cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An examination of cross-country differences in the gender gap in labor force participation rates

Abstract Using evidence on variation in the gender gap in labor force participation rates (LFPR) across home country groups in the United States, this paper analyzes cross-country differences in these gaps. The empirical evidence reveals that for first generation immigrants, over half of the overall variation in the gender gap in LFPR is attributable to home country LFPR. This suggests that there exists a permanent, portable factor, i.e., culture, that is not captured by observed human capital measures, that affects outcomes. The smaller role of home country LFPR for second-and-higher generation immigrants, provides evidence of cultural assimilation as well.
Trends in the management of hepatic injury

Background Options for management of blunt hepatic injury have broadened to include both operative management (OM) and nonoperative management (NOM). We identify trends in evaluation and management of blunt hepatic injury at a level 1 trauma center. Methods Charts of 106 patients with blunt hepatic injuries from July 1, 1991 to June 30, 1995 were reviewed for method of abdominal evaluation (computed tomography versus DPL), injury severity score, liver injury grade, method of management, length of stay (LOS), transfusion requirements, complications, and outcome. Results Nonoperative management steadily increased to 86%. Successful NOM occurred in 96% (48 of 50) and was not related to injury grade. Transfusion requirements were significantly greater in the group with OM versus those with NOM (11.3 versus 2.7). Patients with NOM also had significantly shorter intensive care unit stay and total LOS. Conclusions The majority of patients with blunt liver injury can be successfully managed nonoperatively regardless of injury grade. Nonoperative management may allow decreased resource utilization because of shorter hospital stays and decreased transfusion requirements.
Enhancing Habitat Connectivity in Fragmented Landscapes: Spatial Modeling of Wildlife Crossing Structures in Transportation Networks

Roads fragment habitat and pose a variety of threats to wildlife by restricting their physical movements or causing direct mortality. Wildlife crossing structures can mitigate some of these effects by simultaneously connecting fragmented habitat and reducing collisions between animals and traffic. This research develops two classes of spatial models for optimally locating crossing structures in situations where the goal is to connect discrete habitat patches that are fragmented by roads. The first group of models uses variations of minimum spanning forest (MSF) problems to select crossing structure locations in scenarios where the goal is to connect all habitat patches in the landscape. This article explores three variations: distance-based, intersection-weighted, and component-based MSFs. The second set of models includes newly developed integer programs with objectives that maximize interpatch connectivity given a fixed number of crossing structures. One of these integer programs maximizes overall conne...
Evolution of networks and sequences in eukaryotic cell cycle control

The molecular networks regulating the G1–S transition in budding yeast and mammals are strikingly similar in network structure. However, many of the individual proteins performing similar network roles appear to have unrelated amino acid sequences, suggesting either extremely rapid sequence evolution, or true polyphyly of proteins carrying out identical network roles. A yeast/mammal comparison suggests that network topology, and its associated dynamic properties, rather than regulatory proteins themselves may be the most important elements conserved through evolution. However, recent deep phylogenetic studies show that fungal and animal lineages are relatively closely related in the opisthokont branch of eukaryotes. The presence in plants of cell cycle regulators such as Rb, E2F and cyclins A and D, that appear lost in yeast, suggests cell cycle control in the last common ancestor of the eukaryotes was implemented with this set of regulatory proteins. Forward genetics in non-opisthokonts, such as plants or their green algal relatives, will provide direct information on cell cycle control in these organisms, and may elucidate the potentially more complex cell cycle control network of the last common eukaryotic ancestor.
Toward consensus: training in procedural skills for internal medicine residents

• The faculty, residents, and fellows of the Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina (UNC) School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, were surveyed about procedures that graduates of general internal medicine programs should be able to perform independently. More than 95% of the 177 respondents agreed that, of 71 procedures, all program graduates should be able to perform 13 without supervision. Our results are similar to those of studies at two other universities with geographically distant and philosophically different departments of medicine. The UNC faculty, fellows, and residents had significant differences of opinion on the need for training in 18 procedures. Residents tended to endorse training in the largest number of procedures, faculty the fewest, with fellows in between. The respondents' subspecialty affiliations did not influence their opinions on any of the procedural skills. ( Arch Intern Med 1984;144:1177-1179)
Regulatory Subunit Of Protein Kinase A: Structure of Deletion Mutant with cAMP Binding Domains

In the molecular scheme of living organisms, adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cyclic AMP or cAMP) has been a universal second messenger. In eukaryotic cells, the primary receptors for cAMP are the regulatory subunits of cAMP-dependent protein kinase. The crystal structure of a 1-91 deletion mutant of the type I alpha regulatory subunit was refined to 2.8 A resolution. Each of the two tandem cAMP binding domains provides an extensive network of hydrogen bonds that buries the cyclic phosphate and the ribose between two beta strands that are linked by a short alpha helix. Each adenine base stacks against an aromatic ring that lies outside the beta barrel. This structure provides a molecular basis for understanding how cAMP binds cooperatively to its receptor protein, thus mediating activation of the kinase.
The Effects of High-Intensity and Low-Intensity Cycle Ergometry in Older Adults With Knee Osteoarthritis

