cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spreading of a Herschel-Bulkley fluid using lubrication approximation

In this work the flow of 1.5% Carbopol-940 solution was studied as it was transported through a wedge-like system at different angles, entrance heights, exit heights, and velocities. The high-speed video recordings of the flow were processed by tracking air bubbles entrapped in the solution. This data was used to find the velocity field of the solution beneath the wedge. Also, the force imposed by the solution on the inclined top plate of the wedge was measured. The theoretical description in the framework of the lubrication approximation for Newtonian fluids was used for comparison to the experimental results. It was found that Herschel-Bulkley fluids exhibit qualitatively similar behavior to the Newtonian fluid, such as the reverse flow near the top of the wedge. Overall, this work proves that the lubrication approximation can be effectively used to characterize the flow field of non-Newtonian Herschel-Bulkley fluids at the wedge angles at least up to 20 degrees.
Do weak global stresses synchronize earthquakes

Insofar as slip in an earthquake is related to the strain accumulated near a fault since a previous earthquake, and this process repeats many times, the earthquake cycle approximates an autonomous oscillator. Its asymmetric slow accumulation of strain and rapid release is quite unlike the harmonic motion of a pendulum and need not be time predictable, but still resembles a class of repeating systems known as integrate-and-fire oscillators, whose behavior has been shown to demonstrate a remarkable ability to synchronize to either external or self-organized forcing. Given sufficient time and even very weak physical coupling, the phases of sets of such oscillators, with similar though not necessarily identical period, approach each other. Topological and time series analyses presented here demonstrate that earthquakes worldwide show evidence of such synchronization. Though numerous studies demonstrate that the composite temporal distribution of major earthquakes in the instrumental record is indistinguishable from random, the additional consideration of event renewal interval serves to identify earthquake groupings suggestive of synchronization that are absent in synthetic catalogs. We envisage the weak forces responsible for clustering originate from lithospheric strain induced by seismicity itself, by finite strains over teleseismic distances, or by other sources of lithospheric loading such as Earth's variable rotation. For example, quasi-periodic maxima in rotational deceleration are accompanied by increased global seismicity at multidecadal intervals.
Leibniz, Complexity and Incompleteness

Leibniz in 1686 in his Discours de mtaphysique points out that if an arbitrarily complex theory is permitted then the notion of theory” becomes vacuous because there is always a theory. This idea is developed in the modern theory of algorithmic information, which deals with the size of computer programs and provides a new view of Gdel’s work on incompleteness and Turing’s work on uncomputability.This will be a first-person account of some doubts and speculations about the nature of mathematics that I have entertained for the past three decades.
Influences: Short circuits.

I grew up a couple of miles above a reservoir of hydrocarbons called the Permian Basin, the surface of which is known as West Texas (think No Country for Old Men ). After moving to Bolivia and then Colorado, I ended up as an electrical engineering student at the Georgia Institute of Technology in
Content and correlates of sisters’ messages about dating and sexuality:

Siblings are influential on one another’s romantic relationships and sexual behaviors, and examining mechanisms of this influence is important. Using a sample of 62 sister dyads, we examined the co...
CORPORATE SELF-REGULATION AND MULTI- STAKEHOLDER DIALOGUE

This paper provides an overview of various forms of self-regulatory practices the private sector has been applying in recent decades. It also presents the main drivers stimulating business to take up self-regulatory measures, and vehicles for establishing better corporate environmental behavior, with special attention to multi-stakeholder dialogue.
General Aspects of Effective Descriptions

Effective actions effective!action effective!equation or equations are always a powerful tool to analyze general effects of a quantum theory. They can be difficult to derive, but once obtained at least in an approximate form they allow detailed studies and provide more intuition than what can be obtained from dealing with wave functions. Key for their derivation is the availability of a simple solvable model solvable model in which quantum properties can be obtained in an exact and compact form. In quantum mechanics, this sovable model is the harmonic oscillator, harmonic!oscillator which in the form of free field theories also appears as the firm solvable basis for quantum field theory quantum!field theory on a background space-time. Perturbation perturbation!theory theory around the solvable model allows one to include anharmonicities, interactions or extra fields. harmonic!cosmology scalar!free, massless The harmonic cosmology of a free massless scalar in a flat, isotropic universe plays the solvable role for quantum cosmology.
Introduction: Research-in-Progress Studies

Keeping with the “Reshaping Society” theme of the ICIS 2013 conference, the Pre-ICIS SIGDSS workshop sought forward-thinking research in the areas of analytics, collaboration and decision support with special focus on business intelligence and social media. The track aimed to promote theoretical, design science, behavioral research and emerging applications in innovative areas of analytics, collaboration and decision support. The Research-in-Progress work from the workshop, points to the potential of BI, DSS and Analytics technologies to influence quality of life and business such as improve consumer purchase decision making or patient decision making in healthcare. This work has been summarized in this chapter.
Evaluation of the clinical relevance of vancomycin for the treatment of Lyme disease

