cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The reluctant giant : Japan and the Latin American debt crisis

The debt crisis has been the dominant feature of Latin American economic and political life since 1982. While the Reagan Administration gave greater priority to Central America, it nevertheless managed the international response to the debt crisis. US management initially seemed logical for several reasons: US hegemony worldwide, the traditionally close relationship between the United States and Latin America, and the leading exposure of US banks in Latin American debt. During the period since 1982, however, two of these three elements have changed. Japan has challenged US hegemony, although it certainly has not displaced the United States, and Japanese banks have caught up with their US counterparts as holders of Latin American debt.2 Despite their lack of traditional relations with Latin America, then, the Japanese are becoming increasingly – although perhaps reluctantly – involved in the region.
Hydrologic Factors Affecting Initial Willow Seedling Establishment along a Subalpine Stream, Colorado, U.S.A

Abstract Willows (Salix spp.) are important riparian plants along high elevation streams of western North America, but the hydrologic conditions needed for initial recruitment are not well defined. A replicated plot experiment was used to determine the effects of (1) elevation above the stream (high, middle, or low), (2) soil texture (sand or gravel), (3) watering to simulate additional rainfall, and (4) an upstream water diversion on soil water content and first-year willow seedling survival along a subalpine reach of the Colorado River. Soil water content varied with elevation (F = 163.8, p < 0.001) and soil texture (F = 387.3, p < 0.001), while the effect of the watering treatment was not statistically significant. Soil water content controlled first-year willow seedling survival (r2 = 0.257, p = 0.002), and no seedlings were found in plots with a mean soil water content of less than 15%. Sandy sites near the river elevation provide the optimal conditions for initial establishment of willows along this...
Vasodepressor Substances Extractable from Kidney Tissue

The concept that the kidneys exert two independent and opposing influences on the regulation of arterial blood pressure was formulated following the publication of the classical Goldblatt experiment (Goldblatt et al., 1934; Fasciolo et al., 1938; Braun-Menendez, 1958; Braun-Menendez and von Euler, 1947). The renal prohypertensive function conducive to the development of hypertension is thought to be related to at least two functional attributes of the kidneys, namely the retention of sodium and water, and the activation of the renin–angiotensin system. The renal antihypertensive function may also be exerted by a similar dual mechanism, e.g., the relief of sodium–volume loads brought about by renal excretion (natriuresis and diuresis) and probably also by activation of endocrine-type mechanisms that may act locally within the kidneys and possibly systemically on the peripheral vasculature as well (Grollman, 1959; Muirhead et al., 1975).
Electronics: the action in active control

The control systems field has a rich legacy of continuous improvement in control "techniques". Today we are developing powerful "intelligent control" methods which incorporate adaptation, learning, self diagnosis, and reconfiguration/repair. In addition, we are developing "active control systems" which use control intelligence and other attributes which promise dramatic performance beyond all our prior accomplishments. At the same time that these dramatic advancements occur in control "methodologies", there is a parallel revolution in control hardware. Smaller, lower power sensors provide more accurate information regarding system operation; actuators provide more efficient, higher precision control inputs; and controller hardware now performs much more complex algorithms. Microprocessors, digital signal processors, and other powerful electronics, developed over the last two decades, have been a key contributor to these advancements. By incorporating these electronics, today's control engineers may use "smart sensors", "smart actuators", and "intelligent-active controllers" in their control system designs. Furthermore, plans within the electronics field guarantee that future control systems can be fabricated with even greater capabilities.
The selectively attentive environmental learning system

The selectively attentive environmental learning system (SAELS), that is capable of formulating decision policies while operating under terminally applied, minimally descriptive, reinforcement feedback is discussed. This type of reinforcement signals only that the generated policy is correct, or incorrect, and provides no information on the closeness of the generated policy to the correct policy. SAELS uses the drive-reinforcement neuronal model that, through the predictive qualities of its learning, is capable of solving the temporal credit assignment problem that arises under these reinforcement conditions. It is shown that SAELS can generate the necessary decision policy to maneuver through a multi-intersection maze. >
CAD/CAM for dental restorations-challenges and possibilities

A computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM) system under development to produce dental restorations briefly described. The advantages and possibilities created by the automation are discussed. The problems encountered during the development of the system are also addressed. The system is expected to reduce the time needed to produce a restoration, standardize the quality of the product, and allow the use of new materials. >
The effect of temperature on dislocations with condensed impurity atmospheres. Theory of dislocation motion and dislocation break-away

