cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dynamic Censored Regression and the Open Market Desk Reaction Function

The censored regression model and the Tobit model are standard tools in econometrics. This paper provides a formal asymptotic theory for dynamic time series censored regression when lags of the dependent variable have been included among the regressors. The central analytical challenge is to prove that the dynamic censored regression model satisfies stationarity and weak dependence properties if a condition on the lag polynomial holds. We show the formal asymptotic correctness of conditional maximum likelihood estimation of the dynamic Tobit model, and the correctness of Powell’s least absolute deviations procedure for the estimation of the dynamic censored regression model. The paper is concluded with an application of the dynamic censored regression methodology to temporary purchases of the Open Market Desk. This article has supplementary material online.
Social group work: building a professional collective of hospital social workers

Deconstruction of traditional social work departments can isolate social workers from their primary source of professional affiliation, leaving them without the support to take stands on controversial patient care issues. This paper describes an alternative: the building of a powerful social work collective based on social group work theory that potentiates professional practice while transcending management forms. The model includes group supervision, but moves beyond it to utilize the social work group as a central organizing principle. At the heart of the collective are the elements of professional accountability, support, autonomy, and collaborative decision- making within democratic peer group structures. The authors highlight current management theory, distinctions that create an authentic social work value-based practice, and outcomes for social workers, their clients, and colleagues.
CASEOUS CALCIFICATION OF THE MITRAL ANNULUS CAUSING MULTIPLE CARDIOEMBOLIC STROKES

Mitral annular calcification (MAC) is a common finding (prevalence 14%), often seen in elderly women, and results from degenerative changes in the fibrous skeleton. Caseous calcification of the mitral annulus (CCMA) is a rare variant of MAC with a prevalence of only 0.6%. Though uncommon, CCMA can
The role of modern control theory in the design of controls for aircraft turbine engines

Accomplishments in applying Modern Control Theory to the design of controls for advanced aircraft turbine engines were reviewed. The results of successful research programs are discussed. Ongoing programs as well as planned or recommended future thrusts are also discussed.
Analysis of magnetically immersed electron guns with non-adiabatic fields

Electron diode guns, which have strongly varying magnetic or electric fields in a cathode-anode gap, were investigated in order to generate laminar electron beams with high current density using magnetically immersed guns. By creating a strongly varying radial electric field in a cathode-anode gap of the electron gun, it was demonstrated that the optical properties of the gun can be significantly altered, which allows the generation of a laminar, high-current electron beam with relatively low magnetic field on the cathode. The relatively high magnetic compression of the electron beam achieved by this method is important for producing electron beams with high current density. A similar result can be obtained by inducing a strong variation of the magnetic field in a cathode-anode gap. It was observed that creating a dip in the axial magnetic field in the cathode-anode gap of an adiabatic electron gun has an optical effect similar to guns with strong variation of radial electric field. By analyzing the electron trajectories angles and presenting the results in a gun performance map, different geometries of magnetically immersed electron guns with non-adiabatic fields are compared with each other and with a more traditional adiabatic electron gun. Some advantages and limitations of guns with non-adiabatic fields are outlined. The tests' results of a non-adiabatic electron gun with modified magnetic field are presented.
Treatment Toxicity and Supportive Care Utilization in Children with Down Syndrome and Acute Lymphoid Leukemia at Free-Standing Pediatric Hospitals in the United States

Introduction: Children with Down syndrome (DS) and acute lymphoid leukemia (ALL) have inferior outcomes due to increased treatment-related toxicity. In 2005 and 2006, multiple clinical trial protocols were modified to increase supportive care measures for these children; however, national supportive care utilization patterns for these patients have not been subsequently evaluated. Methods: A validated retrospective cohort of pediatric patients with ALL admitted from 1999 to 2011 was assembled from the Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS) database to examine organ toxicity, sepsis, and resource utilization in children with and without DS. A sub-analysis of mortality in children with DS ALL before and after the 2006 supportive care recommendation was also conducted. Results: 10699 patients with ALL were identified; 298 of these children had DS ALL (2.8%). Children with DS ALL had a significantly higher percentage of patients who were female (52% vs. 44%, p = 0.003), white (83% vs. 75%, p = 0.005), publically insured (48% vs. 38%, p = 0.002), and who had a congenital cardiac abnormality (26% vs. 2%, p Conclusion: In conclusion, children with DS ALL have significantly increased cardiac, respiratory, and infectious toxicity. The elevated antibiotic and antifungal usage in children with DS ALL and trend towards mortality decrease may suggest successful implementation of supportive care measures; however, decreased analgesic and antiemetic use may suggest other unmet supportive care needs in these patients. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Psychometrics of the "Self-Efficacy Consumption of Fruit and Vegetables Scale" in African American women.

