cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Moving peer review transparency from process to praxis

Scholarly publications often work to provide transparency of peer-review processes, posting policy information to their websites as suggested by the Committee on Publication Ethics’ (COPE) Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Publishing. Yet this falls short in providing peer-review transparency. Using examples from an interview-based qualitative study, this article argues that scholarly publications should move from peer-review process transparency to a praxis of transparency in peer review. Praxis infers that values inform practices. Scholarly publications should therefore use clear communication practices in all matters of business, and bolster transparency efforts, delineating rights and responsibilities of all players in peer review. Moreover, the scholarly publishing community should offer improved and society-led referee and editor training, rather than leaving the commercial publishing industry to fill the gap which results in peer review as a service to industry’s needs – turning an efficient profit – and not the scholarly community’s needs for human-to-human discourse.
Commentary on Thomas Aquinas's Treatise on Law

Natural moral law stands at the center of Western ethics and jurisprudence and plays a leading role in interreligious dialogue. Although the greatest source of the classical natural law tradition is Thomas Aquinas's Treatise on Law, the Treatise is notoriously difficult, especially for nonspecialists. J. Budziszewski has made this formidable work luminous. This book - the first classically styled, line-by-line commentary on the Treatise in centuries - reaches out to philosophers, theologians, social scientists, students, and general readers alike. Budziszewski shows how the Treatise facilitates a dialogue between author and reader. Explaining and expanding upon the text in light of modern philosophical developments, he expounds this work of the great thinker not by diminishing his reasoning, but by amplifying it.
Underneath the Filter Bubble: The Role of Weak Ties and Network Cultural Diversity in Cross-Cutting Exposure to Disagreements on Social Media

While the idea of the filter bubble, in which people are sheltered from challenging and disagreeable news, is a valid concern for democracy, it requires much theoretical sophistication and empirical support. This paper explores the extent and scope of filter bubble effects, employing the concept of “cross-cutting exposure,” or exposure to disagreeable viewpoints, on social media. Survey analysis of 271 Facebook users suggests they do get exposed to cross-cutting information frequently, and that cross-cutting information was more likely to come from weak ties, or acquaintances and strangers in their network, as opposed to strong ties of friends and families. Furthermore, those who have ethnically and religiously more diverse networks were more likely to be exposed to cross-cutting information. Taken together, it is argued that the current concern for the filter bubble is rather exaggerated and that one’s network characteristics, such as network compositions and cultural diversity, can influence the degree of the filter bubble.
Preparation of Caveolin-1 for NMR Spectroscopy Experiments

Caveolin-1 is a 20.5 kDa integral membrane protein that is involved in a myriad of cellular processes including signal transduction, relieving mechano-stresses on the cell, endocytosis, and most importantly caveolae formation. As a consequence, there is intense interest in characterizing caveolin-1 structurally. Out of the many available structural techniques, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is particularly well suited to investigations on integral membrane proteins like caveolin-1 that have significant unstructured regions and unusual topologies. However, the technique requires relatively large amounts of protein (i.e. concentrations in the 0.5-5 mM range), and obtaining these amounts can be difficult especially for highly hydrophobic membrane proteins such as caveolin-1. Herein, we describe a robust protocol for the preparation of caveolin-1 for structural studies using NMR.
Refractory Hypocalcemia Following Stomach Intestinal Pylorus-Sparing Bariatric Surgery and Thyroidectomy: Successful Management With Creation of a Proximal Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass.

Some forms of bariatric surgery make patients susceptible to calcium malabsorption, and the parathyroid hormone (PTH) axis is important for maintaining normocalcemia in these patients. Injury to th...
Econometric general equilibrium modeling

Abstract The point of departure for the study of the impact of energy and environmental policies is the neo-classical theory of economic growth formulated by Cass (1965) and Koopmans (1967). The long-run properties of economic growth models are independent of energy and environmental policies. However, these policies affect capital accumulation and rates of productivity growth that determine the intermediate-run trends that are important for policy evaluation. Heterogeneity of different energy producers and consumers is critical for the implementation of energy and environmental policies. To capture this heterogeneity it is necessary to distinguish among commodities, industries, and households. Econometric methods are essential for summarizing information on different industries and consumer groups in a form suitable for general equilibrium modeling. In this paper we consider the application of econometric general equilibrium modeling to the U.S., the economy that has been studied most intensively. The framework for our analysis is provided by the Intertemporal General Equilibrium Model (IGEM) introduced by Jorgenson and Wilcoxen (1990). The new version of the IGEM presented in this paper is employed for the evaluation of proposed legislation on climate policy by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2011).
The impact of discharge location on outcomes following radical cystectomy.

