cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
315 INHIBITION OF STROMA-DERIVED FACTOR 1 INACTIVATION POTENTIATES STEM CELL HOMING TO THE ACUTELY INJURED KIDNEY.

Stroma derived factor 1 (SDF-1) is a chemokine that plays important roles in developmental neurobiology, inflammation, stem cell traffic to the bone marrow, and injured organs, such as the brain, heart, liver, and kidneys. Recently, we demonstrated that renal tubular expression and plasma levels of SDF-1 are markedly up-regulated following induction of acute ischemia/reperfusion kidney injury (AKI) in mice, and this increase in SDF-1 specifically boosted the homing of CD34 and SDF-1 receptor CXCR4 coexpressing bone marrow stem cells to the kidney (Kidney Int 2005;67:1772-8). Furthermore, we demonstrated that mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) administration protects against AKI through complex paracrine mechanisms (such as anti-inflammatory, antiapoptotic, and mitogenic) (Am J Physiol 2005;289:F31-42). Here we investigated whether by inhibiting dipeptidylpeptidase IV (CD26), which inactivates SDF-1, SDF-1-mediated homing of CXCR4 expressing MSCs to the kidney with AKI is increased and renal protection and repair are further improved. To test this hypothesis, we used bone marrow-derived MSCs from Fisher 344 rats for in vitro experiments. First, using FACS, we demonstrate that about 35% of cultured MSCs express both CD26 and CXCR4 proteins on their surface. In addition, cultured MSCs express functional CD26 and can effectively inactivate SDF-1. Finally, MSCs migration toward SDF-1 in a transwell culture system can be significantly increased by preincubation of MSCs with Diprotin A, a CD26 inhibitor, or decreased by preincubation with AMD 3100, a CXCR4 inhibitor. Conclusion These results indicate that inhibiting CD26 augments the SDF-1-CXCR4-mediated chemotactic activity of cultured MSCs. It is therefore highly likely that pretreatment of MSCs with a CD26 inhibitor or preinfusion of such an inhibitor in vivo may augment the homing and renal protective functions of administered MSCs in experimental AKI. These promising stem cell therapeutic and organ repair strategies are currently under investigation.
Single-Incision Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy in a Pediatric Population: A Preliminary Report

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy has become a standard procedure for treatment of gallbladder diseases. The operation is performed through a four-trocar technique. Single-incision laparoscopy (SIL) has recently gained popularity. The purpose of our study was to review our cases of SIL cholecystectomy and to evaluate the safety and feasibility of this technique. After the approval of the Institutional Review Boards, we performed a retrospective chart review of our SIL cholecystectomy cases performed between January 2008 and August 2009. Pertinent clinical data were extracted. The outcomes were reported as operating room time, intraoperative and postoperative complications, length of stay, and intravenous narcotic use. We identified 24 patients (19 females and five males) with a mean age of 15 years. Most patients (67%) had a diagnosis of symptomatic cholelithiasis. Two patients had gallstone pancreatitis, three had acute cholecystitis, and one had a hydropic gallbladder. Two patients had an intraoperative cholangiogram performed. Average operating room time was 97.5 +/- 34.5 minutes (range, 65 to 145 minutes). There were no intraoperative complications. All patients had minimal (one to three doses) need for intravenous narcotics. All patients have had excellent cosmetic results on postoperative follow-up. SIL cholecystectomy in children is safe and feasible, even in the setting of acute cholecystitis and the need for cholangiogram.
Effect of Diet on Visceral Morphology of Breeding Wood Ducks

-Changes in Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) digestive organs reflect adaptations to accommodate changes in diet quality, metabolism, and food intake. The size of the gizzard, intestine, ceca, and liver of males decreased between fall and spring and correlated with a reduction in the fiber content of the diet. The mean size of the intestine, liver, and ceca of hens increased in response to high dietary fiber in fall and hyperphagia during laying. Decreases in the size of digestive organs in hens were associated with reduced feeding during incubation and decreased dietary fiber between fall courtship and prebreeding. Received 1 April 1983, accepted 8 July 1983. CHANGES in the intestinal morphology of gallinaceous birds have been studied extensively (Leopold 1953, Breitenbach and Meyer 1959, Breitenbach et al. 1963, Anderson 1972, Moss 1972, Pendergast and Boag 1973), but these changes in waterfowl have received less attention. Data that are available for waterfowl indicate that changes in the size of digestive organs can be induced by diet changes in penned birds (Miller 1975) and also occur under freeliving conditions in both breeding (Korschgen 1976, Ankney 1977) and wintering (Paulus 1982) birds. The size of digestive organs in American Eiders (Somateria mollissima dresseri) (Korschgen 1976) and Lesser Snow Geese (Chen caerulescens caerulescens) (Ankney 1977) declines substantially during laying and incubation. Both species reduce feeding activity during these stages of the reproductive cycle, and, therefore, decreases in the size of their digestive organs have been attributed to reduced food intake I Contribution from Gaylord Memorial Laboratory (School of Forestry, Fisheries, and Wildlife, University of Missouri-Columbia and Missouri Department of Conservation cooperating), Division of Wildlife Refuges, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station Project 170, Journal Series Number 8-154 and the School of Natural Resources, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. 2 Present address: Center for Environmental and Estuarine Studies, Appalachian Environmental Laboratory, University of Maryland, Frostburg, Maryland 21532 USA. and/or to the mobilization of protein for reproduction. In contrast, Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) hens feed throughout laying and incubation and exhibit marked changes in diet during the reproductive cycle (Drobney and Fredrickson 1979). Therefore, an evaluation of the dynamics of gut morphology in this species provides an opportunity to assess the significance of the changes observed in the size of the digestive organs of Wood Ducks in relation to food habits, diet quality, and reproductive state.
Long-term Effects of Pyrethrin and Cyfluthrin, a Type II Synthetic Pyrethroid, Insecticide Applications on Bull Reproductive Parameters

