cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The global distribution of long-term total ozone variations during the period 1957–1975

Total ozone observations in the international network have been used as a basis for the analysis of the mean monthly ozone distribution over the globe for the period 1957–75. It has been found that during the period 1961–70 the total ozone amount increased in the Northern Hemisphere by about 12 percent and that this increase seems to be significant at all latitudes. Although the data were sparse for the Southern Hemisphere, there did not appear to be any significant ozone changes during the 10 year period. Relatively large geographic variations were found in the ozone trends and it is suggested that these variations are related to large scale changes in the atmospheric circular pattern.
Evaluating Hedge Funds with Pooled Benchmarks

The evaluation of hedge fund performance is challenging given the flexible nature of hedge funds' strategies and their lack of operational transparency. As a result inference about skill is inevitably contaminated by the error in the benchmark model. To address this concern, we propose a model pooling approach to develop a fund-specific benchmark obtained by pooling a set of diverse attribution models. We illustrate the advantages of a pooled benchmark over alternative approaches, including the Fung and Hsieh (2004) model and stepwise regression methods, in the contexts of a real-time investment strategy, hedge fund replication, and fund failure prediction.
The Importance of Taste and Other Product Factors to Consumer Interest in Nutraceutical Products: Civilian and Military Comparisons

: A conjoint analytic study was conducted with military and civilian consumers to assess the importance of taste and other product characteristics to the intended use of nutraceutical products. Taste was found to be the most important factor for both consumer groups, followed by the benefit to be achieved, the source of the benefit claim, required dosage, mode of consumption, and product type (natural compared with synthetic). Interest among the military was greatest for products that increased muscle mass, whereas interest among civilians was greatest for products that improved thinking. For both groups, required frequency of consumption greater than 3 times a day had a negative influence on probable use, whereas consumption in a capsule form was viewed most desirable.
Attending to behaviour versus attending to knowledge: examining monkeys' attribution of mental states

The ability of monkeys to attribute mental states such as ignorance to each other was examined in two experiments using four captive groups of Japanese and rhesus macaques, Macacafuscata and M. mulatta. In the first experiment, females were shown food or a predator, either in the presence of their offspring or alone, to determine whether they would attempt to alert ignorant offspring more than knowledgeable ones. The behaviour of mothers appeared to be unaffected by the knowledge of their offspring. In the second experiment, a juvenile offspring of a dominant female was isolated in an enclosure with a normally subordinate adult female while the juvenile's mother sat nearby behind either a glass barrier, an opaque barrier or a one-way mirror. In the mirror condition, the two subjects could see the mother, but she could not see them. The behaviour of subjects under the mirror condition was intermediate between that under the glass and opaque conditions. Subjects were probably sensitive to the mother's orientation and attentiveness, but there was no evidence that they recognized the difference between their own visual perspective and that of the mother.
Impact of genetic polymorphisms in transmembrane carrier-systems on drug and xenobiotic distribution

Active transport across biological membranes has become a noticeable factor in the absorption, distribution, and excretion of an increasing number of drugs. Different transmembrane transport systems including organic anion transporters (OATP, solute carrier family SLC21A), organic cation transporters (OCT, SLC22A), dipeptide transporters (PEPT, SLC15A), nucleoside transporters (CNT, SLC28A), monocarboxylate carriers (MCT, SLC2A), and members of the large ATP-binding cassette family (ABC, SLC3A) are involved in drug disposition. Genetic polymorphisms in transport proteins frequently occur and contribute to interindividual differences in the efficacy and safety of pharmatherapy. Currently, the most advanced research has been done on P-glycoprotein (ABCB1, SLC3A1.201.1). Knowledge of this transporter indicates that haplotype analysis rather than association with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) provides the most appropriate interpretation of pharmacogenetic data from drug transporters. This review gives an overview and update on the pharmacological impact of genetic variants in transmembrane transporters.
Pluralism and Sex: More Than a Pragmatic Issue

The evolution of sexual reproduction is a case of explanatory pluralism, meaning that there is more than one explanation for this phenomenon. I use the concept of a domain to more clearly explicate the various explananda that can be found in this case. I argue that although pluralism with respect to some types of domains can be decreased using van Fraassen's pragmatics of explanation, there remains an important class of domain, an orthogonal domain, for which this is not the case.
Sequential Collapse Model for Protein Folding Pathways

A model of protein folding pathways is presented based on the entropy loss induced by loop closure and the protein−solvent interaction. The model is based on a simple physical picture that depends ...
A process model for remote sensing data analysis

Remote sensing data is collected and analyzed to enhance understanding of the terrestrial surface-in composition, in form, or in function. One approach for accomplishing this is to design the analysis process as an iterated composite of several analyst-directed modules. This paper proposes such a modular design for the data analysis. The proposed methodology was applied in a project to obtain the thematic map for a flightline over Washington, DC, with very satisfactory results-the qualification being in both the visual and the statistical sense. The project execution is presented as a case study in this paper.
Sports-related injuries among adolescents: when do they occur, and how can we prevent them?

