cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Men, children and the future of the family in the third millennium

Abstract This paper examines the effects of demographic change on the foundations of the family. The “first” demographic transition — the massive declines in fertility and mortality — is shown to have undermined the traditional male–female relationship based on parenthood. This has led to the gender revolution in the public sphere. The “second” demographic transition — the increases in divorce and cohabitation — is shown to have undermined the father–child relationship, reflecting women's control over children, a control that increased continually during the first demographic transition. This paper argues that the gender revolution needs to be brought into the family, increasing women's ability to compete in employment and men's ability both to choose whether to assume parental responsibility and to maintain active parental roles with their children.
Brain-Penetrating Nanoparticles Improve Paclitaxel Efficacy in Malignant Glioma Following Local Administration

Poor drug distribution and short drug half-life within tumors strongly limit efficacy of chemotherapies in most cancers, including primary brain tumors. Local or targeted drug delivery via controlled-release polymers is a promising strategy to treat infiltrative brain tumors, which cannot be completely removed surgically. However, drug penetration is limited with conventional local therapies since small-molecule drugs often enter the first cell they encounter and travel only short distances from the site of administration. Nanoparticles that avoid adhesive interactions with the tumor extracellular matrix may improve drug distribution and sustain drug release when applied to the tumor area. We have previously shown model polystyrene nanoparticles up to 114 nm in diameter were able to rapidly diffuse in normal brain tissue, but only if coated with an exceptionally dense layer of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) to reduce adhesive interactions. Here, we demonstrate that paclitaxel (PTX)-loaded, poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA)-co-PEG block copolymer nanoparticles with an average diameter of 70 nm were able to diffuse 100-fold faster than similarly sized PTX-loaded PLGA particles (without PEG coatings). Densely PEGylated PTX-loaded nanoparticles significantly delayed tumor growth following local administration to established brain tumors, as compared to PTX-loaded PLGA nanoparticles or unencapsulated PTX. Delayed tumor growth combined with enhanced distribution of drug-loaded PLGA-PEG nanoparticles to the tumor infiltrative front demonstrates that particle penetration within the brain tumor parenchyma improves therapeutic efficacy. The use of drug-loaded brain-penetrating nanoparticles is a promising approach to achieve sustained and more uniform drug delivery to treat aggressive gliomas and potentially other brain disorders.
Tensions of Social Justice: 2002 Presidential Address to the Pacific Sociological Association

The achievement of social justice is vital to the future of human civilization. Debates about social justice are deeply complicated, however, as evident in the range of responses to the events of September 11, 2001. In this essay I trace micro-level phenomena and processes that contribute to understanding social justice and the tensions that surround it. I argue that the Western social contractarian conception of justice does not incorporate the legacies of historical inequities and therefore is less useful than conceptions of justice that emphasize compassion, need, and forgiveness. I review a wide-ranging social psychological literature on social cognitive and social interactive dynamics that both contribute to and could be used to minimize social inequities, emphasizing dynamics of social categorization and ways in which social power shapes the construction and use of social categorization. I argue that the achievement of social justice will require not only institutional interventions but, in the end,...
The relationship of surgeon and hospital volume to outcome after gastric bypass surgery in Pennsylvania: a 3-year summary.

Abstract Background This study explores the volume-outcome relationship for gastric bypass surgery for obesity to determine whether higher-volume hospitals, higher-volume surgeons, or both are associated fewer adverse outcomes. Methods The Pennsylvania state discharge database was used to identify 4685 cases of gastric bypass surgery for obesity between 1999 and 2001. Statistical modeling analyses were used to determine whether mortality or adverse outcome rate was significantly related to hospital and surgeon volume; the data were controlled for risk factors such as age, gender, comorbidities, and others. Results There were 28 deaths (0.6%) and 813 adverse outcomes (17.4%). There was a significant risk-adjusted relationship between surgeon volume and adverse outcome, and the same trend was observed for deaths. Surgeons who performed fewer than 10 procedures per year had a 28% risk of adverse outcome and a 5% risk of death, compared with 14% (P Conclusion Risk-adjusted in-hospital adverse outcome is significantly lower when gastric bypass is performed by higher-volume surgeons.
Design synthesis and silicon compilation

An overview is given of silicon compilation, which involves translating a high-level design description into layout. Levels of compilers are differentiated, and compilation is shown as a process of synthesis coupled with physical design at each level. The major tasks involved at each level are described, and examples are given to illustrate them. A typical design system based on synthesis and silicon compilation is described. >
Benefits and harms of roflumilast in moderate to severe COPD

