cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The East Asia challenge to neoclassical orthodoxy

Abstract This article reviews The East Asian Miracle: Economic Growth and Public Policy which concludes that East Asian economic success has little to do with government. Using criteria similar to that used in the World Bank Report, this study shows that, contrary to World Bank contention, industrial policies used in East Asian economies have been effective, non-neoclassical tools for economic development with government complementing market factors by creating an environment conducive to economic growth. Given that Japan and Korea are the most representative examples of industrial policies, and that the report seems to acknowledge the success of the Japanese industrial policies, the present study confines itself largely to a discussion of Korean evidence.
Asymmetric cores for low power user interface systems

In recent years, advances in hardware design have lead to significant improvements in the battery life of everyday information appliances. In particular, application processors increasingly include low power "helper" cores dedicated to simpler tasks. Using a custom board design, Guimbretiere et al. [2], demonstrated that such helper cores can also be used to execute simple user interface tasks. We revisit their approach by implementing a similar system on an off-the-shelf application processor (TI OMAP4), and demonstrate that, in many cases, the gains reported by Guimbretiere et al. [2], can be achieved by simply having the helper core dispatch input events. This new approach can be implemented by merely changing the toolkit infrastructure, thus greatly simplifying deployment
Use of Geophysical Surveys For Cavity Detection Within a Power Plant Switchyard

References ASTM, 1979, Designation: D3441, Am. Sot. for Testing and Materials, Standard method for deep quasi-static, cone and friction-cone penetration tests of soil. Campanella, R. G., and Robertson, P. K., 1981, Applied cone research: Sym. Cone Penetration Testing and Experience, Geotechnical Eng. Div., ASCE, 343-362. Robertson, P. K., and Campanella, R. G., 1983, Interpretation of cone penetration tests; Part I and II: Can. Geotech. J. 20, 718745. Seed, H. B., and Idris, I. M., 1970, Soil moduli and damping factors for dynamic response analyses: Rep. EERC 70-10, Earthquake Eng. Research Center, Univ. of California, Berkeley.
Open-closed transition for the NSR spinning string

Abstract Based on the overlaps of string wave functions, we construct the Lorentz covariant and BRST-invariant vertex operators for the transitions between one open string and one closed string in the NSR formalism. Ghost contributions are determined by imposing BRST invariance on the complete vertex. Especially, an extended supercurrent insertion is required at the interaction point in order to retain BRST invariance. By comparing the transition vertices constructed from different superghost vacuua, this insertion is shown to play the role of a picture-changing operator.
The worsening of ED on-call coverage in California: 6-year trend.

To reassess problems with on-call physician coverage in California, we repeated our anonymous 2000 survey of the California chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians. Physicians responded from 77.4% of California emergency departments (EDs), 51.0% of ED directors, and 34% of those surveyed. Of 21 specialties, on-call availability worsened since 2000 for 9, was unchanged for 11, and improved for 1. Of ED directors, 54% report medical staff rules require on-call duty, down from 72% in 2000. Hospitals have increased specialist on-call payments (from 21% to 35%, with 75% paying at least one specialty). Most emergency physicians (80.3%) report insurance status negatively affects on-call physician responsiveness, up from 42% in 2000. Emergency departments with predominately minority or uninsured patients had fewer specialists and more trouble accessing them. Insurance status has a major negative effect on ED consultation and follow-up care. The on-call situation in California has worsened substantially in 6 years.
Mechanism of oxygen detoxification by the surprisingly oxygen-tolerant hyperthermophilic archaeon, Pyrococcus furiosus

The anaerobic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus grows by fermenting carbohydrates producing H2, CO2, and acetate. We show here that it is surprisingly tolerant to oxygen, growing well in the presence of 8% (vol/vol) O2. Although cell growth and acetate production were not significantly affected by O2, H2 production was reduced by 50% (using 8% O2). The amount of H2 produced decreased in a linear manner with increasing concentrations of O2 over the range 2–12% (vol/vol), and for each mole of O2 consumed, the amount of H2 produced decreased by approximately 2 mol. The recycling of H2 by the two cytoplasmic hydrogenases appeared not to play a role in O2 resistance because a mutant strain lacking both enzymes was not more sensitive to O2 than the parent strain. Decreased H2 production was also not due to inactivation of the H2-producing, ferredoxin-dependent membrane-bound hydrogenase because its activity was unaffected by O2 exposure. Electrons from carbohydrate oxidation must therefore be diverted to relieve O2 stress at the level of reduced ferredoxin before H2 production. Deletion strains lacking superoxide reductase (SOR) and putative flavodiiron protein A showed increased sensitivity to O2, indicating that these enzymes play primary roles in resisting O2. However, a mutant strain lacking the proposed electron donor to SOR, rubredoxin, was unaffected in response to O2. Hence, electrons from sugar oxidation normally used to produce H2 are diverted to O2 detoxification by SOR and putative flavodiiron protein A, but the electron flow pathway from ferredoxin does not necessarily involve rubredoxin.|
Synergists and Qualities Salient to Low-Income Parents' Positive Assessment of Marital Health

