cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multidimensional Analysis of Snow Cover Data in South Dakota Diversity of Landscapes

Snow distribution in SD was studied with Factor Analysis (FA) of monthly total snowfall [in]. The long-term data obtained from the High Plains Regional Climate Center were used for the territory of South Dakota. The perspective for creating an Atlas of Climate and Water Resources for SD directed this study of total monthly snowfall with connection to landscape diversity.The initial matrix {Xn*p} where n is number of stations and p is number of variables of monthly average for period of observations. The maximum number of stations n with mutual interval of observations for SD is equal 93 (n=93). These stations have mutual time interval of 18 years observations (1952-53 – 1969-70). Total monthly snowfall has data for p=10 is number of months with observation and p=11 is number of months with observations with total snowfall for the winter season. The second matrix contains proportions of total monthly snowfall to total annual (proportion is the monthly total snowfall divided on total seasonal snowfall); the number of rows n and the number of variable are the same as in the first case: n=93 and p=10, 11.The average annual sum of total monthly snowfall (September-June) for SD 34.64 in obtained on 93 stations for 1952-1970, the median is 31.84 from the same data; ranged from 10.21 to 152.27 from the same data. The most variable month is April with average4.89 [in], median 3.67, min 0.75 and max 33.18; the average proportion for April is 0.13, min 0.03 and max 0.24. The averages for November to April grow as sequence: 3.60, 5.70, 4.88, 7.25, 7.46 and 4.89 the variability of those months has sequence: 2.49 2.52 2.25 3.33 3.53 and 4.87. The Pearson coefficient of correlation for the monthly snowfall averages from September to June with annual sum has sequence: 0.83, 0.92, 0.96, 0.92, 0.93, 0.93, 0.94, 0.92, 0.90, and 0.82; the correlation for the monthly proportions from September to June with annual sum has sequence: 0.38, 0.45, -0.01, -0.32, -0.33, -0.21, -0.15, 0.27, 0.36, and 0.35.The FA of both initial matrixes had extracted two factors for monthly observations with incorporation of 93 % of total variability of the data in the model; and three factors model with 70% variability of data for monthly proportions. The two factor groups in model of observed snowfall contain winter months (Dec – Mar) and all other. The model of monthly proportions with tree factor groups include winter months in two group and combination of spring and fall months in third. The factor scores presented as maps for SD allow trace distribution of factor groups of monthly snowfall patterns for two models through the territory of SD. The combination of factor scores distribution for two models is in a good agreement with main landscape regions and subregions of SD.
New imine-phosphine chelating agents and their molybdenum(O) derivatives

Abstract The aldehyde o-Ph2PC6H4CHO condenses with a variety of functionalized amines to afford several new ligand which form stable mono- and bimetallic complexes with molybdenum(O).
Derivatives of entire functions of higher order

Abstract Bounds for the derivative of entire functions of higher order are related to bounds on the functions themselves. S. N. Bernstein proved the following result for the derivative of entire functions of finite type: if f is an entire function of exponential type λ and ¦f(x)¦ ⩽ M for R , then ¦f′(x)¦ ⩽ λM on R . In Volume 58 of the Journal of Approximation Theory, R. A. Zalik raised the problem of extending Bernstein's estimate to entire functions of higher order. But he finally considered another question; namely, he proved: Let f be an entire function, n ⩾ 0, A1, A2, a, b, c, d real numbers and write z = x + iy. If ¦f(z)¦ ⩽ (A 1 + A 2 ¦z¦ n ) exp (ax 2 + by 2 + cx + dy) for all z∈ C , then there are numbers C1, C2 ⩾ 0 depending only on n, A1, A2, a, b, c, and d such that ¦f′(z)¦ ⩽ (C 1 + C 2 ¦z¦ n + 1 ) exp (ax 2 + by 2 + cx + dy) .
Evaluation of norcarane as a probe for radicals in cytochome P450- and soluble methane monooxygenase-catalyzed hydroxylation reactions

Norcarane was employed as a mechanistic probe in oxidations catalyzed by hepatic cytochome P450 enzymes and by the soluble methane monooxygenase (sMMO) enzyme from Methylococcuscapsulatus (Bath). In all cases, the major oxidation products (>75%) were endo- and exo-2-norcaranol. Small amounts of 3-norcaranols, 2-norcaranone, and 3-norcaranone also formed. In addition, the rearrangement products (2-cyclohexenyl)methanol and 3-cycloheptenol were detected in the reactions, the former possibly arising from a radical intermediate and the latter ascribed to a cationic intermediate. The formation of the cation-derived rearrangement product is consistent with one or more reaction pathways and is in accord with the results of previous probe studies with the same enzymes. The appearance of the putative radical-derived rearrangement product is in conflict with other mechanistic probe results with the same enzymes. The unique implication of a discrete radical intermediate in hydroxylations of norcarane may be the consequence of a minor reaction pathway for the enzymes that is not manifest in reactions with other probes. Alternatively, it might reflect a previously unappreciated reactivity of norcaranyl cationic intermediates, which can convert to (2-cyclohexenyl)methanol. We conclude that generalizations regarding the intermediacy of radicals in P450 and sMMO enzyme-catalyzed hydroxylations based on the norcarane results should be considered hypothetical until the origin of the unanticipated results can be determined.
Family practitioner's guide to patient self-treatment of acute diarrhea.