Sports injuries, as causes of frequent morbidity but infrequent mortality among teens, receive less attention than do more dramatic motor vehicle accidents, homicides, and suicides. Injury to adolescents caused by both organized and informal athletics occurs commonly, yet the precise frequency, severity, and predisposing risk factors of such injuries have not been defined well. Unlike mortality data, which can be obtained readily from death certificates or through the National Center for Health Statistics, nonfatal sports injuries often go unrecognized among injury statistics because adolescents frequently do not seek health care or tell a coach or family member about the injury. Moreover, data on injuries can exist in a variety of places outside of physicians9 offices, including emergency department or hospital records, school-based health centers, or trainers9 logs. Different studies also have defined injury differently, with little standardization between studies and variances in sources used for data collection. Hospital or emergency department data may differ in the degree of severity of the injury from office-based data or data on those injuries treated solely by a coach or athletic trainer. Despite these difficulties, a plethora of data exists on the topic of sports injuries and their prevention. Common Causes of Sports Injury In a Massachusetts study by Gallagher and colleagues in the 1980s, sports injuries were found to be the most common cause of injury and, overall, the second leading cause of emergency department visits and hospital admissions in the 13- to 19- year-old age group.
HOMOENOLATES AND OTHER FUNCTIONALIZED ORGANOMETALLICS. A REVIEW

(1993). HOMOENOLATES AND OTHER FUNCTIONALIZED ORGANOMETALLICS. A REVIEW. Organic Preparations and Procedures International: Vol. 25, No. 1, pp. 41-81.
Laparoscopic janeway gastrostomy : An alternative to celiotomy for the management of a dislodged percutaneous gastrostomy

After its in t roduct ion in 1980 (1), percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) rapidly replaced open gastrostomy as the procedure of choice for providing enteral access in patients who are unable to nourish themselves because of central nervous system disorders. Patients with altered sensorium sometimes pull on medical appliances that are irritating to them. If a newly placed PEG is dislodged in this manner , celiotomy has traditionally been required to close the resulting gastric perforation, clear spilled gastric contents, and replace the gastrostomy tube. Patients who require PEG placement for neurologic indications are often poor candidates for celiotomy because of their associated comorbid conditions. This article describes a laparoscopic technique for the managemen t of a dislodged, recently placed PEG tube that incorporates the site of perforation into a gastric tube such as that originally described byJaneway (2) and recently adapted to laparoscopic use by French surgeons (3, 4).
Treatment of Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia with Nucleoside Analogues

Sixty-eight patients with Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia were treated either with fludar-abine (28 patients) or 2–chlorodeoxyadenosine (40 patients) and responding patients were followed without further treatment. Both programs were well tolerated and myelosuppression was moderate but reversible. Overall, 35 patients responded including 93% of previously untreated patients, 83% of those relapsing off therapy, 48% of patients with primary refractory disease and 15% of those treated during refractory relapse. With a median follow up of 18 months, only two of 15 previously untreated patients have relapsed whereas the median remission duration and survival of previously treated patients were 38 and 43 months respectively. Fludarabine and 2–chlorodeoxyadenosine are both highly active agents against Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia, especially when administered early in the disease course.
P2BAT: a massive parallel implementation of PBAT for genome-wide association studies in R

Summary: The software tool P2BAT provides a massive parallel and user friendly implementation of the PBAT-analysis tools for family-based association tests (FBATs) in large-scale studies, including genome-wide association studies with several thousand subjects. Built on the original PBAT-implementation of the Lange--Van Steen algorithm to bypass the multiple testing problem in family-based association studies, P2BAT integrates all PBAT-analysis tools for binary and complex traits into R and makes them accessible through a user-friendly GUI. The genome-wide analysis tools are fully automated and can be ran massively parallel directly through the GUI. P2BAT is fully documented and contains graphical output tools for time-to-onset analysis. P2BAT also features the ability to test for gene and environment/drug interaction. Availability: The P2BAT package is available as the R package 'pbatR' which can be downloaded from http://cran.r-project.org/. The PBAT-software is available at http://www.biostat.harvard.edu/~clange/. Contact: thoffman@hsph.harvard.edu
Tourism and culture change: A symposium

Abstract The paper summarizes seven articles presented at the 1975 meetings of the American Anthropological Association in San Francisco, in a symposium entitled Tourism and Culture Change. Three main foci of research are discussed: The Traveler per se; the diverse impacts of tourism upon cultures in Puerto Vallarta (Mexico), the island of Myconos (Greece) and among the Mamainde Indians (Mato Grosso, Brazil); and the role and administration of the Polynesian Cultural Center (Hawaii) as an “ethnic model” and as a laboratory of cultural conservation.
Improving prompt effectiveness in diabetes care: an intervention study.

