cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Culture byte by byte

Purpose – This column aims to explore a slice of digital art librarianship, examining some of the tools used in this field along with some examples of how institutions have tackled the ever‐changing world of digital images.Design/methodology/approach – This column is exploratory, and outlines some of the relationships between the Visual Resource Association, their core standard and sites such as ARTstor which utilize the VRA Core standard.Findings – The paper finds that the area of digital art and imagery has changed rapidly over the last decade. New standards have been developed to describe and preserve digital representations of works.Practical implications – It is important for everyone involved in this field to respect those standards and attempt to follow a certain level of consistency in their cataloging and preservation methods.Originality/value – This column examines a key standard in the area of digital image metadata and how that standard has been utilized by well‐funded organizations such as AR...
Spermatogenesis in the Belostomatidae. II. The chromosomes and cytoplasmic inclusions in the male germ cells of Belostoma flumineum Say, Lethocerus americanus Leidy, and Benacus griseus Say

This paper contains a description of the appearance and behavior of the chromatin and chief cytoplasmic inclusions in the male germ cells of three species of Belostomatidae. There are eight spermatogonial chromosomes in Lethocerus americanus, twenty-four in Belostoma flumineum, twenty-eight in Benacus griseus. An XY-pair of sex chromosomes occurs in each species. These are identifiable at every step in maturation in Lethocerus, but not in the others. A clear case of heteropycnosis occurs in Benacus. Parasynapsis is believed to be the mode of pairing of chromosomes in all three species. The genesis of three large atelomitic ring tetrads is described in Lethocerus. Chondriosomes are traced from spermatogonia to spermatids without a break in continuity. Spermatogonial chondriosomes are always granular. During the growth period filaments are formed, probably by fusion of granules, and these are sorted out in approximately equal numbers to spermatids. Benacus is especially favorable for studies on chondriosomes. Likewise, Golgi bodies have been traced throughout the process of maturation. They are minute granules in spermatogonia. During the growth period each becomes a flattened plate-like body clearly differentiated into two materials. Dictyosomes are formed by fragmentation in the first prophase, and these are distributed to spermatids where they fuse to form an acroblast in each. Some minor cytoplasmic inclusions are briefly described.
Self-Depriving Behavior as a Response to Unprofitable Inequity.

Abstract Several theoretical assumptions suggest that a member of a dyad who is underrewarded will sometimes engage in self-depriving behavior, i.e., he will further decrease his share of reward. To test these assumptions, a subject and a confederate were rewarded for performing a task in which their work inputs were highly similar. Subjects given somewhat less than half the reward subsequently increased their share. Among subjects given much less than half the reward, however, many decreased their share. Questionnaire data suggest that self-depriving behavior is an instrumental response which reduces a threat to subjects' power.
Job retention in child welfare: Effects of perceived organizational support, supervisor support, and intrinsic job value

Abstract This study uses a social exchange framework to address child welfare job retention. Data collected from an in-person survey of child welfare staff (Time 1) and staff retention information collected 15–17 months later (Time 2) were used to test hypotheses regarding the effects of extrinsic rewards, perceived organizational support, supervisor support, and intrinsic job value on job retention. Logistic regression and multilevel logistic regression models were conducted to assess the relative effects of individual- and organization-level influences on maintaining a child welfare job. Factors positively associated with job retention included the perceptions that an employer promoted life–work balance, that a supervisor was supportive and competent, and that few other job alternatives were available. In addition, organization-level turnover rates and unmeasured organizational characteristics affected the likelihood of job retention.
Ab initio and 1H NMR study of the Zn(II) complexes of a nido- and a closo-carboranylporphyrin

An ab initio study of a promising nido-carboranylporphyrin for the boron neutron capture therapy of tumors, and of its closo precursor is reported. Base-induced deboronation of neutral ZnDCP, believed to exist as a mixture of 3 stereoisomers, produces the tetraanionic ZnDCP4- as a complex mixture of isomers. 1H NMR data and ab initio calculations support these findings. The position of the axial pyridine ligand in ZnDCP4- and the orientation of the endo hydrogen atoms on the open faces of the nido-carborane cages significantly influence the total energy of the ZnDCP4- structures. It is suggested that the "cocktail" of isomers possibly enhances the biological activity of tetra(nido-carboranyl)porphyrins, such as ZnDCP4-.
Fashion Change and Demographics: A Model:

Researchers in clothing and textiles as well as those in other disciplines have long sought to understand the process of fashion change and identify underlying themes. The theoretical model of fash...
Feasibility study of using fine recycled concrete aggregate in producing self-consolidation concrete

