cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Going from Buyers to Suppliers: Reverse-Engineering and the Proliferation of Ballistic Missiles

Short range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) are the gateway weapon for states that have a demand for something as simple as a reliable and cheap replacement for fighter and bomber aircraft, all the way to states that are eyeing the ultimate prize; a nuclear deterrent. By importing SRBMs these states are not only gaining a useful weapon, they are gaining the tools to reverse engineer advanced technology, and use it as a building block for their own domestic production. These states can then become illicit suppliers of such technology and also threaten regional and international security. Despite this, SRBMs fall under the export thresholds set by the MTCR, and are frequently exported by numerous states, including the US. Though the tactical and strategic uses of SRBMs has received some attention by the broader ballistic missile proliferation literature and policy work, the larger problem of reverse engineering, and its role in the proliferation of more advanced missiles has received little to no attention. This study utilizes Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) to explore the factors that, according to the broader proliferation and security literature, should play a role in a state reverse engineering SRBM technology.
Effects of Plant New Varieties Protection on Breeding Research and the Corresponding Countermeasures

Strengthening the plant new varieties protection is the core to promote the trade of agricultural products and enhance the international competition ability for all the nations in the world.In this paper,by referring to the systems and enterprise-oriented breeding researches in developed countries,the effects and achievements of the breeding research system in our country were investigated.The results showed that plant new varieties protection played an important role in the encouraging breeding research and promoting modern agriculture development.There were still problems existed like system deficiency and low ability on creation,etc.Thus the plant new varieties protection system was suggested to be enhanced from policy on administration,system choice,protection mode,resource protection,breeding enterprise,operation system,and so on,in order to innovate the breeding research.
Knowledge management success and failure: the tale of two cases

Knowledge management (KM) systems can be difficult to install. It can be even more difficult to ensure its use by employees. We present two case studies—one that failed and one that succeeded. The first case study examines the efforts to implement and use a KM system at a tax firm, and the challenges encountered that defied resolution, leading to the KM system’s demise. The second case study examines the building of a customer service solution that is based on a knowledge management system. The system not only is a repository of knowledge that is shared with the customers, but also allows customers to add to the content. Though the customer service system fulfills the current requirements, the plan is to allow it to be a living system, changing when necessary to meet the customer’s needs.
CD30+ lymphoproliferative disorder with spindle-cell morphology

Lymphomatoid papulosis (LyP) is classified as a CD30+ primary cutaneous lymphoproliferative disease. The phenotypic variability along the spectrum of CD30+ lymphoproliferative diseases is highlighted by the distinct histologic subtypes of LyP types A, B, C, and the more recently described types D, E, and F. We report the case of an elderly woman with a clinical presentation and histopathologic findings consistent with LyP, whose atypical CD30+ infiltrate uniquely demonstrated a spindle-cell morphology. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of LyP characterized by CD30+ spindle-shaped cells, and may represent a new and distinct histologic variant of LyP.
Bioidentical Estrogen for Menopausal Depressive Symptoms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Abstract Background: Proponents of bioidentical estrogens claim that they are superior for treating menopausal symptoms, including depressive symptoms. Small trials examining the effects of bioidentical estrogens on depressive symptoms show conflicting results. We conducted a systematic review to assess the effectiveness and safety of bioidentical estrogens for treatment of depressive symptoms in peri- and postmenopausal women. Methods: We searched the scientific literature for randomized controlled trials of at least 4 weeks duration, comparing bioidentical estrogen with placebo for depressive symptoms in menopausal women. The main outcome measure was improvement in depressive symptoms on a validated scale. Results: We found 12 clinical trials that met inclusion criteria, two of which contained insufficient data for quantitative analysis. In the 10 studies (inclusive of 1208 subjects) for which complete data were available for inclusion in the meta-analysis, bioidentical estrogen had no clinically signif...
Optimal excitation of a permanent magnet synchronous motor having an open-circuit phase

Optimal excitation of a three-phase permanent magnet synchronous motor with an open-circuit winding fault is considered. A model of motor torque development with a failed winding is first presented using Fourier analysis. Then, a design procedure based on knowledge of the motor magnetic characteristic is developed. The average torque is maximized using the design approach, and torque ripple is reduced as the order of the optimal solution is increased. Two design examples are presented.
First Report of Alternaria Black Spot caused by Alternaria alternata on Brassica carinata in South Dakota