Electronic medical records (EMRs) should support clinical decision making to further quality care delivery. This study describes 1 academic medical group’s efforts to leverage their EMR’s decision-support functionality to improve quality care delivery. A nested, time-series, quasiexperimental design compared 3 different implementation strategies for EMR prompting at 5 primary care clinics in a single academic medical group. The primary outcome was the ordering of all indicated diabetes monitoring tests before the end of the visit. The authors analyzed 16 511 visits performed on 3730 patients. The rate of ordering all indicated tests at the time of the visit increased from 29% with no prompts to 49% (P < .001) with appropriately designed prompts and training support. EMR-generated prompts may be more likely to increase ordering of recommended monitoring tests when clinic workflow, staff training, and medical culture are incorporated into the prompt delivery.
Trap stiffness in negative Optoelectronic Tweezers (OET)

Optoelectronic tweezers (OET) allow the control of micron-sized particles suspended in a liquid by controlling the dielectrophoretic force with the selective illumination of a photoconductor. High liquid conductivities give a negative force (away from illuminated areas) so that particles are trapped by illuminating a ring around them. This paper explores the force profile of these traps and shows that high stiffness traps can be created (8times10-7 Nm-1), with a linear profile, at low optical powers (8.29 muW).
The Problem Of False Negative Results In The Use Of Digit Analysis

Auditors are using the predictability of digit occurrence in recorded amounts as a tool to detect suspicious data (either erroneous or fraudulent). A key component in this type of analysis is the fact that digits naturally occur in predictable frequencies consistent with Benford’s Law. This study examines the effectiveness of common digit analysis techniques in detecting the presence of suspicious data. Using data created by graduate student subjects, I find that unless the percentage of suspicious data in the population is large (> 10%) digit analysis fails to detect the presence of suspicious data. Given this propensity to produce false negative results, auditors should not rely too heavily on digit analysis as a sole or primary fraud detection tool.
The Counselor Cognitions Questionnaire: Development and validation.

Cognitive complexity is a crucial factor in counselor efficacy, yet an empirically validated instrument that measures counselors’ cognitions about clients does not exist. Development and preliminary psychometric support for such a measure, the Counselor Cognitions Questionnaire (CCQ), are described. Evidence of validity and reliability are reported.
Thoracoscopic transdiaphragmatic approach for ventral decompression and reconstruction of metastatic spine disease.

The management of metastatic spine disease is complex, but usually involves radiation therapy and/or surgical treatment. Surgery followed by radiation has a significant role in select patients presenting with metastatic spinal cord compression. Ventral decompression can be achieved through several surgical approaches including posterior, posterolateral, and anterior surgical approaches. Although open thoracotomy is the most common approach for ventral decompression, it is associated with significant spinal access morbidity. This video illustrates a thoracoscopic transdiaphragmatic approach for symptomatic L-1 metastatic spinal cord compression. This approach allows for a minimal incision in the diaphragm to expose the thoracolumbar junction and allows for corpectomy, spinal canal decompression, vertebral body replacement, and spinal stabilization via four small incisions along the chest wall. The step-by-step technique illustrates operative nuances and surgical pearls to safely perform this approach in a ...
Laparoscopic repair of ureteral injuries.

Abstract Study Objective To assess the outcome of laparoscopic repair of pelvic ureter injuries. Design Retrospective case series (Canadian Task Force classification II-2). Setting Large urban tertiary care medical center. Patients Four women who had pelvic ureter injuries and laparoscopic repair during laparoscopic gynecologic procedures. Intervention Laparoscopic ureteroureterostomy. Measurements and Main Results All injuries were identified immediately and repaired laparoscopically. No patient required repeat surgery. On assessment by physical examination, serum creatinine, and intravenous urogram, no patient had evidence of renal insufficiency. One woman had a narrowing at the site of ureteroureterostomy 6 weeks after repair; it was resolved on urogram 8 months after the injury. Conclusion Laparoscopic ureteroureterostomy is feasible in some cases of ureteral injury. Experience with laparoscopic suturing is necessary to perform this procedure.
Recognizing and Responding to Student Affect

