cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Age-Related Enhancement of the Slow Outward Calcium-Activated Potassium Current in Hippocampal CA1 Pyramidal Neurons In Vitro

Aging is associated with learning deficits and a decrease in neuronal excitability, reflected by an enhanced post-burst afterhyperpolarization (AHP), in CA1 hippocampal pyramidal neurons. To identify the current(s) underlying the AHP altered in aging neurons, whole-cell voltage-clamp recording experiments were performed in hippocampal slices from young and aging rabbits. Similar to previous reports, aging neurons were found to rest at more hyperpolarized potentials and have larger AHPs than young neurons. Given that compounds that reduce the slow outward calcium-activated potassium current (s I AHP), a major constituent of the AHP, also facilitate learning in aging animals, the s I AHP was pharmacologically isolated and characterized. Aging neurons were found to have an enhanced s I AHP, the amplitude of which was significantly correlated to the amplitude of the AHP ( r = 0.63; p < 0.001). Thus, an enhanced s I AHP contributes to the enhanced AHP in aging. No differences were found in the membrane resistance, capacitance, or kinetic and voltage-dependent properties of the s I AHP. Because enhanced AHP in aging neurons has been hypothesized to be secondary to an enhanced Ca2+ influx via the voltage-gated L-type Ca2+ channels, we further examined the s I AHP in the presence of an L-type Ca2+ channel blocker, nimodipine (10 μm). Nimodipine caused quantitatively greater reductions in the s I AHP in aging neurons than in young neurons; however, the residual s I AHP was still significantly larger in aging neurons than in young neurons. Our data, in conjunction with previous studies showing a correlation between the AHP and learning, suggest that the enhancement of the s I AHP in aging is a mechanism that contributes to age-related learning deficits.
Comprehension and production of adjectives and seriation

To explore adjective language development and to examine its relationship to seriation, several tasks were given to 40 children aged 4;0 to 8;0. Comprehension and production of various adjective forms were measured: vocabulary, coordination, comparison. The ability to order objects by size was used to assess intuitive-level seriation. In addition to yielding information about children's meanings and use of adjective forms, results indicated that vocabulary and comprehension were more important than language production for distinguishing senators from non-senators. The relevance of findings for Sinclair de Zwart's observations and for the Clarks' hypotheses about adjective development is discussed.
Inventory management and ABC analysis practices in competitive environments

The inventory management practices of six major companies/institutions in various industries were compared with recommendations for improvement by using the ABC analysis inventory management method. The ABC analysis tool was found to be beneficial to most companies discussed in this paper, with several companies already utilising the basic principles behind the method, either manually or with the use of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. However, a number of technologies must be in place to make inventory management systems successful as data capture techniques are needed to pass inventory-based information to the ERP system. At the highest levels, ERP systems manage the data and ensure customer fulfilment and a detailed analysis describing how a global company improved inventory management metrics by incorporating ABC analysis was included.
Placental toxicology: tobacco smoke, abused drugs, multiple chemical interactions, and placental function.

There are increasing numbers of reports on the tobacco smoking and ingestion of abused drugs (e.g. morphine, cocaine) by pregnant women and the effects of the substances on the developing fetus and newborn infant. The passage of drugs and chemicals from the mother to the fetus is influenced by the placental transport and metabolism of the substances. Further, these drugs and chemicals affect the nutrient transport systems in the placenta. The three major drugs of abuse-nicotine, morphine and cocaine-depress both active amino-acid uptake by human placental villi and transplacental amino-acid transport by reason of the drugs' influence on placental cholinergic and opiate systems. Part of this depression (10-16%) is not reversible. Nicotine blocks the cholinergic receptor and thus blocks acetylcholine (ACh)-facilitated amino-acid transport. Morphine stimulates opiate kappa receptors and depresses ACh release. Cocaine blocks Ca2+ influx and thus blocks ACh release. ACh causes dilation of blood vessels and maintains placental blood flow by the activation of endothelial muscarinic receptors. By interfering with ACh release and placental blood flow, the three drugs of abuse may depress the diffusion of amino acids and other nutrients from the trophoblast into the placental circulation. Three regulatory systems are delineated for amino-acid uptake by the placenta: placental ACh, phospholipid N-methyltransferase, and the gammaglutamyl cycle. These systems operate in concert with one another and are dependent on cellular formation of adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP). Placental hypoxia induced by carbon monoxide and other tobacco gases depresses the energy-dependent processes and thus the ATP levels of placental cells. Maternal tobacco smoking and drug abuse cause placental insufficiencies for amino-acid transport, which may partially explain the fetal intrauterine growth retardation caused by these substances. Part of the amino-acid deficits may be compensated for by the induction of new amino-acid transport systems. Specific receptors or drug-binding proteins for the three drugs of abuse are present in the placenta. A DNA adduct selective for maternal smoking has been demonstrated in the placenta. DNA adducts selective for cocaine, morphine and other environmental chemicals have yet to be demonstrated ins the placenta.
Personalizing Personnel Decisions in Feminist Organizational Theory and Practice

