cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of academic affiliation and obstetric volume on clinical outcome and cost of childbirth

Objective: To determine whether the academic affiliation and obstetric volume of the delivering hospital has an impact on clinical and economic outcomes. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of data for all births in the State of Maryland during 1996. Acute hospital discharge data were obtained from the publicly available Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission database. Institutions were classified as community hospitals, community teaching hospitals, and academic medical centers. Principal outcome variables included cesarean birth and complication rates, total hospital charges, and length of stay. Results: A total of 63,143 cases were identified for analysis. The cesarean delivery rate was lower among academic medical centers, compared with community teaching hospitals and community hospitals (18.4% compared with 24.3% and 21.2%, respectively). After adjustment for patient case-mix, the adjusted odds ratio (OR) for cesarean birth was 0.66 at academic medical centers and 1.23 at community teaching hospitals compared with community hospitals (P < .01). Rates of episiotomy and serious complications were lower at academic medical centers compared with community hospitals. Adjusted total hospital charges were lower and length of stay was shorter for community hospitals compared with academic medical centers ($2937 compared with $3564 and 2.2 days compared with 2.5 days, respectively). Conclusion: Hospital academic affiliation was an important predictor of clinical outcomes. Better clinical outcomes were found primarily among patients at academic medical centers, although these institutions demonstrated moderately higher resource utilization, compared with community hospitals.
Input clustering and the microscale structure of local circuits

The recent development of powerful tools for high-throughput mapping of synaptic networks promises major advances in understanding brain function. One open question is how circuits integrate and store information. Competing models based on random versus structured connectivity make distinct predictions regarding the dendritic addressing of synaptic inputs. In this article we review recent experimental tests of one of these models, the input clustering hypothesis. Across circuits, brain regions and species, there is growing evidence of a link between synaptic co-activation and dendritic location, although this finding is not universal. The functional implications of input clustering and future challenges are discussed.
Electron-interface-longitudinal-optical phonon scattering rates in quantum cascade lasers

The intersubband electron transition rates assisted by interface-longitudinal-optical-phonon emission in a quantum cascade laser with a four quantum-well active region are evaluated using Femi’s golden rule. The electron energy and wavefunction of nonparabolic conduction band are calculated using an eight-band k•p method with the axial approximation. The energy dispersions of interface-longitudinal-optical-phonon modes and associated electrostatic potentials are studied within the framework of macroscopic dielectric continuum model. The numerical results show that AlAs-like interface phonon modes give larger contribution to intersubband transition rates between lower energy states than other interface phonon modes.
Commemorating the "Disappeared": Maternal Activism and the Algerian Civil War in Fatima Bourega-Gallaire's La Beauté de l'icône

This essay examines the “dangerous” role of women’s theater, as highlighted in La Beaute de l’icone , Fatima Bourega-Gallaire’s play on the Algerian civil war of the 1990s. The play exposes the violence of the “black decade” and highlights the gendered aggressions that have scarred Algeria’s postcolonial imaginary in a radicalized economy of fear, terror, and censorship. La Beaute de l’icone is an intense enactment of another chapter in the history of the civil war—the numerous abductions and forced “disappearance” of civilians during a pathological and power-driven reign of terror initiated by armed militias and government security forces. I demonstrate how the play adds another dimension to the civil war through two concomitant perspectives—the state’s role and culpability during the war, on the one hand, and the revolutionary activism of the “mothers of the disappeared” that inscribe their voices in a disavowed history. I further analyze the intersections between state terror and maternal power by examining the role of theater in exposing human rights violations to determine whether the aggressed can be given voice and visibility in a public text. La Beaute de l’icone thereby embraces an anti-war ethic by staging the violent trajectories of the civil war and its consequences. At the same time, it advocates a politics of peace through the suffering and courage of dissident mothers who refuse to accept the disappearance of their loved ones.
Genetic load and soft selection in ferns

Genetic load data for two homosporous ferns are summarized and the mean frequency of recessive sporophytic lethals per zygote calculated. Fifty-one spore collections of Onoclea sensibilis had a mean of 0·587 lethals per zygote, and 129 spore collections of Osmunda regalis had a mean of 2·39 lethals per zygote. Each spore collection represents a meiotic sample from a single individual (genet). Both species form hermaphroditic gametophytes with extensive capacities for simple polyembryony. Simple polyembryony results in a form of soft selection in panmictic populations and thus higher equilibrium frequencies for lethals are possible than in organisms without simple polyembryony. When ferns are inbred, the high load levels are expressed. Load levels in ferns may reflect a balance between soft selection in panmictic populations and hard selection under conditions of inbreeding. The sheltering effect of simple poly-embryony is demonstrated for both mutational and heterotic load.
Nanoscale intermolecular interactions between human serum albumin and alkanethiol self-assembled monolayers