Abstract The dislocation is considered as a string of impurity sites with one unique energy of attraction for impurities. The impurities are considered as non-interacting. This simple model is used to exemplify the consequences of a statistical-mechanical treatment of condensed impurity atmospheres. As regards mechanical properties the all-important factor is the concentration of unoccupied impurity sites (holes) along the dislocation. The hole concentration will determine the dislocation mobility and the probability for the dislocations to break away from the condensed atmospheres under external stress. In all instances the locking is appreciably weaker than predicted by theories based on the idea of uniform immobile condensed atmospheres. The dislocations will tend to align themselves so that they accommodate impurities as efficiently as possible. Thus, the impurity interaction will lead to a sort of Peierls' barrier. The dislocation goes from one valley of maximum impurity interaction to a neighboring valley through a kink segment. Upper estimates of kink free energies are given. Finally a qualitative discussion of how the effect of an intrinsic Peierls' barrier might be incorporated in the theory is given.
The field-effect transistor-its characteristics and applications

The characteristics of the junction gate field-effect transistor and the basic relations among its parameters are described. Some figures of merit are derived in terms of its physical parameters and the limitations considered. Applications in nuclear instrumentation are discussed. Some advantages of field-effect transistors are in high input impedance, low noise at very low and medium frequencies, and a wide operating temperature range (-200°C to +100°C). In addition, the field-effect transistor represents a new circuit element - voltage (charge) controlled conductance with fast response. Field-effect transistors are particularly suitable for low noise amplifiers at low and medium frequencies, for high input impedance amplifiers (as for integrators), for charge-sensitive amplifiers, and for analogue multipliers. They can also be applied as controllable feedback elements.
Manofluorography of deglutition after supraglottic laryngectomy

Manofluorography (mano: manometry, fluoro: videofluoroscopy, graphy: picture) provides a simultaneous display of manometry and fluoroscopy on one video screen. This study uses mano-fluorography to analyze the swallowing patterns of nine patients who had undergone supraglottic laryngectomy. The results show that during swallowing the pharyngeal mechanism for preventing aspiration depends upon three processes: (1) tight lingual-laryn-geal contact, (2) coordination of the swallowing reflex, and (3) tongue base and pharyngeal constrictor clearing of the hypopharynx and laryngeal inlet. Anterior suspension of the larynx under the tongue base serves to improve lingual-laryngeal contact. This close contact during deglutition protects the airway from the bolus and also opens the postcricoid region, aiding bolus passage into the esophagus. Impairment of the swallowing reflex, which can cause severe aspiration before the swallowing reflex is triggered, can be rehabilitated by swallowing therapy. Minor aspiration is commonly caused by impaired clearing of the superior hypopharynx after supraglottic laryngectomy.
Scaling plant nitrogen use and uptake efficiencies in response to nutrient addition in peatlands

Nitrogen (N) is the primary growth-limiting nutrient in many terrestrial ecosystems, and therefore plant production per unit N taken up (i.e., N use efficiency, NUE) is a fundamentally important component of ecosystem function. Nitrogen use efficiency comprises two components: N productivity (A(N), plant production per peak biomass N content) and the mean residence time of N in plant biomass (MRT(N)). We utilized a five-year fertilization experiment to examine the manner in which increases in N and phosphorus (P) availability affected plant NUE at multiple biological scales (i.e., from leaf to community level). We fertilized a natural gradient of nutrient-limited peatland ecosystems in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, USA, with 6 g N x m(-2) x yr(-1), 2 g P x m(-2) x yr(-1), or a combination of N and P. Our objectives were to determine how changes in carbon and N allocation within a plant to leaf and woody tissue and changes in species composition within a community, both above- and belowground, would affect (1) NUE; (2) the adaptive trade-off between the components of NUE; (3) the efficiency with which plants acquired N from the soil (N uptake efficiency); and (4) plant community production per unit soil N availability (N response efficiency, NRE). As expected, N and P addition generally increased aboveground production and N uptake. In particular, P availability strongly affected the way in which plants took up and used N. Nitrogen use efficiency response to nutrient addition was not straightforward. Nitrogen use efficiency differed between leaf and woody tissue, among species, and across the ombrotrophic-minerotrophic gradient because plants and communities were adapted to maximize either A(N) or MRT(N), but not both concurrently. Increased N availability strongly decreased plant and community N uptake efficiency, while increased P availability increased N uptake efficiency, particularly in a nitrogen-fixing shrub. Nitrogen uptake efficiency was more important in controlling overall plant community response to soil N availability than was NUE, and above- and belowground community N uptake efficiencies responded to nutrient addition in a similar manner. Our results demonstrate that plants respond to nutrient availability at multiple biological scales, and we suggest that N uptake efficiency may be a more representative measurement of plant responses to nutrient availability gradients than plant NUE.
A LINEAR-TIME ALGORITHM FOR PREDICTING FUNCTIONAL ANNOTATIONS FROM PPI NETWORKS

Recent proteome-wide screening efforts have made available genome-wide, high-throughput protein-protein interaction (PPI) maps for several model organisms. This has enabled the systematic analysis of PPI networks, which has become one of the primary challenges for the systems biology community. Here, we address the problem of predicting the functional classes of proteins (i.e. GO annotations) based solely on the structure of the PPI network. We present a maximum likelihood formulation of the problem and the corresponding learning and inference algorithms. The time complexity of both algorithms is linear in the size of the PPI network, and our experimental results show that their accuracy in functional prediction outperforms current existing methods.
A triaxial force discernment algorithm for flexible, high density, artificial skin

