cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
LATE QUATERNARY HISTORY OF THE NORTHERN BEETLE FAUNA OF NORTH AMERICA: A SYNTHESIS OF FOSSIL AND DISTRIBUTIONAL EVIDENCE

Fossils from sites of Late Quaternary age in North America provide tangible evidence of temporal changes in the character of the northern beetle fauna. Based on a synthesis of the fossil data with analyses of the present distributions for northern species, a rudimentary model is proposed to explain the recent history of the fauna of the arctic and the boreal forest.An open-ground beetle fauna of arctic–subarctic affinities had become established along the southern margin of the Laurentide ice sheet in the midcontinent by 20 500 years before present (yr B.P.). Climatic warming decimated this fauna throughout lowland areas at some time between 16 700 and 15 300 yr B.P.; small populations of some arctic–subarctic species, however, survived within either alpine habitats of the Cordillera and Appalachians or specialized environments associated with stagnant ice.Populations of the same arctic–subarctic beetle species existed within the ice-free Alaska–Yukon refugium throughout the late Wisconsinan. During the Holocene, this region served as the principal centre-of-origin for the dispersal of the arctic–subarctic beetle fauna.The beetle fauna of the boreal forest was also displaced southward by Late Wisconsinan glaciation. By 15 300 yr B.P., however, this fauna had largely replaced the arctic–subarctic beetle fauna along the ice margin of the midcontinent. Evidence provided by fossils from a series of sites demonstrates that beetle species of the boreal forest dispersed northward into Canada as the ice front receded.
A path selection algorithm for timing analysis

Due to the rapid progress in semiconductor technology, the number of gates that can be placed in a chip increases dramatically. Existing algorithms for timing analysis have difficulties when dealing with large designs. A new algorithm for timing analysis is proposed in this paper. This algorithm enumerates all the paths with delay greater than a given threshold. The execution time of the proposed algorithm is proportional to the number of paths generated. Therefore, it is suitable for large designs.Classification: timing verification.
Hydrogen in GaN

Hydrogen is implicated in the low doping efficiency of acceptors (e.g., Mg) in MOCVD-grown GaN by the following observations: the well-established role of hydrogen in the same phenomenon in other semiconductors; re-passivation of thermally activated Mg in GaN upon exposure to NH3 or H at temperatures > 400°C; correlation between Mg and H concentrations; and computational studies on the diffusivities of charged H in GaN and on the configuration and stability of the Mg-H complex in GaN. Strong experimental evidence for the Mg-H complex comes from variable-temperature Hall effect measurements which reveal that after hydrogenation of activated GaN:Mg the hole mobility increases as the hole concentration decreases, which is consistent with removal of ionized scattering centers and not with the introduction of separate compensating defects. However, experimental evidence is also accumulating to suggest that the Mg activation process involves the generation or transformation of electrically active defects.
Economists in the Americas

Contents: Preface 1. Economists in the Americas: Convergence, Divergence and Connection, Veronica Montecinos, John Markoff and Maria Jose Alvarez Rivadulla 2. The Internationalization of Ideas in Argentina's Economics Profession, Glen Biglaiser 3. Economists in the Brazilian Government: From Developmentalist State to Neoliberal Policies, Maria Rita Loureiro 4. Economics: The Chilean Story, Veronica Montecinos 5. Colombia: Economics, Economic Policy, and Economists, Luis Bernardo Florez Enciso 6. From Nationalism to Neoliberalism: Conflict and Consensus in the History of Mexican Economics, Sarah Babb 7. The United States: An Economist's Economy, Marion Fourcade 8. Economics, Economists and Politics in Uruguay, Adolfo Garce 9. Epilogue: A Glance Beyond the Neoliberal Moment, Veronica Montecinos and John Markoff Index
Quantification of Perfusion fMRI Using a Numerical Model of Arterial Spin Labeling That Accounts for Dynamic Transit Time Effects

A new approach to modeling the signal observed in arterial spin labeling (ASL) experiments during changing perfusion conditions is presented in this article. The new model uses numerical methods to extend first-order kinetic principles to include the changes in arrival time of the arterial tag that occur during neuronal activation. Estimation of the perfusion function from the ASL signal using this model is also demonstrated. The estimation algorithm uses a roughness penalty as well as prior information. The approach is demonstrated in numerical simulations and human experiments. The approach presented here is particularly suitable for fast ASL acquisition schemes, such as turbo continuous ASL (Turbo-CASL), which allows subtraction pairs to be acquired in less than 3 s but is sensitive to arrival time changes. This modeling approach can also be extended to other acquisition schemes.
A Box-Graph Method for Illustrating Relative-Size Relationships in a 2×2 Table

