cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Autostoichiometric Vapor Deposition of Multicomponent Oxides

The theoretical basis of an autostoichiometric vapor deposition method is discussed. We try to define and analyze through the stagnant film model for vapor deposition, the mechanism through which the stoichiometry of a multicomponent oxide film can be precisely controlled. It is found that the utilization of a thermally stable, heterometallic molecular precursor, and a chemical reaction scheme which partially protects the integrity of the precursor molecule during deposition are essential for autostoichiometric vapor deposition. An ideal deposition reaction is the vapor phase hydrolysis, substrate surface polycondensation of volatile double alkoxides. A simple low pressure apparatus can be used to realize autostoichiometric vapor deposition.
U.S. civil rights policy and access to health care by minority Americans: implications for a changing health care system.

The history of health care discrimination as well as ongoing, extensive evidence of racial disparities argue for continued vigilance in the area of health care and civil rights. Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, individuals have challenged de facto discriminatory policies adopted by health entities receiving federal financial assistance. Title VI health litigation is difficult because of complex issues of proof as well as confounding problems of poverty and lack of health insurance that affect both claims and remedies. An analysis of cases brought under the law suggests that discrimination claims within a particular market fare better than those challenging decisions to relocate or alter the market served. This has important implications for claims involving discrimination by managed care organizations. Because the same potential for discrimination exists in the new health system of managed care, although in altered form, data collection and evaluation are warranted.
Disturbance Attenuation with Output Sampling

This paper realizes a state feedback design for disturbance attenuation using an output sampling technique. The output sampling scheme retains the state feedback performance with output feedback. Herein, the desired disturbance attenuation performance is provided by an H ? -based design.
Neutron porosity logging and core porosity measurements in the Beauvoir granite, Massif Central Range, France

A large suite of geophysical logs have been run in the Beauvoir granite. The drillhole (900 m deep), first target of the French Deep Geology programme, is located in the Hercynian bedrock of Echassieres in central France (Massif Central Range). After geochemical and petrological studies, the batholith was used for experiments pertaining to the storage of radioactive wastes. With its low porosity, its weak fracturing and its high homogeneity, the Beauvoir granite was chosen for the analysis of the relationship between logged data and the properties measured in the core. The study focused on neutron porosity and core water porosity. The Beauvoir granite has a total free water porosity of around 2% (average value of 54 core samples of rock mass) and an average neutron porosity of around 10%. We show that the origin of this significant difference is related to the neutron matrix effect of the granite. This phenomenon is partly due to the slowing-down effect of the combined water of clays and micas but also to the neutronic capture effect linked with the relatively high lepidolite (lithium mica) content of the granite. The Li2O content controls 85% of the granite macroscopic capture cross-section. These two factors represent around 75% of the global neutron porosity of the Beauvoir granite. They have to be taken into consideration to get representative water contents of a low-porosity igneous rock from a neutron porosity log. Further investigations also demonstrated the necessity of choosing a better adapted neutron tool calibration for crystalline rocks. Instead of a standard calibration with limestone blocks, a calibration in granite blocks was simulated in order to obtain a better evaluation of the global neutron response of the granite. Then, by correcting this new neutron porosity for the matrix effect, it has been possible to determine water contents in accordance with laboratory water porosity values measured on core samples (2% average porosity). This experimental study shows that geophysical logging must be adapted to the type of rock and that the geological context (mineralogy, geochemistry) has to be taken into account before running the tool in the borehole. The technique could help determine if neutron porosity data are revelant in other granitic or crystalline rocks.
Blacks and Rights: A Bittersweet Legacy

Some antebellum critics of the infamous Dred Scott “blacks have no rights” thesis suggested that this view resulted from a failure to appreciate that the humanity of blacks bestowed rights on them too. One plausible explanation for why many defenders of slavery and black subordination rejected this argument, which I shall develop in this paper, is that the prevailing political ideology of antebellum America contained a substantive conception of rights possession as well as well–entrenched allegations of black inferiority that were exploited to render the “blacks have no rights” thesis conceptually unproblematic. Elucidating the logic of arguments for and against the ‘blacks have no rights’ thesis will contribute to a broader understanding of the bittersweet legacy of rights discourse in American political thought.
Modeling and simulation of nanoparticle aggregation in colloidal systems