Background People with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee experience pain and deconditioning that lead to disability. This study challenged the clinical belief that repetitive lower extremity exercise is not indicated in persons with knee OA. The effects of high-intensity and low-intensity stationary cycling on functional status, gait, overall and acute pain, and aerobic capacity were examined. Methods Thirty-nine adults (71+/-6.9 years old) with complaints of knee pain and diagnosis of OA were randomized to either a high-intensity (70% heart rate reserve [HRR]) or low-intensity (40% HRR) exercise group for 10 weeks of stationary cycling. Participants cycled for 25 minutes, 3 times per week. Before and after the exercise intervention they completed the Arthritis Impact Measurement Scale 2 for overall pain assessment, underwent timed chair rise, 6-minute walk test, gait, and graded exercise treadmill tests. Acute pain was reported daily with a visual analog scale and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index scale. Results Analysis of variance revealed that participants in both groups significantly improved in the timed chair rise, in the 6-minute walk test, in the range of walking speeds, in the amount of overall pain relief, and in aerobic capacity. No differences between groups were found. Daily pain reports suggested that cycling did not increase acute pain in either group. Conclusions Cycling may be considered as an alternative exercise modality for patients with knee OA. Low-intensity cycling was as effective as high-intensity cycling in improving function and gait, decreasing pain, and increasing aerobic capacity.
Noradrenaline contracts arteries by activating voltage-dependent calcium channels

Noradrenaline (NA) regulates arterial smooth muscle tone and hence blood vessel diameter and blood flow. NA apparently increases tone by causing a calcium influx through the cell membrane. Two calcium influx pathways have been proposed: voltage-activated calcium channels and NA-activated calcium-permeable channels that are voltage-insensitive. Although voltage-activated calcium channels have been identified in arterial smooth muscle, voltage-insensitive calcium channels activated by NA have not. We show here that NA contractions of rabbit mesenteric arteries increase with depolarization. The increase parallels the elevation of open-state probability (P0) of single, voltage-dependent calcium channels. The action of noradrenaline can be explained by NA-activating voltage-dependent calcium channels, rather than by opening a second type of channel. We show directly that NA increases the open-state probability of single calcium channels. Thus, in the presence of NA, calcium entry through voltage-dependent calcium channels can regulate smooth muscle tone at physiological membrane potentials. These results may have relevance to pathophysiological conditions such as hypertension.
Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells Secrete Laminin 5, Express Hemidesmosomal Proteins, and Assemble Hemidesmosomes

Epithelial cells attach to the basement membrane through adhesive contacts between the basal cells of the epithelium and the proteins of the extracellular matrix (ECM). The hemidesmosome (HD) is a specialized cell-ECM contact, that mediates the attachment of the epithelial cell basal surface to the ECM. In bronchial epithelial cells, the protein components that constitute the HD have not been demonstrated. Using immunohistochemical techniques, we determined that normal human bronchial epithelial (NHBE) cells express the HD cell surface integrin alpha6beta4 and produce laminin 5, the ECM protein associated with HDs. Furthermore, expression of the HD-associated structural proteins, bullous pemphigoid antigens 1 (BPAG 1) and 2 (BPAG 2), was demonstrated in NHBE cells by immunofluorescence microscopy and immunoblot analyses. In addition, we confirmed the presence of laminin 5 in the basement membrane (BM) of bronchial epithelial biopsy specimens and of BP230, BP180, and the alpha6beta4 integrin heterodimer at the site of bronchial epithelial cell-ECM interaction in vivo. Finally, using electron microscopy, we were able to demonstrate intact HDs in a glutaraldehyde-fixed NHBE cell monolayer. These findings suggest that bronchial epithelium forms HDs and that the laminin 5-alpha6beta4 integrin interaction may be important in stabilizing epithelial cell adhesion to the BM in the lung.
Bacterial biofilms : A common cause of persistent infections

Bacteria that attach to surfaces aggregate in a hydrated polymeric matrix of their own synthesis to form biofilms. Formation of these sessile communities and their inherent resistance to antimicrobial agents are at the root of many persistent and chronic bacterial infections. Studies of biofilms have revealed differentiated, structured groups of cells with community properties. Recent advances in our understanding of the genetic and molecular basis of bacterial community behavior point to therapeutic targets that may provide a means for the control of biofilm infections.
Controllability subsets of live Rabin automata

The control of finite automata under modeling assumptions and specifications represented by Rabin acceptance conditions is considered. The controllability subset of an automaton-the set of states from which it can be controlled to the satisfaction of its specification-is characterized as a fixpoint of an operator on state subsets. >
Activities in tectonics of Research Committee of American Association of Petroleum Geologists