Abstract Purpose Assess the psychometric properties of the Self-Efficacy Consumption of Fruit and Vegetable Scale (F/V scale) in African American women. Setting Midwestern Health Maintenance Organization. Subjects 221 African American women age 40–65 with BMI ≥ 30 Measures F/V scale was compared to eating efficacy/availability subscale reported on the WEL and mean micronutrient intake (vitamins A, C, K, folate, potassium, and beta-carotene reported on 3-day food records. Results F/V scale construct validity and internal consistency were assessed and compared to: 1) the original scale validation in Chinese women, 2) WEL scale, and 3) to micronutrient intake from 3-day food records. Total scale scores differed between African American women (μ = 1.87 +/− 0.87) and Chinese (μ = 0.41). In a Chinese population, F/V scale factored into two subscales; the F/V factored into one subscale in African American women. Construct validity was supported with correlation between the F/V scale and the eating efficacy WEL subscale (r2 = − 0.336, p = 0.000). There was not a significant correlation between dietary consumption of micronutrients representative of fruit and vegetable intake and the F/V scale. Conclusion The F/V scale developed for Chinese populations can be reliably used with African American women.
Designing for Cohabitation: Naturecultures, Hybrids, and Decentering the Human in Design

Recent research in urban informatics has presented the city as both a complex technological center and a diverse cultural, social, and political entity. However, there has been little research into the changing role that nature plays in urban space, particularly when it comes to understanding how animals have adapted to life in technological and networked cities. In the wake of urbanization, new kinds of cohabitation, including increased interactions between humans and animals, has resulted in new challenges for those working in urban informatics. We leverage key concepts in the Anthropocene-naturecultures, hybrids, and decentering the human in design-to unpack the entanglements of animal-human-computer interaction in two design cases: The Big Cat Behavioral Tracking Initiative and The Phenology Clock. We contribute to urban informatics and HCI research by reflecting on ways in which design can promote new forms of cohabitation and support a broader conception of the city that sees animals as an essential part of the urban landscape.
A central role for hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-2α in hepatic glucose homeostasis

Hepatic glucose production is regulated by hormonal and dietary factors. At fasting, 80% of glucose released into the circulation is derived from the liver, among which gluconeogenesis accounts for 55% and the rest by glycogenolysis. Studies suggest a complex mechanism involved in the regulation of hepatic glucose metabolism during fasting and post-absorptive phase. Oxygen plays a key role in numerous metabolic pathways such as TCA cycle, gluconeogenesis, glycolysis and fatty acid oxidation. Oxygenation of the gastrointestinal tract including liver and intestine is dynamically regulated by changes in the blood flow and metabolic activity. Cellular adaptation to low oxygen is mediated by the transcription factors HIF-1α and HIF-2α. HIF-1α regulates glycolytic genes whereas HIF-2α is known to primarily regulate genes involved in cell proliferation and iron metabolism. This review focuses on the role of the oxygen sensing signaling in the regulation of hepatic glucose output with an emphasis on hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-2α. Recent studies have established a metabolic role of HIF-2α in systemic glucose homeostasis. Understanding the HIF-2α dependent mechanism in hepatic metabolism will greatly enhance our potential to utilize the oxygen sensing mechanisms to treat metabolic diseases.
Challenges and Opportunities in Achieving the National Postsecondary Degree Attainment Goals

In 2009, at the end of the 12-month Great Recession in the United States, the U.S. government established a college degree attainment goal for 60% of 25- to 34-year-olds to earn an associate's or bachelor's degree by the year 2020. In the same year, Lumina Foundation set a similar goal for 60% of 25- to 64-year-olds to earn a high-quality certificate, associate's degree, or bachelor's degree by the year 2025. Both the U.S. government's and Lumina Foundation's goals intend to place the United States in a leadership position in the global massification of postsecondary education that has evolved over the past few decades and to address the growing labor market demands for postsecondary education and training. This report provides a view of current progress and forecasts of the nation's long-term progress toward achieving the goals. The analyses in this report represent college degree attainment performance of the U.S. population by race/ethnicity and gender and project through 2060. The projections reveal that neither goal is expected to be reached by target dates for the targeted adult populations, but the associate's and bachelor's degree attainment rates of the Asian American population are already beyond the 60% target and the White population, overall, is approaching at a pace to arrive a few years beyond the target year 2020 established by the U.S. government and 2025 set by Lumina Foundation. The projections for the African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Hispanic populations are not promising. Unless aggressive actions are taken to address the inequalities in each level and type of degree, and especially bachelor's and higher degrees, not only will the three underserved population groups (African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Hispanic) fail to reach the goals in the foreseeable future, but also the progress that they make could be overrepresented by lower status degrees and certificates and in turn lower status occupations. Each of these three underrepresented population groups may require targeted and tailored initiatives to make substantive progress toward a larger share being college and career ready and ultimately persisting toward and attaining college degrees. The report includes data and analyses that could be useful in designing interventions.
Municipal Fiber in the United States: An Empirical Assessment

