cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Corn Residue Removal on Soil Aggregates and Particulate Organic Matter

Removal of corn (Zea mays L.) stover as a biofuel feedstock is being considered. It is important to understand the implications of this practice when establishing removal guidelines to ensure the long-term sustainability of both the biofuel industry and soil health. Aboveground and belowground plant residues are the soil’s main sources of organic materials that bind soil particles together into aggregates and increase soil carbon (C) storage. Serving to stabilize soil particles, soil organic matter (SOM) assists in supplying plant available nutrients, increases water holding capacity, and helps reduce soil erosion. Data obtained from three Corn Stover Regional Partnership sites (Brookings, SD; Morris, MN; and Ithaca, NE) were utilized to evaluate the impact of removing corn stover on soil physical properties, including dry aggregate size distribution (DASD), erodible fraction (EF), and SOM components. Each site consisted of a combination of three residue removal rates (low—removal of grain only, intermediate—approximately 50 % residue removal, and high—maximum amount of residue removal). Results showed that the distribution of soil aggregates was less favorable for all three locations when residue was removed without the addition of other sources of organic matter such as cover crops. Additionally, we found that when residue was removed and the soil surface was less protected, there was an increase in the EF at all three research sites. There was a reduction in the EF for both the Brookings, SD, and Ithaca, NE sites when cover crops were incorporated or additional nitrogen (N) was added to the system. Amounts of SOM, fine particulate organic matter (fPOM), and total particulate organic matter (tPOM) consistently decreased as greater amounts of residue were removed from the soil surface. Across these three locations, the removal of crop residue from the soil surface had a negative impact on measured soil physical properties. The addition of a cover crop or additional N helped reduce this impact as measured through aggregate size distribution and EF and SOM components.
Spin-Correlated Crystal-Field Analyses of the 4f2(Pr3+) Energy Levels in LiYF4:Pr3+ and LiBiF4:Pr3+

Comparative analyses of the 4f2(Pr3+) energy level structure in LiYF4:Pr3+ and LiBiF4:Pr3+ are reported. These analyses are based on a phenomenological crystal-field model that includes some (partial) consideration of electron-correlation effects in the 4f-electron-crystal-field interactions. Parametric fits of calculated-to-experimental energy level data are reported for a 48-level data set for LiYF4:Pr3+, a 38-level data set for LiBiF4:Pr3+, and a data set that contains 37 levels assigned in common for the two systems. The 4f2 energy level structure is qualitatively similar in the two systems, but the LiYF4:Pr3+ system exhibits slightly stronger crystal-field interactions. Inclusion of spin-correlated crystal-field (SCCF) interactions in the phenomenological energy level analyses produces slightly improved agreement between calculated and empirical results, but it does not resolve major discrepancies between calculated and observed crystal-field splittings within the 1G4 and 1D2 multiplet manifolds.
Stability estimates for a class of Helmholtz problems

This paper presents new stability estimates for the scalar Helmholtz equation with a complex-valued Robin boundary condition as well as Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions. For each estimate, we state the explicit dependency of constants on the wave number. To deal with mixed boundary conditions, we impose geometrical constraints on the two-dimensional or three-dimensional bounded domain.
Nonlinear plasma waves resonantly driven by optimized laser pulse trains.

A method for generating large-amplitude plasma waves, which utilizes an optimized train of independently adjustable, intense laser pulses, is discussed and analyzed. Both the pulse widths and interpulse spacings are optimally determined such that resonance is maintained and the plasma wave amplitude is maximized. By mitigating the effects of both phase and resonant detuning, and by reducing laser-plasma instabilities, the use of appropriately tailored multiple laser pulses is a highly advantageous technique for accelerating electrons. Practical methods of producing the required pulse trains are suggested.
Dynamic variability in thermal-germination response of squirreltail (Elymus elymoides and Elymus multisetus)

Bottlebrush squirreltail (Elymus elymoides) and big squirreltail (Elymus multisetus) have been identified as high-priority species for restoration and rehabilitation of millions of acres of rangeland in the western United States that have been degraded by wildfire and introduced annual weeds. In this study, squirreltail accessions from Idaho, Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico were grown in a nursery environment to produce seeds in two different years for germination evaluation at 11 constant temperatures. A statistical-gridding model was used to predict cumulative germination rate of each seedlot for eight simulated planting dates between 1 January and 28 May over a 38-year seedbed-microclimatic simulation. Predicted germination response under simulated conditions of field-variable temperatures yielded a broader ecological basis for the relative ranking of thermal response than was obtained from single-value germination indices derived from either constant-temperature experiments, or from analysis of thermal-time coefficients.
Prevalence and Predictors of Suicidal Ideation Among U.S. Law Enforcement Officers

