cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identification and Characterization of a Retinoic Acid-regulated Human Homologue of the unc-33-like Phosphoprotein Gene (hUlip) from Neuroblastoma Cells*

A cDNA, 7G1, was isolated from retinoic acid (RA) differentiated neuroblastoma cells whose expression was high in human fetal brain and spinal cord mRNA but undetectable in adult brain or non-neuronal tissues. Sequence analysis indicates that 7G1 is homologous to the Caenorhabditis elegans gene unc-33. A 5.5-kilobase pair full-length cDNA from a human fetal brain cDNA library contains an 1710-base pair open reading frame. Because the predicted 570 amino acid sequence of 7G1 shares 98% identity with the murine Ulip gene product, an unc-33-like-phosphoprotein, we refer to 7G1 as the human Ulip (hUlip). hUlip is also similar to the bacterial enzyme D-hydantoinase and the recently described vertebrate gene products CRMP62, TOAD-64, CRMP1, CRMP2, and mUNC. RA stimulates an increase in hUlip mRNA that is transcriptionally regulated. RA stimulates an increase in polypeptides of 58, 60, 65, and 70 kDa with the 58- and 65-kDa species being dephosphorylated forms of the 60- and 70-kDa species. This study presents a model in which to study the regulation and expression of the hUlip gene, a member of an emerging family of molecules that potentially mediates signals involved in axonal outgrowth.
Unlikely Pivotal States in Competitive Free Trade Agreement Diffusion: The Effect of Japan's Trans-Pacific Partnership Participation on Asia-Pacific Regional Integration

How can a state with dysfunctional trade politics spur the negotiation of major free trade agreements (FTAs)? Using the case of Japan's participation in the trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), we develop an analytical framework on FTA diffusion that takes into account multidimensional (economic, legal and political) competitive pressures, and the ability of states to act as pivots in triggering FTA cascades. We disaggregate the makeup of a pivotal state into two main components – capability and credibility – and underscore Japan's significant latent capabilities, but also its serious credibility shortcomings. The TPP's boost to Japan's credibility raised the possibility of significant economic, legal and political externalities for specific countries which responded by accelerating FTA initiatives that had long stalled: the trilateral China–Japan–Korea FTA, a 16-state East Asian FTA and the Japan–European Union trade negotiations. This study extends the theoretical frontier in policy diffusion studies by cla...
Charge-density waves in two- and three-dimensional jellium

The stability of the electron gas in jellium against the formation of charge-density waves is studied using the density-functional formalism. Charge-density waves occur in three-dimensional jellium for ${r}_{s}g26$ and in two dimensions for ${r}_{s}g17$ in our approximation. The theory is applied to two-dimensional electron gases on liquid-helium surfaces and in semiconductors.
Leiomyoma in the hernia sac of a child: A case report, review of literature, and review of diagnostic challenges

Leiomyomas are benign soft tissue tumors that are common entities depending on their site of occurrence and the age of the patient. They occur more frequently in adults, usually in the fourth to sixth decades, and occur more frequently in women with the most common site of occurrence being the uterus. Deep soft tissue leiomyomas are rare, and when they do occur are usually in adults and are usually in the extremities or pelvis. Leiomyomas are rare entities in the pediatric population, and deep soft tissue leiomyomas are even rarer lesions in children. Moreover, hernia sac neoplasms are in of themselves rare findings. We present to our knowledge the first case of a leiomyoma in the hernia sac of a child.
Sensitizing effects of leukotriene B4 on intradental primary afferents.

Abstract Previous studies have established that leukotriene B4 (LTB4) sensitizes cutaneous nociceptors. In this study the effects of LTB4 on spontaneous and stimulus-evoked nerve activity from primary afferents innervating the dentin of canines in adult cats were examined. LTB4 treatment (25 μg/ml) significantly enhanced stimulusevoked intradental nerve activity (INA) for at least 20 min after the removal of the compound from the recording preparation. Teeth treated with LTB4 demonstrated enhanced spontaneous nerve activity following the removal of hypertonic saline used to evoked INA. These findings provide additional evidence that LTB4 is able to sensitize nociceptors and may be a long-lasting hyperalgesic factor which may contribute to pain of pulpal origin.
Identification of (−)-β-Caryophyllene as a Gender-Specific Terpene Produced by the Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle

This work reports the development and use of techniques for characterizing volatile chemicals emitted by the multicolored Asian lady beetle, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), in an effort to identify the semiochemicals involved in establishment and persistence of overwintering beetle aggregations. Volatiles emitted from live beetles were detected by using whole-air sampling and solid-phase microextraction (SPME). Adsorbed volatiles were thermally desorbed and identified with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). By comparing the chromatograms of volatiles emitted from live male and female beetles, a sesquiterpene, (-)-beta-caryophyllene, was found only in the females. The identity of (-)-beta-caryophyllene was confirmed by using NIST Library searches, comparing retention times with those of known standards, and by using higher-resolution GC/MS above bench top capability. Although SPME trapping detected a wider array of compounds compared to whole-air sampling, the latter method is better suited for automation. Unattended automated sampling is required for the continuous measurement of targeted compounds under dynamically changing incubation conditions. These conditions, mimicking natural overwintering conditions, are essential to our long-term goal of using this technology to detect and identify the aggregation pheromone of H. axyridis.
Early academic skills and childhood experiences across the urban–rural continuum