Concrete recycling provides sustainability benefits in conservation of virgin aggregate resources, landfill reduction, energy savings, and reduced greenhouse gases emission. Effective and new uses of recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) in cement and concrete industry have attracted a lot of researchers’ attention from the perspective of environmental preservation and sustainable utilization of resources. While local RCA could be successfully used in portland cement concrete, most of the RCA, particularly fine recycled concrete aggregate (FRCA) are currently only used in low-profile applications. A feasibility study of usage of FRCA (up to 100% replacement of natural fine aggregate) in high-performance concrete such as self-consolidation concrete (SCC) is needed. This paper presented a preliminary study in using FRCA to obtain SCC with comparable properties as such of using natural fine aggregate. In order to evaluate the influence of different portions of FRCA in SCC, tests including slump-flow, J-ring, V-f...
Quality planning in the ’in vitro diagnostic’ industry

In vitro diagnostic (IVD) manufacturers play an important role in helping to provide laboratory results that meet the needs of patient care. Industry, the primary source of new technologies, uses established processes to assure a continuous supply of products that satisfies health care needs. The processes include validation of user needs, with well-controlled procedures that are used to manufacture quality products. Management uses routine audits and customer complaint monitoring to identify improvement opportunities. The processes used in the IVD industry are recognized quality practices that should be, and often are, used in the clinical laboratory.
Should the FVC be considered in evaluating response to bronchodilator

T he characteristic response to bronchodilator administration in reversible obstructive airways disease is an increase in flow rates at a given lung volume. The degree ofresponsiveness can be assessed by comparing measurements, before and after the administration of a bronchodilator, of timed expiratory volumes; flow parameters, such as the FEF25-75%; or airway resistance. Because of its simplicity and reproducibility, we have primarily utilized the FEY1 to assess response to bronchodilator. However, we have noted a number of patients who demonstrated sizable increases in FVC after bronchodilator administration with minimal or no change in the FEy,. The goal of the present study was to determine whether this disproportionate increase in the FVC after receiving a bronchodilator was simply due to a more prolonged expiratory effort by the patient or whether bronchodilatation indeed occurred, as manifested by increases in the longer timed expiratory volumes, such as the FEY3 or the FEY6.
The opportunities and challenges of entrepreneurial acquisitions

Recent research has documented new ventures’ activity in acquisitions, and we build upon this work and the mergers and acquisition (M&A) literature in order to compare the acquisition performance of new ventures and established firms. The central rationale for our work is that new ventures hold distinct resources and capabilities that are bound to affect the outcome of their acquisition strategies in unique ways. Thus, from a conceptual standpoint, it is appropriate to isolate the implications of M&A activity by this class of firms, rather than assume that new ventures experience the same M&A performance outcomes as other acquirers. Empirically, our findings support this broad proposition as they indicate that new ventures are more subject to due diligence and valuation problems. However, they also seem to perform better than established firms when acquiring targets with high growth opportunities.
Controlled fundamental supermode operation of phase-locked arrays of gain-guided diode lasers

Uniform semiconductor laser arrays tend to oscillate in a superposition of their supermodes, thus leading to large beam divergence and spectral spread. Discrimination among the supermodes in phase-locked arrays is discussed theoretically. It is shown that supermode discrimination in gain-guided arrays, in favor of the fundamental supermode, is made possible by the near-field interference patterns which result from the complex optical fields of the gain-guided lasers. A fundamental supermode operation is demonstrated, for the first time, in GaAlAs/GaAs gain-guided laser arrays. This is achieved by control of the current (gain) profile across the array by means of individual laser contacts.
Maturity, depression, and life events in middle-aged alcoholics.

Abstract Twenty-eight middle-aged hospitalized alcoholics were differentiated on the basis of their level of social competence (maturity) and their identification as either essential or reactive alcoholics types. Attempts were made to relate these differentiations to depression and life events stress. The relationship between level of social competence and type of alcoholism was confirmed. Depression and life events stress were not found to be significantly related to maturity level, although depression scores did correlate positively and significantly with several subscales of the measure of alcoholism level. These correlations and certain trends in the data were viewed as meaningful and highly suggestive primarily in terms of their implications for future research on the maturity dimension.
Amounts of interstitial cell-stimulating hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone required for follicular development, uterine growth and ovulation in the hypophysectomized rat.

Female rats of the Sprague- Dawley strain were hypophysectomized at 28 days of age; 7 days later, subcutaneous injections of ovine ICSH and/or ovine FSH were initiated. Injected alone, neither gonadotropin stimulated the release of sufficient estrogen to cause uterine development. As little as 0.05 μg of ICSH injected together with 3 μg of FSH for a period of 3 days effected small increases, and 0.5 μg in combination with the same dosage of FSH substantial increases in the uterine weights. A daily dose of 1 μg of FSH neither promoted follicular development nor stimulated an increase in the weights of the ovaries; this dose level likewise was ineffective in stimulating estrogen secretion, even when combined with as much as 20 μg of ICSH. A dose of 3 μg of FSH injected together with 1 pg of ICSH once daily for a period of 3 days tripled the weights of the ovaries; developing follicles contained large antra and many showed evidence of luteinization. The same combination of FSH and ICSH injected once daily at...
Retina regeneration in the chick embryo is not induced by spontaneous Mitf downregulation but requires FGF/FGFR/MEK/Erk dependent upregulation of Pax6

