cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Performance Evaluation of U.S. Socially Responsible Mutual Funds: Revisiting Doing Good and Doing Well

Do socially responsible funds, as a whole, perform as well as the average of all mutual funds in their respective categories? This paper examines fund characteristics as well as risk and performance measures of all available socially responsible funds (SRFs) in the U.S. mutual fund industry over the last fifteen years. The contribution of this paper is two unique findings. First, although SRFs have had a relative advantage in terms of lower expense ratios, lower annual turnover rates, lower tax cost ratios, and lower risk, SRFs also exhibit lower returns, and two risk‐adjusted return measures indicate SRFs have inferior reward‐to‐risk performance. In particular, domestic stock SRFs have not generated competitive returns relative to conventional funds in the same categories over the past ten to fifteen years. These results contrast those found in the extant SRI literature which suggest socially responsible investing has little or no cost. Second, a finer partitioning by fund type reveals not all SRFs have similar relative performance. SRFs in balanced fund and fixed‐income fund categories, especially during the past three years, have performed better than the category averages with lower risk, higher returns, and higher risk‐adjusted returns. This suggests the costs of socially responsible investing are not homogenous.
Dark Release of 14CO2 from Higher Plant Leaves

A study was conducted with 48 species of the amount of (14)CO(2) released during the first minute of dark following fixation of (14)CO(2) in the light. Light fixation periods varied from 5 to 60 seconds. The species examined included both monocots and dicots and represented C(4), C(3), and Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) photosynthetic types.Total CO(2) uptake was determined as the sum of soluble (14)C (ethanol and water), insoluble (14)C, and (14)CO(2) released during the first minute of dark. Insoluble (14)C made up a very small percent of the total. The percent of soluble (14)C increased with fixation time in C(4) species, while the percent of (14)CO(2) released in the dark decreased. C(3) species released a very small percent of (14)CO(2) in the dark, and this percent remained relatively constant with time of (14)CO(2) fixation whereas C(4) species released a higher percent initially and this percent declined with time of fixation. CAM species were similar to C(4) species.The species are grouped according to the (14)CO(2) released during the first minute of dark with light labeling times of 5 and 60 seconds. These comparisons are shown to separate C(3) from C(4) and CAM species. Further, the data suggest that the origin of the CO(2) in the dark release of C(4) plants is quite different from that of C(3) plants.
1,2,4-Triazines. XII. Syntheses of 5-carboxarnido-1,2,4-triazines via an addition-oxidation reaction

5-Unsubstituted 1,2,4-triazines, when treated with potassium cyanide suspended in moist dioxane afford 5-carhoxamido as well as 5,5′ -bi-1,2,4-triazinyl derivatives. A probable reaction sequence is described.
Unexpected demography in the recovery of an endangered primate population.

Assessments of the status of endangered species have focused on population sizes, often without knowledge of demographic and behavioral processes underlying population recovery. We analyzed demographic data from a 28-year study of a critically endangered primate, the northern muriqui, to investigate possible changes in demographic rates as this population recovered from near extirpation. As the population increased from 60 to nearly 300 individuals, its growth rate declined due to increased mortality and male-biased birth sex ratios; the increased mortality was not uniform across ages and sexes, and there has been a recent increase in mortality of prime-aged males. If not for a concurrent increase in fertility rates, the population would have stabilized at 200 individuals instead of continuing to grow. The unexpected increase in fertility rates and in adult male mortality can be attributed to the muriquis’ expansion of their habitat by spending more time on the ground. The demographic consequences of this behavioral shift must be incorporated into management tactics for this population and emphasize the importance of understanding demographic rates in the recovery of endangered species.
Photovoice as Participatory Action Research Tool for Engaging People With Intellectual Disabilities in Research and Program Development

People with intellectual disabilities have few opportunities to actively participate in research affecting programs and policies. Employment of participatory action research has been recommended. Although use of this approach with people who have intellectual disabilities is growing, articles on specific participatory research methods are rare. Photovoice is a participatory method often used with underrepresented groups and is effective for engaging people with intellectual disabilities in research or program development. A literature review is presented for use with this population as is a description of Photovoice as a participatory research tool for engaging people with intellectual disabilities. An example of a participatory study among people with intellectual disabilities is provided. Benefits and challenges of employing Photovoice with this population are discussed.
Dietary regulation of phosphatidic acid synthesis from dihydroxyacetone phosphate and fatty acid by rat liver microsomes.