Abstract The urban–rural continuum provides unique contexts for development. Differences in access to resources and childrearing norms and practices in urban, suburban, and rural areas may be linked to disparities in early achievement. Yet, few studies examine associations between urbanicity and children's early academic skills. Using nationally representative data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (N ≈ 6050) this study examined differences in academic skills at kindergarten entry across large urban, small urban, suburban and rural areas. Additionally, it considered whether home environments and child care experiences explained disparities in early achievement. Results showed that children in large urban and rural areas entered kindergarten with less advanced academic skills than children in small urban areas and suburbs. Lower achievement for rural children was partly explained by less advantageous home environments and increased use of home-based, rather than center-based, preschool. Parents living in large urban areas had less knowledge of child development, which helped explain their children's lower achievement.
Doubly obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

![Figure][1] [![Graphic][3] ][3][![Graphic][4] ][4] A 40-year-old woman with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy presented with New York Heart Association functional class III dyspnea and angina despite optimal medical therapy. Left heart catheterization with a high-fidelity,
DAMAGE DETECTION USING REDUCED MEASUREMENTS: ANALYTICAL INVESTIGATION

Six damage detection methodologies using vibration response data are investigated to assess how each performs as the number of response locations decreases. Trade studies are conducted on an analytical model of a free-free beam that has altered mass and stiffness properties. Methodologies that require an analytical model are compared to methodologies not requiring an analytical model.
Intracerebroventricular administration of κ-agonists induces convulsions in mice

Abstract Intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration of κ-agonists (PD 117302, U-50488H and U-69593) induced convulsions in a dose-related manner in mice. The dose at which 50% of animals convulsed (CD 50 ) was in nmol ranges for all opioids. Among the opioids used, PD 117302 was the most potent convulsant. ICV administration of either vehicle alone or U-53445E, a non-κ-opioid ( + ) enantiomer of U-50488H did not induce convulsions. The convulsive response of κ-agonists was differentially susceptible for antagonism by naloxone and/or MR 2266. Collectively, these findings support the view that convulsions induced by κ-agonists in mice involve stereospecific opioid receptor mechanisms. Furthermore, the convulsant effect of κ-agonists could not be modified by pretreatment with MK-801, ketamine, muscimol or baclofen. It is concluded that κ-opioid but not NMDA or GABA receptor mechanisms are involved in convulsions induced by κ-agonists. These results are the first experimental evidence implicating stereospecific κ-receptor mechanisms in opioid-induced convulsions in mice.
Further studies on ATP-mediated Ca deposition by isolated matrix vesicles.

Summary ATP at serum levels can support matrix vesicle-mediated Ca deposition even though the Ca × P ion product is held at physiological levels
The effects of excitatory amino acids and their antagonists on the generation of motor activity in the isolated chick spinal cord

Abstract We have investigated the action of excitatory amino acids and their antagonists on spontaneous motor activity produced by an isolated preparation of the chick lumbosacral cord. Bath application of N- methyl - dl - aspartic acid (NMDA) or d -glutamate increased the occurence and duration of spontaneous episodes of motor activity. Both NMDA-induced and spontaneous activity were reversibly inhibited by several excitatory amino acid antagonists including 2-amino-5-phosphono valeric acid and γ- d -glutamyl glycine in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that motor activity in the chick spinal cord may be regulated by the release of endogenous excitatory amino acids from spinal interneurons.
Processing and properties of nanostructured WC-Co

Abstract A novel chemical processing method is described for making nanostructured WC-Co powders. Critical to the success of the process is the control of thermodynamics and kinetics of gas-solid reactions in a fluid bed reactor. Of particular importance is the precise control of carbon and oxygen activities in the fluidizing gas stream. The as-synthesized powders have a high surface area and each powder particle is composite in nature. In contrast to conventional WC-Co powders, the extremely good mixing of the ceramic and metal phases in the powder particles, and the interconnected nanoprosity enables these powders to be consolidated by solid state sintering at relatively low temperatures. A low sintering temperature and a short sintering time ensure retention of a nanostructure in the consolidated material. Preliminary evidence indicates that as the scale of the nanostructure is reduced, the mechanical properties, such as hardness, are enhanced, which is in keeping with the well-established trend in properties of conventional WC-Co material.
Anterior encephalocele with subcutaneous right facial nodule

