cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Singularities in complex interfaces

We analyse an equation describing the motion of the material interface between two fluids in a pressure field. The interface can be expressed as the image of the unit circle under a certain time depending conformal map. This conformal transformation maps the exterior of the unit circle onto the region occupied by one of the fluids. The conformal map has singularities in the unit disc. As long as these singularities are close to the origin, the complicated non-local equation governing the evolution of the conformal map can be approximated by a somewhat simpler, local equation. We prove that there exist self-similar solutions of this equation, that they have singularities away from the origin, that these singularities hit in finite time the unit circle and that the self-similar blow up is stable to perturbations that respect the symmetry of the self-similar profile.
On pairing constrained wireless devices based on secrecy of auxiliary channels: the case of acoustic eavesdropping

Secure "pairing" of wireless devices based on auxiliary or out-of-band (OOB) - audio, visual or tactile - communication is a well-established research direction. Lack of good quality interfaces on or physical access to certain constrained devices (e.g., headsets, access points, medical implants) makes pairing a challenging problem in practice. Prior work shows that pairing of constrained devices based on authenticated OOB (A-OOB) channels can be prone to human errors that eventually translate into man-in-the-middle attacks. An alternative and more usable solution is to use OOB channel(s) that are authenticated as well as secret (AS-OOB). AS-OOB pairing can be achieved by simply transmitting the key or a short password over the AS-OOB channel, avoiding potential serious human errors.A higher level goal of this paper is to analyze the security of AS-OOB pairing. More specifically, we take a closer look at three notable prior AS-OOB pairing proposals and challenge the direct or indirect assumption upon which the security of these proposals relies, i.e., the secrecy of underlying or associated audio channels. The first proposal (IMD Pairing [9]) uses a low frequency audio channel to pair an implanted RFID tag with an external reader. The second proposal (PIN-Vibra [20]) uses an automated vibrational channel to pair a mobile phone with a personal RFID tag. The third proposal (BEDA [22]) uses vibration (or blinking) on one device and manually synchronized button pressing on the other device.In particular, we demonstrate the feasibility of eavesdropping over acoustic emanations associated with these methods. Based on our results, we conclude that these methods provide a weaker level of security compared to what was originally assumed or is desired for the pairing operation.
STORC safety initiative: a multicentre survey on preparedness & confidence in obstetric emergencies

Background Patient safety is a national and international priority. The purpose of this study was to understand clinicians' perceptions of teamwork during obstetric emergencies in clinical practice, to examine factors associated with confidence in responding to obstetric emergencies and to evaluate perceptions about the value of team training to improve preparedness. Methods An anonymous survey was administered to all clinical staff members who respond to obstetric emergencies in seven Oregon hospitals from June 2006 to August 2006. Results 614 clinical staff (74.5%) responded. While over 90% felt confident that the appropriate clinical staff would respond to emergencies, more than half reported that other clinical staff members were confused about their role during emergencies. Over 84% were confident that emergency drills or simulation-based team training would improve performance. Conclusions Clinical staff who respond to obstetric emergencies in their practice reported feeling confident that the qualified personnel would respond to an emergency; however, they were less confident that the responders would perform well as a team. They reported that simulation and team training may improve their preparedness and confidence in responding to emergencies.
The Growth Reduction Associated with Repressed Lignin Biosynthesis in Arabidopsis thaliana Is Independent of Flavonoids

Defects in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis arising from deficiency in hydroxycinnamoyl CoA:shikimate hydroxycinnamoyl transferase (HCT) or p-coumaroyl shikimate 3′-hydroxylase (C3′H) lead to reduced lignin, hyperaccumulation of flavonoids, and growth inhibition in Arabidopsis thaliana. It was previously reported that flavonoid-mediated inhibition of auxin transport is responsible for growth reduction in HCT-RNA interference (RNAi) plants. This conclusion was based on the observation that simultaneous RNAi silencing of HCT and chalcone synthase (CHS), an enzyme essential for flavonoid biosynthesis, resulted in less severe dwarfing than silencing of HCT alone. In an attempt to extend these results using a C3′H mutant (ref8) and a CHS null mutant (tt4-2), we found that the growth phenotype of the ref8 tt4-2 double mutant, which lacks flavonoids, is indistinguishable from that of ref8. Moreover, using RNAi, we found that the relationship between HCT silencing and growth inhibition is identical in both the wild type and tt4-2. We conclude from these results that the growth inhibition observed in HCT-RNAi plants and the ref8 mutant is independent of flavonoids. Finally, we show that expression of a newly characterized gene bypassing HCT and C3′H partially restores both lignin biosynthesis and growth in HCT-RNAi plants, demonstrating that a biochemical pathway downstream of coniferaldehyde, probably lignification, is essential for normal plant growth.
Mutations in Arabidopsis acyl‐CoA oxidase genes reveal distinct and overlapping roles in β‐oxidation

Indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) is an endogenous auxin used to enhance rooting during propagation. To better understand the role of IBA, we isolated Arabidopsis IBA-response (ibr) mutants that display enhanced root elongation on inhibitory IBA concentrations but maintain wild-type responses to indole-3-acetic acid, the principle active auxin. A subset of ibr mutants remains sensitive to the stimulatory effects of IBA on lateral root initiation. These mutants are not sucrose dependent during early seedling development, indicating that peroxisomal beta-oxidation of seed storage fatty acids is occurring. We used positional cloning to determine that one mutant is defective in ACX1 and two are defective in ACX3, two of the six Arabidopsis fatty acyl-CoA oxidase (ACX) genes. Characterization of T-DNA insertion mutants defective in the other ACX genes revealed reduced IBA responses in a third gene, ACX4. Activity assays demonstrated that mutants defective in ACX1, ACX3, or ACX4 have reduced fatty acyl-CoA oxidase activity on specific substrates. Moreover, acx1 acx2 double mutants display enhanced IBA resistance and are sucrose dependent during seedling development, whereas acx1 acx3 and acx1 acx5 double mutants display enhanced IBA resistance but remain sucrose independent. The inability of ACX1, ACX3, and ACX4 to fully compensate for one another in IBA-mediated root elongation inhibition and the ability of ACX2 and ACX5 to contribute to IBA response suggests that IBA-response defects in acx mutants may reflect indirect blocks in peroxisomal metabolism and IBA beta-oxidation, rather than direct enzymatic activity of ACX isozymes on IBA-CoA.
Advanced Neuroimaging of Pediatric Brain Tumors: MR Diffusion, MR Perfusion, and MR Spectroscopy

This article highlights the MR imaging techniques of MR perfusion, MR diffusion, and MR spectroscopy in the evaluation of the child with a pediatric brain tumor. These techniques are complementary to conventional MR imaging in providing tumor physiologic information useful for diagnosis and therapy.
Negotiating Ambivalence: The Social Power of Muslim Community-Based Health Organizations in America

This article analyzes three ways in which groups of socially and politically marginalized first-generation Muslim immigrants used the power of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to advance their interests in the United States. Specifically we examine the founding of nine Muslim community-based health organizations (MCBHOs) in Chicago, Detroit, Houston, and Los Angeles. We argue that MCBHOs (1) offer a vehicle for the expression and enactment of personal piety and self-fulfillment in ways that link traditional Islamic charitable values with American voluntarism, (2) mobilize middle-class Muslim values in American civil society in ways that normalize the difference of being Muslim in an Islamophobic environment, and (3) enable founders to mobilize the social and cultural capital of faith-based organizations to defensively enact American Muslim citizenship and belonging. Muslims, particularly those of immigrant origins, strategically deploy positively valued faith-based charitable and professional group identities through these NGOs to counteract their publicly stigmatized religious group identities.
Using Statistical Population Reconstruction to Estimate Demographic Trends in Small Game Populations

Abstract Statistical population reconstruction offers a robust approach to demographic assessment for harvested populations, but current methods are restricted to big-game species with multiple age classes. We extended this approach to small game and analyzed 14 years of age-at-harvest data for greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) in Oregon, USA, in conjunction with radiotelemetry data to reconstruct annual abundance levels, recruitment, and natural survival probabilities. Abundance estimates ranged from a low of 26,236 in 1995 to a high of 39,492 in 2004. Annual abundance estimates for adult males were correlated with a spring lek count index (r = 0.849, P < 0.029). We estimated the average annual harvest mortality for the population to be 0.028, ranging from 0.021 to 0.031 across years. We estimated the probability of natural survival of adult females to be 0.818 (), somewhat higher than that of adult males (S ˆ = 0.609, ). Our precision in reconstructing the population was hampered by lo...
Incorporation and Clearance of Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Erythrocyte Membranes and Plasma Phospholipids

Background: The sum of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5 ω3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6 ω3) in erythrocyte membranes, termed the omega-3 index, can indicate suboptimal intake of omega-3 fatty acids, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). To study the effects of fatty acid supplementation, we investigated the rate of incorporation and clearance of these fatty acids in erythrocyte membranes and plasma after intake of supplements. Methods: Twenty study participants received supplementation with either fish oil (1296 mg EPA + 864 mg DHA/day) or flaxseed oil (3510 mg alpha-linolenic acid + 900 mg linoleic acid/day) for 8 weeks. We obtained erythrocyte membrane and plasma samples at weeks 0, 4, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, and 24 and extracted and analyzed fatty acids by gas chromatography. Results: After 8 weeks of fish oil supplementation, erythrocyte membrane EPA and DHA increased 300% ( P <0.001) and 42% ( P <0.001), respectively. The mean erythrocyte omega-3 index reached a near optimal value of 7.8%, and remained relatively high until week 12. EPA and DHA showed greater increases and more rapid washout period decreases in plasma phospholipids than in erythrocyte membranes. Flaxseed oil supplementation increased erythrocyte membrane EPA to 133% ( P <0.05) and docosapentaenoic acid (DPA, 22:5 ω3) to 120% ( P <0.01) of baseline, but DHA was unchanged. In plasma phospholipids, EPA, DPA, and DHA showed a slight but statistically insignificant increase. Conclusions: Erythrocyte membrane EPA+DHA increases during relatively short intervals in response to supplementation at rates related to amount of supplementation. These results may be useful to establish appropriate dosage for omega-3 fatty acid supplementation.
URL decay at year 20: A research note