The proportional relationships of the four numbers in a 2 x 2 table can be displayed using two types of box graphs. In one approach, a 'unitary square' is first divided according to the denominator proportions of the two groups formed in a cohort or case-control study, and then re-divided according to the numerator proportions in each group. In the second method, the numbers are arranged as four squares, proportionately sized according to the square root of each number, and contiguously adjacent to a central reference point. The methods offer a pictorial format for showing contingency counts in a manner analogous to the graphs used for other forms of data.
Colistin-resistant isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae emerging in intensive care unit patients: first report of a multiclonal cluster

Objectives: Infections due to multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative pathogens in the ICU have prompted the use of colistin, an antibiotic forgotten for decades. The aim of this retrospective observational study was to record and present the emergence of colistin-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKB) in a Greek ICU. Methods: In a new university tertiary hospital, the first patients admitted in the ICU were already colonized or infected with MDR pathogens, and this led to frequent colistin use as part of empirical or microbiologically documented therapy. Colistin resistance was defined as MIC >4 mg/L by the Etest method. All CRKB isolated in surveillance cultures or clinical specimens in the ICU during the period 2004-5 were recorded along with patients' characteristics. Results: Eighteen CRKB were isolated from 13 patients over a 16 month period, representing either colonizing or infective isolates. Patients' mean age was 70 years, with a mean APACHE II score at admission of 22. They all had a long hospitalization (median 69 days) and a long administration of colistin (median 27 days). Colistin-resistant isolates were implicated as pathogens in two bacteraemias, a ventilator-associated pneumonia and two soft tissue infections. Repetitive extragenic palindromic PCR identified six distinct clones, and horizontal transmission was also documented. Conclusions: Selective pressure due to extensive or inadequate colistin use may lead to the emergence of colistin resistance among K. pneumoniae isolates, jeopardizing treatment options in the ICU, potentially increasing morbidity and mortality of critically ill patients and necessitating prudent use of colistin.
On an Improved Diagnosis Program

One of the more promising areas of computer use involves the coupling of a man to a computer system for real-time problem-solving where the procedure for solution of the problem is either unknown or involves complex tasks, such as pattern recognition, that can best be performed by humans [1]. Unfortunately, a straightforward approach to such use commits significant amounts of computer time most of which is spent idling. The imbalance in operating costs, assignable to the human and the computer, argues against computer use unless the total gain over strictly manual operations is sufficiently great.
Intervention in Power Control Games With Selfish Users

We study the power control problem in single-hop wireless ad hoc networks with selfish users. Without incentive schemes, selfish users tend to transmit at their maximum power levels, causing excessive interference to each other. In this paper, we study a class of incentive schemes based on intervention to induce selfish users to transmit at desired power levels. In a power control scenario, an intervention scheme can be implemented by introducing an intervention device that can monitor the power levels of users and then transmit power to cause interference to users if necessary. Focusing on first-order intervention rules based on individual transmit powers, we derive conditions on the intervention rates and the power budget to achieve a desired outcome as a (unique) Nash equilibrium with intervention and propose a dynamic adjustment process to guide users and the intervention device to the desired outcome. We also analyze the effect of using aggregate receive power instead of individual transmit powers. Our results show that intervention schemes can be designed to achieve any positive power profile while using interference from the intervention device only as a threat. Lastly, simulation results are presented to illustrate the performance improvement from using intervention schemes and the theoretical results.
Arctic climate sensitivity to local black carbon

[1] Recent attention has focused on the impact of black carbon (BC) on Arctic climate. Here, idealized equilibrium climate experiments are conducted to explore the dependence of Arctic temperature change on the altitude and season of local BC forcing. BC residing in the lowest atmospheric layer produces very strong Arctic warming per unit mass and forcing [ 2.8 ± 0.5 K (Wm − 2) − 1] because of low cloud and sea-ice feedbacks that amplify both summer and winter warming. BC operating only within Arctic snow and sea-ice also effectively warms the surface, but forcings at 400–750mbar and 210–250mbar cause weak surface warming and cooling, respectively, despite increasing atmospheric moist static energy. This is a consequence of stable atmospheric conditions in the Arctic limiting vertical mixing, and of higher-altitude BC reducing surface insolation, increasing stability and summer low-cloud cover, and decreasing poleward energy transport. The current simulated distribution of Arctic atmospheric BC slightly cools the surface, supporting an earlier study, while local atmospheric and cryosphere-deposited BC warms the Arctic with a sensitivity of + 0.5 ± 0.4 K (Wm − 2) − 1. By season, April–May tropospheric BC induces the greatest mass-normalized Arctic warming [0.18 K (Gg yr) − 1] because high insolation and surface albedo facilitate large specific forcing during this season. Forcing efficacy, however, increases with summer progression because of decreasing atmospheric stability, leading to a narrow range of mass-normalized response with season. Although limited by exclusion of aerosol indirect effects, changes in ocean heat transport and forcing by co-emitted species, these experiments show that Arctic climate response is sensitive to the vertical distribution and deposition efficiency of BC reaching the Arctic.
Chronic stimulation of the gastric parietal cell mass

