cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Culturally Competent Therapy with Latinxs: Addressing Isolation

Social isolation and loneliness are major public health concerns in the U.S., and researchers have called for greater efforts to develop interventions to alleviate loneliness. Latinxs may be partic...
Student curriculum review team, 8 years later: Where we stand and opportunities for growth

The Student Curriculum Review Team (SCRT) was founded at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (JHUSOM) in 2012 to refine pre-clinical courses. Since then, SCRT has provided a voice for s...
Expected Returns and Expected Growth in Rents of Commercial Real Estate

We investigate whether the cap rate, that is, the rent-price ratio in commercial real estate incorporates information about future expected real estate returns and future growth in rents. Relying on transactions data spanning several years across fifty-three metropolitan areas in the U.S., we find that the cap rate captures fluctuations in expected returns for apartments, retail, as well as industrial properties. For offices, by contrast, the cap rate does not forecast returns even though adsditional evidence reveals that expected returns on offices are also time-varying. We link this varying success of the cap rate in forecastings commercial property returns to differences in the stochastic properties of their rental growth rates. The growth in office rents has a higher correlation with expected returns and is more volatile than for other property types. Taken together, these characteristics diminish the correlation between the cap rate and the future returns to offices.
Genome-wide association study of letrozole plasma concentrations identifies non-exonic variants that may affect CYP2A6 metabolic activity.

Objectives Letrozole is a nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitor used to treat hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer. Variability in letrozole efficacy and toxicity may be partially attributable to variable systemic drug exposure, which may be influenced by germline variants in the enzymes responsible for letrozole metabolism, including cytochrome P450 2A6 (CYP2A6). The objective of this genome-wide association study (GWAS) was to identify polymorphisms associated with steady-state letrozole concentrations. Methods The Exemestane and Letrozole Pharmacogenetics (ELPh) Study randomized postmenopausal patients with hormone-receptor-positive nonmetastatic breast cancer to letrozole or exemestane treatment. Germline DNA was collected pretreatment and blood samples were collected after 1 or 3 months of treatment to measure steady-state letrozole (and exemestane) plasma concentrations via HPLC/MS. Genome-wide genotyping was conducted on the Infinium Global Screening Array (>650 000 variants) followed by imputation. The association of each germline variant with age- and BMI-adjusted letrozole concentrations was tested in self-reported white patients via linear regression assuming an additive genetic model. Results There were 228 patients who met the study-specific inclusion criteria and had both DNA and letrozole concentration data for this GWAS. The association for one genotyped polymorphism (rs7937) with letrozole concentration surpassed genome-wide significance (P = 5.26 × 10-10), explaining 13% of the variability in untransformed steady-state letrozole concentrations. Imputation around rs7937 and in silico analyses identified rs56113850, a variant in the CYP2A6 intron that may affect CYP2A6 expression and activity. rs7937 was associated with age- and BMI-adjusted letrozole levels even after adjusting for genotype-predicted CYP2A6 metabolic phenotype (P = 3.86 × 10-10). Conclusion Our GWAS findings confirm that steady-state letrozole plasma concentrations are partially determined by germline polymorphisms that affect CYP2A6 activity, including variants near rs7937 such as the intronic rs56113850 variant. Further research is needed to confirm whether rs56113850 directly affects CYP2A6 activity and to integrate nonexonic variants into CYP2A6 phenotypic activity prediction systems.
Rupture of the Ascending Aorta in a Donor Heart during Ex-Vivo Transport: A Case Report

Purpose Problems encountered during transport of an ex-vivo donor heart perfusion device can have drastic consequences on graft function. We describe a case of aortic rupture occurring during ex-vivo transport for donation after cardiac death (DCD) heart transplantation. Methods Cardiac procurement in a DCD donor was performed in the standard fashion. Upon connection to the Transmedics Organ Care System, bleeding was noted to be originating from the posterior aortic wall, likely secondary to injury caused by the cardioplegia needle, inserted into the flaccid aorta of relatively small diameter. The site was successfully repaired and transport begun. The aorta was noted to be fragile during repair. Organ function parameters remained in the acceptable ranges throughout the transfer. Results As the transport vehicle approached the recipient center, an abrupt movement of the vehicle over a speed hump was followed by sudden drop in the perfusion pressure of the donor heart. Catastrophic bleeding was noted from a defect in the ascending aorta. Bleeding was controlled with digital pressure resulting in return of satisfactory perfusion pressures. The donor heart had minimal perfusion pressure for a total of five minutes. The donor heart was transported on the OCS emergently to the operating room where cardioplegia was delivered and the organ topically cooled. A defect adjacent to the original repair site was noted (image). As this was 2cm above the sinotubular junction, this area was trimmed and the heart was implanted in the standard fashion. Subsequent graft function was good, and the recipient was separated from cardiopulmonary bypass with routine levels of support. The recipient made an uneventful post-operative recovery. Conclusion This case illustrates an injury to the posterior wall of the aorta with subsequent major bleeding occurring during ex-vivo transport. Procurement teams should be familiar with the process of emergent conversion to conventional cold static preservation during organ transport.
Evaluating a Model for Developing Cognitively Diagnostic Adaptive Assessments: The Case of Young Children’s Length Measurement

We report on an innovative computer-adaptive assessment, the Comprehensive Research-based Early Math Ability Test (CREMAT), using the case of 1st- and 2nd-graders’ understanding of geometric measur...
In vitro inhibition of glutathione-S-transferase by dopamine and its metabolites, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetaldehyde and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid.