All text is ephemeral. Some texts are more ephemeral than others. The web has proved to be among the most ephemeral and changing of information vehicles. The research note revisits Koehler's original data set after about 20 years since it was first collected. By late 2013, the number of URLs responding to a query had fallen to 1.6% of the original sample. A query of the 6 remaining URLs in February 2015 showed only 2 still responding.
Properties of normalized radial visualizations

This paper defines a class of normalized radial visualizations [NRVs] that includes the RadViz mapping onto the two-dimensional unit disk. An NRV maps high-dimensional records into lower dimensional space, where records' images are convex combinations of the dimensions [called dimensional anchors] laid out in two dimensions as labels on a circle and in higher dimensions on the surface of a hypersphere. As radial visualizations have evolved. conjectures have been proposed for invariants, such as lines mapping to lines, and convex sets to convex sets. Some have been informally proven for RadViz. We formally establish these properties for all NRVs and illustrate them using RadViz. An extensive theory of Parallel Coordinates has been developed elsewhere with great benefit to the visualization community. Our theory should provide similar benefits for radial visualization users. We show that an NRV is the composition of a perspective and an affine transformation. This projective transformation characterization leads to a number of properties including line, point ordering and convexity invariance. Knowledge of these properties suggests that the visual existence of structure in the data can guide a visualization researcher in further productive exploration of the data. We show the established properties hold regardless of whether or not the dimensional anchors lie on the circle or the hypersphere. These insights also suggest directions for future NRV work, such as rotational preprocessing to separate data in RadViz and NRVs for better cluster visualization.
Performance of Dual-Gate GaAs MESFET's as Gain-Controlled Low-Noise Amplifiers and High-Speed Modulators

This paper describes the microwave performance of GaAs FET's with two 1-mu m Schottky-barrier gates (dual-gate MESFET). At 10 GHz the MESFET, with an inductive second-gate termination, exhibits an 18-dB gain with --26-dB reverse isolation. Variation of the second-gate potential yields a 44-dB gain-modulation range. The minimum noise figure is 4.0 dB with 12-dB associated gain at 10 GHz. Pulse modulation of an RF carrier with a 65-ps fall ad a 100-ps rise time is demonstrated. The dual-gate MESFET with high gain and low noise figure is especially suited for receiver amplifiers with automatic gain control (AGC) as an option. The MESFET is equally attractive for subnanosecond pulsed-amplitude modulation (PAM), phase-shift-keyed (PSK), and frequency-shift-keyed (FSK) carrier modulation.
ESTRADIOL AND TAMOXIFEN INTERACTION AT RECEPTOR SITES AT 37 C

Mature rat uterine cytosol was pretreated with dextran-coated charcoal at 0 C for 2 h. This renders the subsequently formed estradiol-receptor complex thermostable at 37 C and also uncovers antiestrogen binding sites, possibly by removing an endogenous ligand. A sharp distinction is found between tamoxifen and estradiol as receptor ligands in pretreated cytosols in that tamoxifen will inhibit estradiol binding, on incubation at 37 C, only if dithiothreitol (DTT) had been included in the pretreatment solution. The presence of tamoxifen as the sole ligand in cytosol pretreated in the presence of DTT does not protect the estradiol receptor from thermal inactivation and following 37 C incubation tamoxifen is found bound exclusively to antiestrogen binding sites. Incubating the cytosol at 37 C with an equimolar mixture of estradiol and tamoxifen results in a very large increase in receptor-bound estradiol. This effect is attributed to the presence of tamoxifen complexed with antiestrogen sites. Tamoxifen in su...
Fluid resuscitation following liver laceration: A comparison of fluid delivery above and below the diaphragm in a pediatric animal model

