI) transit time, which in turn can further affect the microbiota. Methods We investigated the relationships among diet, GI motility, and the intestinal microbiota using mice that are germ-free (GF) or humanized (ex-GF mice colonized with human fecal microbiota). Results Analysis of gut motility revealed that humanized mice fed a standard polysaccharide-rich diet had faster GI transit and increased colonic contractility compared with GF mice. Humanized mice with faster transit due to administration of polyethylene glycol or a nonfermentable cellulose-based diet had similar changes in gut microbiota composition, indicating that diet can modify GI transit, which then affects the composition of the microbial community. However, altered transit in mice fed a diet of fermentable fructooligosaccharide indicates that diet can change gut microbial function, which can affect GI transit. Conclusions Based on studies in humanized mice, diet can affect GI transit through microbiota-dependent or microbiota-independent pathways, depending on the type of dietary change. The effect of the microbiota on transit largely depends on the amount and type (fermentable vs nonfermentable) of polysaccharides present in the diet. These results have implications for disorders that affect GI transit and gut microbial communities, including irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease.
Transcutaneous neural stimulation use in postoperative knee rehabilitation

A prospective study of 100 patients who were oper ated on in 1979 and 1980 was performed to determine the effect of transcutaneous neural stimulation (TNS) on the patients' postoperative knee rehabilitation pro gram. The patients were then divided into four study groups. Fifty patients had a single incision arthrotomy with a meniscectomy. Of these surgical patients, Group A included 25 patients who were treated with a TNS unit postoperatively, and Group B includes 25 patients who did not use TNS. Fifty other patients had a total condylar-total knee replacement. Of these sur gical patients, Group C includes 25 patients who used TNS postoperatively and Group D includes 25 patients who did not use TNS. In the arthrotomy group the TNS patients (Group A) had a shorter average hospital stay (3.84 versus 5.40 days), initiated straight leg raises sooner (1.72 days versus 3.17 days) and began am bulation sooner (1.4 days versus 2.44 days) than the patients who did not use TNS (Group B). As compared to Group B, Gro...
Corporate education directions 1995-2000 planning horizon

This paper examines considerations in matching multimedia corporate communications with enterprise communication objectives and emerging broadband information infrastructure capabilities. Applications are for corporate communications, distance learning, just-in-time information and interactive communications.
Pilot clinical application of an adaptive robotic system for young children with autism

It has been argued that clinical applications of advanced technology may hold promise for addressing impairments associated with autism spectrum disorders. This pilot feasibility study evaluated the application of a novel adaptive robot-mediated system capable of both administering and automatically adjusting joint attention prompts to a small group of preschool children with autism spectrum disorders (n = 6) and a control group (n = 6). Children in both groups spent more time looking at the humanoid robot and were able to achieve a high level of accuracy across trials. However, across groups, children required higher levels of prompting to successfully orient within robot-administered trials. The results highlight both the potential benefits of closed-loop adaptive robotic systems as well as current limitations of existing humanoid-robotic platforms.
Work In Progress: An Innovative Electrical Engineering Program Integrating Project-Oriented and Lifelong Learning Pedagogies

The Electrical Engineering (EE) program at the University of North Texas (UNT), Denton started in Spring-2005. The three main objectives of this program are: i) to inculcate strong design skills in the students by means of education through real-life projects team-taught by EE faculty and UNT's industrial partners, ii) to develop in the students the art of learning to learn (L2L) and thereby foster their life-long learning, and iii) to develop entrepreneurial spirit among the students. Currently, we target not to just meet the ABET criteria corresponding to these objectives, but go beyond to provide to the students the best possible design experience and self-learning opportunities with projects in every semester of the curriculum. We present here in this paper an overview of our program, a strategy for assessment of individual courses as well as the whole program using both formative and summative assessment, and the lessons learned so far.
What's missing from ‘What's missing’? A reply to C. Cramer and N. Pontara, ‘Rural poverty and poverty alleviation in Mozambique: what's missing from the debate?’