Abstract Purpose Hospital readmission is associated with adverse outcomes and increased cost, and as such, has been identified as a metric for surgical quality and a target for shifts in health policy. However, the disposition of patients who undergo radical cystectomy for bladder cancer and the association between discharge locations and readmission rates is poorly understood. Understanding the patterns and characteristics of readmission after radical cystectomy will help inform discharge planning and expectations and may have long-term impacts on quality and cost of care delivery. We hypothesize that patients will have varying readmission rates based on their discharge location. Materials and methods An observational analysis of the Nationwide Readmissions Database was performed for all patients who underwent elective radical cystectomy in 2016 to 2017. The patients were grouped by the following criteria: whether they were discharged home, home with care, or to a facility. Univariate analysis was performed using the Chi-square test for categorical variables and the Kruskal-Wallis test for continuous variables. A multivariable logistic regression was conducted to evaluate if discharge locations impact patient readmissions at 30- and 90-days. Results The final dataset included 4,947 patients discharged home with care, 2,127 patients discharged to home or self-care, and 1,232 patients discharged to a facility. Discharge to a facility was strongly associated with higher 30-day (OR 1.49, CI 1.26−1.76) and 90-day readmission rates (OR 1.46, CI 1.23−1.74). Additionally, home health care was strongly associated with increased 30-day readmission rates (OR 1.22, CI 1.08−1.37) relative to routine discharge home. Conclusions Our analysis suggests that discharge location independently predicts readmission following RC. Further study with more granular patient- and system-level data may aid in identifying structural characteristics and processes that can reduce readmissions and their associated economic impact, while maintaining quality of care delivered.
The Temporal Separation of Transcription and Translation and its Control in Cotton Embryogenesis and Germination

The separation in time of mRNA synthesis from its translation into protein was shown to be a developmental regulatory mechanism in animal embryogenesis as early as 1963 (Gross and Cousineau). This phenomenon, in which the transcription of genes into mRNA occurs in one developmental stage, the mRNA “stored” in some as yet undiscovered form, and subsequently translated at a later stage, has now been observed in a large number of studies of animal and fungal development studies, (reviewed by Gross, 1968; Davidson, 1968; Brown and Dawid, 1969).
Transvaginal Repair of Vesicovaginal Fistula Using a Peritoneal Flap

Even complex vesicovaginal fistulas may be repaired transvaginally. In difficult repairs adjunctive measures have been described to increase the success rate of surgery, including Martius flaps, labial flaps or gracilis muscle flap. We describe a new technique to repair difficult vesicovaginal fistulas via a transvaginal approach. A flap of peritoneum is developed and used to buttress the fistula repair. This repair was successful in 9 of 11 patients (82%). Complications occurred in only 1 patient who suffered a bladder diverticulum containing a stone. The major advantage of this technique is its simplicity and lack of an extravaginal harvesting incision. This repair is particularly well suited for complex, high lying vesicovaginal fistulas.
Proteomics approach to study neuronal regeneration events of the sequenced sea star Patiria miniata (153.7)

Sea stars have long been recognized for their ability to fully regenerate injured tissues as a consequence of predation or amputation. Indeed the ability to regenerate the nervous system is maintained throughout the lifespan of the animal. Since sea stars are distantly related to the chordates, their neuronal regeneration is of potential interest to biomedical applications in regenerative medicine [1-3]. With the advent of sea star (Patiria miniata) genome sequence and gene models we can now effectively study protein expression in sea star neurons using high-resolution mass spectrometry. Previously, the sparse information on sea star protein sequences limited peptide identification to ca. 15%. This bottleneck was overcome with alignment of peptides to P. miniata genomic sequences. At present, we have over 18,000 peptides identified at identification rates of 60%, results commonly observed in sequenced proteomes. The methods we are developing allow greater sensitivity and unprecedented identification of low abundance proteins in the starfish nervous system This level of sensitivity is crucially important for the study for neuronal regeneration events: Sonic hedgehog protein, Neuromodulin and Piwi-like protein 1 [4] are among the identified proteins and clearly highlight P. miniata as a promising model to understand protein regulation during neuronal regeneration.
Allegory and Archipelago: Jesus Balmori's "Los pájaros de fuego" and the Global Vantages of Filipino Literature in Spanish

The trajectory of modern globalization is incomprehensible without an attempt to understand the Philippines. This essay considers a Filipino novel written in Spanish during World War II, Los pajaros de fuego [The Birds of Fire] by Jesus Balmori, as a landmark of world literature by virtue of its composition in the tongue of an old European empire, under the duress of an East Asian empire, and during the colonization of a North American empire. Although the novel focuses on the elite Spanish-speaking class of the mid-20th-century Philippines, its allegorical processings of a globalized conflict raise questions of broad theoretical import to many academic disciplines. The Birds of Fire, despite its obscurity and that of the tradition of which it is part, reveals Filipino literature in Spanish to be a key to rendering a fuller account of the contemporary world and the imperial histories that pervade it.
Improvement of film uniformity stability of PECVD silicon nitride deposition process by addition of fluorine removal to the plasma clean sequence