During 1945 and 1946, the Research Committee of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, under the chairmanship of Shepard W. Lowman, has been engaged in “a reconnaissance survey of research in petroleum geology and allied sciences with explicit reference to exploration” in order “to formulate a comprehensive research program which the American Association of Petroleum Geologists may adopt as its recommendation for that research most needed to improve our ability to find oil” [see “References” at end of report, Lowman, 1945]. In order to make this survey, the field was divided among a number of subcommittees, including a Subcommittee on Tectonics, of which the writer was chairman. Preliminary reports, discussing the research possibilities in the various fields covered by the subcommittees, were submitted in January, 1946, and concrete recommendations were formulated by the Research Committee at the Chicago meeting of the Association in April 1946 [Lowman, 1946]. Final reports of the subcommittees will be published later in 1946 in the Bulletin of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists.
A spin label study of immobilized enzyme spectral subpopulations.

Electron spin resonance (ESR) spin label studies have been carried out to examine the active site conformation of α-chymotrypsin before and after immobilization on two types of organic polymer supports: Amberlite XAD-8 and XAD-2. α-Chymotryspin was first chemically modified by reaction with methyl-4-phenylbutyrimidate and then inhibited by the active site spin label 4-(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-piperdine-1-oxyl)-m-flurosulfonylbenzamide. In general, the ESR spectra of the active site lable revealed no significant changes in conformation for most of the enzyme before or after derivatization. On the other hand, two spectral subpopulations (A and B) of spin-labeled enzyme were characterized on the basis of their ESR spectra after immobilization on Amberlite XAD-8. Spectral subpopulation A (distinguished by a highly restrained spectrum) appeared to retain its active site structure and conformation and represented a large majority of the labeled chymotrypsin on the beads. Its presence correlated with the high activity and stability of phenylbutyramidinated chymotryspin on the Amberlite XAD-8 beads. Spectral subpopulation B (distinguished by a very weakly constrained spectrum) appeared to reflect loosely bound or denatured enzyme which was removable upon washing with 40% (v/v) ethylene glycol. Two methods for examining solvent accessibility to the active site lable of the kinetics of ascorbate reduction suggested that both spectral subpopulations had identical accessibilities to the bulk solvent. Paramagnetic broadening of the signal by K3Fe(CN)6 revealed differences in the spin–spin broadening of the A and B components but is deemed and inappropriate indicator of solvent accessibility.
Putting age-associated changes in neurogenesis in their place

Individual differences in cognitive aging are, in some cases, correlated with changes in molecular markers at the neuronal level. However, the use of simple correlations to analyze data across multiple age groups has a number of potential pitfalls. When young animals differ from aged animals on both of the dependent variables being assessed with a correlation analysis, the age difference often accounts for the detection of a relationship between the 2 measures. When the age groups are analyzed discretely, the data may exhibit a completely different trend, as suggested in a recent Commentary. In addition to reconsidering the interpretation of recently published data on the relationship between age-related deficits in cognition and hippocampal neurogenesis, the demands of the task should be taken into account when evaluating the contributions of newly-generated neurons.
Peristaltic transport in circular cylindrical tubes

Abstract A long wave approximation is adopted to analyze the problem of peristaltic pumping in a circular cylindrical tube. Analytical and closed form solutions up to the second-order approximation in σ (ratio of mean tube radius to the wavelength) are presented. Criteria for negative value to appear in the mean velocity profiles are established. Comparison is made between the results for the two-dimensional channel and for the axisymmetric tube. Qualitatively the transport phenomenon of the fluid is similar for both configurations. The quantitative difference indicates that the possibility for the backward flow occurring in the core region of the stream is much higher for the case of cylindrical tubes than for the case of two-dimensional channels. The results also show that the axial pressure gradient (averaged over one period) does not vary in the radial direction of the tube. The inertia effects of the fluid and the effects of large but finite wavelength are shown to enhance the backward flow near the axis of symmetry.
Longer-Term Impacts of Mental Health Courts: Recidivism Two Years After Exit

Objective:This study compared recidivism among mental health court (MHC) participants and MHC-eligible defendants in traditional criminal court (TCC) two years after MHC exit or court disposition to investigate longer-term MHC impacts and effects beyond provision of treatment and services.Methods:Archival data from the pretrial services agency and MHC judges were used. Four measures of recidivism (any rearrest, number of rearrests, any felony arrest, and time to rearrest) were used to compare 408 MHC participants and 687 MHC-eligible defendants in TCC in the same judicial district. Both groups were provided individualized plans from the same package of services and supervision by the same pretrial services and community agencies. MHC completers and noncompleters were examined separately. Multivariate logistic analyses controlled for confounding variables.Results:Reductions in recidivism were observed in all three groups from two years before the key arrest to two years after court exit or court dispositio...
Recent Advances in Nuclear Shielding Calculations

