cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Janus Face of Brussels: Socialization and Everyday Decision Making in the European Union

This article examines the European Union's Committee of Permanent Representatives, or COREPER, a group composed of the EU permanent representatives (permreps) and responsible for preparing upcoming ministerial meetings of the Council. As the heart of everyday decision making in the EU, COREPER is a key laboratory to test whether and how national officials become socialized into a Brussels-based collective culture and what difference this makes for EU negotiations. The key scope conditions for COREPER socialization are high issue density/intensity and insulation from domestic politics. COREPER also displays a range of socialization mechanisms, including strategic calculation, role playing, and normative suasion. Based on extensive interview data and a detailed case study of negotiations for a controversial EU citizenship directive, this article documents a socialization pathway in COREPER marked by adherence to a set of norm-guided rules and principled beliefs in collectively legitimating arguments and making decisions. COREPER socialization does not indicate a pattern of national identities being replaced or subsumed; rather, the evidence points to a socialization process based on a “logic of appropriateness” and an expanded conception of the self. For feedback on earlier versions, I am grateful to the project participants and especially Jeffrey Checkel, Matthew Evangelista, Iain Johnston, and Michael Zurn. I thank the editors and two anonymous reviewers for comments that greatly improved the final product. I also acknowledge generous support from the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies and the American Political Science Association's Small Grant Program, which funded portions of field research associated with this project.
Effect of corn snaplage on lactation performance by dairy cows

by 0.27% units, and milk-urea-nitrogen concentration was greatest, for SNAP compared with RHMC. These changes in milk composition along with reduced DMI were likely related to greater ruminal starch digestibility for SNAP. Milk fat and milk-urea-nitrogen concentrations were improved by the partial replacement of SNAP with ground dry shelled corn in the SPDC treatment.
Importance of Allelochemics in Plant Insect Relations

I have been given the task to give an introductory lecture about the function of the secondary plant substances (allelochemicals) in the coevolution of plants and insects. This I consider neither possible nor necessary in the context of this symposium which deals with a particular aspect of this problem, that of the specificity of bruchid beetles on leguminous seeds. Ever since I introduced the concept of the biological role of these substances (1959), there have been about a dozen books dealing largely or entirely with this subject, about 10 symposia, and literally hundreds of individuals articles. It is entirely beyond my capabilities to give a comprehensive account of this subject at this occasion.
Ricci Curvature Comparison

In this chapter we shall introduce some of the fundamental theorems for manifolds with lower Ricci curvature bounds. Two important techniques will be developed: relative volume comparison and weak upper bounds for the Laplacian of distance functions. With these techniques we shall show numerous results on restrictions of fundamental groups of such spaces and also present a different proof of the estimate for the first Betti number by Bochner. The proof of the splitting theorem is self-contained. It uses the generalized maximum principle, but we show how one can get around the regularity issue for harmonic distance functions using some of our previous work on distance functions.
Polarization microscopy for characterizing fiber orientation of ocular tissues

Characterizing the collagen fiber orientation and organization in the eye is necessary for a complete understanding of ocular biomechanics. In this study, we assess the performance of polarized light microscopy to determine collagen fiber orientation of ocular tissues. Our results demonstrate that the method provides objective, accurate, repeatable and robust data on fiber orientation with µm-scale resolution over a broad, cm-scale, field of view, unaffected by formalin fixation, without requiring tissue dehydration, labeling or staining. Together, this shows that polarized light microscopy is a powerful method for studying collagen architecture in the eye, with applications ranging from normal physiology and aging, to pathology and transplantation.
Quality Assurance in Risk Models for Regulatory Decision Making

Public health policy demands conservative decisions to allow an adequate margin of safety. Risk assessment is the tool policymakers use when they decide to set controls to a level of public safety. If the science of risk assessment is confused with policy decisions in risk management, we are no longer managing risks. We must insist on the most accurate risk model and resist the temptation to introduce bias from exposure assumptions, poor data, improper biological assumptions, types of models used, and misleading presentation of model results. Although conservative policy is appropriate for risk management (the policy decision-making phase), conservatism in the risk assessment phase leads to serious errors—whether they be introduced consciously or unconsciously.
Strategies for Ultrastructural Visualization of Biotinated Probes Hybridized to Messenger RNA In Situ

Our laboratory has emphasized in situ hybridization as a means of investigating the expression and distribution of specific mRNA molecules within single cells, particularly in developing chicken muscle cells in culture. Using an in situ hybridization protocol optimized for maintaining the structural integrity of the cell and the native configuration of RNA (Lawrence and Singer et al. 1986b), we investigated the intracellular distribution of specific mRNAs within intact myoblasts and fibroblasts and provided evidence indicating that mRNAs for certain cytoskeletal proteins are localized within specific regions of the cell (Lawrence and Singer 1986).
Managing Mixed Messages Sexual Identity Management in a Changing U.S. Workplace