A multi-station PECVD silicon nitride deposition process was implemented in a high volume manufacturing environment. However the occurrence of film thickness uniformity out-of-control became a chronic issue when chamber utilization was increased. Physical characterizations indicated formation of a fluoro-compound on the showerhead surface on the 1st deposition station was responsible for the failure. A hypothesized failure model suggests fluorine introduced during the plasma clean as well as the substrate materials on the incoming wafers play a role in the formation of the fluoro-compound. Marathon runs incorporating a fluorine removal treatment at the post plasma clean were carried out with results demonstrating significant improvement in the thickness uniformity stability. In addition to the detailed results of the investigation and marathon runs, the mechanism behind showerhead degradation is also discussed from the aspects of chemistry and fundamentals of plasma CVD in this paper
Doing the ‘work of hearing’: girls’ voices in transnational educational development campaigns

There is an increasing focus in transnational campaigns for girls’ education and empowerment on highlighting the voices of girls from the global south. These moves are made in response to feminist critiques of said campaigns for not attending to the diverse, multiple and complex lived experiences of girls. This article engages in theorising these present encounters and suggests alternate methodologies for engaging with girls. It argues that eliciting/granting voice to marginalised groups (such as girls from the global south, in this case) involves doing the ‘work of hearing’; devoid of this, the voices become a mere add-on. Focusing on an engagement with girls in Pakistan, the author theorises that the practice of hearing entails attending to the seepages and excesses of girls’ voices – or, that which exceeds dominant codes – that point to the multiplicity of their investments, commitments and visions of good life; being open to new terms of development that are identified by the participants themselves, ...
A histological and immunohistochemical study of the subsynovial connective tissue in idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome.

Background: The most common histological finding in carpal tunnel syndrome is noninflammatory synovial fibrosis. The accumulated effect of minor injuries is believed to be an important etiologic factor in some cases of carpal tunnel syndrome. We sought evidence of such injuries in the synovial tissue of patients with carpal tunnel syndrome and in cadaver controls. Methods: We compared synovial specimens from thirty patients who had idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome with specimens from a control group of ten fresh-frozen cadavers of individuals who had not had an antemortem diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome and who met the same exclusion criteria. Analysis included histological and immunohistochemical examination for the distribution of collagen types I, II, III, and VI and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) RI, RII, and RIII. Results: Histological examination showed a marked increase in fibroblast density, collagen fiber size, and vascular proliferation in the specimens from the patients compared with the control specimens (p < 0.001). Collagen types I and II were not found in the synovium of either the patients or the controls, but collagen type VI was a major component of both. Collagen type-III fibers were more abundant in the patients than in the controls (p < 0.001). Expression of TGF-β RI was found in the endothelial cells and fibroblasts in the patient and control specimens, with a marked increase in expression in the fibroblasts of the patients compared with that in the control tissue (p < 0.001). Conclusions: These findings are similar to those after injury to skin, tendon, and ligament and suggest that patients with idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome may have sustained an injury to the subsynovial connective tissue. Clinical Relevance: The changes demonstrated in the subsynovial connective tissue not only could lead to an increase in the volume of the contents in the carpal tunnel but also may alter its material properties, such as compliance and permeability to fluid flows, and vascularity. These changes may, in turn, predispose the subsynovial connective tissue to additional injury and contribute to the elevation in carpal tunnel pressure seen in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome.
A Microwave Magnetometer

Faraday rotation in ferrites at microwave frequencies is applied experimentally to a new magnetometer technique expected to attain extreme sensitivity. The microwave output voltage is linearly, related to the magnetic field. Sensitivity is a function of microwave carrier level, length and initial permeability of the ferrite rotator. Experimental response curves are given for two different rotator lengths. Magnetic increments of the order of one gamma have been detected. The prospect of attaining the extreme sensitivity inherent in the microwave magnetometer principle suggests the magnetic detection possibilities of a micro-magnetometer.
The toxicity of topical ophthalmic beta blockers

AbstractAt the time of their introduction, nearly 10 years ago, ophthalmic beta blockers offered an alternative to other topical agents such as pilocarpine or epinephrine in the treatment of glaucoma. The beta blockers were only required to be instilled twice daily, and they were free of many of the ocular side effects of pilocarpine and other topical agents. However, as with other topical agents, significant systemic side effects can occur, which can lead to undesirable effects in susceptible individuals. We present here the types of both ocular and systemic untoward effects reported for topical beta blockers, as well as a context for judging the benefit-risk ratio for their use.
Microfluidic Platform Generates Oxygen Landscapes for Localized Hypoxic Activation