Police officers have often been reported to experience high rates of suicide compared to the general population. Suicidal ideation (SI) is considered a strong predictor of suicidal acts. However, few studies have examined SI in U.S. law enforcement officers. This study investigated the prevalence of SI and the association between SI and amount of subjective work-related traumatic stress, personal relationship stress, work-related but non-traumatic stress, age, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, alcohol use, and posttraumatic growth among law enforcement officers (N = 193) from a Midwestern state. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that greater depression symptoms significantly predicted greater SI among officers.
Eighteenth century London theater and the capture theory of regulation

The economics of theater has changed little over the centuries. While a successful play holds the promise of very large returns, the backers of a flop seldom recover their initial investment; the production of theatrical events has always been a risky venture. Like most investors, eighteenth century London theater owners sought to reduce risk. Intuitively, perhaps, theatrical companies realiTed the benefits of diversification. By offering a variety of plays during a season, the loss associated with a flop could be reduced.(1) While a useful strategy, diversifying did little, however, to reduce the risks associated with competition. Instead, another proven method was applied to this problem -government regulation.
Heart rate variability as an index of physiological strain in hyperthermic and dehydrated rats

Abstract Telemetry-equipped rats were subjected to hyperthermia (H, T c =41.5°C) with and without dehydration (D, 9% loss of body weight) stresses. Time domain and spectral analysis of heart rate variability indicated that the dehydrated hyperthermic (DH) rats had increased sympathetic activity compared to H rats, and DH rats had decreased parasympathetic activity compared to less hyperthermic D rats. These non-invasive measures of physiological strain discriminated the more physiologically stressful of these states.
Preoperative β-blocker use: impact of national guidelines on clinical practice

Abstract Study Objective To determine if recommendations regarding perioperative β -blocker therapy were followed by an increase in the number of eligible presurgical patients receiving β -blockers and the number achieving the recommended heart rate (HR Design Retrospective, observational study. Setting Tertiary-care teaching hospital. Measurements The records of all 718 patients who underwent elective vascular surgery or coronary artery bypass grafting between January 2001 and March 2002 (pre-guideline) and those who did so between April 2002 and September 2003 (post-guideline) were reviewed. Percentage of eligible patients who received β -blockers preoperatively and the target HR achieved in pre-guideline versus post-guideline patients were recorded. Differences were assessed using the unpaired t test and χ 2 analysis. A P value of less than 0.05 is reported. Main Results Fifty percent of the post-guideline patients in the vascular surgery group were receiving β -blockers at the time of preanesthetic evaluation versus 48% of pre-guideline patients ( P = nonsignificant [NS]). Mean HR in the vascular surgery post-guideline β -blocker group (70 ± 14 bpm) was higher than in the pre-guideline β -blocker group (65 ± 11 bpm) ( P β -blockers achieved the target HR of less than 60 bpm versus 29% of the vascular surgery patients taking β -blockers in the pre-guideline group ( P = NS). In the coronary artery bypass grafting group, 80% of post-guideline patients received β -blocker before anesthesia assessment versus 75% of pre-guideline patients ( P = NS). Mean HR in the post-guideline β -blocker group (67 ± 15 bpm) was similar to the pre-guideline β -blocker group (64 ± 13 bpm) ( P = NS). Only 28% of the post-guideline patients who were receiving β -blockers achieved the target HR of less than 60 bpm, which was not significantly different from the 17% achieved in the pre-guideline group ( P = NS). Conclusion At our institution, preoperative β -blocker use was not significantly changed by publication of the recommendations.
Extracting hydrophobicity parameters from solute partition and protein mutation/unfolding experiments.

Hydrophobicity values for amino acids obtained from protein unfolding experiments are about twice as large as those obtained from data on the partitioning of amino acids between water and octanol. Quantitative analyses of several data sets, presented here, indicate that the difference is best explained by the most direct hypothesis, i.e. that the environment of hydrophobic groups in the interior of a protein is poorly modeled by octanol. Instead, we propose--and provide supporting evidence--that hydrocarbons are a more suitable model. First, we reanalyze data from both solute partitioning and protein unfolding experiments, taking account of the effects that were omitted previously, by introducing a volume dependence in the former and a full free energy analysis in the latter. Both changes in evaluation methodology decrease the discrepancy, but the differences remain substantial. The hydrophobicity parameter obtained from side-chain transfers between octanol and water increases from 16.7 to 22 cal/mol/Angstrom2, while that obtained from protein unfolding decreases from 34.9 to 31.2 cal/mol/Angstrom2. On the other hand, our analysis of the solubilities of pure hydrocarbons in water provides a hydrophobicity parameter of 30.8 cal/mol/Angstrom2. This apparent hydrocarbon-like environment of a protein's interior is also suggested more directly by an analysis of the contact environment of hydrophobic side chains in mutation/unfolding experiments, which have polar contact areas that are <2% of the total.
The Polycomb group protein EED is dispensable for the initiation of random X-chromosome inactivation.

