cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evolution of gene regulation: hybrid networks breed diversity.

Summary How do gene regulatory networks evolve? A new study in yeasts shows that cis - and trans -regulatory changes resulted in a hybrid state of coexisting ancestral and derived regulatory circuits. This hybrid state then diversified into a variety of modern networks.
Adaptive Caustic Maps Using Deferred Shading

Caustic maps provide an interactive image-space method to render caustics, the focusing of light via reflection and refraction. Unfortunately, caustic mapping suffers problems similar to shadow mapping: aliasing from poor sampling and map projection as well as temporal incoherency from frame-to-frame sampling variations. To reduce these problems, researchers have suggested methods ranging from caustic blurring to building a multiresolution caustic map. Yet these all require a fixed photon sampling, precluding the use of importance-based photon densities. This paper introduces adaptive caustic maps. Instead of densely sampling photons via a rasterization pass, we adaptively emit photons using a deferred shading pass. We describe deferred rendering for refractive surfaces, which speeds rendering of refractive geometry up to 25% and with adaptive sampling speeds caustic rendering up to 200%. These benefits are particularly noticable for complex geometry or using millions of photons. While developed for a GPU rasterizer, adaptive caustic map creation can be performed by any renderer that individually traces photons, e.g., a GPU ray tracer.
Removal of VOCs from groundwater using membrane-assisted solvent extraction

A membrane-assisted solvent extraction (MASX) system coupled to a membrane-assisted distillation stripping (MADS) system for use in decontaminating ground-water is evaluated. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the groundwater are extracted in the MASX unit using a sunflower oil solvent. In the MADS unit, VOCs are stripped from the sunflower oil, which is recycled to the MASX unit. Thermodynamic data for the sunflower oil-water-VOCs system were measured. The results were used along with published membrane mass-transfer data to design MASX and MADS modules.
STEADY STATE HEAT TRANSFER ANALYSIS OF MOLTEN CORE-REACTOR VESSEL SYSTEM

Abstract This paper extends the steady state analysis of molten core and reactor vessel systems by L.S. Tong [1]. Three other cases of interest were considered and found to be significant for the Maritime CNSG. Due to design differences between the CNSG and land-based nuclear plants, there is a greater possibility that a postulated molten core could be contained within the reactor vessel with water only outside of the vessel.
Alterations in the Determinants of Diastolic Suction During Pacing Tachycardia

In cardiomyocytes, generation of restoring forces (RFs) responsible for elastic recoil involves deformation of the sarcomeric protein titin in conjunction with shortening below slack length. At the left ventricular (LV) level, recoil and filling by suction require contraction to an end-systolic volume (ESV) below equilibrium volume (Veq) as well as large-scale deformations, for example, torsion or twist. Little is known about RFs and suction in the failing ventricle. We undertook a comparison of determinants of suction in open-chest dogs previously subjected to 2 weeks of pacing tachycardia (PT) and controls. To assess the ability of the LV to contract below Veq, we used a servomotor to clamp left atrial pressure and produce nonfilling diastoles, allowing measurement of fully relaxed pressure at varying volumes. We quantified twist with sonomicrometry. We also assessed transmural ratios of N2B to N2BA titin isoforms and total titin to myosin heavy chain (MHC) protein. In PT, the LV did not contract below Veq, even with marked reduction of volume (end-diastolic pressure [EDP], 1 to 2 mm Hg), whereas in controls ESV was less than Veq when EDP was less than approximately 5 mm Hg. In PT, both systolic twist and diastolic untwisting rate were reduced, and there was exaggerated transmural variation in titin isoform and titin-to-MHC ratios, consistent with the more extensible N2BA being present in larger amounts in the subendocardium. Thus, in PT, determinants of suction at the level of the LV are markedly impaired. The altered transmural titin isoform gradient is consistent with a decrease in RFs and may contribute to these findings.
Imaging of dielectric surface flashover in atmospheric conditions

Using a gated intensified digital charge coupled device (ICCD) camera, the development of flashovers across a dielectric surface has been imaged in various gasses at atmospheric pressures. The arc displayed a strong tendency to develop close to the surface, as opposed to following the electric field line leading away from the surface, when oxygen is present in the environment. These findings along with spectroscopy data help to yield a better understanding of the processes involved in surface flashover.
Nutrition Optimization Prior to Surgery

Optimization of metabolic state prior to major surgery leads to improved surgical outcomes. Nutrition screening protocols should be implemented in the preoperative evaluation, possibly as part of a bundle. Strategies to minimize hyperglycemia and insulin resistance by aggressive preoperative nutrition and carbohydrate loading may promote maintenance of a perioperative anabolic state, improving healing, reducing complications, and shortening the time to recovery of bowel function and hospital discharge. Short courses of preoperative immune-modulating formulas, using combinations of arginine, ω-3 fatty acids, and other nutrients, have been associated with improved surgical outcomes. These immune-modulating nutrients are key elements of metabolic pathways that promote attenuation of the metabolic response to stress and improve both wound healing and immune function. Patients with severe malnutrition and gastrointestinal dysfunction may benefit from preoperative parenteral nutrition. Continuation of feeding through the intraoperative period for severely stressed hypermetabolic patients undergoing nongastrointestinal surgery is another strategy to optimize metabolic state and reduce prolonged nutrition deficits. In this paper, we review the importance of preoperative nutrition and strategies for effective preoperative nutrition optimization.
Sharing partitionable workloads in heterogeneous NOWs: greedier is not better

