cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Openness, Welfare Spending, and Inequality in the Developing World

How does government social spending affect inequality in this era of globalization? This article investigates the relationship between openness, government social expenditures (i.e., education, health, and social security and welfare), and income distribution through a time-series cross-sectional panel data set for 35 less developed countries (LDCs) from 1972 to 1996. I compare these findings to the redistributive effects of social spending in 11 advanced industrialized economies. The results show that while all categories of social spending help improve income distribution in richer countries, the effects of social spending are much less favorable in LDCs. Only spending on education in LDCs encourages a more favorable distribution of income in the face of globalization. I argue that the pressures of a more competitive global economy increase incentives for more redistributive education spending, whereas publicly sponsored health programs and, particularly, social security and welfare programs confront greater political lobbying and clientelism.
On the foundations of vision modeling II. Mining of mirror symmetry of 2-D shapes

Vision can be considered as a feature mining problem. Visually meaningful features are often geometrical, e.g., boundaries (or edges), corners, T-junctions, and symmetries. Mirror symmetry or near mirror symmetry is one of the most common and useful symmetry types in image and vision analysis. The current paper proposes several different approaches for studying 2-dimensional (2-D) mirror symmetric shapes. Proper mirror symmetry metrics are introduced based upon the Lebesgue measure, Hausdorff distance, as well as lower-dimensional feature sets. Theory and computation of these approaches and measures are developed, and numerical results are demonstrated.
Parallel perceptual channels at “deep” processing levels

This work extended the tachistoscopic paradigm developed by Shiffrin and Gardner (1972) to experimental tasks necessitating “deep” levels of perceptual processing. The results paralleled the Shiffrin and Gardner findings and supported the view that all perceptual analysis prior to decisional and memorial processing involves independent parallel channels.
Atomic alignment effects in the associative ionization of sodium

The individual cross sections {sigma}({ital m}{sub {ital a}},{ital m}{sub {ital b}}) for the associative ionization process Na(3{ital p},{ital m}{sub {ital a}})+Na(3{ital p},{ital m}{sub {ital b}}){r arrow}Na{sub 2}{sup +}+{ital e} are calculated semiclassically over a wide velocity range. Qualitative comparisons are made with experimental results in which the colliding Na(3{ital p}) atoms have been excited by laser into specific {ital m}{sub {ital l}} states.
Cellular membrane factors are the major determinants of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus tropism.

Abstract The mechanism that restricts porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) replication in a variety of cell-lines has been investigated in this study. Using a virus binding assay, it was found that PRRSV could not bind to most cell-lines tested. However, vero cells, which are non-permissive to PRRSV infection, were able to bind and internalize a virus almost as efficiently as the permissive cell-line MARC-145. In addition, MARC-145 and vero cells internalized PRRSV in an infectious form, indicating that virus entry occurred by receptor mediated endocytosis. Polyethylene glycol (PEG)-mediated fusion of virus with cells induced the production of infectious virus from vero and MARC-145, but not from the others cells tested. Infectious virus was also recovered from vero and several other non-permissive cell types after trasnfection of viral RNA, indicating that the viral genome is infectious per se. Thus, absence of PRRSV binding to cells might be one major determinant of PRRSV cell tropism. However, because vero cells restricted PRRSV replication following virus binding and internalization but prior to RNA replication, it is possible that multiple viral and cellular components might be involved in allowing PRRSV replication on cells.
Future developments of endoscopic mucosal resection: Techniques and devices

The future development of endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) is dependent on addressing its limitations, exploring new applications, and improving safety and technical ease. The newly described technique of widespread EMR allows for resection of lesions greater than 20 mm in a single, en bloc resection, obviating the need for multiple piecemeal resections. Safety of EMR may be significantly improved by identifying an injectable solution capable of creating a more durable protective submucosal cushion, which is essential for prolonged procedures. As EMR technology becomes more complex, necessitating the use of multiple accessories simultaneously, technical ease may be enhanced by simple adjunct devices such as a flexible endoscope stand. The future challenges for EMR will undoubtedly include resection of circumferential lesions without stricture formation and resection of lesions deep to the submucosa.
Performance of the New Cryogenic Vacuum System at the Bevatron

A cryogenically cooled liner has been installed within the Bevatron to achieve 10-10 Torr vacuum. Features and performance of this liner are described including achieved pressures, residual gas composition, cryo heat loads, leak rates through moving and static seals, and cool-down and warm-up times.
Biosynthesis of gramine in Phalaris arundinacea

Abstract The administration of L -tryptophan-[3-14C] to Phalaris arundinacea L. (Vantage strain) for 9 days resulted in the formation of radioactive gramine (8.2% absolute incorporation). A systematic degradation of the alkaloid indicated that essentially all its activity was located on the methylene group, indicating that its biosynthesis is the same as that occurring in Hordeum species and Lupinus hartwegii.
Pyroelectric properties of synthetic polypeptide films