The organizational landscape is changing for sexual minorities in U.S. workplaces. A dramatic increase in organizational policy protections reflects a broader societal shift toward social acceptance of sexual diversity. However, as participant narratives demonstrate, discrimination and bias are still present in contemporary organizations. As such, sexual minority employees must manage their sexual identities in a changing environment that is rife with mixed messages. In this study, 20 employees from across the United States in a variety of occupations described policies and communication with coworkers as influential to their sexual identity management. Using the framework of the communication theory of identity, gaps between communal frame communication (organizational policy) and relational frame communication (coworker communication) resulted in mixed messages participants had to discursively navigate to manage their sexual identities. Implications for practitioners and scholars are discussed.
Transcriptome Encyclopedia of Early Human Development

Our understanding of human pre-implantation development is limited by the availability of human embryos and cannot completely rely on mouse studies. Petropoulos et al. now provide an extensive transcriptome analysis of a large number of human pre-implantation embryos at single-cell resolution, revealing previously unrecognized features unique to early human development.
Propionate induces the bovine cytosolic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase promoter activity

Cytosolic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PCK1) is a critical enzyme within the metabolic networks for gluconeogenesis, hepatic energy metabolism, and tricarboxylic acid cycle function, and is controlled by several transcription factors including hepatic nuclear factor 4α (HNF4α). The primary objective of the present study was to determine whether propionate regulates bovine PCK1 transcription. The second objective was to determine the action of cyclic AMP (cAMP), glucocorticoids, and insulin, hormonal cues known to modulate glucose metabolism, on bovine PCK1 transcriptional activity. The proximal promoter of the bovine PCK1 gene was ligated to a Firefly luciferase reporter and transfected into H4IIE hepatoma cells. Cells were exposed to treatments for 23 h and luciferase activity was determined in cell lysates. Activity of the PCK1 promoter was linearly induced by propionate, and maximally increased 7-fold with 2.5 mM propionate, which was not muted by 100 nM insulin. Activity of the PCK1 promoter was increased 1-fold by either 1.0 mM cAMP or 5.0µM dexamethasone, and 2.2-fold by their combination. Induction by cAMP and dexamethasone was repressed 50% by 100 nM insulin. Propionate, cAMP, and dexamethasone acted synergistically to induce the PCK1 promoter activity. Propionate-responsive regions, identified by 5' deletion analysis, were located between -1,238 and -409 bp and between -85 and +221 bp. Deletions of the core sequences of the 2 putative HNF4α sites decreased the responsiveness to propionate by approximately 40%. These data indicate that propionate regulates its own metabolism through transcriptional stimulation of the bovine PCK1 gene. This induction is mediated, in part, by the 2 putative HNF4α binding sites in the bovine PCK1 promoter.
Unsaturated fatty acid metabolism in Neurospora

Summary Five independent occurrences of Neurospora mutants requiring unsaturated fatty acids were found. Four of these were allelic and grew in the presence of either oleic, linoleic, or linolenic acid. The remaining mutant which was not allelic was partially blocked in the conversion of linoleic to linolenic acid. Biotin, aspartic acid, or pyridoxine did not affect the requirement for unsaturated fatty acids in these mutants. The mutants tested did not respond to arachidonic acid. The results were interpreted as indicating that the unsaturated fatty acids are synthesized through a route distinct from that of the saturated acids and that they are synthesized in the order of oleic to linoleic to linolenic acid.
Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Glomerular Capillary Development

Among all of the capillaries in the body, the glomerulus is arguably the most unusual and important, if not the most aesthetically interesting. In this chapter, we review the morphogenesis of this unique capillary, discuss the origins of its cells and extracellular matrices, and describe some of the primary regulatory events that occur during glomerular development.
Dynamics model for mobility optimization and control of off-road tractor convoys

This paper presents a generalized vehicle model and leader-follower control architecture for an off-road, skid steered tracked vehicle. The modeling approach couples existing formulations in the literature for the powertrain components and the vehicle-terrain interaction to provide a comprehensive model that captures the salient features of terrain trafficability and predicts the vehicle's response over snow. This coupling is essential for making realistic predictions of the vehicle's mobility capabilities due to the power-load relationship at the engine output. Simulation results show that over similar terrain, towing conditions, and inputs, neighboring trajectories of a leader-follower pair result, and controllers therefore need only to make small refinements to the control inputs. However, as the vehicles encounter different terrain and the risk of immobilization increases, an alternative control law is needed. Under these circumstances, the model can be used for short term trajectory prediction.
Outcomes of family centered meetings for families referred to Child Protective Services