Prediction of colloidal nanoparticle aggregation is an important problem which needs to be solved in an accurate and efficient manner. Thus, accurate modeling of physico-chemical interactions is required. In addition, to have good aggregation statistics, large system sizes should be considered, which can significantly increase computational cost and decrease code efficiency. In ideal case model which is chosen to predict colloidal nanoparticle aggregation should accurately describe physico-chemical interactions of relatively large physical systems, and at the same time, simulate at low computational cost. In this research, two simulation approaches, molecular dynamics (MD) and Brownian dynamics (BD), are analyzed and compared with a view to accurately predicting aggregation of colloidal nanoparticles. Based on this comparison it was found that MD approach is not feasible to simulate an aggregation of colloidal nanoparticles for systems of physical sizes but can be used to simulate non-physical (model) systems. Thus, such coarse-grain approaches as BD have to be used instead. Because the BD technique is essentially a reduction of the MD method the accuracy requirements for BD simulations have been established. Analysis of characteristic time scales for the BD approach justifies reduction of position and velocity-Langevin equations to position-Langevin for physical system and is not justified for model system. A new method to match aggregation statistics obtained from MD and BD simulations is proposed in this work. In this method the evolution of the second-order density for MD model is derived. The average relative acceleration between nanopartilce pairs is identified as an important link between MD and coarse-grain simulations such as BD. Although BD is a coarse-grain model with fewer degrees of freedom, it gives reasonable
Cost-aware resource management for decentralized internet services

Decentralized network services, such as naming systems, content distribution networks, and publish-subscribe systems, play an increasingly critical role and are required to provide high performance, low latency service, achieve high availability in the presence of network and node failures, and handle a large volume of users. Judicious utilization of expensive system resources, such as memory space, network bandwidth, and number of machines, is fundamental to achieving the above properties. Yet, current network services rely on ad hoc mechanisms and heuristic based techniques to manage scarce resources and, consequently, fall short of expectations. This thesis presents a principled approach for building high performance, robust, and scalable network services. The key contribution of this thesis is to show that near-optimal resolution of the fundamental cost-benefit tradeoff between resource consumption and performance through mathematical optimization enables network services to meet system-wide performance goals efficiently. This thesis develops a practical approach for near-optimal resource management in three stages: analytically model the cost-performance tradeoff as a constrained optimization problem, determine a near-optimal resource allocation strategy on the fly, and enforce the derived strategy through light-weight, decentralized mechanisms. It builds on self-organizing structured overlays, which provide failure resilience and scalability, and complements them with stronger performance guarantees and robustness under sudden changes in workload. This work enables applications to meet system-wide performance targets, such as low average response times, high cache hit rates, and small update dissemination times with minimal resource consumption. Alternatively, applications can make the best use of available resources, such as storage and bandwidth, and derive maximum advantage in performance. I have implemented an extensible framework called Honeycomb to perform near-optimal resource management on structured overlays based on the above approach and built three critical network services using it. These services consist of a new name system for the Internet called CoDoNS that distributes data associated with domain names, an open-access content distribution network called CobWeb that caches web content for faster access by users, and an online information monitoring system called Corona that notifies users about changes to web pages. Simulations and performance measurements from a planetary-scale deployment show that these services provide unprecedented performance improvement over the current state of the art.
Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Studies of Naturally Occurring Antibodies to Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Cystic Fibrosis Indicate Absence of Antibody-Mediated Protection and Decline in Opsonic Quality after Infection

Most patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) develop chronic endobronchial infection with mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa. It has been suggested that opsonic antibodies to the mucoid exopolysaccharide of P. aeruginosa protect older CF patients (> 12 years of age) who have remained free of colonization by this organism. Serum antibodies from chronically infected CF patients had greater total complement-dependent opsonic activity than did those of older noncolonized patients (P < .02), but when bound antibody was equalized, opsonic quality was greater for the latter group (P < .03). In longitudinal studies, antibody titers to mucoid P. aeruginosa rose greatly after initial infection, but opsonic quality declined (P = .002). Twenty CF patients who passed age 12 free of P. aeruginosa colonization developed chronic P. aeruginosa lung infection at ages 14-35 years. Thus, naturally occurring antibodies do not protect CF patients from P. aeruginosa infection, and opsonic quality of serum antibodies deteriorates as infection becomes established.
The Tools of Whose Trade? How international accounting guidelines are failing governments in the global South

Abstract As the adoption and harmonisation of international public sector accounting standards and guidelines strengthen, decision-making processes and definitions assumed in establishing accounting best practices become more critical objects of study. Especially for countries in the global South that are making efforts to converge with such international guidelines, a review is warranted of the creation of the UN's System of National Accounts (guiding the derivation of GDP, for example) and the International Federation of Accountants' public sector accounting standards. This paper endeavours to undertake such a review, concluding that, as currently designed and articulated, public sector accounting guidelines fail to adequately encompass and address the voices and concerns of governments in the global South.
PREVALENCE OF POX-LIKE LESIONS AND MALARIA IN FOREST BIRD COMMUNITIES ON LEEWARD MAUNA LOA VOLCANO, HAWAII

Abstract Introduced avian pox virus and malaria have had devastating impacts on native Hawaiian forest birds, yet little has been published about their prevalence and distribution in forest bird communities outside of windward Hawaii Island. We surveyed native and non-native forest birds for these two diseases at three different elevations on leeward Mauna Loa Volcano at the Kona Forest Unit of Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge. Prevalence of malaria by both serology and microscopy varied by elevation and ranged from 28% at 710 m to 13% at 1830 m. Prevalence of pox-like lesions also varied by altitude, ranging in native species from 10% at 710 m to 2% at 1830 m. Native species at all elevations had the highest prevalence of malarial antibody and pox-like lesions. By contrast, pox-like lesions were not detected in individuals of four non-native species and only 5% of Japanese White-eye (Zosterops japonicus) was positive for malaria. A significantly high proportion of birds with pox-like lesions also ...
Toward cloud-based collaboration services

