cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Agricultural Reform, Rural Savings and Growth in China

Two tidal changes have occurred in China’s countryside in the past decade. One is peculiar to China: agricultural reform or, more generally, the end of the Stalinist ”forced saving” policy. The second, less widely recognized, is the phase which any developing country reaches at some point: the end of ”surplus labor” in agriculture. The share of China’s agricultural labor force in the total labor force has now begun to fall sharply. By the end of this century, if not before, the absolute number of agricultural workers will begin to fall. Many of the children of today’s peasant farmers will spend most of their working lives in non-farm activities. These two changes are of course related: it was the declining importance of agriculture in the economy, among other factors, which convinced China’s leaders that the time had come to jettison the Stalinist approach.
Calibration of Asphalt Strain Transducers by Using Digital Image Correlation

Full-scale pavement testing often utilizes embedded instrumentation to measure the effect of traffic loading. As with any scientific measurement, confidence in the data from these sensors relies on proper calibration and installation. Manufacturers of sensors typically perform calibration tests before shipment, but these tests are not standardized. In addition, some manufacturers provide only one calibration sheet covering a batch of sensors, while others provide calibration results for each sensor. Many transducers are calibrated to produce voltage sensitivity factors; however, not all data acquisition systems accept these as inputs. This was the case at the pavement testing facility of the Minnesota Department of Transportation, where a new data acquisition system required gauge factors. This paper describes the development of a bench calibration testing procedure that uses a digital image correlation system to determine system gauge factors (SGFs) for two types of asphalt strain transducers. The calibr...
Epidemiology of Ageing (Socioeconomic Impact)

The population is getting older virtually everywhere in the world, largely because of advances in modern medicine that allow people to live longer. As a result of this global ageing epidemic, many chronic diseases associated with advanced age are now among the most prevalent, burdensome, and costly health conditions. Age-related diseases with a large public health burden include cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, and Alzheimer's disease. These conditions are a tremendous clinical and economic burden due to their high prevalence and incidence, increased mortality, reductions in quality of life, and increased medical costs. Health care has already begun to address the growing burden of age-related chronic diseases through increased emphasis on prevention, early detection, and timely management.
The USU-GAIM-FP data assimilation model for ionospheric specifications and forecasts

Physics-based data assimilation models have been used in meteorology and oceanography for several decades and are now becoming prevalent for specifications and forecasts of the ionosphere. This increased use of ionospheric data assimilation models coincides with the increase in data suitable for assimilation. At USU we have developed several different data assimilation models, including the Global Assimilation on Ionospheric Measurements Gauss-Markov (GAIM-GM) and the Full Physics (GAIM-FP) models. Both models assimilate a variety of different data types, including ground-based GPS/TEC, occultation, bottomside electron density profiles from ionosondes, in-situ electron densities, and space-based UV radiance measurements and provide specifications and forecasts on a spatial grid that can be global, regional, or local. While GAIM-GM is a simpler model that uses a statistical process in the Kalman filter, GAIM-FP is based on a more sophisticated Ensemble Kalman filter technique together with a physics-based ionosphere-plasmasphere model (IPM). The primary GAIM-FP output is in the form of 3-dimensional electron density distributions from 90 km to near geosynchronous altitude but also provides auxiliary information about the global distributions of the self-consistent ionospheric drivers (neutral winds and densities, electric fields). The GAIM-FP model has recently been updated and extended to include the ionospheric D-region and to incorporate bubble information obtained from the SSUSI instruments. Furthermore, additional data types have been added to the list of possible observations that can be assimilated. This list includes slant TEC observations form satellite-to-satellite and satellite-to-ground radio beacons as well as radio occultation data and in situ plasma density observations from generic satellites.
Characterization and Analysis of Abiotic Factors and Their Influences on Vegetation

Climatic and edaphic factors combine to form the distinctive environment of the annual grassland ecosystem of California. Seasonal distributions of precipitation and temperature have the inverse relationship typical of mediterranean climates, dramatically affecting composition of grassland communities. Mesoscale weather, as altered by topography, creates distinct environments supporting variation in the annual grassland. The mosaic of soils within these various environments produces still greater variability within the ecosystem. This chapter discusses interrelationships between climate and soil characteristics, with emphasis on how these abiotic factors influence structure, composition, and productivity of plant communities of the grasslands.
A Family-Centered Feeding Intervention to Promote Food Acceptance and Decrease Challenging Behaviors in Children With ASD: Report of Follow-Up Data on a Train-the-Trainer Model Using EAT-UP

Purpose This research note outlines the usefulness of Easing Anxiety Together with Understanding and Perseverance (EAT-UP), a train-the-trainer, family-centered feeding intervention, for promoting ...
Human Papillomavirus and Head and Neck Cancer

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a common sexually transmitted pathogen and the primary infectious cause of HPV-related oropharyngeal carcinoma (HPV-OPC). HPV-OPC is distinct in its pathophysiology, epidemiology, and clinical course from HPV-negative head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The incidence of HPV-OPC has steadily grown over the past several decades. This rise has been attributed to sexual behaviors that increase exposure to HPV. While intensive investigation is clarifying the risk factors and treatment strategies for HPV-OPC, the natural history of carcinogenic HPV infection in HNSCC remains incompletely understood. This chapter provides an overview of carcinogenic HPV infection and the epidemiology of oral HPV infection.
Caring for High School Students in Transcultural Spaces: Accessing Student Voice.

