cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sex‐dependent loss of projection neurons involved in avian song learning

In zebra finches, only males sing, and the neural regions controlling song exhibit prominent, hormone-induced sex differences in neuron number. In order to understand how sexual differentiation regulates neuron number within one song nucleus, the lateral magnocellular nucleus of the anterior neostriatum (IMAN), we studied the development of sex differences among IMAN neurons that project to the robust nucleus of the archistriatum (RA). The IMAN is implicated in song learning, and previous ontogenetic studies have indicated that males lose over 50% of their IMAN neurons during the juvenile song learning period. Based on developmental changes in both the extent of androgen accumulation within the IMAN and its appearance in Nissl-stained tissue, it had been hypothesized that IMAN neuron loss was even greater in young females, resulting in sex differences in neuron number. However, this hypothesis has not been tested directly because the Nissl-stained boundaries of the IMAN sometimes are ambiguous in young animals, and are not evident at all in adult females. To circumvent these problems, we employed the retrograde tracer fast blue to study the development of IMAN neurons defined on the basis of their projections to the RA. We find that the number of these IMAN-RA projection neurons is much greater in adult males than in females, and that this sex difference develops during the juvenile period of sexual differentiation and song learning because a significant number of these neurons are lost in females but not in males. With respect to sexual differentiation, we conclude that masculinization (which is stimulated by the hormone estradiol) promotes the retention of IMAN-RA projection neurons. In addition, our results indicate that any loss of IMAN neurons that may occur in young males does not include cells projecting to the RA.
Does Surgical Relief of Obstruction Improve Prognosis for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Unique genetic characteristics of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), including heterogeneity and incomplete penetrance, have made making predictions about prognosis complex. We reviewed data from septal myectomy results as published from 1980 to 2011, most of which come from specialized tertiary care centers. We also performed a retrospective review of 132 consecutive patients who underwent HCM surgery at our institution. At a mean follow-up of 4.2 ± 3.2 years (range, 3 days to 14.2 years), there were no deaths within 30 days of surgery for our cohort. Over the course of 15 years, 2 deaths occurred in older patients, both of whom had surgery for HCM along with additional cardiac procedures. Age, the presence of comorbidities, and concomitant cardiac procedures were not statistically significant risk factors for mortality. Overall survival at 1, 5, and 10 years was excellent: 99%, 99%, and 92%, respectively. Surgical myectomy has been proven to be a safe and effective procedure for symptomatic obstructive HCM, and it confers excellent survival similar to that of the healthy population.
TRANSIT ASSISTANCE ALLOCATION

Abstract Providing public transit operating assistance is a recently acquired function in many states in the United States. Little standardization in disbursement criteria exists, and the criteria used often have serious drawbacks. These drawbacks, both conceptual and practical, are examined and an alternative allocation procedure is suggested which considers large urban, small urban, and rural or regional transit systems separately. Within each of these categories, efficiency and need are balanced in allocating available funds to individual properties. The suggested procedure is applied to data from the State of Iowa, and the potential for its implementation is other states is assessed.
Porosity and pressure: Role of compaction disequilibrium in the development of geopressures in a Gulf Coast Pleistocene basin

Measured pressures in Pleistocene strata of the Eugene Island block 330 area of offshore Louisiana reach approx. nine-tenths of the lithostatic pressures below 2 km depth; three-fourths of these geopressures are due to compaction disequilibrium. We show the relation between effective stress and porosity for compacting sediments to be exponential in shallow, normally pressured strata, then use the relation to calculate fluid pressure at depth in geopressured strata. Measured pressures below 2 km exceed our predicted values. A plot of effective stress vs. porosity demonstrates that compaction disequilibrium accounts for about three-quarters of the overpressures. We infer that the remainder must be due to pore-pressure generation at depth that occurred after the rocks reached their present porosity.
Neuroelectric Concepts: Form-Color Classification

Visual event-related potentials (VEPs) were recorded from the scalp of human observers who viewed an orthogonal stimulus set, consisting of four stimuli, each of which had two attributes: a form (circle or triangle) and a color (green or red). The stimulus set was represented by an a priori stimulus classification model, defined by positions (i.e., degrees of arc) on a unit circle that specified the relationships among the form and color features. An analysis of VEP deviation waveshapes (delta VEP: deviations around average VEP for each electrode) showed that the a priori unit circle model predicted morphologies of the delta VEP waveshapes, as well as the overall relationships between waveshapes obtained for the form and the color attributes. Further analyses demonstrated that individual delta VEP waveshapes for color and for form were located on the circumference of a unit circle at the positions (angle) specified by the a priori model. The studies show that formal modeling of the way humans classify stimulus attributes provides a quantitative and predictive model of the way VEPs become classified and organized according to psychological principles.
Nuclear Imaging and Radiation Therapy in Canine and Feline Thyroid Disease