The Polycomb group (PcG) proteins are thought to silence gene expression by modifying chromatin. The Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) plays an essential role in mammalian X-chromosome inactivation (XCI), a model system to investigate heritable gene silencing. In the mouse, two different forms of XCI occur. In the preimplantation embryo, all cells undergo imprinted inactivation of the paternal X-chromosome (Xp). During the peri-implantation period, cells destined to give rise to the embryo proper erase the imprint and randomly inactivate either the maternal X-chromosome or the Xp; extraembryonic cells, on the other hand, maintain imprinted XCI of the Xp. PRC2 proteins are enriched on the inactive-X during early stages of both imprinted and random XCI. It is therefore thought that PRC2 contributes to the initiation of XCI. Mouse embryos lacking the essential PRC2 component EED harbor defects in the maintenance of imprinted XCI in differentiating trophoblast cells. Assessment of PRC2 requirement in the initiation of XCI, however, has been hindered by the presence of maternally derived proteins in the early embryo. Here we show that Eed−/− embryos initiate and maintain random XCI despite lacking any functional EED protein prior to the initiation of random XCI. Thus, despite being enriched on the inactive X-chromosome, PcGs appear to be dispensable for the initiation and maintenance of random XCI. These results highlight the lineage- and differentiation state–specific requirements for PcGs in XCI and argue against PcG function in the formation of the facultative heterochromatin of the inactive X-chromosome.
Effects of dissolved oxygen on passive behavior of stainless alloys

Abstract A potential-control circuit has been devised to measure passive-current (corrosion rate) on stainless alloys in conditions simulating the usual noble drift of the open-circuit corrosion potential in the presence of passivating dissolved oxidizers. Open-circuit corrosion potential and passive-current decay were measured with and without dissolved oxygen in dilute sulfuric acid solutions as a function of time on austenitic stainless steel and a Ni-base Cr–Mo–W alloy. The results confirm the long-standing assumption that constant-potential potentiostatic tests give a good approximation of passive-film growth kinetics in the presence of passivating dissolved oxidizers. Mott–Schottky measurements showed that passive films on each alloy have similar semiconducting properties whether formed potentiostatically or by dissolved oxygen. In both cases, the passive film on stainless steel seems to be composed of an inner n-type barrier layer covered with an outer p-type layer. The passive film on the nickel-base alloy is primarily n-type with only weak evidence of p-type behavior in an outer layer. Results are in general agreement with predictions of the point-defect passive-film model proposed by Macdonald and coworkers.
Relational Science: A Synthesis

A synthesis of the two primary theory structures in Robert Rosen’s relational complexity, (1) relational entailment mapping based on category theory as described by Rosen and Louie, and (2) relational holism based on modeling relations, as described by Kineman, provides an integral foundation for relational complexity theory as a natural science and analytical method. Previous incompatibilities between these theory structures are resolved by re-interpreting Aristotle’s four causes, identifying final and formal causes as relations with context. Category theory is applied to introduce contextual entailment algebra needed to complete the synthesis. The modeling relation is represented as a recursive four-cause hierarchy, which is a unit of both whole and part analysis (a ‘holon’) that relates realized and contextual domains of nature as complementary inverse entailments between structure and function. Context is a non-localized domain of distributed potentials (models) for existence, as contrasted with the realized domain of localized interactive and measurable events. Synthesis is achieved by giving modeling relations an algebraic form in category theory and by expanding relational analysis to include contextual entailments. The revised form of analysis is applied and demonstrated to examine Rosen’s M-R diagram, showing that structure–function relations imply adaptive interaction with the environment, and that contextual relations imply three forms of the M-R entailment corresponding with the generally known three forms of life; Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukaryota, which can be represented by their holon diagrams. The result of this synthesis is a consistent foundation for relational science that should have important implications in many disciplines.
An efficient calculation of Fisher information matrix: Monte Carlo approach using prior information

The Fisher information matrix (FIM) is a critical quantity in several aspects of system identification, including input selection and confidence region calculation. Analytical determination of the FIM in a general system identification setting may be difficult or almost impossible due to intractable modeling requirements and/or high-dimensional integration. A Monte Carlo (MC) simulation-based technique was introduced by the second author to address these difficulties (Spall, 2005). This paper proposes an extension of the MC algorithm in order to enhance the statistical qualities of the estimator of the FIM. This modified MC algorithm is particularly useful in those cases where the FIM has a structure with some elements being analytically known from prior information and the others being unknown. The estimator of the FIM, obtained by using the proposed MC algorithm, simultaneously preserves the analytically known elements and reduces the variances of the estimators of the unknown elements by capitalizing on the information contained in the known elements.
Identification of influential social networkers