AbstractThis qualitative study explores the perspectives of 52 high school students on the meaning of caring in the school setting. Seven focus groups were utilized to collect data. Five groups wer...
Personal computers in engineering education

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the use of the personal computer in the classroom as a tool that can increase teaching effectiveness. While the fundamentals are not slighted by the use of computers in the classrooms, the use of computers, in fact, has increased the depth of instruction. The use of the computer in engineering education is necessary because of time. The allocation of either classroom or study hours to routine, repetitive calculations is no longer appropriate. Some faculty are using the computer in the classroom as an instructional aid. The computer's capacity to generate data very rapidly, as well as display data in a variety of formats, has opened new avenues of instruction. The student's use of computer and ownership is also increasing rapidly. Almost any personal computer system can be used in the classroom and there are many types available on the market. However, the software available for classroom instruction is limited.
Optimal control of continuous and discontinuous processes in a Riemannian tangent bundle

In this paper some formulations of stochastic systems with values in the tangent bundle of a Riemannian manifold will be given in terms of stochastic differential equations that contain jump processes and these formulations will serve to model stochastic control problems for which necessary and sufficient conditions for optimality will be given. In stochastic systems both discontinuous and continuous processes often appear and it frequently occurs that the system evolves in a smooth manifold that is not a linear space. With suitable conditions on the manifold there are continuous and discontinuous processes that respect the geometry and these properties can be lost by an "abstract" formulation. Traditionally, many problems in control have been modelled by differential equations in Euclidean spaces to show the dynamical property of the physical systems. The differential geolrletric formulation preserves the geometric interpretations of the differential equations while also providing a more mathematically reasonable formulation of the physical system.
Early Experiences of Threat, but Not Deprivation, Are Associated With Accelerated Biological Aging in Children and Adolescents.

Abstract Background Recent conceptual models argue that early life adversity (ELA) accelerates development, which may contribute to poor mental and physical health outcomes. Evidence for accelerated development in youths comes from studies of telomere shortening or advanced pubertal development following circumscribed ELA experiences and neuroimaging studies of circuits involved in emotional processing. It is unclear whether all ELA is associated with accelerated development across global metrics of biological aging or whether this pattern emerges following specific adversity types. Methods In 247 children and adolescents 8 to 16 years of age with wide variability in ELA exposure, we evaluated the hypothesis that early environments characterized by threat, but not deprivation, would be associated with accelerated development across two global biological aging metrics: DNA methylation (DNAm) age and pubertal stage relative to chronological age. We also examined whether accelerated development explained associations of ELA with depressive symptoms and externalizing problems. Results Exposure to threat-related ELA (e.g., violence) was associated with accelerated DNAm age and advanced pubertal stage, but exposure to deprivation (e.g., neglect, food insecurity) was not. In models including both ELA types, threat-related ELA was uniquely associated with accelerated DNAm age (β = .18) and advanced pubertal stage (β = .28), whereas deprivation was uniquely associated with delayed pubertal stage (β = −.21). Older DNAm age was related to greater depressive symptoms, and a significant indirect effect of threat exposure on depressive symptoms was observed through DNAm age. Conclusions Early threat-related experiences are particularly associated with accelerated biological aging in youths, which may be a mechanism linking ELA with depressive symptoms.
"Felons, Not Families": Criminalized Illegality, Stigma, and Membership of Deported "Criminal Aliens"

Since the 1990s, U.S. immigration enforcement has focused on detaining and deporting unauthorized migrants labeled as “criminal aliens,” most of whom (about three-fourths) are Mexican nationals. Yet, little data exist on this population of migrants. Using a transnational lens, and drawing from analysis of government and media, as well as participant observation data collected along the border, this article shows the consequences of the stigmatization and integration of those migrants deported as “criminal aliens,” in both Mexico and the U . S. While the framing of illegality has dominated the literature on unauthorized migrants in the U . S., I argue that the focus on deporting “criminal aliens” marks a shift from “illegalization” to the “criminalization” of immigration enforcement in the U.S. In particular, I highlight how the focus on deporting migrants as “criminal aliens” results in the criminalization of their illegality; that is, Latino non-citizens who are deported become criminalized perpetual outlaws because the label “criminal aliens” is legally permanent, with severe consequences for their identity and membership in both Mexico and the U.S.
Using Variation in Heritability Estimates as a Test of G × E in Behavioral Research: A Brief Research Note.