The indications, techniques, and expectations for radionuclide diagnostic studies on canine and feline thyroid glands are presented. In addition, the considerations surrounding radioiodine or external beam radiotherapy for benign and malignant thyroid disease are reviewed. The intent of this article is to familiarize primary care veterinarians with the utility of and outcome of the ionizing radiation-based diagnostic and therapeutic techniques for assessing and treating canine and feline thyroid disease.
Phonons in liquid helium

Abstract By writing a dispersion relation for the density propagation function we obtain its most general form consistent with known sum rules, for any macroscopic system of bosons or fermions. The Fourier transform of the pair correlation Sk appears explicitly in the dispersion relation. An inequality for Sk is derived for any macroscopic system. We specialize the results to liquid He4 by making the single assumption that for k → 0, Sk “saturates” the inequality. This assumption is consistent with experiments and is later proved theoretically. The nature of the low-lying excited states of He4 can then be deduced. The result is that for given small momentum k, there is a group of states having an energy distribution peaked about ck, with a Lorentzian shape. The constant c is the velocity of sound at absolute zero, defined in terms of the macroscopic compressibility. The wave functions of these states are in some average sense Feynman's phonon wave function. We prove the assumption mentioned above by assuming Bose-Einstein condensation and by making essential use of the gauge invariance associated with the conservation particles. The mathematical technique is simple and does not require perturbation expansions, or summation of diagrams.
Taenia pencei n. sp. from the Ringtail, Bassariscus astutus (Carnivora: Procyonidae), in Texas, U.S.A.

Abstract Taenia pencei n. sp. is described from the ringtail, Bassariscus astutus (Carnivora: Procyonidae), in western Texas, U.S.A., and its metacestode is characterized on the basis of specimens from Peromyscus cf. maniculatus in southern Oregon. Taenia pencei n. sp. apparently occurs exclusively in the ringtail, and it is the first cestode of the genus Taenia known from a member of the family Procyonidae. It is morphologically most similar to species of Taenia from mammals of the family Mustelidae in subclade 2 of the recently constructed phylogeny of that genus. Taenia pencei is distinguished from the nearctic Taenia taxidiensis in the badger Taxidea taxus; from the palaearctic Taenia martis occurring in members of the genus Martes and other mustelids in Europe; from the holarctic Taenia twitchelli in the wolverine Gulo gulo; and from the nominal species of small-hooked cestodes in mustelids (not including Taenia mustelae, in a different subclade), of which all but one have been described from members...
Sacred Symbols as a Peripheral Cue in Health Advertisements: An Assessment of Using Religion to Appeal to African American Women about Breast Cancer Screening

This study used the elaboration likelihood model of persuasion to test the effect of a sacred symbol and its impact on African American women and their attitude toward the ad and brand. The 2 × 2 factorial design included premeasures of the respondents' level of involvement with breast cancer screening and a manipulation of the Christian cross in breast cancer screening advertisements. The hypotheses were similar to the ELM and predicted that respondents lowly involved with breast cancer screening would have a favorable attitude toward the ad and brand with the peripheral cue; highly involved respondents would have a favorable attitude toward the ad and brand without the peripheral cue. The analysis showed a main effect of the peripheral cue in advertisements; however, both highly involved and lowly involved respondents reported favorably to the ads with the cross. These results suggest the Christian cross serves not only as a peripheral cue but also as a central part of the persuasive message in health a...
Cost savings of unsedated office-based laser surgery for laryngeal papillomas.

Objectives:Unsedated office-based laryngeal laser surgery (UOLS) is now an effective alternative to traditional operating room-based suspension microdirect laryngoscopy under general anesthesia. This procedure includes pulsed dye laser (PDL) treatment of recurrent respiratory papillomas, granulomas, leukoplakia, and polypoid degeneration. The objective of this study was to determine the magnitude of the cost savings derived by moving these types of procedures from the operating room to the office setting.Methods:Retrospective cost-identification analysis was performed by comparing the billing records of patients who underwent surgical laser treatment for recurrent respiratory papillomatosis in the operating room to the costs and charges for patients who underwent similar procedures with the in-office PDL.Results:In performing surgery with the PDL in the office, the average cost savings was more than $5,000 per case. Current reimbursement rates do not cover the cost of performing UOLS.Conclusions:The poten...
Vacuum insertion and nonperturbative effects for exclusive nonleptonic decays of charmed mesons and kaons

The inconsistency of vacuum insertion with the symmetry properties ofW-exchange amplitudes and the fact that not all vacuum-saturation terms are genuine contributions from the vacuum intermediate state all reflect the necessity of modifying the traditional vacuum-insertion method. As suggested by the 1/N expansion (N: number of colors), final-state interactions and the nonperturbative effects due to softgluon exchange are indispensible for a satisfactory explanation of nonleptonic decays of mesons. From the data we determine the parameter e, which measures the contribution from color octet currents relative to that from the corresponding color singlet currents, to be −0.47, −1.0, −1.1 respectively forD→PP,VP (P: pseudoscalar meson,V: vector meson) andK→2π decays. Presumably this can be tested by the lattice Monte Carlo calculations.
RNA recognition site of PP7 coat protein

