cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multiscale difference equation signal models. I. Theory

The paper studies multiscale difference equation models for l-D and M-D signals. In this modeling technique, the signal of interest is viewed as a solution to a multiscale difference equation (MSDE). The model completely characterizes the signal as well as a number of its higher derivatives. It provides a recursive signal interpolation scheme as a function of scale. It also leads naturally to multigrid signal filtering, detection and estimation algorithms. An MSDE model must be uniquely decodable, i.e., it must correspond to a unique signal. Therefore, one must guarantee that the modeling MSDE has a unique solution. The authors investigate the existence and uniqueness of L/sub 1/ and L/sub 2/ solutions-to multiscale difference equations. Using Fourier domain techniques, they derive conditions for the existence of L/sub 1/ solutions to an MSDE. They provide conditions under which the L/sub 1/ solution is unique (up to a multiplicative constant) and has compact support. They also derive sufficient, but not necessary, conditions for the existence of a unique L/sub 2/ solution to a subclass of MSDEs. The results extend known facts about the solutions of two-scale difference equations. The paper concludes with several examples of MSDE signal models that highlight the modeling advantages of MSDEs over two-scale difference equation models. >
Genius Whom the Gods Loved—A Review of “Srinivasa Ramanujan: The Lost Notebook and Other Unpublished Papers”

This is a review of “Srinivasa Ramanujan: The Lost Notebook and other unpublished papers”, which was printed in 1987 and released on December 22 of that year in Madras on the 100th birth anniversary of Ramanujan.
Ideology and Dictatorship

We have looked at how the Russian Revolution occurred. Explanations centered around (1) the breakdown of a society (mass unrest) (2) stressed by fundamental technological change (industrialization) with (3) events triggered by a major action (war), pursued (4) under incompetent leadership (Nicholas II), and (5) as society was spinning out of control (soldier mutinies) opportunists seized power (Lenin). Thus, unstable societal conditions (society dimension) can provide opportunities for individuals (individual dimension) to act incompetently or competently in gaining and holding power. Societal dynamics does involve particular (historical) individuals who change the general patterns (sociology) of a society – individual and society. Such historical individuals are opportunistic, seizing power over a society during times of instability.
GILLES KEPEL, Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 2002). Pp. 454. 15.95 paper

In the wake of 11 September 2001, the study of political Islam became a vastly more complicated enterprise. No other event in recent history demonstrated with such literal force how interconnected the phenomenon of Islamic activism—in all it forms—had become. Those scholars who had studied the Arab world suddenly had to pay attention to Iran and Turkey, and to such remote places as Pakistan and Afghanistan. Scholars of South and Southeast Asia had to consider how Indonesian and Malaysian Islam intersected with Khomeinism and Saudi Wahhabism. Thus, like it or not, 11 September set the stage for a rebirth of Islamic studies. Gilles Kepel's Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam marks this coming of age by providing a comprehensive account of the evolution of political Islam as a national, regional, and global phenomenon. No other work offers such a careful and well-written balance of analytical parsimony and empirical reach. For this reason alone, the book will be a classic for years to come.
Analysis of damaging hydrogeological events in a Mediterranean region (Calabria)

Summary Damaging Hydrogeological Events (DHEs) are periods of severe weather conditions affecting wide areas for several days, and causing mainly damaging landslides and floods. In order to characterise the DHEs, we analysed the historical series of the events that affected a Mediterranean region (Calabria, southern Italy) throughout 92 years of observation. Depending on their magnitude, we classified the events as: major catastrophic, catastrophic, extraordinary and ordinary. In winter events, damaged areas and damage were greater than those resulting from the other seasons. Nevertheless, the majority of the events took place in autumn, when, in addition to landslides, a relevant percentage of flash floods and floods also occurred. Results also show that the frequency of major catastrophic and catastrophic events has decreased since 1971, and that, in recent decades, Calabria has suffered from damaging effects even though rain did not reached extreme characteristics. In fact, the duration of triggering rain, the maximum daily rain of the events and the out coming frequency of the high return period of rain show a decreasing pattern throughout the study period. As to what concerns the damaging phenomena, landslides were identified as the most frequent in every season and in every type of events, the eastern side of the region was the most frequently and heavily damaged. According to literature, the trend of number of victims per event is also decreasing. The proposed analysis can be applied to different study areas in order to assess the relative magnitude of DHEs and their evolution throughout the years. The classification criterion can be useful to compare different events for either scientific or insurance purposes, and to identify the typical rainfall-damage scenario of a study area.
Formulation and characterization of polysaccharide beads for controlled release of plant growth regulators