Abstract In order to address the number of children entering the foster care system each year and to promote the family's participation in the decision-making process, family-centered meetings have been widely adopted throughout the United States as well as in other countries. Since 1989, Family Group Conferencing, Family Group Decision Making, and Family Team Meetings have all been introduced into public child welfare systems. This paper will refer to all three approaches as family-centered meetings. However, little empirical research has been done to test the impact of these meetings on families referred to Child Protective Services (CPS). This paper examines literature on the impact of family-centered meetings with families referred to CPS on child and family functioning outcomes. The results suggest that more research is needed to examine fidelity models and specific types of interventions being implemented. However, all of these three appear to increase kinship care placements. More research is needed, specifically regarding the contexts where family-centered interventions could be appropriate. Implications for practice are also discussed, with special consideration of integrating family-centered interventions with other interventions to promote both family participation and child safety.
Safety and Efficacy of Noncompliant Balloon Angioplasty for the Treatment of Subarachnoid Hemorrhage-Induced Vasospasm: A Multicenter Study

Objective Cerebral vasospasm following subarachnoid hemorrhage is the most important cause of neurologic decline after successful treatment of the ruptured aneurysm. We report safety and efficacy of noncompliant balloon angioplasty for treatment of cerebral vasospasm. Methods Three major U.S. academic institutions provided data on cerebral vasospasm treated with noncompliant balloon angioplasty between October 2004 and February 2016. Baseline characteristics, procedure details, and radiographic and clinical outcome data were collected and analyzed. Results There were 52 patients (median age 50 years; range, 27–73 years) who underwent 165 noncompliant balloon angioplasty procedures. Balloon angioplasty was performed most frequently in the middle cerebral artery (MCA) (49.1%) followed by the internal carotid artery (27.2%). Improvement in vasospasm severity occurred in 160 arteries (97.0%) without procedure-related complications. No independent predictor of angioplasty success was identified on multivariate analysis. Delayed cerebral ischemia occurred in 24 patients (46.2%) encompassing 36 vascular territories. The rate of delayed cerebral ischemia in territories supplied by vessels that underwent angioplasty at least once was 29.4%, 24.2%, 19.3%, and 0% for the anterior cerebral artery (ACA) territory, internal carotid artery territory (ACA, ACA/MCA watershed, or MCA), MCA territory, and posterior circulation. Conclusions Our data suggest that noncompliant balloon angioplasty for treatment of subarachnoid hemorrhage–induced cerebral vasospasm is safe and effective. No predictors of angioplasty success were identified. The rate of delayed cerebral ischemia in territories supplied by vessels that underwent angioplasty was highest in the ACA territory and lowest in the posterior circulation.
Bacterioferritin: Structure, Dynamics, and Protein-Protein Interactions at Play in Iron Storage and Mobilization.

ConspectusDespite its essentiality to life, iron presents significant challenges to cells: the exceedingly low solubility of Fe3+ limits its bioavailability, and the reactivity of Fe2+ toward H2O2 is a source of the toxic hydroxyl radical (HO•). Consequently, cellular levels of free iron are highly regulated to ensure sufficiency while preventing iron-induced toxicity. Relatively little is known about the fate of iron in the bacterial cytosol or how cells balance the need for relatively high cytosolic iron concentrations with the potential toxicity of the nutrient. Iron storage proteins are integral to iron metabolism, and bacteria utilize two types of ferritin-like molecules to store iron, bacterial ferritin (Ftn) and bacterioferritin (Bfr). Ftn and Bfr compartmentalize iron at concentrations far above the solubility of Fe3+ and protect the reducing cell environment from unwanted Fe3+/Fe2+ redox cycling.This Account focuses on our laboratory’s efforts to study iron storage proteins in the model bacterium...
Nurturing Environments for Boys and Men of Color with Trauma Exposure

Boys and men of color are exposed to traumatic experiences at significantly higher rates than are other demographic groups. To understand and address the mental and behavioral health effects of trauma, including violent incidents, on this population, we review the literature showing the context for, outcomes of, and potential responses to trauma exposure. We present the existing research about the unique challenges and associated negative outcomes for boys and men of color, as well as identify the gaps in the literature. We present the potential nurturing responses by systems such as schools, law enforcement, and communities to trauma-exposed boys and men of color, and we describe evidence-based programs and practices that directly address trauma. Finally, we argue that, rather than using a deficit model, a model of optimal development can be used to understand how to support and protect boys and men of color through nurturing environments.
Integrating swaps and futures: A new direction for commodity research

Abstract This paper introduces new regulatory data that provides unprecedented visibility into swaps positions of dealers and their counterparties. Our analysis suggests that, contrary to common perception, commercial end-users have a larger footprint in the WTI crude oil swaps space than financial end-users do. Commercial end-users’ swaps exposure is larger than their futures exposure, and they are net short in both markets. Financial end-users are smaller in swaps than in futures and are net long in both. Dealers perform a substantial amount of intermediation among market participants. We conclude that joint examination of swaps and futures data facilitates many new directions for commodity research.
Recent drivers of the real oil price: Revisiting and extending Kilian's (2009) findings