The objectives of this study were to determine effects of cyfluthrin and pyrethrin spray products, used in combination with cyfluthrin topical and ear tag applications, on bull reproductive parameters over 18 weeks. Angus or Angus x Simmental bulls were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups: (i) no exposure to pyrethrins/cyfluthrin (CONT; n = 10), (ii) cyfluthrin ear tag and topical applications (ET; n = 10), or (iii) cyfluthrin ear tag, topical, premise spray and pyrethrin fog spray applications (ET+S; n = 8). Bull body weight was measured every 3 week, and body condition score and scrotal circumference were recorded on weeks 0, 9 and 18. Semen and serum were collected every 3 weeks for sperm evaluation and testosterone measurement, respectively. There was a treatment × week interaction (p < 0.01) for sperm with primary defects; bulls in CONT group had a greater (p = 0.01) percentage of sperm with primary defects than bulls treated with insecticides at week 18. Overall and progressive sperm motility, normal sperm morphology, secondary sperm defects and serum testosterone concentrations changed (p < 0.01) over time in all bulls; however, treatment did not affect (p ≥ 0.13) any of these parameters. There were also no treatment effects (p ≥ 0.08) on bull body weight, body condition score or scrotal circumference. The use of pyrethrin- and cyfluthrin-based insecticides, regardless of application, did not negatively affect reproductive parameters in beef bulls when administered over 18 weeks.
SU-F-J-155: Evaluation of Transcytolemmal Water Exchange Analysis For Therapeutic Response Assessment Using Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI

Purpose: To compare the performance of shutter-speed(SS) model with transcytolemmal water exchange analysis against the Tofts model in the study of the efficacy of an anti-angiogenesis drug Methods: 16 mice with LS-174T implanted were randomly assigned into treatment/control groups (n=8/group) and received bevacizumab/saline three times (Day1/Day4/Day8). All mice received one pre- (Day0) and two post-treatment (Day2/Day9) DCE scans. For each scan, the CA extravasation rate constant KTtrans/KStrans from the Tofts/SS model were calculated. The intracellular water residence time τi which reflects limited transcytolemmal water exchange between cell and extravascular-extracellular-space were also analyzed using SS model. A biological subvolume(BV) within the tumor was automatically segmented based on the τi intensity distribution, and the SS model parameters within the BV (KS,BVtrans and τi, BV) were analyzed. Rank-sum tests were conducted to assess the differences of each parameter's statistics (mean value/coefficient-of-variation (CV) /kurtosis/skewness/heterogeneity indices d1 and d2) between treatment/control groups. Experiment using support vector machine in a leave-one-out approach were performed to validate the use of the analyzed biomarkers for treatment/control classification. Results: The SS model was a better fit for all scans in terms of Bayesian information criterion. At Day9, the treatment group had significantly higher mean KTtrans(p=0.021), KStrans(p=0.021) and τi(p=0.045). In the identified BV, the treatment group had significantly higher mean KS,BVtrans at both Day2(p=0.038) and Day9(p=0.007). Additionally, at Day9, the treatment group had significantly higher mean τi, BV(p=0.045) and higher KS,BVtrans heterogeneity indices d1(p=0.010) and d2(p=0.021) values. When using KS,BVtrans statistics for treatment/control group classification, the highest accuracy was 68.8%/87.5% at Day2/Day9; this result was better than the result of 62.5%/87.5% using KStrans statistics and 50.0%/87.5% using KTtrans statistics. Conclusion: The SS model parameters may be more reliable than the Tofts model parameters for therapeutic assessment. The proposed biological subvolume in this work may be useful for early therapeutic effect monitoring.
Structure and Imagery in Grillparzer's Sappho

(1973). Structure and Imagery in Grillparzer's Sappho. The Germanic Review: Literature, Culture, Theory: Vol. 48, No. 1, pp. 44-55.
Grid Integration of Wind Power Systems: Modeling of Wind Power Plants

