cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evolutionary history of the marsupials and an analysis of osteological characters: Paleobiogeography and metatherian evolution

Nowhere in biology is the misleading and arbitrary use of ‘parsimony’ so disabling as in vicariance and panbiogeography, with their determined exclusion of virtually all biological data on vagility, reproductive strategy, niche-width, and so on. Kirsch (1990, p. 162) I have attempted to sketch how these oppositions (selection v. orthogenesis, ecology v. history) might be resolved if dichotomous views of causation are abandoned for a more complex view emphasizing interacting mutually contingent networks of causes. In practice achieving such a synthesis will require a breakdown of the conceptual and methodological boundaries between biogeography, evolutionary biology, systematics, ecology and geology. Gray (1989, p. 804) Few constraints limit and guide the nature of macro-and megaevolutionary patterns of terrestrial organisms as decisively as the nature of distribution, isolation, and connectedness of various land masses. Such important geographic factors are partly behind climatic and subsequently the environmental change that drives faunal extinctions and new ecological opportunities through ecological release (Van Valen, 1978), in other words opportunitybased adaptive evolution. These are some of the reasons why few subjects have engendered as much interest in a wide variety of subdisciplines of natural history as the geographic enigma of marsupial distribution and evolution through time and space. Given the background of the Cretaceous spread of the angiosperms (Brenner, 1976) and the faunal upheavals at the beginning and end of the Eocene in the northern hemisphere (Stucky, 1990; Krause & Maas, 1990, etc.) the occurrence of marsupials in space and time has been one of the knottiest of puzzles in mammalian paleobiogeography.
A COMPRESSIBILITY CORRECTIONS OF THE PRESSURE STRAIN LINEAR PART MODELS

The main focus of this paper is the analysis of the compressibility effects and the validation of some recent Reynolds stress models for computing compressible turbulent flows. The pressure strain correlation is one of the several terms appearing in the Reynolds stress equation which directly reflect the compressibility effects on the turbulence. For this reason, a special attention is paid to the modeling of this term in order to account for compressibility effects at high-speed. The models developed by Speziale Sarkar and Gatski (SSG) and Fu, Launder and Tselepidakis (FLT) for the pressure strain correlation are examined to be extended to compressible turbulent flows. A compressibility corrections of these models using the turbulent Mach number are proposed. The calculations have been performed for the compressible homogeneous shear flow and the turbulent plate mixing layers. The comparison of the proposed compressibility modifications of the SSG and FLT models with its universal version shows some important ameliorations in results for the majority characteristic parameter of the structural compressibility effects. It’s found that the predicted results from the modified SSG and FLT models are in reasonable agreement with the accepted data.
An ultra-tunable platform for molecular engineering of high-performance crystalline porous materials

Metal-organic frameworks are a class of crystalline porous materials with potential applications in catalysis, gas separation and storage, and so on. Of great importance is the development of innovative synthetic strategies to optimize porosity, composition and functionality to target specific applications. Here we show a platform for the development of metal-organic materials and control of their gas sorption properties. This platform can accommodate a large variety of organic ligands and homo- or hetero-metallic clusters, which allows for extraordinary tunability in gas sorption properties. Even without any strong binding sites, most members of this platform exhibit high gas uptake capacity. The high capacity is accomplished with an isosteric heat of adsorption as low as 20 kJ mol−1 for carbon dioxide, which could bring a distinct economic advantage because of the significantly reduced energy consumption for activation and regeneration of adsorbents. Synthetic design of crystalline porous materials is important for applications such as catalysis and adsorption. Here, the authors demonstrate a platform for the development of crystalline porous materials with a variety of organic ligands and metallic clusters, and control of their gas sorption properties.
Offending Behavior, Drug Use, and Mental Health Among Foreign-Born versus U.S. Born Latino Criminal Justice Clients.

Little is known about the offending behavior and recidivism factors of Latinos by nativity (U.S. born, foreign-born). The present study focused on Latinos in community corrections (n = 201) in Miami, Florida, and examined differences in criminal activity, drug use, and mental health by nativity. Data were collected utilizing convenience sampling between June 2014 and December 2015. The research question was: what are the offending, drug use, and mental health histories of Latinos involved in community corrections? Participants were mostly male (n = 120; 59.7%), White (n = 105; 52.2%), and Cuban (n = 97; 48.3%). U.S. born community corrections clients (n = 141) were more likely to report more lifetime and recent criminal activity; and more likely to report lifetime and recent drug use behavior than foreign-born Latinos (n = 60). No differences were found in recent mental health. Correctional healthcare should tailor services such as substance abuse treatment differently toward U.S. born and foreign-born Latinos.
Intracranial Subependymoma: A SEER Analysis 2004–2013