The coat proteins of different single-strand RNA phages use a common protein tertiary structural framework to recognize different RNA hairpins and thus offer a natural model for understanding the molecular basis of RNA-binding specificity. Here we describe the RNA structural requirements for binding to the coat protein of bacteriophage PP7, an RNA phage of Pseudomonas. Its recognition specificity differs substantially from those of the coat proteins of its previously characterized relatives such as the coliphages MS2 and Qbeta. Using designed variants of the wild-type RNA, and selection of binding-competent sequences from random RNA sequence libraries (i.e. SELEX) we find that tight binding to PP7 coat protein is favored by the existence of an 8 bp hairpin with a bulged purine on its 5' side separated by 4 bp from a 6 nt loop having the sequence Pu-U-A-G/U-G-Pu. However, another structural class possessing only some of these features is capable of binding almost as tightly.
Chaos and the approach to equilibrium in a discrete sine-Gordon equation

Abstract In this paper we study the long time dynamics of a Hamiltonian system with many degrees of freedom. We numerically investigate the system's approach to equipartation of energy when the intial energy is confined to one or a small set of Fourier modes. We find that there is a transition from a low energy regime in which energy does not spread appreciably among the modes to a high energy regime in which the system rapidly approaches equipartition, and that this transition coincides with the onset of chaos in the system, as evidenced by a sharp rise in the largest Lyapunov exponent. For low frequency initial conditions, the critical parameter for this transition is the scaled energy E1 = (L/N)2E. Using a generalization of the traditional Chirikov resonance overlap calculation on a three-mode subset of the full system, we predict the onset of widespread chaos and the transition to equipartition on relatively short timescales.
The origin of chondrules - Experimental investigation of metastable liquids in the system Mg2SiO4-SiO2

Laser-melted magnesium silicate droplets were supercooled 400-750 C below their equilibrium liquidus temperatures before crystallization and their texture was compared with that of meteoritic and lunar chondrules. Crystal morphology, width and texture were studied in relation to nucleation temperature and bulk composition. It was found that the only phase to nucleate from the forsterite-enstatite normative melts was forsterite. Highly siliceous glass, about 65% SiO2 by weight, was identified interstitially to the forsterite crystals in seven of the MgSiO4 spherules and was thought to be present in all.
Ruder syndrome Clinical and pathologic correlation

Ruder syndrome is an unusual varient of adrenal hyperfunction characterized clinically by debilitating osteopenia, and pathologically by bilateral micronodular adrenal hyperplasia. A unique case resembling Ruder syndrome is described in which the dominant pathologic feature was unilateral adrenal adenomatosis.
Gavels, a velocity-space GaAs transport model—II. Velocity overshoot simulation

Velocity overshoot in GaAs is simulated using a time-dependent implementation of the GAVELS (Gallium Arsenide VELocity-Space) transport model. A solution technique is described which combines the steady-state carrier distributions with analytically derived relaxation parameters. The technique produces fast results and lends intuitive insight into the effect of the steady-state fine structure and relaxation parameters. Simulated responses to field steps in the 0–20 kV cm−1 range compare more favorably with Monte-Carlo results than simulations using fitted relaxation rates and Maxwellian steady-state distributions. The new results demonstrate the significance of the steady-state fine structure as well as a more sophisticated application of the GAVELS methodology.
Hinge Residue I174 Is Critical for Proper dNTP Selection by DNA Polymerase β

DNA polymerase β (pol β) is the key gap-filling polymerase in base excision repair, the DNA repair pathway responsible for repairing up to 20,000 endogenous lesions per cell per day. Pol β is also widely used as a model polymerase for structure and function studies and several structural regions have been identified as being critical for the fidelity of the enzyme. One of these regions is the hydrophobic hinge, a network of hydrophobic residues located between the palm and fingers subdomains. Previous work by our lab has shown that hinge residues Y265, I260 and F272 are critical for polymerase fidelity by functioning in discrimination of the correct from incorrect dNTP during ground state binding. Our work aimed to elucidate the role of hinge residue I174 in polymerase fidelity. To study this residue, we conducted a genetic screen to identify mutants with a substitution at residue I174 that resulted in a mutator polymerase. We then chose the mutator mutant I174S for further study and found that it follows the same general kinetic pathway and has similar overall protein folding compared to the wild type (WT) pol β. Using single turnover kinetic analysis we found that I174S shows decreased fidelity when inserting opposite a template base G, and this loss of fidelity is due primarily to loss of discrimination during ground state dNTP binding. Molecular dynamics simulations show that mutation of residue I174 to serine results in an overall tightening of the hinge region, resulting in aberrant protein dynamics and fidelity. These results point to the hinge region as being critical in maintenance of the proper geometry of the dNTP binding pocket.
Prediction of electrically induced magnetic reconstruction at the manganite/ferroelectric interface