During July 2016, Brassica carinata planted in experimental plots near Brookings, SD (44°18′37″ N, 96°40′25″ W) were observed with black spots (~2 mm diameter) on the leaves and stems (average disease incidence ~ 40%). Leaves and stems of 5 diseased plants were cut into 5 mm pieces, surface-sterilized, and plated onto potato dextrose agar (PDA). The PDA plates were incubated for 5 days at 25oC in the dark. After 5 days, colonies with dark grey aerial mycelia and brown conidia (n=10; 17-40 μm long and 8-15 μm wide) were consistently recovered from the diseased samples and tentatively identified as Alternaria sp. (Simmons 2007). Two representative colonies (BC1 and BC2) were hyphal-tipped and transferred to fresh PDA plates. DNA was extracted from the mycelium of both isolates and sequenced using the ITS (White et al. 1990) and GADPH (Berbee et al. 1999) primers. BLAST analyses showed the ITS sequences of BC1 and BC2 (KY548068- KY548069) had 99% similarity with A. tenuissima and A. alternata. The GADPH sequ...
Survey Research and Field Designs for the Study of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

The purpose of this chapter is to elucidate some of the scientific and practical challenges involved in studying posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the community. By “in the community,” we mean that we will focus not on studies of people who come to a clinic, hospital, or other treatment provider seeking treatment for PTSD (i.e., not on clinical studies), but rather on studies of people who have PTSD regardless of whether they have sought treatment or have otherwise come to the attention of mental health professionals. Such community studies are conducted to provide estimates of the prevalence of PTSD among specific population groups (e.g., Vietnam veterans, crime victims, persons exposed to a natural disaster), and to identify risk factors for the development of PTSD, and represent the only means of formulating unbiased estimates of these parameters (cf. Weissman, Myers, & Ross, 1986).
The Anti-Eviction Mapping Project: Counter Mapping and Oral History toward Bay Area Housing Justice

The Anti-Eviction Mapping Project is a data visualization, data analysis, and oral history collective documenting gentrification and resistance in the San Francisco Bay Area. In this article, we di...
Feasibility of structured illumination fluorescence microscopy of liver biopsies for transplant evaluation (Conference Presentation)

Increased utilization of transplantation as treatment for patients with end-stage hepatic disease has resulted in a shortfall of available livers. Efforts to expand the available donor pool have resulted in the inclusion of donors who might not have been considered in the past. This has resulted in more requests for frozen section biopsy evaluation of the liver from "marginal" donors with significant co-morbidities. The information gained from the biopsy analysis determines whether the organ is suitable for transplantation. Critical to determining the adequacy of donor livers is analyzing the lipid content for macrosteatosis; high lipid livers are not suitable for transplant. Frozen section analysis (FSA) creates artifacts that limit tissue evaluation, exhausts tissue for downstream histological analysis, and requires a specialized team to evaluate these procedures in the hospital 24/7. We have developed a fluorescence microscopy system that utilizes structured illumination (SIM) to produce images of liver biopsies within seconds of removal from a deceased organ donor. Liver biopsies that require evaluation for donation suitability are stained with fast-acting fluorescent histology dyes and lipid specific stains in order to differentiate the lipids on SIM. The SIM images are compared to the standard-of-care FSA and the final pathology report. Here, we present the results of this blinded review performed by a liver pathology specialist. Imaging liver biopsies with SIM provides a more direct and accurate tool for determining macrosteatosis compared to standard FSA. SIM offers minimal tissue processing complexity and remote viewing capabilities, creating the potential to revolutionize tissue donation evaluation.
Urodynamic Use of Fiberoptic Microtipped Catheter

AbstractSolid state microtransducers are used widely in urodynamics to record bladder and intraluminal urethral pressures. They are sensitive and capable of giving high quality, reproducible pressure recordings. They do not require the determination of a reference point but they are expensive and fragile, and calibration may be difficult to perform. We describe our experience with a new catheter for pressure recording based on fiberoptic technology. In addition to the advantages of the conventional microtipped catheters, the new catheter is thinner (4F), easier to calibrate and less expensive. Controlled testing of the new catheter was performed in an experimental setting and in clinical trials during urodynamic evaluation. The catheter provides reliable pressure recordings compared to standard microtipped catheters.
Online Data Breaches, Standing, and the Third-Party Doctrine

The third-party, standing, and reasonable expectation of privacy doctrines make it more difficult for citizens to recover damages that are directly and proximately caused by online data breaches, and make it less likely that private companies will adopt stringent procedures to protect personal information. In an era of hackers, malware, and inadvertent disclosures of private information, the law should allocate the risk to companies that are in a position to minimize or prevent infringements on consumers’ privacy. In the context of online data breaches, abandoning the third-party doctrine, eliminating the “imminent harm” prong of the standing doctrine, and focus on a societal, not subjective, expectation of privacy, will provide the types of safeguards that meet the challenges posed by digital era technology.
Some Findings on the Valuation of Fishing Success in a Multiple-Site Travel Cost Model

The varying parameter multiple site travel cost model is used to determine the economic valuation of fishing success for a sample of Long Island sports fishermen. The marginal value of angler success (measured as the number of fish caught) and per trip consumer surplus are computed and distinguished by the motivations for fishing trips and by controls for the availability of alternative sites. The valuation of success and consumer surplus are found to be substantially higher when controlling for substitution effects.
Chapter 14 – The computer