Owing to their chemical, physical, and functional characteristics, polysaccharides are considered to be the most versatile natural polymers. As a result, their properties have been exploited in various fields of research in the biomedical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food, and agricultural industries. A property of special interest is their ability to form systems or materials with unique physicochemical characteristics, such as hydrogels and micro- and nanoparticles for controlled release of active compounds. In the present study, polysaccharide beads formulated from alginate, cellulose powder, cellulose nanocrystals, starch, and xylan were reinforced with kaolin and surface-modified with polyethylenimine (PEI), a positively charged polyelectrolyte. Addition of kaolin improved the mechanical strength of the beads. Modification of the surface of the beads with PEI facilitated better control of the release rate of the plant growth regulator, phenylacetic acid (PAA). The physical properties of the beads were characterized by optical and scanning electron microscopy, and their mechanical strength was determined by an Instron 5565 Tensile Testing Machine. Cumulative release of PAA was measured by UV–Vis spectroscopy.
Trends in Sex Ratios of the Reproductive Broods of Formica obscuripes (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Although other workers have reported that the proportion of males released during the reproductive flights of Formica species declines with time, the activity of sexuals in Illinois colonies of the western thatching ant suggests that this pattern is not generally true. Some nests produced all males, some all females, and others a mixture of the sexes. Of this last group, in only 1 of 5 nests in 1976 and 2 of 5 in 1977 did the proportion of males decrease with time. The nongenerality of this trend is consistent with the hypothesis that sex ratios in these colonies are not in evolutionary equilibrium.
Abstract 2890: A novel interaction between 12-lipoxygenase and integrin subunit Beta4 plays a role in tumor migration, invasion and metastasis

This study has the potential to establish a new paradigm in adhesion-mediated control of eicosanoid production and could be relevant to tumor migration, invasion, and metastasis. 12-Lipoxygenase metabolizes arachidonic acid to form 12(S)-HETE, a metabolite known to play a significant role in the process of tumor-induced angiogenesis and metastasis. The role of 12-LOX in proliferation, survival, and motility of tumor cells as well as in angiogenesis has been described for a variety of cancers. Similarly Alpha6Beta4 integrin also plays a role in both angiogenesis and tumorigenesis in addition to having a role in the formation of hemidesmosomes (HD). Evidence suggests a correlation between 12-LOX and integrin Beta4 since they play a similar role in cancer progression. The physical interaction between 12-LOX and Beta4 was first identified by a yeast two-hybrid screen using 12-LOX as bait against a library made from A431 cells that are known to have endogenous expression of both proteins. We verified this interaction by co-immunoprecipitation from A431 cells, and recapitulated it in CHO and PC-3 cells ectopically expressing 12-LOX and the cytoplasmic tail of Beta4 integrin. Additionally our data shows that ligation or clustering of Alpha6Beta4 integrin by the natural ligand laminin or an antibody mimic of laminin, 3E1, caused an increase in translocation of 12-LOX from the cytosol to membrane and an increase in 12-LOX enzymatic activities as assayed by immunofluorescence and 12(S)-HETE measurements respectively. 3E1-stimulated A431 cells showed increased cell migration but there was 40% decrease in presence of 12-LOX inhibitor BMD122 which confirms the role of 12-LOX in cell invasion. Here we describe for the first time the interaction domains that unite Beta4 integrin and 12-LOX. We mapped the domains in the cytoplasmic tail of Beta4 critical for interacting with 12-LOX and found that the 1126-1157 domain in the cytoplasmic tail of Beta4 is important for binding of 12-LOX. Also we have shown the mutant fragment (1126-1315) interacts with 12-lipoxygenase in the cytosol and prevent its binding to native, full-length membrane-associated Beta4 and thereby prevents 12-LOX activation. This physical interaction has functional implications with regard to decreased cell survival and migration. Determination of the structural basis for protein-protein interaction may provide potential means to manipulate or block such interaction, which may yield therapeutic benefits. We propose that the results obtained from these studies will provide a novel, and important dimension to both integrin and eicosanoid biology. Acknowledgements: This project is supported by NIH: NCI, 2 R01 CA029997-17A1 Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2890. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-2890
The Effectiveness of a School-Based Intervention for Adolescents in Reducing Disparities in the Negative Consequences of Substance Use Among Ethnic Groups.

Ethnic minority youth are disproportionately affected by substance use-related consequences, which may be best understood through a social ecological lens. Differences in psychosocial consequences between ethnic majority and minority groups are likely due to underlying social and environmental factors. The current longitudinal study examined the outcomes of a school-based motivational enhancement treatment intervention in reducing disparities in substance use consequences experienced by some ethnic minority groups with both between and within-subjects differences. Students were referred to the intervention through school personnel and participated in a four-session intervention targeting alcohol and drug use. Participants included 122 youth aged 13–19 years. Participants were grouped by ethnicity and likelihood of disparate negative consequences of substance use. African American/Hispanic/Multiethnic youth formed one group, and youth identifying as White or Asian formed a second group. We hypothesized that (1) there would be significant disparities in psychosocial, serious problem behavior, and school-based consequences of substance use between White/Asian students compared to African American/Hispanic/Multiethnic students at baseline; (2) physical dependence consequences would not be disparate at baseline; and (3) overall disparities would be reduced at post-treatment follow-up. Results indicated that African American/Hispanic/Multiethnic adolescents demonstrated statistically significant disparate consequences at baseline, except for physical dependency consequences. Lastly, significant reductions in disparities were evidenced between groups over time. Our findings highlight the efficacy of utilizing school-based substance use interventions in decreasing ethnic health disparities in substance use consequences.
Apache Adaptation to Hispanic Rule