Abstract Parkinson’s disease is characterized by dopamine dyshomeostasis and oxidative stress. The aldehyde metabolite of dopamine, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetaldehyde (DOPAL), has been reported to be cytotoxic and capable of protein modification. Protein modification by DOPAL has been implicated in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease, but the complete pathology is unknown. Our findings show that DOPAL modifies glutathione S-transferase (GST), an important enzyme in the antioxidant defense system. DOPAL, dopamine, and the metabolite 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), inhibited the activity of GST isolated from N27 dopaminergic cells at an IC50 of 31.46 μM, 82.32 μM, and 260.0 μM, respectively. DOPAL, dopamine, and DOPAC inhibited commercially available equine liver GST at an IC50 of 23.72 μM, 32.17 μM, and 73.70 μM, respectively. This inhibition was time dependent and irreversible. 1 mM ʟ-cysteine or glutathione fully protected GST activity from DOPAL, DA, and DOPAC inhibition. 1 mM carnosine partially protected GST activity from DA inhibition. Furthermore, ʟ-cysteine was found to protect GST by forming a putative thiazolidine conjugate with DOPAL. We conclude that GST inactivation may be a part of the broader etiopathology of Parkinson’s disease.
Finance is Not Excused: Why Finance Should Not Flout Basic Principles of Statistics

Several features of financial research make it particularly prone to the occurrence of false discoveries. First, the probability of finding a positive (profitable investment strategy) is very low, due to intense competition. Second, true findings are mostly short-lived, as a result of the non-stationary nature of financial systems. Third, unlike in the natural sciences, it is rarely possible to verify statistical findings through controlled experiments. Finance’s inability to conduct controlled experiments makes it virtually impossible to debunk a false claim. One would hope that, in such a field, researchers would be particularly careful when conducting statistical inference. Sadly, the opposite is true. Tenure-seeking researchers publish thousands of academic articles that promote dubious investment strategies, without controlling for multiple testing. Some of those articles are written for, funded, or promoted by investment firms with a commercial interest. As a consequence, today’s academic finance exhibits some resemblance with medicine’s predicament during the 1950-2000 period, when Big Tobacco paid for thousands of studies in support of their bottom line. Unlike finance, medical journals today impose strict controls for multiple testing. Academic finance’s denial of its replication crisis risks its branding as a pseudoscience.
First Amendment Showdown: Intellectual Diversity Mandates and the Academic Marketplace

Once described as a quintessential marketplace of ideas by the Supreme Court of the United States, the academic marketplace has been criticized recently for institutionalizing a left-leaning ideology within its curriculum and academic discourse. As a result, national activists and organizations have been calling on state legislatures and university administrators to adopt policies and report on steps taken to encourage intellectual diversity and protect political and cultural minorities from faculty bias and academic retribution in the classroom and other university settings. But who would win a constitutional showdown between the academy and those seeking to infuse academic discourse with alternative viewpoints? Based on an analysis of the First Amendment concerns at stake in this ongoing controversy, this article concludes that university administrators should have the upper hand in such a constitutional challenge given the specific characteristics and selective nature of the academic marketplace.
Beauty, Art, and Sublimity, and the Symbolic Relationship Between Aesthetic Judgment and Moral Judgment in Kant

I give an analysis of Kant’s discussion of beauty in nature and art, and his discussion of sublimity, which is surprisingly under-appreciated. I argue that, as a result of the different symbolic relationships that the beautiful and the sublime have with the moral, these kinds of experiences, each in a different way, are instructive: The beautiful is especially capable of teaching us to love something without interest, and it cultivates a certain kind of freedom from the merely personal inclinations on which we tend to focus. The sublime, on the other hand, best captures what Kant calls ‘moral feeling,’ and it teaches us moral dignity. Sublimity not only makes us aware of reason’s power, but it teaches us that, in our practical lives, that power should be given due respect and that it should never be defeated by our inclinations. In this way, an experience of sublimity gives us, as it were, a revelation about reason, and we are carried to apply it to the practical.
The NASA NASTRAN structural analysis computer program - New content

Capabilities of a NASA-developed structural analysis computer program, NASTRAN, are evaluated with reference to finite-element modelling. Applications include the automotive industry as well as aerospace. It is noted that the range of sub-programs within NASTRAN has expanded, while keeping user cost low.
Acute Coronary Care and Diagnosis Related Groups

