cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Time-Resolved Electron—Hole Plasma and Optical Phonon Interaction in GaP

The interaction of an optically generated non-stationary electron-hole plasma with coherently excited optical phonons has been investigated through TR-CARS. A non-exponential phonon decay is observed in the presence of a non-stationary two-component plasma.
Lysyl oxidase propeptide promotes adipogenesis through inhibition of FGF-2 signaling.

ABSTRACTLysyl oxidase (LOX) catalyzes the oxidative deamination of lysine residues in collagen and elastin, key components of connective tissue. LOX is synthesized as an inactive 50 kD pre-proenzyme, and secreted to the extracellular matrix where it is cleaved into an active 32 kD LOX, and an 18kD free propeptide (LOX-PP), purportedly an inhibitor of fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) signaling. Given that adipocytes are distributed inside the connective tissue, it is likely that LOX-PP has an important regulatory role in adipogenesis, which has not been studied. Using NIH 3T3-L1 cells, we observed that FGF-2 inhibited adipogenesis, and LOX-PP promoted adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 cells in the presence of FGF-2; the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) γ and CCAAT-enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) α, two markers of adipogenesis, were enhanced in the presence of LOX-PP. We further observed that LOX-PP down-regulated AKT and ERK1/2, two proliferative signaling proteins down-stream of FGF...
Fault diagnosis of power cable shielded plug-type uncharged separable connector

Studying the fault power cable shielded plug-type uncharged separable connector, considering the construction technology, design technology and material properties, the tests were designed for the sample to find out the reasons. With the compare of the size verification between the connector tested and mainstream products, the advantages and disadvantages of the connector tested could be acquired. Then electrical tests on the sample were done to verify the electrical performance of the sample. Firstly, withstand-voltage test and partial discharge test were studied for detect the connector main insulation. Secondly, the shield resistance and shielding leakage current test were designed to study the semi-conductive performance. Thirdly, testing the shield resistance after aging, the performance of connector running for a long time was analyzed. Finally, using moist air to simulate the operating environment, the shield leakage current was test to judge the product performance. According to the tests, the reasons of the shielded plug-type uncharged separable connector fault could be found.
Exploring the relationships among age, spiritual struggles, and health

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study is to address two issues. First, an effort is made to see if there are age differences in the prevalence of spiritual struggles. Second, tests are performed to see if age differences exist in the relationship between spiritual struggles and physical health. Data from a recent nationwide survey reveal that younger adults report that they encounter more spiritual struggles than either middle-aged or older adults. The findings further indicate that the negative relationship between spiritual struggles and health tends to become more pronounced at successively older ages.
Evaluating hands-on labs for teaching SQL injection: a comparative study

Hands-on labs have been proved to be effective in improving students learning and motivation. This paper presents the results of an assessment study conducted to compare hands-on labs for teaching SQL Injection. Two hands-on labs were selected as control group and experimental group teaching methods respectively. The goal is to find out whether one hands-on lab is more effective than the other hands-on lab in terms of improvement in student learning outcomes, student motivation, and student experiences. Our study results can provide insights for instructors of cybersecurity in selecting appropriate teaching tools for their classes.
Abstract 442: Intralipid Protects the Heart in Late Pregnancy Against Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury by Reducing Cardiomyocyte Apoptosis via Mir122 Induction

The prevalence of coronary artery disease in late pregnancy (LP) has increased recently due to significant changes in women’s lifestyle patterns (age, stress, smoking, diabetes and chronic hyperten...
Induction of senescence-like growth arrest in melanocytes and malignant melanoma cells by human polynucleotide phosphorylase (hPNPaseold-35).

2413 Terminal differentiation and senescence are two physiological processes that show overlapping properties including irreversible growth arrest and changes in gene expression profiles. To identify genes that lie at the core of these two phenomena we employed an overlapping pathway screening strategy that involved probing a library from melanoma cells, that are induced to differentiate with interferon-β and the protein kinase C activator mezerein, with cDNAs from senescent progeroid cells. This led to the identification of human polynucleotide phosphorylase (hPNPaseold-35), an early interferon-responsive gene having 3’-5’ exoribonuclease properties, that is upregulated during differentiation and senescence. Overexpression of hPNPaseold-35 in melanoma cells via a replication-incompetent adenovirus (Ad.hPNPaseold-35) inhibited growth and colony formation indicating the involvement of hPNPaseold-35 in differentiation and senescence-associated growth arrest. We presently investigated the molecular mechanism of growth inhibition by hPNPaseold-35. Infection of melanoma cells with Ad.hPNPaseold-35 resulted in cell cycle arrest in G1 phase, followed by apoptotic death, with concomitant reduction in S phase indicating inhibition of DNA synthesis. Ad.hPNPaseold-35 infection in melanocytes and melanoma cells resulted in a significant increase in senescence-associated β-galatosidase positive cells, a classical marker of senescence. At the molecular level, Ad.hPNPaseold-35 infection modulated the expression of genes that control G1 check-point, such as cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors, Rb, E2F1 and c-myc. In melanoma cells, infection with Ad.hPNPaseold-35 reduced c-myc, both mRNA and protein, and hPNPaseOLD-35 protein could degrade c-myc mRNA in vitro indicating that c-myc might be a direct target of hPNPaseold-35. This observation was supported by the finding that overexpression of c-myc could rescue melanoma cells from hPNPaseold-35-mediated growth arrest. Additionally, Ad.hPNPaseold-35 infection significantly inhibited telomerase activity, which is also a feature of senescence. These findings indicate that hPNPaseold-35 might be a novel component of the molecular machinery governing senescence and inhibition of hPNPaseold-35 expression might serve as a potential approach for prolonging longevity.
Development of an aggressive bark beetle on novel hosts: Implications for outbreaks in an invaded range