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the significance of the computer as a representational medium for the knowledge to be communicated and discusses the extent to which knowledge can be captured in different parts of a system. It discusses a number of concepts—such as epistemic fidelity, process models, and reification—to characterize some unique ways in which computer-based implementations of models that involve artificial intelligence can support knowledge communication. Viewed as a representational medium for the knowledge to be communicated, a computer system consists of two types of hardware: (1) the internal hardware, which is the information-processing engine, and (2) the external hardware, which includes the interface devices with which the student actually interacts. This division is obvious and relevant for any computer system, but the distinction it makes between the computer's functions is especially important for knowledge communication systems. The internal representation achieves a high degree of epistemic fidelity by taking advantage of the computer's information-processing engine. To achieve epistemic fidelity, the external representation takes advantage of the flexibility and expressive potential of various interface devices. Its pedagogical role is brought to the foreground by recent advances in the production of high-resolution displays and of data-storage facilities such as videodiscs, which support the large amount of information required to drive rich visual and auditory presentations.
Restaging After Neoadjuvant Therapy

Neoadjuvant therapy has been demonstrated to improve overall (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) in patients undergoing surgical resection for locally advanced esophageal cancer. Restaging after treatment has an important role in therapeutic decision-making and determining patient prognosis. Available methodologies most often utilize a combination of endoscopy and imaging in characterization of treatment response. While endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is routinely used in initial staging, resultant inflammation and fibrosis after treatment challenges the utility of this modality in restaging. Endoscopic biopsy similarly has a limited benefit in the assessment of treatment response. Change in metabolic response on 18-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG- PET/CT) on pre- and post-treatment imaging has been demonstrated may help predict tumor regression, and consequently, patient survival. Adoption of an approach utilizing FDG-PET response to adjust neoadjuvant chemotherapy has been observed to result in an increase in the rate of pathologic complete response (pCR) and progression-free survival. Current diagnostic tools enable differentiation between responders versus nonresponders to neoadjuvant therapy; however, they remain limited in their ability to identify therapeutic response.
Flow Battery Electroanalysis: Hydrodynamic Voltammetry of Aqueous Fe(III/II) Redox Couples at Polycrystalline Pt and Au

The redox flow battery (RFB) is a promising technology for large-scale electrochemical energy storage, but research progress has been hampered by conflicting reports of electron-transfer rates even for well-established battery chemistries. To address this challenge, we are working to deploy established electroanalytical techniques for precise characterization of RFB reaction kinetics. We studied Fe3+/2+ redox chemistry using rotating-disk electrode voltammetry with polycrystalline Pt and Au working electrodes as a model of an Fe/Cr RFB positive electrolyte. Our measurements yielded exchange current densities of 3.7 ± 0.5 and 1.3 ± 0.2 mA cm–2 for Pt and Au, respectively, in electrolytes containing 5 mM each of Fe3+ and Fe2+. Both the variability and relative sluggishness of these rates are clear evidence that inner-sphere (catalytic) processes are important even in the 1-electron redox chemistry of Fe aquo complexes. Increasing the Fe concentration by 100-fold gave exchange current densities at Pt that we...
System of Systems Architecting Problems: Definitions, Formulations, and Analysis

Abstract The system of systems architecting has many applications in transportation, healthcare, and defense systems design. This study first presents a short review of system of systems definitions. We then focus on capability-based system of systems architecting. In particular, capability-based system of systems architecting problems with various settings, including system flexibility, fund allocation, operational restrictions, and system structures, are presented as Multi-Objective Nonlinear Integer Programming problems. Relevant solution methods to analyze these problems are also discussed.
Verifying concurrent software using movers in CSPEC

Writing concurrent systems software is error-prone, because multiple processes or threads can interleave in many ways, and it is easy to forget about a subtle corner case. This paper introduces CSPEC, a framework for formal verification of concurrent software, which ensures that no corner cases are missed. The key challenge is to reduce the number of interleavings that developers must consider. CSPEC uses mover types to re-order commutative operations so that usually it's enough to reason about only sequential executions rather than all possible interleavings. CSPEC also makes proofs easier by making them modular using layers, and by providing a library of reusable proof patterns. To evaluate CSPEC, we implemented and proved the correctness of CMAIL, a simple concurrent Maildir-like mail server that speaks SMTP and POP3. The results demonstrate that CSPEC's movers and patterns allow reasoning about sophisticated concurrency styles in CMAIL.
Quantifying Weak Glycan-Protein Interactions Using a Biolayer Interferometry Competition Assay: Applications to ECL Lectin and X-31 Influenza Hemagglutinin.