In 1983 the United States Congress amended the Social Security Act to include a new and prospectively determined payment system for in-hospital services for Medicare beneficiaries. This new Prospective Payment System (PPS) was government’s principal strategy for slowing the rapid rate of increase of Medicare expenditures and for at least delaying the forecasted insolvency of the Medicare trust fund. Bankruptcy of this fund was predicted from calculations based on two assumptions: (1) annual payments would continue to increase on behalf of an increasingly large number of individuals over age 65, and (2) these payments would not be offset by tax revenues from those entering the work force because they were entering at a slower rate than those attaining the age of 65 and leaving the work force.
Entrainment of the Non-24-hour Circadian Period of the Human Biological Clock to the 24-hour Day

It has long been hypothesized that exposure to bright light was required to entrain the non-24-h period of the human biological clock to the Earth’s 24.0-h day. We report here supplemental data from a previously published study (1) showing that even when exposed to light levels during wakefulness that are equivalent to candlelight (averaging only ∼1.5 lux in the angle of gaze), imposition of a periodic schedule of activity, sleep, meals and other routine daily activities is usually sufficient to maintain circadian entrainment to the 24.0-h day, but not to a 23.5-h or 24.6-h day. Our results indicate that either very dim light is biologically active in humans with regard to circadian photoreception and/or that the sleep-wake/rest-activity cycle itself can exert a greater influence on circadian entrainment than previously recognized. As we reported previously (1), our results also demonstrate functionally that in normally entrained, sighted adults the average intrinsic circadian period must be very near to 24 h. These results have major implications for understanding the mechanism by which the human biological clock is synchronized to environmental time and the pathophysiology of disorders of circadian regulation.
Ch. 7. Stochastic models in telecommunications for optimal design, control and performance evaluation

In this chapter stochastic models for high-speed networks viz. traffic models, buffer content process models, LAN models, etc. are considered. The stochastic models are used to obtain end-to-end Quality-of-Service (QoS) measures that the network must guarantee users in the future. The QoS measures or performance measures can be used in optimal design problems and admission control problems. Other aspects such as TCP, routing, leaky buckets, wireless networks, etc. are also considered.
Implicit Compensation for Career Employees in Public Defined Benefit Pension Plans: The Colorado PERA Case

We report on implicit compensation provided by the Colorado Public Employees Retirement Association plan using a unique data set of salary histories of recent university retirees. Implicit compensation is the difference between the expected present discounted value of retirement benefits and retirement account balances. Our results indicate sizable implicit compensation across four measures with strong evidence of significant relations on job class, retirement age, retirement period, and service years and some evidence of a gender effect. The results provide a historical baseline that should be useful in the design of compensation models with more realistic estimates of implcit retirement compensation.
Specialized and generalized dispersal systems: where does 'the paradigm' stand?

I explore the ‘specialization’ versus ‘generalization’ paradigm in frugivory and seed dispersal. This view predicts that some tropical trees produce nutritious fruits adapted for use by a small coterie of specialized frugivores that provide reliable seed dissemination. Other tree species are expected to offer superabundant fruits of lower nutritional reward, relying instead on common opportunistic frugivores that are individually less reliable, but collectively disperse seeds effectively. Though widely referenced, many aspects of ‘the paradigm’ are untested with tropical trees and avian frugivores, primarily because plant ecologists rarely determine whether ‘specialist’ or ‘generalist’ foragers are responsible for different patterns of seed distribution, while students of foraging behavior rarely determine the effects seed dispersal by different animals for survival of seeds or seedlings of ‘specialist’ or ‘generalist’ trees.
Chick cartilage chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan core protein. II. Nucleotide sequence of cDNA clone and localization of the S103L epitope.

A lambda gt11 expression library containing cDNA from total chick embryo was screened with S103L, a rat monoclonal antibody which reacts specifically with the core protein of the chick cartilage chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan. One clone was identified which produced a 220-kDa beta-galactosidase/S103L-binding fusion protein. Sequencing the entire 1.5-kilobase cDNA insert showed that it contained a single open reading frame, which encoded a portion of the proteoglycan core protein from the chondroitin sulfate domain. This was confirmed by comparison with amino acid sequence data from peptide CS-B, which was derived from the chondroitin sulfate domain (Krueger, R.C., Jr., Fields, T. A., Hildreth, J., IV, and Schwartz, N.B. (1990) J. Biol. Chem. 265, 12075-12087). Furthermore, the 3' end of the insert overlapped with 23 bases at the 5' end of the published sequence for the C-terminal globular domain (Sai, S., Tanaka, T., Kosher, R. A., and Tanzer, M. L. (1986) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 83, 5081-5085), which oriented this clone, as well as the CS peptide, along the protein core. The cDNA insert hybridized with a 9-kilobase mRNA from sternal chondrocytes as well as a similar sized message in brain but did not hybridize to any message from rat chondrosarcoma or from undifferentiated limb bud mesenchyme. In further studies, the fusion protein as well as a cyanogen bromide fragment (70 kDa) derived from it were isolated and shown to react with S103L, indicating that cleavage at methionine residues does not disrupt the antibody recognition site. Purification and N-terminal sequencing of the antigenic CNBr fragment derived from the fusion protein revealed that its N terminus is preceded by a methionine in the fusion protein and overlaps with the N terminus of peptide CS-B. As peptide CS-B is not recognized by S103L and the C terminus of peptide CS-B lies beyond the proteoglycan portion of the antigenic CNBr fragment, the S103L epitope is either contained within the 11 amino acids preceding the N terminus of peptide CS-B or it spans the clostripain cleavage site at the origin of the N terminus of peptide CS-B.
IL-7 Specifies B Cell Fate at the Common Lymphoid Progenitor to Pre-ProB Transition Stage by Maintaining Early B Cell Factor Expression