Summary 1. The effect of histamine, hydrocortisone and growth hormone on gastric parietal cells was investigated in rats by a continuous stimulation with these drugs. 2. Histamine was found to be effective in the production of mucosal hyperplasia and in increasing the parietal cell population. This increase was statistically significant at four sites at which the parietal cells were counted. None of these animals developed gastric ulceration during treatment. 3. Hydrocortisone was not effective in increasing the parietal cell mass. On the contrary there was a slight but not statistically significant decrease in the number of parietal cells associated with bleeding gastric ulcers in six of seven animals. This effect of hydrocortisone could be caused by increased pepsin secretion, by decreased mucus production or by increased susceptibility of the mucosa to acidpepsin digestion. 4. Growth hormone had no measurable effect on parietal cells. 5. It has been demonstrated that chronic stimulation with histamine can lead to an increase in the parietal cell mass in rats. However, the question whether the increased parietal cell mass observed in patients with the Zollinger-Ellison syndrome is caused by chronic gastrin stimulation or is genetically determined cannot be answered at this time.
Ideal and actual outcomes from precollege pascal instruction

More systematic study of the relationship between instructional practice and learning outcomes are needed before we can build powerful instructional theories. In this study, we relate programming proficiency to instructional practice in 14 Pascal programming classes at the High School level. We found that instructional practices involves (a) extensive on-line access, (b) explicit instruction, and (c) extensive feedback. These results help clarify the nature of time-on-task and encourage researchers to examine explicit instruction more closely.
Aladdin: a Pre-RTL, power-performance accelerator simulator enabling large design space exploration of customized architectures

Hardware specialization, in the form of accelerators that provide custom datapath and control for specific algorithms and applications, promises impressive performance and energy advantages compared to traditional architectures. Current research in accelerator analysis relies on RTL-based synthesis flows to produce accurate timing, power, and area estimates. Such techniques not only require significant effort and expertise but are also slow and tedious to use, making large design space exploration infeasible. To overcome this problem, we present Aladdin, a pre-RTL, power-performance accelerator modeling framework and demonstrate its application to system-on-chip (SoC) simulation. Aladdin estimates performance, power, and area of accelerators within 0.9%, 4.9%, and 6.6% with respect to RTL implementations. Integrated with architecture-level core and memory hierarchy simulators, Aladdin provides researchers an approach to model the power and performance of accelerators in an SoC environment
Synthesis of minimax sidelobes for arbitrary arrays

This paper presents a synthesis algorithm to minimize the maximum sidelobe level for an arbitrary array. Similar to Dolph-Chebyshev patterns, the minimax array patterns for arbitrary arrays have uniform sidelobes.
Transformations and Their Effects

We may most easily motivate the material in the present chapter by setting it in the context of income distributions. Income distributions which exhibit a high degree of inequality (as indicated by their Lorenz curves) are generally considered to be undesirable. Consequently, there are frequent attempts to modify observed income distributions by means of intervention in the economic process. Taxation and welfare programs are obvious examples. Essentially then, we replace the original set of incomes (or, more abstractly, a vector in IR n + ) by some function of the set of incomes. Interest centers on characterizing inequality preserving and inequality attenuating transformations. We will consider both deterministic and stochastic transformations.
Abundance and Diversity of Mosquito Species Collected From a Rural Area of Central Mississippi: Implications for West Nile Virus Transmission in Mississippi

To determine abundance and seasonality of potential West Nile virus (WNV) mosquito vectors in a forested area of central Mississippi, mosquitoes were collected weekly from a wildlife management area located approximately 10 mi from a local urban area known to have numerous human WNV cases. We were particularly interested in the presence or absence of Culex quinquefasciatus, the primary vector of WNV in Mississippi, although other Culex species were assayed. Two Centers for Disease Control and Prevention light traps baited with CO2 were set once a week from 2005 through 2006 in the Pearl River Wildlife Management Area (PRWMA), which consists of 6,925 acres primarily composed of bottomland hardwood forest with wetland areas. Traps were placed midafternoon and picked up the following morning. A total of 199,222 mosquitoes were collected during the 2-year study. No Cx. quinquefasciatus were collected throughout the entire study, although other health department surveys have indicated they are abundant just a few miles away. As for other potential WNV vectors, 1,325 (0.6%) Cx. nigripalpus, 1,804 (0.9%) Cx. restuans, and 6,076 (3.1%) Cx. salinarius were collected in the PRWMA over the 2-year period. These data suggest that Cx. quinquefasciatus is not usually found in remote forested environments, but is more associated with human habitation.
A new species of Anacamptodon (Amblystegiaceae) from Papua New Guinea

Anacamptodon touwii is described from a single collection from Papua New Guinea. It is distinct from all its congeners by homomallous to falcate leaves and incurved (rather than recurved) peristome teeth. A key to the Asian species of Anacamptodon is provided.
Cryptosporidiidae: Cryptosporidium in Marsupials