As a definitive study of the poorly understood Apaches de paz, this book explains how war-weary, mutually suspicious Apaches and Spaniards negotiated an ambivalent compromise after 1786 that produced over four decades of uneasy peace across the region. In response to drought and military pressure, thousands of Apaches settled near Spanish presidios in a system of reservation-like establecimientos, or settlements, stretching from Laredo to Tucson. Far more significant than previously assumed, the establecimientos constituted the earliest and most extensive set of military-run reservations in the Americas and served as an important precedent for Indian reservations in the United States. As a case study of indigenous adaptation to imperial power on colonial frontiers and borderlands, this book reveals the importance of Apache-Hispanic diplomacy in reducing cross-cultural violence and the limits of indigenous acculturation and assimilation into empires and states.
Providers’ perceptions of barriers and facilitators to disclosure of alcohol use by women veterans

Aim To better understand barriers and facilitators that hinder or help women veterans discuss their alcohol use with providers in primary care in order to better identify problematic drinking and enhance provider-patient communication about harmful drinking. BACKGROUND: Women presenting to primary care may be less likely than men to disclose potentially harmful alcohol use. No studies have qualitatively examined the perspectives of primary care providers about factors that affect accurate disclosure of alcohol use by women veterans during routine clinic visits. METHODS: Providers (n=14) were recruited from primary care at two veterans Administration Women's Health Clinics in California, United States. An open-ended interview guide was developed from domains of the consolidated framework for implementation science. Interviews elicited primary care providers' perspectives on barriers and facilitators to women veterans' (who may or may not be using alcohol in harmful ways) disclosure of alcohol use during routine clinic visits. Interview data were analyzed deductively using a combination of template analysis and matrix analysis. FINDINGS Participants reported six barriers and five facilitators that they perceived affect women veteran's decision to accurately disclose alcohol use during screenings and openness to discussing harmful drinking with a primary care provider. The most commonly described barriers to disclosure were stigma, shame, and discomfort, and co-occuring mental health concerns, while building strong therapeutic relationships and using probes to 'dig deeper' were most often described as facilitators. FINDINGS from this study may enhance provider-patient discussions about alcohol use and help primary care providers to better identify problematic drinking among women veterans, ultimately improving patient outcomes. Language: en
Regenerative medicine in 2016: Important milestones on the way to clinical translation.

Regenerative medicine can be viewed as 'tissue engineering V2.0'. Discoveries and novel applications of technology advanced the field considerably in 2016, with the use of new biomaterials, stem cells and biologically active molecules.
Beyond Mitophagy: The Diversity and Complexity of Parkin Function.

Parkin is an E3 ubiquitin ligase that mediates mitochondrial autophagy, or mitophagy, in multiple cell types. Although discovered in the context of Parkinson disease, Parkin is also an important regulator of mitophagy in the heart. In addition, while most current work is focused on the role of Parkin in mitophagy, accumulating evidence suggests that Parkin also impacts cellular physiology and function through additional processes. This Viewpoint discusses current controversies on the functional role of Parkin-mediated mitophagy and emerging evidence that Parkin regulates several additional pathways. Ubiquitylation is a post-translational modification that involves covalently attaching ubiquitin to target proteins.1 The process of ubquitylation requires a series of events including ubiquitin activation, conjugation, and ligation, catalyzed by E1, E2, and E3 enzymes, respectively. Parkin is one of >500 E3 ubiquitin ligases encoded by the human genome that selectively bestows ubiquitin molecules onto particular proteins. One of Parkin’s most widely appreciated roles is the ubiquitylation of proteins on the membrane of damaged mitochondria to designate them for clearance via mitophagy. Mitophagy is a selective form of macroautophagy that traffics damaged mitochondria to lysosomes for degradation and serves as a critical mechanism in maintaining the health of the mitochondrial collective in a cell. Although it is clear that mutations that impair Parkin’s E3 ligase function contribute to the attrition of dopaminergic neurons through cell death in Parkinson disease,2 the underlying mechanisms are still not fully understood and there is no direct evidence that a defect in mitophagy is the underlying cause of Parkinson disease. The assumption that faulty mitophagy is responsible for Parkinson disease stems from observations that defects in mitochondrial morphology and function are key features of Parkinson disease2 and that loss of Parkin in Drosophila leads to mitochondrial dysfunction and muscle degeneration.3 When combined with the seminal work …
Preoperative genetic testing in pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas influences the surgical approach and the extent of adrenal surgery.

