cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Student Loan Asset-Backed Securities: The Next Market in Crisis?

Recent media reports highlight the looming student debt crisis, with its link to the student loan asset-backed securities (SLABS) market, as the potential catalyst for the next financial crisis. Contrary to these reports, we show that tighter underwriting standards, stronger internal credit enhancement, and stricter credit ratings during the last decade have reduced the credit and liquidity risk exposures of SLABS, and the yield spread has rationally reflected the degree of credit enhancements in private SLABS and the risk of “technical” defaults in public SLABS. However, as public policy debates on student loans come under the spotlight, investors should still be vigilant of the potential impact of any policy actions that could increase the systemic risk of the SLABS market. TOPICS:Asset-backed securities (ABS), financial crises and financial market history Key Findings • Despite the looming student loan crisis, credit and liquidity risks of student loan asset-backed securities (SLABS) have been well contained and rationally reflected in the yield spread. • The SLABS market’s strong credit enhancement, small market size, and low return comovement with stocks and bonds do not justify the fear that the SLABS market will be the catalyst for the next major financial crisis. • Investors should still monitor the ongoing public debate and policy propositions of student loans, which could potentially change the landscape of student loans and indirectly affect the systemic risk of SLABS.
The billy goat and the goatee of the ear.

Abstract The term tragus is used to describe the small, flat, triangular cartilaginous prominence situated anteriorly to the entrance of the external auditory canal. The purpose of this historical note is to study the etymology of the term tragus, meaning billy goat, and to analyse the process that led to its current anatomical definition and the various interpretations of this term in the medical literature.
Fast Hilbert–Wavelet Simulation of Nonstationary Wind Field Using Noniterative Simultaneous Matrix Diagonalization

AbstractThe frequency content and spatial correlation of nonstationary wind fields during extreme events typically present time-variant characteristics. Several effective schemes [e.g., using evolu...
Global optimization approaches for parameter tuning in biomedical signal processing: A focus on multi-scale entropy

Many algorithms used for the analysis of physiological signals include hyper-parameters that must be selected by the investigator. The ultimate choice of these parameter values can have a dramatic impact on the performance of the approach. Addressing this issue often requires investigators to manually tune parameters for their particular data-set. In this study, we illustrate the importance of global optimization techniques for the automated determination of parameter values in the multi-scale entropy (MSE) algorithm. Importantly, we demonstrate that global optimization techniques provide an effective, and automated framework for tuning parameters of such algorithms, and easily improve upon the default settings selected by experts.
Preoperative Counseling Method and Postoperative Opioid Usage: A Secondary Analysis of the PREOP Study.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this analysis is to determine if postoperative opioid usage differs among women randomized to office or phone preoperative counseling for pelvic organ prolapse surgery. METHODS This was a planned exploratory analysis of the Patient Preparedness for Pelvic Organ Prolapse Surgery study, which randomized women to standardized preoperative counseling by office visit or phone call before prolapse surgery. Inclusion criteria were the completion of the assigned counseling intervention and submission of a 7-day postoperative pain and medication diary. Multivariable logistic regression was done to assess the association between counseling method and total opioid use while controlling for variables significant on univariate analysis (surgery type and county of residence). RESULTS There were 84 participants with postoperative data (41 office, 43 phone). Median total number of 5-mg oxycodone tablets used was higher for the office group (5 [interquartile range, 0-10]) than the phone group (0 [interquartile range, 0-2], P = 0.002). On multivariable logistic regression, women who underwent phone counseling were less likely to be in the highest third of opioid use when controlling for surgery type and county of residence (odds ratio, 0.23; P = 0.012; 95% confidence interval, 0.07-0.72). Daily pain scores and nonopioid medication use (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications and acetaminophen) were similar between groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Despite similar pain scores, women who received preoperative phone counseling before pelvic organ prolapse surgery had lower opioid utilization than those with office counseling. Further research is needed to determine the optimal method of preoperative counseling and its role in postoperative pain management.
Light-Driven CO2 Reduction by Co-Cytochrome b562.

The current trend in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations is causing increasing concerns for its environmental impacts, and spurring the developments of sustainable methods to reduce CO2 to usable molecules. We report the light-driven CO2 reduction in water in mild conditions by artificial protein catalysts based on cytochrome b562 and incorporating cobalt protoporphyrin IX as active site. Incorporation into the protein scaffolds enhances the intrinsic reactivity of the cobalt porphyrin towards proton reduction and CO generation. Mutations around the active site modulate the activity of the enzyme, pointing to the possibility of further improving catalytic activity through rational design or directed evolution
Legacies of space and intangible heritage: archaeology, ethnohistory, and the politics of cultural continuity in the Americas: edited by Fernando Armstrong-Fumero and Julio Hoil Gutierrez, Boulder, CO, University Press of Colorado, 2017, 248 pp., $32.95 (paperback), ISBN 9781607326595

