cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Foreign direct investment and host country productivity: the American automotive component industry in the 1980s

Although several studies have shown that inward foreign direct investment (FDI) often leads to greater host country productivity, researchers have yet to determine the relative importance of direct technology transfer and competitive pressure. To assess the relative importance of the two channels, we examine the US auto-component industry between 1979 and 1991. During this period, Japanese automobile assemblers began to produce vehicles in North America, and began to purchase inputs from US auto-component manufacturers. Those US manufacturers that sold components to Japanese transplants would be the direct recipients of any technologies transferred from the Japanese. Although we find that the direct investment by Japanese assemblers was associated with overall productivity improvement in the US auto-component industry, we find little evidence of direct technology transfer. The productivity growth of US suppliers affiliated with Japanese assemblers was no greater than that of other, non-affiliated US suppliers. Further, we find that the Japanese assemblers tended to purchase components from less productive US suppliers and, moreover, that low-productivity suppliers that sold goods to Japanese assemblers had a higher survival rate than low-productivity suppliers that did not sell to Japanese firms. The results suggest that increased competitive pressure in the auto-sector was the main cause of overall productivity improvement, at least during the initial stages of FDI of the 1980s.
Audience‐Contingent Variation in Action Demonstrations for Humans and Computers

People may exhibit two kinds of modifications when demonstrating action for others: modifications to facilitate bottom-up, or sensory-based processing; and modifications to facilitate top-down, or knowledge-based processing. The current study examined actors' production of such modifications in action demonstrations for audiences that differed in their capacity for intentional reasoning. Actors' demonstrations of complex actions for a non-anthropomorphic computer system and for people (adult and toddler) were compared. Evidence was found for greater highlighting of top-down modifications in the demonstrations for the human audiences versus the computer audience. Conversely, participants highlighted simple perceptual modifications for the computer audience, producing more punctuated and wider ranging motions. This study suggests that people consider differences in their audiences when demonstrating action.
Minimum‐time line broadcast networks

Broadcasting refers to the process of message dissemination in a communication network whereby a message, originated by one member, becomes known to all members. Line broadcasting assumes that members may “switch-through” any number of calls during a time unit. An algorithm is presented which produces a calling schedule completing line broadcasting in minimum time from any member of any tree. A discussion of three types of broadcasting and their associated minimum time networks is included.
An Efficient Group Communication Protocol for Mobile Robots

Mobile robot teams have many useful applications such as search and rescue, exploration and hazard detection and analysis. Communication between the robots of a team as well as between the robots and a human operator or controller are useful for many applications. Many applications of mobile robots involve scenarios in which no communication infrastructure such as base stations exist (e.g. demining in battlefields) or the existing infrastructure is damaged (e.g. search and rescue after an earthquake). In such scenarios, it is necessary for mobile robots to form an ad hoc network to enable communication by forwarding each other’s packets. In many applications, group communication can be used for flexible control, organization, and management of the mobile robots. Multicast provides a bandwidth efficient communication method between a source and a group of robots. In this paper, we propose an efficient multicast protocol MRMM (Mobile Robot Mesh Multicast) for deployment in mobile robot networks. MRMM exploits the fact that mobile robots know what velocity they are instructed to move at and for what distance in building a long lifetime sparse mesh for group communication that is more efficient. Our results show that MRMM provides an efficient group communication mechanism that can potentially be used in many mobile robot application scenarios.
Psychoneuroimmunological aspects of disease progression among women with human papillomavirus-associated cervical dysplasia and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 co-infection.

Objective Psychosocial associations have been observed with level of cervical dysplasia or "pre-cancer" and invasive cervical cancer [related to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection]. Psychoneuroimmunological relationships have been observed in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection, which is being described in an increasing number of women. Our objective was to review these relationships regarding effects that might be expected in HIV-1 and HPV co-infected women. Method This review was based on a Medline literature search supplemented by a manual search of selected journals unrepresented in that database. Results Relationships of psychosocial factors and level of cervical dysplasia were similarly observed with reference to immunological and health status in asymptomatic and early symptomatic HIV-1 infected homosexual men, suggesting that a potentiating effect may occur in HIV-1 and HPV co-infected women. Consistency of relationships across studies appeared to be enhanced by the use of a biopsychosocial model integrating the effects of life stressors, social support and coping style as well as psychiatric disorders. Conclusions Research is indicated on the relationships between psychosocial factors, immunological status and clinical health status in this group of women. Because of the high prevalence of psychosocial risk factors for chronic psychological distress in these women and the known immunological and health status decrements occurring with progression of these two infections, a clinical screening program based on the biopsychosocial model is recommended as a means of secondary prevention. If effective in generating treatment referrals, such a program would likely improve quality of life and could aid in the determination of relationships with immunological and health status as well.
Anticoccidial Efficacy and Chicken Toleration of Potent New Polyether Ionophores.1. The Septamycin Relative CP-82,009