This article extends the feminist critique of bureaucracy by examining the ways feminist health organizations contest the bureaucratic ideal of impersonal, role-based, and instrumental social relations. Drawing on interview, archival, and fieldwork data collected by the author, this paper explores the personnel practices of feminist workplaces revealing the difficulties and possibilities that accompany their ways of handling personnel issues. The challenge of reconceiving personnel as persons is explored as a problem of both organizational theory and practice.
Will new drugs change the standard of care for patients with mantle cell lymphoma

Mantle Cell lymphoma is a heterogeneous malignancy that has different subtypes with variable levels of aggressiveness. Research on the pathobiology of this disease is helping us understand the etiology for this heterogeneity and has the potential to guide future therapeutic options. The availability of the Ki67 proliferation index and the use of the MIPI score can help determine which of the numerous therapeutic options might be utilized. Minimal Residual Disease testing can act as a guide as to the potential benefit of maintenance therapy. This article discusses the current standard of care for Mantle Cell lymphoma and our current understanding of the pathobiology of the disease leading to strategies to improve patient outcomes with some of the newer targeted agents.
Microbial Source Tracking: Advances in Research and a Guide to Application

Microbial source tracking (MST) is a still-new and developing discipline that allows users to discriminate among the many potential sources of fecal pollution in environmental waters. As MST continues to transition from the realm of research to that of application, it is being widely used in beach monitoring, total maximum daily load (TMDL) assessment of pollution sources, and any other waters that do not meet designated use criteria as determined by high densities of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB). The main area of research activity in MST focuses on the identification of source-specific genetic markers that can be used to detect contributions from different hosts such as humans, livestock, and wildlife. However, a variety of other accessible approaches can also be used including detailed investigations of the watershed and infrastructure, chemical tracers and leak tests, and increased FIB sampling. This chapter can serve as a guide for decision-making on where, when, and how to deploy MST. Included are discussions of the main drivers of MST and how these have shaped the development of past and present methodological approaches, plus current research initiatives such as community analysis that could usher in yet another new and improved methodological basis for the entire field of MST. Finally, a tiered system is presented as a recommended means to navigate the multiple options for MST analyses that will assist the reader in how best to use MST within the context of more traditional approaches.
Mqtime: A Stata Tool for Calculating Travel Time and Distance Using Mapquest web Services:

In this article, I describe mqtime, a new Stata library that provides functionality to perform a variety of mapping tasks, including calculating travel time, distance (driving, biking, or walking), and estimated fuel use. mqtime uses an overlooked free and open-source mapping service provided by MapQuest. This service has significantly more attractive terms of use than widely used alternatives (for example, Google Maps), which limit use to a few thousand queries per day. Hence, mqtime makes analysis with even very large datasets practical. I also provide a convenient function for geocoding character addresses to geographic coordinates.
Dominant backscattering mechanisms at L-band during dynamic soil moisture conditions for sandy soils

Abstract In this study, we investigate dominant backscattering mechanisms under different soil moisture (SM) and roughness conditions for bare sandy soils, and discuss potential impacts on active microwave algorithms for soil moisture estimation. This study used ground-based observations of backscattering coefficient ( σ 0 ) over three drydown periods. Under rough soil conditions, surface scattering was the dominant mechanism during both dry and wet periods, and the σ 0 followed a power-law relationship with SM, with R 2 values > 0.86. However, under smooth soil conditions, the relationship was negative for SM 3 /m 3 . A simple volume scattering model was used to provide plausible explanation for such a behavior due to volume scattering. Sensitivities of σ 0 to SM using both observed and modeled σ 0 were analyzed. The observed sensitivity was higher for smooth soil than that for rough soil, when surface scattering was the dominant mechanism, while the sensitivity estimated by the AIEM model was largely unaffected by surface roughness. Observations at VV-pol were more sensitive to SM than at other polarizations by up to 1 dB/0.01m 3 /m 3 for rough soil, while the AIEM model estimated similar sensitivities at both VV and HH-pol, with the maximum difference between the modeled and observed sensitivities of 3 dB/0.01m 3 /m 3 . This study demonstrates that volume scattering under dry, smooth conditions and a non-linear relationship between σ 0 and SM under rough conditions in sandy soils may have significant impacts on estimate of SM using active algorithms.
Myth-busting is a bust for patient education: Making salient older adults’ misconceptions about osteoarthritis fails to lead to lasting corrections

ABSTRACTOlder adults hold many misconceptions about health and wellness that reduce their health literacy. To counter these misconceptions, health educators commonly turn to educational interventions that include myth-busting—making explicit health-related myths and refuting those myths. Because of typical age-related changes in memory functioning, there is some question as to whether myth-busting is an effective technique for use with older adults. The present work assessed whether making older adults explicitly aware of common myths about osteoarthritis and refuting those myths would effectively debunk those myths and lead to correct beliefs about osteoarthritis. Older adults participated in two data collection sessions separated, on average, by 5 days. During the first session, participants read pamphlets about osteoarthritis that either employed myth-busting techniques or did not. Then after a brief delay, participants completed a quiz that measured adherence to the myths. Adherence to the myths was a...
Analysis of the reliability of serial paraprotein determinations in patients with plasma cell dyscrasias.