Artificial skin research has focused on three primary characteristics: high density, flexible sensing arrays, and the ability to decompose all three components of an applied force vector. Previous research has accomplished some but not all of these characteristics. In this paper, we present a new flexible, high density sensor array and a triaxial force discernment algorithm that can be used with commercially available flexible high density sensor arrays. Together, the sensing array and algorithm achieve all three of the critical skin characteristics. With an addition of thin silicone pillar arrays, the triaxial force discernment algorithm provides a direct solution for nearly all possible force directions. Where the solution is ambiguous, our algorithm is able to reduce the uncertainty to a small range of known values. To confirm the validity of the algorithm, a testbed for a single sensing element was developed. Initial results show a resolution of less than 0.01 radians and calculated force components within the uncertainty of the ground truth for most situations. Our approach opens doors for many applications including robotic manipulation, haptic interfaces, human-robot interaction, and medical diagnoses
Processing and Major Histocompatibility Complex Class II Presentation of Legionella pneumophila Antigens by Infected Macrophages

To better understand interactions between the intracellular pathogen Legionella pneumophila and macrophages (Mphis), host and bacterial determinants important for presentation of antigens on major histocompatibility complex class II molecules (MHC-II) were investigated. It was determined that immune CD4 T-cell responses to murine bone marrow-derived Mphis (BMphis) infected with wild-type L. pneumophila were higher than the responses to avirulent dotA mutant bacteria. Although this enhanced response by immune T cells required modulation of vacuole transport mediated by the Dot/Icm system, it did not require intracellular replication of L. pneumophila. Intracellular cytokine staining identified a population of immune CD4 T cells that produced gamma interferon upon incubation with BMphis infected with wild-type L. pneumophila that did not respond to Mphi infection with dotA mutant bacteria. Endocytic processing was required for presentation of L. pneumophila antigens on MHC-II as determined by a defect in CD4 T-cell responses when the pH of BMphi endosomes was neutralized with chloroquine. Investigation of MHC-II presentation of antigens by BMphis infected with L. pneumophila icmR, icmW, and icmS mutants indicated that these mutants have an intermediate presentation phenotype relative to those of wild-type and dotA mutant bacteria. In addition, it was found that antigens from dot and icm mutants are presented earlier than antigens from wild-type L. pneumophila. Although immune CD4 T-cell responses to proteins secreted by the L. pneumophila Lsp system were not detected, it was found that the Lsp system is important for priming L. pneumophila-specific T cells in vivo. These data indicate that optimal antigen processing and MHC-II presentation to immune CD4 T cells involves synthesis of L. pneumophila proteins in an endoplasmic reticulum-derived compartment followed by transport to lysosomes.
A radically new target detection process

Conventional radar detection of a target in the presence of external interference and thermal noise follows the classic matched filter approach by spatially and temporally processing multiple samples of the received signals. This process is sometimes referred to as the space time adaptive process (STAP). This process has two deficiencies in that multiple somewhat stationary time samples are required and that the process does not work well when both the interference and target are collocated in the mainbeam of the radar. In contrast, a very promising new target detection technique is developed in this paper, which is capable of detecting and extracting signal characteristics using only single time samples from multiple antenna elements. This process inherently does not require any of the signals to be stationary because only one instant of time is used and furthermore the process allows target detection even when the interference is not resolved in angle because the process does not require a null to be placed on the interference. Although the new process is computationally intense, the current development of active digital array radars and hardware technology make the processing of this detection technique possible in the near future.
On integral sum graphs with a saturated vertex

As introduced by F.Harary in 1994, a graph G is said to be an integral sum graph if its vertices can be given a labeling f with distinct integers so that for any two distinct vertices u and v of G, uv is an edge of G if and only if f(u)+f(v) = f(w) for some vertex w in G.
VLSI interconnects at multi GHz frequencies incorporating inductance

Due to decreasing device sizes and increasing clock speed, the interconnect delay is the dominant factor in clock skew. This delay has been extracted as RC component in available EDA tools. In this paper, we model the interconnect as RLC for systems running at multi-GHz. A static extraction analysis method optimized for VLSI is detailed which considers all lines within the vicinity of the target line as return paths. Novel formulas presented for parallel and series RLC reduction. Result characterization and future research areas are discussed.
Characterization of halophiles isolated from solar salterns in Baja California, Mexico