Background Subependymomas are rare, slow-growing, benign tumors. Because they are scarce, knowledge relating to survival remains lacking. Consequently, we explore the SEER database to evaluate prognostic and treatment factors associated with intracranial subependymoma. Methods With the SEER-18 registry database, information from all patients with intracranial subependymoma diagnosed during 2004–2013 were extracted, including age, sex, race, occurrence of surgery, extent of primary surgery, receipt of radiation, tumor size, and follow-up data. Age-adjusted incidence rates, overall survival, and cause-specific survival were calculated. Cox proportional hazards model was used for both univariate and multivariate analyses. Results Four hundred sixty-six cases were identified. The overall incidence of intracranial subependymoma is 0.055 per 100,000 person-years (95% confidence interval, 0.05–0.06). Through multivariate analysis, age P = 0.03), female sex (HR, 0.34; P = 0.03), location within ventricles or near brainstem (HR, 0.49; P = 0.04), and occurrence of surgery (HR, 0.50; P = 0.02) were significant independent positive prognostic factors. Receipt of radiation did not show a significant relationship. Conclusion Clinical factors such as younger age, female sex, and location within ventricles or near brain stem demonstrated positive relationship with overall survival. For treatment options, surgery remains a mainstay option. No support for radiation therapy was identified.
State-level gonorrhea rates and expedited partner therapy laws: insights from time series analyses.

Abstract Objective In this study, we examined state-level monthly gonorrhea morbidity and assessed the potential impact of existing expedited partner therapy (EPT) laws in relation to the time that the laws were enacted. Study design Longitudinal study. Methods We obtained state-level monthly gonorrhea morbidity (number of cases/100,000 for males, females and total) from the national surveillance data. We used visual examination (of morbidity trends) and an autoregressive time series model in a panel format with intervention (interrupted time series) analysis to assess the impact of state EPT laws based on the months in which the laws were enacted. Results For over 84% of the states with EPT laws, the monthly morbidity trends did not show any noticeable decreases on or after the laws were enacted. Although we found statistically significant decreases in gonorrhea morbidity within four of the states with EPT laws (Alaska, Illinois, Minnesota, and Vermont), there were no significant decreases when the decreases in the four states were compared contemporaneously with the decreases in states that do not have the laws. Conclusion We found no impact (decrease in gonorrhea morbidity) attributable exclusively to the EPT law(s). However, these results do not imply that the EPT laws themselves were not effective (or failed to reduce gonorrhea morbidity), because the effectiveness of the EPT law is dependent on necessary intermediate events/outcomes, including sexually transmitted infection service providers' awareness and practice, as well as acceptance by patients and their partners.
Internet Appendix for: 'Capital Market Effects of Media Synthesis and Dissemination: Evidence from Robo-Journalism'

This Internet Appendix includes supplementary discussion and analyses. The original paper "Capital Market Effects of Media Synthesis and Dissemination: Evidence from Robo-Journalism" is available at the following URL: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2872784
Ammonia-free synthesis of 3-trifluoromethyl-3-phenyldiaziridine

An ammonia-free synthesis of 3-trifluoromethyl-3-phenyldiaziridine, an important intermediate in the synthesis of a widely used photolabel 3-trifluoromethyl-3-phenyldiazirine, is described. By avoi...
You Are What You Eat: Toying with the Process of Becoming

Material and virtual toys are present in people’s lives from childhood to adulthood. Food, toys and play-acting are entangled in childhood socialization processes that leave abrasions, cravings, and memory musings that denote places and times as well as feelings of being out of place and out of time. Immigrants’ longing for the homeland is often translated into the attachment and reproduction of food traditions. Mothers and their children experience the dilemma of fitting into the adopted culture while retaining homeland traditions. This generational conundrum is highlighted in social events and food choices. This chapter explores these challenges, using autobiographical memories, ethnographic analysis, and materiality theory.
The integration of British undergraduate men’s public and private masculinities

AbstractRecent research has highlighted British heterosexual men espousing gay-friendly attitudes, and adopting ‘softer’ gendered behaviours. In contexts where overt homophobia is increasingly stigmatized, it is possible that these public avowals of attitudes do not correspond with privately held beliefs. In this article, I draw on a two-year covert insider-ethnography of undergraduate men to investigate men’s private attitudes related to homosexuality and their embodied masculinities. In these contexts, these men were found to be as emotionally open, inclusive and homosocially tactile as they were in public. Drawing on Goffman’s notion of front and backstage, I contend that these men’s masculine identities are ‘authentic’ components of themselves, and are more than strategic presentations of self.
Passive state preparation in the Gaussian-modulated coherent-states quantum key distribution

In the Gaussian-modulated coherent-states (GMCS) quantum key distribution (QKD) protocol, Alice prepares quantum states actively: For each transmission, Alice generates a pair of Gaussian-distributed random numbers, encodes them on a weak coherent pulse using optical amplitude and phase modulators, and then transmits the Gaussian-modulated weak coherent pulse to Bob. Here we propose a passive state preparation scheme using a thermal source. In our scheme, Alice splits the output of a thermal source into two spatial modes using a beam splitter. She measures one mode locally using conjugate optical homodyne detectors, and transmits the other mode to Bob after applying appropriate optical attenuation. Under normal conditions, Alice's measurement results are correlated to Bob's, and they can work out a secure key, as in the active state preparation scheme. Given the initial thermal state generated by the source is strong enough, this scheme can tolerate high detector noise at Alice's side. Furthermore, the output of the source does not need to be single mode, since an optical homodyne detector can selectively measure a single mode determined by the local oscillator. Preliminary experimental results suggest that the proposed scheme could be implemented using an off-the-shelf amplified spontaneous emission source.
Multi-tooth Machines—Design and Analysis