Encephaloceles consist of heterotopic brain tissue that remains connected to the central nervous system. As such, these lesions can occur anywhere along the midline of the head, neck, and back. The clinical findings associated with an encephalocele are often cutaneous, prompting consultation with a dermatologist. Although abnormalities of the skin overlying the spinal cord are readily recognized by our specialty as markers for dysraphism, head and neck lesions may present a diagnostic challenge. We describe a case of an anterior encephalocele to increase awareness of this disorder and to emphasize the clinical findings that will assist with diagnosis. Our case is of particular interest because of the parasagittal location of the facial nodules and minimal actual midline involvement.
Feast or flee: Government payments and labor migration from U.S. agriculture

Abstract Government payments have been a part of agriculture since 1933 and at no time has the government stated a policy objective of decreasing the agricultural labor force. The reality of the matter may be considerably different. Using time series data and new econometric techniques, this study finds agricultural policy may have an unintended impact on labor migration. Specifically, we find that government payments increased labor migration from the farm. From 1939 to 2007, increased direct government payments resulted in greater migration of labor from agriculture. Government policy appears to have shown limited success at sustaining the agricultural labor force.
ZOONOTIC DISEASE RISK AND PREVENTION PRACTICES AMONG BIOLOGISTS AND OTHER WILDLIFE WORKERS—RESULTS FROM A NATIONAL SURVEY, US NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, 2009

In 2007, a National Park Service (NPS) biologist died from pneumonic plague after unprotected exposure to an infected mountain lion. This incident increased awareness of occupational zoonotic disease transmission and prompted an assessment of employees who handle wildlife. During April–June 2009, we conducted a national online survey of NPS biologists and other wildlife workers to assess in the preceding 12 mo: 1) potential work-related zoonotic disease exposures; 2) protective practices, including use of personal protective equipment (PPE); and 3) barriers and facilitators to PPE use. Summary protective measure scores were calculated and compared with sociodemographic and work-related factors. Surveys were completed by 238 employees from 131 parks in all NPS regions. Seventy-one percent were biologists or technicians, 16% natural resource specialists or managers, and 13% had other job titles. Among a majority of respondents, interactions with animals were infrequent and occurred approximately several tim...
Role of a cytoplasmic dual-function glycosyltransferase in O2 regulation of development in Dictyostelium.

In the social amoeba Dictyostelium, a terminal step in development is regulated by environmental O2. Prolyl 4-hydroxylase-1 (P4H1) was previously implicated in mediating the O2 signal, and P4H1-null cells require elevated O2 to culminate. The E3-ubiquitin ligase adaptor Skp1 is a P4H1 substrate, and here we investigate the function of PgtA, a dual function β3-galactosyltransferase/α2-fucosyltransferase that contributes the 2nd and 3rd sugars of the pentasaccharide cap formed on Skp1 hydroxyproline. Although pgtA-null cells, whose Skp1 contains only a single sugar (N-acetylglucosamine or GlcNAc), show wild-type O2 dependence of culmination, cells lacking AgtA, an α3-galactosyltransferase required to extend the trisaccharide, require elevated O2 as for P4H1-null cells. Skp1 is the only detectable protein modified by purified PgtA added to pgtA-null extracts. The basis for specificity of PgtA was investigated using native Skp1 acceptor glycoforms and a novel synthetic peptide containing GlcNAcα1,4-hydroxy(trans)proline. Cysteine-alkylation of Skp1 strongly inhibited modification by the PgtA galactosyltransferase but not the fucosyltransferase. Furthermore, native and synthetic Skp1 glycopeptides were poorly galactosylated, not processively fucosylated, and negligibly inhibitory, whereas the fucosyltransferase was active toward small substrates. In addition, the galactosyltransferase exhibited an atypical concentration dependence on UDP-galactose. The results provide the first evidence that Skp1 is the functional target of P4H1 in O2 regulation, indicate a gatekeeper function for the β3-galactosyltransferase in the PgtA dual reaction, and identify an unexpected P4H1-dependent yet antagonistic function for PgtA that is reversed by AgtA.
Pediatric reference ranges for acute kidney injury biomarkers

Background Novel urinary biomarkers are useful for the prediction of acute kidney injury (AKI). Most promising are the urine markers NGAL, IL-18, KIM-1, and LFABP. Each of these has shown considerable promise diagnosing AKI earlier than serum creatinine (Scr) using disease controls. We set out to determine reference levels of these markers in a healthy pediatric population.
Inference in Censored Models with Endogenous Regressors

This paper analyzes the linear regression model y = xβ + ∈ with a conditional median assumption med(e |z) = 0, where z is a vector of exogenous instrument random variables. We study inference on the parameter β when y is censored and x is endogenous. We treat the censored model as a model with interval observation on an outcome, thus obtaining an incomplete model with inequality restrictions on conditional median regressions. We analyze the identified features of the model and provide sufficient conditions for point identification of the parameter β. We use a minimum distance estimator to consistently estimate the identified features of the model. We show that under point identification conditions and additional regularity conditions, the estimator based on inequality restrictions is √N-normal and we derive its asymptotic variance. One can use our setup to treat the identification and estimation of endogenous linear median regression models with no censoring. A Monte Carlo analysis illustrates our estimator in the censored and the uncensored case.
Cyclic-order neighborhoods with application to the vehicle routing problem with stochastic demand