Solar salterns are extreme hypersaline environments that are five to ten times saltier than seawater (150–300 g L−1 salt concentration) and typically contain high numbers of halophiles adapted to tolerate such extreme hypersalinity. Thirty-five halophile cultures of both Bacteria and Archaea were isolated from the Exportadora de Sal saltworks in Guerrero Negro, Baja California, Mexico. 16S rRNA sequence analysis showed that these cultured isolates included members belonging to the Halorubrum, Haloarcula, Halomonas, Halovibrio, Salicola, and Salinibacter genera and what may represent a new archaeal genus. For the first time, metabolic substrate usage of halophile isolates was evaluated using the non-colorimetric BIOLOG Phenotype MicroArray™ plates. Unique carbon substrate usage profiles were observed, even for closely related Halorubrum species, with bacterial isolates using more substrates than archaeal cultures. Characterization of these isolates also included morphology and pigmentation analyses, as well as salinity tolerance over a range of 50–300 g L−1 salt concentration. Salinity optima varied between 50 and 250 g L−1 and doubling times varied between 1 and 12 h.
Simplified finite element mesh for dynamic analysis of a nuclear reactor building

The design of nuclear facilities requires dynamic analysis to evaluate their performance during an earthquake. In modal analysis, a method recommended for dynamic analysis by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the natural frequencies and mode shapes of the structure are commonly calculated using a stiffness matrix computed using the finite element method. A primary goal of this study was to design a finite element mesh, capable of modelling a reactor structure, with a minimum number of nodes and elements. This is necessary since analysis using a mesh fine enough to include all of the structural elements is not feasible because of exorbitant computer time and storage requirements. It was found that for lateral motion, a representative reactor structure could be accurately modelled using a simplified mesh with only one isoparametric quadratic quadrilateral element per floor. In this mesh essentially infinite springs must be placed between the masses at each floor level to prevent internal movements of the lumped masses within the quadratic quadrilateral elements. It was also found that a structure with rigid heavy bottom floors and a light top floor can be subjected to large displacements in the top floor during earthquakes. It was concluded that the properties of that light top floor (especially shear area) controls the value of the fundamental frequency of the building.
Evidence of the 2 s 2 p ( 1 P ) doubly excited state in the harmonic generation spectrum of helium

By solving the two-active-electron time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation in an intense, ultrashort laser field, we investigate evidence of electron correlations in the high-order harmonic generation spectrum of helium. As the frequency of the driving laser pulse varies from 4.6 to 6.6 eV, the 13th, 11th, and 9th harmonics sequentially become resonant with the transition between the ground state and the isolated $2s2p({}^{1}P)$ autoionizing state of helium, which dramatically enhances these harmonics and changes their profiles. When each of the 9th and 13th harmonics are in resonance with this autoionizing state, there is also a low-order multiphoton resonance with a Rydberg state, resulting in a particularly large enhancement of these harmonics relative to neighboring harmonics. When the 11th harmonic is in resonance with the $2s2p({}^{1}P)$ autoionizing state, the 13th harmonic is simultaneously in resonance with numerous higher-energy autoionizing states, resulting in a competition between these two harmonics for intensity. These results demonstrate that even electron correlations occurring over a narrow energy interval can have a significant effect on strong-field processes such as harmonic generation.
Comparison of Delayed Female Mating on Reproductive Biology of Codling Moth and Obliquebanded Leafroller

Delay of mating was examined as a possible mechanism for population decreases associated with mating disruption for codling moth, Cydia pomonella L., and obliquebanded leafroller, Choristoneura rosaceana (Harris) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). We examined the effect of delaying female mating 0, 2, 4, or 6 d while holding male age constant on life table parameters of both species. We found that increasing delays in mating were accompanied by two responses: (1) an increase in the percentage of sterile pairs and (2) a reduction in net reproductive rate and population growth unrelated to sterility. On a percentage basis, obliquebanded leafroller population growth was more strongly affected than codling moth. However, the net fertility rate of obliquebanded leafroller was nearly eight-fold higher than that of codling moth, so that obliquebanded leafroller females that experienced a 4-d delay in mating had nearly the same reproductive rate as codling moth females that experienced no delay. Leslie matrix simulations using life tables with field-based adult longevity estimates showed that codling moth females experiencing >2-d delay in mating resulted in decreases in population density or extinction within two generations. In contrast, obliquebanded leafroller females delayed <6 d showed rapid population growth that decreased as female age at mating increased; only the 6-d delay treatment resulted in decreased population levels. Our results indicate that obliquebanded leafroller females must on average experience a much longer delay in mating to significantly reduce population growth compared with codling moth females, suggesting that delay of mating likely plays a greater role in codling moth mating disruption than for obliquebanded leafroller.
Swimming — A Radio Interview

(1937). Swimming — A Radio Interview. The Journal of Health and Physical Education: Vol. 8, No. 5, pp. 312-330.
Probabilistic Design of a Near-Surface CO2 Leak Detection System

A methodology is developed for predicting the performance of near-surface CO2 leak detection systems at geologic sequestration sites. The methodology integrates site characterization and modeling t...
Making Sense of the Shepard Conversion Narratives

Abstract Scholarly readings of seventeenth-century New England conversion narratives often miss the signs of regeneration that were very clear to contemporary church audiences. This article contain...
Multistage Robust Mixed Integer Optimization with Adaptive Partitions

