cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Observation of the production of short-lived particles in a high-resolution streamer-chamber experiment

Short-lived particles produced in association with muons have been observed in the interactions of 350-GeV/c protons with neon in a high-resolution streamer chamber. The characteristics of these events are consistent with the expected properties of charmed particles if the average lifetime lies between 10/sup -13/ and 2 x 10/sup -12/ sec. With the assumption that the observed events are mainly D/sup + -/ mesons with lieftimes of approximately 10/sup -12/ sec, the production cross section is estimated to lie between 20 and 50 ..mu..b per nucleon.
Plasma Technology in Food Industry: mini-review

Plasma treatment is an interesting technology with many potential applications in industry. At present, more and more often we encounter papers that deal with utilization of plasma technology in food industry. This mini-review provides an overview of the latest developments in this area. At the beginning the principles of plasma interaction with solid surfaces are shortly discussed. The next chapters are focused on sterilization of food from bacteria and fungi. The infl uence of plasma treatment on the food quality and nutritional parameters is discussed in last section.
Tactical supply chain planning under uncertainty with an application in the wind turbines industry

Abstract With today's rapidly changing global market place, it is essential to explicitly include uncertainty in supply chain planning models. In this paper, we develop a two-stage stochastic programming model for the comprehensive tactical planning of supply chains under demand and supply uncertainty. The model handles multi-period, multi-product, and multi-echelon supply chains. It incorporates backorder penalties with general cost structures. The considered supply uncertainty combines supplier random yield and stochastic lead times, and is thus the most general form of such uncertainty to date. We illustrate how our model directly applies to the planning of the supply chain of one of the world's biggest manufacturers of wind turbines. We illustrate theoretical and numerical results that show the impact of supplier uncertainty/unreliability on optimal procurement decisions. We also quantify the value of modeling uncertainty versus deterministic planning.
Increased exposure to chilling advances the time to budburst in North American tree species

The phenology of trees is highly susceptible to changing global temperatures. Leaf budburst advances with increasing spring temperatures, but can also be delayed when warmer winters reduce chilling exposure. Results from long-term observations show that increasing temperatures have triggered advanced budburst in the past decades, but some studies also show that budburst advance has slowed recently. Here, we conducted an experiment with five temperate deciduous tree species (Acer rubrum L., Larix laricina (Du Rois) K. Koch, Populus tremuloides Michx., Quercus ellipsoidalis E. j. Hill, Betula papyrifera Marsh.) and one invasive species (Rhamnus cathartica L.) in Minnesota, USA, to assess the impact of chilling on the timing of leaf budburst. We collected twigs over two winter seasons (2011/2012 and 2012/2013) on a biweekly basis and exposed them to spring-like temperatures of 21 °C/16 °C day and night, long day photoperiod (16 h). We found a significant relationship of advanced budbreak with increased chilling for all species tested (P < 0.001) and significant differences in the timing to budburst among all species (P < 0.001). Acer rubrum responded strongly to chilling, showing a very steep linear decline in days to budburst with increased exposure to chilling. On the other end of the spectrum, L. laricina responded least to increases in chilling. These results suggest that rising global temperatures will likely have diverse impacts on tree species with potential implications for species interactions such as competition.
Some do and some don’t? Accounting for variability of individual difference structures

A prevailing notion in experimental psychology is that individuals’ performance in a task varies gradually in a continuous fashion. In a Stroop task, for example, the true average effect may be 50 ms with a standard deviation of say 30 ms. In this case, some individuals will have greater effects than 50 ms, some will have smaller, and some are forecasted to have negative effects in sign—they respond faster to incongruent items than to congruent ones! But are there people who have a true negative effect in Stroop or any other task? We highlight three qualitatively different effects: negative effects, null effects, and positive effects. The main goal of this paper is to develop models that allow researchers to explore whether all three are present in a task: Do all individuals show a positive effect? Are there individuals with truly no effect? Are there any individuals with negative effects? We develop a family of Bayesian hierarchical models that capture a variety of these constraints. We apply this approach to Stroop interference experiments and a near-liminal priming experiment where the prime may be below and above threshold for different people. We show that most tasks people are quite alike—for example everyone has positive Stroop effects and nobody fails to Stroop or Stroops negatively. We also show a case that under very specific circumstances, we could entice some people to not Stroop at all.
Abstract P004: Impact of Atrial Fibrillation on Healthcare Utilization in the Community: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with increased risk of hospitalization. However, little is known about the impact of AF on non-inpatient healthcare utilization or about sex or race differences in AF-related utilization. We examined rates of inpatient and outpatient utilization by AF status in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. Methods and Results: ARIC cohort participants with incident AF enrolled in fee-for-service Medicare, Parts A and B, for at least 12 continuous months between 1991 and 2009 were matched on age, sex, race and center to up to three participants without AF. Healthcare utilization was ascertained from inpatient and outpatient Medicare claims and classified based on primary ICD-9 code. The analysis included 944 AF and 2,761 non-AF participants. The average number of days hospitalized per year was 13.1 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 11.5-15.0) and 2.8 (95% CI: 2.5-3.1) for those with and without AF, respectively. The corresponding number of outpatient claims per year was 53.2 (95% CI: 50.4-56.1) and 23.0 (95% CI: 22.2-23.8) for those with and without AF, respectively (Table). Most utilization in AF patients was attributable to non-AF conditions, particularly other-cardiovascular disease (CVD)-related reasons; the adjusted rate ratio for days hospitalized per year for other-CVD-related reasons was 4.76 (95% CI: 3.51 - 6.44) for those with compared to those without AF. There was suggestive evidence that sex modified the association between AF and inpatient utilization, with AF related to greater utilization in women than men. The association between AF and healthcare utilization was similar in whites and blacks. Conclusions: This study highlights the considerably greater healthcare utilization (inpatient and outpatient) among those with AF; the differential in utilization due to other-CVD-related reasons was substantial. In addition to recommended heart rate or rhythm treatment, accompanying cardiovascular comorbidities should be evaluated and managed. ![][1] [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
Magnitude and Pace of Improvement in Performance of Hospitals Treating Mechanically Ventilated Children in the United States: Analysis From Two National Databases