We craft protocols for solving two problems related to sharing a large partitionable bag-of-tasks workload in a heterogeneous network of workstations (NOW) N. In the NOW-Rental Problem, one must complete W units of work and wishes to "rent" N for as short a time as necessary. In the NOW-Exploitation Problem, one has access to N for L time units and wishes to accomplish as much work as possible. Our protocols are crafted within an architectural model that characterizes N via parameters that measure its workstations' computational and communicational efficiencies; hence, our solutions are robust across a broad range of actual NOWs. The protocols determine both an allocation of work for each of N's workstations and a schedule for transmitting that work; hence, they are self-scheduling. The schedules provide a value for either L or W, given the other, thereby solving both motivating problems. By studying two specific protocols, we prove that the intuitive strategy of supplying as much work as possible to faster workstations is not optimal; this nonoptimality is often discernible for values of L less than one minute.
Breaking the Symmetry of the Baryons and the Mesons

We present an approach to the breaking of SU(3) \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} SU(3) symmetry which emphasizes the Nambu-Goldstone realization of this symmetry. Here the octet $\ensuremath{\pi}$, $K$, $\ensuremath{\eta}$ are the ground-state mesons. For matrix elements which are not analytic in the symmetry-breaking parameters, we can establish exactly the leading behavior in symmetry breaking. An example of this is a chiral-limit theorem on the meson decay constants $\frac{{f}_{K}}{{f}_{+}}(0) {f}_{\ensuremath{\pi}}\ensuremath{-}1=[\frac{3({{m}_{K}}^{2}\ensuremath{-}{{m}_{\ensuremath{\pi}}}^{2})}{64{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{2}{{f}_{\ensuremath{\pi}}}^{2}}]\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\mathrm{ln} [\frac{64{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{2}{{f}_{\ensuremath{\pi}}}^{2}}{3{({m}_{K}+{m}_{\ensuremath{\pi}})}^{2}}]+O(\ensuremath{\lambda})$. For matrix elements which are analytic to leading order in symmetry breaking, we advance the hypothesis of threshold dominance of the Goldstone-boson-pair states. When this hypothesis is applied to the mass splittings of the ground-state mesons there results an eigenvalue problem to which the unique notrivial solution corresponds to octet enhancement. This is independent of any assumption about the Hamiltonian symmetry breaking. When we apply these ideas to the baryon mass splittings we again obtain octet solutions corresponding to tadpole-model results and a new result $\frac{3}{10}{(\frac{f}{d})}_{B}=\frac{{(\frac{f}{d})}_{A}}{[3{{(\frac{f}{d})}_{A}}^{2}\ensuremath{-}1]}$ relating the baryon mass $\frac{f}{d}$ ratio to the axial-vector-baryon $\frac{f}{d}$ ratio, in good agreement with experiment. We also discuss electromagnetic mass shifts in this context and advocate that for $\ensuremath{\Delta}I=1$ mass shifts the Cottingham formula diverges (and should be abandoned). If the Cottingham formula diverges for $\ensuremath{\Delta}I=1$ mass shifts, then we no longer have Dashen's sum rule ${{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{{K}^{+}}}^{2}\ensuremath{-}{{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{{K}^{0}}}^{2}={{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}}}^{2}\ensuremath{-}{{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0}}}^{2}$. An alternative, finite approach for $\ensuremath{\Delta}I=1$ mass shifts is suggested and developed.
Lax-Friedrichs sweeping scheme for static Hamilton-Jacobi equations

We propose a simple, fast sweeping method based on the Lax-Friedrichs monotone numerical Hamiltonian to approximate viscosity solutions of arbitrary static Hamilton-Jacobi equations in any number of spatial dimensions. By using the Lax-Friedrichs numerical Hamiltonian, we can easily obtain the solution at a specific grid point in terms of its neighbors, so that a Gauss-Seidel type nonlinear iterative method can be utilized. Furthermore, by incorporating a group-wise causality principle into the Gauss-Seidel iteration by following a finite group of characteristics, we have an easy-to-implement, sweeping-type, and fast convergent numerical method. However, unlike other methods based on the Godunov numerical Hamiltonian, some computational boundary conditions are needed in the implementation. We give a simple recipe which enforces a version of discrete min-max principle. Some convergence analysis is done for the one-dimensional eikonal equation. Extensive 2-D and 3-D numerical examples illustrate the efficiency and accuracy of the new approach. To our knowledge, this is the first fast numerical method based on discretizing the Hamilton-Jacobi equation directly without assuming convexity and/or homogeneity of the Hamiltonian.
A Mutant Bradyrhizobium japonicum δ-Aminolevulinic Acid Dehydratase with an Altered Metal Requirement Functions in Situ for Tetrapyrrole Synthesis in Soybean Root Nodules