Some subcortical insects have devastating effects on native tree communities in new ranges, despite benign interactions with their historical hosts. Examples of how insects, aggressive in their native habitat might respond in novel host environs are less common. One aggressive tree-killing insect undergoing a dramatic range shift is the mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins). Ongoing eastward expansion by the mountain pine beetle through the previously climatically unsuitable Canadian boreal forest may have large-scale impacts on north eastern North American pine forests. No systematic studies have been conducted on potential reproduction of mountain pine beetle on pines common to north eastern North America. We report reproduction of mountain pine beetle in logs of novel pine species (jack, Pinus banksiana Lamb; red, Pinus resinosa Ait.; eastern white, Pinus strobus L.; and Scots Pinus sylvestris L.) compared to the two most common pine hosts in its historical range (ponderosa, Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex. Laws. var. scopulorum Engelm. and lodgepole Pinus contorta Dougl. var. latifolia Engelm.) in a two year study. Successful reproduction of mountain pine beetle occurred in all novel hosts, demonstrating that constitutive defences pose no barrier to further range expansion. Despite the number of progeny in novel hosts on par with that of historical hosts, a greater number of adult brood in novel hosts died prior to emergence. Brood mortality was correlated with the number of brood that developed to adulthood prior to winter, particularly in red pine. Brood developed more rapidly in novel vs. historical pine hosts and, the summer after a warm fall, exhibited less synchronized emergence in novel hosts. Synthesis and applications. Outbreaks by an aggressive bark beetle may be possible outside its historical host range, but constrained by an interaction between host and seasonality. Our results suggest that pines common to north eastern North America are suitable hosts for mountain pine beetle and highlight the value of monitoring efforts and response preparations as the insect moves eastward.
Rigor/Us: Building Boundaries and Disciplining Diversity with Standards of Merit

ABSTRACTRigor is the aspirational quality academics apply to disciplinary standards of quality. Rigor's particular role in engineering created conditions for its transfer and adaptation in the recently emergent discipline of engineering education research. ‘Rigorous engineering education research’ and the related ‘evidence-based’ research and practice movement in STEM education have resulted in a proliferation of boundary drawing exercises that mimic those in engineering disciplines, shaping the development of new knowledge and ‘improved’ practice in engineering education. Rigor accomplishes dirty deeds, however, serving three primary ends across engineering, engineering education, and engineering education research: disciplining, demarcating boundaries, and demonstrating white male heterosexual privilege. Understanding how rigor reproduces inequality, we cannot reinvent it but rather must relinquish it, looking to alternative conceptualizations for evaluating knowledge, welcoming diverse ways of knowing,...
Characteristics and treatment of African-American and European-American patients with resistant hypertension identified using the electronic health record in an academic health centre: a case−control study

Objective To identify patients with hypertension with resistant and controlled blood pressure (BP) using electronic health records (EHRs) in order to elucidate practices in the real-world clinical treatment of hypertension and to enable future genetic studies. Design Using EHRs, we developed and validated algorithms to identify patients with resistant and controlled hypertension. Setting An academic medical centre in Nashville, Tennessee. Population European-American (EA) and African-American (AA) patients with hypertension. Main outcome measures Demographic characteristics: race, age, gender, body mass index, outpatient BPs and the history of diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease stage 3, ischaemic heart disease, transient ischaemic attack, atrial fibrillation and sleep apnoea. Medication treatment All antihypertensive medication classes prescribed to a patient at the time of classification and ever prescribed following classification. Results The algorithms had performance metrics exceeding 92%. The prevalence of resistant hypertension in the total hypertensive population was 7.3% in EA and 10.5% in AA. At diagnosis, AA were younger, heavier, more often female and had a higher incidence of type 2 diabetes and higher BPs than EA. AA with resistant hypertension were more likely to be treated with vasodilators, dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers and alpha-2 agonists while EA were more likely to be treated with angiotensin receptor blockers, renin inhibitors and beta blockers. Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists use was increased in patients treated with more than four antihypertensive medications compared with patients treated with three (12.4% vs 2.6% in EA, p Conclusions Clinical treatment of resistant hypertension differs in EA and AA patients. These results demonstrate the feasibility of identifying resistant hypertension using an EHR.
Affine Connection Complexes