Because of the enhancing concerns on the energy utilization as well as the environmental protection, more attentions have been placed on the development of electric machines.
Looking Back … And Looking Forward

ABSTRACT In this essay I reflect on my career in academic accounting and explore what has remained the same and what has changed over that time. I examine the people who enter academic accounting, ...
Why do children with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia not attend neonatal follow-up care? Parental views of barriers

Aim To assess in children with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia at a corrected age of 18-36 months: (i) Neonatal follow-up clinic attendance rates; (ii) Parent-identified reasons for difficulty attending neonatal follow-up. Methods Mixed methods study utilising semi-structured phone interviews with parents of infants eligible for follow-up with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (defined as gestational age 2 L nasal cannula at 36 weeks post-menstrual age) at 18-36 months corrected age. Questions addressed barriers to neonatal follow-up attendance. Enrolment continued to saturation (no new themes emerging). Results A total of 58 infants (69% male) were enrolled. Infants were 26 ± 2.1 weeks gestational age and birth weight 794 ± 262 g. At 28 ± 5.8 months corrected age, 26% had never attended neonatal follow-up clinic, 16% stopped attending before discharge, 5% were discharged, and 53% were still followed. Longer travel distance from home to follow-up clinic was associated with poorer attendance. Parent-generated items related to neonatal follow-up barriers were coded into four themes: Logistics, Time, Perceptions and Emotional Stress. Conclusion Despite high risk of developmental delay in infants with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia, neonatal follow-up rates are suboptimal. Careful review of parent-identified barriers could be utilised to develop targeted strategies to improve neonatal follow-up attendance in this high-risk population.
Verification and validation of residual stresses in composite structures

Abstract Process-induced residual stresses occur in composite structures composed of dissimilar materials. As these residual stresses could result in fracture, their consideration when designing composite parts is necessary. However, the experimental determination of residual stresses in prototype parts can be time and cost prohibitive. Alternatively, it is possible for computational tools to predict potential residual stresses. Therefore, the objectives of the presented work are to demonstrate an efficient method for simulating residual stresses in composite parts, as well as the potential value of statistical methods during analyses for which material properties are unknown. Specifically, a simplified residual stress modeling approach is implemented within Sandia National Laboratories’ SIERRA/SolidMechanics code. Concurrent with the model development, bi-material composite structures are designed and manufactured to exhibit significant residual stresses. Then, the presented modeling approach is rigorously verified and validated through simulations of the bi-material composite structures’ manufacturing processes, including a mesh convergence study, sensitivity analysis, and uncertainty quantification . The simulations’ final results show adequate agreement with the experimental measurements, indicating the validity of a simple modeling approach, as well as a necessity for the inclusion of material parameter uncertainty in the final residual stress predictions.
Phylogenetic Relationships Within the Lowland Tropical Salamanders of the Bolitoglossa Mexicana Complex (Amphibia: Plethodontidae)

This is one of a projected series of papers dealing with phylogenetic relationships in the genus Bolitoglossa, the largest and most widely distributed genus in the Order Caudata and one that includes about 20% of recognized salamander species. Our strategy is to investigate primary taxa in proposed subgroups of the genus with the goal of discovering monophyletic groups. When such groups are found, representatives are selected to investigate species-level relationships in other groups, with the goal of establishing a robust phylogenetic hypothesis for the genus. The monophyly of the super-genus Bolitoglossa is well supported on both morphological and molecular grounds (Jackman et al., 1997;Lombard and Wake, 1986), and the genus Bolitoglossa is supported on morphological characters (Wake and Elias, 1983) but lineages within both taxa are less well established.
Biochemical Basis of Parental Behavior in the Rat

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on involvement of biochemical factors in the regulation of parental behavior in the Rattus norvegicus. Parturient rats display a set of behavioral responses over the course of lactation that helps to ensure the growth and survival of their offspring. These behaviors can be divided into those that are pup directed and others that are not. The chapter highlights role of hormones in parental behavior. Endogenous shifts in secretory patterns of hormones and neurochemicals are thought to underlie the shifts in incidences and intensities of parental behavior in female as well as male rats. A substantive body of research has explored the role of hormones and various neurotransmitters in the regulation of parental care. That female rats show pronounced shifts in latencies to display maternal behavior at the end of gestation initially led investigators to explore the relationships between the physiological changes of pregnancy and the expression of maternal behavior. The chapter also develops a working model that illustrates the biochemical factors which influence the expression of parental behavior in rats.
Estimating the Mean and Variance of a High-dimensional Normal Distribution Using a Mixture Prior