The tetrapyrrole synthesis enzyme δ-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) dehydratase requires Mg2+ for catalytic activity in photosynthetic organisms and in Bradyrhizobium japonicum, a bacterium that can reside symbiotically within plant cells of soybean root nodules or as a free-living organism. ALA dehydratase from animals and other non-photosynthetic organisms is a Zn2+-dependent enzyme. A modified B. japonicum ALA dehydratase, ALAD∗, was constructed by site-directed mutagenesis of hemB in which three proximal amino acids conserved in plant dehydratases were changed to cysteine residues as is found in the Zn2+-dependent enzyme of animals. These substitutions resulted in an enzyme that required Zn2+ rather than Mg2+ for catalytic activity, and therefore a region of the ALA dehydratase from B. japonicum, and probably from plants, was identified that is involved in Mg2+ dependence. In addition, the data show that a change in only a few residues is sufficient to change a Mg2+-dependent ALA dehydratase to a Zn2+-dependent one. B. japonicum strains were constructed that contained a single copy of either hemB or the altered gene hemB∗ integrated into the genome of a hemB− mutant. Cultures of the hemB∗ strain KPZn3 had Zn2+-dependent ALA dehydratase activity that functioned in vivo as discerned by its heme prototrophy and expression of wild type levels of cellular hemes. Strain KPZn3 elicited root nodules on soybean that contained viable bacteria and exhibited traits of normally developed nodules, and the symbiotic bacteria expressed nearly wild type levels of cellular hemes. We conclude that the Zn2+-dependent ALAD∗ can function and support bacterial tetrapyrrole synthesis within the plant milieu of root nodules.
Age and baseline quality of life at radical prostatectomy--who has the most to lose?

Purpose: Although younger men have better health related quality of life scores after radical prostatectomy, many have higher baseline function with more to lose than older men. We examined the impact of age on sexual and urinary function and bother during the first 2 years after radical prostatectomy.Materials and Methods: Participants enrolled in CaPSURE™ reported sexual and urinary scores before and after radical prostatectomy using UCLA-PCI. Repeated measures mixed models were used to compare the change in health related quality of life with time between men who were younger (age 60 years or less) and older (age greater than 60 years). Logistic regression models were used to assess associations between age and clinically meaningful health related quality of life decreases (worsening). Models were adjusted for clinical characteristics.Results: Of 1,806 patients younger men reported higher sexual and urinary function scores at each time point and higher sexual function decrease rates at 1 year than olde...
From Mixtures of Mixtures to Adaptive Transform Coding

We establish a principled framework for adaptive transform coding. Transform coders are often constructed by concatenating an ad hoc choice of transform with suboptimal bit allocation and quantizer design. Instead, we start from a probabilistic latent variable model in the form of a mixture of constrained Gaussian mixtures. From this model we derive a transform coding algorithm, which is a constrained version of the generalized Lloyd algorithm for vector quantizer design. A byproduct of our derivation is the introduction of a new transform basis, which unlike other transforms (PCA, DCT, etc.) is explicitly optimized for coding. Image compression experiments show adaptive transform coders designed with our algorithm improve compressed image signal-to-noise ratio up to 3 dB compared to global transform coding and 0.5 to 2 dB compared to other adaptive transform coders.
SANS study of high-copper RPV welds in irradiated and annealed conditions

Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) has been used to study reactor pressure vessel (RPV) welds from the Heavy-Section Steel Irradiation (HSSI) Program. Each of the welds contains high bulk copper contents ranging from 0.26 to 0.40 wt %. The welds were irradiated in test reactors to fluences ranging from 0.5 to 1.9 {times} 10{sup 19} n/cm{sup 2} (E > 1 MeV). SANS measurements were performed to determine number density, radius, and volume fraction of irradiation-induced scattering centers which were consistent with copper-rich precipitates (CRPs). The bulk copper content had no effect on CRP number density, volume fraction, and average radius. Postirradiation annealing (PIA) was performed on the welds for 168 h at 343, 399, and 454 C. SANS measurements on these samples show that high temperature PIA decreases the CRP number density and volume fraction while increasing the average radius. The SANS data obtained on these welds are consistent with the University of California, Santa Barbara, database and comparison is made with two A533B type model alloys irradiated to a similar fluence and following PIA. Evolution of the CRP scattering centers with irradiation and PIA is compared to the changes in mechanical properties.
Uniformity of monkey striate cortex: a parallel relationship between field size, scatter, and magnification factor.