Better characterization of the sources of phenotypic variation in human behavioural traits—stemming from genetic and environmental influences—will allow for more informed decisions about how to approach a range of challenges arising from variation, ranging from societal issues to the treatment of diseases. In particular, understanding how the environment moderates genetic influence on phenotypes (i.e., genotype–environment interactions, or G × E) is a central component of the behavioral sciences. Yet, understanding of this phenomenon is lagging somewhat, due in part to the difficulties of detecting G × E. We discuss the logic behind one of the primary ways to detect G × E: comparing heritability estimates across environments. Then, we highlight some pitfalls, with an emphasis on how very strong G × E can sometimes be undetectable using this method when high heritability is present in multiple environments. We conclude by forwarding some initial, yet tentative, suggestions for how best to address to the problem.
Designing discipline-specific roles for interdisciplinary learning: two comparative cases in an afterschool STEM + L programme

The current K-12 educational system often does not engage students in interdisciplinary learning. To address this need, we developed an integrated STEM + L (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, ...
Ultrafine Particle Number Concentration Model for Estimating Retrospective and Prospective Long-Term Ambient Exposures in Urban Neighborhoods.

Short-term exposure to ultrafine particles (UFP; <100 nm in diameter), which are present at high concentrations near busy roadways, is associated with markers of cardiovascular and respiratory dise...
Fusing Heterogeneous Information for Underground Utility Map Generation Based on Dempster-Shafer Theory

AbstractAccurately mapping and labeling buried utilities is critical to managing massive urban underground infrastructure and preventing utility incidents. However, current spatial information rega...
Chapter 30 – Neuronal Networks

The human brain is comprised of over 100 billion (100×109100×109) neurons, each of which receives on average ten thousand “inputs” from neighboring neurons. To tackle such complexity we naturally restrict ourselves to well defined sub-networks of the brain. Even then, however, we are far from constructing (for lack of data, computational resources and conceptual frameworks) detailed models that integrate behavior, network architecture, cell morphology, cell biophysics and synaptic plasticity. Most existing strategies fall into one of four large subfields; Boolean Networks, Conductance Based Networks, Rate Based Networks and Self–Organizing Maps. The rate at which these areas are growing would quickly obsolete any attempt at a systematic survey. For the reader that wishes to gain hands–on experience we therefore present a guided tour, via representative examples, of the methods of each subfield.
PnuGrip: An Active Two-Phase Gripper for Dexterous Manipulation

We present the design of an active two-phase finger for mechanically mediated dexterous manipulation. The finger enables re-orientation of a grasped object by using a pneumatic braking mechanism to transition between free-rotating and fixed (i.e., braked) phases. Our design allows controlled high-bandwidth (5 Hz) phase transitions independent of the grasping force for manipulation of a variety of objects. Moreover, its thin profile (1 cm) facilitates picking and placing in clutter. Finally, the design features a sensor for measuring fingertip rotation to support feedback control. We experimentally characterize the finger's load handling capacity in the brake phase and rotational resistance in the free phase. We also demonstrate several pick-and-place manipulations common to industrial and laboratory automation settings that are simplified by our design.
Detecting Sensor-Based Repackaged Malware

Android is the most targeted mobile OS. Studies have found that repackaging is one of the most common techniques that adversaries use to distribute malware, and detecting such malware can be difficult because they share large parts of the code with benign apps. Other studies have highlighted the privacy implications of zero-permission sensors. In this work, we investigate if repackaged malicious apps utilize more sensors than the benign counterpart for malicious purposes. We analyzed 15,297 app pairs for sensor usage. We provide evidence that zero-permission sensors are indeed used by malicious apps to perform various activities. We use this information to train a robust classifier to detect repackaged malware in the wild.
Seasonal Patterns of Fat Deposits in Relation to Migratory Strategy in Facultative Migrants