The apparent success of municipal fiber projects in places such as Chattanooga has led to widespread calls for other cities to undertake similar initiatives. Unfortunately, empirical assessments of municipal fiber projects’ performance are few and far between, with most of the literature consisting of advocacy pieces that have been long on rhetoric and short on data. The anecdotal nature of these analyses has led the focus almost exclusively on supposed success stories instead of analyzing the universe of municipal fiber projects systematically. To fill this gap, we present an empirical evaluation based on a unique dataset derived from the audited financial statements from 2010 to 2014, the public bond filings of every municipal fiber project in the U.S., and U.S. Census data. We conduct a discounted cash flow analysis on the data to assess whether particular projects will remain solvent or whether they will have to default on their bond obligations. We also present detailed case studies of particular projects identified as potential success stories by our analysis and by media reports. The net result is a fairly sobering picture of how likely municipal fiber projects will be able to generate sufficient returns to recover the investments needed to construct these networks and the implications such shortfalls can have.
The caspase-8/RIPK3 signaling axis in antigen presenting cells controls the inflammatory arthritic response

Caspase-8 is a well-established initiator of apoptosis and suppressor of necroptosis, but maintains functions beyond cell death that involve suppression of receptor-interacting serine-threonine kinases (RIPKs). A genome-wide association study meta-analysis revealed an SNP associated with risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) development within the locus containing the gene encoding for caspase-8. Innate immune cells, like macrophages and dendritic cells, are gaining momentum as facilitators of autoimmune disease pathogenesis, and, in particular, RA. Therefore, we examined the involvement of caspase-8 within these antigen-presenting cell populations in the pathogenesis of an arthritis model that resembles the RA effector phase. Cre LysM Casp8 flox/flox and Cre CD11c Casp8 flox/flox mice were bred via a cross between Casp8 flox/flox and Cre LysM or Cre CD11c mice. RIPK3 –/– Cre LysM Casp8 flox/flox and RIPK3 –/– Cre CD11c Casp8 flox/flox mice were generated to assess RIPK3 contribution. Mice were subjected to K/BxN serum-transfer-induced arthritis. Luminex-based assays were used to measure cytokines/chemokines. Histological analyses were utilized to examine joint damage. Mixed bone marrow chimeras were generated to assess synovial cell survival. Flow cytometric analysis was employed to characterize cellular distribution. For arthritis, differences between the groups were assessed using two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) for repeated measurements. All other data were compared by the Mann-Whitney test. We show that intact caspase-8 signaling maintains opposing roles in lysozyme-M- and CD11c-expressing cells in the joint; namely, caspase-8 is crucial in CD11c-expressing cells to delay arthritis induction, while caspase-8 in lysozyme M-expressing cells hinders arthritis resolution. Caspase-8 is also implicated in the maintenance of synovial tissue-resident macrophages that can limit arthritis. Global loss of RIPK3 in both caspase-8 deletion constructs causes the response to arthritis to revert back to control levels via a mechanism potentially independent of cell death. Mixed bone marrow chimeric mice demonstrate that caspase-8 deficiency does not confer preferential expansion of synovial macrophage and dendritic cell populations, nor do caspase-8-deficient synovial populations succumb to RIPK3-mediated necroptotic death. These data demonstrate that caspase-8 functions in synovial antigen-presenting cells to regulate the response to inflammatory stimuli by controlling RIPK3 action, and this delicate balance maintains homeostasis within the joint.
The East River tidal strait, New York City, New York, a high-nutrient, low-chlorophyll coastal system

The East River tidal strait, located between New York Harbor and Western Long Island Sound, is characterized by high suspended silt concentrations with low organic content kept in suspension by intense tidal currents. Inorganic nutrients, including nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, and phosphate, were high even during the summer. Dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) concentrations generally were above 20 µM and did not likely limit phytoplankton growth. Despite high nutrient concentrations, median chlorophyll a concentration was only 1.53 µg l−1, making the East River tidal strait a high-nutrient, low-chlorophyll (HNLC) area, likely a result of suspended silt blocking light penetration into the surface water. There were times at which the ratio of mixed layer to depth of the euphotic zone was generally greater than what has been suggested for phytoplankton to produce net primary production. The high-nutrient East River tidal strait is likely one of the sources of nutrients fueling summer phytoplankton production and consequent hypoxia in the Western Long Island Sound as silt settles from surface water in the lower turbulence conditions of the western narrows of Long Island Sound, thereby allowing light penetration and subsequent consumption of dissolved nutrients by phytoplankton.
National trends in admissions, repair, and mortality for thoracic aortic aneurysm and type B dissection in the National Inpatient Sample.