This paper is concerned with the relationship between orientation columns, ocular-dominance columns, the topographic mapping of visual fields onto cortex, and receptive-field size and scatter. Although the orientation columns are an order of magnitude smaller than the ocular-dominance columns, the horizontal distance corresponding to a complete cycle of orientation columns, representing a rotation through 180°, seems to be roughly the same size as a left-plus-right ocular dominance set, with a thickness of about 0.5–1 mm, independent of eccentricity at least out to 15°. We use the term hypercolumn to refer to a complete set of either type (180°, or left-plus-right eyes). In the macaque monkey several penetrations were made at various eccentricities in various parts of the striate cortex subserving the fovea, parafovea and midperiphery. As observed many times previously, in any vertical penetration there was an apparently random scatter in receptive-field positions, which was of the same order of magnitude as the individual receptive fields in that part of the cortex; the field size and the scatter increased in parallel fashion with eccentricity. The movement through the visual field corresponding to a 1 mm horizontal movement along the cortex (the reciprocal of the magnification factor) also increased with eccentricity, in a manner that was strikingly parallel with the increase in receptive field size and scatter. In parts of the cortex representing retina, at least out to about 22° from the fovea, a movement along the cortical surface of about 1 mm was enough to displace the fields so that the new position they collectively occupied half overlapped the old. Such an overlap was thus produced by moving along the cortex a distance about equal to the thickness of a left-plus-right set of ocular-dominance columns, or a complete 180° array of orientation columns. It therefore seems that, independent of eccentricity, a 2 mm × 2 mm block of cortex contains by a comfortable margin the machinery needed to analyze a region of visual field roughly equal to the local field size plus scatter. A movement of 2–3 mm corresponds to a new visual field region and to several new sets of hypercolumns. The cortex thus seems remarkably uniform physiologically, just as it is anatomically.
Ohio Pharmacists' Conceptual Views and Experiences regarding Patient Counseling*:

The purpose of this study was to investigate: 1. pharmacists' conceptual views of counseling and 2. pharmacists' experiences with patient counseling. A systematic random sample of 554 Ohio pharmacists was mailed the pretested study questionnaire. Data were analyzed using MANOVA, ANOVA, and descriptive statistics.Forty-six percent of the pharmacists provided usable responses. Of these, 34% practiced in chain pharmacies and 63% were staff pharmacists, which is comparable to national estimates. The results showed that pharmacists view counseling as the provision of advice which is a reasoned opinion of the pharmacist, subjective, and patient-oriented. Pharmacists reportedly use patient desire for counseling and the type of medication to determine the amount and content of counseling they give their patients. Most respondents prefer to give both verbal and written information to their patients. Inefficient processes for dispensing prescriptions are the greatest barriers to counseling, while efficient processe...
Characterizing the distribution of particles in urban stormwater: advancements through improved sampling technology

A new sample collection system was developed to improve the representation of sediment in stormwater by integrating the entire water column. The depth-integrated sampler arm (DISA) was able to mitigate sediment stratification bias in storm water, thereby improving the characterization of particle size distribution from urban source areas. Collector streets had the lowest median particle diameter of 8 μm, followed by parking lots, arterial streets, feeder streets, and residential and mixed land use (32, 43, 50, 80 and 95 μm, respectively). Results from this study suggest there is no single distribution of particles that can be applied uniformly to runoff in urban environments; however, integrating more of the entire water column during the sample collection can address some of the shortcomings of a fixed-point sampler by reducing variability and bias caused by the stratification of solids in a water column.
The role of prior knowledge in the development of strategy flexibility: the case of computational estimation

The ability to estimate is a fundamental real-world skill; it allows students to check the reasonableness of answers found through other means, and it can help students develop a better understanding of place value, mathematical operations, and general number sense. Flexibility in the use of strategies is particularly critical in computational estimation. The ability to perform complex calculations mentally is cognitively challenging for many students; thus, it is important to have a broad repertoire of estimation strategies and to select the most appropriate strategy for a given problem. In this paper, we consider the role of students’ prior knowledge of estimation strategies in the effectiveness of interventions designed to promote strategy flexibility across two recent studies. In the first, 65 fifth graders began the study as fluent users of one strategy for computing mental estimates to multi-digit multiplication problems such as 17 × 41. In the second, 157 fifth and sixth graders began the study with moderate to low prior knowledge of strategies for computing mental estimates. Results indicated that students’ fluency with estimation strategies had an impact on which strategies they adopted. Students who exhibited high fluency at pretest were more likely to increase use of estimation strategies that led to more accurate estimates, while students with less fluency adopted strategies that were easiest to implement. Our results suggest that both the ease and accuracy of strategies as well as students’ fluency with strategies are all important factors in the development of strategy flexibility.
Representation-independent program analysis

Program analysis has many applications in software engineering and high-performance computation, such as program understanding, debugging, testing, reverse engineering, and optimization. A ubiquitous compiler infrastructure does not exist; therefore, program analysis is essentially reimplemented for each compiler infrastructure. The goal of the OpenAnalysis toolkit is to separate analysis from the intermediate representation (IR) in a way that allows the orthogonal development of compiler infrastructures and program analysis. Separation of analysis from specific IRs will allow faster development of compiler infrastructures, the ability to share and compare analysis implementations, and in general quicker breakthroughs and evolution in the area of program analysis. This paper presents how we are separating analysis implementations from IRs with analysis-specific, IR-independent interfaces. Analysis-specific IR interfaces for alias/pointer analysis algorithms and reaching constants illustrate that an IR interface designed for language dependence is capable of providing enough information to support the implementation of a broad range of analysis algorithms and also represent constructs within many imperative programming languages.
The Predictive Capacity of Personal Genome Sequencing