Affine connections of 1-forms, rather than vector fields, induce complexes that project to the de Rham complexes of the underlying manifolds. This observation provides short direct proofs of Bianchi identities, existence and uniqueness of Levi-Civita connections, and symmetries of the Riemann curvature tensor.
What’s Your Point?

In this study of computer-mediated communication (CMC), Chinese and American students were paired cross-culturally and within same- and mixed-gender dyads. IM transcripts were analyzed for linguistic indicators of conversational management and interactional style. Our results revealed interesting interaction effect of culture and gender pairings. Females used more indicators of interaction style and males used a conversational management strategy for achieving their conversational aims. However, both Chinese males and females were more linguistically active when paired with an American of the opposite gender, while American females displayed more cultural acceptance when paired with a Chinese female than a Chinese male. American males talked more when paired with a Chinese male than when paired with a Chinese female. These findings have implications for working in global virtual teams and system design for cross-cultural collaborations.
The tumor suppressor p53 promotes carcinoma invasion and collective cellular migration

For migration of the single cell studied in isolation, loss of function of the tumor suppressor p53 is thought to increase cell motility. Here by contrast we used the 2-D confluent cell layer and the 3-D multicellular spheroid to investigate how p53 impacts dissemination and invasion of cellular collectives. We used two human carcinoma cell lines, the bladder carcinoma EJ and the colorectal carcinoma HCT116. We began by replicating single cell invasion in the traditional Boyden chamber assay, and found that the number of invading cells increased with loss of p53, as expected. In the confluent 2-D cell layer, however, for both EJ and HCT, speeds and effective diffusion coefficients for the p53 null types compared to their p53 expressing counterparts were significantly smaller. Compared to p53 expressers, p53 null cells exhibited more organized cortical actin rings together with reduced front-rear cell polarity. Furthermore, loss of p53 caused cells to exert smaller traction forces upon their substrates, and reduced formation of cryptic lamellipodia. In a 3-D collagen matrix, p53 consistently promoted invasion of the multicellular spheroids into surrounding matrix. Together, these results show that p53 expression in these carcinoma model systems increases collective cellular migration and invasion. As such, these studies point to paradoxical contributions of p53 in single cell versus collective cellular migration.
Impact of an Intimate Partner Violence Training on Home Visitors' Perceived Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities to Address Intimate Partner Violence Experienced by Their Clients.

Aims. The aims of this study were to (1) evaluate the effects of a statewide intimate partner violence (IPV) training on home visitors’ perceived knowledge, skills, and abilities to address IPV exp...
Mobiliti: Scalable Transportation Simulation Using High-Performance Parallel Computing

Transportation systems are becoming increasingly complex with the evolution of emerging technologies, including deeper connectivity and automation, which will require more advanced control mechanisms for efficient operation (in terms of energy, mobility, and productivity). Stakeholders, including government agencies, industry, and local populations, all have an interest in efficient outcomes, yet there are few tools for developing a holistic understanding of urban dynamics. Simulating large-scale, high-fidelity transportation systems can help, but remains a challenging task, due to the computational demand of processing massive numbers of events and the nonlinear interactions between system components and traveling agents. In this paper, we introduce Mobiliti, a proof-of-concept, scalable transportation system simulator that implements parallel discrete event simulation on high-performance computers. We instantiated millions of nodes, links, and agents to simulate the movement of the population through the San Francisco Bay Area road network and provide estimates of the associated congestion, energy usage, and productivity loss. Our preliminary results show excellent scalability on multiple compute nodes for statically-routed agents, simulating 9.5 million trip legs over a road network with 1.1 million nodes and 2.2 million links, processing 2.4 billion events in less than 30 seconds using 1,024 cores on NERSC's Cori computer.
Antithrombotic Activity of Local Anesthetics in Several Canine Models