solution (PBS, ionic strength (IS) ) 0.01 M, pH ) 7.4), was recorded and compared to the values of various theoretical models. The approach interaction of the HSA probe tip on the COO - -terminated SAM and Au substrates was found to be purely repulsive for D < 15 nm, nonlinear with decreasing separation distance, and consistent with electrostatic double layer repulsion. The approach interaction of the HSA probe tip on the CH3-terminated SAM substrate was found to be purely attractive, long range (D < 80 nm), nonlinear with decreasing separation distance, and much greater in magnitude and range than that known for van der Waals interactions between hydrocarbon SAMs terminated with hydrophilic chemical groups on Au. Large adhesive energies were observed for the HSA probe tip on both the CH3-terminated SAM and Au surfaces (e-29 mN/m, -22 to -73kBT/protein), while smaller adhesive energies were observed on the COO - -terminated SAM surface (e -4.9 mN/m, -5.3 to -12kBT/protein). It was shown that short-range adhesive contacts between the HSA chain segments and these surfaces give rise to energy dissipating mechanisms, such as HSA entropic molecular elasticity and enthalpic unfolding forces (deformation and rupture of noncovalent intramolecular bonds) and noncovalent bond rupture of the HSA chain segments adsorbed to the surface.
Trichomonas vaginalis: analysis of a heat-inducible member of the cytosolic heat-shock-protein 70 multigene family.

A 2253-nucleotide (nt) transcript for a Trichomonas vaginalis heat-shock protein 70, TVCHSP70, has been isolated that encodes for a protein of 659 amino acids with a predicted molecular weight of 71.3 kDa. TVCHSP70 has a short (10-nt) 5′ untranslated region (UTR), and the 263-nt 3′ UTR is the longest reported for a Trichomonas peptide. Amino-acid sequence analysis and phylogenetic comparison identifies TVCHSP70 as a member of the heat-inducible cytoplasmic HSP70 gene family. Southern-blot data indicate that T. vaginalis contains at least four members of the cytoplasmic HSP70 gene family. Members of the TVCHSP70 family are expressed as 2.3-kb transcripts at low levels during 37 °C culture, and their expression is significantly up-regulated at 43 °C. Slot-blot analysis of seven T. vaginalis clinical isolates demonstrated a 3- to 44-fold up-regulation of TVCHSP70 under conditions of heat shock (43 °C) or oxidative stress (500 μm H2O2) as compared with controls (37 °C).
ON SOME METHODS AND PROBLEMS IN THE STUDY OF METROPOLITAN ECONOMIES

T h e economic a c t i v i t y of the m e t r o p o l i t a n a r e a s in the Un i t ed S t a t e s of A m e r i c a has now r eached a v e r y h igh leve l r e l a t i v e to the r e s t of t he coun t ry . I t can be e s t i m a t e d t h a t no less t han 70percent of the to ta l U. S. g ross n a t i o n a l p r o d u c t was g e n e r a t e d w i t h i n m e t r o p o l i t a n a r eas in 1960, and the f iguer is s t i l l i n c r e a s i n g ) A f igure l ike th i s m a y he lp to convey to us how c ruc ia l i t is for the f u t u r e g r o w t h of the U . S . economy t h a t the g r e a t p r o b l e m s t h a t one today faces in m a n y A m e r i c a n c i t i e s can be handled . Some of these p r o b l e m s a re a n t i c i p a t i o n s of f u t u r e needs; t hey r e l a t e , for ins tance , to the s c a r c i t y of c e r t a i n n a t u r a l r e sources , such as w a t e r and " p u r e " a i r . O the r s a r e p r e s s i n g for more imm e d i a t e ac t ion; t h e y r e l a t e to the s eve re f inancia l di f f icul t ies of m a n y local g o v e r n m e n t s , to t raff ic conges t ion and o the r ove r loads on the va r i ous s y s t e m s o f communica t ion ; t h e y r e l a t e to t he " m u l t i p l i c i t y " of local g o v e r n m e n t s on the m e t r o p o l i t a n scene, and to the sp read of b l i g h t and obso lescence in m a n y c e n t r a l c i t y a reas , to m e n t i o n a few of these p rob lems . E v e n if, as some a r g u e , t he s t r o n g A m e r i c a n t r a d i t i o n for local s e l f g o v e r n m e n t has c r e a t e d some un ique p r o b l e m s and t ended to e x a c e r b a t e o thers , t h e r e can be no doub t b u t t h a t mos t of these p r o b l e m s are , or wi l l be, un ive r sa l . Indeed , b a r r i n g a nuc l ea r w a r or o t h e r m a j o r c a t a s t r o p h e , i t is qu i t e l i ke ly t h a t New Y o r k in a n o t h e r two or t h r e e decades wi l l be d e t h r o n e d as the l a rge s t m e t r o p o l i t a n a r e a in the wor ld , not b y Los A n g e l e s b u t by S h a n g h a i or some o t h e r Chinese o r I nd i an c i ty . 2 W h e r e a s t h e a v e r a g e r a t e of f u t u r e economic g r o w t h a m o n g A m e r i c a n c i t i e s by n e c e s s i t y wi l l be close to the over -a l l r a t e of g r o w t h in the U . S . economy, g r o w t h is l i ke ly to occur a t a v e r y h igh r a t e , r e l a t i v e l y speaking, a m o n g m e t r o p o l i t a n a r eas in so-cal led u n d e r d e v e l o p e d economies over the n e x t few decades . E x t e n s i v e r e s e a r c h w o r k wi l l be needed to fo resee the economic and social d i f f icul t ies w h i c h i n e v i t a b l y wi l l be a s soc ia t ed w i t h th i s economic g rowth . I t wi l l be a c h a l l e n g i n g t a sk for r e s e a r c h e r s to ga in a d e e p e r
A note on Balestra's (1980) approximate estimator for the first-order moving average process