Objectives To use two national databases to quantify the pace and magnitude of improvement in hospital performance (as measured by mortality) across hospitals caring for critically ill children in the United States. Design We used empirical Bayes shrinkage estimators to obtain shrinkage estimators of observed/expected mortality ratios for each hospital assuming a Gamma Poisson posterior distribution. Revised mortality rates for each hospital were obtained from the shrunken incidence ratios. Setting Pediatric Health Information System participating hospital and Kids' Inpatient Database participating hospital. Patients Patients less than or equal to 18 years old who received invasive mechanical ventilation during their hospital stay at a Pediatric Health Information System participating hospital (2005-2015) or a Kids' Inpatient Database participating hospital (1997-2012) were included. Interventions None. Measurements and main results A total of 486,838 patients from 48 Pediatric Health Information System hospitals and 798,840 patients from 947 Kids' Inpatient Database hospitals were included. For the Pediatric Health Information System hospitals, the median shrunken adjusted mortality decreased from 11.66% in 2005 to 7.11% in 2015; for the Kids' Inpatient Database hospitals, it decreased from 5.79% in 1997 to 3.86% in 2012. By 2015, more than 95% of the Pediatric Health Information System hospitals performed better than or as well as the best 25% of the hospitals in 2005. By 2012, 33.7% of Kids' Inpatient Database hospitals performed better than or as well as the best 25% of the hospitals in 1997. Conclusions This study provides insight into the magnitude of improvement in patient mortality in hospitals caring for critically ill children in the United States. This study quantifies hospital performance in pediatric critical care over time, and it provides benchmarks against which individual hospitals can assess their own performance. In future pediatric epidemiologic studies, we should identify outcomes other than mortality to quantify improvement in hospital performance.
Alternative doffing strategies of personal protective equipment to prevent self-contamination in the health care setting.

Background Health care workers routinely contaminate skin and clothing when doffing personal protective equipment (PPE). Alternative doffing strategies, such as hand hygiene on gloved hands and double gloving, have been suggested but not validated by comparison against the standard Centers for Disease Control and Prevention procedures. Methods Participants were assigned to doff PPE following 1 of 4 specific strategies. Prior to doffing, PPE was “contaminated” with Glo Germ and fluorescing Staphylococcus epidermidis at the recommended level of 1.5 × 108 colony forming units/mL. After doffing, areas of self-contamination were detected using a black light. Cultures were taken from these areas using cotton swabs, inoculated onto blood agar plates, and incubated for 48hours. Each participant completed a survey regarding usability. The Fisher exact test and the Kruskal-Wallis test were used for data analysis with SAS 9.4. Results There were 51 participants who completed the study. Breaches in PPE were observed in only 5 of 51 doffs (10%). However, 46 of 51 (90%) had areas of self-contamination that was apparent by transfer of Glo Germ to skin or clothing. A subset (16%) of these sites also grew fluorescing S epidermidis. Assigned doffing strategy was associated with bacterial contamination (P = .0151), but not usability (P = .2372). Conclusions Participants experienced self-contamination when doffing PPE with both a surrogate marker and live bacteria. Close attention to doffing technique is necessary for optimal results, and one-step procedures may be more effective.
No Ordinary Spider // Una araña poco tradicional

Abstract This essay braids the author’s observations of a garden spider along with references to biology, ecology, and literature. The author explores arachnophobia, and discusses the ways in which close encounters with even small aspects of the natural world can allow people to overcome fear, and to have greater respect for the world around them. Resumen Este ensayo enlaza las observaciones de la autora sobre una arana de jardin con referencias biologicas, ecologicas y literarias. La autora explora el concepto de aracnofobia y analiza las formas en que los encuentros con los aspectos mas pequenos del mundo natural pueden permitir a los seres humanos superar sus miedos y tener un mayor respeto por el mundo que les rodea.
Personnel Preparation and Implementation of Services for Severely Disturbed Children in the United States.