New DNA sequencing methods will soon make it possible to identify all germline variants in any individual at a reasonable cost. However, the ability of whole-genome sequencing to predict predisposition to common diseases in the general population is unknown. To estimate this predictive capacity, we use the concept of a “genometype”. A specific genometype represents the genomes in the population conferring a specific level of genetic risk for a specified disease. Using this concept, we estimated the capacity of whole-genome sequencing to identify individuals at clinically significant risk for 24 different diseases. Our estimates were derived from the analysis of large numbers of monozygotic twin pairs; twins of a pair share the same genometype and therefore identical genetic risk factors. Our analyses indicate that: (i) for 23 of the 24 diseases, the majority of individuals will receive negative test results, (ii) these negative test results will, in general, not be very informative, as the risk of developing 19 of the 24 diseases in those who test negative will still be, at minimum, 50 - 80% of that in the general population, and (iii) on the positive side, in the best-case scenario more than 90% of tested individuals might be alerted to a clinically significant predisposition to at least one disease. These results have important implications for the valuation of genetic testing by industry, health insurance companies, public policy makers and consumers.
Nuclease-mediated gene editing by homologous recombination of the human globin locus

Tal-effector nucleases (TALENs) are engineered proteins that can stimulate precise genome editing through specific DNA double-strand breaks. Sickle cell disease and β-thalassemia are common genetic disorders caused by mutations in β-globin, and we engineered a pair of highly active TALENs that induce modification of 54% of human β-globin alleles near the site of the sickle mutation. These TALENS stimulate targeted integration of therapeutic, full-length beta-globin cDNA to the endogenous β-globin locus in 19% of cells prior to selection as quantified by single molecule real-time sequencing. We also developed highly active TALENs to human γ-globin, a pharmacologic target in sickle cell disease therapy. Using the β-globin and γ-globin TALENs, we generated cell lines that express GFP under the control of the endogenous β-globin promoter and tdTomato under the control of the endogenous γ-globin promoter. With these fluorescent reporter cell lines, we screened a library of small molecule compounds for their differential effect on the transcriptional activity of the endogenous β- and γ-globin genes and identified several that preferentially upregulate γ-globin expression.
Soft electron precipitation explains thermosphere mass enhancements

From 2000 to 2010, a German satellite carrying the Challenging Minisatellite Payload (CHAMP) orbited the Earth, tracking the properties of the thermosphere—the atmospheric layer that starts roughly 90 kilometers above the surface and coincides with the lower layers of the ionosphere. In analyzing CHAMP's observations, researchers came across an anomaly: 400 kilometers above the Earth in two different regions in the thermosphere, the density was persistently higher than scientists expected given model calculations. The density enhancements were found in two places: at the dayside cusp—the polar region where terrestrial magnetic field lines create a funnel for the solar wind—and in the auroral region on the planet's nightside. Though researchers had identified these anomalous regions, they have so far been unable to identify a mechanism to explain them.
Syndesmosis Injuries in the Athlete

Although ankle injuries are common in athletes, injuries to the ankle syndesmosis are relatively infrequent. The spectrum of injury ranges from a “high ankle sprain” to fracture with dislocation of the tibiotalar joint. A better understanding of the complex anatomy of the ankle syndesmosis and an increased awareness of these injuries, along with advances in imaging and surgical technique, have improved diagnosis and management, but ankle syndesmosis injuries remain a challenging problem for both the physician and the patient. Some of the issues that remain controversial include operative or nonoperative treatment, type of fixation, and timing of return to athletic competition. This chapter will review the current research and recommendations regarding syndesmosis injuries.
Predictors of aversive alcohol consequences in a military sample

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to identify predictors of risky alcohol use and alcohol-related consequences among postdeployment soldiers. Demobilizing soldiers completed an assessment packet that included questions about demographic factors, relationships, stress, and alcohol-related consequences. Significant predictors of greater alcohol-related consequences, as assessed with the CAGE questionnaire, included fewer years of formal education, male gender, not being in an intimate relationship, racial/ethnic minority status, enlisted rank, having been deployed to the continental United States, and greater stress, whereas significant predictors of drinking and driving included male gender, not being in an intimate relationship, and greater stress. Identifying the predictors of alcohol consequences that occur upon demobilization may aid in determining which soldiers are at risk for such consequences before deployment and may help to maintain military readiness.
One Pupil, One Vote - How the Incumbent Won by Abolishing School Fees in Burundi