Liver laceration is the most common cause of mortality following blunt abdominal trauma in children. To determine the optimal route for volume expansion in the clinical setting of blunt abdominal injury, we compared the response to fluid resuscitation delivered above (Group 1) or below (Group 2) the diaphragm in a canine model of liver laceration. After induction of hemorrhagic shock by resection of 45% to 55% of the right median hepatic lobe followed by immediate closure of the laparotomy incision, we monitored pulse, arterial and venous pressures, urine output, pH, and lactate levels for three hours or until death. Physiologic and biochemical parameters did not differ significantly between the two groups; three of six (50%) of those receiving fluids through the external jugular vein and four of seven (57%) resuscitated through the femoral vein survived for three hours. Comparing survivors and nonsurvivors in both groups, those animals that lived for three hours maintained a higher pH, a greater urine output, and a lower serum lactate level. We conclude that the route of IV fluid administration does not affect the response to volume expansion; lactate levels, urine output, and pH provide valuable guides to the adequacy of resuscitation; and in appropriately resuscitated patients, even with serious liver lacerations, operative repair may be unnecessary except in the face of clinical or biochemical deterioration despite optimal fluid and blood replacement.
The Inaccessible Earth

This book is certainly the best of half a dozen or so texts on earth and planetary interiors I have reviewed. The authors have significantly different backgrounds, Geoff Brown being a geochemist interested in the origin of granite, while Alan Mussett is a geophysicist working on paleomagnetism and rock dating. The book reads as though it were the happy consequence of each collaborator insisting that the other write in a manner easily understood by his coauthor. The Inaccessible Earth can be confidently recommended for undergraduate physical science majors, as well as being useful to graduate students and researchers wanting guides to the solid earth outside their own specialties.
Depression Is Associated with Readmission for Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Rationale: Hospitalization for acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with significant morbidity and health care costs, and hospitals in the United States are now penalized by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for excessive readmissions. Identifying patients at risk of readmission is important, but modifiable risk factors have not been clearly established, and the potential contributing role of psychological disease has not been examined adequately. We hypothesized that depression and anxiety would increase the risk of both short- and long-term readmissions for acute exacerbation of COPD.Objectives: To characterize the associations between depression and anxiety and COPD readmission risk.Methods: We examined the medical records for all patients with a primary diagnosis of acute exacerbation of COPD by International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes admitted to the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital between November 2010 and Oc...
The Prospects for Guiding Housing Choice Voucher Households to High- Opportunity Neighborhoods

The Housing Choice Voucher Program seeks to do more than help poor households lease good-quality rental housing. One of the program’s goals is to help poor households break out of the cycle of poverty by locating in neighborhoods with numerous opportunities for gainful employment, good schools, and racial and ethnic integration. The Moving to Opportunity (MTO) for Fair Housing program showed that, with constrained choice, households will locate in low-poverty neighborhoods. If the MTO model were to be used on a larger scale, would enough neighborhoods be available to offer good housing, employment, and educational opportunities? Examination of census block groups across the nation suggests that the supply of highopportunity neighborhoods may not be as large as desired; there are simply too few ideal neighborhoods and affordable units. By relaxing the objectives, however, and focusing on poverty deconcentration and perhaps expanding the use of HUD’s procedure that grants exception rents above the Fair Market Rent limits, a more ample supply of target neighborhoods and rental units could become available.
Interactive and Mediational Etiologic Models of Eating Disorder Onset: Evidence from Prospective Studies

It is vital to elucidate how risk factors work together to predict eating disorder onset because it should improve the yield of prevention efforts. Risk factors that have predicted eating disorder onset in multiple studies include low body mass index (BMI) for anorexia nervosa; thin-ideal internalization, perceived pressure to be thin, body dissatisfaction, dieting, and negative affect for bulimia nervosa; and body dissatisfaction and dieting for purging disorder. No such risk factors have been identified for binge eating disorder. Classification tree analyses have identified several amplifying interactions, mitigating interactions, and alternative pathway interactions between risk factors, such as evidence that elevated BMI amplifies the risk between appearance overvaluation and the future onset of recurrent binge eating. However, there have been no tests of mediational risk factor models in the prediction of eating disorder onset. Gaps in the literature are identified and procedures for providing rigorous tests of interactive and mediational etiologic models are outlined.
Primary care interventions to prevent child maltreatment.

A young couple comes to your clinic with their adopted four-year-old daughter for her annual well-child visit. On physical examination, the patient appears to be well developed and well nourished, and measures in the 75th percentile for her height and weight.
Suppression of AKT kinases by perifosine leads to rapid apoptotic cell death and enhanced sensitivity to cisplatin in medulloblastoma.