The anticoccidial activity of the ionophore CP-82,009 against laboratory isolates of four major species of poultry Eimeria was investigated. Parameters of anticoccidial efficacy that were evaluated were control of lesions and weight suppression. At 4 and 5 ppm, CP-82,009 demonstrated broad-spectrum anticoccidial efficacy in battery trials that was equivalent to reference commercial ionophores. When CP-82,009 was fed to uninfected broiler chickens at efficacious dose levels, growth rate and feed efficiency were found to be equivalent to commercial agents over a 21-day period in batteries and over a 49-day period in floor pens. From the present studies, it appears that CP-82,009 is an efficacious anticoccidial that is well tolerated by chickens, and that it ranks among the most potent anticoccidial ionophores described to date.
DNA repair in the extremely radioresistant bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans

Summary Deinococcus radiodurans and other members of the same genus share extraordinary resistance to the lethal and mutagenic effects of ionizing and u.v. radiation and to many other agents that damage DNA. While it is known that this resistance is due to exceedingly efficient DNA repair, the molecular mechanisms responsible remain poorly understood. Following very high exposures to u.v. irradiation (e.g. 500 Jm−2, which is non-lethal to D. radiodurans), this organism carries out extremely efficient excision repair accomplished by two separate nucleotide excision repair pathways acting simultaneously. One pathway requires the uvrA gene and appears similar to the UvrABC excinuclease pathway defined in Escherichia coli. The other excision repair pathway is specific for u.v. dimeric photoproducts, but is not mediated by a pyrimidine dimer DNA glycosylase. Instead, it is initiated by a second bona fide endonuclease that may recognize both pyrimidine dimers and pyrimidine-(6–4)pyrimidones. After high doses of ionizing-radiation (e.g. 1.5Mrad), D. radiodurans can mend >100 double-strand breaks (dsb) per chromosome without lethality or mutagenesis. Both dsb mending and survival are recA-dependent, indicating that efficient dsb mending proceeds via homologous recombination. D. radiodurans contains multiple chromosomes per cell, and it is proposed that dsb mending requires extensive recombination amongst these chromosomes, a novel phenomenon in bacteria. Thus, D. radiodurans may serve as an easily accessible model system for the double-strand-break-initiated interchromosomal recombination that occurs in eukaryotic cells during mitosis and meiosis.
Strindberg's Vampiric Narrators

August Strindberg once claimed that his novels and stories were “plays in epic form.” But Strindberg's fluid formulation of genre and medium is complicated and enriched by his understanding of narration and authorship as vampiric. In the novel The Red Room (1879) and the play The Dance of Death (1900), Strindberg attributes vampiric qualities of authorship to characters that function as narrators. Strindberg's vampires sustain themselves with language rather than blood, and the forms they use to drain their victims are inextricable from the epic narration Strindberg explicitly adapts and develops in his dramaturgy. By assigning formally generative movement across genres to vampire characters that perform the functions of narrators, Strindberg depicts dramatic character as a parasitic performance—and a locus of formal change in modern drama.
Association of Safety Culture with Surgical Site Infection Outcomes

Background Hospital workplace culture may have an impact on surgical outcomes; however, this association has not been established. We designed a study to evaluate the association between safety culture and surgical site infection (SSI). Study Design Using the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture and National Healthcare Safety Network definitions, we measured 12 dimensions of safety culture and colon SSI rates, respectively, in the surgical units of Minnesota community hospitals. A Pearson's r correlation was calculated for each of 12 dimensions of surgical unit safety culture and SSI rate and then adjusted for surgical volume and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification. Results Seven hospitals participated in the study, with a mean survey response rate of 43%. The SSI rates ranged from 0% to 30%, and surgical unit safety culture scores ranged from 16 to 92 on a scale of 0 to 100. Ten dimensions of surgical unit safety culture were associated with colon SSI rates: teamwork across units (r = −0.96; 95% CI [−0.76, −0.99]), organizational learning (r = −0.95; 95% CI [−0.71, −0.99]), feedback and communication about error (r = −0.92; 95% CI [−0.56, −0.99]), overall perceptions of safety (r = −0.90; 95% CI [−0.45, −0.99]), management support for patient safety (r = −0.90; 95% CI [−0.44, −0.98]), teamwork within units (r = −0.88; 95% CI [−0.38, −0.98]), communication openness (r = −0.85; 95% CI [−0.26, −0.98]), supervisor/manager expectations and actions promoting safety (r = −0.85; 95% CI [−0.25, −0.98]), non-punitive response to error (r = −0.78; 95% CI [−0.07, −0.97]), and frequency of events reported (r = −0.76; 95% CI [−0.01, −0.96]). After adjusting for surgical volume and ASA classification, 9 of 12 dimensions of surgical unit safety culture were significantly associated with lower colon SSI rates. Conclusions These data suggest an important role for positive safety and teamwork culture and engaged hospital management in producing high-quality surgical outcomes.
The World Bank and structural adjustment in Africa

Professor Fantu Chern of the American University in Washington, DC, and Research Fellow of the Africa Institute of South Africa, argues that the SAPs have not been as successful as the World Bank proclaims them to have been.
The challenges of using scalp-EEG input signals for continuous device control