Abstract Nuclear magnetic shielding calculations have reached a great deal of sophistication, as these now incorporate both relativistic and correlation effects. Approaches now include molecular dynamics as well as effects of the medium in condensed phases. With these computational tools, calculated shielding values are now obtained under conditions as close as possible to those of a sample inside a nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer. Indeed, computations are approaching the limits of experimental uncertainty. A brief description of new methodologies of shielding calculations is presented followed by a review of the various factors that may influence shielding. The usefulness of being able to reproduce experimental data is highlighted by citing how shielding calculations in many instances have enabled avenues for extracting information on various systems.
Fabric-Based Wearable Dry Electrodes for Body Surface Biopotential Recording

A flexible and conformable dry electrode design on nonwoven fabrics is examined as a sensing platform for biopotential measurements. Due to limitations of commercial wet electrodes (e.g., shelf life, skin irritation), dry electrodes are investigated as the potential candidates for long-term monitoring of ECG signals. Multilayered dry electrodes are fabricated by screen printing of Ag/AgCl conductive inks on flexible nonwoven fabrics. This study focuses on the investigation of skin–electrode interface, form factor design, electrode body placement of printed dry electrodes for a wearable sensing platform. ECG signals obtained with dry and wet electrodes are comparatively studied as a function of body posture and movement. Experimental results show that skin-electrode impedance is influenced by printed electrode area, skin–electrode interface material, and applied pressure. The printed electrode yields comparable ECG signals to wet electrodes, and the QRS peak amplitude of ECG signal is dependent on printed electrode area and electrode on body spacing. Overall, fabric-based printed dry electrodes present an inexpensive health monitoring platform solution for mobile wearable electronics applications by fulfilling user comfort and wearability.
Replacement names for two nematode junior homonyms.

During taxonomic investigations of nematodes that parasitize millipedes, we reviewed the literature on the nematode genus Robertia Travassos & Kloss, 1961. This literature search also revealed the existence of two other identical genus-group names for taxa in Chordata and Arthropoda: Robertia Boonstra, 1948 (extinct Permian non-mammalian synapsid) and Robertia Saaristo, 2006 (theridiid spider from the Seychelles), respectively. Of these three homonyms, Robertia Boonstra, 1948 clearly has priority. The spider name Robertia recently was replaced with Seycellesa Kocak & Kemal, 2008. The nematode genus-name also is a junior homonym and requires replacement. We propose the new replacement name Traklosia for Robertia Travassos & Kloss, 1961.
Superoleophobic surfaces through control of sprayed-on stochastic topography.

The liquid repellency and surface topography characteristics of coatings comprising a sprayed-on mixture of fluoroalkyl-functional precipitated silica and a fluoropolymer binder were examined using contact and sliding angle analysis, electron microscopy, and image analysis for determination of fractal dimensionality. The coatings proved to be an especially useful class of liquid repellent materials due to their combination of simple and scalable deposition process, low surface energy, and the roughness characteristics of the aggregates. These characteristics interact in a unique way to prevent the buildup of binder in interstitial regions, preserving re-entrant curvature across multiple length scales, thereby enabling a wide range of liquid repellency, including superoleophobicity. In addition, rather than accumulating in the interstices, the binder becomes widely distributed across the surface of the aggregates, enabling a mechanism in which a simple shortage or excess of binder controls the extent of co...
Getting off on sex research: A methodological commentary on the sexual desires of sex researchers

In this commentary, we show how self-disclosure can help elucidate the ways that the sexual desires of sex researchers can and do affect their research. We demonstrate this self-disclosure by explo...
Herbaceous diversity and composition in mixed Juniperus Pinchotii-Prosopis Glandulosa communities in Southern mixed-grass prairie

ABSTRACTHerbaceous biomass and composition were measured across a continuum of increasing cover of mixed Prosopis glandulosa and Juniperus pinchotii woody plant from 1996 to 2003. The study site in northwest Texas had no history of woody plants treatment and comprised trees up to 6 m tall with cover averaging 65%. A strong, negative, linear relationship between woody plant cover and herbaceous biomass was measured (p = 0.0001). Precipitation differences resulted in 2.7 fold variation in herbaceous biomass between years (p = 0.003) and affected the slope of the decline of herbaceous biomass associated with increasing woody plant cover (p = 0.034). Within any year the slope of decline of herb biomass was parallel for Prosopis and Juniperus cover (p = 0.843). Relative to zero woody cover, 100% Prosopis cover reduced herbaceous biomass by 56% (p = 0.0001) while 100% Juniperus cover reduced herbaceous biomass 73% (p = 0.0001). At 100% cover Prosopis had twice the herbaceous biomass compared to Juniperus (p = 0...
A Sensor Based Attack Detection and Localization Mechanism in Cognitive Radio Networks