Physiological preparations for migration generally reflect migratory strategy. Migrant birds fuel long-distance flight primarily with lipids, but carrying excess fuel is costly; thus, the amount of fat deposited prior to departure often reflects the anticipated flight duration or distance between refueling bouts. Seasonal pre-migratory deposition of fat is well documented in regular seasonal migrants, but is less described for more facultative species. We analyze fat deposits of free-living birds across several taxa of facultative migrants in the songbird subfamily Carduelinae, including house finches (Haemorhous mexicanus), American goldfinches (Spinus tristis), pine siskins (Spinus pinus) and four different North American ecotypes of red crossbills (Loxia curvirostra), to evaluate seasonal fat deposition during facultative migratory periods. Our data suggest that the extent of seasonal fat deposits corresponds with migratory tendency in these facultative taxa. Specifically, nomadic red crossbills with a seasonally predictable annual movement demonstrated relatively large seasonal fat deposits coincident with the migratory periods. In contrast, pine siskins, thought to be more variable in timing and initiation of nomadic movements, had smaller peaks in fat deposits during the migratory season, and the partial migrant American goldfinch and the resident house finch showed no peaks coincident with migratory periods. Within the red crossbills, those ecotypes that are closely associated with pine habitats showed larger peaks in fat deposits coincident with autumn migratory periods and had higher wing loading, whereas those ecotypes associated with spruces, Douglas-fir and hemlocks showed larger peaks coincident with spring migratory periods and lower wing loading. We conclude that population averages of fat deposits do reflect facultative migration strategies in these species, as well as the winter thermogenic challenges at the study locations. A difference in seasonal fattening and wing loading among red crossbill ecotypes is consistent with the possibility that they differ in their migratory biology, and we discuss these differences in light of crossbill reproductive schedules and phenologies of different conifer species.
Columellar Scar Following Open Rhinoplasty Using Absorbable Suture Versus Nonabsorbable Suture: A Meta-analysis.

Objective: This meta-analysis seeks to determine whether a difference in long-term scar outcomes exists between absorbable and nonabsorbable sutures for closure of the columellar incision after ope...
Proton irradiation induced chemical ordering in an Al0.3CoFeNi high entropy alloy

The radiation resistance of single-phase high entropy alloys has been reported to be superior to conventional alloys, due to their high lattice distortion and sluggish diffusion kinetics. The current study combines the beneficial effects of a concentrated multi-component solid solution and chemical ordering on the parent lattice of a candidate alloy, Al0.3CoFeNi, to enhance proton radiation resistance. The strong ordering tendency in this alloy results in the formation of Ni-Al-rich short-range ordered (SRO) domains when it is annealed in a single FCC phase field and water quenched. The irradiation of these microstructures with high-fluence MeV-energetic protons aids the transformation of the prior metastable single FCC solid-solution with SRO domains toward a more stable condition with L12 long-range ordered (LRO) domains embedded within the FCC solid solution matrix. Potentially, the creation of radiation-induced vacancy cascades within the FCC solid-solution enhances local diffusivity aiding the transition from SRO domains to LRO L12 domains. Therefore, this can be considered as a recovery mechanism, since the radiation-induced damage is not allowed to accumulate and is minimized via nanometer-scale precipitation of the ordered intermetallic phase. Additionally, preferential Co segregation to defect clusters or dislocation loops was also observed. In comparison, purely thermal activation via annealing at 500 °C for 30 min induces a similar transformation from SRO to LRO in this alloy, driving the system closer to equilibrium.
Contribution of Thiosulfate to Chemical and Biochemical Oxygen Demand in Oil Shale Process Wastewater

Thiosulfate accounted for a significant portion of the chemical oxygen demand (COD) (7 to 20 percent) and the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) (14 to 41 percent) of the four oil shale process waters studied. Accurate measurement of the thiosulfate oxygen demand of retort water is critical in assessing its environmental impacts on receiving waters and in designing biological treatment systems to treat it. The contribution of thiosulfate to the COD of oil shale retort waters can be accurately measured in a standard COD test. The BOD of thiosulfate in retort water is more difficult to determine and may require the development of a special thiosulfate-acclimated seed. Thiosulfate recovery of a known thiosulfate spike ranged from 92 to 100 percent in the COD test and from 54 to 119 percent in the BOD test. Considerable variability in recovery was found between the process waters studied. When determining the BOD of oil shale process waters, care must be taken to insure that there is a viable population of thiosulfate-oxidizing bacteria.
CITIZEN-INITIATED PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT : The Initial Iowa Experience

Many municipal governments adopted performance measurement decades ago. However, the role of elected officials and citizens in the development and usage of performance measures remains limited. We propose a model of "citizen-initiated performance assessment" in which citizens, elected officials, and city staff collaborate to develop performance measures. We also examine how nine Iowa cities implement the system, and how city officials perceive its impact on departmental procedures, managerial practices, and organizational culture. In addition, we discuss the major challenges in the implementation process, so that future reformers of performance measurement may draw lessons from the Iowa experience.
The Limits of Electoral and Legislative Reform in Addressing Polarization

