cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Forestry Taxation in Africa: The Case of Liberia

Countries generally tax the forestry sector to achieve the twin objectives of revenue maximization and sustainability of logging levels. In an ideal world of perfect markets and information, auctions would be the best instrument to determine the price of extraction rights. However, a number of factors - including a lack of information on the forest resources under consideration, uncertainties as to the stability of property rights over time, and a lack of access to credit - have limited the use of auctions so far, particularly in low-income countries. To establish transparency of the forestry sector's financial flows, this paper discusses a radical simplification of Liberia's current timber tax structure, including a proposal to reduce the sector's current tax system to two instruments, an area tax and an export tax.
An Equidistribution Phenomenon: Is There a Principle behind It?

(2002). An Equidistribution Phenomenon: Is There a Principle behind It? The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 109, No. 7, pp. 657-659.
The association of hemidesmosome-like plaque and dense coating with the pinocytic uptake of a heterologous fibrillar protein (amyloid) by macrophages.

Mouse peritoneal macrophages incubated in vitro with isolated human amyloid fibrils not only phagocytized the fibrils, but also demonstrated a hemidesmosome-like structure on the contact surface with the amyloid. The extracellular amyloid fibrils attached closely to the cell surface at the hemidesmosome-like structure, and seemed to be attracted to the small plasmalemmal pit which often formed at that site. Occasionally the pit was deep and had a narrow stalk or neck. The hemidesmosome-like plaque associated with a deep plasmalemmal pit was usually less electron dense than that with the plasma membrane with a shallow indentation or none, and spike-like structures appeared to be present in it. In the cytoplasm near the surface abutting the amyloid, coated vesicles were frequently observed, some containing amyloid-like fibrillar material. From these findings we have proposed a sequential series of events leading to the formation of the coated vesicles from the hemidesmosome-like structures, which then participate in the uptake of amyloid fibrils.
Intercontact Routing for Energy Constrained Disaster Response Networks

This paper presents a novel multicopy routing protocol for disruption-tolerant networks whose objective is to minimize energy expended on communication. The protocol is designed for disaster-response applications, where power and infrastructure resources are disrupted. Unlike other delay-tolerant networks, energy is a vital resource in post disaster scenarios to ensure availability of (disruption-tolerant) communication until infrastructure is restored. Our approach exploits naturally recurrent mobility and contact patterns in the network, formed by rescue workers, volunteers, survivors, and their (possibly stranded) vehicles to reduce the number of message copies needed to attain an adequate delivery ratio in the face of disconnection and intermittent connectivity. A new notion of intercontact routing is proposed that allows estimating route delays and delivery probabilities, identifying more reliable routes and controlling message replication and forwarding accordingly. In addition, we augment the protocol with a differentiated message delivery service that enables the network to function even in an extremely low energy condition. We simulate the scheme using a mobility model that reflects recurrence inspired by disaster scenarios and compare our results to previous DTN routing techniques. The evaluation shows that the new approach reduces the resource overhead per message over previous approaches while maintaining a comparable delivery ratio at the expense of a small (bounded) increase in latency.
Transition Region and Coronal Explorer and Soft X-Ray Telescope Active Region Loop Observations: Comparisons with Static Solutions of the Hydrodynamic Equations

Active region coronal loop observations with broadband X-ray instruments have often been found to be consistent with the predictions of static loop models. Recent observations in the EUV, however, have discovered a class of active region loops that are difficult to reconcile with static loop models. In this paper, we take a comprehensive look at how coronal loops compare with static models. We select 67 loops with a large range of apex temperatures and half-lengths observed with either the Transition Region and Coronal Explorer or the Soft X-Ray Telescope. We compare these observations to static loop models using both uniform and nonuniform heating. We find that only 2 of the 67 loops are fully consistent with static solutions with uniform heating and a filling factor of unity. We further find that long, cool ( 3 MK) loops are as much as 63 times underdense when compared to the static solutions with uniform heating. We then consider the possibility that the disparity in the density could be due to steady, nonuniform heating along the loop and find that footpoint heating can increase densities only by a factor of 3 over density solutions with uniform heating while loop-top heating results in density solutions that are, at most, a factor of 2.5 smaller than the density solutions with uniform heating. Only 19 of the 67 loops in this data set could be fully consistent with hydrodynamic solutions with steady heating. Hence, we conclude that static loop models are poor representations of most active region loops.
Stress Induced Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Responses and Disturbances in Psychological Profiles in Men With Chronic Prostatitis/Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome

Purpose: Chronic pelvic pain in men has a strong relationship with biopsychosocial stress and central nervous system sensitization may incite or perpetuate the pain syndrome. We evaluated patients and asymptomatic controls for psychological factors and neuroendocrine reactivity under provoked acute stress conditions.Materials and Methods: Men with pain (60) and asymptomatic controls (30) completed psychological questionnaires including the Perceived Stress, Beck Anxiety, Type A behavior and Brief Symptom Inventory for distress from symptoms. Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function was measured during the Trier Social Stress Test with serum adrenocorticotropin hormone and cortisol reactivity at precise times, before and during acute stress, which consisted of a speech and mental arithmetic task in front of an audience. The Positive and Negative Affective Scale measured the state of emotions.Results: Patients with chronic pelvic pain had significantly more anxiety, perceived stress and a higher profile...
The Messy Politics of “Clean Coal”: The Shaping of a Contested Term in Appalachia’s Energy Debate

Clean coal is a widely used and highly contested term in debates over energy policy and climate change in the United States. While the discourse of “clean coal” originated in industry and governmen...
Totem or Tyrant? Monopoly, Regional, and Local Sector Effects on Worker Commitment

We examine the degree of job commitment and job satisfaction within three different corporate sectors: large, nationally recognized firms (defined as industry leaders by the Fortune magazine survey), regionally based multi-establishment firms, and firms with local operations only. Commitment and satisfaction in large, nationally recognized companies are lower than in locally based companies, even after relevant job and individual characteristics are controlled. The strength and pervasiveness of these negative findings are interpreted in terms of the close supervision, pressured working environments, and deskilling of jobs typical of the leading firms, and in the apparent failure of these firms' efforts to manipulate their symbolic environments. The vision of the large, nationally recognized corporation as the home of the committed organization man is not supported. We discuss the implications of these results for future research on segmented labor markets. Job commitment has been an important topic in sociological theory at least since Whyte conceptualized the "organization man." However, the pervasiveness of the "organization man" and the completeness of his job commitment, while extensively studied in other countries (Cole; Dore; Ouchi), have been neglected topics in studies of the United States. The current paper seeks to address this gap in our knowledge by analyzing a basic characteristic of employing organizations-their corporate sector-and relating it to the job commitment of workers. Three distinct corporate sectors, defined by their visibility and reputational spheres, are used to test for different levels of job commitment. These three sectors are large, nationally recognized corporations, regionally based multi-plant corporations, and locally based firms.
Model curriculum for academic child and adolescent psychiatry training.

Objective: The United States is facing a severe shortage of academic child and adolescent psychiatrists. This article reviews a model integrated pathway to improve recruitment.
Jacobson's neurectomy for frey's syndrome

Summary A case of gustatory sweating after superfical parotidectomy is presented. The patient received symptomatic relief from Jacobson's neurectomy. The therapeutic measures which have been described for Frey's syndrome are reviewed, and one, Jacobson's neurectomy, is discussed in detail with regard to the rationale for the procedure, surgical technic, and the results of therapy. The operation is easily performed by those experienced in microsurgery of the ear and does not carry the risk of serious complications or undesirable side effects. A review of the cases of Frey's syndrome treated by this method revealed that 90.9 per cent had a satisfactory postoperative result. We consider Jacobson's neurectomy the procedure of choice for symptomatic gustatory sweating.
Choice of for-profit college

Abstract In this paper I investigate whether students self-select into the U.S. for-profit colleges or whether the choice of for-profit sector is accidental or due to the reasons external to the students (geographic exposure to for-profit providers, tuition pricing, or random circumstances). The main student-level data samples come from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88) and the associated Postsecondary Education Transcript Study (PETS:2000). I estimate a multinomial logit of college choice and find that students self-select into for-profit colleges and that the choice of for-profit college is affected by community college tuition. The probability of a student choosing a for-profit college is also heavily influenced by the student's socioeconomic background and parental involvement in the student's schooling. The students with higher school absenteeism are more likely to enroll into for-profit college. Finally, the concentration of for-profit colleges in the student's county is important for the choice of for-profit college.
Electron cyclotron wave sources and applications for fusion

Advances in magnetic fusion research have come as often from the use of new technologies as from the invention of ideas and discovery of phenomena that are then applied to new experiments. The technologies needed for plasma production, heating, confinement, and control have largely been developed and are a major factor in the success of our current experiments. These include high vacuum techniques, normal and superconducting magnets, particle beams, pellet fueling devices, and rf sources in the ion cylotron and lower hybrid range of frequencies. One area where development is especially required, and where the potential impact on fusion research is large, is that of electron cyclotron wave (ECW) sources in the 100–600 GHz range. This journal issue is devoted to methods for ECW generation and transmission, and to applications including heating, current drive, profile shaping, and instability control. To help focus these articles the requirements(1) for a system to heat the Compact Ignition Tokamak (CIT) were used to define the necessary technology. Somewhat lower frequencies, but similar power, is anticipated(2) for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), and for future large devices of that class, should they use ECW sources in them.
Active remote sensing technology development plans for NASA's Earth Science Enterprise