The control of magnetization via the application of an electric field, known as magnetoelectric coupling, is among the most fascinating and active research areas today. In addition to fundamental scientific interest, magnetoelectric effects may lead to new device concepts for data storage and processing. There are several known mechanisms for magnetoelectric coupling that include intrinsic effects in single-phase materials, strain-induced coupling in two-phase composites, and electronically driven effects at interfaces. Here we explore a different type of magnetoelectric effect at a ferromagnetic-ferroelectric interface: magnetic reconstruction induced by switching of electric polarization. We demonstrate this effect using first-principles calculations of a ${\text{La}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{A}_{x}{\text{MnO}}_{3}/{\text{BaTiO}}_{3}$ (001) interface, where $A$ is a divalent cation. By choosing the doping level $x$ to be near a transition between magnetic phases we show that the reversal of the ferroelectric polarization of ${\text{BaTiO}}_{3}$ leads to a change in the magnetic order at the interface from ferromagnetic to antiferromagnetic. This predicted electrically induced magnetic reconstruction at the interface represents a substantial interfacial magnetoelectric effect.
Incidence of Soybean dwarf virus and Identification of Potential Vectors in Illinois

ABSTRACT Soybean dwarf virus (SbDV), which causes an important disease of soybeans in Japan, is persistently transmitted by aphids and is endemic in forage legumes in the United States. To determine the incidence of SbDV in Illinois, we collected clovers and forage legumes in a total of 49 Illinois counties in 2001 and 2002 and tested them for the presence of SbDV by reversetranscription-polymerase chain reaction. SbDV was detected in 43% of red clover (Trifolium pratense), 10% of white clover (T. repens), and 3% of yellow sweet clover (Melilotus officinalis) plant samples. The dwarfing strain (SbDV-D) was the predominant strain detected in Illinois. In 2000, Aphis glycines, an aphid species that colonizes soybeans, was reported for the first time in North America. To determine whether A. glycines or aphid species found colonizing clover were vectors of SbDV, transmission studies were conducted. Aphids of the species Nearctaphis bakeri reproducibly vectored SbDV among red clovers, and from red clover to s...
Relationship of pH and Floc Formation Kinetics to Granular Media Filtration Performance

In drinking water treatment, destabilization of suspended particles through effective coagulation processes is critical for optimizing filtration performance. This study examined the impact of coagulation pH (6.0−7.4), ζ-potential, and floc formation kinetics on particle removal during settling and filtration. Increasing pH improved turbidity removal in the settling process and significantly increased the ζ-potential range in which filtration performance was optimized. Although it was possible to optimize filtration (i.e., attain total particles < 10/mL) at each of the three pH levels examined, the ζ-potential range in which this was possible was approximately +2 to +4 at pH 6.0 and −4 to +4 at pH 7.4. Overall, these results indicate that the use of a higher coagulation pHand thus higher alum dosesmay be particularly advantageous during periods of rapidly changing water quality conditions, such as high-NOM runoff events. Results from PDA experiments indicated that the rate of floc formation (measured imme...
RELATIVITY OF GROWTH IN LABORATORY AND FARM ANIMALS: II. BIRTH WEIGHT AS A PREDICTOR OF ANIMAL MATURITY

In this article the growth curves of individual animals for various species were examined to determine the relationship between birth weight and mature size. For the genotypes studied, the birth weight fraction of maturity (F b ) was found to range from approximately 0.6% to approximately 10% of mature size. Generally, for most species in this study it was found that F b increased as birth weight became larger and the female of the species generally demonstrated a larger fraction of maturity at birth than did the male animals of the same breed. An equation was developed to predict F b for each genotype with varying degrees of success. Using the developed equation and the birth weight of an individual animal, a physiologically based estimate of the animal’s mature size can be obtained.
School readiness among urban children with asthma.

Background.—Children with chronic illnesses, including asthma, are at risk for school problems. Developmental problems, however, may begin before school entry, and the developmental status of preschool children with asthma has not been evaluated. Objective.—To test the hypothesis that urban preschool children with asthma have lower parent-reported developmental scores compared with children without asthma. Methods.—A comprehensive survey of children beginning kindergarten in 1998 in the urban school system in Rochester, NY, collected parent reports of demographic, medical, and developmental data. We compared children with asthma with and without limitation of activity to children without asthma for motor, language, socioemotional, and school readiness skills and the need for extra help with learning. Linear and logistic regression were used to determine associations between asthma and developmental outcomes. Results.—Among the 1058 children in this sample, 9% had asthma, including 5% with asthma with limitation of activity. After adjustment for multiple potential confounding variables, the children with asthma with limitation had lower scores on school readiness skills compared with children without asthma (2.0 vs 2.5, P Conclusions.—Urban preschool children with significant asthma had poorer parent-reported school readiness skills and a greater need for extra help with learning compared with children without asthma. This finding suggests that developmental problems for children with asthma may begin before school entry.
Evolution: Out of the Ocean

