cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Business News Framing of Corporate Social Responsibility in the United States and the United Kingdom: Insights From the Implicit and Explicit CSR Framework:

This study aims to contribute to the understanding of business news coverage of corporate social responsibility (CSR) within a comparative international context by investigating two business newspa...
When Form Trumps Substance: A Dynamic Analysis of Microblogging During the 2016 U.S. Presidential Primary Debates

The 2016 presidential election illustrated the growing role that micro-blogging sites such as Twitter play in electoral politics. In this paper we report an analysis of a unique dataset that characterizes how the substantive and affective content of Tweets evolved during the course of three pivotal Republican Primary debates leading up to the 2016 Presidential election. We find that as the debates progressed Tweets provided an increasingly backward-looking account of the debates, as original content gradually gave way to retweets of the most popular earlier posts. Moreover, whereas during the debate Tweets focused on a mix of substantive topics, the Tweets that had the longest staying power after the debates were those that focused on the more sensationalist news events, often through pictures and videos. As such, a user coming to Twitter after the debate was over would have encountered a different topical and emotional landscape than one who had been following the site in real-time, one more closely resembling a tabloid than a substantive discussion forum. We explore the potential implications of the findings for the role that micro-blogging sites may have on shaping voter opinion in elections.
Activity Signatures in Smart IoT Environments

IoT enabled smart environments typically include large number of simple sensors that are designed to detect specific events. In many environments, however, not one but combinations of sensor events represent activities of interest (such as activities of daily living of a patient in a smarthome). Detecting and monitoring these activities of interest result in both application-specific benefits and operational benefits. However, human activities often overlap, thereby making activity detection from the collected sensor events a challenging problem. In this paper, we first present the various benefits of such materialization of sensor events into activities, and then discuss the challenges in detecting diverse activities taken up by humans. More interestingly, the diversity of human activities and the time-variability of a given activity by the same human, makes reliable detection of activities even harder, and open up interesting avenues for future research.
When Bosses are Chameleonic: A New Model of Abusive Supervision

Drawing from the resource-depletion theory, this paper considers how daily fluctuations in abusive supervision influence employees' work-related outcomes. Results from an experience sampling study ...
MICROBIOLOGY OF ACUTE SEVERE AORTIC REGURGITATION COMPLICATING INFECTIVE ENDOCARDITIS

Acute severe aortic regurgitation (AAR) from infective endocarditis (IE) commonly presents with hemodynamic instability and urgent surgery is indicated. We sought to determine the clinical outcomes and microbiological profiles of IE complicated by AAR in a contemporary dataset. Consecutive patients
Good vibrations: accessing ‘smart’ systems by touching any solid surface

The process of people authenticating themselves to verify their identity is now commonplace across many areas of our daily life. It's no longer just users of touchscreen devices like mobile phones – the growing use of smart systems means people need to identify themselves to access many other devices and daily activities, like entering their apartment, driving a vehicle and using smart appliances.
Pilot Study Examining the Influence of Potassium Bicarbonate Supplementation on Nitrogen Balance and Whole-Body Ammonia and Urea Turnover Following Short-Term Energy Restriction in Older Men.

With aging there is a chronic low-grade metabolic-acidosis that may exacerbate negative protein balance during weight loss. The objective of this randomized pilot study was to assess the impact of 90 mmol∙day−1 potassium bicarbonate (KHCO3) versus a placebo (PLA) on 24-h urinary net acid excretion (NAE), nitrogen balance (NBAL), and whole-body ammonia and urea turnover following short-term diet-induced weight loss. Sixteen (KHCO3; n = 8, PLA; n = 8) older (64 ± 4 years) overweight (BMI: 28.5 ± 2.1 kg∙day−1) men completed a 35-day controlled feeding study, with a 7-day weight-maintenance phase followed by a 28-day 30% energy-restriction phase. KHCO3 or PLA supplementation began during energy restriction. NAE, NBAL, and whole-body ammonia and urea turnover (15N-glycine) were measured at the end of the weight-maintenance and energy-restriction phases. Following energy restriction, NAE was −9.8 ± 27.8 mmol∙day−1 in KHCO3 and 43.9 ± 27.8 mmol∙day−1 in PLA (p < 0.05). No significant group or time differences were observed in NBAL or ammonia and urea turnover. Ammonia synthesis and breakdown tended (p = 0.09) to be higher in KHCO3 vs. PLA following energy restriction, and NAE was inversely associated (r = −0.522; p < 0.05) with urea synthesis in all subjects. This pilot study suggests some benefit may exist with KHCO3 supplementation following energy restriction as lower NAE indicated higher urea synthesis.
Decreased Heart Rate Variability Is Associated with Increased Transcranial Doppler Velocities in Children with Sickle Cell Disease