To address the primary user emulation(PUE),sybil,jamming and selfish attacks in cognitive radio networks(CRN),this paper proposes a sensor-based security mechanism to simultaneously detect multiple types of wireless attacks and to locate the attacker for further actions.Utilizes multiple sensors to measure the receive signal strength(RSS),this mechanism can exploit the spatial decorrelation property of radio media to address wireless attacks.In addition,it can effectively deal with the change of the transmit power in CRN.Experimental results based on spectrum analyzer and USRP show that this mechanism can accurately detect spoofing Sybil attack,jamming and selfish attacks,as well as to accurately locate the attackers,with the average localization error as small as about 0.9 m.
Outcome of Second Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation in Patients With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Abstract Background The outcome of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) relapsing after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (AlloHCT) is poor. Although morphologic remission can sometimes be achieved, such remissions are usually transient if not consolidated by a second AlloHCT (AlloHCT2). Materials and Methods We retrospectively analyzed the outcomes of 27 patients with ALL who had undergone AlloHCT2 for relapsed disease at our center during a 12-year period. Results With a median follow-up of 50.9 months for living patients, the 2-year overall and event-free survival were 40.7% and 29.6%, respectively. Patients with either a disease-free interval or interval between transplants of > 1 year had better overall survival (P = .02 and P = .0005) after AlloHCT2. Conclusion AlloHCT2 remains a potential curative option in a subset of patients with relapsed ALL after the first AlloHCT.
Rapid Recent Warming of Coral Reefs in the Florida Keys

Coral reef decline in the Florida Keys has been well-publicized, controversial, and polarizing owing to debate over the causative agent being climate change versus overfishing. The recurrence of mass bleaching in 2014, the sixth event since 1987, prompted a reanalysis of temperature data. The summer and winter of 2014 were the warmest on record. The oldest known in-situ temperature record of any coral reef is from Hens and Chickens Reef (H&C) in the Florida Keys, which showed significant warming from 1975-2014. The average number of days ≥31.5 and 32(o)C per year increased 2670% and 2560%, respectively, from the mid-1990 s to present relative to the previous 20 years. In every year after 1992 and 1994, maximum daily average temperatures exceeded 30.5 and 31°C, respectively. From 1975-1994, temperatures were <31 °C in 61% of years, and in 44% of the years prior to 1992 temperatures were <30.5 °C. The measured rate of warming predicts the start of annual bleaching between 2020 and 2034, sooner than expected from climate models and satellite-based sea temperatures. These data show that thermal stress is increasing and occurring on a near-annual basis on Florida Keys reefs due to ocean warming from climate change.
A Corpus and Cloze Evaluation for Deeper Understanding of Commonsense Stories

Representation and learning of commonsense knowledge is one of the foundational problems in the quest to enable deep language understanding. This issue is particularly challenging for understanding casual and correlational relationships between events. While this topic has received a lot of interest in the NLP community, research has been hindered by the lack of a proper evaluation framework. This paper attempts to address this problem with a new framework for evaluating story understanding and script learning: the `Story Cloze Test’. This test requires a system to choose the correct ending to a four-sentence story. We created a new corpus of 50k five-sentence commonsense stories, ROCStories, to enable this evaluation. This corpus is unique in two ways: (1) it captures a rich set of causal and temporal commonsense relations between daily events, and (2) it is a high quality collection of everyday life stories that can also be used for story generation. Experimental evaluation shows that a host of baselines and state-of-the-art models based on shallow language understanding struggle to achieve a high score on the Story Cloze Test. We discuss these implications for script and story learning, and offer suggestions for deeper language understanding.
A smart classifier for extracting environmental data from digital image time-series

PhenoCams are part of a national network of automated digital cameras used to assess vegetation phenology transitions. Effectively analyzing PhenoCam time-series involves eliminating scenes with poor solar illumination or high cover of non-target objects such as water. We created a smart classifier to process images from the "GCESapelo" PhenoCam, which photographs a regularly-flooded salt marsh. The smart classifier, written in R, assigns pixels to target (vegetation) and non-target (water, shadows, fog and clouds) classes, allowing automated identification of optimal scenes for evaluating phenology. When compared to hand-classified validation images, the smart classifier identified scenes with optimal vegetation cover with 96% accuracy and other object classes with accuracies ranging from 86 to 100%. Accuracy for estimating object percent cover ranged from 74 to 100%. Pixel-classification with the smart classifier outperformed previous approaches (i.e. indices based on average color content within ROIs) and reduced variance in phenology index time-series. It can be readily adapted for other applications. Automated digital image processing provides time-series for documenting ecological phenomena.We developed a smart classifier to detect and quantify vegetation and other object classes in Phenocam imagery.The smart classifier is more effective than previous approaches for filtering PhenoCam images.The smart classifier can be adapted for a wide range of applications.
Strategies for ultrahigh laser uniformity using zero-correlation phase masks

Phase plates have been used in. holography1 and laser fusion2 to produce a well-defined far-field intensity envelope that is relatively independent of the input-beam profile. However, superimposed on this envelope is unwanted highly modulated speckle from the interference between different phase-plate elements. The speckle can have deleterious effects such as creating intensities in the nonlinear region of a hologram-recording medium or by initiating filamentation and hydrodynamic instabilities in laser-fusion applications. A technique has been developed for choosing the phase-plate elements (in combination with polarization rotation) such that these intensity fluctuations approach zero in the limit of plane-wave nearfield irradiation. Such phase plates are referred to as zero-correlation masks (ZCM).
Detailed spectra of high‐power broadband microwave radiation from interactions of relativistic electron beams with weakly magnetized plasmas