Background Our knowledge of the susceptibility genes for pheochromocytomas/paragangliomas has increased; however, data on its impact on surgical decision-making has not been described. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of routine preoperative genetic testing on the operative intervention in patients with pheochromocytomas/paragangliomas. Methods One-hundred-eight patients diagnosed with pheochromocytomas/paragangliomas who underwent 118 operations had preoperative genetic testing for 9 known pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma susceptibility genes. A retrospective analysis of a prospective database was performed to evaluate clinical factors associated with the surgical approach selected and the outcome of the surgical intervention. Results In 51 patients (47%), a germline mutation was detected and one-third had no family history of pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma. In 77 operations (65%), it was the first operative intervention for the disease site (60 laparoscopic, 17 open), and 41 (35%) were reoperative interventions (36 open, 5 laparoscopic). For initial operations, variables associated with whether an open or laparoscopic approach was used were tumor size (P = .009) and presence of germline mutation (P = .042). Sixty-eight adrenal operations were performed (54 total, 14 cortical-sparing). Variables significantly associated with a cortical-sparing adrenalectomy being performed were the presence of germline mutation (P = .006) and tumor size (P = .013). Conclusion Preoperative knowledge of the germline mutation status affects the surgical approach and extent of adrenalectomy.
Complications of intrathecal polypharmacy, medication side effects, and overdose

IDDS can offer pain relief for a broad range of chronic pain states including neuropathies, complex regional pain syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, connective tissue disorders, chronic pancreatitis, and other visceral pain diseases. These devices can dramatically improve the quality of life for patients who have failed oral or transdermal medications (either due to poor analgesia or intolerable side effects) and/or spinal cord stimulation.
Future dynamics in Sino-Korea relations

This article argues that the basic interests of the major actors involved in the Korean problem converge on the cross-recognition and “two Koreas” formula. Seoul’s diplomatic normalization with Moscow, and North Korea’s ongoing negotiations with Tokyo, testify to this trend. Because of its sensitivity to North Korea’s dilemma and carefully measured policy, China has succeeded in sustaining North Korea’s trust while improving its ties with South Korea. Shaken by the changes in the international system and threatened by the rapidly growing economic capability of the South, North Korea’s overall foreign policy objective is shifting from unifocation to accepting the existing status quo, a movement toward a direction that China has been advising. A mostly likely breakthrough to the stalemate in Korea will come from the Pyongyang-Tokyo bilateral relations. Ironically, when the South feels more confident than ever before about the possibility of unification under its terms, the rest of world is moving toward the cross recognition it has advocated. Whether the two Koreas with over-lapping diplomatic relations with all four major powers surrounding the peninsula will be able to achieve the unification that all Korean people desire will largely depend on how the regimes manage inter-Korean relations in coming years.
Innovation in Surgery and Evidence Development: Can We Have Both at Once?

Surgery's unique characteristics, including difficulties in standardizing, blinding, and recruiting participants for clinical trials, render problematic the application of evidence-based standards to surgery.
Association between post-cancer diagnosis dietary inflammatory potential and mortality among invasive breast cancer survivors in the Women's Health Initiative

Background: Inflammation is important in chronic disease and can be modulated by dietary exposures. Our aim was to examine whether the inflammatory potential of diet after cancer diagnosis, assessed using the dietary inflammatory index (DII), is associated with all-cause and cause-specific mortality among women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in the Women's Health Initiative (WHI).Methods: Our analytic cohort included 2,150 postmenopausal women, ages 50 to 79 years at baseline, who developed invasive breast cancer during follow-up and completed a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) on average 1.5 years after diagnosis. Women were followed from breast cancer diagnosis until death or the end of follow-up by October 2014. Energy-adjusted DII (E-DII) scores were calculated from food plus supplements using a nutrient-density approach. Cox proportional hazards models were fit to estimate multivariable-adjusted HRs and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for all-cause, breast cancer-specific, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality.Results: After a median 13.3 years of follow-up, 580 deaths from any cause occurred, including 212 breast cancer deaths and 103 CVD deaths. Lower (i.e., more anti-inflammatory) E-DII scores were associated with a lower risk of CVD mortality (HRQ1VSQ4 = 0.44; 95% CI, 0.24-0.82; Ptrend = 0.005), but not with breast cancer-specific mortality (HRQ1VSQ4 = 0.96; 95% CI, 0.62-1.49; Ptrend = 0.96) or all-cause mortality (HRQ1VSQ4 = 0.82; 95% CI, 0.63-1.05; Ptrend = 0.17).Conclusions: Consuming a more anti-inflammatory diet after breast cancer diagnosis may be a means for reducing risk of death from CVD.Impact: Survival after invasive breast cancer diagnosis may be improved by consumption of an anti-inflammatory diet. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 27(4); 454-63. ©2018 AACR.
A highly compressed timing macro-modeling algorithm for hierarchical and incremental timing analysis