Background Roflumilast, a phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitor, has been approved for the prevention of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations. It is unclear which patients will have a favourable benefit–harm balance with roflumilast. Our aim was to quantitatively assess the benefits and harms of roflumilast (500 µg/day) compared with placebo. Methods We used summary data released by the US Food and Drug Administration to estimate the treatment effects of roflumilast. Data from trials and observational studies were used to estimate the baseline risks for COPD exacerbations and gastrointestinal, neurological and psychiatric harms associated with roflumilast. Using simulation, we calculated the probability that roflumilast provides net benefit. We examined the impacts of different baseline risks for exacerbations and the severity of exacerbations, and varied weights (ie, relative importance) for outcomes and treated death as a competing risk in the analyses. Results The probability that roflumilast provides net benefit approximates 0% across different age categories of men and women with varying baseline risks for exacerbations. Using different weights for outcomes did not change the probability that roflumilast provides a net benefit. Only in the sensitivity analysis restricted to the prevention of severe exacerbations was there a probability of >50% that roflumilast provides a net benefit if the baseline risk of having at least one severe exacerbation per year exceeds 22%. Conclusions Our results suggest that roflumilast only provides a net benefit to patients at a high risk of severe exacerbations. Guideline developers should consider different recommendations for patients with COPD at different baseline risks for exacerbations.
The Interaction of Hair Fibers with Alkali Bromide Solutions

The interaction of hair with alkali bromide solutions has been studied by measuring the amount of salt taken up from a given solution, using a radioactive-tracer technique, and the amount of water taken up from the solution, using a gravimetric technique.It has been found that: (1) alkali bromides are taken up in a manner primarily dependent on the activity of the salt in the solution; (2) the amount of water absorbed is increased over the normal regain by the presence of the salt in the hair; (3) the ratio of salt to water is greater in the hair than in the external solution; (4) the rate of absorption of the salt is slower than the rate of diffusion of the same salt in water; (5) both rates and equilibrium are temperature- sensitive.The interpretation of these results in terms of various simple models of the absorption process is discussed.
Effects on Feed Palatability of Ingredients Believed to Contain Unidentified Growth Factors for Poultry

Abstract The influences of several feedstuffs on the free-choice feeding behavior of Japanese quail, Single Comb White Leghorn (SCWL) chicks, broiler-type chicks, and SCWL hens were investigated. Each type of animal showed significant feeding preferences for diets containing practical feedstuffs popularly associated with unidentified growth factor (UGF) activities. Among these, diets containing menhaden meal and corn distillers’ dried solubles were preferred most frequently. Results indicated that a component of the UGF activities of practical feedstuffs may be an increase in feed palatability. Controlled feeding of diets containing menhaden meal to Japanese quail demonstrated a typical UGF effect in addition to a palatability effect.
Application of a support vector machine to HACCP in the animal meat industry

Abstract The practical implementation of hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP), and in particular the definition of the critical control points in the food industry, is usually a complex structured task. A support vector m achine has been constructed to solve this problem. The proposed methodology allows one to implement the first and second principles in the application of HACCP automatically and intellectually. The CCP identification is regarded as a classification problem—to classify the hazards into CCPs and non‐CCPs. The system is tested through real cases and the results are given.
Modeling Relative Humidity in Headwater Forests Using Correlation with Air Temperature

Microclimate variables such as air temperature and relative humidity influence habitat conditions and ecological processes in riparian forests. The increased relative humidity levels within riparian areas are essential for many plant and wildlife species. Information about relative humidity patterns within riparian areas and adjacent uplands are necessary for the prescription of effective buffer widths. Relative humidity monitoring is more expensive than temperature monitoring due to greater sensor costs, and it is primarily conducted for research purposes. To make relative humidity monitoring in riparian areas more cost effective, we explored modeling relative humidity as a function of air temperature and other covariates using linear fixed and linear mixed effects models applied to two case studies. Localizing predictions for stream reaches using a linear mixed effects model or a linear fixed effects model with correction factor improved model predictions, especially when large variability among stream reaches was present. A minimum of three to five relative humidity measurements per stream reach seem sufficient to estimate the random stream reach effect or correction factor for the linear mixed and linear fixed effects models, respectively. Including covariates that describe distance to stream and canopy cover in addition to air temperature improved model performance. Although further model refinement is probably needed to allow detection of small changes in relative humidity associated with changes in stand structure from partial overstory removal, the models developed provide a means towards decreasing the costs of monitoring microclimates of importance to riparian area function.
Studies on the pathogenesis of rabies in insectivorous bats. I. Role of brown adipose tissue.