Serum protein electrophoresis on cellulose acetate membranes commonly is used to follow paraprotein levels, which helps determine therapy in patients with multiple myeloma. To recognize true changes in paraprotein levels, it is necessary to be able to distinguish true changes from random fluctuations due to intrasample variation. We, therefore, determined the interassay variability of concentration determinations for 14 paraproteins ranging from 0.5 to 5.2 g/dL and calculated standard deviations as a function of concentration. The minimum detectable difference for successive measurements was determined to be 2.8 times the appropriate standard deviation. Using these data, we constructed a nomogram from which the minimum detectable difference at a given paraprotein concentration could be read. To interpret temporal changes in paraprotein for an individual patient, a plot was constructed of the measured paraprotein concentration, plus or minus the minimum detectable difference obtained from the nomogram, against time. To evaluate the clinical usefulness of this procedure, we selected 11 patients with multiple myeloma whose serial paraprotein levels had been measured a total of 241 times (median of 20 times/patient) over one to four years. The changes in paraprotein levels were plotted and then correlated with the patient’s clinical status at each time point. The graphic representation of serial paraprotein values provided a clear picture of the course of a given patient’s disease and gave information that often was not apparent from clinical examination. This format should enable significant changes in paraprotein concentration to be detected at the earliest possible time.
Sleep, Learning, and Birdsong

Neuroethological research combines approaches derived from animal behavior and neurobiology to examine the neuronal mechanisms of behavior, often in the context of laboratory experiments on species chosen for particular adaptations. Typically, these species are not traditional laboratory animals yet they contribute greatly to a broad, evolutionarily diverse view of nervous system function. The surprising role of sleep in the vocal learning process of songbirds is one such example, described here. Juvenile zebra finches show sleep-dependent daytime fluctuations in their patterns of singing starting after their first exposure to tutor songs. Nighttime bursting activity in the vocal control song system also changes after the onset of tutoring, with the neuronal changes preceding the changes in objective behavior (daytime singing). After tutoring, the nighttime bursting increases and exhibits structure that depends on the particular tutor song, and the nighttime expression of these changes requires normal auditory feedback during daytime singing. These observations shed light on the information carried in neuronal activity during sleep and on the adaptive plastic mechanisms engaged during sleep. They suggest a new hypothesis of sensorimotor learning, whereby sensory memories act indirectly on sensorimotor feedback by modifying networks through plastic changes at night. Sleep may also contribute to adult song maintenance, with nighttime neuronal replay conveying information about songs produced during the day and possibly mediating daily changes in the structure of premotor bursts. Collectively, these insights contribute a comparative perspective to theories of sleep and memory, which also help to inform a developing understanding of how humans acquire and retain memories.
Chlordimeform and Related Compounds: Toxicological Studies with House Flies

Toxicity of chlordimeform and 15 formamidine analogues to Musca domestica L. was investigated. None of the compounds were toxic at levels practical for house fly coutrol: however, some compounds were more active than others. With the exception of 2 alkyl-substituted morpholino derivatives, the N, N -dialkyl formamidines were more active than the N -monoalkyl analogues. Moreover the toxicity of these active compounds was apparently synergized by piperonyl but oxide to a limited extent. House flies rapidly metabolized radiolabeled chlordimeform following topical application or injection. Identified metabolites included N' -(4-chloro- o -tolyl) -N- methylformamidine (demethylchlordimeform), 4'-chloro- o -formotoluidide, and 4-chloro- o -toluidine. Pretreatment of house flies with piperonyl but oxide considerably inhibited chlonlimeform metabolism. In addition to increased levels of the parent compound this effect was manifested by a marked decrease in formation of water-soluble metabolites and lower excretion of chlordimeform-14C-equivalents as compared with house flies treated with chlordimeform alone. Chlordimeform was N -demethylated to demethyl-chlordimeform in vitro by microsomes prepared from homogenates of house fly abdomens. In general, the metabolism of chlordimeform following topical application or injection into the house fly, a chlordimeform-tolerant organism, proceeded at a much faster rate than that previously reported for two spotted spider mites, Tetranychus urticae Koch, and southern cattle ticks, Boophilus microplus (Canestrini), two chlordimeform-susceptible organisms.
Supporting Software Technique for Structural Optimization Design of Electronics Equipment

This paper mainly describes the optimization content and current status of electronics equipment structural design on heat dissipation, anti-vibration and anti-shock, electromagnetic compatibility(EMC), etc. Then it presents an integrated optimization method considering three factors—technical specifications and detailed content of supporting software applied to structural optimization design.Finally,it analyzes a case based on a project to explain supporting software technique.
Notes on Developing a Strategy and Designing a Company

