cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
How Competition and Specialization Shape Nonprofit Engagement in Policy Advocacy

This paper extends research on nonprofit advocacy by exploring the relationship between competition, nonprofit mission, and policy advocacy. Previous research indicates that charitable nonprofits serving specialized populations, such as immigrants or veterans, often engage in policy advocacy. This could benefit marginalized populations whose interests are articulated by nonprofit organizations. However, population ecology theory in organizational sociology predicts that generalist organizations will outperform specialists in uncertain environments. At the very times when nonprofits serving specialized constituencies should focus on advocacy the most – for example to protect funding in competitive policy environments – they may be least able to do so. Drawing on survey data from charitable nonprofits in Boston, Massachusetts, we find that competition and specialization have direct positive effects on nonprofit engagement in advocacy and the use of formal and grassroots tactics. However, the effect of competition is weakened by nonprofit specialization. Nonprofit specialists that report higher competition for resources are less likely to participate in policy advocacy and use fewer formal and grassroots tactics. Specialists that report higher service delivery competition use fewer formal advocacy tactics. These findings suggest that we should be cautious in looking to the nonprofit sector, particularly organizations serving specialized populations, to provide constituent representation through policy advocacy in competitive environments.
Galerkin and Least-Squares Finite Element Processes for 2-D Helmholtz Equation in h, p, k Framework

Mathematical and computational details of the finite element processes using the Galerkin method, Galerkin method with weak form, and least-squares processes (LSP) for 2-D Helmholtz equation over a square domain with Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions are presented in h, p, k mathematical and computational framework. The order of the approximation space, k, defines the order of the global differentiability (k − 1) of the approximations, and it is an independent parameter, in addition to h and p, in the finite element computations. The discussion of variational consistency (VC) and variational inconsistency (VIC) of the integral forms resulting from the Galerkin method, the Galerkin method with weak form and least-squares processes and their impact on the resulting computational processes are presented. Higher-order global differentiability of the approximations is necessitated by the higher-order global differentiability of the theoretical solutions when they are analytic. Such solutions can be acc...
MINOS experiment at Fermilab

MINOS is a two-detector experiment to study neutrino oscillations in the NuMI high-intensity neutrino beam at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. Results on νμνμ disappearance, νeνe appearance, sterile neutrino mixing (νν neutral current ‘disappearance’), and νμ disappearance are summarized for an exposure of ≈3×1020≈3×1020 protons on target. Data from a 7×1020 POT exposure already in hand are being analyzed.
Localization of polyadenylated RNAs during teloplasm formation and cleavage in leech embryos

In the embryos of glossiphoniid leeches, as in many annelids, cytoplasmic reorganization prior to first cleavage generates domains of yolk-deficient cytoplasm (called teloplasm) that are sequestered during the first three cell divisions to the D' macromere. Subsequently, the D' macromere generates a set of embryonic stem cells (teloblasts) that are the progenitors of the definitive segmental tissues. The hypothesis that fate-determining substances are localized within the teloplasm and segregated to the D′ macromere during cleavage is supported by experiments in which a redistribution of yolk-defcient cytoplasm changes the fate of blastomeres that inherit it (Astrow et al. 1987; Devries 1973; Nelson and Weisblat 1992). As a step toward identifying fate-determining factors in teloplasm, we describe the distribution of polyadenylated RNAs (polyA+ RNA) in the early embryo of the leech,Helobdella triserialis, as inferred from in situ hybridization using tritiated polyuridylic acid (3H-polyU). Our results indicate that polyA+ RNA colocalizes with teloplasm during cytoplasmic rearrangements resulting in teloplasm formation, and that it remains concentrated in the teloplasm during the cell divisions and a second cytoplasmic rearrangement during early embryogenesis. Lesser amounts of polyA+ RNA appear to be localized in cortical cytoplasm at most stages.
Photoscreening for amblyogenic factors by public health personnel: the Eyecor Camera System.

OBJECTIVES. This pilot study was designed to assess the ability of a photoscreening camera to detect amblyogenic factors such as high refractive error, anisometropia, media opacities and strabismus in children, compared to the standard vision screening techniques employed by the local state public health screening personnel. METHODS. Public health personnel in Illinois used the Eyecor prototype to the current commercially available MTI PS-100 photoscreening camera (manufactured by Medical Technology Inc.) to screen 127 non-dilated subjects, ages 7 months to 20 years (mean age, 6 years), for amblyogenic factors. All participants were concurrently subjected to the "standard" vision screening employed routinely by state public health personnel. The study participants included a group of normal inner-city children and one group of special-needs children. The normal children came from both a public school and a private school. The special-needs children included a group of children from a state-run school for ...
Incorporating the effects of transcytolemmal water exchange in a reference region model for DCE-MRI analysis: Theory, simulations, and experimental results