Abstract The majority of cases of acute, nonspecific diarrhea are of short duration, can be treated symptomatically with nonprescription medications and adequate hydration, and do not require a visit to the physician's office. If the family practitioner can determine via telephone that the patient, or the caller's child, is not experiencing certain signs and symptoms often associated with diarrheal illness that may indicate a more severe condition (e.g., high fever, vomiting, persistent dirrhea, or diarrhea accompanied by blood or severe abdominal or rectal pain), self-treatment may be allowed without an office visit. In addition, if the physician determines that the patient is not suffering from diarrheal dehydration, indicated by dry mouth, excessive thirst (or for children, inadequate fluid intake), wrinkled skin, little or no urination, dizziness, or lightheadedness, the physician may also allow the patient to be treated without an office visit. If, however, the patient is experiencing any of these symptoms, an office visit is required to facilitate further evaluation by the physician.
Torsional response of closed FRP composite sections

Abstract Predicting torsional response of pultruded fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composite member with closed cross-sections is complex due to the inhomogeneous nature of section properties, which are dependent on fiber architecture and constituent material properties. Presented herein are the methods and results of an experimental study on the response of such sections to torsional loading, including prediction of shear modulus ( G ) and angle of twist ( θ ). A literature review was performed, leading to many hypothesized methods for prediction. Results presented herein will exhibit the effectiveness of a Simplified Classical Laminate Theory analysis for shear modulus ( G ) determination (less than 5% error), and will demonstrate good correlation between full-scale and coupon test results. For this experiment, a torsional testing apparatus was designed and developed to accommodate samples up to 144 in. in length and up to 6 in. by 6 in. cross-sectional dimensions. Failure behavior of the cross-sections was also examined, noting that all test samples failed after reaching maximum strength of the material and exhibiting no signs of local or global buckling.
Spatial models for inferring topographic controls on historical low-severity fire in the eastern Cascade Range of Washington, USA

Fire regimes are complex systems that represent an aggregate of spatial and temporal events whose statistical properties are scale dependent. Despite the breadth of research regarding the spatial controls on fire regime variability, few datasets are available with sufficient resolution to test spatially explicit hypotheses. We used a spatially distributed network of georeferenced fire-scarred trees to investigate the spatial structure of fire occurrence at multiple scales. Mantel’s tests and geostatistical analysis of fire-occurrence time series led to inferences about the mechanisms that generated spatial patterns of historical fire synchrony (multiple trees recording fire in a single year) in eastern Washington, USA. The spatial autocorrelation structure of historical fire regimes varied within and among sites, with clearer patterns in the complex rugged terrain of the Cascade Range than in more open and rolling terrain further north and east. Results illustrate that the statistical spatial characteristics of fire regimes change with landform characteristics within a forest type, suggesting that simple relationships between fire frequency, fire synchrony, and forest type do not exist. Quantifying the spatial structures in fire occurrence associated with topographic variation showed that fire regime variability depends on both landscape structure and the scale of measurement. Spatially explicit fire-scar data open new possibilities for analysis and interpretation, potentially informing the design and application of fire management on landscapes, including hazardous fuel treatments and the use of fire for ecosystem restoration.
Continuing medical education and public policy in an era of health care reform

AbstractMounting public concern regarding the cost of and access to health care in the United States has moved the issue of health care reform (HCR) to a priority position on the policy and legislative agendas of the current administration. Regardless of the directions taken by reform initiatives, i
Biography: 1850–1874

Sophia Vasilievna Kovalevskaya (1850–1891), whose mathematical works will be analyzed in the chapters which follow, is becoming increasingly well known as an early woman of achievement. As the feminist movement inspired a new look at history and an attempt to appreciate the formerly neglected contributions of women to all aspects of culture, Kovalevskaya was inevitably recognized as one of the first women to make contributions of high quality to mathematics, which even today is predominantly a “male” subject. The result of this increased interest is a number of recent articles and books on Kovalevskaya which tell of various aspects of her life and character. At the same time certain questions of psychology and sociology have arisen on which no consensus has yet been reached. For example, are there innate differences between men and women which cause women to gravitate toward literary activity and men toward quantitative activity? Will women constitute a sizeable portion of our scientists in the near future? Kovalevskaya has become part of the debate, as various claims have been made for her and attempts have been made to evaluate her many activities. Although this book is primarily an attempt to understand Kovalevskaya’s contributions to mathematics, it may perhaps contribute to the discussion by recounting her work accurately in the context of the history of mathematics.
Racial Patterns in Disabled Elderly Persons' Use of Medical Services