Studies on the pathogenesis of rabies in two species of experimentally infected insectivorous Chiroptera, the Mexican free-tailed bat ( Tadarida mexicana ), a quasi hibernator, and the little brown bat ( Myotis lucifugus ), a deep hibernator, provided evidence that brown adipose tissue may serve as an extraneural site for storage and multiplication of rabies virus. Although the Mexican free-tailed bat proved to be relatively insusceptible to experimental rabies infection, virus was demonstrated in the brown fat of 22 per cent of those animals shown to be infected by viral assay in white Swiss mice. Rabies infection in this species was most evident 20 to 40 days after intramuscular inoculation of virus. Rabies virus was found to be widely distributed in the little brown myotis 9 to 26 days following inoculation and virus concentrations in some of the tissues approached the level of the stock mouse brain virus suspension used in inoculating these bats. The shorter incubation period and higher virus titers in the tissues assayed reflect the increased susceptibility of Myotis lucifugus as compared with the Mexican free-tailed bat. Virus was demonstrated in the brown fat of 30 per cent of the experimentally infected Myotis . In the experimentally infected Myotis lucifugus and in the Syrian hamster which is highly susceptible to rabies infection, rabies virus was isolated more frequently from the brown fat than from the salivary gland indicating that in a susceptible host brown adipose tissue may be as frequent a site of viral proliferation as salivary gland. Since rabies virus was found to persist for long periods of time in the brown fat of experimentally infected bats and was occasionally demonstrated in this tissue alone, it is suggested that brown adipose tissue provides a mechanism by which these animals may serve as reservoirs for this agent in nature. The possibility that similar mechanisms may be involved in the maintenance of other viral agents during interepidemic periods is discussed.
Triglyceride-Rich Lipoproteins and Coronary Artery Disease Risk New Insights From Human Genetics

Despite ample success in reducing coronary artery disease (CAD) risk through reduction of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), there remains substantial residual risk.1–4 Recent prospective studies have demonstrated that elevated triglycerides (TGs) are independent predictors of CAD risk.5–9 Furthermore, TGs are strongly associated with incident CAD events in patients with low LDL-C levels treated with statin.10 Thus, triglyceride-rich lipoproteins (TRLs) offer a potentially orthogonal risk factor to LDL-C for lowering CAD risk, but only if TRLs are causally associated with atherosclerotic disease.11 Human genetics has the potential to reveal the causal relationships of biomarkers found to be associated with disease outcomes.12–15 For example, genetic variants associated with plasma LDL-C levels are consistently associated with CAD risk in the right direction,15–18 consistent with a causal relationship. Importantly, similar studies have causally implicated the key TG-regulating enzyme lipoprotein lipase (LPL) in CAD risk. A common gain-of-function LPL variant, S447X, confers an antiatherogenic lipid profile characterized by low levels of TGs, and in several studies, it has been associated with lower incidence of vascular disease or myocardial infarction (MI).19–25 Conversely, several loss-of-function (LOF) LPL variants associated with elevated TG levels have been reported to be associated with increased CAD risk.21,26 Furthermore, multiple genome-wide association studies in the last 5 years have identified common noncoding variants at the LPL gene locus associated with both TG and CAD risk in the same direction.27–29 Beyond LPL itself, common variants that influence TG levels are significantly associated with CAD risk even after adjusting for their effects on other lipid traits.30 Do et al30 surveyed 185 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that were genome-wide significantly associated with ≥1 plasma lipid trait and identified a subset of …
Measurements of the soft component of cosmic radiation by an absorption “well method”

Abstract To measure the soft component of cosmic radiation which is defined as that part of the total radiation absorbed in 10 cm of Fe, an absorption “well-method” originally proposed by Hess (1953) was used. This method employs the procedure of taking measurements with the ionization chamber placed so that the top of the chamber was even with the absorbing sides of an iron house and then repeating the same procedure with the chamber “sunk” into the iron house to a depth of one-half of its height. The difference in the solid angle of exposure in the two positions makes it possible to compute the ionization resulting from the soft component plus the gamma rays from the decay products of radon and thoron in the atmosphere. The results of these experiments indicate an ionization ten times greater than the theoretical value of the radiation from the radioactive products in the atmosphere, as computed by Hess (1943).
The power of two choices in randomized load balancing

We consider the following natural model: customers arrive as a Poisson stream of rate /spl lambda/n, /spl lambda/<1, at a collection of n servers. Each customer chooses some constant d servers independently and uniformly at random from the n servers and waits for service at the one with the fewest customers. Customers are served according to the first-in first-out (FIFO) protocol and the service time for a customer is exponentially distributed with mean 1. We call this problem the supermarket model. We wish to know how the system behaves and in particular we are interested in the effect that the parameter d has on the expected time a customer spends in the system in equilibrium. Our approach uses a limiting, deterministic model representing the behavior as n/spl rarr//spl infin/ to approximate the behavior of finite systems. The analysis of the deterministic model is interesting in its own right. Along with a theoretical justification of this approach, we provide simulations that demonstrate that the method accurately predicts system behavior, even for relatively small systems. Our analysis provides surprising implications. Having d=2 choices leads to exponential improvements in the expected time a customer spends in the system over d=1, whereas having d=3 choices is only a constant factor better than d=2. We discuss the possible implications for system design.
Light Chain Deposition Disease (Nodular Glomerulopathy, K Light Chain Deposition Disease): A Case Report

