cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rethinking China's Coercive Capacity: An Examination of PRC Domestic Security Spending, 1992–2012

Discussions of China's rising domestic security expenditure often present this spending as evidence of the Chinese Communist Party's strong coercive capacity. This article argues that a lack of theoretical clarity about domestic security has resulted in flawed conclusions about these expenditures and their implications for China's coercive capacity. Challenging the conventional wisdom, the article analyses China's domestic security spending from 1992 through 2012 and argues that it is important to consider not only the total amount that China spends but also how it spends these resources and the magnitude of the threats that this expenditure must address. It finds that China's domestic security spending is not historically unprecedented, is not expanding as a proportion of national expenditure, and is not necessarily high (or producing high coercive capacity) when compared to other countries. The article also shows that certain locations struggle more to fund their coercive capacity than others, and that these locations overlap with areas where internal security threats may be particularly acute. The challenges that the coercive apparatus must address have also grown over the same period during which domestic security spending has risen. Finally, attempts to improve the political position of China's coercive agents cannot be equated with improvements in their capacity to manage Chinese society. Cumulatively, this reassessment provides more evidence of the limitations on China's coercive capacity than of its strength.
Evaluation of the association between disaster training and confidence in disaster response among graduate medical trainees: A cross-sectional study

Objective: Disasters by definition overwhelm the resources of a hospital and may require a response from a range of practitioners. Disaster training is part of emergency medicine (EM) resident curricula, but less emphasized in other training programs. This study aimed to compare disaster educational training and confidence levels among resident trainees from multiple specialties. Design: A structured questionnaire assessed graduate medical training in disaster education and self-perceived confidence in disaster situations. Cross-sectional sampling of resident trainees from the departments of surgery, pediatrics, internal medicine, and EM was performed. Setting: The study took place at a large urban academic medical center during March 2013. Participants: Among 331 available residents, a convenience sample of 157 (47.4 percent) was obtained. Main Outcome Measures: Outcomes investigated include resident confidence in various disaster scenarios, volume of disaster training currently received, and preferred education modality. Results: EM trainees reported 7.3 hours of disaster instruction compared to 1.3 hours in non-EM trainees (p < 0.001). EM residents reported significantly more confidence in disaster scenarios compared to non- EM residents except for overall low confidence levels for mega mass casualty incidents. The preferred education modality for both EM and non-EM residents was simulation exercises followed by lecture. Conclusions: This study demonstrated relatively lower confidence among non-EM residents in disaster response as well as lower number of disaster education time. These data report a learner preference for simulation training.
Peanut Peg Strength and Associated Pod Yield and Loss by Cultivar

ABSTRACT Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) peg strength and associated pod yield and digging loss were documented for nine cultivars and two breeding genotypes across three harvest dates (early, mid, and late season) at two Southwest Georgia locations during 2010 and 2011. Cultivars selected were Georgia Green, Georgia Greener, Georgia-02C, Georgia-06G, Georgia-07W, Georgia-09B, Georgia-10T, Florida-07, Tifguard, and advanced breeding lines EXP27-1516 and TifGP-2. Prior to digging, a minimum of three peanut plants from each plot were selected and excess stems and leaves were removed with scissors leaving individual peanut pegs and pods with about 5-cm of stem. Each peanut pod was placed in a “U” shaped metal bracket attached to an electronic force gauge and the stem was pulled manually until the pod detached. After digging and combining, a tractor-mounted scavenger machine was used to collect pods remaining in the soil. Peg strength was greater at Dawson (6.14 N) compared to Tifton (5.28 N) in 2010 but were si...
Ultrasound versus magnetic resonance imaging of the temporomandibular joint in juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a systematic review.