The results of a nationwide (United States) survey of state education agencies and special education training programs on the effectiveness of delivering educational services to severely emotionall...
Disparity in Uterine Leiomyomata Care in Black Women in Years Prior to and After Adoption of the Affordable Care Act

Abstract Objective: This research was conducted to determine if surgical management patterns for uterine leiomyomata, specifically in black women, changed after the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was im...
Ankle Mechanical Impedance During Waling in Chronic Stroke: Preliminary Results

Dynamic joint mechanics, collectively known as mechanical impedance, are often altered following upper motoneuron disease, which can hinder mobility for these individuals. Typically, assessments of altered limb mechanics are obtained while the patient is at rest, which differs from the dynamic conditions of mobility. The purpose of this study was to quantify ankle impedance during walking in individuals post-stroke, determine differences from the healthy population, and assess the relationship between impedance impairment and clinical outcome measures. Preliminary data were collected in four individuals post-stroke. Displacement perturbations were applied to the ankle during stance phase, and least-squares system identification was performed to estimate ankle impedance. In comparison to the healthy population, the paretic ankle showed reduced variation of stiffness during mid-stance of walking, and damping estimates during early and mid-stance were increased. Clinical measures obtained during dynamic tasks showed strong correlation with changes to the stiffness component of impedance, while clinical measures obtained passively were not correlated to stiffness. Impairment in ankle damping was not correlated with any of the measures tested. This work provides novel, preliminary insight into paretic ankle impedance during walking, differences from healthy data, and elucidates how current clinical metrics correspond to the true values of ankle stiffness and damping during gait.
Formation of the 3D Virtual Models for Clothing Fit Assessment Applied in Human Factors

The aim of this study is to reveal the inconsistency of virtual model formations manually created by individual technical designers and to identify effective ways of referencing human body dimensions to develop a prototype virtual model in the industry. In this experiment, the technical designers were asked to create two virtual models based on two types of size charts. The results of the experiment show that the problems of inconsistency were associated with the different perceptions by each technical designer on body dimensions and body proportions based on given charts. In addition, the problems were caused by automatic adjustments in the 3D virtual fitting software program. The limitation of adjustable size scales existed in pre-programed built-in features in the program. The result of this study will provide fundamental and referential materials to enhance and supplement virtual modeling technology.
A Dynamical Systems Description of Privilege, Power and Leadership in Academia: identifying barriers and paths to inclusive communities of excellent scholarship

As the diversity of people in higher education grows, Universities are struggling to provide inclusive environments that nurture the spirit of free inquiry in the presence of these differences. At the extreme, the value of diversity is under attack as a few, vocal academics use public forums to question the innate intellectual abilities of certain demographic groups. Throughout my career as an astronomer, from graduate student, through professor to department chair, I have witnessed these struggles firsthand. Exclusive cultures result in lost opportunities in the form of unfulfilled potential of all members of the institution - students, administrators and faculty alike. How to move steadily towards inclusion is an unsolved problem that hampers the advancement of knowledge itself. As every scientist knows, problem definition is an essential feature of problem solution. This article draws on insights from dynamical systems descriptions of conflict developed in the social and behavioral sciences to present a model that captures the convoluted, interacting challenges that stifle progress on this problem. This description of complexity explains the persistence of exclusive cultures and the inadequacy of quick or simple fixes. It also motivates the necessity of prolonged and multifaceted approaches to solutions. It is incumbent on our faculties to recognize the complexities in both problem and solutions, and persevere in responding to these intractable dynamics. It is incumbent on our administrations to provide the consistent structure that supports these tasks. It incumbent on all of our constituents - students, administration and faculty - to be cognizant of and responsive to these efforts.
Anatomical study of the prostatic urethra using vinyl polysiloxane casts