Purpose: To elucidate the early cellular events that take place during induction of retina regeneration in the embryonic chick, focusing on the relationship between fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling and the regulation of Pax6 and Mitf. Methods: The retina of embryonic day 4 (E4) chicks was removed and a heparin coated bead soaked in fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) was placed into the optic cup. The pharmacological inhibitor PD173074 was used to inhibit FGF receptors, PD98059 was used to inhibit MAP kinase-kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MEK/Erk) signaling. Retroviral constructs for paired box 6 (Pax6), MEK, and microphthalmia (Mitf) were also used in overexpression studies. Immunohistochemistry was used to examine pErk, Pax6, Mitf, and melanosomal matrix protein 115 (MMP115) immunoreactivity and bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation at different time points after removing the retina. Results: The embryonic chick has the ability to regenerate a new retina by the process of transdifferentiation of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). We observed that during the induction of transdifferentiation, downregulation of Mitf was not sufficient to induce transdifferentiation at E4 and that FGF2 was required to drive Pax6 protein expression and cell proliferation, both of which are necessary for transdifferentiation. Furthermore, we show that FGF2 works through the FGFR/MEK/Erk signaling cascade to increase Pax6 expression and proliferation. Ectopic Mitf expression was able to inhibit transdifferentiation by acting downstream of FGFR/MEK/Erk signaling, likely by inhibiting the increase in Pax6 protein in the RPE. Conclusions: FGF2 stimulates Pax6 expression during induction of transdifferentiation of the RPE through FGFR/MEK/ Erk signaling cascade. This Pax6 expression is accompanied by an increase in BrdU incorporation. In addition, we show that Mitf is spontaneously downregulated after removal of the retina even in the absence of FGF2. This Mitf downregulation is not accompanied by Pax6 upregulation, demonstrating that FGF2 stimulated Pax6 upregulation is required for transdifferentiation of the RPE. Furthermore, we show that ectopic Mitf expression is able to protect the RPE from FGF2 induced transdifferentiation by inhibiting Pax6 upregulation.
Stochastic Calculation of Laminar Wrinkled Flame Propagation via Vortex Dynamics

Abstract This paper explores the interaction between time dependent turbulent flow structure and an irreversible one-step decomposition reaction. A Lagrangian-calculated velocity field is combined with Eulerian scalar transport to describe premixed flame propagation in two dimensions. The time dependent flow structure is calculated by the discrete vortex dynamics method. The flow is two-dimensional and is confined to a unit square through the use of either periodic or non-equilibrium boundary conditions. The velocity field from the known vortex locations is used to describe the convection of a reacting scalar on a fixed Eulerian mesh. By variation of the numerical vortex parameters, the flow field length scale and root-mean-square (RMS) velocity can be changed. For this study, unit Lewis number with temperature-independent transport coefficients has been assumed. Some of the work also assumed a constant density flame model. In addition to calculating reacting scalar transport, calculations have also been ...
Establishment, survival, site selection and development of Leptorhynchoides thecatus in largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides

Establishment, survival and distribution of Leptorhynchoides thecatus (Acanthocephala) were investigated in largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides, fed 10, 25, or 40 cystacanths and examined at 1, 3 or 5 weeks post-infection. Worms established widely in the alimentary tracts of bass but by 5 weeks post-infection had localized in the pyloric caeca and intercaecal region. Other individuals moved to parenteral sites where they remained immature, though viable. In the 10- and 25-level exposures, establishment and survivorship in the alimentary tract were roughly proportional to the dose of cystacanths. After 1 week post-infection in the 40-level exposure class, numbers of worms in the alimentary tract decreased significantly and parenteral occurrence increased significantly. Total survival of L. thecatus appeared to be density-independent. Maturation of worms was retarded temporarily as intensity of infection increased, but by 5 weeks post-infection worms from all doses were at roughly the same stage of development within sex. The caeca and intercaecal area apparently did not differ in their suitability for maturation.
Imaging of cervical spine injuries of childhood

Cervical spine injuries of children, though rare, have a high morbidity and mortality. The pediatric cervical spine is anatomically and biomechanically different from that of adults. Hence, the type, level and outcome of cervical spine injuries in children are different from those seen in adults. Normal developmental variants seen in children can make evaluation of the pediatric cervical spine challenging. This article reviews the epidemiology of pediatric cervical spine trauma, normal variants seen in children and specific injuries that are more common in the pediatric population. We also propose an evidence-based imaging protocol to avoid unnecessary imaging studies and minimize radiation exposure in children.
Making Amends: Children's Expectations about and Responses to Apologies