The practice and teaching of business strategy today exist largely as a set of alternative views and frameworks not entirely connected to one another. These teaching notes provide a basic set of steps for creating or evaluating a strategy, and associated company design — drawing clear lines to quantitative and evidence-based evaluation of enterprise performance and to financial valuation. Thus, these notes attempt to narrow the gaps between popular books, and standard graduate academic training, and practical application in introducing basic ideas. The notes are geared to practical use by managers and instructors of MBAs and executive MBAs.
Does money matter: Earnings patterns among a national sample of the US State governmental public health agency workforce

CONTEXT Earnings have been shown to be a critical point in workforce recruitment and retention. However, little is known about how much governmental public health staff are paid across the United States. OBJECTIVE To characterize earnings among state health agency central office employees. DESIGN A cross-sectional survey was conducted of state health agency central office employees in late 2014. The sampling approach was stratified by 5 (paired HHS) regions. Balanced repeated replication weights were used to correctly calculate variance estimates, given the complex sampling design. Descriptive and bivariate statistical comparisons were conducted. A linear regression model was used to examine correlates of earnings among full-time employees. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS A total of 9300 permanently employed, full-time state health agency central office staff who reported earnings information. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Earnings are the main outcomes examined in this article. RESULTS Central office staff earn between $55,000 and $65,000 on average annually. Ascending supervisory status, educational attainment, and tenure are all associated with greater earnings. Those employed in clinical and laboratory positions and public health science positions earn more than their colleagues in administrative positions. Disparities exist between men and women, with men earning more, all else being equal (P < .001). Racial/ethnic disparities also exist, after accounting for other factors. CONCLUSIONS This study provides baseline information to characterize the workforce and key challenges that result from earnings levels, including disparities in earnings that persist after accounting for education and experience. Data from the survey can inform strategies to address earnings issues and help reduce disparities.
An integrated piezoelectric zinc oxide nanowire micro-energy harvester

Abstract The design, fabrication, performance simulation and characterization of a piezoelectric zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowire (NW) micro-energy harvester integrated with a microelectromechanical proof-mass/spring system are presented. Low temperature hydrothermal growth of vertically aligned nanowires together with MEMS surface micromachining and UV-LIGA (Lithographie, Galvanoformung, Abformung) processes were utilized to achieve efficient coupling of environmental vibrations to the nano energy harvester. The NWs were connected in series through the membrane/proof-mass structure to achieve higher output voltage. A novel polyimide fill-in and etch-back technique was employed to embed the NW tips into the membrane, such that the NWs were compressed and stretched by the membrane/proof-mass structure in response to the external vibrations. Peak power of 70 pW was observed across an optimal 7 MΩ load when the nano energy harvester was excited with an acceleration of 1.4 g at 40 Hz, corresponding to 22 mW/cm 3 volume-normalized power output. The measured voltage between the top and the bottom electrode was 21.4 mV for this case. The output frequency spectral density with 40 Hz excitation and output voltage with varying excitation frequency are also discussed.
Pseudo-noise based time of arrival estimation for underwater acoustic sensor localization

This paper compares the performance of single pseudo-noise (PN) and dual PN (DPN) sequences for time of arrival (ToA) estimation in underwater acoustic (UWA) localization. The single PN scheme uses the correlation of a local PN sequence and the received PN signal to estimate the ToA. The DPN scheme utilizes the cross correlation of the two received PN segments in one signal frame to calculate the ToA. Both simulation and field test results show that the DPN design outperforms the single PN scheme, as the DPN scheme is robust to the severe underwater acoustic channel dispersion and the high carrier frequency offset (CFO) in low-cost hardware systems where the atomic clock is unavailable.
Room temperature Dy:YLF laser at 4.34 µm

Room temperature stimulated emission was achieved in Dy:YLF at 4.34 µm. This is the longest resonantly pumped rare earth laser wavelength reported to date. Emission was produced by resonant pumping with an Er:YLF laser at 1.73 µm. Room temperature stimulated emission was observed in Dy:YLF at 4.34 µm corresponding to the 6H11/2 to 6H13/2 transition. Trivalent dysprosium was previously laser by Johnson and Guggenheim.1 They obtained laser oscillation with Dy in BaY2F8 at 77 K. The 6H13/2 to 6H15/2 transition at 3.02 µm is the longest rare earth laser wavelength observed with flashlamp pumping.
Quantifying Dimer and Trimer Formation by Tri-n-butyl Phosphates in n-Dodecane: Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Tri-n-butyl phosphate (TBP), a representative of neutral organophosphorous ligands, is an important extractant used in the solvent extraction process for the recovery of uranium and plutonium from spent nuclear fuel. Microscopic pictures of TBP isomerism and its behavior in n-dodecane diluent were investigated utilizing MD simulations with previously optimized force field parameters for TBP and n-dodecane. Potential mean force (PMF) calculations on a single TBP molecule show seven probable TBP isomers. Radial distribution functions (RDFs) of TBP suggest the existence of TBP trimers at high TBP concentrations in addition to dimers. 2D PMF calculations were performed to determine the angle and distance criteria for TBP trimers. The dimerization and trimerization constants of TBP in n-dodecane were obtained and match our own experimental values using the FTIR technique. The new insights into the conformational behaviors of the TBP molecule as a monomer and as part of an aggregate could greatly aid in the understanding of the complexation between TBP and metal ions in a solvent extraction system.
Renal sugar transport in the winter flounder. II. Galactose transport system