Abstract A systematic review of published articles on ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) was performed to answer the question “What is the sensitivity and specificity of US as compared to MRI in diagnosing acute and chronic joint changes in patients with JIA?” The most recent evidence was sought in published articles via a search of the PubMed, Ovid, and Embase databases. Article appraisal was performed by two reviewers. Nineteen articles reporting prospective or ambispective studies comparing US to MRI in TMJ imaging were found. Six of these articles were specific to JIA patients. The heterogeneity of these articles made comparison difficult. Of the acute and chronic changes assessed (disk displacement, joint effusion, bony deformity), only joint effusion was appropriately assessed by multiple authors, with US having a sensitivity of 0–72% and specificity of 70–83% as compared to MRI. There was a paucity of studies specific to JIA, with many studying adult, non-rheumatic patients. This systematic review found that dynamic imaging with high-resolution US improves sensitivity and specificity compared to static, low-resolution US. Additionally, there is evidence to suggest that US imaging following a baseline MRI can increase US sensitivity and specificity and may have a future role in disease surveillance.
Prostanoid Receptor EP2 as a Therapeutic Target

Cycoloxygenase-2 (COX-2) induction is prevalent in a variety of (brain and peripheral) injury models where COX-2 levels correlate with disease progression. Thus, COX-2 has been widely explored for anti-inflammatory therapy with COX-2 inhibitors, which proved to be effective in reducing the pain and inflammation in patients with arthritis and menstrual cramps, but they have not provided any benefit to patients with chronic inflammatory neurodegenerative disease. Recently, two COX-2 drugs, rofecoxib and valdecoxib, were withdrawn from the United States market due to cardiovascular side effects. Thus, future anti-inflammatory therapy could be targeted through a specific prostanoid receptor downstream of COX-2. The PGE2 receptor EP2 is emerging as a pro-inflammatory target in a variety of CNS and peripheral diseases. Here we highlight the latest developments on the role of EP2 in diseases, mechanism of activation, and small molecule discovery targeted either to enhance or to block the function of this receptor.
Sb- and Al-free ultra-high-current tunnel FET designs

We propose a series of ultra-high-current triple-heterojunction (3HJ) tunnel field-effect transistor (TFET) designs based on InGaAs/InP materials. Such materials are Sb- and Al-free for ease of processing and to permit low-trap-density dielectric interfaces. Quantum transport simulations, based on eight-band kp Hamiltonian, considering effects of strain and electron-phonon scattering, are performed to guide the design and predict the device performance. With V DD =0.3V and I OFF =1nA/μm, the best design can achieve ballistic I ON of 605μA/μm and, with electron-phonon scattering modeled at 310eV/nm optical deformation constant, a still-high 392μA/μm.
Screening Mammography Use: The Importance of a Population Perspective

Mammography has been shown to be effective in decreasing breast cancer mortality. However, not all women receive recommended screening. The purpose of this study was to measure the effect of systemic health care delivery factors and patient demographic factors on the use of mammography among a population of women with insurance coverage for screening mammography. We studied 8,805 women, 50 to 74 years of age, who were members of a health maintenance organization in Michigan during 1992. Data were obtained from computerized patient registration and billing systems. Estimated household income was based on zip code and 1990 U.S. Census information. During the study period, 47% of the entire study population received a mammogram. Among the 4,628 women who did not receive a mammogram, 2,358 (51%) did not have any primary care visits in 1992, or did not have a visit at a time when they were due for mammography. Among women with at least one visit during 1992, 60% received a mammogram. Analysis of this group revealed that Caucasian race, married status, andhigher estimated household income were associated with 3%-5% higher mammography rates (in absolute terms); seeing a gynecologist and attending a primary care clinic where mammography was available on site were associated with 10%—11 % higher rates; and not having at least one of their primary care visits at a time when due for screening was associated with a 33.5% lower mammography rate. These differences persisted after adjusting for other variables. In this population, factors surrounding health care delivery, such as having an office visit when due for screening, the number of office visits, and having been seen by a gynecologist, had a greater association with mammography use than did demographic factors. A population-based perspective that includes developing outreach strategies for women overdue for screening, who have not visited their health care provider, is as important as further improvements in office-based strategies to increase breast cancer screening.
Recent Advances in Modelling of Harmful Algal Blooms

Our understanding of the dynamics of HABs, in the context of both their ecosystems and their environment, has increased tremendously through the combination of models and data. The GEOHAB program, in particular, has promoted the integration of data and models for understanding and predicting HABs. The engagement of statisticians, physical oceanographers, and modelers with the biologists investigating HABs has been a powerful boon to progress in this field. New statistical techniques have been deployed to understand and predict HABs in response to measured forcings, and new dynamic models of HABs and their ecosystems are enabling a deeper understanding of the processes governing the initiation, growth, transport, and decline of phytoplankton species and their toxins. The maturing of process models, combined with improved, data-based empirical-statistical models, has led to significant improvements in models for predicting and managing HABs.
The Kafue Flats in Zambia, Africa: A Lost Floodplain?