Mozambique has undergone some dramatic changes in recent years. The government concluded a I7-year-old civil war in I992 and held democratic elections in I994. Following the adoption of structural adjustment policies after i987, the government eliminated subsidies on food and consumer items, pledged its support for emerging markets, and has now sold most state companies to private investors. These changes have generated much interest among researchers and policymakers, particularly with regard to their impact on the countryside, where the majority of Mozambicans live and work. Recent studies have focused on the most appropriate rural development strategy for Mozambique now that the war has ended, or examined ways to alleviate the widespread poverty that still exists in rural areas. Other work has analysed the structure of agrarian relations or how to ensure food security. Additional research has criticized the government's on-going policy of encouraging and granting land concessions to private investors. It claims that the policy lacks transparency and fails to consider the rights of local communities. In an article in a recent issue of this journal, Christopher Cramer and Nicola Pontara (i998) contest some of the claims regarding rural development, poverty alleviation and the features of rural relations in Mozambique. They argue that the 'official literature' treats smallholders as a homogeneous mass, who survive by using family labour to
SiGe BiCMOS Precision Voltage References for Extreme Temperature Range Electronics

We present the first investigation of the optimal implementation of SiGe BiCMOS precision voltage references for extreme temperature range applications (+120 degC to -180 degC and below). We have developed and fabricated two unique Ge profiles optimized specifically for cryogenic operation, and for the first time compare the impact of Ge profile shape on precision voltage reference performance down to -180 degC. Our best case reference achieves a 28.1 ppm/ degC temperature coefficient over +27 degC to -180 degC, more than adequate for the intended lunar electronics applications
Reducing the out-of-plane radiation loss of photonic crystal waveguides on high-index substrates

Two-dimensional photonic crystal linear defect waveguides on semiconductor substrates are studied. It is predicted that the out-of-plane radiation loss can be reduced by shifting one side of the photonic crystal cladding by one-half period with respect to the other along the propagation direction.
Hydrodehalogenation of α-Haloketones with Iodotrimethylsilane

Two years ago I delineated a hydrodehalogenation procedure for α-haloketones1 which was conceived on the HSAB basis (Saville rule). In that communication the possible use of iodo- and alkylthiotrim...
Transmit-receive dynamic focusing with limited diffraction beams

A two-way Fourier imaging method has been developed with limited diffraction beams. Resolution and sidelobes of 2D and 3D images constructed with the method are similar to those obtained with a conventional two-way dynamic focusing system if a cosine aperture apodization is applied. No delay and image montage are required for the new method and thus imaging systems will be greatly simplified.
Emergency department discharge instructions and patient literacy: a problem of disparity.

Abstract This two-part study was designed to determine the reading level necessary to understand commonly used emergency department (ED) discharge instructions and the functioning reading level of adult patients treated in an urban hospital ED. In the first phase, 10 preprinted patient discharge instructions were analyzed using the Flesh Reading Ease Score. The average reading level required to comprehend these instructions was 9.8, with a range from the 8th to the 14th grade. In the second phase of the study, a reading exam, based on the Stanford Diagnostic Reading Test, was administered to 82 ED patients prospectively. The mean reading level was 9.8, with a median level of 10; approximately 45% of the ED patients would be unable to understand the preprinted discharge instructions. ED discharge instructions are frequently written at a level beyond the comprehension of a significant portion of the population.
Using a computer model to evaluate business operating plans

This paper describes a simulation model that can be used to examine plans for marketing, manufacturing, and distributing the products of an assembly line. The manufacturing plants are flow-oriented and use assembly lines to integrate subassemblies and pur chased parts into products. The simulation permits an economic evaluation of alternative allocations of manufacturing, marketing, and financial resources to select a best response to changes in customer demands. As an illustration, we compare the effects of two production schedules on inventory levels.
SOLUTION OF THE TWO-FAILURE GPS RAIM PROBLEM UNDER WORST-CASE BIAS CONDITIONS: PARITY SPACE APPROACH

With the advent of the GPS Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS), there is increased interest in the receiver autonomous integrity monitoring (RAIM) multiple-failure problem. This paper shows how the horizontal and vertical protection level parameters (HPL and VPL) are affected by imposing a hypothetical worst-case two-failure requirement on the RAIM system. A numerical example is presented, and a short discussion of generalizing the method to more than two failures is also given. As might be expected, the paper indicates that the HPL and VPL parameters are increased significantly with the more demanding two-failure requirement as compared with detection of a single failure.
Group and home-based tai chi in elderly subjects with knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of tai chi consisting of group and home-based sessions in elderly subjects with knee osteoarthritis.Design: A randomized, controlled, single-blinded 12-week trial with stratification by age and sex, and six weeks of follow-up.Setting: General community.Participants: Forty-one adults (709 / 9.2 years) with knee osteoarthritis.Interventions: The tai chi programme featured six weeks of group tai chi sessions, 40 min/session, three times a week, followed by another six weeks (weeks 7 -12) of home-based tai chi training. Subjects were requested to discontinue tai chi training during a six-week follow-up detraining period (weeks 13-18). Subjects in the attention control group attended six weeks of health lectures following the same schedule as the group-based tai chi intervention (weeks 0 -6), followed by 12 weeks of no activity (weeks 7-18).Main outcome measures: Knee pain measured by visual analogue scale, knee range of motion and physical function measured by Western Ontari...
Experimental Hydration Studies of Natural and Synthetic Glasses