This collection presents interdisciplinary perspectives on unwieldy and fascinating intersections of privileged knowledges and differential powers as culturally conflicting embodiments of place and...
A comparison of shear- and compression-induced mechanotransduction in SW1353 chondrocytes

Mechanotransduction is a biological phenomenon where mechanical stimuli are converted to biochemical responses. A model system for studying mechanotransduction are the chondrocytes of articular cartilage. Breakdown of this tissue results in decreased mobility, increased pain, and reduced quality of life. Either disuse or overloading can disrupt cartilage homeostasis, but physiological cyclical loading promotes cartilage homeostasis. To model this, we exposed SW1353 cells to cyclical mechanical stimuli, shear and compression, for different durations of time (15 and 30 min). By utilizing liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy (LC-MS), metabolomic profiles were generated detailing metabolite features and biological pathways that are altered in response to mechanical stimulation. In total, 1,457 metabolite features were detected. Statistical analyses identified several pathways of interest. Taken together, differences between experimental groups were associated with inflammatory pathways, lipid metabolism, beta-oxidation, central energy metabolism, and amino acid production. These findings expand our understanding of chondrocyte mechanotransduction under varying loading conditions and time periods.
The key role of reaction temperature on a polyol synthesis of water-dispersible iron oxide nanoparticles

Abstract The controlled synthesis of water-dispersible iron oxide nanoparticles is essential for biomedical application. For the continuous growth of iron oxide nanoparticles in polyols, it is still unclear how the temperature will affect the controlled synthesis of water-dispersible iron oxide nanoparticles. This work studies the role of reaction temperature on the continuous growth of water-dispersible iron oxide nanoparticles in diethylene glycol (DEG). At the temperature of 235 °C and below, the nanoparticle size increases with the increase of temperature. These nanoparticles are highly water dispersible. Interestingly, with the further increase of temperature to the boiling point of DEG (245 °C), precipitations are produced during the reaction. The resulted nanoparticles are not stable in an aqueous solution anymore. X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) analysis is employed to study the surface changes of nanoparticles prepared at different temperatures. The size, crystal structure, and magnetic properties of these nanoparticles are characterized by TEM, DLS, XRD, XPS, FTIR, and SQUID magnetometry. The crystallite sizes from XRD match very well with those by TEM. The nanoparticles consist of a single-grain domain. The crystal structure of the nanoparticles exhibits a magnetite phase. The magnetization properties are studied for the nanoparticle synthesized at different reaction temperatures. The water-dispersible nanoparticles can be used for potential magnetic resonance imaging which is indicated by their transverse (r2) and longitudinal relaxivities (r1). The relaxivity properties are consistent with the size of nanoparticles prepared at various temperatures.
Thermochemical heat recuperation for compressed air energy storage

Abstract Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) suffers from low energy and exergy conversion efficiencies (ca. 50% or less) inherent in compression, heat loss during storage, and the commonly employed natural gas-fired reheat prior to expansion. Previously, isothermal, and adiabatic (or ‘advanced’ adiabatic) compressed air energy storage have been proposed to enhance the efficiency of the process. Among the adiabatic schemes, thermal storage can be used to store heat from compression process. Prior to expansion, the air can recuperate the stored thermal energy, which could reduce or even eliminate the need for natural gas-fired reheat. Although sensible heat storage (SHS) and latent heat storage (LHS) have been previously investigated for this purpose, there are very few published studies looking at the use of thermochemical energy storage (TCES) for the CAES application. Here, a direct heat transfer scheme with combined thermochemical and sensible energy storage is proposed. The present study develops a mathematical model to address the conceptual design of the proposed idea. A detailed model and analysis are performed for TCES-rock-filled PBTES (packed bed filled with both barium oxides and rocks) and rock-filled PBTES. Results showed that similar round-trip efficiency (RTE) is achieved between rock-filled and TCES-rock-filled PBTES due to the relatively low heat capacity and heat of reaction for the barium oxides materials used in the current study. A 60% RTE is achieved for both systems with 20 h storage time after charge. However, with TCES material placed on top of the packed bed, a more stable turbine air inlet temperature (less than 200 K temperature variation) is obtained compared with all rock-filled packed bed (more than 300 K temperature difference) if idle time after charge is less than 20 h. In addition, with future advanced materials, the proposed idea could potentially improve the roundtrip efficiency of the process, have longer duration of storage and stable turbine air inlet temperature under suitable operating conditions. To better illustrate the potential of the concept, a hypothetical material with same heat capacity with rocks but a thermochemical storage capacity equal to three times that of barium oxides is investigated using the developed mode. Results showed that a potential of more than 5% RTE improvement could be obtained using the hypothetical material. Longer storage durations will increase the added value of the TCES. Additionally, 45% less volume is needed for the hypothetical-TCES-filled PBTES to achieve similar energy storage capacity as rock-filled PBTES with the case of 40 h idle time after charge. The concept could also be applied to Liquid Air Energy Storage.
Fungal biomass and productivity

