cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Committees with supermajority voting yield commitment with flexibility

Abstract A fundamental problem for government is how to combine commitment to certain policies with the flexibility required to adjust them when needed. Rogoff (1985) [Rogoff, K., 1985. The optimal degree of commitment to an intermediate monetary target, Q. J. Econ. 100(4) 1169–1189] showed that a way to strike the right balance is to appoint an optimally “conservative” policy-maker. In real life, however, policy-makers also have power over decisions where optimal plans are time-consistent, so delegating to a conservative person could be undesirable. A flexible delegation device can be found in a large committee of randomly appointed members voting over policy after observing a shock. When facing dynamic inconsistency, under a single-crossing property, there exists a supermajority rule that implements the population median's optimally conservative policy-maker with certainty. Another single-crossing property guarantees that if simple majority voting is used to select the voting rule that will govern policy choice, the supermajority preferred by the median is chosen. For problems where dynamic inconsistency vanishes, the committee will choose to make decisions by simple majority, implementing median outcomes. An application to monetary policy is developed. We show that the optimal supermajority is higher when dynamic inconsistency is more severe, when preferences are more homogeneous, and when the economy is less volatile.
Nonhost resistance genes and race-specific resistance

Apart from physical barriers, plants have two major types of defense against potential pathogens. In 'race-specific' resistance, plants match single mendelian resistance genes with the 'avirulence' genes possessed by races of a pathogen. Plants also employ the more complex and evolutionarily more robust system of 'nonhost resistance' against a broad range of pathogenic species. In peas, both types of resistance are associated with the expression of a common group of 'resistance response' genes.
Short Stay Pyeloplasty: Variables Affecting Pain and Length of Stay

Purpose: Pyeloplasty is increasingly performed on a short stay basis. We sought to determine what patient and treatment variables affect postoperative pain and length of stay, and whether an open approach could be considered “minimally invasive.”Materials and Methods: We performed a retrospective review of patients younger than 10 years who underwent open pyeloplasty between 2001 and 2007. All patients received ketorolac every 6 hours and acetaminophen with codeine as needed. Data extracted from the medical records included morphine and codeine usage, patient age and gender, incision type, operative time, stent usage and outcome data (pain scores and length of stay). Multiple regression analyses were used to determine the association between variables and outcomes.Results: A total of 51 patients met the inclusion criteria. Patient age and gender, operative time and stent usage had no significant correlation with mean or median pain scores. Children who received morphine had significantly higher mean, medi...
Socialist Impressions of Revolutionary Russia, 1920

The response to the Bolshevik Revolution in Western Europe ranged from uncritical adulation, where Russia was viewed as a "red paradise," to bitter hostility, where the new regime was believed to be headed by mindless and heartless fanatics who were propagating fraticide and terror. Such conflicting convictions were formed without very much reliable information about revolutionary Russia, expecially after Soviet Russia left the war and was blockaded by the Allies. Expectably, the opinions that existed corresponded to political persuasion rather than copious evidence. It was not until mid-1920, after the war had ended and the blockade lifted, that westerners were able to observe revolutionary Russia in a more thorough and leisured fashion. Moreover, the Bolshevik regime had by this time assumed a more discernible character; after almost three years of rule, the Bolsheviks could more plausibly be charged with some responsibility for conditions in Russia. Of particular interest are the observations and experiences of those revolutionary western socialists who traveled to Russia at this time, representing parties or other groups that hoped in some way to link their efforts up with those of the Bolsheviks; to become, in other words, part of the communist movement, though they were uncertain what this would mean, and their relations with the Bolsheviks were still ambiguous. These socialists are particularly interesting because they were not yet committed, disciplined communists nor were they committed anticommunists, though they later became one or the other. Thus their impressions were relatively unclouded by pre-judgement or parti pris. They desired not only to observe the conditions of Russia after three years of social revolution but to meet the new rulers of Russia and to determine the prerequisites or conditions for membership in the Communist International, or Comintern, as it came to be called, which the Bolsheviks despite their blockaded isolation had established in the spring of 1919. The impressions of these early visitors can be pieced together into a fairly complete and vivid account through a variety of sources, including memoirs, diaries, stenographic accounts of public and private meetings in Russia, socialist newspaper reportage, and polemical pamphlets. Although obviously many frustrating lacunae remain, these accounts often complement one another, especially by comparing accounts from one foreign delegation to another. In this article I will concentrate on the overall impressions of western socialists as they traveled through Russia and met leading Bolsheviks. In a companion article, I will investigate the many surprises and disillusionments of these early visitors as they attempted to negotiate entry into the new International.
Large Mammal Relative Abundance in Pithouse and Pueblo Period Archaeofaunas from Southwestern New Mexico: Resource Depression among the Mimbres-Mogollon?