In this paper, we argue increased outsourcing of non-core competencies will create demand for cloud-based platforms to address the need for content-centered collaboration between organizations. We introduce a prototype created to evaluate the suitability of current enterprise content management (ECM) technologies for this type of platform. Following from this work, we highlight several areas where we feel current platforms are inadequate and new approaches are required, particularly in multi-tenancy and user-customization
Encapsulation of light hydrophobic liquids with fine quartz sand: Property based characterization and stability in aqueous media with different salinities

Abstract A novel method for capturing oil slicks in aquatic environments with granular solids was investigated. Experiments were conducted with pure hydrophobic liquids (HL) (decane, tetradecane, hexadecane, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and m-xylene) representing the main groups in crude oil (alkanes and aromatics), and fine quartz sand (passing sieve no. 40 with 0.425 mm openings). The amounts of HL captured in the HL/sand globules were correlated with the properties of HLs. Positive correlations between the aggregated HL volume with density and surface tension were observed. Aggregation number ( A N ) is introduced to estimate the amount of HL aggregated with fine quartz sand (using 0.5 mL HL and 1.0 g sand; floating HL layer thickness to particle diameter ratio >4:1). Change in the aggregated HL volume over time was examined and dissolution rate constants were obtained. Benzene and toluene completely dissolved from the aggregated globules within 3–4 days after the aggregation, while the other HLs exhibited relatively small change in the globule size over time. Salinity of water did not affect the aggregation rates of HLs but slightly decreased the dissolution rate constants for some HLs.
Production of Antisera for Polypeptide and Steroid Radioimmunoassays

It now seems practical to develop radioimmunoassays for almost any substance available in purified form. While polypeptides below a mol wt of 2000-3000 are poorly immunogenic and free steroids and thyronines are nonimmunogenic, these and other substances that fail to produce immune responses, may be made to do so by conjugating them to larger carrier proteins prior to immunization. The technique of radioimmunoassay has proven to be so simple and sensitive that it will be used in an ever increasing number of situations. This paper reviews the techniques used to prepare conjugates against nonantigenic and poorly antigenic materials, the techniques used to produce antisera, and methods and principles used to assess and to use those antisera in radioimmunoassays.
Issues in the pathology and diagnosis of the chronic myeloproliferative disorders and the myelodysplastic syndromes.

It may seem as if the chronic myeloproliferative disorders (CMPD) and the myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are incongruous topics to be combined in a singe article. Aside from the fact that CMPDs and MDSs are both clonal disorders of marrow stem cells. 1-8 they are different histopathologically and clinically, and thus they are not usually confused with one another. The CMPDs are characterized, at least at their onset, by a hypercellular bone marrow with effective hematopoiesis, resulting in an increase (cytosis) in the quantities of one or more peripheral blood elements. The cellular morphologic features are relatively normal
Can an Algorithm be Agonistic? Ten Scenes from Life in Calculated Publics:

This paper explores how political theory may help us map algorithmic logics against different visions of the political. Drawing on Chantal Mouffe’s theories of agonistic pluralism, this paper depicts algorithms in public life in ten distinct scenes, in order to ask the question, what kinds of politics do they instantiate? Algorithms are working within highly contested online spaces of public discourse, such as YouTube and Facebook, where incompatible perspectives coexist. Yet algorithms are designed to produce clear “winners” from information contests, often with little visibility or accountability for how those contests are designed. In isolation, many of these algorithms seem the opposite of agonistic: much of the complexity of search, ranking, and recommendation algorithms is nonnegotiable and kept far from view, inside an algorithmic “black box.” But what if we widen our perspective? This paper suggests agonistic pluralism as both a design ideal for engineers and a provocation to understand algorithms...
Brahman Breeding as a Factor Affecting the Attractiveness or Repellency of Cattle to the Horn Fly

Tests were conducted to determine the attractiveness and/or repellency of Braham cattle to Haematobia irritans (L.). Three trials were run to compare fly numbers on cattle of different colors (black vs. white) and 5 levels of Brahman breeding. Although there were indications of effects from factors other than percent Braham breeding, as the level of Braham blood relationship increased an accompanying decrease in fly numbers occurred regardless of animal color.
Studies on the control of mitotic activity: the effect of respiratory inhibitors on mitotic cycle time in the root meristem of Pisum sativum

1. Treatment of a tetraploid population of proliferating cells with DNP or DCP in early interphase caused a delay in appearance in the subsequent mitosis and an improvement in the synchronization. 2. Treatment of the population with DNP or DCP when it was in late interphase resulted in a decrease in synchrony and a slight delay in its entrance into division. 3. When the population was treated with DNP, DCP, or cyanide at the fifth hour after polyploidizing, appearance in the second division was early as compared to the controls, thus indicating a decrease in the mitotic cycle time. 4. Neither cyanide nor fluoride in low concentrations affected the degree of synchrony of the population. 5. The acceleration of the second cycle following treatment was prevented to a greater or lesser degree by combining fluoride with either DNP or cyanide. 6. The decrease in cycle time of a treated population appears to be the result of creating cellular conditions favorable to an increase in the rate of anaerobic glycolysis at the fifth hour of interphase.
Crosstalk between TGFβ and Wnt signaling pathways in the human trabecular meshwork.