Vancomycin is active in vitro and in vivo in mouse systems against Lyme disease borrelia; however, there are no published data on the efficacy of vancomycin in patients with Lyme disease and no convincing theoretical advantages of vancomycin over the currently used and highly effective orally administered antimicrobial agents, including doxycycline, amoxicillin and cefuroxime axetil. In addition, vancomycin may cause a wide variety of potentially serious adverse effects and requires the placement of an intravenous catheter. It is concluded that vancomycin is a much less attractive option for the treatment of patients with early Lyme disease (or any other manifestation of Lyme disease), compared with the antimicrobials currently being used. Based on available evidence, clinical studies to evaluate the safety and efficacy of vancomycin for Lyme disease cannot be recommended.
Mapping health workforce development strategies across key global health agencies: an assessment of objectives and key interventions

The political and financial commitment to addressing the global shortage of health workers is stronger than ever before. Therefore, the global effort to strengthen human resources for health (HRH) must be co-ordinated and aligned to strategically utilize the current momentum and create sustainable impact. This paper assesses HRH strategies to (1) create greater understanding on the collective global action towards improving HRH, and (2) identify opportunities for greater co-ordination to improve sustainable health workforce development. We searched published and grey literature to identify the HRH strategies of select large-scale global health organizations. The most common approaches were increasing the supply of health workers, facilitating training and education and improving health worker management capacities. Overall, our analysis shows there is a need to (1) improve co-ordination among development partners, (2) ensure strong engagement and leadership of national governments and (3) generate scientific evidence on the best approaches for sustainable workforce development.
Reducing Faulty Jobs by Job Submission Verifier in Grid Engine

Grid Engine is a Distributed Resource Manager (DRM), that manages the resources of distributed systems (such as Grid, HPC, or Cloud systems) and executes designated jobs which have requested to occupy or consume those resources. Grid Engine applies scheduling policies to allocate resources for jobs while simultaneously attempting to maintain optimal utilization of all machines in the distributed system. However, due to the complexity of Grid Engine's job submission commands and complicated resource management policies, the number of faulty job submissions in data centers increases with the number of jobs being submitted. To combat the increase in faulty jobs, Grid Engine allows administrators to design and implement Job Submission Verifiers (JSV) to verify jobs before they enter into Grid Engine. In this paper, we will discuss a Job Submission Verifier that was designed and implemented for Univa Grid Engine, a commercial version of Grid Engine, and thoroughly evaluated at the High Performance Computing Center of Texas Tech University. Our newly developed JSV communicates with Univa Grid Engine (UGE) components to verify whether a submitted job should be accepted as is, or modified then accepted, or rejected due to improper requests for resources. It had a substantial positive impact on reducing the number of faulty jobs submitted to UGE by far. For instance, it corrected 28.6% of job submissions and rejected 0.3% of total jobs from September 2018 to February 2019, that may otherwise lead to long or infinite waiting time in the job queue.
Preliminary results of the evaluation of the California Hub and Spoke Program

Abstract In August 2017, California launched the Hub and Spoke Program to address the growing number of opioid overdose deaths in the state. The program connects opioid treatment programs (“hubs”) with office based opioid treatment settings, like primary care clinics (“spokes”) to build a network of treatment expertise and referral resources. A key objective of this program is to expand access to medications for opioid use disorders (MOUD), with a particular focus on getting more buprenorphine into spokes. This article describes the preliminary results of the evaluation of the California Hub and Spoke program. Using a mixed methods approach, this portion of the evaluation measures changes in numbers of MOUD patients and providers, and barriers and facilitators to implementation. Findings reveal that, in the first 15 months of the program, 3480 new patients started buprenorphine in 118 spokes, increasing treatment initiations by 94.7% over baseline. The number of waivered spoke providers also increased 52.4% to 268. Although these data demonstrate promising growth in the network, challenges to expanding treatment access remain. Provider activity was among the most notable. Despite growth in the number of spoke providers with waivers to prescribe buprenorphine, only 68.7% (n = 184) were actively prescribing to patients. A survey of providers found that those who were not yet using their waivers lacked the confidence and mentorship they needed to prescribe. Provider knowledge and attitudes toward MOUD, fear of legal consequences, and limited patient outreach were also contributing factors. Recommendations for strengthening Hub and Spoke program implementation include facilitating mentor linkage for prescribers, expanding the support offered to spoke providers, and offering additional training and technical assistance aimed at provider stigma. Efforts to address these recommendations are described in a companion paper (Miele et al., under review).
Peri-Procedural Aggressive Hydration for Post Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) Pancreatitis Prophylaxsis: Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Abstract Background Periprocedural intravenous hydration is suggested to decrease the risk of post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP). However, quality of evidence supporting this suggestion remains poor. Here we hypothesized that aggressive hydration(AH) could be an effective preventive measure. Methods Pubmed, EMBASE, CINAHL, Google Scholar, Clinical Trials. gov, Clinical Key, International Standard Randomized Trial Number registry as well as secondary sources were searched through January 2019 to identify randomized controlled studies comparing AH to standard hydration (SH) for prevention of PEP. Pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using the random-effects model. RevMan 5.3 was used for analysis. Results A total of 9 RCTs, with 2094 patients, were included in the meta-analysis. AH reduced incidence of PEP by 56% compared to SH (OR = 0.44, CI:0.28–0.69; p = 0.0004). The incidence of post-ERCP hyperamylasemia also decreased with AH compared to SH (OR = 0.51; p = 0.001). Length of stay decreased by 1 day with AH (Mean Difference (MD): −0.89 d; p = 0.00002). There was no significant difference in adverse events related to fluid overload between two groups (OR:1.29; p = 0.81) and post-ERCP abdominal pain (OR:0.35; p = 0.17). Numbers of patient to be treated with AH to prevent one episode of PEP was 17. Final results of the meta-analysis were not affected by alternative effect measures or statistical models of heterogeneity. Conclusion Aggressive hydration is associated with a significantly lower incidence of PEP and it appears to be an effective and safe strategy for the prevention of Post ERCP pancreatitis.
A spatio-temporal decomposition based deep neural network for time series forecasting