Abstract Objective The advent of endovascular repair for both thoracic aortic aneurysm and type B dissection has transformed the management of these disease processes. This study was undertaken to better define, compare, and contrast the national trends in hospital admissions, invasive treatments, and inpatient mortality of patients with thoracic aortic aneurysm and type B dissection in the National Inpatient Sample. Methods The cohort was derived from International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision diagnosis codes for thoracic aortic dissection and thoracic aortic or thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm. Patients receiving type A dissection or ascending aortic repair during their index admission were excluded using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision procedure codes. A total of 155,187 patients were available for analysis from 2000 to 2012. Results Admissions for thoracic aortic aneurysm outnumbered the admissions for type B dissection (69.8% vs 30.2%; P P P P Conclusions Whereas admissions for thoracic aortic aneurysm disease have increased over time, the rate of aneurysm repair has been stable, although TEVAR has supplanted a proportion of open repairs. In contrast, whereas admissions for type B dissection have experienced a more modest increase, there has been a disproportionate increase in type B dissection repair, largely due to increased use of TEVAR. These results show embracing of endovascular technology for dissection through expansion of indication. Despite the increase in rate of repair for type B dissection, inpatient mortality rate was reduced in both aneurysm and dissection patients, influenced by appropriate selection of patients for intervention.
Transition regime from step-flow to step-bunching in the growth of epitaxial SrRuO3 on (001) SrTiO3

We present a study of the surface morphology of SrRuO3 thin films grown on TiO2 terminated (001) SrTiO3 substrates using an off-axis RF magnetron sputtering deposition technique. We investigated the step bunching formation and the evolution of the films by varying deposition parameters. The thin films were characterized using atomic force microscopy methods, allowing us to study the various growth regimes of SrRuO3 as a function of the growth parameters. We observe a strong influence of both the miscut angle and growth temperature on the evolution of the SrRuO3 surface morphology. In addition, a thickness dependence is present. Remarkably, the formation of a smooth, regular, and uniform “fish-skin” structure at the step-bunch transition is observed. The fish-skin morphology results from the merging of 2D flat islands predicted by previous models. The direct observation of surface evolution allows us to better understand the different growth regimes of SrRuO3 thin films.
On Immanent Critique in Hegel’s Phenomenology

I begin by identifying an ambiguity in the post-Hegelian literature on Immanent Critique, distinguishing two possible definitions: (a) judging an object against its ‘internal’ norms; and (b) accounting for one’s own standpoint with reference to the object. I then claim that both definitions are represented in Hegel’s Phenomenology, and develop extended interpretations of material from the Introduction in order to clarify and substantiate this thesis. This yields revisionist readings of the famous ‘internal criteria’ and ‘self examination’ tropes. My discussion builds towards elucidating the relation between the two definitions of Immanent Critique I have distinguished, as it is developed in the Phenomenology.
IMPORTANCE OF SEPARATE CLEAR AND CLOUDY SKY WATER VAPOR PROFILES IN RADIATIVE–CONVECTIVE MODELS

In the current generation of radiative-convective atmospheric models, a single water vapor profile is used to represent globally or zonally averaged conditions, and cloud amounts and location are fixed. The profile most commonly used to represent a mean water vapor profile is based on an assumed constant distribution of relative humidity. This profile underestimates the amount of atmospheric water vapor by as much as 30% and leads to an underestimation of the greenhouse effect of water vapor. It is demonstrated that the neglect of separate clear and cloudy sky water vapor profiles in radiative-convective models can cause up to fourfold differences in surface temperature sensitivity to model parameter changes such as the amount of cloud cover and the assumed surface relative humidity.
Language Teaching Approaches for School-Aged Learners in Second Language Contexts

The growing movement of peoples across national borders (refugee resettlement, immigration, or temporary migration for employment or education) and the legacy of colonialism have led to the development of educational programs which require students to receive at least part of their education through the medium of a second language, usually one with national, official, or international status.
A Bayesian Statistical Inference Approach to Automotive Reliability Estimation

In the testing of new vehicles to establish an estimate of a system failure rate or of system reliability the classical statistical approach does not take into account experience with previous systems or the intent of the designer. We have applied the B..
Quantum-Confined Stark Effect of Lead Halide Perovskite Quantum Dots in a Mixed Dimensional van der Waals Heterostructure

We demonstrate quantum-confined Stark effect in Perovskite quantum dots by employing a voltage-tunable vertically stacked van der Waals heterostructure with 2D materials. A spectral shift of 10 meV was observed for the exciton peak. © 2019 The Author(s)
Non-invasive assessment of hepatic lipid subspecies matched with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease phenotype.