Future remote sensing instruments for the National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA) Earth Science Enterprise (ESE) will depend heavily upon lidars as active sources. Applications will include measurement of the chemical composition of the atmosphere, including global atmospheric CO2, tropospheric wind velocity and surface altimetry. In many cases, the technology requirements for these measurements exceed the state of the art in commercially available laser systems. Consequently, considerable research will be necessary in laser technologies in order to enable the future measurement needs of the ESE. In this paper we will describe the strategy that NASA's ESE will use to develop the necessary laser and supporting technologies. We will illustrate roadmaps of the various measurement needs detailing specific technology investments. In particular we will review the findings from workshops recently conducted by NASA to determine the technology drivers for these measurements. The Earth Science Technology Office is responsible for developing advanced technologies for the ESE, as such, this information is presented in order to communicate the relevancy of, and the need for investments in these technologies to the broadest technical audience.
Kaolin polytypes revisited ab initio

The well known 36 distinguishable transformations between adjacent kaolin layers are split into 20 energetically distinguishable transformations (EDT) and 16 enantiomorphic transformations, hereafter denoted EDT*. For infinitesimal energy contribution of interactions between non-adjacent layers, the lowest-energy models must result from either (a) repeated application of an EDT or (b) alternate application of an EDT and its EDT*. All modeling, quantum input preparation and interpretation was performed with Materials Toolkit, and quantum optimizations with VASP. Kaolinite and dickite are the lowest-energy models at zero temperature and pressure, whereas nacrite and HP-dickite are the lowest-enthalpy models under moderate pressures based on a rough enthalpy/pressure graph built from numbers given in the supplementary tables. Minor temperature dependence of this calculated 0 K graph would explain the bulk of the current observations regarding synthesis, diagenesis and transformation of kaolin minerals. Other stackings that we list have energies so competitive that they might crystallize at ambient pressure. A homometric pair of energetically distinguishable ideal models, one of them for nacrite, is exposed. The printed experimental structure of nacrite correctly corresponds to the stable member of the pair. In our opinion, all recent literature measurements of the free energy of bulk kaolinite are too negative by ∼ 15 kJ mol−1 for some unknown reason.
Children's comprehension of six verb-tense forms.

Abstract Comprehension of six verb-tense forms, two present tense, two future tense, and two past tense, was tested using a picture-preference task. Twenty-four normal children between 3 yr, 6 mo and 5 yr, 5 mo served as subjects. Children improved with age throughout the age range tested and the verb-tense forms were acquired in the following order: present progressive, simple present, will and be going to , and simple past and past progressive. However, performance was affected by the specific verb being tested.
SIGV5D: A routine to compute the reaction rates of interacting distribution functions

Abstract We present a package which computes reaction rates 〈σv〉 based on interactions whose cross-sections σ are functions of relative velocity. The reacting distribution functions are expressed in terms of spherical coordinates in velocity space and are assumed to be independent of the azimuthal angle. A Legendre expansion method is used. One may compute 〈σv〉 for several different reactions simultaneously and for several sets of distribution functions. The user must supply subprograms for setting up the mesh, defining the distribution functions and computing the reaction cross-sections. A test problem is supplied within the source deck.
Exposure of the mitral valve by transecting the ascending aorta during aortic and mitral valve replacement.

Combined aortic and mitral valve operations are still considered major cardiac surgical procedures. The duration of aortic cross-clamping and cardiopulmonary bypass is longer, which increases morbidity and mortality for these combined, complicated operations. Aortic valve exposure is generally satisfactory, but mitral valve exposure may be difficult and add to the length of the aortic cross-clamping time [1]. We have exposed the mitral valve by transecting the ascending aorta, and retracting both ends apart, to give direct access through the dome of the left atrium in 7 patients. This approach gave good exposure and did not increase the risk of complications. Exposure of the mitral valve through the left atrium using a superior approach, by transecting the ascending aorta, is a good option for patients with multiple cardiac conditions who are undergoing combined aortic and mitral valve operations.
Religiosity in South Park: Struggles Over Institutional and Personal Piety Among Residents of a “Redneck Town”

This article offers a critical examination of the portrayal of religion in South Park, a top-rated animated program. A close reading of the program suggests that the series cannot be dismissed as merely vulgar humor aimed at antisocial adolescents. Instead, South Park resonates with a growing cultural animosity toward hypocrisy, religious hierarchy, and intolerance of many forms. Moreover, like The Simpsons, South Park reinforces the postmodern religious culture of religious relativism and personal religiosity at the expense of institutional religious worship.
Hybrid Spatio-Chromatic Coding in the Visual System