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses fungal biomass and productivity. Fungal masses are best measured via biochemical indices because fungi digest natural materials such as saltmarsh grass from within the opaque solid substrate. Fungi (including chytrids) and oomycotes are part of the marine microbiota; however, biochemical-index methods are developed for biomass and productivity measurement with natural samples only for true fungi. Biomasses of zoosporic, non-mycelial true fungi (the chytrids) is measured using hexosamine techniques, but not with the ergosterol technique because chytrids do not synthesize ergosterol. It is possible to measure fungal biomass via biochemical proxies in two very different ways: as total mass (living plus dead, evacuated hyphae) or as living mass (membrane-containing mycelium). The hexosamine methods yield total-mass values (as chitin of cell walls is not readily lysed upon hyphal death), and the ergosterol methods yield living-mass values (as ergosterol is a membrane component, and membranes are readily lysed upon hyphal death). The method for finding living-fungal mass and fungal productivity is described in this chapter.
Immigration Federalism: The Case of Immigration Enforcement by Non-Federal Agencies

Since 2002, state and local governments have passed many laws and ordinances designed to regulate immigration. This sort of activism, combined with the failure of the federal government to enforce immigration laws, has blurred the line between who should and should not be enforcing immigration laws. This study seeks to clarify the debate concerning the enforcement of immigration laws in the United States. Through an analytical review of the U.S. Constitution, relevant U.S. Supreme Court rulings, and critical lower court cases, this study contends that the federal government is entitled to exclusive enforcement of immigration laws. This conclusion centers on four main arguments: (a) the U.S. Constitution and relevant court cases have established the federal government as the main enforcer of immigration laws; (b) the complexity of immigration laws concerning the enforcement of criminal and civil regulation may result in federal preemption for states and localities that overstep their formal agreements with the federal government; (c) the unnecessary immigration enforcement by states can cause local officers to disregard their traditional job and use their resources to enforce federal laws; and (d) local enforcement of immigration laws has further distanced immigrant communities by the voluntary or involuntary violation of civil rights.
Aromatic Substitution Reactions

This chapter is concerned with reactions that introduce or interchange substituent groups on aromatic rings. The most important group of such reactions are the electrophilic aromatic substitutions, but there are also significant reactions that take place by nucleophilic substitution mechanisms, and still others that involve radical mechanisms. Examples of synthetically important reactions from each group will be discussed. Electrophilic aromatic substitution has also been studied in great detail from the point of view of reaction mechanism and structure-reactivity relationships; these mechanistic studies received considerable attention in Part A, Chapter 9. In this chapter, the synthetic aspects of electrophilic aromatic substitutions will be emphasized.
Neurally mediated vasoconstriction is capable of decreasing skin blood flow during orthostasis in the heat‐stressed human

Given the large increase in cutaneous vascular conductance (CVC) during whole-body heat stress, this vascular bed is important in the regulation of blood pressure during orthostatic stress. In this thermal state, changes in CVC are reported to be due to withdrawal of active vasodilator activity. The purpose of this study was to identify, contrary to the current line of thinking, whether cutaneous vasoconstrictor neural activity is enhanced and capable of contributing to reductions in CVC during an orthostatic challenge of heat-stressed individuals. Healthy normotensive subjects were pretreated, subcutaneously, with botulinum toxin A (BTX-A) to inhibit the release of neurotransmitters from cutaneous active vasodilator nerves. On the experimental day, microdialysis probes were placed in the BTX-A-treated site and in an adjacent untreated site. In protocol 1, internal temperature was elevated ∼0.7°C, followed by the application of lower body negative pressure (LBNP; −30 mmHg). LBNP reduced CVC at the BTX-A-treated sites (Δ4.2 ± 2.9%max), as well as at the control site (Δ9.8 ± 4.1%max). In protocol 2, after confirming the absence of cutaneous vasodilatation at the BTX-A-treated site during whole-body heating, CVC at this site was elevated to a similar level relative to the control site (55.4 ± 13.4 versus 60.7 ± 10.4%max, respectively) via intradermal administration of isoproterenol prior to LBNP. Similarly, when flow was matched between sites, LBNP reduced CVC at both the BTX-A-treated (Δ15.3 ± 4.6%max) and the control sites (Δ8.8 ± 5.6%max). These data suggest that the cutaneous vasoconstrictor system is engaged and is capable of decreasing CVC during an orthostatic challenge in heat-stressed individuals.
Experimental Analysis of Tassel Development in the Maize Mutant Tassel Seed 6