Primary Open Angle Glaucoma (POAG) is an irreversible, vision-threatening disease that affects millions worldwide. The principal risk factor of POAG is increased intraocular pressure (IOP) due to pathological changes in the trabecular meshwork (TM). The TGFβ signaling pathway activator TGFβ2 and the Wnt signaling pathway inhibitor secreted frizzled-related protein 1 (sFRP1) are elevated in the POAG TM. In this study, we determined whether there is a crosstalk between the TGFβ/Smad pathway and the canonical Wnt pathway using luciferase reporter assays. Lentiviral luciferase reporter vectors for studying the TGFβ/Smad pathway or the canonical Wnt pathway were transduced into primary human non-glaucomatous TM (NTM) cells. Cells were treated with or without a combination of 5 μg/ml TGFβ2 and/or 100 ng/ml Wnt3a recombinant proteins, and luciferase levels were measured using a plate reader. We found that TGFβ2 inhibited Wnt3a-induced canonical Wnt pathway activation, while Wnt3a inhibited TGFβ2-induced TGFβ/Smad pathway activation (n = 6, p < 0.05) in 3 NTM cell strains. We also found that knocking down of Smad4 or β-catenin using siRNA in HTM5 cells transfected with similar luciferase reporter plasmids abolished the inhibitory effect of TGFβ2 and/or Wnt3a on the other pathway (n = 6). Our results suggest the existence of a cross-inhibition between the TGFβ/Smad and canonical Wnt pathways in the TM, and this cross-inhibition may be mediated by Smad4 and β-catenin.
449 RHO/RHO-KINASE PATHWAY IS UP-REGULATED IN PULMONARY VEINS OF PREGNANT EWES IN CHRONIC HIGH-ALTITUDE HYPOXIA.

Background We have shown that in pulmonary vessels, cGMP acts through cGMP-dependent protein kinase- (PKG) dependent and independent mechanisms to mediate vasodilation (JAP, 2000) and that cGMP-induced relaxation of pulmonary vessels is greater in normoxia compared with acute hypoxia (AJP, 2003). Purpose In this study, we examined the effect of chronic high-altitude hypoxia (HAH) on cGMP-mediated relaxation. Methods Isolated intrapulmonary veins (PVs), 2 to 3 mm in diameter, from pregnant ewes exposed to HAH (ewes kept at 12,470 ft altitude from ≈35 to 145 days9 gestation; term 150 days) or matched normoxic controls were preconstricted with endothelin 1 and relaxed to 8-bromoguanosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate (8-Br-cGMP), a cell membrane-permeable analogue of cGMP. Roles of PKG and Rho-kinase (ROCK) were assessed by determining cGMP-mediated relaxation in the presence of Rp-8-Br-cGMPS (PKG inhibitor) and Y27632 (Rho-kinase-specific inhibitor). ROCK protein expression and activity were measured. Results We found that relaxation to cGMP was decreased in HAH PVs compared with controls. Inhibition of PKG did not affect cGMP-mediated relaxation in either control or HAH PVs. However, PKG protein expression was increased in HAH PVs compared with controls, indicating that PKG activity was inhibited in HAH vessels. Inhibition of ROCK with Y27632 restored relaxation to cGMP in HAH PVs to comparable levels as in control PVs, suggesting increased Rho/ROCK signaling in chronic HAH. Western blot analysis showed increased protein expression of ROCK-1 and ROCK-2 and increased expression of phosphorylated MYPT-1 serine 696 and threonine 853, indicating increased ROCK activity. Conclusion Chronic HAH increases Rho/ROCK signaling in PVs of pregnant ewes, which decreases cGMP-mediated relaxation.
Building dynamic 3D visualizations through ontology-guided interactions with domain knowledge and simulation models

We need to find better ways of allowing non-computing experts to construct visualizations of dynamic models within familiar domain-specific contexts. Current methods used to construct these customi...
Relationship of horn fly to face fly infestation in beef cattle.