This chapter presents the information known to date on the six/seven Cryptosporidium species that have been reported, described, named, and genetically characterized from four of the seven orders that constitute what formerly was once called Marsupialia. Each valid Cryptosporidium species is listed alphabetically under each host order, family, genus, and species, and discussed as in previous chapters. What becomes immediately obvious is that there is not a great deal of information known about the general biology, life history, and morphology of the various species of Cryptosporidium in marsupials. Even from this lack of information it is clear, however, that Cryptosporidium species lack strict host specificity and can be transmitted between marsupials and other wild, feral, domestic, zoo, and food animals, and humans. And in Australia, where kangaroos are abundant and inhabit watersheds used by cities and many other animals, they can pose a threat to human health and biodiversity.
Pathology of Culture-Proven JK Corynebacterium Pneumonia: An Autopsy Case Report

The first description of the pathologic characteristics of JK Corynebacterium pneumonia is presented. Occurring in a profoundly neutropenic patient, the pneumonia was characterized by massive fluid exudation in the alveoli with acute hemorrhage, significant proliferation of the bacteria beginning along the alveolar walls, and eventual alveolar wall necrosis. Other cases of JK Corynebacterium pneumonia are reviewed. This report emphasizes that JK Corynebacterium pneumonia has a high mortality and should be considered in patients with pulmonary deterioration and blood cultures positive for diphtheroids.
Molecular dissection of TrkA signal transduction pathways mediating differentiation in human neuroblastoma cells

Activation of the neurotrophin receptor TrkA by its ligand nerve growth factor (NGF) initiates a cascade of signaling events leading to neuronal differentiation in vitro and might play an important role in the differentiation of favorable neuroblastomas (NB) in vivo. To study TrkA signal transduction pathways and their effects on differentiation in NB, we stably expressed wild-type TrkA and five different TrkA mutants in the NGF unresponsive human NB cell line SH-SY5Y. Resulting clones were characterized by TrkA mRNA and protein expression, and by autophosphorylation of the receptor. Introduction of wild-type TrkA restored NGF responsiveness of SH-SY5Y cells, as demonstrated by morphological differentiation, activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) and induction of immediate-early genes. Expression of TrkA in the absence of NGF resulted in growth inhibition of transfectants compared to parental cells, whereas NGF-treatment increased their proliferation rate. Analysis of downstream signal transduction pathways indicated that NGF-induced differentiation was dependent on TrkA kinase activity. Our data suggest that several redundant pathways are present further downstream, but activation of the RAS/MAPK signaling pathway seems to be of major importance for NGF mediated differentiation of NB cells. Our results also show that the signaling effector SH2-B is a substrate of NGF-mediated Trk signaling in NB, whereas it is not activated by NGF in rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells. This might explain the differences we observed in TrkA signaling between neuroblastoma and PC12 cells. Further insight into TrkA signaling may suggest new options for the treatment of NB.
Accessibility and Public Facility Location

The concept of accessibility of service facilities to target populations is an inadequate criterion for public facility location problems, since it overemphasizes dispersed facilities as location solutions. Without consideration of interactions and linkages between services in public facility systems, the complete range of facility location patterns that can be observed in urban settings cannot be characterized. Through techniques of spatial pattern analysis, different degrees of facility concentration are demonstrated to exist for human service systems in selected urban areas. A method for co-locational analysis is also introduced in order to examine the nature of locational interdependence and its role in describing the structure of public facility concentrations. Given the empirical evidence and a theoretical basis, it is argued that the criterion of facility accessibility should be considered along with a criterion of facility linkage or agglomeration in any comprehensive locational analysis of public...
Overview of Common Sleep Disorders and Intersection with Dermatologic Conditions

Sleep disorders are very common, often under-recognized and therefore undertreated, are associated with a myriad of medical conditions and could lead to significant impairment of quality of life. This review provides an up-to-date synopsis of common sleep disorders encompassing insufficient sleep syndrome, insomnia, circadian rhythm disorders and obstructive sleep apnea with a brief overview of epidemiology, screening, diagnostic testing and treatment. We also emphasize the emerging area of the intersection of sleep disorders and dermatologic conditions and present compelling data regarding underlying mechanisms including sleep dysfunction in relation to disorders of skin inflammation, aging and skin cancer.
533 TREATMENT AND OUTCOMES OF MERKEL CELL CARCINOMA AT UCSF.

Background Cyril Toker first described merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), a rare, aggressive, neuroendocrine carcinoma of the skin, in 1972. Purpose The aim of our study is to review the UCSF experience of treating MCC from 1989 to the present time. Method A retrospective study using a database of patients treated and followed at UCSF Hospitals. Results There are 68 patients with MCC presenting on the head and neck (33), extremities (23), torso/trunk (3), vagina (1), parotid gland (1), and NOS (7). To date, 40 of 42 patients are still alive and disease free. The other 2 patients had recurrence as multiple distant metastasis and invasion into adjacent organs. At this time, additional clinical outcome information is being gathered. Conclusion A significant number of patients had MCC in the head and neck region. The mortality rate of MCC at UCSF is 38.2% at the present time. I would like to thank the University of British Columbia MD/PhD Program and CIHR for their support.
Central interleukin-1 partially mediates endotoxin-induced changes in glucose metabolism.