Prodigious quantities of microwave energy distributed uniformly across a wide frequency band are observed when a relativistic electron beam (REB) penetrates a plasma. Typical measured values are 20 MW total for Δν≂40 GHz with preliminary observations of bandwidths as large as 100 GHz. An intense annular pulsed REB (I≂128 kA; r≂3 cm; Δr≂1 cm; 50 nsec FWHM; γ≂3) is sent through an unmagnetized or weakly magnetized plasma column (n plasma ∼101 3 cm− 3). Beam‐to‐plasma densities of 0.01≤n beam /n plasma ≤2 are used, the higher values of this range being an unconsidered region for most previous theoretical and experimental efforts. For these higher n b /n p values, the observed emission with ω≫ω p and weak harmonic structure is wholly unanticipated from Langmuir scattering or soliton collapse models. A model of Compton‐like boosting of ambient plasma waves by the beam electrons, with collateral emission of high‐frequency photons, qualitatively explains these spectra. Power emerges largely in an angle ∼1/γ, as required by Compton mechanisms. As n b /n p falls, ω p −2ω p structure and harmonic power ratios consistent with soliton collapse theories appear. With further reduction of n b /n p only the ω p line persists. Thus a transition occurs in spectral behavior from the weak to strong turbulence theories advocated for type‐III solar burst radiation, and further into a regime we characterize as s u p e r s t r o n g REB–plasma interactions, is observed. For frequencies slightly below the broadband region, an ω p line is observed with high power (approximately 1 MW); the line disappears in an external B z ∼400 G. Changing γ b over a range of 2.2–3.7 has little effect on the spectra.
Statistical power with respect to true sample and true population paths: a PLS-based SEM illustration

Monte Carlo experiments aimed at assessing the statistical power of structural equation modelling SEM techniques typically focus on true population path coefficients, ignoring true sample path coefficients. We demonstrate the limitations stemming from such practice in statistical power assessments. This is done in the context of SEM techniques employing the partial least squares PLS method, where power claims have led to much recent debate. We show that the sample sizes at which power is greater than.8 differ significantly when we consider true population and true sample paths, and that the difference increases with decreases in the magnitudes of the paths being considered. Finally, we illustrate empirically how these differences affect the conclusions we can draw from the analysis of a relatively small sample of size 193.
National Developments in Soil Protection in Mongolia

Mongolia has taken legislative and strategic steps to improve the management of its soil resources. The soils of Mongolia are highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change and anthropogenic impact. Today over half the population lives in urban areas but there is increasing pressure on the soil resources of both urban and rural areas. In 2012 Mongolia introduced the Law for Soil Protection and Prevention of Desertification. This Law along with a number of related laws provides the legal framework to protect Mongolia’s soil resources. It is argued that the introduction of a Pastureland Law is also required to achieve sustainable management of the vast pastoral land resource of Mongolia, which occupies 70 % of the country. Together, these laws provide part of the platform needed by Mongolia to help satisfy Goals 13 and 15 of the Sustainable Development Goals agreed by the countries at the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit in 2015.
Plasmablastic lymphoma versus plasmablastic myeloma: an ongoing diagnostic dilemma

Aims To determine the utility of clinical, morphological and phenotypical features in the differential diagnosis of plasmablastic lymphoma and myeloma with plasmablastic features. Methods All plasmablastic neoplasms identified from a 15-year retrospective search were reviewed and classified into ‘lymphoma’, ‘myeloma’ or ‘indeterminate’. The classification was then compared with the previously established clinical diagnosis. Lessons learned from this review were used to design a diagnostic algorithm for pathologists to use in the absence of known clinical history. Results The classification was possible in 10 of 11 cases, 8 lymphomas and 2 myelomas (n=2). No distinctive morphological or phenotypical features were identified. The most useful histopathological parameter was a positive Epstein-Barr virus in situ hybridisation. Presence of associated lymphadenopathy and/or oral mass in the absence of complete myeloma-defining signs was used to favour a diagnosis of lymphoma in 4 of 8 cases. Conclusions The distinction between plasmablastic lymphoma from plasmablastic myeloma warrants detailed knowledge of clinical, radiological and laboratorial findings. New studies identifying distinctive phenotypical or genetic features are needed to improve the histopathological differentiation of plasmablastic neoplasms.
The Iowa Watersheds Project: Iowa's prototype for engaging communities and professionals in watershed hazard mitigation