Archaeologists working in western North America have recently demonstrated temporal declines in the relative abundances of large mammals in archaeofaunal assemblages and have argued that these declines indicate resource depression, or reductions in the prey capture rates of prehistoric human hunters resulting from increases in harvest pressure. In the Mimbres-Mogollon region of southwestern New Mexico, evidence for resource depression has been controversial. Here, I employ a larger number of assemblages from this area than has been considered previously and show that large mammals are significantly more abundant at sites located in more mesic, wooded habitats. By taking this spatial patterning into account and by employing a model from foraging theory which indicates that temporal increases in large mammal relative abundance might also result from local resource depression in certain situations, I show that sites with samples large enough to produce statistically significant results do show temporal trends in large mammal relative abundance that are consistent with the hypothesis that they are due to changing intensities of human harvest pressure. This research has important implications for our understanding of prehistoric human impacts on biotic communities and may help to explain the increased reliance on agriculture that developed in the Mimbres-Mogollon region during the Pithouse and Pueblo time periods.
Recurrence rates of treated basal cell carcinomas. Part 4: X-ray therapy.

This is the fourth report in a series that reviews the experience in the Skin and Cancer Unit, from 1955 through 1982, with the treatment of basal cell carcinomas (BCCs). It concerns 862 primary (previously untreated) BCCs irradiated by a "standardized" x-ray therapy schedule. The overall 5-year recurrence rate for these lesions, as determined by the modified life-table method, was 7.4%. This rate was not significantly different from that experienced with 211 recurrent (previously treated) BCCs with a re-recurrence rate of 9.5% (P = .552). For the primary BCCs, multivariate analysis showed that increasing BCC diameter was the only independent risk factor for high recurrence rates (P = .003). The patient's age or sex, the duration of the BCC, the anatomic site of the BCC, or time-span treated (1955-1963, 1964-1972, 1973-1982) did not significantly affect the recurrence rate. Additional analysis showed that BCCs on the head less than 10 mm in diameter had a 5-year recurrence rate of 4.4% whereas those 10 mm or greater in diameter had a rate of 9.5%. Lastly, the proportion of recurrence-free treatment sites with a good or excellent long-term cosmetic outcome after x-ray therapy (63%) was lower than previous reports in this series with curettage-electrodesiccation (91%) and surgical excision (84%). Thus, if the long-term cosmetic outcome after treatment is not an overriding concern to the patient, x-ray therapy is an effective modality for many primary and recurrent BCCs.
Individual feedforward-feedback control of a flexible rotor blade: a comparison of approaches

Various control methods of rotor blade vibration reduction based on individual blade control are presented and compared. The benchmark model used is based on a four-bladed helicopter at hover conditions. In this paper, three control strategies are investigated: LQR method of feedback control, feedforward control, and hybrid control (a combination of feedback and feedforward control). It was found that the LQR method provided substantial improvements in the system and very low gains. Feedforward control was found to be somewhat less effective and the hybrid control method, which combines both feedforward and LQR feedback methods, was proven to be the most effective method.
Reading the Discourse of Multicultural Italy: Promises and Challenges of Transnational Italy in an Era of Global Migration

AbstractThis article argues that while the transformation of Italy from an emigrant to an immigrant country has yet to be translated into a serious reassessment of the civic and legal foundations governing citizenship and nationality, migrant narratives give voice to experiences common to generations of Italians, thus facilitating the recovery of the repressed texts of Italy's own colonial and migrant past. In particular, more recently established authors debunk homogeneous, normative models of Italian-ness and join the reconsideration of Italy's hybrid Mediterranean identity that is traversing the works of well-established autochthonous voices.
Heritability and selection schemes for rainbow trout: Female reproductive performance

Abstract Genetic parameters were estimated for female post-spawning weight, egg volume, egg size, and egg number per female from performance records on 573 females consisting of 49 half-sib groups. Heritability estimates based on sire components of variance were 0.15±0.14 for post-spawning weight, 0.30±0.15 for egg volume, 0.28±0.16 for egg size, and 0.32±0.14 for egg number. Common environmental effects were found for post-spawning weight and egg size. Intraclass correlations, based on full-sib groups, ranged from 0.12 for egg volume and number to 0.17 for post-spawning weight and egg size. A comparison of six alternative selection methods demonstrated that combined family and within-family selection of females and sib selection of males are expected to yield the greatest selection response. Based on the parameter estimates obtained for the broodstock used for this study, such a breeding scheme would result in a selection response of about 15% per generation. Selection of males based on progeny testing is expected to produce the largest per generation response. However, the long generation interval required to complete each cycle of selection would result in a per year response less than that expected from sib selection.
Transcriptional silencing and translational control: key features of early germline development.