New analyses suggest that animals colonized land sooner than previously thought, and maybe even before embryophytes (land plants). This has important implications for our understanding of the historical interactions of terrestrial organisms with each other and their physical environments.
Circulating biomarkers for vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors in renal cell carcinoma

In recent years, there has been significant progress in the clinical development and application of antiangiogenic therapies in renal cell carcinomas, particularly inhibitors of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway. Despite this progress, no validated methods are currently available for identifying which patients are most likely to respond to treatment or experience toxic effects, selecting the optimal dose, or determining whether the intended molecular target has been effectively inhibited. However, recent studies have suggested that some of the biomarkers currently under investigation in clear cell renal cell carcinoma for VEGF pathway inhibitors are promising. These biomarkers include circulating proangiogenic factors and receptors; markers of hypoxia and endothelial damage; and cellular populations in peripheral blood, such as circulating endothelial cells. Further preclinical and translational validation studies are still needed to determine their practical utility in the clinical setting.
State of the Art Survey of Reference Materials in Business

One of the most significant events that took place during the period under review was the recent symposium on economics bibliography held in July 1975 under the auspices of the International Economics Association. It met at the famous Institut fur Weltwirtschaft, University of Kiel, West Germany. The theme of the symposium was the “Organization and Retrieval of Economic Knowledge.” The papers presented there covered recent trends in data and bibliographic organization, the emerging library characteristics of many specific economic subfields, the emerging solutions to the library cost problem and the boundaries of methodologies of economics. At its conclusion the Symposium issued a statement identifying some concerns about the future of economics libraries and data retrieval. Pending the forthcoming publication of the entire transcript, interested readers may find a summary of the symposium in the Journal of Economic Literature (December 1975: 1320–1321). While it is not entirely appropriate for this survey, I would be remiss if I did not mention another significant occasion: the bicentennial of the publication of the great Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations in honor of which the Clardendon Press has issued a special reprint.
Traffic safety in the U.S.: re-examining major opportunities.

Abstract Introduction This article examines five major road-safety risk factors: exceeding posted speed limits, not using safety belts, driving while intoxicated, nighttime driving, and young drivers. Method The importance of each of these factors is documented, known effective countermeasures (both policy and technology based) are discussed, and impediments to the implementation of these countermeasures in the United States are examined. Results Based on current understanding of the five major risk factors, and of the available countermeasures, there appear to be a variety of opportunities to make substantial gains in road safety using existing knowledge. The limited implementation of a variety of known countermeasures therefore appears to be inconsistent with high-level, strategic goals to improve road safety. Consequently, a recommendation is made to comprehensively re-examine the balance between the countermeasures discussed in this article and economic, mobility, and privacy concerns. Impact on Public Safety Such a re-examination is likely to result in broad support for these countermeasures, with a consequent major improvement in road safety.
Kinetic Modeling of Perchloroethylene Extraction Desulfurization of Coals

ABSTRACT The kinetic modeling of the perchloroethylene reaction-extraction process has been carried out on the basis of batch extraction data. In this paper, modeling results of both second order as well as the pseudo-first order model has been presented. Multiple parameter estimates have been found which minimize the model-data discrepancies. Novel methods have been devised to illustrate multiple estimates of the kinetic parameters. Ill-posedness of the kinetic modeling problem bas been analyzed using the expression for extractability and the Hessian matrix of the model-data discrepancy function. Root Mean Square Errors (RMSE) for various types of coals have been evaluated to represent the model-data discrepancy function It was found that the RMSE was between 2-8% of the estimated initial concentration of ex tract able organic sulfur, depending upon the type of coal. A novel method, called “RMSE Contours” has also been developed to present the sensitivity of parameters to the kinetic models. The second o...
Windows Vista: implementation challenges

Since Windows Vista was released in January 2007, Lehigh University was eager to start the task of planning for the campus wide implementation of Vista - until it was tested. There were numerous incompatibilities with various systems and software packages on campus which left the University's technical staff scrambling to find solutions. In many cases, the roadblocks encountered included a variety of issues including: hardware limitations, driver incompatibilities and peripheral incompatibilities but in many cases it was outright software incompatibility. In November 2006, Lehigh created a Windows Vista Task Force to look at specific problems relating to Vista and to start planning for the numerous problems anticipated when students, faculty and staff start showing up with Windows Vista and the numerous questions to follow - why doesn't my computer work with the campus network? What do you mean I don't have enough RAM to run Vista? Why doesn't the university site-licensed software work under Vista? Why can't I sync my handheld with university calendaring system? Why don't my network drives map properly? This presentation will outline the Vista planning process at Lehigh, the major problems encountered, the problems solved and how Lehigh is planning for the future.
Multispectral ultraviolet fluorescence lidar for environmental monitoring