Objective. This study examines the extent that older persons experience patterns of health service use that vary by race. Methods. Using the 1989 NLTCS database, researchers estimate ten binomial logistic regressions of community medical service use by disabled White and Black older persons. Chow tests and Oaxaca decomposition analysis inform why racial differences continue to exist, although most elderly persons have Medicare. Results. With similar medical conditions, Blacks are less likely to use services, particularly prescription medications and physician services. Use of some medical services is more likely for elderly Black persons who live in rural areas, small cities, and Western states, or who have more IADLs, joint and breathing problems, and broken parts. An Oaxaca decomposition indicates that differences in personal characteristics (e.g., income and health) do not fully explain racial differences in use of prescriptions and physician services. Discussion. For reasons that are unrelated to financial assets, blacks remain vulnerable in their ability to access services commonly used by older persons. To remedy racial disparities in medical utilization, public policy must expand its focuses beyond health finance issues and consider differences in availability, accessibility, and acceptability.
Non-antipodal directions in magnetostratigraphy: an overprint bias?

S U M M A R Y Paleomagnetic records show very often that the directions of normal and reverse polarity are not quite antipodal, as one would expect for an axial geocentric dipole model. Specifically, in magnetostratigraphic studies of Tertiary sediments, which include large data sets of paleomagnetic directions of both polarities, it is commonly observed that reverse polarity inclinations are shallower than those of normal polarity. Such an inclination anomaly has important implications for both paleomagnetism and paleogeographic reconstructions. We investigate the conventional explanation for such asymmetry, which involves the presence of a persistent, partially unremoved present day field magnetization in the studied rocks. Both plate motion history and inclination shallowing, which we evaluate in detail, can play an important role in the paleomagnetic record. Our analysis shows that alternatively, it is plausible that the inclination anomaly is due to a contribution of an axial octupole, in accordance with observations of the recent (0–5 Ma) geomagnetic field recorded in lava flows.
Fundamental Quantification and the Language of the Ontology Room

Nihilism is the thesis that no composite objects exist. Some ontologists have advocated abandoning nihilism in favor of deep nihilism, the thesis that composites do not existO, where to existO is to be in the domain of the most fundamental quantifier. By shifting from an existential to an existentialO thesis, the deep nihilist seems to secure all the benefits of a composite-free ontology without running afoul of ordinary belief in the existence of composites. I argue that, while there are well-known reasons for accepting nihilism, there appears to be no reason at all to accept deep nihilism. In particular, deep nihilism draws no support either from the usual arguments for nihilism or from considerations of parsimony.
Pacific Northwest Climate Sensitivity Simulated by a Regional Climate Model Driven by a GCM. Part I: Control Simulations

Global climate change due to increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases has stimulated numerous studies and discussions about its possible impacts on water resources. Climate scenarios generated by climate models at spatial resolutions ranging from about 50 km to 400 km may not provide enough spatial specificity for use in impact assessment. In Parts I and II of this paper, the spatial specificity issue is addressed by examining what information on mesoscale and small-scale spatial features can be gained by using a regional climate model with a subgrid parameterization of orographic precipitation and land surface cover, driven by a general circulation model. Numerical experiments have been performed to simulate the present-day climatology and the climate conditions corresponding to a doubling of atmospheric CO 2 concentration. This paper describes and contrasts the large-scale and mesoscale features of the greenhouse warming climate signals simulated by the general circulation model and regional climate model over the Pacific Northwest. Results indicate that changes in the large-scale circulation exhibit strong seasonal variability. There is an average warming of about 28C, and precipitation generally increases over the Pacific Northwest and decreases over California. The precipitation signal over the Pacific Northwest is only statistically significant during spring, when both the change in the large-scale circulation and increase in water vapor enhance the moisture convergence toward the north Pacific coast. The combined effects of surface temperature and precipitation changes are such that snow cover is reduced by up to 50% on average, causing large changes in the seasonal runoff. This paper also describes the high spatial resolution (1.5 km) climate signals simulated by the regional climate model. Reductions in snow cover of 50%‐90% are found in areas near the snow line of the control simulation. Analyses of the variations of the climate signals with surface elevation ranging from sea level to 4000 m over two mountain ranges in the Pacific Northwest show that because of changes in the alitude of the freezing level, strong elevation dependency is found in the surface temperature, rainfall, snowfall, snow cover, and runoff signals.
Yield strength ratios, critical strength ratios, and brittleness of sandy soils from laboratory tests

In this study, we performed 26 undrained triaxial compression and 32 constant-volume ring shear tests on two clean sands and one silty sand. We then used these results to evaluate the critical stat...
Intermolecular Complexes of Eosin With Resorcinol and β-Napthol