In the United States, wind power is expected to make up a significant portion of future generation portfolios. A scenario in which wind power will supply 20 % of U.S. peak demand by 2030 has been examined and found feasible [1]. A challenge facing power system planners and operators, in the near future, is the grid integration of large amounts of wind power. To determine the impacts of large wind power plants on system stability, reliable computer models are necessary. However, wind turbine models are not readily available in most dynamic simulation software. The diversity and manufacturer-specific nature of technologies used in commercial wind turbines exacerbates the modeling problem. A solution to this problem is to develop a generic, manufacturer-independent modeling framework that can be implemented in any software capable of simulating power system dynamics.
Intravenous Vitamin C Administered as Adjunctive Therapy for Recurrent Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

This case report summarizes the first use of intravenous vitamin C employed as an adjunctive interventional agent in the therapy of recurrent acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The two episodes of ARDS occurred in a young female patient with Cronkhite-Canada syndrome, a rare, sporadically occurring, noninherited disorder that is characterized by extensive gastrointestinal polyposis and malabsorption. Prior to the episodes of sepsis, the patient was receiving nutrition via chronic hyperalimentation administered through a long-standing central venous catheter. The patient became recurrently septic with Gram positive cocci which led to two instances of ARDS. This report describes the broad-based general critical care of a septic patient with acute respiratory failure that includes fluid resuscitation, broad-spectrum antibiotics, and vasopressor support. Intravenous vitamin C infused at 50 mg per kilogram body weight every 6 hours for 96 hours was incorporated as an adjunctive agent in the care of this patient. Vitamin C when used as a parenteral agent in high doses acts “pleiotropically” to attenuate proinflammatory mediator expression, to improve alveolar fluid clearance, and to act as an antioxidant.
Systematic review of the information and communication technology features of web- and mobile-based psychoeducational interventions for depression.

Abstract Objective To examine the information and communication technology (ICT) features of psychoeducational interventions for depression delivered via the Internet or via mobile technology. Methods Web- and mobile-based psychoeducational intervention studies published from 2004 to 2014 were selected and reviewed by two independent coders. Results A total of 55 unique studies satisfied the selection criteria. The review revealed a diverse range of ICTs used to support the psychoeducational programs. Most interventions used websites as their main mode of delivery and reported greater use of communication tools compared to effective approaches like tailoring or interactive technologies games, videos, and self-monitoring tools. Many of the studies relied on medium levels of clinician involvement and only a few were entirely self-guided. Conclusion Programs that reported higher levels of clinician involvement also reported using more communication tools, and reported greater compliance to treatment. Future experimental studies may help unpack the effects of technology features and reveal new ways to automate aspects of clinician input. Practical implications There is a need to further examine ways ICTs can be optimized to reduce the burden on clinicians whilst enhancing the delivery of proven effective therapeutic approaches.
Nitric oxide and serotonin interactions in aggression

Violence is a significant public health problem worldwide. Neurobiological research on violence and aggression attempts to elucidate the cellular and molecular pathways that increase the propensity toward this behavior. Research over the past 40 years has implicated several brain regions and neurotransmitters in aggression, mainly using rodent models. Perhaps the strongest association is the link between serotonin and aggression, which has compelling interactions with the nitric oxide system. Recently, new insights into these relationships have been added as modern techniques allow more sophisticated analyses. This chapter will discuss current developments implicating serotonin and nitric oxide in aggressive behavior. Recently developed high-resolution methods for examining the neurobiological basis of aggression will be considered, with emphasis on future directions for the field.
Resilience, culture change, and cancer risk reduction in a fire rescue organization: Clean gear as the new badge of honor

Fire rescue organizations are central to community models of resilience, especially in the context of crisis. The ability of fire rescue organizations to fulfill their role relies on their ability to operate at full capacity; however, fire rescue services may face internal crises that require these organizations to be resilient in their own right. This study uses grounded theory drawing on concepts of organizational culture and resilience to show how one key partner in the community model of resilience (Palm Beach County Fire Rescue) is working to address their own crisis—an epidemic of cancer. Firefighters are engaging in behaviours to increase resilience by working towards cultural change to reduce cancer risk, using social capital to increase networks and expertise, and utilizing internal assets to enact change. Barriers to change include cultural practices, perceived threats to occupational practice, and logistics and resources to enact desired change. A model of risk reduction and resilience is advanced that explores how organizational culture and practice both support and undermine individual resilience and organizational resilience. Implications for communication and change efforts are explored.
The Effects of Suspicion on Interorganizational Relationships: An Abstract

This conceptual paper explores suspicion in interorganizational relationships and its effects on governance strategies and relational outcomes. Suspicion is delineated from trust and distrust, and a definition of interorganizational suspicion is offered. Three types of interorganizational suspicion – suspicion of behavior, suspicion of capabilities, and suspicion of intent – are proposed. A conceptual model for the effects of interorganizational suspicion on governance strategies and relational outcomes is developed based on theoretical and empirical support across a variety of disciplines. This paper adds to the growing literature on the dark side of business relationships by exploring the effects of different types of suspicion on interorganizational relationships and offers insights into how suspicion can be mitigated or resolved before it escalates into high distrust and relationship termination.
Bio-field array: a dielectrophoretic electromagnetic toroidal excitation to restore and maintain the golden ratio in human erythrocytes.