Myocardial infarction and peripheral vascular disease result from the occlusion of arteries that carry blood to the heart and legs. Bypass surgery with autogenous veins (but not synthetic tubes) offers a means of preventing myocardial infarction and of salvaging lower limbs with diseased arteries below the knee. The nonthrombogenic property of veins is attributable to the endothelium; thus, preservation of endothelium during vein harvest is of major importance. Leukocyte adhesion to, and invasion of, veins during harvest produces extensive endothelial damage. This can be prevented by the infusion of lidocaine starting prior to surgery (loading dose of 1.25/mg/kg followed by continuous intravenous infusion of 0.125 mg/kg/min during surgery). Tocainide, a stable derivative of lidocaine, also inhibits leukocyte invasion, thereby protecting venous endothelium. Hip replacement surgery, which greatly improves the quality of life for the patient, is still complicated by a high incidence of thrombosis (>50%). This is not significantly reduced by low-dose heparin or antiplatelet agents. However, preliminary studies with lidocaine showed a dramatic reduction in the incidence of thrombosis. In a canine model, hip replacement caused a series of roughly parallel tears around 75% of the confluences of side branches with jugular and femoral veins. This was reduced to about 30% by intravenous infusion of lidocaine. It is suggested that lidocaine deserves further study as an agent that could help to reduce the incidence of thrombosis in bypass and hip surgery.
Altered Lipidome Composition Is Related to Markers of Monocyte and Immune Activation in Antiretroviral Therapy Treated Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection and in Uninfected Persons

Background: HIV infection and antiretroviral therapy (ART) have both been linked to dyslipidemia and increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Alterations in the composition of saturated (SaFA), monounsaturated (MUFA), and polyunsaturated (PUFA) fatty acids are related to inflammation and CVD progression in HIV-uninfected (HIV-) populations. The relationships among the lipidome and markers of monocyte and immune activation in HIV-infected (HIV+) individuals are not well understood. Methods: Concentrations of serum lipids and their fatty acid composition were measured by direct infusion-tandem mass spectrometry in samples from 20 ART-treated HIV+ individuals and 20 HIV- individuals. Results: HIV+ individuals had increased levels of free fatty acids (FFAs) with enrichment of SaFAs, including palmitic acid (16:0) and stearic acid (18:0), and these levels were directly associated with markers of monocyte (CD40, HLA-DR, TLR4, CD36) and serum inflammation (LBP, CRP). PUFA levels were reduced significantly in HIV+ individuals, and many individual PUFA species levels were inversely related to markers of monocyte activation, such as tissue factor, TLR4, CD69, and SR-A. Also in HIV+ individuals, the composition of lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) was enriched for SaFAs; LPC species containing SaFAs were directly associated with IL-6 levels and monocyte activation. We similarly observed direct relationships between levels of SaFAs and inflammation in HIV uninfected individuals. Further, SaFA exposure altered monocyte subset phenotypes and inflammatory cytokine production in vitro. Conclusions: The lipidome is altered in ART-treated HIV infection, and may contribute to inflammation and CVD progression. Detailed lipidomic analyses may better assess CVD risk in both HIV+ and HIV- individuals than does traditional lipid profiling.
Treatment of Nonsurgical Pain

Acute nonsurgical pain affects many patients within diverse populations; it can affect many locations in the body and is commonly caused by trauma, injury, and illness. Inadequate management of acute pain has significant consequences both to the individual and society, and there are numerous factors that can contribute to inefficient pain management. Multiple modalities can be used to treat acute nonsurgical pain, including pharmacologic analgesia, regional anesthesia, alternative therapies, and multimodal analgesia.
Ill-Protected Portraits: Mathew Brady and Photographic Copyright

This article focuses on Mathew Brady’s attempts to use copyright to protect his photographs. For a time, Brady received so much credit in the press that his name became synonymous with all photographs of the Civil War. This prominence in the photography trade and in the public imagination makes Brady’s use of copyright an ideal case for considering the relationship between photography and authorship. The research of this study cites relevant archival sources, including copyright registration practices, copyright notices on printed photographs, and the case of Brady & Gibson v. Bellew (1865) to demonstrate deliberate attempts by Brady to protect his work from infringement, secure economic compensation, and link his name legally with the images he believed would have enduring value. While copyright ultimately failed to protect Brady’s long-term financial interests, part of his attribution strategy established him as a photographic “author” and ensured that his name would remain linked with his photographs.
Finding ARIEL under the sea of T-ALL circuits.

In this issue of Blood, Tan et al report that ARIEL (ARID5B-inducing enhancer-associated long noncoding RNA) is a novel enhancer RNA (eRNA) that amplifies oncogenic transcriptional loops in a subset of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL).
Epidermoid Cysts in a Wandering Spleen: An Unusual Enigma

Epidermoid splenic cysts are rare lesions in the spleen. These cysts are characterized by a stratified squamous epithelial lining, internal septations, and calcification. Congenital in origin, epidermoid splenic cysts are postulated to arise from misfolding and mesothelial cell incorporation into the splenic parenchyma. This report presents a unique case of an 18-year-old woman with an epidermoid splenic cyst in a congenital wandering spleen. Computed tomography and transabdominal ultrasound imaging along with immunochemistry staining confirmed the diagnosis. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first reported case of an epidermoid cyst in a wandering spleen.
Approach to Palliative Care Consultation for Patients With Malignant Bowel Obstruction in Gynecologic Oncology: A Qualitative Analysis of Physician Perspectives