The results of a series of hydration experiments on natural glasses (Hawaiian basalt, obsidian) and the nuclear waste glass WV-44 done to examine laboratory methods of accelerating reaction processes are summarized. The glasses were reacted in hydrothermal solution and in saturated vapor water. It was found that different reaction rates and processes were found using the differing conditions, and that laboratory efforts to accelerate and duplicate natural processes must account for the physical processes that occur naturally.
Hypoxia in the tumorigenesis of gliomas and as a potential target for therapeutic measures

In this article, the author provides a brief description of the role of hypoxia in the tumorigenesis of gliomas and suggests potential ways of exploiting this role to design treatment modalities. Tumor hypoxia predicts the likelihood of metastases, tumor recurrence, resistance to chemotherapy and radiation therapy, invasive potential, and decreased patient survival for many human malignancies. Various methods of measurement of tumor hypoxia are discussed, including direct measurement and imaging methods. The role of hypoxia-responsive molecules, especially hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1), in glioma tumorigenesis is explored. Treatment modalities regulated by hypoxia are proposed and some potential strategies reviewed. The progression of a low-grade astrocytoma to a glioblastoma multiforme may be mediated by hypoxia-induced phenotypic changes and subsequent clonal selection of cells that overexpress hypoxia-responsive molecules, such as HIF-1. In this model, intratumoral hypoxia causes genetic changes that produce a microenvironment that selects for cells of a more aggressive phenotype. [ [
Kinetics of Crystal Growth and Dissolution of Calcium and Magnesium Fluorides

The crystal growth and dissolution of calcium fluoride and magnesium fluoride are controlled by a reaction at the crystal surface. The activation energy for growth and dissolution of calcium fluoride was found to be 14.5 and 17.4 kcal mole-1, respectively, and the heat of solution, obtained from separate calorimetric experiments was 2.9 ± 0.1 kcal mole-1.
Dependency Parser Adaptation with Subtrees from Auto-Parsed Target Domain Data

In this paper, we propose a simple and effective approach to domain adaptation for dependency parsing. This is a feature augmentation approach in which the new features are constructed based on subtree information extracted from the autoparsed target domain data. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, we evaluate it on three pairs of source-target data, compared with several common baseline systems and previous approaches. Our approach achieves significant improvement on all the three pairs of data sets.
Characteristics of hospitals receiving the largest penalties by US pay-for-performance programmes

Healthcare systems around the world are striving to deliver high quality care while controlling costs. One compelling strategy is the use of penalties for low-value care.1 ,2 The US federal government has made significant efforts to shift towards value-based payments for hospitals by introducing three national pay-for-performance (P4P) schemes which employ penalties: Hospital Readmission Reduction Program (HRRP), Hospital Value-Based-Purchasing (VBP) and, more recently, Hospital-Acquired Condition Reduction (HACR) Program. HRRP penalises hospitals with higher-than-expected readmissions; VBP adjusts hospital payments (either a bonus or penalty) based on performance on clinical measures and patient experience and HACR penalises the worst quartile of hospitals on HAC metrics.3 Fiscal year 2015 marks the first time hospitals may be penalised by all three programmes, with Medicare reimbursement rates potentially cut by 5.5%. Although prior work has raised concerns that hospitals serving medically complex or socioeconomically vulnerable populations are at higher risk for penalties by individual programmes,4–7 to our knowledge, there is no study that has examined the characteristics of hospitals that received the most substantial penalties across all three programmes. As …
Two Dimensional Femtosecond Stimulated Raman Spectroscopy: A New Technique to Probe Vibrational Coupling

Two-dimensional femtosecond stimulated Raman spectroscopy (2D-FSRS) can potentially quantify vibrational coupling. However, our results indicate that all signals measured thus far are attributable to a 3rd-order cascade and not the intended 5th-order mechanism.
The Commons and Lifeboat as Guides for International Ecological Policy