The ground state of eosin (2;4;5;7′-tetrabromofluorescein) forms intennolecular complexes with aniline in both aqueous solutions and in 100% EtOH(1,2). The absorption maxima of these complexes are ...
Evidence-Based Psychological Treatments: An Update and a Way Forward

Enormous progress in the field of clinical science has been made over the past 50 years, with advances in our understanding of psychopathology and more sophisticated research methodology leading to the development of more efficacious psychological treatments for a variety of behavioral disorders. Despite these advances, the public health impact of well-established psychological treatments is less than it should be. After an overview of the current status of the field, we identify barriers that must be overcome to maximize the public health impact and propose that to breach these barriers we must (a) augment the efficacy of treatments, (b) broaden the impact of treatments across diagnoses to include temperamental variables, (c) attend more closely to mechanisms of action of treatments, and (d) learn the best methods for disseminating and implementing psychological interventions. We conclude by proposing new directions in both research and clinical practice to accomplish these goals.
Predicting Benefit From Revascularization in Patients With Ischemic Heart Failure Imaging of Myocardial Ischemia and Viability

Case History: A 62-year-old male with a history of hypertension and coronary artery disease with prior stenting to the left circumflex artery presented with chest pain. Echocardiography on admission demonstrated a globally reduced ejection fraction of 10% to 15% with regional wall-motion abnormality consistent with prior anterior and inferolateral infarction. End-diastolic volume of the left ventricle (LV) was 210 mL. Coronary angiography showed evidence of multivessel disease, with 100% occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery, 70% in-stent restenosis of the left circumflex artery, and 90% stenosis of the posterior descending artery. To evaluate for the presence of ischemia, the patient underwent a rest-stress myocardial perfusion imaging study, which showed a large area of moderate ischemia throughout the mid left anterior descending coronary artery territory. In addition, there was a small area of scar in the proximal left circumflex artery territory (Figure 1). Clinical discussion ensued as to whether this patient would benefit from bypass surgery or percutaneous revascularization.
Maternal Fuels and Metabolic Measures During Pregnancy and Neonatal Body Composition: The Healthy Start Study

Context: The impact of specific maternal fuels and metabolic measures during early and late gestation on neonatal body composition is not well defined. Objective: To determine how circulating maternal glucose, lipids, and insulin resistance in the first and second halves of pregnancy influence neonatal body composition. Design: A prospective pre-birth cohort enrolling pregnant women, the Healthy Start Study, was conducted, in which fasting maternal serum samples were collected twice during pregnancy to measure glucose, insulin, hemoglobin A1c, triglyceride, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, and free fatty acids. Neonatal body composition was measured with air displacement plethysmography. Setting: An observational epidemiology study of pregnant women attending obstetric clinics at the University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Center. Participants: This analysis includes 804 maternal-neonate pairs. Results: A strong positive linear relationship between maternal estimated insulin resistance (homeo...
Voronovskaya Type Asymptotic Expansions for Perturbed Neural Network Operators

Here are studied further perturbed normalized neural network operators of Cardaliaguet–Euvrard type. We derive univariate and multivariate Voronovskaya type asymptotic expansions for the error of approximation of these operators to the unit operator.
Automated reference-counted object recycling for real-time Java

We introduce an aspect-oriented reformulation of reference-counting that is particularly well-suited to Java applications and does not share the error-prone characteristic of manual, user-driven reference counting. We present our method in the context of the real-time specification for Java and demonstrate that it can recycle dead objects in bounded time. We apply partial evaluation to specialize the aspect-generated code, which substantially reduces the reference-counting overhead.
The Global Company: Can It Help World Stability?

The author of this article tackles a hotly debated question: Do multinational companies have a positive or negative effect on our world? © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Data-Driven Organizing: A Community–University Partnership to Address Vacant and Abandoned Property

Vacant and abandoned properties adversely affect the physical, mental, social, and economic health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities. This article describes a community–university partnership that combined a multimethod data collection strategy with a novel community-based participatory intervention research model (i.e., data-driven organizing) to address the vacancy problem. The project assessed the conditions of over 1,500 properties in an economically disadvantaged, predominantly African American neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and mobilized residents to use an existing policy mechanism to ameliorate the impact of property vacancy in the community.
What works when working with athletes.