The structural specificity of the transport of 0.5 mM D-galactose and 2-deoxy-D-galactose by teased renal tubules of the winter flounder Pseudopleuronectes americanus was investigated. The sugar uptake reflects preponderantly transport at the antiluminal membrane of tubular cells. Both sugars compete for the transport sites, indicating the sharing of a common carrier. 1) The structural requirements for the hexose-carrier interaction were defined by an inhibiton analysis using 12 structurally analogous sugars (5 mM): a (pyranose) ring structure; a free hydroxyl on C1; free hydroxyls (equatorial configuration) on C3 and C4; an oxygen on C6. Close packing in the vicinity of C2 is indicated. 2) Consonant with the requirement of a free C1-OH, beta-methyl-D-galactoside is not transported 3) Increasing concentrations (0.05-0.5 mM) of phlorizin and phloretin inhibit sugar uptake by lowering cellular levels of phosphorylated hexoses, whereas the levels of free sugars are not depressed. The possibility of an interaction of the sugar at C1-0H with a phosphorylated group at the carrier as the first step in the translocation process of both hexoses across the basal membrane is raised.
Othello’s iPad

As if to deftly while unwittingly acknowledge the title of our collection, Othello’s astonishingly sudden conversion from resolute lover to paranoid wife-killer is catalyzed by a Shakespearean echo. Iago villainously engenders a delusion of wifely infidelity by parroting fragments of Othello’s speech: IAGO Indeed? OTHELLO Indeed? Indeed, discern’st thou aught in that? Is [Cassio] not honest? IAGO Honest, my lord? OTHELLO Honest? ay, honest. ... What dost thou think? IAGO Think, my lord? OTHELLO Think, my lord? By heaven, he echoes me, As if there were some monster in his thought, Too hideous to be shown: thou didst mean something.1
Habitat Temperature and Precipitation of Arabidopsis thaliana Ecotypes Determine the Response of Foliar Vasculature, Photosynthesis, and Transpiration to Growth Temperature

Acclimatory adjustments of foliar vascular architecture, photosynthetic capacity, and transpiration rate in Arabidopsis thaliana ecotypes (Italian, Polish [Col-0], Swedish) were characterized in the context of habitat of origin. Temperatures of the habitat of origin decreased linearly with increasing habitat latitude, but habitat precipitation was greatest in Italy, lowest in Poland, and intermediate in Sweden. Plants of the three ecotypes raised under three different growth temperature regimes (low, moderate, and high) exhibited highest photosynthetic capacities, greatest leaf thickness, highest chlorophyll a/b ratio and levels of β-carotene, and greatest levels of wall ingrowths in phloem transfer cells, and, in the Col-0 and Swedish ecotypes, of phloem per minor vein in plants grown at the low temperature. In contrast, vein density and minor vein tracheary to sieve element ratio increased with increasing growth temperature – most strongly in Col-0 and least strongly in the Italian ecotype – and transpirational water loss correlated with vein density and number of tracheary elements per minor vein. Plotting of these vascular features as functions of climatic conditions in the habitat of origin suggested that temperatures during the evolutionary history of the ecotypes determined acclimatory responses of the foliar phloem and photosynthesis to temperature in this winter annual that upregulates photosynthesis in response to lower temperature, whereas the precipitation experienced during the evolutionary history of the ecotypes determined adjustment of foliar vein density, xylem, and transpiration to temperature. In particular, whereas photosynthetic capacity, leaf thickness, and foliar minor vein phloem features increased linearly with increasing latitude and decreasing temperature of the habitats of origin in response to experimental growth at low temperature, transpiration rate, foliar vein density, and minor vein tracheary element numbers and cross-sectional areas increased linearly with decreasing precipitation level in the habitats of origin in response to experimental growth at high temperature. This represents a situation where temperature acclimation of the apparent capacity for water flux through the xylem and transpiration rate in a winter annual responded differently from that of photosynthetic capacity, in contrast to previous reports of strong relationships between hydraulic conductance and photosynthesis in other studies.
Renal Effects of Leukemia and Lymphoma