Abstract A framework is provided for estimating the mean and variance of a high-dimensional normal density. The main setting considered is a fixed number of vectors following a high-dimensional normal distribution with unknown mean and diagonal covariance matrix. The diagonal covariance matrix can be known or unknown. If the covariance matrix is unknown, the sample size can be as small as 2. The proposed estimator is based on the idea that the unobserved mean/variance pairs across dimensions are drawn from an unknown bivariate distribution, which is modeled as a mixture of normal-inverse gammas. The mixture of normal-inverse gamma distributions provides advantages over more traditional empirical Bayes methods, which are based on a normal–normal model. When fitting a mixture model, the algorithm is essentially clustering the unobserved mean and variance pairs into different groups, with each group having a different normal-inverse gamma distribution. The proposed estimator of each mean is the posterior mean of shrinkage estimates, each of which shrinks a sample mean towards a different component of the mixture distribution. The proposed estimator of variance has an analogous interpretation in terms of sample variances and components of the mixture distribution. If the diagonal covariance matrix is known, then the sample size can be as small as 1, and the pairs of known variances and unknown means across dimensions are treated as random observations coming from a flexible mixture of normal-inverse gamma distributions.
Costs and Benefits of Investment Treaties: Practical Considerations for States

This paper analyzes the expected benefits of investment treaties, including: increased inward investment, increased outward investment, and depoliticization of investment disputes. It then considers evidence of the costs of investment treaties, including: litigation, liability, reputational cost, reduced policy space, distorted power dynamics, reduced role for domestic law-making, and uncertainty in the law. The authors set forth practical steps that states can take relating to both existing treaties as well as future treaties with an objective of increasing desired benefits and decreasing unexpected and high costs of investment treaties.
Effects of Antenna Pattern Asymmetry on Radar Angle Rate Estimation

A method for the direct measurement of the angular velocity of moving objects using a distributed radar has recently been demonstrated by the authors. The theoretical accuracy of the angular velocity estimation depends on the angular distribution of the electric field intensity, and asymmetry in the distribution will cause the estimate to degrade. In this work, we analyze the effect of asymmetries in the electric field for linear arrays generating a near-optimal dual-beam electric field pattern. We show that for errors of up to 3 dB between the two beam intensities, the estimation accuracy degrades by less than a factor of two.
Racial Disparities in Virologic Failure and Tolerability During Firstline HIV Antiretroviral Therapy.

Background Racial/ethnic disparities in HIV outcomes have persisted despite effective antiretroviral therapy. In a study of initial regimens, we found viral suppression varied by race/ethnicity. In this exploratory analysis, we use clinical and socioeconomic data to assess factors associated with virologic failure and adverse events within racial/ethnic groups. Methods Data were from AIDS Clinical Trial Group A5257, a randomized trial of initial regimens with either atazanavir/ritonavir, darunavir/ritonavir, or raltegravir (each combined with tenofovir DF and emtricitabine). We grouped participants by race/ethnicity and then used Cox-proportional hazards regression to examine the impact of demographic, clinical, and socioeconomic factors on the time to virologic suppression and time to adverse event reporting within each racial/ethnic group. Results We analyzed data from 1762 participants: 757 self-reported as non-Hispanic black (NHB), 615 as non-Hispanic white (NHW), and 390 as Hispanic. The proportion with virologic failure was higher for NHB (22%) and Hispanic (17%) participants compared with NHWs (9%). Factors associated with virologic failure were poor adherence and higher baseline HIV RNA level. Prior clinical AIDS diagnosis was associated with virologic failure for NHBs only, and unstable housing and illicit drug use for NHWs only. Factors associated with adverse events were female sex in all groups and concurrent use of medications for comorbidities in NHB and Hispanic participants only. Conclusions Clinical and socioeconomic factors that are associated with virologic failure and tolerability of antiretroviral therapy vary between and within racial and ethnic groups. Further research may shed light into mechanisms leading to disparities and targeted strategies to eliminate those disparities.
Tensile and Fatigue Analysis of 3D-Printed Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol

This paper investigates the tensile and fatigue behavior of polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG) parts manufactured by fused filament fabrication (FFF). PETG is a thermoplastic polyester that is available as a filament for commercial desktop 3D printers. As the functionality of 3D printing components for end-part use grows, it is essential to characterize mechanical properties of available materials in a quasistatic and dynamic loading condition. One of the main issues of FFF components is the anisotropy of mechanical properties that is induced by part-build orientation and raster orientation. The objective of this study was to quantify anisotropy of PETG coupons by testing against four raster orientations—longitudinal, transversal, diagonal and crosshatched. Quasistatic tensile tests were performed on two specimen types that yielded the highest ultimate tensile strength and modulus of elasticity for longitudinal specimens. Measured strength varied from 41.58 to 48.04 MPa for the weakest and strongest orientations which correspond to 83–96% of PETG strength processed by injection molding. Tensile–tensile fatigue tests with a stress ratio of R = 0.1 were performed at 90, 80, 70 and 60% of nominal UTS of each specimen type. S–N curves displayed the highest fatigue life of the longitudinal specimen followed by the crosshatched specimen at 80–90% UTS stress level that were both eventually outperformed by the diagonal specimen at the 60% UTS stress level. Finally, a fractography analysis conducted on fatigued specimens displayed signs of plastic failure for all orientations. This paper provides an experimental analysis of PETG tensile and fatigue properties that have not been found in the literature. Results show that PETG is a good candidate for FFF technology because of the competitive mechanical properties and lesser anisotropy.
Skeletal muscle LINE-1 ORF1 mRNA is higher in older humans but decreases with endurance exercise and is negatively associated with higher physical activity.