This chapter introduces two formats using bio-layer interferometry competition assays to determine the solution KD values of weak glycan-protein interactions. This approach overcomes the challenge of determining weak interactions while minimizing the amount of reagents required. Accurate solution KD values aid in understanding the complex relationships between monomeric versus multimeric interactions and affinity versus avidity. The assays have been applied to a well-studied lectin (Erythrina crista-galli lectin) and influenza hemagglutinin (X-31). The solution KD values determined from this approach are in good agreement with previous reported literature values from isothermal titration calorimetry and NMR. Additionally, this approach appears robust and precise.
Effects of Elevated Temperature and Carbon Dioxide Concentrations on the Response of Two Common Reed (Phragmites australis) Haplotypes to Glyphosate

Common reed [Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud.], an aggressive invader in North American wetlands, is likely to undergo a range expansion as the climate changes. Increased atmospheric [CO2] and temperature have been shown to cause morphological and physiological changes in many species, sometimes altering the way they respond to herbicides. To understand how climate-related environmental parameters may impact P. australis management, we grew two P. australis haplotypes (the Gulf Coast type and the Eurasian type) under ambient (400 ppm CO2, 32/21 C) or elevated (650 ppm CO2, 35/24 C) climate conditions. After 6 wk, the Gulf Coast type had reduced leaf area, increased stomatal conductance, and increased transpiration under the elevated conditions. The Eurasian type had lower Vcmax (the maximum carboxylation rate of Rubisco) and lower Jmax (the maximum electron transport rate of RuBP regeneration) under elevated climate conditions. Results likely reflected a greater impact of higher temperatures rather than increased [CO2], After the 6-wk period, plants were either treated with glyphosate (0.57 kg ae ha-1) or remained an untreated control. Data were collected 30 d after treatment (DAT) and 60 DAT to evaluate herbicide efficacy. Overall, the Gulf Coast type was less responsive to glyphosate applications under the elevated climate conditions than under current climate conditions. The lower leaf area of the Gulf Coast type in these climate conditions may have resulted in less herbicide interception and uptake. Glyphosate efficacy was less impacted by climate treatment for the Eurasian type than for the Gulf Coast type.
After the crisis: political protest in the aftermath of the economic recession

Economic recessions have often led to stronger citizen activism. This article assesses the relationship between the economy and protest in 2014, 6 years after the global financial crisis took place, a long-enough period for countries to have improved their economic situation and for people’s interpretations of the economy to be more optimistic. Does the economy still matter to explain protest if it is not as salient any longer? This research employs data for available European Union member states from the 2006, 2008, and 2014 European Social Survey to test the importance of national-level objective economic indicators as well as individual-level evaluations of financial well-being. Findings from the research suggest that objective economic predictors are more relevant to understand protest in 2014 than before the crisis. Economic resources remain more important for the prediction of protest than deprivation views, with the exception of unemployment. Even at times of partial economic recovery, the state of the economy helps explain increased levels of political protest across Europe well after 2008. The link between the economy and confrontational activism before and after the economic recession looks in the end very similar and a full economic recovery in the future can lead to even more protest activism in Europe.
The Rehabilitation Enhancing Aging Through Connected Health Prehabilitation Trial.

Abstract Objective To evaluate the proof of concept of an innovative model of physical therapy Rehabilitation Enhancing Aging through Connected Health (REACH) and evaluated its feasibility and effect on physical function and health care utilization. Design Quasi-experimental 12-month clinical trial. Setting Two outpatient rehabilitation centers. Participants Community-dwelling older primary care patients with a treatment arm undergoing the intervention (n=75; mean age=77±5.9y; 54% women) and propensity matched controls derived from a longitudinal cohort study (n=430; mean age=71±7.0y; 68% women) using identical recruitment criteria (N=505). Intervention Combined outpatient and home PT augmented with a commercially available app and computer tablet. Measurements Primary outcomes included a feasibility questionnaire, exercise adherence, self-reported function, and the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB). Secondary outcomes included the rates of emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations. Results Among REACH participants, we observed a 9% dropout rate. After accounting for dropouts, with propensity matching, n=68 treatments and n=100 controls were analyzed. Over the 12-month study duration, 85% of participants adhered to the exercise program an average of 2 times a week and evaluated the treatment experience favorably. In comparison to controls, after 1 year of treatment and within multivariable regression models, REACH participants did not manifest a significant difference in patient reported function (group x time effect 1.67 units, P=.10) but did manifest significant differences in SPPB (group x time effect 0.69 units, P=.03) and gait speed (group x time effect .08m/s, P=.02). In comparison to controls, after 1 year, the rate of ED visits (group x time treatment rate=0.27, P Conclusion The REACH intervention is feasible and has proof of concept in preventing functional decline and favorably affecting health care utilization. Evaluation on a larger scale is warranted.
An epigenetic switch regulates de novo DNA methylation at pluripotency gene enhancers

Coordinated regulation of gene expression which involves activation of lineage specific genes and repression of pluripotency genes drives differentiation of embryonic stem cells. For the complete r...
When Should Prophylactic Oophorectomy Be Recommended at the Time of Elective Hysterectomy