A highly effective method for disseminating knowledge is to observe the most experienced individuals in the field of interest. Although business, teaching, and coaching have been mentoring and apprenticing students for years, the field of applied sport psychology does not have a long formal history of doing so. The purpose of this article is to capture and present the thoughts, theories, and techniques employed by highly experienced applied sport psychology consultants to formally record what they believe “works when working with athletes.” General topics discussed include: gaining entry, techniques of assessment, delivery of information, and approaches for preparing athletes for “major competitions.” Common ideas and practical guidelines are summarized from the authors and discussed in light of current scientific and professional practice knowledge in the field. These consultants do not claim they have all the answers, but rather share their experiences in hopes of providing ideas and facilitating self-r...
An iterative asymptotic expansion method for elliptic eigenvalue problems with oscillating coefficients

In this work we propose a method for obtaining fine-scale eigensolution based on the coarse-scale eigenso- lution in elliptic eigenvalue problems with oscillating coef- ficient. This is achieved by introducing a 2-scale asymptotic expansion predictor in conjunction with an iterative correc- tor. The eigensolution predictor equation is formulated using the weak form of an auxiliary problem. It is shown that large errors exist in the higher eigenmodes when the 2-scale asymptotic expansion is used. The predictor solution is then corrected by the combined inverse iteration and Rayleigh quotient iteration. The numerical examples demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach.
Addressing the petascale data challenge using in-situ analytics

Data management, processing and analysis costs are quickly dominating computational and data-enabled sciences, and are limiting the potential impacts of advanced simulations running at extreme scales on the high-end computing systems. This presentation explores how in-situ data analytics and in-transit data transformation and data manipulation can be used to address these data challenges at petascale and beyond. Specifically, this presentations describes solutions developed as part of the Rutgers Spaces Project and deployed within the ADIOS framework.
Capnographic Monitoring of Extubated Postoperative Patients

Postoperative respiratory monitoring of surgical patients requires assessment of both oxygenation and ventilation. Arterial blood gas (ABG) measurements traditionally have been used to detect elevated arterial carbon dioxide (Paco2) concentrations. The recent availability of a noninvasive technique for end-tidal CO, measurements (Etco2) may allow substitution of this real-time modality for the more cumbersome blood gas determinations. This study examines 41 extubated postoperative patients monitored with both modalities and evaluates whether capnography can replace routine blood gas determinations in selected patients. Paired ABG and Etco2 measurements were obtained at 30 and 90 min afer admission to the recovery room. A new nasopharyngeal catheter was employed to obtain exhaled gas samples for Etco2 measurement. Overall, Etco2 was lower than Puco2 by 2.8 torr (p <. 05), with a precision of ± 2.6 torr. Correlation between Etco2 and Paco2 was excellent (r = 0.87, p <. 01). We conclude that on-line Etco2 me...
Effect of arterial occlusion on responses of group III and IV afferents to dynamic exercise

Our laboratory has shown previously that a low level of dynamic exercise induced by electrical stimulation of the mesencephalic locomotor region (MLR) stimulated group III and IV muscle afferents in decerebrate unanesthetized cats (C. M. Adreani, J. M. Hill, and M. P. Kaufman. J. Appl. Physiol. 83: 1811-1817, 1997). In the present study, we have extended these findings by examining the effect of occluding the arterial supply to the dynamically exercising muscles on the afferents' responses to MLR stimulation. In decerebrate cats, we found that arterial occlusion increased the responsiveness to a low level of dynamic exercise in 44% of the group III and 47% of the group IV afferents tested. Occlusion, compared with the freely perfused state, did not increase the concentrations of either hydrogen ion or lactate ion in the venous effluent from the exercising muscles. We conclude that arterial occlusion caused some unspecified substance to accumulate in the working muscles to increase the sensitivity of equal percentages of group III and IV afferents to dynamic exercise.
Aperator: making tweets enable actionable commands on third party web applications

Twitter has become a persistent part of our digital lives, connecting us not only to our individual audiences but also to an entire landscape of applications built for the web. While much has been done to support the Twitter ecosystem outside of Twitter, little has been done within Twitter to power those same applications. This work introduces a service called Aperator, which supports application-specific actionable commands through tweets. This ability creates several interesting opportunities for both end-users and application developers building on the Twitter platform. For example, the actionable command capability allows a link that a Twitter user shares with his followers to be directly added to any of the user's connected link sharing networks, such as Delicious or Read it Later. The client side of this system has a console for end-users to sign up and provide their login credentials for various web services that our system supports: Delicious, Foursquare, Read it Later, Foursquare etc. The system's backend has two cron jobs that run every minute to: (a) retrieve and parse tweets from a specific twitter account and store them in a command form in a MySQL database, and (b) execute the unexecuted commands found in the users tweets. This paper describes the concept, implementation, and results from an experimental study of this new application.
Access management: will raising the drawbridge keep your healthcare facility safe?

A Campus Access Management Plan that enables a hospital facility to better survive a disaster is described by the author. The plan, which has been developed by a number of neighboring healthcare facilities, recognizes that since potential disasters will be community based, a community-wide approach to disaster survival is called for. Language: en
Repeated cocaine injections decrease the function of striatal gamma-aminobutyric acid(A) receptors.