Two studies investigate children's expectations and actual responses to a transgressor's attempt to make amends. In Study 1, six- and seven-year-olds (N = 16) participated in a building activity and then imagined how they would respond if a transgressor knocked over their tower and then apologized spontaneously, apologized after prompting, offered restitution, or did nothing. Children forecasted that they would feel better and would share more when a transgressor offered restitution or apologized spontaneously than when the transgressor had to be prompted to apologize or did not apologize at all. In Study 2, six- and seven-year-olds (N = 64) participated in the same building activity, but then actually had their towers knocked over and received one of the four responses. The only response that actually made children feel better was when the transgressor offered restitution. However, children shared more with a transgressor who offered restitution, a spontaneous apology, or a prompted apology than with one who failed to offer any apology. Restitution can both mitigate hurt feelings and repair relationships in children; apologies serve mainly to repair relationships.
Substrate-Induced Anomalous Electrical Transport and Magnetic Transitions in Epitaxial La0.66Sr0.33MnO3 Films Grown on (001) BaTiO3 Substrates

Effects of drastic change of 3-dimensional films’ lattice strain by substrate structural transformations on the transport and magnetic properties of tensile strained epitaxial La0.66Sr0.33MnO3 thin films were studied using (001) BaTiO3 as the templates. These films exhibit dramatic jumps in electrical resistance and magnetization at temperatures very close to different crystallographic structural change of BaTiO3 substrate. Application of high magnetic field (50 kOe) suppresses both the electrical transport and magnetization jumps. The observed low-field sharp transitions correspond sudden changes in magnetic anisotropy, caused by the structural transformation of the substrate. The magnetic easy axis lies in the film plane along [100] direction having a strong correlation with the substrate-induced 3-dimensional strain states as determined by the normal and grazing incidence x-ray diffraction. The sudden substrate structural transformations imposes an additional drastic sharp change of the film strain which is found to reorient the magnetic easy axis within the film plane.
Serinoctamere: Clusterbildung, Reaktionen und Auswirkungen auf die Homochiralität von Biomolekülen†

Noch immer ist die Entwicklung der Homochiralitat eines der spannendsten Ratsel im Zusammenhang mit der Entstehung des Lebens. Ein mogliches Szenario geht davon aus, dass Aminosaure-Aggregate an einer Folge chemischer Ereignisse beteiligt waren, die zu chiralen Biomolekulen in sich selbst replizierenden Systemen und damit zur Homochirogenese fuhrten. Serin steht als Aminosaure im Zentrum des Interesses, weil es ionische Cluster bildet, die sich aus der “magischen” Zahl von acht Aminosaureeinheiten zusammensetzen; diese Cluster zeigen eine auffallige Praferenz fur Homochiralitat. Die Serinoctamer-Cluster (Ser8) konnen unter simulierten prabiotischen Bedingungen erzeugt werden, und sie reagieren enantioselektiv mit anderen Biomolekulen. Diese Beobachtungen fuhrten zu der Hypothese, dass die Chiralitat in der Natur ursprunglich auf Serin zuruckgeht und durch chemische Reaktionen auf andere Aminosauren, Saccharide und Peptide ubertragen wurde. Der vorliegende Aufsatz bewertet kritisch die Chemie von Ser8-Clustern und die Experimente, die ihre mogliche Rolle bei der Homochirogenese stutzen.
LMP-1's Transmembrane Domains Encode Multiple Functions Required for LMP-1's Efficient Signaling

The latent membrane protein-1 (LMP-1) of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) contributes to the proliferation of infected B lymphocytes by signaling through its binding to cellular signaling molecules. It apparently mimics members of the tumor necrosis factor receptor family, in particular, CD40, by binding a similar set of cellular molecules as does CD40. LMP-1 differs dramatically in its structure from CD40. LMP-1 has six membrane-spanning domains as opposed to CD40's one. LMP-1 also differs from CD40 in its apparent independence of a ligand for its signaling. We have examined the role of LMP-1's membrane-spanning domains in its signaling. Their substitution with six membrane-spanning domains from the LMP-2A protein of EBV yields a derivative which neither coimmunoprecipitates with LMP-1 nor signals to increase the activity of NF-κB as does wild-type LMP-1. These observations indicate that LMP-1 has specific sequences in its membrane-spanning domains required for these activities. LMP-1's first and sixth membrane-spanning domains have multiple leucine residues potentially similar to leucine-heptad motifs that can mediate protein-protein interactions in membranes (Gurezka et al., J. Biol. Chem. 274:9265-9270, 1999). Substitution of seven leucines in LMP-1's sixth membrane-spanning domain has no effect on its function, whereas similar substitutions in its first membrane-spanning domain yielded a derivative which aggregates as does wild-type LMP-1 but has only 3% of wild-type's ability to signal through NF-κB. Importantly, this derivative complements a mutant of LMP-1 with wild-type membrane-spanning domains but no carboxy-terminal signaling domain. These findings together indicate that the membrane-spanning domains of LMP-1 contribute multiple functions to its signaling.
MAWG: Multicasting Arrayed Waveguide Grating for WDM-PON Applications

We present a novel AWG design, which performs both the normal mux/demux function as well as a broadcast function. This enables flexible and lower cost WDM-PON architectures, which have traditionally lacked support for multicast/broadcast data.
Failures of isoluminance caused by ocular chromatic aberrations