Abstract We replicate and update the results of Kilian (2009) to include the period since the financial crisis. We separate the drivers of the price of crude oil shocks into three components: oil supply shocks, aggregate demand shocks and oil-market specific demand shocks. We provide evidence that the run-up of oil prices in 2008 was mostly driven by aggregate demand shocks and to a lesser extend by oil-market specific demand shocks, complementing similar analyses in Baumeister and Kilian (2016a) and Kilian (2017). Our results confirm that the cumulative effect of aggregate demand disruptions on the price of crude oil started before 2007. Furthermore, aggregate demand shocks and oil-market specific demand shocks rather than oil supply shocks have the most significant effects on U.S. output and prices. The findings are robust to an alternative measure of global real economic activity.
Flexible RF band pass analog to digital converter for multi-channel receivers

Many wireless and sensor receivers are pushing the analog to digital interface into the RF/IF region to reduce analog components, size and power, and to increase flexibility associated with more processing in the digital domain. This paper presents a flexible band pass ADC that supports A to D conversion at RF or IF with high resolution and relatively low sampling frequencies. The Band Pass ADC architecture incorporates sub-sampling, time interleaving, and delta sigma noise shaping. Time interleaving four low pass delta sigma modulator ADCs with sampling frequencies of fs facilitates a band pass ADC with a center frequency of fs or 3 fs. The quantization noise is reduced in a bandwidth fb near the center frequencies with an effective delta sigma over sampling ratio of fs/fb. MATLAB simulation results show that more than 8 bits of resolution are obtained for center frequencies in the 1.8 GHz to 3.0 GHz region with a bandwidth of 70 MHz using time interleaved first order delta sigma modulators operating with sampling frequencies of 600 MHz to 1.0 GHz. Resolution is increased for smaller bandwidths. Band Pass ADC center frequencies are changed by adjusting the modulator sampling frequency fs providing flexibility for a multichannel receiver.
An edge deletion semantics for belief propagation and its practical impact on approximation quality

We show in this paper that the influential algorithm of iterative belief propagation can be understood in terms of exact inference on a polytree, which results from deleting enough edges from the original network. We show that deleting edges implies adding new parameters into a network, and that the iterations of belief propagation are searching for values of these new parameters which satisfy intuitive conditions that we characterize. The new semantics lead to the following question: Can one improve the quality of approximations computed by belief propagation by recovering some of the deleted edges, while keeping the network easy enough for exact inference? We show in this paper that the answer is yes, leading to another question: How do we choose which edges to recover? To answer, we propose a specific method based on mutual information which is motivated by the edge deletion semantics. Empirically, we provide experimental results showing that the quality of approximations can be improved without incurring much additional computational cost. We also show that recovering certain edges with low mutual information may not be worthwhile as they increase the computational complexity, without necessarily improving the quality of approximations.
TISSUE CULTURE OF PRIMITIVE HUMAN MYELOID CELLS FOR THE STUDY OF CELLULAR PROLIFERATION. PRELIMINARY REPORT ON A GROWTH INHIBITOR IN THE HEATED SERUM OF TWO PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC MYELOGENOUS LEUKEMIA (CML) FOLLOWING SPLENIC IRRADIATION.

Sera from two patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia obtained within one hour after irradiation of the spleen inhibited the growth of a stable cell line derived from the blood of a patient with acute myelogenous leukemia. This inhibitory factor was stable in vitro for one half hour at 55 C. and for 3 days at -80 C. Serum from a patient with metastatic carcinoma of the breast following thoracic irradiation did not have a similar effect.
Risk of Suicide and Self-harm Is Increased After Bariatric Surgery—a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Bariatric surgery is endorsed by multiple societies as the most effective treatment for obesity. Psychosocial functioning has also been noted to improve for most patients after bariatric surgery. However, some studies have shown an increase in post-operative suicide risk. The aim of this study was to review the published literature and evaluate the association of bariatric surgery with suicide events and suicide/self-harm attempts in patients who have undergone weight loss surgery. MEDLINE and Embase were searched from inception through January 2018 for retrospective or prospective studies reporting mortality outcomes and self-harm or suicide rates after bariatric procedures. The primary outcome was the pooled event rate with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) for suicide. Secondary outcomes were suicide/self-harm attempts after bariatric surgery compared to same population prior to surgery and to matched control subjects, with the respective calculated odds ratios (OR) and 95% CI. From 227 citations, 32 studies with 148,643 subjects were eligible for inclusion. The patients were predominantly females (76.9%). Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) was the most commonly performed procedure (58.9%). The post-bariatric suicide event rate was 2.7/1000 patients (95% CI 0.0019–0.0038), while the suicide/self-harm attempt event rate was 17/1000 patients (95% CI 0.01–0.03). The self-harm/suicide attempt risk was higher after bariatric surgery within the same population with OR of 1.9 (95% CI 1.23–2.95), and compared to matched control subjects, OR 3.8 (95% CI, 2.19–6.59). Post-bariatric surgery patients had higher self-harm/suicide attempt risk compared to age-, sex-, and BMI-matched controls. Various pre- and post-surgical psychosocial, pharmacokinetic, physiologic, and medical factors may be involved.
Autobiographical self-translation: translator as the author, narrator and protagonist