Although behavioral sensitization to cocaine is commonly thought to involve increased dopamine (DA) neurotransmission in nigrostriatal and mesolimbic pathways, it is possible that alterations in the characteristics of other neurotransmitters, such as gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), contribute to cocaine-induced behavioral changes. The function of GABA(A) receptors to transport chloride was assessed in striatum and other brain regions of male rats that had received daily injections of cocaine (15 mg/kg i.p.) or saline for 5 to 14 days. GABA-stimulated 36Cl uptake in striatal microsacs was decreased significantly in animals receiving cocaine treatments sufficient to cause behavioral sensitization, and the magnitude of this decrease paralleled the magnitude of cocaine sensitization. There was no effect of cocaine treatment on GABA-stimulated uptake in cortex or substantia nigra nor was basal uptake affected by cocaine exposure in any of three regions. Muscimol-stimulated uptake was similarly decreased in striatal microsacs from female rats exposed to daily cocaine (10 mg/kg i.p.) injections for 14 days. This decrease in receptor function was not due to a direct effect of cocaine on GABA(A) receptors because neither in vitro nor in vivo acute cocaine exposure affected uptake in any way. Thus, GABA(A) receptor function in striatum may be selectively decreased by cocaine treatment which may contribute to changes in behavioral sensitization caused by cocaine.
FACTORS LEADING TO STATE PARTICIPATION IN THE STREAMLINED SALES TAX PROJECT

The loss in sales tax revenue from nontaxable remote sales erodes a state’s ability to fund essential programs. Taxable goods sold via the Internet in 1999 created a loss to state and local governments of $525 million in sales tax revenue. This study examines the effects of five variables on a state’s willingness to participate voluntarily in the Streamlined Sales Tax Project (SSTP). Three hypotheses are supported: 1) the higher the grade on the Business Vitality score, the more likely elected officials will be influenced by the private sector and state economic development personnel not to participate in the SSTP; 2) the higher the index of innovation capacity, the more likely elected officials will be influenced by businesses not to participate; and 3) the greater the reliance on sales tax, the more likely a state will participate.
Discriminative pronunciation modeling for dialectal speech recognition

Speech recognizers are typically trained with data from a standard dialect and do not generalize to non-standard dialects. Mismatch mainly occurs in the acoustic realization of words, which is represented by acoustic models and pronunciation lexicon. Standard techniques for addressing this mismatch are generative in nature and include acoustic model adaptation and expansion of lexicon with pronunciation variants, both of which have limited e ectiveness. We present a discriminative pronunciation model whose parameters are learned jointly with parameters from the language models. We tease apart the gains from modeling the transitions of canonical phones, the transduction from surface to canonical phones, and the language model. We report experiments on African American Vernacular English (AAVE) using NPR’s StoryCorps corpus. Our models improve the performance over the baseline by about 2.1% on AAVE, of which 0.6% can be attributed to the pronunciation model. The model learns the most relevant phonetic transformations for AAVE speech.
Vitamin E Does Not Modify HDL-Cholesterol

Vitamin E has been reported to increase serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Given the known inverse relationship between HDL-cholesterol and risk of developing coronary artery disease, these preliminary results require verification or refutation. In the present study, 39 volunteers were given 600 U of vitamin E daily for 30 days. Serum vitamin E, cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, and triglycerides were measured at appropriate intervals. No significant change in serum HDL-cholesterol with vitamin E therapy could be documented.
Application of WiMAX in electric power emergency communication

This article briefly introduces the principle and function of electric power emergency communication system, analyses the technical characteristics and networking scheme of WiMAX, and proposes a power emergency communication scheme, which can realize point-to-point broadband wireless communication and meet the service requirement of power system.
The problem fellow.

Problems encountered in training GI fellows range from illnesses that affect patient care (impaired physician) to problems in the timely acquisition of the technical, cognitive, and personal skills required to perform endoscopy competently and independently. The key for fellowship programs in addressing potential problems is to develop a system that monitors fellows and provides regular feedback along with early intervention. The existence of such a program will benefit the program, the fellows, and the public.
Grazing in a porous environment: 1. The effect of soil pore structure on C and N mineralization

The porous soil environment constrains grazing of microorganisms by microbivorous nematodes. In particular, at matric potentials at which water-filled pore spaces have capillary diameters less than nematode body diameters the effect of grazing, e.g. enhanced mineralization, should be reduced ('exclusion hypothesis') because nematodes cannot access their microbial forage. We examined C and N mineralization, microbial biomass C (by fumigation-extraction), the metabolic quotient (C mineralization per unit biomass C), nematode abundance, and soil water content in intact soil cores from an old field as a function of soil matric potential (−3 to −50 kPa). We expected, in accordance with the exclusion hypothesis, that nematode abundance, N and C mineralization would be reduced as matric potential decreased, i.e. as soils became drier. N mineralization was significantly greater than zero for −3 kPa but not for −10, −20 and −50 kPa. Microbial biomass C was less at −50 kPa than at −10 kPa, but not significantly different from biomass C at −3 and −20 kPa. The metabolic quotient was greatest at −50 kPa than any of the other matric potentials. From the exclusion hypothesis we expected significantly fewer nematodes to be present at −50 and −20 kPa representing water-filled capillary pore sizes less than 6 and 15 μm, respectively, than at −3 and −10 kPa. Microbivorous (fungivorous+bacterivorous) nematode abundance per unit mass of soil was not significantly different among matric potentials. Body diameters of nematodes ranged from 9 μm to 40 μm. We discuss several alternatives to the exclusion hypothesis, such as the 'enclosure hypothesis' which states that nematodes may become trapped in large water-filled pore spaces even when capillary pore diameters (as computed from matric potential) are smaller than body diameters. One of the expected outcomes of grazing in enclosures is the acceleration of nutrient cycling.
“I am here for a reason”: minority teachers bridging many divides in urban education