An approximate procedure, based on Balestra's stated assumptions, is developed. The new method is shown to have superior performance to the approximate procedure developed by Balestra for small sample sizes when the value of the moving average parameter, C, is between zero and 0.50. For C in this region, the new method is also shown to be nearly as good as the exact procedure.
Life satisfaction, ethical reflection, and the science of happiness

Life satisfaction is widely considered to be a central aspect of human welfare. Many have identified happiness with it, and some maintain that well-being consists largely or wholly in being satisfied with one’s life. Empirical research on well-being relies heavily on life satisfaction studies. The paper contends that life satisfaction attitudes are less important, and matter for different reasons, than is widely believed.] For such attitudes are appropriately governed by ethical norms and are perspectival in ways that make the relationship between life satisfaction and welfare far more convoluted than we tend to expect. And the common identification of life satisfaction with happiness, as well as widespread views about the centrality of life satisfaction for well-being, are problematical at best. The argument also reveals an unexpected way in which philosophical ethics can inform scientific psychology: specifically, ethical reflection can help explain empirical results insofar as they depend on people’s values.
Strongly and weakly self-similar diffusion

Many dispersive processes have moments of displacements with large-t behavior �| x| p �∼ t γp . The study of γp as a function of p provides a more complete characterization of the process than does the single number γ2. Also at long times, the core of the concentration relaxes to a self-similar profile, while the large-x tails, consisting of particles which have experienced exceptional displacements, are not self-similar. Depending on the particular process, the effect of the tails can be negligible and then γp is a linear function of p (strong self-similarity). But if the tails are important then γp is a non-trivial function of p (weak self-similarity). In the weakly self-similar case, the low moments are determined by the self-similar core, while the high moments are determined by the non-self-similar tails. The popular exponent γ2 may be determined by either the core or the tails. As representatives of a large class of dispersive processes for which γp, is a piecewise-linear function of p, we study two systems: a stochastic model, the “generalized telegraph model”, and a deterministic area-preserving map, the
Cotton domestication: dramatic changes in a single cell

Investigations on the nature of genetic changes underpinning plant domestication have begun to shed light on the evolutionary history of crops and can guide improvements to modern cultivars. A recent study focused on cotton fiber cells tracks the dramatic genome-wide changes in gene expression during development that have accompanied selection for increased fiber yield and quality.
SU(3) breaking and the H dibaryon

SU(3) breaking in quark masses affects hyperfine energy and configuration mixing in the proposed H dibaryon (a \ensuremath{\Lambda}\ensuremath{\Lambda} bound state). The hyperfine energy is modified substantially, so that it is much less advantageous than in the SU(3) limit (by about a factor of 3) to recouple the spins of the quarks in two \ensuremath{\Lambda}'s to form an H. Nonetheless, the H remains an almost pure configuration of the 490-dimensional representation of color-spin SU(6), with a negligible amount of the other possible configuration (189 dimensional) admixed.
μ Opioid Transactivation and Down-Regulation of the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor in Astrocytes: Implications for Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Signaling

Astroglia are a principal target of long-term mu antiproliferative actions. The mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase known as extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), is a key mediator of cell proliferation. In studies on the mechanism of short- and long-term mu opioid regulation of the ERK signaling pathway, we show that the mu opioid agonist [d-Ala2,N-Me-Phe4,Gly5-ol]-enkephalin (DAMGO), acting via the endogenous mu opioid receptor (MOR), induced sequential epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF) receptor (EGFR) Tyr phosphorylation, Ser phosphorylation, and down-regulation in immortalized rat cortical astrocytes. The short-term action of DAMGO resulted in the stimulation of ERK phosphorylation. 4(3-Chlorophenylamino)-6,7-dimethoxyquinazoline (Tyrphostin AG1478), a selective inhibitor of EGFR Tyr kinase activity, blocked EGFR and ERK activation by short-term DAMGO administration, implicating EGFR transactivation in its stimulation of ERK activity. Inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases attenuated MOR-mediated ERK phosphorylation, suggesting that shedding of EGF-like ligands from the plasma membrane may be involved in the EGFR transactivation process. Prolonged DAMGO exposure induced EGFR internalization/down-regulation, did not activate ERK, and inhibited exogenous EGF-stimulated ERK phosphorylation. MOR-mediated EGFR down-regulation seems to be MAP kinase-dependent, because it was inhibited by the ERK kinase inhibitor 1,4-diamino-2,3-dicyano-1,4-bis(2-aminophenylthio) butadiene (U0126), and tyrphostin AG1478. The kappa opioid agonist (5alpha,7alpha,8beta)-(-)-N-methyl-N-(7-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-1-oxaspiro(4,5)dec-8-yl) benzeneacetamide (U69,593) induced Tyr and Ser phosphorylation of EGFR and activation of ERK. However, long-term application of U69,593 neither down-regulated EGFR nor inhibited EGF-induced ERK activation. Instead, it engendered a sustained activation of ERK. Collectively, our data suggest that long-term application of DAMGO initiates heterologous down-regulation of EGFR via a mechanism involving ERK in astrocytes.
Implementation of factorized filter in systolic arrays