In this article, I examine the process of autobiographical self-translation from narratological perspectives, using examples from the self-translation process I experienced translating my autobiogr...
Clientelism and Planning in the Informal Settlements of Developing Democracies

The informal provision of benefits to the poor in exchange for political support, known as clientelism, often provides access to land and services for the urban poor in informal settlements in deve...
Novel alleles of FAD2-1A induce high levels of oleic acid in soybean oil

Soybean plays an important role in seed oil production for foods and industrial products in the USA. Chemical hydrogenation of commodity soybean oil increased functionality but unavoidably created trans fat which has been linked to many health issues in humans. An alternative to using hydrogenation of the oil to enhance oxidative stability is to genetically increase the level of oleic acid in the seed oil. Our goal was to develop a soybean germplasm as a source for more functional soybean oil with a high oleic acid, increased stearic acid, and low linolenic acid profile utilizing new and existing variant alleles of key fatty acid desaturase genes. Using forward genetics, novel alleles of FAD2-1A were discovered and characterized from a mutant soybean population already containing elevated seed stearic acid content. One of the two new FAD2-1A alleles, when combined with existing mutant alleles of FAD2-1B created a high oleic acid seed oil phenotype in soybean germplasm lines. The other new FAD2-1A allele produced lower and more variable oleic acid levels when combined with existing mutant alleles of FAD2-1B. Seed stearic acid increased to ~ 10–11% in lines containing combinations of FAD2-1A and FAD2-1B mutant alleles plus the SACPD-C missense mutant alleles; however, the increase in stearic acid was associated with a decrease in the oleic acid content and did not meet the target of at least 20% stearic acid in the seed oil. In addition, existing FAD3 mutant alleles were incorporated into the novel high oleic acid and high oleic/elevated stearic acid soybean lines with four or five targeted alleles combined (FAD2-1A, FAD2-1B, FAD3A, FAD3C, and SACPD-C) to create soybean germplasm with more functional soybean oil. This study is beneficial for improving the quality of soybean oil based on nutritional value and oxidative stability.
Neogene-Quaternary contourite and related deposition on the West Shetland Slope and Faeroe-Shetland Channel revealed by high-resolution seismic studies

The Neogene and Quaternary sediments of the Faeroe-Shetland Channel and West Shetland shelf and slope rest upon a major regional unconformity, the Latest Oligocene Unconformity (LOU), and have been deposited through the interaction of downslope and parallel-to-slope depositional processes. The upper to middle continental slope is dominated by mass-transport deposits (debris flows), which progressively diminish downslope, and were largely generated and deposited during glacial cycles when ice sheets supplied large quantities of terrigeneous sediment to the upper slope and icebergs scoured sea-floor sediments on the outer shelf and uppermost slope. Large-scale sediment failures have also occurred on the upper slope and resulted in deposition of thick, regionally extensive mass-transport deposits on portions of the lower slope and channel floor. In contrast, large fields of migrating sediment waves and drift deposits dominate most of the middle to lower slope below 700 m water depth and represent deposition by strong contour currents of the various water masses moving northeastward and southwestward through the channel. These migrating sediment waves indicate strong northeastward current flow at water depths shallower than ∼700 m and strong southwestward current flow at water depths from ∼700 to >1,400 m. These flow directions are consistent with present-day water-mass flow through the Faeroe-Shetland Channel. The Faeroe-Shetland Channel floor is underlain by thin conformable sediments that appear to be predominantly glacial marine and hemipelagic with less common turbidites and debris flows. No evidence is observed in seismic or core data that indicates strong contour-current erosion or redistribution of sediments along the channel floor.
Animated Agents’ Facial Emotions: Does the Agent Design Make a Difference?

The paper reports ongoing research toward the design of multimodal affective pedagogical agents that are effective for different types of learners and applications. In particular, the work reported in the paper investigated the extent to which the type of character design (realistic versus stylized) affects students’ perception of an animated agent’s facial emotions, and whether the effects are moderated by learner characteristics (e.g. gender). Eighty-two participants viewed 10 animation clips featuring a stylized character exhibiting 5 different emotions, e.g. happiness, sadness, fear, surprise and anger (2 clips per emotion), and 10 clips featuring a realistic character portraying the same emotional states. The participants were asked to name the emotions and rate their sincerity, intensity, and typicality. The results indicated that for recognition, participants were slightly more likely to recognize the emotions displayed by the stylized agent, although the difference was not statistically significant. The stylized agent was on average rated significantly higher for facial emotion intensity, whereas the differences in ratings for typicality and sincerity across all emotions were not statistically significant. A significant difference in ratings was shown in regard to sadness (within typicality), happiness (within sincerity), fear, anger, sadness and happiness (within intensity) with the stylized agent rated higher. Gender was not a significant correlate across all emotions or for individual emotions.
Hope, optimism, and affect as predictors and consequences of expectancies: The potential moderating roles of perceived control and success