Models have been developed for the analysis of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) data that do not require direct measurements of the arterial input function; such methods are referred to as reference region models. These models typically return estimates of the volume transfer constant (K(trans)) and the extravascular extracellular volume fraction (v(e)). To date such models have assumed a linear relationship between the measured R(1) ( identical with 1/T(1)) and the concentration of contrast agent, a transformation referred to as the fast exchange limit, but this assumption is not valid for all concentrations of an agent. A theory for DCE-MRI reference region models which accounts for water exchange is presented, evaluated in simulations, and applied in tumor-bearing mice. Using reasonable parameter values, simulations show that the assumption of fast exchange can underestimate K(trans) and v(e) by up to 82% and 46%, respectively. By analyzing a large region of interest and a single voxel the new model can return parameters within approximately +/-10% and +/-25%, respectively, of their true values. Analysis of experimental data shows that the new approach returns K(trans) and v(e) values that are up to 90% and 73%, respectively, greater than conventional fast exchange analyses.
Endoparasitic nematode-trapping fungi of Mason State Forest

An initial survey involving the endoparasitic namatode-trapping fungi of Mason State Forest in Illinois was conducted from 15 May to 26 July 1971. Three endoparasitic forms were isolated from the soil samples collected; one non-endoparasitic form was also isolated. Soil pH's and soil nutrient levels were determined for the investigation period.
A rapid method of analysis for oil, potato solids and moisture in frozen French fries

A method of analysis for oil, potato solids and moisture in frozen French fries is described. This procedure can be completed in 4–5 hr and oil analysis can be finished within 2–3 hr making it useful for industrial quality control laboratories. The rapid procedure correlates closely with the more rigorous procedure of vacuum drying and Soxhlet extraction and compares favorably for accuracy.
The Moral Obligations of Some Debts

If given the opportunity to reduce your debt, albeit at some financial risk, would you take it? Interviews and observations in two debt settlement firms show that debt settlement clients tend not to calculate financial risks in deciding which debts to try to settle. Rather, they treat their relationship with their creditor as a reciprocal and ongoing one. If the service provided by their creditor was inadequate, clients feel justified in trying to settle their debt. Otherwise, they believe that they must pay back the debt in full. In line with recent work in economic sociology, we show that economic transactors are bound by the moral requirements of the relationship they are in. But debt settlement clients invent those relationships in at least two ways: turning a debt to an impersonal agency into a relationship with a person, and turning a relationship of inequality into one of equality. Clients may preserve some sense of autonomy in a disempowering relationship by conceptualizing their relationship with their creditor as one between equals. But there is a cost: As a result of the relational schemas on which they operate, they often refuse to try to settle debts that might be settled without lasting financial repercussions.
Links between the immune and coagulation systems: how do "antiphospholipid antibodies" cause thrombosis?

Inflammation and immune activation have been associated with thrombosis in a number of settings. We have been interested in the question of how the presence of a type of autoantibody, so-called “antiphospholipid” antibody, leads to thrombosis. Several mechanisms have been proposed including modulation of tissue factor expression, enhancement of procoagulant binding to platelets, and interference with antithrombotic mechanisms. We developed a cell-based model of coagulation that, unlike current coagulation assays, reflects some of the in vivo activities of “antiphospholipid” antibodies. “Antiphospholipid” antibodies against the phospholipid-binding protein beta-2-glycoprotein-1 enhance thrombin generation in this model system, primarily by enhancing procoagulant reactions on tissue factor-bearing cells.
Exit Rights and Entrance Paths: Accommodating Cultural Diversity in a Liberal Democracy

The debate over the accommodation of culture in liberal democracies tends to emphasize exit rights. Autonomy is typically taken as a pre-condition for exit, and public schools are often charged with promoting or facilitating it. I argue that diversity liberals have a more justifiable view than that of autonomy liberals on cultural accommodation, but diversity liberalism too should reframe its view of exit rights. Narrow exit rights that protect basic human rights should be maintained and augmented with entrance paths into general society. I further suggest that for exit rights along with entrance paths to provide the morally required conditions for accommodating culture while respecting freedom, policies in this realm should be designed to address adults rather than children. I consider the effect of this dual change of perspective on the accommodation of culture in democratic institutions, including schools.
Building an information technology infrastructure

The widespread adoption of health information technology (HIT) has been recognized as both a necessary element of health reform and a required building block of a modern, high performing health care system.
Coordinate Regulation of Lipogenesis, the Assembly and Secretion of Apolipoprotein B-containing Lipoproteins by Sterol Response Element Binding Protein 1