Abstract The development of renal disease is common in patients with lymphoma and leukemia. As with all hospitalized patients, those with lymphoma and leukemia are at risk for developing acute kidney injury (AKI) from hypotension, sepsis, or administration of radiocontrast, antifungal and antibacterial agents. With the presence of cancer, renal injury can also result from chemotherapy, immunosuppressive drugs, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, or tumor lysis syndrome. Furthermore, patients are at risk for renal syndromes specific to the presence of lymphoma or leukemia. Various types of paraneoplastic glomerulonephritides are associated with lymphoma and leukemia and are described elsewhere in this book. This chapter will focus on infiltrative diseases of the kidney.
Whatever Happened to Consumption in Marketing Theory

A research in progress paper which explores the treatment of consumption in the marketing literature and poses a model of a broadened concept together with implications to marketing thought.
Northern California Through and Economic Geographer’s Lens

Natural endowments, entrepreneurship, and numerous watershed moments have all been important dimensions of the Californian wine industry. Less acknowledged, but of equal importance, is the broader context of industrial development and regional change that has been necessary for the growth of the industry. From what would be regarded today as industrial best practice to land conservation planning, a host of institutional, industrial, and economic shifts undergird this industry’s development. The challenge has been to capture the effect of these changes. It has long been a principle of economic geography that proximate interaction of producers in industrial districts generated innovation and economic growth. A general theory of regional development reinforced this view with an understanding of untraded interdependencies of producers in regional economies. That shift in economic geographic theory enabled more refined understanding of the industrial practices of subsectors of the food system including wine production. Consideration of California’s experience provides additional insight into how regional innovation systems can support and encourage wine producers to make changes to their regional conventions, and as a result, to the organization of production and the quality of their products.
Understanding the roles of religiosity and spirituality in emerging adults in the united states.

This study compared variable-centered and person-centered analyses to assess the prevalence and adaptiveness of patterns or religiosity and spirituality (R/S) among emerging adults. A sample of 9,495 college students (ages 18–25, Mage = 19.77) from the Multisite University Study of Identity and Cult
Mutual Information based communication aware path planning: A game theoretic perspective

This paper examines the problem of distributed path planning for a mobile sensor network comprised of communication-aware robots performing general information gathering missions. Mutual information is derived for distributed sensing over packet erasure channels that model multi-hop communication. We model distributed path planning as a non-cooperative game and derive utility functions that are optimized locally by each robot. Each robot computes the control input in a distributed manner that results in a combined action that can be bounded by the optimal centralized result by utilizing sub-modularity in certain cases. It is shown that when the communication model includes multi-hop communication to expand the coverage of the sensor network, the property of sub-modularity is lost. We further show that the additional global knowledge required for the local computation of utility functions can be learned by simple consensus approaches. Finally, we discuss a sampling approach to approximate the proposed utility functions in order to reduce the associated computational requirements.
Cannabinoids and the Cannabinoid Receptors: An Overview

Abstract Cannabis is the most popular illicit drug in the Western world, and has a long history of medical use. Its active ingredients, known as cannabinoids, can elicit various biological activities through activation of certain G-protein coupled receptors, denoted by the name of cannabinoid receptors. By far, two cannabinoid receptors have been identified, namely the cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) and 2 (CB2). The CB1 receptors are primarily found in the central nervous system (CNS) while the CB2 receptors largely present in the periphery. Besides the plant-derived cannabinoids (phytocannabinoids), a group of endogenous lipid-derived molecules can similarly activate the cannabinoid receptors; therefore they are referred to as endocannabinoids. Activation and blockade of cannabinoid receptors can lead to a variety of responses relevant to pharmacotherapy. This chapter provides a synopsis of phytocannabinoids, and an overview of cannabinoid receptors with respects to: what they are; where they are; and what they do.
Endovascular Embolization of Intracranial Infectious Aneurysms in Patients Undergoing Open Heart Surgery Using n-Butyl Cyanoacrylate.

Introduction: Mycotic aneurysms are a serious complication of infective endocarditis with increased risk of intracranial hemorrhage. Patients undergoing open heart surgery for valve repair or replacement are exposed to anticoagulants, increasing the risk of aneurysm bleeding. These patients may require endovascular or surgical aneurysm treatment prior to heart surgery, but data on this approach are scarce. Methods: Retrospective review of consecutive patients with infectious endocarditis and mycotic aneurysms treated endovascularly with Trufill n-butyl cyanoacrylate (n-BCA) at the Cleveland Clinic between January 2013 and December 2015. Results: Nine patients underwent endovascular treatment of mycotic aneurysms with n-BCA (mean age of 39 years). On imaging, 4 patients had intracerebral hemorrhage, 2 had multiple embolic infarcts, and the rest had no imaging findings. Twelve mycotic aneurysms were detected (3 patients with 2 aneurysms). Seven aneurysms were in the M4 middle cerebral artery segment, 4 in the posterior cerebral artery distribution, and 1 in the callosomarginal branch. n-BCA was diluted in ethiodized oil (1:1 to 1:2). Embolization was achieved in a single rapid injection with immediate microcatheter removal. Complete aneurysm exclusion was achieved in all cases without complications. All patients underwent open heart surgery and endovascular embolization within a short interval, 2 with both procedures on the same day. There were no new hemorrhages after aneurysm embolization. Conclusions: Endovascular embolization of infectious intracranial aneurysms with liquid embolics can be performed successfully in critically ill patients requiring immediate open heart surgery and anticoagulation. Early embolization prior to and within a short interval from open heart surgery is feasible.
Memory for vocal tempo and pitch.