In parts of sub-Saharan Africa, as well as South America, India, and southeast Asia, interior riverine wetlands are stressed or altered by dams and reservoir projects for hydroelectric, irrigation, and flood control “benefits” (Dugan 1988, Nelson et al. 1989, Scudder 1989). Resultant impacts from hydroelectric alteration and lack of flooding downstream affect both biodiversity and human use of floodplain wetlands for agriculture, fiber, and medicinal plant usage (Duggan 1988, Mathooko and Kariuki 2000, Tockner and Stanford 2002).
Enkephalins are Hormonal Modulator of Learning and Memory

ABSTRACT Recently, it was discovered that the body makes substances that are related to morphine These endogenous opioids are widespread in the brain and closely associated with neuroendocrine systems that respond to stress There are at least 18 different opioid substances that have been identified and their biological functions are almost completely unknown. Yet, we have found that these substances dramatically affect learning in very small amounts. We have also found that a plasma enzyme that breaks down one of these opioid peptides (leu-enkephalin) may be a regulatory mechanism controlling opioid actions on learning
Reliability Analysis of Thermally Stressed Viscoelastic Structures by Monte Carlo Simulation

Probabilistic models for predicting the service life of missile structures subjected to random thermal loads have been developed. The models are applicable to both elastic and viscoelastic materials and utilize the finite element method. Statistical descriptions of the stresses, strains and damage parameters are generated using Monte Carlo computer simulation techniques and mathematical models of the thermal environments in arctic temperate, and desert geographical locations. The statistical descriptions of the induced stresses, strains, and damage are compared with similar descriptions of allowable parameters using interferrence techniques to compute a probability of failure. Realibility concepts are then used to generate service life estimates.
Activation of the coagulation system in polycythemia vera

Thrombosis is one of the major complications of polycythemia vera. Seventeen patients with polycythemia vera in good hematologic control were evaluated for abnormalities of the coagulation system. Activation of the intrinsic coagulation cascade was suggested by low levels of factor XII, prekallikrein, and kallikrein inhibitors in 12 of 17 patients. The group also demonstrated a significant increase in soluble fibrin complexes using plasma gel filtration on 4% agarose. Fibrin degradation products were normal and antithrombin III levels were slightly elevated. It appears that patients with polycythemia vera have chronic activation of the coagulation system, probably initiated by activation of factor XII. No correlation between the degree of coagulation abnormalities and thromboembolic complications was evident in this group of patients.
Effects of embryo-freezing and thawing techniques on the survivability of Brucella abortus.

Abstract A suspension of a pathogenic strain (2308) of Brucella abortus was aliquoted, centrifuged, resuspended in 6 treatment media and quantitated. Ten 1-ml samples of each treatment were subjected to a standard embryo-freezing technique. The treatments were selected to examine the effects of 1) freezing and thawing, 2) cryoprotectants and 3) antibiotics on the survivability of Brucella suspended in embryo-support media. Five samples of each treatment were thawed and quantitated after a 2-wk storage period and five samples were thawed and quantitated after a 6-mo storage period. Means and percent reductions were determined for each treatment. There was no statistical difference between means at 2 wk and 6 mo within any treatment. Freezing and thawing caused a 64% reduction in the number of viable Brucella . The addition of antibiotics caused a 99.9% reduction in viability of the organism. Glycerol protected the organism during freezing and thawing in the absence of antibiotics but did not interfere with the high percent reduction seen when antibiotics were present. Dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), however, not only protected the organism during freezing and thawing but also appeared to negate the effects of the antibiotics.
Remote sensing vegetation index methods to evaluate changes in greenness and evapotranspiration in riparian vegetation in response to the Minute 319 environmental pulse flow to Mexico