We present a new partition-and-bound method for multistage adaptive mixed-integer optimization (AMIO) problems that extends previous work on finite adaptability. The approach analyzes the optimal solution to a static (nonadaptive) version of an AMIO problem to gain insight into which regions of the uncertainty set are restricting the objective function value. We use this information to construct partitions in the uncertainty set, leading to a finitely adaptable formulation of the problem. We use the same information to determine a lower bound on the fully adaptive solution. The method repeats this process iteratively to further improve the objective until a desired gap is reached. We provide theoretical motivation for this method, and characterize its convergence properties and the growth in the number of partitions. Using these insights, we propose and evaluate enhancements to the method such as warm starts and smarter partition creation. We describe in detail how to apply finite adaptability to multista...
Laboratory diagnosis of surgical infections. Methods, limitations, interpretations.

Laboratory diagnosis of surgical infections depends on close cooperation between surgeon and microbiologist. General methods of bacteriologic diagnosis in surgical infections are reviewed in order to remind the practicing surgeon what the microbiology laboratory can offer him in the way of assistance in the management of a clinical problem.
Measurements of fog water interception by shrubs on the California central coast

Fog water deposition may be an important component of the water budget of herbaceous-shrub ecosystems on the central and southern coastal regions of California. This paper presents the first analysis of measured fog water drip rates and meteorological controls in shrublands of Big Sur, California. Seasonal totals of 1255 mm and 306 mm of fog water drip were recorded in 2014 and 2015 (respectively), for averaged fog deposition rates of 0.02–0.08 l m2 hr.−1 to the soil under shrub canopy cover. The diurnal patterns of fog water drip showed that the majority of all trough water collected under shrubs on no-rain days occurred between the hours of 11 PM and 9 AM. During the study period from June 1 to October 31 of both 2014 and 2015, soil water content decreased significantly from average levels of 4–6 % at the shrub canopy center and middle locations, through 2–3 % VWC at the shrub edge locations, to levels at or below 2 % at 2-m distance locations from the shrub edge in open grass cover. Based on these results, we conclude that detectable rates of shrub canopy fog interception help sustain elevated soil water levels under shrubs and aid woody vegetation survival through periods of low rainfall.
Interplay between up-regulation of cytochrome-c-oxidase and hemoglobin oxygenation induced by near-infrared laser

Photobiomodulation, also known as low-level laser/light therapy (LLLT), refers to the use of red-to-near-infrared light to stimulate cellular functions for physiological or clinical benefits. The mechanism of LLLT is assumed to rely on photon absorption by cytochrome c oxidase (CCO), the terminal enzyme in the mitochondrial respiratory chain that catalyzes the reduction of oxygen for energy metabolism. In this study, we used broadband near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to measure the LLLT-induced changes in CCO and hemoglobin concentrations in human forearms in vivo. Eleven healthy participants were administered with 1064-nm laser and placebo treatments on their right forearms. The spectroscopic data were analyzed and fitted with wavelength-dependent, modified Beer-Lambert Law. We found that LLLT induced significant increases of CCO concentration (Δ[CCO]) and oxygenated hemoglobin concentration (Δ[HbO]) on the treated site as the laser energy dose accumulated over time. A strong linear interplay between Δ[CCO] and Δ[HbO] was observed for the first time during LLLT, indicating a hemodynamic response of oxygen supply and blood volume closely coupled to the up-regulation of CCO induced by photobiomodulation. These results demonstrate the tremendous potential of broadband NIRS as a non-invasive, in vivo means to study mechanisms of photobiomodulation and perform treatment evaluations of LLLT.
Assessment of Emotional and Personality Disorders in Older Adults

Publisher Summary motions and personalities are multidimensional constructs that require appropriate measures for each dimension. No single method of assessment is consistently superior to any other in cognitively intact individuals. The psychological assessment of older adults is fraught with multiple age-related factors that contribute to its complexity and resulting challenges. The assessment of emotional and personality disorders has advanced considerably in the past two decades through the design and development of assessment instruments for older adults, and through an appreciation of the many factors that can contribute to the performance of older adults. The use of multiple methods has been strongly recommended as a means to ensure accurate, reliable, and valid information. Until the issue of age-related presentations of emotional and personality disorders is addressed, clinicians should be circumspect in their use of assessment instruments developed with young adults, and their application of the current diagnostic criteria. At the very least, clinicians might consider adopting a more dimensional approach to assessment that is more sensitive to the subsyndromal presentations of emotional disorders among older adults.
A METHODOLOGICAL INTEGRATION OF GENERALIZED EQUIVALENCE CLASSES, NATURAL CATEGORIES, AND CROSS-MODAL PERCEPTION

A generalized equivalence class contains some stimuli that are perceptually disparate and others that resemble one another. They all function as members of a generalized equivalence class when all of them occasion the selection of the others in the set, and a response trained to one or a few are occasioned by all other stimuli in the set. This article formalizes the structural relations among the stimuli in these classes and identifies the generalization tests needed to fully document the range of stimuli that function as members of such a class. These include tests conducted in variant-to-base, base-to-variant, and variant-to­ variant formats. The structural and functional properties that characterize generalized equivalence classes also characterize naturally occurring categories, natural kinds, semantic superordinate categories, and cross-modal perceptual classes. Thus, the procedures used to measure generalized equivalence classes could also be used to document these other classes.
Pretreatment tree dominance and conifer removal treatments affect plant succession in sagebrush communities.