Objective: To explore the relationship between 24-hour blood pressure (BP) variability, heart rate (HR) variability, and transcranial Doppler velocity (TCDV) in a cohort of pediatric sickle cell disease (SCD) patients. Design, Setting, and Participants: This is a retrospective study of 11 children aged 8– 18 years with SCD who previously underwent 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring and TCDV measurements. Interventions: Medical records were reviewed for TCDV and 24-hour ABP data. TCDV in the right and left middle cerebral artery were examined, and the highest velocity was recorded. HR and BP standard deviations were used as markers of variability. The relationships between daytime, nighttime, and 24-hour blood pressures and heart rate variability were determined. Results : Mean age, body mass index and hemoglobin levels were 11.2 +/- 3.0 years, 18.7 +/- 3.4 kg/m2, and 9.1 +/- 1.7 g/dL, respectively. Median transcranial Doppler velocity was 136cm/s (125–142). Decreased day, night, and 24-hour heart rate variability were significantly associated with increased transcranial Doppler velocity (R=2.69, P =.02; R=2.82 P =.002; R=2.66, P =.03, respectively). BP variability did not correlate with TCDV. Nighttime BP indexes were higher than daytime. Conclusions: In this small cohort, decreased heart rate variability assessed by the standard deviation of HR was associated with increased transcranial Doppler velocities in children with SCD. No correlation between measurements of BP variability and TCDV was found. Our study provides new information on heart rate and blood pressure variability and TCDV; a surrogate marker of stroke risk in sickle cell disease. Larger multicenter studies are needed to confirm our findings. ( Ethn Dis. 2014;24[4]:451–455)
Impaired Gastric Myoelectrical Activity in Patients with Chronic Renal Failure

Dysmotility and delayed emptying of the stomachhave been reported in patients with chronic renalfailure (CRF). The aim of this study was to investigatewhether gastric myoelectrical activity was impaired in patients with CRF using electrogastrography.The electrogastrogram (EGG) was recorded in 24symptomatic patients with CRF (15 with diabetes) and 12normal subjects. Two 30-min EGG recordings before and after a test meal were analyzed using spectralanalysis methods. It was found that patients with CRFshowed a significantly lower percentage of normal 2-4cpm slow waves in both fasting and fed states in comparison with healthy controls (in fastingstate: 88.9 ± 2.5% vs 67.4 ± 6.6%/63.27.0%, P < 0.01; in fed state: 89.6 ± 1.8% vs64.6 ± 6.2%/62.0 ± 8.3%, P < 0.01;controls vs diabetic patients/nondiabetic patients). Both patient groups showed a significantlyhigher prevalence of the abnormal EGG, which was definedas the percentage of 2-4 cpm slow waves lower than 70%(fasting state: 8% vs 60%/56%, P < 0.01/0.05; fed state: 0% vs 53%/56%, P < 0.005/0.002;controls vs diabetic patients/nondiabetic patients). Nosignificant difference was observed in the regularity ofthe gastric slow waves between the two patient groups. The healthy controls showed a significantincrease in the dominant power and frequency of the EGGafter the test meal. However, this increase was absentin the two patient groups. It was concluded that patients with chronic renal failure haveabnormal gastric myoelectrical activity, includingimpaired regularity of the gastric slow wave and afailed increase in the power of the EGG at 3 cpm.Electrogastrography is an attractive noninvasive method for thestudy of gastric motility in patients with severechronic renal failure.
The Design of Perceptually Augmented Displays to Support Interaction with Dynamic Systems

Abstract Perceptually rich information displays, depicting concrete system representations, are increasingly used to support operators of complex human-machine systems. Although much of the psychological literature provides an optimistic picture of the effects of these representations, the relevance of this literature to the design of complex system interfaces is less direct than it would appear. We idendfy three distinctions that should be considered when evaluadng the applicability of the display design literature to actual design problems. Using these distinctions, we review the literature and two of our own experiments with an eye toward identifying the cost-benefit tradeoffs associated with a shift from abstract to more concrete displays, and discuss a number of caveats diat should be kept in mind when providing operators with perceptually enriched display representations. We identify needs for future research necessary to increase the relevance of scientific research to actual interface design problems.
Strain limits vs. reinforcement ratio limits – A collection of new and old formulas for the design of reinforced concrete sections

Abstract This paper presents a formulation for the design of reinforced concrete flexural members. The formulation yields exactly the same results as the current American Concrete Institute (ACI) design approach but it is based entirely on the concept of reinforcement ratios. This is in contrast to the current ACI approach which relies on strain limits [1]. A formulation based on reinforcement ratios is simpler and more intuitive and therefore has important pedagogical advantages. The formulation presented here can be thought of as an attempt to reconcile the new approach to design introduced by the ACI code in 2002, with the traditional approach to design that was in use from 1963 to 2002. The traditional approach to design of reinforced concrete sections uses the concept of reinforcement ratios. The new ACI approach, referred to here as the unified design method (UDM), requires consideration of rather cumbersome strain limits and/or geometric strain relationships. In this paper, it is shown that the UDM approach can be formulated much in the same way as the traditional approach, as long as a series of formulas involving reinforcement ratios are introduced. These formulas are presented in this paper. Many of them are well known, but some are new. In particular, a new formula for the compression-controlled reinforcement ratio limit, and a new direct procedure for the design of transition-zone sections are presented. The formulation presented in this paper should prove useful both for the instructor in the classroom, and for the practicing structural engineer. Derivation details for many of the formulas in the paper are given and several numerical examples to illustrate their use are provided at the end.
Effects of organic and inorganic fertilizers on growth, activity of nitrate reductase and chlorophyll contents of peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.)