Erythrocytes must maintain a biconcave discoid shape in order to efficiently deliver oxygen (O2 ) molecules and to recycle carbon dioxide (CO2 ) molecules. The erythrocyte is a small toroidal dielectrophoretic (DEP) electromagnetic field (EMF) driven cell that maintains its zeta potential (ζ) with a dielectric constant (ԑ) between a negatively charged plasma membrane surface and the positively charged adjacent Stern layer. Here, we propose that zeta potential is also driven by both ferroelectric influences (chloride ion) and ferromagnetic influences (serum iron driven). The Golden Ratio, a function of Phi φ, offers a geometrical mathematical measure within the distinct and desired curvature of the red blood cell that is governed by this zeta potential and is required for the efficient recycling of CO2 in our bodies. The Bio-Field Array (BFA) shows potential to both drive/fuel the zeta potential and restore the Golden Ratio in human erythrocytes thereby leading to more efficient recycling of CO2 . Live Blood Analyses and serum CO2 levels from twenty human subjects that participated in immersion therapy sessions with the BFA for 2 weeks (six sessions) were analyzed. Live Blood Analyses (LBA) and serum blood analyses performed before and after the BFA immersion therapy sessions in the BFA pilot study participants showed reversal of erythrocyte rheological alterations (per RBC metric; P = 0.00000075), a morphological return to the Golden Ratio and a significant decrease in serum CO2 (P = 0.017) in these participants. Immersion therapy sessions with the BFA show potential to modulate zeta potential, restore this newly defined Golden Ratio and reduce rheological alterations in human erythrocytes.
ESTABLISHING NOMOLOGICAL NETWORKS FOR BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE : A NATURAL LANGUAGE PROCESSING BASED APPROACH

As the accumulated research base of the behavioral sciences have grown, the amount of actual knowledge discovery has not kept pace as evidenced by an increasing number of disconnected theories and the related problem of construct proliferation. Therefore, integrating social and behavioral sciences across research areas or even disciplines in a meaningful way is imperative. Despite the information systems (IS) discipline’s leadership on creating nomological networks and inter-nomological networks for research integration, a quantitative approach to automatically establish nomological networks from large-scale data is missing. Based on the design science paradigm, we therefore propose a novel natural language processing based approach bringing together these two previous research endeavors. We used a dataset consisting of all the relevant behavioral studies from two tops journal in the IS and psychology fields to evaluate our approach in comparison to human decisions. Finally, the limitations and possible extensions of our approach are critically discussed.
Cyber-Physical Energy Internet

With the development of information technology, there are many important technology innovations in plenty of industries. The more innovations are used in industry, the harder we research information technology and traditional industry technology separately. So there is a new concept: Cyber-Physical Systems which are integrations of computation and physical processes [1]. These systems always integrate computer, communication and control technologies. As mentioned before, Energy Internet borrows from features of the Internet [2]. Many key technology features of Energy Internet are realized or will be realized by using Information Technology and more and more embedded computers have been designed into Energy Internet [3]. So Energy Internet which integrates energy technology and information technology can be seen as a complicated cyber-physical system. For the complicated cyber-physical system, there are many research interests in the new field. In this chapter, we explore some cyber-physical characteristics of Energy Internet mainly including the structure of cyber-physical energy internet, the relationship of the cyber resources and physical resources and the cyber security and safety of Energy Internet. In these characteristics, the security and safety of Energy Internet has attracted the attention of researchers and engineers. As Energy Internet presents an increased dependency on cyber resources which may be vulnerable to attack [4], the cyber-physical security and safety have become a new hot issue and this issue may include but not limited to the analysis of the influence of physical system by the cyber calculated attacks and the influence of structure failures to the whole system. Here we mainly analyze one of the calculated attacks for the some sub-system of Energy Internet.
Thomas Paine and the Literature of Revolution: Inventing an American Public: The Pennsylvania Magazine and Revolutionary American Political Discourse

The July 1775 issue of the Pennsylvania Magazine , edited by Thomas Paine, opens with an essay, “Observations on the Military Character of Ants,” that purportedly investigates a new aspect of the nature of ants. The author, who writes under the pseudonym Curioso, observes that generally ants are cited only for their “industry and economy,” but that “we have neglected to consider them as patriots jealous of their natural rights, and as champions in the defence of them” (295). He then relates his observations of the interactions between a colony of red ants and one of brown ants that inhabit his yard. The reds are portrayed as seeking to deprive the browns of their natural rights thereby forcing the browns to war, A war which the browns were driven into by the overbearing insolence of the reds, and obliged to undertake for the protection of their settlement. Had they passively submitted, they might have again been treated in the same manner [deprived of their property], and have wearied out their lives in building cities for others to take from them. (299–300) The red ants are clearly identified with the British redcoats in this article, which uses the author's observations about ants as an occasion to justify the American colonies' right to raise an army to defend their property.
The Future of the Digital Economy