This paper addresses the emergence of political accountability in African democratic transitions. Theories argue that competitive elections prompt politicians to increase the provision of public goods in order to meet the preference of the majority of poor voters. We then should expect that voters will condition their choices on the implementation of these public services. This project seeks to test this precise empirical implication with a unique sub-national empirical analysis of Burundi. I show that the abolition of school fees during the ruling party's first mandate boosted its electoral performance in 2010. The change in school attendance in a given municipality had a positive, significant, and substantial impact on the votes gained by the ruling party, controlling for a variety of existing local level socioeconomic factors. Further, this electoral support resulted from actual access to school in poorer and rural localities, rather than from an increase in education quality or from exposure to a campaign message stressing the policy - as measured by responses to an expert questionnaire I implemented throughout the country.
Resection of the Innominate Artery to Prevent an Impending Tracheoinnominate Fistula and to Permit Tracheotomy in a Patient With Subglottic Stenosis and High-riding Innominate

Objective:This study aimed to determine the long-term viability of innominate artery resection and tracheotomy for a patient at high risk of developing a tracheoinnominate fistula (TIF) in the setting of subglottic stenosis and a high-riding innominate artery.Methods:Chart review with 2-year follow-up.Results:A 45-year-old diabetic man with obstructive sleep apnea and multiple admissions for coma and delirium tremens associated with alcohol abuse developed subglottic stenosis. He was found to have a palpable supraclavicular pulse during preoperative examination for a tracheotomy. Computed tomography examination revealed a high-riding innominate artery at the level of stenosis along with granulation tissue and disruption of the cartilaginous trachea, suggesting a high risk of impending TIF. The patient underwent a sternotomy-approach resection of the innominate artery with closure of the distal stump with a sternohyoid muscle flap. Intraoperatively, a plane of adhesions between the posterior innominate art...
OVERWASH PROCESSES ON ASSATEAGUE ISLAND

The primary barrier dune on the northern portion of Assateague Island, Maryland is presently being scarped on its seaward face and breached by storm-generated surges. During storms, sediment-ladened water moves across the dune line onto the barrier flats as overwash. The objective of this project is to determine the role overwash plays in barrier island sedimentary dynamics. An overwash model has been suggested. The nonvegetated overwash fan serves as a reservoir for the eventual distribution of the storm-deposited sand. Eolian processes, after the storm, determine the net contribution of overwash sand to each of the different morphological features, i.e., dunes, marsh, beach, etc.
Job creation and firm-specific location incentives

Government economic development programmes provide opportunities for firms to leverage financial incentives for business expansion and relocation. This article examines the ability of these incentives to promote employment. Using establishment-level data from the state of Kansas as well as original firm-level survey data, I evaluate the effectiveness of financial incentives in creating jobs through recipient firms. My findings from the establishment-level data indicate that incentive programmes have no discernable impact on firm expansion, measured by job creation. In addition, the survey data suggest that incentive recipients highly recommend this programme to other firms, but few firms actually increased their employment in Kansas because of these incentives; similarly, very few firms would have left the state if they had not benefited from this programme. Thus, incentives have little impact on the relocation or expansion decisions of firms.
Practicing the Art of Dissent: Toward a Typology of Protest Activity in the United States

Protest events present portraits of social problems—people, through collective action, send a message to society through their performance of opposition. The purpose of this study is to examine the distribution and diversity of specific activities taking place at protest events in the United States from 2006 to 2009. We empirically examine these activities by drawing on preliminary data from a sample of nearly 2,500 protest events reported in the Los Angeles Times and New York Times. To more clearly understand our contentious repertoire, we build upon coding protocol developed by the Dynamics of Collective Action Project and examine over 60 specific activities utilized by activists. What we show—in addition to the fact that protester actions, while sometimes confrontational, are overwhelmingly nonviolent—is that the majority of all protester activity at protest events during the period under study involves literally symbolic, aesthetic, and sensory qualities. In this article, we present a typology of six ...
Enhancement of quiet sleep in rabbit neonates by muramyl dipeptide

Muramyl peptides that induce excess slow-wave sleep have been isolated from urine and brain. A synthetic analogue to those substances, muramyl dipeptide (MDP, N-acetylmuramyl-L-alanyl-D-isoglutamine), was found to induce prolonged increases in slow-wave sleep and to increase electroencephalographic (EEG) delta-wave activity. MDP is also pyrogenic, although this activity can be separated from its somnogenic activity. To further investigate the somnogenic actions of MDP, neonatal rabbits were used in the present study. Intraperitoneal injection of 100 micrograms/kg MDP induced differential somnogenic and pyrogenic effects; from postnatal days 7-9, MDP increased duration of quiet sleep (QS, the precursor of adult slow-wave sleep) and decreased active sleep (AS) as judged by behavioral criteria. These animals were not febrile during the period of enhanced QS, nor did MDP alter EEG delta-wave activity at this age. From postnatal days 10-15, MDP induced prolonged (6 h) increases in duration of QS; both behavioral and EEG criteria were used at this age to determine duration of QS and AS. Maximum MDP-induced effects occurred during the 2nd h, with a parallel increase in amplitudes of EEG delta-wave activity. At this age, MDP also elicited monophasic fevers and inhibition of AS, with maximum effects observed during hours 3-4 postinjection. After postnatal day 16, MDP-induced somnogenic and febrile responses were similar to those observed in adult rabbits. We conclude that the mechanisms responsible for behavioral sleep states are responsive to a sleep-promoting substance early in ontogenesis.
Disappearance of radioactivity from the various ribonucleic acid pools and acid-soluble fractions of mouse liver and kidney after a single injection of labelled orotic acid. The effect of castration.