The aim of this research was to study the growth and physiology of peanuts on different doses of cow manure and NPK 16 fertilizers. The study was carried out in research field of the Laboratory of Ecology and Plant Production, Agriculture Department, Faculty of Animal and Agricultural Sciences Diponegoro University Semarang Indonesia. The design used was Split plot. As the main plot was doses of cow manure (0, 5 and 10 tons / ha), subplots was NPK 16 fertilizer, namely 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 kg N / ha, with three times replications. Parameters observed were plant height, number of leaves, activity of nitrate reductase (ANR) and chlorophyll contents. Parameters were observed, then analyzed for variance and continued with Duncan's multiple range test based on Steel and Torrie (1990). There was interaction between manure dosage and NPK 16 to total chlorophyll content of leaves. Dose of cow manure and NPK 16 each significantly affected for plant height, ANR and total chlorophyll but no significantly effect on number of leaves. Cow manure and NPK 16 affected on increasing of plant height, ANR and total chlorophyll contents of peanuts. Keywords: organic fertilizer, cow manure, inorganic fertilizer, NPK 16, peanut plant
Do Cross-border Leveraged Buyouts Sponsored by Private Equity Firms Increase the Globalization of the Banking Industry?

This paper investigates empirically the effects of cross-border leveraged buyouts (LBOs) sponsored by private equity firms on the globalization of the banking industry from two perspectives. First, I examine the impact of cross-border LBOs on cross-border borrowing and lending. I find that cross-border LBOs have positive and significant effects on cross-border borrowing and lending. In particular, I find that LBOs sponsored by foreign private equity firms are more likely to include a foreign lead bank in the syndicated loans. Second, I examine the impact of cross-border LBOs on the integration of syndicated loan pricing in the LBO market. I find that the cross-border borrowing and lending brought by cross-border LBOs do not help to bring about the integration of syndicated loan pricing in the LBO market. Further, I find that loans arranged by domestic lead banks are on average associated with lower spreads, indicating that domestic banks have some advantage in syndicating loans in their domestic markets and thus charge a lower price for the loan.
Variability in the organization and size of hunter-gatherer groups: Foragers do not live in small-scale societies

Mobile hunter-gatherers are often characterized as living in small communities where mobility and group size are products of the environmentally determined distribution of resources, and where social organization is multi-scalar: groups of co-residents are nested within small communities that are, in turn, nested within small-scale societies. Such organization is often assumed to be reflective of the human past, emerging as human cognition and communication evolved through earlier fission-fusion social processes, typical of many primate social systems. We review the history of this assumption in light of recent empirical data of co-residence and social networks among contemporary hunter-gatherers. We suggest that while residential and foraging groups are often small, there is little evidence that these groups are drawn from small communities nested within small-scale societies. Most mobile hunter-gatherers live in groups dominated by links between non-relatives, where residential group membership is fluid and supports large-scale social networks of interaction. We investigate these dynamics with fine-grained observational data on Martu foraging groups and social organization in Australia's Western Desert. The composition of Martu foraging groups is distinct from that of residential groups, although both are dominated by ties between individuals who have no close biological relationships. The number of individuals in a foraging group varies with habitat quality, but in a dynamic way, as group size is shaped by ecological legacies of land use. The flexible size and composition of foraging groups link individuals across their "estates": spatially explicit storehouses of ritual and relational wealth, inherited across generations through maintaining expansive networks of social interaction in a large and complex society. We propose that human cognition is tied to development of such expansive social relationships and co-evolved with dynamic socio-ecological interactions expressed in large-scale networks of relational wealth.
Predicting the Severity of Nuclear Power Plant Transients Using Nearest Neighbors Modeling Optimized by Genetic Algorithms on a Parallel Computer

The importance of automatic diagnostic systems for nuclear power plants (NPPs) has been discussed in numerous studies, and various such systems have been proposed. None of those systems were designed to predict the severity of the diagnosed scenario. A classification and severity prediction system for NPP transients is developed. The system is based on nearest neighbors modeling, which is optimized using genetic algorithms. The optimization process is used to determine the most important variables for each of the transient types analyzed. An enhanced version of the genetic algorithms is used in which a local downhill search is performed to further increase the accuracy achieved. The genetic algorithms search was implemented on a massively parallel supercomputer, the KSR1-64, to perform the analysis in a reasonable time. The data for this study were supplied by the high-fidelity simulator of the San Onofre unit 1 pressurized water reactor.
New Time-Dependent Risk–Return Trade-offs from CBI-Certified Municipal Bonds