Stable plasmid-driven expression of the liver-specific gene product cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase (7α-hydroxylase) was used to alter the cellular content of transcriptionally active sterol response element binding protein 1 (SREBP1). As a result of stable expression of 7α-hydroxylase, individual single cell clones expressed varying amounts of mature SREBP1 protein. These single cell clones provided an opportunity to identify SREBP1-regulated genes that may influence the assembly and secretion of apoB-containing lipoproteins. Our results show that in McArdle rat hepatoma cells, which normally do not express 7α-hydroxylase, plasmid-driven expression of 7α-hydroxylase results in the following: 1) a linear relationship between (i) the cellular content of mature SREBP1 and 7α-hydroxylase protein, (ii) the relative expression of 7α-hydroxylase mRNA and the mRNA's encoding the enzymes regulating fatty acid, i.e. acetyl-CoA carboxylase and sterol synthesis, i.e. HMG-CoA reductase, (iii) the relative expression of 7α-hydroxylase mRNA and microsomal triglyceride transfer protein mRNA, a gene product that is essential for the assembly and secretion of apoB-containing lipoproteins; 2) increased synthesis of all lipoprotein lipids (cholesterol, cholesterol esters, triglycerides, and phospholipids); and 3) increased secretion of apoB100 without any change in apoB mRNA. Cells expressing 7α-hydroxylase contained significantly less cholesterol (both free and esterified). The increased cellular content of mature SREBP1 and increased secretion of apoB100 were concomitantly reversed by 25-hydroxycholesterol, suggesting that the content of mature SREBP1, known to be decreased by 25-hydroxycholesterol, mediates the changes in the lipoprotein assembly and secretion pathway that are caused by 7α-hydroxylase. These data suggest that several steps in the assembly and secretion of apoB-containing lipoproteins by McArdle hepatoma cells may be coordinately linked through the cellular content of mature SREBP1.
Improving fast atom bombardment mass spectra: The influence of some controllable parameters on spectral quality

The relative effects of adjustable fast atom bombardment (FAB) parameters (choice of matrix, primary atom flux, and primary atom energy) on the appearance of FAB spectra (including signal-to-noise, signal-to-background, and signal-to-matrix ratios) of several organic dyes have been investigated. Beam-induced chemical damage is minimized by lowering the primary atom flux, by raising the primary atom energy, and by selecting a matrix with radical scavenging properties (e.g., m-nitrobenzyl alcohol). The relative importance in minimizing this chemical damage is choice of matrix > primary atom flux > (nominal) primary atom energy, but optimization of the parameters involves a trade-off between sensitivity and damage. The effect of these parameters on thermal damage (fragmentation) is much less. It can be concluded from comparison of the dyes that the extent of beam damage does not depend simply on the standard reduction potential of the analyte.
A laboratory infrastructure for flexible automation and integrated manufacturing research

Technical innovations within the scopes of manufacturing, electronics, and information technologies constantly change the existing software and hardware infrastructure of computer integrated enterprises. The increasing emphasis on the CIM systems necessitates continuous improvement and upgrade of the research and educational missions of university manufacturing research laboratories, in accordance with the latest developments in the field of computer technology and its related manufacturing applications. With the intent to provide a laboratory flexible manufacturing cell mimicking major features of most industrial flexible manufacturing systems (FMS) for university research and educational use, the Flexible Manufacturing Systems Laboratory at the University of Toledo has been established. This paper introduces the basic features and capabilities of this laboratory in conjunction with a synopsis of research projects being undertaken and those being planned for.
Effect of diuresis on P-wave duration and dispersion

Study Objective. To evaluate the effects of changing volume status on P-wave duration and dispersion in patients with decompensated heart failure. Design. Prospective analysis. Setting. Hospital cardiology unit. Patients. Twenty-one patients with symptoms of decompensated heart failure who were treated with diuretics on admission. Intervention. Twelve-lead electrocardiograms were obtained at baseline and after diuresis. Average, minimum, and maximum P-wave duration and P-wave dispersion (minimum minus maximum duration) were determined. Measurements and Main Results. P-wave duration was measured manually in all 12 leads by using a 0.5-mm-scale precision ruler and magnifying lens. After 40 ± 23 hours of diuresis, 3 ± 1 L of fluid was removed. A significant correlation was found between average P-wave duration and amount of fluid removed (r = −0.59, p=0.015). Also, average and maximum P-wave duration were significantly decreased with diuresis (p=0.001 and 0.022, respectively). No other P-wave variables were significantly affected. Conclusions. Diuresis may attenuate electrophysiologic changes caused by fluid overload.
Interactive synthesis of engineering structures

ISES – Interactive Synthesis of Engineering Structures and components is a concept presented in this paper. Such synthesis capability represents a tool for engineering designers. By synthesis it is understood that the computer generates a structure whose form and specific configuration are unknown at the outset except for the usual data typiclly available to the designer, such as the external loads, space limitations, boundary conditions (supports and constraints), and relevant material properties. The method algorithm and software are designed to have the virtues of two known approaches: analysis and optimization.
Sensory Evaluation of Reduced Fat Cheeses