Online social networking is deeply interleaved in today's lifestyle. People come together and build communities to share thoughts, offer suggestions, exchange information, ideas, and opinions. Moreover, social networks often serve as platforms for information dissemination and product placement or promotion through viral marketing. The success rate in this type of marketing could be increased by targeting specific individuals, called 'influential users', having the largest possible reach within an online community. In this paper, we present a method aiming at identifying the influential users within an online social networking application. We introduce ProfileRank, a metric that uses popularity and activity characteristics of each user to rank them in terms of their influence. We then assess this algorithm's added value in identifying influential users compared to other commonly used social network analysis metrics, such as the betweenness centrality and the well-known PageRank, by performing an experimental evaluation on a synthetic and a real-life dataset. We also integrate all three metrics in a unified metric and measure its performance.
Longitudinal mode acoustic losses in short nozzles

Abstract This paper investigates and reviews the state of knowledge on the damping of combustion instability oscillations by short nozzles. The wave energy flux through the nozzle entrance is determined and the relationship between this energy flux and engine stability is discussed. Nozzle decay coefficients are predicted and compared with available experimental data.
Language and conceptual development: Words as essence placeholders

Perhaps in addition to language being a potential medium of domain-general thought, as suggested by Carruthers, language may also play another role in conceptual development: Words are “essence placeholders.” Evidence is presented from studies on categorization, object individuation, and inductive inference in infancy. The assumption that words are essence placeholders may be a mechanism by which infants acquire kind concepts.
Thick-film power hybridization of switchmode power circuits

To help the electrical circuit designer better understand what is involved in a hybrid circuit design and to aid the designer hybrid-compatible circuits, the author presents a tutorial on the design of a power hybrid circuit. The structure of a power hybrid circuit is given along with the device's material properties and dimensions. Thick film and copper-on-ceramic techniques are presented. The designer can use the information to understand both the electrical and thermal limitations of such circuits. An example of a 2 MHz, off-line, thick-film-hybrid DC-DC-converter is provided. >
Texture evolution of vertically aligned biaxial tungsten nanorods using RHEED surface pole figure technique.

Vertically aligned biaxial tungsten nanorods with cubic A15 crystal structure were deposited by DC magnetron sputtering on native oxide covered Si(100) substrates with glancing angle flux incidence (θ ∼ 85 ◦ ) and a two-step substrate rotation mode at room temperature. These vertical nanorods were grown to different thicknesses (10, 25, 50 and 100 nm) and analyzed for biaxial texture evolution using a highly surface sensitive reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) pole figure technique. The initial polycrystalline film begins to show the inception of biaxial texture with a fiber background between 10 and 25 nm. Biaxial texture development is eventually completed between 50 and 100 nm thicknesses of the film. The out-of-plane crystallographic direction is [002] and the in-plane texture is selected so as to obtain maximum capture area. In a comparison with 100 nm thick inclined tungsten nanorods deposited at 85 ◦ without substrate rotation, it is found that the selection of in-plane texture does not maintain maximum in-plane capture area. This anomalous behavior is observed when the [002] texture axis is tilted ∼17 ◦ from the substrate normal in the direction towards the glancing incident flux. (Some figures in this article are in colour only in the electronic version)
Slepian-Wolf coded nested quantization (SWC-NQ) for Wyner-Ziv coding: performance analysis and code design

This paper examines the high-rate performance of low-dimensional nested lattice quantizers for the quadratic Gaussian Wyner-Ziv problem, using a pair of nested lattices with the same dimensionality. As the rate increases, the gap increases between the performances of low dimensional nested lattice quantizers and the Wyner-Ziv rate-distortion function. This gap is due to the relatively weak channel coding component (or coarse lattice) in the nested lattice pair. To enhance the lattice channel code and boost the overall performance, Slepian-Wolf coding is applied to the quantization indices to achieve further compression. Thereby a Wyner-Ziv coding paradigm is introduced using Slepian-Wolf coded nested lattice quantization (SWC-NQ). Theoretical analysis and simulation results show that, for the quadratic Gaussian source and at high rate, SWC-NQ performs the same as traditional entropy-constrained lattice quantization with side information available at both the encoder and decoder.
Learning task decomposition and exploration shaping for reinforcement learning agents

For situated reinforcement learning agents to succeed in complex real world environments they have to be able to efficiently acquire and reuse control knowledge in order to accomplish new tasks faster and to accelerate the learning of new policies. While hierarchical learning approaches which transfer previously acquired skills and representations to model and control new tasks have the potential to significantly improve learning times, they also pose the risk of ldquobehavior proliferationrdquo where the growing set of available actions makes it increasingly difficult to determine a strategy for a new task. To overcome this problem and to further improve knowledge reuse, the learning agent should thus also have the ability to predict the utility of an action or reusable skill in a new context and to analyze new tasks in order to decompose them into known subtasks. This paper presents a novel approach for learning task decomposition by learning to predict the utility of subgoals and subgoal types in the context of a new task, as well as for exploration shaping by predicting the likelihood with which each available action is useful in the given task context. This information, encoded as a set of utility functions, is then used to focus the exploration and learning process of the agent to increase performance both in terms of the time spent to reach the new task's goal the first time and of the time required to learn an optimal policy. This ability is demonstrated here in the context of navigation and manipulation tasks in a feature enhanced grid world domain.
Using perturbation analysis for gradient estimation, averaging and updating in a stochastic approximation algorithm