A novel systolic array architecture is proposed to implement the factorized filter proposed by G.J. Beirman (1977). A pipelined broadcast array architecture is presented which computes the algorithm in O(n) unit of time. The execution time required per iteration for a scalar observation is computed and shown to be less than that of the systolic Kalman filter. >
Collagen accumulation in heart ventricles as a function of growth and aging

Increase in resting tension of left ventricular papillary muscle with age has been attributed to the amount of collagen present. We therefore studied the total amount and structure of myocardial collagen as a function of age in the hearts of male Fischer 344 rats. Using amino acid analysis and quantification of hydroxyproline, we showed that collagen accumulates in relation to ventricular protein after 3 months of age and continues in that mode with increased age of the animal, levelling off at 22 months. In this strain of rats, collagen increased in the left ventricle from 5.5% of total protein in a 1 month old animal to approximately 12% in 22 and 26 month old animals; in the right ventricle the increase was from 7% in the 1 month old animal to approximately 19.5% in 22-26 month old animals. The larger percentages of collagen in the right ventricle relative to the left agree with findings of others. Collagen accumulates in intrinsic collagenous structures where the pre-existing fibres are thickened and are more extensive. These structures were detected with light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy and include perimysial weaves, coiled perimysial fibres and struts. Regions of fibrosis were also increased in size and volume in older animals.
Popliteal tendon transposition for stabilization of the cranial cruciate ligament deficient stifle joint in dogs: an experimental study.

Popliteal tendon transposition was performed in five dogs with surgically induced cranial cruciate ligament rupture. After a lateral approach to the stifle joint, the popliteal tendon was severed distal to the sesamoid bone and transposed cranially onto the tibial crest to mimic the sagittal orientation of the cranial cruciate ligament. The origin of the popliteal tendon on the lateral femoral condyle was preserved. Lameness was not clinically detectable 2 months after surgery. At 6 months postoperatively, there was minimal radiographic and histopathologic evidence of degenerative joint disease in the stifle joints that had underwent surgery. There was no gross or microscopic evidence of meniscal damage found at necropsy 6 months after surgery. Biome-chanical studies are warranted before recommending the procedure.
Genes regulated by learning in the hippocampus.

The enduring changes in long-term memory probably depend on regulation of gene expression in the hippocampus. To seek genes regulated by learning, we used microarray technology to compare hippocampal gene expression in mice undergoing training in the Morris water maze and control mice forced to swim for the same period in the absence of a hidden platform. ANOVA was employed to prioritize genes for further study, and three genes were confirmed by real-time PCR as being regulated during learning. One of the genes was the subunit of the platelet-derived growth factor receptor (Pdgfra); another showed homology to DnaJ and cAMP response element-binding protein 2 (CREB2); and a third was novel. These genes may provide useful insights into the molecular mechanisms of hippocampal learning. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Why the risk and needs principles are relevant to correctional programs (even to employment programs)

It is rare today to read an article or study on correctional intervention programs that that does not refer to the work of Andrews, Bonta, and Gendreau and their risk, need, responsivity (RNR) principles (Andrews and Bonta, 1994; Gendreau, 1996). Through the lens of RNR, scholars and practitioners alike have a framework by which they can better study and understand criminal conduct and the effectiveness (or lack thereof ) of correctional programs. Indeed, understanding RNR principles provides insight into the findings from Zweig, Yahner, and Redcross (2011, this issue).
Cognitive-behavioral therapy for adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease and subsyndromal depression.

ABSTRACT Objective To examine the feasibility and efficacy of a manual-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) in reducing depressive symptomatology in adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Primary and Secondary Control Enhancement Therapy-Physical Illness (PASCET-PI) modified for youths with IBD was compared to treatment as usual (TAU), plus an information sheet about depression, without therapist contact using assessable patient analysis. Method Following assessment, participants 11 to 17 years old with IBD and mild to moderate subsyndromal depression were randomly assigned to PASCET-PI ( n = 22) or comparison treatment ( n = 19). Primary outcome measures at baseline (T1) and 12 to 14 weeks posttreatment (T2) were Children's Depression Inventory (child/parent report), Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children (K-SADS), Children's Global Assessment Scale, and Perceived Control Scale for Children. Results The PASCET-PI group showed significantly greater improvement in Children's Depression Inventory (child/parent report), Children's Global Assessment Scale, and Perceived Control Scale for Children posttreatment than the comparison group. Conclusions Screening and treatment of depressive symptoms in pediatric settings is feasible. PASCET-PI may be an efficacious intervention for subsyndromal depression in adolescents with IBD, although comparison with a more active treatment is necessary to attribute the improvement to PASCET-PI. Clinical trial registration information: URL: http://clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00446238.
Normalizing Postpartum Depressive Symptoms With Social Support