Background There are limited studies describing the detailed nonhistologic anatomy of the prostatic urethra. We studied radical prostatectomy specimens to describe the ex vivo anatomical details of its shape and size. Methods We conducted an observational study examining the prostatic urethra anatomy. Prostatic urethra casts (molds) were made using vinyl polysiloxane immediately after fresh specimens had been retrieved following prostatectomy for organ-confined prostate cancer. The following measurements were taken from the casts: anterior length, posterior length, maximal diameter, bladder neck to verumontanum, verumontanum to apex length, and prostate urethral angle (PUA). Prostate volume was calculated using the ellipsoid formula: ((p/6) × transverse × length × height). Results Thirty-three prostatic urethral casts were obtained. The mean prostate volume was 38.59 cc. The mean PUA was 127.6°. The mean transverse, apex, and length of the prostate were 4.65, 4.06, and 3.63 cm, respectively. The mean distance from the verumontanum to sphincter was 1.2 cm. The ratio between the anterior and posterior length of the prostatic urethra was 0.82 cm and did not correlate with prostatic size (Figure 8). Conclusion The distance from the verumontanum to the apex does not change with prostate size; it is uniform with a mean length of 1.2 cm. The anterior length, posterior length, and maximum diameter of the prostatic urethra increase with prostate size. The mean difference between the anterior and posterior length is 0.8 cm and did not correlate with prostate size. Urethral angulation decreased with prostate size but was not significant. Information obtained from this study is of value designing prostatic stents and devices for benign prostatic hyperplasia.
Abstract TMIM-068: TARGETING ER STRESS RESPONSES TO UNLEASH THERAPEUTIC IMMUNITY AGAINST OVARIAN CANCER

Harnessing the intrinsic ability of our immune system to eliminate malignant cells represents the most promising new anti-cancer strategy since the development of chemotherapy. While cancer immunotherapy has been designated a scientific breakthrough, tumor-induced immunosuppression still represents a major impediment to the success of this new approach in the vast majority of cancer patients. We found that ovarian cancer inhibits the development of protective anti-tumor immunity by inducing a state of continued “Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) Stress” in tumor-associated dendritic cells (tDCs). Sustained activation of the IRE1-XBP1 arm of the ER stress response in DCs was necessary for the aggressive and accelerated progression of primary and metastatic ovarian cancers in various preclinical models of disease. Mechanistically, hyperactive XBP1 disrupted crucial metabolic pathways in tDCs and caused severe immune cell dysfunction at tumor sites. Accordingly, DC-specific XBP1 deletion or selective nanoparticle-mediated XBP1 silencing in tDCs restored their immunostimulatory activity in situ and extended survival by evoking protective T cell-mediated anti-tumor immunity. Our findings uncover a new regulatory role for XBP1-driven signaling in DCs of the tumor microenvironment and suggest that targeting aberrant ER stress responses may represent a new strategy to unleash protective immune responses against ovarian cancer. Citation Format: Juan R, Cubillos-Ruiz. TARGETING ER STRESS RESPONSES TO UNLEASH THERAPEUTIC IMMUNITY AGAINST OVARIAN CANCER [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 12th Biennial Ovarian Cancer Research Symposium; Sep 13-15, 2018; Seattle, WA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2019;25(22 Suppl):Abstract nr TMIM-068.
Huntington’s disease: clinical features, disease mechanisms, and management

Abstract Huntington’s disease is an autosomal dominant, progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by multiple movement disorders, psychiatric disturbances, and cognitive decline. The pathogenic mechanism is expansion of a trinucleotide repeat region of the interesting transcript 15 gene that produces excess polyglutamine residues in its protein product, huntingtin, which in turn aggregate and are suspected to induce cellular dysfunction via aberrant bioenergetics and mitochondrial dysfunction. This progressive decline at the cellular level appears to be quite early and specific in the striatum, particularly medium spiny neurons, with eventual cortical dysfunction and more diffuse basal ganglia involvement. Treatment centers on suppression of hyperkinetic movements, stabilization of psychiatric disturbances, including depression, irritability, and anxiety, and tailoring of lifestyle to promote safety and maximal activity. A variety of new genetically based therapies are being developed and tested that may substantially alter the treatment landscape.
barcodetrackR: an R package for the interrogation of clonal tracking data

Clonal tracking methods provide quantitative insights into the cellular output of genetically labelled progenitor cells across time and cellular compartments. However, the absence of a toolbox by which to interrogate these data has precluded the development of standardized analytical frameworks within the field. Thus, we developed barcodetrackR, an R package that provides users with tools for the analysis and visualization of clonal dynamics across time and cellular compartments in clonal tracking experiments. Here, we demonstrate the utility of barcodetrackR in exploring longitudinal clonal patterns and lineage relationships in the context of clonal tracking studies of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells.
Safe and sound.