ABSTRACTAfter more than a century of intensive changes in the state's agricultural watersheds, repeated record floods motivated Iowa to innovate in its flood recovery and disaster mitigation efforts following the 2008 floods. The state created the Iowa Flood Center (IFC) and authorized the creation of Watershed Management Authorities. With enhanced funding from the federal government for disaster recovery, the groups collaborated in four watersheds as part of the Iowa Watersheds Project. The Watershed Management Authorities brought together governmental organizations and local stakeholders, developed watershed plans, defined potential flood and nutrient reduction projects, identified willing landowners for project locations in one subwatershed, and hired consultants to design and build the projects. The IFC coordinated efforts across the four watershed areas, provided hydrologic assessments for each, carried out monitoring and modelling to evaluate the performance of all the constructed projects, and deve...
Use of Taqman, Light Cycler, and Confocal Microscropy to Detect Specific PCR

Certain amplicon-detection systems can detect target nucleic acid sequences without gel analysis. The TaqManTM system consists of primers for amplification of specific DNA sequences and a fluorogenic probe tat contains both a reporter and quencher dye. During amplification the probe hybridizes with a target on the amplicon, and the 5′-exonuclease activity of DNA polymerase hydrolyzes the probe. The separation of the reporter from the quencher results in an increase in the fluorescent emission of the reporter. This indicates the presence of the amplicon of interest. The LightCycler™ allows real-time detection of nucleic acid amplification by measuring the increase in fluorescence due to the double-stranded DNA-specific dye SYBR®Green I. The LightCycler uses glass capillary tubes to contain 10 μl of amplification mix. This allows complete amplification and analysis in 10–15 minutes.
STRETCHing HIV treatment: A replication study of task shifting in South Africa.

The Streamlining Tasks & Roles to Expand Treatment and Care for HIV (STRETCH) program was developed to increase the reach of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV/AIDS patients in Sub-Saharan Africa by training nurses to prescribe, initiate, and maintain ART. Fairall and colleagues conducted a cluster-randomized trial to determine the effects/impact of STRETCH on patient health outcomes in South Africa between 2008 and 2010. The purpose of our replication study is to evaluate Fairall and colleagues’ findings. We conducted push button and pure replication studies and measurement and estimation analyses (MEA). Our MEA validates the original findings: (1) overall, time to death did not differ between intervention (STRETCH) and control (ART) patients; (2) in a subgroup analysis of patients with CD4 counts of 201–350 cells per μL, the intervention group patients had a 30% lower risk of death than those in the control group, when controlling for baseline characteristics; (3) in a subgroup analysis of patients with CD4 counts of ≤200 cells per μL, time to death did not differ between the two groups; and (4) rates of viral suppression one year after enrollment did not differ between the intervention and control groups. This set of results have more caveats in the MEA. Although the intervention did not lead to improvements in the main outcomes, the effectiveness of STRETCH was proven to be similar to standard care while increasing the pool of prescribers, expanding their geographical range, and improving the quality of care for patients. Therefore, our analyses support the implementation of task shifting of antiretroviral therapy from doctors to trained nurses, which enhances confidence in the implementation of the intervention program and policymaking not only in South Africa but also in other developing countries that have similar circumstances.
Examining incremental explanatory power in accounting for worry severity: negative metacognitive beliefs uniquely predict worry severity following a worry episode

Background and Objectives: Contemporary conceptual models posit that different core variables contribute to worry, including intolerance of uncertainty (IU), metacognitive beliefs, and experiential avoidance. To date, a concurrent investigation of the incremental explanatory power of these variables in accounting for worry severity remains unexamined. The present study sought to address that gap in the literature.Design/Methods: Participants endorsing frequent worry (N = 127) completed self-report measures assessing IU, metacognitive beliefs, and experiential avoidance during an online session. Participants later attended an in-person lab-based session where they completed a worry episode and in-vivo worry severity was assessed following the worry episode.Results: IU, negative metacognitive beliefs, and experiential avoidance each shared a bivariate association with post-episode worry severity. However, in multivariate analyses, only baseline worry severity and negative metacognitive beliefs surro...
Exploring the Validity of Behavioral Cues Predictive of Physically Resisting Arrest

Police officers are sometimes trained that certain behavioral cues predict impending violent behavior. Additionally, surveys revealed many hold perceptions that these behavioral predictors of violence are valid, yet empirical evidence of validity is sparse and contradictory. The present study used frame-by-frame analysis of videotaped police arrest encounters to explore the validity of nine behavioral cues in predicting whether the arrestee violently resisted arrest. The results revealed that four of the nine behaviors were predictive of violence, yet notable variation occurred across racial groups. The validity of the remaining behavioral cues remains equivocal at this time.
Schubert Calculus and Schur Functions

Given two Schubert cycles of a Grassmann manifold,σ a and σ b , we have the product formula $${{\sigma }_{a}}\centerdot {{\sigma }_{b}}=\sum\limits_{c}{\delta \left( a,b,c \right)}{{\sigma }_{c}}.$$ The method for calculating δ(a,b,c) has already been given in a previous work [5] with the aid of Schur functions in the representation theory of the unitary group. On this basis of [5], making use of the similarity between the Schubert calculus and Schur functions and the branching formula of group representation theory, we investigate the question as to which of those can make σ c take δ(a,b,c) as coefficients in σ a σ b for given σ c ,σ b .
Presence within virtual environments as a function of visual display parameters