Biologist Garrett Hardin is well known for his writings on the social dimensions of environmental problems. His widely read essay on “the tragedy of the commons” has become a reference point for formulating and evaluating environmental policies. More recently his advocacy of “lifeboat ethics,” which concludes that food assistance should be denied less-developed countries in the interest of limiting population, has evoked considerable controversy. Hardin's theories are first described, then critically analyzed. Questions pertaining to the definition of carrying capacity and the factors that impact on population growth trends are asked in identifying more humane alternatives to lifeboat ethics. The implications of a logical extension of his policies to include trade as well as aid, and nonrenewable resources as well as food are explored to assess the practicality of enforced self-reliance as an approach to resource management. International economic interdependence and the vulnerability of industrialized societies to terrorism and sabotage are also cited as reasons why the destiny of the poor and hungry of the world cannot be ignored by the rich. A “one-world” approach to global environmental policy is presented as a polar opposite to lifeboat ethics. The most practical strategy for coping with environmental problems may lie somewhere between the extremes of lifeboat ethics and one-worldism.
Reduced antibody titers in mice treated with carcinogenic and cancer chemotherapeutic agents.

SummaryA number of cancer chemo-therapeutic agents, carcinogens and their non-carcinogenic analogues were tested for their effect on sheep cell hemolysin production in mice. All of the chemotherapeutic agents, with the exception of furacin, depressed the antibody titers. All of the carcinogens also produced a marked depression of the antibody levels but their non-carcinogenic analogues were without effect. None of the substances tested inhibited preformed antibodies in vivo or in vitro.
Impact of processing on the clinical trials of Chinese medicine from strobal processing

The traditional Chinese medicine has traditional pharmaceutical technology.The herbs processing is connected directly to drug clinical efficacy,it will have a major impact on clinical trials.And the composition changed after process,it will affect clinical efficacy and safety.The herbs processing is a very important part that can not be ignored in clinical trials.Therefore,the researchers are expected to take more attention to drug processing.
Serum Levels of Follicle Stimulating and Luteinizing Hormones Before and After Vasectomy in Men

Serum levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) were determined by double-antibody immunoassay in 39 proven fertile subjects before and after vasectomy (between 7 and 48 weeks postoperatively in 26 subjects and after 2 years in 13 subjects). No marked changes in FSH levels were observed. LH levels remained unaltered in 56.4% of the subjects. Changes in LH levels seen in 33.6% of the subjects did not follow a definite pattern. It was suggested that evaluation of the long-term effects of vasectomy be continued in order to establish this technique as a safe contraceptive procedure.
4H-SiC n-Channel DMOS IGBTs on (0001) and (000-1) Oriented Lightly Doped Free-Standing Substrates

We experimentally demonstrate 4H-SiC n-channel, DMOS Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs) on 180 µm thick lightly doped free-standing n- substrates with an ion-implanted collector region, and metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) gate on (0001) and (000-1) surfaces. The IGBTs show an on-state current of 20A/cm2 at a power dissipation of 300W/cm2. Threshold voltage of 7.5V and 10.5V was obtained on Si-face and C-face respectively. Both IGBTs show a small positive temperature coefficient of the forward voltage drop, which is useful for easy parallelization of devices.
The Role of Machines and Programmed Trading

World financial markets also went through a gut-wrenching financial decline in October of 1987. Sometimes called Black Monday, stocks began to trade steeply downward, first in Asian markets, then in Europe and Africa, and finally in the Americas. When trading was over at the end of that day, New Zealand’s market fell by almost 60%; Australia’s and Hong Kong’s fell off by more than 40%, and markets in Europe, Canada, and the United States were down by between 20% and 35%. The drop in the Dow Jones Industrial Average at 22.6%, represents the largest plunge in its history. Some argue that it was technology that led the markets down.
Reinforcement learning approach for congestion management and cascading failure prevention with experimental application

Abstract This article proposes a method based on the reinforcement learning (RL) for preventing cascading failure (CF) and blackout in smart grids by acting on the output power of the generators in real-time. The proposed research work utilizes the Q-learning algorithm to train the system for the optimal action selection strategy during the state-action learning process by updating the action values based on the obtained rewards. The trained system then is able to relieve congestion of transmission lines in real-time by adjusting the output power of the generators (actions) to prevent consecutive line outages and blackout after N-1 and N-1-1 contingency conditions. The proposed RL-based control is validated through experimental implementation as well as simulation studies on the IEEE 118-bus test system for different contingency case studies. The results obtained from the experimental and simulation studies show the accuracy and robustness of the proposed approach in preventing cascading failure and blackout.
Cognitive Factors in Alcohol and Drug Use

Drug use is currently thought to be determined by the interaction of a host of biological, behavioral, and cognitive factors. This chapter will attempt to explicate the role of cognitive factors in drug use. Special emphasis will be placed on alcohol use as it is assumed that findings with alcohol are generally applicable to other drug use.