Abstract Hope and optimism may be differentially influential depending on the situational context. This study sought to (1) experimentally test whether hope and optimism differentially predict specific expectancies in controllable versus uncontrollable situations and (2) examine the relative impact of specific expectancies on affect when desired outcomes are (or are not) achieved. A 2 × 2 independent samples design was used to experimentally manipulate perceived control and situational outcome (i.e., success or failure). Online participants (N = 571) completed self-report measures of hope and optimism before being randomly assigned to one of four experimental conditions. Results showed that hope, but not optimism, predicted specific expectancies in the perceived control condition. Conversely, optimism, but not hope, predicted specific expectancies in the no perceived control condition. More optimistic specific expectancies of success predicted greater positive affect regardless of success or failure outcome.
An Inexpensive Recirculating Water Vacuum Pump for the Chemistry Laboratory.

A recirculating water vacuum pump was constructed from inexpensive materials. The recirculating water vacuum pump has a smaller footprint compared to many commercial models and features a novel, 3D...
Food fight: gastrodiplomacy and nation branding in Singapore’s UNESCO bid to recognize Hawker culture

We applied a conceptual lens of gastrodiplomacy, or how countries conduct cultural diplomacy through the strategic use of cuisine in influencing perceptions of a nation, to examine middle power Singapore’s national and international campaigns to inscribe its hawker culture through UNESCO’s List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. With a rather robust nation brand and established programs in gastrodiplomacy, Singapore is the first among Southeast Asian nations to take the first step to seek international and formal food-based recognition. Above everything else, Singapore’s UNESCO bid is motivated by a desire, in collaboration with non-state actors, to further increase the value and standing of its nation brand through food. As self-making, Singapore’s bid builds not only upon national identity creation within its national borders but also othering, a process of shaping the country’s unique dissimilarities to differentiate from other nation states especially its neighbors to reap the expected perceptible benefits of a tangible and emotional transnational connection with its foreign publics through food.
Netrix: A Solar-Powered Water Measurement Device for Rainwater Collection Tanks

The Netrix device measures the water level in tanks used for rainwater harvesting. Netrix combines an ultrasonic sensor, cellular modem, low-power-draw processing unit, battery pack and solar array into a waterproof package which is easy to install. The device can operate indefinitely when exposed to at least two hours of direct sunlight per day, and it utilizes a cellular modem to transmit daily telemetry data. By regularly monitoring the water level, Netrix has the potential to enhance rainwater collection systems used in rural areas.
The spore of the beans: Spatially explicit models predict coffee rust spread in fragmented landscapes

Landscape structure influences the spread of plant pathogens, primarily by affecting pathogen dispersal. Coffee leaf rust (Hemileia vastatrix), a fungal disease that causes heavy economic losses in the coffee industry, is likely to be affected by landscape structure via dispersal of its wind-borne spores. Previous studies have found positive associations between leaf rust incidence and the proportion of pasture cover, suggesting that deforestation may facilitate rust spore dispersal. We explored this idea by modeling the spread of rust transmission in simulated landscapes. Specifically, we modeled within-patch transmission using a probabilistic cellular automata model, and between-patch transmission using a random walk with spore movement inhibited by forest canopy cover. We used this model to understand how the spread of coffee rust is affected by: 1) clustering of coffee plants, 2) clustering of deforestation, and 3) proportion of landscape deforestation. We found that clustering of coffee plants is the primary driver of rust transmission, affecting the likelihood and severity of rust outbreak. Deforestation is important in landscapes with high clustering of coffee: rust outbreaks are more severe in landscapes with a higher proportion of deforested areas, and more variable in landscapes where deforested areas are more evenly dispersed throughout the landscape.
Commercial amniotic membrane extract for treatment of corneal ulcers in adult horses.