Whether aiming to control a computer cursor, a robotic arm, or a wheelchair, it remains a significant challenge to achieve responsive and reliable asynchronous control via EEG signals. The most promising scalp-recorded EEG signals for this task are sensorimotor rhythms and steady-state visual evoked potentials, which have both been demonstrated to be viable for continuous device operation in controlled laboratory settings. Several issues, such as handling signal nonstationarity and identifying reliable asynchronous modes of operation, must be addressed before these scalp-EEG signals can become practical for controlling devices outside of the laboratory.
Pseudorandom scanning

Pseudorandom scanning has been ingenuously used by S. Deutsch ["Narrow-band TV uses pseudorandom scan," Electronics, vol. 35, pp. 49-51, April 27 1962] to reduce television frame rate and hence bandwidth. In this communication we shall consider the use of pseudorandom scanning in transmitting still (rather than motion) pictures. We assume thathe picture is transmitted through a onedimensional channel. Pseudorandom scanning is one way of obtaining a onedimensional function from the twodimensional picture. Another way, which is often used in practice at the present, is sequential scanning, in which the picture is scanned along horizontal lines sequentially from top to bottom. We shall compare the effects of these two scanning methods on the received pictures for certain channels.
Olfactory neuroblastoma: MR evaluation.

PURPOSE To evaluate MR in the diagnosis and staging of olfactory neuroblastoma. METHODS Five patients with histologically proved olfactory neuroblastomas were studied by MR. Four also had CT scans. RESULTS The extent of disease delineated by MR agreed with surgical findings and surgical staging of the tumor in all five patients. All cases of olfactory neuroblastomas originated in the nasal cavity and involved the ethmoid sinuses. In three of the five cases, the tumors extended to the anterior skull base. In one case MR correctly suggested skull base involvement missed on CT. Lesions were isointense to hyperintense with muscle on T1-weighted scans. Compared with fat on T2-weighted scans, olfactory neuroblastomas were variable in signal intensity. Enhancement was minimal to moderate in all cases. CONCLUSION In the evaluation of olfactory neuroblastoma, MR is most useful in delineating the extent of the tumor and may be more accurate than CT. However, the signal intensity characteristics of olfactory neuroblastomas may overlap other tumors.
Diagnosis and treatment of isolated splenic abscess in children

Objective:To investigate the diagnosis and treatment of splenic abscess in children. Methods:The clinical data of 7 cases with splenic abscess were analysed retrospectively. Results:Management consisted of intravenous broadspectrum antibiotic therapy in 5 cases of isolated splenic abscess,together with percutaneous aspiration was 3 cases. Con-clusion:Isolated splenic abscess in children responds favorably to conservative treatment with intravenous broad-spectrum antibiotics and percutaneous drainage without the need for splenectomy.
Probing comprehension of Wh questions in an echolalic child.

Comprehension of What , Where and When Wh questions was evaluated in a four-and-one-half year old echolalic boy who displayed in therapy and at home equivocal response to various question forms. Deficits of comprehension were traced to an inadequately developed deep structure (particularly adverbials) rather than to limited knowledge of Wh transformations. Delayed development of semantic rules, as in the case of time distinctions, may block acquisition of those syntactic rules dependent upon them.
Hypoglycemia and Hyperglycemia in Tiny Infants

When the maternal supply of glucose is removed, endogenous hepatic glucose production and enteral or parenteral nutrition become the primary source of glucose supply. Because of this, the 1000-gm infant has special problems with glucose homeostasis. This article reviews these particular difficulties.
Comparative study of texture features in OCT images at different scales for human breast tissue classification

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death in women in the United States due to cancer. Early detection of breast cancerous regions will aid the diagnosis, staging, and treatment of breast cancer. Optical coherence tomography (OCT), a non-invasive imaging modality with high resolution, has been widely used to visualize various tissue types within the human breast and has demonstrated great potential for assessing tumor margins. Imaging large resected samples with a fast imaging speed can be accomplished by under-sampling in the spatial domain, resulting in a large image scale. However, it is unclear whether there is an impact on the ability to classify tissue types based on the selected imaging scale. Our objective is to evaluate how the scale at which the images are acquired impacts texture features and the accuracy of an automated classification algorithm. To this end, we present a comparative study of texture features in OCT images at two image scales for human breast tissue classification. Texture features and attenuation coefficients were inputs to a statistical classification model, relevance vector machine. The automated classification results from the two image scales were compared. We found that more informative tissue features are preserved in small image scale and accordingly, small image scale leads to more accurate tissue type classification.
Federalism and the Dilemma of Popular Government

Beginning with the Truman administration, there have been persistent and sometimes strenuous efforts to devolve many federal activities to state and local governments.1 These efforts have almost entirely failed. Meanwhile, the number and variety of federal interventions in what until recently were generally considered local matters has increased at an accelerating rate. One gets an indication of what has been happening from the fact that federal domestic spending more than doubled as a percentage of gross national product in the twenty-five years prior to 1980.
An epidemiologic overview of 13 years of firearm hospitalizations in Pennsylvania