Researchers sought low-income couples who considered their marriages to be “good or very good” to inform the process of how individuals and their partners establish and maintain a healthy marriage under significant financial limitations. Twenty married parents participated in semistructured interviews that sought their insights into backgrounds and antecedents that impacted their own and their partners' development and current positive marital assessment. Analysis using grounded theory methods generated a model that posits synergists enhancing the development of qualities that contributed to spouses' positive assessments. The four synergists were sensitizing experiences, a partner-as-rescuer mind-set, acute parental influences, and religious influences. The four requisite high-priority qualities associated with these synergists were love, commitment, appreciation, and child-centeredness.
Heterogeneous Graft Copolymerization of Chitosan Powder with Methyl Acrylate Using Trichloroacetyl−Manganese Carbonyl Co-initiation

A highly deacetylated chitosan powder was successfully trichloroacetylated under heterogeneous conditions. The trichloroacetylated chitosan powder was subsequently graft copolymerized heterogeneously with methyl acrylate using a Mn2(CO)10 co-initiator photoactivated with 436 nm light at room temperature. Reaction products were extracted with acetone in an attempt to separate homopolymer from the grafted powder. Portions of the grafted material (presumably surface grafted chitosan) were also removed from the bulk of the grafted powder. After monitoring the weights of reaction product and total polymer extracted from the reaction product (polymeric extract), gel permeation chromatography was used to resolve the polymeric extract into two separate species, assumed to be the grafted chitosan and homopolymer. With this general technique, graft and homopolymer yields for a series of grafting reactions were obtained. Graft yields greater than 600% (based on a percent weight increase of trunk polymer) were obtain...
Equilibrium theory of the hard sphere fluid and glasses in the metastable regime up to jamming. I. Thermodynamics.

We formulate and apply a non-replica equilibrium theory for the fluid-glass transition, glass thermodynamic properties, and jamming of hard spheres in three and all higher spatial dimensions. Numerical predictions for the zero complexity glass transition and jamming packing fractions, and a “densest” equilibrium glass, are made. The equilibrium glass equation of state is regarded as the practical continuation of its fluid analog up to jamming. The analysis provides a possible resolution to the inability of any fluid virial series re-summation based equation of state to capture jamming at a reasonable volume fraction. The numerical results are quantitatively compared with various simulation data for equilibrium hard sphere glasses in 3 to 12 dimensions. Although there are uncertainties in this comparison, the predicted zero complexity or configurational entropy and corresponding jamming packing fractions do agree well with two characteristic packing fractions deduced from the dynamic simulation data. The s...
STENT FRACTURES IN THE SUPERFICIAL FEMORAL ARTERY AND RESTENOSIS: HOW STRONG IS THE ASSOCIATION?

Maintenance of long – term patency after implantation of Nitinol stent in the superficial femoral artery (SFA) remains to be one of the most challenging aspects of endovascular therapy. Studies have made conflicting observations regarding a possible association between Nitinol stent fractures (SF
Functional outcome at 5 years in children with obstetrical brachial plexus palsy with and without microsurgical reconstruction

Between 1987 and 1998, 470 patients visited the national clinic for obstetrical brachial plexus palsies at the Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. This study reports on 247 children examined at 5 years of age using a special protocol for testing the sensory and motor function of the hand. The children were distributed in various groups depending on the number of injured nerves, whether they had some muscle activity in their biceps or deltoid muscles at 3 months of age, and whether any operations with nerve reconstruction had been performed. The shoulder range of movement in C5-6 palsies was significantly better in the group which had been operated on (operated group), but otherwise there were no differences between children who had been operated on (non-operated group) and those who had not. A decrease in grip strength and bimanual function in level C5-6 palsies was found, though these roots should not innervate the distal hand. Outcome was not influenced by the number of avulsions in upper-plexus palsies or whether the operation took place before or after the age of 6 months. The group with extensive lesions (C5-Th1) had the most root avulsions, showing a correlation between increased avulsions and decreased hand function. This study does not support operating on children with no activity of the biceps and deltoid muscles at 3 months of age, as other authors have concluded. Rather, it favours waiting for a late recovery.
Rate enhancements in a solid-liquid reaction using PTC, microphase, ultrasound and combinations thereof

Abstract A phase transfer catalyst (PTC) provides an elegant and efficient way of effecting reaction between components present in two immiscible phases: liquid-liquid and liquid-solid. Such reactions can also be initiated or enhanced by other strategies, such as use of a microphase or ultrasound. Results are reported in this paper on rates and rate enhancements in a model solid-liquid reaction (synthesis of benzyl sulfide from benzyl chloride and sodium sulfide in a suitable organic solvent) in the presence of PTC, microphase, and ultrasound. The study is then extended to include the effects of combinations of these stragegies. A preliminary kinetic analysis of the results is also attempted. For the system studied it is found that the accelerating effect of PTC is the most profound, while that of microphase or ultrasound is only marginal when they are used individually. On the other hand, the effects of microphase and ultrasound acquire far greater significance in the presence of PTC.
Co-operativity model of cellular control: organization and complexity.