Abstract We examine neighborhood structures for heuristic search applicable to a general class of vehicle routing problems (VRPs). Our methodology utilizes a cyclic-order solution encoding, which maps a permutation of the customer set to a collection of many possible VRP solutions. We identify the best VRP solution in this collection via a polynomial-time algorithm from the literature. We design neighborhoods to search the space of cyclic orders. Utilizing a simulated annealing framework, we demonstrate the potential of cyclic-order neighborhoods to facilitate the discovery of high quality a priori solutions for the vehicle routing problem with stochastic demand (VRPSD). Without tailoring our solution procedure to this specific routing problem, we are able to match 16 of 19 known optimal VRPSD solutions. We also propose an updating procedure to evaluate the neighbors of a current solution and demonstrate its ability to reduce the computational expense of our approach.
A new epitaxial lateral overgrowth silicon bipolar transistor

A new device structure and method of fabricating a silicon bipolar transistor is proposed. The device has reduced collector parasitic capacitance and resistance as compared to other advanced bipolar technologies. By using selective and lateral epitaxial overgrowth techniques the buried (N+) layer is not necessary. Two-dimensional computer simulations show the C_{CS} \times R_{C} product to be reduced by a factor of 5.45 along with reduced C CB .
Step Back and Encounter: From Continental to Comparative Philosophy

AbstractBy drawing on the insights of a number of continental as well as Asian thinkers, this article reflects on the "significance" of comparative philosophy—both in the sense of discussing the "meaning" and in the sense of arguing for the "importance" of this endeavor. Encountering another culture allows one to deepen one's self-understanding by learning to "see oneself from the outside"; this deeper self-understanding in turn allows one to listen to what the other culture has to say. These two moments, or movements, are interdependent and mutually supportive. Without the step back to self-understanding, we unknowingly reduce the other to the unrecognized categories of our own thinking; but without encountering another culture, our understanding of our own culture remains shallow. This article argues that an engagement with non-Western philosophy, particularly with a set of traditions as rich and radically different as those of Asian thought, can and should take place as a hermeneutic circling between s...
Make an Even Bigger Impact in 2014

Each year, AGU members and donors go above and beyond, providing the essential funding necessary for AGU to reach its goals and promote new programming for our members and the scientific community.
Economic Regionalism Reconsidered

During the decade of the 1950's, considerable popularity was won for the idea that the restructuring of the world economy into regional blocs would mark a great forward step in international economic relations, and might also help resolve certain major international political problems. As the new decade begins, and as a new Administration takes office in Washington, it is timely to reappraise the validity of this idea. To do so is not to suggest that regionalism is the most important aspect of foreign economic policy for the new decade. There come readily to mind at least five other major topics: aid for economic development; stabilization of international markets for primary products; the policy of advanced industrial countries toward imports of low-wage manufactured goods from developing countries; the treatment of trade and aid activities of the Communist bloc; and the reduction of the balance-of-payments deficit of the United States. With respect to broad structural relationships, however, the future of economic regionalism is evidently a matter of special importance.
Anticoagulation Control in Atrial Fibrillation Optimizing Risks and Benefits

Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common sustained arrhythmia in clinical practice, with a prevalence of almost 1 in 10 by the eighth decade of life, is associated with a heavy burden on morbidity, mortality, and healthcare expenditure.1,2 To both patients and physicians, a feared and devastating consequence of AF is a 5-fold increase in the risk of stroke.3,4 To date, the most effective intervention to mitigate the risk of thromboembolic events in patients with AF is adjusted-dose anticoagulation with warfarin.4–6 Evidence-based guidelines and performance measures for optimal management of AF have been developed recently, with particular emphasis on patient selection for anticoagulation.4,7 Multiple studies assessing risks and benefits of anticoagulation with the vitamin-K antagonist warfarin have had consistent clinical implications.3,5,6,8–11 Maintaining patients in the narrow therapeutic range of warfarin, as measured by the international normalized ratio (INR), is critical but represents a major clinical challenge. The benefits of warfarin in prevention of thromboembolic events are accompanied by the risks of bleeding complications, including life-threatening cerebral hemorrhage.8 Article see p 84 Both the risk of the outcome to be prevented (ie, thromboembolic events) and the potential harm from the intervention (ie, bleeding) are related to the intensity of anticoagulation as measured by the INR.4,5,8,11 A “subtherapeutic” INR, typically defined as <2.0 for AF, is associated with an increased risk of thromboembolism, whereas the risk of major …
BUREAUCRATIC POLITICS AND CONGRESS’ ROLE IN WEAPONS DEVELOPMENT