ABSTRACTThis paper presents a generalization of two earlier studies thattreat efficient coding and redundancy reduction in the retina.The analysis combines the predictive coding method applied bySrinivasan, Laughlin and Dubs in the spatial domain with thetransform coding method applied by Buchsbaum and Gottschalk in the color domain » -2 The analysis predicts a family of hybridspatio- chromatic channels paralleling spatio- chromatic receptivefields in the visual system. These channels constitute thevisual system strategy to simultaneously and efficiently encodethe spatial and chromatic dimensions of color images.1. INTRODUCTIONA colored scene is a multi -dimensional signal of space andwavelength. Information in these signal dimensions is redundantbecause natural images exhibit some spatial and chromaticregularities. Further, these signal dimensions are notindependent in the sense that variations in space are correlatedwith variations in color. The coding of the spatio- chromaticinformation is performed in the retina by color antagonistic(opponent) spatially organized center -surround receptive fieldssuch as shown in Figure 1.Under the hypothesis that sensory coding mechanisms, such asreceptive fields, recode sensory messages so that theirredundancy is reduced but comparatively little information islost, two earlier papers treated separately the spatial andchromatic dimensions.3 -4 Srinivasan Laughlin and Dubs show thatspatially organized center surround receptive fields reduce thecorrelation among receptor outputs .1 They predict the profile ofreceptive fields by assuming an exponential autocorrelation modelfor natural scenes and applying predictive coding to decorrelatethe retinal receptor array outputs. The main idea is that sincethe outputs of the receptor array are correlated, it is moreeconomic in terms of the limited available neural dynamic range
A numerical study of vortex shedding from rectangles

The purpose of this paper is to present numerical solutions for two-dimensional time-dependent flow about rectangles in infinite domains. The numerical method utilizes third-order upwind differencing for convection and a Leith type of temporal differencing. An attempted use of a lower-order scheme and its inadequacies are also described. The Reynolds-number regime investigated is from 100 to 2800. Other parameters that are varied are upstream velocity profile, angle of attack, and rectangle dimensions. The initiation and subsequent development of the vortex-shedding phenomenon is investigated. Passive marker particles provide an exceptional visualization of the evolution of the vortices both during and after they are shed. The properties of these vortices are found to be strongly dependent on Reynolds number, as are lift, drag, and Strouhal number. Computed Strouhal numbers compare well with those obtained from a wind-tunnel test for Reynolds numbers below 1000.
Receipt of glucocorticoid monotherapy among Medicare beneficiaries with rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective Using disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) improves outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and is a nationally endorsed quality measure. We investigated the prevalence and predictors of receiving glucocorticoids alone for the treatment of RA in a nationwide sample of Medicare beneficiaries. Methods Among individuals ages ≥65 years with RA enrolled in the Part D prescription drug benefit in 2009, we compared those with ≥1 DMARD claim to those receiving glucocorticoid monotherapy, defined as no DMARD claim and an annual glucocorticoid supply of ≥180 days or an annual dose of ≥900 mg of prednisone or equivalent. We fit multivariable models to determine the sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with glucocorticoid monotherapy. Results Of 8,125 beneficiaries treated for RA, 10.2% (n = 825) received glucocorticoids alone. Beneficiaries with low incomes were more likely to receive glucocorticoids alone (12.3%; 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 10.9–13.8% versus 9.4%; 95% CI 8.6–10.1%), as were those living in certain US regions. More physician office visits and hospitalizations were associated with glucocorticoid monotherapy. Individuals who had no contact with a rheumatologist were significantly more likely to receive glucocorticoids alone (17.5%; 95% CI 16.0–19.0% versus 8.5%; 95% CI 7.4–9.5% for those with no rheumatology visits versus 1–4 visits). Conclusion Approximately 1 in 10 Medicare beneficiaries treated for RA received glucocorticoids without DMARDs in 2009. Compared to DMARD users, glucocorticoid users were older, had lower incomes, were more likely to live in certain US regions, and were less likely to have seen a rheumatologist, suggesting persistent gaps in quality of care despite expanded drug coverage under Part D.
Preparation and Hydration Kinetics of Pure CaAl2O4

Single phase, pure monocalcium aluminate (CaAl2O4) powders are chemically synthesized at temperatures as low as 900°C. The powders have a specific surface area of approximately 10 m2/g. The hydration kinetics of CaAl2O4 and the morphology of the hydrates are analyzed using electron microscopy techniques
Performance and yield calculations for large-area thin-film modules through distributed modeling

A modeling methodology based on an accurate distributed SPICE model is developed to analyze the impact of non-uniformity on the performance of large-area thin-film modules. The simulation quantifies the losses due to spatial variations in process, using an assumed thickness distribution across the module. The analysis of local operating points elucidates the ability of the circuit to adapt voltage and current distributions in order to minimize the impact of non-uniformity. The simulation method is also used to investigate yield issues such as the yield loss through defect shunts.
Genome-Wide Screen Reveals Replication Pathway for Quasi-Palindrome Fragility Dependent on Homologous Recombination

