cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chronic pain and the family: Theory-driven treatment approaches

The chronic pain experience is the product of a complex interaction of many factors including biological, social, psychological, environmental, and familial. The presence of chronic pain can impact the family system with significant, negative consequences; the family may also be responsible, in part, for maintaining and perpetuating pain problems. The need to examine the family dimension of the chronic pain experience and offer family/couple therapy, should it be indicated, is vital to comprehensive pain management. Operant behavioral, cognitive-behavioral, and structural family therapy approaches are advocated for such families, along with a clear need for controlled evaluations of these approaches.
Trust-based contracting in supply chains

Engineering robust, vibrant supply chains that allow flexibility, modularity, and scalability present open, important, and unsolved research challenges. As a result, supply chain management where rational agents represent interests of individual entities and organizations have been an area of active research [1]. Agent-based approaches typically attempt to optimize the profitability of entities with emphasis on pricing and scheduling. Researchers in business and management science, however, have recognized that a key component of decision-making in real-world supply chains is the consideration of trust between the contracting organizations [2].We use a contracting framework to allocate tasks: manufacturers announce contracts for tasks with given deadlines; suppliers bid on these tasks; and the contract is allocated to a highly trusted bidder. Trust of an agent is measured as the fraction of assigned tasks for which the agent could meet the deadline. We assume that the trust preferences of the contractor, the task deadline distribution and the performance distribution of the contractees are known. We then develop a precise bidding strategy for trust-building contractees. The motivation is to bid only on those tasks for which they have a high likelihood of meeting deadlines. However, not bidding on tasks also reduces the success rate of completing tasks. We provide a probabilistic analysis to handle this tradeoff.
Electrical Resistivity of Au-Cr Superlattices

Superlattices of Au-Cr with Au:Cr = 2:1 have been prepared. Their electrical resistivities have been measured between 0.3 to 300 K. Whereas simple rho-T behavior was found for lambda = 30, 51, 90 and 150 A, complicated behavior, similar to magnetic ordering is found for lambda = 45 A. No correlation is observed with the extremum wavelength for phonon velocities - a maximum occurs at 75 A - unlike that found for most metallic superlattices.
Novel anti-inflammatory role of SLPI in adipose tissue and its regulation by high fat diet

Secretory leucocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) is an anti-inflammatory protein that is constitutively expressed in multiple cell types where it functions to counteract localized tissue inflammation by its anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and anti-protease properties. Little is known about the expression and implication of SLPI in the regulation of adipose tissue inflammation. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that obesity induces expression of SLPI in adipose tissue where it functions to counteract adipocyte inflammation. Male C57BL6 mice were fed a high fat (60% fat calories) or a control diet (10% fat calories) diet for 12 weeks. Adipose tissue expression of SLPI was determined by western blotting and PCR. Fully differentiated adipocytes (3T3-L1) were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 100 ng/ml) or peptidoglycan (10 μg/ml) for 24 hours in the presence or absence of SLPI. Media was collected for interleukin 6 (IL-6) analysis by enzyme-linked immune absorbent assay (ELISA). RNA was isolated for gene expression analysis by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Visceral fat (mesenteric and epididymal) express a higher level of SLPI than subcutaneous fat. The expression of SLPI is mostly in the stromal vascular fraction compared to adipocytes. We also confirmed in vitro that activation of TLR2 and 4 with peptidoglycan and LPS respectively leads to induction of SLPI. Finally, we confirmed that SLPI exerted an anti-inflammatory effect in adipocytes treated with LPS by causing a reduction in expression of IL-6 via a mechanism that included stabilization of cellular IKBα expression. Our results show that SLPI is also expressed in adipocytes and adipose tissue where it could play an important feedback role in the resolution of inflammation.
Lottery trees: motivational deployment of networked systems

We address a critical deployment issue for network systems, namely motivating people to install and run a distributed service. This work is aimed primarily at peer-to-peer systems, in which the decision and effort to install a service falls to individuals rather than to a central planner. This problem is relevant for bootstrapping systems that rely on the network effect, wherein the benefits are not felt until deployment reaches a significant scale, and also for deploying asymmetric systems, wherein the set of contributors is different than the set of beneficiaries. Our solution is the lottery tree (lottree), a mechanism that probabilistically encourages both participation in the system and also solicitation of new participants. We define the lottree mechanism and normally state seven properties that encourage contribution, solicitation, and fair play. We then present the Pachira lottree scheme, which satisfies five of these seven properties, and we prove this to be a maximal satisfiable subset. Using simulation, we determine optimal parameters for the Pachira lottree scheme, and we determine how to configure a lottree system for achieving various deployment scales based on expected installation effort. We also present extensive sensitivity analyses, which bolster the generality of our conclusions.
XBRL and Interoperability of Financial Statements in the U.S.