IL-7 plays a critical role in B cell fate decision by regulating early B cell factor (EBF) expression. However, it was not clear when IL-7 stimulation is necessary in hemato-/lymphopoiesis in adult mice. Here we show that pre-proB cells derived from IL-7-/- mice have lost B cell potential, despite up-regulation of EBF expression following IL-7 stimulation. Pre-proB cells from wild-type mice can give rise to proB cells in the absence of IL-7. In this case, EBF up-regulation during the transition from the pre-proB to proB stages occurs normally. In contrast, EBF expression by IL-7-/- pre-proB cells after IL-7 stimulation is approximately 20 times lower than wild-type pre-proB cells. In addition, only multipotent progenitors with higher levels of ectopic EBF can give rise to proB cells in the absence of IL-7. Therefore, the primary function of IL-7 before the pre-proB stage in B cell development is to maintain the EBF expression level above a certain threshold, which is necessary for pre-proB cells to further transit to the proB stage.
Games Cichlids Play

The Cichlid Fishes Nature9s Grand Experiment in Evolution. By George W. Barlow . Perseus, Cambridge, MA, 2000. 351 pp. $28, C$42.50. ISBN 0-7382-0376-9. Although it emphasizes reproductive behavior and parental care over other aspects of cichlid biology, this lively account of an extraordinarily diverse group of fishes will interest evolutionary biologists, ecologists, and aquarium enthusiasts alike.
Practical consideration for a continuous time digital spectrum analyzer

The authors propose a paradigm shift for digital spectrum analysis from a transform to a digital filter bank. With the digital filter bank, they gain an additional degree of freedom in the design of the windows, namely, the window length can be specified independently of the DFT length. The authors also explain the problem of measurement aliasing when more than one component fall within the passband of a DFT bin. With this digital filter bank point of view, they design a flat-top window with very sharp roll-off, achieving excellent frequency resolution. >
Concern Over Day Care

I strongly disagree with the speculations made by Kearsley et al. in their article.1 The authors found that the emergence of separation protest in infants was not affected by their attendance, throughout the major portion of the first 20 months, in a day-care center. Obviously, the babies9 experience in that day-care center did not interfere with the maturation and emergence of that important developmental landmark, separation anxiety and protest. The authors9 speculations, however, should not go unchallenged.
Cartoons, secularism, and inequality

In this article, I discuss the tragic attack on the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris on 7 January 2015. First, I comment on Didier Fassin's article ‘In the name of the Republic’, published in anthropology today in April 2015. I express my disagreement with him on the issue of laicite, and offer a critical examination of the concept, taking into account what I call ‘the Christian heritage of the secular state’. I then examine the various French reactions to the tragedy and focus on the history of the French state and its (post)colonial relations with French Islam to offer an explanation of the events.
A comprehensive analysis of cases litigated in the small case division of the U.S. Tax Court

ABSTRACT: This paper identifies a problematic area of the U.S. tax system involving the Small Case Division of the U.S. Tax Court (Small Tax Case Court) and makes policy recommendations that will help the Court operate more efficiently. In the Small Tax Case Court, a relatively small taxpayer can challenge the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) with minimal cost and formality. Little research has been conducted with respect to the type of issues litigated in the Small Tax Case Court and the success rate of taxpayers on these issues. In this paper, we present our analysis of the 1,660 cases which have been litigated in this court for the period 2001 through 2009. We identified the issues in each case and found that most of the issues fall into four main categories: family, penalties, trade or business expenses, and gross income. We also found that taxpayers won on all issues in 113 of the 1,660 cases, for a success rate of approximately 7 percent. For the four main issue categories, the taxpayer success rate w...
Associations between health risk appraisal scores and employee medical claims costs in a manufacturing company.

Abstract Background. The bivariate relationships between 18 health-related measures on a health appraisal and prospective medical claims costs were examined among 1,838 employees for three consecutive years. Methods. Employees were classified into high- or low-risk categories for each of the 18 health-related measures, and divided into high- or low-cost categories according to their averaged three-year medical costs respective to the mean of their sex/age subgroup. Results. Average annual medical costs for the 18 health-related measures were $67 to $778 higher for the employees classified at high risk. The high-cost category was statistically associated with high-risk status in 11 of 18 health-related measures with a high-cost/high-risk to high-cost/low-risk ratio of 1.26 to 2.50. The average annual medical claims costs were also significantly related to number of high-risk classifications. Discussion. This study provides strong statistical evidence that, regardless of age and sex, employees in this sampl...
GROUND STATE QUARKONIUM SPECTRAL FUNCTIONS ABOVE DECONFINEMENT.