Abstract Background Gun violence is a controversial public health issue plagued by a lack of recent research. We sought to provide a 13-y overview of firearm hospitalizations in Pennsylvania, analyzing trends in mode, intent, and outcome. We hypothesized that no adjusted change in mortality or functional status at discharge (FSD) would be observed for gunshot wound (GSW) victims over the study period. Methods All admissions to the Pennsylvania Trauma Outcome Study database from 2003 to 2015 were queried. GSWs were identified by external cause-of-injury codes. Collected variables included patient demographics, firearm type, intent (assault and attempted suicide), FSD, and mortality. Multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression models and ordinal regression analyses using generalized linear mixed models assessed the impact of admission year (continuous) on adjusted mortality and FSD score, respectively. Significance was set at P Results Of the 462,081 patients presenting to Pennsylvania trauma centers from 2003 to 2015, 19,342 were GSWs (4.2%). Handguns were the most common weapon of injury ( n = 7007; 86.7%) among cases with specified firearm type. Most GSWs were coded as assaults ( n = 15,415; 79.7%), with suicide attempts accounting 1866 hospitalizations (9.2%). Suicide attempts were most prevalent among young and middle-aged white males, whereas assaults were more common in young black males. Rates of firearm hospitalizations decreased over time (test of trend P = 0.001); however, admission year was not associated with improved adjusted survival (adjusted odds ratio: 0.99, 95% confidence interval: 0.97-1.01; P = 0.353) or FSD (adjusted odds ratio: 0.99, 95% confidence interval: 0.98-1.00; P = 0.089) while controlling for demographic and injury severity covariates. Conclusions Temporal trends in outcomes suggest rates of firearm hospitalizations are declining in Pennsylvania; however, outcomes remain unchanged. To combat this epidemic, a multidisciplinary, demographic-specific approach to prevention should be the focus of future scientific pursuits.
Analytic properties of the quark propagator from an effective infrared interaction model

In this paper, I investigate the analytic properties of the quark propagator Dyson-Schwinger equation (DSE) in the Landau gauge. In the quark self-energy, the combined gluon propagator and quark-gluon vertex is modeled by an effective interaction (the so-called Maris-Tandy interaction), where the ultraviolet term is neglected. This renders the loop integrand of the quark self-energy analytic on the cut plane $\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\pi}larg(x)l\ensuremath{\pi}$ of the square of the external momentum. Exploiting the simplicity of the truncation, I study solutions of the quark propagator in the domain $x\ensuremath{\in}[\ensuremath{-}5.1,0]\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}{\text{GeV}}^{2}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}i[0,10.2]\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}{\text{GeV}}^{2}$. Because of a complex conjugation symmetry, this region fully covers the parabolic integration domain for Bethe-Salpeter equations (BSEs) for bound state masses of up to 4.5 GeV. Employing a novel numerical technique that is based on highly parallel computation on graphics processing units (GPUs), I extract more than 6500 poles in this region, which arise as the bare quark mass is varied over a wide range of closely spaced values. The poles are grouped in 23 individual trajectories that capture the movement of the poles in the complex region as the bare mass is varied. The raw data of the pole locations and residues is provided as Supplemental Material, which can be used to parametrize solutions of the complex quark propagator for a wide range of bare mass values and for large bound-state masses. This study is a first step towards an extension of previous work on the analytic continuation of perturbative one-loop integrals, with the long-term goal of establishing a framework that allows for the numerical extraction of the analytic properties of the quark propagator with a truncation that extends beyond the rainbow by making adequate adjustments in the contour of the radial integration of the quark self-energy.
Outcome and Predictive Factors of Patients (pts) with Hematologic Malignancies (HM) Admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU)