ABSTRACTTwo experiments examined the ability to remember the vocal tempo and pitch of different individuals, and the way this information is encoded into the cognitive system. In both studies, participants engaged in an initial familiarisation phase while attending was systematically directed towards different aspects of speakers’ voices. Afterwards, they received a tempo or pitch recognition task. Experiment 1 showed that tempo and pitch are both incidentally encoded into memory at levels comparable to intentional learning, and no performance deficit occurs with divided attending. Experiment 2 examined the ability to recognise pitch or tempo when the two dimensions co-varied and found that the presence of one influenced the other: performance was best when both dimensions were positively correlated with one another. As a set, these findings indicate that pitch and tempo are automatically processed in a holistic, integral fashion [Garner, W. R. (1974). The processing of information and structure. Potomac,...
Indications for Mode of Delivery in Pregnant Women with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

BACKGROUND Reasons for the increased incidence of cesarean delivery among women with inflammatory bowel disease remain unclear. We assessed cesarean delivery incidence and factors influencing mode of delivery in women with inflammatory bowel disease. METHODS We performed a 10-year retrospective cohort study of nulliparous women who delivered a singleton infant at our institution. We compared the risk of each mode of delivery in women with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis with women without inflammatory bowel disease. We assessed mode of delivery indications for patients with inflammatory bowel disease and whether cesarean deliveries were planned. RESULTS The overall incidence of cesarean delivery among women with Crohn's disease (24/59; 40.7%) was similar to that among women without inflammatory bowel disease (7868/21,805; 36.1%) (risk ratio 1.1 [95% confidence interval, 0.83, 1.5]; P = 0.46), but was increased in the subgroups with active and inactive perianal disease (risk ratio 2.3; P < 0.01). Women with ulcerative colitis had a 1.8-fold increased relative risk of cesarean delivery (41/65; 63.1%) (95% confidence interval, 1.5, 2.1; P < 0.01), with highest incidence in patients with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis. Forty-nine percent of ulcerative colitis and 66.7% of Crohn's disease cesarean deliveries were unplanned, with only 1 unplanned delivery performed for active inflammatory bowel disease. Most unplanned deliveries were for arrest of descent/dilation and nonreassuring fetal heart tracings. Seventy-five percent of planned cesarean deliveries were for inflammatory bowel disease-related indications. CONCLUSIONS Women with ulcerative colitis and perianal Crohn's disease have an increased incidence of cesarean delivery. At least half of cesarean deliveries are unplanned.
Late Administration of Human Recombinant Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (rhVEGF165) Improves Functional Outcome after Embolic Stroke in Rat

P218 Transient and permanent middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion in rat evokes increased expression of VEGF in ischemic brain. The biological role of VEGF in stroke is unknown. We tested the hypothesis that administration of VEGF at a late stage of stroke enhances angiogenesis and improves functional outcome in stroke. Male Wistar rats (n=27) were subjected to MCA occlusion using a well described embolic stroke model. Forty-eight hours after embolization, rhVEGF165 or saline was intravenously infused to rats at a dose of 1mg/kg over 4 hr interval. Angiogenesis was examined in three dimensions by a laser scanning confocal microscope. Functional neurological tests (rotarod and adhesive removal tests) were measured. To examine whether rhVEGF165 enhances angiogenesis, rats were sacrificed 9 days after ischemia and to examine whether rhVEGF165 improves long term functional recovery, rats were sacrificed 28 days after ischemia. Compared with the saline treated rats (n=5), treatment with rhVEGF165 (n=5) significantly (p<0.05) increased numbers of capillaries with diameters within 3 μm in the penumbra of the cortex 9 days after ischemia. In addition, rats treated with rhVEGF165 (n=7) exhibited significant (p<0.05) improvement on the rotarod test at 7, 14, and 28 days after stroke compared with the saline treated rats (n=10). The adhesive removal test showed significant (p<0.05) improvement at 28 days. Brain tissue obtained at 28 days after ischemia exhibited more small vessels in the ipsilateral ischemic border zone in rats treated with rhVEGF165 when compared with the saline treated rats. Our data demonstrate that rhVEGF165 significantly enhances angiogenesis in ischemic brain and improves functional neurological recovery when administered to rats 48 hr after stroke.
Optimal Selection of Predictor Variables in Statistical Downscaling Models of Precipitation