This paper describes the use of wireless sensors to recognize student emotion and the use of pedagogical agents to respond to students with these emotions. Minimally invasive sensor technology has reached such a maturity level that students engaged in classroom work can us sensors while using a computer-based tutor. The sensors, located on each of 25 student's chair, mouse, monitor, and wrist, provide data about posture, movement, grip tension, facially expressed mental states and arousal. This data has demonstrated that intelligent tutoring systems can provide adaptive feedback based on an individual student's affective state. We also describe the evaluation of emotional embodied animated pedagogical agents and their impact on student motivation and achievement. Empirical studies show that students using the agents increased their math value, self-concept and mastery orientation.
E-NTPase/E-NTPDase: a potential regulatory role in E-kinase/PKA-mediated CD36 activation

CD36 is a platelet surface receptor protein that plays a major role in platelet aggregation and accumulation that is mediated by parasitic attachment. The CD36 receptor is constitutively phosphorylated by E-kinase/PKA, resulting in increased affinity for collagen, but preventing spontaneous platelet aggregation. Dephosphorylation of CD36 by protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) leads to increased affinity for thrombospondin at a different rate than that of collagen-mediated platelet aggregation. Depletion of the E-kinase/PKA substrate [ATP]0by E-NTPase-mediated hydrolysis, in conjunction with inhibition of PP2A by okadaic acid, could prove to be a valuable tool in inhibiting CD36 activation, thus preventing platelet aggregation and thrombus formation.
Development of Computer Game Based Instruction: The Periodic Table Game

A collaboration between The Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) and the Integrated Science (IS) program run by the Center for Communication and Educational Technology (CCET) at The University of Alabama has been developing a computer game based approach to teaching Periodic Table concepts and facts to middle school students. The game is broken into seven different sections. There are three information centers, which are each paired with a game, and there is a “Dream Room” which provides an incentive for students to master the subject matter of the game. The three information centers focus on learning the elements, their positions in the periodic table, and trends in physical and chemical properties. The games then test the students’ knowledge of the concepts and facts in the information centers. The game is currently in a late beta version and can be accessed over the web at http://www.mint.ua.edu/periodictable . Preliminary results from a large evaluation exercise shows that classes that use the computer games improved significantly more on tests of subject matter than a control group.
Development of Fungal Brown Spot and Spot Blotch on Cultivated Wild Rice in Minnesota.

ABSTRACT Symptoms of fungal brown spot of cultivated wild rice (Zizania palustris), caused by Bipolaris oryzae, initially occurred on the flag and lower aerial leaves of wild rice at the boot stage of development; whereas spot blotch symptoms, caused by B. sorokiniana, first occurred at the floating leaf stage of plant development on both the floating leaf and the first aerial leaves. The percentage of B. oryzae isolated from all lesions did not increase significantly until early grain formation. Lesion numbers then increased rapidly until plant maturity, when B. oryzae was isolated from 36.9 and 49.3% of all flag and bottom aerial leaf lesions, respectively. On both the flag and lower aerial leaves, the percentage of lesions yielding B. sorokiniana increased slowly until early grain formation, then increased rapidly until plant maturity, 17.6 and 14.1% respectively. Numerous spots on the floating and first aerial leaves, previously thought to be caused by Bipolaris spp. infections, were caused primarily ...
Surgical treatment for avulsion injuries of the humeral lesser tuberosity apophysis in adolescents.

Background: There is little published information regarding avulsion fractures of the humeral lesser tuberosity in adolescents, and no consensus exists on optimal treatment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the demographics, injury mechanisms, and results of operative treatment of lesser tuberosity avulsion fractures in skeletally immature patients. Methods: Eight patients were treated with open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) for lesser tuberosity avulsion fractures from 2000 through 2010. Data were collected regarding patient demographics, mechanisms of injury, operative findings, and early clinical results. Preoperative radiographic studies were evaluated, and patient-derived functional outcome scores were obtained. The mean age of the patients was 13.3 years. All patients were male and sustained sports-related injuries, typically from forceful shoulder abduction and external rotation with eccentric subscapularis load. The dominant extremity was injured in six patients. Six patients had initial radiographs that were interpreted as normal. Time from injury to surgery ranged from two weeks to five months. Surgical treatment consisted of ORIF with use of suture anchors (in six patients) or transosseous sutures (in two patients). Results: All patients achieved pain relief, and there were no neurovascular complications. All patients had full return of internal rotation strength, negative lift-off tests, and negative belly-press tests postoperatively. Average time to return to sports was 4.4 months postoperatively. Return of full external rotation occurred in five patients at an average of 4.9 months postoperatively. There were no refractures. Patient-derived functional outcomes scores at an average of 24.6 months after surgery demonstrated excellent shoulder function and high patient satisfaction. Conclusions: Humeral lesser tuberosity avulsion fractures do occur in adolescents, typically from high-energy sports injuries. Careful physical examination and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evaluation aid in achieving a timely diagnosis. Surgical reduction and suture fixation is safe and effective in restoring subscapularis function and return to sports, even in cases of delayed treatment. Full recovery of shoulder external rotation may not be seen until six months postoperatively. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Forward adaptive KLT coding

A framework for implementing the forward adaptive Karhunen-Loeve Transform (FAKLT) is described. Unlike backward adaptive methods, FAKLT computes transform coefficients using basis vectors derived from the most recent signal frame. As a result, it exhibits improved energy compaction compared to the backward adaptive KLT. The method encodes only the KLT coefficients and a small amount of side information, the KLT basis vectors (eigenvectors) are not encoded.
Student factors: understanding individual variation in college drinking.