The “co-operativity model” for cellular control at the epigenetic level is introduced and solved. It enables one to define in a quantitative way the organization and the complexity of a representative “complex system”. The overall result is to provide an explanation of global properties starting from assumptions about small-scale motions and interactions. The model considers an assembly of oscillators representing the motions of biochemical reaction chains. Under certain conditions the interactions between chains take on a resonance form, thereby promoting coupling between oscillators of closely similar frequency. The dynamical framework is supplemented by a statistical hypothesis, that a complete state of a multichain system is specified by the set of probabilities with which each chain occupies its various oscillatory modes. A free energy functional is assumed to represent the major difference between “similar” biochemical systems in vivo and in vitro. General forms for energy and entropy are discussed. A parameter T0, defined as organization temperature, multiplies the entropy term. A “self-consistent field” approximation handles the statistics. An explicit model for M reaction chains, frequency spectra such that one mode of each chain lies sufficiently close to a favored frequency called a frequency of accumulation, and attractive resonant interactions between chains, is solved variationally. The solution has the nature of a condensation of chains into a coherent state with correlated occupancies of the favored modes. The central property of the system is Δ0, an order parameter which measures both the degree of correlation and the binding energy of the condensed chains. In sum, the organized state is characterized by Δ0, T0and M. M is termed the complexity of the system in the case where the components are distinguishable, as they are in a cell. The model fits in well with important features of animate behavior: the hierarchy of levels in both organization and temporal development, the stability of the system despite its extreme non-equilibrium, the advantages of passing energy and information through an open system, and the dominance of a small number of degrees of freedom. The model provides an explicit realization of a system governed by a “clock” and a “homeostat”.
Sustainability needs the geosciences

Science, Innovation, and Partnerships for Sustainable Solutions: A National Academies Symposium; Washington, D. C., 16–18 May 2012 It is no longer disputed that humanity has drastically changed the face of the planet and its life-support systems. The sustainability challenge is to meet people's needs today and in the future while sustaining life-support systems. This grand challenge demands a new scientific approach: use-inspired, solution-driven research that consciously links scientific research to societal decision-making and action. Sustainability science may help fulfill that need if it can engage communities of expertise across a wide range of disciplines and sectors, including the geosciences.
Double Trouble: US Low-Wage and Low-Income Workers, 1979–2011

There is research on low-wage earners and on low-income adults, yet little that looks specifically at workers who are both. Changes in antipoverty programs and job structure in the United States suggest a rise in this group of workers, but not necessarily an accompanying change in the set of social protections that might cover them. We track the share of low-wage and low-income (LW/LI) workers and their access to a subset of employer benefits and antipoverty programs from 1979–2011. We explore changes by worker's gender and family status based on feminist labor market and welfare state regime research that argues jobs and social protection programs are shaped by a heteronormative male-breadwinner model. We find increased shares of LW/LI workers; that LW/LI workers are least likely to receive antipoverty supports and employer benefits; and evidence for a male-breadwinner model in US social protection programs.
Achieving complete learning in Multi-Armed Bandit problems

In the classic Multi-Armed Bandit (MAB) problem, there is a given set of arms with unknown reward distributions. At each time, a player selects one arm to play, aiming to maximize the total expected reward over a horizon of length T. It is known that the minimum growth rate of regret (defined as the total expected loss with respect to the ideal scenario of known reward models of all arms) is logarithmic with T. In other words, mistakes in selecting suboptimal arms occur infinitely often, and the player will never converge to the arm with the largest reward mean. In this paper, we are interested in the questions that whether side information on the reward model can lead to bounded regret, thus, complete learning, and what is the minimum side information to achieve complete learning. We show that the knowledge of a value η between the largest and the second largest reward mean (among all arms) leads to complete learning by constructing an online learning policy with bounded regret. This result applies to both light-tailed and heavy-tailed reward distributions.
Potential value of quantitative analysis of cerebral PET in early cognitive decline.