Abstract. During the spring of 2014, 130 million m 3 of water were released from the United States' Morelos Dam on the lower Colorado River to Mexico, allowing water to reach the Gulf of California for the first time in 13 years. Our study assessed the effects of water transfer or ecological environmental flows from one nation to another, using remote sensing. Spatial applications for water resource evaluation are important for binational, integrated water resources management and planning for the Colorado River, which includes seven basin states in the US plus two states in Mexico. Our study examined the effects of the historic binational experiment (the Minute 319 agreement) on vegetative response along the riparian corridor. We used 250 m Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) and 30 m Landsat 8 satellite imagery to track evapotranspiration (ET) and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). Our analysis showed an overall increase in NDVI and evapotranspiration (ET) in the year following the 2014 pulse, which reversed a decline in those metrics since the last major flood in 2000. NDVI and ET levels decreased in 2015, but were still significantly higher ( P < 0.001) than pre-pulse (2013) levels. Preliminary findings show that the decline in 2015 persisted into 2016 and 2017. We continue to analyse results for 2018 in comparison to short-term (2013–2018) and long-term (2000–2018) trends. Our results support the conclusion that these environmental flows from the US to Mexico via the Minute 319 “pulse” had a positive, but short-lived (1 year), impact on vegetation growth in the delta.
Revised stratigraphy of the middle Simcoe Group (Ordovician, upper Sandbian-Katian) in its type area: an integrated approach

The Upper Ordovician Bobcaygeon Formation of southern Ontario is a widespread unit that spans the Sandbian–Katian stage boundary and contains exceptionally preserved invertebrate fossil assemblages...
On Populism. A Comment on Philippe Schmitter's Essay

A comment on Philippe Schmitter's essay "The Vices and Virtues of ‘Populisms’" ( Sociologica , 13 (1), 2019).
The impact of baseline proteinuria in pregnant women with pregestational diabetes mellitus

Background The incidence of diabetes in pregnancy has increased dramatically with the rising rates of obesity. Because there are a number of recognized adverse maternal and fetal outcomes associated with diabetes, there have been several attempts to classify this disorder for perinatal risk stratification. One of the first classification systems for pregnancy was developed by White nearly 70 years ago. More recently, efforts to stratify diabetic disease severity according to vasculopathy have been adopted. Regardless of classification system, vasculopathy-associated effects have been associated with worsening pregnancy outcomes. Defining vasculopathy within an organ system, however, has not been consistent. For example, definitions of diabetic kidney disease differ from the previously used threshold of ≥500 mg/d by White for pregnancy to varying thresholds of albuminuria by the American Diabetes Association. Objective To evaluate a proteinuria threshold that was a relevant determinant of perinatal risk in a cohort of women with type 2 diabetes. Materials and Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of women with pregestational diabetes delivered of nonanomalous, singleton, liveborn infants. All women were assessed for baseline maternal disease burden with a 24-hour proteinuria quantification performed before 20 weeks’ gestation. Women with 300 mg/d. Results Between 2009 and 2016, a total of 594 women with pregestational diabetes were found to meet study criteria. When analyzed according to protein excretion values 50–100, 101–200, 201–300, and 301–499 mg/d, there were no differences in maternal demographics. The rate of preeclampsia with severe features (P for trend = .02), preterm birth at 300 mg/d group. Perinatal outcomes were then examined in the context of 24-hour urine protein excretion values of ≤300 or >300 mg/d, with no differences in maternal demographics. Protein excretion values >300 mg/d were significantly associated with preterm birth Conclusion White’s classification in 1949 was developed to stratify perinatal risks based on maternal disease burden, and it was found that urinary protein excretion of >500 mg/d was associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. In a contemporary cohort of pregnant women, proteinuria >300 mg/d was associated with preterm birth, preeclampsia with severe features, and birthweight
World modeling and task specification