Objective: Research on individual differences in drink- ing rates and associated problems among college students is reviewed. Method: Studies are included if completed within U.S. college and uni- versity samples and found in published scientific literature as identi- fied by several searches of national databases. Results: The resulting review suggests first that the extant literature is large and varied in qual- ity, as most studies use questionnaire responses from samples of con- venience in cross-sectional designs. Evidence from studies of college samples does consistently suggest that alcohol is consumed for several different purposes for different psychological effects in different con- texts. A pattern of impulsivity/sensation seeking is strongly related to increased drinking among students. This pattern is supported by research into personality, drinking motives, alcohol expectancies and drinking contexts. A second pattern of drinking associated with negative emo- tional states is also documented. Some long-term consequences of this second pattern have been described. Social processes appear especially important for drinking in many college venues and may contribute to individual differences in drinking more than enduring personality dif- ferences. Conclusions: Future research efforts should test interactive and mediating models of multiple risk factors and address developmental processes. (J. Stud. Alcohol, Supplement No. 14: 40-53, 2002)
Folic acid fortification for Europe

Europe should consider mandatory fortification; the current strategies are not solving the problem
FasL expression in cardiomyocytes activates the ERK1/2 pathway, leading to dilated cardiomyopathy and advanced heart failure

Increase in the apoptotic molecule Fas ligand (FasL) in serum and cardiomyocytes has been shown to be associated with progressive dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and congestive heart failure (CHF) in humans. However, the underlying mechanism(s) of FasL-related deterioration of heart function remain obscure. The aim of the present study is to determine roles of myocardial FasL in the activation of alternative pathways such as extracellular-signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), inflammation or fibrosis and to identify effective treatments of progressive DCM and advanced CHF. Transgenic mice with cardiomyocyte-specific overexpression of FasL were investigated and treated with an ERK1/2 inhibitor (U-0126), losartan (los), prednisolone (pred) or placebo. Morpho-histological and molecular studies were subsequently performed. FasL mice showed significantly higher mortality compared with wild-type (WT) littermates due to DCM and advanced CHF. Prominent perivascular and interstitial fibrosis, increased interleukin secretion and diffuse CD3-positive cell infiltration were evident in FasL hearts. Up-regulation of the short form of Fas-associated death domain (FADD)-like interleukin 1β-converting enzyme (FLICE) inhibitory protein (s-FLIP), RIP (receptor-interacting protein) and ERK1/2 and down-regulation of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFβ1) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) was determined in the myocardium, whereas expression of ERK1/2, periostin (Postn) and osteopontin increased in cardiac fibroblasts. U-0126 and los increased CHF survival by 75% compared with pred and placebo groups. U-0126 had both anti-fibrotic and anti-apoptotic effects, whereas los reduced fibrosis only. Myocardial FasL expression in mice activates differential robust fibrotic, apoptotic and inflammatory responses via ERK1/2 in cardiomyocytes and cardiac fibroblasts inducing DCM and CHF. Blocking the ERK1/2 pathway prevented progression of FasL-induced DCM and CHF by reducing fibrosis, inflammation and apoptosis in the myocardium.
Modeling the Influence of Ion Channels on Neuron Dynamics in Drosophila

Voltage gated ion channels play a major role in determining a neuron's firing behavior, resulting in the specific processing of synaptic input patterns. Drosophila and other invertebrates provide valuable model systems for investigating ion channel kinetics and their impact on firing properties. Despite the increasing importance of Drosophila as a model system, few computational models of its ion channel kinetics have been developed. In this study, experimentally observed biophysical properties of voltage gated ion channels from the fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster are used to develop a minimal, conductance based neuron model. We investigate the impact of the densities of these channels on the excitability of the model neuron. Changing the channel densities reproduces different in situ observed firing patterns and induces a switch from integrator to resonator properties. Further, we analyze the preference to input frequency and how it depends on the channel densities and the resulting bifurcation type the system undergoes. An extension to a three dimensional model demonstrates that the inactivation kinetics of the sodium channels play an important role, allowing for firing patterns with a delayed first spike and subsequent high frequency firing as often observed in invertebrates, without altering the delayed rectifier current.
Box Spread Arbitrage Profits and the 1987 Market Crash

