cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Microstructure in the transition region and steady-state region of ice-templated sintered lithium titanate Li4Ti5O12 materials fabricated with and without sucrose

This study provides insights into the influence of sucrose (a water-soluble additive) on microstructure evolution in the transition region and steady-state region in ice-templated Li4Ti5O12 materials. A scanning electron microscope was employed for the two-dimensional characterization of microstructure in the transition region. Sucrose reduced the height of the transition region, caused an early alignment of ice lamellae toward temperature gradient direction, and resulted in a fine, dendritic microstructure. The overall microstructure development in the transition region was markedly different with and without sucrose. The differences were rationalized based on thermal conductivity, constitutional supercooling, and instability of the planar interface. Three-dimensional characterization of the steady-state region using X-ray computed tomography revealed that sucrose caused increased branching of the primary ice dendrites through tip splitting. A majority of the secondary dendrites turned into neighboring primary dendrites, enhancing pore path complexity. Diffusion simulations were performed to quantify pore tortuosity, which increased with sucrose content.
KV-SSD: What Is It Good For?

An increasing concern that curbs the widespread adoption of KV-SSD is whether or not offloading host-side operations to the storage device changes device behavior, negatively affecting various applications’ overall performance. In this paper, we systematically measure, quantify, and understand the performance of KV-SSD by studying the impact of its distinct components such as indexing, data packing, and key handling on I/O concurrency, garbage collection, and space utilization. Our experiments and analysis uncover that KV-SSD’s behavior differs from well-known idiosyncrasies of block-SSD. Proper understanding of its characteristics will enable us to achieve better performance for random, read-heavy, and highly concurrent workloads.
Down and Out in Paris and Tokyo: A Model of Insider-Outsider Policy Making in Rich Democracies

The share of labor market outsiders - workers engaged in part time, contract and temporary work, and the unemployed - is on the rise in the rich democracies. The largest increase in outsiders can be found in 'social insurance' welfare states, countries that traditionally married high employment protections for regular workers to welfare benefits based on occupational category. However, the similar economic problem of increasing labor market dualism has not produced the same political response in the social insurance welfare states. This paper presents a 'mediated policy process' model to explain why labor market and welfare policies directed at the least well-off diverge. I argue that domestic political structures best explain why outsiders have been able to secure more redistribution in some countries than others. I emphasize two variables: which groups have access to the formal policy making process, and whether or not challenger parties pose an electoral threat to incumbent parties. I illustrate the model with an examination of the labor policy process in Japan. I show that the formal inclusion of unions dominated by lifetime employees (insiders) fosters few incentives to represent the interests of non-unionized outsiders. However, when electoral competition increases, outsiders demands can find a place in the policy process.
Pt Catalyst Degradation in Aqueous and Fuel Cell Environments studied via In-Operando Anomalous Small-Angle X-ray Scattering

Abstract The evolution of Pt nanoparticle cathode electrocatalyst size distribution in a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) was followed during accelerated stress tests using in-operando anomalous small-angle X-ray scattering (ASAXS). This evolution was compared to that observed in an aqueous electrolyte environment using stagnant electrolyte, flowing electrolyte, and flowing electrolyte at elevated temperature to reveal the different degradation trends in the PEMFC and aqueous environments and to determine the relevance of aqueous measurements to the stability of Pt nanoparticle catalyst in the fuel cell environment. The observed changes in the particle size distributions (PSDs) were analyzed to elucidate the extent and mechanisms of particle growth and corresponding mass and active surface area losses in the different environments. These losses indicate a Pt nanoparticle surface area loss mechanism controlled by Pt dissolution, the particle size dependence of Pt dissolution, the loss of dissolved Pt into the membrane and electrolyte, and, to a lesser extent, the re-deposition of dissolved Pt onto larger particles. Based on the geometric surface area loss, mass loss, and mean particle size increase trends, the aqueous environment best reflecting the fuel cell environment was found to be one in which the electrolyte is flowing rather than stagnant. Pt nanoparticle surface area loss resulting from potential cycling can be inhibited by reducing the number of particles smaller than a critical particle diameter (CPD), which was found to be ∼3.5 to ∼4 nm, with the CPD dependent on both the cycling protocol (square wave vs triangle wave) and the catalyst environment (fuel cell, aqueous stagnant, aqueous flowing electrolyte, or elevated temperature flowing electrolyte)
Effects of a phytotherapeutic agent, PC‐SPES, on prostate cancer: a preliminary investigation on human cell lines and patients