To the Editor We read with interest the article by Sadler et al .[1][1] Their sonographic imagery of potential sight and life-threatening complications resulting from misdirected eye blocks bear testimony to the importance of supervised and structured training in regional ophthalmic anesthesia
Hyperspectral imagery to monitor crop nutrient status within and across growing seasons

Abstract Imaging spectroscopy provides the opportunity to monitor nutrient status of vegetation. In crops, prior studies have generally been limited in scope, either to a small wavelength range (e.g., 400–1300 nm), a small number of crop cultivars, a single growth stage or single growing season. Methods that are not time- or site-specific are needed to use imaging spectroscopy for routine monitoring of crop status. Using data from four cultivars of potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.), three growth stages and two growing seasons, we demonstrate the capacity of full-range (400–2350 nm) imaging spectroscopy to quantify nutrient status (petiole nitrate, whole leaf and vine total nitrogen) and predict tuber yield in potatoes across cultivars, growth stages and growing seasons. We specifically tested the capabilities of: (1) ordinary least-squares regression (OLSR) using traditional hyperspectral vegetation indices (VIs); (2) partial least-squares regression (PLSR) using full spectrum (400–2350 nm), VNIR- (visible-to-near infrared: 400–1300 nm) or SWIR-only (shortwave infrared: 1400–2350 nm) wavelengths; (3) predictive models developed for one potato type or planting season on withheld data from a different type or season. Our results show that OLSR models produced poor predictions with data from all dates pooled together (validation R2
Why you should share your data during a pandemic.

### Summary box The devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic can be partly attributed to a lack of evidence to inform effective prevention and treatment. The global scientific community has been racing against time to rapidly generate such evidence. Prospective meta-analysis (PMA) and other innovative approaches for pooling data from multiple studies are increasingly used and have the potential to expedite the pace at which knowledge is produced, especially for observational or surveillance data. However, investigators engaged in these innovative projects must leave behind some traditional practices of academic research.1 For that …
Energy-Efficient Models for High-Dimensional Spike Train Classification using Sparse Spiking Neural Networks

Spike train classification is an important problem in many areas such as healthcare and mobile sensing, where each spike train is a high-dimensional time series of binary values. Conventional research on spike train classification mainly focus on developing Spiking Neural Networks (SNNs) under resource-sufficient settings (e.g., on GPU servers). The neurons of the SNNs are usually densely connected in each layer. However, in many real-world applications, we often need to deploy the SNN models on resource-constrained platforms (e.g., mobile devices) to analyze high-dimensional spike train data. The high resource requirement of the densely-connected SNNs can make them hard to deploy on mobile devices. In this paper, we study the problem of energy-efficient SNNs with sparsely-connected neurons. We propose an SNN model with sparse spatio-temporal coding. Our solution is based on the re-parameterization of weights in an SNN and the application of sparsity regularization during optimization. We compare our work with the state-of-the-art SNNs and demonstrate that our sparse SNNs achieve significantly better computational efficiency on both neuromorphic and standard datasets with comparable classification accuracy. Furthermore, compared with densely-connected SNNs, we show that our method has a better capability of generalization on small-size datasets through extensive experiments.
The emotional tone of child descriptions during pregnancy is associated with later parenting.

INTRODUCTION How parents think and feel about their young children has implications for the parent-child relationship. We examined prospective associations between prenatal descriptions of the unborn child's personality and later parenting behavior. METHODS Pregnant women (N = 120; mean age = 26.16, SD = 5.71) were recruited in their third trimester for a longitudinal study. The sample is demographically diverse and predominantly economically disadvantaged. During prenatal interviews, women described their unborn child's personality, from which positive and negative emotion words were coded. Parenting behavior was coded 12 months postpartum (n = 105 for longitudinal analyses). RESULTS Use of positive and negative words was negatively correlated (r = -.34, p < .001). Greater use of positive words to describe the unborn child's personality was associated with higher observed sensitivity, warmth, and engagement during mother-infant interactions, whereas negative words were associated with higher interference and lower levels of sensitivity. Mothers who used anxiety- and/or anger-related words to describe their unborn child, relative to mothers who did not, demonstrated higher interference and lower warmth and sensitivity. CONCLUSION Descriptions of a child's personality before the child is born were associated with postnatal parenting behavior. Prenatal interventions that address negative thoughts and feelings regarding the child may be beneficial for promoting positive parenting postnatally.
Passive microwave observations of snow, ice, and rain from satellites

Observations of precipitation performed with the five-channel passive Scanning Microwave Spectrometer of Nimbus 6 are discussed. It is shown that, at centimeter wavelengths, the rain emission is generally dominated by absorption processes except in the cores of intense precipitation cells where the wavelength dependence can shift markedly. The observations of rainfall over the ocean exhibit considerable long-range order in both instantaneous and two-week average maps. The observations of snow and ice also reveal interesting systematic behavior associated with the inhomogeneities and loss tangent of the bulk subsurface material. In general, ice is more isotropically organized internally than the accumulated layers of snow in Antarctica and Greenland.
Theory of a Naturally Discrete Model for DNA Elasticity that Accounts for the Dependence of the Mechanical Properties of DNA on Nucleotide Sequence