Professor Richard Pildes provides a very thorough and persuasive overview of the key arguments about the causes of partisan polarization in the United States. I am especially sympathetic to his argument that deep macro historical factors such as the partisan alignment of the South—rather than idiosyncratic events, elections, and personalities—bare the primary blame. But I remain quite skeptical that a political-reform agenda such as the one he outlines will go very far in ameliorating partisan conflicts. Given that the forces that produce polarized politics are deeply embedded in the American political system, opening primaries, eliminating gerrymandering, reforming Congress, and regulating campaign finance are unlikely to provide much relief. Each of the reforms proposed by Professor Pildes may have many salutary effects, but political science research casts much doubt about their ability to reduce polarization or ameliorate its consequences. Before responding to the specifics of Professor Pildes's excellent Article, let me briefly introduce some of the sources of evidence on which this Essay is based. This evidence is displayed in Figure 1, which contains a pair of time
Thomistic Multiple Incarnations

In this article I present St. Thomas Aquinas's views on the possibility of multiple incarnations. First I disambiguate four things one might mean when saying that multiple incarnations are possible. Then I provide and justify what I take to be Aquinas's answers to these questions, showing the intricacies of his argumentation and concluding that he holds an extremely robust view of the possibility of multiple incarnations. According to Aquinas, I argue, there could be three simultaneously existing concrete rational natures, each of which is assumed by all three of the Divine Persons, all at the same time.
Evading the Taint of Usury

The development of capital markets in medieval Europe was shaped for centuries by the religious ban on lending money at interest. This paper examines how this prohibition developed as the outcome of strategic behavior by religious, commercial and political elites. A model is developed to analyze this hypothesis and to examine how the usury prohibition developed over time. It suggests that an important reason for the persistence of the ban was that it created a barrier to entry that enabled secular rulers, the Church, and a small number of merchant-bankers to earn monopoly rents.
Disk Clearing In The Young Binary AK Sco

The pre–main-sequence spectroscopic binary AK Sco is surrounded by a circumbinary disk. Yet while this disk must be somewhat disturbed by the binary at its center, there is no evidence from current data that it has a cleared central hole like those seen in some young binaries, nor that accretion from the outer disk has been cut off. Indeed, most of its spectral and photometric diagnostics are indistinguishable from those of young single stars. Why doesn't this system show any evidence of disturbance of its disk? It may be that the center of the disk is indeed largely cleared, but that a small amount of dust in this region supplies the observed near-infrared excess.
Human Dignity and Health Law: Personhood in Recent Bioethical Debate

This Article considers how the idea of human dignity has shaped, and been shaped by, recent bioethical debates, particularly concerning the issue of genetic engineering and enhancement. While the language of human dignity has long had a role in bioethics, the issue of genetic manipulation has raised anew fundamental questions about the nature of personhood and the meaning of dignity. Particular attention is given to Ronald Green’s “Babies by Design,” George Kateb's “Human Dignity,” Gilbert Meilaender's “Neither Beast Nor God: The Dignity of the Human Person,” Robert George's and Christopher Tollefsen's “Embryo: A Defense of Human Life,” Michael Sandel’s “The Case against Perfection,” and Jurgen Habermas's “The Future of Human Nature.”
Epithelial removal with the excimer laser (laser-scrape) in photorefractive keratectomy retreatment

Abstract Objectives To retrospectively evaluate refractive and topographic outcomes after excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) retreatment using the laser-scrape technique for epithelial removal. Design Retrospective clinical study. Participants Thirty eyes of patients who had PRK retreatment for undercorrection after primary PRK were examined. Intervention The PRK retreatment was performed using a laser-scrape technique in which the excimer laser was used to remove the majority of the epithelium overlying the anterior stromal surface before additional PRK ablation. Main outcome measures Uncorrected visual acuity, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), surface regularity index (SRI), and surface asymmetry index were measured. Results Primary PRK was performed for myopia of −5.1 ± 1.7 diopters (range, −1.1 to −7.5 diopters). Mean spherical equivalent (SE) was −1.3 ± 0.4 diopters (range, −0.6 to −2.0 diopters) before retreatment. Mean SE 6 months after retreatment decreased to +0.1 ± 0.4 diopter (range, +1.25 to −0.75 diopters; P P P = 0.02). Twelve eyes gained 1 line of BCVA and no eye lost more than 1 line of BCVA. The SRI before retreatment was 0.6 ± 0.3 (range, 0.0–0.9) and remained the same 0.6 ± 0.2 (range, 0.1–1.0; P = 0.8), 6 months after retreatment. Conclusion Excimer laser PRK retreatment using the laser-scrape technique for epithelial removal is an accurate and safe procedure for treating undercorrection of eyes after PRK for low-to-moderate myopia.
Benbow Analysis of Extruded Alumina Pastes

Capillary extrudate analysis was performed on two aqueous alumina pastes having average particle sizes of I and 5 μm, respectively. The batches were composed of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose binder and a stearate lubricant. Extrusion as a function of solids loading, batch mixedness, and extrusion velocity was measured. Results show that the initial particle size and solids loading influenced the uniformity and appearance of the cylindrical extrudates. Further variation of particle size distribution showed a strong pressure versus length/diameter relationship.
Wide Area and Metropolitan Area Networks