Horn fly and face fly counts (n = 394) taken on 194 beef cows representing seven breed groups were used to determine the effects of horn fly and face fly counts. Breed groups included were Angus (ANI and ANII), Chianina (CA), Charolais (CH), Hereford (HH), Polled Hereford (PH), and Red Poll (RP). The breed group designated ANI consisted of small-framed cows. Total horn fly and total face fly counts were determined weekly on each cow beginning in May and ending in late October or early November in a 3-yr (1988-90) study. Face flies were not counted on the ANI and ANII breed groups in 1988. All fly counts were taken when cows were grazing Ozark upland native grass pastures with only containment fences separating breeding groups. No insecticides were used in the study. Data for analysis were the mean annual horn fly and face fly counts (averaged across weeks), spring weight and fall weights, gain/day between spring and fall weights, and skin surface area in the spring (SSAS) and fall (SSAF) for each cow. Relationships among measurements were examined by correlation and regression procedures. Horn fly count was correlated (P < .05) with face fly count, spring weight, gain/day, and SSAS (.23, .11, -.25, and .12, respectively). Correlations of horn fly count with fall weight and SSAF were non-significant. Horn fly count, breed, and the breed x horn fly count interaction were significant (P < .05) for the face fly regression.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
E-cadherin and APC expression in normal-appearing rectal mucosa between cases of incident, sporadic colorectal adenomatous polyps and healthy controls in the Markers of Adenomatous Polyp II (MAPII) case-control study

1711 Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Despite advances in screening methods and treatments, mortality attributed to the disease has declined minimally over the last 30 years. There are no accepted biomarkers of risk for colorectal cancer even though the molecular basis of the disease is becoming clearer. E-cadherin, a calcium-dependent cell-cell adhesion transmembrane glycoprotein, is essential for maintaining cellular organization. APC gene mutation has been repeatedly shown to be one of the earliest events in colon carcinogenesis. E-cadherin and APC are suspected of being able to modulate each other by competing for binding to β-catenin. In a colonoscopy-based, pilot case-control study (n = 49 cases, 154 controls) to investigate E-cadherin and APC expression as possible biomarkers of risk for colorectal cancer, biopsies from normal-appearing mucosa from a random selection of 22 cases and 22 controls were immunohistochemically processed for E-cadherin and APC. The expression of E-cadherin and APC as assessed by staining intensity was quantified using a novel image analysis program. Mean overall expression of neither APC nor E-cadherin differed substantially between cases and controls (-0.5%, [p = 0.81], and -4.6% [p = 0.40], respectively). The ratio of E-cadherin/APC expression was 12.5% higher in cases than controls (p = 0.26). The crude odds ratios (OR) for the associations of E-cadherin, APC, and the E-cadherin/APC ratio with adenomas were 1.44 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.44 - 4.76), 0.38 (CI 0.11 - 1.32), and 4.50 (CI 1.15 - 17.68), respectively. The association of the E-cadherin/APC ratio with adenomas, controlling for sex, family history of colorectal cancer, and fiber intake was 16.67 (CI 2.36 - 117.97, p = 0.005). Among persons with a higher fat intake, the E-cadherin/APC ratio was greater in cases (OR 8.88; CI 1.92 - 41.05; p = 0.005). Although the expression of either E-cadherin or APC alone may be insufficient as biomarkers of risk for colorectal cancer, our preliminary data suggest that the ratio of E-cadherin/APC expression may be a valid indicator of risk and needs further investigation.
Oviposition and Sex Ratio of the Redbanded Stink Bug, Piezodorous guildinii , in Soybean

Redbanded stink bug, Piezodorus guildinii (Westwood), is a significant soybean pest across the mid-south region of the United States. The objectives of these studies were to characterize: (1) redbanded stink bug oviposition in relationship to soybean maturity group (MG), plant structure, crop phenology, and vertical distribution within the plant canopy; and (2) redbanded stink bug adult sex ratios in relationship to soybean phenology. A total of 5645 redbanded stink bug eggs in 421 egg masses (clusters) were field collected from naturally-occurring populations in MG IV and V soybean over a three year period (2009 to 2011). The mean number of eggs within a cluster was 16.6 ± 0.3. Plant structures by MG interactions were highly significant with more egg masses oviposited on leaves in MG IV (79.4%) and more on pods in MG V (72.7%). The ratio of females to males was similar in all soybean growth stages except R5, where the sex ratio increased to 1.4:1, coinciding with peak oviposition. Only 29.9% of egg clusters in MG IV and 18.3% of egg clusters in MG V were oviposited in the upper 35 cm of the soybean canopy. Based on these results, sampling strategies and insecticide application placement for stink bugs may require modification.
New stable N color-center laser in pure KCI tunable in the 1.3-µm region

We report a stable near-lR color-center laser based on the N2 defect in pure KCI. The laser tunes from 1.24 to 1.33 µm and uses the convenient 1.06-µm Nd:YAG laser as a pump. The N2 color center is thought to be an F-center neutral aggregate, having either an F4 tetrahedral1,2 or an F3 trigonal configuration3,4; experimental data have not conclusively confirmed either of these models.
Pathophysiologic principles of male infertility.