We examine the riskless box spread trading strategy before and after the 1987 Market Crash using intraday data for S&P 500 Index (SPX) options. We find that the Crash had a significant impact on trading profitability. Before the Crash, apparently profitable trading opportunities were rare and simulated trades based on such opportunities were unprofitable. For approximately three weeks after the Crash, however, apparently profitable trading opportunities occurred frequently and the corresponding simulated trades produced arbitrage profits. These post-Crash profits accompanied an increased bid-ask spread and a decreased number of trades and price quotes, suggesting increased uncertainty on the part of traders regarding the value of the S&P 500 Index. Nonetheless, traders apparently stood by their quotes--in the post-Crash period, all trades occurred within the bid-ask spread and the number of contracts per trade did not drop substantially from its pre-Crash level.
Laminar Heat Transfer in a Hexagonal Channel with Internal Heat Generation and Unequally Heated Sides

The heat transfer characteristics for the case of laminar flow through a hexagonal channel have been determined for the following conditions: The uniform heat flux on any one side of the hexagon is...
Prolonged Culture and Inbreeding Effects on Reproductive Rates of Two Pteromalid Parasites of Muscoid Flies

Comparisons of the reproductive potentials of cohorts of long-cultured domestic, inbred and wild stocks of 2 arrhenotokous pteromalids, Muscidifurax raptor Girault and Sanders and M. zaraptor Kogan and Legner, suggested the possible loss of some genotypes for high reproductive capacity in the long-cultured stock. Inbred clones derived from single ♀ mated to their ♂ offspring performed differently, suggesting separate genotypes. Some mechanism other than the single locus, multiple allele system for sex-determination was operative. The results indicate the importance of the founder effect in selection of stocks of parasitic insects imported for biological control, although various degrees of inbreeding did not apparently cause any genetic decay after 18-110 generations.
Performance of a Robotic Weighing System and Quality Practices for Gravimetric Mass Measurements

ABSTRACTGravimetric analysis is an essential baseline measurement for air quality monitoring networks to monitor particulate matter and to track adherence to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. The Clean Air Act requires the state and local agencies to monitor and report particulate matter concentrations as a part of their air monitoring requirements. High-throughput gravimetry laboratories need to be capable of weighing thousands of filter-based samples each month while maintaining strict quality control requirements set by the Federal Reference Method for the determination of particulate matter in ambient air. Here, we present an evaluation of the performance of a robotic weighing system and review quality control measures applicable to gravimetric mass measurements. Results from this study show robotic weighing is better able to control static effects common to manual weighing. Electrostatic charges are increased with each human movement during the manual weighing process and, as indicated here, can occur suddenly and be difficult to detect. This study provides insights into the ability of robotic weighing to mitigate this effect and suggests new quality practices to detect and track the static effect.
Energy dependence of fission-fragment mass distributions from strongly damped shape evolution

The recently developed treatment of Brownian shape evolution is refined to take account of the gradual decrease in microscopic effects as the nuclear excitation energy is raised. We construct effective potential-energy surfaces by multiplying the shell-plus-pairing correction term by a suppression factor that depends on the local excitation energy. While this approach is equivalent to the modification of the Fermi-gas level density parameter suggested by Ignatyuk et al. [Sov. J. Nucl. Phys. 29, 450 (1979)], we adopt a more general functional form for the suppression factor, which is adjusted to measured charge yields for ${}^{234}\mathrm{U}\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}({E}^{*}\ensuremath{\approx}11\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}\mathrm{MeV})$. The resulting model is benchmarked by comparison with 70 measured yields.
A History of Bariatric Surgery: The Maturation of a Medical Discipline

This article examines the progression of bariatric surgery since its creation more than 60 years ago with a focus on the effect of surgery on weight loss, comorbidity reduction, and safety. The success has been remarkable. It is possible to cure severe obesity, type 2 diabetes, and hyperlipidemia in addition to the many other manifestations of the metabolic syndrome with remarkable safety. Equally important are the opportunities for research afforded by the surgery and its outcomes. Until better treatments become available, bariatric surgery is the therapy of choice for patients with morbid obesity for weight control and comorbidity improvement.
The Scenario Analysis of Low-Carbon Based on Improved IPAT Model in China

This paper considers optimization coefficient of energy structure and optimization coefficient of industry structure to build the improved IPAT model,then sets out three scenarios to analyze the development of low carbon in the future.Results indicate,Business as usual cannot achieve the goal of low-carbon economy or emission reduction commitment in 2020,with the huge energy consumption and carbon emission;Polocy Scenario can complete the emission reduction commitment,but cannot finish the goal,that the carbon intensity is cut by fifty percent;Enhance Carbon Scenario can realize the target of lowcarbon economy successfully,which needs the breakthrough of low-carbon technology innovation.
Dealing with Separation in Logistic Regression Models