Abstract Background: Although great advances have been made in the treatment of pts with acute leukemia (AL), an important number of pts still experience life-threatening complications while receiving remission induction chemotherapy (IC) that necessitates ICU admission. Several reports have attempted to identify the factors that may predict the admission to ICU, however, none apply specifically to pts with HM. In addition, there is currently no objective measure available to identify which pts with HM are at high risk for ICU admission. Objectives: To review the characteristics and outcome of patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) or high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (HR-MDS) admitted to ICU during IC; and to identify predictive factors for ICU admission. Methods: Retrospective review of medical records of AML and HR-MDS pts admitted for IC from January 1998 to December 2005 to the Leukemia Department at MDACC. Results: 1541 patients received IC from Jan1998 to Dec 2005. Median age was 58 years (r: 13–89); 59% were male; 84% had AML; 68% were in protected environment during IC; 94% had ≤2 Zubrod performance status; 83% of the patients received IC treatment with cytarabine containing regimens. Three hundred eleven patients (20%) were admitted to ICU. Median age was 62 (r: 13–89); 54% had >2 Zubroad performance status. Reasons for ICU admission and mortality related to admission are described in table 1. The overall admission rate to ICU has not significantly decreased since 1998 to 2005 (p=0.22), however the mortality rate in ICU pts has significantly decreased over the 8 years evaluated (1998= 83%; 1999 =67%; 2000 =71%; 2002 = 67%; 2003=56%; 2004= 57%; 2005 =54%, p= 0.007). Fifty-five percent of the pts admitted to ICU required mechanical ventilation and 29% required hemodyalisis. Overall mortality among pts transferred to ICU was significantly higher when compared to that of pts who were not admitted to ICU, 59 % versus 4%, respectively (p Table 1. No patients (%) Mortality (%) Infections 114 (37) 69 Cardiac 67 (21) 52 Hemorrhage 77 (25) 62 Renal 19 (6) 58 Others 34 (11) 59 Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified the following risk factors for ICU admission: older age (OR=1.02, p=0.004), presence of infection at start IC (OR=1.37, p=0.09), cytogenetics [−5, −7] (OR=2.58, p=0.048); Zubrod performance status > 2 (OR= 1.82, p= 0.05); lack of antibacterial/antifungal prophylaxis (OR=0.49, p=0.006); and low albumin (OR= 0.68, p=0.008), high bilirubin (OR=1.32, p=0.052) and high Beta 2 Microglobulin (OR=1.10, p=0.0008) at start IC. Conclusions: Admission to the ICU during IC is associated with high mortality in pts with HM. Infectious complications are the most frequent cause of ICU admissions and it is associated with the higher mortality. The recognition of predictive factors for ICU transfer may facilitate the identification of pts at risk and will allow physicians to develop guidelines to prevent ICU admission.
Abstract 201: Transfer of Intracellular HIV-Nef to Endothelium Causes MCP-1 Release and Induction of Apoptosis

With effective antiretroviral therapy (ART), cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are emerging as a major cause of morbidity and death in the aging HIV-infected population. To address whether HIV-Nef, a viral protein produced in infected cells even when virus production is halted by ART, can lead to endothelial activation and dysfunction, we tested Nef protein transfer to and activity in endothelial cells. We demonstrated that Nef protein from either HIV-infected or Nef-transfected T cells rapidly transfers to endothelial cells while inducing nanotube-like conduits connecting T cells to endothelial cells. This transfer to or transfection of endothelial cells resulted in apoptosis, ROS generation and release of monocyte attractant protein-1 (MCP-1). Nef-induced apoptosis is mediated through both NADPH oxidase- and ROS-dependent mechanisms, while MCP-1 production is NF-κB dependent. Importantly, Nef protein can be found in circulating blood cells in patients receiving virally suppressive ART, and in the endothelium of chimeric SIV-infected macaques. Together, these data indicate that inhibition of Nef-associated pathways may be promising new therapeutic targets for reducing the risk for cardiovascular disease in the HIV-infected population.
Membrane Separations: Mechanisms and Models

The principles of reverse osmosis and ultrafiltration are reviewed, with emphasis on the mechanisms of permeation and mathematical models used to describe these processes. Reverse osmosis models are based on irreversible thermodynamics or physical-chemical-structural concepts. None are wholly satisfactory, since the parameters are usually functions of the driving forces. Ultrafiltration flux models based on the simple film theory are widely used. The gel-polarization model, however, under-predicts flux with with colloidal feed streams. Physical properties such as osmotic pressure, the “gel concentration”, viscosity and diffusivity are difficult to obtain, especially under the high shear and polarized conditions existing at the membrane surface.
Untapped Equity as Dry Powder for Acquisitions

Capital market frictions likely impact firms investments, yet empirical identification is difficult as they often arise from endogenous firm choices. In this paper, I exploit a legally-imposed friction to estimate the effects of equity financing constraints on investments. Using a novel identification strategy, I find that firms with greater equity financing flexibility are more likely to make an acquisition, generate higher announcement returns, and decrease the likelihood of being targeted. However, when firms exhibit poor monitoring, flexibility leads to lower announcement returns, demonstrating the costs of greater flexibility. Overall, the results highlight the role and trade-offs of equity financing flexibility.
Microbialite Biosignature Analysis by Mesoscale X-ray Fluorescence (μXRF) Mapping

Abstract As part of its biosignature detection package, the Mars 2020 rover will carry PIXL, the Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry, a spatially resolved X-ray fluorescence (μXRF) spectr...
Detection of intensification of the global water cycle: the potential role of FRIEND

Diagnostic studies of 14-year, 2 × 2°, Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model off-line simulations of the global terrestrial water budget suggest that, given the annual variability in the major components of continental hydrological cycles (precipitation, evaporation, and runoff), several decades to perhaps centuries of measurements may be needed to detect with high confidence the intensification predicted by recent global climate model (GCM) studies simulating plausible global warming scenarios. Furthermore, these measurements may need to originate from a wider geographic expanse than is currently investigated within large-scale hydrological assessment programmes, such as the Global Energy and Water Experiment (GEWEX). Smaller, geographically dispersed basins, including many of those participating in the International Flow Regimes from International Experimental and Network Data (FRIEND) programme, could therefore play important roles in detection of an intensification in the global water cycle.
Tourism Geographies: straddling disciplinary and transdisciplinary perspectives