Abstract Background and aims Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterized by excessive hepatic fat accumulation. Increased hepatic saturated fats and decreased hepatic polyunsaturated fats may be particularly lipotoxic, contributing to metabolic dysfunction. We compared hepatic lipid subspecies in adults with and without NAFLD, and examined links with hallmark metabolic and clinical characteristics of NAFLD. Methods and results Nineteen adults with NAFLD (total hepatic fat:18.8 ± 0.1%) were compared to sixteen adults without NAFLD (total hepatic fat: 2.1 ± 0.01%). 1H-MRS was used to assess hepatic lipid subspecies. Methyl, allylic, methylene, and diallylic proton peaks were measured. Saturation, unsaturation, and polyunsaturation indices were calculated. Whole-body phenotyping in a subset of participants included insulin sensitivity (40 mU/m2 hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamps), CT-measured abdominal adipose tissue depots, exercise capacity, and serum lipid profiles. Participants with NAFLD exhibited more saturated and less unsaturated hepatic fat, accompanied by increased insulin resistance, total and visceral adiposity, triglycerides, and reduced exercise capacity compared to controls (all P Conclusion Participants with NAFLD preferentially stored excess hepatic lipids as saturated fat, at the expense of unsaturated fat, compared to controls. This hepatic lipid profile was accompanied by an unhealthy metabolic phenotype.
Associations of obesity and physical activity with cognition in people aged 50 and above in Shanghai

Objective To investigate the associations of obesity and physical activity with cognition in the elderly. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted from October 2009 to June 2010 among people aged ≥50 years selected through multistage random cluster sampling in Shanghai. The subjects’ body weight, body height, waist circumference and hip circumference were measured to calculate body mass index (BMI) and waist-hip ratio (WHR), and the data on self-reported physical activity level were collected through questionnaire survey. A comprehensive battery of cognitive tests was conducted to assess subjects’ cognitive functions, including verbal recall, forward digit span (FDS), backward digit span (BDS), and verbal fluency (VF). General linear model was used to examine the associations of BMI, WHR and physical activity with cognition. Results A total of 7 913 participants were included, with a median age of 60 years. Age, sex, education level, income level, BMI, WHR and physical activity level were significantly associated with cognitive scores in univariate analysis. After adjusted for age, sex, education level and income level, BMI was no longer significantly associated with cognitive scores in all cognitive functions (all P>0.01). WHR was significantly associated with VF score (P<0.01). Abdominally obese participants had lower VF score than non-abdominally obese participants (P<0.01). Physical activity level was significantly associated with all cognitive functions (P<0.01). Compared with participants with moderate physical activity level, participants with low physical activity level had lower scores in all cognitive functions (P<0.01). Conclusion Abdominal obesity and low physical activity level were negatively associated with cognition level in the elderly, suggesting that waist circumference control and physical activity might help maintain cognition in the elderly. Key words: Elderly; Cognition; Obesity; Physical activity
Exploring power in response inhibition tasks using the bootstrap: The impact of number of participants, number of trials, effect magnitude, and study design.

Abstract A primary psychometric concern with laboratory-based inhibition tasks has been their reliability. However, a reliable measure may not be necessary or sufficient for reliably detecting effects (statistical power). The current study used a bootstrap sampling approach to systematically examine how the number of participants, the number of trials, the magnitude of an effect, and study design (between- vs. within-subject) jointly contribute to power in five commonly used inhibition tasks. The results demonstrate the shortcomings of relying solely on measurement reliability when determining the number of trials to use in an inhibition task: high internal reliability can be accompanied with low power and low reliability can be accompanied with high power. For instance, adding additional trials once sufficient reliability has been reached can result in large gains in power. The partial dissociation between reliability and power was particularly apparent in between-subject designs where the number of participants contributed greatly to power but little to reliability, and where the number of trials contributed greatly to reliability but only modestly (depending on the task) to power. For between-subject designs, the probability of detecting small-to-medium-sized effects with 150 participants (total) was generally
Truly, Madly, Deeply Embedded: Becoming a Student in Your Liaison Area

As a librarian supporting online programs, it can often be difficult to develop effective instruction for learners who you may never see, at the request of faculty you may never meet. When the auth...
Cognition degree on AIDS and interposal effect of health education among practitioners at Futian district

Objective To know the cognition degree on AIDS and the interposal effect of health education among practitioners at Futian District of Shenzhen, in order to provide evidence for further developing the propaganda and education. Methods The practitioners from public places who corned to get the health certificate in 2007 were randomly sampled and investigated. Then they were intervened about health education. The questionnaire survey was conducted again one week after the health education interposal. Results 300 copies of the questionnaire were distributed, and 285 valid questionnaires recovered. Before the interposal, the correct cognition rate of AIDS was only 52.11%, but raised to 86.56% after the interposal (P <0. 01). Conclusions The practitioners have a preliminary understanding of AIDS, but they are rather ambiguous about the danger of AIDS and the dissemination channels. It' s should actively carry out the health promotion activities in order to change the AIDS-related high-risk behavior and the way of life, thereby controlling its transmission. Key words: AIDS; Practitioners; Health education; Interposal
Subpicosecond All-Optical Switching of 1550 nm Signals in Hybrid Silicon:VO 2 Waveguides and Ring Resonators