Phosphatidic acid synthesis from dihydroxyacetone phosphate and 1-14C-palmitate was studied in liver microsomes of rats maintained on a stock diet (5% fat), fasted for three days after being fed the stock diet, or given a high fat diet (15% fat) or a fat free diet for a week after being fed the stock diet. The amounts of phosphatidic acid synthesized per minute per milligram of microsomal protein in rats ingesting a stock diet or a fat free diet were at least twice the levels observed in rats either fasting or maintained on a high fat diet. Following fasting, realimentation with either a fat free or high fat diet returned the microsomal capacity for phosphatidic acid synthesis to approximately the same level, which was higher than that observed in rats maintained on a stock diet. Analogous results were observed when glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate was used as the glyceride-glycerol precursor, probably because microsomes convert glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate to dihydroxy-acetone phosphate. These studies demonstrate that phosphatidic acid synthesis from dihydroxyacetone phosphate by particulate enzymes is influenced by diet.
Navigating the knowledge infrastructure: strategies for increasing workplace democracy and knowledge management (abstract)

In this paper we are going to describe a particular scheme for utilizing current web based technologies for use in facilitating the understanding, and utilization, of a cooperative knowledge infrastructure. We will describe the reasons we feel our KnowledgeScape mapping system would be a valuable addition to any corporation's intranet.We begin with a description of the modern workplace. We find that there are certain problems within the modern workplace that we may be able to help address. Two of these problems are the recognition of the value of emergent communities, and the current inability of corporate organizational charting techniques to account for and nurture these informal, but porentially valuable, groups.Next we will look at some of the interesting philosophical and sociological concepts that directly apply to the issues we raise. Once we have a clear conception of the philosophical background we will attempt to apply these ideas within the design of our proposed knowledge infrastructure mapping tool.Additionally we will provide a description of the current technologies we surveyed for use in our project and the strengths and weaknesses we found in each of them. Here we will look at how to use current technologies in new ways that will address some of our concerns and ideas. We will conclude with a look at how the KnowledgeScape mapping technique could be of use in any endeavor that seeks to enable the use of large archives or stores of knowledge. We find that he KnowledgeScape mapping scheme would be useful in projects for representing competency, intellectual capital, etc., or any other project that has to do with creating digital archives or libraries.
Mobile scanning system for the fast digitization of existing roadways and structures

Purpose – To present a Mobile Scanning System for digitizing three‐dimensional (3D) models of real‐world terrain.Design/methodology/approach – A combination of sensors (video, laser range, positioning, orientation) is placed on a mobile platform, which moves past the scene to be digitized. Data fusion from the sensors is performed to construct an accurate 3D model of the target environment.Findings – The developed system can acquire accurate models of real‐world environments in real time, at resolutions suitable for a variety of tasks.Originality/value – Treating the individual subsystems of the mobile scanning system independently yields a robust system that can be easily reconfigured on the fly for a variety of scanning scenarios.
The Technology Bomb

Overproduction is perceived as a threat. Our resources are taxed in order to provide means to control surplus produced by efficient technology. The irrational techniques employed to control the perceived threat of technology pose an actual danger, placing overproduction alongside overpopulation as a matter for real concern. The technology bomb is as much to be feared as the nuclear bomb. Rational accommodation to technology is possible but not inevitable. The greatest obstacle is poverty of thought.
A thermo/opto/mechanical testbed validation using Cielo

Due to their scale, operating environment, and required levels of operating precision, the design of the next generation of space-based observatories will necessarily place an ever-greater reliance on numerical simulation. Since it will be impossible to fully ground-test such systems prior to flight, system-level confidence must come, in large part, from correlated subsystem tests, system-level simulation, and an overall design understanding based on quantification of margins of uncertainty, sensitivity analyses, parameter variation studies, and design optimization. Further challenges will necessarily arise due to the actively-controlled nature of such systems, requiring fundamentally-integrated thermal, structural, optical, and controls models. In this paper we will discuss Cielo, JPL's multidisciplinary, high-capability compute platform for systems analysis, and describe some of the challenges in demonstrating these capabilities for the first time on a complex model, the Space Interferometry Mission's Thermal-Structural-Optical (SIM-TOM3) testbed. The successes and lessons learned from these activities have the potential to greatly influence subsequent test programs, leading to greater design understanding, improved mission confidence, and significant cost and schedule reductions.
Mean Excitation Potentials

Previous experimental data of Sachs and Richardson on the most probable energy loss of 18-Mev protons on passing through thin foils have been used in connection with the theory of Symon to calculate the mean excitation potential $I$. The result for aluminum is $I=164\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}3$ electron volts.
Tea phenols: Antioxidant effectiveness of teas, tea components, tea fractions and their binding with lipoproteins

Abstract Phenols in tea are responsible for its antioxidant activity. The pure catechins and phenolic acids found in tea are more powerful than the antioxidant vitamins C, E and β-carotene in an in vitro lipoprotein oxidation model. Comparison of the tea fractions indicated that both catechins and theaflavins contribute to the teas' antioxidant characteristics. Black and green teas were not significantly different in phenol content, in antioxidant strength as measured by IC 50 , or in antioxidant potential as measured by the phenol antioxidant index (PAOXI). The PAOXI of teas was significantly higher than grape juices and wines. Tea catechins and both green and black tea exhibited potent lipoprotein-bound antioxidant activity. Phenol antioxidants from tea were calculated to be a large source of antioxidants in the U.S. diet.
Flexibility Analysis of the Microtubules Polymerized in the Presence of Photochromic Nucleotide Analogues