The maize (Zea mays L.) mutation Tassel seed 6 (Ts6) disrupts both sex determination in the tassel and the pattern of branching in inflorescences. This results in the formation of supernumerary florets in tassels and ears and in the development of pistils in tassel florets where they are normally aborted. A developmental analysis indicated that extra florets in Ts6 inflorescences are most likely the result of delayed determinacy in spikelet meristems, which then initiate additional floret meristems rather than initiating floral organs as in wild type. I have used culturing experiments to assay whether delayed determinacy of Ts6 mutant tassels is reflected in an altered timing of specific determination events. Length of the tassel was used as a developmental marker. These experiments showed that although Ts6 tassels elongate much more slowly than wild type, both mutant and wild-type tassels gained the ability to form flowers with organs of normal morphology in culture at the same time. In situ hybridization patterns of expression of the maize gene Kn, which is normally expressed in shoot meristems and not in determinate lateral organs, confirmed that additional meristems, rather than lateral organs, are initiated by spikelet meristems in Ts6 tassels.
Contentious Politics and Social Movements

In this book, I will argue that contentious politics emerges in response to changes in political opportunities and threats when participants perceive and respond to a variety of incentives: material and ideological, partisan and group-based, long-standing and episodic. Building on these opportunities, and using known repertoires of action, people with limited resources can act together contentiously – if only sporadically. When their actions are based on dense social networks and effective connective structures and draw on legitimate, action-oriented cultural frames, they can sustain these actions even in contact with powerful opponents. In such cases – and only in such cases – we are in the presence of a social movement. When such contention spreads across an entire society – as it sometimes does – we see a cycle of contention. When such a cycle is organized around opposed or multiple sovereignties, the outcome is a revolution. The solutions to the problem of mobilizing people into campaigns and coalitions of collective action depend on shared understandings, social networks, and connective structures and the use of culturally resonant forms of action. But above all – I shall argue – they are triggered by the ebb and flow of political struggle. In this chapter, I will lay out each of these factors as they will be used in this book to describe, analyze, and raise questions about contentious politics and social movements.
Rethinking ecological inference: density dependence in reef fishes

We use a meta-analysis of density dependence in reef fishes to evaluate how ecologists approach detection, inference, and estimation. We compared two groups of studies: those that detected effects of density on survival and those that did not. Distinctions between these groups have spawned heated debate about the processes that affect fish dynamics. Per capita effects of density were similar between the two groups, although total effects (and hence ambient density) were greater in studies that detected density effects. The majority of the variation in effects of density was not resolved by the classification of studies based on the authors' conclusions. These results suggest (1) that standard inferences based on null hypothesis tests may miss important sources of variation in effects and give rise to unnecessary debate; and (2) that estimation of effect sizes and model parameters (including their uncertainty) is a powerful alternative to detection of ecological processes.
Determination of aldoses and uronic acid content of vegetable fiber

Abstract The factors affecting the stability, hydrolysis, reduction, acetylation, quantitation, and identification of the neutral sugars from vegetable fiber preparations have been studied critically and optimized. The recommended method offers a consolidation of the recent modifications of the alditol acetate procedure for the estimation of neutral sugars. The recovery of the sugars was tested by glc and ion-exchange chromatography. Also, the modified carbazole method of Bitter and Muir was adapted to make it applicable for the estimation of uronic acid content of fiber because uronic acid cannot be estimated quantitatively by the acetylation procedure. It is emphasized that the proposed method is applicable only to highly purified fiber preparations which are free of coprecipitated intracellular compounds. Also, the levels of pentoses and hexoses in the fiber must be well defined and a suitable correction made for their interference in the assay.
Coprostanol distribution from sewage discharge into Sarasota Bay, Florida.

Distribution of the fecal sterol, coprostanol, was determined in sediment from forty-one sites throughout Sarasota Bay, Florida. This project was part of a water quality study to estimate the impact of sewage effluent discharged from the City of Sarasota's wastewater treatment plant into Sarasota Bay. Coprostanol (5..beta..-cholestan-3..beta..-ol) is one of the principal sterols found in the feces of man and other mammals, and has been shown to be a reliable marker of fecal pollution. For this study, coprostanol was used as an indicator to estimate the extent to which sewage-derived particulate matter has been distributed within Sarasota Bay sediment.
A taxonomic review of the Neotropical genus Anchimacheta (Lepidoptera: Urodidae) with descriptions of a new congener and an allied, new genus and species from Sri Lanka

The urodid genus Anchimacheta is reviewed by examination of the type species, A. iodes, from Mexico and description of a new congener, A. costaricae n. sp., from Costa Rica. The genus is characterized by having a hind wing vein CuP complete; 1A + 2A vestigial; a male uncus bilobed apically; a female antrum with dentations anteromarginally. Lectotypes are designated for A. iodes and A. capnodes. A new genus, Glaucotunica n. gen., is proposed on the basis of a new species, G. tamila n. sp, from Sri Lanka. The relationships and biogeography of Anchimacheta and Glaucotunica are discussed.http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:19D0038D-051C-4ACC-A7B2-400056F0F9B8
Influence of light on aryl hydrocarbon receptor signaling and consequences in drug metabolism, physiology and disease