A typical case of K light chain deposition disease is detailed. Clinical and pathological findings are described. The discussion focuses on the diagnostic challenges encountered in the diagnosis of monoclonal light chain-related renal diseases. Experimental models have played a relevant role in clarifying and elucidating fundamental questions of diagnostic significance.
Functional status is a confounder of the association of influenza vaccine and risk of all cause mortality in seniors

prevalent in cases, even in the subgroup defined as free of comorbidity by diagnosis code criteria, and were associated with a decreased likelihood of vaccination among controls. Adjustment for functional limitations resulted in an estimate of the relative risk of death in vaccinated persons compared with unvaccinated persons that was closer to the null [odds ratio (OR), 0.71; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 0.47–1.06] than the unadjusted estimate (OR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.41–0.83). In contrast, adjustment for diagnosis code covariates moved the estimate further from the null (OR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.30–0.68). Conclusions Functional limitations appear to be important confounders of the association of vaccination and risk of death, while adjustment for diagnosis code covariates did not control for a healthy vaccinee bias. Further research is needed on methods to reduce the influence of bias in observational studies of influenza vaccine effectiveness.
Electrophysiological measurements of spectral mechanisms in the retinas of two cervids: white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and fallow deer (Dama dama)

Electroretinogram (ERG) flicker photometry was used to study the spectral mechanisms in the retinas of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and fallow deer (Dama dama). In addition to having a rod pigment with maximum sensitivity (λmax) of about 497 nm, both species appear to have two classes of photopic receptors. They share in common a short-wavelength-sensitive cone mechanism having λmax in the region of 450–460 nm. Each also has a cone having peak sensitivity in the middle wavelengths, but these differ slightly for the two species. In white-tailed deer the λmax of this cone is about 537 nm; for the fallow deer the average λmax value for this mechanism was 542 nm. Deer resemble other ungulates and many other types of mammal in having two classes of cone pigment and, thus, the requisite retinal basis for dichromatic color vision.
Cosmogenic 10Be and 36Cl geochronology of offset alluvial fans along the northern Death Valley fault zone: Implications for transient strain in the eastern California shear zone

The northern Death Valley fault zone (NDVFZ) has long been recognized as a major right-lateral strike-slip fault in the eastern California shear zone (ECSZ). However, its geologic slip rate has been difficult to determine. Using high-resolution digital topographic imagery and terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide dating, we present the first geochronologically determined slip rate for the NDVFZ. Our study focuses on the Red Wall Canyon alluvial fan, which exposes clean dextral offsets of seven channels. Analysis of airborne laser swath mapping data indicates ∼297 ± 9 m of right-lateral displacement on the fault system since the late Pleistocene. In situ terrestrial cosmogenic ^(10)Be and ^(36)Cl geochronology was used to date the Red Wall Canyon fan and a second, correlative fan also cut by the fault. Beryllium 10 dates from large cobbles and boulders provide a maximum age of 70 +22/−20 ka for the offset landforms. The minimum age of the alluvial fan deposits based on ^(36)Cl depth profiles is 63 ± 8 ka. Combining the offset measurement with the cosmogenic ^(10)Be date yields a geologic fault slip rate of 4.2 +1.9/−1.1 mm yr^(−1), whereas the ^(36)Cl data indicate 4.7 +0.9/−0.6 mm yr^(−1) of slip. Summing these slip rates with known rates on the Owens Valley, Hunter Mountain, and Stateline faults at similar latitudes suggests a total geologic slip rate across the northern ECSZ of ∼8.5 to 10 mm yr^(−1). This rate is commensurate with the overall geodetic rate and implies that the apparent discrepancy between geologic and geodetic data observed in the Mojave section of the ECSZ does not extend north of the Garlock fault. Although the overall geodetic rates are similar, the best estimates based on geology predict higher strain rates in the eastern part of the ECSZ than to the west, whereas the observed geodetic strain is relatively constant.
Serine Rich Repeat Proteins and Pili Promote Streptococcus agalactiae Colonization of the Vaginal Tract.

Streptococcus agalactiae (group B streptococcus [GBS]) is a Gram-positive bacterium found in the female rectovaginal tract and is capable of producing severe disease in susceptible hosts, including newborns and pregnant women. The vaginal tract is considered a major reservoir for GBS, and maternal vaginal colonization poses a significant risk to the newborn; however, little is known about the specific bacterial factors that promote GBS colonization and persistence in the female reproductive tract. We have developed in vitro models of GBS interaction with the human female cervicovaginal tract using human vaginal and cervical epithelial cell lines. Analysis of isogenic mutant GBS strains deficient in cell surface organelles such as pili and serine-rich repeat (Srr) proteins shows that these factors contribute to host cell attachment. As Srr proteins are heavily glycosylated, we confirmed that carbohydrate moieties contribute to the effective interaction of Srr-1 with vaginal epithelial cells. Antibody inhibition assays identified keratin 4 as a possible host receptor for Srr-1. Our findings were further substantiated in an in vivo mouse model of GBS vaginal colonization, where mice inoculated with an Srr-1-deficient mutant exhibited decreased GBS vaginal persistence compared to those inoculated with the wild-type (WT) parental strain. Furthermore, competition experiments in mice showed that WT GBS exhibited a significant survival advantage over the ΔpilA or Δsrr-1 mutant in the vaginal tract. Our results suggest that these GBS surface proteins contribute to vaginal colonization and may offer new insights into the mechanisms of vaginal niche establishment.
Efficient Incremental Clock Latency Scheduling for Large Circuits