Using a simple model eye with a wavelength-dependent diffraction, a wavelength-dependent refractive error (chromatic difference in refractive error), and a wavelength-dependent displacement of the foveal images (transverse chromatic aberration), we have evaluated the luminance modulations in retinal images of isoluminant color gratings. In cases where the chromatic difference in refractive error has been corrected, the retinal image suffers from chromatic parallax, which creates wavelength-dependent displacements of the retinal image that are similar to those caused by transverse chromatic aberration. Our calculations show that all three chromatic aberrations can introduce luminance modulations in the retinal images of isoluminant gratings. These luminance artifacts generally, but not always, increase with increasing spatial frequency. The contrast in the luminance artifact depends critically on the exact refractive error in the uncorrected eye and the precise position of the eye in the corrected case. Wavelength-dependent diffraction has little effect for large pupils (e.g., 5 mm) but can become a significant factor with small pupils. Luminance artifacts created by chromatic aberrations can be more detectable than the original color contrasts at spatial frequencies above 3 cycles/deg.
Airway microbiota and acute respiratory infection in children

Acute respiratory infections (ARIs), such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia, are the leading cause of hospitalization of infants in the US. While the incidence and severity of ARI can vary widely among children, the reasons for these differences are not fully explained by traditional risk factors (e.g., prematurity, viral pathogens). The recent advent of molecular diagnostic techniques has revealed the presence of highly functional communities of microbes inhabiting the human body (i.e., microbiota) that appear to influence development of local and systemic immune response. We propose a ‘risk and resilience’ model in which airway microbiota are associated with an increased (risk microbiota) or decreased (resilience microbiota) incidence and severity of ARI in children. We also propose that modulating airway microbiota (e.g., from risk to resilience microbiota) during early childhood will optimize airway immunity and, thereby, decrease ARI incidence and severity in children.
Parallel AES Encryption Engines for Many-Core Processor Arrays

By exploring different granularities of data-level and task-level parallelism, we map 16 implementations of an Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) cipher with both online and offline key expansion on a fine-grained many-core system. The smallest design utilizes only six cores for offline key expansion and eight cores for online key expansion, while the largest requires 107 and 137 cores, respectively. In comparison with published AES cipher implementations on general purpose processors, our design has 3.5-15.6 times higher throughput per unit of chip area and 8.2-18.1 times higher energy efficiency. Moreover, the design shows 2.0 times higher throughput than the TI DSP C6201, and 3.3 times higher throughput per unit of chip area and 2.9 times higher energy efficiency than the GeForce 8800 GTX.
Consistent blind synchronization of OFDM transmissions using null sub-carriers with distinct spacings

The ability of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing systems to mitigate frequency-selective channels is impaired by the presence of carrier frequency offsets (CFO). We investigate identifiability issues involving high-resolution techniques that have been proposed for blind CFO estimation based on null subcarriers. We also propose new approaches that do not suffer from the lack of identifiability problems and channel-dependent performance.
Toward a Catalogue of Architectural Bad Smells

An architectural bad smell is a commonly (although not always intentionally) used set of architectural design decisions that negatively impacts system lifecycle properties, such as understandability, testability, extensibility, and reusability. In our previous short paper, we introduced the notion of architectural bad smells and outlined a few common smells. In this paper, we significantly expand upon that work. In particular, we describe in detail four representative architectural smells that emerged from reverse-engineering and re-engineering two large industrial systems and from our search through case studies in research literature. For each of the four architectural smells, we provide illustrative examples and demonstrate the smell's impact on system lifecycle properties. Our experiences indicate the need to identify and catalog architectural smells so that software architects can discover and eliminate them from system designs.
An index for operational flexibility in chemical process design. Part I: Formulation and theory

One of the key components of chemical plant operability is flexibility—the ability to operate over a range of conditions while satisfying performance specifications. A general framework for analyzing flexibility in chemical process design is presented in this paper. A quantitative index is proposed which measures the size of the parameter space over which feasible steady-state operation of the plant can be attained by proper adjustment of the control variables. The mathematical formulation of this index and a detailed study of its properties are presented. Application of the flexibility in design is illustrated with an example.
Elderly Local Mobility An Examination of Determinants Derived from the Literature

This study points out potentially more productive research strategies for the development of elderly mobility theory. Findings indicate a possible basis for more general statements regarding the effects of certain social and socioeconomic characteristics on elderly local mobility and suggest that these effects are most pronounced within the oldest elderly age groups. Repeated patterns are evident of the period effect on the associations between each of the independent variables and elderly local mobility. There is a pattern of constant change in the magnitude and direction of the relationships between each of these variables and elderly local mobility. Studies to date use data from recent periods and indicate that problems may exist in generalizing from the findings of elderly mobility studies based on data from only 1 or 2 periods. The need for longitudinal studies is supported by the wide variation across time in the effects of the same social characteristics on elderly local mobility. The cohort perspective can identify the conditions in which determinants of elderly local mobility will affect such behavior in given ways. Such approaches to elderly mobility research can make important contributions to the theoretical development of this area.
Hypertension--when is the clinical problem solved? When quality of life is secured.