Forced to address human-induced climate change, the world has embarked on the transition to a low-carbon economy, requiring massive amounts of financing. Municipalities in the US have begun to issue bonds that are third-party certified and registered with the Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI) to attract funding for much-needed climate-related infrastructure. As this market is developing, borrowers and lenders are assessing the potential for new risk–return trade-offs over time. Variations in the pricing of CBI-certified municipal bonds with different terms to maturity likely depend on the extent to which climate-related projects are expected to be prioritized in fund allocations to correspond to increases in public attention to the dynamics of climate change. As the pricing of time-dependent climate-related risks progresses, the market for CBI-certified bonds promises to become an efficient funding mechanism for communities grappling with climate risks while expanding the menu of risk–return choices for investors. TOPICS:ESG investing, risk management, fixed-income portfolio management Key Findings • The yields of municipal bonds that are certified to address the risks associated with climate change appear to decline relative to the yields of comparable conventional bonds with lengthening maturities. • The dynamic nature of the climate risks and the public’s growing willingness to prioritize climate-related projects are likely factors in the bonds’ time-dependent pricing. • This emerging market segment may develop into a valuable funding mechanism for climate-conscious municipalities while expanding the menu of risk–return opportunities for investors.
Approach to Classification and Management of Childhood-Onset Lupus Nephritis

(1) To discuss the relevance of the 2018 International Society of Nephrology/Renal Pathology Society (ISN/RPS) classification system for nephritis in childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). (2) To highlight current practices not addressed in the 2013 Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA) consensus treatment plan (CTP) for pediatric lupus nephritis (LN). In addition to class of glomerular involvement, multiple features on kidney biopsy can be assessed for prognosis and therapeutic decision-making. There is pediatric evidence and expertise for optimization of LN classification. Yet, treatment is based primarily on whether nephritis is proliferative or membranous. Moreover, alternative strategies for induction therapy are more commonly prescribed for children. There is a need for pediatric data to evaluate/validate LN classification systems. Updates are needed to CTPs for LN induction therapy. Pediatric nephrologists should be enrolling LN patients into existing prospective registries to build the evidence base for treatment decisions.
How CRISPR-Mediated Genome Editing is Affecting Undergraduate Biology Education

In 2010, the CRISPR/Cas system of Streptococcus thermophilus was found necessary and sufficient to cleave bacteriophage DNA. Since this time, CRISPR went from a niche scientific field to the laboratories of major research institutions, undergraduate classrooms, and popular culture. In the future, CRISPR may stand along with PCR, DNA sequencing, and transformation as paradigm shifting discoveries in molecular biology. CRISPR genome editing is technically uncomplicated and relatively inexpensive. Thus, CRISPR-mediated genome editing has been adopted by and applied to undergraduate curricula in a wide variety of ways. In this review, we provide an overview of CRISPR-mediated genome editing and examine some of the ways this technology is being leveraged to train students in the classroom and laboratory.
A Kernel-Based explicit unconditionally stable scheme for Hamilton-Jacobi equations on nonuniform meshes

Abstract In [11] , the authors developed a class of high-order numerical schemes for the Hamilton-Jacobi (H-J) equations, which are unconditionally stable, yet take the form of an explicit scheme. This paper extends such schemes, so that they are more effective at capturing sharp gradients, especially on nonuniform meshes. In particular, we modify the weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO) methodology in the previously developed schemes by incorporating an exponential basis and adapting the previously developed nonlinear filters used to control oscillations. The main advantages of the proposed schemes are their effectiveness and simplicity, since they can be easily implemented on higher-dimensional nonuniform meshes. We perform numerical experiments on a collection of examples, including H-J equations with linear, nonlinear, convex and non-convex Hamiltonians. To demonstrate the flexibility of the proposed schemes, we also include test problems defined on non-trivial geometry.
Early neurobehavior at 30 weeks postmenstrual age is related to outcome at term equivalent age

Abstract Aims To determine 1) the relationship between infant medical factors and early neurobehavior, and 2) the relationship between early neurobehavior at 30 weeks postmenstrual age (PMA) and neurobehavior at term equivalent age. Study design In this prospective longitudinal study, 88 very preterm infants born ≤30 weeks estimated gestational age (EGA) had neurobehavioral assessments at 30 weeks PMA using the Premie-Neuro and at term equivalent age using the NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale (NNNS) and Hammersmith Neonatal Neurological Evaluation (HNNE). Results Lower Premie-Neuro scores at 30 weeks PMA were related to being more immature at birth (p = 0.01; β = 3.87); the presence of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA; p Conclusion Medical factors were associated with early neurobehavioral performance at 30 weeks PMA. Early neurobehavior at 30 weeks PMA was a good marker of adverse neurobehavior at NICU discharge.
Increased Stiffness Inhibits Invadopodia Formation and Cell Migration in 3D.