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether intracerebral interleukin (IL)-1 mediates the endotoxin [lipopolysaccharide (LPS)]-induced increase in glucose flux. To accomplish this goa...
Male veterans with complicated urinary tract infections: Influence of a patient-centered antimicrobial stewardship program.

Background The influence of antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) on outcomes in male veterans treated for complicated urinary tract infection has not been determined. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study encompassing the study period January 1, 2005-October 31, 2014, which was conducted at a 150-bed Veterans Affairs Healthcare System facility in Buffalo, NY. Male veterans admitted for treatment of complicated urinary tract infection were identified using ICD-9-CM codes. Outcomes before and after implementation of a patient-centered ASP, including duration of antibiotic therapy, length of hospitalization, readmission within 30 days, and Clostridium difficile infection were compared. Interventions resulting from the ASP were categorized. Results Of the 1,268 patients screened, 241 met criteria for inclusion in the study (n = 118 and n = 123 in the pre-ASP and ASP group, respectively). Duration of antibiotic therapy was significantly shorter in the ASP group (10.32 days vs 11.96 days; P P = .015). There was no difference in 30-day readmission. A total of 170 interventions were identified that resulted from the ASP (1.39 interventions per patient). Conclusions ASPs may be useful to improve clinical outcomes in men with complicated urinary tract infection. Implementation of an ASP was associated with significant decreases in duration of antibiotic therapy and length of hospitalization, without adversely affecting 30-day readmission rates.
A Shared Mechanism of BK Channel Activation by Mallotoxin and Auxiliary γ1 Subunit

The large-conductance, voltage- and calcium-activated K+ (BK) channels consist of the pore-forming, voltage- and Ca2+ -sensing α-subunits (BKα) and the regulatory β and γ subunits. The auxiliary γ1 subunit is so far the most potent activator of BK channels which drastically shifts the voltage-dependence of channel activation by ∼ 140 mV towards the hyperpolarizing potential direction. Mallotoxin, also called rottlerin, is a potent extracellular small-molecule activator of BK channels, which was reported to shift the voltage-dependence of channel activation by ∼ 100 mV in whole-cell patch-clamp recording condition through a yet largely unknown mechanism. Here, we investigated the effects of mallotoxin on BK channels in excised membrane patches in the absence and presence of the auxiliary γ subunit. Mallotoxin exerted significant activating effect on BK channels formed by BK alone in excised membrane patches by a ∼ −80 mV shift in voltage-dependence of channel activation. However, the presence of γ1 and γ3 subunits nearly abolished and γ2 subunit greatly attenuated the activating effect of mallotoxin. Most mutations in γ1 subunit that caused a loss of its modulatory function on BK channels also resulted in a loss of its influence on mallotoxin. Importantly, we identified a point mutation in the middle of the γ1 subunit's transmembrane domain that had little effect on the γ1 subunit's modulatory function on BK channels in the absence of mallotoxin but caused an irreversible loss of the γ1 subunit's binding and modulatory function on BK channel upon a brief exposure to mallotoxin. Therefore, we conclude that γ1 subunit competitively blocks the mallotoxin's binding or action on BK channel, which can be fully reversed by a point mutation in the middle of the γ1 transmembrane region.
Continuum modeling of projectile impact and penetration in dry granular media

Abstract Modeling of impact into granular substrates is a topic of growing interest over the last decade. We present a fully continuum approach for this problem, which is shown to capture an array of experimentally observed behavior with regard to the intruder penetration dynamics as well as the flow and stress response of the granular media. The intruder is modeled as a stiff elastic body and the dry granular bulk is modeled using a ‘trans-phase’ constitutive relation. This relation has an elasto-viscoplastic response with pressure- and rate-sensitive yield behavior given by the μ ( I ) inertial rheology when the granular free volume is below a critical value. Above this critical value, the material is deemed to separate and is treated as a disconnected, stress-free medium. The Material Point Method is used to implement the impact problem numerically. Validations are conducted against a wide set of experimental data with a common granular material, which allows use of a single model calibration to test the agreement. In particular, continuum simulations of projectile impact with different shaped intruders and different impact energies show good agreement with experiments regarding of time-of-flight, penetration depth, and Poncelet drag force coefficients. Simultaneously, good agreement with experiments is found regarding the response of the granular media during impact, such as the pressure wave propagation process during the initial stage of impact, the flow fields that develop under the moving intruder, and the free-surface dynamics.
A Taxonomy of Non-fitness