The clock latency scheduling problem is usually solved on the sequential graph, also called register-to-register graph. In practice, the the extraction of the sequential graph for the given circuit is much more expensive than computing the clock latency schedule for the sequential graph. In this paper we present a new algorithm for clock latency scheduling which does not require the complete sequential graph as input. The new algorithm is based on the parametric shortest paths algorithm by Young, Tarjan and Orlin. It extracts the sequential timing graph only partly, that is in the critical regions, through a call back. It is still guaranteed that the algorithm finds the critical cycle and the minimum clock period. As additional input the algorithm only requires for every register the maximum delay of any outgoing combinational path. Computing these maximum delays for all the registers is equivalent to the timing analysis problem, hence they can be computed very efficiently. Computational results on recently released public benchmarks and industrial designs show that in average only 20.0 % of the edges in the sequential graph need to be extracted and this reduces the overall runtime to 5.8 %.
A New PLL Frequency Synthesis Structure

In a PLL frequency synthesizer, the reference and VCO frequencies are divided down to their greatest common divisor frequency prior to phase comparison. We replace the dividers by a simplified form of digital frequency synthesizer, and examine the spectrum of the phase comparator outputs to show that the loop bandwidth can be dramatically increased, thereby improving the pull-in range and acquisition time.
Hydraulics of a finite-diameter horizontal well with wellbore storage and skin effect

We have obtained solutions of groundwater flow to a finite-diameter horizontal well including wellbore storage and skin effect in a three-dimensionally anisotropic leaky aquifer. These solutions improve previous line source solutions by considering realistic well geometry and offer better description of drawdown near the horizontal well. These solutions are derived on the basis of the separation of the source and the geometric functions. The source function is analyzed using Laplace transformation, and the geometric function is derived based on the method of superposition. The solution in a confined aquifer is derived as a special case of the solution in a leaky aquifer. The graphically integrated computer program FINHOW is written to generate type curves of groundwater flow to a finite-diameter horizontal well. The influence of the finite-diameter of the well, the wellbore storage, the skin effect, the leakage parameter, and the aquifer anisotropy is thoroughly analyzed. The well diameter, the wellbore storage, the skin effect, and the aquifer anisotropy substantially affect the near-well early time drawdown if compared to the line source solution, but they have negligible influence upon the far field or late time drawdown. This research provides a better tool for interpreting finite-diameter horizontal well pumping tests.
Investigation of the impact of conductor surface roughness on interconnect frequency-dependent ohmic loss

The impact of conductor surface roughness on the ohmic loss of interconnects is quantified through the application of perturbation theory to the development of the solution for the electromagnetic fields in the vicinity of a periodically corrugated air-metal interface. The analysis leads to the extraction of a frequency-dependent effective conductivity that captures the impact of surface roughness on interconnect ohmic loss. Availability of such an effective conductivity eliminates the need for detailed modeling of conductor roughness in interconnect parasitic extractors and full-wave electromagnetic field solvers aimed at signal integrity-driven electical modeling.
Complementing Scott: Justifying Discounts for Low-Income Groups through an Economic Lens

In a recent article in this journal, Scott (2014) documented the social welfare rationale for offering discounts to the economically disadvantaged. However, he acknowledged the conventional view is that discounts equate to reduced revenue and more tax support which makes them difficult to sustain in many communities. The goal of this paper is to offer an alternative justification for discounts, which suggests that rather than lowering revenues, discounts are a vehicle for increasing revenues. The paper begins by explaining the concept of price elasticity in non-technical terms, its limitations, and the factors that influence it, since this is the principle upon which the economic justification is based. Two methods managers can use to estimate elasticity are described and illustrated: Review of the historical record and willingness-to-pay. The elasticity principle is operationalized by park and recreation managers through the use of differential pricing by which different users are charged a different price for the same service based on their different price elasticities. This means that discounts can generate net revenue for agencies they would otherwise forego. If there are no capacity constraints then, as long as a discounted price exceeds the variable costs, revenue accruing from those who are responsive to the discount price who would not participate at the regular price, is net gain. The paper concludes by describing the three conditions that must exist if discounts are to be effectively implemented: (i) They must not arouse antipathy and resentment from those paying the regular price; (ii) there should be no opportunity to engage in arbitrage; and (iii) there is horizontal equity, meaning that all low income users should pay the same price for the same service at the same time and location.
The Future of W. Warren Wagar