Azobenzene is a photochromic molecule that undergoes rapid and reversible isomerization between the cis- and trans-form in response to ultraviolet (UV) and visible (VIS) light irradiation, respectively. Previously, we have incorporated azobenzene derivative into functional region of ATP driven motor protein and succeeded to control microtubule dependent ATPase activity reversibly by photo-irradiation. The results suggested that the photo-control system using photochromic molecules might be applicable to other functional biomolecules.It is known that tubulin utilize GTP to polymerize and the GTP is entrapped within the GTP binding site of tubulin. And the microtubules composed of GDP bound tubulin easily depolymerized. Interestingly, it was demonstrated the structure of the GTP analogue GMP-CPP bound microtubule is squigglier configuration than that of regular GTP bond microtubule. In the present study, we have employed photochromic nucleotide analogue, phenylazobenzoyl-iminoethyl-tri-Pphosphate (PABITP) in order to photo-control flexibility of microtubules. The PABITP bound microtubules showed much more flexible shape change during gliding on the in-vitro motility assay than regular GTP bound microtubule. The effect of photo-isomerization of PABITP entrapped within the site of microtubules induced by UV and VIS light irradiation for the flexibility of microtubules was also examined.
Laparoscopic removal of an abdominal extralobar pulmonary sequestration.

Extralobar pulmonary sequestrations are rare congenital anomalies that fall into the spectrum of broncho-pulmonary-foregut malformations. The authors describe the laparoscopic removal of an infradiaphragmatic sequestration. The lesion initially presented as a suprarenal mass on antenatal ultrasonographic images. The mass was confirmed on postnatal ultrasonography and computer tomographic scanning. It was followed by magnetic resonance imaging until the patient was 28 months old, at which point it was resected. A review of the literature indicates that infradiaphragmatic sequestrations are readily detectable on antenatal ultrasonographic studies. Advances in imaging technology have made it possible in most cases to distinguish sequestrations from other suprarenal masses including neuroblastomas. However, resection provides a definitive diagnosis and remains the treatment of choice. A laparoscopic approach offers the additional benefits associated with minimally invasive techniques.
Preferential flow in geosynthetic clay liners exhumed from final covers with composite barriers.

Geosynthetic clay liners (GCLs) were exhumed from final covers with composite barriers (geomembrane over GCL) at two municipal solid waste landfills in the USA. Preferential flow and high hydraulic conductivity (>2 × 10−9 m/s) was observed in eight of the 18 GCL samples collected from both sites. At one site, manganese oxide precipitate was concomitant with bundles of needle-punched fibers that conducted preferential flow. Nearly complete replacement of Na by Ca on the bentonite surface occurred in all GCL samples. GCLs with and without preferential flow could not be differentiated by physical and chemical properties commonly used to differentiate GCLs with high and low hydraulic conductivities (exhumed water content, swell index, mole fraction monovalent cations, soluble cation concentrations). The relative abundance of soluble cations in the pore water of GCLs exhibiting preferential flow was comparable to the relative abundance in the subgrade pore water, whereas the pore water in GCLs with distributed...
Accretion of the terrestrial planets. II

The theory of gravitational accretion of the terrestrial planets is examined. The concept of a 'closed feeding zone' is somewhat unrealistic, but provides a lower bound on the accretion time. A velocity relation for planetesimals which includes an initial velocity component is suggested. The orbital parameters of the planetesimals and the dimensions of the feeding zone are related to their relative velocities. The assumption of an initial velocity does not seriously change the accretion time. Mercury, Venus, and the earth have accretion times on the order of 100 million years. Mars requires well over one billion years to accrete by the same assumptions. The lunar cratering history makes a late formation of Mars unlikely. If Mars is as old as the earth, nongravitational forces or a violation of the feeding zone concept is required. One such possibility is the removal of matter from the zone of Mars by Jupiter's influence. The final sweeping up by Mars would result in the scattering of a considerable mass among the other terrestrial planets. The late postaccretional bombardments inferred for the moon and Mercury may have had this source.
Body dysmorphic symptoms: phenomenology and ethnicity

Differences in the presentation of clinical features of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) across ethnic groups have received little investigation. The current study assessed BDD symptoms in an ethnically diverse sample of adults (n=401) using an online survey. Participants completed self-report measures assessing BDD symptoms, body parts of concern and BDD behaviors. Compared to Caucasian participants, no significant differences were found in body parts or behaviors reported by Latino or African American participants. Significant group differences did emerge between Asian and Caucasian participants. Specifically, Asians reported more concern with straight hair and dark skin and fewer body shape concerns than Caucasians. Asians also endorsed lower rates of grooming, touching body parts, and camouflaging and higher rates of exercise compared to Caucasians. Although most clinical features of BDD appear similar across ethnic groups, results showed some differences in body parts and behaviors between Caucasians and Asian Americans with BDD symptoms.
Age-related changes in neuroendocrine rhythmic function in the rhesus macaque