Abstract Spatio-temporal problems arise in a broad range of applications, such as climate science and transportation systems. These problems are challenging because of unique spatial, short-term and long-term patterns, as well as the curse of dimensionality. In this paper, we propose a deep learning framework for spatio-temporal forecasting problems. We explicitly design the neural network architecture for capturing various types of spatial and temporal patterns, and the model is robust to missing data. In a preprocessing step, a time series decomposition method is applied to separately feed short-term, long-term and spatial patterns into different components of the neural network. A fuzzy clustering method finds clusters of neighboring time series residuals, as these contain short-term spatial patterns. The first component of the neural network consists of multi-kernel convolutional layers which are designed to extract short-term features from clusters of time series data. Each convolutional kernel receives a single cluster of input time series. The output of convolutional layers is concatenated by trends and followed by convolutional-LSTM layers to capture long-term spatial patterns. To have a robust forecasting model when faced with missing data, a pretrained denoising autoencoder reconstructs the model’s output in a fine-tuning step. In experimental results, we evaluate the performance of the proposed model for the traffic flow prediction. The results show that the proposed model outperforms baseline and state-of-the-art neural network models.
Women's Experience with Stress Urinary Incontinence: Insights from Social Media Analytics.

Purpose:We conducted a large-scale digital ethnographic analysis of anonymous online posts to capture the complete patient experience, knowledge and perceptions among women with stress urinary inco...
Multiresolution LOGISMOS graph search for automated choroidal layer segmentation of 3D macular OCT scans

The choroid is a vascular plexus located between the retina and the sclera, providing oxygen and nourishment to the outer layers of the retina. Thickness changes in the choroid are of importance in the pathophysiology of various ocular diseases such as glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and others. Our previous choroidal layer segmentation method of 3D macular optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans using choroidal vessel segmentation tended to segment thinner choroidal layers than ground truths, requiring long running time and much memory. To overcome these drawbacks, we introduce a new, fast, and memory-efficient multiresolution LOGISMOS (layered optimal graph image segmentation for multiple objects and surfaces) method. The key idea of the method is to consequently segment the choroidal layer in the higher resolution sub-OCT image volume constrained by the layer segmented in the lower resolution OCT image volume to reduce the size of columns for graph search. Generally, it outperformed our previous method and showed a similar performance to the inter-observer variability between 2 experts.
Nucleating a Microtubule: Put a γ-Tubulin Ring on It.

The γ-tubulin ring complex (γTuRC) is a microtubule nucleator that controls when and where new microtubules form. In this issue of Developmental Cell, Consolati et al. provide much-needed insight into the mechanism of γTuRC-mediated nucleation by determining the structure of human γTuRC and performing quantitative measurements of its activity.
"You are asking me to pay for my legs": Exploring the Experiences, Perceptions, and Aspirations of Informal Public Transportation Users in Kampala and Kigali