PURPOSE:Malignant bowel obstruction (MBO) from gynecologic cancer is associated with increased symptoms and short survival. A gynecologic oncologist’s approach to palliative care consultation in th...
The lung in systemic lupus erythematosus

Abstract Pulmonary manifestations in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are associated with significant morbidity and mortality and all compartments of the thorax can be impacted, either as part of the systemic disease or due to pulmonary infection, as a consequence of the immunosuppressive effects of the disease itself or the drugs used to treat it. Inflammation and dysregulation of immune responses are important drivers of lung pathology in autoimmune disease. This chapter focuses on immune-mediated mechanisms contributing to pulmonary manifestations in SLE, the clinical presentation and best management of such presentations and how novel pathways that regulate immune dysfunction in SLE may present new opportunities for treatment.
Standard Essential Patents and Antitrust Law: Balancing Innovation and Competition

Antitrust and patent law have always been uneasy allies. Although both seek to encourage innovation and competition in the long run, patent law does so primarily by granting creators exclusive fiefdoms over their intellectual property, and antitrust law does so primarily by proscribing firms from anticompetitive conduct. Yet today’s world is flush with patent-rich products and industries that depend on the fruitful, simultaneous application of both of these bodies of law. Industries reliant on flourishing networks, such as those in the information and communication technology sector, are particularly influenced by the intersection of antitrust and patent law.1 Because of the central importance of well-functioning networks to these industries, many have developed standard setting organizations (“SSOs”) to designate technical standards that ensure product compatibility and interoperability between offerings from different firms. These standards incorporate many specific patents, known as standard essential patents (“SEPs”). Further, standards promulgated by SSOs oblige SEP holders to license their SEPs to implementers of the standard in a fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (“FRAND”) fashion.2 As a result, SEP holders and their counterparties stand, precariously, where antitrust and patent law meet. This Note will argue that an SEP holder who violates their FRAND commitments by unilaterally refusing to deal with a prospective implementer of the relevant standard should be presumed to have antitrust liability under Section 2 of the Sherman Act. In other words, such a firm should be presumed to have market power and to have participated in exclusionary conduct with anticompetitive effects. Part I will describe the landscape of standard setting, its effect on competition, and the place of antitrust and patent law in the standards landscape. Part II will explore the antitrust case law concerning refusals to deal in greater depth, paying particular attention to cases involving intellectual property and patents. Finally, Part III will build off of the previous two Parts to make and justify the argument that SEP holders should face a presumption that they have violated Section 2 of the Sherman Act when they violate their FRAND commitments by refusing to deal.
Design of gamified asynchronous online discussions

This article proposes a gamification approach that aims to motivate students in online discussions. While some efforts have been made in gamification for teaching and learning, insufficient attenti...
Effect of storage time on physical properties of sonocrystallized all-purpose shortening.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of high-intensity ultrasound (HIU) on the physical properties of an all-purpose shortening and to evaluate how these properties changed during storage (48 hr; 4, 12, and 24 weeks) at 5 °C and 25 °C. Samples were crystallized at 30 °C for 60 min with and without the application of HIU (20 kHz; 3.2 mm-diameter tip, 168 µm amplitude, 10 s). After crystallization, physical properties, such as hardness, elasticity, melting behavior, and solid fat content (SFC), were measured. These properties were also measured during storage. The effect of HIU was significant in changing the SFC, hardness, G' and G'', melting enthalpy, and microstructure of the samples. After 60 min of crystallization, the sonicated samples had higher values of SFC, hardness, elasticity, and melting enthalpy than the ones obtained without sonication (P < 0.05). Changes in these physical properties were associated with the microstructure of the samples since sonication generated smaller, more uniformly sized crystals as well as increased the number of crystals. No differences were observed in the G' of the sonicated samples stored at 25 °C as a function of storage period. The G' of the nonsonicated samples increased until 12 weeks of storage and was maintained up to 24 weeks, suggesting that sonication speed up the formation of a stable crystalline network. Samples stored at 5 °C showed higher value in hardness, G' and G'', and SFC than the ones stored at 25 °C. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: High-intensity ultrasound (HIU) has been widely used as an additional tool to change the crystallization behavior in various lipids; however, the long-term storage effect of HIU has not been studied before. This research evaluates the effect of HIU on the physical properties of a palm-based shortening stored up to 24 weeks at two different temperatures (25 and 5 °C). The application of HIU may help increase the stability of lipid during storage.
Validation of simulated wave energy converter responses to focused waves

Focused waves are increasingly used as a design method to predict extreme loads for offshore structures, such as wave energy converters (WECs). However, the ability of computational methods to accu...
Re-evaluating the Economic Injury Level for Alfalfa Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Control in Low Desert Irrigated Alfalfa.