BACKGROUND: Postpartum depression can be a significant disability for women if left untreated. The context of seeking social support for this population has not been examined. OBJECTIVE: The purpos...
Effects of vasoactive intestinal peptide genotype on circadian gene expression in the suprachiasmatic nucleus and peripheral organs

The neuropeptide vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) has emerged as a key candidate molecule mediating the synchronization of rhythms in clock gene expression within the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). In addition, neurons expressing VIP are anatomically well positioned to mediate communication between the SCN and peripheral oscillators. In this study, we examined the temporal expression profile of 3 key circadian genes: Per1, Per2 , and Bmal1 in the SCN, the adrenal glands and the liver of mice deficient for the Vip gene (VIP KO), and their wild-type counterparts. We performed these measurements in mice held in a light/dark cycle as well as in constant darkness and found that rhythms in gene expression were greatly attenuated in the VIP-deficient SCN. In the periphery, the impact of the loss of VIP varied with the tissue and gene measured. In the adrenals, rhythms in Per1 were lost in VIP-deficient mice, while in the liver, the most dramatic impact was on the phase of the diurnal expression rhythms. Finally, we examined the effects of the loss of VIP on ex vivo explants of the same central and peripheral oscillators using the PER2::LUC reporter system. The VIP-deficient mice exhibited low amplitude rhythms in the SCN as well as altered phase relationships between the SCN and the peripheral oscillators. Together, these data suggest that VIP is critical for robust rhythms in clock gene expression in the SCN and some peripheral organs and that the absence of this peptide alters both the amplitude of circadian rhythms as well as the phase relationships between the rhythms in the SCN and periphery.
Mixing angles and electromagnetic properties of ground state pseudoscalar and vector meson nonets in the light-cone quark model

Both the mass spectra and the wave functions of the light pseudoscalar $(\ensuremath{\pi},K,\ensuremath{\eta},{\ensuremath{\eta}}^{\ensuremath{'}})$ and vector$(\ensuremath{\rho}{,K}^{*},\ensuremath{\omega},\ensuremath{\varphi})$ mesons are analyzed within the framework of the light-cone constituent quark model. A Gaussian radial wave function is used as a trial function of the variational principle for a QCD-motivated Hamiltonian which includes not only the Coulomb plus confining potential but also the hyperfine interaction to obtain the correct $\ensuremath{\rho}$-$\ensuremath{\pi}$ splitting. For the confining potential, we use the (1) harmonic oscillator potential and (2) linear potential and compare the numerical results for these two cases. The mixing angles of $\ensuremath{\omega}$-$\ensuremath{\varphi}$ and $\ensuremath{\eta}$-${\ensuremath{\eta}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ are predicted and various physical observables such as decay constants, charge radii, and radiative decay rates, etc., are calculated. Our numerical results in the two cases (1) and (2) are overall not much different from each other and are in good agreement with the available experimental data.
DSP Control of Multi-Use Induction Machines with Multiple Stator Windings: Closed-Loop Voltage Regulation and Speed

We have investigated the voltage regulation and speed control of an induction machine with multiple stator windings using a digital signal processor (DSP). Multiple functionalities are integrated in one machine: mechanical drive, as well as electrical power generation and conversion. One stator is driven with a three-phase inverter while the voltages on the other stators are rectified to provide a DC output. By using zero sequence harmonics in wye-grounded windings, the control for DC output voltage regulation can be made orthogonal to that for speed. In this paper, we study some of the challenges and solutions to speed control in tandem with closed-loop voltage regulation in this type of machine
Tree planting by small producers in the tropics: A comparative study of Brazil and Panama

Forest regrowth is a notable phenomenon across the tropical forest latitudes. Such reforestation takes place in the wake of land abandonment, occurs cyclically in a rotational agricultural system, and may result from the deliberate planting of trees by farmers. Although less extensive than successional forest regeneration, tree planting by small farmers can have potentially important environmental impacts at both the site and global scale. This paper examines tree-planting efforts by small farmers in the tropical frontier regions of Panama and Brazil in order to gauge the magnitude of reforestation activities, and to identify factors that influence these efforts. This paper discusses the environmental regulations, forestry law, and tenure institutions in both countries, and performs a comparative analysis of reforestation efforts with information derived from household surveys (n = 356) and in-depth tree planting interviews (n = 35). Results from logistic regression are also presented. Our results show that tree planting occurs more frequently in Panama, which we attribute to greater external support in the provisioning of extension and materials and strong market incentives. We suggest that the proximity of the study sites to Panama City facilitates external support and market drivers. Finally, our results suggest that land tenure security is an influential determinant of reforestation activities in both countries.
Tissue-specific control of α2u globulin gene expression: Constitutive synthesis in the submaxillary gland

Abstract Synthesis of α 2u globulin, previously thought to occur only in the male rat liver, has now been demonstrated in the submaxillary salivary gland. Unlike liver, submaxillary synthesis of α 2u globulin mRNA is constitutive—that is, independent of the endocrine state, age and sex. Liver and submaxillary α 2u globulin mRNAs are of similar size, and their 5′ ends map to the same region of the gene. Isoelectric focusing of in vitro translation products revealed that submaxillary mRNA encodes a more acidic subset of α 2u globulins than does liver. Salivary α 2u globulin mRNA manifests 5% nucleotide divergence, encoding 20 amino acid substitutions, which specifies a more acidic polypeptide than its hepatic counterpart. Thus the liver and submaxillary gland synthesize α 2u globulin from different sets of genes that are subject to very different developmental and hormonal control.
Measuring building occupancy using existing network infrastructure