Background. In patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, positron emission tomography brain scans can have characteristic hypometabolic patterns that strongly support this diagnosis, but this pattern is often subtle or absent in early stages. A sensitive and objective method for detection of positron emission tomography abnormalities may have value in early detection of Alzheimer's disease.Methods. A 2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography scans from cognitively impaired patients (n = 43) were compared individually to 28 normal controls using statistical parametric mapping, hypometabolic regions visualized, and clinically correlated. The objective SPM results were compared to the official Nuclear Medicine report based upon subjective interpretation criteria.Results. A total of 22/43 had abnormalities per the Nuclear Medicine physician, while 21/43 appeared normal. The objective analysis detected abnormalities in 41/43 participants, including 19 of 21 that appeared normal. In these 19, 8...
Distributed H 2 control of multi-agent dynamic systems: Continuous-time case

In this paper, we consider the problem of designing distributed controller for a number of identical dynamically coupled agents (vehicles). Under certain structural property associated with state space matrices of these systems, we present a modal decomposition approach that allows the design of distributed controller with H 2 performance. The underlying mathematical derivation is based on Kronecker product and a special similarity transformation constructed from interconnection pattern matrix. This along with the result established for linear matrix inequality (LMI) make it possible to derive explicit expression for computing the parameters of distributed controller for both static state feedback and dynamic output feedback cases. The main contribution of the paper is the solution of distributed control problem for continuous-time systems under H 2 performance by solving a set of LMIs. This set of LMIs enables to design a controller that has the same interconnection structure as the agents. An advantage of this decomposition approach is that the order of computational complexity is reduced by a factor N (the number of agents). The effectiveness of this method is demonstrated by way of a satellite formation example.
Left hemisphere language lateralization in bilinguals and monolinguals

Tachistoscopic studies of lateralization in bilinguals suggest that there is a greater degree of right hemisphere involvement in their processing of language than is typically found in monolinguals. However, most of the studies reviewed failed to control the sex, handedness, and degree of fluency of the subjects and did not include a monolingual comparison group. The present study used adult right-handed males (Portuguese-English bilinguals and English-speaking monolinguals) in a tachistoscopic word-reading task. In Experiment 1, the words from the bilinguals’ two languages were presented in mixed blocks, while in Experiment 2, they were presented in separate blocks. The results were: (1) a similar level of left hemisphere advantage for language in the bilingual and the monolingual groups, (2) no evidence of greater heterogeneity of asymmetry patterns in bilinguals, and (3) a significant correlation (r=.61) for lateralization levels of the bilinguals’ two languages. These results indicate that language is processed primarily in the left hemisphere of both bilinguals and monolinguals.
An interprofessional faculty seminar focused on interprofessional education.

Objective. To evaluate an interprofessional faculty seminar designed to explore the topic of interprofessional education (IPE) as a way to encourage dialogue and identify opportunities for collaboration among health professional programs.Design. A seminar was developed with the schools of pharmacy, nursing, dental medicine, and medicine. Components included a review of IPE presentation, poster session highlighting existing IPE endeavors, discussion of future opportunities, and thematic round tables on how to achieve IPE competencies.Assessment. Fifty-four health professions faculty members attended the seminar. Significant differences in knowledge related to the IPE seminar were identified. Responses to a perception survey indicated that seminar goals were achieved.Conclusion. An interprofessional faculty seminar was well received and achieved its goals. Participants identified opportunities and networked for future collaborations.
Some thoughts on greco-roman versions of the Exodus story

As one who has not revisited the authors discussed by Erich Gruen in his paper, "The Use and Abuse of the Exodus Story," since my own dissertation, I relish the opportunity reflect on these issues after thirty years of concentrating on other matters. The center of Gruen's piece, as I read it, is the problematic figure of Josephus and his Against Apion, the basic source for our knowledge of anti-Jewish Exodus narratives in the Hellenistic and early Roman periods. As Gruen puts his basic thesis, "The distorting lens of Josephus has slanted our vision for too long." To be sure, we have Exodus accounts independent of Josephus (Hecataeus of Abdera, Strabo, Pompeius Trogus, Diodorus Siculus and Tacitus) and Gruen rightly insists that in assessing them we need to rid ourselves of the framework, originated by Josephus, according to which they fall into one of two categories pro-Jewish or anti-Jewish. The picture derived from the non-Josephan versions is more complicated, and more interesting, than that. And from our inability to reconcile these accounts with Josephus' dichotomous framework, Gruen raises a fundamental question. Given the obvious conclusion that "the Exodus narrative became transformed and manipulated" in non-Jewish accounts, who were the manipulators and what were their motives? The reigning consensus, from Josephus to the present, has been that the manipulators were non-Jewish authors and, in the case of the "anti-Jewish" versions, that their motives were anti-Jewish sentiments. In other words, these "anti-Jewish" versions of the Exodus originated in circles of antisemitic, non-Jewish Greek, Egyptian and Roman authors.
Teachers' Opinions of Research and Instructional Analysis in the Classroom1

A survey was conducted to determine the opinions of special education teachers toward research and instructional analysis conducted in the classroom. A 22-item questionnaire was completed by 510 teachers in two large, metropolitan school systems and a county-run program for students with severe disabilities. Results indicated that teachers' attitudes were positive toward both research and instructional analysis. In addition, significant relationships were found between teachers' attitudes and (a) the research methods courses they had taken, (b) their involvement in research, and (c) the degrees they had earned. Some implications and recommendations for teacher education programs are presented.
Mechanism of the Biofeedback Therapy of Migraine: Volitional Manipulation of the Psychophysiological Background