Abstract Several members of a new family of synthetic polypeptide polymers in form of gelatin thick films (20-80 μm thick) were studied for possible sensor applications. In the present paper the properties of a triglycerol-gelatin film are reported. The pyroelectric properties of the film were examined by using the Byer-Roundy and dynamic Chynoweth technique in the temperature range from −100°C to +60°C. The pyroelectric current measured by the Byer-Roundy method is heavily dominated by the thermally stimulated currents. However, the dynamic technique of Chynoweth revealed a true reversible pyroelectric response of the film. The value of the observed pyroelectric coefficient was found to be comparable to that of PVDF, the best known pyroelectric and piezoelectric polymer material.
Chapter 3 Meta-analytic contributions to the study of gender differences in mathematics — the relationship of mathematical and spatial skills

Abstract Meta-analysis has become one of the most powerful and popular tools for investigating gender differences. Two meta-analyses of gender differences in mathematical tasks, Friedman (1989) and Hyde, Fennema, and Lamon (1990) , are reviewed here. They provide evidence that these gender differences are declining over time. Since 1975, scores on the quantitative section of the Scholastic Aptitude Test echo this trend. A new meta-analysis of correlations of spatial and mathematical tasks is reported in this chapter. Sherman's (1967) hypothesis that a male advantage in spatial ability produces a male advantage in mathematical tasks has inspired an abundance of studies: these, along with factor-analytic and more recent psychometric contributions, form the core of this research synthesis. Both spatial and mathematical tasks have been categorized, and correlations within different categories are examined separately. For the most part, results are not consistent with the theory that spatially-based skill underlies mathematical thought.
Fieldwork Performance, Academic Grades, and Pre-selection Criteria of Occupational Therapy Students

To assess the relationship between pre-selection criteria, academic grades, and fieldwork performance, 45 basic master's occupational therapy students who graduated from New York University between October 1974 and October 1977 were selected. The students' undergraduate and occupational therapy records were reviewed for undergraduate grade point averages (GPA), prerequisites, major, occupational therapy grades, and Field Work Performance Report scores (FWPR). The results indicated that undergraduate GPA and occupational therapy GPA correlated with both psychosocial dysfunction and physical disability FWPR scores. However, a student's participation in a Fieldwork I experience was unrelated to the score received on the FWPR for a Fieldwork II experience. Discussion also focused on the limited usefulness of the FWPR as an evaluative tool since the mean scores were very high and its variability was rather low.
Significance in mammalian oögenesis of the non-homologous association of bivalents

Abstract Observations on first meiotic prophase figures of mouse oocytes revealed that most bivalents were involved in non-homologous association at their centromeric and telomeric heterochromatin. This association appears to persist into the dictyotene stage.
Abstract 3522: Vincristine activates c-Jun N-terminal kinase in chronic lymphocytic leukemiain vivo.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a cancer of B cell lymphocytes whose survival depends on the anti-apoptotic activity of Bcl-2 family proteins. Due to the low growth fraction of CLL cells, drugs that kill during mitosis, such as the microtubule-targeting vinca alkaloids, are not expected to be effective. However, we have found that vincristine and vinblastine can act independently of mitosis and induce acute apoptosis in freshly isolated CLL cells. The mechanism of this effect still depends on destabilization of microtubules as similar events occur with combretastatin A4 which destabilizes microtubules through binding to a different site on tubulin. Vinca-mediated apoptosis in CLL cells can be enhanced by addition of the cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor dinaciclib, killing cells acutely within 6 h. Dinaciclib functions by inhibiting CDK9, suppressing transcription and preventing expression of Mcl-1. The combination of dinaciclib and vinca alkaloids depends on vinca-induced phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). Therefore, we investigated whether JNK phosphorylation occurs in peripheral blood CLL cells in patients receiving vincristine. Patients received 2 mg vincristine intravenously by infusion over 5 minutes. Venous blood samples were obtained at time zero (pre-treatment) and post drug administration for up to 6 h. Patients then continued to receive chemotherapy treatment as prescribed by their primary oncologist. Pre-treatment CLL cells were studied ex vivo for JNK phosphorylation on exposure to vincristine. These studies showed that CLL cells phosphorylated JNK in response to clinically relevant concentrations of vincristine (10-50 nM). In the CLL cells from all 4 patients studied thus far, vincristine led to rapid (≤ 1 h) JNK phosphorylation which was sustained for 4-6 h post vincristine administration. These proof-of-principle study results provide justification for the development of a Phase I study to define the effect of the combination of vinca alkaloids and dinaciclib in patients with CLL. Citation Format: Darcy JP Bates, Alexey V. Danilov, Bernard B. Beaulieu, Lionel D. Lewis, Alan Eastman. Vincristine activates c-Jun N-terminal kinase in chronic lymphocytic leukemia in vivo . [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3522. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-3522
Phosphorylation of amylose with β-cyanoethyl phosphate