Many environmental conditions show rhythmic changes across the 24-h day; these include changes in light intensity, ambient temperature, food availability, and presence or absence of predators. Consequently, many organisms have developed corresponding adaptations, which ensure that specific physiological and behavioral events occur at an appropriate time of the day. In mammals, the underlying mechanism responsible for synchronizing internal biochemical processes with circadian environmental cues has been well studied and is thought to comprise three major components: (1) photoreception by the retina and transmission of neural signals along the retinohypothalamic tract, (2) integration of photoperiodic information with an internal reference circadian pacemaker located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, and (3) dissemination of circadian information to target organs, via the autonomic nervous system and through humoral pathways. Given the importance that neuroendocrine rhythms play in coordinating normal circadian physiology and behavior, it is plausible that their perturbation during aging contributes to the etiology of age-related pathologies. This mini-review highlights some of the most dramatic rhythmic neuroendocrine changes that occur in primates during aging, focusing primarily on data from the male rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). In addition to the age-associated attenuation of hormone levels and reduction of humoral circadian signaling, there are also significant age-related changes in intracrine processing enzymes and hormone receptors which may further affect the functional efficacy of these hormones. Rhesus macaques, like humans, are large diurnal primates and show many of the same physiological and behavioral circadian changes during aging. Consequently, they represent an ideal translational animal model in which to study the causes and consequences of age-associated internal circadian disruption and in which to evaluate novel therapies.
Algorithmic framework for learned robot navigation in unknown terrains

A framework is presented that uses the same strategy to solve both the learned navigation and terrain model acquisition. It is shown that any abstract graph structure that satisfies a set of four properties suffices as the underlying structure. It is also shown that any graph exploration algorithm can serve as the searching strategy. The methods provide paths that keep the robot as far from the obstacles as possible. In some cases, these methods are preferable to visibility graph methods that require the robot to navigate arbitrarily close to the obstacles, which is hard to implement if the robot motions are not precise. >
Synthesis and Characterization of Polyacrylates Side-Chain Liquid Crystalline Polymer via Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization

Atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of methacrylate liquid crystal monomer M (4-((4-(2-(acryloyloxy)ethoxy)benzoyl)oxy)phenyl 4-propylbenzoate) was carried out using CuBr/PMDETA complex as catalyst and 2-bromo-2-methyl-propionic acid ester as initiator. The obtained monomer M and polymer P was characterized via infrared spectroscopy and 1H NMR. The phase behavior and mesomorphism were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarizing optical microscopy (POM), and x-ray diffraction (XRD). The molecular weight and the structure of the polymers were identified with gel permeation chromatography and nuclear magnetic resonance.
An efficient computational framework for labeling large scale spatiotemporal remote sensing datasets

We present a novel framework for semisupervised labeling of regions in remote sensing image datasets. Our approach works by decomposing the image into irregular patches or superpixels and derives novel features based on intensity histograms, geometry, corner density, and scale of tessellation. Our classification pipeline uses either k-nearest neighbors or SVM to obtain a preliminary classification which is then refined using Laplacian propagation algorithm. Our approach is easily parallelizable and fast despite the high volume of data involved. Results are presented which showcase the accuracy as well as different stages of our pipeline.
Comparative effectiveness in pain-related outcomes and health care utilizations between veterans with major depressive disorder treated with duloxetine and other antidepressants: a retrospective propensity score-matched comparison.

Objectives: This study aimed to compare pain-related outcomes and health care utilization among patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) treated with duloxetine versus other antidepressants in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Methods: Patients initiating duloxetine or other antidepressants between October 1, 2005, and October 1, 2008 were extracted from the Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 16 data warehouse. All patients included had at least 1 MDD diagnosis (ICD-9-CM: 296.2 or 296.3) and continuous eligibility in the 12 months prior to the initiation. Patients with prior diabetes (ICD-9-CM: 250.xx), schizophrenia (295.xx), or bipolar disorder (ICD-9-CM: 296.4x–296.8x) diagnosis were excluded. Duloxetine and nonduloxetine patients were matched via propensity scoring (1:1 ratio). Opioid use patterns, diagnosed substance abuse, self-reported pain score, and health care utilization over the 12-month postindex period were compared between cohorts. Results: Compared with duloxetine-treated patients (N = 439), nonduloxetine-treated patients (N = 439) during the postindex period had more opioid scripts (4.8 vs. 3.6, P = 0.002), longer use of opioid (133 vs. 100 days, P = 0.004), and a higher prevalence of substance abuse (41.00% vs. 23.69%, P < 0.001). Nonduloxetine-treated group had 12.0 more outpatient visits (41.8 vs. 29.8, P < 0.0001), 0.16 more hospital admissions (0.32 vs. 0.16, P = 0.001), and 2.36 more hospital days (3.37 vs. 1.01, P = 0.005). Additionally, nonduloxetine-treated patients were more likely to be hospitalized (17.8% vs. 10.9%, P = 0.004) over the postindex period. Conclusion: Controlling for cross-cohort differences, veterans with MDD treated with duloxetine were associated with lower risks of opioid use and substance abuse and lower health care utilization than those treated with other antidepressants. ▪
Computations of Magnus effects for a yawed, spinning body of revolution