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) dominates cropping systems in the Western United States and is first in terms of acreage planted in Arizona. The alfalfa weevil, Hypera postica (Gylenhall) and/or Hypera brunneipennis (Boheman), respectively, is the most destructive pest in terms of yield loss in low desert-grown alfalfa hay. The current economic threshold of 15–20 larvae per sweep, established in California in 1975, is currently not suitable or adopted by growers in the western U.S. low desert. Here, we conducted 4 yr of field trials to re-evaluate this economic threshold. Supporting observations of agricultural growers and professionals in the region, our results indicate that the economic threshold established in 1975 is too high. Specifically, one to three large larvae often cause a significant decrease in yield justifying weevil control based on current hay prices and costs of insecticide application. These results are discussed in the context of sustainable alfalfa production in the western U.S. low desert.
Histological Findings After Aortic Cross-Clamping in Preclinical Animal Models.

Spinal cord ischemic injury and paralysis are devastating complications after open surgical repair of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms. Preclinical models have been developed to simulate the clinical paradigm to better understand the neuropathophysiology and develop therapeutic treatment. Neuropathological findings in the preclinical models have not been comprehensively examined before. This systematic review studies the past 40 years of the histological findings after open surgical repair in preclinical models. Our main finding is that damage is predominantly in the grey matter of the spinal cord, although white matter damage in the spinal cord is also reported. Future research needs to examine the neuropathological findings in preclinical models after endovascular repair, a newer type of surgical repair used to treat aortic aneurysms.
How Friendship Works in Higher Education: Inclusive Friendship, Mimetic Theory, and the Liberal Arts

If, as the social sciences argue, knowledge is socially constructed, friendship is the traditional way of talking about relationships that construct knowledge well. An analysis of the value of friendship through mimetic theory, in dialogue with the social sciences and with literary examples drawn from Dante, Tolkien, and Rowling, argues that institutions of higher education should emphasize the development of capacities for friendship through the shared pursuit of the liberal arts.
On Demand Analysis and Dynamics: A Benefit Function Approach

This paper develops an economic and econometric analysis of demand dynamics, with an application to US aggregate data over the period 1948-2010. The model builds on duality and the benefit function, which provide strong linkages with the theory. The research involves the specification and estimation of dynamic price-dependent demands as representations of marginal benefits. The analysis uncovers strong statistical evidence of demand dynamics, especially for food. We find that the marginal benefit of food declines with food consumption and that this effect becomes much stronger in the long run. We also find that, while food and service are always complements, the strength of this complementarity relationship increases sharply in the longer run.
An Error Diagnosis Expert System for Flexible Assembly Systems

Abstract A research flexible assembly work cell was built in order to develop an error detection and recovery strategy for flexible assembly systems (FAS). The work cell is equipped with a multi-sensory system to facilitate monitoring and error detection. Automatic error recovery is a technique that is most suitable for flexible assembly systems. This technique consists of three phases: monitoring and detection, diagnosis, and recovery. In this paper an error diagnosis expert system, called Error Diagnosis Expert (EDE), is described. The Error Diagnosis Expert is one of three local experts that constitute an error detection and recovery (EDR) strategy for flexible assembly systems. The three local expert systems communicate asynchronously over a blackboard data structure. EDE’s capability is demonstrated using a knowledge base of fifteen different assembly errors.
Observations on the development of Raia Batis

(1864). Observations on the development of Raia Batis. Annals and Magazine of Natural History: Vol. 14, No. 83, pp. 399-400.
Mills, Charles Karsner

Charles Karsner Mills (1845–1931), perfected methods to use electrical stimuli of the cerebral cortex of alert humans to localize sites of their seizures. Mills meticulously recorded the neurological examination of patients and then correlated those findings with their brain autopsies to localize functions in human brain and spinal cord. He described a form of transcortical motor aphasia and effective methods to rehabilitate aphasic patients. Mills wrote The Nervous System and Its Diseases .
Catheter cryoablation of cardiac arrhythmias.