This is the second issue in the 20th anniversary volume of Tourism Geographies. As in the first issue of volume 20, we are offering a selection of short commentaries by the journal's editorial boar...
Parental Nitrogen Transfer and Apparent Absence of N2 Fixation during Colony Foundation in Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki

Colony foundation and early growth is a critical period in the life-cycle of a termite colony, as the initial family unit is resource limited. One such resource is nitrogen, which is essential for initial colony growth. This study examined the whole-colony nitrogen inventory during foundation and early growth of Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki colonies. It was hypothesized that termite colonies would go through an initial period of parental investment, representing a transfer of nitrogen to the first brood, and that once a functional worker caste was present, further provisioning in the form of intrinsic N2 fixation would occur. Our results showed that, when in nitrogen-poor rearing conditions, the king and queen initially transferred half of their nitrogen reserves to their first brood. However, the total nitrogen content in colonies did not increase over a 12 month period, despite the presence of functional workers. Furthermore, colonies did not increase their biomass beyond the initial parental investment. Together, these results imply that nitrogen acquisition in incipient C. formosanus colonies relies on environmental or dietary sources, rather than the putative fixation through symbiotic diazotrophs.
Microfluidic MEMS Device in the Cultivation of Microalgae With Positive Dielectrophoretic Cell Trapping for Media Exchange

Through COMSOL modeling and electrode design, positive dielectrophoretic (pDEP) cell trapping for media exchange has been demonstrated on live Chlamydomnas reinhardtii in regular growth medium in a PDMS-glass microfluidic MEMS device. Dielectrophoresis (DEP) is the force applied to dielectric particles in an alternating current (AC) non-uniform electric field. A DEP force toward the increasing electric field gradient is called positive (pDEP). There are several published DEP structures for various applications such as: simple interdigitated structures for particle sorting in flow, DEP tweezers for single cell manipulation, and spiral structures for general cell manipulation. pDEP trapping over large areas (area pDEP) has been demonstrated with the use of low conductivity suspending media, but for higher conductivity suspending media, such as growth media, the pDEP force is reduced, and less likely to trap and hold microalgae against the hydrodynamic forces during media exchange. Multiphysics software, COMSOL, was used to model repeating structures suited for trapping of cells over the bottom area of a microfluidic device, which is useful and necessary for media exchange of a cell culture in a simple microfluidic device. The theoretical model of dielectrophoretic (DEP) force on a homogenous sphere in a homogenous medium in an electric field is a function of the sphere radius and conductivity, medium permittivity, and the gradient of the electric field. By assuming the conductivities, permittivities, and the particle geometry remains constant, the gradient of the electric field is the determining factor for the strength of the pDEP force. Modeling the electric fields and the resulting electric field gradient of various interdigitated electrode configurations allowed for the optimization of an electrode structure’s area of higher electric field gradients. The completed microfluidic device consisted of a single channel and a wide growth chamber overlaid over patterned gold-chrome electrodes. The MEMS device was fabricated using soft lithography and photolithography on the etched chrome-gold glass slides. The pDEP trapping was successful in trapping C. reinhardtii for media exchange. Media exchange allows for nutrient replenishment and waste removal, allowing for control of the growth conditions.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Low-Complexity Heuristics for Deriving Fine-Grained Classes of Named Entities from Web Textual Data.

We introduce a low-complexity method for acquiring fine-grained classes of named entities from the Web. The method exploits the large amounts of textual data available on the Web, while avoiding the use of any expensive text processing techniques or tools. The quality of the extracted classes is encouraging with respect to both the precision of the sets of named entities acquired within various classes, and the labels assigned to the sets of named entities.
Ca 2+ TRANSPORT BY MITOCHONDRIA: A SURVEY

This paper summarizes in broad strokes the properties of mitochondrial Ca 2+ influx and efflux systems in the possible role of mitochondria in maintaining cytosolic Ca 2+ homeostasis. Recent reviews (1-3) may be consulted for some details.
Airway pressure release ventilation does not increase intracranial pressure in patients with traumatic brain injury with poor lung compliance.

Abstract The use of Airway Pressure Release Ventilation (APRV) in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains controversial. Some believe that elevated mean airway pressures transmitted to the thorax may cause clinically significant increases in Central Venous Pressure (CVP) and intracranial pressure (ICP) from venous congestion. We perform a retrospective review from 2009 to 2015 of traumatically injured patients who were transitioned from traditional ventilator modes to APRV and also had an ICP monitor in place. Fifteen patients undergoing 19 transitions to APRV were identified. Prior to transitioning to APRV the average static and dynamic compliance was 22.9 +/− 5.6 and 16.5 +/− 4.12 mL/cm H2O. There was no statistical difference in ICP, MAP, and CPP prior to and after transition to APRV. There was a statistically significant increase in CVP, PaO2, and P:F ratio. Individually, only 4 patients had ICP values >20 in the first hour after transitioning to APRV and the rate of ICP elevations was similar between the two modes of ventilation. These data show that APRV is a viable mode of ventilation in patients with TBI who have low lung compliance. The increased CVP of this mode of ventilation did not affect ICP or hemodynamic parameters.
Production of more ideal uranium trioxide microspheres for the sol-gel microsphere pelletization process without the use of carbon