Gynecologists are frequently confronted with the decision of when to recommend oophorectomy at the time of an elective hysterectomy. When deciding if oophorectomy should be recommended, first a careful history and risk assessment must be performed to determine if a patient is a candidate for a risk-reducing oophorectomy. If the patient does not have a hereditary ovarian cancer risk, then it is recommended the surgeon carefully consider the implications of ovarian removal on the health of their patient. This review covers the potential benefits and risks of prophylactic oophorectomy and offers a decision aid for when to recommend this procedure.
Behavior Problem or Problem Behavior

When humans decide to live with another species, certain considerations must be made: the first being that this other species has a repertoire of species-specific and species-normal behaviors, some of which may be annoying or objectionable to the humans. Many cat behaviors are understood but many still are not. Five of the common problem behaviors in cats are house soiling, scratching, climbing and jumping up on things, howling, and hunting. By understanding the normal behaviors of cats, it may be easier to work out compromises so that the human and feline species can live together in harmony.
Adherence to Recommended Practices for Provision of Long-Acting Reversible Contraception Among Providers in a Large U.S. Health Care System

Background: There is little research examining adherence to practice guidelines for long-acting reversible contraception (LARC). We assessed same-day LARC provision and adherence to other guideline...
Commercial determinants of health: an ethical exploration

This paper seeks to contribute toward a better understanding of commercial determinants of health by proposing a set of ethical principles that can be used by researchers and other health actors in understanding and addressing Commercial Determinants of Health (CDoH). The paper is mainly based on a systematic review and qualitative analysis of the existing literature on CDoH and public health ethics frameworks. We conducted searches using selected search engines (Google Scholar and Pubmed). For ethical challenges relating to CDOH, our searches in Google Scholar yielded 17 papers that discussed ethical challenges that affect CDoH. For ethical frameworks relevant for CDOH, our searches in Google Scholar and Pubmed yielded 15 papers that clearly described bioethical models including relevant ethical principles. Additionally, we consulted eight experts working on CDoH. Through these two methods, we were able to identify ethical challenges as well as norms and values related to CDoH that we offer as candidates to comprise a foundational ethics framework for CDoH. Discussing risk factors associated with CDH frequently brings public health into conflict with the interests of industry actors in the food, automobile, beverage, alcohol, ammunition, gaming and tobacco industries including conflict between profit-making and public health. We propose the following candidate ethical principles that can be used in addressing CDoH: moral responsibility, nonmaleficence, social justice and equity, consumer sovereignty, evidence-informed actions, responsiveness, accountability, appropriateness, transparency, beneficence and holism. We hope that this set of guiding principles will generate wider global debate on CDoH and help inform ethical analyses of corporate actions that contribute to ill health and policies aimed at addressing CDoH. These candidate principles can guide researchers and health actors including corporations in addressing CDoH.
Desert Places: Cooperatives as Infrastructure Providers in Marginalized Areas

In this study, we examine the comparative advantage of cooperatives relative to for-profit firms in infrastructure provision. We argue that infrastructure projects generate positive local externalities for the communities in which they are located, and that cooperatives, being able to internalize these benefits, may be willing to provide higher quality infrastructure than for-profits, especially in marginalized communities where the costs of provision are high relative to revenues. We test and find support for this argument in US internet broadband provision from 2014 to 2017, showing that cooperatives are more likely to provide internet in communities where for-profits offer poor quality service, with these effects being stronger in rural communities, communities with persistent poverty, and communities with high social cohesion.
CubeSats for microbiology and astrobiology research

Abstract Space microbiology research contributes to human safety and performance during space exploration by advancing understanding of the effects of reduced gravity and/or radiation on cells and organisms. Astrobiology, on the other hand, seeks a more fundamental understanding of life and the universe; its objectives are also furthered by spaceflight experiments. Experimental progress in both fields is limited partly by access to space aboard human-tended spacecraft and space stations. CubeSats are helping address such limitations by proving to be effective biological experiment spaceflight platforms. NASA's Ames Research Center has developed and operated five CubeSats in low Earth orbit with microbiology or astrobiology missions; technical advances and lessons learned from each “nanosatellite” served as the starting point for the next. Here, we present technical and performance overviews of these biological CubeSats and their scientific results. A preview of the next biological CubeSat mission, bound for interplanetary space, along with potential future applications, is included.
The superconducting gap of \QTR{em}{in situ} $MgB_{2}$ thin films by microwave surface impedance measurements

Precision measurements of the microwave surface resistance $R_{s}$ of in situ $MgB_{2}$ films directly reveal an exponential behavior of $R_{s}$ at low temperature indicating a fully-gapped order parameter. The entire temperature dependence of $R_{s}$ is well described by a Mattis-Bardeen formalism but with a small gap ratio of $\Delta (0)/kT_{c}=0.72$, corresponding to $\Delta (0)=1.9meV$.
Value Gains in Business Process Outsourcing: The Vendor Perspective

Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) is a contemporary phenomenon that has gained significant traction in recent years. Like other forms of outsourcing, BPO is both beneficial and risky. While extant research has examined the risks in outsourcing for clients, a limited insight exists on the risks associated with BPO for vendors. We examine the contexts in which the value proposition of BPO varies for vendor firms based on the risks associated with the contract. The risk in this context is posited to vary based on the type of task outsourced, the outsourcing motivation of the client and the duration of the contract. Using a sample of 231 BPO announcements over a thirteen-year period, we test our hypotheses using an event study. We find that BPO creates significant value gains for vendor firms, particularly for knowledge intensive processes. In addition, vendors lost value when they were sought out to develop specific capabilities for the clients that involved knowledge intensive processes. While vendors benefited from longer duration contracts, these benefits were not found to significantly vary across the different types of tasks outsourced.
Distribution and toxic potential of alkylphenols, nonylphenol ethoxylates, and pyrethroids in Minnesota, USA lake sediments

Abstract This study provided the first assessment of pyrethroids and pyrethrins in Minnesota, USA lake sediments, and the second one for alkylphenols (APs) and nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs). Surficial sediments were collected in 2017 from 30 small to medium-sized lakes, encompassing a variety of watershed land uses and ecoregions. These lakes were targeted from a pool of 50 randomly selected lakes included in the National Lakes Assessment (NLA) study. Sixty percent of the study lakes (n = 18) had at least one detection of a contaminant of emerging concern (CEC). 4-Nonylphenols (4-NP) had the highest detection frequency (46.7%), followed by 4-nonylphenol monoethoxylates (4-NP1EO; 26.7%), bifenthrin (26.7%), 4-nonylphenol diethoxylates (3.3%), and resmethrin (3.3%). The prevalence of 4-NP was consistent with the degradation of high production NPEs in the environment. All other CECs and pyrethrins were not detected. No CECs were detected in the three most remote lakes, located in forested northeastern Minnesota, where atmospheric deposition would be the most likely source of contamination. The concentrations of detected CECs were below levels of concern to benthic invertebrates. Lakes associated with crop land use and the Upper Midwest ecoregion had the highest number of detections for 4-NP, 4-NP1EO, and bifenthrin. Lakes impacted by development had significantly higher (p 0.05) between land use categories for bifenthrin. For the first time, ambient background threshold values were calculated for 4-NP, 4-NP1EO, and bifenthrin to provide an indication of ambient sediment quality conditions represented by diffuse anthropogenic sources. This study demonstrated the benefit of analyzing CECs in sediments from small to medium-sized lakes, for which the random sampling design of future NLA studies could be utilized to fully assess the distribution and toxic potential of select CECs nationwide.
Brownian motors arranged on nontrivial networks to achieve fast transport

A method of calculating velocity, efficiency as well as coefficient of performance of the refrigerator in terms of complex generating functions is presented for a Brownian motor that operates between two heat baths. Based on the analytic method developed by Goldhirsch and Gefen (Phys Rev A 33:2583, 1986, Phys Rev A 35:1317, 1987), first the dependence for the velocity V, the efficiency $$\eta $$ as well as the coefficient of performance of the refrigerator $$P_{\text {ref}}$$ on model parameters is explored. Not only the previously known results are reconfirmed for a single Brownian engine but also the thermodynamic feature of M Brownian ratchets that are arranged in a complex network is investigated. The results that are shown in this paper depict that a proper arrangement of the motors on the network may achieve fast transport. It is shown that at a quasistatic limit, Carnot efficiency or Carnot refrigerator is attainable as long as the heat exchange via kinetic energy is omitted. For all cases, far from the quasistatic limit, the efficiency and the coefficient of performance of the refrigerator are far lower than Carnot efficiency or Carnot refrigerator. Moreover, a way of transporting a Brownian particle to a desired location in a network with many dangling bonds and loops is presented.
Advances in promoter engineering: Novel applications and predefined transcriptional control.

Synthetic biology continues to progress by relying on more robust tools for transcriptional control, of which promoters are the most fundamental component. Numerous studies have sought to characterize promoter function, determine principles to guide their engineering, and create promoters with stronger expression or tailored inducible control. In this review, we will summarize promoter architecture and highlight recent advances in the field, focusing on the novel applications of inducible promoter design and engineering towards metabolic engineering and cellular therapeutic development. Additionally, we will highlight how the expansion of new, machine learning techniques for modeling and engineering promoter sequences are enabling more accurate prediction of promoter characteristics. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT LAY SUMMARY: Promoter engineering encompasses the development of new promoters that exhibit properties that don't exist in native sequences, such as improved strength or unique inducibility. Novel promoters can be created by following various design paradigms and applying tools like machine learning. Promoter engineering has become an essential tool for many synthetic biology applications, ranging from metabolic engineering to cellular therapeutics.
The Regulation of Sprouting in the Adult Hippocampus: Some Insights from Developmental Studies