1. An attempt was made to study the rate of synthesis as well as the distribution of RNA in the various cellular fractions in the livers and kidneys of normal and castrated mice. 2. The tissue was fractionated by the procedure of Blobel & Potter (1967). By using this method it was not possible to find any pronounced difference in the relative proportions of RNA in isolated subcellular fractions when kidneys from normal and castrated mice were compared. On the other hand there was an indication of a shift toward the bound ribosomes in livers from normal mice in comparison with livers from castrated mice. 3. Disappearance of the radioactivity followed the pattern of the first-order reaction. Comparing the half-lives of RNA in liver and kidneys it was found that in the latter in both groups of animals half-lives were shorter no matter which cellular fraction was studied. 4. The half-lives for total homogenate RNA, total ribosomal RNA and low-molecular-weight RNA from kidneys of castrated mice were approximately 20–25% longer than the half-lives for the corresponding fractions from normal mouse kidneys. 5. An explanation is put forward for the anomalous finding that RNA from the castrated-mouse kidneys has a higher specific radioactivity than that isolated from normal mice.
Design of Mixed Near-Filed and Far-Filed Beamformer and Its Application on SOPC

Since the near-filed or far-filed sound source has to be configured before the conventional fixed beamformer performs the speech signal processing,a least squares method is proposed to implement the design of a fixed beamformer with the near-filed and far-filed compromise.The implementation procedure of the system on SOPC is presented.It proves that the approach has the characteristics of simple arithmetic operation and less speech distortion.
Trying to Ride the Wave——how HIT meet the dawn of big data era in the United States

The paper elaborates the reflection and corresponding countermeasures of Health Information Technology(HIT) in the big data era in the United States from the following aspects;facing up to big data,recognizing big data,measuring big data,catching up big data,analyzing big data and mastering big data,so as to provide references for big data development and application in health information filed in China
Epidemiological Characteristics of Measles in Fuzhou City during 2008-2010

[Objective]To learn the epidemiological characteristics of measles in Fuzhou city,explore the strategies for strengthening the control of measles. [Methods]The investigation data of all measles cases from 2008 to 2010 were analyzed with epidemiological method. [Results]During 2008-2010,the average annual reported incidence of measles was 0.721/lakh,which was dominated by sporadic cases.The peak season was April and May.64.08% of patients were children under 15 years old.19.72% of cases had history of measles vaccination,27.46% had no immunization history,and 52.82% had unknown immunization history. [Conclusion]After compulsory measles vaccination,the incidence of measles has decreased significantly since 2009.In future,the conventional immunization of measles should be strengthened,and the supplementary immunization among children in senior age group should be implemented.Strengthening the monitoring of measles,improving the immune level among population and reducing the high-risk population are the keys of measles elimination.
Does Public Financing Affect Judicial Behavior? Evidence From the North Carolina Supreme Court

Many observers are concerned that campaign contributions could affect the decisions of elected judges. However, the empirical correlation between contributions and judicial decisions is consistent with two different explanations of judicial behavior: (a) money influences judges or (b) contributors choose to support candidates with a similar philosophical or legal perspective. In this article, we take advantage of North Carolina’s shift to a voluntary public finance system for state Supreme Court candidates to obtain more credible estimates of the contributions–behavior relationship. Applying a difference-in-differences research design, we provide evidence that justices who opted into public financing became relatively less favorable toward attorney donors. We also find partial support for our hypothesis that participating justices became more moderate in their voting patterns. Taken together, these findings suggest that public financing reduced responsiveness to donors among participating justices.
Disorders of Carbohydrate Metabolism

The laboratory diagnosis of neonatal disorders of carbohydrate metabolism, including hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, disorders of fructose metabolism, glycogen storage diseases, and galactosemia, is outlined.
Microblogs data management and analysis

Microblogs data, e.g., tweets, reviews, news comments, and social media comments, has gained considerable attention in recent years due to its popularity and rich contents. Nowadays, microblogs applications span a wide spectrum of interests, including detecting and analyzing events, user analysis for geo-targeted ads and political elections, and critical applications like discovering health issues and rescue services. Consequently, major research efforts are spent to analyze and manage microblogs data to support different applications. In this tutorial, we give a 1.5 hours overview about microblogs data analysis, management, and systems. The tutorial gives a comprehensive review for research efforts that are trying to analyze microblogs contents to build on them new functionality and use cases. In addition, the tutorial reviews existing research that propose core data management components to support microblogs queries at scale. Finally, the tutorial reviews system-level issues and on-going work on supporting microblogs data through the rising big data systems. Through its different parts, the tutorial highlights the challenges and opportunities in microblogs data research.
A Conceptual Approach to Television Programming