An open-well microfluidic platform generates an oxygen landscape using gas-perfused networks which diffuse across a membrane. The device enables real-time analysis of cellular and tissue responses to oxygen tension to define how cells adapt to heterogeneous oxygen conditions found in the physiological setting. We demonstrate that localized hypoxic activation of cells elicited specific metabolic and gene responses in human microvascular endothelial cells and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells. A robust demonstration of the compatibility of the device with standard laboratory techniques demonstrates the wide utility of the method. This platform is ideally suited to study real-time cell responses and cell–cell interactions within physiologically relevant oxygen landscapes.
Phenylalanine Tolerance Test for Heterozygous Carriers of Phenylketonuria

HSIA et al.1 found that plasma phenylalanine-levels were substantially higher after the ingestion of a standard dose, based on body-weight, of this substance by parents of phenylketonuric patients than the levels found in a comparable (age, sex, etc.) normal control group. The same observation was made by Berry, Sutherland and Guest2. Hsia et al. interpreted their results as indicating that a deficiency of the enzyme responsible for phenylalanine metabolism exists in the heterozygous carriers. However, if the data of Hsia et al.1 and Berry, Sutherland and Guest2 on phenylalanine concentration as a function of time are plotted3, it will be seen that the slope of the disappearance curve is essentially the same in the test group and in the control group. The data of Berry, Sutherland and Guest2 actually suggest that phenylalanine is removed more rapidly by the test group than it is by normal subjects.
Eccentricity and Misalignment Effects on the Performance of High-Pressure Annular Seals

Annular pressure seals act as powerful hydrostatic bearings and influence the dynamic characteristics of rotating machinery. This work, using the existing concentric seal theories, provides a simple approximate method for calculation of both seal leakage and the dynamic coefficients for short seals with large eccentricity and/or misalignment of the shaft. Rotation and surface roughness effects are included for leakage and dynamic force calculation. The leakage calculations for both laminar and turbulent flow are compared with experimental results. The dynamic coefficients are compared with analytical results. Excellent agreement between the present work and published results have been observed up to the eccentricitiy ratio of 0.8.
Synthesis and Properties of a Barium Aluminosilicate Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Glass-Ceramic Sealant

Abstract A series of barium aluminosilicate glasses modified with CaO and B 2 O 3 were prepared and evaluated with respect to their suitability in sealing planar solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). At a target operating temperature of 750 °C, the long-term coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of one particular composition (35 mol% BaO, 15 mol% CaO, 10 mol% B 2 O 3 , 5 mol% Al 2 O 3 , and bal. SiO 2 ) was found to be particularly stable, due to devitrification to a mixture of glass and ceramic phases. This sealant composition exhibits minimal chemical interaction with the yttria-stabilized zirconia electrolyte, yet forms a strong bond with this material. Interactions with metal components were found to be more extensive and depended on the composition of the metal oxide scale that formed during sealing. Generally alumina-scale formers exhibited a more compact reaction zone with the glass than chromia-scale forming alloys. Mechanical measurements conducted on the bulk glass–ceramic and on seals formed using these materials indicate that the sealant is anticipated to display adequate long-term strength for most conventional stationary SOFC applications.
Characterization of glucose transport by cultured chick pigmented epithelium

Abstract Glucose transport was studied in well-differentiated, confluent cultures of chick pigmented epithelial cells. Glucose permeation was stereospecific and was not influenced by energy poisons. Glucose, 3-O-methyl-glucose, and 2-deoxy- d -glucose all appeared to use the same carrier system. Countertransport of 3-O-methyl-glucose was demonstrated. The Km and Vmax values for 2-deoxy- d -glucose uptake were 2·70 m m and 22 nmol/min/mg protein. Hexose transport in these cultured cells appears to take place by a facilitated diffusion system.
Examining the evidence: a systematic review of the inclusion and analysis of older adults in randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND Due to a shortage of studies focusing on older adults, clinicians and policy makers frequently rely on clinical trials of the general population to provide supportive evidence for treating complex, older patients.
Tetramethylbenzidine--a sensitive stain for haemoglobin electrophoresis.

Summary A previously undescribed method is presented for staining citrate agarose films for electrophoresis of haemoglobin types using tetramethylbenzidine. This stain is noncarcinogenic and is considerably more sensitive than other commonly used stains, enabling abnormal haemoglobins at concentrations of 1% to be detected. The technique has been applied to screening neonates for haemoglobin S and other haemoglobinopathies after an initial test using cellulose acetate electrophoresis and Ponceau S staining has detected an abnormality.
Fast intra block copy (IntraBC) search for HEVC screen content coding

Coding of screen content video is becoming important because of applications such as wireless displays, remote desktop, remote gaming, automotive infotainment, cloud computing, distance education etc. Video in these applications often has mixed content consisting of natural video, text and graphics in the same picture. Intra block copy (IntraBC) is a new coding tool being studied for the HEVC Range Extensions (RExt) standard. IntraBC is a block matching technique where in a Coding Unit (CU) is predicted as a displacement from already reconstructed block of samples from neighboring region in the same picture. IntraBC is very effective for screen content video since it removes redundancy from repeating patterns which typically occur in text and graphics regions. IntraBC provides a significant bit rate savings (up to 44%) for screen content sequences but at the cost of encoding time increase because of the search involved in Intra block matching. This paper presents fast encoding techniques for early skipping of IntraBC search which result in about 21% - 24% encoding time reduction for Intra coding.
Spectral analysis of near threshold random lasers