In his fascinat ing book "A Short History of the Future," published in 1992, W. Warren Wagar lays out a futuristic vision of the world over the next two hundred years that draws extensively on Inunanuel Wallerstein' s world-system theory. In the year 2001 began the last of the great Kondratieff upswings of the capitalist world-economy. That economy had come to be increasingly dominated by a few giant corporations, so that by 2015 12 "megacorps" had assumed control of the world-economy and thegovernments of the major capitalist powers. The Kondratieff upswing ran its course by the early 2030s and then a devastating worldwide depression set in, the lowest point of which was reached in 2043.
External Visibility of Spermatophores as an Indicator of Mating Status of Lygus hesperus (Hemiptera: Miridae) Females

Abstract Mated females of the western tarnished plant bug, Lygus hesperus Knight, are distinguished from unmated females by the presence of one or more spermatophores. The presence of a spermatophore is normally determined by dissection. A simple and nondestructive method to distinguish mated L. hesperus females from unmated females would facilitate laboratory studies that require mated insects. Spermatophores are visible through the abdominal sternites of recently mated L. hesperus females, but the consistency and persistence with which spermatophores are externally visible has not been previously documented. The overall objective of this study was to evaluate whether examination for the presence of externally visible spermatophores is a reliable method to determine whether L. hesperus females have mated. The presence of externally visible spermatophores correctly discerned 99% of recently mated (≤24 h) females from unmated females. None of the unmated females were misclassified as mated. The apparency o...
Wurtzite/zinc-blende electronic-band alignment in basal-plane stacking faults in semi-polar GaN

Heteroepitaxial semipolar and nonpolar GaN layers often suffer from high densities of extended defects including basal plane stacking faults (BSFs). BSFs which are considered as inclusions of cubic zinc-blende phase in wurtzite matrix act as quantum wells strongly affecting device performance. Band alignment in BSFs has been discussed as type of band alignment at the wurtzite/zinc blende interface governs the response in differential transmission; fast decay after the pulse followed by slow recovery due to spatial splitting of electrons and heavy holes for type- II band alignment in contrast to decay with no recovery in case of type I band alignment. Based on the results, band alignment is demonstrated to be of type II in zinc-blende segments in wurtzite matrix as in BSFs.
PATHA: Performance Analysis Tool for HPC Applications

Large science projects rely on complex workflows to analyze terabytes or petabytes of data. These jobs are often running over thousands of CPU cores and simultaneously performing data accesses, data movements, and computation. It is difficult to identify bottlenecks or to debug the performance issues in these large workflows. To address these challenges, we have developed Performance Analysis Tool for HPC Applications (PATHA) using the state-of-art open source big data processing tools. Our framework can ingest system logs to extract key performance measures, and apply the most sophisticated statistical tools and data mining methods on the performance data. It utilizes an efficient data processing engine to allow users to interactively analyze a large amount of different types of logs and measurements. To illustrate the functionality of PATHA, we conduct a case study on the workflows from an astronomy project known as the Palomar Transient Factory (PTF). Our study processed 1.6 TB of system logs collected on the NERSC supercomputer Edison. Using PATHA, we were able to identify performance bottlenecks, which reside in three tasks of PTF workflow with the dependency on the density of celestial objects.
The effect of hematocrit on in vitro bilirubin photoalteration.

Phototherapy using light in the spectral range of 410–500 nm, which overlaps the absorption of bilirubin, is the common treatment for neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. Hemoglobin (Hb) absorbs light strongly throughout this same range and thus can compete with bilirubin for this light and consequently reduce the efficacy of phototherapy. Here, we determined the effect of hematocrit (Hct) on in vitro bilirubin photoalteration using narrow-band blue (450 nm) light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Suspensions with Hcts from 0 to 80% and 16 ± 1 mg/dl bilirubin were prepared by mixing red blood cells (RBCs), bilirubin (30 mg/dl) in 4% human serum albumin, and normal saline. Aliquots of each suspension were exposed to blue light at equal irradiances. Before and after 60 min of exposure, bilirubin levels in supernatants (n = 46) were measured using a diazo-dye method. Bilirubin photoalteration steeply decreased by ~60% as Hct increased from 0 to 10%. Over the clinically relevant range of 30–70% Hct, the decrease was significant, but less drastic, exhibiting a quasi-linear dependence on Hct. Bilirubin photoalteration under blue light in vitro is significantly reduced as Hct increases. Clinical studies are warranted to confirm these in vitro observations that Hct can affect the efficacy of phototherapy.
DESIGN PARTICIPATION IN THE HUMAN EXPLORATION DEMONSTRATION PROJECT