Abstract Direct phosphorylation of amylose with β-cyanoethyl phosphate and dicyclohexylcarbodiimide to a degree of substitution of 1.0 places a phosphate group at all primary hydroxyl positions. The same product can be made by phosphorylation of 2,3-di- O -acetylamylose. Removal of the β-cyanoethyl group by mild alkali causes formation of a phosphate diester with one of the ring hydroxyls, probably that on C-3.
Durable Good Inventories and the Volatility of Production: Explaining the Less Volatile U.S. Economy

This paper provides a simple dynamic optimization model of durable goods inventories. Closed-form solutions are derived in a general equilibrium environment with imperfect information and serially correlated shocks. The model is then applied to scrutinize some popular conjectures regarding the causes of the volatility reduction of GDP since 1984.
Stratospheric ozone changes during the first year of SBUV observations

Synoptic analyses of solar backscattered ultraviolet (SBUV) ozone data have been performed on a daily basis for the first year of Nimbus 7 operation, November 1978 through October 1979, at the standard pressure levels: 30, 10, 5, 2, 1, and 0.4 mbar. By combining these data with the daily NMC meteorological analyses of temperature and geostrophic wind at the same levels, elements of the ozone-temperature relationship as well as the horizontal eddy transports are examined. In particular, the existence of an upper stratospheric high-latitude ozone minimum in winter is discussed, and the eddy fluxes are found to play a significant role in this feature, mainly associated with stratospheric warming pulses. At the same time, monthly average quantities are examined, and standing eddy components are related.
Declines in funding of NIH R01 research grants.

For many years, the National Caucus of Basic Biomedical Science Chairs, an organization of medical school scientific faculty leaders, has followed U.S. NIH data on the likelihood of investigator-initiated unsolicited R01 research grant applications being funded ([1][1]–[5][2]). Research supported
Guidelines to decrease unanticipated hospital admission following adenotonsillectomy in the pediatric population

Abstract Introduction Tonsillectomy has become one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures in the pediatric-aged patient. Many of these children are diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Although polysomnography is considered the gold standard, many practioners rely on the clinical examination and parental history. Nationwide Children's Hospital recently instituted pediatric adenotonsillectomy guidelines for hospital admission to help determine which patients should be done in main hospital OR vs. outpatient surgery facility. The main goal was to decrease unanticipated admissions. The secondary goal was to determine areas for practice improvement. Methods Using databases for the hospital, operating room, and otolaryngology, all cases with CPT codes 42820, 42830, 42825, 42826, and 42821 were evaluated from October 2009 to August 2012 in the main operating room and 2 outpatient surgery centers. Data for each unanticipated admission were reviewed to determine whether the criteria were met according to the developed guidelines. Fisher's exact test was applied to the unplanned admission rate before and after the institution of the guidelines. Non-paired t -test and a Fisher's exact test were used for comparison of the demographic data between the two groups. Results Following the institution of the pediatric adenotonsillectomy guidelines, the number of unanticipated admissions decreased from an absolute number of 88 to 43. This represents a decrease from 2.38% to 1.44% ( p = 0.008). Forty-two percent of the unanticipated admissions prior to establishing guidelines were in patients who would have met criteria for admission based on the guidelines. This decreased to 30% after establishing the guidelines. Conclusion We found that the institution of pediatric adenotonsillectomy guidelines for patients undergoing adenotonsillectomy significantly decreased the rate of unanticipated admission. However, there was still a significant percentage (30%) of unanticipated admissions due to non-compliance with the guidelines demonstrating the need for ongoing practice improvement.
Sharing Decision-Making and Group Incentives: The Impact on Performance

This article looks at the impact on establishment performance of using employee involvement and group incentives independently and in combination. These empirical questions are evaluated using establishment-level UK data from the Corporate Performance Project sponsored by the Centre for Economic Performance at the London School of Economics. The findings indicate an insignificant effect when task control is transferred in isolation, and a (mostly) insignificant effect when residual return rights are used alone. However, the findings indicate a positive and significant effect on performance when control and return rights are shared together.
Predicting imminent episodes of ventricular tachyarrhythmia - retrospective analysis of short R-R records from ICD

A predictor of an imminent episode of ventricular tachyarrhythmia, namely ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation has been developed. It only uses R-R records. The previous work was based on long R-R records stored in the memory of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators. With 1.8 hour of data, sensitivity of 53–83% can be achieved with corresponding specificity of 57–91%, depending on which set of criteria are used. The Medtronic ICD data series was made available to us. This consists of 135 pairs of files with 1024 R-R intervals. Each pair consists of a record that ends with the detection of the tachyarrhythmia, and a “most recent” record just prior to the interrogation of the device. It was hoped that the “most recent” record can be used to improve the specificity of the prediction algorithm. The predictor pattern was found in 29% of the arrhythmic records, and in 38% of the records with heart rate variability, namely SDNN, greater than 20 ms. This is comparable to the 40% results for similar conditions found earlier for records only 0.2 hr long. Unfortunately, due to a “white coat effect”, the predictor pattern was found in 40% of the “most recent” records. While this new set of data has confirmed the sensitivity of the arrhythmia predictor, a fault in the data collection process this data set did not add to our understanding of the predictor behavior with a normal heart rhythm.
Teaching Abstract Vocabulary with the Keyword Method: Effects on Recall and Comprehension