C213 Medulloblastoma is the most common malignant cancer of the central nervous system in children. Five year survival estimates for medulloblastoma are approximately 60%, despite advances in therapeutic regimens and delivery methods. Previous studies from our laboratories reported characterization of AKT isotype expression and activity in medulloblastoma biopsy tissues and cell lines, as well as an enhanced sensitivity to chemotherapy-induced cell death in the presence of micromolar doses of PH-domain-directed AKT inhibitors. The alkyl-phospholipid perifosine (octadecyl-(1,1-dimethyl-4-piperidylio) phosphate) is a selective competitive inhibitor of AKT kinases currently in phase I clinical trials, and appears to be well-tolerated. The present studies examine the mechanism of cell death induced by treatment with perifosine, and by concomitant treatment with cisplatin in medulloblastoma cells. The Daoy medulloblastoma cell line and primary medulloblastoma line VC312 were used to study the effects of perifosine. LD-50 dose-sensitivity studies for cisplatin and perifosine were performed using luminescence-based viability assays in both cell lines. Replicate assays at LD50 and LD25 doses were performed at various time points and were used to establish the temporal relationship between treatment dose and cell death. Compared with other commercially available AKT inhibitors, perifosine demonstrated an extended efficacy and was able to suppress phospho-AKT for over 48 hours afte a single administration in vitro. Immunofluorescence studies and western blotting analysis of cell lysates, prepared from specific time points after treatment, were used to examine apoptotic events. Medulloblastoma cells demonstrated pronounced suppression of phosphorylated active AKT by 3 hours post treatment, which directly preceded detection of apoptotic markers, including Annexin V, and cleaved forms of Caspase-9, Caspase-3, and PARP, detected by 6-12 hours. In co-treatment studies, perifosine pretreatment was also able to sensitize Daoy and VC312 cells to cisplatin, despite the fact that cisplatin failed to appreciably enhance AKT activity as a single treatment. Confocal immunofluorescence microscopy studies revealed an association of active AKT with specific stages of mitosis. Taken as a whole, the data suggests that selective therapeutic inhibition of AKT is an effective means of enhancing chemotherapeutic response in medulloblastoma in vitro, a feature which can be exploited clinically, in vivo.
Community policing within campus law enforcement agencies

AbstractCampus law enforcement agencies (CLEs) are critical components of the criminal justice system; thus, how they organize is of special interest. CLEs are thought ideal for community policing, a strategy requiring organizational change, yet little research exists on CLE organizations or their use of community policing. This study examines community policing within CLEs and how it impacts organizational structures. The data were gathered in a national BJS survey of CLEs. Results indicated that community policing was only significantly related to formalization. Contrary to community policing mandates, community policing was related to more written policies. Implications and future research are discussed.
Total Synthesis of [Ψ[C(═NH)NH]Tpg4]Vancomycin and its (4-Chlorobiphenyl)methyl Derivative: Impact of Peripheral Modifications on Vancomycin Analogues Redesigned for Dual d-Ala-d-Ala and d-Ala-d-Lac Binding

The total synthesis of two key analogues of vancomycin containing single-atom exchanges in the binding pocket (residue 4 amidine and thioamide) are disclosed as well as their peripherally modified (4-chlorobiphenyl)methyl (CBP) derivatives. Their assessment indicates that combined pocket amidine and CBP peripherally modified analogues exhibit a remarkable spectrum of antimicrobial activity (VSSA, MRSA, VanA and VanB VRE) and impressive potencies (MIC = 0.06–0.005 μg/mL) against both vancomycin-sensitive and -resistant bacteria and likely benefit from two independent and synergistic mechanisms of action. Like vancomycin, such analogues are likely to display especially durable antibiotic activity not prone to rapidly acquired clinical resistance.
Response to Addiction: A Social Policy of Benign Neglect in Industrial Societies

Social policy related to drug use is anything but clear, factual or straightforward. In looking at social responses to drug addiction, we begin with several interesting paradoxes. The issue of definition is one which is immediately tainted. As Eric Goode suggests, “a drug is something that has been arbitrarily defined by certain elements of society as a drug” (Goode, 1972). As whimsical as this may sound, distinctions are made between drugs and responses to drugs that have virtually nothing to do with their pharmacological impact. If one compares the effect on body tissues of heroin and morphine, it can be seen as essentially the same by pharmacological standards. However, morphine is viewed as valuable while heroin is seen as a vicious menace (Goode, 1972). In the early 1940’s, cocaine, outlawed since 1914, was found to share striking similarities with amphetamines (Pakkanen, 1973). Historically there is also evidence to show the changing views regarding the same drug. Cocaine was lauded by Freud and others as a substance of unparalleled merit. Until its own addictive qualities were fully recognized, it was seen as a useful antidote for those suffering from morphine addiction.
Chapter 11 – Radium Isotopes in the Ocean

Publisher Summary Radium, as a member of the uranium and thorium decay chains, is a natural radioactive component of the environment. Radium is also called naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM). The radium present in oceans and coastal waters is derived from natural processes, supplemented by some human activities, such as discharge of phosphogypsum wastes from phosphate mining operations, barium-radium sulfide sludges from treatment of uranium mine wastes, some high-salinity produced waters from oil, gas, and geothermal wells, and emissions from coal-fired power plants. The main natural sources of radium in the oceans are from radioactive decay of 230Th and 232Th (yielding 226Ra and 228Ra respectively) in bottom sediments and from riverine inflows. Radium is element number 88 and a member of Group IIA of the periodic table. It shares many physical and chemical properties with the other alkaline earth elements, beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, and barium. In low ionic strength water, radium has a strong affinity for sorption to iron and manganese oxides and clay particles. However, because of its highly basic character, radium does not form strong inorganic and organic complexes, particularly in seawater.
True-Crime, Crime Fiction, and Journalism in Mexico