Objectives To evaluate the in vitro activity of PC-SPES, a complex phytotherapeutic agent, against prostate cancer cell lines, and to assess its activity in suppressing serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) level in patients with prostate cancer. Patients and methods Four variant prostate cancer cell lines (LNCaP and an apoptosis-resistant derivative, LNCaP-bcl-2, PC3 and DU145) were exposed to three different concentrations of PC-SPES extract. Cell viability was measured at 3, 4 and 5 days of exposure using a colorimetric assay and was compared with control cultures receiving aliquots of the ethanolic extraction medium alone. Clinically, a prospective study was initiated in patients with prostate cancer who refused conventional therapy or who had failed previous cryosurgery, radiation therapy and/or hormonal therapy. The patients were treated with PC-SPES (three capsules of 320 mg/day). The serum PSA responses and side-effects were evaluated. Results All cultured prostate cancer cell lines showed a significant dose-dependent reduction in cellular viability (compared with control cultures) by exposure to 4 and 6 μL of PC-SPES extract/mL of culture medium (P<0.001). In contrast to the hormone-insensitive cell lines tested (LNCaP-bcl-2, PC-3 and DU-145), only the hormone-sensitive cell line LNCaP was affected by the lowest dose of PC-SPES extract tested (2 μL/mL medium). In the prospective clinical trial of 33 patients, with a mean (range) follow-up of 6.8 (2–24) months after initiating PC-SPES therapy, serum PSA levels were lower in 87% at 2 months and in 78% at 6 months (n=18, P=0.026). The side-effects in these patients were nipple tenderness in two (6%) and leg clots requiring heparinization in two (6%). No gynaecomastia or hot flashes were observed in this group and the treatment was well tolerated. Conclusions In this preliminary study, an extract of the phytotherapeutic agent PC-SPES was active in suppressing the growth of cultured hormone-sensitive and -insensitive prostate cancer cell lines. In the small clinical study, PC-SPES therapy decreased serum PSA levels in most patients. However, a longer follow-up and more patients will be required to evaluate the long-term efficacy of this new phytotherapy.
Physicists Tame a Single Photon

QUANTUM MECHANICSAchieving the phenomenon known as quantum nondemolition--the repeated measurement of a quantum state without destroying it, as quantum mechanics dictates should be possible--is extremely difficult because of the fragile nature of quantum states. But in this week's issue of Nature , a team of French physicists reports trapping a single photon between spherical niobium mirrors and repeatedly detecting it with a single rubidium atom without destroying it. Physicists have hailed the work as a triumph of quantum measurement.
A new algorithm for the traveling salesman problem on networked workstations

In this paper we present a new parallel algorithm for solving traveling salesman problem (TSP). Our algorithm is based on a local optimization method and it was implemented on networked workstations using PVM. The obtained efficiency is 70% on 6 × SUN SPARCstation IPX. It is shown that networked workstations can be efficiently used for solving TSP problem.
On measurement-based light-time corrections for bistatic orbital debris tracking

When tracking objects in space, one must account for the propagation time of light between the object and the receiver (light-time). Most published tracking algorithms ignore light-time delays, implying that the time the light hit the target is ascertained from each measurement individually. This paper demonstrates that prediction biases worsen at high bistatic angles and exceed 250 m magnitude in a realistic scenario, indicating that more specialized algorithms should be used in such scenarios.
The Fundamental Problem with the Building Block Hypothesis

Skepticism of the building block hypothesis (BBH) has previously been expressed on account of the weak theoretical foundations of this hypothesis and the anomalies in the empirical record of the simple genetic algorithm. In this paper we hone in on a more fundamental cause for skepticism--the extraordinary strength of some of the assumptions that undergird the BBH. Specifically, we focus on assumptions made about the distribution of fitness over the genome set, and argue that these assumptions are unacceptably strong. As most of these assumptions have been embraced by the designers of so-called "competent" genetic algorithms, our critique is relevant to an appraisal of such algorithms as well.
Strategic Conservation Planning for Terrestrial Animal Species in the Central Interior of British Columbia

The Nature Conservancy of Canada used an expert-driven approach to incorporate multiple animal species into an ecoregional assessment for the purpose of conservation planning in the Central Interior of British Columbia. This method has been applied in 14 ecoregions across Canada as part of the organization’s mission to “protect areas of biological diversity for their intrinsic value and for future generations” through land purchases and other land protection measures. A team of biologists identified 100 vertebrate species considered to be of conservation concern in the study area (3 amphibians, 5 reptiles, 28 mammals, and 64 birds) and set targets for spatial representation of their occurrences and habitat. The level of conservation concern associated with each species was assessed based on its formal conservation ranking, conservation priorities set by other organizations, and observed trends and vulnerabilities in a local and provincial context. To identify areas of high conservation priority, targets for the representation of animal species, and those identified separately for plants and ecosystem units, were collectively applied in a series of simulations using Marxan site-selection software. Marxan was directed to meet coarse-filter targets for terrestrial ecosystem units as well as optimally represent fine-filter targets for plants and animals and their habitats. The final portfolio of conservation areas is based on a “best solution” of planning units (500‑ha hexagons) that provide the most effective representation of targets at least cost over 500 Marxan simulations. These areas achieved all of the representation targets for terrestrial animals in terms of the number of element occurrences and percent area of habitat selected. Priority conservation areas are distributed across the study area, building on existing protected areas and providing increased connectivity.
Characterizing Cellular Biophysical Responses to Stress by Relating Density, Deformability, and Size