Large-scale hierarchical and incremental timing analysis has driven the need for highly compressed timing macro-models. A small timing macro-model for accelerating hierarchical timing is desired because the size of incremental changes dramatically increases as the macro-models are widely used in the large design process. In fact, it takes days for an incremental timing analysis on millions of gates with thousands of incremental changes. To date, the timing macro-models generated by timing macro-modeling algorithms from all the previous works are not compact enough. In this work, we provide four essential techniques in our timing macro-modeling algorithm, which are able to generate highly compressed timing macro-models for hierarchical and incremental timing analysis. In addition, our timing macro-model maintain high accuracy and the efficiency in generating our macro-models. Our algorithm generates timing macro-models where the model sizes are 9% better in the number of nodes and 19% better in the number of edges than the original circuit. Our work outperforms the state of arts significantly in both model size and the runtime in macro-model usage.
Homogeneous catalysis for the production of low-volume, high-value chemicals from biomass

The transition from petroleum to biorenewable sources of carbon to meet our energy and chemical feedstock needs is difficult, in part because these sources are so different, with petroleum being under-functionalized and biomass being over-functionalized relative to commercial chemicals. However, target lists such as the US Department of Energy’s Top 10 have converged efforts to develop the technologies needed to manufacture the most important feedstocks accessible from biorenewables. Less well defined but equally important to the economic viability of an integrated biorefinery are low-volume, high-value product streams, which would help offset the capital costs of a biorefinery. In this Review, we attempt to bring together some of the advances that could fill these niche areas, with a focus on the conversion of cellulosics into chemicals using homogeneous catalysis. The products range from high-value jet fuels to monomers for high-performance polymers and materials to pharmaceutical intermediates and cover a broad range of structural complexities. A move away from fossil fuels as an energy source will also require a move to new sources for important chemical feedstocks. This Review considers the use of homogeneous catalysis to convert cellulosics into low-volume, high-value chemicals that are currently derived from crude oil.
Efforts to remove aqueous lithium ion using Octolig® and methylated derivatives.

Aqueous Li+ – containing samples (in DI water or well water) were eluted over Octolig®, a polyethylenediimine covalently attached to a high- surface-area silica gel, and only slight removal, if any...
Evaluation of groundwater vulnerability to pollution using a GIS-based multi-criteria decision analysis

Abstract The groundwater contamination is due to different factors such as rapid urbanization, intensive fertilizer application , and wastewater disposal systems associated with human settlements and industries activities. Vulnerability mapping is considered as a fundamental aspect of sustainable groundwater management especially in overexploited and threatens aquifers by various sources of pollution. In the present study vulnerability and risk pollution maps were produced using a GIS based-multi-criteria decision analysis in an appropriate case study in Agareb area (southern Tunisia),and the results were validated using nitrate concentration. Eight appreciation criteria such as: aquifer type , hydraulic conductivity and depth to water table, slope, and proximity to concentrated land use, proximity to rivers, proximity to residential areas and proximity to main roads were selected. These factors were rated in one common interval from 0 to 10 using the fuzzy membership functions. Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is adopted to weight factor assessment. The final groundwater vulnerability maps were created by weighted linear combination (WLC). The results reveal that about 1% area is covered under very high vulnerable zone, 6% area under moderately high vulnerable zone, 18% area under moderately vulnerable zone, 25% area under moderately low vulnerable zone, and 50% area under low vulnerable zone. The results were validated using nitrate concentration in groundwater. Observed nitrate concentrations in boreholes are in accordance with the vulnerability map. The GIS-based multi-criteria decision analysis was observed to be more conclusive in groundwater vulnerability assessment in overexploited areas.
Computational of free-surface flows

Abstract Free-surface flows define an area of a great deal of engineering interest. In this paper, we present a finite-difference method for an accurate and efficient solution of potential flows with a free surface. Boundary-fitted coordinates are used to eliminate the difficulty introduced by the free surface. The method is illustrated with applications to problems involving unsteady two-dimensional flows.
The Role of Radiology in Percutaneous Laser Disc Decompression

Diagnostic imaging has always played a key role in the evaluation of patients with suspected lumbar disc herniation. With the development of percutaneous laser disc decompression (PLDD), radiology is now equally important in its treatment. All physicians involved with the PLDD candidate must be familiar with the imaging techniques unique to this procedure to ensure a successful outcome. The following review is based on the cumulative experience gained in performing over 200 PLDD procedures. It discusses the function of diagnostic radiology in all facets of PLDD including patient selection, intraoperative imaging, postoperative evaluation, and analysis of complications. Fundamental radiologic concepts that apply to PLDD are explained and protocols suggested to optimize results and avoid complications.
High Dimensional Covariance Estimation: Avoiding the ‘Curse of Dimensionality’

A central problem in standard parametric applications of multivariate analysis is covariance estimation, particularly relatively stable and robust estimation of covariance matrices as well as their inverses to support standard inferential decisions and conc1usions. Despite the fundamental role played by covariance estimation in many common statistical applications, relatively few resources appear to have gone into its study and improvement compared to work expended on allied statistics. This is difficult to understand in view of the complexities and ambiguities in the theory that supports standard covariance estimation, particularly when p, the number of observed variables, is a substantial fraction of n, the sample size.
Approaching Size and Age in Matrix Population Models