We describe a multispectral ultraviolet (UV) fluorescence laser remote sensing system developed to detect and identify airborne pollutants. The system uses a UV laser source that is continuously tunable from 250 to 400 nm in conjunction with a database of fluorescence signatures and multivariate analysis algorithms to obtain species concentrations from multispectral UV fluorescence measurements. As presently configured, the system is designed to operate with sequentially transmitted laser wavelengths between 250 and 400 nm at a pulse repetition rate of 10 Hz and is designed to map chemical concentrations with a range resolution of approximately 1 m. We describe the optical detection, associated data acquisition and control electronics, and tunable UV laser transmitter. We also describe a unique software package used for instrument setup and control. Based on sensitivity calculations, 1 ppm-m of toluene can be detected at a range of approximately 2.0 km with a range resolution of 1 m and a signal-to-noise ratio of approximately 3.
Regional variations on Russian chaos: Price controls, regional trade barriers, and other neo-classical abominations

Abstract Conventional economic “transition” policies work poorly in developing economies, but produce disastrous results when applied within the context of Soviet-type economic and social institutions. There are clear structural reasons which take account of the very different “embedded” relationships and make the current crisis in the Russian Republic explicable, if not easily remediable. Analyses of the regional differences in the economic and social measures adopted to try to buffer the negative effects of national level “shock” policies and the pervasive resistance to decollectivization of agriculture are used by this paper as tools to explore the operating-level implications of the mismatch between the macro-level policies adopted under the name of economic reform and the economic and social behavior induced by them at the operating-level.
Dust and environment in the Southern High Plains of North America

Abstract Continuous measurements of dust reveal the intermittent nature of dust events within the Southern High Plains of North America. Dust events appear as sudden peaks that project outward from a much lower background dust concentration. The measured dust record appears to follow a regular annual cycle with most dust events occurring in spring and considerably fewer during other seasons. The annual dust cycle reflects seasonal changes in environmental factors such as wind speed, surface cover, and moisture conditions. Most dust events are associated with a combination of strong winds, negligible surface cover, and dry conditions, all of which occur most frequently during the spring season. Wind speed alone is found to be an imperfect indicator of dust levels in the Southern High Plains because of the moderating effects of other important environmental factors such as humidity and surface cover. However, if one limits consideration to dry and bare conditions, dust concentration exhibits a positive correlation with daily wind speeds above 4 m s −1 and a negligible correlation for light winds.
Climatic variations in Central America and the Caribbean

Resuming earlier work, this study explores the circulation mechanisms of rainfall variations in Central America and the Caribbean during 1921–1986. Regarding interannual variability, correlation analysis shows as favourable for abundant rainfall in the region warm surface waters, low pressure, upward motion, and weak tradewinds on the Atlantic side and over the eastern Pacific enhanced southerlies and a northward displaced intertropical convergence zone. In the course of the twentieth century, the region experienced alternations between protracted and contrastingly extreme regimes of rainfall, from wet 1931–1938 to dry 1939–1947 to wet 1950–1956 to dry 1971–1978. Changes in circulation patterns from the dry to the wet regimes are in the sense of correlations in interannual variability, pattern changes being broadly inverse in the evolution from the wet to the dry regimes. The alternations between contrasting circulation and rainfall regimes are reflected in changing lake levels. The study exemplifies the information value of a novel circulation data set. Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society
Simulation-Based Learning About Medication Management Difficulties of Low-Vision Patients

Objective. To implement and evaluate a simulation activity and related assignments within a geriatric elective to teach pharmacy students about the medication management difficulties experienced by low-vision patients. Design. Students wore low-vision simulation goggles while engaging in medication management tasks. Students also reflected on their experiences in journals and developed modalities to improve low-vision patients' access to prescription information. Assessment. Results of a perception survey indicated that students were able to identify and differentiate among various low-vision medication management difficulties. Students' reflections suggested that they recognized the challenges encountered by low-vision patients. All patient assistance project submissions were suitable for the targeted populations and medication management difficulties. Peer review and student feedback of the activities were favorable. Conclusion. Through this low-vision goggle simulation exercise and other activities, st...
COMMENT ON QUANTUM TRANSITION STATE THEORY

In a previous paper (J. Phys. Chem. 1994, 98, 3444), we showed, within the framework of the reaction coordinate representation of the dynamics of a chemical reaction, that application of a complex ...
Hyperkalemia Complicating Digoxin Toxicity in a Patient With Renal Failure

We describe the occurrence of hyperkalemia in a stable hemodialysis patient who developed digoxin toxicity. The patient had been receiving digoxin for 2 years. His maintenance digoxin dose was increased from 0.125 to 0.25 mg three times a week, which resulted in a toxic serum level of 4.9 ng/mL (therapeutic range is 0.8 to 2.0 ng/mL). As a consequence of the digoxin toxicity, he became hyperkalemic (7.8 mEq/L), and this value returned to normal only after the digoxin level was lowered by a combination of oral charcoal and dialysis. This study shows how readily hyperkalemia can occur in an anephric patient manifesting digoxin toxicity. Thus, potentially lethal hyperkalemia can occur in hemodialysis patients who ingest therapeutic quantities of digoxin. Digoxin toxicity should be added to the differential diagnosis of hyperkalemia in patients with renal failure. This can occur despite the absence of a history of massive ingestion of a cardiac glycoside.
Should Donors Care About Overhead Costs? Do They Care?