In the wake of global financial crisis, there is a pressing need for improving transparency and interoperability of the financials of public companies. XBRL and XBRL taxonomies have the potential of helping us accomplish this objective. In the U.S., the SEC has mandated that all publicly listed companies must file their financial statements using XBRL and the US GAAP taxonomy beginning mid 2009 to late 2014 according to a phased-in schedule. Are the XBRL-based financial statements interoperable? We address this question by analyzing all the annual XBRL financial statements filed to SEC as of this February. We find that the statements still lack interoperability, which is partly caused by issues related to the GAAP taxonomy and misuse of the taxonomy by companies. On average, only 37% data elements are directly comparable between a pair of statements. Our timely findings have practical implications that will ultimately help improve the quality of financial data.
THE EFFECT OF VARIOUS ACIDS ON THE DIGESTION OF PROTEINS BY PEPSIN.

1. At equal hydrogen ion concentration the rate of pepsin digestion of gelatin, egg albumin, blood albumin, casein, and edestin is the same in solutions of hydrochloric, nitric, sulfuric, oxalic, citric, and phosphoric acids. Acetic acid diminishes the rate of digestion of all the proteins except gelatin. 2. There is no evidence of antagonistic salt action in the effect of acids on the pepsin digestion of proteins. 3. The state of aggregation of the protein, i.e. whether in solution or not, and the viscosity of the solution have no marked influence on the rate of digestion of the protein.
Fiber coiling during bladder molding of thermoplastic composites

An investigation is presented into fiber movement during the consolidation of cylindrical, filament-wound preforms when pressure is applied internally (bladder molding). It is necessary to characterize the fiber movement to predict the final fiber orientation of successful parts as well as to predict which parts will not be successful. Unsuccessful parts have fibers that clump together in thick coils at the interior surface of a part, resulting in an uneven wall thickness and poor mechanical properties. Cylindrical preforms (∼7.5 cm in diameter) made from glass fiber (20 μm in diameter, ∼50 vol%) coated with polypropylene powder (powder-coated towpregs) were filament-wound in a range of angles, interweaving patterns, and diameters. Trellising, a mode of fiber movement in which the fibers rotate as if they are pinned at the interweaving points, occurs first as the preforms expand. If the preforms “trellis” as much as possible without reaching the mold wall, shearing between adjacent fibers must occur to complete the expansion. Coiling occurs when a large amount of shearing is necessary to provide the final expansion needed to bring the preform to the mold diameter. A dimensionless “coiling” number is presented that predicts coiling.
Conformational model for binding site recognition by the E.coli MetJ transcription factor.

MOTIVATION Current methods for identifying sequence specific binding sites in DNA sequence using position specific weight matrices are limited in both sensitivity and specificity. Double strand DNA helix exhibits sequence dependent variations in conformation. Interactions between macromolecules result from complementarity of the two tertiary structures. We hypothesize that this conformational variation plays a role in transcription factor binding site recognition, and that the use of this structure information will improve the predictive power of transcription factor binding site models. RESULTS Conformation models for the sequence dependence of DNA helix distortion have been developed. Using our conformational models, we defined a tertiary structure template for the met operon repressor MetJ binding site. Both naturally occurring sites and precursor binding sites identified through in vitro selection were used as the basis for template definition. The conformational model appears to recognize features of protein binding sites that are distinct from the features recognized by primary sequence based profiles. Combining the conformational model and primary sequence profile yields a hybrid model with improved discriminatory power compared with either the conformational model or sequence profile alone. Using our hybrid model, we searched the E.coli genome. We are able to identify the documented MetJ sites in the promoter regions of metA, metB, metC, metR and metF. In addition, we find several novel loci with characteristics suggesting that they are functional MetJ repressor binding sites. Novel MetJ binding sites are found upstream of the metK gene, as well as upstream of a gene, abc, a gene that encodes for a component of a multifunction transporter which may transport amino acids across the membrane. The false positive rate is significantly lower than the sequence profile method. AVAILABILITY The programs of implementation of this algorithm are available upon request. The list of crystal structures used for compiling the mean base step parameters of DNA is available by anonymous ftp at http://stateslab.wustl.edu/pub/helix/StructureList.
Nonverbal and Verbal Expressions of Men’s Sexism in Mixed-Gender Interactions