Matrix projection models are a simple and powerful way to analyze the life cycles of organisms whose demography is determined by size or developmental stage, rather than age. Here I address three problems: (1) choosing between age and size as state variables, (2) using size-classified models as approximations when both age and size are important, and (3) recovering age-specific information from sizeclassified models.
Involvement of Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species in the Pathogenesis of Acute Lung Injury

Reactive oxygen and nitrogen intermediates, produced by the interaction of NO with partially reduced oxygen species, affect lung function and homeostasis in a variety of different ways. They act as signaling agents and play an essential role in pathogen killing. On the other hand, they may contribute to tissue injury by upregulating genes responsible for the production of inflammatory mediators and by directly nitrating and oxidizing proteins, events known to adversely affect critical functions. A significant challenge to defining their role in lung injury results from their short biological half-lives, and lack of sensitive detection techniques, and the difficulty in deciphering the relevance of the various substrate concentrations to a particular measured response. Thus, many questions relating to the chemical, physiological, pathobiological, and clinical consequences of ROS and RNS generation remain unanswered. Therapeutic strategies, such as enhanced anti-inflammatory and antioxidant therapies are in their infancy in the clinical arena. Hence, this discussion of what is known leads one to realize how much is not known with regard to the role of RNS/ROS in lung injury.
Modulation of myoglobin-H2O2-mediated peroxidation reactions by sulfhydryl compounds.

The ability of specific low molecular weight sulfhydryl compounds to inhibit the myoglobin-H2O2 peroxidation of uric acid and arachidonic acid was investigated. alpha-Mercaptopropionyl glycine, N-acetylcysteine, and reduced glutathione inhibited both the oxymyoglobin and metmyoglobin H2O2-mediated peroxidation of uric acid in a dose-dependent manner. The IC50 for each drug ranged between 20 to 100 microM and was dependent on the presence of a reduced sulfhydryl group since neither oxidized glutathione nor methionine effectively blocked uric acid peroxidation. Similar inhibition of oxymyoglobin and metmyoglobin H2O2-mediated peroxidation of arachidonic acid was also observed with alpha-mercaptopropionyl glycine, reduced glutathione, and cysteine. Under conditions of this assay, the ferrous form of myoglobin and H2O2 produced approximately three times the amount of formaldehyde from dimethylsulfoxide than ferric myoglobin (metmyoglobin) and H2O2. However, metmyoglobin and H2O2 were more effective than either oxymyoglobin and deoxymyoglobin in mediating arachidonic acid peroxidation. Further, neither mannitol nor benzoic acid (known scavengers of .OH) effectively blocked myoglobin H2O2-induced peroxidation of either uric acid or arachidonic acid. Visible absorption spectra of oxymyoglobin and metmyoglobin after incubation with H2O2 indicates the formation of a relatively stable ferriperoxide derivative of myoglobin. The formation of the ferriperoxide myoglobin derivative was partially inhibited by the addition of reduced sulfhydryl compounds. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that during reperfusion injury of the ischemic myocardium, the phagocytic cell or intracellular-derived H2O2 may react with myoglobin and initiate peroxidation reactions independent of .OH formation leading to cell injury. The cardioprotective effects of alpha-mercaptopropionyl glycine and other sulfhydryl-containing compounds during reperfusion injury may be attributed, at least in part, to their ability to inhibit myoglobin-H2O2-mediated peroxidation reactions.
The Relationship Between Counselors’ Multicultural Counseling Competence and Poverty Beliefs

The relationship between increased levels of poverty and decreased levels of psychological wellbeing and overall wellness is well documented. Although poverty clearly impacts mental health and wellness, little research in counseling has been conducted exploring the poverty attitudes of counselors. This study explored the relationship between professional counselors’ multicultural counseling competence (MCC), poverty beliefs, and select demographic factors (i.e. counseling specialty, gender, age, ethnocultural identity, poverty counseling experience, and personal poverty experience). Data were collected using survey-based methods from professional counselors of all specialties. Results of a hierarchical linear regression indicate that increased MCC, adjusted for select demographic factors, is predictive of increased counselor structural poverty beliefs and decreased counselor individualistic poverty beliefs. Further, select counselor demographic factors were found to not be significantly linked to individualistic and structural poverty beliefs. Analyses of these results were insignificant. Implications for counseling practice, education, and supervision, along with future research, directions are included.
JAT—More Than Flying: Constructing Yugoslav Identity in the Air:

This article revisits the history of Yugoslavia to trace the unique ways in which the national airline Yugoslav Airlines (JAT) served as a powerful tool of Yugoslav, and then post-Yugoslav, Serbian...
Book Review: Tokyo Boogie Woogie: Japan’s Pop Era and Its Discontents by Hiromu Nagahara

Hiromu Nagahara. Tokyo Boogie Woogie: Japan’s Pop Era and Its Discontents . Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2017. 288 pp. Historians of modern Japan often discuss the “Fifteen Years War,” referring to the period that stretches from the invasion of Manchuria in 1931 to Japan’s
Phytostimulants influence the vase life of Heliconia psittacorum CV. golden torch