This chapter surveys effects of digital technologies on traditional economic research areas ranging from price negotiation to search activities, from product choice to monetary policy. The Internet and its commercial uses have stimulated a high level of interest but electronic commerce is often seen as an alternative marketing channel to existing physical media or markets. However, computer and networking technologies have the potential to transform not only the way we shop but also the way our economy operates. An economy characterized by these technologies is the digital economy where market agents behave differently under different sets of economic rules from the physical economy. We begin by discussing some economic implications of digital technologies. Then we examine major research issues in Internet infrastructure pricing, network effects, online auctions, advertising and consumer search, customized product and pricing, antitrust policies, fiscal and monetary issues and market globalization. Our goal is to demonstrate how fundamental are the economic transformations triggered by the use of technologies. We conclude by noting that computer and networking technologies not only improve efficiencies at the margin but also present a new type of market which might be a textbook example of a perfect market that requires a more vigorous reexamination of traditional economic assumptions and results.
2-P: COMPLEMENTARY TESTING USING SOLID PHASE AND FLOW CYTOMETRY TECHNOLOGIES PROVIDES ACCURATE ASSESSMENT OF PREFORMED DSA

Aim For the past two years, we have compared retrospective solid phase crossmatches (DSAXM) with flow crossmatching on all patients who were either transplanted or exhibited positive flow cytometry crossmatches (FXM) with deceased donors to determine the realtionship between the two XM assays. Methods An MFI cut-off of 4000 MFI was used in SAB testing for unacceptable antigens. Flow cytometry crossmatches were analyzed on a BD FacsCanto II flow cytometer (pronase-treated cells). DSAXM was according to the manufacturer’s procedure. Results We analyzed 734 solid phase crossmatch/flow crossmatch pairs: 421 TFXM/DSAIXM and 313 BFXM/DSAXM. 108 TFXM+ crossmatches were eliminated for the BFXM comparison to minimize the interference of Class I on the BFXM/DSAXM comparisons. We observed that for TFXM/DSA1XM there was a 77% agreement. 22% of the discrepancies were mediated by a false positive TFXM crossmatch, based on lack of DSA. 21 of the 75 FXMs in this group had channel shifts above 1000 (our cut-off is 120). The remaining 1% of the discrepancies were mediated by false positive DSA1XM (n = 5). We observed that for BFXM/DSAXM there was a 73% agreement. As seen with the TFXM/DSA1XM the majority of the discrepancies were due to false positive BFXM (19.5%). There were also more discrepant false positive DSAXMs (7.7%). Conclusions These data demonstrate that the DSA1XM reliably detects Class I antibodies, (however the DSA2XM does not reliably detect DQ antibodies.) In this study, the incidences of unexplained positive TFXM and BFXM were high: 22% and 20%, respectively. For BFXM/DSAXM comparisons, neither assay demonstrated a competitive edge. Since neither the flow assay nor the solid phase assay reliably predicts crossmatch outcomes, we continue to use both assays in a complementary fashion. Combining the solid phase technology (single antigen beads and the DSAXM) and flow cytometry crossmatching provides a better assessment of risk due to preformed donor-specific alloantibodies than either assay alone.
Towards a functional architecture for intelligence based on generic information processing tasks

T h e level o f abs t rac t ion of m u c h of the w o r k in know ledge-based systems ( the ru le , f rame, logic level) is too low to prov ide a r ich enough vocabu la ry for knowledge and con t ro l . I prov ide an overv iew of a f r amework cal led the Generic Task approach that proposes t h a t knowledge systems shou ld be b u i l t out of b u i l d i n g blocks, each of wh ich is app rop r i a te for a basic t ype of p rob lem so lv ing. Each generic task uses forms of knowledge and cont ro l strategies that are character is t ic to i t , and are general ly conceptua l ly closer to doma in knowledge. Th i s fac i l i ta tes knowledge acqu is i t i on , and can produce a more perspicuous exp lana t ion of p rob lem so lv ing . The re la t ionsh ip of the const ructs at the generic task level to the ru le f rame level is analogous to t h a t between h igh level p r o g r a m m i n g languages and assembly languages. 1 describe a set of generic tasks t ha t have been found pa r t i cu la r l y useful in cons t ruc t i ng d iagnost ic , design and p lann ing systems; d iagnost ic reasoning is used to i l lus t ra te the approach . 1 describe the Generic Task Toolset for cons t ruc t i ng knowledge systems, w h i c h embodies the Generic Task app roach . I conclude w i t h the imp l i ca t i ons of this approach for the func t iona l a rch i tec ture of in te l l igence. 1. Overview of the Paper T h e f i rst pa r t of the paper is a c r i t i que of the level o f abs t rac t ion in much of the cu r ren t discussion on knowledge-based systems. I t w i l l be argued t ha t the level of ru leslog icf rames-networks is i napp rop r i a te for d iscussing m a n y issues of knowledge o rgan iza t ion and c o n t r o l . We advocate instead the level of abs t rac t ion associated w i t h the language of generic tasks, types of knowledge, and types of con t ro l
Calving and weaning characteristics of Angus-, Gray Brahman-, Gir-, Indu-Brazil-, Nellore-, and Red Brahman-sired F1 calves.