The long interspersed nuclear element-1 (L1) gene is highly abundant in the genome and encodes for an autonomous retrotransposon, which is capable of copying and pasting itself into other portions ...
Variability of first morning urine specific gravity in 103 healthy dogs.

Background Urine specific gravity (USG) is an integral part of the urinalysis and a key component of many clinical decisions, and fluctuations in USG have the potential to impact case management. Objectives To determine the intraindividual variability of first morning USG results in healthy dogs. Animals One hundred three healthy client-owned dogs. Methods Dogs were deemed healthy based on clinical history and physical examination findings. Repeated USG measurements were performed over the course of 2 weeks. Three urine samples were collected each week for a total of 6 samples per dog. Sample collection was distributed evenly throughout the week. Urine samples were acquired immediately upon waking and before any ingestion of liquids, food, or exertion of physical activity in the dogs. All measurements were made using the same Misco digital refractometer. Results Intraindividual USG was variable over the course of the study. The mean difference between the minimum and maximum USG for each dog was 0.015 (SD, 0.007). The within-week difference between the minimum and maximum USG was less than over the complete 2-week study (0.009 [SD 0.006] for week 1 and 0.010 [SD 0.007] for week 2). The mean coefficient of variance across all 6 time points was 15.4% (SD 8.97%). Conclusions and clinical importance Clinically important variation occurs in USG in healthy animals and might impact clinical decision-making when diagnostic cutoff points are utilized. Clinicians should be aware of inherent variability in this clinical variable when analyzing results.
Improving Fast SiC MOSFET Switching Using an Inductive Gate Drive Approach

An innovative gating scheme for wide bandgap semiconductor switches is investigated to fully exploit recent advances of SiC MOSFET properties in hold-off voltage (from single digits to tens of kV) and low on-state resistance (tens of mΩ). Robust gate driving techniques are required to achieve fast risetimes on the order of 10–20 ns. Further, due to the high dI/dt, and subsequent inductive kickback, parasitic inductance may drastically affect the performance of commercially available totem-pole gate drivers. Further, traditionally packaged MOSFETs exhibit additional degradation of switching characteristics due to the introduction of parasitics primarily due to their lead geometry.
Chapter 24 – User Authentication

Publisher Summary Without a method of providing for the authentication of users, the firewall would lack the ability to limit, who has access to administrative features or virtual private networks (VPNs). User authentication is one of the two most important aspects of the Netscreen firewall. By providing a set of strong user authentication capabilities, the Netscreen firewall helps secure the network. The Netscreen firewall also provides a balance between security and ease-of-use via the many features supported in its authentication mechanisms. User authentication on the Netscreen firewall appears confusing given to the five types of supported users, four ways to store the users—one internal, and three external—and limitations that exist only for some of the users. This chapter discusses the types of users and how they should be used. It discusses the types of authentication servers, the features that each authentication user has and what limitations one should be aware of. Finally, the chapter shows how to set up users, authentication servers, and more by using both Netscreen's WebUI and the command line interface.
Bootleggers, Baptists and ballots: coalitions in Arkansas’ alcohol-legalization elections

Yandle (Regulation 7(3):12–16, 1983) proposed a “bootleggers and Baptists” framework to explain political coalition formation. Using mandatory disclosure reports, I document actual examples of such coalitions in Arkansas county-level elections to legalize alcohol. The coalitions often are composed of liquor stores in bordering counties where alcohol already is legal, along with churches and other religious organizations. Funding comes primarily from existing liquor stores, although religious organizations provide funding in some cases. Religious organizations contribute to the coalition in several non-monetary forms, which I also document in this article by reference to news reports and other sources. The results confirm Yandle’s theory of tacit coalitions.
Convex model to evaluate worst-case performance of local search in the Optimal Power Flow problem