Although there are cases in which one can treat a (duplex) DNA molecule as an idealized elastic rod that is inextensible, intrinsically straight, transversely isotropic, and homogeneous, it is known that the genetic information in DNA determines not only the amino acid sequences of encoded proteins and RNA but also the geometry and deformability of DNA at a local level, i.e., at the level of nucleotide base-pair steps. Recent advances in structural biochem­istry have provided evidence that not only the geometric properties but also the elastic moduli of duplex DNA are strongly dependent on nucleotide sequence and exhibit features that are not accounted for by classical rod models of the Kirchhoff type.
Evaluation of Herbicide Programs for Liberty Link Sweet Corn Hybrids

The recent introduction and availability of Liberty Link sweet corn hybrids provides growers with new options for postemergence weed control. The Liberty Link technology utilizes specially developed hybrids that are tolerant to Liberty 280 SL (glufosinate), a foliar applied, broad-spectrum herbicide with no residual control. The objective of this study was to evaluate and identify the best strategies for using Liberty 280 SL in a sweet corn weed management program.
Burns prevention in a paediatric population

Burns have an important place in the pathology of children due to their frequency and gravity. Thermal trauma is second only to car accidents as a cause of death during childhood and is still a leading cause of accidental death in the home among children aged 1–14 years.
Biodiversity Conservation in the La Amistad Biosphere Reserve

Abstract The AMISCONDE Initiative was created and promoted by Conservation International (CI). This paper analyzes the approach to biodiversity conservation of the Costa Rican portion of the Initiative in the context of CI's mission statement. Global, national and local challenges to biodiversity conservation are briefly reviewed. Then, the implementation of the AMISCONDE Initiative is examined. To provide a basis for comparison, two other well-known Costa Rican conservation programs are summarized. The Initiative differs from these other programs in its central emphasis. AMISCONDE focuses on community development, apparently prioritizing development above biodiversity protection. The paper concludes with several recommendations: that the Initiative place far greater emphasis on biodiversity through education, employment opportunities and collaboration with other organizations interested in the biota of the region; and that the program evaluate its impact on the protected area's biota. This would enable C...
Self-Regulation and Securities Markets

Exchanges have a powerful incentive to regulate insider trading and market manipulation because of the effect that those practices have on liquidity. Markets known for insider trading and manipulation risk a downward spiral as investors depart seeking out alternative, safer investments. Exchanges, through the design of transparent trading mechanisms, vigilant monitoring of trading, and the imposition of demanding listing standards, can help create the trust that leads to deep and liquid securities markets. This essay compares the institutional incentives of securities exchanges and government to regulate abuses in the securities markets. I conclude that exchanges are more likely to regulate in a way that optimizes the trade-off between investor protection and the cost of regulation. Concerns about problems with conflict of interest in exchange regulation have been substantially reduced by the changes that international competition has brought to the securities markets. I propose a model that allocates regulatory authority between the exchanges and the government in a way that ameliorates the limitations of both institutions as regulators. In this regulatory model, exchanges would play the paramount regulatory role, with government playing the role of auditor of exchange regulation. The government's role would be limited in areas allocated to exchange regulation to ensuring that exchanges actually enforce their rules as written and aiding in the enforcement of those rules.
Coil-Assisted Retrograde Transvenous Obliteration (CARTO) for the Treatment of Portal Hypertensive Variceal Bleeding: Preliminary Results.

Coil-Assisted Retrograde Transvenous Obliteration (CARTO) for the Treatment of Portal Hypertensive Variceal Bleeding: Preliminary Results
A strain gage method for determination of fracture parameters in bimaterial systems

Abstract A simple technique for complex stress intensity factor (SIF) determination in a bimaterial crack using electrical strain gages is developed. The asymptotic radial and hoop strain equations are used to compute the SIF by linear transformation. The location of the strain gage relative to the crack tip is chosen through parametric study of the asymptotic fields. The need for higher order terms of the series solution to describe the strain distribution at the gage location is discussed, and a correction procedure using higher order terms is introduced. Static and dynamic experiments are conducted on epoxy/glass-filled epoxy bimaterial specimens in three point bend configuration. Under static loading conditions, the complex SIF estimated from the measured strains is in good agreement with the finite element results obtained by extrapolation of crack flank displacements. The applicability of the present method for dynamic loading conditions is demonstrated by conducting impact tests in a drop-tower system and comparing the measured data with dynamic finite element analysis. The measured dynamic SIF-time history matches favorably with the numerical simulation.
The impact of public capital on the US private economy: new evidence and analysis

This paper presents new evidence on the impact of public capital on the productivity of the US private sector. Using a production function approach, we estimate the impact of public investment on private capital productivity, specifically addressing the empirical critiques of earlier studies. We find evidence of a cointegrating relationship in a dynamic specification of an empirical model that includes public infrastructure as a factor of production, indicating the existence of a long‐run relationship between the US public capital stock and the productivity of the private capital stock. The results are used to explore how the decline in the growth rate of the public capital stock would have affected the performance of the private sector.
Crystallization of Pseudomonas aeruginosa AmrZ protein: development of a comprehensive method for obtaining and optimization of protein-DNA crystals.