Braham argues that the violent excesses produced by two related events—the ongoing narco-wars that have resulted in thousands of deaths across Mexico, and the unsolved killings of women in the border city of Ciudad Juarez—not only dominate Mexican crime fiction, but produce new, hybridized forms of writing, as the boundaries between journalism, nota rojas (“extensive compilations of anecdotes of violence), self-published narco tales, and crime fiction are systematically degraded. As such, focusing on the violence of the narco wars and the Juarez murders allows Braham to do several things at once: to demonstrate the way in which the victims of these murders came to be perceived as fodder for (or waste products of) the ongoing crisis in the country and of the “machine” of globalization; to show how contemporary Mexican crime narratives blend fictional and non-fictional elements in a way that reflects the ‘tabloidization’ of crime in Mexico during the era of narco-terrorism, and to highlight the extent to which violence in contemporary Mexico exceeds the boundaries (and control) of the state, which means that crime narratives needs to be similarly expansive in describing the varieties of neoliberal violence. Braham’s far-reaching analysis of the complex intersections between different forms of writing, and the events that have produced them, successfully illuminates the circumstances and mechanisms underlying the current crisis, noting both the degradation of certain forms of narrativization, and the efforts of a writer like Roberto Bolano, to mirror and adapt to these degradations, in order to critically reflect on the crisis.
Association of Traffic Injuries, Substance Use Disorders, and ED Visit Outcomes among Individuals Aged 50+ Years

AbstractObjectives: Motor vehicle traffic (MVT) injury is the second most frequent type of injury among older emergency department (ED) patients. We examined the role of substance use disorders (SUD) in ED visit outcomes among older MVT injury patients either as drivers, passengers, or pedestrians. Methods: Using the 2012 U.S. National Emergency Department Sample, we employed multinomial logistic regression to analyze the association of SUD with ED visit outcomes among 171,145 ED events by MVT injury patients aged 50+. We estimated marginal probabilities of ED outcomes in three age groups (50–64, 65–74, and 75+) by SUD status. Results: MVT injuries were 2.31%, 1.46%, and 0.73% of ED visits in the 50–64, 65–74, and 75+ age groups, and SUDs were found in 4.08%, 1.92%, and 0.94% of the MVT-injury visits in these age groups. SUD had small to medium effects on the risk of hospital admission (RRR = 3.39, 95% CI = 3.14–3.66), transfer to a facility or discharge with initiation of home health care (RRR = 3.18, 95...
Phase distortion of a probe beam transmitting through a transparent medium bulk

A highly feasible full-field phase-measuring methodology has been developed to investigate the phase distortions of a probe beam transmitting through a LiB3O5 (LBO) crystal under different conditions. The results show that wavefront phase exhibits inhomogeneous distribution when the crystal is heated and the phase difference becomes small as time goes by when the heating temperature is kept unchanged. The technique provides an easy and feasible way to accurately measure the phase images of a probe beam transmitting through a crystal. The procedure provided in this report can be also used to study the rapid phase changes that take place in other types of optical materials.
Introduction: Extraction, National Development and Environmental News in Twenty-first-century South America

A region where many local and national economies are based on natural resource extractive activities to meet global demand, South America provides an important laboratory for understanding the social construction of news regarding contestations over the promotion of extractivism as a national development strategy. Often residents living in extraction zones must deal with not only environmental degradation but also health impacts and loss of culture and heritage. Focusing on historical interfaces of news, environment, ideas of modernity and development, and media–state relations, Pinto, Prado and Tirado offer an introduction to the social construction of news that is provided to mass audiences in South America, and discuss the pressures that impact journalism in the region.
Optical Studies on VO2 Thin Films

We have been interested in the plasmonic properties of alternative conducting materials to metals, such as conducting oxides, and we have recently expanded our studies to include highly correlated oxides, such as vanadium dioxide (VO2) thin films. VO2 exhibits a metal-insulator transition (MIT) just above ambient temperature at ∼ 340K. Interestingly, this transition can be induced thermally, optically or applying electric fields. Across the MIT, the optical properties are completely modified over a broad frequency range. We will present our recent optical investigations on the photon induced transition studies on such films, as well as the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) modulation in nanopatterned Au gratings by the thermally induced MIT in VO2 thin films, addressing possibilities of ultrafast SPR modulation with VO2.
Empirical Relations between Size Parameters of Ice Hydrometeor Populations and Radar Reflectivity