Cellular physical properties are important indicators of specific cell states. Although changes in individual biophysical parameters, such as cell size, density, and deformability, during cellular processes have been investigated in great detail, relatively little is known about how they are related. Here, we use a suspended microchannel resonator (SMR) to measure single-cell density, volume, and passage time through a narrow constriction of populations of cells subjected to a variety of environmental stresses. Osmotic stress significantly affects density and volume, as previously shown. In contrast to density and volume, the effect of an osmotic challenge on passage time is relatively small. Deformability, as determined by comparing passage times for cells with similar volume, exhibits a strong dependence on osmolarity, indicating that passage time alone does not always provide a meaningful proxy for deformability. Finally, we find that protein synthesis inhibition, cell-cycle arrest, protein kinase inhibition, and cytoskeletal disruption result in unexpected relationships among deformability, density, and volume. Taken together, our results suggest that by measuring multiple biophysical parameters, one can detect unique characteristics that more specifically reflect cellular behaviors.
Adultification in Juvenile Corrections: Examining the Orientations of Juvenile and Adult Probation and Parole Officers

Legislative activity, court decisions, and other activities have left open to question how distinct is the juvenile justice system from the criminal justice system. While several scholars have considered adultification of juvenile courts, no study has systematically examined the adultification of juvenile corrections. The present study assesses whether one type of juvenile corrections, probation and parole, has been adultified by comparing the professional orientations of juvenile and adult probation and parole officers. The study finds that juvenile probation and parole officers do differ from adult officers across several dimensions of professional orientation that are critical to the distinctiveness of the juvenile justice system. Specifically, our analyses show that compared to adult probation and parole officers, juvenile officers tend to more strongly adhere to ideals of treatment, welfare, and offender-focused probation and parole supervision.
PUBLIC VALUE CREATION BY CROSS‐SECTOR COLLABORATIONS: A FRAMEWORK AND CHALLENGES OF ASSESSMENT

This article proposes ways to assess the public value that cross-sector collaborations produce. It introduces a framework featuring three dimensions of public value – democratic accountability, procedural legitimacy, and substantive outcomes – that reflect distinct priorities and concerns for public administration. Utilizing examples from research on a multi-year cross-sector collaboration in the transportation field, we illustrate the framework's application and identify techniques and challenges for assessing the collaborative creation of public value. The article concludes with questions and propositions to guide future research.
Galicia, or the Spurious Child: Illegitimate Origins in the Modern Novel

The present article uses Suso de Toro’s Sete palabras as a starting point for analyzing the protagonism of illegitimate children in the Galician novel since the Rexurdimen- to . Considered in a historical context and as a literary trope, the illegitimate child can be read as an expression of anxiety around a national identity rested upon a notion of purity, be it linguistic, ethnic or territorial. These unclear origins, rather than preclude the possibility of identity formation and history —individual or collective— can serve as a source for alternative histories and identities.
Does Police Intervention in Intimate Partner Violence Work? Estimating the Impact of Batterer Arrest in Reducing Revictimization

A variety of societal interventions in intimate partner violence have been established for decades, including the police actively arresting perpetrators. However, it is difficult to find consistent study results to show if arrest is effective. Moreover, there are far fewer studies on victims than on perpetrators. This study utilized the National Crime Victimization Survey to examine if victims whose partners were arrested were less revictimized than those whose partners were not arrested. Results clearly showed that arrest of perpetrators was effective in reducing revictimization, controlling for victims’ characteristics and the nature of violence incidents. Also, separated or divorced women showed the highest risk of revictimization. Comparisons with previous studies and implications on police policies are discussed.
Hydro-Climatological Trends in the Continental United States, 1948-88

Abstract Spatial patterns in trends of four monthly variables: average temperature, precipitation, streamflow, and average of the daily temperature range were examined for the continental United States for the period 1948–88. The data used are a subset of the Historical Climatology Network (1036 stations) and a stream gage network of 1009 stations. Trend significance was determined using the nonparametric seasonal Kendall's test on a monthly and annual basis, and a robust slope estimator was used for determination of trend magnitudes. A bivariate test was used for evaluation of relative changes in the variables, specifically, streamflow relative to precipitation, streamflow relative to temperature, and precipitation relative to temperature. Strong trends were found in all of the variables at many more stations than would be expected due to chance. There is a strong spatial and seasonal structure in the trend results. For instance, although annual temperature increases were found at many stations, mostly i...
Carcinoma of the cervix metastatic to the liver presenting with obstructive jaundice.