We demonstrate all-optical, subpicosecond switching in silicon photonics devices, using the femtosecond insulator-to-metal transition in vanadium dioxide as the driving mechanism for an in-waveguide modulator, and very low switching thresholds in a hybrid ring resonator.
Novel ethanol production using biomass preprocessing to increase ethanol yield and reduce overall costs.

Ethanol biorefineries need to lower their overall production costs to become economically feasible. Two strategies to achieve this are to reduce costs using cheaper feedstocks or to increase the ethanol production yield. Low-cost feedstocks usually have high non-structural components (NSC) content; therefore, a new process is necessary to accommodate these feedstocks and overcome the negative effects of NSC. This study developed a novel ethanol biorefinery process including a biomass preprocessing step that enabled the use of lower-cost feedstocks while improving ethanol production without detoxification (overliming). Two types of poplar feedstocks were used, low-quality whole-tree chips (WTC) and high-quality clean pulp chips (CPC), to determine if the proposed process is effective while using feedstocks with different NSC contents. Technical assessment showed that acidic preprocessing increased the monomeric sugar recovery of WTC from 73.2% (untreated) to 87.5% due to reduced buffering capacity of poplar, improved sugar solubilization during pretreatment, and better enzymatic hydrolysis conversion. Preprocessing alone significantly improved the fermentability of the liquid fraction from 1–2% to 49–56% for both feedstocks while overliming improved it to 45%. Consequently, it was proposed that preprocessing can substitute for the detoxification step. The economic assessment revealed that using poplar WTC via the new process increased annual ethanol production of 10.5 million liters when compared to using CPC via overliming (base case scenario). Also, savings in total operating costs were about $10 million per year when using cheaper poplar WTC instead of CPC, and using recycled water for preprocessing lowered its total operating costs by 45-fold. The novel process developed in this study was successful in increasing ethanol production while decreasing overall costs, thus facilitating the feasibility of lignocellulosic ethanol biorefineries. Key factors to achieving this outcome included substituting overliming by preprocessing, enabling the use of lower-quality feedstock, increasing monomeric sugar recovery and ethanol fermentation yield, and using recycled water for preprocessing. In addition, preprocessing enabled the implementation of an evaporator-combustor downstream design, resulting in a low-loading waste stream that can be treated in a wastewater treatment plant with a simple configuration.
Core Beliefs Disruption in the Context of an Election: Implications for Subjective Well-Being.

Major life events often challenge the core beliefs people hold about the world, which is a crucial cognitive process predictive of adjustment outcomes. Elections have been associated with physical ...
Bodies in Revolt: Gender, Disability, and a Workplace Ethic of Care

Preface 1. A Subversive Act 2. The Life of the Body 3. An Alternative Ethic of Care 4. The Body at Work 5. Unmasking Control 6. Unions: Bridging the Divde 7. Critical Care: All for one and one for all
Promoting self-transcendence and well-being in community-dwelling older adults: A pilot study of a psychoeducational intervention

Self-transcendence changes how older adults perceive themselves, their relationships with others, the material world, and the metaphysical or spiritual dimension. It is associated with multiple indicators of well-being. The purpose of this pilot study (N = 20) was to examine the feasibility and effectiveness of a psychoeducational intervention to increase self-transcendence and well-being in older adults. Data were analyzed using generalized estimating equations. All variables trended in the directions hypothesized. Self-transcendence increased in the intervention group and decreased in the control group but not significantly. The group × time interaction for life satisfaction was significant (z = 2.89, p = .004). This feasibility study supports further investigation to assess the effectiveness of the intervention in a larger sample.
Loss of larval parasitism in parasitengonine mites

Larval Parasitengona are typically parasites, yet at least 29 species of water mites and one species of Trombidiidae forgo larval feeding and any association with a host. Species with non-feeding larvae are isolated cases within species groups or genera where the remaining species have parasitic larvae. Species without larval parasitism occur in at least 14 genera, eight families and four superfamilies of water mites; the loss of larval parasitism is presumably polyphyletic, having occurred at least 21 times. Lineages of water mites with non-feeding larvae frequently exist in parallel with almost identical populations or species that have parasitic larvae. Thus, there is tremendous potential for studies comparing the relative merits of the two life history strategies. Comparisons indicate that adults from lineages with non-parasitic larvae produce smaller numbers of larger eggs; the extra nutrition included in larger eggs permits the larvae to forgo feeding. Non-feeding larvae frequently have wider dorsal plates but reduced leg length, setal length and sclerotization when compared to parasitic larvae from sister lineages. The adults of lineages with non-feeding larvae are frequently smaller in comparison to adults of sister lineages with parasitic larvae. There is no apparent pattern in relation to habitat: lineages lacking larval parasitism occur in streams, temporary ponds and the littoral and planktonic regions of permanent lakes. © Rapid Science Ltd. 1998
The effect of mismatching analysis signals and time-frequency representations