The germ lineage has been studied for a long time because of its crucial role in the propagation and survival of a species. While this lineage, in contrast to the soma, is clearly unique in its totipotent ability to produce a new organism, it has now been found also to have specific features at the cellular level. One feature, a period of transcriptional quiescence in the early germ cell precursors, has been observed in both Drosophila and C. elegans, where it is essential for the formation and the survival of the germline. In addition, there are numerous instances where these early germ cells are reliant on translational regulation, especially in Drosophila. The genes that are important for these two functions, the mechanisms of their action, and studies in vertebrate organisms that reveal similarities as well as some potential differences in early germ cell development are discussed. BioEssays 25:326–335, 2003. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Pd-substituted (La,Sr)CrO3−δ–Ce0.9Gd0.1O2−δ solid oxide fuel cell anodes exhibiting regenerative behavior

Abstract Composite anodes consisting of Pd-substituted (La,Sr)CrO 3− δ mixed with 50 wt% Ce 0.9 Gd 0.1 O 2− δ were tested in La 0.9 Sr 0.1 Ga 0.8 Mg 0.2 O 3− δ -electrolyte supported fuel cells at 800 °C with humidified H 2 fuel. Low anode polarization resistance was observed during the first several hours of operation, explained by the nucleation of Pd nano-particles on perovskite particle surfaces. Anode performance then degraded gradually before stabilizing. Redox cycling repeatedly restored the anodes to their initial peak performance, followed again by degradation. This regenerative behavior was explained by the observation that the Pd nano-particles were removed by oxidation, and then re-nucleated upon reduction.
Portfolio Reviews as a Means of Quality Control in Interior Design Programs

This study was developed to create a data base on the use of portfolio reviews to control enrollment in interior design programs in North America. Data identified those programs with portfolio reviews, length of existence of review, level of occurrence, composition of jury, knowledge and/or skills reviewed, expected student performance, and options resulting from the review. Questionnaires were sent to 324 interior design program directors; there was a 61% return response. A statistical analysis system was used for treatment of the data. Ninety-three schools were identified as having a portfolio review. Statistics indicated that the most frequent point of review occurred in the second year and that the jury consisted primarily of interior design faculty. The review items identified as having the most importance in a portfolio review included creativity, drawing, drafting, design elements and principles, design concept, and rendering. Other data dealt with various optional results of portfolio review participants.
A STUDY OF THE ROLE OF AWARENESS IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE BEHAVIOR Aware versus Unaware Learners

This study is a quantitative and qualitative investigation of the effects of awareness, or the lack thereof, on 32 adult second or foreign language (L2) learners' subsequent intake and written production of targeted Spanish morphological forms. Think-aloud protocol data, gathered while learners completed a problem-solving task (a crossword puzzle) and postexposure assessment tasks (a multiple-choice recognition task and a written production task), were used to measure awareness or the lack thereof, and morphological learning was assessed by learners' performances on the two postexposure tasks. From a theoretical perspective, no dissociation between awareness and further processing of targeted forms was found in this study, the results of which are compatible with the claim that awareness plays a crucial role in subsequent processing of L2 data (e.g., Robinson, 1995; Schmidt, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1995). From a methodological perspective, the data collection procedure clearly underscores the need for studies that investigate the roles of attention and awareness in second language acquisition (SLA) to gather as much data as possible from different sources that reveal participants' internal processes. By attempting to ascertain what learners really attend to or are aware of, or both, while exposed to or interacting with L2 data, such information can also address the methodological issue of how representative learners' performances in experimental groups really are in studies conducted under an attentional framework in SLA.
Review of elective surgical treatment of chronic duodenal ulcer.

This article is a review of 20 clinical trials of various forms of elective surgical treatment of chronic duodenal ulcer conducted between 1964 and 1975, some of them prospective and others retrospective in nature. Comparisons have been made of the results following truncal vagotomy with drainage, truncal vagotomy with antrectomy, and partial gastrectomy. Additionally, selective vagotomy and truncal vagotomy have been compared in some studies and various forms of drainage, such as pyloroplasty and gastrojejunostomy, have been compared in others. In general, the results of all current forms of elective surgery for chronic duodenal ulcer have been very good, and the differences among the effects of the various procedures have been small. There have been no significant differences in the mortality rates associated with the several operations when they have been performed electively. The rate of ulcer recurrence and incidence of diarrhea have been somewhat higher after truncal vagotomy with drainage, whereas the frequency of dumping and amount of weight loss have been somewhat greater after all forms of gastric resection. Selective vagotomy appears to be associated with less frequent and severe diarrhea than does truncal vagotomy. There have been no apparent differences in the results of the various drainage procedures that have been combined with vagotomy. Highly selective vagotomy without drainage, the most recent operation for duodenal ulcer, has resulted in the lowest incidence of post-operative side effects of any surgical procedure in current use. However, the frequency of ulcer recurrence after this therapeutic measure remains to be determined by long-term studies.
Sensitivity to punishment and low maternal care account for the link between bulimic and social anxiety symptomology.