The author postulates that the product classification system which categorizes consumer goods as convenience, shopping, or specialty goods on the basis of consumer buying habits may be applied to services. Television programming is examined and rationales developed for placement of various types of programs into the three categories with implications for television programmers and network marketing efforts.
Librarians Embedded in Ethics

ABSTRACTHospitals nationwide are coping with increasingly complex ethical issues, both biomedical as well as administrative. Librarians in the Department of Veterans Affairs have found that becoming embedded in the IntegratedEthics (IE) structure at their hospitals provides value to the organization and utilizes many of the skills inherent in the profession. This article briefly summarizes the IE structure developed by the VA’s National Center for Ethics in Health Care (NCEHC) and describes the ways in which VA librarians are participating in or contributing to IE. The authors urge librarians in other healthcare systems to contribute to ethics committees and activities in their own organizations.
$$C^\infty $$ Regularity for the Non-degenerate Equation

In this chapter we will study the regularity of weak solution to the non-degenerate p-Laplace equation ( 3.1) $$\begin{aligned} \text{ div }_{\mathbb {H}}{\left( \left( \delta ^2+|\nabla _{\mathbb {H}}{u}|^2\right) ^{\frac{p-2}{2}}\nabla _{\mathbb {H}}{u}\right) }=0 \quad \text {in} \,\; \varOmega \end{aligned}$$ for \(1< p <\infty \). We will use the results of the previous chapter, in particular that \(u\in Lip(D)\) for a domain D satisfying ( 3.44) with $$\begin{aligned} \left\| \nabla _{\mathbb {H}}{u} \right\| _{L^\infty (D)} \le M. \end{aligned}$$ (4.1) For this reason the results will be stated in terms of D instead of \(\varOmega \), but since we are studying interior regularity and all the results are local, there is no loss of generality. We will use difference quotients to establish summability of derivatives in the vertical direction and then in the horizontal direction. Once we prove that Tu and \(\nabla _{\mathbb {H}}{u}\) are in \(HW^{1,2}_{loc}\) and satisfy certain linear equations we can apply well known regularity results to prove higher integrability of the solution u. We stress the fact the our estimates depend on the Lipschitz constant M and on the non degeneracy parameter \(\delta \), and blow up when \(\delta \) goes to zero.
Analgesia Produced by Stimulation of the Nervous System

The last decade has brought about a vast increase in our understanding of the physiological mechanisms of pain inhibition. Especially significant factors in this growth include the discovery of analgesia elicited by electrical stimulation of the medial brain stem, referred to as stimulation-produced analgesia (SPA), the identification of opiate binding sites in the central nervous system, and the subsequent discovery and synthesis of opioid peptides in the brain, the enkephalins and endorphins.
In-band wormhole detection in wireless ad hoc networks using change point detection method

This paper addresses detecting in-band wormholes in wireless ad hoc networks. The detection scheme requires collecting the end-to-end delay of packets at the receiver and then applying a sequential change point detection algorithm to detect abrupt changes in the delay time series. A new change point detection algorithm, named SW-CLT, is proposed. The algorithm is based on the Central Limit Theorem (CLT) and does not involve using a preset detecting threshold. The algorithm is compared with the non-parametric cumulative sum (NP-CUSUM) because the non-parametric version is believed to be more robust to highly dynamic data than the parametric version. SW-CLT has the ability to adjust its detection threshold with the variance of the data, and therefore is more robust than NP-CUSUM, which uses a preset threshold. Simulation results from ns3 verified the advantage of SW-CLT over NP-CUSUM in all simulated scenarios.
An Investigation of the Effects of History Dependent Damage In Time Dependent Fracture Mechanics

To increase energy efficiency, new plants must operate at higher and higher temperatures. Moreover, power generation equipment continues to age and is being used far beyond its intended original design life. Some recent failures have clearly illustrated that current methods for insuring safety and reliability of high temperature equipment is inadequate. Because of these concerns, an understanding of the high-temperature crack growth process is very important.
Importance of Glutamate Dehydrogenase (GDH) in Clostridium difficile Colonization In Vivo

Clostridium difficile is the principal cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Major metabolic requirements for colonization and expansion of C. difficile after microbiota disturbance have not been fully determined. In this study, we show that glutamate utilization is important for C. difficile to establish itself in the animal gut. When the gluD gene, which codes for glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), was disrupted, the mutant C. difficile was unable to colonize and cause disease in a hamster model. Further, from the complementation experiment it appears that extracellular GDH may be playing a role in promoting C. difficile colonization and disease progression. Quantification of free amino acids in the hamster gut during C. difficile infection showed that glutamate is among preferred amino acids utilized by C. difficile during its expansion. This study provides evidence of the importance of glutamate metabolism for C. difficile pathogenesis.