Many projectiles used by the Army are slender bodies of revolution which are launched at high spin rates. Magnus forces and moments are generated by the distorted boundary layer which results from a spinning body at angle of yaw. This paper reports the results of a combined theoretical-experimental research effort to develop a method for computing Magnus effects that would be useful in the design of artillery projectiles. The theoretical effort involves: 1) numerical calculation of the fully three-dimensional boundary layer with the added complication of interaction between surface spin and cross flow velocity; and 2) three-dimensi onal inviscid flow calculations over a body plus boundary-layer displacement surface with no plane of symmetry. Experimental measurements of turbulent boundary-layer profile characteristics, wall static pressure, and aerodynamic forces have been obtained to evaluate and provide guidance to the theoretical effort. Comparisons between the theory and the experimental data indicate very close agreement and substantiate the validity of the theoretical approach.
La construcción de una nueva identidad liberal en el Madrid del XIX: El Papel de la cultura material del hogar

espanolEste articulo estudia dos temas referidos a los origenes de la incorporacion de Espana a la modernidad desde la perspectiva de la historia del consumo y la cultura material. Tomando como ejemplo el caso de Madrid, en primer lugar se indaga la adopcion por parte de sus clases medias y altas de lo que se conoce como cultura de consumo moderno. En segundo lugar se analiza en que medida esa cultura contribuyo al moldeado de las identidades politicas que propiciaron la movilizacion en torno al ideal revolucionario del liberalismo. Las conclusiones extraidas se fundamentan en el estudio de una muestra de 766 inventarios post mortem de familias establecidas en Madrid entre 1750 y 1880. EnglishTaking the perspective of the history of consumerism and material culture, this article focuses on two themes concerning the incorporation of Spain to modernity. Using the case of Madrid as a sample, the aUthor first explores the adoption by its middle and upper classes of the elements that characterize the culture of modern consumerism. Second, there is an analysis regarding the contribution of that culture to the shaping of the new identities that ignited mobilization around the ideals of revolutionary liberalismo The study is based on the analysis of 766 probate inventories of families who lived in Madrid between 1750 and 1880.
Geographic Access to Health Services and Diagnosis with an Autism Spectrum Disorder

Purpose To assess the impact of geographic health services factors on the timely diagnosis of autism. Methods Children residing in central North Carolina were identified by records-based surveillance as meeting a standardized case definition for autism. Individual-level geographic access to health services was measured by the density of providers likely to diagnose autism, distance to early intervention service agencies and medical schools, and residence within a Health Professional Shortage Area. We compared the presence of an autism diagnosis by age 8 and timing of first diagnosis across level of accessibility, using Poisson regression and Cox proportional hazards regression and adjusting for family and neighborhood characteristics. Results Of 206 identified cases, 23% had no previous documented diagnosis of autism. Most adjusted estimates had confidence limits including the null. Point estimates across analyses suggested that younger age at diagnosis was found for areas with many neurologists and psychiatrists and proximal to a medical school but not areas with many primary care physicians or proximal to early intervention services agencies. Conclusions Further study of the distribution of medical specialists diagnosing autism may suggest interventions to promote the early diagnosis, and initiation of targeted services, for children with autism spectrum disorders.
Exchange rate returns, ‘news’, and risk premia

Abstract Using a new survey data set of matched exchange rate and interest rate expectations for eight currencies relative to the German mark, we examine empirically the relationship between exchange rate returns, ‘news’, and risk premia. ‘News’ on interest differentials enters significantly in equations for the difference between the spot rate and the lagged forward rate for the British pound, Japanese yen, Spanish peseta and the US dollar. An unexpected rise in the interest rate differential tends to strengthen the domestic exchange rate. For each of these currencies, we also find significant effects of our ex ante measure of the risk premium. In addition, we investigate the effect of lagged interest rate differentials as a proxy for the risk premium and find that they do not capture time-varying risk premia as is widely suggested in the literature, but probably reflect a peso problem, learning about a policy change, a market inefficiency, or a combination of these factors.
A PHYSICALLY OPERATIONAL FORMULATION OF CAGNIARD’S PROGRESSIVE WAVE THEORY