Abstract Objective The current study examined the joint effect of personality and parenting factors on the prediction of bulimia nervosa (BN) and social anxiety disorder (SAD) symptomology in a sample of female college students. The study also tested whether personality and parenting factors might account for the association between BN and SAD symptoms. Method One-hundred twenty-eight participants completed self-report measures assessing maternal care (MC), maternal overprotection, sensitivity to punishment (SP), sensitivity to reward (SR), and BN and SAD symptomology. Results SP, SR, and MC each uniquely predicted BN symptoms, whereas only SP and MC predicted SAD symptoms. High SP interacted with low MC to predict BN and SAD symptoms over the main effects. In addition, SP, MC, and the interaction term SP x MC mediated the association between SAD and BN symptoms. Conclusion High SP and low MC appear to account for the link between BN and SAD symptomology, whereas high SR appears to distinguish the disorders.
In situ formation of bismuth nanoparticles through electron-beam irradiation in a transmission electron microscope

In this work, bismuth nanoparticles were synthesized when a precursor, sodium bismuthate, was exposed to an electron beam at room temperature in a transmission electron microscope (TEM). The irradiation effects were investigated in situ using selected-area electron diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and x-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy. After the electron irradiation, bismuth nanoparticles with a rhombohedral structure and diameter of 6 nm were observed. The average particle size increased with the irradiation time. The electron-induced reduction is attributed to the desorption of oxygen ions. This method offers a one-step route to synthesize bismuth nanoparticles using electron irradiation, and the particle size can be controlled by the irradiation time.
Liberalization in the process of economic development

Economic growth in all developing countries is guided, and often accelerated, by generally intrusive policies implemented by governments intent on playing an active role in furthering development. As economies have grown and become more complex, however, even small market distortions are magnified, and the tendency is to rely more heavily on the market for continued growth. In this volume, leading experts in economic development examine the variety of issues that arise as governments in some of the newly industrializing countries of Southeast Asia, such as South Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore, grapple with this difficult process of liberalization.
IL-1β mediates diethyldithiocarbamate-induced granulocyte colony-stimulating factor production and hematopoiesis

Abstract Diethyldithiocarbamate (DDTC) exhibits chemoprotective effects via reduced myelosuppression in mice treated with various chemotherapeutic agents. The mechanism of DDTC-mediated chemoprotection is believed to involve the induction and release of several cytokines, including interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF). In the present study the roles of IL-1β and TNF-α in DDTC-mediated G-CSF induction were examined using human long-term bone marrow cultures (hLTBMCs). Administration of IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) to DDTC-treated hLTBMCs obviated the G-CSF induction profile and blocked the resultant colony proliferation, indicating that IL-1β mediates DDTC-induced G-CSF release and hematopoiesis. IL-1β mRNA levels were increased threefold over control following DDTC treatment of hLTBMCs, implying that DDTC induces IL-1β at the level of transcription. Conversely, studies involving inhibition of DDTC-induced TNF-α synthesis, with the inhibitor MNX 160, had no effect on DDTC-induced G-CSF release or colony proliferation. These findings taken together strongly suggest that IL-1β mediates the chemoprotective effects of DDTC.
Reduced Bone Mineral Content in Totally Thyroidectomized Patients: Possible Effect of Calcitonin Deficiency

To further investigate the relationship between calcitonin deficiency and osteoporosis, we have measured bone mineral content (BMC) by single photon absorptiometry in patients made iatrogenically calcitonin deficient by prior total thyroidectomy for thyroid cancer. Compared to sex-, age-, height-, and weight-matched normal controls, male patients had a significantly lower mean BMC at the midradius (1.162 +/- 0.02 vs. 1.301 +/- 0.05 g/cm; P less than 0.02) and the distal radius (1.180 +/- 0.04 vs. 1.338 +/- 0.04 g/cm; P less than 0.01). Female patients also had a significantly lower BMC at the midradius compared to those of a similarly matched group of normal controls and a group of patients on L-T4 suppression for nodular goiters (0.791 +/- 0.04 vs. 0.896 +/- 0.05 vs. 0.891 +/- 0.03 g/cm; P less than 0.025). We conclude that calcitonin deficiency from surgical thyroidectomy is associated with significant decreases in bone mineral content in both sexes. This lends further support to the concept that calcitonin deficiency may be an important causative factor in the development of osteoporosis.
Enhancement of Diabetes Produced by Adrenocort cotropic Hormone in Rats Maintained on a Carbohydrate Free Diet.