We discuss the temperature-dependence of S-wave quarkonium spectral functions in a nonrelativistic Green's function approach and compare these to lattice QCD results.
Treatment of Escherichia coli O157:H7 inoculated alfalfa seeds and sprouts with electrolyzed oxidizing water.

Abstract Electrolyzed oxidizing water is a relatively new concept that has been utilized in agriculture, livestock management, medical sterilization, and food sanitation. Electrolyzed oxidizing (EO) water generated by passing sodium chloride solution through an EO water generator was used to treat alfalfa seeds and sprouts inoculated with a five-strain cocktail of nalidixic acid resistant Escherichia coli O157:H7. EO water had a pH of 2.6, an oxidation–reduction potential of 1150 mV and about 50 ppm free chlorine. The percentage reduction in bacterial load was determined for reaction times of 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64 min. Mechanical agitation was done while treating the seeds at different time intervals to increase the effectiveness of the treatment. Since E. coli O157:H7 was released due to soaking during treatment, the initial counts on seeds and sprouts were determined by soaking the contaminated seeds/sprouts in 0.1% peptone water for a period equivalent to treatment time. The samples were then pummeled in 0.1% peptone water and spread plated on tryptic soy agar with 50 μg/ml of nalidixic acid (TSAN). Results showed that there were reductions between 38.2% and 97.1% (0.22–1.56 log 10 CFU/g) in the bacterial load of treated seeds. The reductions for sprouts were between 91.1% and 99.8% (1.05–2.72 log 10 CFU/g). An increase in treatment time increased the percentage reduction of E. coli O157:H7. However, germination of the treated seeds reduced from 92% to 49% as amperage to make EO water and soaking time increased. EO water did not cause any visible damage to the sprouts.
Hypnosis in Reproductive Health Care: A Review and Case Reports

Hypnosis has many applications in the field of reproductive health care. This paper describes its use in the treatment of sexual dysfunction, urinary incontinence, chronic pelvic pain, hyperemesis gravidarum, and pain relief in labor and delivery. Four case reports are used for illustration. Misconceptions about the risks and benefits of hypnosis are discussed. Information about training for clinicians in hypnosis is described.
Diosgenin stimulation of fecal cholesterol excretion in mice is not NPC1L1 dependent

Diosgenin exists in some food supplements and herbal medicines and lowers plasma cholesterol by increasing fecal cholesterol excretion. It is believed that diosgenin promotes fecal cholesterol excretion by stimulating biliary cholesterol secretion and decreasing intestinal cholesterol absorption. Niemann-Pick C1-like 1 (NPC1L1) was recently identified as an essential protein for intestinal cholesterol absorption. To determine the relative contribution of biliary secretion and intestinal absorption of cholesterol in diosgenin-stimulated fecal cholesterol excretion, wild-type (WT) and NPC1L1-knockout (L1KO) mice were fed a diet with or without 1% diosgenin. Fecal cholesterol excretion (μmol/day/100 g body weight) increased in diosgenin-fed WT and L1KO mice from 4.2 to 52 and from 63 to 140, respectively. Surprisingly, this increase in diosgenin-treated versus untreated L1KO mice (77) was even greater than that seen in diosgenin-treated versus untreated WT mice (47.8). Additionally, WT and L1KO mice fed the diosgenin diet had similar increases in biliary cholesterol concentration, despite unaltered hepatic expression of the hepatobiliary cholesterol transporter, ATP binding cassette transporters G5 and G8. Facilitated cholesterol excretion in diosgenin-treated WT and L1KO mice was associated with decreased hepatic and plasma cholesterol and increased liver expression of cholesterol synthetic genes. In contrast, diosgenin had no effect on the intestinal expression of NPC1L1 and cholesterol synthetic genes. In an in vitro assay, diosgenin was unable to block NPC1L1-dependent cholesterol uptake. In conclusion, diosgenin stimulation of fecal cholesterol excretion is independent of NPC1L1-mediated cholesterol absorption.
Observations on the biology of Octomyomermis muspratti, a nematode parasite of mosquitoes

Abstract The mosquito parasite Octomyomermis muspratti was able to infect mosquitoes in diluted sea water with conductivity readings of 4000 μmho/cm and in all dilutions of organically rich tree-hole water. In contrast, the infectivity of Romanomermis culicivorax, a more extensively studied species, was adversely affected in dilutions of sea water with conductivity of 1500 μmho/cm and no infections were observed at concentrations above 3000 μmho/cm. Also, R. culicivorax failed to infect hosts at any dilution of the tree-hole water. Diet was shown to have an effect on male-female sex ratios in developing O. muspratti, and this may be employed to enhance a better male-female ratio in laboratory cultures of this nematode. When cultures of O. muspratti were flooded every 3–4 months, they continued to produce infective-stage nematodes for up to 5 years. Also, cultures that were repeatedly flooded produced infective nematodes for more than 39 floodings.
Estimates of animal methane emissions.