Smart technologies have recently come under scrutiny for automating inequality. Given the current push towards developing and implementing smart cities policies that affect transportation systems in places like Kampala and Kigali, it is important to examine how the different modes of transportation meet the needs of diverse passengers and identify opportunities for technology to address any inequities. Prior studies have focused on the impact of informal public transportation on government policy and examined drivers' perspectives, but they largely overlooked the experiences of passengers and other industry stakeholders. In this study, we conducted interviews and surveys with public transportation riders with different disabilities as well as other stakeholders, including transport and financial technology creators. Our findings illuminate inequities in the transportation system surrounding discrimination and harassment, influence of ability on preferred transportation modes despite inaccessible interfaces, and influence of perceived social hierarchical structures on innovation. We present insights into how passengers appropriate technology to overcome challenges, and we uncover opportunities for technology to fill additional gaps. Lastly, we discuss how these findings support emergent frameworks such as aspiration-based design, and we present potential envisioned futures of technology for informal public transportation.
On the Asymptotic Optimality of Work-Conserving Disciplines in Completion Time Minimization

In this paper, we prove that under mild stochastic assumptions, work-conserving disciplines are asymptotic optimal for minimizing total completion time. As a byproduct of our analysis, we obtain tight upper bound on the competitive ratios of work-conserving disciplines on minimizing the metric of flow time.
Determinants of Historic and Cultural Landmark Designation: Why We Preserve What We Preserve

There is much interest among cultural economists in assessing the effects of heritage preservation policies. There has been less interest in modeling the policy choices made in historic and cultural landmark preservation. This paper builds an economic model of a landmark designation that highlights the tensions between the interests of owners of cultural amenities and the interests of the neighboring community. We perform empirical tests by estimating a discrete choice model for landmark preservation using data from Chicago, combining the Chicago Historical Resources Survey of over 17,000 historic structures with property sales, Census, and other geographic data. The data allow us to explain why some properties were designated landmarks (or landmark districts) and others were not. The results identify the influence of property characteristics, local socio-economic factors, and measures of historic and cultural quality. The results emphasize the political economy of implementing preservation policies.
Colorectal cancer screening

Abstract Worldwide colorectal cancer is the second most common cancer in humans. As such, colonoscopy is recommended as a routine screening for all humans over 45 years of age. Low dietary fiber intake has also been associated with colorectal cancer and as a consequence high-fiber diets also are recommended for all humans. In 2011 it was first noted that Fusobacterium nucleatum was found in subjects with colorectal adenomas or cancer. Since that time, it has been observed in metastases. Early studies have shown that antibiotic therapy can decrease the F. nucleatum in postoperative patients. In initial animal studies, probiotic therapy, Visbiome, has reduced F. nucleatum recoveries, but probiotic studies have not yet been reported in humans.
Meaning in Life Trajectories Among College Students: Differential Effects of a Mentoring Program

Cultivating a sense of meaning in life (MIL) is a critical task for emerging adults that can be fostered through engagement in prosocial activities like mentoring at-risk youth. While mentoring may promote MIL for some, the potential benefits likely vary. This study explored trajectories and predictors of change in MIL in 641 college student mentors of at-risk youth who participated in a 12-week mentoring program. Three unique trajectories were identified (1) a class exhibiting stable, high levels of MIL (high class, 86%), (2) a class exhibiting the lowest initial levels of MIL that increased over time (increasing class, 5%), and (3) a class exhibiting decreased MIL (decreasing class, 8%). Results indicated mentors’ adverse experiences, role self-efficacy, and the quality of the mentor–mentee relationship were associated with unique change trajectories. Results indicate heterogeneity in the process of deriving MIL, with certain individuals benefitting more than others from serving as a mentor.
Do You Really Need Your Oblique Muscles

There continues to be tenacious resistance to the notion that human extraocular muscles can primarily overact due to excessive innervation. Yet we know that while cortical centers control body movements, subcortical centers control individual muscles. In infantile strabismus, this phenomenon results from persistent activation of visuo-vestibular pathways at the subcortical level. Its resurgence in humans with defective binocular vision represents a physiologic activation rather a neurological deficit. As disconjugate binocular torsion induces a relative retinal disparity that is perceived stereoscopically, these subcortical torsional pathways are necessarily extinguished early in infancy in the service of binocular vision and stereopsis. However, they continue to function in patients with infantile strabismus.
Using Aggregated Data from 1.4 Million Pediatric Patients to Describe the Epidemiology and Demographic Characteristics of Appendicitis

Purpose Appendicitis is the most common cause of acute abdomen in children. Few pediatric-specific studies have described the epidemiology and demographic characteristics of this condition. The aim of this study was to use aggregated electronic health record (EHR) data and related analytic tools to describe the incidence and demographic characteristics of acute appendicitis among a large cohort of pediatric patients. Methods We performed a population-based, retrospective cohort study of patients who had an EHR diagnosis of appendicitis in the IBM Watson Health Explorys …
The Effect of Pulse Length on Theranostic Ultrasound-Mediated Blood-Brain Barrier Opening Volume, Closing Timeline, and Cavitation Mapping in Vivo