Metropolitan area and wide area networks are built to connect sites not located on a single property, across distances typically greater than can be covered by local area network technologies. When the media over which such connections run cross public property (e.g., telephone wires) or are considered to belong to the public (e.g., portions of the radio spectrum), they are typically installed or used only by license or under the oversight of a governmental regulatory group (e.g., U.S. Federal Communications Commission, state Public Utility Commission, or a Postal, Telegraphy and Telephony authority). The licensed organization then builds appropriate infrastructure to offer services to the public. This chapter surveys the variety of technologies developed to carry different types of traffic over such facilities and the mechanisms for their effective use. Keywords: circuit; circuit switching; metropolitan area network (MAN); packet switching; public network; routing; wide area network (WAN)
Random fecal alpha-1-antitrypsin concentration in children with gastrointestinal disease.

Abstract Random fecal alpha-1-antitrypsin concentration was measured in children with various gastrointestinal diseases and in normal subjects. One hundred fifteen subjects were evaluated: controls (39); chronic inflammatory bowel disease (20); chronic diarrhea (18); acute gastroenteritis (17); allergic gastroenteropathy (5); chronic pancreatic exocrine insufficiency (4); acute gastrointestinal bleeding (4); nonspecific colitis (4); celiac disease (3); and intestinal lymphangiectasia (1). Mean fecal-alpha-1-antitrypsin for the controls was 0.98 mg/g lyophilized stool. All children with celiac disease, allergic gastroenteropathy, lymphangiectasia, nonspecific colitis, acute gastrointestinal bleeding, and 19 of 20 patients with active chronic inflammatory bowel disease had fecal alpha-1-antitrypsin concentrations >2.6 mg/g stool (mean of the controls + 2 SD). These disorders have all been previously documented to cause protein-losing enteropathy by 51 Cr-labeled albumin excretion tests. The other study patients had normal fecal alpha-1-antitrypsin excretion when compared with controls. Serial fecal antitrypsin concentrations paralleled disease activity and clinical response to therapy. The results suggest that random fecal antitrypsin concentration is a valuable screening test for mucosal disorders associated with abnormal transmucosal serum protein loss.
Parametric Approach to the Specification and Analysis of Real-time System Designs based on ACSR-VP⋆

Abstract This paper describes an approach to the specification and analysis of scheduling problems of real-time systems. The method is based on ACSR-VP, which is an extension of ACSR, a real-time process algebra, with value-passing capabilities and parameterized processes. ACSR-VP is used to describe an instance of a scheduling problem as a process that has parameters of the problem as free variables. The specification is analyzed by means of a symbolic algorithm, and a boolean expression with free variables is produced as an outcome of the analysis. The solution to a boolean expression identifies under what values of the unknown parameters the system becomes schedulable. The paper presents the theory of ACSR-VP briefly and an example of the period assignment problem for rate-monotonic scheduling. We also explain our current tool implementation effort and plan for incorporating it into the existing toolset, PARAGON.
Does Foreign Investment Really Reduce Repression

Cross-national empirical studies have found that foreign investment has beneficial effects on human rights. We argue that these studies poorly operationalize foreign investment to test theoretical predictions and suffer from sampling bias. We demonstrate that investment stock, rather than inflow, is the superior operationalization of structural dependence theory. We construct regression models of government repression of physical integrity rights, include much more data than previous studies, and use a new multiple imputation algorithm for time-series cross-section data to resolve sampling bias. We find no evidence that foreign investment affects repression, contradicting conventional wisdom and suggesting that the political gains from repression frequently dwarf any economic costs for governments.
Using CAD to shape experiments in molecular QCA

This paper examines how circuits and systems made from molecular QCA devices might function. Our design constrain are "chemically reasonable" in that we consider the characteristics and dimensions of devices and scaffoldings (circuit boards to attach devices to) that have actually been fabricated (currently in isolation). We will show that not only is the work presented here a necessary first step for any work in QCA CAD, but also that by considering issues related to design can actually help shap shape experiments in the physical sciences for emerging, nano-scale devices. Our work shows that circuits, scaffoldings, substrates, and devices must all be considered simultaneously. Otherwise, there is a very real possibility that the devices and scaffoldings that are eventually manufactured will result in devices that only work in isolation. This work is especially timely as experimentalists are currently working to merge the different experimental tracks - i.e. to selectively place a QCA device.
Catecholaminergic cells and fibers in the brain of the lizard Anolis carolinensis identified by traditional as well as whole-mount immunohistochemistry.