The mathematical details of the theory of progressive seismic waves as presented in Cagniard’s book (1962) are assumed to be reasonably well understood. A simplification can be achieved by a minor change of viewpoint. This alternative view is illustrated by a reconsideration of Cagniard’s 8th chapter, “The Static Problem.” The mathematical tools apply as well to the other chapters but are not of vital interest for exploration problems, so the problem of further development is left to able readers.
Raman pulse compression of excimer lasers for application to laser fusion

Application of efficient ultraviolet excimer lasers such as the 248 nm KrF laser to laser fusion requires that long laser pulses be efficiently converted to short pulses at high intensity. The backward Raman amplifier is shown to be a promising candidate for this application. Gain, saturation, and limits to amplifier performance are described. It is shown that pump beams of poor spatial quality may be converted to output beams of high spatial quality. Several common gaseous vibrational Raman scatterers are discussed, and it is shown that a simple KrF-pumped backward Raman amplifier using methane at atmospheric pressure will have a saturation fluence near 1 J/cm2and can produce an output five times as intense as the pump in a ten times shorter pulse with an efficiency of about 50 percent. Design tradeoffs and possible techniques for further improving the performance of such amplifiers are discussed.
Sorghum protein digestibility is affected by dosage of mutant alleles in endosperm cells

Protein digestibility in grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) is affected by the structure of endosperm protein bodies that limits access of digestive enzymes to storage protein. In this experiment, we studied the effect of endosperm dosage of high digestible alleles (hd + ) on protein digestibility in sorghum hybrids carefully constituted for such a study. We also examined the effect that these alleles may have on endosperm protein body structure and agronomic performance of the hybrids. The results showed that protein digestibility, endosperm texture and protein body morphology were highly influenced by dosage of mutant alleles. Genotypes carrying two or more hd + alleles had significantly higher protein digestibility than those with one or no mutant allele. Similarly, higher doses of these alleles resulted in opaque endosperm phenotype while the wild type alleles produced normal vitreous texture. Moreover, hybrids carrying variable proportions of mutant alleles had uniquely irregular but variable protein body structure that was distinct from spherical protein bodies found in normal genotypes. Agronomic performance was not affected by dosage of digestibility alleles.
Optimal spare allocation for defect-tolerant VLSI

The authors study the problem of allocating spares to specific fault-tolerant VLSI/WSI (wafer scale integration) designs to maximize the global yield. Four problems are examined: (1) the optimal yield problem for k-out-of-n systems; (2) the optimal partition of elements; (3) spare allocation for trees; and (4) spare allocations for row/column reconfiguration systems. >
Predictors of Total Calories Purchased at Fast-food Restaurants: Restaurant Characteristics, Calorie Awareness, and Use of Calorie Information

Abstract Objective To examine purchase patterns at fast-food restaurants and their relation to restaurant characteristics, customer characteristics, and use of calorie information. Design Cross-sectional survey. Setting Fast-food restaurants in New York State. Participants Adult fast-food restaurant customers (n = 1,094). Variables Measured Restaurant characteristics (fast-food chain type, presence of calorie labels, and poverty of location), participant characteristics (demographics, calorie knowledge, awareness, and use), and customer purchasing patterns (ordering low-calorie or no beverage, small or no fries, or Analysis Multiple regression. Results In a regression model including restaurant and customer characteristics, fast-food chain customer age, sex, calorie use, and calorie awareness were independently associated with total calories purchased (all P 2 = .19). When 3 purchasing patterns were added to the model, calorie use ( P = .005), but not calorie awareness, remained associated with total calories purchased. The 3 purchase patterns collectively accounted for the majority of variance in calorie totals (Δ model R 2 = .40). Conclusions and Implications Promoting use of calorie information, purchase strategies, and calorie awareness represents complementary ways to support lower-calorie choices at fast-food chains.
An organismal view of dendrochronology

An organism is the most basic unit of independent life. The tree-ring record is defined by organismal processes. Dendrochronology contributes to investigations far removed from organismal biology, e.g., archeology, climatology, disturbance ecology, etc. The increasing integration of dendrochronology into a diverse research community suggests an opportunity for a brief review of the organismal basis of tree rings. Trees are dynamic, competitive, and opportunistic organisms with diverse strategies for survival. As with all green plants, trees capture the energy in sunlight to make and break chemical bonds with the elements essential for life. These essential elements are taken from the atmosphere, water, and soil. The long tree-ring series of special interest to dendrochronology result from long-lived trees containing relatively little decayed wood. Both of those features result from organismal biology. While the tree-ring record tells us many things about local, regional, and even global environmental history, tree rings are first a record of tree survival.
Dispersal in microbes: fungi in indoor air are dominated by outdoor air and show dispersal limitation at short distances