Theranostic Ultrasound (TUS) is a novel modality for combined blood-brain barrier (BBB) opening and cavitation mapping within a single multielement imaging transducer. While previous work developing TUS has focused on understanding qualitative spatial agreement of a cavitation mapping strategy called power cavitation imaging with regions of BBB opening indicated on contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance images (MRI), the impact of short pulse lengths on signal intensity of power cavitation images has yet to be resolved. In this study we evaluated the impact of short pulse lengths on BBB opening volume, power cavitation imaging signal intensity, and BBB closure with a novel rapid beam steering protocol, enabling comparison of TUS parameters within the same animal. Significant increases in BBB opening volume, power cavitation image signal intensity and BBB closing duration were observed with pulse length. Given the faster BBB closing rate facilitated by short pulse transmits, along with the highly tunable nature of TUS sonication protocols, TUS could prove promising as an alternative to conventional focused ultrasound (FUS) configurations in the clinic.
How many people in the USA have essential tremor? Deriving a population estimate based on epidemiological data.

Background: Essential tremor (ET) is often reported to be among the most prevalent movement disorders, yet the precise number of cases in the USA is not known. The goal of the current analyses was to use published data from epidemiological studies to derive an estimate of the number of people currently residing in the USA who have ET. Methods: A PubMed search was conducted to identify population-based prevalence studies of ET. The methodology of 34 identified studies was assessed. Then the three most methodologically rigorous studies were selected, and age-specific prevalence data were abstracted. US census data from 2012 were used to determine the population in the USA by 10-year age categories. Results: Using data from three studies, estimates of the number of ET cases (2012) ranged from 6.38 to 7.63 million (mean = 7.01 million). This corresponds to approximately 2.2% of the US population. Discussion: Knowing the number of ET cases in the USA is important in terms of estimating the medical burden on communities and society, and providing an objective metric on which to base health resource planning.
A joint model for nonparametric functional mapping of longitudinal trajectory and time-to-event

The characterization of the relationship between a longitudinal response process and a time-to-event has been a pressing challenge in biostatistical research. This has emerged as an important issue in genetic studies when one attempts to detect the common genes or quantitative trait loci (QTL) that govern both a longitudinal trajectory and developmental event. We present a joint statistical model for functional mapping of dynamic traits in which the event times and longitudinal traits are taken to depend on a common set of genetic mechanisms. By fitting the Legendre polynomial of orthogonal properties for the time-dependent mean vector, our model does not rely on any curve, which is different from earlier parametric models of functional mapping. This newly developed nonparametric model is demonstrated and validated by an example for a forest tree in which stemwood growth and the time to first flower are jointly modelled. Our model allows for the detection of specific QTL that govern both longitudinal traits and developmental processes through either pleiotropic effects or close linkage, or both. This model will have great implications for integrating longitudinal and event data to gain better insights into comprehensive biology and biomedicine.
Outlier detection in network data using the Betweenness Centrality

Outlier detection has been used to detect and, where appropriate, remove anomalous observations from data. It has important applications in the field of fraud detection, network robustness analysis, and intrusion detection. In this paper, we propose a Betweenness Centrality (BEC) as novel to determine the outlier in network analyses. The Betweenness Centrality of a vertex in a graph is a measure for the participation of the vertex in the shortest paths in the graph. The Betweenness centrality is widely used in network analyses. Especially in a social network, the recursive computation of the betweenness centralities of vertices is performed for the community detection and finding the influential user in the network. In this paper, we propose that this method is efficient in finding outlier in social network analyses. Furthermore we show the effectiveness of the new methods using the experiments data.
The Market Penalty for Mutual Fund Scandals

Using fund flow data from 1994 to 2004, we examine the market response to mutual fund scandals. During the 12 month period beginning with the first report of a scandal in the Wall Street Journal, scandal funds experience an economically and statistically significant outflow of assets. The outflow is greater for funds that experience a more severe scandal and for funds where the scandal results in an increased risk of future harm to fund investors. Who initially discovers the scandal is an important determinant of the amount of outflows: scandals first discovered by the SEC (as opposed to a non-governmental source or another governmental body) experience no significant outflows. Funds in the same family as the scandal fund also experience statistically significant outflows, though at lower scale than the corresponding outflows of scandal funds. Outflows for scandal family funds are greater where the scandal fund accounted for a larger share of the assets of the fund family, where the scandal was more severe, and where the scandal increased the risk of future harm to investors.
New Haven survey of joint diseases. The prediction of serum uric acid in a general population.