Abstract A patient with obstructive jaundice secondary to cervical carcinoma metastatic to the liver without paraaortic lymph node involvement is presented.
Octahedral Noble‐Metal Nanoparticles and Their Electrocatalytic Properties

Octahedrally shaped noble-metal nanocrystals are fascinating for their unique properties, such as electrocatalytic, catalytic, plasmonic, and optical behavior, owing to their exclusively exposed {111} facets; Oh symmetric structure; and close-packed surface atoms in low-index surface categories, which are normally stable in a reaction. A series of protocols in the preparation of noble-metal nano-octahedra through a wet-chemical synthetic strategy have been developed in recent years. Herein, advances in synthetic approaches and mechanistic studies of noble-metal nano-octahedra are systematically discussed and key factors, including reduction kinetics, selective capping, and epitaxial growth, are outlined. Their unique performance as advanced electrocatalysts towards fuel-cell reactions is highlighted as well.
Cytokines in infectious diseases.

Cytokines are heterogenous group of proteins that are produced by a wide variety of cells in the body and act as signals between the cells of the immune system. The recent discovery of two distinct subsets of T-helper cells led to the development of a conceptual framework of complex network of cytokine pathways in the regulation of immune responses against a variety of infectious agents. In this brief review, we have attempted to present a concise summary of the current state of knowledge of this complex interaction among cytokines that result in a cascade of biological events leading to inflammatory response and host defense against pathogens.
Memories of past episodes shape current intentions and decisions

This research tested the hypothesis that people's decisions and future plans are influenced by recently activated autobiographical memories. University students rated the overall quality of their college experiences. They were also asked to describe a specific memory of being either satisfied or dissatisfied with the university. Control participants did not describe a memory. After statistically controlling for pre-existing attitudes towards the university, students who recounted a positive memory expressed the strongest intentions to donate money to the university, attend a class reunion, and recommend the university to others, and they were more likely than controls to specify that an actual donation be made to the university rather than to another charity. Emotional intensity of positive memories predicted future plans and donation decisions. Students who recounted a negative memory also tended to favour the university in their actual donation decisions compared to controls. Prompting the recall of emotional memories may be an effective way to influence intentions and decisions.
Mechanism of stimulation of human DNA ligase I by the Rad9-Rad1-Hus1 checkpoint complex

Abstract Accumulating evidence suggests that the Rad9-Rad1-Hus1 (9-1-1) checkpoint complex, known to be a sensor of DNA damage, is also a component of DNA repair systems. Recent results show that 9-1-1 interacts with several base excision repair proteins. It binds the DNA glycosylase MutY homolog, and stimulates DNA polymerase β, flap endonuclease 1, and DNA ligase I. 9-1-1 resembles proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), which stimulates some of these same repair enzymes, and is loaded onto DNA in a similar manner. The complex of 9-1-1 with DNA ligase I can be immunoprecipitated from human cells. Moreover, UV irradiation stimulates 9-1-1·ligase I complex formation, suggesting a role for 9-1-1 in DNA repair. Examining the nature of 9-1-1 interaction with DNA ligase I, we show that there is a similar degree of stimulation on ligation substrates with different structures, and that there is specificity for DNA ligase I. 9-1-1 improves the binding of DNA ligase I to nicked double strand DNA. Furthermore, although high concentrations of casein kinase II strongly inhibits DNA ligase I activity, it does not affect the ability of 9-1-1 to stimulate. This suggests that 9-1-1 is also an activator of DNA ligase I during DNA damage. Unlike PCNA, 9-1-1 stimulates DNA ligase I activity to the same extent on both linear and circular substrates, indicating that encirclement is not a requirement for stimulation. These data are consistent with a direct role for 9-1-1 in DNA repair, but possibly employing a different mechanism than PCNA.
The relation of acculturation to Latinas' perceived neighborhood safety and physical activity: a structural equation analysis.

Background: Physical activity rates are low for adult Latinas. In the United States, only 7.8% of adult Latinas met Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations for weekly vigorous leisure-time physical activity.Purpose: The purpose of this study is to test a theoretical model examining the direct and indirect influence of individual factors (demographic factors and acculturation) and the direct influence of built environmental variables (perceived neighborhood safety/aesthetics) on Latinas’ physical activity in a U.S. border region.Methods: Acculturation, perceived neighborhood safety/aesthetics, sociodemographic variables, and minutes of physical activity a week were collected from 526 Latinas using standardized survey measures.Results: Only 30% of the Latinas reported meeting International Physical Activity Questionnaire’s vigorous physical activity criteria, 8.6% met moderate, and 46.4% met walking. Findings from the structural equation modeling indicated that acculturation was positively associated with Latinas’ vigorous and moderate physical activity, with no significant relation to walking. There were no direct associations of perceived neighborhood safety/aesthetics on any of the three measures of physical activity.Conclusions: Data suggest that acculturating to the U.S. mainstream culture may have positive effects on Latinas’ reported physical activity. Contrary to studies of other populations, the perceived neighborhood environment was not related to Latinas’ physical activity. Culturally appropriate interventions are needed for Latinas who are less acculturated into the United States.
Can galaxy warps be used to provide constraints on halo properties