Inverted repeats capable of forming hairpin and cruciform structures present a threat to chromosomal integrity. They induce double strand breaks, which lead to gross chromosomal rearrangements, the hallmarks of cancers and hereditary diseases. Secondary structure formation at this motif has been proposed to be the driving force for the instability, albeit the mechanisms leading to the fragility are not well-understood. We carried out a genome-wide screen to uncover the genetic players that govern fragility of homologous and homeologous Alu quasi-palindromes in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We found that depletion or lack of components of the DNA replication machinery, proteins involved in Fe-S cluster biogenesis, the replication-pausing checkpoint pathway, the telomere maintenance complex or the Sgs1-Top3-Rmi1 dissolvasome augment fragility at Alu-IRs. Rad51, a component of the homologous recombination pathway, was found to be required for replication arrest and breakage at the repeats specifically in replication-deficient strains. These data demonstrate that Rad51 is required for the formation of breakage-prone secondary structures in situations when replication is compromised while another mechanism operates in DSB formation in replication-proficient strains.
Mechanism of action of angiostatic steroids: Suppression of plasminogen activator activity via stimulation of plasminogen activator inhibitor synthesis

Recently, a novel class of angiostatic steroids which block angiogenesis in several systems has been described. Since the elaboration of proteases is believed to be an important component of angiogenesis, we tested whether these steroids blocked the fibrinolytic response of endothelial cells to the angiogenic protein, basic fibroblast growth factor [bFGF]). Cultured bovine aortic endothelial (BAE) cells were incubated with bFGF and/or medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), an angio-static steroid which has been shown to inhibit vascularization, collagenolysis, and tumor growth. When bFGF (3 ng/ml) was added to confluent monolayers of BAE cells, plasminogen activator (PA) activity in the medium was increased threefold. In contrast, MPA at 10−6 M, 10−7 M, 10−8 M, and 10−9 M decreased PA levels in the medium by 83%, 83%, 75%, and 39%, respectively. The stimulation of PA levels in BAE cells by bFGF (3 ng/ml) was abrogated by the presence of 10−6 M MPA. This decrease in PA activity was found to be mediated by a significant increase in plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 (PAI-1) production. MPA, therefore, negated one of the important enzymatic activities associated with the angiogenic process. In contrast to the decreased levels of secreted PA in cultures exposed simultaneously to MPA and bFGF, cell-associated PA levels remained high, consistent with earlier observations indicating that PAI-1 does not inhibit cell-associated PA. Thus, angiostatic steroids may exert their inhibitory effects on angiogenesis by increasing the synthesis of PAI-1. This, in turn, inhibits PA activity and, therefore, plasmin generation, which is essential for the invasive aspect of angiogenesis. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Reduced growth but not survival of chicks with altered gape patterns : implications for the evolution of nestling similarity in a parasitic finch

Pin-tailed whydahs, Vidua macroura, parasitize the parental care of common waxbills, Estrilda astrild, throughout southern Africa. Unlike most avian brood parasites, pin-tailed whydah nestlings resemble host young, precisely matching their elaborate gape patterns. Presumably, similarity arises through selection on parasites to avoid discrimination by host parents, but the mechanisms of this selection remain elusive. To investigate the capabilities of common waxbill parents to discriminate variation in nestling morphology, I manipulated the gape flanges of their chicks. Despite substantial overall nestling mortality, I found no significant differences in survival among young whose gape flanges were coloured black, were treated with a clear sham control, or were left unmanipulated. In addition, parents did not selectively eliminate chicks with conspicuous, natural gape pattern irregularities. I did find small but significant differences in growth between black and control + unmanipulated groups for two metrics (mass and head + bill length) but not for two others (tarsus and wing length). I also manipulated the costs to parents of provisioning young by clipping their flight feathers at some nests, a procedure that should have increased the probability of rejecting young with manipulated gapes. Counter to prediction, nestlings tended to survive better in nests where parents were handicapped. Common waxbill parents, like parents in many bird species, appear to respond to variation in chick phenotypes by adjusting provisioning rates towards young. This discriminatory behaviour may help to explain the detailed similarity of common waxbill nestlings and pin-tailed whydahs.
The Journalist Behind the News: Credibility of Straight, Collaborative, Opinionated, and Blogged “News”

Technological advances of the 21st century are changing how people get news and what they expect from it. How a message is presented—as straight, opinionated, collaborative, or blog news—affects its credibility. This experiment suggests that the strongest predictor of article and organizational credibility online is the author’s perceived expertise, but in today’s digital age, that expertise is largely determined by the level of coorientation between the sender and receiver.
Synchronous tumors in both ureters and left renal pelvis