Background Amniotic membrane extract enhances the rate of epithelialisation after corneal ulceration in several species but has not been studied in the equine cornea. Objectives To evaluate the effect of amniotic membrane extract on re-epithelialisation of equine corneal ulcers compared to ulcers treated with antibiotic, antifungal, and mydriatic medical therapy alone; to evaluate equine corneal healing after experimentally induced superficial ulceration. Study design Masked, randomised, controlled experimental trial. Methods Superficial, 8 mm corneal ulcers were created bilaterally in each horse. One eye was treated with amniotic membrane extract; the opposite was control. Both eyes were treated with medical therapy. Treatment eyes received amniotic membrane extract, and control eyes received the amniotic membrane extract vehicle. Ulcers were stained with fluorescein and photographed in 12-hour increments until completely healed. Ulcer surface area was determined by analysing photographs with ImageJ. A mixed linear model was used to compare ulcer surface area and hours until healing between treatment groups. A regression model was also used to calculate corneal re-epithelialisation rate over time. Results Regardless of therapy, healing occurred in two phases: an initial rapid phase of 0.88 mm2 /hr (95% CI: 0.81 - 0.94 mm2 /hr) for approximately 48-54 hours followed by a second, slow phase of 0.07 mm2 /hr (95% CI: 0.04 - 0.09 mm2 /hr). Most eyes healed within 135.5 ± 48.5 hours. Treatment (amniotic membrane extract vs. control) was not significantly associated with size of ulcers over time (P=0.984). Discomfort was minimal to absent in all horses. Main limitations Results achieved experimental studies may differ from outcomes in the clinical setting. Conclusions There was no significant difference in healing rate with addition of amniotic membrane extract to medical therapy for equine superficial corneal ulcers. A biphasic corneal healing process was observed, with an initial rapid phase followed by a slow phase. Further study will be needed to determine if amniotic membrane extract will be helpful for infected or malacic equine corneal ulcers.
Parent Perspectives on Pre-Employment Transition Services for Youth With Disabilities:

Parents have long been recognized as critical supports and partners to youth with disabilities preparing for the world of work. We collected survey responses from 253 parents of transition-age yout...
Business Outlook Uncertainty, Aggregate Earnings, and Investment

I construct a novel measure of the uncertainty faced uniquely by firms as directly disclosed by managers in the annual report. I validate this measure of business uncertainty and show that it is related to but distinct from prior measures of uncertainty. As many models predict, I fi nd that business uncertainty is associated with lower investment in aggregate and at the fi rm-level. I also find that aggregate uncertainty is predictive of lower future aggregate earnings. The results are economically meaningful and hold after controlling for a variety of factors known to be predictive of investment and firm performance.
Boosting lexical support does not enhance lexically guided perceptual learning.

A challenge for listeners is to learn the appropriate mapping between acoustics and phonetic categories for an individual talker. Lexically guided perceptual learning (LGPL) studies have shown that listeners can leverage lexical knowledge to guide this process. For instance, listeners learn to interpret ambiguous /s/-/∫/ blends as /s/ if they have previously encountered them in /s/-biased contexts like epi?ode. Here, we examined whether the degree of preceding lexical support might modulate the extent of perceptual learning. In Experiment 1, we first demonstrated that perceptual learning could be obtained in a modified LGPL paradigm where listeners were first biased to interpret ambiguous tokens as one phoneme (e.g., /s/) and then later as another (e.g., /∫/). In subsequent experiments, we tested whether the extent of learning differed depending on whether targets encountered predictive contexts or neutral contexts prior to the auditory target (e.g., epi?ode). Experiment 2 used auditory sentence contexts (e.g., "I love The Walking Dead and eagerly await every new . . ."), whereas Experiment 3 used written sentence contexts. In Experiment 4, participants did not receive sentence contexts but rather saw the written form of the target word (episode) or filler text (i¼i¼i¼i¼i¼i¼i¼i¼) prior to hearing the critical auditory token. While we consistently observed effects of context on in-the-moment processing of critical words, the size of the learning effect was not modulated by the type of context. We hypothesize that boosting lexical support through preceding context may not strongly influence perceptual learning when ambiguous speech sounds can be identified solely from lexical information. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Leveraging machine learning to understand urban change with net construction

Abstract A key indicator of urban change is construction, demolition, and renovation. Although these development activities are often interrelated, they are typically studied independent of one another. Analytic methods relying on a strict set of modeling assumptions limit our ability to understand this change holistically. Machine learning has demonstrated the potential when combined with big data to discover patterns and relationships between seemingly unrelated variables. This research explores urban change through net construction, a composite value that treats demolition as a deductive process that is subtracted from construction activity which provides for a more holistic and nuanced understanding of development activity. Once validated through a visual analysis of its reliability as a measure of urban change, we then used a series of random forest regression models to evaluate the predictive accuracy of net construction compared with independent models of construction and demolition. Applying the approaches to an urban county in the United States, we compiled 122 independent variables to provide a comprehensive view of individual neighborhoods from multi-disciplinary data sources such as socioeconomic, built environment characteristics, and landscape metrics. We then analyze the feature importance scores derived from the random forest models in an effort to assess the similarities and differences between the variables that have the greatest influence on model accuracy. The net construction model produced more accurate results than models that used construction and demolition activity independently. While many of the most important features aligned with those from the independent models, land use mix drawn from landscape metrics appeared as the most important, representing a departure from previous studies. This study provides a scalable method for modeling urban change using machine learning techniques and reveals the importance of applying data-driven algorithms that can help communities become more informed about their pressing issues.
Plate reader-based cell viability assays for glioprotection using primary rat optic nerve head astrocytes.