The enteric methane emissions into the atmospheric annually from domestic animals total about 77 Tg. Another 10 to 14 Tg are likely released from animal manure disposal systems. About 95% of global animal enteric methane is from ruminants, a consequence of their large populations, body size and appetites combined with the extensive degree of anaerobic microbial fermentation occurring in their gut. Accurate methane estimates are particularly sensitive to cattle and buffalo census numbers and estimated diet consumption. Since consumption is largely unknown and must be predicted, accuracy is limited often by the information required, i.e., distribution of animals by class, weight and productivity. Fraction of the diet lost as enteric methane mostly falls into the range of 5.5–6.5% of gross energy intake for the world's cattle, sheep and goats. Manure methane emissions are heavily influenced by fraction of disposal by anaerobic lagoon. Non-ruminants, i.e., swine, become major contributors to these emissions.
The non-contraceptive effects of the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine device

Clinical trials have consistently shown that the IUD that releases 20 μg levonorgestrel daily (LNG-IUD-20) has a contraceptive efficacy comparable to, if not surpassing, the Copper T380 and the Multiload Copper-375 IUDs. The focus of this review is the device's non-contraceptive effects — the beneficial ones, such as reduction of menorrhagia, a therapeutic effect on dysmenorrhea, and prevention of ectopic pregnancy, as well as the deleterious ones, such as amenorrhea, spotting and irregular bleeding, hormonal side-effects, and functional ovarian cysts. Also discussed are the possibility of a preventive effect on pelvic inflammatory disease, the effects of the IUD on postpartum/lactating women, fertility return after removal and other safety issues. In general, the LNG-IUD-20's non-contraceptive benefits are substantive, carry important medical and public health implications, and far outweigh the device's deleterious effects, which are either medically mild or transient in nature, and can usually be managed satisfactorily by counseling. A better understanding of these effects, both beneficial and deleterious, of this hormone-releasing IUD should lead to more effective patient counseling, which, in turn, should improve user quality of life, minimize unnecessary removals, and maximize continuation of use.
An Investigation of the Relationships among Employee Empowerment, Employee Perceived Service Quality, and Employee Job Satisfaction in a U.S. Hospitality Organization

Service organizations wish to retain loyal customers to achieve business goals. With a greater level of uncertainty coming from increasingly demanding customers, service organizations need to empower their employees to go extra miles to meet customer expectations. Using the data from an opinion survey at a U.S. hospitality organization, this study examines the relationships among employee empowerment, employee perceived service quality, and job satisfaction. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were conducted to test the hypothesized model. Results show that employee empowerment has positive effects on employee perceived service quality and job satisfaction.
Feeding Frequency Affects Growth, Not Fillet Composition, of Juvenile Sunshine Bass Morone chrysops×M. saxatilis Grown in Cages

.— In an effort to feed sunshine bass Morone chrysops×M. saxatilis efficiently, promote optimal growth, and reduce labor costs associated with feeding, sunshine bass were grown in cages and fed one of four feeding frequencies: once/d, twice/d, once every other day (I X/EOD), and twice every other day (2X/EOD) for 21 wk. Juvenile sunshine bass were fed a commercial floating diet containing 40% protein and 11.5% lipid. One hundred fish were hand-counted and stocked into each of 12 3.5-m3 cages with three replications per treatment. At the conclusion of the study, percentage weight gain of sunshine bass fed twice/d was significantly (P 0.05) among all treatments and averaged 70.4%r. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) of fish fed twice/d was significantly higher (2.40) compared to fish fed all other feeding regimes. Percentage fillet weight of fish fed twice/d was significantly higher (27.8%) compared to all other treatments. Percentage moisture, protein, lipid, and ash in fillet were not significantly different among all treatments and averaged 75.7%, 19.4%, 3.5%, and 1.2%n, respectively (wet-weight basis). Based upon data from the present study, it appears that producers growing juvenile sunshine bass in cages may want to feed fish twice daily. This feeding regimen allows for higher growth rates, without adverse effects on body or fillet compositions. However, economic analysis needs to be conducted to determine if feeding twice/d is profitable.
Adaptive directional region growing segmentation of the hepatic vasculature

Accurate analysis of the hepatic vasculature is of great importance for many medical applications, such as liver surgical planning and diagnosis of tumors and/or vascular diseases. Vessel segmentation is a pivotal step for the morphological and topological analysis of the vascular systems. Physical imaging limitations together with the inherent geometrical complexity of the vessels make the problem challenging. In this paper, we propose a series of methods and techniques that separate and segment the portal vein and the hepatic vein from CT images, and extract the centerlines of both vessel trees. We compare the results obtained with our iterative segmentation-and-reconnection approach with those obtained with a traditional region growing method, and we show that our results are substantially better.
Water Diffusion in Silica Glass and Wet Oxidation of Si: An Interpretation for the High Speed of Wet Oxidation