This study examined the nonverbal and verbal expressions of hostile and benevolent sexism. Hostile sexism is sexist antipathy and benevolent sexism is a chivalrous belief that women are warm yet incompetent. We predicted that hostile sexist men would display less affiliative expressions but benevolent sexist men would display more affiliative expressions during mixed-gender interactions. Twenty-seven pairs of U.S. male and female undergraduates from a private university in New England participated in this study. These mixed-gender dyads participated in two social interactions: a structured trivia game followed by an unstructured conversation period. During the trivia game, men with more benevolent sexism were perceived to be more patient overall when waiting for the woman to answer the trivia questions. Furthermore, we examined the men’s nonverbal and verbal expressions during the unstructured interaction—naive raters made impression ratings of the men’s nonverbal and verbal behavior, and trained coders counted the frequency of specific nonverbal cues (e.g., smiles). A word count software was used for verbal content analysis. As predicted, more hostile sexism was associated with less affiliative nonverbal and verbal expressions (e.g., less approachable, less friendly, and less smiling), but more benevolent sexism was associated with more affiliative nonverbal and verbal expressions (e.g., more approachable, more likely to smile, and more positive word usage). The effects held after controlling for men’s personality traits and partners’ nonverbal behavior. Differential behavioral expressions of benevolent and hostile sexism have theoretical importance as we can examine how sexism maintains the status quo at the interpersonal level.
Fueling inflammation at tumor microenvironment: the role of multiligand/rage axis

The receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), firstly described in 1992, is a single-transmembrane and multiligand member of the immunoglobulin protein family. RAGE engagement produces activation of multiple intracellular signaling mechanisms involved in several inflammation-associated clinical entities, such as diabetes, cancer, renal and heart failures, as well as neurodegenerative diseases. Although RAGE expression has been extensively reported in many cancer types, it is now emerging as a relevant element that can continuously fuel an inflammatory milieu at the tumor microenvironment, thus changing our perception of its contribution to cancer biology. In this review, we will discuss the role of multiligand/RAGE axis, particularly at the multicellular cross talk established in the inflammatory tumor microenvironment. A better understanding of its contribution may provide new targets for tumor management and risk assessment.
Recovery of Campylobacter from Broiler Feces During Extended Storage of Transport Cages

Feces deposited in transport cages by a Campylobacter-positive flock can cause the spread of Campylobacter to subsequent flocks placed in the same cages. This experiment was designed to determine the effect of extended cage storage on the viability of Campylobacter in feces deposited on the cage floor during commercial transport and holding. After 4 h of feed (but not water) withdrawal, Campylobacter-positive broilers were caught by commercial catching crews, placed into 3 new commercial cages and transported with the rest of the flock to the holding area at a commercial processing facility. Broilers were allowed to remain in the cages for 8 h before being unloaded by facility personnel. After removal of the broilers, empty cages were held under a shed and sampled at 7 intervals for the presence of viable Campylobacter. Cages were sampled by removing all the feces out of a different randomly assigned compartment in each cage at 0.5, 2, 4, 6, 8, 24, and 48 h after unloading. No decrease in Campylobacter numbers was noted through 8 h of storage. After 24 h in both replications, Campylobacter was detected in 2 of 3 compartments by direct plating and detected in the third by enrichment only. After 48 h, Campylobacter was detected in one replication by enrichment only, and was not detected in the second replication at all. Storing soiled transport cages for 48 h between uses results in lower numbers of Campylobacter in feces, but may not eliminate Campylobacter entirely. Due to cage cost and space requirements, routine cage storage between uses would not be practical.
Sliced Full Factorial-Based Latin Hypercube Designs as a Framework for a Batch Sequential Design Algorithm

When fitting complex models, such as finite element or discrete event simulations, the experiment design should exhibit desirable properties of both projectivity and orthogonality. To reduce experimental effort, sequential design strategies allow experimenters to collect data only until some measure of prediction precision is reached. In this article, we present a batch sequential experiment design method that uses sliced full factorial-based Latin hypercube designs (sFFLHDs), which are an extension to the concept of sliced orthogonal array-based Latin hypercube designs (OALHDs). At all stages of the sequential design, good univariate stratification is achieved. The structure of the FFLHDs also tends to produce uniformity in higher dimensions, especially at certain stages of the design. We show that our batch sequential design approach has good sampling and fitting qualities through both empirical studies and theoretical arguments. Supplementary materials are available online.
Performance of galloping piezoelectric energy harvesters

A galloping piezoelectric energy harvester is composed of a cantilevered piezoelectric beam and a tip bluff body. Self-excited vibration is induced when the tip bluff body is subjected to airflow. ...
The Symbolic Growth Experience Paradigm for a Humanistic-Existential Learning Theory

The Symbolic Growth Experience (SGE) refers to those significant moments in life when we create personal meaning by symbolizing our immediate experience in the interest of heightened awareness and ...
indigenous ideas of order, time, and transition in a New Guinea cargo movement1

The goals of a Duke of York Island cargo movement and the means by which these goals are to be realized rest on indigenous assumptions about social organization, ritual process, and time and transition. Much that seems bizarre and inexplicable about cargo movements to Western observers and anthropologists stems from the failure to understand adequately these non-Western assumptions about reality.
“We're Sort of Imposters”: Negotiating Identity at Home and Abroad