The patient’s opinion is central to the monitoring and improvement of health outcomes. The goal of treatment should be the preservation of function and well-being of the patient. Despite this, standar
Central-local relations in china during the reform era: The economic and institutional dimensions

Abstract Central-local relations are a core but problematic issue in China's reform process. The conventional wisdom is that the economic reforms have considerably weakened control by the central government over economic activities in the localities. Political implications are derived directly from these economic observations. The prevalent view is that the economic reforms have reduced the political control of the center and indeed have called into question the viability of China as a single political entity. This article disputes these views. It shows that economic decentralization has been accompanied by a strengthening of China's unitary political system. This has direct bearings on local economic conduct. Because of the political and institutional constraints, local officials surrender tax revenues to the central government and curb their inflationary investment demand.
Production of Traditional and Novel Biopolymers in Transgenic Woody Plants

Recent advances in plant biotechnology are expanding the potential for woody plants to provide industrially useful biopolymers. Transgenic approaches can enable plants to produce novel compounds that are not normally present (e.g., bioplastics such as polyhydroxybutyrate). This chapter summarizes the strategies that have been used to produce biopolymers in plants, with emphasis on bioplastics from transgenic poplar. So far, the yields of bioplastic in plants have been accompanied by unfavorable metabolic expenses associated with the diversion of carbon resources, but it may be possible to obtain improvements through careful control of expression of the three genes for biosynthesis of polyhydroxybutyrate. This chapter also discusses the potential for transgenic technology to improve the yields and qualities of traditional biopolymers including cellulose (wood), latex, and oil. A major emphasis with wood has been the modification of lignin content and structure to facilitate pulp and biofuel production. Other ongoing projects involving biopolymers may lead to improved production of latex from guayule (Parthenium argentatum) and Russian dandelion (Taraxacum kok-saghyz) and of fuel oil from Jatropha (Jatropha curcas). We believe that substantial improvements in these traditional plant products are likely with additional research on control of gene expression and if regulatory concerns about field research and commercial deployment can be adequately addressed.
Duty and Breach in an Era of Uncertainty: Local Government Liability for Failure to Adapt to Climate Change

In Litigating Climate Change Adaptation, I argued that despite a general skepticism about tort law's ability to tackle climate change there is an important role for this quite powerful branch of common law. Claimants can seek compensation for harms incurred because of the negligent acts of local governments and developers vis-a-vis climate preparedness, or lack thereof. The article argued that increased threat of liability as well as the possibility of growing success in the courts would galvanize more rigorous adaptation and mitigation efforts at all scales. Though an indirect benefit, adaptation litigation could be a purposeful use of tort's deterrence and behavior-changing potential. That article did not, however, address the important and more challenging questions related to the nature and scope of the duty to which local governments would now have to adhere. Further, it did not tackle the possibility of more expansive duty obligations, which public policy may well demand in light of accelerated climate change. This Article attempts to do just that by exploring (1) reasonable conduct under climate-change circumstances and (2) the emergence of new obligations "to which the law will give recognition and effect."
Highly organic phase soluble polyisobutylene-bound cobalt phthalocyanines as recyclable catalysts for nitroarene reduction

Abstract A cobalt phthalocyanine (CoMPc) containing covalently linked polyisobutylene (PIB) groups as phase anchors that is both highly soluble in nonpolar organic solvents and phase selectively soluble in a liquid/liquid separation step is shown to be an effective recyclable homogeneous catalyst for nitroarene reduction in a semi-thermomorphic system. Electron-donating and electron-withdrawing substituents in the nitroarene are tolerated in this aniline synthesis and the catalyst is recyclable up to 10 cycles with little leaching and no detectable loss in reactivity after 10 cycles.
Total Elbow Arthroplasty in the United States: Evaluation of Cost, Patient Demographics, and Complication Rates.

Total elbow arthroplasty (TEA) is utilized in the treatment of rheumatoid and post-traumatic elbow arthritis. TEA is a relatively low volume surgery in comparison to other types of arthroplasty and therefore little is known about current surgical utilization, patient demographics and complication rates in the United States. The purpose of our study is to evaluate the current practice trends and associated inpatient complications of TEA at academic centers in the United States. We queried the University Health Systems Consortium administrative database from 2007 to 2011 for patients who underwent an elective TEA. A descriptive analysis of demographics was performed which included patient age, sex, race, and insurance status. We also evaluated the following patient clinical benchmarks: hospital length of stay (LOS), hospital direct cost, inhospital mortality, complications, and 30-day readmission rates. Our cohort consisted of 3146 adult patients (36.5% male and 63.5% female) with an average age of 58 years who underwent a total elbow arthroplasty (159 academic medical centers) in the United States. The racial demographics included 2334 (74%) Caucasian, 285 (9%) black, 236 (7.5%) Hispanic, 16 (0.5%) Asian, and 283 (9%) other patients. The mean LOS was 4.2±5 days and the mean total direct cost for the hospital was 16,300±4000 US Dollars per case. The overall inpatient complication rate was 3.1% and included mortality <1%, DVT (0.8%), re-operation (0.5%), and infection (0.4%). The 30-day readmission rate was 4.4%. TEA is a relatively uncommon surgery in comparison to other forms of arthroplasty but is associated with low in-patient and 30-day perioperative complication rate. Additionally, the 30-day readmission rate and overall hospital costs are comparable to the traditional total hip and knee arthroplasty surgeries.
Laboratory evaluation of mineral oils for control of codling moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)