The indoor microbiome is a complex system that is thought to depend on dispersal from the outdoor biome and the occupants’ microbiome combined with selective pressures imposed by the occupants’ behaviors and the building itself. We set out to determine the pattern of fungal diversity and composition in indoor air on a local scale and to identify processes behind that pattern. We surveyed airborne fungal assemblages within 1-month time periods at two seasons, with high replication, indoors and outdoors, within and across standardized residences at a university housing facility. Fungal assemblages indoors were diverse and strongly determined by dispersal from outdoors, and no fungal taxa were found as indicators of indoor air. There was a seasonal effect on the fungi found in both indoor and outdoor air, and quantitatively more fungal biomass was detected outdoors than indoors. A strong signal of isolation by distance existed in both outdoor and indoor airborne fungal assemblages, despite the small geographic scale in which this study was undertaken (o500m). Moreover, room and occupant behavior had no detectable effect on the fungi found in indoor air. These results show that at the local level, outdoor air fungi dominate the patterning of indoor air. More broadly, they provide additional support for the growing evidence that dispersal limitation, even on small geographic scales, is a key process in structuring the often-observed distance–decay biogeographic pattern in microbial communities. The ISME Journal advance online publication, 21 February 2013; doi:10.1038/ismej.2013.28 Subject Category: Microbial population and community ecology
Osteoporosis in a North American adult population with celiac disease

OBJECTIVE: Osteoporosis, common in European and South American adults with celiac disease, has not been reported in those patients with celiac disease residing in North America. We therefore evaluated bone density in a group of patients from the United States. METHODS: Patients (105 women and 23 men) with celiac disease, who had completed a questionnaire and had bone mineral density (BMD) measured by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry, were evaluated. The patients were an average age of 56 yr old (range 21‐ 83 yr) and had been on a gluten-free diet from 0 months to 46 yr (mean 7.5 yr). RESULTS: Osteoporosis (T score ,22.5) was present in 34% of the patients at the lumbar spine, 27% at the femoral neck, and 36% at the radius. Low bone mass (T score between 21.0 and 22.5) was present in 38% at the lumbar spine, 44% at the femoral neck, and 32% at the radius. When compared to age-matched controls, men were more severely affected than women. BMD did not differ between those on a gluten-free diet and those who had not begun therapy. BMD was remeasured 16 6 2 months after beginning a gluten-free diet in 5 patients; it increased by 7.5% at the femoral neck (p , 0.02). In 16 patients who had followed a gluten-free diet for an average of 12 yr, BMD remained stable over an additional 2 yr of observation. CONCLUSIONS: Osteoporosis and low bone mass often affect North American adults with celiac disease, whether or not they are on dietary therapy. Routine screening for osteoporosis is indicated in patients with celiac disease. (Am J Gastroenterol 2001;96:112‐119. © 2001 by Am. Coll. of Gastroenterology)
Collaborative algebraic decoding of interleaved Reed–Solomon codes

We derive and analyse an algorithm for collaborative decoding of heterogeneous interleaved Reed–Solomon (IRS) codes. They are generated by interleaving several codewords from different Reed–Solomon codes with the same length over the same Galois field. The basis of the decoding algorithm is similar to the Guruswami–Sudan (GS) decoding method. However, here multivariate interpolation is used to decode all the codewords of the interleaved scheme simultaneously. In the presence of burst errors, we show that the error-correction capability of this algorithm is larger than that of independent decoding of each codeword using the standard GS method. In the latter case, the error-correction capability is equal to the decoding radius of the GS algorithm for the Reed–Solomon code with the largest dimension. Also, concatenated codes using IRS codes as their outer codes and binary linear block codes as their inner codes are considered. Assuming maximum likelihood decoding of the inner code, we derive upper and lower bounds for the word error probability of concatenated codes over additive white Gaussian noise channel with binary phase-shift keying modulation for both cases of independent and collaborative decoding of the outer IRS codes. We show that collaborative decoding provides considerable coding gain compared with independent decoding. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Incomplete Acetylene Inhibition of Nitrous Oxide Reduction in Potential Denitrification Assay as Revealed by using 15N-Nitrate Tracer

One lake sediment and three soils for rice production were used to test the effectiveness of inhibiting of nitrous oxide (N2O) reduction to dinitrogen gas (N2) by acetylene (C2H2) using 15N tracer. Regardless of the sources of the samples, results show that in presence of C2H2, significant isotopic enrichment of 15N of N2 was found at end of a typical denitrification assay. The δ15N of N2 value increased from 0‰ to 7.8–19.3‰ and 7.5–10.6‰ for the treatment with addition of 0.05 and 0.2 mg 15N nitrate, respectively. Such 15N enrichment can be interpreted as N2 formation accounting for 15.3% and 2.5% of the total added N in these two treatments, respectively. Nitrous oxide accumulation in presence of C2H2 could not account for the total added N. The result indicates incomplete inhibition of N2O reduction to N2 by C2H2 in denitrification when N2O reduction enzyme is developed.
Effect of Phytase Treatment on Phosphate Availability in the Potential Food Supplement Corn Distillers’ Grains with Solubles