Optic nerve head astrocytes (ONHAs) are the major glia cell type in the non-myelinated optic nerve head where they contribute critically to extracellular matrix synthesis during development and throughout life. In glaucoma, and in related disorders affecting the optic nerve and the optic nerve head, pathological changes include altered astrocyte gene and protein expression resulting in their activation and extracellular matrix remodeling. ONHAs are highly sensitive to mechanical and oxidative stress resulting in the initiation of axon damage early during pathogenesis. Furthermore, ONHAs are crucial for the maintenance of retinal ganglion cell physiology and function. Therefore, glioprotective strategies with the goal to preserve and/or restore the structural and functional viability of ONHA in order to slow glaucoma and related pathologies are of high clinical relevance. Herein, we describe the development of standardized methods that will allow for the systematic advancement of such glioprotective strategies. These include isolation, purification and culture of primary adult rat ONHAs, optimized immunocytochemical protocols for cell type validation, as well as plate reader-based assays determining cellular viability, proliferation and the intracellular redox state. We validated and standardized our protocols by performing a glioprotection study using primary ONHAs. Specifically, we measured protection against exogenously-applied oxidative stress using tert-butylhydroperoxide (tBHP) as a model of disease-mediated oxidative stress in the retina and optic nerve head by the prototypic antioxidant, 6-hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethylchroman-2-carboxylic acid (Trolox). Levels of oxidative stress were increased in the response to exogenously applied tBHP and were assessed by 6-carboxy-2′, 7′ dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFDA) fluorescence. Normalized DCFDA fluorescence showed a maximal 5.1-fold increase; the half-maximal effect (EC50) for tBHP was 212 ± 25 μM. This was paralleled very effectively in the assays measuring cell death and cell viability with half-maximal effects of 241 ± 20 μM and 194 ± 5 μM for tBHP in the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release and the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) conversion assays, respectively. Pre-treatment with 100 μM Trolox decreased the sensitivity of ONHAs to tBHP. Half-maximal effects increased to 396 ± 12 μM tBHP in the LDH release assay and to 383 ± 3 μM tBHP in the MTT assay. Vehicle treatment (0.1% v/v ethanol) did not significantly affect cellular responses to tBHP. Antioxidant treatment increases ONHA viability and reduces the deleterious effects of oxidative stress. Our experiments provide important feasibility data for utilizing primary rat ONHAs in plate reader-based assays assessing novel therapeutics for glioprotection of the optic nerve and the optic nerve head in glaucoma and related disorders. Furthermore, our novel, standardized protocols have the potential to be readily adapted to high-throughput and high-content testing strategies.
Big Data on the Rise

The field of property testing of probability distributions, or distribution testing, aims to provide fast and (most likely) correct answers to questions pertaining to specific aspects of very large datasets. In this work, we consider a property of particular interest, monotonicity of distributions. We focus on the complexity of monotonicity testing across different models of access to the distributions [5, 7, 8, 20]; and obtain results in these new settings that differ significantly (and somewhat surprisingly) from the known bounds in the standard sampling model [1].
Food Security and Nutrition Monitoring for Drought Relief Management: The Case of Botswana

Abstract Botswana presents an example of a relatively successful programme of drought relief management in the Southern African region. The programme has evolved over a long period and has been reasonably effective in safeguarding the welfare of vulnerable population groups, particularly during the long drought of 1982–1987 as well as more recently in 1992. The key contributory factors include: a small and largely accessible national population, availability of domestic and international resources, existence of rural infrastructure, government commitment, district-level capacity and a timely and fairly comprehensive food security and nutrition monitoring system. The main focus of this paper is on the role of the food security and nutrition monitoring system in Botswana's drought relief management, the context for its operation, and its use in policy making and programme design. The evolution of the information system and institutional coordination thereof is traced with analysis of their strengths and weaknesses. In addition, the drought relief programme is assessed in the context of persistent poverty, growing inequalities and of recent changes which aim to bring about some reduction of state subsidies. Conclusions and policy implications are drawn and their relevance for other African countries is outlined.
Distributed reverse-link power controls in wireless networks: Performance risk aversion and person-by-person equilibrium

This paper highlights the challenges of distributed reverse-link power controls under signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio constraints. A class of wireless networks considered here is consisted of multiple sources, multiple relays, and a single destination. Power measurement reports are subject to quantization errors, observation noises, and transport delays in the forward links. In effect, the search for a minimal tuple of distributed power command policies, which ensure optimal mean-risk aware performance indices, is restricted to a person-by-person equilibrium. Towards closed-loop performance reliability, self-directed user terminals are capable of incorporating risk-averse attitudes in transmit power allocations in accordance of near-far field issues and multi-access interferences.