Abstract Many factors influence postharvest quality of tropical flowers, including preharvest management of the plants. Also, oxidative stress is a major factor for determining quality during vase life, as it reflects complex chemical and physiological changes in the plant. The present study aimed to assess the influence of phytostimulants applied to Heliconia psittacorum cv. Golden Torch in quality maintenance during the vase life of this species. Bion®, Agro-Mos®, Quartz®, Ca - Fosfitotal® (calcium phosphite) and K - Fosfitotal® (potassium phosphite) were applied in the field. The flower stems used during the experiment were harvested in the morning to assess the visual aspect, fresh matter loss, electrolyte leakage, lipid peroxidation and the soluble carbohydrates and peroxidase, polyphenoloxidase, and superoxide dismutase activities and total soluble phenolic compounds. Fosfitotal® maintained of stem quality of Heliconia during vase life. Fosfitotal®, especially K - Fosfitotal®, resulted in the best scores for the visual aspect, reduced electrolyte leakage and less lipid peroxidation. These results were confirmed with the quantifications of the enzymes peroxidase, polyphenoloxidase, superoxide dismutase and total soluble phenolic compounds. Field treatments, with phytostimulants can maintain the stem quality Heliconia during vase life.
1D time evolving electric field profile measurements with sub-ns resolution using the E-FISH method.

We present an approach for the measurement of time evolving electric field profiles in atmospheric pressure plasma discharges using electric field induced second harmonic generation (E-FISH). While the E-FISH effect has been known of for some time, recent advances in laser and detection technology have allowed the method to be utilized for spatial measurements of an arbitrarily applied electric field. A cylindrical lens is used to focus the femtosecond laser light to a line and an intensified charge coupled device is used for detection, allowing for one-dimensional (1D) spatial resolution on the order of ∼50 μm. Measurements have been carried out verifying the spatial resolution using a spatially periodic, localized electric field. Calibrated 1D electric field measurements have been completed with a time resolution of 500 ps in a laminar cold atmospheric pressure plasma jet with argon core flow and N2 co-flow powered by a nanosecond (ns) pulse dielectric barrier discharge. The field was shown to propagate as an ionization wave, with a velocity of ∼0.3 mm/ns.
Functional characterization of Ralstonia insidiosa, a bona fide resident at the maternal-fetal interface

Controversy about whether there are microbes in the placenta and if they have any functional importance during pregnancy and for neonatal health is ongoing. Previous work has demonstrated that the basal plate (BP), comprising maternal and fetal derived cells harbors intracellular bacteria. 16S sequencing and bacterial species-specific analysis of term placentas revealed that the gram-negative bacillus Ralstonia insidiosa, native to aqueous environments and an effective biofilm promoter, comprises the most abundant species in the BP. Here, we demonstrate whether R. insidiosa cells home to a particular niche in the BP, how they may arrive there, and whether they are associated with adverse outcomes. We developed methods to detect and study cell-specific localization of R. insidiosa using ex vivo and in vitro models. Additionally, we studied potential routes of R. insidiosa entry into the placenta. We show that R. insidiosa is a bona fide resident in human placental BP. It can access trophoblast cells in culture and within basal plate tissues where it localizes to intracellular single-membrane vacuoles and can replicate. However, the presence of R. insidiosa does not cause cell death and does not induce a pro-inflammatory immune response suggesting that it is not harmful in and of itself. Finally, we show that in a pregnant mouse model, R. insidiosa traffics to the placenta via the intrauterine route but does not induce preterm labor or preterm birth. Together, our findings provide a foundation for understanding non-pathogenic placental cell-microbe interactions and the functional importance of R. insidiosa in placental health and physiology.
Benefits and Challenges of Instructing Introductory Biology Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) as Perceived by Graduate Teaching Assistants

Graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) are often the primary instructors for undergraduate biology laboratories and serve as research mentors in course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs). While several studies have explored undergraduate perceptions of CUREs, no previous study has qualitatively described GTAs' perceptions about teaching CUREs, despite the essential instructional role GTAs play. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe and ascribe meaning to the perceptions that GTAs have regarding benefits and challenges with instructional experiences in introductory biology CUREs. We conducted semistructured interviews with 11 GTAs instructing an introductory biology CURE at a 4-year public university. We found that, while GTAs perceived professional benefits such as experience in research mentoring and postsecondary teaching, they also described challenges, including the time required to instruct a CURE, motivating students to take ownership, and a lack of expertise in mentoring undergraduates about a copepod-based CURE. Feelings of inadequacy in serving as a research mentor and high levels of critical thinking were also cited as perceived issues. We recommend that the greater responsibility and increased time commitment perceived by GTAs in the current study warrants reconsideration by lab coordinators and administrators as to what content and practices should be included in pedagogical training specifically designed for CURE GTAs and how departmental and institutional policies may need to be adapted to better implement CUREs.
Coordination complexes of methimazole with copper: Controlling redox reactions and sulfur extrusion