Abstract Cancer cells typically invade through basement membranes (BMs) at key points during metastasis, including primary tumor invasion, intravasation, and extravasation. Cells extend invadopodia protrusions to create channels in the nanoporous BM through which they can invade, either via proteolytic degradation or mechanical force. Increased matrix stiffness can promote cancer progression, and two-dimensional (2D) culture studies indicate that increased stiffness promotes invadopodia degradation activity. However, invadopodia can function mechanically, independent of their degradative activity, and cells do not form fully matured invadopodia or migrate in the direction of the invadopodia in 2D environments. Here, we elucidated the impact of matrix stiffness on the mechanical mode of invadopodia activity of cancer cells cultured in three-dimensional BM-like matrices. Invadopodia formation and cell migration assays were performed for invasive breast cancer cells cultured in mechanically plastic, nanoporous, and minimally degradable interpenetrating networks of reconstituted BM matrix and alginate, which presented a range of elastic moduli from 0.4 to 9.3 kPa. Across this entire range of stiffness, we find that cells form mature invadopodia that often precede migration in the direction of the protrusion. However, at higher stiffness, cells form shorter and more transient invadopodia and are less likely to extend invadopodia overall, contrasting with results from 2D studies. Subsequently, cell migration is diminished in stiff environments. Thus, although previous studies indicate that increased stiffness may promote malignant phenotypes and the degradative activity of invadopodia, our findings show that increased stiffness physically restricts invadopodia extension and cell migration in three-dimensional, BM-like environments.
Single-Cell RNAseq of Childhood Ependymoma Reveals Distinct Neoplastic Cell Subpopulations that Impact Etiology, Molecular Classification and Outcome

Ependymoma (EPN) is a brain tumor commonly presenting in childhood that remains fatal in the majority of children. Intra-tumoral cellular heterogeneity in bulk-tumor samples significantly confounds our understanding of EPN biology, impeding development of effective therapy. We therefore used single-cell RNA sequencing to catalog cellular heterogenity in childhood EPN. PFA subgroup EPNs concealed an undifferentiated progenitor subpopulation that either differentiated into subpopulations with ependymal cell characteristics, or transitioned into a mesenchymal subpopulation. Undifferentiated and mesenchymal PFA subpopulations were associated with a poor prognosis, providing new therapeutic targets. In conflict with current classification paradigms, relative PFA subpopulation proportions were shown to determine bulk-tumor assigned subgroups. This atlas of EPN cellular heterogeneity provides an important advance in our understanding of EPN biology.
Optimal timing for repeat semen analysis during male infertility evaluation.

Objective To assess whether the 4-week time period between semen analyses during the workup of male infertility is optimal and whether two samples are needed. Design Retrospective study. Setting Tertiary hospital. Patient(s) Men whose semen samples were obtained within 90 days of each other, without known fertility intervention, treatment, and/or azoospermia. Intervention(s) Semen analysis. Main Outcome Measure(s) Correlation between semen parameters and agreement among consecutive semen analyses. Result(s) A total of 2,150 semen samples from 1,075 men were included in the analysis. The optimal correlation for volume occurred at weeks 2, 8, and 12 (r = 0.803, r = 0.802, and r = 0.821, respectively). For concentration, the correlation was maximized at weeks 1, 4, and 5 (r = 0.950, r = 0.841, and r = 0.795, respectively). Total sperm count correlated at weeks 1, 2, and 4 (r = 0.929, r = 0.727, and r = 0.808, respectively). Motility was maximally correlated at weeks 1, 10, and 13 (r = 0.711, r = 0.760, and r = 0.708, respectively). Morphology was optimally correlated at weeks 1, 2, and 9 (r = 0.935, r = 0.815, and r = 0.839, respectively). Semen volume was correlated in 55% of men, sperm concentration in 64% of men, sperm motility in 52% of men and sperm morphology 64% of men. Conclusion(s) Our data suggest that four weeks may not be the optimal time for repeat semen analysis and that one sample is insufficient to assess any abnormalities in the result of semen analysis. The optimal time between repeat semen analyses should be individualized depending on the results of the initial analysis and additional factors, suggesting the need for future large-scale studies to investigate this trend.
Experimental determination of the hydrodynamic forces responsible for wave impact events

Abstract Breaking waves can impose enormous forces on intertidal plants and animals. While some hydrodynamic forces (drag, lift, and the acceleration reaction) are well-studied, the factors affecting the magnitude of a fourth force – the impingement force – remain unknown. Characterized by a sharp, transient spike in force at the instant of wave arrival, impingement is often the largest hydrodynamic force imposed on intertidal organisms, yet the variables affecting its magnitude are unstudied. To delineate the factors influencing impingement, we tested a variety of objects (encompassing a range of areas, volumes, and drag coefficients) in simulated waves using a high-speed water flume. Impingement magnitude is proportional to objects' frontal area and drag coefficient, and occurs concomitantly with spikes in water velocity at the front of simulated waves. We conclude that impingement is a brief spike in drag caused by an increase in velocity at the wave front, rather than a novel hydrodynamic force. Consequently, previous hypotheses regarding impingement's ability to limit organism size in the intertidal zone are rejected.
Distribution of microplastics in soil and freshwater environments: Global analysis and framework for transport modeling.