SUMMARY This article has attempted to update available information pertaining to the physiologic and pathophysiologic elements involved in male infertility. A summary of the factors contributing to male infertility and their relative incidence is shown in Table 4.13 Many advances have been made which have increased our understanding of the physiologic principles of male reproduction. However, numerous areas, about which we have a very poor understanding, still must be explored. Our knowledge concerning the causes of infertility, for instance, is even more deficient than our understanding of the underlying physiologic concepts. The future is dependent upon improved evaluation and documentation. It is an exciting area of research that will directly affect the evaluation and treatment of individuals with fertility problems.
Novelty Seeking, Harm Avoidance, and Cerebral Responses to Conflict Anticipation: An Exploratory Study.

Proactive control allows us to maneuver a changing environment and individuals are distinct in how they anticipate and approach such changes. Here, we examined how individual differences in personality traits influence cerebral responses to conflict anticipation, a critical process of proactive control. We explored this issue in an fMRI study of the stop signal task, in which the probability of stop signal – p(Stop) – was computed trial by trial with a Bayesian model. Higher p(Stop) is associated with prolonged go trial reaction time, indicating conflict anticipation and proactive control of motor response. Regional brain activations to conflict anticipation were correlated to novelty seeking (NS), harm avoidance (HA), reward dependence (RD), as assessed by the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire, with age and gender as covariates, in a whole-brain linear regression. Results showed that increased anticipation of the stop signal is associated with activations in the bilateral inferior parietal lobules (IPL), right lateral orbitofrontal cortex (lOFC), middle frontal gyrus (MFG), anterior pre-supplementary motor area (pre-SMA), and bilateral thalamus, with men showing greater activation in the IPL than women. NS correlated negatively to activity in the anterior pre-SMA, right IPL, and MFG/lOFC, and HA correlated negatively to activity in the thalamus during conflict anticipation. In addition, the negative association between NS and MFG/lOFC activity was significant in men but not in women. Thus, NS and HA traits are associated with reduced mobilization of cognitive control circuits when enhanced behavioral control is necessary. These findings from this exploratory study characterize the influence of NS and HA on proactive control and provide preliminary evidence for gender differences in these associations.
Correlation between elastic energy density and deep earthquakes distribution

Abstract The mechanism at the origin of the earthquakes below 30 km remains elusive as these events cannot be explained by brittle frictional processes. In this work we focus on the global total distribution of earthquakes frequency vs. depth from ∼50 km to 670 km depth. We develop a numerical model of self-driven subduction by solving the non-homogeneous Stokes equation using the “Particle in cell method” in combination with a conservative finite difference scheme, here solved for the first time using Python and NumPy only. We show that most of the elastic energy is stored in the slab core and that it is strongly correlated with the earthquake frequency-depth distribution for a wide range of lithosphere and lithosphere-core viscosities. According to our results, we suggest that 1) slab bending at the bottom of the upper mantle causes the peak of the earthquake frequency-depth distribution that is observed at mantle transition depth; 2) the presence of a high viscous stiff core inside the lithosphere generates an elastic energy distribution that fits better with the exponential decay that is observed at intermediate depth.
Effects of hyperoxia on the oxygen distribution in the intact cat retina.

Double-barreled oxygen microelectrodes were used to measure the distribution of oxygen within the dark adapted cat retina during systemic hyperoxia (100% O2 inspired). Oxygen tension (PO2) decreased monotonically from the choroid to the vitreous humor in most cases, showing that a greater portion of the retina was supplied by the choroid during hyperoxia than during normoxia. In the proximal half of the retina the PO2 increased during hyperoxia by an average of about 40 mm Hg, while the increase in the distal retina was larger. At the choroid the average increase in PO2 was about ISO mm Hg. Analysis of the oxygen profiles showed that photoreceptor oxygen consumption was unchanged during hyperoxia. Retinal PO2 increased rapidly at the beginning of hyperoxia, and often partially recovered from its peak value during hyperoxia, even in the distal retina, suggesting that the choroidal circulation may have some limited autoregulatory capacity. As in normoxia, retinal illumination led to an increase in PO2 in the distal retina, due to a decrease in oxygen consumption. The light-evoked increase in PO2 was larger during hyperoxia, but the underlying change in oxygen consumption was probably the same as in normoxia. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 30:612-618,1989
Bulk physical aging behavior of cross-linked polystyrene compared to its linear precursor: Effects of cross-linking and aging temperature