Introduction: A key to understanding the biological function(s) of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) – a xenobiotic-activated receptor – is to identify its endogenous ligand(s). The discovery of a tryptophan photoproduct 6-formylindolo[3,2-b]carbazole (FICZ) as an endogenous, high affinity agonist of AHR filled this knowledge gap in the context of skin physiology and pathology in response to light and opened several new directions for research on AHR. Area covered: This paper reviews major developments in the study of light-elicited AHR signaling and its impact on drug metabolism, skin physiology and disease with a focus on the identification of AHR ligands from Trp photoproducts and the AHR-mediated UV response. This review consists of material obtained from Medline and PubMed literature searches up to May 2011. Expert opinion: The recognition of FICZ as a potent, endogenous ligand of AHR provided a molecular link between light exposure and AHR signaling and function. The uncovering of the bifurcated s...
Understanding the role of information communication in the buyer‐seller exchange process: antecedents and outcomes

Purpose – This study seeks to address the issue of managing buyer‐seller relationships. Specifically, a framework incorporating the constructs of information communication, sales technology, product knowledge, and customer satisfaction is proposed.Design/methodology/approach – Empirical support was derived from salesperson survey data combined with customer‐reported satisfaction ratings. All 254 sales representatives of the women's health care division of a pharmaceutical company were surveyed for this research study.Findings – The results suggest that managers can benefit by extending salesforce training to address not only technical knowledge but also communication skills. Providing technology with the potential to increase customer satisfaction through improved information communication would be beneficial as well.Practical implications – The research suggests that managers should invest resources not only in providing salespeople with technical knowledge, but also in training them in effective communi...
Expression of four housekeeping proteins in elderly patients with schizophrenia

We compared protein expression by Western blot analysis in four areas of postmortem brain from patients with schizophrenia and control subjects for several proteins that are often used as controls for Western blot studies: β-tubulin, actin, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, and valosin-containing protein. We did not detect any differences in expression between subjects with schizophrenia and a comparison group. These results suggest that all four proteins are suitable loading controls for postmortem studies of schizophrenia.
Fluorescence and Ultraviolet Absorption Spectra, and the Structure and Vibrations of 1,2,3,4-Tetrahydronaphthalene in Its S1(π,π*) State

The ultraviolet absorption spectra in the static vapor phase and the laser induced fluorescence spectra (both fluorescence excitation and single vibronic level fluorescence spectra) of jet-cooled 1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene have been used along with theoretical calculations to assign many of the vibronic levels in the S1(π,π*) state. These have been compared to the corresponding vibrational levels for the S0 ground state. Analysis of the upper states of the ring-twisting vibration ν31 and three other low-frequency modes has allowed us to construct an energy map of the lowest vibrational quantum states for both S0 and S1. The molecule is highly twisted in both electronic states with high barriers to planarity, which are calculated to be 4811 cm-1 for S0 and 5100 cm-1 for S1. However, the experimental data show that the barrier should be lower in the S1 state.
Second-order pyramidal slip in zinc single crystals

Measurements of strain, dislocation mobility and dislocation density have been made in 99.999% zinc single crystals stressed at room temperature in compression along the hexagonal axis, [0001]. Slip bands on the〈1213〉{1212}, second-order pyramidal system were observed. Etch pit observations indicate that the average dislocation density increases linearly with strain. The velocity of edge dislocations in slip bands obeys the relation v = v_0(τ/τ_0)^n with v_0 = 1 in./sec, n = 8.7, τ_0 = 870 lb./in.^2, and τ the resolved shear stress in lb./in.2. These observations together with measurements of the strain-rate sensitivity of the flow stress show that the stress dependence of the density of moving dislocations is more important than the stress dependence of the dislocation velocity in determining the strain-rate sensitivity.
How to Avoid Going Bump in the Night: Object and Place Representations in the Hippocampus

The cognitive map theory has been a dominant influence over research into hippocampal function since the publication of O'Keefe and Nadel's The Hippocampus as a Cognitive Map in 1978 (now freely available at http://www.cognitivemap.net). The main premise of the theory is articulated in the book's first paragraph: “We shall argue that the hippocampus is the core of a neural memory system, providing an objective spatial framework within which the items and events of an organism's experience are located and interrelated” (O'Keefe and Nadel, 1978). The existence of “place cells” in the hippocampus—principal cells that fire selectively when the animal occupies restricted locations in an environment—is one of the primary pieces of evidence in support of the theory (O'Keefe and Nadel, 1978; Ekstrom et al., 2003). Early investigations of place cells characterized some of these cells as “misplace cells” (O'Keefe and Nadel, 1978), which fired in a specific location only when an unexpected object or reward was located in that place, or when an expected object or reward was missing. Thus, object-related influences on place cells were known from the very first investigations. Many subsequent experiments concentrated on the influences of distal landmarks on place cells, however (O'Keefe and Conway, 1978; but see Wible et al., 1986; Wiener et al., 1989). These experiments showed that place fields were controlled primarily by landmarks in the periphery of the environment, in that rotation of these landmarks caused place fields to rotate correspondingly. In contrast, rotation of the recording apparatus generally had no effect on the place fields. Thus, it became widely viewed that place cells were selective for spatial locations defined by the distances and angles to distal visual cues. Over the past decade, however, it has become clear that proximal, apparatus-based cues can control place cell firing if these cues are matched in salience to the distal landmarks (Young et al., 1994; Shapiro et al., 1997; Zinyuk et al., 2000; Knierim, 2002a). In addition, the importance of self-motion cues in updating the spatial representation in the hippocampus also has been demonstrated (McNaughton et al., 1996; Knierim, 2002b). It is clear that the location-specific firing of place cells arises from an interaction between proximal, distal, and self-motion cues, the details of which are still being debated.
Hedgerows enhance beneficial insects on adjacent tomato fields in an intensive agricultural landscape