The objectives of this research were to compare the effects of seven make-procedures on the sensory quality of reduced fat Monterey Jack-type cheeses. Modifications (decreased cook temperature, decreased ripe time, decreased starter, homogenization, added milk-solids-not-fat, added flavor cultures, and washed curd) were incorporated into standard make-procedures for 33% reduced fat (RF) Monterey Jack-type cheeses. Two controls, a standard full fat cheese, and a standard RF cheese, were also prepared. Cheeses were aged 3 and 7 mo prior to sensory evaluation. The full fat control cheese and the washed curd RF cheese received the highest flavor scores from trained dairy judges (n = 9) and the highest flavor and acceptance scores from a consumer panel (n = 125). Washed curd was an effective modification for optimum sensory quality of RF cheeses.
Monocyte chemotactic protein-1 concentration in peritoneal fluid of women with endometriosis and its modulation of expression in mesothelial cells

Abstract Objective: To investigate monocyte chemotactic protein-1 concentrations in the peritoneal fluid (PF) of women with or without endometriosis, then assess peritoneal mesothelial cells as a potential source of monocyte chemotactic protein-1. Design: Prospective study. Setting: University medical center. Patient(s): Women with (n = 60) or without (n = 18) endometriosis. Intervention(s): First monocyte chemotactic protein-1 levels in PF were measured, then mesothelial cells in culture were treated with cytokines. Main Outcome Measure(s): In PF and culture supernatants, monocyte chemotactic protein-1 was measured by ELISA. In vitro monocyte chemotactic protein-1 messenger RNA expression was evaluated by Northern analysis. Result(s): The median concentration of monocyte chemotactic protein-1 in PF of control women was 137 pg/mL (conversion factor to SI unit, 0.115; range, 12 to 418 pg/mL); that of women with moderate endometriosis was 205 pg/mL (range 65 to 6,000 pg/mL); and that of those with severe endometriosis was 1,165 pg/mL (0 to 2,602 pg/mL). Within the moderate to severe endometriosis group, monocyte chemotactic protein-1 levels were higher in women with untreated endometriosis (354 pg/mL range 0 to 6,000 pg/mL) than in women receiving GnRH agonist (128 pg/mL, range 0 to 216 pg/mL). In the control group, monocyte chemotactic protein-1 levels were higher in the proliferative phase than in the secretory phase. Mesothelial cells produced constitutively monocyte chemotactic protein-1; moreover, both interleukin-1α and tumor necrosis factor-α induced higher levels of monocyte chemotactic protein-1. Conclusion(s): Levels of monocyte chemotactic protein-1 in PF were higher during the proliferative phase than secretory phase of control women and increased in moderate to severe endometriosis. The regulated expression of monocyte chemotactic protein-1 may recruit macrophages into PF and contribute to the pathogenesis of endometriosis.
New low-index liquid refractive index standard: SRM 1922.

A new standard for the calibration of refractometers has been developed. Standard Reference Material (SRM) 1922 is a mineral oil with a refractive index n D = 1.46945 at 20 °C, which is within the range of the Brix scale (% sucrose). The change in refractive index with temperature (dn/dT) has been characterized for the range 15 °C to 35 °C to allow for calibrations within that range of temperatures. The refractive indices were measured at 5 wavelengths in the visible spectrum by using the method of minimum deviation with a ± 2–3 × 10–5 uncertainty at 20 °C. The values of n D and dn D/dT were determined by fits of a two-term Cauchy function to the values at the measured wavelengths with a ± 6 × 10–5 uncertainty in n D at 20 °C.
Minimally invasive synovium harvest for potential use in meniscal tissue engineering

Tissue engineering is being investigated as a means for treating avascular meniscal injury or total meniscal loss in human and veterinary patients. The purpose of this study was to determine if an arthroscopic tissue shaver can be used to collect viable synoviocytes for in vitro culture during therapeutic stifle arthroscopy, with the long term goal of producing autologous meniscal fibrocartilage for meniscal tissue engineering. Synovium was harvested arthroscopically from 13 dogs with naturally occurring cranial cruciate ligament deficiency and obtained from 5 dogs with patellar luxation via arthrotomy. Cells harvested via arthroscopy and arthrotomy were treated with a chondrogenic growth factor protocol and analyzed for meniscal-like matrix constituents including collagens type I, II, and glycosaminoglycans. Arthrotomy and Arthroscopic origin cells formed contracted tissues containing collagen I, II and small amounts of GAG. These surgical methods provide clinically relevant access to synoviocytes for potential use in meniscal tissue engineering.
Ostracode Geochemical Record of Holocene Climatic Change and Implications for Vegetational Response in the Northwestern Alaska Range