SummaryPure adrenocorticotropic hormone enhances both the glycosuria and the nitrogen excretion of diabetic rats maintained on a carbohydrate-free diet.
Pre-Blurred Spatial Sampling can Lead to Hyperacuity

While it may be counterintuitive to some, pre-blurring an image prior to spatial sampling can result in an increased ability to localize certain image features or to detect minute motions of such features. This does not produce better acuity in the traditional sense (e.g., the ability to resolve line pairs), but for certain classes of applications this technique can be quite useful and the resulting effect has, for better or for worse, been given the name "hyperacuity" in the literature. While observations of hyperacuity in animal vision tests have been reported in various journals, a signal processing based explanation of the effect has been lacking. In this paper, we explain how, in the process of developing a biomimetic imaging sensor based on the compound eye of the common housefly (Musca domestica), we have been able to mathematically model and explain in well-known signal processing terms how this hyperacuity effect comes about.
Analytical and computational description of effect of grain size on yield stress of metals

Four principal factors contribute to grain-boundary strengthening: (a) the grain boundaries act as barriers to plastic flow; (b) the grain boundaries act as dislocation sources; (c) elastic anisotropy causes additional stresses in grain-boundary surroundings; (d) multislip is activated in the grain-boundary regions, whereas grain interiors are initially dominated by single slip, if properly oriented. As a result, the regions adjoining grain boundaries harden at a rate much higher than grain interiors. A phenomenological constitutive equation predicting the effect of grain size on the yield stress of metals is discussed and extended to the nanocrystalline regime. At large grain sizes, it has the Hall-Petch form, and in the nanocrystalline domain the slope gradually decreases until it asymptotically approaches the flow stress of the grain boundaries. The material is envisaged as a composite, comprised of the grain interior, with flow stress sfG, and grain boundary work-hardened layer, with flow stress sfGB. The predictions of this model are compared with experimental measurements over the mono, micro, and nanocrystalline domains. Computational predictions are made of plastic flow as a function of grain size incorporating differences of dislocation accumulation rate in grain- boundary regions and grain interiors. The material is modeled as a monocrystalline core surrounded by a mantle (grain-boundary region) with a high work hardening rate response. This is the first computational plasticity calculation that accounts for grain size effects in a physically-based manner. A discussion of statisti- cally stored and geometrically necessary dislocations in the framework of strain-gradient plasticity is intro- duced to describe these effects. Grain-boundary sliding in the nanocrystalline regime is predicted from calcu- lations using the Raj-Ashby model and incorporated into the computations; it is shown to predispose the material to shear localization.  2001 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd on behalf of Acta Materialia Inc.
A Bayesian hierarchical meta-analysis of fish growth: with an example for North American largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides

Abstract Variability in animal growth from one population to another is of keen interest to population ecologists wishing to understand the inherent within species variability and explore meaningful environmental covariates. Yet most studies investigating growth of animals within a population are usually analyzed in isolation from, or at best, compared qualitatively across populations. Here, we introduce statistical methods that permit simultaneous quantitative analysis of the growth of 245 populations of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) across the North American Continent. Growth in length at age is modeled using a nonlinear mixed effect model and we used Bayesian hierarchical meta-analysis as a natural approach to estimate parameters, investigate growth variability among populations and to elucidate meaningful biological covariates for this species. Growth of M. salmoides across North America varied by more than 120% in terms of maximum attainable size (L∞; 36–80 cm) and by more than 88% in terms of instantaneous growth rates (K; 0.091 to 0.670 per year). Results from this method also confirm the theoretical, but often untested, view that growth parameters L∞ and K are negatively correlated in fish populations; Bayesian credibility intervals ranged from −0.56 to −0.72 with the posterior mode of −0.65. The Bayesian hierarchical growth model showed less variability in growth parameters and lower correlations among parameters than those from standard techniques used in population ecology suggesting that the absolute value of the correlation between L∞ and K may be lower than the general perception in the ecological literature, often in the range of −0.8 to −0.9. Finally, growth parameters were negatively correlated with latitude suggesting that population productivity most likely declines the higher in latitude a population is found for this species.
Soft Information Single Error Correction for Interactive Concatenated Codes

This paper describes a concatenated code method where the outer decoder hypothesizes possible block symbol values for the inner code to make a likelihood retest from its original soft information. These hypotheses come from low density check sets where the probability is significant that there is only one error in the check set, whose value would be the syndrome for that check. The method has an advantage over pure verifications in converting errors into erasures. Also, it is shown that, if the inner decoder can supply a list of two decisions for each symbol, the decoding method, for large first choice symbol error probability p, allows reliable communication at rates substantially exceeding the (1-p) log2Q QSC per symbol channel capacity with b-bit symbols.
Operation of a Continuously Frequency-Tunable Second-Harmonic CW 330-GHz Gyrotron for Dynamic Nuclear Polarization

The design and the operation of a frequency-tunable continuous-wave (CW) 330-GHz gyrotron oscillator operating at the second harmonic of the electron cyclotron frequency are reported. The gyrotron has generated 18 W of power from a 10.1-kV 190-mA electron beam working in a TE-4,3 cylindrical mode, corresponding to an efficiency of 0.9%. The measured start oscillation current over a range of magnetic field values is in good agreement with theoretical start currents obtained from linear theory for successive high-order axial modes TE-4,3,q, where q = 1-6. Moreover, the observed frequency range in the start current measurement is in reasonable agreement with the frequency range obtained from numerical simulations. The minimum start current was measured to be 33 mA. A continuous tuning range of 1.2 GHz was experimentally observed via a combination of magnetic, voltage, and thermal tuning. The gyrotron output power and frequency stabilities were assessed to be ±0.4% and ±3 ppm, respectively, during a 110-h uninterrupted CW run. Evaluation of the gyrotron output microwave beam pattern using a pyroelectric camera indicated a Gaussian-like mode content of 92% with an ellipticity of 28%. The gyrotron will be used for 500-MHz nuclear magnetic resonance experiments with sensitivity enhanced by dynamic nuclear polarization.
Reproductive and Metabolic Characteristics of Dairy Cattle Supplemented with β-Carotene