Abstract Sulfur-containing imidazole thiones are of interest for their redox chemistry and tendency to form disulfide bonds reminiscent of biologically active disulfides. Treating copper(II) with redox-active methimazole in the presence of oxygen results in concomitant copper reduction and formation of methimazole disulfide, and ultimately, extrusion of one of the sulfur atoms. Reaction conditions, including stoichiometry, presence of oxygen, and redox state of the metal ion, were varied to examine the mechanistic details that lead to the sulfur extrusion. Six unique products are reported: [Cu(κN,N-MMIMS)2(H2O)2](HSO4)2, [Cu(κN,N-MMIMS)2(H2O)][CH3SO4][HSO4][H2O], [Cu(κN,N-MMIMS)2(H2O)](CH3SO4)2, [Cu(κN,N-MMIMS)(κO,O-SO4)(CH3OH)], [Cu(κN,N-MMIMS)(κO,O-SO4)(DMSO)]∙0.5 DMSO, and [Cu(μ,κO,O,O-SO4)(κN,N-MMIMS)]n[CH3CN] (MMIMS = bis(1-methylimidazol-2-yl)sulfide). In all structures, the HSO4- and CH3SO4- counterions are generated in situ. EPR analysis of the reaction as it proceeds indicates initial formation of a four-coordinate Cu2+-S complex that shifts to square planar or octahedral Cu2+-N coordination over the course of the reaction. Formation of the thiyl radical is also observed by EPR analysis using DMPO as a spin trap. Together, these results establish a complete mechanism for sulfur extrusion that proceeds through copper-methimazole binding and redox, superoxide formation, and nucleophilic attack of water or methanol on sulfur, and subsequent nucleophilic aromatic substitution to yield the sulfur-extruded product. Understanding this mechanism lays the foundation for catalyst development for desulfurization and sulfur-containing polymerization reactions.
Pathways of Enactment to and from Organizing Visions: Evidence from 3 Countries' Embrace of ICT4D

Through an in-depth field study of information and communication technologies for development (ICT4D) initiatives in three South American countries, we investigate how actors’ responses to prior di...
Islam and Politics in West Africa: Intricacies of the Relationship as Seen Through Mali and Senegal

This chapter explores the relationship between Islam and political life in selected Sub-Saharan countries. It looks at the trajectory that the relationship took in Mali and Senegal in order to explain the contemporary differences we see between the two countries. In the former, religion is generally relegated to the private sphere and efforts of individuals. In the latter, however, religion plays a significant role in politics, making Senegal an officially secular, yet an unofficially very Muslim state. The chapter argues that this is what is at the basis of politics and society in Senegal. It further illustrates the complexities and flexibilities of the relationship between politics and society by examining the gender parity law in Senegal.
Anuncio De Reforma Tributaria En Ecuador: Evidencia Desde Los Impuestos Ambientales[Tax Reform Announcement in Ecuador: Evidence from the Environmental Taxes]

Spanish Abstract: En Ecuador han existido varias reformas tributarias con diferentes objetivos. El presente documento tiene el objetivo de evaluar el impacto de la reforma tributaria ambiental de 2011. Este evento permite medir el impacto de anunciar la medida y tambien de la implementacion, debido a su naturaleza exogena a la actividad economica. Se utiliza el enfoque narrativo de los modelos autorregresivos para estimar el efecto en los precios y la actividad economica en el sector de plasticos. Los resultados muestran que el anuncio tuvo mayor efecto que la misma vigencia de la reforma en el precio del consumidor y del productor. Sin embargo, no se encuentra evidencia en la oferta y demanda del sector. English Abstract: In Ecuador there have been several tax reforms with different objectives. The purpose of this document is to evaluate the impact of the 2011 environmental tax reform. This event allows us to measure the impact of announcing the measure and of the implementation because of its exogenous to economic activity. The narrative approach of the fiscal policy literature is used to estimate the effect on prices and economic activity in the plastics sector. The results show that the announcement had a greater effect than the validity of the reform on the consumer and producer prices. However, no evidence is found in the supply and demand of the sector.
Taking the 'Non' Out of Non-GAAP: Routine Non-GAAP Usage and Investor Pricing

Earnings are an important input for equity investors’ valuation decisions. Managers and analysts increasingly report non-GAAP earnings on an ongoing basis, routinely removing recurring items, such as amortization and stock-based compensation, from GAAP earnings. We document that by 2019, non-GAAP earnings were used in all prior eight quarters for 38 percent of firms. The routine use of non-GAAP earnings for the same firm quarter after quarter suggests that non-GAAP has become the “generally accepted” earnings measure for valuation purposes for a significant portion of publicly-traded firms. We provide evidence that routine non-GAAP usage allows investors to gain experience with non-GAAP earnings that facilitates their pricing of non-GAAP exclusions. Our findings point to a capital markets consequence of the shift from the traditional use of non-GAAP, in which adjustments are made for transitory earnings shocks, to the routine use of non-GAAP, in which adjustments are made for both recurring and transitory components of earnings.