Trace-element analysis of the calcareous shells of ostracodes in a sediment core from Farewell Lake provides the first limno-geochemical record for climatic reconstructions in Alaska. When compared with pollen data from the same site, this record offers new insights into climatic controls over vegetation dynamics during the Holocene. The low Mg/Ca ratios and high Sr/Ca ratios suggest that a relatively cold dry climate prevailed in this region between 11,000 and 9000 yr B.P. (uncalibrated 14C ages are used throughout the paper). This result contrasts with previous interpretations of a thermal maximum at this time, corresponding to the widespread establishment of Populus woodland/forest. The trace-element record suggests, instead, that the warmest period of the early Holocene at Farewell Lake was between 8500 and 8000 yr B.P. during the decline of Populus. Marked decreases in Sr/Ca and Mg/Ca suggest a major increase in effective moisture around 6500 yr B.P., which coincided with the establishment of Piceaboreal forests in the Farewell Lake region. This climatic change was probably widespread throughout much of Alaska and adjacent Canada and might have induced the rapid spread of Alnus and the shift from Picea glauca to P. mariana dominance across that region. Our geochemical record also suggests that the late-Holocene climate history was more complex than previously thought on the basis of palynological studies. According to this record, growing-season temperatures increased 6000–4500 yr B.P., decreased 4500–1500 yr B.P., and increased with fluctuations afterward. After 6000 yr B.P. stratigraphic changes in pollen percentages of Picea appear to be positively related with those of Mg/Ca. This relationship implies that once the threshold of effective moisture was crossed for the establishment of Picea forests temperature was the primary control of Picea population density.
Solubilization and immunoprecipitation of alphavirus replication complexes.

Abstract Alphavirus replication complexes that are located in the mitochondrial fraction of infected cells which pellets at 15,000 x g (P15 fraction) were used for the in vitro synthesis of viral 49S genome RNA, subgenomic 26S mRNA, and replicative intermediates (RIs). Comparison of the polymerase activity in P15 fractions from Sindbis virus (SIN)- and Semliki Forest virus (SFV)-infected cells indicated that both had similar kinetics of viral RNA synthesis in vitro but the SFV fraction was twice as active and produced more labeled RIs than SIN. When assayed in vitro under conditions of high specific activity, which limits incorporation into RIs, at least 70% of the polymerase activity was recovered after detergent treatment. Treatment with Triton X-100 or with Triton X-100 plus deoxycholate (DOC) solubilized some prelabeled SFV RIs but little if any SFV or SIN RNA polymerase activity from large structures that also contained cytoskeletal components. Treatment with concentrations of DOC greater than 0.25% or with 1% Triton X-100-0.5% DOC in the presence of 0.5 M NaCl released the polymerase activity in a soluble form, i.e., it no longer pelleted at 15,000 x g. The DOC-solubilized replication complexes, identified by their polymerase activity in vitro and by the presence of prelabeled RI RNA, had a density of 1.25 g/ml, were 20S to 100S in size, and contained viral nsP1, nsP2, phosphorylated nsP3, nsP4, and possibly nsP34 proteins. Immunoprecipitation of the solubilized structures indicated that the nonstructural proteins were complexed together and that a presumed cellular protein of approximately 120 kDa may be part of the complex. Antibodies specific for nsP3, and to a lesser extent antibodies to nsP1, precipitated native replication complexes that retained prelabeled RIs and were active in vitro in viral RNA synthesis. Thus, antibodies to nsP3 bound but did not disrupt or inhibit the polymerase activity of replication complexes in vitro.
On Population and Resources: A Comment

This paper presents a commentary on the conclusions made by Partha Dasgupta in a previous article. The author notes that Dasgupta criticized researchers who have optimistic views of the future for relying on the experience of only two centuries of growth following at least 5000 years when growth was modest at best. Although there is an agreement that up to 1750 there had been little improvement in the conditions of life in Europe and Asia the author claims that the comment undermines the case that population growth works against the reduction of poverty. Moreover Dasgupta faulted those who believe that population size has no adverse effect on economic well-being saying that such optimists assume instead that future innovations will allow humans to "make no more than a finite additional demand on the natural-resource base." However the high degree of confidence that economic growth can continue with an increased population is based on the creation of knowledge. This supports the fact that while there may be a small number of countries where womens attainment of a very limited amount of education does not reduce their fertility no evidence contradicts the conclusion that education beyond the primary level for women is associated with lower fertility.
Elucidating a normal function of huntingtin by functional and microarray analysis of huntingtin-null mouse embryonic fibroblasts.

Background The polyglutamine expansion in huntingtin (Htt) protein is a cause of Huntington's disease (HD). Htt is an essential gene as deletion of the mouse Htt gene homolog (Hdh) is embryonic lethal in mice. Therefore, in addition to elucidating the mechanisms responsible for polyQ-mediated pathology, it is also important to understand the normal function of Htt protein for both basic biology and for HD.
Anthropology, development and ICTs: slums, youth and the mobile internet in urban India

In this paper we present results from an anthropological study of everyday mobile internet adoption among teenagers in a low-income urban setting. We attempt to use this study to explore how information about everyday ICT use may be relevant for development research even if it is largely dominated by entertainment uses. To understand how ICT tools are used, we need to study the spaces users inhabit, even if these spaces are dominated by mundane, non-instrumental and entertainment-driven needs. The key here is for ICTD discourse to situate insights from anthropological studies (such as this one) within an understanding of what drives a specific user population to adopt technologies in particular ways. Clearly there is a link between context and use, and understanding this may be invaluable for development research. Adopting a narrow development lens of technology use may miss the actual engagements and ingenious strategies marginal populations use to instate technologies into their everyday.
Extraction Studies for the Modified Nevis Synchrocyclotron