The AmrZ protein from the pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a transcription factor that activates and represses the genes for several potent virulence factors, which gives the bacteria a selective advantage in infection. AmrZ was crystallized in complex with DNA containing the amrZ1 repressor binding site. Obtaining crystals of the complex required the integration of a number of well known techniques along with the development of new methods. Here, these processes are organized and combined into a comprehensive method which yielded diffraction-quality crystals. Part of this method included thorough data mining of the crystallization conditions of protein–DNA complexes to create a new directed crystallization screen. An optimized technique for the verification of protein–DNA complexes in crystals is also presented. Taken together, the methods described in this article attempt to streamline the difficult process of obtaining diffraction-quality crystals of protein–DNA complexes through the organization of older methods combined with the introduction of new techniques.
Spectral interpolation in non-orthogonal domains: algorithms and applications

Polynomial spectral methods have become increasingly important in diverse applications such as aeroacoustics, electromagnetics, ocean modeling, seismology, turbulent flows, non-Newtonian flows, non-linear optics, plasma dynamics, and uncertainty quantification. With more emphasis placed in the last 10 years on time-dependent rather than stationary problems, high-order methods, in general, and spectral-based methods, in particular, are potentially more effective than low-order discretizations. New developments in the last few years have addressed issues of complex geometry, finite regularity, fast solvers, multi-resolution, and large-scale simulations. The theme in the present special volume is spectral representations in non-orthogonal domains, specifically in triangles in two-dimensions and tetrahedra in three-dimensions. Multi-dimensional spectral expansions in orthogonal domains (squares or cubes) are based on tensor-products of one-dimensional expansions; for example products of Chebyshev or Legendre polynomials are popular choices. Interpolation is typically based on grid points that are given by the roots of these polynomials (Gauss points) or by the roots of the polynomials’ derivatives (Gauss–Lobatto points, if the end-points are included.) These grid points may also serve as the numerical quadrature points in spectral Galerkin formulations. However, in non-orthogonal domains, tensor-product expansion bases cannot be readily constructed, the best choice of grid points for interpolation or numerical integration is not so obvious. But good progress on both fronts has been made in the last 10 years, setting the foundation for a new generation of spectral and spectral-element methods that can handle truly complex geometries and can deal with error control very effectively. With regards to tensor products, new Jacobi-polynomial representations in conjunction with appropriate transformations have led to tensor-product bases in triangles and tetrahedra. With respect to the best set of grid points, several new algorithms have been proposed that provide excellent approximation properties in triangles and tetrahedra. Wehave collected in this special volumeeleven invited papers by leading researchers in spectralmethods. They are divided in three groups. The first group (1–7) deals with fundamental approximation properties, the second group (8–9) addresses improvements in solution procedures, and the third group (10–11) presents applications.
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder dimensions: a twin study of inattention and impulsivity-hyperactivity.

ABSTRACT Objective This study used a model-fitting strategy to estimate genetic and environmental contributions to the core behavioral dimensions associated with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in 576 twin boys, aged 11 and 12 years. Method Teacher ratings and maternal structured interview reports composed of behavioral items including DSM-III and DSM-III-R criteria for ADHD were obtained for 194 pairs of monozygotic and 94 pairs of dizygotic twins. Factor analysis of these measures yielded two ADHD-related dimensions, inattention and impulsivity-hyperactivity. Scales representing these dimensions were used in the genetic analyses. Results Univariate analyses supported a substantial contribution of genetic factors in the expression of inattention and impulsivity-hyperactivity and smaller contributions of shared and nonshared environmental factors. Results varied according to informant source, with mothers' reports suggestive of rater bias effects. Bivariate analyses indicated that the correlation between these two ADHD dimensions was also genetically mediated. Conclusions Genetic factors are etiologically important in the expression of the separate dimensions of ADHD and in the covariation between them. However, it is important to obtain reports from more than one informant because rater bias effects may be operative, particularly in maternal reports.
Surface velocity in three-dimensional granular tumblers

A fundamental characteristic of granular flows is that they are typically restricted to thin layers of rapid surface flow. Thus, a complete understanding of surface flows is key for an accurate representation of the dynamics of the entire flow. Experiments were conducted in three-dimensional tumblers: cylindrical tumblers of various diameters, a double-cone tumbler, and a spherical tumbler, the Froude number for the last two being a function of the local geometry and ranging from 2.6 × 10 -5 to 7.5 x 10 -4 . Surface velocity measurements for 1 mm and 2 mm glass particles were obtained using particle tracking velocimetry. Results indicate that the streamwise surface velocity at the midpoint of the flowing layer is a linear function of local flowing layer length, regardless of tumbler shape, particle size, rotation rate, and fill fraction. In addition, the axial velocity of particles at the free surface is negligible. These results are key for the development of three-dimensional models of granular flows.
Modulation of mRNA levels during human keratinocyte differentiation.