ABSTRACT In sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt.) ecosystems, expansion and infilling of conifers decreases the abundance of understory perennial vegetation and lowers ecosystem resilience and resistance of the once shrub grass—dominated state. We prescribed burned or cut juniper (Juniperus spp. L.) and pinyon (Pinus spp. L.) trees at 10 sites across the western United States. We measured vegetation cover and density on untreated and treated plots 3 and 6 yr after treatment across a gradient of pretreatment tree dominance as quantified by the tree dominance index (TDI); (tree cover)/(tree + shrub + tall grass cover). We analyzed plant responses by functional group using mixed-model analysis of covariance, with TDI treated as a covariate. As tree cover increased and TDI exceeded 0.5, shrub cover declined to < 25% of the maximum on untreated plots. Although total shrub cover recovered on burned plots to untreated percentages 6 yr after treatment, sagebrush cover was still 1.1–0.6% on burned plots compared ...
Endogenous ballot structures: The selection of open and closed lists in Colombia’s legislative elections

What are the incentives for parties to personalize electoral competition? This paper proposes that both open and closed lists give congruity, rather than tension, to the interests of party leaders and candidates. However, the efficacy of each list type depends on the electoral returns expected from promoting the partisan and personal vote. To test this argument, we analyze the choices of parties over the ballot structure by leveraging an unusual institutional feature of the Colombian legislative elections, wherein parties are allowed to present either an open or a closed list, varying their choices across electoral districts and contests. Our empirical analysis shows that parties are more likely to open their lists in high-magnitude districts and wherever they have a strong, local electoral organization. We also find a positive relationship between the selection of closed lists among personalist parties, providing evidence to previous arguments proposing a closed list as a tool to concentrate campaign efforts behind a particular candidate.
Bioluminescence Reporter Gene Imaging of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Survival, Proliferation, and Fate

The discovery of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) has dramatically increased the tools available to medical scientists interested in regenerative medicine. However, direct injection of hESCs, and cells differentiated from hESCs, into living organisms has thus far been hampered by significant cell death, teratoma formation, and host immune rejection. Understanding the in vivo hESC behavior after transplantation requires novel imaging techniques to longitudinally monitor hESC localization, proliferation, and viability. Molecular imaging, and specifically bioluminescent reporter gene imaging, has given investigators a high-throughput, inexpensive, and sensitive means for tracking in vivo cell proliferation over days, weeks, and even months. This advancement has significantly increased the understanding of the spatiotemporal kinetics of hESC engraftment and proliferation in living subjects. In this chapter, the specific materials and methods needed for tracking stem cell proliferation with bioluminescence imaging will be described.
Das Vakuumgiessen von hochreinen Kupferteilen

Zur Herstellung von Kupferguss hohen Reinheitsgrades, innerhalb enger Toleranzen und mit einer Oberflache, die hohen Qualitatsanspruchen genugt, wurde die im nachstehenden beschriebene Methode entwickelt, die gleichzeitig die Herstellungskosten fur den Guss in vernunftigen Grenzen halt. Aus sehr reinem Graphit wurde eine Dauergussform gebaut, in die eine Anzahl Zwischenformen, ubereinander angeordnet, eingebaut und zusammengeklammert wurden. Die Guss-Stucke wurden zwischen benachbarten Zwischenformen hergestellt. Mit Hilfe in der Mitte angeordneter vertikaler Rinnen wird das geschmolzene Metall von einer Zwischenform zur nachsten geleitet. Jede Rinne hat eine Verengung auf einen Durchmesser von 1,5 mm. Diese Verengung legt die Stelle fest, an der die Guss-Stucke ohne Beschadigung der dazwischen liegenden Einsatze der Gussform entweder durch Ziehen oder durch Verdrehen voneinander getrennt werden konnen. Das Fullen der Gussform durch derartige enge Offnungen wird dadurch ermoglicht, dass die Gussform vorerhitzt und unter einer Stahlglocke auf einen Druck von 10−5 Torr evakuiert wird. Auf diese Weise wird die Gussform vor dem Eingiessen des geschmolzenen Metalls auch entgast. Das zu schmelzende Kupfer befindet sich in einer aus Graphit bestehenden Guss-Schale, die unmittelbar uber der Gussform angeordnet ist. Durch Induktionserhitzung der ganzen Giessanordnung wird das Schmelzen und Giessen eingeleitet. Sobald das Kupfer geschmolzen ist, lauft es in die einzelnen Abschnitte der Gussform, wo es solange flussig bleibt, bis die Energiezufuhr zur Induktionsspule abgeschaltet wird. Durch eine geeignete Regelung des thermischen Gradienten in vertikaler Richtung wird eine gerichtete Verfestigung der Schmelze erzielt. Dadurch, dass der Prozess im Vakuum ablauft und infolge der reduzierenden Wirkung des Graphits, kann der Sauerstoffgehalt in dem Kupferguss unter 1 ppm gehalten werden.
No Overlength Page Charges for One Page of References

The IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation (TAP) has changed its editorial policy by allowing one free page of references, i.e., one page that does not incur overlength page charges, provided that such a page is used only for references.
Role of gamma-amino-butyric acid in the dorsal anterior cingulate in age-associated changes in cognition.

GABAergic mechanisms have been shown to contribute to cognitive aging in animal models, but there is currently limited in vivo evidence to support this relationship in humans. It is also unclear whether aging is associated with changes in GABA levels measured with proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). Spectral-editing MRS at 3 T was used to measure GABA in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) for a large sample of healthy volunteers (N = 229) aged 18–55. In a subset of 171 participants, age effects on several cognitive tasks were studied. We formally tested whether the MRS measures mediated the relationship between age and cognition. Robust associations of age with performance were found for the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test ([WCST], p < 0.0001). Age was also significantly associated with declining levels of GABA in the dACC (p < 0.001), and GABA levels significantly predicted WCST performance (p < 0.0004). Mediation analysis revealed that GABA in the dACC mediated the effect of age on WCST performance (p < 0.01). Other metabolites were similarly associated with age, but only GABA and creatine levels were significantly associated with WCST performance. No association with age or cognitive performance was found in a frontal white matter control region in a subset of participants. The association of GABA with WCST performance was not related to the amount of brain atrophy associated with aging as measured by the proportion of CSF, gray, and white matter in the MRS voxel. These results implicate GABAergic and possibly energetic metabolism in the dACC as mechanisms of age effects in executive function.
High Spectral Brightness Dye Lasers

In this report we give a brief overview of the methods presently available for the direct generation of high peak power (> 1 MW), high spectral brightness (Δν 1000) pulse amplifier chain.
Small Π01 Classes

The property of smallness for Π01 classes is introduced and is investigated with respect to Medvedev and Muchnik degree. It is shown that the property of containing a small Π01 class depends only on the Muchnik degree of a Π01 class. A comparison is made with the idea of thinness for Π01 classesmsthm.
Towards Imagining the Big Picture and the Finer Details: Exploring Global Applications of a Local and Scientific Knowledge Exchange Methodology

Local knowledge informs scientific and applied understandings (development, climate change adaptation, etc.) by showing the diversity of ways in which global phenomena are affecting local cultures and ecosystems. However, is there similar value for affected communities? Can global understandings inform local knowledge and, furthermore, can the two knowledge systems inform each other? If so, what could be a model of such knowledge exchange and is there a performative context to bring about such informing? This chapter argues yes, based on a series of successful knowledge exchanges conducted in northeastern Siberia in 2010. The chapter takes this process to the next step, to explore how a model for such knowledge exchanges could potentially be adapted to several different world contexts. The chapter begins with an overview of why such exchanges are important in our twenty-first century world and how the method was developed in the Siberian case. It then discusses relevant results, before moving to explore the ways in which the model could inform other world contexts, using cases from Labrador, Canada and Chesapeake Bay, Maryland.
Communicable Diseases and Emerging Pathogens: The Past, Present, and Future of High-Level Containment Care

High-level containment care involves the management of patients with highly hazardous communicable diseases in specialized biocontainment units possessing a unique collection of engineering, administrative, and personnel controls. These controls are more stringent than those found in conventional airborne infection isolation rooms and provide additional safeguards against nosocomial disease transmission. Borne amidst a convergence of events in 1969, the employment of HLCC units was validated during the 2014–2016 Ebola virus disease outbreak, and the United States (as well as many other nations) is in the process of expanding its HLCC capacity. Beyond Ebola, however, the specific diseases that might warrant care in a HLCC unit remain unclear. We review here the fascinating history of HLCC and of biocontainment units and make recommendations regarding those highly hazardous communicable diseases that might optimally be managed in these units.
Some Protozoa Infecting Fire Ants, Solenopsis Spp

The black and the red imported fire ants, Solenopsis richteri and Solenopsis invicta, are medically and agriculturally important insects that infest ca. 8 × 107 ha (2 × 108 acres) in the southeastern United States. Both species were introduced into the United States from South America at Mobile, Alabama; the black imported fire ant about 1918 and the red imported fire ant about 1940. Solenopsis riahteri is now restricted to a relatively small area in northeastern Mississippi and northwestern Alabama; S. invicta infests Florida and Louisiana, and parts of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, and Arkansas. The tropical fire ant, Solenopsis geminata, may also be an introduced species; however, it has been a resident of this country for so long it is generally regarded as native.
Networks for Population Function (Persons)

Social Pressures affect Individual Health and Societal Pressures affect Population Health. That is, some life situations are healthier than others and some geographic regions are healthier than others. The Ring structures try to capture these effects on health at different levels.
A protocol for a cluster randomized trial comparing strategies for translating self-management support into primary care practices.