Abstract Emission spectra from random lasing systems typically have numerous narrow resonant lines. When excited very near to the laser threshold there are fewer resonant lines which clarify the emission spectrum analysis. We studied three different random lasing systems including π-conjugated polymer films, zinc oxide and TiO 2 scatterers in dye solution. Fourier transform analysis of the laser emission spectra near threshold of each system shows that all the sharp lines are highly correlated, indicating that they originate from a single high symmetry resonant structure. The naturally formed microresonators have a circular geometry in the two-dimensional films, and transient spherical geometry in the scatterers/dye suspension.
ASSESSMENT OF CORONARY HEART DISEASE RISK BY COMBINED ANALYSIS OF COAGULATION FACTORS

Objective Prospective studies have reported a positive association of coagulation factors with risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). It is unclear whether these coagulation factors interact.
An exact analytical solution of pool swell dynamics during depressurization by the method of characteristics

Abstract An exact analytical solution, based on the method of characteristics, has been obtained for the spatial and temporal variation of vapor volumetric (void) fraction in a depressurizing pool. Numerical evaluations have shown that the axial void profile is strongly dependent on the drift velocity formulation, and that wall heat flux plays only a minor role in the pool swell transient.
EBG-dipole array antenna creating beam-tilt for base-station applications

Summary form only given. For a typical base-station, tilted beam towards the ground has been employed in order to increase the signal reception from the mobile device. This can be realized with either an electronically controlled phased array antenna or a mechanically tilted array antenna. These techniques have been used; however, there exists inherent shortcomings with respect to performance at a tilted angle and practical implementation. For a common phased array, an array pattern is tilted toward a desired direction while element pattern stays toward the broadside. This mainly results in antenna gain reduction at the tilted angle. For the mechanically adjusted array, careful and stable installation is often required, which sometimes make it difficult to implement. Therefore, an enhancement in the conventional basestation array antenna is needed in order to achieve improved antenna performance with robust implementation. In this paper, a novel base-station array element design that consists of a single dipole mounted on an EBG ground plane is presented. Each dipole on an EBG structure provides tilted radiation pattern. This is achieved by employing 6×6 cell miniaturized EBG structure that is modified by connecting four of its unit cells. This EBG structure allows a low profile, high directivity, and beam-tilting single element design. With this dipole-EBG element, the radiation pattern can be steered from the broadside to the desired tilted angle which is suitable for the base-station applications. Based on the element design, an array antenna with four dipole-EBG elements is designed in order to verify the base-station like antenna performance. A down-tilt array pattern incorporated with a progressive phase is utilized in the array along with the tilted element pattern. To validate the proposed array, similar array that consists of non-modified standard EBG unit cell (a broadside element pattern) is employed as a reference. It is observed that the proposed array, compared to the reference case, achieves better performance with respect to the gain and sidelobe characteristics. The proposed EBG-dipole element incorporated into an array antenna is simulated using full-wave simulator. The proposed EBG antenna operates at 3.5 GHz, which covers part of WiMAX service bands. The directivity of more than 11.5 dB is obtained at the down-tilted angle of 25°. An impedance matching better than -10 dB S-parameter is attained across a reasonable bandwidth. The proposed dipole-EBG element array antenna should allow for performance efficient realization of future base-station antennas.
Importance of Recording Pulmonary Venous Flow Velocities With Transthoracic or Transesophagea1 Echocartiography Clinical Application in Various Cardicac Conditions

The recording of pulmonary venous flow velocities during Doppler ecgicardiography has not received sufficient attention. This review emphasizes the importance of recording pulmonary venous flow velocities (systolic, diastolic, and atrial reversal components) during transthoracic or transesophageal echocardiography. Clinical conditions that increase left atrial pressure, such as congestive heart failure, or that alter left atrial contraction (i.e., atrial fibrillation) result in diminished systolic pulmonary venous inflow and relatively increased diastolic pulmonary venous inflow. When moderate or severe mitral regurgitation is present or suspected by color Doppler imaging, pulmonary venous systolic flow will be blunted or exhibit systolic revetrsal. Distinctive patterns of respiratory variation in systolic and diastolic pulmonary venous velocities can be observed in patients with constrictive heart failure and elevated left ventricular end diastolic pressures but with normal mitral inflow patterns have ab...
On the tempo and mode of state formation: Neoevolutionism reconsidered