Abstract The bulk physical aging behavior of cross-linked polystyrene (PS) is directly compared to that of its linear precursor polystyrene-co-vinylbenzocyclobutene (PS-VBCB) with 8.5 or 12.5 mol% VBCB content. The VBCB units incorporated into a linear PS precursor cross-link with one another upon annealing at 250 °C. Physical aging rates of bulk PS-VBCB films before and after cross-linking are characterized using ellipsometry by monitoring the decrease in thickness during isothermal annealing at a specific aging temperature (Ta) below the glass transition temperature (Tg). Physical aging rates show strong dependences on Ta values, with neat PS, linear PS-VBCB precursors with 8.5 or 12.5 mol% VBCB, and cross-linked PS with 8.5 mol% VBCB exhibiting maxima at Ta - Tg = −40 to −30 °C. In contrast, cross-linked PS with 12.5 mol% VBCB exhibits a maximum aging rate at Ta - Tg = −65 to −45 °C. The distribution of Ta-dependent aging rates broadens in cross-linked PS samples compared to linear precursors, which is correlated with increased Tg breadth or heterogeneity after cross-linking. Comparisons of aging rates of cross-linked PS with linear precursors demonstrate that cross-linking can lead to an increased, decreased, or unchanged aging rate depending on the values of Ta and Ta - Tg: e.g., when Ta - Tg > −60 °C, both cross-linked PS samples have a lower aging rate compared to their linear precursors at the same Ta - Tg whereas the cross-linked PS exhibits a similar or even greater aging rate compared to the linear precursor when Ta - Tg
Sexual violence screening practices of student health centers located on universities in Florida

Objective: The purpose of this study is to describe current sexual violence screening practices of student health centers located on universities in Florida. Participants: Institutional level data ...
Contrafreeloading in Rats Is Adaptive and Flexible: Support for an Animal Model of Compulsive Checking:

Contrafreeloading involves working unnecessarily to obtain a reward that is otherwise freely available. It has been observed in numerous species and can be adaptive when it provides an organism wit...
Join the approved list for contagious equine metritis control protocol.

I AM writing to invite experienced veterinary surgeons to join an approved list of equine veterinary surgeons who will provide support for a new industry-organised contagious equine metritis (CEM) control protocol. This protocol came into effect on 1 February, 2018 in Great Britain. There will be no change in the arrangements for control of CEM in Northern Ireland. The principle of the protocol is to encourage compliance with the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) code of practice and will only involve the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) in cases of non-compliance. In practical terms this means that, when there is a suspect or confirmed case(s) of CEM, a horse owner/representative will be invited to make use of a veterinary surgeon from the approved list to deal with the case(s) in compliance with the detailed guidance in the HBLB code of practice (http://codes.hblb.org.uk/index.php/). If the owner does not accept this invitation, follow up action will be taken by the APHA under the Infectious Diseases of Horses Order 1987 including the possible imposition of movement restrictions. CEM was first …
Mobile Phone Service Providers Shift to No-Contract Plans: Implications on Customer Retention

Findings indicate that, regardless of the flexibility and cost saving advantages of no-contract mobile phone service plans for customers, a majority of younger customers in the United States contin...
Automated telemetry reveals staging behavior in a declining migratory passerine

ABSTRACT Migratory birds spend most of their journeys at stopover sites where they rest and refuel. Many migrants are in steep decline, and understanding their behavior within and among migrations is crucial for developing effective conservation strategies across the full annual cycle. One of the most rapidly declining songbirds in North America is the Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus; 85–95% decline over the past 50 yr), and stopover ecology is a major gap in our knowledge of its annual cycle. We utilized an automated telemetry array in western Lake Erie and the Motus Wildlife Tracking System to track landscape-scale movements, stopover duration, departure behavior, and between-season site fidelity in this species. We found that stopover duration during both fall and spring was nearly 1 mo (mean = 25.5 days)—exceptionally long for a passerine. During spring, birds in both poor condition and high degree of molt had longer stopovers, post-departure flights were relatively long for a songbird, and tailwi...
Coming from Decline: Outsider CEOs’ Prior Failure and Strategic Change

Upper Echelons theory suggests that CEO and TMT characteristics influence strategic choices of firms and thereby firm performance. Research has shown that CEOs’ recent performance outcome histories...
Socially constructing an image in the automobile industry

Due to its large-scale, often unrecognized effects, corporate deviance in America is a societal concern that demands further attention. The present research provides deeper insight into the area, with the hope of furthering our knowledge and ultimately reducing the problem. Among the measurements presented are: 1) the corporate image socially constructed by General Motors (GM); 2) the “safety” of GM vehicles; and 3) GM's constructed safety-related image compared against its actual performance. GM's image was measured through a content analysis of Newsweek and Motor Trend magazines, while GM's safety-related performance was measured using various vehicle crash test data. Through advertising and marketing strategies, the auto industry has approached the general public with an alleged commitment to automotive safety. The present research tested those commitments, and although determinations of guilt are beyond the scope of the present research (for reasons discussed in the text), several conclusions regarding involvement in corporate deviance are provided. Those conclusions are discussed in the context of how they relate to crime and the societal implications they present. Suggestions for future research are presented.
Personality Development and Temperament

The article defines temperament and personality and describes the infant temperamental categories of high and low reactivity and their relation to later social behavior. It also discusses the possible role of temperament in morality and the existence of ethnic differences in early temperament.
Abstract TP17: The Smoking-Thrombolysis Paradox: a Matched Case-Control Study