When facing small numbers of observations or rare events, political scientists often encounter separation, in which explanatory variables perfectly predict binary events or nonevents. In this situation, maximum likelihood provides implausible estimates and the researcher might want incorporate some form of prior information into the model. The most sophisticated research uses Jeffreys’ invariant prior to stabilize the estimates. While Jeffreys’ prior has the advantage of being automatic, I show that it often provides too much prior information, producing smaller point estimates and narrower confidence intervals than even highly skeptical priors. To help researchers assess the amount of information injected by the prior distribution, I introduce the concept of a partial prior distribution and develop the tools required to compute the partial prior distribution of quantities of interest, estimate the subsequent model, and summarize the results.
Oral and written style: Directions for research

Though much has been written on oral in contrast with written language, little of a factual nature is known about the actual deferences. This paper discusses some of the directions in which research might proceed in clarifying the distinctions between these two forms of communication.
Flow-Governing Equations and Mathematical Models

This chapter derives a general set of flow partial differential equations (PDEs) for governing multiphase flow in porous media, based on mass conservation. It uses the black-oil model as an example for immiscible multiphase flow in porous media and shows that many other flow systems, including flow in a gas–water, liquid–gas, and water–oil system, can be derived from the general governing equations. This chapter discusses and provides commonly used constitutive equations, including capillary pressure, relative permeability functions, and other fluid and rock properties or Pressure-Volume-Temperature (PVT) data under two- and three-phase flow condition, to complete the statement of describing multiphase flow of Newtonian fluids in porous media. Then, it discusses initial and boundary conditions of reservoir models. The last section of the chapter discusses solution approaches commonly used to solve multiphase flow PDEs, including analytical solutions, numerical methods, and alternative modeling approaches.
Caregivers' perceptions of illness severity and end of life service utilization in advanced heart failure

Abstract Objectives To assess perceptions of illness severity and terminality in caregivers of advanced heart failure (HF) patients and how these perceptions influence utilization of palliative care and end-of life services. Background HF is a terminal disease; yet patients and caregivers do not understand the severity of HF or acknowledge disease terminality. Methods This study was conducted using a qualitative design with in-depth interviews and content analysis. Results Most caregivers did not understand the severity of HF (68%) or disease terminality (67%). Patients were more likely to receive services when their caregivers expressed an understanding of illness severity and/or terminality. Conclusions Inclusion of caregivers in discussions of goals of care, advance care planning, and palliative care and end-of-life services with patients and providers is imperative.
Perceptions of Retinal Imaging Technology for Identifying Livestock Exhibits

This paper will outline the results of an online survey about the perceptions of Indiana 4-H Youth Educators on the use of retinal imaging for the purpose of identifying 4-H livestock projects. Indiana has begun a three year implementation period of retinal imaging and doing away with nose printing as the method of permanent livestock identification. The perceptions relate to the benefits and disadvantages of utilizing retinal imaging technology and the reasons why a particular educator decided to purchase or not purchase the equipment during the first year of the implementation.
Predator-induced plasticity does not alter the pathway from evolution to ecology among locally adapted populations of Daphnia

In the growing field of eco-evolutionary dynamics, evidence for an influence of rapid shifts in phenotype on ecological processes is accumulating, yet, the contributions of phenotypic plasticity versus genetic change to these observed ecological changes are unclear. In one of the best studied ecosystems in terms of eco-evolutionary dynamics, landlocked versus anadromous alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) have caused strong evolutionary divergence in their key zooplankton prey (Daphnia ambigua). We previously showed that such evolutionary differences have cascading ecological effects on consumer-resource dynamics and primary production. Yet, these locally adapted populations of Daphnia also differ in trait plasticity, which may, in turn, modify the pathway from evolution to ecology. Here we compared Daphnia from lakes with landlocked versus anadromous alewife for differences in rates of population growth in the presence and absence of predator cues over the course of a 39-day experiment. We predicted that predator-induced shifts in life history traits would facilitate faster rates of population growth. Contrary to our expectations, predator cue exposure did not alter rates of population growth. We instead found that Daphnia from lakes with landlocked alewife ultimately attained higher population densities (and exhibited faster population growth) when compared with Daphnia from lakes with anadromous alewife. Based on our previous work, these population level responses were unexpected, as Daphnia from lakes with landlocked alewife exhibit slower rates of somatic growth and delayed maturation. We discuss our results in lieu of the known differences in plasticity and how the population growth patterns may be influenced by resource limitation.
Some Observations of Slag-Metal Relations In the Acid Open Hearth Steel Furnace