Twenty-five adolescents with learning disabilities were randomly assigned to either a keyword mnemonic condition or an experimenter-directed rehearsal condition and were individually taught 16 difficult vocabulary words, including 8 concrete and 8 abstract words. After an instructional period, students were given a test of literal recall as well as a comprehension test of their ability to apply newly acquired vocabulary words in a different context. Results indicated that mnemonically trained students outperformed control students on both abstract and concrete words, and on recall tests as well as on comprehension tests. Implications for vocabulary instruction as well as theories of learning disabilities are discussed.
Induction of prostate adenocarcinomas in Lobund Wistar rats by testosterone

Prostate adenocarcinomas were induced in Lobund Wistar rats following subcutaneous implants of silastic chambers containing testosterone propionate. The tumors resembled those that developed spontaneously in the Lobund Wistar rats. Tumors were not induced in ACI rats by the same treatment schedule.
Alternative approaches to cholesterol-lowering therapy

duced a new era into cholesterol-lowering therapy. 1 Although clinical trials in the pre-statin era provided strong evidence that lowering of serum cholesterol, particularly low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, will reduce risk for coronary heart disease (CHD), subsequent clinical trials using statins revealed the full potential for lowering of serum cholesterol for reducing major coronary events, coronary procedures, stroke, and total mortality rates. 2 The results of these statin trials have changed the practice of preventive cardiology. High-risk patients of many types, that is, those with established CHD, other forms of atherosclerotic disease, diabetes, and those with multiple risk factors, have become candidates for statin therapy. At the present time, millions of people in the United States and worldwide are being treated with statins. The action of statins to lower serum LDL cholesterol was anticipated by the discovery of the LDL receptor by Brown and Goldstein. 3 These investigators demonstrated that reduction of hepatic cholesterol content upregulates synthesis of LDL receptors and thereby lowers serum LDL cholesterol concentrations. Statins competitively inhibit hydroxymethylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase, a rate-limiting enzyme in cholesterol synthesis. 4 In this way, statins lower hepatic concentrations of cholesterol, which increases LDL receptor activity. Some workers propose that the inhibition of cholesterol synthesis will reduce lipoprotein formation, 5 but the major effect of statins on serum LDL levels appears to be mediated through a higher LDL receptor activity. 6
Retaining metadata in remixed cultural heritage objects

Memory institutions have been working to incorporate features into their digital collections that empower users to take ownership of cultural narratives. The advent of technologies like annotation tools and crowdsourced tagging have allowed libraries, archives, and museums to promote user content as part of an institutional narrative, albeit a somewhat tertiary one (Salomon, 2013). Collecting institutions including the Smithsonian, MoMA, Australian Museum, and British Library have been developing initiatives that encourage users to remix openly available digital content. A remix appropriates components of existing resources and incorporates them into a new work. This movement towards user-generated remixed content is cost effective for institutions and engaging for patrons. Increased interactivity is emblematic of the changing role of libraries, archives and museums (Reiskind 2012, pp. 6). The future of cultural memory institutions will be one that embraces collection diversity and incorporates user-generated material into institutional narratives. This is already happening in social media, crowdsourced tagging, API development, and remixing. Work to ensure that associated metadata is harvested along with media content is still in its naissance. Increased endorsement of remixing as a way of engaging with cultural heritage material requires a metadata infrastructure that can support description of remixed content in a way that is comprehensive, interoperable, and scalable.
Reply to Comment on “Giving Advice: Enough Is Enough After Three Solar Cycles”

One of the joys of life is the ability to be surprised. I anticipated e-mails from younger scientists expressing eagerness to serve on important advisory committees but frustrated at the lack of opportunity. Their messages spoke of the comfort zone of being in the shadows of the big boys—doing research rather than politics; but now they saw the need to get more involved. Bravo! My second surprise was that so many senior scientists, leaders of the geosciences nationally and abroad, voiced strong endorsements of the call to fix a dire situation.
Accurate predictions of flip chip BGA warpage

Organic flip chip BGA has been quickly adopted as the mainstream package solution for high speed, high density and high power ASIC and PLD. For these applications, both die and package dimensions are generally large. It is common to see dies over 25 mm and packages of 40 mm or larger. Therefore, warpage is a big challenge. A three-dimensional finite element model was developed to predict the warpage. The model includes substrate, underfill, die, thermal interface material (TIM), heat spreader, stiffener and adhesives. The model has consistently shown excellent accuracy. The average prediction error for a number of packages was less than 10%. The modeling techniques are presented in details in the paper. Using the model, various factors, such as materials and structures of heat spreader, die size and package size, and thermal interface materials were studied.
Thiol-related mechanisms of resistance in a murine tumor model.