Abstract Microplastics are continuously released into the terrestrial environment from sources where they are used and produced. These microplastics accumulate in soils, sediments, and freshwater bodies, and some are conveyed via wind and water to the oceans. The concentration gradient between terrestrial inland and coastal regions, the factors that influence the concentration, and the fundamental transport processes that could dynamically affect the distribution of microplastics are unclear. We analyzed microplastic concentration reported in 196 studies from 49 countries or territories from all continents and found that microplastic concentrations in soils or sediments and surface water could vary by up to eight orders of magnitude. Mean microplastic concentrations in inland locations such as glacier (191 n L−1) and urban stormwater (55 n L−1) were up to two orders of magnitude greater than the concentrations in rivers (0.63 n L−1) that convey microplastics from inland locations to water bodies in terrestrial boundary such as estuaries (0.15 n L−1). However, only 20% of studies reported microplastics below 20 μm, indicating the concentration in these systems can change with the improvement of microplastic detection technology. Analysis of data from laboratory studies reveals that biodegradation can also reduce the concentration and size of deposited microplastics in the terrestrial environment. Fiber percentage was higher in the sediments in the coastal areas than the sediments in inland water bodies, indicating fibers are preferentially transported to the terrestrial boundary. Finally, we provide theoretical frameworks to predict microplastics transport and identify potential hotspots where microplastics may accumulate.
The role of imaging in the management of non-traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage: a practical review

The purpose of this review is to understand the role of imaging in the diagnosis and management of non-traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). SAH is a life-threatening emergency and a relatively common entity, the most common etiology being ruptured aneurysms. Multiple conundrums exist in literature at various steps of its imaging workup: diagnosis, management, and follow-up. We target our review to highlight the most effective practice and suggest efficient workup plans based on literature search, and describe in detail the clinical diagnostic and prognostic scales, role of CT scan, lumbar puncture, and MR, including angiography in the diagnosis and workup of SAH and its complications, and try to simplify the conundrums. Practical knowledge of imaging workup of SAH can help guide correct management of these patients, so as to reduce morbidity and mortality without resource overutilization.
The Uncommon Defense Policy: History, Evolution, and Future Directions

The United States Constitution requires the government “to provide for the common defense.” As a prime topic featured prominently throughout the legislative blueprint of American society, the “common defense” is conspicuously uncommon in today’s policy scholarship and education. Ironically, the policy discipline largely ignores defense issues despite defense serving as the catalyst for establishing policy studies as an academic field in the 1940s. Through decades of military conflict since and obvious relevance to practitioner behavior, defense issues remain ironically absent the public policy scholarly landscape and are instead hosted primarily within strategic and security studies mediums. This article offers an historical examination of the evolution, development, and scholarly shifts in defense policy over time. It also presents perceived reasons for the lack of defense policy dialogue, recommends approaches to reintegrate the topic back into the scholarly discourse, and concludes arguing defense policy warrants greater attention in academic scholarship and teaching.
Calibrating the Model

Estimating the values of the parameters in (39) is a non-trivial task. One might argue that extensive amounts of data and sophisticated statistical procedures should be employed. However, since the mathematical model is at best approximate, rough estimates are apt to be adequate. The results should permit authorities to decide whether the model implies that vaccination should unequivocally be discontinued (s=1), or enthusiastically pursued (s=0), or that some intermediate course of action should be followed. With all the detail that has been omitted from the model, it is inappropriate to quote a value of s* to three decimal places.
Systems analysis of the tricarboxylic acid cycle in Dictyostelium discoideum. II. Control analysis.

Abstract A steady-state computer model of the tricarboxylic cycle in Dictyostelium discoideum was analyzed using metabolic control theory. The steady state had variations of less than 0.04% over the last half of the simulation for both metabolite concentrations and fluxes. Metabolite and flux control coefficients were determined by varying enzymatic activities within 2% of their initial values and simulating the responses of metabolite concentrations and fluxes to these changes. Under these conditions, summation properties were met for most metabolite and all flux control coefficients. Maximum flux control coefficients were found for succinate dehydrogenase (0.35), malic enzyme (0.24), and malate dehydrogenase (-0.18). Comparable control was found for the reaction supplying pyruvate (0.14) and for the sum of the input amino acids (0.43), which serve as an energy source for D. discoideum. The time-dependent processes by which a new steady state was established were examined after increasing malic enzyme or malate dehydrogenase activities. This provided a method for an analysis of the mechanisms by which the observed control coefficients were generated. In addition, the effects of increasing the stimuli within 5-20% of the original enzyme activity were examined. Under these conditions, more typical of experimental stimuli and measurable responses, the metabolic model failed to return to steady state, and thus summation properties were not met. Whether "true" steady states ever occur or whether metabolic control theory can be applied in vivo is discussed.
Materials Performance In Nuclear Pressurized Water Reactor Steam Generators

The nuclear industry has had a variety of reliability problems with pressurized water reactor steam generators. Most of these problems have been associated with corrosion and mechanically induced damage, including secondary water intergranular corrosion and stress corrosion cracking (SCC), primary water SCC, wastage, high cycle fatigue, and fretting and wear of the Inconel 600 or Incoloy 800 tubes, plus accelerated corrosion of carbon steel tube support structures in crevice regions. This article discusses steam generator material performance. 23 refs.
Synthesis of carbamyl phosphate synthetase in amphibian liver in vitro. The effect of thyroxine.