AbstractMinority teachers are overwhelmingly employed in urban schools in underserved, low-income communities with large minority student populations. They receive little in the way of multicultural preparation, mentorship, and professional induction to meet the demands of teaching diverse student populations. This grounded theory study explores the experiences of novice teachers from various minority backgrounds working in urban classrooms. A tentative grounded theory, ‘I am here for a reason’ emerged, suggesting that minority teachers rely on their personal backgrounds and experiences to help them take an insider’s perspective with minority students in light of poor multicultural preparation and limited support in schools. The shared cultural perspective with students enables teachers to connect with and advocate for students, which represents both a strength and challenge for minority teachers. Finally, minority teachers are motivated by a strong desire for social justice as they work to bridge many di...
Organizational Dimensions of Quality

It is widely agreed that in order for customers to recognize the inherent quality of a product or service, it must be planned for and built into the product or service. This implies that each member of the development team, and its supporting organization, must understand quality and the importance of their decisions, not only on the costs of those decisions, but also how the results of those decisions will affect the customer’s perceptions of quality.
Chapter 44 – 1974 Parent–Offspring Conflict

Evolution typically pushes parents to invest just enough in each of their offspring to ensure survival and reproduction, but parents also often conserve resources for future offspring. The offspring, on the other hand, are more driven by evolution to demand investment that will enhance their own chances, even at the expense of their parents and their siblings. This situation leads to parent–offspring conflict over how much parents are willing to invest in their offspring.
Identification of microRNAs associated with invasive and aggressive phenotype in cutaneous melanoma by next-generation sequencing.

Identification of microRNAs associated with invasive and aggressive phenotype in cutaneous melanoma by next-generation sequencing
Deus Ex Machina: Why Mechanism Matters in Translational Research

Translational research serves as the critical bridge between target identification and early-phase clinical studies that provide critical go/no-go decisions for larger and more expensive phase III clinical trials. Insofar as translational clinical studies are smaller, they are inherently fragile by
Enhanced antibacterial efficacy of nitric oxide releasing thermoplastic polyurethanes with antifouling hydrophilic topcoats.

Surface fouling is one of the leading causes of infection associated with implants, stents, catheters, and other medical devices. The surface chemistry of medical device coatings is important in controlling and/or preventing fouling. In this study, we have shown that a combination of nitric oxide releasing hydrophobic polymer with a hydrophilic polymer topcoat can significantly reduce protein attachment and subsequently reduce bacterial adhesion as a result of the synergistic effect. Nitric oxide (NO) is a well-known potent antibacterial agent due to its adverse reactions on microbial cell components. Owing to the surface chemistry of hydrophilic polymers, they are suitable as antifouling topcoats. In this study, four biomedical grade polymers were compared for protein adhesion and NO-release behavior: CarboSil 2080A, silicone rubber, SP60D60, and SG80A. SP60D60 was found to resist protein adsorption up to 80% when compared to the other polymers while CarboSil 2080A maintained a steady NO flux even after 24 hours (∼0.50 × 10−10 mol cm−2 min−1) of soaking in buffer solution with a loss of less than 3% S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP), the NO donor molecule, in the leaching analysis. Therefore, CarboSil 2080A incorporated with SNAP and top-coated with SP60D60 was tested for antibacterial efficacy after exposure to fibrinogen, an abundantly found protein in blood. The NO-releasing CarboSil 2080A with the SP60D60 top-coated polymer showed a 96% reduction in Staphylococcus aureus viable cell count compared to the control samples. Hence, the study demonstrated that a hydrophilic polymer topcoat, when applied to a polymer with sustained NO release from an underlying SNAP incorporated hydrophobic polymer, can reduce bacterial adhesion and be used as a highly efficient antifouling, antibacterial polymer for biomedical applications.
Robot-assisted laparoscopic nephroureterectomy for upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UT-UC)☆