Advanced primary care models emphasize patient-centered care, including self-management support (SMS), but the effective use of SMS for patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) remains a challenge. Interactive behavior-change technology (IBCT) can facilitate the adoption of SMS interventions. To meet the need for effective SMS intervention, we have developed Connection to Health (CTH), a comprehensive, evidence-based SMS program that enhances interactions between primary care clinicians and patients to resolve self-management problems and improve outcomes. Uptake and maintenance of programs such as CTH in primary care have been limited by the inability of practices to adapt and implement program components into their culture, patient flow, and work processes. Practice facilitation has been shown to be effective in helping practices make the changes required for optimal program implementation. The proposed research is designed to promote the translation of SMS into primary care practices for patients with T2DM by combining two promising lines of research, specifically, (a) testing the effectiveness of CTH in diverse primary-care practices, and (b) evaluating the impact of practice facilitation to enhance implementation of the intervention. A three-arm, cluster-randomized trial will evaluate three discrete strategies for implementing SMS for patients with T2DM in diverse primary care practices. Practices will be randomly assigned to receive and implement the CTH program, the CTH program plus practice facilitation, or a SMS academic detailing educational intervention. Through this design, we will compare the effectiveness, adoption and implementation of these three SMS practice implementation strategies. Primary effectiveness outcomes including lab values and evidence of SMS will be abstracted from medical records covering baseline through 18 months post-baseline. Data from CTH assessments and action plans completed by patients enrolled in CTH will be used to evaluate practice implementation of CTH and the impact of CTH participation. Qualitative data including field notes from encounters with the practices and interviews of practice personnel will be analyzed to assess practice implementation of SMS. This study will provide important information on the implementation of SMS in primary care, the effectiveness of an IBCT tool such as CTH, and the use of practice facilitation to assist implementation. Registered with ClinicalTrials.gov – ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT01945918 , date 08/27/2013. Modifications have been updated.
Comparative Genomics of Halobacterium Strains From Diverse Locations

Abstract Haloarchaea are salt-loving microorganisms that are members of the Third Domain of Life, the Archaea. They possess compact guanine and cytosine (GC)-rich genomes with large extrachromosomal replicons. Genome analysis of a common genus of Haloarchaea, Halobacterium, isolated from salts and salted foods from geographically diverse locations has shown that they contain stable and conserved 2-mega base pairs (Mbp) chromosomes and diverse megaplasmids containing many transposable insertion sequence (IS) elements. In this chapter, we provide an overview on Haloarchaea, followed by a case study on the comparative genomics of closely related Halobacterium species. We detail results on the 2 most highly studied, completely sequenced Halobacterium strains, NRC-1 and R-1, and genotypic analysis of 16 additional strains isolated from diverse locations. Our results illustrate the small number of differences in the main chromosome, and a large number of variations found in the plasmids, and suggest the existence of multiple clades (operational taxonomical units or OTUs) in the Halobacterium genus.
Changes in Lighting Source Can Produce Inaccurate Assessment of Visual Poultry Doneness and Induce Consumers To Eat Undercooked Ground Turkey Patties

Undercooked poultry is a potential source of foodborne pathogens, such as Salmonella and Campylobacter. The best way to avoid eating undercooked poultry is to use a food thermometer during cooking. However, consumers who cook poultry often use visual appearance for determining doneness, which relies on extrinsic factors, including lighting conditions. Because the United States recently mandated changes in lighting to promote energy conservation, this study evaluated the effect of lighting sources on consumer perceptions of doneness and willingness to eat cooked poultry patties. Consumers ( n = 104) evaluated validated photographs of turkey patties cooked to different end point temperatures (57 to 79°C) and rated the level of perceived doneness and willingness to eat each sample. Evaluations were conducted under different lighting sources: incandescent (60 W, soft white), halogen (43 W, soft white), compact fluorescent lamp (13 W, soft white), light-emitting diode (LED; 10.5 W, soft white), and daylight LED (14 W). Lighting changed perception of doneness and willingness to eat the patties, with some of the energy-efficient options, such as LED and halogen making samples appear more done than they actually were, increasing the willingness to eat undercooked samples. This poses a risk of consuming meat that could contain bacteria not killed by heat treatment. Recent changes in lighting regulations can affect lighting in homes that affects perceptions of poultry doneness, requiring that educators place extra emphasis on the message that properly using a meat thermometer is the only way to ensure meat is cooked to a safe end point temperature.