The optimal power flow (OPF) problem is a well-known non-convex optimization problem that aims to minimize the cost of electric power generation subject to consumer demand, the physics of power flow, and technological constraints. To find an optimal solution to this problem, local search techniques such as interior point methods are typically used. However, due to the non-convex nature of the problem, these methods are likely to result in a sub-optimal solution. The goal of this paper is to characterize the worst-case performance of local search on the OPF problem. To accomplish this, we formulate the OPF problem as a canonical quadratically-constrained quadratic program (QCQP). Then, we study the problem of finding the worst-case local minimum of this QCQP, which is non-convex and hard to solve in general. We find a relaxation of this problem into a semidefinite program (SDP) and show that it is exact for certain cases. Using some test cases which are known to have multiple local minima, we demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed relaxation to bound the worst-case local minimum. We compare the obtained upper bound on local minima to the lower bound provided by the standard SDP relaxation of the OPF problem to understand how much SDP outperforms local search for a given problem.
The Power of TV: Cable Television and Women's Status in India

Cable and satellite television have grown rapidly throughout the developing world. The availability of cable and satellite television exposes viewers to new information about the outside world, which may affect individual attitudes and behaviors. This paper explores the effect of the introduction of cable television on gender attitudes in rural India. Using a three-year individual-level panel dataset, we find that the introduction of cable television is associated with improvements in women's status. We find significant increases in reported autonomy, decreases in the reported acceptability of beating and decreases in reported son preference. We also find increases in female school enrollment and decreases in fertility (primarily via increased birth spacing). The effects are large, equivalent in some cases to about five years of education in the cross section, and move gender attitudes of individuals in rural areas much closer to those in urban areas. We argue that the results are not driven by pre-existing differential trends. These results have important policy implications, as India and other countries attempt to decrease bias against women.
Student Loans at the Dinner Table: Family Communication Patterns About Student Loans Before Accrual and During Repayment

With student loan borrowing becoming an increasingly common experience in U.S. households, it is crucial to understand the interpersonal manifestation of education debt within family systems. This study sought to understand how accruing and repaying student loan debt for one’s own higher education relates to family dynamics and communication within families. Leveraging Family Communication Patterns Theory, this study asked: How do student loan borrowers describe loan-related family communication patterns prior to loan accrual and during the repayment period? Utilizing qualitative and quantitative data collected through a concurrent nested mixed methods study design, findings from this study profile family communication typologies leading up to, and during, student loan repayment. Study findings suggest that the ways in which families communicate about student loans prior to loan accrual and during repayment (a) relate to family financial socialization processes and (b) play at least a partial role in how they experience student loans as part of their overall family dynamics. This study proposes a model of loan-related family communication dynamics and offers implications for future scholarship and practice.
ORC binds and remodels nucleosomes to specify MCM loading onto DNA

ABSTRACT Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been a faithful guide for study of eukaryotic DNA replication, as the numerous initiation and elongation proteins are conserved from yeast to human. However, there is a gap in our knowledge of why yeast uses a consensus DNA sequence at replication origins, while higher eukaryotes do not. The current study closes this gap. By direct single-molecule visualization, we show that the Origin Recognition Complex (ORC) searches for and stably binds nucleosomes, and that nucleosomes funtionalize ORC to load MCM helicase onto DNA, regardless of DNA sequence. Furthermore, we discover that ORC can remodel nucleosomes and expel H2A-H2B histone dimers, a heretofore unexpected function. Thus ORC helps create a chromatin environment permissive to origin function. The finding that ORC binding to nucleosomes leads to MCM loading at any DNA sequence is likely to generalize, and that higher eukaryotes follow this same paradigm for origin selection
Influenza Vaccination in Massachusetts Jails: A Mixed-Methods Analysis.

ObjectivesInfluenza infects millions of people each year and contributes to tens of thousands of deaths annually despite the availability of vaccines. People most at risk of influenza complications...
Humble Conservatism: Stewardship, the Rule of Law, and a Consistent Life Ethic

Congressman Justin Amash had a short-lived run for the Presidency in 2020. While his campaign did not gain traction, his record and example should be a call for conservatives to espouse what I term "humble conservatism" - a conservatism that offers the promise of restoration of humility, compassion and moral elevation to government. This Article presents four arguments, examining Amash's record, which espouse humble conservatism: 1) the embracing of the virtue of humility in our nation's political discourse; 2) a conservative, fiscal vision for stewardship of America's ballooning debt; 3) a commitment and record to strict adherence to the Constitution, the separation of powers, and the rule of law; and 4) a commitment to a consistent life ethic. The Article concludes that humble conservatism, guided by humility, stewardship of the national debt, respect for the rule of law, support for small business, and advocacy of a culture of life, can be the philosophy that helps the United States recover from one of the darkest moments of our era to the promise of a brighter future where all have the opportunity to succeed and prosper.
Mid-term fate of unifocalized major aortopulmonary collateral arteries (MAPCAs) in patients with retro-esophageal MAPCAs