A case of bilateral, synchronous ureteral tumors and a tumor in the left renal pelvis is presented. Conservative surgical treatment involved local resection of both ureteral tumors and partial nephrectomy of the left kidney. Multiple urothelial tumors subsequently developed in the bladder which were resected. The patient has had good kidney function and no evidence of disease.
Nonuniform, age-related decrements in regional sweating and skin blood flow

Aging is associated with attenuated thermoregulatory function that varies regionally over the body. Decrements in vasodilation and sweating are well documented with age, yet limited data are availa...
Photoperoxidation of cholesterol in homogeneous solution, isolated membranes, and cells : comparison of the 5α- and 6β- hydroperoxides as indicators of singlet oxygen intermediacy

— Singlet oxygen (1O2) can react with cholesterol (Ch) to give three possible ene-addition hydroperoxides: 3β-hydroxy-5α-cholest-6-ene-5-hydroperoxide (5α-OOH), 3β-hydroxycholest-4-ene-6α-hydroperoxide (6α-OOH), and 3β-hydroxycholest-4-ene-6β-hydroperoxide (6β-OOH). The rates of dye-sensitized photogeneration and also the fates of 5α-OOH and 6β-OOH in membrane bilayers have been studied and compared. Irradiation of unilamellar [14C]Ch/phospholipid vesicles in the presence of aluminum phthalocyanine tetrasulfonate or merocyanine 540 resulted in formation of 5α-OOH and 6β-OOH, as determined by high performance liquid chromatography with radiochemical or electrochemical detection. The initial rate of 6β-OOH formation was 335% that of 5α-OOH in a variety of liposomal systems. However, after a lag, 5α-OOH invariably decayed via allylic rearrangement to 7α-OOH (also known to be a free radical product), whereas 6β-OOH accumulated in unabated fashion until Ch depletion became limiting. Photooxidation of Ch in an isolated natural membrane (erythrocyte ghost) or in L1210 leukemia cells gave similar results. When the reaction was carried out in pyridine or methanol, the rate of 6β-OOH formation relative to 5α-OOH was reduced by approximately half, with essentially no isomerization of the latter to 7α-OOH. These results suggest that (i) environmental factors in a lipid bilayer somehow make photogeneration of 6β-OOH more favorable than in homogeneous solution; and (ii) due to its relative stability, 6β-OOH may be a more reliable probe of 1O2 intermediacy than 5α-OOH.
Fixed‐Dose Combination Diuretics in Congestive Heart Failure: An Evaluation

Thirty-two patients with congestive heart failure were studied for their clinical and biochemical responses to the administration of two combination diuretic products (hydrochlorothiazide/spironolactone and hydrochlorothiazide/triamterene) and the single entity diuretic furosemide. Data from these studies revealed the following: 1. Comparison of the patients on furosemide with those receiving the combination products showed no difference in serum potassium or 24-hour potassium excretion. 2. Significant changes in blood urea nitrogen, plasma renin activity, and urinary aldosterone excretion were noted with both fixed-combination medications but not with furosemide. 3. The combination diuretics offered no clinical benefits over the single agent furosemide. 4. Therapy is best served by the use of a single effective diuretic agent for the treatment of most patients with congestive heart failure.
Commentary on: Social media in plastic surgery practices: emerging trends in North America.

In “Social Media in Plastic Surgery Practices: Emerging Trends in North America,” Dr. Mathes and his coauthors attempt to quantify and describe the impact of social media—defined as “applications that offer a way to disseminate information to a targeted audience in real time”—on plastic surgery practices. Through results from an electronic survey e-mailed to all board-certified or board-eligible plastic surgeons, they characterize the prevalence of social media among these practitioners and identify trends toward its use (and avoidance). The authors conclude that while social media is an up-and-coming phenomenon in the world of plastic surgery, its application is generally approached with caution and has yet to see widespread use by plastic surgeons. Social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter are part of an online phenomenon known as Web 2.0.1 Originally coined in 2004 after the “dot-com bubble” burst, Web 2.0 describes a constantly-evolving online environment populated by user-generated content. In this environment, social media sites are part of a milieu of online material created not by software companies or corporations, but by the very consumers of web content themselves. Social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook fall under this purview and join other web phenomena, including blogs (short for “web log”), wikis, podcasts, and multimedia sharing sites such as Flickr and YouTube. The emergence of this new, democratized online atmosphere has led to the development of novel tools for the health care practitioner, as well as his or …
The Contribution of Crime to Urban Decline

The fact that crime is higher in the larger urban centers and in the central cities of metropolitan areas suggests that crime has contributed to suburbanisation. Previous studies have been unable to extricate crime from other causes of suburbanisation and central city decline. The present study of residential mobility isolates the effect of property crime from other neighborhood characteristics, such as accessibility to workplace and social composition. In Dallas it is found that the repelling effects of crime for potential movers is greater for families with children than without and for more affluent families, white and black.
The hydraulic limitation hypothesis revisited