We propose a gradient updating procedure for using both "present" and "past" data to improve the convergence properties of a stochastic approximation algorithm. This procedure utilizes second derivatives estimated by perturbation analysis techniques. Experimental evidence piovided by simulation runs appear to confirm the improvement in convergence rate gained by this modified algorithm.
Forecast errors in service systems

We investigate the presence and impact of forecast errors in the arrival rate of customers to a service system. Analysis of a large dataset shows that forecast errors can be large relative to the fluctuations naturally expected in a Poisson process. We show that ignoring forecast errors typically leads to overestimates of performance and that forecast errors of the magnitude seen in our dataset can have a practically significant impact on predictions of long-run performance. We also define short-run performance as the random percentage of calls received in a particular period that are answered in a timely fashion. We prove a central limit theorem that yields a normal-mixture approximation for its distribution for Markovian queues and we sketch an argument that shows that a normal-mixture approximation should be valid in great generality. Our results provide motivation for studying staffing strategies that are more flexible than the fixed-level staffing rules traditionally studied in the literature.
The Influence of the Brain‐Derived Neurotropic Factor Val66Met ‐Genotype and HMG‐CoA Reductase Inhibitors on Insulin Resistance in the Schizophrenia and Bipolar Populations

Introduction: The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met variant and HMG-COA reductase inhibitors (statins) have been implicated in insulin resistance with a possible increased risk of diabetes. We sought to determine the effect of the BDNF Met variant and statin medication use on insulin resistance in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder using the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Methods: A cross-sectional design was used and patients with diabetes or on any medications affecting glucose regulation were -excluded. Associations between insulin resistance and genotype were then analyzed by ANOVA and regression analysis. Subjects were grouped by BDNF genotype as well as presence of statin. Results: Two hundred fifty-two subjects with a mean age of 44 years were included. The group was 53% male and 41% had a diagnosis of bipolar disorder; 78% and 19% were receiving atypical antipsychotics (AAPs) and statin medications, respectively. Analysis showed schizophrenia subjects with the BDNF met allele as well as schizophrenia subjects with both the BDNF met allele and were receiving a statin had significantly higher HOMA-IR values compared to the other groups (p= 0.046 and p= 0.016, respectively). Conclusions: Our results suggest that in the metabolically high-risk population of schizophrenia the BDNF met allele alone and in combination with statin medications is associated with higher insulin resistance values. This was not seen in the bipolar population. Further validation of these associations remains necessary. Clin Trans Sci 2012; Volume 5: 486–490
La famille idéale : une injonction paradoxale ?

Resume La presence des familles dans les services d’hospitalisation accueillant des patients en fin de vie souleve souvent interrogations et difficultes. Ce constat nous a amenes a interroger la place des familles dans ces services et ce que pourrait etre la famille « ideale » pour les soignants. Nous avons fait l’hypothese que la place faite aux familles peut etre comprise comme une injonction paradoxale et que cela peut apporter un element de comprehension aux difficultes de communication entre familles et soignants. Sur la base de la theorie metapsychologique de l’injonction paradoxale, nous avons analyse des entretiens semi-directifs menes aupres de trois categories de soignants. Nous pouvons retrouver dans ces discours le caractere paradoxal de la place a laquelle sont convoquees les familles. Mais, plus que dans les discours eux-memes, cette injonction paradoxale doit etre lue a la lumiere du fonctionnement institutionnel dans lequel ils sont pris. En effet, l’institution n’autorise que deux places : soignant et patient. Les soignants appellent alors alternativement les familles a l’une ou l’autre de ces places, tout en leur signifiant que l’acces leur en est impossible. Les familles se retrouvent ainsi face a une double contrainte : celle de ne pas avoir de place definie dans l’institution hospitaliere, tout en ayant le devoir d’en tenir une. Il semblerait fondamental d’initier une reflexion au sein de chaque equipe autour de cette question : comment prend-on en charge les familles, quelle place est-on pret a leur accorder ?
Sociospatial Predictors of Community Satisfaction

Summary On the basis of Lee's conception of the neighborhood as a “sociospatial schema,” 119 residents of a British new town were asked to map their neighborhoods and areas of belonging and to locate significant others geographically. These data and usual sociodemographic variables were used to predict eight indexes of community satisfaction. Results show that many respondents considered their “neighborhoods” and “areas of belonging” to be different, that socioecological variables were significant predictors of some dimensions of community satisfaction, and that social interactions played a significant (though somewhat different from expected) role in predicting satisfaction.
Switching Properties of Multilayer Thin Film Structures