The current evolutionary taxonomy is biased towards traits that enhance the organism’s fitness. Here, an extended taxonomy aimed to correct this bias is proposed, which distinguishes among different categories of non-fitness traits based on their usefulness for the organism as well as their origin. It is suggested these new non-fitness categories could help to solve the controversy surrounding the term exaptation in evolutionary psychology.
Weld, KirstenPaper Cadavers: The Archives of Dictatorship in GuatemalaDurham, NC: Duke University Press352 pp., $26.95, ISBN 978-0-8223-5602-8Publication Date: March 2014

In June 2005, a human-rights team investigating munitions storage facilities in Guatemala City accidentally stumbled on the archives of Guatemala's National Police, a repository whose existence the...
Environment, Equity, and Economic Development Goals: Understanding Differences in Local Economic Development Strategies:

What role do local governments play in promoting sustainable economic development? This study uses a 2014 national survey to analyze the relationship between local environment and social equity motivations and the kinds of economic development strategies local governments pursue (business incentives or community economic development policies). Municipalities that pay more attention to environmental sustainability and social equity use higher levels of community economic development tools and lower levels of business incentives. These places are also more likely to have written economic development plans and involve more participants in the economic development process. In contrast, communities that use higher levels of business incentives have lower income and are more dependent on manufacturing employment. Other capacity measures do not differentiate types of economic development strategies used. This suggests that sustainable economic development strategies can be pursued by a broad array of communities...
Forensic estimates of lead release from lead service lines during the Water Crisis in Flint, Michigan

Corrosion pipe scale samples were collected from 10 lead service lines (LSLs) in Flint, Michigan, after corrosive conditions associated with the Flint water crisis of 2014–2015 caused citywide release of lead into its drinking water. Elemental analysis of metals in the LSL scale revealed that the scale was relatively depleted of lead compared to a literature survey of LSL scale from 26 U.S. utilities. Flint LSL scale was also significantly enriched with aluminum and magnesium compared to reported literature LSL scale compositions. Using correlative associations of lead with aluminum and magnesium in Flint scale samples, and average LSL abundances of aluminum and magnesium from the literature, we estimated that at least 2.7 ± 1.5 g of lead per meter of Flint’s LSLs was released from the pipe scale during the corrosion episode. The findings provide evidence that selective dissolution of lead phosphate minerals occurred because of the absence of orthophosphate during the crisis.
Diffusion of Lagrangian invariants in the Navier-Stokes equations

The incompressible Euler equations can be written as the active vector system $$ (\partial _t + u \cdot \nabla )A = 0$$ where u=W[A] is given by the Weber formula $$ W[A] = P\{ (\nabla A)^* \upsilon \}$$ in terms of the gradient of A and the passive field v=u 0 (A). (P is the projector on the divergence-free part.) The initial data is A(x,0)=x, so for short times this is a distortion of the identity map. After a short time one obtains a new u and starts again from the identity map, using the new u instead of u 0 in the Weber formula. The viscous Navier-Stokes equations admit the same representation, with a diffusive back-to-labels map A and a v that is no longer passive.
Two Conceptions of Practical Reasons

I discuss and compare Joseph Raz’s and Christine Korsgaard’s accounts of reasons for action. One fundamental disagreement separating the two approaches is the role that they assign to two central features of practical deliberation: Korsgaard assigns priority to identity-constituting practical principles, whereas for Raz reasons are the fundamental normative units. In the course of this comparison, two claims are defended: (1) Taking-up a realist stance vis-a-vis one’s reasons is a non-optional feature of one’s first-personal deliberative standpoint. This remains true even if this renders the workings of an agent’s reasons analogous to a placebo. (2) The motivational aspect of an agent’s reasons should not be conceived along causalist lines. Exploiting a thought by Hegel, I discuss an alternative conception of reasons’ temporal genesis and force—i.e., one that allows reasons for a particular action to emerge at a later point.
Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptors Inhibit Fyn Activity in the Rat Striatum In Vivo

The Src family kinase (SFK) is a subfamily of non-receptor tyrosine kinases. SFK members, Src and especially Fyn, are expressed in the striatum. These SFK members are involved in the regulation of neuronal and synaptic activities and are linked to the pathogenesis of a variety of neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. Given the fact that muscarinic acetylcholine (mACh) receptors are highly expressed in striatal neurons and are critical for the regulation of striatal function, we investigated the role of mACh receptors in the regulation of SFKs in the adult rat striatum in vivo. We found that pharmacological blockade of mACh receptors by systemic administration of the mACh antagonist scopolamine induced a marked increase in phosphorylation of SFKs in the striatum of male and female rats. This scopolamine-induced increase in SFK phosphorylation occurred in the two subdivisions of the striatum (caudate putamen and nucleus accumbens) and was time-dependent and reversible. Another mACh antagonist atropine was also effective in stimulating SFK phosphorylation. Coadministration of subthreshold doses of scopolamine and a dopamine D1 receptor agonist SKF81297 enhanced striatal SFK phosphorylation. Between Fyn and Src proteins immunoprecipitated from striatal tissue, scopolamine selectively increased phosphorylation of Fyn. The increase in Fyn phosphorylation was accompanied by an increase in Fyn kinase activity in response to scopolamine. These results reveal a significant role of mACh receptors in the regulation of SFKs (mainly Fyn) in striatal neurons. Under normal conditions, endogenous mACh receptors appear to exert an inhibitory effect on Fyn activity.
Estimation of Landscape Soil Water Losses from Satellite Observations of Soil Moisture