Abstract Serum uric acid was one of several serum components measured in a survey of joint disease in the general population in New Haven, Connecticut. Its relationships are reported with sex; age; height; weight; and ponderal index their derivative; socio-economic status; total serum protein; serum albumin and the α 1 , α 2 , β and γ fractions of serum globulin. Data were available for all thirteen variables in 679 of a target population of 2389 people. With the exception of social class, mean values for all these variables differed significantly between the sexes. A multiple regression analysis treating serum uric acid as a dependent variable showed its best predictors in the male, in order of importance, to be ponderal index, age, hemoglobin and total serum protein accounting for 8 per cent of the total uric acid variation. The best predictors, in the female, again in order of importance, were weight, age, total serum protein and hemoglobin accounting for 19 per cent of the total uric acid variation. The contributions of serum proteins in the male and of hemoglobin in the female were only significant at the 10 per cent level; those of the other three variables in each sex were significant at 5 per cent or less. There was no association between uric acid and socio-economic status in either sex; the most probable reason for this is the absence of poverty in the study population. It is concluded that the many sex differences in predictability, though obscure, may offer important leads to the understanding of the determinants of serum uric acid levels.
Design of high performance sense amplifier using independent gate control in sub-50nm double-gate MOSFET

The double-gate (DG) transistor has emerged as the most promising device for nanoscale circuit design. Independent control of front and back gate in DG devices can be effectively used to improve performance and reduce power in sub-50 nm circuits. In this paper, we propose a high-performance sense-amplifier design using independent gate control in symmetric and asymmetric DG devices. The proposed design reduces the sensing delay of the sense amplifier by 30-35% and dynamic power by 10% (at 6 GHz) from the connected gate design.
Significance of Riverine Hypoxia for Fish: The Case of the Big Sunflower River, Mississippi1

Shields, F. Douglas, Jr. and Scott S. Knight, 2011. Significance of Riverine Hypoxia for Fish: The Case of the Big Sunflower River, Mississippi. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 48(1): 170-186. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2011.00606.x Abstract: Degraded streams draining low-relief, intensively cultivated watersheds may experience periods of hypoxia or anoxia. A three-year study of water chemistry, fish, and physical habitat in the Big Sunflower River in northwestern Mississippi coupled with continuously logged physicochemical and hydrology data provided by others showed prolonged periods of hypoxia associated with higher flows. Fish species richness was directly related to dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration (r2 = 0.35, p = 0.00004), and ordination using nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMS) indicated strong association between fish community structure and DO. Low-head weirs supported relatively dense and diverse fish communities and thus provided local habitat enhancement, but may create stagnant zones upstream due to backwater effects that exacerbate low DO problems. Although hypoxia has been reported for some lightly degraded rivers and floodplains, our observations suggest hypoxia in Big Sunflower River and similar systems alters fish species composition and should be remediated. Cost-effective remediation will require better understanding of autotrophic and heterotrophic processes that control DO and the relationship of these processes to discharge.
Prevalence of antiplatelet therapy in patients with diabetes.

Objective To determine the prevalence of, and patient characteristics associated with, antiplatelet therapy in a cohort of primary care patients with Type 1 or Type2 diabetes.
Extraskeletal Myxoid Chondrosarcoma Presenting as a Plantar Fibroma: Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Background Extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma is a rare tumor with an indolent course, high propensity for local recurrence, metastases, and propensity for the proximal extremities of middle-aged males. Case report We present the case of a 44-year-old man with an extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma in the plantar fascia of the medial arch initially thought to be a plantar fibroma. Magnetic resonance imaging of the lesion demonstrated a lobulated subcutaneous mass plantar to the tarsal bones and inseparable from the fascia. Microscopic examination revealed a lobulated lesion composed of cords and nests of round to spindled malignant cells in a blue-gray myxoid matrix surrounded by fibrous septae. The malignant cells displayed variable positivity for S-100. Conclusion Plantar extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma is a rare occurrence. It should always be considered in the differential diagnosis of masses arising in the plantar fascia of the foot.
Reflections on recursion and the evolution of learning

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the significance of recursive processes in the evolution of learning in both individuals and organisations, beginning with a clarification of the distinction between recursion and other types of feedback, drawing on insights from Humberto Maturana and George Richardson. Design/methodology/approach – Further work informing this inquiry includes Gregory Bateson on learning levels, Chris Argyris and Donald Schon on double loop learning, Peter Senge on organizational learning, and James G. Miller on the processing of matter/energy and information in living systems, at different levels of organization. Findings – The paper provides an original synthesis of insights from Miller's living systems theory, in exploring the implications of Bateson's learning levels, as well as further insights from the work of Argyris, Schon and Senge, at cellular, individual, organisational, and global levels, to reinforce the need for a higher order, global level of learning. Origi...
Deposition of oxide thin films on silicon using organic self-assembled monolayers