We proposed the hydraulic limitation hypothesis (HLH) as a mechanism to explain universal patterns in tree height, and tree and stand biomass growth: height growth slows down as trees grow taller, maximum height is lower for trees of the same species on resource-poor sites and annual wood production declines after canopy closure for even-aged forests. Our review of 51 studies that measured one or more of the components necessary for testing the hypothesis showed that taller trees differ physiologically from shorter, younger trees. Stomatal conductance to water vapour ( g s ), photosynthesis ( A ) and leaf-specific hydraulic conductance ( K L ) are often, but not always, lower in taller trees. Additionally, leaf mass per area is often greater in taller trees, and leaf area:sapwood area ratio changes with tree height. We conclude that hydraulic limitation of gas exchange with increasing tree size is common, but not universal. Where hydraulic limitations to A do occur, no evidence supports the original expectation that hydraulic limitation of carbon assimilation is sufficient to explain observed declines in wood production. Any limit to height or height growth does not appear to be related to the so-called age-related decline in wood production of forests after canopy closure. Future work on this problem should explicitly link leaf or canopy gas exchange with tree and stand growth, and consider a more fundamental assumption: whether tree biomass growth is limited by carbon availability.
A Trend Analysis of Participant and Setting Characteristics in Autism Intervention Research

The current trend analysis was conducted to empirically document the characteristics of individuals with autism who participated in intervention research published between 1995 and 2009 in three jo...
The effect of carsharing on vehicle holdings and travel behavior: A propensity score and causal mediation analysis of the San Francisco Bay Area

We examine the impacts of carsharing on travel behavior utilizing a San Francisco Area subsample of the 2010–2012 California Household Travel Survey. We control for self-selection bias due to differences in observed characteristics of the respondents using propensity-score based matching. We find that vehicle holdings of carsharing members are substantially and significantly lower than for non-members with similar characteristics in terms of individual and household demographics and built environment features of both residential and job location. These differences increase as the propensity to enroll in carsharing programs increases. A latent construct, which measures the propensity to own or utility from owning vehicles and rises with numbers of vehicles owned, is lower for members by 0.3–1.3 standard deviations relative to non-members. Members are also likely to walk, bike, and use transit more frequently than non-members. However, these differences are relatively minor and tend to be statistically non-significant. Future research should control for self-selection bias arising from differences in unobserved characteristics of respondents, as well as simultaneity bias whereby decisions concerning vehicle ownership both influence and are influenced by the decision to join carsharing programs.
Solving Monolithic Fluid-Structure Interaction Problems in Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian Coordinates with the deal.II Library

We describe a setting of a nonlinear fluid-structure interaction problem and the corresponding solution process in the finite element software package deal.II. The fluid equations are transformed via the ALE mapping (Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian framework) to a reference configuration and these are coupled with the structure equations by a monolithic solution algorithm. To construct the ALE mapping, we use a biharmonic equation. Finite differences are used for temporal discretization. The derivation is realized in a general manner that serves for different time stepping schemes. Spatial discretization is based on a Galerkin finite element scheme. The nonlinear system is solved by a Newton method. Using this approach, the Jacobian matrix is constructed by exact computation of the directional derivatives. The implementation using the software library package deal.II serves for the computation of different fluid-structure configurations. Specifically, our geometry data are taken from the fluid-structure benchmark configuration that was proposed in 2006 in the DFG project Fluid-Structure Interaction I: Modelling, Simulation, Optimisation. Our results show that this implementation using deal.II is able to produce comparable findings.
The Transmission of Scientific Knowledge to Wikipedia

This paper compares the scientific literature used most often by scientists to the scientific literature referenced on the English- language Wikipedia. Previous studies have raised concerns that editors of science-related articles on Wikipedia are biased toward easily available sources and underrepresent particular scientific fields. Most often, these studies examine references on Wikipedia only but make claims about how well or poorly Wikipedia repre- sents the scientific literature as a whole. In contrast, the present study begins with the scientific literature. We use the Scopus database to identify the 250 most heavily used journals in each of 26 research fields (4620 journals in total), and estimate a variety of models to identify what makes these journals more or less likely to be cited on Wikipedia. We find that, controlling for im- pact factor and open access policy, Wikipedia over-represents journals from the Social Sciences, and under-represents journals from the Physical Sciences and Health Sciences. An open-access policy is not associated with increased Wikipedia presence. The most significant predictor that a journal will be cited on Wikipe- dia is its impact factor.
Delaware River Basin Modeling