In 1975 Congress required that budgetary requests for selected defense programs be accompanied by a statement assessing their arms control effects. Implementation of this requirement has fallen far short of unqualified success, and several proposals for remedying its failures are now being discussed. If remedies are based on incomplete or faulty diagnoses of the requirement's failures, however, they could exacerbate its dysfunctional aspects. This article suggests that the requirement has been unsuccessful because of an inadequate appreciation both of the political dynamics of the bureaucratic process involved and of the objective problems of these arms control issues. The analysis presented here concentrates on the former and suggests that further legislative modifications to the requirement are unlikely to be fruitful.
Complex IIP2 improvement through active cancellation of LO leakage

We present an active cancellation technique for removing the LO leakage signal at the input of the LNA in order to improve the IP2. The proposed method is implemented in a 65nm GSM/EDGE single chip radio and dramatically improves the IIP2 of the receiver by cancelling the static RF leakage at the input of the RF amplifiers.
Kernel Descriptors for Visual Recognition

The design of low-level image features is critical for computer vision algorithms. Orientation histograms, such as those in SIFT [16] and HOG [3], are the most successful and popular features for visual object and scene recognition. We highlight the kernel view of orientation histograms, and show that they are equivalent to a certain type of match kernels over image patches. This novel view allows us to design a family of kernel descriptors which provide a unified and principled framework to turn pixel attributes (gradient, color, local binary pattern, etc.) into compact patch-level features. In particular, we introduce three types of match kernels to measure similarities between image patches, and construct compact low-dimensional kernel descriptors from these match kernels using kernel principal component analysis (KPCA) [23]. Kernel descriptors are easy to design and can turn any type of pixel attribute into patch-level features. They outperform carefully tuned and sophisticated features including SIFT and deep belief networks. We report superior performance on standard image classification benchmarks: Scene-15, Caltech-101, CIFAR10 and CIFAR10-ImageNet.
3.5-Year follow-up of intralesional cidofovir protocol for pediatric recurrent respiratory papillomatosis.

Summary Objectives Intralesional injection of cidofovir has been described as an adjunctive treatment for pediatric recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP). However, questions remain regarding the optimal dosing schedule and side-effect profile. The objective of this study was to describe patient outcomes following a standardized cidofovir protocol. Methods Eleven pediatric patients originally treated with a standardized stepped-dose protocol of intralesional cidofovir for RRP were followed for an extended observational period. Additional interventions, disease severity, and adverse outcomes were recorded. Results Five of 11 patients have required no further treatments following the original cidofovir protocol. Two patients initially achieved remission but have subsequently required additional treatment for recurrent disease. Four patients never achieved remission and have undergone multiple additional interventions. Mean follow-up time for all patients from the conclusion of the original study was 30.2 months (10–45). No adverse outcomes were noted. Conclusions Intralesional injection of cidofovir may have some potential as an adjunct in the treatment of RRP. Response to cidofovir is unpredictable. Further study of cidofovir is necessary to more clearly define whether the favorable responses observed represent a true treatment effect or simply reflect the natural history of the disease. Perhaps as important is to refine treatment protocols and informed consents that reflect the concern about the carcinogenic potential of cidofovir and to better characterize the drug's side-effect profile.
Municipal-level covariates of health status in Brazil: a proposed method for data interpolation.

OBJECTIVE: To propose a method for the interpolation of yearly local-level covariates of health status that is suitable for panel data analysis of the effect of health services. METHODS: The proposed method distributes the yearly rate of growth of covariates at the regional level (e.g., state) from household survey data, and applies it to interpolate yearly data at the local level (e.g., municipality) between two consecutive census surveys. The method was applied to municipal-level socioeconomic covariates of health status in Brazil for every year between 2001 and 2009. The data was tested on a previously validated analysis of the effects of the Family Health Program on post-neonatal infant mortality in Brazil. RESULTS: A total of 895 628 values were generated for 20 socioeconomic predictors of health status. Valid data were obtained for 5 057 municipalities in the Northeast, Southeast, South, and Center-West regions of Brazil, from 2001 to 2009, covering 98.89% of the municipalities in these regions and 90.87% of municipalities in the country. A supplemental annex includes the interpolated data from 2001 to 2009, plus the 2000 and 2010 census data, for all 5 057 municipalities. An application on a fixed-effect regression model suggested that, compared to linear interpolation, the proposed method reduced multi-collinearity and improved the precision of the estimates of the effects of health services. CONCLUSIONS: The advantages of the proposed interpolation method suggest that it is a feasible solution for panel data analysis of health services at the local level in Brazil and other countries.
Using dual‐bacterial denitrification to improve δ15N determinations of nitrates containing mass‐independent 17O