Horticultural mineral oils are ovicides against the codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.), when applied directly to the eggs. The susceptibility of eggs to the oil varied depending on the substrate on which eggs were laid. On an inert surface such as waxed paper, young eggs were three times as susceptible as eggs laid on apples. Susceptibility to oil changed little throughout the incubation period except just before hatch when egg susceptibility dropped markedly. There was no difference in ovicidal activity among three commercial horticultural mineral oils. Eggs laid on top of oil residue were not affected at labeled rates. Topical treatment of neonates caused no mortality at concentrations equivalent to field rates. Oil residue on the fruit surface did not inhibit neonates from entering fruit tissue. Moths suffered no mortality from direct oil treatments. Although the total number of eggs deposited by oil treated and untreated moths was the same (107.5 and 90.3 eggs per female, respectively), treated moths discharged their egg supply at a faster rate. Female moths avoided fruit surface with oil residue for oviposition. Results suggest that dilute applications of 1% horticultural mineral oil may not be adequate for reducing codling moth egg hatch in the field.
Similarity in dissymmetry factor spectra: a quantitative measure of comparison between experimental and predicted vibrational circular dichroism.

To quantitatively determine the agreement between experimental and calculated vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectra, a new approach, based on the similarity of dissymmetry factor spectra has...
Matching the Market for Heart Transplantation

Heart transplantation is the most effective therapy for patients with Stage D heart failure with a median life expectancy of ≈10 to 15 years. Unfortunately, many patients die on the waiting list hoping for a chance of survival. The life boat cannot rescue everyone. Over a decade, the donor pool has remained relatively stable, whereas the number of heart transplant candidates has risen. Potential recipients often have many comorbidities and are older because the criteria for heart transplantation has few absolute contraindications. Women, Hispanics, and patients with restrictive heart disease and congenital heart disease are more likely to die while awaiting heart transplantation than men, white patients, and those with either ischemic or dilated cardiomyopathy. To better match the market, we need to (1) increase the donor pool, (2) reduce the waitlist, and (3) improve the allocation system. This review article addresses all 3 options and compares strategies in the United States to those in other countries.
There Is No Such Thing as a Post-racial Prison Neoliberal Multiculturalism and the White Savior Complex on Orange Is the New Black

This article argues that Orange Is the New Black’s multiculturalist approach to diversity on television is indicative of the show’s inability and unwillingness to critique neoliberalism, and thus t...
Book Review: Deborah Brautigam, Will Africa Feed China?:

Deborah Brautigam, Will Africa Feed China?, Oxford University Press, New York, 2015, xvi + 228 pp., $21.94 (Hardcover), ISBN 978-0-19-939685-6.
Statistical inference as applied to bioavailability data--a guide for the practicing pharmacist

Descriptive statistics and statistical tests used in reporting bioavailability data are reviewed in order to give the practicing pharmacist the fundamental knowledge needed to evaluate such data. Using acetaminophen bioavailability data as a model the following concepts are explained: mean, median, mode, standard deviation, range, 95% confidence limit, Student's t-test, analysis of variance, and the Wilcoxon rank sum test.
Prioritizing good diets.

In her perspective “Plating up solutions” (16 September, p. [1202][1]), T. Garnett identifies “policy reluctance to interfere with the market, risk votes, or displease powerful corporations” as a major obstacle to addressing the problems inherent in our food system. Garnett identifies values
PET Molecular Imaging-Directed Biopsy: A Review.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this review is to summarize the applications of PET molecular imaging–directed biopsy of a variety of organs in the management of various diseases with a focus on cancers. CONCLUSION. PET can yield metabolic information at the cellular and molecular levels, and PET-directed biopsy is playing an increasing role in the diagnosis and staging of diseases.
Cardiac Cell Therapy Evolving From Complex to Straightforward: Enabling Adoption and Affordability