Computer studies of a regenerative beam extraction system using magnetic peeler-regenerator have been performed. We have also investigated the use of a time varying first harmonic magnetic bump as a beam stretcher. The results indicate, that we can expect a turn separation of the order of 0.8 in. at the mouth of the magnetic channel. The time varying bump makes it possible to stretch the external beam over most of the RF-off time of the acceleration cycle. For the, magnetic channel, a current configuration has been found which does not perturb the main cyclotron field outside itself and reduces the field by 4 kG inside the channel. The step from no field to full field is only 0.2 in. This 4 kG field extending over a distance of 20-in. is sufficient to lead the beam out of the machine.
Risk perceptions and food choice: an exploratory analysis of organic- versus conventional-produce buyers.

Consumer choice between organically (without pesticides) and conventionally grown produce is examined. Exploratory focus-group discussions and questionnaires (N = 43) suggest that individuals who purchase organically grown produce believe it is substantially less hazardous than the conventional alternative and are willing to pay significant premiums to obtain it (a median 50% above the cost of conventional produce). The value of risk reduction implied by this incremental willingness to pay is not high relative to estimates for other risks, since the perceived risk reduction is relatively large. Organic-produce consumers also appear more likely than conventional-produce consumers to mitigate other ingestion-related risks (e.g., contaminated drinking water) but less likely to use automobile seatbelts.
The Silence of the Senses

There is a view abroad on which (a) perceptual experience has (a) representational content in this sense: in it something is represented to the perceiver as so. On the view, a perceptual experience has a face value at which it may be taken, or which may be rejected. This paper argues that that view is mistaken: there is nothing in perceptual experience which makes it so that in it anything is represented as so (except insofar as the perceiver represents things to himself as so). In that sense, the senses are silent, or, in Austin’s term, dumb. Perceptual experience is not as such either veridical or delusive. It may mislead, but it does not take representation to accomplish that.
Differential Polarization Imaging: Theory and Applications

A theory of differential polarization imaging is presented using Mueller calculus. It is shown that, for any arbitrary object, 16 images (in general different) can be obtained by combining different incident polarizations of light and measuring the specific polarization components transmitted or scattered by the object. Mathematical expressions of these images for an object of arbitrary geometry are derived using classical vector diffraction theory. This theory is then applied to study the symmetry behavior of the Mueller matrix elements upon infinitesimal rotations of the optical components about the optical axis of the imaging system and to obtain the the phenomenological equations of the sixteen bright-field Mueller elements in terms of the optical coefficients. The criterion of spatial resolution between adjacent domains of different optical anisotropy is discussed. Also, the feasibility of optical sectioning in differential polarization imaging will be discussed. Finally, a test of the predictions of the differential polarization imaging theory will be presented, through the characterization of the patterns of polymerization of hemoglobin in red blood cells from patients with sickle cell anemia. A differential polarization microscope designed and built in our laboratory was used to carry out this study. On the basis of the differential polarization images obtained, models of the patterns of polymerization of the hemoglobin S inside the sickle cells are proposed and their M 12 and regular images are calculated by means of the theory (Calculated images are displayed in contour plots). Good agreement between those models and the experimental systems is found, as well as with the results previously reported.
Worst-Case Fair Bin Sort Queuing (WBSQ): An O(1) Worst-Case Fair Scheduler

The design of packet schedulers involves a tradeoff between implementation complexity, on one hand, and delay and fairness guarantees, on the other. In this paper, we present worst-case fair bin sort queuing (WBSQ), a new scheduler that has good worst-case fairness and delay properties, yet has low complexity and is amenable to simple hardware implementation. WBSQ achieves this performance by combining features of BSFQ and WF2$Q+. We establish the worst-case fairness and delay properties of WBSQ through both analysis and simulation.
Video compression with intra/inter mode switching and a dual frame buffer

Video codecs that use motion compensation have achieved performance improvements from the use of intra/inter mode switching decisions within a rate-distortion framework. A separate development has involved the use of multiple frame prediction, in which more than one past reference frame is available for motion estimation. It is shown that using a dual frame buffer, together with intra/inter mode switching improves the compression performance of the coder. Also, the mode switching algorithm is improved with the use of half-pel motion vectors.
A reconfigurable platform for the automatic synthesis of analog circuits