Structures formed by depositing different ferromagnetic thin metal films in direct contact with each other were found to display a square hysteresis loop without the step discontinuity usually associated with gross heterogeneous magnetic composites. The high-speed switching characteristics of a bilayer structure composed of an electroplated 97 Fe-3 Ni layer in contact with a uniaxially oriented 79 Ni-21 Fe electroplate were intensively investigated. The switching characteristics of the bilayer were compatible with a nucleation and growth mechanism.
Resistance to crushing from wave-borne debris in the barnacle Balanus glandula

Barnacles of the same species (Balanus glandula) show differences both in shell morphology and in their ability to resist crushing from impact at two sites within 8 km of each other which differ in their natural exposure to wave-borne debris (Cattle Point and False Bay, San Juan Island, Washington, USA). In studies performed in 1987, barnacles with shells of a given base diameter at the site exposed to more impact (Cattle Point) were found to have smaller bodies, shorter and thicker shells, and a more protected placement of their opercular valves than barnacles at the protected site. When tested with a standard impact, barnacles from the exposed site were more resistant to crushing both on the first impact and (for those surviving that test) on a second impact 2 wk later. The morphological differences between the two populations may be due to a combination of different shell: body growth rate ratios at the two sites plus passive remodelling of the exposed barnacles by small impacts. The morphological changes at the exposed site, although gained passively, fortuitously provide improved performance in resisting crushing from impact.
Coordinating pricing and production decisions for multiple products

Abstract We consider a dynamic problem of joint pricing and production decisions for a profit-maximizing firm that produces multiple products. We model the problem as a mixed integer nonlinear program, incorporating capacity constraints, setup costs, and dynamic demand. We assume demand functions to be convex, continuous, differentiable, and strictly decreasing in price. We present a solution approach which is more general than previous approaches that require the assumption of a specific demand function. Using real-world data from a manufacturer, we study problem instances for different demand scenarios and capacities and solve for optimal prices and production plans. We present analytical results that provide managerial insights on how the optimal prices change for different production plans and capacities. We extend some of the earlier works that consider single product problems to the case of multiple products and time variant production capacities. We also benchmark performance of proposed algorithm with a commercial solver and show that it outperforms the solver both in terms of solution quality and computational times.
Abstract SY21-03: Skin stem cells in morphogenesis and cancer.

Stem cells have the ability to self-renew long term and differentiate into one or more tissues. Typically, stem cells are used sparingly to replenish cells during normal homeostasis. This is particularly true of adult tissues that undergo relatively infrequent or periodic turnover. However, even stem cells that are quiescent must be able to respond quickly to injury in order to fuel rapid tissue regeneration. How stem cells balance self-renewal and differentiation is of fundamental importance to our understanding of normal tissue maintenance and wound repair. Moreover, increasing evidence suggests that the regulatory circuitry governing this balancing act is at the root of some types of tumors both in mice and in humans. We9ve been using skin as a paradigm to understand how stem cells function in normal tissue generation and how this process goes awry in cancer. We9ve elucidated many of the pathways involved in how extrinsic signaling mobilizes stem cells to make tissue. In so doing, we have revealed mechanisms which are also deregulated in a variety of different human cancers. This has led us to the realm of identifying cancer stem cells (tumor-initiating cells) of squamous cell carcinomas of the skin. The second most abundant form of cancer world-wide, skin squamous cell carcinomas also establish a paradigm for many life-threatening cancers of lung, esophagus, breast, cervix, prostate, throat and oral tissues. We9ve demonstrated that when purified and transplanted serially into the skins of host recipients, a single cancer stem cell from a skin squamous cell carcinoma can generate a new squamous cell carcinoma that is similar in properties to the parent tumor. We9ve also discovered that cancer stem cell numbers and aggressiveness are predicated on the tumor microenvironment and on the ability of cancer stem cells to respond to it. The striking differences between the microenvironments of cancer stem cells and their normal counterparts seems likely to contribute to why their expression profiles are also markedly distinct. These findings underscore the importance of dissecting the molecular mechanisms of tumor progression and growth in vivo. To this end, we9ve developed a non-invasive method to knockdown genes rapidly, efficiently and selectively in the skin epithelium. We9ve exploited this technology to carry out a whole genome-wide screen in mice for genes that are selectively involved in regulating oncogenic growth in the skin. Our findings have major implications for our understanding of tumor progression and cancer. [This work was supported by the HHMI and a grant from the National Institutes of Health] Citation Format: Elaine Fuchs, Slobodan Beronja, Markus Schober. Skin stem cells in morphogenesis and cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr SY21-03. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-SY21-03
Secretion by guinea pig gastric mucosa in vitro.