Abstract Within-farm habitat enhancements such as hedgerows could aid pest control in adjacent crops; however, there is little information on whether small-scale restoration impacts pests and natural enemies, and crop damage, and how far effects may extend into fields. We compared restored, California native perennial hedgerows to unenhanced field edges consisting of commonly occurring semi-managed, non-native weeds. Pest and natural enemy communities were assessed in both edge types and into adjacent processing tomato fields. Using sentinel pest eggs, pest control was quantified, and pest pressure and crop damage was compared between field types. Economically-important pests were fewer and parasitoid wasps were more abundant in hedgerows than weedy crop edges. There was no difference in predatory arthropod abundance between edge types, but there was greater predator richness in hedgerow than weedy edges. Predatory lady beetles were more abundant and aphids were lower in fields with hedgerows, up to 200 m into fields, the maximum extent of observations. Fewer of the fields adjacent to hedgerows reached threshold pest levels requiring insecticide application. Benefits of hedgerows to pest control from parasitism extended to 100 m but not 200 m into fields. Farm-scale hedgerow restoration can provide pest control benefits up to 100 or 200 m into fields and multiple hedgerows around fields could enhance pest control throughout entire fields, reducing the need for chemical pest control.
Surgical correction of external genitalia and lower genitourinary tract of markedly virilized child.

Abstract Three children who were seen with marked androgenization, including clitoromegaly, labial fusion, and absent vaginal introitus are presented. In each, the vagina was found to be entering at the level of the posterior urethra. Vaginoplasty was performed in each child utilizing a transperineal “pull through” technique. Reduction clitoroplasty was performed in 1 patient. The advantages and optimal timing of these techniques are discussed.
Minimal ovarian hyperstimulation for in vitro fertilization using sequential clomiphene citrate and gonadotropin with or without the addition of a gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist

Abstract Objective: To compare the results of a minimal-stimulation protocol with those of a standard protocol used for IVF. Design: Retrospective, controlled study. Setting: University center. Patient(s): Fifty-five patients undergoing IVF using a minimal-stimulation protocol with or without adjuvant therapy with a GnRH antagonist. A control group consisted of age- and diagnosis-matched patients undergoing a standard long GnRH agonist (GnRH-a)-gonadotropin stimulation during the same time period. Intervention(s): Clomiphene citrate and gonadotropins, with or without the GnRH antagonist ganirelix. Main Outcome Measure(s): Oocytes recovered and pregnancy rates. Result(s): The number of oocytes retrieved was significantly lower for the minimal-stimulation regimen compared with the case of the long GnRH-a protocol (4.8 ± 2.6 vs. 16.2 ± 7.5, respectively). The clinical pregnancy rate per transfer, however, was not significantly different between the two regimens (37% vs. 41%, minimal stimulation vs. long GnRH-a protocol, respectively). The addition of ganirelix resulted in at least the same pregnancy outcome as compared with the case of cycles without the antagonist. Conclusion(s): Minimal stimulation using clomiphene citrate followed by gonadotropin for IVF results in pregnancy rates equal to the standard long GnRH-a-gonadotropin protocol. The addition of ganirelix resulted in at least similar results with the advantage of eliminating the occurrence of a premature endogenous LH surge.
Aristocrats and Politics in Austria, 1898–1899: Some Letters of Count Alois Lexa Von Aehrenthal and Prince Karl Schwarzenberg

The private letters of statesmen, diplomats and generals, as historians know, often are more valuable than voluminous official documents because they reveal more of the personalities and attitudes of the writers and illuminate more of the surrounding sociopolitical context in which they acted. With that in mind, the purpose of publishing the appended letters is two-fold. First, they offer new sources of information on Austro-Hungarian internal politics in the period 1867–1918, particularly the convulsive Czech-German language conflict of 1897–1899. Second, they serve to introduce historians to the private correspondence of Baron (after 1909, Count) Alois Lexa von Aehrenthal, Austro-Hungarian foreign minister from 1906 until 1912.
Rule-Based Semantic Concept Classification from Large-Scale Video Collections