Abstract Upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UT-UC), including tumors evolving from the renal pelvis and ureter, accounts for around 5% of all UCs and 10% of all renal tumor cases. In Taiwan, the incidence of UT-UC is higher than the western countries especially in the female and patients at renal replacement therapy. The standard care of UT-UC is nephroureterectomy with bladder cuff excision. In the past decades, minimally invasive surgery is proved to achieve comparable oncological results as conventional open procedure. Though laparoscopic nephroureterectomy with bladder cuff excision including pure laparoscopic or hand-assisted technique have been very common practice in Taiwan, several institutes have the early experience of robot-assisted nephroureterectomy which is believed to provide 3-D visualization with magnification, better surgical exposure, and safer watertight suture of the cystostomy. In this review, we review the published reports of robot-assisted nephroureterectomy with bladder cuff excision.
Introduction: MRI/MRS as Metabolic Imaging Tools

Metabolic imaging using magnetic resonance has its roots in a relatively obscure technology, used by physicists in the late 1940s to study the nuclear magnetic moments of nuclei. This technique was nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), based on the original observations of Bloch and Purcell in 1946 that nuclei with a given spin could be studied by applying an oscillating radiofrequency field, at a frequency corresponding to energy difference between nuclear orientations. When this so-called “resonance” frequency is applied to matter, the resulting emitted signal is the basis for NMR and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The discovery most relevant to metabolic imaging was that of chemical shift, described in several publications in 1949–1950, and the consequence of the subtle changes in local magnetic field, resulting from electric shell interactions. This remarkable finding is the fundamental principle of magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), whereby nuclei can be identified reliably depending on their chemical structure, independent of magnetic field strength. Today in the clinic, several key metabolites present in the brain are easily identified using MRS techniques. Changes in the frequency-specific metabolic map or “spectrum” are used to diagnose disease and monitor the effects of medical treatments, in cancer and other illnesses.
Guest Editorial: Special Section on Advances in Recognition Techniques, Part 2

Over the last few years, tremendous advances have been made for both adaptive and nonadaptive recognition techniques, especially for image processing and pattern recognition applications.
Little Ice Age climatic erraticism as an analogue for future enhanced hydroclimatic variability across the American Southwest.

The American Southwest has experienced a series of severe droughts interspersed with strong wet episodes over the past decades, prompting questions about future climate patterns and potential intensification of weather disruptions under warming conditions. Here we show that interannual hydroclimatic variability in this region has displayed a significant level of non-stationarity over the past millennium. Our tree ring-based analysis of past drought indicates that the Little Ice Age (LIA) experienced high interannual hydroclimatic variability, similar to projections for the 21st century. This is contrary to the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA), which had reduced variability and therefore may be misleading as an analog for 21st century warming, notwithstanding its warm (and arid) conditions. Given past non-stationarity, and particularly erratic LIA, a 'warm LIA' climate scenario for the coming century that combines high precipitation variability (similar to LIA conditions) with warm and dry conditions (similar to MCA conditions) represents a plausible situation that is supported by recent climate simulations. Our comparison of tree ring-based drought analysis and records from the tropical Pacific Ocean suggests that changing variability in El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) explains much of the contrasting variances between the MCA and LIA conditions across the American Southwest. Greater ENSO variability for the 21st century could be induced by a decrease in meridional sea surface temperature gradient caused by increased greenhouse gas concentration, as shown by several recent climate modeling experiments. Overall, these results coupled with the paleo-record suggests that using the erratic LIA conditions as benchmarks for past hydroclimatic variability can be useful for developing future water-resource management and drought and flood hazard mitigation strategies in the Southwest.
Retrospective and Prospective Memory Among OEF/OIF/OND Veterans With a Self-Reported History of Blast-Related mTBI.

Objectives: To evaluate prospective and retrospective memory abilities in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), and Operation New Dawn (OND) Veterans with and without a self-reported history of blast-related mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Methods: Sixty-one OEF/OIF/OND Veterans, including Veterans with a self-reported history of blast-related mTBI (mTBI group; n=42) and Veterans without a self-reported history of TBI (control group; n=19) completed the Memory for Intentions Test, a measure of prospective memory (PM), and two measures of retrospective memory (RM), the California Verbal Learning Test-II and the Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised. Results: Veterans in the mTBI group exhibited significantly lower PM performance than the control group, but the groups did not differ in their performance on RM measures. Further analysis revealed that Veterans in the mTBI group with current PTSD (mTBI/PTSD+) demonstrated significantly lower performance on the PM measure than Veterans in the control group. PM performance by Veterans in the mTBI group without current PTSD (mTBI/PTSD-) was intermediate between the mTBI/PTSD+ and control groups, and results for the mTBI/PTSD- group were not significantly different from either of the other two groups. Conclusions: Results suggest that PM performance may be a sensitive marker of cognitive dysfunction among OEF/OIF/OND Veterans with a history of self-reported blast-related mTBI and comorbid PTSD. Reduced PM may account, in part, for complaints of cognitive difficulties in this Veteran cohort, even years post-injury. (JINS, 2018, 24, 324–334)
STDs in patients with multiple partners: confidentiality.

This scenario raises complex ethical questions. The physician-patient relationship is characterized by a network of obligations and expectations that becomes more complex when patients with close ties are treated by the same physician.