STRUCTURED ABSTRACT Background Pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect and major aortopulmonary collateral arteries (PA/VSD/MAPCAs) is a relatively rare and complex form of congenital heart disease. Unifocalization of MAPCAs has been advocated by some groups for the treatment of this condition. The purpose of this study was to assess the mid-term fate of unifocalized MAPCAs in a cohort of patients with retro-esophageal MAPCAs. Methods This was a retrospective review of 37 patients who underwent a unifocalization procedure. All patients in this study had one or more retro-esophageal MAPCAs, and detailed mapping of the MAPCAs was made based on a combination of the cardiac catheterization and surgical findings. Results The 37 patients had a total of 166 MAPCAs, or 4.5 MAPCAs per patient. One hundred twenty nine (78%) MAPCAs were unifocalized, while 37 (22%) were ligated as they were dual supply. Median follow-up was 69 months. At follow-up cardiac catheterization, evaluation of the 129 unifocalized MAPCAs demonstrated that 123 (95%) had antegrade flow while six were occluded. For the 123 MAPCAs with antegrade flow, 97 (80%) were widely patent while 26 were stenotic. Thirteen of the 37 patients have subsequently undergone re-intervention on MAPCAs that were determined to be stenotic following unifocalization. Seven of these patients had mild disease and had complete resolution with balloon (n=5) or surgical revision (n=2). Six patients with moderate or severe disease underwent surgical revision with confirmed resolution in four of six. Conclusions The data demonstrate that the majority of unifocalized MAPCAs remain widely patent following unifocalization. However, one-quarter of unifocalized MAPCAs develop stenoses or occlusion. These results suggest the fate for most unifocalized MAPCAs is favorable but highlight the need for close vigilance.
Virtual Environments (VEs): The Potentials and Challenges for Use in Cognitive Rehabilitation of Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs)

Virtual Environments (VEs): The Potentials and Challenges for Use in Cognitive Rehabilitation of Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs)
Service Dogs for Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

Efforts are underway to make posttraumatic stress disorder a condition for which the Veterans Administration will authorize coverage for use of service dogs.
Expression of insulin-like growth factor family members in myostatin null mice (1032.3)

Myostatin inhibits while insulin-like growth factors (IGF) 1 and 2 increase pre- and postnatal skeletal muscle growth. However, the contribution of altered IGF expression to the hypermuscular pheno...
Reduced Triphosphopyridine Nucleotide Oxidase-catalyzed Alterations of Membrane Phospholipids: I. NATURE OF THE LIPID ALTERATIONS

Abstract Oxidation of TPNH by liver microsomes from normal rats resulted in a concomitant disappearance of polyunsaturated fatty acids (primarily arachidonic acid) from the membrane phospholipids. The utilization of the polyunsaturated fatty acids was completely dependent on the presence of TPNH in the system. As much as 15% of the total microsomal fatty acids was consumed by the reaction within 30 to 45 min. Since the ester value of the phospholipids remained constant, it was evident that polyunsaturated fatty acids were being converted to some as yet unidentified moiety in situ on the phospholipid. The reaction showed greatest specificity for arachidonic acid at the β-acyl position. The polyunsaturated fatty acids in both phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine were consumed. The altered phospholipids were shown to be considerably more polar than normal microsomal phospholipids. They were still subject to the action of phospholipase A, however.
Elevated Tc levels in YBa2Cu3O6.5 modeled on a 3-dimensional doped bond structure of chain and plane pairs

The complex phenomenology of shot quenched YBa2Cu3O6.5 with Tc=100K and 200K levels is compared with laser pulsed analogs with an eye on explaining the presumed Tc=552K of the latter. Shot quenching can produce metastable states with pronounced increases in plane metric and cell volume, accompanied by a rough doubling of Tc to a 100K level of an orthorhombic with 3-fold O coordinated chain Cu (O3 type). These states decay over a non-superconducting transition range to the conventional Tc=50K level of O24. We consider the plane expanded laser pulsed materials to contain aspects of O42 plane n-doped counterparts of the O3 n-doped version of shot quench preparations. In addition, we assume that highly charged p-doped chains of 4-fold O coordination form hole pairs at trijugate position, allowing close approach of the apical O to the electron-doped planes. They are now capable of participating in the bonding with the plane pairs at corresponding 3a0/2 location. The overall pair number is therefore multiplied, and the coupling strengthened, by limited 3-D effects within the Plane-Chain-Plane sandwich. The latter can be seen as an extended chemical bonding system that has the potential to equilibrate contractive and expansive pairs and so obviate the need for distinction of doping type as it may exchange it dynamically. It is argued that indications for a Tc=200K level on shot quenching has a related origin and represents one in series of predicted Tc levels based on bond order principles. Predictions are made where similar effects can be expected in other compound classes.
Local prediction approach for protein classification using probabilistic suffix trees