Abstract Purpose: The aim of these studies was to provide evidence supporting thiol-related alterations as a mechanism of resistance in the cyclophosphamide (CP)-resistant subline, KHT-rep/iv, and to elucidate the mechanism by which the observed elevation in GSH is achieved. Methods and Materials: The response of the parental and resistant cells to three anticancer agents (adriamycin, cisplatin, and ionizing radiation), previously associated with thiol-related resistance, was determined using a clonogenic cell survival assay. Further, using spectrophotometric techniques, the activities of several glutathione (GSH)-related enzymes; glutathione S-transferase (GST), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX), glutathione reductase (GSR), γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase (GCS) and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) were also measured. Results: The studies indicated that the CP-resistant cells were cross-resistant to adriamycin, cisplatin and ionizing radiation. In addition, the KHT-rcp/iv cells exhibited 2-3-fold increases in GST, GSR and GCS activity. Since GCS catalyzes the rate-limiting step of GSH synthesis, increased activity of this enzyme may be one mechanism by which intracellular GSH levels may be upregulated in treatment refractory tumor cells. No significant difference in GSH-PX activity was observed between the two cell lines, while GGT activity could not be detected in either cell line. Conclusion: Taken together, these results suggest that thiols could play a significant role in the acquired resistance and cross-resistance to chemotherapeutic agents. Modulation of these enzymes may be an effective means of enhancing anticancer therapies.
Comparison of Postoperative Analgesic Efficacy of Caudal Block versus Dorsal Penile Nerve Block with Levobupivacaine for Circumcision in Children

Background Circumcision is a painful intervention frequently performed in pediatric surgery. We aim to compare the efficacy of caudal block versus dorsal penile block (DPNB) under general anesthesia for children undergoing circumcision.
Characteristics of the tropical intraseasonal oscillation in the NCAR community climate model

SUMMARY The structure of the intraseasonal oscillation in a perpetual January integration of the NCAR Community Climate Model (CCM) is analysed and compared with observations. The simulated oscillation is identified as an eastward-moving perturbation in the equatorial velocity-potential field, with predominantly zonal wavenumber-1 structure. Analysis of its vertical and horizontal structure, based on composites, shows good agreement with the observed oscillation from station data, and from numerical weather prediction model analyses. The simulated intraseasonal oscillation is evident in the wind fields at all longitudes but its appearance in the precipitation and outgoing long-wave radiation is confined to the eastern hemisphere. The perturbation to the zonal wind component is characterized by an out-of-phase behaviour between the lower and upper troposphere which is most coherent in the convective regions of the Indian Ocean and West Pacific. The streamfunction anomalies in these regions are suggestive of a coupled Rossby-Kelvin wave, whilst in the western hemisphere the oscillation is more characteristic of a Kelvin wave. The role of cloud-radiation interaction was studied using a parallel integration in which the cloud longwave forcing in the atmosphere was removed. This was found to influence the strength of the oscillation but had no significant impact on the period. In common with other model simulations of the intraseasonal oscillation, the period was found to be too short, near 25 days. Reasons for this are discussed in the context of a similar analysis of a perpetual July integration in which a much slower (period near 54 days) and less coherent oscillation was identified.
A NOTE ON INTEREST RATES AND THE RISK OF BANK AND SAVINGS AND LOAN STOCK

This study examines the relationship between interest rates and the risk of bank and savings and loan stocks. Implied standard deviations from call option prices are used as risk estimates of the financial institutions’ stocks. Results indicate that there is a positive relationship between the risk of depository institution equities and the general level of interest rates. In addition, an upward shift in their risk occurred in late 1982, coinciding with several events that were important to the financial industry (the Penn-Square Bank failure, the Mexican debt crisis, and the passage of the Garn-St. Germain Depository Institutions Act).
Lipopolysaccharide suppresses HIV-1 replication in human monocytes by protein kinase C-dependent heme oxygenase-1 induction

LPS is an important component of the Gram-negative bacteria cell wall. It activates monocytes and induces multiple host immune and inflammatory responses. Interestingly, in spite of inducing host-inflammatory responses, LPS also protects monocyte-derived macrophages from infection by HIV-1. In this report, we have shown that LPS treatment of human monocyte-derived macrophages markedly suppressed HIV-1 replication, even on addition to infected cells 24 h after infection. Inhibition of HIV-1 replication was associated with PKCdependent induction of HO-1, a cytoprotective enzyme known to catabolize heme. Pretreatment with the PKC inhibitor Go 6976 not only substantially inhibited LPSmediated induction of HO-1 but also attenuated LPSinduced suppression of HIV replication. Significant reduction of HIV replication by inhibitors of JNK, NF-B, and PI3K was independent of a LPS-mediated anti-HIV effect. Specificity of HO-1 was confirmed by substantial reversal of LPS-induced viral replication by pretreatment of cells with SnPP IX, an inhibitor of HO-1 enzyme activity. These results demonstrate a previously undefined function of HO-1 as a host defense mechanism in LPS-mediated inhibition of HIV-1 replication. J. Leukoc. Biol. 87: 000–000; 2010.
Regulatory capture and the price of electricity: evidence from time series estimates