The prevalence of flat rotation curves in external galaxies1 strongly suggests an extensive but as yet unseen halo component. However, as direct observations of the implied matter distribution have proved very elusive, more indirect methods are needed to constrain its properties. At the same time, the explanation of observed warps in galaxies3–7 has been intensively studied by dynamicists, resulting in the appearance of many rival mechanisms (see ref. 8 for a review). For galaxies with companions, the tidal interaction theory is the most attractive, but fails to account for the observed bending of our Galaxy “by a factor approaching 3” (ref. 9). The problem of the rapid kinematical disruption which results if one follows particle orbits in a self-consistent disk is avoided if one accepts the existence of a dominant spherical (halo) component in the region of the warps8,10. Here, we explore the consequence of separating disk and halo mass distributions using a recently developed theory of bending waves2. In this theory, the height of bending allows the functional form of the disk density distribution to be determined. With proper normalization this determination allows the halo density to be inferred from the rotation curve. We will discuss the warps in our Galaxy and in galaxies NGC2841 and M33, for which a relatively complete set of reduced data is available.
Panel on role engineering

Due to its exibility, ease of administration and intuitiveness, role-based access control (RBAC) is now part of most operating systems and application software. As a result of its commercial success, it has become a standard to implementing access control in many of today's organizations. However, deploying RBAC requires one to first identify an accurate and complete set of roles, and assign users to roles and permissions to roles. This process, known as role engineering [3], has been identified as one of the costliest components in realizing RBAC [7]. Although the problem of role engineering has been studied since early nineties, a recent surge in interest can be seen equally from academic and industry communities. The primary focus of this panel is to have an in-depth discussion of this problem along several dimensions. The panelists, drawn from both academia and industry, include Gail Ahn (University of North Carolina, Charlotte), Vijay Atluri (Rutgers University), Edward Coyne (Science Applications International Corporation), William Horne (Hewlett-Packard), Axel Kern (Beta Systems), Sylvia Osborn (University of Western Ontario) and Andreas Schaad (SAP Labs), who are experts in role engineering.The first dimension of discussions will be on the different means of approaching the role engineering problem, which basically include top-down and bottom-up approaches. Under the top-down approach, roles are defined by carefully analyzing and decomposing business processes into smaller units in a functionally independent manner. These functional units are then associated with permissions on information systems. Coyne [3] is the first to describe the role engineering problem, and to present the concepts of the top-down approach. Later, several top-down approaches have been proposed [6, 1, 12, 14, 15, 11, 5, 8, 2]. In contrast, the bottom-up approach utilizes the existing permission assignments to formulate roles. Recently, several solutions have been proposed in this direction [9, 13, 18, 16, 17, 4, 10]. It may also be advantageous to use a hybrid approach, which is a mixture of the top-down and the bottom-up approaches. The focus of the discussion will be on the pragmatics of applying these classes of solutions in real world situations.Another dimension of discussion will be on the past experiences and current practices employed by organizations in dealing with the role engineering problem, as well as on the opinions of the panelists on the expected practices in future.Yet another dimension is to tackle this problem from a formal perspective and examine the different variants of the problem. These include devising a minimal but complete and good set of roles, minimal number of user-to-role and role-permission assignments, weaker notions of devising minimal roles [16], and the like. The discussions include formal versus practical solutions, their limitations and issues needing further investigation.
Control of Poliomyelitis: A Continuing Paradox

Worldwide control of poliomyelitis efforts have encountered numerous complexities and problems. Although the disease has been eradicated from many geographic areas over the past 25 years it continues to defy control efforts in many tropical countries. This article describes the epidemiology and pathogenesis of polio infection and the mechanisms by which the 2 different vaccines inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) and attenuated live oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) induce protection against paralytic poliomyelitis. Oral vaccine "take" rates have been as low as 60% in tropical and semitropical areas in contrast to the almost 100% response characteristic in children in temperate climates. This problem appears to reflect a complex of anatomic physiologic and biochemical changes that accompany malnutrition associated with high rates of intestinal infection and diarrhea. The profound alterations of metabolic and immunologic mechanisms that result from repeated infection may produce a chronic state of imbalance. Lameness surveys in subtropical countries have indicated prevalence rates of residual paralysis in the 5-7/1000 range. OPV is currently being used in the Pan American Health Organization Expanded Program on Immunization and a saturation approach to immunization has been effective in countries such as Cuba. There is some evidence that in densely populated areas with constant introduction and circulation of virulent poliovirus a combined OPV-IPV schedule may be necessary to suppress the disease. Recombinant DNA technology should make it possible to construct safe nonvirulent strains of poliovirus vaccine that have the immunogenic advantages of live replicating viruses without the potential to undergo reversion and cause disease. In the interim it is essential that surveillance of cases and immunity levels of target populations continue.
Theoretical evidence for a c60 "window" mechanism.