SYNOPSIS Twenty-nine female migraineurs were assigned to biofeedback and 20 to drug therapy. The average personality profile of the two groups showed neuroticism, with scores on scales 1, 2 and 3 statistically equal between the two groups. Following the therapy, neuroticism significantly improved in the clinically improved biofeedback group, but remained unchanged in clinically unimproved biofeedback and medication, as well as medication improved groups. Neuroticism thus seems to be an integral part of migraine etiology rather than a result of chronic pain. Therefore, volitional alteration of the psychophysiological background of migraineurs by biofeedback as a causative therapy should be preferred to the drugs whenever possible.
Genetic Characterization of a new allele of the rabbit group b C(k) allotypes.

An inherited variant (b4v) of the rabbit kappa-chain allotype b4 is characterized by the presence of serine in place of alanine at position 121 and leucine in place of glutamine at position 124. The variant was traced through eight generations of a pedigreed rabbit family. Genetic analysis of this trait demonstrated that it is an allele of the other group b allotypes, and recent breedings have produced rabbits homozygous for this light-chain type. Two findings, other than the amino acid sequence differences, distinguish b4v from b4 in our colony. First, the level of expression of b4v in heterozygous rabbits is less than that of b4. For example, in b4b4v rabbits, approximately 30% of the preimmune IgG carries b4v. In b4vb5 animals, 46% of the IgG carries the allotype b5, although in animals of allotype b4b5, 38% of the IgG is b5. Second, retrospective analysis of some litters revealed an abnormally low frequency of b4v in male heterozygotes. However, male b4vb4v homozygotes were found at the expected frequency in prospective crosses between b4vb5 rabbits.
Perturbation theory with instantons

We develop “perturbation theory” rules for calculating the effect of instantons in a pure Yang-Mills theory with no fermions, in the “dilute gas” approximation in which the N-instanton solution is assumed to be the sum of N widely separated one-instanton solutions. These rules are then used to compute the gluon propagator and proper vertex function including all orders of the instanton interaction but only to lowest order in the gluon coupling. It is to be expected that such an approximation is valid only for momenta q larger than the physical mass μ. The result is that in this regime instantons cause variations in the propagator and vertex of the form (μ2q2)−8π2b where b is the coefficient in the expansion of the β function: β = bg3 + 3. .
The response to a specific germinant by Bacillus anthracis spores in primary mouse macrophages is modulated by a protein encoded on the pXO1 plasmid.

A Bacillus anthracis Sterne pXO1 plasmid-encoded protein designated Cot43 was found in coat extracts of purified spores. Cot43 is a tetratricopeptide repeat domain protein related to those which function as phosphatases in the sporulation phosphorelay and as regulators of competence and pathogenic factors. The synthesis of Cot43 began in the late exponential phase downstream from a sigmaA promoter (as mapped by RACE) and it was present at least until the formation of phase white endospores. There was specificity in the association of Cot43 with B. anthracis spores since Bacillus cereus producing Cot43 from a cloned gene had very little of this protein in spore coat extracts. In addition, Cot43 was synthesized by B. anthracis cells to the same extent in glucose-yeast extract and nutrient sporulation media, but was essentially absent from spores formed in the former. l-histidine is an important germinant for B. anthracis spores in macrophages, Spores produced by a mutant with a disruption of cot43 germinated in response to l-histidine both in vitro and within primary mouse macrophages earlier and more extensively than Sterne strain spores. The germination delay due to the presence of Cot43 would enhance spore survival and thus increase the chances for a successful infection.
Activation of the Ah receptor by tryptophan and tryptophan metabolites.

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a ligand-dependent transcription factor that mediates many of the biological and toxicological actions of a variety of hydrophobic natural and synthetic chemicals, including the environmental contaminant 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD, dioxin). A variety of indole-containing chemicals, such as indole-3-carbinol, indolo[3,2-b]carbazole, and UV photoproducts of tryptophan (TRP), have previously been identified as ligands for AhR. Here we have examined the ability of endogenous metabolites of tryptophan (TRP) to bind to and activate AhR in vitro and in cells in culture. Although hydroxylated TRP metabolites were inactive, two metabolites, namely tryptamine (TA) and indole acetic acid (IAA), were shown to be AhR agonists. Not only do TA and IAA bind competitively to AhR, but they also can stimulate AhR transformation and DNA binding and induce expression of an AhR-dependent reporter gene in cells. In addition to being an AhR ligand, TA is also a competitive su...
Burrowing activities of kangaroo rats and patterns in plant species dominance at a shortgrass steppe-desert grassland ecotone