Abstract Renewed interest by the U.S. Department of Energy in the sol-gel microsphere pelletization process led to an evaluation of dried uranium trioxide (UO3) microspheres produced without the use of carbon by the internal gelation process at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. An earlier study has shown that less dense UO3 microspheres led to uranium dioxide pellets with higher densities. This effort identified feed formulations that produced dried UO3 microspheres with the lowest tap densities for gelation temperatures of 333, 343, 353, and 363 K. The tap densities of these dried UO3 microspheres ranged from 680 to 820 kg/m3, which were significantly lower than the previously reported low UO3 density of 900 kg/m3. This study confirmed an earlier observation that the effects of gelation conditions on the properties of the gel sphere are complex since only two of the four best formulations were similar in composition. The need to age the wet gel spheres in the gelation medium for 20 min at the end of the experiment was also confirmed.
Human α-1-acid glycoprotein inhibits TNF production in the CNS of rabbits with meningitis: A report of preliminary observations

Bacterial meningitis is accompanied by an acute inflammatory response which may be exacerbated by antibiotic treatment and subsequent killing of bacteria. Bacterial cell products induce the release of cytokines including TNFα, which contribute to the inflammatory process. Alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (AAG), an acute phase reactant, is elevated during inflammation. To test whether AAG has anti-inflammatory activity we examined its effect on lipopolysaccharide-stimulated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Treatment of the cells with AAG in vitro resulted in reduced TNFα production. To test the effects of the molecule in vivo, AAG was administered intrathecally to rabbits with Haemophilus influenzae B lysate induced meningitis. Human AAG reduced TNFα production and leukocytosis in the cerebrospinal fluid. Histopathology of the leptomeninges showed markedly attenuated inflammation. These results indicate that AAG can reduce inflammation in rabbits with experimental meningitis and that the effect may be directly on TNFα production by stimulated mononuclear leukocytes.
Abstract 156: Uric acid is an Independent Predictor of Plaque Stability and Future Cerebrovascular Events in Patients Undergoing Carotid Endarterectomy

Background: Uric acid is a known risk factor for atherosclerosis. We aimed to determine whether baseline uric acid levels predict plaque stability on presentation and future cerebrovascular events ...
Exploring the Determinants of Variations in Land Use Policy Outcomes: What Makes Urban Containment Work?:

This article explores ways in which land use policy outcomes vary across contexts focusing, as an example, on urban growth boundaries. Specifically, it analyzes how various contextual factors inter...
Enhanced Classification of Individual Finger Movements with ECoG

Motor decoding at the level of individual finger movements is critical for high-performance brain-machine interface (BMI) applications. In this work, we propose to exploit the temporal dynamics of the multi-channel electrocorticography (ECoG) signal from human subjects and modern machine learning algorithms to improve the finger-level movement classification accuracy. Using a decision tree ensemble as the classifier and the temporally-concatenated features of ECoG as input, we achieved an average classification accuracy of 71.3%±7.1% on 3 subjects, 6.3% better than the state-of-the-art approach based on conditional random fields (CRF) on the same dataset. Our proposed method could enable a high-performance and minimally invasive cortical BMI for paralyzed patients.
Design optimization of oil pan thermoelectric generator to recover waste heat from internal combustion engines

Abstract Nearly 75% of fuel energy is rejected to the environment and ultimately becomes waste heat in motor vehicles. To recover some of this waste heat and enhance fuel efficiency, thermoelectric energy generators (TEGs) possess high potential. We investigated the feasibility of utilizing TEGs in terms of oil pans to recover waste heat generated in internal combustion engines. Hot oil at the top surface of TEG and air cooling at the bottom create a high thermal gradient for the thermoelectric conversion. An extensive multi-physics simulation framework was introduced to accurately simulate conversion of heat into electricity taking into account thermoelectricity, joule heating, heat conduction and turbulent air cooling. To maximize the thermoelectric power, dimensions and the total number of thermoelectric modules were optimized under different oil pan geometries and driving conditions. Our simulations show that the maximum power density of 5.77 kW m−2 is achieved with multi-step oil pan geometry under a 76 °C temperature difference between the hot and cold sides. This power density surpassed those reported for the previous, conventional (exhaust and radiator) thermoelectric applications and indicated that harvesting thermal energy from combustion engines using oil pans is a feasible energy recovery methodology to enhance fuel efficiency in automotive vehicles.
On the Origin of Quantum Uncertainty.

I propose that quantum uncertainty is a manifestation of the indeterminism inherent in mathematical logic.
The Ethical Algorithm: Journalist/Whistleblower Relationships Explored Through the Lens of Social Exchange:

This study examined the ethical and professional judgments journalists consider when deciding to trust a whistleblower and determined how whistleblowers influence ethical and newsgathering processe...
Endoscope-Assisted Retromastoid Intradural Suprameatal Approach for Trigeminal Schwannoma.