SummaryThe secreting in vitro guinea pig gastric mucosa showed an H+ rate of 3 μE cm-2 hr-1, and an Isc of 57 μa cm-2 hr-1. The latter was accounted for by net N->S Cl- transport and H+ was sensitive to SCN- and N2. Substitution of SO4” for Cl-7 and choline for Na+ inverted the P.D. if H+ was maintained. An explanation for in vitro species differences is proposed.
Mystery of naticid predation history solved: Evidence from a “living fossil” species: Comment and Reply COMMENT

[Kase and Ishikawa (2003)][1] argue that they have solved the “mystery” of naticid predation history. The mystery involves an inconsistency between the Cretaceous onset of abundant naticid-type predatory drill holes and the first appearance of the group in the Jurassic. Kase and Ishikawa's
Critical Research Needs for Successful Food Systems Adaptation to Climate Change

There is a growing sense of the fragility of agricultural production in the Global North and South and of increasing risks to food security, as scientific observations confirm significant changes in the Gulf Stream, polar ice, atmospheric CO2, methane release, and other measures of climate change. This sense is heightened as each of us experiences extreme weather, such as the increasing frequency of droughts, floods, unseasonal temperatures, and erratic seasonality. The central research challenge before us is how global, national, regional, and local food systems may adapt to accelerating climate change stresses and uncertainties to ensure the availability, access, consumption, and stability of healthy food for and by all people. Missing aspects of research fall into two broad categories: the impacts of rapid climate change on the environmental systems supporting food production, and climate change's impact on the predominantly human systems that influence food security. Of particular concern is how different policy and governance mechanisms can support or hinder the collective decision-making needed to promote a swift adaptive response to increase and sustain food security. Human systems research is needed to investigate food system activities beyond production (processing, distribution, consumption, and waste management). It also must consider political, cultural, and regulatory factors that influence behavior and facilitate positive behavioral changes. To accurately envision future scenarios, research is needed to characterize risk comprehensively throughout the food system, assess barriers to and opportunities for changing food systems, and evaluate novel and traditional approaches that may lead to greater food security.
Discuss on the optimization of EWO process

EWO process is one of signing process for engineering changing in SGMW Automotive Co.,Ltd.This paper is to describe the optimization of this EWO process to reduce the signing level from 6 to 4.Based on the changing of Front fascia,the whole signing time will reduce 4 days.
Change in Accountants' Norm, Information Quality and Equity Capital Cost

The essay, based on research in non-finance listed firms holding shares in shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges from 2004 to 2012, probes into the change accountants' information quality after our listed firms adopt new accountants' norm and its effect on the cost of equity capital. The findings indicate that the new norm introduces sound-value calculated attribute and view of asset liability offers greater room for accountants' professional judgment and free option so that the quality of substantial informa- tion quality might be lowered; introduce new norm raises the cost of equity capital in listed firms and lowered information quality con- tributes to higher equity-capital cost, showing that our capital market takes effect,more or less. The paper offers a new perspective for research related to accountants' norm with changed accountants' norm,substantial information quality and equity capital cost as a main clue.
Phenoxybenzamine in Neurogenic Bladder Dysfunction After Spinal Cord Injury. I. Voiding Dysfunction

Phenoxybenzamine is a welcomed adjunct in the pharmacologic management of patients with neurogenic bladder dysfunction resulting from spinal cord trauma. Side effects are infrequent. Bladder balance was predictably and effectively achieved and maintained in patients with 1) lower motor neuron lesions, 2) upper motor neuron lesions and coexisting autonomic dysreflexia and 3) intact sympathetic innervation and upper motor neuron bladders. The response was unpredictable in patients with upper motor neuron lesions without coexisting dysreflexia.
Differential induction by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin of multiple forms of rabbit microsomal cytochrome P-450: evidence for tissue specificity.

Four forms of cytochrome P -450, forms 2, 3, 4, and 6, are presently being isolated and characterized in this laboratory. Induction by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo- p -dioxin of specific forms of microsomal cytochrome P -450 was studied in adult rabbit kidney and lung. The induction of a single prominent cytochrome P -450 form was observed; this cytochrome was identified as form 6. The assigmnent of the inducible pulmonary and renal cytochrome as form 6 was established by its mobility on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, its peptide map, and its specific antigenicity. In contrast, previous findings have shown that form 4 is the major cytochrome P -450 induced by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo- p -dioxin in adult rabbit liver. Thus, the specific induction of cytochrome P -450 forms 4 and 6 is tissue dependent.
High-Resolution Seafloor Absolute Pressure Gauge Measurements Using a Better Counting Method