Cultures of human keratinocytes provide an excellent model system in which to study differentiation. Using the phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol 13-acetate (TPA) and calcium, two agents known to induce keratinocyte differentiation in vitro, we examined the expression of the genes encoding c-fos, c-myc, and c-jun; involucrin, a protein precursor of the keratinocyte cornified envelope; and L-7, a ribosomal protein. Overall, at the doses studied, TPA induced a more rapid and profound differentiation than did calcium, as evaluated by culture morphology and northern blot analysis. Our studies showed a constant low level of c-fos and c-jun expression in unstimulated cells with no significant change after addition of either TPA or calcium except when transcript breakdown was inhibited by cycloheximide. The c-myc proto-oncogene, known to have a high constitutive expression in actively proliferating cells, was strongly downregulated by TPA, but calcium had no effect over a 32 hour period, consistent with the greater growth inhibition of TPA in this system. Involucrin was induced about ninefold by both TPA and calcium as early as 8 hours after stimulation, suggesting transcriptional regulation of this gene during differentiation. L-7, recently demonstrated to be downregulated in late passage human fibroblasts in an in vitro model of senescence, was also strongly downregulated by either TPA or calcium, consistent with an interrelationship between the basic cellular processes of aging and differentiation. These finding expand our knowledge of the differentiation process in human keratinocytes. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Extrarenal rhabdoid sarcoma.

Rhabdoid sarcoma is a tumor of unknown etiology that usually occurs in the kidneys of infants and small children. We report an adolescent with a rhabdoid sarcoma of the chest wall, In addition to the patient's age and the site of the tumor, other unusual features of this case were as follows: positive staining of tumor cells with neuron-specific enolase, the presence of chronic, active, hepatitis that apparently developed coincident with the sar coma, and the presence of widespread hemosiderosis. Two of the patient's siblings died in infancy with degenerative neurologic disease, hepatomegaly, and multiple congenital anomalies. The histochemical findings and family history lend support to previous suggestions that some rhabdoid sarcomas may be of neural crest origin and may be heritable lesions.
Efficient tests for one sample correlated binary data with applications

Four testing procedures are considered for testing the response rate of one sample correlated binary data with a cluster size of one or two, which often occurs in otolaryngologic and ophthalmologic studies. Although an asymptotic approach is often used for statistical inference, it is criticized for unsatisfactory type I error control in small sample settings. An alternative to the asymptotic approach is an unconditional approach. The first unconditional approach is the one based on estimation, also known as parametric bootstrap (Lee and Young in Stat Probab Lett 71(2):143–153, 2005). The other two unconditional approaches considered in this article are an approach based on maximization (Basu in J Am Stat Assoc 72(358):355–366, 1977), and an approach based on estimation and maximization (Lloyd in Biometrics 64(3):716–723, 2008a). These two unconditional approaches guarantee the test size and are generally more reliable than the asymptotic approach. We compare these four approaches in conjunction with a test proposed by Lee and Dubin (Stat Med 13(12):1241–1252, 1994) and a likelihood ratio test derived in this article, in regards to type I error rate and power for sample sizes from small to medium. An example from an otolaryngologic study is provided to illustrate the various testing procedures. The unconditional approach based on estimation and maximization using the test in Lee and Dubin (Stat Med 13(12):1241–1252, 1994) is preferable due to the power advantageous.
Observational Evidence for a Double-Helix Structure in CMEs and Magnetic Clouds

We compare recent observations of a solar eruptive prominence as seen in extreme-UV light on 30 March 2010 by the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) with the multi-tube model for interplanetary magnetic clouds (Osherovich, Fainberg, Stone, Geophys. Res. Lett.26, 2597, 1999). Our model is based on an exact analytical solution of the plasma equilibrium with magnetic force balanced by a gradient of scalar gas pressure. Topologically, this solution describes two magnetic helices with opposite magnetic polarity embedded in a cylindrical magnetic flux tube that creates magnetic flux inequality between the two helices by enhancing one helix and suppressing the other. The magnetic field in this model is continuous everywhere and has a finite magnetic energy per unit length of the tube. These configurations have been introduced as MHD bounded states (Osherovich, Soln. Dannye5, 70, 1975). Apparently, the SDO observations depict two non-equal magnetically interacting helices described by this analytical model. We consider magnetic and thermodynamic signatures of multiple magnetic flux ropes inside the same magnetic cloud, using in situ observations. The ratio of magnetic energy density to bulk speed solar wind energy density has been defined as a solar wind quasi-invariant (QI). We analyze the structure of the QI profile to probe the topology of the internal structure of magnetic clouds. From the superposition of 12 magnetically isolated clouds observed by Ulysses, we have found that the corresponding QI is consistent with our double helix model.