The most effective treatment of the potential food supplement corn distillers’ grains with solubles using a fungal phytase to degrade phytic acid and release phosphorus was explored. Compared to the untreated grains with solubles, the phytic acid level in the grains with solubles was reduced by phytase treatment but treatment with 4 units of enzyme/g was more effective than 2 units of enzyme/g after 2 h. At 30°C or 45°C, 4 units of phytase/g reduced the phytic acid content of the grains with solubles by at least 94% after 2 h. The available phosphate in the grains treated for 2 h with 4 units of enzyme/g was increased by at least 1.5-fold compared to the untreated grains. Although phytic acid levels in the grains with solubles was reduced at 28°C, 30°C, 37°C, 40°C, or 45°C using 4 units of phytase/g for 2 h, the greatest reduction (96%) in phytic acid concentration occurred at 40°C. The available phosphate in the phytase-treated grains at 40°C was increased after 2 h by 1.9-fold compared to the control grains. Overall, phytase treatment of this potential food supplement improved it by increasing its phosphate content while reducing its phytic acid content.
Experimental Vertical Transmission of West Nile Virus by Culex pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae)

Abstract Despite the detection of West Nile (WN) virus in overwintering Culex pipiens L. in New York in February 2000, the mechanism by which this virus persists throughout the winter to initiate infections in vertebrate hosts and vectors the following spring remains unknown. After a blood meal, parous mosquitoes generally do not survive until spring and gonotrophic dissociation occurs in only a small percentage of the population. To investigate vertical transmission as a means of viral survival during interepizootics, we intrathoracically inoculated Cx. pipiens and Aedes albopictus (Skuse) with WN virus and subsequently tested their F1 progeny for the presence of virus. Among the Cx. pipiens, we recovered virus from two of 1,417 adult progeny that had been reared at 18°C for a minimal filial infection rate (MFIR) of ≈1.4/1,000 and four of 1,873 adult progeny reared at 26°C (MFIR = 2.1/1,000). The mean titer of the positive pools was 105.6 plaque-forming units (PFU)/ml (=105.9 PFU/mosquito for positive mo...
The Molecular Biology of Gaucher Disease

Several decades of investigation of Gaucher disease by conventional biochemical techniques has greatly increased our understanding of this disorder. Its cause is a deficiency of the lysosomal enzyme glucocerebrosidase leading to the accumulation of glucocerebroside in the tissues. However, our understanding of some aspects of Gaucher disease remains incomplete. For example, its presentation may vary from a neuronopathic disorder with a fatal outcome in the first year of life to a benign storage disorder first diagnosed in old age, and the causes of the marked differences in clinical severity have eluded us. Moreover, efforts to devise a treatment strategy have not been successful.
Unequal Assistance of Counsel

There is now, and has always been, a double standard when it comes to the criminal justice system in the United States. The system is stacked against you if you are a person of color or are poor, and is doubly unjust if you are both a person of color and poor. The potential counterweight to such a system, a lawyer by one’s side, is unequal as well. In reality, the right to counsel is a right to the unequal assistance of counsel in the United States. The unequal treatment based on the color of one’s skin is reflected by the racial disparity throughout the criminal justice system in which minority racial groups are involved in the criminal justice system as suspects and defendants at rates greater than their proportion of the general population. This is illustrated by the “driving while black” phenomenon in which law enforcement officers initiate traffic stops against persons of color and subject them to searches at a higher rate than whites, even though law enforcement is more likely to find contraband on white drivers than persons of color.The Sixth Amendment promises the effective assistance of counsel to every person accused of a crime where incarceration is a possible punishment. This guarantee suggests that everyone, rich and poor, is equal before the law. But the reality of the criminal justice system is much different for the majority of those charged with crimes. If one does not have the financial means to hire effective counsel, or is poor and not lucky enough to have a well-funded, effective public defender or appointed counsel, the defendant’s right to counsel is unequal. This disparity is driven largely by the wealth of the accused and falls most harshly on people of color, who are twice as likely as whites to live in poverty and are accused of crimes at rates much higher than their proportion of the population. As a result, class and race are largely determinative of the lawyer, and often the amount of justice one receives.This article explores how unequal assistance of counsel contributes to unequal justice. The article begins with a brief overview of racial disparities in the ways laws are enforced. The initial step in the criminal justice system, whether the police stop someone, can lead to arrest, charges, and the need for a lawyer. Next, it analyzes the systemic barriers to effective assistance of counsel at the state level, which is driven largely by excessive caseloads and an ineffective assistance of counsel standard that tolerates bad lawyering. It concludes with strategies for achieving more effective assistance of counsel, which emphasize the ethical imperative to provide meaningful assistance of counsel, the importance of data collection by public defender systems, and systemic litigation that positions assistance of counsel claims prior to trials.