Abstract The stepwise formulations of the neoevolutionists have come under critical attack in recent years. This paper considers the criticisms and suggests that the usefulness of neoevolutionism hinges to a large extent on whether such major developments as state emergence are better understood from a transformationalist or gradualist perspective. It is also argued that practitioners of neoevolutionism must acknowledge the importance of specific historical factors in cultural development. A modified neoevolutionist framework, transformationalist in character but also responsive to the cogent arguments of neoevolutionism's critics, is then developed and used to examine several cases of state formation in ethnohistorical and archaeological contexts. The interplay between theory and data demonstrates how the forces of history can be reconciled with those of function and development.
Disruption of Adherens Junctions Liberates Nectin-1 To Serve as Receptor for Herpes Simplex Virus and Pseudorabies Virus Entry

Nectin-1, a cell adhesion molecule belonging to the immunoglobulin superfamily, can bind to virion glycoprotein D (gD) to mediate entry of herpes simplex viruses (HSV) and pseudorabies virus (PRV). Nectin-1 colocalizes with E-cadherin at adherens junctions in epithelial cells. The disruption of cell junctions can result in the redistribution of nectin-1. To determine whether disruption of junctions by calcium depletion influenced the susceptibility of epithelial cells to viral entry, Madin-Darby canine kidney cells expressing endogenous nectin-1 or transfected human nectin-1 were tested for the ability to bind soluble forms of viral gD and to be infected by HSV and PRV, before and after calcium depletion. Confocal microscopy revealed that binding of HSV and PRV gD was localized to adherens junctions in cells maintained in normal medium but was distributed, along with nectin-1, over the entire cell surface after calcium depletion. Both the binding of gD and the fraction of cells that could be infected by HSV-1 and PRV were enhanced by calcium depletion. Taken together, these results provide evidence that nectin-1 confined to adherens junctions in epithelial cells is not very accessible to virus, whereas dissociation of cell junctions releases nectin-1 to serve more efficiently as an entry receptor.
Perceptual Constancies and Visual Selection as Predictors of Realistic Drawing Skill

Traditionally, two theories have been proposed to understand realistic drawing: (a) a bottom-up perspective emphasizing accurate perception achieved by suppressing perceptual constancies and other sources of misperception, and (b) a top-down view emphasizing knowledge-facilitated selection of information important for object depiction. This study compares the predictive validity of the two. Artists and nonartists completed tasks measuring the ability to suppress shape and size constancies, a limited line-tracing task measuring visual selection performance, and a freehand drawing task assessing realistic drawing ability. Evidence is reported that shows both bottom-up and top-down factors are associated with drawing accuracy. Artists outperformed nonartists on drawing and limited-line tracing accuracy and made smaller size (but not shape) constancy errors; drawing accuracy was positively correlated with limited-line tracing and negatively correlated with size-constancy errors in a depth cue condition. We propose integrating the two traditional approaches into a unified perspective emphasizing visual attention, rather than early perception, in explaining drawing accuracy.
Editorial: Innovation processes research implications for public policy

This volume can of necessity report only a few of the salient pieces of research in the tradition described in this introduction. Much of this research is still in process; other pieces have been reported in other media. We feel, however, that the effort to showcase a sample of innovation analyses, and thereby give some idea of the range of topics and approaches which the field requires, will ultimately improve the efficiency of both the research process and its utilization in the policy context. Comments, on both the specific research angles reported here and the research program direction generally, are cordially invited by the authors.
Bull Sperm Head Morphometry Related to Abnormal Chromatin Structure and Fertility

This study investigated the relationship between morphologically abnormal sperm, sperm chromatin structure, and fertility. Semen samples were obtained from 13 bulls. The sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA), a sensitive measure of denaturability of sperm nuclear DNA in situ following acid treatment, was performed on each sample to quantitate abnormal chromatin structure. Feulgen-stained sperm head morphology was measured by computerized image analysis (ONCOR-Image): Sixteen parameters were measured for each of 200 nuclei per sample. Fertility estimates were available for nine of the bulls. The SCSA variable SDαt was correlated with fertility ranking (r = 0.617, P < 0.01). No correlations were seen between means of the imaging variables and SCSA variables % COMPαt or SDαt. Significant correlations (P < 0.05) were seen between SDαt and the variation of imaging variables eccentricity, width, and light blobs. Significant correlations (P < 0.05) were seen between % COMPαt and the variation of imaging variables area, perimeter, p2a, bending energy, nmac, sphericity, eccentricity, length, and width. A regression model for fertility rankings incorporating the standard deviation of the imaging variables area, bending energy, nmac, eccentricity, condensity, light blobs, and dark blobs was highly significant (r2 = 0.999, P < 0.05). These results indicate that variation of morphometry measurements is likely a sensitive biomarker related to fertility potential and abnormal chromatin structure. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Implications of diapir-derived detritus and gypsic paleosols in Lower Triassic strata near the Castle Valley salt wall, Paradox Basin, Utah