It has been postulated that the molecular water, H 2 O, is mobile but the hydroxyl water, OH, is immobile in silica glass. Further, it has been theorized that H 2 O and OH are held in a strict equilibrium. This study investigates the behavior of H 2 O in the oxidation of silicon: It was found that the strict equilibrium was not held, and fast-moving H 2 O was found to cause silicon oxidation. It is suggested that the diffusion of molecular water, which can diffuse faster than oxygen and has not been directly observed in a normal water diffusion study in silica glass, is responsible for the faster oxidation of silicon in wet oxidation than in dry (oxygen) oxidation. Some indirect evidence for such fast moving molecular water is presented.
In Whose Interest? A First Look at National Survey Data on Interest‐Based Bargaining in Labor Relations

The first national survey data on interest-based bargaining (IBB) in labor relations reveal broad awareness of IBB, contrasting union and management views, and variation by negotiator experience and gender. A majority of negotiators are aware of IBB, and approximately one-third of management negotiators and nearly one-half of union negotiators report using IBB in prior negotiations. An exploratory analysis of the relationships between IBB preferences and contract outcomes suggests that the process is producing more than a simple “mutual gains” pattern of outcomes. Based on these initial results, two hypotheses are suggested as the focus for future studies of the diffusion and sustainability of IBB in collective bargaining.
Sodium intake among people with normal and high blood pressure.

Background The American Heart Association recommends no more than 2400 mg of sodium intake per day for healthy adults. Healthy People 2010 goals are to increase the proportion of persons who consume 2400 mg or less of sodium daily. We examined daily sodium intake among people with and without high blood pressure. Methods We used data for participants aged ≥20 years from the 1999–2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Of 4011 participants included in this analysis, 1673 were identified as hypertensive by self report, with systolic blood pressure ≥140 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mm Hg. Dietary sodium intake was computed from foods and beverages consumed during the 24 hours prior to interview. Results Mean sodium intake among participants with and without high blood pressure was 3330 mg/day and 3600 mg/day (geometric means, 2885 mg/day and 3146 mg/day), respectively. The difference between the two groups, using log-transformed sodium intake, was statistically significant ( p p Conclusions Although participants with hypertension reported lower intake of dietary sodium than those with normal blood pressure, daily intake of sodium was much higher than the recommendations in both groups. Increased efforts are needed to reduce sodium intake to achieve Healthy People 2010 goals.
Machine-to-Machine Communications and Security Solution in Cellular Systems

This paper introduces an efficient machine-to-machine M2M communication model based on 4G cellular systems. M2M terminals are capable of establishing Ad Hoc clusters wherever they are close enough. It is also possible to extend the cellular coverage for M2M terminals through multi-hop Ad Hoc connections. The M2M terminal structure is proposed accordingly to meet the mass production and security requirements. The security becomes more critical in Ad Hoc mode as new nodes attach to the cluster. A simplified protocol stack is considered here, while key components are introduced to provide secure communications between M2M and the network and also amongst M2M terminals.
Teaching race and ethnic relations: Do the right thing

Abstract This article demonstrates how the film Do The Right Thing can be used to bring alive for students the concepts of the race and ethnic relations field. Situations and characters in the film illustrate concepts such as: power and authority; stratification; DuBois’ notion of ‘double consciousness'; ‘internal colony'; and the construction of racial and ethnic identities and stereotypes. Scenes and scripts by the characters of the film are used as benchmark qualitative data to demonstrate a wide range of beliefs and feelings in response to prejudice, discrimination and racism in an urban environment. The historical vicissitudes and cultural values of groups, as well as the experiences of individual characters, are given some interpretation to provide analytical insights into the events which lead to the riot. Discussion topics are presented at the conclusion of each scene and/or script to stimulate student discussion and critical thinking on intellectual and emotional barriers to understanding racial ...
The Interaction of Building Codes and Housing Prices

The study analyzes the effect of restrictive building codes on the price of housing, and the simultaneous impact of housing values on the strictness of codes. A model is defined and estimated, using data for more than 1100 localities. The results show that strict codes raised housing values, in 1970, by about one thousand dollars. They furthermore show that the strictness of codes is in turn affected by housing values, as well as by the strength of construction unions. Homeowners and construction unions are thus both observed to gain from restrictive building codes, which can explain the prevalence of such regulations.
Empirical likelihood inference for the regression model of mean quality-adjusted lifetime with censored data.