ABSTRACT Crystalline oxide thin films have been synthesized at low temperatures from aqueous liquid solutions. A key elementof the approach is the use of organic seff-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on the substrate to promote the growth of adherentinorganic films. A SAM is a close-packed, highly ordered array of long-chain hydrocarbon molecules, anchored to thesubstrate by covalent bonds. The terminating functional group on the SAM surface is chosen so as to initiate and help sustainthe formation of the oxide film when the substrate is immersed in the oxide precursor solution.Synthesis, microstructural characterization, and properties of Ti02, Zr02, Si02, and Y203 films are surveyed.Crystalline films were formed either directly from solution, or through subsequent heat treatments at temperatures that inmost cases were lower than typical sol-gel or vapor phase deposition processes. All depositions were from aqueous solutionsonto single-crystal (100) silicon. The ability to produce patterned films on a micron scale has been demonstrated, takingadvantage of the selective deposition characteristics towards different surface functional groups of the SAM. The role of theSAM in oxide film formation is discussed.Keywords: thin films, oxide films, liquid-phase deposition, self-assembled monolayers, microstructural characterization,electrical properties
Rethinking a Curricular Icon: The Institutional and Ideological Foundations of Walter Lippmann

This essay explores the use of Walter Lippmann’s ideas in three areas of mass communications research: message-driven media effects research and related studies of agenda setting, priming, and framing; social histories of U.S. journalism, advertising, and public relations; and interpretive accounts of the field’s genesis. It offers a new understanding of the role Lippmann played in yoking together a range of communication-related issues under a single problematic. In the process it exposes a critical lacunae stretching across (and beyond) scholarship in communications research: a lack of attention to the rhetorical deployment of Lippmann, characterized by an inclination to endow this figure’s political philosophy with the power to stand in for a range of developments occurring across an emerging communications field. This essay addresses the implications of being positioned to speak not only for a field of research but for history as well, being able to so perfectly mirror shifts in cultural attitudes and...
Welfare reform and the future of nonprofit organizations

This article discusses implications of the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) for nonprofit social service organizations. We emphasize their role in the contemporary social safety net in relation to the public sector. Based on a study of ninety organizations operating in the Detroit metropolitan area, we adopted the supplementary, complementary, and adversarial framework from Young (1999) to assess the complex and evolving relationship between the nonprofit and public sectors in the post-PRWORA era. The findings indicate a clear presence of all three perspectives; however, the continued shifting of responsibility for social services to private, nonprofit organizations suggests a growing dominance of the supplementary role. This raises concerns regarding future nonprofit capacity and other potential costs of nonprofit sector service provision.
From the shadows of the spectacular city: Zhang Dali’s Dialogue and counter-spectacle in globalizing Beijing, 1995–2005

Abstract This study advances a notion of counter-spectacle in current-day China by examining a graffiti project carried out in Beijing between 1995 and 2005 titled Dialogue by the artist Zhang Dali (张大力). The essay draws attention to the opportunities and limitations for resistance amid urban spectacle and examines them through a detailed case study in an aspiring “world city.” The paper argues that a theory of urban counter-spectacle that integrates the role of oppositional practices at the intersection of cultural and spatial change can help to explain the unstable nature of China’s contemporary urbanism. More broadly, it expands debates on state-society conflict by demonstrating how urban spaces function as sites of social activism and as alternative fora for contentious politics through the production of meaning in specific spaces.
Southern Democracy in the Long Run: A Systemic Analysis

This paper extends the leadership-long cycle systemic perspective, which so far has tended to focus on major power, rise-and-decline dynamics and global war, to explain Southern democratization. Unlike studies of democratization at the national level of analysis, we conduct a systemic level analysis, with a specific focus on the global South. Our extension the leadership-long cycle perspective predicts that Southern democracy will be driven, in part, by systemic leadership and world economic growth. Other variables also may have a role in Southern democratization, with levels of Southern economic development, Southern conflict, and Southern democratic inertia serving as controls in our model. The leadership-long cycle approach requires one to open the time window of observation to include longer time periods than is typically customary. Using data from 1870 to 1992, the empirical analysis strongly supports our theory. Increases in the level of systemic leadership and the growth rate of the world economy p...
Trivalent Actinide and Lanthanide Separations by Dialkyl‐Substituted Diphosphonic Acids

Abstract The dialkyl‐substituted diphosphonic acids are powerful solvent extraction reagents for actinide separation and preconcentration from biological, environmental, and nuclear waste samples. In spite of the intensive scrutiny of the solvent extraction properties of these compounds, only the extraction of Eu(III) and Am(III), among the lanthanides and trivalent actinides, has been investigated thus far. In this work, we report the extraction of all members of the lanthanide series, plus lanthanum, yttrium, Am(III), Cm(III), and Cf(III), by two representative diphosphonic acids [i.e., P,P′‐di(2‐ethylhexyl) methylenediphosphonic acid (H2DEH[MDP]) and the P,P′‐di(2‐ethylhexyl) ethylenediphosphonic acid (H2DEH[EDP])]. H2DEH[MDP] shows very efficient extraction of all ions investigated, but little selectivity, except for the heaviest lanthanides. H2DEH[EDP], on the other hand, exhibits less efficient extraction, but much higher selectivity, with an average separation factor between contiguous elements of ...
Gas Transport in the Marsh Grass, Spartina alterniflora