Gypsum-bearing growth strata and sedimentary facies of the Moenkopi Formation on the crest and NE flank of the Castle Valley salt wall in the Paradox Basin record salt rise, evaporite exposure, and salt-withdrawal subsidence during the Early Triassic. Detrital gypsum and dolomite clasts derived from the middle Pennsylvanian Paradox Formation were deposited in strata within a few kilometers of the salt wall and indicate that salt rise rates roughly balanced sediment accumulation, resulting in long-term exposure of mobile evaporite. Deposition took place primarily in flood-basin or inland sabkha settings that alternated between shallow subaqueous and subaerial conditions in a hyperarid climate. Matrix-supported and clast-supported conglomerates with gypsum fragments represent debris-flow deposits and reworked debris-flow deposits, respectively, interbedded with flood-basin sandstone and siltstone during development of diapiric topography. Mudstone-rich flood-basin deposits with numerous stage I to III gypsic paleosols capped by eolian gypsum sand sheets accumulated during waning salt-withdrawal subsidence. Association of detrital gypsum, eolian gypsum, and gypsic paleosols suggests that the salt wall provided a common source for gypsum in the surrounding strata. This study documents a previously unrecognized salt weld with associated growth strata containing diapir-derived detritus and gypsic palesols that can be used to interpret halokinesis.
Dissipation of fragrance materials in sludge-amended soils.

A possible removal mechanism for fragrance materials (FMs) in wastewater is adsorption to sludge, and sludge application to land may be a route through which FMs are released to the soil environment. However, little is known about the concentrations and fate of FMs in soil receiving sludge application. This study was conducted to better understand the dissipation of FMs in sludge-amended soils. We first determined the spiking and extraction efficiencies for 22 FMs in soil and leachate samples. Nine FMs were detected in digested sludges from two wastewater treatment plants in Delaware using these methods. We conducted a 1-year die-away experiment which involved four different soils amended with sludge, with and without spiking of the 22 FMs. The initial dissipation of FMs in all spiked trays was rapid, and only seven FMs remained at concentrations above the quantification limits after 3 months: AHTN, HHCB, musk ketone, musk xylene, acetyl cedrene, OTNE, and DPMI. After 1 year, the only FMs remaining in al...
Garnet websterites and associated ultramafic inclusions from a nepheline mugearite in the Walcha area, New South Wales, Australia

A nepheline mugearite dyke in the Walcha area, New South Wales, contains xenoliths of Cr-diopside lherzolite, garnet- and spinel websterites, and two- pyroxene-garnet granulites. The Cr-diopside lherzolite xenoliths are regarded as refractory upper mantle which finally equilibrated at c. 950-980 ~ The garnet websterites are considered to represent spinel websterite segregations from an Mg-rich olivine tholeiite magma at 14 16 kbar which on isobaric cooling to 1000 1050 ~ passed into the garnet pyroxenite stability field. Spinel-amphibole websterites which probably last equilibrated at c. 950 ~ and pressures of 9 12 kbar have dose mineralogical affinites with the Cr-diopside lherzolite xenoliths. The mafic granulites may represent metamorphosed crystal segregates resulting from relatively large degrees of crystallization of tholeiitic basaltic magma which finally equilibrated at c. 14 kbar and 1000 ~ Subcalcic dino- pyroxene and spinel megacrysts crystallized from the host nepheline mugearite at c. 13 20 kbar.
Reflex Apnea from Laryngeal Chemo-Stimulation in the Sleeping Premature Newborn Lamb

Summary: The laryngeal chemoreflex was studied during quiet and REM sleep and wakefulness in premature newborn lambs. The response to reflex stimulation with a 5 sec-water infusion was evaluated during 30 sec, as % change in ventilation, heart rate and blood pressure. Apnea, hypertension and bradoardia were more pronounced during sleep than during walleffilhess, when arousal was not associated with the stimulation. The response was similar during quiet and REM sleep. Arousal, which occurred in 24 and 31% of the tests respectively, resulted in a response comparable to that seen during wakefulness. The respiratory drive was evaluated by measurement of the mean inspiratory flow and was found to be decreased during both sleep states when compared to wakefulness. We propose that during sleep in the newborn period there is a decreased ability to respond to asphyxia possibly due to a functional immaturity of the arterial chemoreceptors. This results in a low incidence of arousal and a delayed termination of the pronounced poststimulus apnea resulting from laryngeal chemoreflex stimulation. Speculation: In the newborn lamb, quiet and REM sleep have been shown to be more vulnerable states than wakefulness to reflex apnea elicited by laryngeal chemoreflex stimulation with water, probably as a reflection of decreased respiratory drive and a failure to arouse. It is possible that reflex apnea during sleep triggered by a variety of mechanisms may play a role in the pathogenesis of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Pulse-fishing and stochastic equilibrium in the multicohort fishery