Sprouting, the reinnervation of partially denervated targets by residual afferents, has been observed in a number of brain areas in a variety of species (see Gall and Lynch 1980). The existence of this phenomenon has led to general acceptance of the idea that intact axons in the mammalian central nervous system retain some capacity for growth well into adulthood. However, recent studies have emphasized that sprouting in the adult is restricted in its extent and rather sluggish in its time course; these apparent limitations on the sprouting response raise a number of questions as to the nature of the factors which initiate, direct, and shape growth in the adult brain.
Comparison of Quadriceps Isokinetic Eccentric and Isokinetic Concentric Data Using a Standard Fatigue Protocol

. The purpose of the study was to compare fatigue development in concentric vs. eccentric muscular activation in the quadriceps of 15 healthy human subjects, controlling as many of the dynamic variables as possible. An isokinetic testing protocol was used, with knee joint angular velocity limited to 180 deg/sec, and with 40 repetitions through a range of motion of 75 deg constituting the fatigue-developing exercise. Quadriceps torque was measured via a robotic dynamometer, IEMG of the rectus femoris muscle was recorded, and a subjective pain rating scale was used to assess delayed muscle soreness following fatiguing exercise for concentric and eccentric tests. Eccentric peak torque to body weight ratio was greater than the concentric ratio (1.25 vs. 0.66, p < .001), significant torque fatigue developed in both eccentric and concentric tests (30.3% and 13.7%), and significant decline in IEMG occurred in both eccentric and concentric tests (17.0% and 15.1 %). The eccentric declines in torque and IEMG were not significantly different than the concentric declines. There was no clear difference in the pain reports associated with the two different exercise modes. Delayed onset muscle soreness was rated as mild (3 on scale of 10) at most during the 72-h surveillance period. It is concluded that the development of fatigue through eccentric muscular activation may stress the contractile mechanism less than that associated with concentric muscular contraction, and that standard clinical
Confusing Cause and Effect

This brief essay commenting on Paul Butler's article, "Race Based Jury Nullification: Black Power in the Criminal Justice System," prepared for the Criminal Law Conversations project, argues that Professor Butler's proposal of race-based jury nullification to address the African-American community's perception of racial injustice in the administration of the criminal laws, particularly the drug laws, confuses cause and effect. The most important cause of African-American dissatisfaction with the criminal justice system is its inability to keep inner-city communities safe. A regime of race-based jury nullification, in turn, would aggravate rather than ameliorate this serious problem.
Gluino contribution to the three loop beta function in the minimal supersymmetric standard model

We deduce the gluino contribution to the three-loop QCD {beta} function within the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM) from its standard QCD expression. The result is a first step in the computation of the full MSSM three-loop {beta} function. In addition, in the case of a light gluino it provides the strong three-loop SUSY correction to the extrapolation of the strong coupling constant from the low energy regime to the Z region and up to the squark threshold. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}
A Survey of Laboratory Facilities in College Physical Education Departments

(1950). A Survey of Laboratory Facilities in College Physical Education Departments. Research Quarterly. American Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation: Vol. 21, No. 4, pp. 420-423.
CREATIVE EVOLUTION AND THE CREATION OF MAN

This paper argues that Darwin's theory of evolution offers (at least) two modes of understanding the relation between life and human knowledge. On the one hand, Darwin can be included within a general turn to "life," in which human self-knowledge is part of a general unfolding of increasing awareness and anthropological reflexivity; life creates an organism, man, capable of discerning the logic of organic existence. On the other hand, Darwin offers the possibility of understanding life beyond the self-maintenance of organism and, therefore, beyond the rational of life's putative striving.
Parent Involvement Policy in Established and New Immigrant Destinations

Objectives This study examines how schools situated in different “contexts of reception” go about the critical task of engaging and supporting immigrant parents. Methods Using data from the 2003–04 National Center for Educational Statistics’ Schools and Staffing Surveys, we estimate regression models to test the effects of cultural brokers, teacher training, and professional development on school policies and practices specifically designed to engage and support immigrant parents as well as more traditional, school- and home-based parent involvement programs. Results We find cultural brokers and school attributes are more strongly associated with the type and magnitude of parent involvement programs in established destinations, whereas teacher training and in-service professional development are most consistently associated with these policies in new destination schools. We also find a strong association between minority principals (African American or Latino) and parent involvement programing in new destinations, suggesting that principals of color are taking an active role in addressing the needs of immigrant and minority parents. Conclusions As the U.S. population becomes increasingly multicultural, these findings have important policy implications for both federal and local governments.
Gewinnung großvolumiger Spongiosamengen zur autologen Knochentransplantation aus dem femoralen Markraum