The explosive growth and increasing complexity of the multimedia data have created a high demand of multimedia services and applications in various areas so that people can access and distribute the data easily. Unfortunately, traditional keyword-based information retrieval is no longer suitable. Instead, multimedia data mining and content-based multimedia information retrieval have become the key technologies in modern societies. Among many data mining techniques, association rule mining ARM is considered one of the most popular approaches to extract useful information from multimedia data in terms of relationships between variables. In this paper, a novel rule-based semantic concept classification framework using weighted association rule mining WARM, capturing the significance degrees of the feature-value pairs to improve the applicability of ARM, is proposed to deal with major issues and challenges in large-scale video semantic concept classification. Unlike traditional ARM that the rules are generated by frequency count and the items existing in one rule are equally important, our proposed WARM algorithm utilizes multiple correspondence analysis MCA to explore the relationships among features and concepts and to signify different contributions of the features in rule generation. To the authors best knowledge, this is one of the first WARM-based classifiers in the field of multimedia concept retrieval. The experimental results on the benchmark TRECVID data demonstrate that the proposed framework is able to handle large-scale and imbalanced video data with promising classification and retrieval performance.
Extrapulmonary tuberculosis in chronic hemodialysis patients.

Background. The incidence of extrapulmonary tuberculosis is higher in dialysis than general population. The aim of the study was to characterize clinical picture in dialysis patients, who developed extrapulmonary tuberculosis. Methods. We retrospectively investigated the hemodialysis patients with extrapulmonary tuberculosis. 2208 hemodialysis patients were reviewed for extrapulmonary tuberculosis from 10 1986 to 01 2001. Results. Seventeen patients (10 male, 7 female) were enrolled. The mean age was 57.4 ± 12.4 years. The sites for extrapulmonary tuberculosis were peritoneum (35.3%, 6/17), cervical lymph node (17.6%, 3/17), bone marrow (5.9%, 1/17), spine (5.9%, 1/17), knee (5.9%, 1/17), brain (5.9%, 1/17), pericardium (5.9%, 1/17), cutaneous tissue (5.9%, 1/17) and genitourinary system (5.9%, 1/17). Fourteen of 15 tissue-biopsy specimens from suspicious sites revealed granulomatous inflammation. There were low yield in mycobacteria culture (11.1%, 1/9) and PCR (33.3%, 2/6). Three patients died during th...
Massive Pulmonary Embolism With ST Elevation in Leads V1-V3 and Successful Aspiration Thrombectomy: Case Report and Review of EKG Changes in Acute Pulmonary Embolism

Pulmonary embolism (PE) lacks an acute specific electrocardiographic pattern. It can infrequently masquerade as ST-elevation myocardial infarction (MI). We report a case of massive pulmonary embolism, presenting as an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and anteroseptal ST-elevation. The diagnosis was made by pulmonary angiography. Aspiration thrombectomy was performed immediately following the diagnosis, with a good outcome. J Med Cases. 2013;4(10):662-666 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4021/jmc1423w
Cementoblasts Maintain Expression of Osteocalcin in the Presence of Mineral Trioxide Aggregate

This study investigated the effects of mineral trioxide aggregate on cementoblast growth and osteocalcin production in tissue culture. For cellular morphology studies, cementoblasts on mineral trioxide aggregate, IRM, and amalgam were incubated for 48 h then fixed for scanning electron microscopic analysis. For gene expression on mineral trioxide aggregate and IRM, reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction was performed using primer sets for glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, type I collagen, alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, and bone sialoprotein after 3 and 5 days. In vitro matrix protein expression was evaluated by confocal microscopy for the presence of osteocalcin on MTA after 7 and 12 days. Images were compared with controls to assess qualitative differences. Results suggest that mineral trioxide aggregate permits cementoblast attachment and growth and the production of mineralized matrix gene and protein expression. Our data indicates that mineral trioxide aggregate can be considered cementoconductive.
The Irrelevant Future Machinations of Human Predators: Response to Cunningham, Sorensen, and Reidy

This rejoinder responds to criticisms levied by Cunningham, Sorensen, and Reidy on the finding that death row inmates were significantly likely to commit acts of prison violence. We acknowledge two genuine errors in our study that could render the statistical finding spurious; however, Cunningham et al.’s response is ineffective in advancing the substantive issues pertaining to the future dangerousness of capital defendants. Although we respect future dangerousness as a legal doctrine and an area of research, it is ultimately a superfluous and largely academic topic that pales to other justifications for capital punishment.
Direct Canonical Transformations

Some of the perturbation methods in classical Hamiltonian mechanics lead to near‐identity transformations of the variables, with the new variables explicitly given as functions of the old ones. Two methods are used for identifying and characterizing the subclass of all such transformations which are also canonical: one approach is related to the conventional method of generating canonical transformations, while the other one uses the properties of Poisson brackets and is related to an operator method of Lie. Either of the methods may be used to derive certain steps in a perturbation method devised by Lacina, inadvertently omitted by that author.
On the viscosity-temperature behavior of polymer melts