This article reports on a theory-based experiment to determine whether there is an observable relationship between changes in charitable giving to an organization and changes in the proportion of r...
Suberization and periderm development in Norchief and Red Pontiac potatoes

The largest difference in the rate of wound healing (suberization and periderm development) of cut tubers was attributable to the difference in temperatures (15.5 vs 23.8 C) tubers were stored at after cutting. Lesser differences were found between the Red Pontiac and Norchief cultivars and between the various regions of the tuber. The least difference was found between the different sources of Norchief. Wound healing occurred most rapidly at 23.8 C, in Red Pontiac and in the cortical region of the tuber. It seems probable that a major cause of the high incidence of seed piece decay and poor stands found in Norchief is due to slow wound healing.
Experimental exploration of the fabrication of GaN microdome arrays based on a self-assembled approach

The formation of large scale, highly uniform and controllable GaN microdome arrays based on a self-assembled low cost method was investigated. The deposition of a large area, hexagonally close-packed SiO2 microsphere monolayer on top of the III-nitride semiconductor using the dip-coating method was optimized, which leads to surface coverage of 87% of SiO2 on GaN (ideal close-packed microsphere surface coverage is 90.7%). Reactive ion etching was used to simultaneously etch both SiO2 microspheres and GaN substrate to form GaN microdomes. Experiments show that GaN microdomes with controllable size, shape, and aspect ratio are achievable through controlling the plasma etching conditions.
Decade-Long Trends in 30-Day Rehospitalization Rates After Acute Myocardial Infarction

Background There are limited data available describing relatively contemporary trends in 30‐day rehospitalizations among patients who survive hospitalization after an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in the community setting. We examined decade‐long (2001–2011) trends in, and factors associated with, 30‐day rehospitalizations in patients discharged from 3 central Massachusetts hospitals after AMI. Methods and Results Residents of the Worcester, MA, metropolitan area discharged after AMI from 3 central Massachusetts hospitals on a biennial basis between 2001 and 2011 comprised the study population (N=4810). Logistic regression analyses were used to examine the association between selected factors and 30‐day rehospitalizations. The average age of this population was 69 years, 42% were women, and 92% were white. During the years under study, 18.5% of patients were rehospitalized within 30 days after hospital discharge. Crude 30‐day rehospitalization rates decreased from 20.5% in 2001–2003 to 15.8% in 2009–2011. After adjusting for several patient characteristics, there was a reduced odds of being rehospitalized in 2009–2011 (odds ratio 0.74, 95% CI 0.61–0.91) compared with 2001–2003; this trend was slightly attenuated after further adjustment for hospital treatment practices. Female sex, having previously diagnosed heart failure and chronic kidney disease, and the development of in‐hospital cardiogenic shock and heart failure were associated with an increased odds of being rehospitalized. Conclusions While the likelihood of subsequent short‐term rehospitalizations remained frequent, we observed an encouraging decline during the most recent years under study. Several high‐risk groups were identified for purposes of heightened surveillance and intervention efforts to reduce the likelihood of being readmitted.
All maps of parameter estimates are misleading

Maps are frequently used to display spatial distributions of parameters of interest, such as cancer rates or average pollutant concentrations by county. It is well known that plotting observed rates can have serious drawbacks when sample sizes vary by area, since very high (and low) observed rates are found disproportionately in poorly-sampled areas. Unfortunately, adjusting the observed rates to account for the effects of small-sample noise can introduce an opposite effect, in which the highest adjusted rates tend to be found disproportionately in well-sampled areas. In either case, the maps can be difficult to interpret because the display of spatial variation in the underlying parameters of interest is confounded with spatial variation in sample sizes. As a result, spatial patterns occur in adjusted rates even if there is no spatial structure in the underlying parameters of interest, and adjusted rates tend to look too uniform in areas with little data. We introduce two models (normal and Poisson) in which parameters of interest have no spatial patterns, and demonstrate the existence of spatial artefacts in inference from these models. We also discuss spatial models and the extent to which they are subject to the same artefacts. We present examples from Bayesian modelling, but, as we explain, the artefacts occur generally.
On the Use of Miniature Artificial Languages in Second-Language Research.