Seventy-eight Holstein cows alternately were assigned at calving to receive beta-carotene supplementation or act as controls to determine effects of beta-carotene on reproduction and carotene, luteinizing hormone, progesterone, insulin, glucose, and glucagon concentrations in blood plasma. Cows were fed a corn silage-based complete ration. Biweekly jugular blood samples were collected beginning the week after parturition through 90 days. At day 30, supplemented cows received 600 mg synthetic beta-carotene daily for 60 days. Plasma carotene reached a peak of 2.45 micrograms/ml compared to 1.50 micrograms/ml in controls. Supplementation significantly increased plasma carotene but had no effect on luteinizing hormone, progesterone, insulin, glucose, glucagon, or reproductive measures. Days to first heat, days to first breeding, days open, and services per conception averaged 74, 74, 95, and 1.7 for supplemented cows and 64, 76, 102, and 1.9 for control cows. Progesterone increased as lactation progressed. Somatic cells were not different between supplemented and control cows. Supplementation of beta-carotene did not improve reproductive efficiency or alter luteinizing hormone, progesterone, insulin, glucose, or glucagon in blood plasma or affect somatic cells in milk.
Amino Acid Composition of Serum Albumin in Normal Individuals And in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

A modern automated technique has been used to re-evaluate the older standard classic methods for studying the amino acid composition of human albumin. Previous published data have been derived from pooled samples that included persons of unknown clinical status. In this study normal values were determined for albumin derived from healthy volunteers and purified by electrophoresis on polyacrylamide gel. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis were similarly evaluated. No differences attributable to age were found. Albumin from women contained 20% more threonine than did albumin from men. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis had more phenylalanine and less lysine in their albumin than did normal persons. No such differences in composition of structural proteins have been previously demonstrated. It is unlikely that the substitution of one amino acid for another in molecules of this size could arise by chance during protein synthesis.
Candida Infections in Solid Organ Transplantation

Abbreviations: ABCD, amphotericin B colloidal dispersion; ABLC, amphotericin B lipid complex; AmB, amphotericin B; AmB-d, deoxycholate amphotericin; BDG, 1–3 b glucan; CNI, calcineurin inhibitor; CSF, cerebrospinal fluid; 5-FC, flucytosine; GI, gastrointestinal; IFI, invasive fungal infection; LAmB, liposomal amphotericin B; LFAmB, lipid formulation of amphotericin B; PCR, polymerase chain reaction; PNA-FISH, peptide nucleic acid fluorescent in situ hybridization assay; TDM, therapeutic drug monitoring.
The Case Against Huge Earthquakes

The Case Against Huge Earthquakes In a recent opinion article, Jackson (SRL, Jan/Feb, 1996, pp. 3-5; henceforth J96) provides stimulating arguments regarding an issue central to long-term seismic fault system, or region. Combined with an overall strain-accrual rate from geologic or geodetic studies and an assumed distribution of magnitudes, the choice of Mmax will constrain the long-term rate of earthquakes (assuming strain release to be entirely seismic) of all magnitudes and thus significantly affect longterm probabalistic seismic hazard assessment. Moreover, because it is difficult to prove a negative ( i.e. , that a certain Mmax is not possible), it is unlikely that this issue will ever be settled with conclusive evidence. However, as I will discuss, if one formalizes Jackson's case for huge earthquakes and implements it in hazard assessment, the result will be to lower the probabilistic hazard in many regions, including much of Southern California. I will argue that,...
Stratigraphy of the Younger Dryas Chronozone and paleoenvironmental implications: Central and Southern Great Plains

Abstract The Great Plains of the United States was the setting for some of the earliest research in North America into patterns and changes in the character of late Pleistocene environments and their effects on contemporary human populations. Many localities in the region have well-stratified records of terminal Pleistocene and early Holocene human (Paleoindian) activity and past environments. These have proven important in debates over the character of the Younger Dryas Chronozone (YDC; 11,000–10,000 14C BP; 12,900–11,700 cal BP) in the continental interior. This paper reviews the lithostratigraphic record of the YDC on the Central and Southern Great Plains and summarizes paleobiological records (largely isotopic). The goal is to determine if there is any uniformity in the timing, character, direction and/or magnitude of changes in depositional environments or broader geomorphic systems before, during or after the YDC in order to address the question of the character of environments through this time. The stratigraphic records of the late Pleistocene to early Holocene transition, and in particular, the stratigraphic records of the YDC vary through time and space. The data clearly show that a host of geomorphic processes produced the terminal Pleistocene and early Holocene stratigraphic records of the Great Plains. Moreover, the YDC is not necessarily manifest as a distinct lithostratigraphic or biostratigraphic entity in these different types of deposits and soils. The various geomorphic systems of the Great Plains did not behave synchronously in response to any common climate driver. These stratigraphic records reflect local environmental conditions and probably a complex response to the reorganization of mid-latitude climates in the terminal Pleistocene and early Holocene.
P–T evolution of the Teslin suture zone and Cassiar tectonites, Yukon, Canada: evidence for A‐ and B‐type subduction