One of the greatest challenges facing space exploration and habitat design teams is how to accommodate, coordinate and integrate the efforts of design professionals from a wide variety of disciplines and technologies. This paper presents an account of one such multidisciplinary design team ‐ the Habitat Committee -- working together on a project on the theme “A Day in the Life of a Planetary Habitat.” This paper describes the participatory design process that created the Human Exploration Demonstration Project (HEDP) at NASA Ames Research Center. It involved four disciplines: Human Factors, Information Science, Life Science and Life Support. Because these disciplines and their organizations represented different approaches and cultures, a major challenge was to find a way that they could collaborate without conflict. The facilitation team developed new participatory design techniques to bring out the requirements of each of the participating groups and find ways that they fit together. The leading participatory design approach that emerged was the Alternative Paths Method. The participatory project team selected an existing pressure chamber 5m in diameter and two stories high in which to build the simulation. The Life Support Division contributed the chamber and renovated it. The Life Science Division contributed the Human Powered Centrifuge. The Human Factors Division
Evaluations of Greenbug-Resistant Sorghum Hybrids

Effects of biotype C greenbug, Schizaphis graminum (Rondani), were assessed on 13 greenbug-resistant and 3 susceptible sorghum hybrids during 1976–77. Split-plot experiments consisting of treatment vs, no treatment of greenbugs were used. Greenbug-resistant sorghum hybrids outyielded susceptible hybrids. In most cases, substantial yield increases were obtained in both greenbug-resistant and susceptible sorghum hybrids as a result of green bug control.
Observations on the Quality Characteristics of Waxy (Amylose-Free) Winter Wheats

Previous investigations have suggested waxy (amylose-free) wheats (Triticum aestivum L.) possess weak gluten properties and may not be suitable for commercial gluten extraction. This limitation could prevent the use of waxy wheat as a source of unique starch, because gluten is a by-product of the wheat starch purification process. Fifty waxy wheat lines were used to determine the extent to which gluten protein and other grain quality related traits might vary and, consequently, allow the development of waxy wheat with acceptable gluten properties. Among the waxy lines, significant variation was observed for all measured quality traits with the exception of flour protein concentration. No waxy entries statistically equaled the highest ranking nonwaxy entry for grain volume weight, falling number, flour yield, or mixograph mix time. No waxy lines numerically exceeded or equaled the mean of the nonwaxy controls for falling number, flour yield, or mixograph mix time. For grain and flour protein related variab...
The Starbucks Race Together Initiative: Analyzing a public relations campaign with critical race theory

In response to a series of race-related incidents in the United States in 2014, Starbucks launched the Race Together Initiative, a multifaceted public relations campaign designed to spark a national dialogue on race. The campaign generated a great deal of discussion in the public sphere including some praise and much criticism. This article uses critical race theory as a theoretical lens to analyze the Race Together campaign as well as reactions to it in the news media and on Twitter. The purpose of this article is to use critical race theory to enrich understandings of the Race Together campaign as well as to explore the implications of corporate public relations campaigns that attempt to address sensitive social issues such as race.
Keys to high-functioning office teams.

The article offers practical advice on improving practice revenue, implementing advanced access and improving both care and the patient's experience of care by building a high-functioning care team.
Habermas and the Reconstruction of Critical Theory

Habermas’s initial formulation of the basis of critical theory in Knowledge and Human Interests became the object of extensive discussion and detailed criticisms.1 Habermas responded by critically rethinking his position. This process was carried forward in debates with leading exponents of critical rationalism (Albert), systems theory (Luhmann) and philosophical hermeneutics (Gadamer).2 These discussions and debates tended to focus on Habermas’s concept of reason and the attempt to justify critical theory and link it to practice that depended upon it. A brief discussion of the central criticisms raised against the early Habermas on these issues will clarify some of the basic reasons for the major revisions in his later work. This discussion will also serve as an introduction to the later Habermas’s reformulation of the basis of critical theory in a concept of ‘communicative rationality’ developed through various stages of his communication theory.
The Quest for Peace

Although world politics in the twenty-first century appears at some distance from the Hobbesian world of “every state against every state” (Hobbes 1991, edited by Tuck), significant parts of it remain outside of the advanced, developed world’s zone of mutual peace. Chaos and violence in the developing world continue to be depressingly familiar features of everyday life. Globalization, empowerment of individuals, and rapid change within and beyond the states system add up to an increasingly turbulent world (Rosenau 1990). The overall direction of change continues to be difficult to anticipate, with so many factors coming into play.
Design of highly efficient and linear class E SiGe power amplifier for highly-integrated multifunctional wireless transmitters

This paper discusses the design of highly efficient and monolithic linear RF Class E SiGe power amplifiers (PAs) at both 900 MHz and 2.4 GHz for various wireless applications. Without needing off-chip on-board matching, we achieved very high power-added-efficiency (PAE) for the single-stage Class E SiGe PAs at -70% (900 MHz) and -60% (2.4 GHz), respectively, which performance rivals that of commercially-available III-V PA modules. These switch-mode PAs can be successfully linearized using polar modulation and a hybrid Envelope Tracking (ET) technique, resulting in impressive high PAE suitable for implementing future highly-integrated multifunctional wireless transceivers systems.
Seeding Venture Capital: Insights into State-by-State Equity Tax Credit Legislation