Using traditional as well as whole-mount immunohistochemistry, we described the location of tyrosine hydroxylase-and dopamine beta hydroxylase-positive cells and fibers in the brain of the lizard Anolis carolinensis. Major catecholaminergic cell groups were in the ependyma in certain ventricular regions, alous coeruleus, anterior hypothalamic and lateral hypothalamic areas, and in the mesencephalic tegmental region, locus coeruleus, nucleus of the solitary tract, vagal motor nucleus, and rhombencephalic reticular formation. Major catecholaminergic fibers, tracts and varicosities included tuberohypophysial, mesolimbic, nigrostriatal, isthmocortical, medullohypothalamic, and coeruleospinal systems. Although the catecholaminergic systems in A. carolinensis are similar to those in the brains of other lizards studied, there are a few species differences. Our information about A. carolinensis will be used to help localize the hypothalamic asymmetry in catecholamine metabolism previously described in this lizard.
A Simulation Analysis of a Multiproduct Multiechelon Inventory-Distribution System

Simulation experiments were conducted to test the overall system response to changes in certain key parameters. The independent variables were demand, lead time, and cost-rate structure. The depend...
An approach to differentiating between multi‐ and monolayers using MALDI‐TOF MS

Analysis and confirmation of monolayer film thickness on metal oxide surfaces has proven to be challenging. XPS and AFM have been used to investigate the monolayer formation. However, these techniques are difficult to access and/or determine the composition of the organic molecules on the surfaces. Here we demonstrate the ability of MALDI-TOF to characterize long alkyl chain phosphonic acid molecules in thin films on titanium, iron and stainless steel. These systems are known to be stable, strongly adhered films. The thin films were characterized by IR, AFM, contact angle measurements and the results were confirmed by MALDI-TOF. Moreover, the MALDI-TOF was used to differentiate between mono- and multilayers on planar surfaces. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Developmental Immunotoxicity, Perinatal Programming, and Noncommunicable Diseases: Focus on Human Studies

Developmental immunotoxicity (DIT) is a term given to encompass the environmentally induced disruption of normal immune development resulting in adverse outcomes. A myriad of chemical, physical, and psychological factors can all contribute to DIT. As a core component of the developmental origins of adult disease, DIT is interlinked with three important concepts surrounding health risks across a lifetime: (1) the Barker Hypothesis, which connects prenatal development to later-life diseases, (2) the hygiene hypothesis, which connects newborns and infants to risk of later-life diseases and, (3) fetal programming and epigenetic alterations, which may exert effects both in later life and across future generations. This review of DIT considers: (1) the history and context of DIT research, (2) the fundamental features of DIT, (3) the emerging role of DIT in risk of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and (4) the range of risk factors that have been investigated through human research. The emphasis on the human DIT-related literature is significant since most prior reviews of DIT have largely focused on animal research and considerations of specific categories of risk factors (e.g., heavy metals). Risk factors considered in this review include air pollution, aluminum, antibiotics, arsenic, bisphenol A, ethanol, lead (Pb), maternal smoking and environmental tobacco smoke, paracetamol (acetaminophen), pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, and polyfluorinated compounds.
Identification of losartan degradates in stressed tablets by LC-MS and LC-MS/MS.

Three unknown peaks were observed in the severely stressed losartan tablets (at 40°C and 75% relative humidity for 3 years) analyzed by a stability indicating HPLC method. The sample solutions were subjected to liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric (LC-MS/MS) analysis to obtain the chemical identities of these potential degradates. High accuracy and sensitivity of losartan and its degradates were obtained by using atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) technique in the LC-MS/MS analysis. Three trace level degradates (≤0.1%) were found to be the aldehyde and dimeric derivatives of losartan. The structural assignment was further confirmed by comparing the tandem mass spectra of the unknowns with those of the authentic materials of each corresponding degradate. Finally, the mechanistic pathways for the formation of the dimers are discussed.
Magnetic Parameters for the Configuration f 3

The energy-level schemes of several atomic configurations ${f}^{3}$ are analyzed in terms of effective operators. These include all possible Hermitian two-electron scalar operators and six three-body spin-independent scalar operators. This collection of operators allows for spin-spin and spin-other-orbit interactions as well as for the most important effects of configuration interaction. Several alterations and extensions are suggested for the terms of Pr III $4{f}^{3}$. The positions of the free-ion levels of Nd IV $4{f}^{3}$ and Er IV $4{f}^{11}$ are inferred from the crystal spectra of ${\mathrm{Nd}}^{3+}$ in La${\mathrm{Cl}}_{3}$, and analyses with restricted sets of operators are carried out.
The Role of Setting Information in Children's Memory Retrieval☆