We study the time-frequency geometry underlying quadratic time-frequency representations (QTFRs) defined based on a generalized time-shift covariance property. These QTFRs include the generalized warped Wigner distribution (WD) and its smoothed versions that are useful for reducing cross terms in multicomponent signal analysis applications. The generalized warped WD is ideal for analyzing nonstationary signals whose group delay matches the specified time-shift covariance. Its smoothed versions may also be well suited for various signals provided that their smoothing characteristics match the signal's time-frequency structure. Thus, we examine the effects of a mismatch between the analysis signal and the chosen QTFR. We provide examples to demonstrate the advantage of matching the signal's group delay with the generalized time-shift covariance property of a given class of QTFRs, and to demonstrate that mismatch can cause significant distortion.
NMR-Based Metabolomics Technology in Biomarker Research

The methods and applications of NMR-based metabolomics are introduced in this article. As important tools for systems biology research, metabolomics, metabonomics, and metabolite profiling have been applied successfully for biomarker exploration at the molecular level. In addition to the detection and identification of putative disease biomarkers, NMR-based metabolomics also can be performed in many areas including nutritional science, disease monitoring, and drug toxicology studies. In the following sections, basic and advanced NMR technologies associated with metabolomics are summarized. Also, to process the complex spectral data and obtain useful information, pattern recognition techniques or multivariate statistical methods are necessary. These methods successfully simplify the multivariable data set, and their improvement may enhance the development of metabolomics. Finally, several important applications of NMR-based metabolomics are summarized, and examples are described.
Measuring Migration: Profiling Residential Mobility across Two Decades

The demography of a local population is a central aspect of applied social science research. Although birth and death rates influence a population, the key contributing factor influencing the demographics of a locality is almost always internal migration—the movement of persons between U.S. regions, states, and localities. Current definitions of internal migration used by the U.S. Census Bureau are limited because confidentiality restrictions require that detailed current and former place of residence geographic information be suppressed in publicly available files. In this paper we report the results of our work with confidential versions of the 1990 and 2000 decennial census microdata to develop an improved measurement of migration in order to develop a profile of internal migration in the United States. We perform our analysis for two contrasting time periods, 1985–1990 and 1995–2000. Our interest here is to assess the stability of the profile of migrants during a time period of economic contraction an...
Pinniped taxonomy: review of currently recognized species and subspecies, and evidence used for their description

Pinnipeds are charismatic but difficult to study, and taxonomy is poorly under- stood. An accurate taxonomic framework is essential for studies of biogeography, ecology and conservation. 2. Morphologic and genetic criteria used to recognize pinniped species and subspe- cies are evaluated individually for all taxa in the three families: Otariidae (sea lions and fur seals), Odobenidae (walruses) and Phocidae (seals). We advocate a pragmatic approach that, in general, follows the Evolutionary Species Concept and 'diagnos- ability' criterion for subspecies delimitations. 3. Of the 33 species, all have at least two lines of evidence to distinguish them, and of the 29 subspecies, 24 have at least one line of evidence, but five have inadequate support. We present a composite phylogeny for pinnipeds. 4. We propose that the genus Arctocephalus be limited to Arctocephalus pusillus, and we resurrect the name Arctophoca for at least six species and subspecies. 5. We recommend large sample sizes and broad, random sampling in further research on pinniped taxonomy. Taxa should be described based on robust statistical analysis, not by arbitrary division of characters, and molecular research should include analysis of mtDNA and nuDNA. 6. Finally, we offer suggestions for further taxonomic research (on hybridization in otariids, and to allow consideration of life history data in sampling) in an effort to improve our understanding of pinniped diversity. Even for taxa which are already protected, better understanding of their taxonomy can only enhance their conser- vation status and facilitate efforts to protect their habitats.
Cobra venom cardiotoxins as probes of altered membrane structure in dystrophic skeletal muscle.