The bacterial denitrification method for isotopic analysis of nitrate using N(2)O generated from Pseudomonas aureofaciens may overestimate delta(15)N values by as much as 1-2 per thousand for samples containing atmospheric nitrate because of mass-independent (17)O variations in such samples. By analyzing such samples for delta(15)N and delta(18)O using the denitrifier Pseudomonas chlororaphis, one obtains nearly correct delta(15)N values because oxygen in N(2)O generated by P. chlororaphis is primarily derived from H(2)O. The difference between the apparent delta(15)N value determined with P. aureofaciens and that determined with P. chlororaphis, assuming mass-dependent oxygen isotopic fractionation, reflects the amount of mass-independent (17)O in a nitrate sample. By interspersing nitrate isotopic reference materials having substantially different delta(18)O values with samples, one can normalize oxygen isotope ratios and determine the fractions of oxygen in N(2)O derived from the nitrate and from water with each denitrifier. This information can be used to improve delta(15)N values of nitrates having excess (17)O. The same analyses also yield estimates of the magnitude of (17)O excess in the nitrate (expressed as Delta(17)O) that may be useful in some environmental studies. The 1-sigma uncertainties of delta(15)N, delta(18)O and Delta(17)O measurements are +/-0.2, +/-0.3 and +/-5 per thousand, respectively.
Likelihood analysis of ongoing gene flow and historical association.

We develop a Monte Carlo-based likelihood method for estimating migration rates and population diver- gence times from data at unlinked loci at which mutation rates are sufficiently low that, in the recent past, the effects of mutation can be ignored. The method is applicable to restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) sampled from a subdivided population. The method produces joint maximum- likelihood estimates of the migration rate and the time of population divergence, both scaled by population size, and provides a framework in which to test either for no ongoing gene flow or for population divergence in the distant past. We show the method performs well and provides reasonably accurate estimates of parameters even when the assumptions under which those estimates are obtained are not completely satisfied. Furthermore, we show that, provided that the number of polymorphic loci is sufficiently large, there is some power to distinguish between ongoing gene flow and historical association as causes of genetic similarity between pairs of populations.
Recent sedimentation patterns within the central Atchafalaya Basin, Louisiana

Sediment deposition and storage are important functions of forested bottomlands, yet documentation and interpretation of sedimentation processes in these systems remain incomplete. Our study was located in the central Atchafalaya Basin, Louisiana, a distributary of the Mississippi River and contains the largest contiguously forested riparian wetland in North America, which suffers from high sedimentation in some areas and hypoxia in others. We established 20 floodplain transects reflecting the distribution of depositional environments within the central Basin and monitored general and local sediment deposition patterns over a three-year period (2000-2003). Deposition rate, sediment texture, bulk density, and loss on ignition (LOI, percent organic material) were determined near or just above artificial markers (clay pads) located at each station per transect. Transect mean sedimentation rates ranged from about 2 to 42 mm/yr, mean percent organic material ranged from about 7% to 28% ,m ean percent sand (. 63 m) ranged from about 5% to 44%, and bulk density varied from about 0.4 to 1.3. The sites were categorized into five statistically different clusters based on sedimentation rate; most of these could be characterized by a suite of parameters that included hydroperiod, source(s) of sediment-laden water, hydraulic connectivity, flow stagnation, and local geomorphic setting along transect (levee versus backswamp), which lead to distinct spatial sedimentation patterns. Sites with low elevation (long hydroperiod), high hydraulic connectivity to multiple sources of sediment-laden water, and hydraulic damming (flow stagnation) featured the highest amounts of sediment trapping; the converse in any of these factors typically diminished sediment trapping. Based on aerial extent of clusters, the study area potentially traps 6,720,000 Mg of sediment annually, of which, 820,000 Mg represent organic materials. Thus, the Atchafalaya Basin plays a substantial role in lowland sediment (and associated contaminant) storage, including the sequestration of carbon. Findings on local sedimentation patterns may aid in management of flow to control sediment deposition and reduce hypoxia.
Tale of two epidemics--the continuing challenge of preventing mother-to-child transmission of human immunodeficiency virus.

The results of the South African Intrapartum Nevirapine Trial (SAINT) published in this issue of The Journal of Infectious Diseases provide further evidence of the safety and efficacy of short-course antiretroviral prophylaxis regimens for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). SAINT compared 2 intrapartum/postpartum antiretroviral regimens multiple-dose zidovudine/lamivudine and single-dose nevirapine that had been shown in previous separate clinical trials to be effective in preventing MTCT and found that both regimens had similar efficacy and safety. SAINT is the fifth clinical trial in breastfeeding populations published since 1999 that has demonstrated the safety and efficacy of different short-course antiretroviral regimens for preventing MTCT. However the results of these trials appear to have had little impact on the perinatal HIV epidemic in resource-limited countries bringing into sharp focus the differences in the perinatal epidemic between resource-rich countries and those with limited resources. (excerpt)
Cognitive skill learning in amnesia

Amnesic patients and control subjects were trained on a computer-based cognitive skill task. Initially, the amnesic patients improved at a normal rate. A separate group of normal subjects did not improve on the task when they received random feedback from the computer on each trial. One month later, when additional training on the task was given, the control subjects performed better than the amnesic patients. There was little if any transfer by either group to a second skill task that had a different surface appearance but which required the identical cognitive strategy. Questionnaire data showed that the control subjects, but not the amnesic patients, acquired declarative knowledge about the strategy needed to perform the task. The findings show that cognitive skill learning can initially proceed at a normal rate in amnesia, presumably because declarative knowledge makes no material contribution to performance early in training. However, declarative knowledge may make an important contribution later in training and may therefore give normal subjects an advantage over amnesic patients.
Platelet microparticles: a wide-angle perspective.