Reconfigurable chips are integrated circuits whose internal connections can be programmed by the user to attend a specific application. Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) and Field Programmable Analog Arrays (FPAAs) constitute the state of the art in the technology of reconfigurable chips, referring to digital and analog devices respectively. These devices will become the building blocks of a forthcoming class of hardware, with the important features of self-adaptation and self-repairing, through automatic reconfiguration. These are essential features for systems that need to perform for a long time in harsh environments such as those employed in space exploration missions. Automatic reconfiguration of field programmable devices may potentially be driven by Evolutionary Computation techniques such as Generic Algorithms. FPAAs have just recently appeared, and most projects are being carried out in universities and research centers. In this article we propose a new model of reconfigurable analog circuit and describe its application in the intrinsic evolution of a simple logic inverter.
Changes in grassland ecosystem function due to extreme rainfall events: implications for responses to climate change

Climate change is causing measurable changes in rainfall patterns, and will likely cause increases in extreme rainfall events, with uncertain implications for key processes in ecosystem function and carbon cycling. We examined how variation in rainfall total quantity (Q), the interval between rainfall events (I), and individual event size (SE) affected soil water content (SWC) and three aspects of ecosystem function: leaf photosynthetic carbon gain (ACO2 ), aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP), and soil respiration (JCO2 ). We utilized rainout shelter-covered mesocosms (2.6 m 3 ) containing assemblages of tallgrass prairie grasses and forbs. These were hand watered with 16
Dynamics of nanoparticle assembly from disjointed images of nanoparticle-polymer composites

Understanding how nanoparticles (NPs) diffuse, stick, and assemble into larger structures within polymers is key to the design and fabrication of NP-polymer composites. Here we describe an approach for inferring the dynamic parameters of NP assembly from spatially and temporally disjointed images of composites. The approach involves iterative adjustment of the parameters of a kinetic model of assembly until the computed size statistics of NP clusters match those obtained from high-throughput analysis of the experimental images. Application of this approach to the assembly of shaped, metal NPs in polymer films suggests that NP structures grow via a cluster-cluster aggregation mechanism, where NPs and their clusters diffuse with approximately Stokes-Einstein diffusivity and stick to other NPs or clusters with a probability that depends strongly on the size and shape of the NPs and the molecular weight of the polymer.
Mechanical response and heat buildup in repetitively impacted elastomers

Experimental and analytical investigations were made to find the rebound characteristics and temperature rise in elastomer slabs subjected to repetitive impact.
Mesenchymal Stem Cells In OVA-Sensitized And -Challenged Mice Produce Immunomodulatory Cytokines

Results: A CD45-negative subset of cells expressed MSC antigens including Stro-1, Sca1, CD73 and CD105. Selection for these and against CD45 yielded a pluripotent population of cells. Lungs from OVA-treated mice demonstrated a significantly greater average colony forming unit-fibroblast (CFU-F) than control mice. Sorted cells differed significantly from total lung adherent cell populations, exhibiting a pattern of gene expression nearly identical to bone marrow-derived MSCs. The sorted lung cells expressed significantly more osteopontin and proliferin than total lung adherent cell fibroblasts. Cultured MSCs also produced significant levels of IL-6, MCP-1/CCL2, KC/CXCL1, RANTES/CCL5 and eotaxin/CCL11, and co-culture experiments showed that MSCs increased the production of these cytokines by splenocytes from OVA-treated mice. Finally, we isolated cells from the BAL of a human asthma patient with identical patterns of cell surface markers and pluripotentiality.
Investigation of a Fire Accident Caused by Electric Bicycle

In recent years, electric bicycle fires have occurred frequently nationwide, leading to a large number of casualties and property losses. Irreversible tragedies are caused due to high penetration of electric bicycles and the public's lack of knowledge regarding fire risk and safety escape. Therefore, the thesis, with the case study of a killing electric bicycle fire, discusses the causes of electric bicycle fire, thereby drawing the public's attention to fire risk around them.
Estimates of the Marxian Variables for the Postwar US Economy

This chapter presents estimates of the rate of surplus-value, the composition of capital, and the rate of profit for the postwar US economy, based on the definitions of these concepts discussed in the previous chapter. The first three sections will examine the estimates of each of these three Marxian variables for the period 1947–77 in order to determine the extent to which the trends in these variables during this period were in the directions hypothesized by Marx, as discussed in Chapter 1.
MIST1 and PTF1 collaborate in feed-forward regulatory loops that maintain the pancreatic acinar phenotype in adult mice

Much remains unknown regarding the regulatory networks formed by transcription factors in mature, differentiated mammalian cells in vivo, despite many studies of individual DNA-binding transcription factors. We report a constellation of feed-forward loops formed by the pancreatic transcription factors MIST1 and PTF1 that govern the differentiated phenotype of the adult pancreatic acinar cell. PTF1 is an atypical basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor complex of pancreatic acinar cells and is critical to acinar cell fate specification and differentiation. MIST1, also a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor, enhances the formation and maintenance of the specialized phenotype of professional secretory cells. The MIST1 and PTF1 collaboration controls a wide range of specialized cellular processes, including secretory protein synthesis and processing, exocytosis, and homeostasis of the endoplasmic reticulum. PTF1 drives Mist1 transcription, and MIST1 and PTF1 bind and drive the transcription of over 100 downstream acinar genes. PTF1 binds two canonical bipartite sites within a 0.7-kb transcriptional enhancer upstream of Mist1 that are essential for the activity of the enhancer in vivo MIST1 and PTF1 coregulate target genes synergistically or additively, depending on the target transcriptional enhancer. The frequent close binding proximity of PTF1 and MIST1 in pancreatic acinar cell chromatin implies extensive collaboration although the collaboration is not dependent on a stable physical interaction.
Low day +100 serum epidermal growth factor levels are associated with acute GvHD after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation.