Calving and weaning data from crossbred calves sired by five Bos indicus breeds and one Bos taurus breed were evaluated. Data included calving and weaning records of F1 calves out of multiparous Hereford cows and sired by Angus, Gray Brahman, Gir, Indu-Brazil, Nellore, and Red Brahman bulls. At calving, Angus-sired calves had shorter gestations and lower (more desirable) calving ease scores and were smaller than Bos indicus-sired calves. Among the Bos indicus crosses, Gir calves had the shortest gestations, lowest calving ease scores, lightest birth weights (P less than .05), and smallest cannon bone lengths and heart girths. Nellore calves had the longest gestations (P less than .05) and largest heart girths. Calves by Indu-Brazil sires had the highest calving ease scores, highest birth weights (P less than .05), and greatest cannon bone lengths (P less than .05). Gray Brahman- and Red Brahman-sired calves were similar and intermediate for all calving characters. At weaning, Angus-sired calves had gained slightly faster than the Gir crosses and weighed more but were shorter at the hip than Gir crosses. Gir calves gained the least preweaning, weighed the least, and were shortest at weaning of the Bos indicus crosses. The Nellore and Indu-Brazil crosses were intermediate in preweaning gain and weaning weight to the Gir and the Red and Gray Brahman but were tallest at weaning. Gray Brahman and Red Brahman calves gained the most and were heaviest at weaning but were not as tall as the Nellore and Indu-Brazil.
Dynamic voxel modeling resolution based on quality assessments from LIDAR path tracing

Airborne LIDAR instruments are capable of delivering high density point clouds, but sampling is inherently uneven in both 2D and 3D space due to collection patterns as well as effects like occlusion. Taking full advantage of the detail available when creating 3D models therefore requires that resolution be adaptable to the amount of localized data. Voxel-based modeling of LIDAR has proven advantageous in many situations, but the traditional use of a fixed grid size prevents full realization of the potential resolution. Allowing voxel sizes to vary across the model using spatial subdivision techniques overcomes this limitation. An important part of this process is defining an appropriate limit of resolution for different sections of a model, and we incorporate information gained through tracing of LIDAR pulses to guide this decision process. Real-world data are used to demonstrate our results, and we show how dynamic resolution voxelization of LIDAR allows for both reduced storage requirements as well as improved modeling flexibility.
Dynamics of Organization of Insect Communities in Tropical Ecosystems

The relatively few studies of tropical ecosystems available have emphasized the pathways of nutrient cycling in some tropical forests(596) or descriptive and experimental studies of biotic organization of communities. (29,65,435) Okwakol(597) demonstrated in an African termite Cubitermes a relatively high rate of removal of organic materials from soil, suggesting that in habitats where termites are abundant, cyclic depletions of the nutrient content of soil are frequent, thus imposing some constraints upon other litter organisms. To what extent, for example, termites compete with collembolans for certain nutrients under such conditions may indicate food as a hmiting factor in collembolan populations. It is clear, regardless of the interactions, that the litter mosaic of tropical forests is very dynamic in terms of tumover of accessible nutrients and breeding substrates. Historically, much of tropical biology has focused upon expedition-type collecting of specimens for museums and universities, development of cultivars and agronomic systems, and medically related entomology. The entomological literature, for example is full of detailed descriptive and experimental studies on insects as vectors of various tropical diseases and the effects of changing weather pattems on predicting outbreaks. Much of the earlier work in the tropics has deployed a “targeted” approach: in a particular study, an emphasis was placed on few taxa or single species. Surprisingly, a need remains for detailed natural-history studies of tropical organisms to feed the conceptual and theoretical modeling of how communities and whole ecosystems are put together.
Crop residue open field burning in Pakistan; multi-year high spatial resolution emission inventory for 2000-2014

Abstract Over recent years, crop residue burning has become a widely practiced agricultural activity in developing countries due to varying economic and social reasons. To estimate current pollution generation from crop residue burning in Pakistan, an emission inventory was developed based on district level crop production data from 2000 to 2014. Spatial distribution of quantified emissions was achieved by using MODIS Active Fire Data (MOD/MYD14A1) at 1-day temporal and 1 × km spatial resolutions. The fire occurrences were extracted over agricultural land using land cover data provided by European Space Agency/Climate Change Initiative (ESA/CCI) at 300 m spatial resolution for 2000 to 2014. Results show that CO emissions have increased by 40% at an average annual rate of 2.7% from 1.16 Tg in 2000 to 1.63 Tg in 2014 and increase in emissions of CO2, CH4, NMVOCS, N2O, NH3, SO2, NOx, PM2.5, PM10, OC and BC ranged between 37%, to 63% during same period. Spatially, CO emissions were more significant in districts of Punjab and Sindh provinces with intensive agricultural activities as compared to other areas of Pakistan with highest emission grids located in Muzaffargarh, Jafferabad, and Noushahro Feroze districts. Crop residue burning exhibited similar trend with highest emissions in June followed by February and November over 15-year period. The emissions for most of the considered pollutants were comparable to the limited previous studies available. Finally, the study conducted provides better understanding regarding spatial and temporal patterns of crop residue burning across Pakistan and can be utilized for air quality modeling and management with higher accuracy.
A litmus test of school accountability policy effects in Korea: cross-validating high-stakes test results for academic excellence and equity