AbstractIn this article, I argue that through study abroad programming, university students engage in relational encounters between self (home culture) and other (host culture)—twinned concepts that constitute and are constituted by each other. Moreover, I assert that these encounters take place not only during the students’ time abroad, but also well before it as students produce and consume various identities through performances, representations, and discourses. These practices and processes at home shape the ways in which students create meanings abroad. In making these claims, I look closely at students’ experiences in a short‐term study abroad program to Ireland and Northern Ireland. I assert that it was through the students’ constructions of Irishness as commodities, claims, and contestations that they encountered their Americanness. The qualitative data for this study were collected in the mid‐2000s, and include focus group transcripts, journals, photo‐reflections, as well as related program and c...
The effect of a direct-fed microbial (Primalac) on turkey live performance

Abstract Two pen trials and 2 field trials were conducted to determine whether a direct-fed microbial (DFM; Primalac) was effective in improving turkey productive performance. In the pen trials, typical turkey diets were formulated with and without Primalac. All feed was provided by a commercial feed mill. In trial 1, Large White male turkey poults were placed in 48 pens (18 birds/pen, 24 pens/treatment) on the day of hatch and were reared to 20 wk. In trial 2, Large White female turkey poults were placed in 48 pens (30 birds/pen, 24 pens/treatment) on the day of hatch and were reared to 18 wk. Cumulative FCR was significantly improved for birds fed DFM feed compared with birds fed control feed at 20 wk in trial 1 and at 8 wk in trial 2. Body weight was significantly greater for birds fed DFM feed compared with birds fed the control feed through 12 wk in both trials. In 2 field trials, 2 brooder houses and 4 grow-out houses were paired on each farm (4 brooder houses and 8 grow-out houses total). All birds received the same feed provided by the integrator. The DFM was provided in the water from placement to market in 1 brooder house and in the 2 matching grow-out houses. Breeder flocks were equally represented in both brooder houses within each trial. Approximately 12,000 male poults were placed in each brooder house and were transferred to 2 grow-out houses at 5 wk. Although no statistical analyses were computed for the field trials, there was a nominal improvement in performance associated with the DFM: mean livability was increased by 3.5%, mean BW was increased by 0.9 kg (2 lb), mean total weight removed from the farms was increased by 13,706 kg (30,153 lb), mean FCR was improved by 0.165, and cost of production was reduced by $0.0195/kg ($0.043/lb) of BW by the DFM. In conclusion, the DFM product (Primalac) used in these studies was effective in improving turkey live performance.
Climate change intensification of herbivore impacts on tree recruitment

Altered species interactions are difficult to predict and yet may drive the response of ecological communities to climate change. We show that declining snowpack strengthens the impacts of a generalist herbivore, elk (Cervus elaphus), on a common tree species. Thick snowpack substantially reduces elk visitation to sites; aspen (Populus tremuloides) shoots in these areas experience lower browsing rates, higher survival and enhanced recruitment. Aspen inside herbivore exclosures have greatly increased recruitment, particularly at sites with thick snowpack. We suggest that long-term decreases in snowpack could help explain a widespread decline of aspen through previously unconsidered relationships. More generally, reduced snowpack across the Rocky Mountains, combined with rising elk populations, may remove the conditions needed for recruitment of this ecologically important tree species. These results highlight that herbivore behavioural responses to altered abiotic conditions are critical determinants of plant persistence. Predictions of climate change impacts must not overlook the crucial importance of species interactions.
Agar disk diffusion susceptibility tests with cilofungin (LY 121019).

Cilofungin (LY 121019) is a semi-biosynthetic lipopeptide agent which is active both in vitro and in vivo against isolates of Candida species. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the usefulness of experimental 10- and 20-μg cilofungin disks in predicting probable in vitro susceptibility to this drug. Fifty-two isolates of pathogenic yeasts, which included 34 isolates of Candida albicans, 10 isolates of Candida tropicalis and eight isolates of Candida glabrata, were tested. Both agar dilution minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) tests and matched agar disk diffusion tests were performed using 14-h-old broth cultures grown in single strength yeast nitrogen base (YNB) supplemented with asparagine and dextrose. Both tests were incubated at 35°C and the results were read after 24 h. Regression analysis was used to measure the degree of correlation between MIC values and matched averaged zones of inhibition, and demonstrated that both the 10-μg (r = 0·9278) and 20-μg (r = 0·9082) disks can predict pr...
Graphene: a new emerging lubricant ☆

In recent years, reducing friction and wear-related mechanical failures in moving mechanical systems has gained increased attention due to friction's adverse impacts on efficiency, durability, and environmental compatibility. Accordingly, the search continues for novel materials, coatings, and lubricants (both liquid and solid) that can potentially reduce friction and wear. Despite intense R&D efforts on graphene for a myriad of existing and future applications, its tribological potential as a lubricant remains relatively unexplored. In this review, we provide an up-to-date survey of recent tribological studies based on graphene from the nano-scale to macro-scale, in particular, its use as a self-lubricating solid or as an additive for lubricating oils.
Early Family Environment, Current Adversity, the Serotonin Transporter Promoter Polymorphism, and Depressive Symptomatology