AbstractEmpirical power-law relations between the equivalent radar reflectivity factor Ze and the slope parameter of the gamma function Λ (i.e., Λ = c; used to describe ice hydrometeor size distributions) are derived. The Λ parameter can also be considered as a size parameter since it is proportional to the inverse of the hydrometeor characteristic size, which is an important geophysical parameter describing the entire distribution. Two datasets from two-dimensional microphysical probes, collected during aircraft flights in subtropical and midlatitude regions, were used to obtain Λ by fitting measured size distributions. Reflectivity for different radar frequencies was calculated from microphysical probe data by using nonspherical-particle models. The derived relations have exponent d values that are approximately from −0.35 to −0.40, and the prefactors c are approximately between 30 and 55 (Λ: cm−1; Ze: mm6 m−3). There is a tendency for d and c to decrease when radar frequency increases from Ku band (~14...
Ecological and landscape effects on genetic distance in an assemblage of headwater fishes

Environmental divergence along hierarchically structured longitudinal gradients may constitute barriers to gene flow in river networks for headwater specialised species. While known, this phenomenon has not been well studied, especially with regard to degree of headwater specialisation. We examined six headwater species that differ in habitat specialisation to assess whether patterns of differentiation vary according to geographic or environmental distance. We also identified regional environmental or anthropogenically induced fragmentation effects by comparing within-drainage patterns of genetic distance across replicate watersheds. We used a comparative modelling framework to determine whether isolation by distance or isolation by resistance of large river habitats was a better predictor of genetic distance across species. The influence of reservoir presence and regional network characteristics that may influence the hydrology and size of large river habitats were also assessed. Resistance effects from large rivers were closely related to headwater specialisation, with increased specialisation leading to increased resistance and loss of drainagewide population connectivity. These results affirm that dendritic networks naturally fragment headwater specialised species. Further isolation from anthropogenic fragmentation was detected in two of the six drainages, indicating interactions with system-specific conditions. Landscape variables related to the hydrology of large rivers also affected genetic distance in predicted ways, supporting the importance of large rivers in genetically structuring headwater species in drainage networks.
Exploring spatio-temporal effects in traffic crash trend analysis

Abstract Unobserved heterogeneity produced by spatial and temporal correlations of crashes often needs to be captured in crash frequency modeling. Although many studies have included either spatial or temporal effects in crash frequency modeling, only a limited number of studies have considered both. This study addresses the limitations of existing studies by exploring multiple models that best fit the spatial and temporal correlations. In this study, we used Bayesian spatio-temporal models to investigate regional crash frequency trends, and explored the effects of omitting spatial or temporal trends in spatio-temporal correlated data. The fast Bayesian inference approach, integrated nested Laplace approximation, was used to estimate parameters. It was found that fatal crashes showed decreasing trends in all Iowa counties from 2006 to 2015, but the decreasing rates varied by counties. Among all the covariates investigated, only vehicle miles traveled (VMT) was significant. None of the socio-economic or weather indicators were found to be significant in the presence of VMT. Both spatial and temporal effects were found to be important, and they were responsible for both over dispersion and zero inflation in the crash data. In addition, spatial effects played a more important role than did temporal effects in the studied dataset, but temporal component selection was still important in spatio-temporal modeling.
Recruiting under the influence: New labor market entrants' reactions to workplace drinking norms

Prior research indicates that the influence of alcohol use, at work or at home, on employees' personal and professional lives is often harmless, but that it can be detrimental under certain circumstances. Alcohol's prevalence in and around some workplaces suggests that some employees value it, and that companies seeking to hire and retain these employees perhaps see a competitive advantage in embracing permissive workplace drinking norms. In this article, we draw from signaling theory and the fit, applicant attraction, and political skill literatures, to propose that during the recruitment process, organizations that promote workplace drinking norms are likely to attract applicants with high levels of political skill while turning off those with low levels of political skill. We conducted two studies and found that new labor market entrants with lower levels of political skill perceived lower levels of fit with companies that promote the acceptance of alcohol use at work-related events during the recruitment process compared to companies that do not signal the presence of workplace drinking norms in their recruitment activities. In turn, these lower fit perceptions related to reduced organizational attraction.
How Much Should We Trust the Dictator's GDP Growth Estimates?

I study the overstatement of GDP growth in autocratic regimes by comparing the self-reported GDP figures to the night time lights (NTL) recorded by satellites from outer space. I show that the NTL elasticity of GDP is systematically larger in more authoritarian regimes. This autocracy gradient in the elasticity is robust to multiple changes in data sources, econometric specification or sample composition and is not explained by potential differences in a large set of country characteristics. The gradient is larger when the incentive to exaggerate economic growth is stronger or when the constraints on such exaggeration are weaker. The results suggest that autocracies overstate yearly GDP growth by as much as 35%. Adjusting the GDP data for the manipulation taking place in autocracies leads to a more nuanced view on the economic success of non-democracies in recent decades and affects our understanding of the effect of changes to foreign aid inflows on income per capita.
Mindsets, Policy Design, Congruence, and Related Obstacles to Policy Implementation