This study challenges prior evidence on the impact of Korea’s high-stakes school accountability policy as a tool to improve overall achievement and close achievement gaps. Applying difference-in-di...
Accumulation Dynamics as a New Tool for Catalyst Discrimination: An Example from Ammonia Decomposition

Transient kinetic experiments were used to investigate the microkinetic model of ammonia decomposition over iron, cobalt, and a bimetallic preparation of the two. Pulse response experiments of ammo...
Tax Avoidance and the Real Effect of Tax-Risk Disclosures

I develop a structural model to quantify the costs of tax avoidance. In the model, the firm trades off tax savings with tax-audit risk, financial-reporting benefits, and non-tax costs (which affect pre-tax income). The comparative statics suggest tax avoidance is path-dependent, which can help resolve the unexplained persistent differences across firms. The estimated parameters suggest non-tax costs, which are difficult to observe, decrease pre-tax earnings by 7.8%. The large magnitude of this estimate can explain why firms appear to under-utilize tax-avoidance strategies. When I estimate the model on different subsamples, I find larger firms engage in more tax avoidance primarily because they can better identify lower-risk opportunities. I find multinationals have lower-risk opportunities to avoid taxes but incur more non-tax costs relative to domestic firms, which helps to explain similar levels of tax avoidance. Overall, the estimated parameters help to explain the “undersheltering puzzle” and the cross-sectional variation in tax avoidance.
Minorities and misdemeanours: The treatment of black public order offenders in Ontario's criminal justice system - 1892-19301

Although there has been considerable attention devoted to the differential treatment of blacks in the United States' criminal justice system, empirical analyses of racial effects on criminal justic...
Modeling and Prototyping a Modular, Low-Cost Collision Avoidance System for UAVs

Many challenges arise when attempting to use unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in indoor environments, such as the lack of a GPS signal for use in navigation and the smaller margin of error in movements. Typically, those challenges are addressed by using a collision avoidance system. However, most commercially available collision avoidance systems are expensive, limited in suppliers, and are restricted to use on a specific platform. Additionally, some of the collision avoidance systems choose to forego obstacle detection in one or more directions, usually the upward direction. This work proposes that it is possible to develop a custom, low-cost collision avoidance system with modular capabilities, allowing it to be adapted to any UAV platform. The feasibility of the proposed system was determined by creating a single-direction prototype that was implemented on a small quadcopter and tested by flying the quadcopter towards a wall at slow speeds. To develop the system's control algorithm a model of a quadcopter was built. Using the model, a feedback control algorithm was developed and tested via simulation with the model. The feasibility of the proposed collision avoidance system is promising with the prototype able to prevent the quadcopter from colliding with a wall. However, further refinement in the methodology and techniques used to develop the system is needed to improve performance and reliability of the system, especially as obstacle detection is added in other directions of motion. 11This paper is an adapted and condensed version of the same name thesis by T. Holliday, published by Montana Technological University, Butte, MT, USA in 2020 [16].
Public electric vehicle charger access disparities across race and income in California

Abstract Widespread electric vehicle (EV) adoption is crucial for achieving California's climate goals. The inclusion of marginalized populations in this process is important and will require that they have access to charging infrastructure. Public EV charging stations may help reduce the EV adoption barriers affecting these populations. This study combines public charging station location data with American Community Survey data at the census block group level in California, finding that public charger access is lower in block groups with below-median household incomes and in those with a Black and Hispanic majority populations. These public charger access disparities are more pronounced in areas with a higher proportion of multi-unit housing, where they are critical for EV operation due to a lower likelihood of residential charger access. Controlling for distance to the nearest highway or freeway, multi-unit housing unit rate, and median household income, we find that Black and Hispanic majority block groups are the only race and ethnicity group that is significantly less likely to have access to any public charger in their block groups compared to the rest of the state. The odds of having public charger access for the group is 0.7-times that of the no majority reference group. The access gap is even larger for the publicly-funded charging stations where Black and Hispanic majority block groups are approximately half as likely as the no-majority reference group to have access. Hence directing a larger portion of the funding to underserved communities and further government involvement in filling the public charger access gap can be crucial in achieving widespread and equitable EV adoption.
Is Affirmative Action Fair or Inherently Unfair? A Look at the American Version and Some Comparisons With Other Countries

While the United States Supreme Court building facade reads "Equal justice for all," governmental efforts - albeit beneficially intended to remedy past discrimination and achieve illusive diversity by affirmative action - seem to contradict this equality of justice notion. Affirmative action efforts to increase numbers of minorities in the workforce and higher education have faced challenges under the equal treatment principle. Legally mandated discrimination in the form of affirmative action - or, as it is referenced in Europe, positive discrimination - exists not only in the United States, but in post-Good Friday Agreement Northern Ireland, post-apartheid South Africa, and some continental European states. The primary focus will be on the development of American laws/programs implementing favoritism. Court decisions on the lawfulness of such programs are synthesized in an effort to perceive an evolving standard. Other selected countries' use of disparity of treatment to achieve a stated worthy result compares.
Validating the VR-12 Physical Function Instrument After Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion with SF-12, PROMIS, and NDI