Autologe Knochentransplantate haben aufgrund ihrer hervorragenden osteoinduktiven, osteogenetischen sowie osteokonduktiven Eigenschaften biomechanische Vorteile gegenuber kunstlichen Knochenpraparaten. Auch im Vergleich zu Kadavertransplantaten oder Xenotransplantaten sind diese aufgrund fehlender immunologischer Abstosung oder Ubertragung infektioser Erkrankungen vorteilhaft. Die limitierte Verfugbarkeit der autologen Knochenspongiosa bedingt es jedoch, bei grosen Knochendefekten auf oben genannte Knochenersatzstoffe zuruckzugreifen. Seit kurzem ist eine neue Technik verfugbar, welche die Gewinnung groserer Volumina an autologer Knochenspongiosa erlaubt. Wir berichten uber die Verwendung der „Reamer-Irrigator-Aspirator-“ (RIA-)Technik zur Gewinnung von Knochenspongiosa bei einem Patienten mit Pseudarthrose bei groser Defektzone des proximalen Femurs. Hierzu wurde das kontralaterale Femur in gesamter Lange aufgebohrt und die gewonnene Knochenspongiosa im Bereich der Pseudarthrose angelagert. Klinisch und radiologisch zeigte sich im Verlauf eine Ausheilung der Pseudarthrose ohne Entnahmemorbiditat.
Resident Education in School Health: An Issue Whose Time Has Come

The present reality of health care reform in the 1990s, along with the state of health of many American schoolchildren, creates an urgent need to look at the educational preparation of our future pediatricians in school health. Indeed, as detailed in much recent public health literature (ref Healthy Kids for the Year 2000: An Action Plan for Schools1), there is a recognition of the intertwined nature of health and learning, and the appreciation that school-age children with health problems, alcohol abuse, violent behaviors, school absence and/or failure, cigarette smoking, and poverty are increasingly a reflection of our country9s dismal state of physical and mental health. These young people are more likely unemployable and at long-term risk. Pediatrics as a specialty has always been a leader in trying to find solutions to child health issues. Pediatricians of the future, if their specialty is to remain viable, will need to understand and have the skills to deal with emerging social issues that affect children and their health status. Because school health has recently emerged at the national level as a crucial area to impact child health, it has become an important issue for pediatricians. Indeed, the school and its community are viewed as key in the widely publicized efforts to promote child health and, in turn, help children learn. The school is the place where the most significant long-term problems of future generations emerge and where those problems are dealt with, or, on occasion, it is the setting that provides the background for exposure to the problems of young people.
Cocaine self-administration-induced sensitization of the dopamine system (LB621)

The ability of cocaine to bind to, and inhibit the dopamine transporter (DAT) mediates the reinforcing effects of the compound and is essential for the maintenance of self-administration behaviors....
Enhanced Signal Processing Algorithms for the ASR-9 Weather Systems Processor

AbstractNew signal processing algorithms for the Airport Surveillance Radar-9 (ASR-9) Weather Systems Processor (WSP) are introduced. The Moving Clutter Spectral Processing for Uneven-Sampled Data with Dealiasing (MCSPUDD) algorithm suite removes isolated moving clutter targets and corrects aliased velocity values on a per-range-gate basis. The spectral differencing technique is applied to the low- and high-beam data to produce a dual-beam velocity estimate that is more accurate than the current autocorrelation-lag-1-based approach. Comparisons with Terminal Doppler Weather Radar (TDWR) data show that estimate errors are reduced by 8%, 15%, and 15% for the low-, high-, and dual-beam velocities, respectively.
Risk for CMV reactivation in children undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Tailoring pre-emptive CMV therapy to hematopoietic cell transplant recipients' risk for reactivation could make this approach more cost-effective. To determine the feasibility of creating a risk classification system for this purpose, we analyzed 169 pediatric HCTs involving seropositive recipients or donors. Using risk factors derived from multivariable analysis, we stratified patients as having no risk factors, any one, any two, or all three risk factors (age, donor type, and presence of GVHD). The cumulative incidence of reactivation was 4.7%, 10.1%, 21.1%, and 40.9%, respectively (P ≤ 0.001). These results demonstrate the feasibility of creating a risk classification schema. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2015;62:364-366. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Hole intraband relaxation and the exciton radiative lifetime in CdSe quantum dots

Summary form only given. Colloidal synthesis allows preparation of almost monodispersed semiconductor nanoparticles with sizes from 1 to 10 nm and size dispersions as small as 5%. These nanoparticles are also known as nanocrystals or colloidal quantum dots (QDs). The sub-10-nm size range corresponds to a regime of strong quantum confinement for which electronic energy structures exhibit a pronounced dependence on particle size. Tunable electronic structures combined with the ease of chemical manipulation, make colloidal QDs ideal building blocks for electronic and optical nanodevices. An important step towards realization of such devices is development of understanding of carrier relaxation processes in QDs and in particular the effect of QD size and surface properties on competition between radiative and nonradiative decay channels. In the present work, we apply femtosecond (fs) photoluminescence (PL) and transient absorption (TA) spectroscopies to study carrier relaxation dynamics in CdSe QDs and in particular to derive a radiative lifetime of the lowest exciton state.