Background and Purpose: Smoking is a well-established risk factor for stroke. However, several studies have shown that smokers with stroke have better outcomes after thrombolysis, a phenomenon commonly known as the smoking-thrombolysis paradox. We investigated whether clinical and procedural outcomes differ between smokers and non-smokers with large vessel occlusion stroke after endovascular therapy. Methods: We reviewed our prospectively collected endovascular database at a tertiary care academic institution between Sep 2010-Dec 2016. All patients that underwent endovascular therapy for anterior circulation large vessel occlusion acute ischemic stroke were included and categorized into two groups: (1) current smokers and (2) non-smokers. The 2 groups were then matched for age, baseline NIHSS and glucose levels using a weighted Euclidian distance method. Baseline, procedural, and radiological characteristics, as well as outcome parameters were compared. Results: A total of 326 (163 matched pairs) qualifie...
miRNA and Gene Expression in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a challenging disease that is mostly diagnosed late in the course of the illness. Unlike other cancers in which measurable successes have been achieved with traditional chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and, recently, immunotherapy, PDAC has proved to be poorly responsive to these treatments, with only marginal to modest incremental benefits using conventional cytotoxic therapy. There is, therefore, a great unmet need to develop better therapies based on improved understanding of biology and identification of predictive and prognostic biomarkers that would guide therapy. miRNAs are small noncoding RNAs that regulate the expression of some key genes by targeting their 3′-untranslated mRNA region. Aberrant expression of miRNAs has been linked to the development of various malignancies, including PDAC. A series of miRNAs have been identified as potential tools for early diagnosis, prediction of treatment response, and prognosis of patients with PDAC. In this review, we present a summary of the miRNAs that have been studied in PDAC in the context of disease biology.
The Construction, Expression, and Consequences of Difference in Education Practice, Policy, and Research.

AbstractIn this essay, I discuss three key ideas related to the construction and treatment of “difference” in and around schools and schooling. First, just as difference is most commonly located wi...
Supporting Acts: Patents for Undergarments for Stout Women, 1891–1956:

Women’s support garments including corsets and brassieres have been intimately tied to health and a woman’s outward appearance. Manufacturers strongly urged stout women to wear corsets well into th...
Bend-Insensitive Through-Fiber Stimulated Emission Depletion (STED) Imaging of HeLa Cells

We demonstrate, for the first time, STED images of biological samples where fluorescence has been collected through the same fiber used to transport excitation and depletion light (through-fiber imaging). We also quantitatively demonstrate fiber-bending-independent resolution. These results show promise for endoscopic and in vivo super-resolution imaging.© 2019 The Author(s)
Walk to Show Your Identity: Gait-based Seamless User Authentication Framework Using Deep Neural Network

With a rapid increase in the usage of wearable IoT devices such as a smartwatch, we can easily monitor various user activities which exhibit distinct patterns for each individual. Such activities as arm swings while walking orgait, can be used to distinctly identify different users. Therefore, this indirect interaction between the users and wearable IoT devices can be used as a biometric authentication technique to seamlessly authenticate and identify users. Thus, various gait-based authentication frameworks using sensor data collected through wearable or hand-held devices were proposed in the literature. However, many of them limitedly utilized the unique patterns by extracting features from the data sequences. Moreover, they require users to walk long period of time to collect large volume of sensor data in each authentication process, which hinders prompt user authentication. To address the limitations, we propose a gait-based seamless authentication framework using deep neural network (Deep Gait). Unlike many of the existing works, Deep Gait authenticates users without any feature extraction process, which can capture the overlooked features in the existing works. Moreover, Deep Gait requires less amount of sensor data (only one walk cycle) than the existing works (8 to 20 walk cycles) for user authentication, which enables seamless access control. Our experimental results evaluated on the commercial smartwatch show that Deep Gait achieves an Equal Error Rate (EER) of 1.8% which is lower than the existing works.
Matrix metalloproteinase signals following neurotrauma are right on cue

Neurotrauma, a term referencing both traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries, is unique to neurodegeneration in that onset is clearly defined. From the perspective of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), there is opportunity to define their temporal participation in injury and recovery beginning at the level of the synapse. Here we examine the diverse roles of MMPs in the context of targeted insults (optic nerve lesion and hippocampal and olfactory bulb deafferentation), and clinically relevant focal models of traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries. Time-specific MMP postinjury signaling is critical to synaptic recovery after focal axonal injuries; members of the MMP family exhibit a signature temporal profile corresponding to axonal degeneration and regrowth, where they direct postinjury reorganization and synaptic stabilization. In both traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries, MMPs mediate early secondary pathogenesis including disruption of the blood–brain barrier, creating an environment that may be hostile to recovery. They are also critical players in wound healing including angiogenesis and the formation of an inhibitory glial scar. Experimental strategies to reduce their activity in the acute phase result in long-term neurological recovery after neurotrauma and have led to the first clinical trial in spinal cord injured pet dogs.