Spartina plants have continuous gas spaces from the leaves to the tips of the roots. Oxygen values in the roots are as low as 3 per cent and increase toward the stem. Carbon dioxide values are highest in the rhizome and decrease up the stem and toward the root tips. Oxygen and carbon dioxide moved through the plants at equal rates for equal gradients, and these rates agree with measurements made on plants in the marsh. Calculated oxygen and carbon dioxide fluxes for the observed gradients in the observed gas spaces agreed with measured fluxes. We conclude that gases move in and out of Spartina roots by diffusion through uninter rupted gas spaces within the plant.
Visualizing Microtubule-Dependent Vasopressin Type 2 Receptor Trafficking Using a New High-Affinity Fluorescent Vasopressin Ligand

The vasopressin receptor type 2 (V2R) is the major target of vasopressin (VP) in renal epithelial cells. Although it is known that VP induces V2R internalization, accumulation in the perinuclear area, and degradation, the V2R intracellular trafficking pathways remain elusive. We visualized this process by developing a new fluorescent VP analog tagged by tetramethylrhodamine (TMR)-[Lys-(PEG)(2)-Suc-TMR(8)]VP or (VP(TMR)). This ligand is fully functional as revealed by its high binding affinity toward V2R [(K(d)) =157 ± 52 nM] and ability to increase intracellular cAMP 32-fold. VP(TMR) induced V2R internalization in LLC-PK1 cells expressing either a FLAG-tagged receptor (FLAG-V2R) or V2R C-terminally tagged with green fluorescent protein (GFP) (V2R-GFP). After internalization, VP(TMR) and V2R-GFP colocalized in the perinuclear area, suggesting that the hormone and receptor traffic along the same pathway. VP(TMR) and V2R colocalized initially with the early endosome markers EEA1 and Rab5, and later with the recycling and late endosome markers Rab11 and Rab25. Epifluorescence microscopy of LLC-PK1 cells expressing GFP-tagged microtubules (MT) showed that VP(TMR)-containing vesicles travel along the MT network, and even remain attached to MT during the metaphase and anaphase of mitosis. Colchicine, a MT-depolymerizing agent, abolished perinuclear accumulation of VP(TMR), and Western blot analysis showed that VP-induced V2R-GFP degradation is markedly retarded, but not abolished, by colchicine (10 μM). We conclude that the new VP(TMR) ligand is suitable for dissecting V2R and VP internalization and trafficking in cells, and that V2R trafficking and down-regulation is an MT-dependent mechanism.
Detecting unsolvable algebra word problems

When do students detect algebra word problems with missing information, and how do they do it? To determine whether such detection operates automatically or requires conscious effort and attention, this study manipulated whether a hint was provided that problems might be unsolvable. A signal detection analysis revealed that the hint resulted in a large improvement in the detection of unsolvable problems, implying that many individuals possess the means to detect missing information but that conscious effort is required for those means to be deployed. Participants with moderate mathematical ability had good success at detecting missing information when given the hint, but only when the problems had familiar cover stories. High math ability individuals were successful regardless of the cover story's familiarity. In addition, participants were more likely to conclude that a solvable problem was unsolvable when the hint was provided, when the problems' cover story was unfamiliar, and with the passage of time. As a result, problem solving of solvable problems was sometimes abandoned prematurely.
Whatever happened to Tanjug? Re-loading memory for an understanding of the global news system:

What became of Tanjug, the once celebrated Yugoslavian news agency, first coordinator of the Non-Aligned News Agencies Pool, and major point of reference for the New World Information and Communica...
Functional analysis and habit‐reversal treatment of tics

Although there is empirical support for a biological etiology of Tourette syndrome and other tic disorders, researchers have recently begun examining the role of reinforcement in tic maintenance. Using experimental functional analyses, researchers have identified both social and nonsocial functions for the tics of a variety of individuals. However, there are at least two problems with this developing literature. First, all but one of the studies employed a single participant and many of them were referred for clinical treatment. These factors leave open the possibility that the selection or referral process may have contributed to the reported outcomes. Second, five of the seven participants had a developmental disability or delay. Thus, the majority of participants in this literature are unrepresentative of most individuals with tic disorders. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the operant functions of the tics of multiple children who were recruited for the study. We evaluated the tics of three typically developing children using functional analysis. Results indicated nonsocial functions for all tics. Two of the participants were then treated using habit reversal; both of them experienced tic reductions. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.