The record northeastern United States drought of the 1960's has necessitated a detailed reappraisal of water resource systems previously proposed in the affected areas to determine the extent of changes in available yield. The ability to judge the competency of proposed engineer structures in the Delaware Basin to meet flow requirements has been hampered by the diversity of projects, the political constraints on existing projects in the upper portion of the basin, and numerous alternative demands on available surface water. To facilitate analysis of the effects of the record drought on systems yields, a mathematical modeling technique was developed to allow simulation of the lower Delaware Basin and proposed engineering structures. The technique and its application to the Delaware are analyzed. The results of the reappraisal of project yields utilizing the model are presented and compared with pre-1960 yield estimates.
Detection of lymphomatous bone marrow involvement with magnetic resonance imaging [see comments]

We reviewed magnetic resonance (MR) staging examinations of 98 patients with malignant lymphoma who failed other therapy and were under evaluation for bone marrow transplantation. MR scan results were compared with blind posterior iliac crest aspirations and biopsies. Images of vertebral, pelvic, and femoral marrow were obtained using a standard T1-weighted, short repetition time (TR), short time to echo (TE) (TR700/TE22), spin-echo (T1-SE) method in 92 patients and short TI inversion recovery (STIR) technique (TR1,500/TE36/TI100) in all. On standard T1-SE sequence, normal marrow is bright due to the predominance of marrow fat, and tumor is dark. With STIR images, water containing tumor has a very high signal intensity in a dark (fat suppressed) background. Thirteen patients had positive MR scans and marrow biopsies, whereas 49 had negative MR scans and biopsies. Of 36 discordant MR/histology results, 10 had positive biopsies and negative MR exams; eight of these had microscopic infiltration (less than or equal to 5%) with tumor. MR detected marrow tumor either in the crests or elsewhere in 25 of 75 (33%) patients with negative study biopsies. We could confirm marrow involvement in 15 of these 25 (60%) by clinical methods. Therefore, up to one third of the patients evaluated with routine biopsies may have occult marrow tumor detectable by MR exam. In patients with negative marrow biopsies, especially those with Hodgkin's disease or intermediate to high-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, MR scans found focal lesions distant from the crests. Biopsy better detected lower grade microscopic involvement. We conclude that optimal marrow staging of lymphoma patients incorporates both biopsy and MR imaging.
The Impact of Changing Agricultural Technology on Land Tenancy in Preindustrial China: Evidence from Confucius's Manors (1759-1901)

During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, fixed-rent tenancy gradually replaced sharecropping as the dominant form of land tenancy in China. This paper posits that the shift in land tenancy was generated by the technological movement from annual cropping to multiple cropping. To test the hypothesis we exploit a unique dataset gathered from the rent collection archives of Confucius's Lineage in the Qing Dynasty. We estimate the effect of the adoption of wheat-soybean double cropping on the choice of tenancy contract, share contract versus fixed-rent contract. We find that double cropped plots were 30% more likely to be managed under fixed-rent contracts than annually cropped plots. Our findings are consistent with the implications of the factor imperfections theory. The adoption of double cropping made farming more complex and placed greater demands on managerial abilities of tenants. In the absence of a factor market for managerial ability, optimal tenancy contract had adapted to provide tenants with a greater incentive to supply managerial inputs than had been the case in sharecropping arrangements.
Time-Dependent Susceptibility of the Growth of Gold Nanorods to the Addition of a Cosurfactant

Gold nanorods have attracted more attention than other gold particle morphologies because of their tunable optical response, which is a product of simply changing the rod’s aspect ratio. Advances in bottom-up synthetic methods of gold nanorods have greatly improved yields as well as allowed access to a range of aspect ratios. Despite great strides being made in synthetic methods, the growth mechanism of gold nanorods has been debated in recent years. A recent mechanism outlined by Park et al. shows that nanorods undergo five distinct stages of growth. Stages I and II of this growth mechanism are dominated by the epitaxial micellar adsorption of surfactant to the growing crystal and adatom migration during rod reconstruction, respectively. Both of these processes, occurring early in particle growth, clearly dominate the production of anisotropic species, as well as the resultant morphology. Therefore, our hypothesis is that nanorod growth should be most susceptible to crystal habit modification during earl...
Microbial Relationship Between the Lesser Mealworm and Its Associated Environment in a Turkey Brooder House

This research was designed to investigate microbiological relationships between adult Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer) and its environment in a turkey brooder house. Insect, litter, and dust samples were collected weekly and cultured on different media to identify bacteria and fungi and to estimate relative levels of microbiological contamination. The number of bacteria and fungi increased during the 13-week sampling period, the amount depending on the type of sample. Surface and subsurface litter became heavily contaminated with bacteria, both having similar bacterial counts. The total number of bacteria in the dust was less than in the litter. The lesser meal worm carried the least. However, a greater percentage of the surface-disinfected lesser mealworms was contaminated with Escherichia coli than any other type sample, and these represented the largest number of the different isolates identified. The lesser mealworm also was the 1st type sample found positive for Salmonella spp. Subsurface litter and dust had the greatest amount of fungi, surface litter was second, while the lesser mealworm had the least amount.