Numerous trials have evaluated mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) derived from bone marrow (BM-MSCs) for a wide range of indications, including diseases of the cardiovascular system, as recently reviewed.1,2 Earlier this year, a seminal study evaluated the safety and feasibility of intravenous BM-MSC administration in nonischemic cardiomyopathy,3 and gathered initial evidence supporting the ability of such an approach to ameliorate inflammation and improve functional status. As described in that study and accompanying editorial,4 the notion of a heart failure therapy based on an allogeneic cell product delivered by intravenous infusion is extremely attractive, given the practicality and affordability of such delivery on a standard hospital unit, or even in an outpatient setting. Article, see p 1192 In parallel with the advance of clinical studies involving BM-MSCs, basic and translational efforts have advanced our understanding of mesenchymal stem/stromal cells from the early identification of these cells as bone marrow–resident cells functioning particularly in support of marrow hematopoiesis.5 It is now well-recognized that MSCs are distributed on the vascular network in all vascularized tissues, thus playing a broad tissue-supportive role throughout the body.6–10 This recognition has in turn prompted a quest for tissue sources of both autologous and allogeneic MSCs that might have advantages with respect to either practical or biological properties that support their use as therapeutic agents. Several such sources have been identified that involve tissues that can readily be obtained with limited or no morbidity, as medical waste. These include adipose tissue obtained from minimally invasive lipoaspiration, placental tissue, and umbilical cord tissue.2 The umbilical cord and its components are recognized as a ready source of MSCs that are present immediately surrounding the cord vessels, as well as distributed throughout the Wharton’s jelly in which those vessels are suspended.11 …
Abstract A073: Gemcitabine cotreatment enhances the therapeutic effect of prexasertib in HNSCC cells that are less sensitive to Chk1 inhibition single-agent therapy

Prexasertib, a highly potent Chk1 inhibitor, has shown remarkable single-agent activity (IC50 Citation Format: Mayur A. Gadhikar, Jeffrey N. Myers. Gemcitabine cotreatment enhances the therapeutic effect of prexasertib in HNSCC cells that are less sensitive to Chk1 inhibition single-agent therapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2017 Oct 26-30; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2018;17(1 Suppl):Abstract nr A073.
Cisplatin generates oxidative stress which is accompanied by rapid shifts in central carbon metabolism

Cisplatin is commonly utilized in the treatment of solid tumors. Its mechanism of action is complex and multiple mechanisms of resistance have been described. We sought to determine the impact of cisplatin-generated oxidative stress on head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) proliferation, survival and metabolic activity in order to identify a potential metabolic signature associated with cisplatin response. DNA-bound cisplatin represents a small fraction of total intra-cellular cisplatin but generates a robust oxidative stress response. Neutralization of oxidative stress reverses cisplatin toxicity independent of the mechanism of cell death and TP53 mutational status. Cisplatin-induced oxidative stress triggers rapid shifts in carbon flux in 3 commonly utilized catabolic pathways: glycolysis, pentose phosphate pathway and citric acid cycle. Among these metabolic shifts, decreased flux from pyruvate into lactate is the only metabolic effect consistently observed across multiple HNSCC cell lines of varying genomic backgrounds and may reflect differential cisplatin sensitivity. Oxidative stress is a critical component of cisplatin cytotoxicity in HNSCC and is reflected in acute changes in carbon flux from pyruvate into lactate. This suggests that lactate may contribute to a metabolic signature of acute cisplatin toxicity, and could prove useful in optimizing cisplatin-based treatment regimens in HNSCC.
Molecular Targeted Therapies in Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest malignancies, is a complex disease consisting of heterogeneous cancer cells with deregulated signaling pathways and a myriad of microenvironment cells, including infiltrating immune cells and fibroblasts, that impact tumor growth and susceptibility to conventional chemotherapy. Understanding the signaling pathways that drive pancreatic cancer is crucial to the development of novel targeted therapies to combat the disease, which is largely refractory to conventional therapeutic options. Among these pathways are the Hedgehog, NOTCH, Wnt, MET, and TGF-β pathways that control not only bulk tumor growth, but also self-renewal of cancer stem cells and maintenance of the desmoplastic stroma characteristic of the disease. In addition to altered signaling pathways, many cells within the tumor microenvironment promote both tumor growth and serve as a barrier to chemotherapy. Here we will discuss how targeting these components of the disease may increase the efficacy with which it is treated.
Polynomial Constraints and Unsat Cores in Tarski

This paper gives a brief overview of Tarski, a system for computing with Tarski formulas, which are boolean combinations of non-linear polynomial constraints over the reals. It gives an overview of Tarski’s basic functionality, then goes into more detail on facilities Tarski provides for checking the satisfiability of conjunctions of constraints that are able to produce “unsat cores” for unsatisfiable inputs.
Who Will Pay for Increasing Biofuel Mandates? Incidence of the Renewable Fuel Standard Given a Binding Blend Wall

We show that the cost of increasing biofuel mandates given a binding ethanol blend wall falls disproportionately on diesel fuel consumers. The extent of the burden on diesel fuel consumers is explained neither by their relatively more inelastic demand nor by blenders seeking to capitalize on the biodiesel tax credit. Relaxing the blend wall constraint by increasing the potential demand for high‐ethanol blends is the only effective lever to insulate diesel fuel drivers from the one‐sided welfare impacts of rising mandate levels. The independent effects of the nested mandate structure and the joint compliance base under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) generate the link between motor gasoline and diesel fuel markets. Our results highlight the importance of evaluating the incidence of the RFS in a holistic framework taking both ethanol and biodiesel into account.