Background Mixed evidence has suggested that homozygous carriers of the short allele (s/s) of the serotonin transporter gene-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) may be at increased risk for depression, if they have also been exposed to early or current adversity/stress. We address this debate by examining the relation of a stressful early family environment, recent adversity/stress, and the 5-HTTLPR to depressive symptomatology in a normal sample. Methods A nonclinical sample of 118 young adult men and women completed assessments of early family environment, recent stressful events, psychosocial resources, and psychological distress, including depressive symptomatology. The 5-HTTLPR was genotyped using a standard protocol with DNA extracted from oral fluid. Results A stressful early family environment was significantly related to depressive symptomatology. In addition, gene-by-environment (G×E) interactions were observed between the 5-HTTLPR and both early family environment and current adversity/stress. Individuals homozygous for the short allele had greater depressive symptomatology if they had experienced early or recent adversity but significantly less depressive symptomatology if they reported a supportive early environment or recent positive experiences, compared with participants with the s/l or l/l genotype. Conclusions Early or current environment, in conjunction with the serotonin transporter polymorphism, predicts depressive symptomatology.
Indirect-HMM-based Hypothesis Alignment for Combining Outputs from Machine Translation Systems

This paper presents a new hypothesis alignment method for combining outputs of multiple machine translation (MT) systems. An indirect hidden Markov model (IHMM) is proposed to address the synonym matching and word ordering issues in hypothesis alignment. Unlike traditional HMMs whose parameters are trained via maximum likelihood estimation (MLE), the parameters of the IHMM are estimated indirectly from a variety of sources including word semantic similarity, word surface similarity, and a distance-based distortion penalty. The IHMM-based method significantly outperforms the state-of-the-art TER-based alignment model in our experiments on NIST benchmark datasets. Our combined SMT system using the proposed method achieved the best Chinese-to-English translation result in the constrained training track of the 2008 NIST Open MT Evaluation.
Evaluation of Statin Prescribing for Secondary Prevention in Primary Care Following New Guideline Recommendations

Background: The American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) Guideline on the Treatment of Blood Cholesterol recommends high-intensity statin therapy for most patients with established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) versus previously recommended low-density lipoprotein cholesterol targets. The impact of the ACC/AHA guidelines on prescribing patterns in primary care is uncertain. Objective: To describe the prescribing habits of statin therapy in primary care patients with ASCVD before and after the ACC/AHA guidelines were published. Methods: This retrospective observational study evaluated patients with ASCVD who were seen in at least 1 of 8 primary care clinics in the University of Colorado Health system. It received expedited approval by the Colorado Multiple Institutional Review Board. The primary outcome measure was the proportion of patients with established ASCVD prescribed high-intensity statin therapy within 1 year before or after guideline release. Results: I...
Women, Ethics, and Inequality in U.S. Healthcare, by Aana Marie Vigen

Initially inspired by three poignant personal encounters with the U.S. healthcare system, Aana Marie Vigen writes a compelling book about healthcare disparities experienced by African American and ...
Modeling the Industrial Buying Process

Study of the industrial buying process has been hindered by the lack of a conceptual framework, or model, Without an analytical structure, it is difficult to identify the critical variables and rel...
ROBUST FLIGHT CONTROL FOR COORDINATED TURNS

In this paper, the coupled, six-degree-of-freedom, motion equations for a fighter-type aircraft are derived and linearized for a subsonic cruise condition involving a coordinated turn at a steady turn rate. Because of the nonzero turn rate and the nonzero roll angle required for it, the motion equations are coupled and therefore cannot be treated as decoupled longitudinal and lateral motions, particularly for relatively large turn rates. The linearized, coupled motion equations are then used to design a robust linear feedback controller for a particul ar turn rate using the LQG/LTR design technique. The robust controller is applied to the dynamics at other, considerably different turn rates, demonstrating its robustness.
Research Note: Putrescine Effects on Performance of Male Broiler Chicks Fed Low-Protein Diets Supplemented with Essential Amino Acids

Abstract The purpose of the present study was to determine whether a polyamine deficiency could account for the reduced performance of broiler chicks fed a low-protein diet supplemented with several synthetic amino acids in comparison with those fed a more conventional CP concentration. Male broiler chicks were fed equicaloric diets calculated to contain 23, 20, or 17% CP. Each diet was supplemented with 0, .05, or .10% putrescine in a 3 × 3 factorial arrangement of treatments. Body weight gain of chicks fed the 17% CP diet was significantly (P
Vegetation dynamics from annually burning tallgrass prairie in different seasons