Re‐estimates the famous study by Stigler and Friedland (1962) that examines the impact of regulation on the price of electricity. Employs time‐series data in the analysis, in light of recent extensions of the Stigler‐Peltzman theory of regulation. By modelling regulatory behaviour as an endogenous variable in a simultaneous system the model suggests that regulatory agencies are more likely to respond to the concerns of the firms that are being regulated. The regulatory authorities use their political power to regulate when the price of electricity (and hence, producer profits) falls over time.
Multidisciplinary osteoporosis management of post low‐energy trauma hip‐fracture patients

PURPOSE The purpose of this article is to increase awareness of osteoporosis incidence in patients with hip fracture among providers and allied health professionals, to increase osteoporosis recognition and treatment in post hip-fracture patients, and to provide guidance on how to improve continuity of care and collaboration between members of the multidisciplinary healthcare team. DATA SOURCES Recent evidence from the literature is reviewed to identify effective management strategies for post low-energy trauma hip-fracture patients and prevention of future osteoporotic fracture, regardless of osteoporosis diagnosis prior to the initial fracture. CONCLUSIONS Despite the availability of accurate screening technologies and highly efficacious antiosteoporosis medications, implementation of these measures for low-energy trauma hip-fracture patients remains critically low. This is because of a number of factors including hesitancy to integrate care across specialty lines, lack of reliable referral systems, and resistance to change. There is also a lack of recognition of the connection between low-energy trauma hip fracture and osteoporosis by many healthcare professionals. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE All members of the multidisciplinary care team are called to action to adopt osteoporosis evaluation and treatment strategies that research has shown to be effective on a larger scale in the post hip-fracture setting.
Using cellular automata to teach complexity theory

The author, a professor at Augsburg College wanted to help his students see two points: first, given what we now know about complex adaptive systems, and given that many of the systems we find worthy of academic study are complex adaptive systems, the classical problem of induction is far more formidable than we had previously supposed. Second, he wanted his students to see that philosophy of science should be understood as one more complex adaptive system which will have little useful to offer in the way of broader characterizations or prescriptions of how science should be practiced. He addressed these problems using cellular automata (CA) simulated on high-end Macintoshes. He wrote a number of programs to simulate the CAs and then set up lab explorations for his students so that they could experimentally test his claims. Not only did they follow in his steps and come to understand the abstract claims, they saw, experimented, and considered enough to "push the envelope" and notice some things and raise some questions he had missed. >
On the multiplicity of steady states in boundary layer problems with surface reaction

Abstract This study centers on the nature of steady state solutions of problems involving laminar boundary layer flow with chemical reactions on surfaces of the wedge type. It is shown that the usual boundary layer equations have a unique solution although commonly employed approximate solution methods lead to multivalued temperature and concentration fields. It is shown further that a mathematical description of the boundary layer process which accounts for the longitudinal conduction of heat in the solid plate admits multiple solutions. Concluding discussion is carried beyond the particular boundary layer problem to the general problem of mathematical modeling of chemically reacting systems. In particular it stresses the risk of destroying the qualitative features of solutions of the more exact description or of introducing spurious features when approximations, simplifications or modeling techniques are invoked.
A Model for Integrating Wildlife Science and Agri-Environmental Policy in the Conservation of Declining Species

ABSTRACT We examined a case study where a successful wildlife-friendly model for intensively managed hayland was developed from field data and implemented locally as policy by a federal agency. Farmers were ensured a first hay-harvest with high protein content; after a 65-day delay (compared to the normal 35–40-day cutting cycle) farmers took a second harvest of greater quantity but decreased quality. Farmers were paid $247–333/ha in 2008–2010 to offset costs associated with the decreased nutritional content caused by the approximately 25-day second harvest delay. Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) reproductive rates improved from 0.0 to 2.8 fledglings per female per year. Creation and implementation of this policy required communication among scientists, federal agricultural agencies, farmers, and state and federal fish and wildlife departments. Data collection, analyses, and communication processes served as an effective global model for practitioners to apply to other agricultural products and taxa.
Nanosoldering carbon nanotube junctions by local chemical vapor deposition for improved device performance