Abstract The regulation of N-acetyl-l-glutamate-dependent carbamyl phosphate synthetase (CP-synthetase) in vitro was studied using a suspension of surviving liver cubes prepared from Rana catesbeiana tadpoles and frogs. An enhancement of CP-synthetase activity was seen in preparations from premetamorphic tadpoles after incubation in vitro with l-thyroxine (2.6 x 10-8 or 2.6 x 10-9 m). Other additives, including a number of hormones, cyclic 3',5'-AMP, tadpole serum, and frog serum had no effect in vitro. Thyroxine added in vitro stimulated the rate of CP-synthetase synthesis in liver preparations from the premetamorphic and metamorphosing tadpoles and the frog. CP-synthetase synthesis in liver cubes was enhanced relative to soluble mitochondrial protein synthesis at thyroxine concentrations of 2.6 x 10-8 m and 2.6 x 10-9 m, and in liver cubes from both tadpoles previously treated with thiouracil and from tadpoles previously treated by immersion in thyroxine 2.6 x 10-7 m. Actinomycin D and puromycin added in vitro at zero time inhibited synthesis of CP-synthetase de novo. When liver cubes from tadpoles pulsed with leucine-3H in vivo were incubated in cold leucine in vitro, an increase in labeled immunoprecipitable CP-synthetase was observed in the presence of actinomycin or puromycin, suggesting an effect on the conversion of nonimmunoprecipitable precursors to labeled immunoprecipitable enzyme. The mechanism underlying the observed increase in conversion of precursors was shown to be caused by an inhibition of CP-synthetase turnover by puromycin and actinomycin. Thyroxine added in vitro resulted in an increase in precursor conversion. The small contribution of synthesis in vitro to the total CP-synthetase pool de novo suggested that enhancement of CP-synthetase levels in vitro was related largely to conversion of precursors to immunoprecipitable enzyme. This concept is consistent with the observation of an increase in total enzyme levels when liver cubes were incubated in the presence of actinomycin or puromycin. The regulation of CP-synthetase levels in liver preparations from the premetamorphic and metamorphosing tadpole, as well as the adult frog, appeared to be similar, and to involve a combination of CP-synthetase synthesis, precursor conversion, and degradation. The lag phase observed during induction of CP-synthetase synthesis and activity during thyroxine immersion in vivo was not observed in the liver cube preparations, suggesting the possibility of a repressor mechanism in vivo that was not operative in vitro. The nature of the repressor (or repressors) remains unknown.
Hope for the Environment: Free Enterprise and Other Economic Regimes

This paper is the keynote speech delivered by Professor William Baumol at the First World Congress of Environmental Economists that was held in Venice on June 25-27, 1998. It analyses the situation of the environment under different economic regimes: the feudal society, Marxism and capitalism. After a brief description of the environmental situation in medieval England, in the Soviet Nations, in Eastern Europe, in China and in capitalist countries, the author concludes that each economic regime is worse than the other in terms of its environmental performance. There is, however, a message of hope in the long run for the environment. This hope lies in the abundance and growth, such as the world has never known, produced by the market economy. As abundance increases, as people cease being hungry, cease going around naked, cease having no houses, they begin to think about the environment. This has allowed concern about the environment to become a powerful political issue. Environmentalists will have to take advantage of this opportunity remembering, however, that the battle has just begun.
Paradigm shifts in USA psychiatric epidemiology since World War II

This issue of Social Psychiatry celebrates 25 years of its publication. In this spirit of celebration, this paper will review developments in psychiatric epidemiology in the USA since World War II, with particular emphasis on the last 25 years. Future developments will be anticipated
Lifting construction of non-linear wavelet transforms

This paper analyzes non-linear wavelet transforms using the lifting construction. The lifting construction exploits a spatial-domain, prediction-error interpretation of the wavelet transform and provides a powerful framework for designing customized transforms. We use the lifting construction to better understand the performance of wavelet transforms that utilize median and Volterra filters.
Inhibition of Antibody-Dependent Cellular Cytotoxicity by Protein A from Staphylococcus Aureus

Protein A, a cell wall constituent of several strains of Staphylococcus aureus, binds strongly to the Fc portion of immunoglobulins. This investigation demonstrated that such binding can inhibit antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). The degree to which ADCC was inhibited depended upon the relative concentrations of protein A and anti-target cell antiserum. Protein A also inhibited the formation of rosettes between antibody-coated sheep red blood cells and lymphoid cells with Fc receptors. We, therefore, conclude that protein A inhibits ADCC by preventing the binding of antibody-coated target cells to Fc receptors on cytotoxic effector cells.
Transovarial transmission of Borrelia spirochetes by Ixodes scapularis: A summary of the literature and recent observations