Traditional perception of how tall grass prairie responds to fire at times other than late spring is either anecdotal or extrapolated from studies that lack spatial or temporal variability. Therefore, we evaluated patterns of change in vegetation cover, species richness, diversity, and aboveground biomass production on 2 different topographic positions from ungrazed watersheds that were burned annually for 8 years in either autumn (November), winter (February), or spring (April). Topoedaphic factors influenced the response patterns of some species to seasonal fire, although differences were primarily in the rate of change. Annual burning in autumn and winter produced similar trends through time for most species. Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii Vitman) cover increased with all burn regimes, whereas indiangrass [Sorghastrum nutans (L.) Nash] increased only with spring burning. Repeated autumn and winter burning eventually increased perennial forb cover, with the largest increases occurring in heath aster [Symphyotrichum ericoides (L.) Nesom], aromatic aster [S. oblognifolium (Nutt.) Nesom], tall goldenrod (Solidago canadensis L.), and legumes. Species richness increased (P < 0.001) through time with spring and winter burning, but was similar among all burn treatments after 8 years of annual fire. Average grass and forb biomass did not differ among burn seasons on either topographic position, although interannual biomass production fluctuated inconsistently with time of burn. Our findings contrast with many of the conventional views of how tallgrass prairie vegetation responds to seasonal fire and challenges traditional recommendations that burning should only occur in late spring.
TRANSMITTER LOADS AFFECT THE FLIGHT SPEED AND METABOLISM OF HOMING PIGEONS

Eight homing pigeons (Columba livia) were flown distances of 90 and 320 km with and without transmitters (weighing either 2.5% or 5.0% of the pigeon's body mass, M,) mounted on a back harness. Flight times in April through June for the 90-km distance were 60 min without a transmitter or harness, 69 min with a harness alone and about 76 min with a harness and transmitter (weighing either 2.5% or 5.0% of M,). Flight times for the 320-km distance were 4 hr 16 min for the controls and 5 hr 35 min for the two fastest pigeons wearing a harness and transmitter weighing 2.5% of M,. The results show that on 90-km flights harnesses alone slow birds by 15% and harnesses and transmitters (5 5%M,) slow birds 25 to 28%; on 320-km flights harnesses and transmitters slow birds >31%. Moreover, on the 320-km flights, CO, production of the pigeons (measured with the doubly- labeled water method) was 41 to 52% higher per hour when encumbered with a transmitter and harness. Thus, encumbered pigeons produced 85 to 100% more total CO, covering the 320-km distance. Therefore, high performance homing pigeons work substantially harder and longer during a long distance flight when wearing harnesses and transmitters.
The Effects of Immigration on Urban Communities

This article examines the impact of immigrants on large U.S. cities. It is based primarily on a review of existing research. However, a valuable 1996 database is used to develop some new information. The research shows that immigrants have buoyed the populations of a number of major central cities since 1970, and in some cases generated population growth in once declining, distressed cities. However, among big cities, numbers of immigrants are growing most rapidly in places with healthy economies, such as Dallas, Fort Worth, and San Jose. The evidence shows that immigrants have not reduced the job opportunities of U.S. natives and that immigrants have strengthened a number of sectors of big-city economies, including small business; international import-export; and finance, construction, and manufacturing. Overall fiscal impacts of immigration on States and local governments have been negative, but there is some evidence that fiscal impacts have been positive or neutral in cities experiencing loss of native-born population. The marginal costs of services to immigrants are lower in places with excess capacity in infrastructure and service systems.
Soils of Florida and the Caribbean: LRRs U and Z

Soils across peninsular Florida (LRR U) and the Caribbean Islands of the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico (LRR Z) reflect the environmental conditions under which they formed. In LRR U, the majority of the soils have formed in sandy marine sediments although other types of parent materials including organic materials are important in parts of the region. The region is warm and humid, has low relief, especially near the coasts, and, because of the relief and abundance of depressions, has appreciable areas of poorly and very poorly drained soils with aquic moisture regimes. Soils across the region are commonly acid, moderately permeable, and have thin A horizons with relatively low contents of organic C. They are dominantly sandy Entisols and Spodosols although in areas with underlain by loamy sediments Ultisols are common. Soils in low relief and depressional areas are commonly Histosols. Across the islands comprising LRR Z, elevation ranges from sea level to more than 1220 m and local relief often results in steep terrain with soils subject to erosion and landslides. Soils across the region have developed in a very wide range of parent materials including volcanic materials such as ash and basalt, limestone, and coastal beach and dunal sediments. Rainfall varies widely across the islands. The range in topography, precipitation, and parent materials has resulted in soils with widely varying properties that include Ultisols, Oxisols, Inceptisols, Mollisols, Alfisols, Entisols, and Histosols. Soils in both LRRs are fragile and subject to degradation without proper management, and both regions have a common threat, rapid population growth, and urban development.
A visual analytic framework for exploring relationships in textual contents of digital forensics evidence

We describe the development of a set of tools for analyzing the textual contents of digital forensic evidence for the purpose of enhancing an investigator's ability to discover information quickly and efficiently. By examining the textual contents of files and unallocated space, relationships between sets of files and clusters can be formed based on the information that they contain. Using the information gathered from the evidence through the analysis tool, the visualization tool can be used to search through the evidence in an organized and efficient manner. The visualization depicts both the frequency of relevant terms and their location on disk. We also discuss a task analysis with forensics officers to motivate the design.
Ethical Issues in Pediatric Organ Transplantation, edited by Rebecca A. Greenberg, Aviva M. Goldberg, and David Rodriguez‐Arias. Switzerland: Springer International Publishing, 2016. 340 pages.