2. Assay methodologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 2.1. Quantitation of PMP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 2.1.1. Total phosphate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 2.1.2. Radiolabeled mAb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 2.1.3. Flow cytometry (1): direct detection by forward light scatter (FLS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 2.1.4. Flow cytometry (2): detection by mAb markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 2.1.5. Flow cytometry (3): PMP quantitation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 2.1.6. Other methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 2.2. Procoagulant or ‘‘functional’’ assays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 2.2.1. PF3 activity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 2.2.2. Problem of unit of PF3 activity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 2.2.3. Prothrombinase assays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
The Role of Quality Service Systems in Involving Families in Mental Health Treatment for Children With Severe Emotional Disturbances

Family involvement in the planning and execution of mental health treatment has been shown to positively influence child outcomes; however, there is wide variability in the levels of involvement by families. The current study investigated the influence of child, family caregiver, service system, and community factors on the level of family involvement in the mental health treatment of children with severe emotional disturbances (SED). While prior work in this area has primarily focused on family and child characteristics, the current study adds to the knowledge base by also exploring factors associated with the quality of service delivery that may influence levels of family involvement. The current study is a secondary analysis of existing data from the Impact Study of Medicaid in Mississippi and Tennessee (Brannan & Heflinger, 2006) that used in-depth interviews with parents and case review ratings. One hundred thirty-six children and adolescents who received Medicaid coverage for mental health treatment in Mississippi and Tennessee were the focus of this study that assessed child and caregiver characteristics at the beginning of the study and rated service system factors six-month after the study began. Results of the multiple regression analysis revealed the quality of the service delivery system had the most influence on level of family involvement. Results suggest that levels of family involvement may have less to do with caregiver health, or other family characteristics, and more to do with the quality of the service delivery system.
An efficient SF-ISF approach for the Slepian-wolf source coding problem

A simple but powerful scheme exploiting the binning concept for asymmetric lossless distributed source coding is proposed. The novelty in the proposed scheme is the introduction of a syndrome former (SF) in the source encoder and an inverse syndrome former (ISF) in the source decoder to efficiently exploit an existing linear channel code without the need to modify the code structure or the decoding strategy. For most channel codes, the construction of SF-ISF pairs is a light task. For parallelly and serially concatenated codes and particularly parallel and serial turbo codes where this appears less obvious, an efficient way for constructing linear complexity SF-ISF pairs is demonstrated. It is shown that the proposed SF-ISF approach is simple, provenly optimal, and generally applicable to any linear channel code. Simulation using conventional and asymmetric turbo codes demonstrates a compression rate that is only 0.06 bit/symbol from the theoretical limit, which is among the best results reported so far.
Evaluation of Analytical Data

The study of food analysis involves a considerable amount of time learning principles, methods, and instrument operations and perfecting various techniques. These areas are extremely important, but much of our effort would be for naught if there were no ways to evaluate the data obtained from the various analytical assays. Having a good understanding of the data and how to interpret the data are critical to good decision making, whether in the food industry or in a research laboratory. This chapter focuses on statistical methods to evaluate the data obtained from analytical techniques. The chapter primarily covers how to evaluate replicate analyses of the same sample for accuracy and precision, but attention also is given to the determination of best line fits for standard curve data. A section of the chapter describes sensitivity and limit of detection as related to various analytical methods and regulatory agency policies. Additional information includes the proper use of significant figures, rules for rounding off numbers, and use of various test to reject grossly aberrant individual values.
SUBSTRATE DETERMINANTS AND DEVELOPMENTAL RATE OF CLAW ASYMMETRY IN AMERICAN LOBSTERS, HOMARUS AMERICANUS

Abstract A new index was used to describe and quantify claw asymmetry for American lobsters, Homarus americanus. Length : width (L:W) ratios were calculated for each claw, and a measure of claw asymmetry (Ca) was computed as the percent reduction in the claw with the smaller L:W ratio. Fourth stage (first benthic stage) lobsters had relatively symmetrical claws, with L:W ratios of 4.3 in the cutter and 4.1 in the crusher claw, and a corresponding Ca value of 5.4%. Hatchery animals that could not differentially exercise one claw maintained a low average Ca value (2.5%). In adult animals, the L:W ratio decreased to a minimum of 2.7 for cutter claws, and 2.0 for crusher claws, giving a Ca value of 25.9%. This method was then used to assess claw development in animals exposed to one of four different natural substrates (cobble, shell, sand, and plant) in a hatchery setting. The development of claw asymmetry is known to be a function of increased exercise in one claw, and substrates allowing for more exercise ...
Cannabidiol: promise and pitfalls.