Background and Introduction: Dumbbell trigeminal schwannoma is the second most common type of intracranial schwannomas. Objective: Herein, we are describing and presenting a video of left trigeminal dumbbell schwannoma with a predominant posterior fossa component (modified Samii's grade C1), operated through left Retromastoid Intradural Suprameatal Approach (RISA). We demonstrate a step by step technique of a previously defined procedure for educational purpose. Surgical Technique: The patient was placed in the right lateral position, and left retromastoid craniotomy was done. Dura was opened based on transverse and sigmoid sinus to expose tumors in the suprameatal region. The tumor removed piecemeal under the microscope, and later endoscope was introduced to identify and remove the residual tumor in the superolateral part of Meckel's cave. Results: The patient had an uneventful recovery. Conclusion: Trigeminal schwannoma with a predominantly posterior fossa component can be excised through retromastoid sub-occipital craniotomy. Endoscopic-assisted microsurgery should be considered in all skull base tumors. Aim for complete excision, but safe maximal resection with GKRS for residual can be considered in difficult cases.
Condensation Frosting on Micropillar Surfaces - Effect of Microscale Roughness on Ice Propagation.

Microscale surface structures have been widely explored as a promising tool for antifreezing or frost avoidance on heat transfer surfaces. Despite studies of many surface feature designs, the mecha...
Nondestructive Sensing of Water Activity From Measurement of the Dielectric Properties at Microwave Frequencies

A rapid, nondestructive method for determining water activity of granular and particulate materials from measurement of the dielectric properties at a single microwave frequency is presented. Results are shown for almond kernels at 8 GHz and 25 °C. Situations in which bulk density is known and unknown were considered. For situations, when bulk density is known, direct correlations between the dielectric properties and water activity were identified. When the bulk density is unknown, correlations between the loss tangent (tan δ ) and a density-independent calibration function ( ψ ), expressed in terms of the dielectric properties and water activity, were used. For purposes of illustration, analytical expressions of the water activity are derived for each situation for almond kernels for which the dielectric properties were measured at 8 GHz and 25 °C. In both situations, the dielectric constant, loss factor, loss tangent, and ψ increased exponentially with water activity. The standard error of calibration (SEC) was calculated to evaluate the effectiveness of each of these analytical expressions in predicting water activity from dielectric properties measurement. The SEC ranged from 0.02 to 0.04 for almond kernels with water activity ranging from 0.5 to 0.9 and moisture content ranging from 4.8 to 16.5%.
Prospective evaluation of a novel enteral feeding guideline based on individual gastric emptying times: an improvement project in a pediatric intensive care unit.

BACKGROUND On a 20-bed, mixed cardiac and general, UK pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), we aimed to determine if a physiologically based enteral feeding guideline for critically ill children, using feed frequency tailored to individual gastric emptying times, resulted in earlier establishment of full feeds (when 100% of fluid allowance (FA) available to be given as intravenous maintenance fluid or feed, defined as free FA [FFA], is given as enteral nutrition [EN]) and an increase in FFA given as EN. METHODS Four prospective audits (totaling 331 patients and 19,771 hours) were conducted at 1 year before guideline introduction and 1, 5, and 10 years after. Patient feeding data were collected from admission until day 4 or discharge, including reasons why feed was withheld. RESULTS The median time from admission to establishing full feeds decreased from 18 to 10 hours preguideline and postguideline and was sustained over 10 years. After adjustment for 5 confounders, this represented a reduction in the geometric mean time to full feeds of 30% (2009), 29% (2013), and 48% (2019) compared with 2007 (all P < .01). Nil-per-oral (NPO) hours were categorized as due to modifiable and nonmodifiable factors. Preguideline and postguideline NPO hours from modifiable factors decreased from 21 (2007) to 10 (2009) per 100 audit hours, which was sustained across 10 years (all P < .01). Conversely, NPO hours from nonmodifiable factors ranged from 27 to 36 per 100 audit hours throughout the audits, with no consistent trend over time. Similar inconsistency was shown in the proportion of FFA given as EN: 48% (2007), 71% (2009), 51% (2013), and 64% (2019). Continuous nasogastric and hourly bolus feeds decreased over time; they comprised 66% of feeds in 2007 but only 4%-11% in subsequent periods, being replaced with more 2-6 hour bolus, on-demand, or continuous nasojejunal feeds. CONCLUSION The guideline was associated with sustained reduction in the time to establishing full feeds and NPO hours due to modifiable factors and more or no less FFA being given as EN.
Magic, Science, and Religion in Early Modern Europe

From the recovery of ancient ritual magic at the height of the Renaissance to the ignominious demise of alchemy at the dawn of the Enlightenment, Mark A. Waddell explores the rich and complex ways that premodern people made sense of their world. He describes a time when witches flew through the dark of night to feast on the flesh of unbaptized infants, magicians conversed with angels or struck pacts with demons, and astrologers cast the horoscopes of royalty. Ground-breaking discoveries changed the way that people understood the universe while, in laboratories and coffee houses, philosophers discussed how to reconcile the scientific method with the veneration of God. This engaging, illustrated new study introduces readers to the vibrant history behind the emergence of the modern world.