Mineral composition and quantitative thermobarometric studies indicate that the Teslin-Taylor Mountain and Nisutlin terranes within the Teslin suture zone (TSZ), Yukon, record widespread high-P/T metamorphic conditions consistent with subduction zone dynamothermal metamorphism. The highest P–T conditions (575–750° C and 9–17 kbar) are preserved in tectonites formed during normal dip-slip ductile shear. Dextral strike-slip tectonites record lower P–T conditions (400–550° C and 5–8 kbar), and tectonites which show reverse shear have peak temperatures of c. 420° C and a minimum peak pressure of 3 kbar. Dynamothermal metamorphism took place in a west-dipping B-type subduction zone outboard of western North America in Permo-Triassic time. TSZ tectonites were underplated against the hangingwall plate of the subduction zone. Following subduction of the ocean basin which separated North America from the hangingwall plate, TSZ tectonites were overthrust eastward as a coherent structural package as a result of A-type subduction of Cassiar strata in early Jurassic time. (Par)autochthonous Cassiar tectonites, which comprised the leading edge of the western North American margin, record prograde moderate-P, high-T metamorphism (550–750° C and 7–13 kbar) synchronous with top-to-the-east ductile shear. Metamorphism occurred as a result of subduction of the North American margin into the TSZ subduction zone in early Jurassic time. Following metamorphism Cassiar tectonites cooled slowly from 500 to 300° C during the period middle Jurassic to middle Cretaceous. TSZ and Cassiar tectonites were deformed during changing P–T conditions. Data from each of these tectonite packages indicate that grain-scale strain partitioning may have allowed local recrystallization of individual minerals by the addition of mechanical energy. The composition of the new grains reflects the P–T conditions under which that particular grain was deformed.
1302PANAPLASTIC LYMPHOMA KINASE (ALK) POSITIVITY IN NON SMALL CELL LUNG CANCER (NSCLC) HAS SIMILAR OR WORSE PROGNOSIS FOR CLINICAL OUTCOME AS ALK WILD TYPE: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF PUBLISHED LITERATURE

ABSTRACT Aim: Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) positive NSCLC identifies a unique subset of patients who respond to treatment with crizotinib (Pfizer Inc, NY), an ALK receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor. However, it is not well established whether ALK status is predictive of a better or a worse outcome for those who do not receive crizotinib. We performed a systematic review of recent literature on ALK positive NSCLC to answer this question. Methods: Ovid Medline and Embase databases were searched for publications on ALK-positive NSCLC until December 2013. Studies were included if outcomes for crizotinib naive patients were presented for either Progression-Free Survival (PFS) or Overall Survival (OS). For each study identified, 2 investigators independently extracted and tabulated relevant findings. Demographics, ALK status, type of diagnostic test, treatment received and response to treatment were noted. To determine if ALK status was prognostic, efficacy outcomes (PFS and / or OS) for ALK-positive patients were compared to ALK wild type (WT) patients. Results: Twenty one studies published between 2009 to 2013, with nearly 8000 screened NSCLC patients and 700 ALK-positive patients, met the selection criteria. All publications were retrospective in nature, majority reported single institution experiences, with a mix of completely resected early stage NSCLC and recurrent or advanced disease. The number of ALK-positive patients in studies determined by Fluorescent In Situ Hybridisation (FISH) ranged from 7 to 121 (mean = 32) and the number of ALK-positive patients in studies determined by non-FISH methods ranged from 3 - 39 (mean = 18). Enrichment strategies were commonly employed with predominantly adenocarcinomas being selected for ALK testing. PFS and / or OS for ALK-positive NSCLC patients did not demonstrate a favourable outcome and was similar or worse compared to EGFR WT/ ALK WT patients. Conclusions: This analysis of published retrospective studies in ALK-positive NSCLC, suggest that ALK-positivity is not a positive prognostic factor and does not confer a favourable outcome in absence of crizotinib therapy. Disclosure: J. Binko: Employee of Pfizer Oncology and holder of Pfizer stock; P. Delahoy: Employee of Pfizer Oncology and holder of Pfizer stock. M. Alam: Employee of Pfizer Oncology and holder of Pfizer stock.
Voting for Autocracy: HOW VOTERS CHOOSE AND MASS COORDINATION DILEMMAS