The authors consider the empirical likelihood method for the regression model of mean quality-adjusted lifetime with right censoring. They show that an empirical log-likelihood ratio for the vector of the regression parameters is asymptotically a weighted sum of independent chi-squared random variables. They adjust this empirical log-likelihood ratio so that the limiting distribution is a standard chi-square and construct corresponding confidence regions. Simulation studies lead them to conclude that empirical likelihood methods outperform the normal approximation methods in terms of coverage probability. They illustrate their methods with a data example from a breast cancer clinical trial study. L'emploi de la vraisemblance empirique pour l'inference en presence de donnees censurees dans un modele de regression pour la longevite moyenne modulee par la qualite de vie Les auteurs s'interessent a l'emploi de la vraisemblance empirique en presence de censure a droite dans le cadre d'un modele de regression pour la longevite moyenne modulee par la qualite de vie. Ils montrent qu'un rapport de log-vraisemblances empiriques pour le vecteur des parametres de regression se comporte asymptotiquement comme une somme ponderee de variables du khi-deux independantes. Ils modifient le rapport de log-vraisemblances pour que la loi limite soit un khi-deux standard et ils en deduisent des regions de confiance. Des simulations les amenent a conclure que la vraisemblance empirique donne de meilleurs resultats que les approximations normales en terme de probabilite de couverture. Ils illustrent leur propos a l'aide de donnees issues d'essais cliniques sur le cancer du sein.
Interaction of nicotinic and histamine H3 systems in the radial-arm maze repeated acquisition task

Abstract Nicotinic systems have been found in a variety of studies to play important roles in cognitive function. Nicotinic involvement in different aspects of cognitive function such as learning vs. memory may differ. We have found in rats that the spatial repeated acquisition task in the radial-arm maze is significantly improved by low doses of the nicotinic receptor antagonist mecamylamine, the atypical nicotinic receptor ligand lobeline, as well as the α7 nicotinic receptor agonist ARR-17779. Interestingly, nicotine in the same dose range that improves working memory in the win-shift radial maze task was not effective in improving repeated acquisition performance. Nicotinic systems interact with a variety of other neural systems. Differential involvement of these extended effects with learning vs. memory may help explain differential effects of nicotinic drugs with these cognitive functions. Histamine H3 receptor antagonists have been shown by some studies to improve cognitive function, but others have not found this effect and some have found impairment. Nicotine stimulates the release of histamine. This effect may counter other cascading effects of nicotine in the performance of learning and memory tasks. A specific test of this hypothesis involves our study of nicotine (0.1–0.4 mg/kg) interactions with the histamine H3 receptor antagonist thioperamide (2.5–10 mg/kg) on learning memory in the repeated acquisition test in the radial-arm maze. The highest dose of thioperamide tested caused a significant choice accuracy impairment, which was most evident during the later portions of the learning curve. The highest dose of nicotine did not change overall errors but did cause a significant impairment in learning over trials. The choice accuracy impairment induced by thioperamide was significantly attenuated by nicotine (0.4 mg/kg). The learning impairment caused by the highest dose of nicotine was significantly attenuated by thioperamide. Thioperamide also caused a slowing of response, an effect, which was attenuated by nicotine co-administration. The repeated acquisition test can help differentiate acute drug effects on learning. Nicotine and thioperamide effectively reversed each other's choice accuracy impairment even though each by itself impaired accuracy.
Helmholtz beam propagation in rib waveguides and couplers by iterative Lanczos reduction

The solution of the Helmholtz equation requires the application of an exponentiated square root operator to an initial field. This operation is greatly facilitated by the introduction of a representation in which the above-mentioned operator is diagonal. The Lanczos method permits this diagonalization to be performed in a low-dimensional space and the propagation to be carried out to arbitrary order. An iteration scheme to be carried out in conjunction with the Lanczos method is also described. This scheme permits, in principle, the bound mode of a monomode waveguide to be calculated to machine accuracy. Results for some well-known test examples of rib waveguides are presented.
Vapor Phase Exposure to Acetaldehyde Generated from Ethanol Inhibits Bovine Bronchial Epithelial Cell Ciliary Motility

Acetaldehyde is a toxic product of the oxidation of ethanol and is known to induce slowing of ciliary motility in airway epithelium. Alcohol ingestion results in high exhaled breath concentrations of ethanol where lung microsomes and upper airway bacterial flora are capable of metabolizing it to acetaldehyde. Because acetaldehyde is very volatile, we hypothesized that the production and release of acetaldehyde vapor into the airway may result in ciliary slowing or ciliastasis. To test this hypothesis, ciliated bovine bronchial airway epithelial cells were maintained on collagen-coated dishes for 48 hr before coincubation with a separate dish containing control or test mixtures. In this arrangement, the ciliated cells were exposed only to the volatile components of the separate dish. The separate dish contained ethanol, acetaldehyde, or an acetaldehyde-generating system (AGS) that consisted of ethanol + glucose + glucose oxidase + catalase. This mixture was placed next to the ciliated cells within in a transparent sealed chamber. Ciliary motility was recorded at room temperature by video microscopy, and ciliary beat frequency was determined using computerized frequency spectrum analysis. Exposure to the AGS resulted in time- and concentration-dependent ciliary slowing with complete ciliastasis, with as low as 20 mM ethanol in the AGS. Direct vapor phase exposure to acetaldehyde alone served as a positive control and also resulted in time-dependent ciliary slowing with complete ciliastasis reached by 4 hr. The AGS-induced ciliastasis was reached 2 hr later than with acetaldehyde alone. When cells were pretreated with cyanamide, which is known to block acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, the time to ciliastasis was decreased by 10-30 min compared with untreated cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)