Purpose of review The purpose of the review is to provide an update on the safety and efficacy of catheter cryoablation. Recent findings Catheter cryoablation is a safe and clinically effective method for ablation of atrioventricular nodal reentrant supraventricular tachycardia. Although the acute procedural success rate of catheter cryoablation for this arrhythmia may be slightly lower than that reported for radiofrequency ablation, it has an excellent safety profile, with no reported instances of inadvertent atrioventricular block requiring implantation of a permanent pacemaker. Using this technology, one can perform reversible cryomapping, which helps to identify suitable ablation targets while identifying sites where cryoablation should be avoided. For patients with midseptal and parahissian accessory pathways, in whom the risk of producing inadvertent atrioventricular block is substantial, catheter cryoablation is a safe and effective alternative to radiofrequency ablation. Catheter cryoablation of common atrial flutter causes much less patient discomfort than radiofrequency ablation, with excellent acute and long-term efficacy. Catheter cryoablation also can be used to isolate the pulmonary veins during ablation of atrial fibrillation. As compared with radiofrequency ablation, the risk of acute thromboembolic complications and of pulmonary vein stenosis appears to be lower with cryoablation. Summary For many cardiac arrhythmias, catheter cryoablation is a safe and effective alternative to radiofrequency ablation. The ability to identify suitable ablation targets by reversible cryomapping is a particularly useful feature of this technology. Although the acute procedural success rate of cryoablation may not equal that of radiofrequency ablation in all circumstances, as catheter technology evolves it is likely that the efficacy of cryoablation will improve and the list of arrhythmias that can be treated with this method will expand.
Social insurance and the marriage market

Social insurance is often linked to marriage. Existing evidence suggests small marital responses to financial incentives and stems from settings where benefits are realized in the near future. I an...
The role of institutional investors and individual investors in financial markets: Evidence from closed-end funds

Abstract I use closed-end funds as a unique research tool to explore whether institutional investors are a stabilizing or a destabilizing force in financial markets. If institutional investors stabilize the market by trading against mispricing, then they should purchase closed-end funds selling at a wide discount and sell funds selling at a large premium. Consistent with the market-stabilizer hypothesis, I document that wide-discount funds experience a higher subsequent institutional demand than premium funds do. Moreover, my findings that an increase in institutional ownership forecasts a decrease in the volatility of discount returns support the proposition that institutional trading reduces noise trader risk. In sum, the results suggest that institutional investors play a price-stabilizing role in financial markets.
Trade and inequality in a directed search model with firm and worker heterogeneity

This paper integrates the insight that exporting firms are typically more productive and employ higher-skilled workers into a directed search model of the labour market. The model generates a skill premium as well as residual wage inequality among identical workers. A trade liberalization increases the skill premium and likely increases residual inequality among high-skilled workers. The calibrated model generates results consistent with the prior literature examining the effect of the Canada-US Free Trade Agreement on the Canadian labour market: a significant decrease in employment in manufacturing, but only a small change in unemployment and wages.
Working the Land With 10 Acres: Small Acreage Farming in the United States

According to the U.S. Census of Agriculture, 294,000 farms operated on 10 or fewer acres in 2007. While most small acreage (SA) operations did very little farming, approximately 50,000 SA farms had gross sales of $10,000 or more in 2007; 3,600 reported grossing $500,000 or more. Thus, a limited land base does not necessarily translate into low sales. This report focuses on SA farms, especially those grossing $10,000 or more in a given year, and examines such characteristics as production strategies, types of products, sales, household income, and financial performance. The 46,000 SA farms with sales between $10,000 and $500,000 in 2007 were primarily active in floriculture, tree nurseries, and fruits and vegetables, while the 3,600 SA farms with at least $500,000 in sales were primarily active in confined livestock production. SA farms produce only small amounts of field crops, such as wheat, corn, or cotton, which require larger amounts of land.
Ba2Ti2Si2O9F2, a new titanium silicate

Dibarium dititanium difluoride dioxide hepta­oxidodisilicate, Ba2Ti2Si2O9F2, is a new edge-sharing titanate with a unique titanium silicate framework. All atoms in the structure are in general positions. Titanium oxyfluoride octa­hedra combine with silicon tetra­hedra to form a double stacked chain, which is the base unit of the layered framework. The Ba atoms lie in channels that extend along the a axis.
Detecting illegal trade practices by analyzing discrepancies in forest products trade statistics : An application to Europe, with a focus on Romania

Discrepancies in bilateral trade statistics for forest products have recently attracted attention as potential indicators of illegal trade practices. For example, if exporters understate quantities to evade export taxes or quotas, then one might expect reported exports to be less than reported imports. Discrepancies in trade statistics can exist for reasons that have nothing to do with illegal activities, however, such as measurement error and shipment lags. Any attempt to infer evidence of illegal activities from statistical discrepancies must control for these other explanations. The author estimates the discrepancies between reported imports and exports for bilateral flows of sawnwood traded by Romania and other European countries. The author also examines whether these discrepancies reflect illegal activities by the traders. The mean discrepancy for sawnwood exported by Romania during 1982-97 was significantly different from zero for coniferous sawnwood but not for nonconiferous sawnwood. Yet the sign of the discrepancy for coniferous sawnwood-reported exports tended to be greater than reported imports-implies that illegal trade activities were more likely occurring in Romania's trading partners than in Romania. An econometric analysis of bilateral trade statistics for Romania and other European countries finds evidence that measurement error, shipment lags, and intentional underreporting all play a role in explaining discrepancies for both types of sawnwood. The econometric model is not sufficiently reliable, however, for estimating the portion that was due solely to illegal activities or determining whether those activities occurred primarily in Romania or in its trading partners. Moreover, given that it is based on observed discrepancies in bilateral trade statistics, it fails to detect illegal trade activities that occur simultaneously in both importing and exporting countries. For these reasons, econometric methods appear unlikely to be of practical use in revealing illegal trade activities in the Romanian forest sector.
Definability of languages by generalized first-order formulas over (N,+)