Low day +100 serum epidermal growth factor levels are associated with acute GvHD after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation
The DIME/PMESII Paradigm

There was a time when the phrase “paradigm shift” was popular—and overused. A true paradigm shift occurs when a new thought pattern is so useful that the previous conceptual world view is replaced by a new one. The DIME/PMESII paradigm did just that. In this chapter, we explore the central concepts of DIME/PMESII, its variants, and its criticisms.
Patients With Diabetic Foot Disease Fear Major Lower-Extremity Amputation More Than Death.

Background. The aim of this study was to identify the most-feared complications of diabetes mellitus (DM), comparing those with diabetic foot pathology with those without diabetic foot pathology. M...
Enhanced radiation tolerance in Mn-doped ferroelectric thin films

This work investigates the role of Mn-doping of ferroelectric lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thin films exposed to a range of ionizing radiation doses. PZT thin films were fabricated with both undoped and 4% Mn-doped compositions, and the functional response was compared both before and after exposure to gamma radiation doses up to 10 Mrad. A phenomenological model was applied to quantify defect interactions and compare trends in the degradation of the functional response. Mn-doped PZT samples demonstrate reduced magnitude of functional response in non-irradiated samples but exhibit vastly superior radiation tolerance of dielectric and ferroelectric properties across the range of gamma doses studied here. Strong MnZr/Ti″−VO·· defect dipoles pin domain walls, resulting in a lower initial functional response and mitigating the deleterious effects of irradiation on extrinsic contributions to the said response. Piezoelectric response trends as a function of radiation dose are highly nonlinear. The results of this work can be leveraged to engineer next-generation radiation-tolerant ferroelectric materials for applications where high levels of functional response stability are required, especially at elevated ionizing radiation dose.
Effects of printing conditions on the molecular alignment of three-dimensionally printed polymer

Abstract Three-dimensional polymer printing involves layer-by-layer deposition, so preferred in-plane molecular alignment occurs. Bottom-up stereolithography is used with an ultraviolet-curable acrylate ester resin. The out-of-plane relative electric permittivity (4.1–4.3) increases slightly with decreasing layer thickness (50-25 μm), due to the increased molecular alignment. All values are above the value (3.5) for the bulk polymer. The permittivity decreases with increasing curing time, due to molecular networking. It decreases with increasing light intensity, due to enhanced curing. Increase in the resin age increases the permittivity, due to the hindrance to curing. The permittivity decreases with increasing aging time after printing, due to post-curing.
Memoir and People’s History in Janet Hamilton’s Sketches of Village Life

In this chapter I examine the autobiographical reflections of a matriarch who, although largely remembered as a poet and essayist, also published reminiscences as part of a “people’s history” of the region in which she grew up. An avid reader who had no formal education whatsoever, Janet Hamilton possessed a remarkable memory which helped her memorialize, sometimes critically, the customs, ballads, legends, and personal ties of an “auld warld” in which she had managed to flourish. In a period when the life story of a working-class shoemaker’s wife and mother of ten might not have attracted interest, Hamilton’s essays, reprinted from the Airdre Advertiser, blended memories of a devout, rural, and preindustrial culture with the account of a bright girl’s observant and restless childhood.
Clinical Application of Genome and Exome Sequencing as a Diagnostic Tool for Pediatric Patients: a Scoping Review of the Literature

Availability of clinical genomic sequencing (CGS) has generated questions about the value of genome and exome sequencing as a diagnostic tool. Analysis of reported CGS application can inform uptake and direct further research. This scoping literature review aims to synthesize evidence on the clinical and economic impact of CGS. PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane were searched for peer-reviewed articles published between 2009 and 2017 on diagnostic CGS for infant and pediatric patients. Articles were classified according to sample size and whether economic evaluation was a primary research objective. Data on patient characteristics, clinical setting, and outcomes were extracted and narratively synthesized. Of 171 included articles, 131 were case reports, 40 were aggregate analyses, and 4 had a primary economic evaluation aim. Diagnostic yield was the only consistently reported outcome. Median diagnostic yield in aggregate analyses was 33.2% but varied by broad clinical categories and test type. Reported CGS use has rapidly increased and spans diverse clinical settings and patient phenotypes. Economic evaluations support the cost-saving potential of diagnostic CGS. Multidisciplinary implementation research, including more robust outcome measurement and economic evaluation, is needed to demonstrate clinical utility and cost-effectiveness of CGS.