On the basis of semiempirical and high-level ab initio calculations, theoretical evidence is presented of a "window" mechanism operable on the surface of C60 and other fullerenes. Through this mechanism, large holes may be formed in fullerenes excited to their triplet state, openings through which atoms and small molecules can pass. This work provides a theoretical foundation for experiments that have prepared endohedral noble gas compounds of C60 under thermal excitation. A method is proposed that could increase the efficiency of the process of noble gas insertion into C60 and provide a more general means to create endohedral fullerene compounds.
Deforestation patterns and their effects on forest patches

Five identifiable patterns of deforestation are recognized - internal, indentation, cropping, fragmentation, and removal - and each has a distinct effect on habitat quality of forest patches in the eastern United States. By overlaying land use maps from 1973 and 1981 for three counties in the State of Maryland (Prince Georges, Anne Arundel, and Wicomico), changes in the interior core area and edge length of individual patches were measured. Forest interior declined by 23.8 km2 in Anne Arundel, 16.3 km2 in Prince Georges, and 8.4 km2 in Wicomico. Within Anne Arundel and Prince Georges Counties, deforestation increased edge length by 52.1 km and 31.2 km, respectively, whereas, within Wicomico, it decreased edge length by 8.7 km. Differences among counties resulted from current land use patterns, percentage of forest cover, and the dominant deforestation pattern.
The Effect of Roughage Intake upon the Fat Content of Milk

Summary Experiments are presented in which 20 Holstein cows were used to study the effect of low-roughage intakes upon the production of milk and milk fat. When cows were fed five pounds or less of hay and sufficient grain mixture to satisfy their energy requirements, the fat content of the milk and the milk yield showed significant drops as compared with similar cows fed an average of about 12 pounds of hay, 30 pounds of corn silage and small amounts of a grain mixture. The possible importance of rumen fermentation in the normal production of milk and milk fat in dairy cows is discussed.
Rural-urban disparities in health status among US cancer survivors.

Rural residents have higher cancer mortality than urban residents, with the largest disparities observed for lung, colorectal, prostate, and cervical cancers1. Disparities associated with rural residence have also been documented in cancer diagnosis and treatment2–5, but little is known about disparities that may persist into the post-treatment survivorship period. A majority of survivors are now expected to live at least five years after their cancer diagnosis6, increasing the importance of monitoring long-term health and well-being years after treatment is completed. Although estimates of the number of rural cancer survivors have not been published, 21% of the general population resides in rural areas7, defined by the United States (US) Census as residence outside of areas with an urban core of at least 50,000 persons and densely settled contiguous areas8. Rural residents may face challenges in accessing medical care and necessary support services due to extended and sometimes difficult travel and a limited number of health care facilities9, 10. Further, rural residents in general tend to be older, poorer, less educated, less likely to have insurance, and more likely to encounter transportation challenges11–13, exacerbating health disparities. The few studies that have examined quality of life, symptoms, or mental health among rural survivors9, 14, 15 are limited by patient samples recruited from a single state or region. Thus we know little about the population characteristics and health status of rural cancer survivors in the US. The lack of information about rural cancer survivors hampers public health planning, allocation of medical resources, and the development of interventions to target this potentially vulnerable population of survivors. To address these limitations, the goal of this study was to estimate the number of adult cancer survivors who reside in rural areas of the United States and to describe their self-reported health status relative to urban survivors. Compared to non-rural survivors, we expected that rural survivors would report more medical comorbidities and greater psychological distress and would be more likely to report being in fair/poor health and being unable to work because of a health condition.
Associated charm production and correlations between multileptons in (anti)neutrino interactions

Associated charm production and decay in (anti)neutrino interactions has often been proposed to explain the (anti)neutrino like-sign dimuon events. We show that a particular phenomenological model of $c\overline{c}$ production and decay is also capable of explaining both the ${\ensuremath{\mu}}^{\ensuremath{-}}{e}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ events seen recently in bubble-chamber experiments and a specific fraction of the neutrino-induced trimuon events. The correlations between these different reaction channels strengthen the conclusion that $c\overline{c}$ pairs are formed in approximately 1% of all deep-inelastic (anti)neutrino interactions.
Transmission of tuberculosis in resource-limited settings