The mindset of the architects of a hazard mitigation policy largely dictates how they frame the problem and the subsequent policy. That, in turn, determines the approach taken to designing the subsequent legislation and the programs created by administrators and intended to implement the policy. If the problem is framed narrowly without sufficient regard to targeted organizations’ prerequisites for compliance, and without careful consideration of other systemic interfaces, diminishes the likelihood that policy implementation will result in the desired outcomes.
An expanded modern coexistence theory for empirical applications

Understanding long-term coexistence of numerous competing species is a longstanding challenge in ecology. Progress requires determining which processes and species differences are most important for coexistence when multiple processes operate and species differ in many ways. Modern coexistence theory (MCT), formalised by Chesson, holds out the promise of doing that, but empirical applications remain scarce. We argue that MCT's mathematical complexity and subtlety have obscured the simplicity and power of its underlying ideas and hindered applications. We present a general computational approach that extends our previous solution for the storage effect to all of standard MCT's spatial and temporal coexistence mechanisms, and also process-defined mechanisms amenable to direct study such as resource partitioning, indirect competition, and life history trade-offs. The main components are a method to partition population growth rates into contributions from different mechanisms and their interactions, and numerical calculations in which some mechanisms are removed and others retained. We illustrate how our approach handles features that have not been analysed in the standard framework through several case studies: competing diatom species under fluctuating temperature, plant-soil feedbacks in grasslands, facilitation in a beach grass community, and niche differences with independent effects on recruitment, survival and growth in sagebrush steppe.
Multicriteria Decision Analysis of Drinking Water Source Selection in Southwestern Bangladesh

AbstractDecision analysis methods provide opportunities to explore alternatives for drinking water resources in impoverished, rural regions of developing countries. With varying success, southweste...
The deserving professional: job insecurity and gender inequality in the oil and gas industry

Jobs have become increasingly insecure since the decline of the standard employment contract, a trend that is expected to continue in the future. Workers in all sectors of the economy, including sc...
Molten gallium as a non-reactive solvent: Synthesis of the silicides RE2Ni3+xSi5-x (RE = Sm, Gd and Tb)

The use of molten Ga as a non-reactive solvent for the synthesis of intermetallic silicides was demonstrated on the family RE 2 Ni 3 + x Si 5 - x (RE = Sm, Gd and Tb). The structure of Sm 2 Ni 3 + x Si 5 - x was solved from single crystal X-ray data in the orthorhombic space group Ibam, Z = 4, cell parameters a = 9.6396(12); b = 11.3219(14); and c = 5.6967(13) A. The refinement based on the full-matrix least-squares on F 2 o [I > 2σ(I)] converged to final residuals R 1 /wR 2 = 0.0206/0.0492. The structure of RE 2 Ni 3 + x Si 5 - x is related to the U 2 Co 3 Si 5 structure type; however, discrepancies exist between the solution obtained for RE 2 Ni 3 + x Si 5 - x and that reported for U 2 Co 3 Si 5 . The magnetic properties studied on Tb 2 Ni 3 + x Si 5 - x indicate an antiferromagnetic ordering of magnetic moments centered at Tb ions at 13 K, and Curie-Weiss behavior at high temperatures with the effective moment close to that of free Tb 3 + ion.
Trust-Building Across Networks Through Festival Organizing

In this case study, we examine how organizers of a grassroots literary and cultural festival built trust across networks in a decentralized curatorial process. Organizers with backgrounds in arts and community organizing used online organizing tactics and tools to connect writers from different neighborhoods, marginalized identity groups and cultural organizations. We observe that the use of social media helped bring openness and transparency to the planning process, inviting broader participation and creating space for social interactions, thus facilitating trust. Brokers played a pivotal role in connecting different networks online and off and fostered collaboration and relationship building. However, in some cases brokering was not enough to establish trust; organizers had to make extra efforts to adapt to groups' cultural and communication norms and make special accommodations to increase inclusivity.
David’s Story

In 1971, David Vetter was born with a congenital fatal illness, severe combined immune deficiency disease (SCID). He was placed in a sterile isolator system where he remained for the rest of his 12 years. David taught the world about the importance of the immune system and how it protects against infections, but perhaps more importantly, he taught the world about courage to face the obstacles in life, and the will and determination to press on no matter the difficulties. He remained inside sterile bubbles until 1984, when he was given a haploidentical bone marrow transplant, but Epstein–Barr virus complicated the transplant, produced cancer and caused his death. David gave medical investigators the knowledge of how viruses produce cancer and how to identify the gene that causes X-linked SCID. He leaves behind a living legacy of eternal hope and an indomitable spirit to survive against the greatest odds.
Lessons Learned from Selection of Project Delivery Methods in Highway Projects: The Texas Experience

AbstractThe effectiveness of a project delivery method selection depends on distinct characteristics, desired goals, institutional constraints, and the correct allocation of risk. The selection of ...