Trends in slag composition in acid open hearth practice, particularly the variation in iron and manganese oxides during refining, are reviewed. A procedure which is currently being used to control the refining reactions is described and partially explained through slag phase diagram considerations. In addition, the ionic nature of these slags is considered and it is proposed that silica combines with the oxide ion and forms a series of complex silicate ions. The effect of basic oxides such as FeO, MnO, and CaO is apparently additive in furnishing the oxide ion for this purpose.
Powder recycling in laser beam melting: strategies, consumption modeling and influence on resource efficiency

Laser beam melting (LBM) is a powder-bed and laser-based additive manufacturing technology that is increasingly used for the production of metal components. For a sustainability assessment of a production technology, the global warming potential (GWP) can be used, which is commonly referred to as CO2-footprint. Looking at the resource demand of LBM, material losses and powder recycling play a significant role. In the LBM build-up process, powder material is selectively solidified, generating the part layer-by-layer. The non-solidified powder material can be recycled, which is beneficial to the resource efficiency of the process. Due to considerations regarding powder quality degradation, the number of reuse powder cycles in industrial practice varies significantly, ranging from only one to more than several dozen cycles. Similarly, material losses during the process have shown to differ between LBM machines. However, previous approaches for LBM resource efficiency assessment lack a detailed representation of these two factors. In this study, two interacting models are introduced for the evaluation of the GWP of LBM parts. Firstly, a powder reuse cycle calculation model is described. Secondly, a LBM resource and energy consumption model based on the CO2PE!-methodology is put forward with a refined focus on powder recycling and material losses. The models are implemented and validated based on three LBM production use cases including the acquisition of resource and energy consumption data for three commercial LBM machines. GWP-impact values are used from the ProBas database, provided by the German Federal Environmental Agency. Based on the results regarding the three LBM use cases, the role of powder recycling and material losses on the GWP-impact of LBM during the production phase is discussed. The results show that the number of attainable powder reuse cycles lies around 35 cycles (ranging from 1 to 117 cycles) for the analyzed LBM production scenarios when applying the suggested powder recycling strategy. If powder is not recycled and only used once, more than 90% of the powder batch might be discarded. The volume-specific CO2-equivalent of 0.175 kgCO2eq/cm3 can be used as a rule of thumb for a quick estimation of the GWP for LBM parts made from Al-alloy or steel. Electric energy consumption constitutes for the largest share of GWP-impact, followed by the solidified metal powder and the occurring powder losses.
Yield risks in global maize markets: Historical evidence and projections in key regions of the world

Abstract Simultaneous worldwide crop failures stemming from a more unstable climate may reduce the scope for international trade to compensate food shortages and stabilize food prices across the various regions of the world. Understanding the effects of changes in crop productivity on global markets requires knowledge about the extent to which crop yields may be systematically related across producing and consuming centers. This short communication contributes to this knowledge by investigating the potential changes in the strength of two key sources of supply risks in global maize markets: yield variance and cross-country yield correlation. We focus on the largest producing and consuming countries of the world. We capitalize on yield projections from the Global Gridded Crop Model Intercomparison project. Exploratory analysis of the skill of the underlying GGCMI models in reproducing key moments of the distribution of observed yields reveals that they overstate observed variances but faithfully reproduce observed patterns of cross-country correlations. We find no evidence of an increase in the degree of cross-country dependency of maize yields. We also find a higher incidence of what would be considered extremely low maize yields by present-time standards stemming from the projected downward trend in yields levels toward mid-century. The weak dependency of maize yields across countries, an the possibility of reducing the higher incidence of extremes through policies aimed to reverse the climate-induced downward trends in yields, suggest that international trade can become a valuable tool to ameliorate the effects of more unstable crop yields.
The Lesson of Lincoln in the Age of Trump

Lincoln teaches two lessons for the age of Trump, first, a morally responsible but unself-righteous strategy for occasions when one discovers the American people engaging in behavior that undermines the mores upon which democratic political culture depends, and second, a realistic and moderate method of approaching opponents who seem to have closed themselves off from persuasion. The results of the 2016 election unsettle many assumptions about the domestic and international politics that the United States has practiced since the Second World War. They require us to see the American people without illusions and to ask what the proper course of action should be when they betray values that had been widely taken as fundamental and reject the mores and habits that stabilize liberal democratic republics. Lincoln faced a similar shock when he discovered, after the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854, that many Americans saw slavery not as an intractable evil that one could attack only with caution, but as something positively good, something to be defended and expanded. Even though they failed to prevent civil war, Lincoln’s efforts to keep alive the possibility of persuasive engagement with those with whom he was in profound moral conflict provide a model that our era would be wise to emulate.