AbstractThis study presents an observation-driven technique to delineate the dominant boundaries and temporal shifts between different hydrologic regimes over the contiguous United States (CONUS). ...
Strategies in Lung Cancer Chemoprevention

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. It has overtaken breast cancer as the leading cause of cancer death in women, due largely to increased incidence of smoking among women, as well as adolescents of both sexes. Though the relationship between lung cancer and tobacco is well described, smoking cessation efforts have had limited success. Lung cancer incidence for 2002 was estimated to be 174,300; the projected number of deaths was 157,700 (1). Early detection methods have also been largely unsuccessful—no benefit of screening with chest radiographs or CT scans has been demonstrated, although studies are ongoing. Over the past 40 yr, the overall survival rate has improved only slightly as surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy remain the mainstays of current treatment. Therapies with novel targeted agents are currently under active investigation in all settings of treatment. Primary lung cancer prevention efforts focus on educating people not to begin smoking; secondary prevention involves cessation efforts; and chemoprevention targets reversal of premalignant lesions and prevention of second primary tumors (SPTs) in patients with a prior history of cancer.
Affirmative Action, Sociology of

The sociology of affirmative action is a strongly interdisciplinary subfield within sociology. It is concerned with understanding the causes and consequences of policies that use membership in certain social groups to determine the allocation of resources or opportunities. It is also concerned with understanding the level and sources of public support and opposition to such policies. This article summarizes developments in these areas and identifies the areas that seem most promising for future researchers.
Biological Function of Insect Yellow Gene Family

The yellow-y gene in Drosophila has been recognized for many years. Its sequence shares no apparent sequence homology to proteins from noninsect species. Mutation of the yellow gene produces a yellow-colored cuticle; therefore, the yellow gene has been extensively used as a model to study the molecular regulation of protein expression because of its visible phenotype. The completion of the Drosophila genome revealed a number of yellow-y like genes and based on their sequence similarity with yellow-y they have been classified into a Drosophila yellow gene family. As more insect genomes have been sequenced, it has become apparent that a yellow gene family is present in other insect species as well. The yellow gene family is unique in insects because members of this family share no apparent sequence identity to non-insect species. This then leads to some fundamental questions as to why this group of proteins has evolved only in insects and what functions do they perform? Based on limited research with select insect yellow genes, we speculate that at least one of its primary functions involves cuticle and eggshell (chorion) formation and hardening during insect development, and that the yellow gene family is vital for insect survival. The following provides data that describe/discuss the presence of a yellow gene family in different insect species, and the function or possible functions for some individual yellow genes. We also discuss some future directions for research that lead to a more comprehensive understanding of the insect yellow gene family. Because studies dealing with the insect yellow gene family have been limited primarily to Drosophila, the Drosophila yellow gene family is commonly used in the following discussion.
Magnetoactive acoustic metamaterials

Acoustic metamaterials with negative constitutive parameters (modulus and/or mass density) have shown great potential in diverse applications ranging from sonic cloaking, abnormal refraction and superlensing, to noise canceling. In conventional acoustic metamaterials, the negative constitutive parameters are engineered via tailored structures with fixed geometries; therefore, the relationships between constitutive parameters and acoustic frequencies are typically fixed to form a 2D phase space once the structures are fabricated. Here, by means of a model system of magnetoactive lattice structures, stimuli‐responsive acoustic metamaterials are demonstrated to be able to extend the 2D phase space to 3D through rapidly and repeatedly switching signs of constitutive parameters with remote magnetic fields. It is shown for the first time that effective modulus can be reversibly switched between positive and negative within controlled frequency regimes through lattice buckling modulated by theoretically predicted magnetic fields. The magnetically triggered negative‐modulus and cavity‐induced negative density are integrated to achieve flexible switching between single‐negative and double‐negative. This strategy opens promising avenues for remote, rapid, and reversible modulation of acoustic transportation, refraction, imaging, and focusing in subwavelength regimes.
The fixed nodal position method for form finding of high-precision lightweight truss structures