This paper reports the results of three studies, each of which investigated the sense of presence within virtual environments as a function of visual display parameters. These factors included the presence or absence of head tracking, the presence or absence of stereoscopic cues, and the geometric field of view used to create the visual image projected on the visual display. In each study, subjects navigated a virtual environment and completed a questionnaire designed to ascertain the level of presence experienced by the participant within the virtual world. Specifically, two aspects of presence were evaluated: 1 the sense of “being there” and 2 the fidelity of the interaction between the virtual environment participant and the virtual world. Not surprisingly, the results of the first and second study indicated that the reported level of presence was significantly higher when head tracking and stereoscopic cues were provided. The results from the third study showed that the geometric field of view used to design the visual display highly influenced the reported level of presence, with more presence associated with a 50 and 90i¾° geometric field of view when compared to a narrower 10i¾° geometric field of view. The results also indicated a significant positive correlation between the reported level of presence and the fidelity of the interaction between the virtual environment participant and the virtual world. Finally, it was shown that the survey questions evaluating several aspects of presence produced reliable responses across questions and studies, indicating that the questionnaire is a useful tool when evaluating presence in virtual environments.
Reproductive Characteristics of Boars during and after Exposure to Increased Ambient Temperature

Summary Reproductive performance of 12 ll-monthold Yorkshire boars was determined during and after exposure to control or increased ambient temperatures. After 3 weeks adjustment at 23 C in temperature controlled chambers, six boars were heat stressed by exposure to 34.5 + 1.0 C for 8 hr and 31.0  1.0 C for 16 hr during each 24-hr period and six control boars were maintained at 23.0 + 1.0 C for 11 weeks. All boars were subsequently exposed to 23 C for 6 weeks. Semen was collected twice weekly before, during and after heat stress and boars were naturally mated with gilts during weeks 7 to 11 of treatment. Daily rectal temperatures and respiratory rates were increased during heat stress, but the ability to ejaculate and semen volume were not altered. Percentage motile sperm was decreased during heat stress (P<.O05) and did not return to normal values until 5 weeks after the end of exposure to increased ambient temperatures. Daily sperm output from heat stressed boars was decreased (P<.025) during daily ejaculation on days 33 to 38 of treatment and averaged 54% of the total sperm ejaculated by control boars. At 30 days after natural breeding only 59% (P<.05) of the gilts bred by heat stressed boars were pregnant compared to 82% for gilts mated to control boars.
Share of Household Earnings and Time Use of Women in Same-Sex and Different-Sex Households

We investigate the impact of the share of household earnings on time use in household labor among women in same-sex households and different-sex households in the USA. Contrary to the U-shape pattern found among heterosexual women, we find an inverse U-shape relationship between time spent in household labor and earnings share for lesbians. This result holds when we divide the sample into households with and without children. These findings are most consistent with preferences for relational equality.
Does Hypersegregation Matter for Black-White Socioeconomic Disparities?

Massey and Denton’s concept of hypersegregation describes how multiple and distinct forms of black-white segregation lead to high levels of black-white stratification. However, numerous studies assessing the association between segregation and racial stratification applied only one or two dimensions of segregation, neglecting how multiple forms of segregation combine to potentially exacerbate socioeconomic disparities between blacks and whites. We address this by using data from the U.S. Census from 1980 to 2010 and data from the American Community Survey from 2012 to 2016 to assess trajectories for black-white disparities in educational attainment, employment, and neighborhood poverty between metropolitan areas with hypersegregation and black-white segregation, as measured by the dissimilarity index. Using a time-varying measure of segregation types, our results indicate that in some cases, hypersegregated metropolitan areas have been associated with larger black-white socioeconomic disparities beyond those found in metropolitan areas that are highly segregated in terms of dissimilarity but are not hypersegregated. However, the contrasts in black-white socioeconomic inequality between hypersegregated metropolitan areas and those with high segregation largely diminish by the 2012 to 2016 observation.
First-principles study of the thermodynamic and vibrational properties of ReS 2 under pressure

Density functional theory is used to investigate the effect of hydrostatic pressure on the structural, energetic, electronic, and vibrational properties of bulk ${\mathrm{ReS}}_{2}$. The phase transition from the distorted $1T$ phase to the high-pressure distorted $1{T}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ phase is rationalized based on the evaluation of their thermodynamic potentials. The electronic band gap of the $1T$ phase is shown to undergo a nearly direct to indirect transition at about 9 GPa, while the $1{T}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ phase is found to remain a robust nearly direct band-gap material under pressure. The computational analysis of the vibrational properties of both ${\mathrm{ReS}}_{2}$ phases reproduces existing experimental Raman spectroscopy data for $\ensuremath{\omega}$ vs $P$ trends and provides a path towards an accurate phase discrimination using infrared spectroscopy, inelastic neutron, and x-ray scattering.