The primary focus of Green IT has been on reducing energy use of the IT infrastructure itself. Additional significant energy savings can be achieved by using the IT infrastructure to enable energy savings in both the IT and non-IT infrastructure. Our premise is that energy can be saved by driving building operation on information gleaned from existing IT infrastructure already installed for non-energy purposes. We call our idea implicit occupancy sensing where existing IT infrastructure can be used to replace and/or supplement traditional dedicated sensors to determine building occupancy. Our implicit sensing methods are largely based on monitoring MAC and IP addresses in routers and wireless access points, and then correlating these addresses to the occupancy of a building, zone, and/or room. Occupancy data can be used to control lighting, HVAC, and other building functions to improve building functionality and reduce energy use. We experimentally evaluate the feasibility of this dual-use of IT infrastructure and assess the accuracy of implicit sensing. Our findings, based on data collected from two facilities, show that there is significant promise in implicit sensing using the existing IT infrastructure present in most modern non-residential buildings.
Estimating understory vegetation response to multi-nutrient fertilization in Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine stands

Models were developed to predict understory vegetation response to multi-nutrient fertilization at six conifer-forested stands in the inland Northwest United States. Equations are presented to estimate how fertilization as well as other factors impacting understory production in the inland Northwest change total understory vegetation production and the production of three individual lifeforms (shrubs, forbs, and grasses and grass-likes). Overstory stand density was found to have the greatest impact on understory production, and regardless of factors such as fertilization or precipitation, large stand densities will limit understory production. At lower stand densities, multi-nutrient fertilization as well as greater amounts of precipitation will increase understory production. These factors were also found to be synergistic; thus, greater amounts of precipitation increase the effects of multi-nutrient fertilization on understory production. For sites of the same stand density, Douglas-fir [Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco] was shown to have a greater negative impact on understory production than ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws.). The models predict that multi-nutrient fertilization of ponderosa pine stands will produce increases in understory production across a broader range of stand densities.
Transient Improvement in Cognitive Function and Synaptic Plasticity in Rats Following Cancer Chemotherapy

Background: Cancer chemotherapy has been associated with cognitive impairment. Several issues complicate such findings including the patients9 health, use of multiple chemotherapeutic agents, and proper assessment of cognition. To control these factors, we conducted cognitive studies in female rats receiving cyclophosphamide or 5-fluorouracil (5FU). Methods: Young (7 months) female Fischer-344 rats received five injections of cyclophosphamide (100 mg/kg), 5FU (150 mg/kg), or saline i.p. every 4 weeks for a total of 18 weeks. Aged (18 months) female Fischer-344 rats were treated with cyclophosphamide (80 mg/kg i.p.) for 16 weeks. After 8 to 10 weeks of recovery, rats were tested in two maze learning tasks, the Morris water maze and the Stone 14-unit T-maze. Neuronal synaptic function was assessed by examining long-term potentiation (LTP) in hippocampal slices obtained from young cyclophosphamide-treated rats. Results: Despite the toxic effects induced by chemotherapy, cyclophosphamide- and 5FU-treated rats showed significantly better maze performance compared with controls. Following 29 to 42 weeks of recovery from chemotherapy, no significant effects were observed on maze performance. In aged rats, cyclophosphamide treatment for 14 weeks also produced toxicity, but no impairment in Stone maze learning after 16 weeks of recovery. When assessed during cyclophosphamide treatment, evidence of impaired LTP emerged; however, with 8 weeks of recovery following five cyclophosphamide treatments, we observed enhanced LTP. Conclusion: Despite toxicity accompanying chemotherapy, no evidence of impaired cognitive performance emerged after recovery. Indeed, following 7 to 9 weeks of recovery, we noted evidence of improved learning and LTP.
Predication of reflex recovery after stroke using quantitative assessments of motor impairment at 1 month

The objective of this study was to characterize the time-course of changes reflex stiffness after stroke, and to use the Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) at 1 month to predict the ensuing recovery patterns over 1 year. We quantified the modulation of reflex stiffness as a function of elbow joint angles at 1, 2, 3, 6, and 12 months after stroke, using a parallel cascade system identification technique. We then used the “growth mixture” and logistic regression models to characterize recovery patterns over 1 year and to predict these patterns, based on the FMA score at 1 month. We observed two major distinct recovery classes for the relationship between reflex stiffness and elbow angle. The FMA at 1 month was a significant predictor of reflex stiffness as a function of elbow angle at different time points in the first year. The logistical regression class membership may enable us to accurately predict reflex behavior during the first year, information of great potential value for planning targeted therapeutic interventions. Finally, the findings suggest that abnormal reflex function could contribute to functional motor impairment.
Embodied Activisms: The Case of the Mu Guiying Brigade