Summary Cardiotoxin from the venom of the Thailand cobra, Naja naja siamensis , causes a rapid influx of calcium into muscle from the normal Syrian hamster. This does not occur, however, in the corresponding muscle from the dystrophic hamster. The toxin may be opening “calcium channels” in normal muscle and not in the dystrophic. In contrast, cardiotoxin has no effect on the rate of efflux of small molecular weight substances from either type of muscle.
The effect of photoperiod on organic constituents and molting of the crayfish Orconectes nais (faxon)

Abstract 1. 1. Molting rates were significantly higher at long-day photoperiod than at short-day or normal-day photoperiods. 2. 2. Females molted more frequently than males; males had a much smaller mean interval between molts. 3. 3. Short-day photoperiod accelerates ovarian growth and accumulation of nutrients. Ovaries are undeveloped under long-day photoperiod. 4. 4. Normal-day photoperiod apparently drives the annual cycle of molting and ovarian growth and maturation. 5. 5. Lipid is the major organic nutrient at all photoperiods. Photoperiod affects nutrient levels indirectly by affecting the growth or resorption of the hepatopancreas and gonads.
Early genetic selection for wood stiffness in juvenile Douglas-fir and western hemlock

Wood stiffness, or modulus of elasticity (MOE), is an important property of structural wood products. The ability to genetically improve wood stiffness has increased because of the availability of tools that can measure acoustic velocity (AV, an indirect measure of MOE) on standing trees. Our goals were to optimize methods for measuring AV on young (6- to 12-year-old) Douglas-fir and western hemlock, and then use these methods to understand the genetics of wood stiffness. In Phase I, we evaluated four standing-tree tools (TreeSonic-TS, TreeSonic-SD02, Microsecond Timer, and Ultrasonic Timer) by comparing AV2 measured on standing trees to AV2 measured on logs cut from these trees (i.e., using the HM200). We found that measuring across a whorl of branches had little adverse effect on AV measurements, and that placing the acoustic sensors on the same-face of the tree was slightly better than placing them on opposite faces. In Phase II, we used full-sib heritabilities (hfs2) to compare the TreeSonic-SD02 and Microsecond Timer, sensor orientations (same-face versus opposite-face), and flight path adjustments. Because the effect of standing-tree tool and sensor orientation was non-significant, we recommend that breeders use the TreeSonic-SD02 and same-face orientation for practical reasons. Using this approach, hfs2 for AV2 was 0.90 to 0.56 in Douglas-fir and 0.51 in western hemlock, and we concluded that genetic gains of 7.0–17.2% can be obtained by measuring 10 or more trees per full-sib family, depending on species and seed production strategy. Because we found no strong statistical support for substantial non-additive genetic variation, the current approach of breeding for additive genetic value, and then collecting open-pollinated seed from orchards seems appropriate for improving wood stiffness. AV2 had weak genetic correlations with growth traits (height, diameter at breast height, and volume) in Douglas-fir (−0.21 to 0.33), but moderately positive correlations in western hemlock (0.36–0.54). Therefore, there is ample opportunity to improve the stiffness of young trees without adversely affecting growth. Although mean stiffness was higher for Douglas-fir, about 10% of the western hemlock families (7 out of 80) had higher AV2, and about 28% of the families (22 out of 80) had higher dynamic MOE than the mean for Douglas-fir. This suggests that intensive selection and breeding in western hemlock could be used to create varieties of trees that compare favorably with unselected Douglas-fir. This may improve the ability of western hemlock to compete with Douglas-fir where stiffness is important.
Variability in practice and factors predictive of total crystalloid administration during abdominal surgery: retrospective two-centre analysis

Background Variation in clinical practice in the perioperative environment and intensive care unit is a major challenge facing modern medicine. The objective of the present study was to analyse intraoperative crystalloid administration practices at two academic medical centres in the USA. Methods We extracted clinical data from patients undergoing intra-abdominal procedures performed at UC Irvine (UCI) and Vanderbilt University (VU) Medical Centres. Limiting data to uncomplicated elective surgery with minimal blood loss, we quantified variability in fluid administration within individual providers, between providers, and between types of procedures using a corrected coefficient of variation (cCOV). Regression was performed using a general linear model to determine factors most predictive of fluid administration. Results For provider analysis and model building, 1327 UCI and 4585 VU patients were used. The average corrected crystalloid infusion rate across all providers at both institutions was 7.1 (sd 4.9) ml kg−1 h−1, an overall cCOV of 70%. Individual providers ranged from 2.3 (sd 3.7) to 14 (sd 10) ml kg−1 h−1. The final regression model strongly favoured personnel as predictors over other patient predictors. Conclusions Wide variability in crystalloid administration was observed both within and between individual anaesthesia providers, which might contribute to variability in surgical outcomes.
Extracting the meaning of medical concept correlations

In this paper, we propose a new method to extract the meaning of medical concept correlations from MEDLINE abstract sentences. Our method incorporates a medical knowledge base, natural language processing approaches, and text classification methods. We describe how we automatically created the training sets and report the results of our initial experiments.