Our objective was to evaluate the effects of burrow- ing activities by banner-tail kangaroo rats (Dipodomys spectabilis Merriam) on plant community structure and spe- cies dominance for two patch types at the ecotone between shortgrass steppe and desert grassland in New Mexico, USA. 10 mounds produced by kangaroo rats were selected in patches dominated by Bouteloua gracilis (the dominant in shortgrass steppe communities) and 10 mounds were selected in patches dominated by B. eriopoda (the dominant in Chihuahuan desert grasslands). Plant cover and density by species were sampled from three locations associated with each mound: the mound proper, the edge of the mound in the transition area, and the off-mound vegetation. Similar cover of B. eriopoda for the edges of mounds in both patch types indicates the ability of this species to respond to animal disturbances regardless of the amount of cover in the surrounding undisturbed vegetation. By contrast, cover of B. gracilis was low for all mounds and mound edges in patches dominated by this species. Much higher cover of B. eriopoda on mound edges compared to the undisturbed vegetation in B. gracilis-dominated patches indi- cates that kangaroo rats have important positive effects on this species. Lower cover of perennial grasses and higher cover of forbs, shrubs, and succulents on the edges of mounds in B. eriopoda-dominated patches compared to patches dominated by B. gracilis indicate the importance of surrounding vegeta- tion to plant responses on disturbed areas. Our results show that kangaroo rats have important effects on both species dominance and composition for different patch types, and may provide a mechanism for small-scale dominance patterns at an ecotone; thus providing further sup- port for their role as keystone species in desert grasslands.
Synchronous Hatching of Japanese Quail and Maturity of the Chicks Hatched Prematurely

Abstract We tested the maturity of chicks of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) hatched earlier than normal, as the result of synchronization, by measuring: body weight gains during an 8-day post-hatching period; alkaline phosphatase activity at Day 15 through 18 of embryonic life; post-hatching blinking response to a poke at the eye. By these criteria early hatched chicks were equally mature as chicks hatched at the normal time. Hatching could be advanced as much as 32 hours by synchronization.
Themes in the lives of successful contemporary U.S. women creative writers

The present study looked at the lifespan development of 80 women who are contemporary U.S. creative writers. Themes from surveys, autobiographical and biographical essays, published interviews, and reference books were analyzed. Themes in the women writers' lives were characterized by Developmental Events: (1) unconventional families and family traumas; (2) nurturing of talents by both male and female teachers and mentors; (3) extensive early reading and writing sometimes resulting in early publication; (4) viewing words as special ‐keeping journals, writing to make sense of things, using writing as communication and auto‐therapy; (5) residence in New York City at some point, especially among the most prominent; (6) attendance at prestigious colleges, majoring in English literature; (7) continued high achievement, many publications, many writing awards; Professional situations: (8) being in an occupation different from their parents; (9) conflict combining motherhood and careers in writing; (10)history of...
Hybrid aerial and scansorial robotics

We present an approach that builds upon previous developments in unmanned air vehicles and climbing robots and seeks to emulate the capabilities of bats, insects and certain birds that combine powered flight with the ability to land and perch on sloped and vertical surfaces. As it approaches a wall, the plane executes an intentional pitch-up maneuver to shed speed and present its feet for landing. On contact, a nonlinear suspension dissipates the remaining kinetic energy and directs interaction forces toward the feet to engage small asperities on surfaces such as brick or concrete. The focus of the work in this paper is on the controller used for sensing a wall and executing vertical landing and take-off procedures and on the mechanisms developed for spine engagement and disengagement.
Sensitivity points-based self-tuning

Sensitivity points tuning concepts, extension of these concepts to the self-tuning of multiinput/multioutput (MIMO) systems, and implementation issues are discussed. The means of generating the sensitivities needed for tuning is developed in a matrix transfer function form. A block diagram interpretation is presented to illustrate the conceptual clarity of using MIMO sensitivity points. The effectiveness of the self-tuning technique is demonstrated through the application of self-tuning to a magnetic suspension system. >
Anatomically constrained electrical impedance tomography for anisotropic bodies via a two-step approach

Discusses the inclusion of anatomical constraints and anisotropy in static Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) using a two-step approach to EIT. In the first step, the boundaries between regions of different conductivities are anatomically constrained using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) data. In the second step, the conductivity values in different regions are determined. Anisotropic conductivity regions are included to allow better modeling of the muscle regions (e.g., skeletal muscle) which exhibit a greater conductivity in the direction parallel to the muscle fiber. This two-step approach is used to reconstruct the conductivity profile of a canine torso, illustrating its potential application in extracting conductivity values for bioelectric modeling. >
Helminths of Poultry in Kansas