Unrecognized transmission is a major contributor to ongoing TB epidemics in high-burden, resource-constrained settings. Limitations in diagnosis, treatment, and infection control in health-care and community settings allow for continued transmission of drug-sensitive and drug-resistant TB, particularly in regions of high HIV prevalence. Health-care facilities are common sites of TB transmission. Improved implementation of infection control practices appropriate for the local setting and in combination, has been associated with reduced transmission. Community settings account for the majority of TB transmission and deserve increased focus. Strengthening and intensifying existing high-yield strategies, including household contact tracing, can reduce onward TB transmission. Recent studies documenting high transmission risk community sites and strategies for community-based intensive case finding hold promise for feasible, effective transmission reduction. Infection control in community settings has been neglected and requires urgent attention. Developing and implementing improved strategies for decreasing transmission to children, within prisons and of drug-resistant TB are needed.
INTRODUCTION: VIRTUE AND VICE

Abstract: This introduction to the collection Virtue and Vice, Moral and Epistemic addresses three main questions: (1) What is a virtue theory in ethics or epistemology? (2) What is a virtue? and (3) What is a vice? (1) It suggests that a virtue theory takes the virtues and vices of agents to be more fundamental than evaluations of acts or beliefs, and defines right acts or justified beliefs in terms of the virtues. (2) It argues that there are two important but different concepts of virtue: virtues are qualities that attain good ends, and virtues are qualities that involve good motives. (3) Accordingly, vices are qualities that either fail to attain good ends or involve bad motives. Finally, the introduction summarizes the eleven essays in the collection, which are divided into four sections: the Structure of Virtue Ethics and Virtue Epistemology; Virtue and Context; Virtue and Emotion; and Virtues and Vices.
On the Euclidean approach to quantum field theory in curved spacetime

Quantum field theory in curved spacetime is examined from the Euclidean approach, where one seeks to define the theory for metrics of positive (rather than Lorentzian) signature. Methods of functional analysis are used to give a proof of the heat kernel expansion for the Laplacian, which extends the well known result for compact manifolds to all non-compact manifolds for which the Laplacian and its powers are essentially self-adjoint on the initial domain of smooth functions of compact support. Using this result, precise prescriptions of the zeta-function, dimensional, and point-splitting type are given for renormalizing the action of a Klein-Gordon scalar field. These prescriptions are shown to be equivalent up to local curvature terms. It is also shown that for static spacetimes, the Euclidean prescription for defining the Feynman propagator agrees with the definition of Feyman propagator obtained by working directly on the spacetime.
Toward an immune-mediated subtype of autism spectrum disorder

A role for immunological involvement in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has long been hypothesized. This review includes four sections describing (1) evidence for a relationship between familial autoimmune disorders and ASD; (2) results from post-mortem and neuroimaging studies that investigated aspects of neuroinflammation in ASD; (3) findings from animal model work in ASD involving inflammatory processes; and (4) outcomes from trials of anti-inflammatory/immune-modulating drugs in ASD that have appeared in the literature. Following each section, ideas are provided for future research, suggesting paths forward in the continuing effort to define the role of immune factors and inflammation in the pathophysiology of a subtype of ASD. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled SI: Neuroimmunology in Health And Disease.
Hyperplastic-adenomatous polyposis syndrome

Abstract Background: Although the syndrome of familial adenomatous polyposis is well known, sporadic patients with multiple polyposis are rare. There are no known syndromes associated with hyperplastic polyposis. In our search of the English surgical literature, we find no reference to a hyperplastic-adenomatous polyposis syndrome. Study Design: Over a 3-year period, we identified six patients ages 41 to 75 (mean age 61) with 50 to 100 hyperplastic polyps associated with adenomas. Results: Most of the hyperplastic polyps were found in the left colon and the largest ranged in size from 6 mm to 18 mm. The larger polyps were clinically indistinguishable from adenomas. Three of our six patients had invasive cancer of the proximal colon. All tumors were confined to the bowel wall. There was a family history of colon cancer in only one patient and no family history of polyposis. Conclusion: These patients differ from previously described patients with polyposis syndromes; hyperplastic-adenomatous polyposis syndrome (HAPS) occurs in an older population with no family history of polyposis, has fewer polyps, most of which are hyperplastic, and is strongly associated with adenocarcinoma of the colon. In this series, we describe a previously unreported hyperplastic-adenomatous polyposis syndrome.
In Vivo Prediction of Abdominal Fat in Chickens Using Plasma Urea Nitrogen Changes

Abstract The dilution of urea infused into the venous system was measured in 16 Leghorn and 77 broiler chickens. The changes in plasma urea nitrogen and a variable referred to as “urea space” were very poor predictors of carcass fat as estimated by abdominal fat.
Similar hematologic effects of long-term linezolid and vancomycin therapy in a prospective observational study of patients with orthopedic infections.