Development and validation of Veterans RAND 12-item (VR-12) physical component survey (PCS) has been established among civilian and veteran populations but it has not been examined among anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) patients. We sought to validate legacy patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) with VR-12 PCS among patients undergoing ACDF procedures. A prospectively collected surgical registry was retrospectively evaluated for elective single or multi-level ACDFs performed for degenerative spinal pathologies from January 2014 to August 2019. Exclusion criteria included missing pre-operative surveys and surgery for trauma, metastasis, or infection. Demographic variables, baseline pathologies, and peri-operative variables were collected. A paired t test evaluated the change from the pre-operative score to each post-operative timepoint for VR-12 PCS, the 12-item Short-Form Survey (SF-12) PCS, Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System physical function (PROMIS-PF), and Neck Disability Index (NDI). Minimal clinically important difference (MCID) achievement was calculated at each timepoint. Correlation was evaluated with a Pearson’s correlation coefficient and time-independent partial correlation. Of the 202 patients who underwent ACDF, 41.1% were female and the average age was 49.5 years. All PROMs had statistically significantly increased from baseline when compared with post-operative timepoints (12 weeks, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years). MCID achievement rates increased through 2 years. All timepoints revealed strong VR-12 PCS correlations with SF-12 PCS, PROMIS-PF, and NDI scores. VR-12 PCS was strongly correlated with the well-validated SF-12 PCS and NDI metrics as well as with the more recent PROMIS-PF. All PROMs demonstrated statistically significant improvement in patients post-operatively. VR-12 PCS is a valid measure of physical function among patients undergoing ACDF.
Theories of the Heart-mind and Human Nature in the Context of Globalization of Confucianism Today

About 60 years ago, Tang Junyi 唐君毅 (Tang Chun-i), Mou Zongsan 牟宗三 (Mou Tsung-san), Xu Fuguan 徐復觀 (Hsu Fu-kuan), and Zhang Junmai 張君勱 (Carson Chang) published “A Manifesto for a Reappraisal of Sinology and Reconstruction of Chinese Culture.” In the Manifesto, these major representatives of contemporary New Confucianism tried to rectify Westerners’ biases and reestablish Chinese people’s cultural confidence by upholding the Confucian learning of the heart-mind as the core of Chinese culture. Following the same approach, some prominent scholars today continue the effort of bringing Confucianism to a new epoch through reappropriating metaphysical theories of the heart-mind and human nature of the Zisi 子思–Mencius lineage, which flourished in the Song-Ming 宋明 period. This article critically reflects on this approach and argues that the Confucian learning of the heart-mind and human nature should not be taken so much as a mirror that reflects metaphysical reality than as a lever that directs and uplifts human vision and gongfu 功夫/工夫 (the art of life). In the cultural context today, revealing the gongfu nature of Confucianism can help us appreciate the real value of Confucianism as a constructive resource for global culture.
When Do Corporate Bond Investors Earn a Premium for Bearing Risk? A Test Spanning the Great Depression of the 1930s

For many years the Stocks, Bonds, Bills & Inflation yearbook has served as the primary source for calibrating historical asset returns. However, uneasiness has grown about its depiction of corporate bond returns prior to the second World War. I document problems with the source data used in the SBBI and replace its flawed dataset with new observations of bond prices from 1926 to 1946 for a sample of several hundred large bonds listed on the NYSE and rated investment-grade. I find that the SBBI overstates corporate bond returns in the 1930s and accordingly, gives an unreliable estimate of the premium received for owning investment grade corporate bonds rather than government bonds during the prewar years. To extend the analysis I collected additional bond price data from 1946 to 1974 and find that the SBBI also overstates corporate bond returns in the 1960s. The problem again stems from a reliance on flawed yield series in place of observing bond prices. I combine the new data with existing data to examine the corporate bond premium from 1909 through 2019. Using ten-year rolling returns, over the past century I find the average premium earned on long maturity corporate bonds to be small, about 15 basis points annualized. For many of the ten-year rolls, the premium was instead a deficit: a bond investor would have done better owning only long government bonds. The small and fitful premium contrasts with the yield spread on investment-grade bonds, which was always positive and substantial throughout the period. Because the premium has been much more variable, the relative size of the yield spread does not seem to be predictive of whether a premium will subsequently be earned and how much. Results are interpreted in terms of the importance of regime change in financial history: sometimes corporate bonds outperform government bonds, sometimes they do not, just as sometimes stocks outperform bonds, and sometimes they do not, contra Siegel (2014). The idea of regime change challenges the notion that a mean computed over a longer rather than a shorter interval contributes any additional predictive power to the study of asset returns over human horizons.