Abstract This study examined the role of setting information in the cued recall of 7- to 11-year-old children. Each of the four experiments had multiple study-test trials with unique triplets of categorically related words (Horse–Pig–Cow), category questions at acquisition, and two-word (Horse–Pig) and one-word (Horse) retrieval cues that re-presented all or only part of the intrinsic context reflecting stimulus classification. Setting information about location was presented before the triplet events, and each experiment contained manipulations of place information at acquisition and in cues at retrieval. The experiments in general showed that place information presented in both acquisition and retrieval significantly facilitates children's use of one-word cues re-presenting “part” of the intrinsic context in recalling event information. The results were consistent with an Orienting Hypothesis about the mechanism of the facilitation. The results suggest overall that setting information may play an important role in constraining children's interpretation of cues representing the intrinsic context of stimulus encoding.
An Electric Frequency-to-place Map for a Cochlear Implant Patient with Hearing in the Nonimplanted Ear

The aim of this study was to relate the pitch of high-rate electrical stimulation delivered to individual cochlear implant electrodes to electrode insertion depth and insertion angle. The patient (CH1) was able to provide pitch matches between electric and acoustic stimulation because he had auditory thresholds in his nonimplanted ear ranging between 30 and 60 dB HL over the range, 250 Hz to 8 kHz. Electrode depth and insertion angle were measured from high-resolution computed tomography (CT) scans of the patient’s temporal bones. The scans were used to create a 3D image volume reconstruction of the cochlea, which allowed visualization of electrode position within the scala. The method of limits was used to establish pitch matches between acoustic pure tones and electric stimulation (a 1,652-pps, unmodulated, pulse train). The pitch matching data demonstrated that, for insertion angles of greater than 450 degrees or greater than approximately 20 mm insertion depth, pitch saturated at approximately 420 Hz. From 20 to 15 mm insertion depth pitch estimates were about one-half octave lower than the Greenwood function. From 13 to 3 mm insertion depth the pitch estimates were approximately one octave lower than the Greenwood function. The pitch match for an electrode only 3.4 mm into the cochlea was 3,447 Hz. These data are consistent with other reports, e.g., Boex et al. (2006), of a frequency-to-place map for the electrically stimulated cochlea in which perceived pitches for stimulation on individual electrodes are significantly lower than those predicted by the Greenwood function for stimulation at the level of the hair cell.
Hyphalike haustoria of the haploid stage of Cronartium ribicola in Pinus monticola observed with the scanning electron microscope1

Haustoria of the haploid stage (n stage) of Cronartium ribicola in bark cells of Pinus monticola were studied with the aid of the scanning electron microscope. The morphology of mature haustoria in all kinds of bark cells was consistently filamentous or elongate (hyphalike). Only immature haustoria are short and globose or reniform. Immature and mature haustoria are constricted at the point of passage through the host cell wall. N stage C. ribicola hyphae are characterized as having haustoria that are morphologically similar to intercellular hyphae.
Domain wall model for ferroelastics

Abstract A ferroelastic domain wall model in which the static wall material is considered as elastically strained low temperature phase material is presented. The 0.8 μ calculated Gd2 (MoO4)3 wall thickness is in agreement with observation. The estimated wall energy is 0.1 erg/cm2.
Evaluation of upper airway obstruction—An ENT perspective

Upper airway obstruction is a common clinical problem. Nasal obstruction can be the result of nasal anatomy, mucosal swelling, or acquired blockage. The anatomy of the upper airway differs from the lower because of the presence of erectile tissue in the nose. Measurement of nasal airway obstruction can be performed with video endoscopic photo-documentation, rhinomanometry, nasal inspiratory peak flow, visual analog scales, and psychometric validated questionnaires.
Dementia in adults with Down syndrome: Diagnostic challenges

Although dementia associated with Down syndrome is often presumed to be progressive and irreversible, variations in disease course have been described. In addition, prevalence rates have varied widely among studies. This interim report is a description of the status of 70 adults with Down syndrome who are being followed for signs of dementia. Of the 70, 12 met all criteria for dementia, 40 met subsets of criteria, and 18 met no criteria. Information is provided on instruments used, rationale for choice and revision of instruments as well as criteria used to identify dementia and changes in the status of the participants. The results suggest that extreme care is needed when diagnosing dementia in adults with Down syndrome, for both clinical and research purposes.
Kinetic enhancement of bound hexokinase activity by mitochondrial respiration

Abstract These studies were designed to examine the functional relationship between respiring rat liver mitochondria and bound hexokinase. Kinetic studies were peformed varying either exogenously supplied ATP or ATP synthesized endogenously by respiring mitochondria and varied concentrations of ADP. Michaelis-Menten constants and maximum velocities were determined at two, five, and ten minutes after initiating the reactions. The K m 's and Vmax's were invariant with respect to added ATP, but the apparent K m 's varied considerably when endogenous substrate was utilized. At two minutes, the K m for endogenous ATP was 25% of the K m for provided ATP, but, by ten minutes, it had reached 70%. The Vmax's varied far less markedly. This is a clear demonstration of preferential utilization of mitochondrial ATP by bound hexokinase.