The performance of carbon nanotube network (CNN) devices is usually limited by the high resistance of individual nanotube junctions (NJs). We present a novel method to reduce this resistance through a nanoscale chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. By passing current through the devices in the presence of a gaseous CVD precursor, localized nanoscale Joule heating induced at the NJs stimulates the selective and self-limiting deposition of metallic nanosolder. The effectiveness of this nanosoldering process depends on the work function of the deposited metal (here Pd or HfB2), and it can improve the on/off current ratio of a CNN device by nearly an order of magnitude. This nanosoldering technique could also be applied to other device types where nanoscale resistance components limit overall device performance.
Perceptions of NIRSA Employees Relating to the Presence of Sexual Harassment and Related Offensive Behavior (Quid Pro Quo) Within College Recreation Department Workplaces

This article summarizes the responses of NIRSA employees in terms of their perceptions of specific unwanted sexual harassment activities and behavior and the extent to which a quid pro quo (sex for favors) environment or situation exists within their respective work places. This is the second part of a four-part North American investigation of College Recreation Departments Workplaces on the subject of sexual harassment in the workplace. Examination and comparison of the data were made in terms of a) whether such behavior takes place, b) the types (examples) of sexual behaviors deemed to be part of quid pro quo expectations of sexual favors, as well as c) the frequencies of such behavior. Analysis of the data was based on the respondent’s gender, gender of their supervisor, and marital status. The study revealed that sexual harassments conduct in terms of quid pro quo behavior was not thought to exist in any meaningful manner in the college recreational programs as perceived by those individuals employed ...
Exploiting multiple regeneration sequences in simulation output analysis

The regenerative method of simulation output analysis exploits the regenerative structure of a stochastic process to break up a path into independent and identically distributed cycles based on a sequence of regeneration times. If a process is regenerative with respect to more than one sequence of regeneration times, the classical regenerative method does not exploit the additional structure. In a previous paper (1998) we introduced an efficiency-improvement technique for regenerative simulation of processes having two sequences of regeneration times based on permuting regeneration cycles associated with the second sequence of regeneration points. In this paper we show how the same basic idea can be extended to exploit more than two regeneration sequences. In particular, for birth-death Markov chains, the regenerations associated with hitting times to each state can all be exploited. We present empirical results that show significant variance reductions in some cases.
Reflections on investigating dormancy-breaking chemicals—a balance of logic and luck

Abstract In many cases, the logical presentation of scientific results masks the actual unfolding of experimental progress. Our work to identify the mechanisms by which chemicals break red rice seed dormancy is presented as an example. Doing the simplest experiments first, allowing the data to drive subsequent work, frequent and aggressive study of published literature, and examination of potentially key findings using multiple, interlocking strategies have been the keys to defining the relationship between the structure and action of dormancy-breaking chemicals. Our experiments show that chemical activity is dependent upon the lipophilicity as well as the nature and position of functional groups. However, the chemical that is applied to a dormant seed is not necessarily the chemical that actually breaks dormancy. A combination of approaches using structure–activity studies, metabolic inhibitors, and physiological measurements indicate that alcohols must first be metabolized to carboxylic acids to elicit ...
Spin polarized photons from an axially charged plasma at weak coupling: Complete leading order

In the presence of (approximately conserved) axial charge in the QCD plasma at nite temperature, the emitted photons are spin-aligned, which is a unique P- and CP-odd signature of axial charge in the photon emission observables. We compute this \P-odd photon emission rate" in weak coupling regime at high temperature limit to complete leading order in the QCD coupling constant: the leading log as well as the constant under the log. As in the P-even total emission rate in the literature, the computation of P-odd emission rate at leading order consists of three parts: 1) Compton and Pair Annihilation processes with hard momentum exchange, 2) soft t- and u-channel contributions with Hard Thermal Loop re-summation, 3) Landau-Pomeranchuk-Migdal (LPM) re-summation of collinear Bremstrahlung and Pair Annihilation. We present analytical and numerical evaluations of these contributions to our P-odd photon emission rate observable.
Mechanisms of Cannabinoid-Receptor–Mediated Inhibition of Synaptic Transmission in Cultured Hippocampal Pyramidal Neurons

Cannabinoids, such as marijuana, are known to impair learning and memory perhaps through their actions in the hippocampus where cannabinoid receptors are expressed at high density. Although cannabi...
Rationale and clinical indications for contrast agents in MR imaging of the brain and spine.

This presentation explores clinical indications, limitations, and the scientific rationale for use of gadolinium contrast agents in MR imaging of the brain and spine. Enhancement of abnormal CNS tissues is related to structure and function of the blood-brain barrier under pathologic conditions, the prototype of which is tumor angiogenesis. Gadolinium administration can improve the diagnostic sensitivity of intracranial MR imaging, facilitating detection of leptomeningeal or ependymal disease spread and metastases. Moreover, use of contrast often provides greater diagnostic specificity by virtue of the presence and, in many cases, the absence of enhancement. This is particularly helpful in distinguishing metastases from other potential causes of high signal intensity on unenhanced spin-echo (SE) images. In addition to improving diagnosis of neoplasia, gadolinium use is often necessary to demonstrate most cranial neuropathies and to differentiate herniated disc from epidural fibrosis in the failed-back surgery syndrome. Advanced techniques that exploit gadolinium's properties (e.g., MR angiography, perfusion MR imaging) or increase its diagnostic effectiveness (e.g., fat suppression in the postoperative spine) are treated.
The Effects of Climate Change on United States Rice Yields and California Wheat Yields