Abstract A new form-finding method, namely the Fixed Nodal Position Method (FNPM), is developed for design of geometric configuration and internal force distribution for a class of truss structures with a requirement of high shape or surface accuracy. Different from existing form-finding methods, which usually follow a stress-first-and-displacement-later procedure, the FNPM first assigns nodal coordinates for a truss structure, and then determines the internal force distribution of the structure by an optimization process. The highlight of the FNPM is that the prescribed nodal coordinates are unchanged during the form finding process. This special feature of fixed nodal positions allows the proposed method to place the nodes of a truss structure at desired locations, satisfying complicated constrains and yielding high shape/surface accuracy as required. Moreover, because the assignment of geometric configuration (nodal coordinates) and the determination of internal force distribution are undertaken separately, the computational effort in the FNPM-based form finding is much less than that by a conventional method. The proposed method is applied to two large deployable mesh reflectors of 217 nodes and 865 nodes, respectively, and show high efficiency and accuracy in form finding.
Discourses of Volunteering and Civic Action in the USA

Inspired by Foucault’s genealogical approach, this paper examines the historical discourses of popular engagement in the USA—specifically how volunteering and civic action have been treated in relation to politics and public opinion over time. The paper describes that throughout US history, the relationship between volunteering and civic action has evolved from being more or less blurred in distinction—and has had different meanings for different groups of people. With the election and policies of the current president, we may be entering a new era of increased and politicized volunteering and civic action.
EVALUATING ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS IN CHILDREN DIAGNOSED WITH SOLID TUMORS: SINGLE INSTITUTION STUDY

Background and aims: The determination of impact of environmental exposures in the epidemiology of childhood cancers is especially challenging but crucial in the twenty first century. Although cure...
JUND regulates pancreatic β cell survival during metabolic stress.

Abstract Objective In type 2 diabetes (T2D), oxidative stress contributes to the dysfunction and loss of pancreatic β cells. A highly conserved feature of the cellular response to stress is the regulation of mRNA translation; however, the genes regulated at the level of translation are often overlooked due to the convenience of RNA sequencing technologies. Our goal is to investigate translational regulation in β cells as a means to uncover novel factors and pathways pertinent to cellular adaptation and survival during T2D-associated conditions. Methods Translating ribosome affinity purification (TRAP) followed by RNA-seq or RT-qPCR was used to identify changes in the ribosome occupancy of mRNAs in Min6 cells. Gene depletion studies used lentiviral delivery of shRNAs to primary mouse islets or CRISPR-Cas9 to Min6 cells. Oxidative stress and apoptosis were measured in primary islets using cell-permeable dyes with fluorescence readouts of oxidation and activated cleaved caspase-3 and-7, respectively. Gene expression was assessed by RNA-seq, RT-qPCR, and western blot. ChIP-qPCR was used to determine chromatin enrichment. Results TRAP-seq in a PDX1-deficiency model of β cell dysfunction uncovered a cohort of genes regulated at the level of mRNA translation, including the transcription factor JUND. Using a panel of diabetes-associated stressors, JUND was found to be upregulated in mouse islets cultured with high concentrations of glucose and free fatty acid, but not after treatment with hydrogen peroxide or thapsigargin. This induction of JUND could be attributed to increased mRNA translation. JUND was also upregulated in islets from diabetic db/db mice and in human islets treated with high glucose and free fatty acid. Depletion of JUND in primary islets reduced oxidative stress and apoptosis in β cells during metabolic stress. Transcriptome assessment identified a cohort of genes, including pro-oxidant and pro-inflammatory genes, regulated by JUND that are commonly dysregulated in models of β cell dysfunction, consistent with a maladaptive role for JUND in islets. Conclusions A translation-centric approach uncovered JUND as a stress-responsive factor in β cells that contributes to redox imbalance and apoptosis during pathophysiologically relevant stress.
Closed-form and asymptotic capacitance coefficients for the electrostatics of two spheres

Abstract We study the electrostatic interaction of two charged conducting spheres of arbitrary sizes. We obtain exact closed-form expressions for the capacitance coefficients in terms of the special q-digamma function. In addition we calculate the complete asymptotic expansions of the capacitance coefficients in the near limit when spheres are about to touch each other. Using the asymptotic expansions we provide approximate expressions for the capacitance coefficients that are accurate up to several times the distance of closest approach between the centers of the spheres.
Potential shortcomings of output:input ratios as indicators of economic efficiency in commercial beef breed evaluations

In recent years animal breeders have increasingly made use of output:input ratios and simple measures of economic efficiency, such as annual profits, as a basis for comparisons and evaluations of the commercial applicability of alternative beef breeds. In many instances, however, output:input ratios may produce fallacious indications of economic efficiency that may, in turn, lead to erroneous conclusions regarding the true commercial applicability of the breeds evaluated. Errors potentially arising from the use of output:input ratios in breed evaluations may be attributed to a combination of 1) a narrow range of input use values under which most breeds are evaluated and 2) the inability of output:input ratios, including average annual profitability, to reflect consistently the economic objectives of commercial cow-calf producers. An alternative basis for breed comparison and evaluation is, therefore, developed from economic theories related to optimal investment and asset replacement. Comparison of the results obtained with this alternative to those obtained from output:input ratio evaluation, including annual profitability, indicate that potential value differences of as much as 33% may result from the use of output:input ratios as a primary basis of commercial breed evaluation.