AbstractVibrating quartz force transducers are the critical component of most deep-sea pressure and depth gauges in use in oceanography, producing a frequency output that varies with pressure. Accurate and low drift pressure measurements can be obtained by precisely measuring this frequency. In most implementations, the frequency is determined by counting the number of cycles of a high-frequency standard oscillator occurring during a large number of cycles of the lower-frequency quartz force oscillator. Resolution is limited by the sampling interval (length of counting) and the frequency of the frequency standard. Alternative counting methods can provide significant (20–40 dB) improvements in resolution at sampling rates above 1 Hz. Each counting method can be described as a different filter applied to the output of a counter of the frequency standard gated at each transition of the transducer quartz oscillator. Improvements in resolution can be understood as the result of minimizing the aliasing of highe...
Industrial Policy and its Failure in the Soviet Bloc

Russia, and later the entire Soviet Bloc, belonged to the relative backward peripheries of Europe. Both in the mid nineteenth century and before the First World War, their per capita GDP was only less than half that of Western Europe. Backward countries looked for the ‘secret’ of success in order to ‘catch up’ with the West. The key factor of Western achievements — contrary to the myth that laissez-faire was the cradle of modern transformation — was the central role of a strong entrepreneurial state. The forerunner of the industrial revolution and Western industrialization in the pioneering countries was the centralized, mercantilist absolute state that supported industrial development, defended the domestic market and made incentives for establishing industrial enterprises and exporting. The state also played a central role in infrastructure building, creating dense canal, road and then rail networks. As British economic historians agree, the strong navy and army also had a lion’s share in the success by defending national interests, trade routes to other continents and trade expansions, all partly by building colonial empires. The road to economic success was often paved by military success and the defeat of rivals, as in the case of the Netherlands, Britain, France and Germany. As Findley and O’Rourke phrased it, state power created plenty.1
Place of Death of Individuals with Terminal Cancer: New Insights from Medicare Hospice Place-of-Service Codes

Objectives To use place-of-service (POS) codes in the Medicare hospice claims files to document where elderly hospice users with cancer die. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) cancer registry areas. Participants Elderly Medicare beneficiaries who died of lung, breast, colorectal, or pancreatic cancer in 2007 and 2008 (N = 46,037). Measurement Use of hospice, place of service at death (home, nursing home, hospital, inpatient hospice, other), length of stay in hospice. Results Two-thirds of the beneficiaries used hospice. Younger, male, black, Asian, and unmarried beneficiaries and those enrolled in fee-for-service Medicare or from areas with lower income were less likely to use hospice. Hospice enrollment also varied significantly according to SEER registry. Thirty percent of the hospice users were not receiving home-based care at the time of death, and 17% were enrolled for less than 3 days. Factors associated with hospice death in the home mirrored those associated with hospice use. Individuals dying in hospitals (odds ratio (OR) = 5.13, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 4.63–5.69), inpatient hospice (OR = 1.86, 95% CI = 1.70–2.02), and nursing homes (OR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.10–1.28) had greater odds of a short hospice stay (≤7 days) than those dying at home, after controlling for all other measured factors, whereas those dying in nursing homes had greater odds of long stays (>180 days) (OR = 1.46, 95% CI = 1.28–1.67). Conclusion New hospice POS codes are useful for understanding place of death for hospice users. Hospice deaths cannot be assumed to happen at home.
Future jobs of FDA’s haematology-oncology reviewers

Medical reviewers at the US Food and Drug Administration are vital to effective regulation, interpreting whether a drug’s harm-benefit balance is favourable. When regulators leave government, some work or consult for the industries they regulated.1 2 Although this “revolving door” has been criticised,1 2 it has not been studied. We sought to measure how often it occurs at the FDA. Using the set of FDA haematology-oncology drug approvals listed on its …
Reducing computation time of stochastic simulation-based optimization using parallel computing on a single mutli-core system

This paper presents a framework for implementing a simulation-based optimization model in a parallel computing environment on a single multi-core processor. The behavior of the model with multicore architecture is studied. In addition, the impact of multithreading on the performance of simulation-based optimization is examined. The framework is implemented using the master/slave paradigm. A case study is used to demonstrate the benefits of the proposed framework.
La fibre aramide renfort de matériaux composites à hautes performances

Les fils de verre de polyester, DE CARBONE ET D'ARAMIDE sont les fibres les plus frequemment utilisees pour le renforcement des plastiques soit sous forme de meches, soit diversement tisses.Le choix de la fibre la mieux appropriee a une application donnee est determinee par les performances et le prix. Les performances dependent des proprietes des fibres. Les principales proprietes des fibres de verre, de polyester et de carbone sont decrites ci-dessous aux fins de comparaison avec les proprietes des fibres aramide. Ces fibres aramide sont des polyamides aromatiques. Elles ont ete inventees dans les annees 70 par Du Pont de Nemours, et sont produites par cette Societe avec deux designations : Kevlar 29 et Kevlar 49.Les proprietes physiques des fibres aramide decrites ici et les applications presentees montrent que ce materiau pourrait etre une solution au probleme d'allegement de nombreuses pieces secondaires ou semi-porteuses.