Abstract INFORMATION is limited on helminth parasites infecting chickens and turkeys in Kansas Ackert (1927) reported a 66% incidence of Heterakis gallinarum in mature chickens. Ferry (1934) reported the tapeworms Raillietina cesticillus, Hymenolepis carioca, R. tetragona, R. echinobothrida Amoebotaenia sphenoides, and Choanotaenia infundibulum from a survey of 50 chickens in Douglas county. Morehouse (1944) reported Capillaria caudinflata from chickens in Brown and Miami counties. Ackert (1956) reported that in an earlier survey of 1000 chickens from the vicinity of Manhattan 49% were infected with Ascaridia galli. Kerr (1958) reported Ascaridia dissimilis from turkeys. Surveys of poultry parasites have been made in the United States by Guberlet (1916, Nebraska), Adams et al. (1933, Texas), Wehr (1937, Washington, D. C.), Koutz (1949, Ohio), Todd (1948, Tennessee), Edgar (1953, Alabama), and Reid (1958, Georgia). Data from these different areas and poultry enterprises are not necessarily applicable to the poultry industry in Kansas. Accordingly, this…
Wage Rate Specfication in Regional and Interregional Econometric Models

This paper addresses the issue of wage specification in interregional econometric models. Several shortcomings in commonly used regional wage specifications are demonstrated, and a new inter-regional wage specification is developed. It is based on a wage transmission variable that is simple to construct and that can be applied uniformly to diverse regions. Empirical tests demonstrate the usefulness of this specification.
Demography and Human Origins

Lovejoy's (1981) recent discussion of hominid origins is an important contribution to the growing understanding of this critical event in human evolution. It is a major development in the incorporation of paleodemography into general paleoanthropological thinking, a process begun by Mann (1973) and Weiss (1973). However, we take exception to several aspects of the theory Lovejoy developed. We contend that alternative interpretations fit the evidence equally well, and provide the basis for a more realistic explanation of the events surrounding the earliest phases of human evolution. In particular, we believe it is important to examine three issues: (1) whether there is any evidence that a demographic shift was associated with human origins or occurred early in human evolution; (2) whether monogamy was associated with such a shift; (3) and whether such a shift was the fundamental cause of human origins.
The association between cadmium, lead and mercury blood levels and reproductive hormones among healthy, premenopausal women

BACKGROUND Cadmium, lead and mercury have been identified in human follicular fluid and ovarian tissue, and have been associated with adverse reproductive outcomes in epidemiologic studies; however, few studies have examined the relationship between blood metal levels and reproductive hormones.
Synthesis and Characterization of Hexadecaaniline‐Grafted Comb‐like Poly(maleic acid‐alt‐1‐octadecene)

Highly soluble hexadecaaniline (A16)‐grafted polyolefin derivatives poly(maleic acid‐hexadecaanilinamide‐alt‐1‐octadecene) (PMAO‐A16) in a comb‐like configuration with alternate linear hexadecane and A16 side‐chains were synthesized and characterized. The structure of PMAO‐A16 was substantiated by infrared and UV‐Vis spectra showing high intensity of characteristic absorption peaks corresponding to a high degree of A16 attachments. Covalent grafting of hexadecaanilines onto the polymer backbone of PMAO was confirmed by the detection of a new amide [–(C[dbnd]O)–NH–] absorption band appearing at 1661 cm−1 accompanied with the full disappearance of anhydride carbonyl absorptions. Based on the comparison between TGA profiles of PMAO‐A16 and hexadecaaniline, a 12.5% wt loss at 365–600°C was accounted for full elimination of aliphatic side‐chains that matches approximately with the weight percentage of total hexadecane arms (12.7%). The data revealed a nearly quantitative yield of A16 grafting on anhydride subu...
Control Applications of the Transistor

This paper explores the possibilities of using the transistor for control functions which are, in present-day practice, performed by magnetic amplifiers, amplidynes, and thyratrons. It is found that a main transistor controlled by auxiliary transistors can be made to perform in a way resembling the phase-controlled rectifier. It can be energized from an ac power supply and it can be operated with an efficiency which approaches the rectifier. In several ways it is superior to the magnetic amplifier: It can carry current in both directions and it can serve as a two-way rectifier or a frequency changer. It is hoped that these possibilities will lead to development of transistors in larger units.
Swarming on Optimized Graphs for n-Way Broadcast

In an n-way broadcast application each one of n overlay nodes wants to push its own distinct large data file to all other n-1 destinations as well as download their respective data files. BitTorrent-like swarming protocols are ideal choices for handling such massive data volume transfers. The original BitTorrent targets one-to-many broadcasts of a single file to a very large number of receivers and thus, by necessity, employs an almost random overlay topology, n-way broadcast applications on the other hand, owing to their inherent n-squared nature, are realizable only in small to medium scale networks. In this paper, we show that we can leverage this scale constraint to construct optimized overlay topologies that take into consideration the end-to-end characteristics of the network and as a consequence deliver far superior performance compared to random and myopic (local) approaches. We present the Max-Min and Max- Sum peer-selection policies used by individual nodes to select their neighbors. The first one strives to maximize the available bandwidth to the slowest destination, while the second maximizes the aggregate output rate. We design a swarming protocol suitable for n-way broadcast and operate it on top of overlay graphs formed by nodes that employ Max-Min or Max-Sum policies. Using trace-driven simulation and measurements from a PlanetLab prototype implementation, we demonstrate that the performance of swarming on top of our constructed topologies is far superior to the performance of random and myopic overlays. Moreover, we show how to modify our swarming protocol to allow it to accommodate selfish nodes.
Community response to domestic violence (DV): lessons learnt from interventions in Vietnam and policy suggestions