Based on the free volume concept and the equation by Doolittle, an empirical equation is offered for the flow activation energy, E *, for polymer melts for the range of over 150°C above glass transition temperature, T g. This E * represents the temperature coefficient of viscosity for the Newtonian region which is also equal to the value measured at constant shear stress for non-Newtonian flow. Data show that the E * of linear polymers approaches a constant value for a temperature range above T g+150°C. Data on 17 polymers are correlated. The proposed equation for this region predicts the E * of polymer melts from the volume expansion coefficient, αl, above T g and also from the T g. Correlations have also been developed between E * and α l and between E * and T g by simplifying the equation by use of the Simha-Boyer expression. A polymer having a lower α l or higher T g generally has a higher E *. However, more satisfactory results are obtained by calculating E * from both α l and T g. The E * calculated is found to agree with measurements within the experimental precision of about ±1 Kcal/mole. The effects of polymer composition, molecular weight, branching and microstructure on E * are also discussed. These factors influence E * in the way in which they effect α l and T g.
Membrane Protein Topology Determination by Proteolysis of Maltose Binding Protein Fusions

A method is presented for determining the topology of Escherichia coli inner membrane proteins that is based on proteolysis of fusion proteins between maltose binding protein (MBP) and the membrane protein of interest. Fusion proteins are constructed wherein the MBP domain is fused upstream of the membrane protein domain. A secreted MBP domain is attached to the protein if its N-terminus resides in the periplasm. A cytosolic MBP domain (MBP delta 2-26) is attached to the protein when its N-terminus resides in the cytoplasm. The method has been developed using a fusion protein in which a secreted MBP domain is attached to the pBR322 tetracycline resistance protein at its first periplasmic loop. Fusion proteins are subjected to partial proteolysis in membrane vesicles under conditions where digestion does not occur in MBP. The mixture of digestion products is analyzed by Western immunoblotting using anti-MBP antiserum to detect cleavage fragments. Sites of digestion in the membrane protein are identified by comparing the mobilities of digestion products to truncated fusion standards that terminate at defined locations within the membrane protein domain. The technique has the advantage that neither overexpression of the protein nor high-quality antiserum to it are required for detection of protease fragments. Furthermore, the method can be applied to screen membrane proteins for structure alterations that have been introduced deliberately into them.
Mesoporous anhydrous RuO2 as a supercapacitor electrode material

Abstract Anhydrous mesoporous ruthenium oxide was synthesized by a simple non-ionic surfactant templating method using Pluronic 123 and tested as an active electrode material for an electrochemical supercapacitor. XRD studies showed the formation of the anhydrous phase of RuO2 for the material calcined at 400 °C/5 h. Cyclic voltammetric studies were performed to estimate the capacitance of the synthesized material. There has been a strong dependence of the capacitance of the material on the voltage scan rates. The capacitance values showed a linear decrease with respect to the increase in the scan rate. The origin of capacitance was found to be from the pseudocapacitance in the RuO2 material and not from any double layer contribution as evidenced by the cyclic voltammetry (CV) studies at different molar concentrations of the electrolyte. The capacitance for anhydrous RuO2 was found to be 58 F/g. The synthesis, structural and electrochemical properties of the mesoporous RuO2 are discussed in detail.
Quantitative autoradiographic analysis of the time course of proliferation of contralateral entorhinal efferents in the dentate gyrus denervated by ipsilateral entorhinal lesions

Abstract The time course of the post-lesion proliferation of contralateral entorhinal afferents which occurs in response to ipsilateral enthorhinal lesions was quantitatively analyzed with autoradiographic techniques. The extent of the crossed projection to the dentate granule cells was quantified on the basis of a contralateral/ipsilateral (C/I) ratio of grain density in the entorhinal terminal zones at 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, and over 60 days post-lesion. C/I ratios of grain density indicate little if any change in the crossed projection at 6 days post-lesion. Between 8 and 12 days post-lesion, the extent of the crossed projection increases dramatically, on the basis of the C/I ratio of grain density. C/I ratio do not increase further between 12 and 14 days post-lesion, but are higher at 60 days post-lesion. These results suggest that the crossed pathway proliferates extensively within the denervated zones between 8 and 12 days post-lesion, and may continue to proliferate at a much slower rate after 12 days post-lesion.
Treatment effectiveness in an adolescent chemical dependency treatment program: a quasi-experimental design.

This study utilizes a waiting-list control group experimental design to empirically assess the effectiveness of a residential adolescent chemical dependency treatment program. Mailed questionnaires and telephone follow-up procedures were used to collect outcome data. Treatment can be classified as an “AA-Family” model, combining behavior modification and psychoanalytic techniques. Complete abstinence from alcohol and/or drugs was used as a criterion for success. The abstinence rate for the treatment group sample (65.5%) was significantly higher than the abstinence rate for the waiting-list control group (14.3%) at the. 001 level of probability.