By the field's very nature, there is a robust literature dealing with ethical issues in solid organ transplantation. Most of the published literature deals with transplantation in adults But from the earliest days of pediatric transplantation, numerous ethical questions have been raised. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Collecting and Caring for Tree-Ring Samples in the Southwest

Dendrochronology is the most precise and accurate dating technique available to archaeologists, with resolution to the year and sometimes season. As biological specimens from human-produced contexts, dendroarchaeological samples inherently contain three kinds of information: chronological, behavioral, and environmental. The purpose of this short article is to educate archaeologists on how to avoid degrading any of these three types of information through improper sample selection, collection, preparation, or transportation techniques. Dendroarchaeology is not without limitations. First and foremost, it is dependent on the behaviors of people who built structures, made artifacts, and burned wood for fuel. If past people did not use wood, or used undateable tree species, dendrochronology will simply not be useful. In some cases, people used dateable species, but their selection criteria did not meet one of the four basic criteria necessary for successful dating. The second most important factor in successful tree-ring dating of archaeological materials is the behavior of archaeologists. Finally, preservation plays an important role in successful dating and the nature of the derived dates, but the paucity of long-lived old trees and degradation of “legacy” wood on the ground have hampered the development of millennia-long chronologies in more mesic areas.
Technology Forecasting: Case of 3D Printing

This purpose of this paper is to try and forecast the adoption rate of “consumer grade” 3D printers for use in a typical United States household. Several assumptions are made. The first assumption is made that the consumer will treat the 3D printer as a “durable good”. The second assumption is that the consumer’s purchasing limit will be $1000. The third assumption is that the cost of consumables will be less than the equivalent cost of the product when purchased.
Spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid leak from the optic canal.

Objective To present a case of successful repair of a spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid leak in a previously unreported anatomic site. Methods Retrospective chart review. Results A 48-year-old woman developed a spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid leak from the optic nerve sheath and underwent a multilayer endoscopic closure with no damage to the optic nerve. Conclusion Endoscopic surgeons can successfully repair cerebrospinal fluid leaks from the optic nerve sheath without causing loss of vision.
Mandarin ethnomethodology or mutual interchange

Contributors to the 2016 Special Issue of Discourse Studies on the ‘Epistemics of Epistemics’ (EoE) claim that studies of epistemics in interaction (how participants display orientations to their o...
Epidemiology: Chronic disease, cancer, and exercise - a common link.

Advances in precision medicine have greatly improved outcomes for patients with cancer. New findings that demonstrate a substantial contribution of major chronic diseases and disease markers to the risk of cancer incidence and mortality highlight the impact of chronic disease on cancer risk and suggest that chronic diseases should be targeted in cancer prevention strategies.
Systemic Sclerosis, Scleroderma

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic, autoimmune, systemic, potentially lethal disease that involves the skin and internal organs. A complex interaction of genetic predisposition and environmental factors seems to trigger a wide range of vascular, immunological, and fibrotic changes. These changes represent the three cardinal features of SSc. Vascular changes seem to occur early in the disease and it involves endothelial cell activation/toxicity and other changes that involve angiogenic and angiostatic mechanisms. Different aspects of the immune system are involved including the humeral and cell-mediated immunity; they interact in a very complex manner and work together with the vascular changes in the formation of fibrosis, the end stage of SSc.
Overview of Anxiety and the Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety can be a confusing term because it can have several different meanings and apply to different experiences and behaviors. According to Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary [1], anxiety is a vague, uneasy feeling of discomfort or dread accompanied by an autonomic (self-controlling) response. Anxiety alerts individuals to changes, both within them and in the world around them, as part of an internal signal system [2]. Anxiety consists of a range of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and is influenced by biological, psychological, and genetic factors [3]. Anxiety is a normal but at times unpleasant emotion. The subjective experience of anxiety differs, but familiar presentations include symptoms such as apprehension, uneasiness, “butterflies in the stomach,” anticipation, and dread. Objective behavioral manifestations include looking strained and tense, hypervigilance, shakiness, muscle tension, sweaty palms, rapid pulse, difficulty breathing, restlessness, and avoidance. Equivalent anxiety experiences may be described as nervousness, tension, worry, restlessness, irritability, agitation, and somatization [4]. Table 1.1 lists common subjective and objective symptoms and descriptors associated with various states of anxiety [2]. Although primary care practitioners are well aware of the many and varied presentations of anxiety symptoms and signs, they can present as true diagnostic dilemmas at times. Individuals experience anxiety as a normal emotion at different times in their lives, and the source may be known, unknown, or nonspecific. Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress and can help one to cope. Anxiety involves anticipating future danger, and the response can actually help us to avoid potential danger—the “fight or flight” response. Triggers for the anxiety response include psychological threats, the unexpected, novelty, social/performance situations, cognitive mechanisms, and conditioned associative memories [4].
Using the ancient game of rogue in CS1