What finally allowed Mexican voters to “throw the rascals out” of office? What factors hindered or encouraged opposition coordination in presidential elections? To answer these questions, this chapter presents an analysis of voting choices in the 1994, 1997, and 2000 elections. I systematically test a series of hypotheses on mass support for the PRI derived from my voting model with the use of micro-level evidence. The Context of the Elections The 1994 Mexican presidential elections took place after six years of profound economic transformation. The government had removed almost all trade barriers. Mexico had joined the North American Free Trade Agreement, and the country was more fully integrated into international capital markets. Some political commentators and analysts interpreted these elections as a referendum on economic performance. At the time, it seemed that macroeconomic stabilization had been successful, and domestic consumption was booming. The economy, however, was barely growing. Contrary to these views, I find that the electorate reelected the PRI in 1994 despite holding highly negative retrospective assessments of the economy. As they had done in 1988 and 1991, voters exonerated the PRI for mediocre economic performance and chose prospectively, reelecting the incumbent party because they still believed it was more capable of handling the future of the national economy. The 1994 elections were unique in that they took place during a year of political turmoil, marked by both the Zapatista uprising and the assassination of the PRI's presidential candidate, Luis Donaldo Colosio.
Rainfall consistently enhanced around the Gezira Scheme in East Africa due to irrigation

Land-use changes can modify regional climate patterns. A comparison of climate simulations and observations show that a large-scale irrigation scheme in East Africa inhibits rainfall over the irrigation scheme, while enhancing it further away.
Incorporation, Audit Fees and Audit Quality

Previous theories have argued that incorporation tends to reduce both audit quality and audit fees (Dye, 1994, 1995). In contrast, this paper shows that the theoretical effects of incorporation depend on three factors. If most clients are financially healthy (and pose little risk of litigation), or if there is little difference between incorporated and unincorporated wealth (for example if reputation is important), incorporation has little effect on either audit pricing or quality. If marginal costs fall slowly (quickly) as quality falls, incorporation has a small (large) negative effect on fees but a large (small) negative effect on quality. In contrast to the conventional wisdom, but consistent with the model of this paper, the empirical evidence indicates that incorporation does not lead to a significant fall in audit fees.
The Woman and the Snake

The story, “The woman and the Snake”, originally titled “Nari o Nagini”, explores the intricacies of man-woman relationships and explicates the psychology of the woman mind, especially the interplay of the twin emotions of love and jealousy. The present translation of the short story by Tarashankar Bandopadhyay, one of the foremost short story writers of Bengali literature, is an attempt to present the complexity of text to the global readers. Special care has been taken to retain the original flavour of the source language text by following a judicious blending of metaphrase, or word for word translation, and paraphrase, or sense for sense translation, methods.
Frequency Division of Color for Holovideo Displays using Anisotropic Leaky Mode Couplers

We present optimized fabrication parameters for RGB leaky mode couplers which are bandwidth-matched to GPU outputs to enable highly parallel holographic displays. We also present a semi-automatic characterization apparatus for frequency division of color devices.
Optimal Design for Single-phase Amplitude-phase-locked Loop Based on Gradient Descent Method

A single-phase amplitude-phase-locked loop( 1MPLL) system based on objective function optimization ideasis designed and the design method of system parameters is discussed in detail. In order to improve the harmonic suppression capability,1MPLL constructs the objective function based on integration of system deviation in the most recent time interval,the steepest descent direction is analyzed using the gradient descent method. And the nonlinear state equation of phase-locked loop system is derived to estimate the properties of the input signal. In order to carry out system performance analysis and parameter design,the system nonlinear state equation is linearized at the equilibrium point and the system parameters are designed with the root locus theory. The properties of the input signal are estimated quickly and accurately by IMPLL for a variety of power quality problems( such as amplitude mutation,frequency fluctuation,phase change,especially harmonic pollution),providing effective and reliable baseline for the detection and control of grid power electronic equipment. Simulation and experiment results verify the correctness of the system design and good system performance.
DECLINE ANALYSIS OF GAS WELL IN EDGE WATER-DRIVE GAS RESERVOIRS

The deliverability of gas well is affected by the magnitude of aquifer energy in edge water-drive gas reservoirs, so it is of real significance to study the effect of aquifer energy on the production of gas well. In this paper, the magnitude of edge-water energy is expressed by the aquifer influx intensity, which is defined as the ratio of aquifer influx to well rate. The fluids flow mathematical model was set up by taking account of edge water-drive while the bottomhole pressure is constant. After solving the mathematical model, the decline curve of gas well in edge water-drive gas reservoir was plotted, based on which we studied the effect of both edge water-drive intensity and gas-water mobility ratio on the decline curve. The results showed that the well deliverability is affected by both water drive and gas-water mobility ratio. The theory presented in this paper can be used to forecast the production of gas well in edge water-drive gas reservoir.