Abstract Pulse-fishing harvesting policies are shown to be optimal for a competitive firm managing a multicohort fishery subject to environmental disturbances. Selective harvesting and non-selective proportional harvesting policies are examined. It is shown that pulse-fishing implies convergence to a unique, invariant probability distribution on cohort biomass levels and environmental disturbances that is independent of the initial state of the system.
Signature of memory for photorefractive two beam coupling: computational and experimental results

Abstract We have conducted numerical calculations describing photorefractive two beam coupling under high gain conditions and compared them with experimental results generated in our laboratory. A complete modeling of the photorefractive rate equations, which generalizes the modeling to include nonlinear terms and relaxes the non-depleting pump approximation, demonstrates a memory effect in the time dependence of the two beam coupling gain. This memory effect shows that time dependence of the two beam coupling gain is characterized by an `S' curve. In addition, the nonlinear terms contribute a tail in the growth of the two beam coupled signal which results in predicted gains about 10% higher than expected for the linear model. Experimental results are shown to agree with the modeling.
Extent of myocardial collateralization: determination with three-dimensional elastic-subtraction spiral CT.

Rationale and objectives. This study was undertaken to develop a standard that can be used to assess new high-resolution collateral zone imaging methods. Materials and Methods. The authors performed ex vivo helical CT in seven pig hearts after microsphere studies of blood flow and coronary angiography. They compared the zones of collateralization depicted at CT and at microsphere studies. Results. The extent of the collateral zone at CT, computed by using elastic subtraction, correlated well with the coronary blood flow distribution determined with microsphere analysis ( r = .95). The root-mean-square error was 6.5%, which indicates good agreement. Conclusion. Accurate assessment of collateralization extent has become an important goal because of the discovery of agents that stimulate the growth of coronary collateral vessels. The precision of elastic-subtraction CT and its validation with respect to the blood flow distribution at microsphere analysis indicate that elastic-subtraction CT can serve as a standard for the measurement of collateralization extent.
The effects of location-based tax policies on the distribution of household income: Evidence from the federal Empowerment Zone program

Abstract Location-based tax policies are redistributive as evidenced by their placement in distressed areas. However, the previous literature has focused on mean effects which can mask important effects that the program has on the distribution of households. Therefore, we extend the literature by studying changes in the entire household income distribution, in the context of the federal Empowerment Zone (EZ) program. We do not find evidence that the impoverished residents benefited from the program. Our findings are consistent with the areas becoming more attractive to high-income households. The improvements in the areas were concentrated in those portions of each zone that were relatively better-off prior to EZ designation. The results confirm the prior literature findings that the areas, on average, became more attractive but also suggest that the benefits of the program likely did not accrue to the lower-income residents of the EZ areas.
From Data to Decisions: A Value Chain for Big Data

With exponential growth in data, enterprises must act to make the most of the vast data landscape-to thoughtfully apply multiple technologies, carefully select key data for specific investigations, and innovatively tailor large integrated datasets to support specific queries and analyses. All these actions will flow from a data value chain-a framework to manage data holistically from capture to decision making and to support a variety of stakeholders and their technologies.
New York's nature: a review of the status and trends in species richness across the metropolitan region

Aim The world's population is urbanizing, yet relatively little is known about the ecology of urban areas. As the largest metropolitan area in the USA, New York City is an ideal location to study the effects of urbanization. Here, we aim to produce a better understanding of the state of the research for species richness of flora and fauna across the New York metropolitan region. Location New York metropolitan region, USA. Methods We conducted a review of the published and grey literature, in which we targeted studies of species richness, and categorized each study by habitat, location and taxonomic group. Results We found 79 studies reporting location-specific species richness data, resulting in 261 location-taxonomic group records. Of these, 26 records had data from multiple time periods; 17 showed decreases in species richness, six reported increases and three showed stable species richness. Of these 26 records, most declines were attributed to anthropogenic causes, such as habitat loss/degradation and invasive species, while most increases reflected recovery from major habitat loss or increases in exotic species. Overall, most records (84) were terrestrial, followed by those in freshwater (72) and mixed habitats (61). When parsed by taxonomic group, the most commonly studied groups were plants (76) and mammals (48). Main conclusions In general, we discovered fewer studies than expected reporting species richness, especially studies reporting species richness for more than one point in time. Most studies that did contain data over time reported declines in species richness, while several studies reporting increasing or stable species richness reflected increases in exotic species. This survey provides a crucial first step in establishing baseline ecological knowledge for the New York metropolitan region that should help prioritize areas for protection, research and development. Furthermore, this research provides insights into the impacts of urbanization across the USA and beyond and should help establish similar frameworks for ecological understanding for other metropolitan regions throughout the world.
Predation of the razor clamEnsis directus by the nemertean wormCerebratulus lacteus

The nemertean wormCerebratulus lacteus feeds on the razor clamEnsis directus by entering the burrow from below and engulfing its anterior end. The clam is forced to project much of its body above the surface (sometimes leaving the burrow), thus becoming subject to surface predators and desiccation. This predation was observed from New Jersey to North Carolina.