We consider an extension of first-order logic by modular quantifiers of a fixed modulus q. Drawing on collapse results from finite model theory and techniques of finite semigroup theory, we show that if the only available numerical predicate is addition, then sentences in this logic cannot define the set of bit strings in which the number of 1's is divisible by a prime p that does not divide q. More generally, we completely characterize the regular languages definable in this logic. The corresponding statement, with addition replaced by arbitrary numerical predicates, is equivalent to the conjectured separation of the circuit complexity class ACC from NC1. Thus our theorem can be viewed as proving a highly uniform version of the conjecture.
CFW: a collaborative filtering system using posteriors over weights of evidence

We describe CFW, a computationally efficient algorithm for collaborative filtering that uses posteriors over weights of evidence. In experiments on real data, we show that this method predicts as well or better than other methods in situations where the size of the user query is small. The new approach works particularly well when the user's query contains low frequency (unpopular) items. The approach complements that of dependency networks which perform well when the size of the query is large. Also in this paper, we argue that the use of posteriors over weights of evidence is a natural way to recommend similar items--a task that is somewhat different from the usual collaborative-filtering task.
Endogenous Institutions and the Dynamics of Corruption

While empirical studies which analyze large cross section country data find that corruption lowers investment and thereby economic growth, this result cannot be established for certain subsamples of countries. We argue that one reason for these mixed findings may be that a country's corruption and growth rates are tightly linked as variables of a dynamic process which can have several equilibria or have different sets of equilibria. In order to understand the circumstances in which a country converges towards a certain equilibrium, we model the individual decisions to invest and corrupt as an evolutionary game. In this model the quality of government institutions is an endogenous variable, depending on the corruption rate, the population income, and the type of institutions; the quality of institutions itself then determines the future incentives to corrupt. The comprehension of these feedback effects allows us to study the role of the type of institutions for the dynamics of corruption. We present the equilibria for different types of institutions and discuss the resulting dynamics. The results suggest that cross country studies may significantly underestimate the impact of corruption on growth for certain countries. Depending on how the quality of institutions depends on corruption and income, corruption can either lower growth, suppress it entirely, or be positively correlated with growth in some special situations
US military expenditures to protect the use of Persian Gulf oil for motor vehicles

Analyses of the full social cost of motor vehicle use in the US often estimate an “oil import premium” that includes the military cost of defending oil supplies from the Persian Gulf. Estimates of this cost have ranged from essentially zero to upwards of a $1 per gallon (about $0.25 per liter). In this paper, we attempt to narrow this range, by carefully answering the question: “If the US highway transportation sector did not use oil, how much would the US federal government reduce its military commitment in the Persian Gulf?” We work towards our answer in five steps, accounting for interests not related to oil, the interests of other oil-consuming countries, the interests of producers apart from the interests of consumers, and the interests of non-highway users of oil. We estimate that were there no oil in the Persian Gulf, then US combined peacetime and wartime defense expenditures might be reduced in the long run by roughly $27–$73 billion per year (in 2004 dollars), of which roughly $6–$25 billion annually ($0.03–$0.15 per gallon or $0.01–$0.04 per liter) is attributable to motor-vehicle use.
Innovation, Futures Thinking and Leadership

There are at least three strands of innovation: generating value from putting ideas into practice; creativity and inventive space; and macro-level social change. Recognizing the sources of and barriers to innovation in the public sector, this article reflects on how innovation and creativity in these senses can be nurtured and how the public sector can improve its policy and organizational processes to increase innovation.
Teabox: a sensor data interface system

Artists have long sought after alternative controllers, sensors, and other means for controlling computer-based musical performance in real-time. Traditional techniques for transmitting the data generated by such devices typically employ the use of MIDI as the transport protocol. Recently, several devices have been developed using alternatives to MIDI, including Ethernet-based and USB-based sensor interfaces.We have designed and produced a system that uses S/PDIF as the transport mechanism for a sensor interface. This provides robust performance, together with extremely low latency and high resolution. In our system, data from all sensors is multiplexed onto the digital audio line and demultiplexed in software on the computer using standard techniques. We have written demultiplexer objects and plugins for Max/MSP and Jade, as well as a MIDI Conversion program for interapplicaton uses, while others are in the works for PD, SuperCollider, and AudioUnits.