Background Domestic violence (DV) is a problem in Vietnam. During last decades, DV has been given greater attention by community as well as authorities at different levels as its seriousness is recognised by public. In 2007, Vietnam issued DV law. In addition, there have been several interventions addressing DV in several provinces. Objectives This paper reviewed the lessons learnt from pilot intervention models in community and health care facilities and provides recommendations for a comprehensive strategy to address DV in Vietnam. Methods Review and analysis existing data, reports on intervention on DV in Vietnam. Results Community interventions conducted by NGOs and Government during 2000–2010 included campaigns, operation of social support network (legal support, shelter houses, clubs of survivors, etc). The interventions in health facilities include screening, assessing, treatment, counseling, and referring victims to other supporting addresses. Although interventions have brought positive changes in community in addressing DV, there are several challenges: Traditional norms and values supporting gender inequality still exist, especially in rural area. Health care response to DV has yet to be widely implemented in hospitals. Lack of human resources and collaboration mechanism between sectors affect to sustainability of interventions. Significance/Contribution to the Field Recommendations for a comprehensives strategy to response to DV include: (i) strengthening evidence based advocacy for policy response to DV and monitoring the policy implementation; (ii) implementing a minimum package on DV including safety planning, emergency shelter, support and/or counseling, and legal and health services; (iii) advocacy for community responsibility to addressing DV. At the end of this session, participants will be able to learn more best practices and challenges for implementation of interventions addressing the DV in the community, how to best support to victims and encourage health providers actively participate into battle with DV. In addition, recommendations for a comprehensives strategy responding to violence against women in community in Viet Nam will be shared and considered by countries that having a similar culture context situation.
The Earth Charter in Higher Education for Sustainability

A central challenge of sustainable development is to provide material sufficiency for the human population while preserving the integrity of Earth’s biosphere. Current modes of economic production ...
Harm reduction: A canadian perspective

Maintenance Therapy (MMT) found that they not only dispensed, but "almost half (48%) provided information on drug interactions with OST [Opioid Substitution Therapy] medication; side effects of medication (38%); accessing support services (30%); smoking cessation (30%); blood-borne virus exposure risks (10%); vein care (8%); and other services or information (12%), including dental hygiene, general health, practical parenting advice, internet-based resources and counselling." 4
Bandits with unobserved confounders: a causal approach

The Multi-Armed Bandit problem constitutes an archetypal setting for sequential decision-making, permeating multiple domains including engineering, business, and medicine. One of the hallmarks of a bandit setting is the agent's capacity to explore its environment through active intervention, which contrasts with the ability to collect passive data by estimating associational relationships between actions and payouts. The existence of unobserved confounders, namely unmeasured variables affecting both the action and the outcome variables, implies that these two data-collection modes will in general not coincide. In this paper, we show that formalizing this distinction has conceptual and algorithmic implications to the bandit setting. The current generation of bandit algorithms implicitly try to maximize rewards based on estimation of the experimental distribution, which we show is not always the best strategy to pursue. Indeed, to achieve low regret in certain realistic classes of bandit problems (namely, in the face of unobserved confounders), both experimental and observational quantities are required by the rational agent. After this realization, we propose an optimization metric (employing both experimental and observational distributions) that bandit agents should pursue, and illustrate its benefits over traditional algorithms.
Identifying alternative movement techniques from existing motion data : An empirical performance evaluation

A manual task can be performed based on alternative movement techniques. Ergonomic human motion simulation requires consideration of alternative movement techniques, because they could bring different biomechanical, physiological, and psychophysical consequences. A method for identifying movement techniques from existing motion data was developed. The method is based on a JCV (Joint Contribution Vector) index and statistical clustering. A JCV quantifies a motion's underlying movement technique by computing contributions of individual body joint DOFs (degree-of-freedom) to the achievement of the task goal. Given a set of motions (motion capture data) achieving the same or similar task goals, alternative movement techniques can be identified by 1) representing the motions in terms of JCV and 2) performing a statistical clustering analysis. Performance of this movement technique identification method was evaluated based on a set of stoop and squat lifting motions. It was found that the method was able to identify the two distinct lifting techniques from the lifting motion dataset. Combined with the motion modification/adapting/editing methods, the movement technique identification method will enable consideration of alternative movement techniques in human motion simulation.
Crossed Boundaries in Interracial Chicago: Pilipino American Families since 1925

(1981). Crossed Boundaries in Interracial Chicago: Pilipino American Families since 1925. Amerasia Journal: Vol. 8, No. 2, pp. 31-52.