In this article I re-think the complex legacies of the Maoist era and their relationship to the contemporary decline in rural women's leadership. By focusing on some of the gendered dimensions of rural development policy, it becomes evident that many “traditional” beliefs about the leadership abilities of rural women were given new life during the Maoist era. Prior to the Cultural Revolution rural women had two dominant paths of “liberation” or jiefang available to them: one that involved a liberation through the female body and household, the path of dangjia, and one that involved a liberation from the constraints of the female body and household, the path of fanshen. In this article I show how the simultaneous implementation of these two paths of liberation on a unique women-led Mu Guiying Brigade during the Great Leap Forward reproduced the problem of the political unacceptability of rural women.
THE PHYLOGENETIC POSITION OF SINEOAMPHISBAENA HEXATABULARIS REEXAMINED

Abstract Sineoamphisbaena hexatabularis, a fossil squamate recovered from Upper Cretaceous deposits in Inner Mongolia, China, was reported to be the oldest known amphisbaenian and the sister group to all other amphisbaenians. However, the conclusion of amphisbaenian affinities was based on a partitioned analysis that excluded relevant data and included reconstructed characters. When characters for analysis are limited to those that are observable on the fossils and all evidence is included and analyzed simultaneously, results do not support S. hexatabularis as an amphisbaenian, but instead suggest that S. hexatabularis may be related to macrocephalosaurids. Several potential synapomorphies of S. hexatabularis and macrocephalosaurids are provided, including: presence of lateral process of palatal ramus of pterygoid; postorbital large, extending posteriorly beyond supratemporal fenestra, and approaching posterior edge of cranial roof; and tall, narrow, dorsal process of maxilla. S. hexatabularis is tentativ...
Privacy and Advertising Mail

In this paper, we consider why Americans may frame the generation and receipt of unsolicited advertising mail as a privacy violation. We then present data from our nationwide survey showing that a very large majority of Americans, across all ideologies, educational attainment levels, age, and income levels, support the creation of a do-not-mail mechanism similar to the popular Telemarketing Do Not Call Registry. We discuss our results in light of the fact that direct advertising mail now makes up more than half of all mailpieces sent by the United States Postal Service (USPS).
Basics of Spectroscopic Analysis

For more than 30 years, near infrared spectroscopy has been a widely used analytical method of the agricultural, food, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries because of its versatility in quantitative and qualitative analyses, rapidness, accuracy, and ease of use. During the same period, digital image analysis has evolved for use in online inspection of products from these same industries. It has only been in the past few years that the combination of these technologies, hyperspectral image (HSI) analysis, has developed to the point where it can be used outside of research laboratories. The imaging capability adds another layer of complexity to spectral analysis with rewards of pixel-level precision, yet the underlying principles of quantum mechanics, light scatter, vibrational spectroscopy, and statistical regression all continue have importance in understanding HSI behavior. This chapter serves as a brief primer on these principles and draws knowledge from well accepted texts on spectroscopy as well as showcasing applications derived from agricultural food quality and safety research.
Paired patterns in lattice paths

Let \(\mathscr {L}_n\) denote the set of all paths from [0, 0] to [n, n] which consist of either unit north steps N or unit east steps E or, equivalently, the set of all words \(L \in \{E,N\}^*\) with n E’s and n N’s. Given \(L \in \mathscr {L}_n\) and a subset A of \([n] = \{1, \ldots , n\}\), we let \(ps_{L}(A)\) denote the word that results from L by removing the \(i^{th}\) occurrence of E and the \(i^{th}\) occurrence of N in L for all \(i \in [n]-A\), reading from left to right. Then, we say that a paired pattern \(P \in \mathscr {L}_k\) occurs in L if there is some \(A \subseteq [n]\) of size k such that \(ps_L(A) = P\). In this paper, we study the generating functions of paired pattern matching in \(\mathscr {L}_n\).
Quantitative assessment of epithelial lining fluid in the lung

Current techniques for the measurement lung epithelial fluid (ELF) volume depend on the dilution by a known volume of wash fluid (bronchoalveolar lavage) of a resident solute, such as urea, in the ELF or of a foreign solute introduced at known concentration in the lavage fluid. Knowledge of the ELF volume allows calculation of solute ELF concentrations. Urea concentration in ELF is assumed to be the same as in plasma. Although epithelial permeability to urea is low, entry of urea from tissues to lavage fluid occurs during the procedure and may lead to erroneous estimates of ELF volume as may loss of foreign solutes. Ideally, the extent of urea entry or of foreign solute loss should be estimated in each lavage. Other cautions are 1) equal osmolality of wash fluid and plasma, 2) minimizing residence time of wash fluid, 3) minimizing wash fluid-to-ELF volume ratio, and 4) adequate analytic procedures.
Measurement of Absolute Fission Rates

The capability to measure absolute fission rates per nucleus at a remote laboratory site [the Coupled Fast Reactivity Measurement Facility (CFRMF) at Aerojet Nuclear Company] has been established t...
Sports Media: Reporting, Producing And Planning

1. Introduction 2. Evolution 3. Storytelling 4. Video and Visuals 5. Interviewing and Sound 6. Writing and Reporting 7. Anchor/PBP 8. Radio 9. Public Relations 10. Ethics 11. Gener/Race 12. Jobs
Design of decentralized chemotactic control law for area coverage using swarm of mobile robots