In this article the hypothesis is advanced that the learning of a miniature artificial language (MAL) is second-language (L2) learning writ small. Recent research from MAL experiments is reviewed which, if the hypothesis is correct, throws light on inductive L2 learning, suggesting that in the “creative construction” process both “implicit” learning and analogic generalization are possible strategies. The argument is made that MAL experiments are heuristically valuable for L2 research and that more creative use of MAL methods can have pedagogical implications, since teaching, like MAL research, involves systematic manipulation of input.
The Capital Asset Pricing Model and the Determination of Fair Underwriting Returns for the Property-Liability Insurance Industry

Price regulation in the property-liability insurance industry in the United States has been characterized by the application of arbitrary rules of thumb to determine fair underwriting returns. The absence of definitive standards for regulating insurance prices has resulted in significant controversy among regulators, the insurance industry, and consumer groups. The debate has focused on the propriety of including investment income in the ratemaking formula. Even though several states have adopted pricing formulas that take into account this important source of income for the insurance industry, there is no general agreement about the precise form for incorporating it in the rating formula. The insurance ratemaking problem has also been a major concern of academicians. In this respect, several theoretical models attempting to solve the insurance pricing problem by considering both underwriting profit and investment return have been developed. The implementation of those models has also followed different empirical approaches. Nevertheless, a model developed by Fairley [10] has concentrated the attention of academicians, insurance people, and regulatory authorities, mainly because it has been the basis of the determination of insurance rates by the Massachusetts Commissioner of Insurance.
Increased Susceptibility to Salmonella Infection in Signal Regulatory Protein α-Deficient Mice

Recent studies have shed light on the connection between elevated erythropoetin production/spleen erythropoiesis and increased susceptibility to Salmonella infection. In this article, we provide another mouse model, the SIRPα-deficient ( Sirpα−/− ) mouse, that manifests increased erythropoiesis as well as heightened susceptibility to Salmonella infection. Sirpα−/− mice succumbed to systemic infection with attenuated Salmonella , possessing significantly higher bacterial loads in both the spleen and the liver. Moreover, Salmonella -specific Ab production and Ag-specific CD4 T cells were reduced in Sirpα−/− mice compared with wild-type controls. To further characterize the potential mechanism underlying SIRPα-dependent Ag-specific CD4 T cell priming, we demonstrate that lack of SIRPα expression on dendritic cells results in less efficient Ag processing and presentation in vitro. Collectively, these findings demonstrate an indispensable role of SIRPα for protective immunity to Salmonella infection.
Motor Carrier Safety: Crash Patterns of Inspected Commercial Vehicles

A linked database comprising state and federal roadside inspection, crash, and firm records of commercial motor vehicles is described. This combined database links information on vehicles inspected in the state of Illinois to the crashes that these vehicles may have been involved in anywhere within the United States. Two issues are addressed: determination of the components of an inspection-violation detection rate and the relationship between inspections and crashes. The first issue involves an attempt to quantify the components of a violation detection rate. For the second issue, four separate research questions are posed. The results of the second component indicate that there is no evidence that a significant difference exists in the expected number of crashes in which vehicles incurring zero violations were involved compared with the expected number in which vehicles incurring one or more violations were involved. About 2 percent of all inspected vehicles, which incurred zero violations, were subsequ...
How Variable Is the Uncertainty in ENSO Sea Surface Temperature Prediction

AbstractThe magnitude of seasonal predictability for a variable depends on departure of its probability density function (PDF) for a particular season from the corresponding climatological PDF. Differences in the PDF can be due to differences in various moments of the PDF (e.g., mean or the spread) from their corresponding values for the climatological PDF. Year-to-year changes in which moments of the PDF systematically contribute to seasonal predictability are an area of particular interest. Previous analyses for seasonal atmospheric variability have indicated that most of atmospheric predictability is (i) due to El Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) sea surface temperatures (SSTs) and (ii) primarily due to change in the mean of the PDF for the atmospheric variability with changes in the spread of the PDF playing a secondary role. Present analysis extends to the assessment of seasonal predictability of ENSO SSTs themselves. Based on analysis of seasonal hindcasts, the results indicate that the spread (or t...
Effects of supplementing microalgae in laying hen diets on productive performance, fatty-acid profile, and oxidative stability of eggs

Abstract The purpose of this trial was to investigate the effects of adding graded levels of dehydrated, whole-cell microalgae (All-G-RichTM, Alltech Inc.) in layer diets on the performance, egg and shell quality, yolk color, oxidative stability, and fatty-acid concentration of eggs. Six replicate groups of 5 Hy-Line W-36 laying hens were assigned to each of 4 dietary treatments. Treatments consisted of feeding a corn-soybean meal control diet alone or supplemented with 1.0, 2.0, or 3.0% All-G-RichTM during a 32-wk production period. Fatty-acid content of egg yolk was analyzed after feeding the experimental diets for 4 wk. The docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) content in egg yolk was linearly increased (P