Probabilistic suffix tree (PST) is a stochastic model that uses a suffix tree as an index structure to store conditional probabilities associated with subsequences. PST has been successfully used to model and predict protein families following global approach. Their approach takes into account the entire sequence, and thus is not suitable for partially conserved families. We develop two variants of PST for local prediction: multiple-domain prediction and best-domain prediction. The multiple-domain method predicts the probability that a protein belongs to a family based on one or more significant conserved regions, while the best-domain method does it based on the most conserved region in the query sequence. The time complexity of both of our approaches is the same as that of the global prediction, that is, O(Lm) where L is the depth bound of the tree and m is the size of the query sequence. We tested our algorithms on the Pfam database of protein families and compared the results with the global prediction method. The experimental results show that our approaches have higher accuracy of prediction than that of global approach. We also show that, our local prediction approach is an effective way to extract motifs/domains. Our approaches employ a linear time method for building PST by adapting the linear time construction of Probabilistic Automata reported by A. Apostolico et al.
Increased Neurogenesis in Young Transgenic Mice Overexpressing Human APP Sw,Ind

APP overexpressing mice have been widely used in the study of Alzheimer's disease (AD), focusing mainly at older ages, with higher accumulation of amyloid-β peptide (Aβ). A decrease in hippocampal adult neurogenesis has been described in these models and proposed to be a consequence of Aβ accumulation. Only one study demonstrates increased neurogenesis in the hippocampus of APP-overexpressing J20 mice, and suggests it is a compensatory effect due to a subtle Aβ-induced damage. We have previously reported that a specific aggregation of A β has neurogenic potential on neural stem cells (NSC) in vitro .I n order to clarify the contradicting data reported in vivo, we investigated NSC proliferation and neuronal differentiation in the hippocampi of J20 mice at a broader range of ages. Using immunohistochemistry, we show increased proliferation and neuronal differentiation in the hippocampi of 3 month-old J20 mice that reverted when animals became older. The increase in neurogenesis correlated with detectable levels of oligomeric Aβ, measured by ELISA and western blot. We suggest that oligomeric Aβ directly induces neurogenesis in vivo as has been demonstrated in vitro. Understanding the mechanisms underlying these changes could lead to treatments to control the neuronal differentiation of endogenous precursors through the progress of AD.
Synthesis of late paleozoic and triassic redbed sedimentation in Morocco

The Late Carboniferous and Permian strata of Morocco were deposited in late-orogenic, probably fault-bounded basins that formed during the last stages of the Variscan (Hercynian) orogeny. Remnants of a dozen of these basins are exposed in Morocco. They contain reddish-brown alluvial-fan and fluvial conglomerates and sandstones, as well as significant volumes of mudstone of probable floodplain origin. Several also contain intercalated acidic lava flows. Syndepositional and postdepositional tectonism caused structural deformation and erosion of these strata. The next stage of preserved deposition in Morocco began with continental rifting 30–40 million years later in Late Triassic time, and took place in isolated, fault-bounded basins that are aligned along the inherited Variscan structural trends. In southwestern Morocco, these basins were filled with brick-red alluvial-fan and fluvial conglomerates, sandstones, and mudstones; in the northern and coastal-southwestern parts of the country, marine-influenced thick halites and red evaporitic mudstones are the prevalent sedimentary deposits. As localized subsidence of the basins decreased, more regional subsidence began, causing transgression of the Tethys from the east, and of the newly formed Atlantic from the west. Widespread evaporitic mudstones were deposited across Morocco in vast nonmarine mudflats inland, and marine-influenced, muddy sabkhas nearer to the transgressive shoreline. Extensive basalt flows were extruded during deposition of these facies. As subsidence and transgression continued, open-marine Jurassic carbonates were deposited conformably over the mudstones along the High and Middle Atlas trends.
Adhesion of Salmonella typhimurium to porcine intestinal epithelial surfaces: identification and characterization of two phenotypes.

Abstract Salmonella typhimurium 798 is known to persistently colonize swine. A key step required to initiate colonization of intestines is adhesion of the organism to the intestinal epithelium. However, S. typhimurium 798 initially failed to attach to porcine enterocytes in vitro. An enrichment procedure was used to select adhesive S. typhimurium, and when cells of one colony type were grown in tryptone phosphate broth they were adhesive. Cells from a colony with a different morphology were not adhesive. Adhesion was time dependent, with maximal adhesion occurring at 1 h. As determined by electron microscopy, cells of the adhesive phenotype had pili while none of the cells with the nonadhesive phenotype produced pili. The pili on the adhesive cells were morphologically similar to type 1 pili. Mannose (0.5%) did not affect adhesion, suggesting that the adhesin on strain 798 did not recognize mannose as a receptor. An analysis of envelope proteins from cells of both phenotypes showed that the adhesive-phenotype cells expressed at least 10 unique proteins ranging in size from 20 to 60 kDa. Absorbed antiserum against cells of the adhesive phenotype agglutinated adhesive cells and was used to detect unique surface antigens on the cells of the adhesive phenotype by Western blots (immunoblots). These antigens were in the range of 30 kDa in size. An envelope extract competitively inhibited the binding of S. typhimurium to enterocytes, as did Fab fragments prepared from the absorbed serum. Cells of both phenotypes contained two plasmids, and each had identical restriction digestion patterns. Cells of the adhesive phenotype consistently were found to be more readily phagocytosed by pig leukocytes, and once in the phagocytes they survived better than cells of the nonadhesive phenotype.