Design of control laws for robots operating cooperatively, whereby individual tasks need to be allocated among available agents, is critical to the overall performance of the system. Some biological examples of this type of system in nature, such as ant colonies, use chemotactic, or chemical pheromone-driven, mechanisms to control the behavior of each individual agent. This work uses a set of reaction-diffusion equations to form a decentralized control law which results in emergent area coverage behavior. The influence of pheromone diffusion and evaporation, which are environmental mechanisms affecting the chemical pheromone, is studied and the resulting area coverage performance is quantified. Likewise, the impact on area coverage performance due to the addition of noise to the control law is studied. The contribution of this work is to show how these parameters affect area coverage performance. Results show that the magnitude of noise added is the most critical component affecting the performance of the algorithm in exhaustively covering the given area.
Parallel computation of longest-common-subsequence

A parallel algorithm for finding the longest common subsequence of two strings is presented. Our algorithm is executed on r processors, with r equal to the total number of pairs of positions at which two symbols match. Given two strings of length m and n respectively, m <- n, with preprocessing allowed, our algorithm achieves O(logρlog2n) time complexity where ρ is the longest common subsequence. Fast computing of Longest-Common-Subsequence is made possible due to the exploiting of the parallelism.
Emerging Photonic Hardware Platforms

Photonic integrated circuit technology could revolutionize optical information processing, beyond conventional binary-logic approaches. We will discuss the progress and requirements of scalable and reconfigurable emerging photonic hardware platforms.
Costing in Radiology and Health Care: Rationale, Relativity, Rudiments, and Realities

Costs direct decisions that influence the effectiveness of radiology in the care of patients on a daily basis. Yet many radiologists struggle to harness the power of cost measurement and cost management as a critical path toward establishing their value in patient care. When radiologists cannot articulate their value, they risk losing control over how imaging is delivered and supported. In the United States, recent payment trends directing value-based payments for bundles of care advance the imperative for radiology providers to articulate their value. This begins with the development of an understanding of the providers' own costs, as well as the complex interrelationships and imaging-associated costs of other participants across the imaging value chain. Controlling the costs of imaging necessitates understanding them at a procedural level and quantifying the costs of delivering specific imaging services. Effective product-level costing is dependent on a bottom-up approach, which is supported through recent innovations in time-dependent activity-based costing. Once the costs are understood, they can be managed. Within the high fixed cost and high overhead cost environment of health care provider organizations, stakeholders must understand the implications of misaligned top-down cost management approaches that can both paradoxically shift effort from low-cost workers to much costlier professionals and allocate overhead costs counterproductively. Radiology's engagement across a broad spectrum of care provides an excellent opportunity for radiology providers to take a leading role within the health care organizations to enhance value and margin through principled and effective cost management. Following a discussion of the rationale for measuring costs, this review contextualizes costs from the perspectives of a variety of stakeholders (relativity), discusses core concepts in how costs are classified (rudiments), presents common and improved methods for measuring costs in health care, and discusses how cost management strategies can either improve or hinder high-value health care (realities). © RSNA, 2017 Online supplemental material is available for this article.
Wolbachia -Mediated Immunity Induction in Mosquito Vectors

Abstract The endosymbiotic bacteria Wolbachia have long been promoted as an agent to modify mosquito vector populations, making them refractory to the human pathogens they transmit. This is because Wolbachia are able to both successfully invade wild insect populations and to reduce mosquito vector competence for malaria, dengue, Zika virus, and other pathogens. After Wolbachia are introduced into a novel mosquito species, host innate immunity is commonly boosted, including activation of Toll pathway, induction of antimicrobial peptides, and overproduction of reactive oxygen species. Accumulating evidence supports important roles of this induced immunity in both symbiosis formation and pathogen interference. In this chapter, we will summarize the current knowledge on how immunity induction facilitates Wolbachia to induce a pathogen blocking effect and to form symbiosis with a novel host. In addition, we will discuss the impact of induced immunity on mosquito microbiota, evolution of Wolbachia-mediated immune inductions and its translational opportunities for disease control and prevention.
Chiral molecules in space and their possible passage to planetary bodies recorded by meteorites

Abstract We searched the ethanol extracts of the Murchison meteorite for propylene oxide (PrOx), the only chiral molecule discovered so far outside solar environments, and detected its likely derivative after isolation of the low boiling components of the extract. This compound is also chiral and, upon hydrolysis, produces propylene glycol (PrGl), the expected product of PrOx under these conditions. Both the PrOx derivative and PrGl were detected with variable enantiomeric excesses (ee) averaging at ∼10% and to have the (R)(+) configuration, i.e., for the same optical isomer as for sugars in the biosphere and sugar derivatives in meteorites. Besides PrGl, the hydrolysates also contained homologous compounds and polymeric materials with the combined δD (‰) of +235 and +65, respectively, suggesting a yet unknown compositional complexity in meteorites. The occurrence of ee in interstellar PrOx cannot be ascertained with current spectroscopic methodologies, however, the overall data reported here would allow to imply it.