Two screening methods aimed at selection of predictor variables for use in a statistical downscaling (SD) model developed for precipitation are proposed and evaluated in this study. The SD model developed in this study relies heavily on appropriate predictors chosen and accurate relationships between site-specific predictand (i.e. precipitation) and general circulation model (GCM)-scale predictors for providing future projections at different spatial and temporal scales. Methods to characterize these relationships via rigid and flexible functional forms of relationships using mixed integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) formulation with binary variables, and artificial neural network (ANN) methods respectively are developed and evaluated in this study. The proposed methods and three additional methods based on the correlations between predictors and predictand, stepwise regression (SWR) and principal component analysis (PCA) are evaluated in this study. The screening methods are evaluated by employing them in conjunction with an SD model at 22 rain gauge locations in south Florida, USA. The predictor variables that are selected by different predictor selection methods are used in a statistical downscaling model developed in this study to downscale precipitation at a monthly temporal scale. Results suggest that optimal selection of variables using MINLP and ANN provided improved performance and error measures compared to two other models that did not use these methods for screening the variables. Results from application and evaluations of screening methods indicate improved downscaling of precipitation is possible by SD models when an optimal set of predictors are used and the selection of the predictors is site-specific.
Communication Apprehension, Intelligence, and Achievement Among Secondary School Students

This study investigated the impact of communication apprehension and intelligence on achievement, as well as the relationships among these variables. Two hypotheses were tested and one research que...
Library Conversations: Reclaiming Interpersonal Communication Theory for Understanding Professional Encounters, by Marie L. Radford, and Gary P. Radford: Chicago: ALA-Neal-Schuman, 2017. 168p. ISBN 978-0-8389-1484-7. $75.00 (softcover).

In seven entertaining chapters, Library Conversations brings communication theory to the library environment in a meaningful way. The book is divided into two parts. Part one, “Reclaiming Theory fo...
Theorizing Organizational Change

While the fundamental goals of REOs including promoting economic growth, development, and integration persist over time, regional organizations are susceptible to major change when confronted with security threats. Several terms including “crises” and “critical junctures” are used to capture these phenomena and scholars suggest that systemic and other constraints may be relaxed during these periods, permitting idiosyncratic factors greater sway. That having been said, systemic, organizational, and ideational factors must be taken into account to understand actors’ decisions regarding organizational change. Propositions related to systemic and other power-related factors, organizational factors and functional needs, and ideational and social factors explicated in the International Relations, regional integration, and security literatures are discussed in this chapter.
Constrained Gaussian process with application in tissue-engineering scaffold biodegradation

In many biomanufacturing areas, such as tissue-engineering scaffold fabrication, the biodegradation performance of products is a key to producing products with desirable properties. The prediction ...
Secondary traumatic stress and resilience among EMS

Aim: The current study investigated the positive and negative psychological adaptations that are a result of secondary traumatic stress, and the role of resilience among paramedics and emergency me...
FAC + BCG as adjuvant therapy in breast cancer: an 8-year update.

In January 1974, the Medical Breast Service at M.D. Anderson Hospital began investigation of a combination of fluorouracil, doxorubicin (adriamycin), and cyclophosphamide (FAC) as adjuvant therapy for stage II and III breast cancer. Earlier results of these studies have been published [1–3]. Here the results of the initial study are presented, with the median follow-up of FAC-treated patients being 85 months. As this is the first adjuvant program utilizing FAC with such long-term follow-up, it seemed important to review the results of stage II and III patients so treated.
Evaluating search methods analytically

A unified approach to analyzing search algorithms is presented. Each algorithm is characterized by the types of random problems that it can solve rapidly. The results are displayed in a way that clearly indicates the strengths and weaknesses of each algorithm.
Hacia el ranchito: Mexican immigrants, farming and sustainable rural livelihoods in Iowa

iv CHAPTER 1 1 IMMIGRANT FARMERS: CHANGE AND OPPORTUNITY Immigration in Context 2 Support for Immigrant Farmers 5 Organization of Thesis 7 CHAPTER 2 8 SUSTAINABLE RURAL LIVELIHOODS FRAMEWORK AND LATINO IMMIGRANTS IN THE RURAL MIDWEST SRL Concept Map 9 Vulnerability Context 10 Capitals 16 Financial/built capital 16 Human capital 18 Cultural capital 19 Social capital 19 Institutions and Organizations 24 Latino immigrants as workers 25 Latino immigrants as rural residents 27 Latino immigrants as farmers 28 Livelihood Strategy 30 Immigrant household strategies and entrepreneurship 30 Pluriactive farming 32 Aims and Outcomes 33 CHAPTER 3 36 RESEARCH METHODS Case Study 37 Finding Farmers 37 Male Bias 40 Conducting Interviews 41 Analyzing Data 43 Reliability 44 Validity 45 CHAPTER 4 46 PATHWAYS, MOTIVATIONS AND STRATEGIES Arturo 46 Jaime 48 Rigoberto 50