Transovarial transmission (TOT) of Borrelia burgdorferi (sensu lato), the agent of Lyme disease, by the Ixodes persulcatus group of hard ticks (Ixodidae) has frequently been reported in the literature since the discovery of Lyme disease 1982. Evidence for and against TOT by B. burgdorferi has led to uncertainty and confusion in the literature, causing misconceptions that may have public health consequences. In this report, we review the published information implicating B. burgdorferi as a bacterium transovarially transmitted among ticks of the Ixodes persulcatus group and present new data indicating the transovarially transmitted agent is actually Borrelia miyamotoi. B. miyamotoi, first described in 1995, is antigenically and phylogenetically related to B. burgdorferi, although more closely related to the relapsing fever-group Borrelia typically transmitted by soft ticks (Argasidae). Borrelia infections of unfed larvae derived from egg clutches of wild-caught Ixodes scapularis are demonstrated to result from transovarial transmission of B. miyamotoi, not B. burgdorferi. The presence of this second Borrelia species, apparently sympatric with B. burgdorferi worldwide also may explain other confusing observations reported on Borrelia/Ixodes relationships.
Charge fluctuations in Coulomb systems

It was shown by Martin and Yalcin that the mean-square fluctuation $〈{Q}_{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}^{2}〉$ in the net electric charge ${Q}_{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}$ contained in a subregion $\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ of an infinitely extended equilibrium Coulomb system (plasma, electrolytes, etc.) grows only as the surface area ${S}_{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}$ (not the volume) of $\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ and that $\frac{{Q}_{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}}{\sqrt{{S}_{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}}}$ has a Gaussian distribution as $\ensuremath{\Lambda}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}$. We extend these results to joint charge fluctuations in different spatial regions: Let space be divided into disjoint regions ${\ensuremath{\Lambda}}_{i}$, $i=1,2,\dots{}$, say, cubes of length $L$. We show that as $L\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}$, the covariance in $\frac{{Q}_{{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}_{i}}}{L}$ behaves as ${L}^{\ensuremath{-}2}〈{Q}_{{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}_{i}}{Q}_{{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}_{j}})=\ensuremath{-}\frac{1}{6}{L}^{\ensuremath{-}2}〈{Q}_{{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}_{i}}^{2}〉=\ensuremath{-}\frac{1}{6}K$ if ${\ensuremath{\Lambda}}_{i}$ and ${\ensuremath{\Lambda}}_{j}$ are adjacent, and is zero if they do not have a common face. Furthermore, the variables $\frac{{Q}_{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}}{L}$ approach, as $L\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}$, a jointly Gaussian distribution. These results can be proven rigorously whenever the correlations in the system decay faster than the fourth power of the distance, which is known to happen in many cases. This behavior of charge fluctuations is shown to be required for the consistency of the usual statistical-mechanical treatment of neutralmolecular systems.
Preparation and properties of pure tubulin S.

Limited proteolysis of the tubulin dimer (αβ) by subtilisin occurs more rapidly with β than with α tubulin. This leads to the formation of an intermediate hybrid dimer, αβs, before both C termini are cleaved to form tubulin S(αsβs). The three forms of tubulin usually coexist in subtilisin-treated preparations and such cross-contamination can be reliably detected only by running SDS-polyacrylamide gels well beyond expulsion of the dye front. Previously published preparations have not ruled out such contamination or have formed poorly reversible polymers. Because ion exchange separation incurred substantial protein losses, we have developed a new protocol for rapid preparation of tubulin S (αsβs, free of αβ or αβs) that is based on proteolysis at low ionic strength. This increases the relative rate of C terminal cleavage of β tubulin. The product forms sheets, bundles, or rings that are depolymerized by cold, salt, and podophyllotoxin, partially depolymerized by Ca2+, and has a decreased critical concentration for polymerization that can be further decreased by taxol. We have also found a method for forming nearly pure αβs dimers by using methods that retard proteolysis of the C terminus of α tubulin. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 43:63–71, 1999. Published 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The efficacy and safety of low-dose corticosteroids for rheumatoid arthritis.

Abstract Low-dose corticosteroids (defined as ≤ 10 mg/d of prednisone or equivalent) are used increasingly for the management of rheumatoid arthritis. They are frequently substituted for nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), particularly in patients with gastrointestinal or other intolerance to NSAIDs, or as “bridge therapy” while patients await the benefits of delayed-acting, disease-modifying agents. Despite their clinical acceptance, published data concerning efficacy are meager. Adverse effects to low-dose corticosteroids are not so frequent nor so severe as those that occur with higher doses. Nevertheless, alterations in glucose metabolism, cutaneous atrophy, cataracts, and glaucoma are common. Osteoporosis, steroid-myopathy, a steroidwithdrawal syndrome, and dysfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis appear in some patients. Osteonecrosis, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, infectious, or neurological complications probably do not occur. Fetal wastage, prematurity, or congenital malformations have not been proven with this dosage.
Wind-driven ocean circulation--Part 1. Linear theory and perturbation analysis

Abstract The linear model of wind-driven circulation with bottom friction is solved by boundary-layer methods and a perturbation solution of the non-linear model is also presented. The results are discussed in detail to set the stage for the discussion of the results of the numerical integrations of the non-linear system of Part 2.