The USA produces 7.9 million tons of rice (Oryza sativa L.), 28% of which is exported to developing countries. Rice is one of the most important grain crops both in the USA and the world. Therefore it is important to understand the impact of weather and climate change on rice yields and production. In the USA rice is produced in California and the Gulf Coast states. It is anticipated that global climate change will have a major influence on agricultural practices and crop selection in these states. This study uses simulation techniques to quantify the potential magnitude of this influence. In addition, the impact of climate change on fall planted dryland spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in California is evaluated. Results indicate that rice yields decrease by between 14 and 24% in the Gulf Coast states and between 11 and 21% in California. In both regions the decrease in rice yields were due primarily to the large increase in summer temperatures. On the other hand, dryland fall planted spring wheat yields in California increase by 62 and 125%. This is because of the increased rainfall and temperatures during the winter months in California.
Effects of antenatal ambroxol and glucocorticoid on rat fetal lung morphogenesis

Objective:To compare the effects of antenatal ambroxol and glucocorticoid(dexamethasone and betamethasone) on rat fetal lung morphogenesis. Methods:Twelve pregnant rats were randomly assigned four groups(n = 3):ambroxol group,dexamethasone group,betamethasone group and control group. The histologic structures of fetal rat lungs were observed with light microscope,transmission electron microscope and image analysis. Results:Compared with control group,fetal rat lung in the treatment groups had longer respiratory thecal perimeter(P 0.05),larger alveolar space and thinner alveolar walls(P 0.01). Fetal lung in the betamethasone injected rats had larger pulmonary alveoli,longer respiratory thecal perimeter and thinner alveolar septum(P 0.01) than the dexamethasone treated animals. Under the transmission electron microscope,lamellar body and cellular organs in endochylema of typeⅡ alveolar cell of the treatment groups were more common compared with the control group. Obvious changes could be found in the fetal lung of dexamethasone and betamethasone treated animals. Conclusion:All of ambroxol,dexamethasone and betamethasone could promote the development of fetal lung,and the effect of betamethasone could be better than dexamethasone. Ambroxol could be used as an alternative drug to accelerate fetal lung maturity without the side effects of glucocorticoid.
Travel Time Reliability Evaluation Model for Adjacent Bus Roads

Travel time reliability evaluation of adjacent bus roads contributes to making deep analysis on operational state of bus roads,finding weak roads and improving bus service level.The paper analyzes the distribution of adjacent bus roads travel time per mile.The Normal,Log-normal,Gamma and Weibull distributions are used to fit with bus roads based on sufficient field data.The log-normal is proved to be the fittest distribution.The paper also measures the threshold of bus roads travel time per mile under different service levels by percentile method.At the last section,the paper proposes a model for travel time reliability evaluation of adjacent bus roads based on service levels.The proposed method is evaluated by the operational data of bus line No.337.
Malignant Brenner tumors of the ovary; a population-based analysis

Abstract Objective Malignant Brenner Tumor (MBT) is a tumor with an extremely low incidence that morphologically resembles to urothelium. Given the paucity of evidence on the epidemiology and prognosis of MBT, the aim of this retrospective population-based study was to elucidate the demographic and clinico-pathological characteristics of patients with ovarian MBT. Methods A cohort of patients diagnosed between 1988 and 2012 was drawn from the National Cancer Institute Surveillance and Epidemiology End Results database. For surgically treated patients, Observed and Disease Specific Survival were calculated following generation of Kaplan-Meier curves. Comparisons were made using the log-rank test. Results A total of 207 patients were identified. Median patient age was 65years and the majority presented with unilateral, high grade tumors with a median size of 10cm. Stage I, II, III and IV disease was noted for 55.4%, 14.4%, 18%, and 12.2% of patients respectively. Only 5.1% had positive lymph nodes for metastatic disease. Five-year disease-specific survival (DSS) of patients with tumors confined to the ovary was 94.5% compared to 51.3% for those with extra-ovarian spread (p Conclusions MBTs are typically unilateral high grade tumors localized to the ovary. Regional lymphatic spread is uncommon and lymphadenectomy does not confer any improvement on survival. Patients with tumors confined to the ovary have an excellent prognosis while extra-ovarian spread is associated with a poor outcome.
The Divine Comedy: Heaven, Purgatory and Hell Revisited by Contemporary African Artists

ABSTRACTThis review of Simon Njami's seminal exhibition, The Divine Comedy: Heaven, Purgatory and Hell Revisited by Contemporary African Artists investigates the curator's effort to globalize contemporary art through cross-cultural interaction. It argues that the reinterpretation of Dante's canonical poem by contemporary African artists creates an exhibition that is less about art or Africa and more about meanings.