Abstract Linezolid is an alternative to vancomycin for the long-term treatment of gram-positive bacterial orthopedic infections because of its antibacterial spectrum and oral bioavailability, but duration-related myelosuppression could offset its advantages. To evaluate the hematologic effects of these agents, we prospectively studied 65 consecutive adults with gram-positive bacterial orthopedic infections requiring > or =2 weeks of vancomycin therapy (n=52) or linezolid therapy (n=20). Trends suggesting higher incidence of hematologic effects among the patients receiving vancomycin were not significant, regardless of whether the end point was lowest cell count during therapy or change from baseline. The only difference was a higher incidence of thrombocytopenia (<150x10(9) platelets/L) in the subset of the linezolid recipients who had received vancomycin within 2 weeks before starting linezolid therapy than in the linezolid recipients who had not received vancomycin (5 [71%] of 7 patients vs. 2 [15%] of 13; P=.02). All hematologic effects were reversible. In conclusion, hematologic effects were detectable through weekly monitoring and were reversible; therefore, concern about myelosuppression need not preclude linezolid use for orthopedic infections requiring long-term therapy.
Space and energy effects in reactor fluctuation experiments

Abstract An analysis of the space and energy dependence of neutron fluctuations is presented, and applied to the results of reactor fluctuation experiments. Two experiments, measurements of Power Spectral Density and Variance to Mean, are singled out for special attention. These are of special interest, since previously published experimental results seem to be interpretable by space and energy-independent theories of neutron fluctuations. Both infinite and finite-geometry reactor models are treated, and calculations are presented to illustrate the effects of detector size, shape and location, and delayed neutrons. In any event, agreement with actual experimental results is achieved only when the effect of fast diffusion is included through a two-energy group model. It is seen that when the migration length is sufficiently large by comparison with a typical reactor dimension, the results of the space-energy independent theory appear as a first approximation. Thus it is argued that experiments on larger reactors would yield results not in agreement with the space-energy independent theory.
RATE-DEPENDENT RESPONSE OF DENSE SAND IN CYCLIC TRIAXIAL TESTS

A number of cyclic triaxial tests were performed on Monterey No. 0/30 and Sacramento River Sand to investigate the effect that loading frequency has on the response of sands. The tests were performed on dense, air pluviated sand with loading frequencies of 0.1 and 1.5 Hz at varying confining pressures, cyclic shear stresses, and peak shear stresses. Under certain loading conditions, the frequency of loading did have a noticeable effect on the response of the sand; larger axial strains were measured in the samples that were subjected to the lower frequency of loading. This difference in response measured at the two loading frequencies occurred mainly in the first few cycles of loading, when the difference in the strain rates was the greatest. Conditions that resulted in larger axial strains, such higher stress levels and larger cyclic shear stresses, also resulted in a greater difference between the axial strains measured at the two loading frequencies.
Comparison of cadmium and lead content of vegetable crops grown in urban and suburban gardens

Abstract There was no consistent trend of higher cadmium and lead levels in seven leaf crops and five root and bulb crops grown in the city environment of Brooklyn, New York, USA, compared with the same vegetable crops grown in a suburban environment. Cadmium was not higher in city crops, and lead was higher only for leaf crops in one year. Radish leaves and lettuce accumulated more lead than the other vegetables. For these two crops, lead contamination was greater at the Brooklyn site in both years. There was evidence for the greater contribution of airborne, rather than soilborne, lead as a plant contaminant. The levels of cadmium and lead in the test crops grown in Brooklyn were mostly similar to, and often below, levels reported in studies of heavy metal contamination of urban gardens and roadside vegetation. We conclude that the levels of cadmium and lead in edible crops grown in the Brooklyn location are unlikely to constitute a significant health hazard to adults.
Coupling Between the Coastal Ocean and Yaquina Bay, Oregon: Importance of Oceanic Inputs Relative to Other Nitrogen Sources

Understanding of the role of oceanic input in nutrient loadings is important for understanding nutrient and phytoplankton dynamics in estuaries adjacent to coastal upwelling regions as well as determining the natural background conditions. We examined the nitrogen sources to Yaquina Estuary (Oregon, USA) as well as the relationships between physical forcing and gross oceanic input of nutrients and phytoplankton. The ocean is the dominant source of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and phosphate to the lower portion of Yaquina Bay during the dry season (May through October). During this time interval, high levels of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (primarily in the form of nitrate) and phosphate entering the estuary lag upwelling favorable winds by 2 days. The nitrate and phosphate levels entering the bay associated with coastal upwelling are correlated with the wind stress integrated over times scales of 4–6 days. In addition, there is a significant import of chlorophyll a to the bay from the coastal ocean region, particularly during July and August. Variations in flood-tide chlorophyll a lag upwelling favorable winds by 6 days, suggesting that it takes this amount of time for phytoplankton to utilize the recently upwelled nitrogen and be transported across the shelf into the estuary. Variations in water properties determined by ocean conditions propagate approximately 11–13 km into the estuary. Comparison of nitrogen sources to Yaquina Bay shows that the ocean is the dominant source during the dry season (May to October) and the river is the dominant source during the wet season with watershed nitrogen inputs primarily associated with nitrogen fixation on forest lands.