Over the past few years, increasing public and political pressure has supported legalization of medical marijuana. One of the main thrusts in this effort has related to the treatment of refractory epilepsy—especially in children with Dravet syndrome—using cannabidiol (CBD). Despite initiatives in numerous states to at least legalize possession of CBD oil for treating epilepsy, little published evidence is available to prove or disprove the efficacy and safety of CBD in patients with epilepsy. This review highlights some of the basic science theory behind the use of CBD, summarizes published data on clinical use of CBD for epilepsy, and highlights issues related to the use of currently available CBD products. Cannabidiol is the major nonpsychoactive component of Cannabis sativa. Over the centuries, a number of medicinal preparations derived from C. sativa have been employed for a variety of disorders, including gout, rheumatism, malaria, pain, and fever. These preparations were widely employed as analgesic...
Colonial Olympism: Puerto Rico and Jamaica’s Olympic Movement in Pan‐American Sport, 1930 to the 1950s

AbstractThis paper examines how two Caribbean islands, Puerto Rico and Jamaica, developed ideas of national identity while negotiating political emancipation within two distinct, yet allied Anglophone empires. We can see this process through the Olympic movement and referred to here as ‘colonial Olympism’. Both Puerto Rico and Jamaica participated as colonies of the USA and Great Britain at international sporting events from 1930 to the 1950s. More than a benevolent gesture by the USA or Great Britain, Puerto Rico and Jamaica’s participation was intended to foster international goodwill through sport, including crucial notions of Pan Americanism. Comparing these two islands, and the metropolises they represented, offers a good way to understand the commonalities and differences in the US and Great Britain’s geopolitical interests in Latin America. However, the Olympic and the Pan-American Games gave both colonies the perfect scenario to perform as separate nations and fed a sense of distinct peoplehood. S...
Synthesis of Methyl Axenoside and Methyl 3-epi-Axenoside via Ate-Mediated Allylic Substitution (AMAS)

An ate-mediated allylic substitution (AMAS) of vinylboronates is utilized in the divergent syntheses of the sugars methyl axenoside and methyl 3-epi-axenoside. Other key steps of the synthesis involve the dihydroxylation of the resulting allylic alcohol and selective oxidation of the resultant diol. Benefits of this methodology are also discussed.
Sex Differences in the Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine among Adults with Multiple Chronic Conditions

Objective. To examine sex differences in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use among adults with multiple chronic conditions. Methods. This study used a cross-sectional design with data from the 2012 National Health Interview Survey. The participants were interviewed in 2012 and the reference period for the questions in the survey varied from 1 week to 12 months prior to the interview date. The study included adults (age > 21 years) with no missing data on CAM use variables and who had multiple chronic conditions. Multivariable regression analyses were used to examine the association between sex and CAM use. Results. A significantly higher percentage of women compared to men had ever used CAM (51.5% versus 44.3%); women were more likely to have ever used CAM (AOR = 1.49, 95% CI = 1.35–1.65). Among CAM users, a higher percentage of women compared to men used CAM in the past 12 months (53.5% vs. 42.7%); women were more likely to use CAM in the past 12 months (AOR = 1.71, 95% CI = 1.49–1.97). Factors associated with CAM use in the past 12 months were different for men and women; income and obesity were associated with CAM use in the past 12 months among women and not among men. Conclusion. Among adults with multiple chronic conditions, women were more likely to use CAM as compared to men.
The Relationship Between Capital,Risk and Efficiency of Commercial Banks:Empirical Evidence From Transitional Period in China

The paper examines the relationship of capital,risk and efficiency in China transitional economy from 1991 to 2008,employing the marketization index for institution changing and the data from commercial banks in China.The results show that the capital positively associate with risk changes and increasing capital has significant impact on risk-taking;the banks with higher efficiencies have higher risk level at the same time,and the marketization course intensifies the banking competition,which increases the bank's risk-taking and efficiency.
Modified Minimum Variance Method for Variable Pitch Control of Wind Power Generation

In view of the pitch control of wind power units above the rated wind speed,this paper introduces an improved minimum variance pitch control method. This method combines concept of prolonging predictive step length and time varying design with softening control function so that the control amplitude can be limited in the preliminary stage of mutation process and convergence can be sped up in the later stage. In addition,the recursive least squares identification is incorporated in the design of the pitch control pitch control system for wind power units above the rated wind speed. The simulation results show that compared with the traditional minimum variance control and PI control,this method leads to a fast system response,fast changing pitch angle and constant power output.
An introduction to optimal power flow: Theory, formulation, and examples

The set of optimization problems in electric power systems engineering known collectively as Optimal Power Flow (OPF) is one of the most practically important and well-researched subfields of const...