Games are becoming an important and useful tool for teaching computer science concepts. A number of universities have recently created degree programs in game development. Many more are using games as a method to increase retention rates and make class projects more compelling. We believe many of the old text-based Unix games could be a valuable part of a game development curriculum and serve as projects in CS1. We discuss our experience using Rogue, a simple role-playing game (RPG), as a project to teach object oriented design, introductory programming, and design patterns. In addition to learning these concepts, students gain some additional knowledge of game history and experience reading legacy code. The project is also extensible: it allows students to investigate user-interfaces, artificial intelligence, testing methods, and issues in software design. Rogue has been proposed as a nifty assignment [3] for teaching graph algorithms and search strategies. Others have used a simplified version of the game. We believe the design and implementation of the entire game is an interesting project and discuss this idea in detail.
Guidelines for the Economic Evaluation of Building-Integrated Photovoltaic Power Systems

This report identifies the economic parameters of building-integrated PV (BIPV) systems. The guidelines are structured in three major parts: the investment analysis (methods and ownership issues), benefits, and costs. Measurement and verification are also discussed briefly.
Specialty Board Certification Rate as an Outcome Metric for GME Training Institutions: A Relationship With Quality of Care:

Educational outcome measures, known to be associated with the quality of care, are needed to support improvements in graduate medical education (GME). This retrospective observational study sought ...
Functional Outcome Measures of Recombinant Tissue Plasminogen Activator-Treated Stroke Patients in the Telestroke Technology

The efficiency of telestroke programs in improving the rates of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) in stroke patients has been reported. Previous studies have reported favorable treatm...
4Ps: A Purposeful Introduction.

ABSTRACTThe 4Ps activity provides a unique approach to first-day class introductions and creates a positive classroom climate that encourages student engagement. The assignment generates initial se...
Quantitative Approximation by Shift Invariant Multivariate Sublinear-Shilkret Operators

A very general multivariate positive sublinear Shilkret integral type operator is given through a convolution-like iteration of another multivariate general positive sublinear operator with a multivariate scaling type function. For it sufficient conditions are given for shift invariance, preservation of global smoothness, convergence to the unit with rates. Furthermore, two examples of very general multivariate specialized Shilkret operators are presented fulfilling all the above properties, the higher order of multivariate approximation of these operators is also considered. It follows [3].
Case Studies in Drug Discovery

The scientific literature includes a wide array of articles detailing the identification of successful drugs, as well as numerous accounts of failed programs. Understanding how successful programs lead to marketed drugs, why the failure of one drug lead to the identification of a new and improved medication, or delving into the details of how a previously unknown toxicity changed the landscape of the industry can provide valuable lessons for those entering the pharmaceutical industry. Learning from the past often provides a bridge to the future.
Evidence in biomass burning smoke for a light-absorbing aerosol with properties intermediate between brown and black carbon

AbstractBiomass combustion produces black carbon (BC) and brown carbon (BrC) aerosols that contribute substantially to warming the Earth’s atmosphere. Accurate knowledge of their emissions and abso...
Practice patterns in the use of adjuvant therapy for post-menopausal early-stage breast cancer in the pre- and post-Oncotype DX era.

e21032 Background: Personalized oncology offers the promise of selectively applying therapeutics to patients most likely to benefit, while sparing those unlikely to benefit from potentially toxic t...
Investigation of the scalar spectrum in SU (3) with eight degenerate flavors

The Lattice Strong Dynamics collaboration is investigating the properties of a SU(3) gauge theory with Nf = 8 light fermions on the lattice. We measure the masses of the lightest pseudoscalar, scalar and vector states using simulations with the nHYP staggered-fermion action on large volumes and at small fermion masses, reaching Mρ/Mπ ≈ 2.2. The axial-vector meson and the nucleon are also studied for the same range of fermion masses. One of the interesting features of this theory is the dynamical presence of a light flavor-singlet scalar state with 0++ quantum numbers that is lighter than the vector resonance and has a mass consistent with the one of the pseudoscalar state for the whole fermion mass range explored. We comment on the existence of such state emerging from our lattice simulations and on the challenges of its analysis. Moreover we highlight the difficulties in pursuing simulations in the chiral regime of this theory using large volumes.