In general, states have recognized the need to diversify state economic incentives from solely targeting transient businesses to relocate into the state to creating knowledge-based homegrown economies. The intent is to reward and motivate investment and, in the process, create high-growth, high-wage employment opportunities. Currently, 26 states have enacted legislation to incent equity investors to invest in high-risk, early-stage ventures in an attempt to stimulate state economies. The practice is widespread, growing, and competitive. The credits are legislated state by state, creating unique features and rules based on state-specific incentives. The drafted legislation also reflects the hoped-for effect on state-specific economic outcomes. This article highlights state equity tax credit activity and its application to the investment community.
Stability of Glass in the Geologic Environment: Some Evidence from Studies of Natural Silicate Glasses

The geologic literature contains numerous studies of the stability of natural silicate glasses under a variety of environmental conditions. The processes of glass hydration, devitrification, and di...
The International Effect of the Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities on Access in Society and Information

Accessibility standards across the world have changed drastically since the 1970s, with many social reforms, building access requirements, and information technology being modernized to accommodate the needs of the differently abled. This paper seeks to analyze how the United Nations (UN) Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) has affected the social atmosphere of various states around the world that have implemented the CRPD to various degrees. This social atmosphere consists of three core components: socio-political perceptions, laws, and information access standards within each sovereign state. Each are aspects that directly affect the quality of life afforded to persons with disabilities that are citizens of these states.
An Ultrastable Polymeric Glass: Amorphous Fluoropolymer with Extreme Fictive Temperature Reduction by Vacuum Pyrolysis

Vacuum pyrolysis deposition (VPD) has been used to create an ultrastable polymer glass having a fictive temperature Tf of as much as 57 K below the nominal glass transition temperature of the thermally rejuvenated polymer. Amorphous fluoropolymer films 300 to 700 nm thick were created by VPD followed by characterization of the thermal response using rapid-scanning chip calorimetry. The deposition was performed for substrates held at temperatures from 30.0 °C (303.2 K) to 116.7 °C (389.9 K) corresponding to approximately 0.75 to 0.97 times the limiting fictive temperature Tf′ ≈ Tg of the same material determined by cooling then heating at 600 K/s. Consistent with literature observations for small molecules that are vapor deposited in similar conditions relative to the material Tg, large enthalpy overshoots are observed, typical of both highly aged and ultrastable glasses. The 57 K reduction in Tf for the VPD polymers is greater than prior reports for physical vapor deposition of small molecules to form ult...
Stable spike-timing dependent plasticity rule for multilayer unsupervised and supervised learning

Spike-Timing Dependent Plasticity (STDP), the canonical learning rule for spiking neural networks (SNN), is gaining tremendous interest because of its simplicity, efficiency and biological plausibility. However, to date, multilayer feed-forward networks of spiking neurons are either only partially trained using STDP or pre-trained using traditional deep neural networks which are converted to deep spiking neural networks or a two-layer network where STDP learnt features are manually labelled. In this work, we present a low-cost, simplified, yet stable STDP rule for layer-wise unsupervised and supervised training of a multilayer feed-forward SNN. We propose to approximate Bayesian neuron using Stochastic Integrate and Fire (SIF) neuron model and introduce a supervised learning approach using teacher neurons to train the classification layer with one neuron per class. A SNN is trained for classification of handwritten digits with multiple layers of spiking neurons, including both the feature extraction and classification layer, using the proposed STDP rule. Our method achieves comparable to better accuracy on MNIST dataset than manually labelled two layer networks for the same sized hidden layer. We also analyze the parameter space to provide rationales for parameter fine-tuning and provide additional methods to improve noise resilience and input intensity variations. We further propose a Quantized 2-Power Shift (Q2PS) STDP rule, which reduces the implementation cost of digital hardware while achieves comparable performance.
Understanding effect of 3.5 wt.% NaCl on the corrosion of Al0.1CoCrFeNi high-entropy alloy

Abstract High entropy alloys are a new class of metallic materials with potential for use in a wide variety of applications including their use in corrosive environment. The present study focused on the corrosion behavior of a single-phase, face-centered cubic high entropy alloy (HEA) Al0.1CoCrFeNi in as-cast condition, and the results are compared with the corrosion behavior of the SS304. The microstructural characterization of the alloys in as-received condition was carried out using optical microscopy, electron backscattered diffraction, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Corrosion behavior was studied using potentiodynamic polarization test in a 3.5 wt% NaCl solution and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy at room temperature. It was observed that the general corrosion resistance of the HEA was better than that of SS304. Pitting potential of the HEA was found to be superior to that of the SS304. Corrosion pits size was slightly smaller in SS304 than that in the HEA. 3D imaging determined that the pit depths were of the same order in both cases. Overall, the HEA Al0.1CoCrFeNi demonstrated a better resistance to general and pitting corrosion.