In Chapter 1, the basic elements of the world modeling were introduced. The issue of world modeling and task specification can be addressed together under the same framework because of the developments in CAD techniques and spatial relationships. In this Chapter, we will present the concepts of world modeling and task specification.
Adolescent Medicine: Physical and Neurocognitive Development

Following infancy, adolescence is the second most dynamic period in a person’s life course. The rapid and dramatic physiologic changes combined with emotional, cognitive, and social development as individuals transition from childhood to adulthood mean that differences in where a young person is developmentally may greatly influence their understanding and insights about what is happening to them and their willingness to engage in treatment and services. This brief overview of adolescent development provides healthcare professionals a developmental and strengths-based framework with which to approach their work with young people who have been trafficked. Key takeaways are as follows: (1) adolescents develop at different paces, (2) exposures to various traumas impact adolescents differently, (3) the developing adolescent brain may be particularly vulnerable to trauma and exposure to substances, and (4) the plasticity of the adolescent brain and resiliency of young people offer immense opportunity to shift trajectories, heal from trauma, and construct new narratives of hope.
Node-Aware Stencil Communication for Heterogeneous Supercomputers

High-performance distributed computing systems increasingly feature nodes that have multiple CPU sockets and multiple GPUs. The communication bandwidth between these components is non-uniform. Furthermore, these systems can expose different communication capabilities between these components. For communication-heavy applications, optimally using these capabilities is challenging and essential for performance. Bespoke codes with optimized communication may be non-portable across run-time/software/hardware configurations, and existing stencil frameworks neglect optimized communication. This work presents node-aware approaches for automatic data placement and communication implementation for 3D stencil codes on multi-GPU nodes with non-homogeneous communication performance and capabilities. Benchmarking results in the Summit system show that choices in placement can result in a 20% improvement in single-node exchange, and communication specialization can yield a further 6x improvement in exchange time in a single node, and a 16% improvement at 1536 GPUs.
Chemistry of the chippiine/dippinine/tronocarpine class of indole alkaloids.

Abstract The chippiines/dippinines/tronocarpine are a family of biologically and structurally interesting polycyclic tryptamine-derived indole alkaloids isolated from the leaf and bark extracts of plants belonging to the Tabernaemontana genus. To date, 14 members of this family have been isolated and characterized. This review discusses the isolation, structure determination, biological activity, and proposed biosynthesis of these metabolites. In addition, synthetic studies on the alkaloids are described including approaches to tronocarpine and dippinine B core intermediates and total syntheses of (+)-dippinine B and (+)-tronocarpine.
Yikes! Was I Wrong? A Second Look at the Viability of Monitoring Capital Postconviction Counsel

Albert Holland brought his complaints about his postconviction counsel to the correct party – the party that had a statutory obligation to monitor counsel’s performance. Despite this obligation, the Florida Supreme Court failed to spot and prevent a major (and preventable) error – the failure to properly calculate and meet the deadline for filing a federal habeas petition. Holland’s case calls into question the efficacy of monitoring as a tool for promoting the delivery of competent assistance – a tool this author has argued is constitutionally required to protect the statutory right to capital postconviction counsel. That the case took place in Florida – a pioneer in the context of capital postconviction counsel because unlike other death penalty states it requires monitoring – makes the question more pronounced. If Albert Holland could not get quality monitoring in Florida, then perhaps quality monitoring is unattainable. As explained in this Article, however, the monitoring failure in Holland does not undermine reliance on monitoring as a way of promoting effective assistance of capital postconviction counsel. Instead, Florida’s monitoring system malfunctioned for two reasons: First, it utilizes the judiciary as the monitoring entity instead of an independent entity with expertise and commitment to the enterprise. While the judiciary possesses the necessary expertise to perform the monitoring function, its literal failure to monitor suggests a lack of such commitment. Second, neither the legislature nor the courts have established a structure for exercising the monitoring obligation, and this lack of structure not only makes it difficult to effectively and thoroughly monitor counsel’s performance, but also decreases the likelihood that courts will actually engage in monitoring. So the lessons from Holland? With a dedicated entity, a clear structure, and a proactive stance, monitoring remains an efficacious tool in promoting the delivery of competent assistance of postconviction counsel.
Hepatitis C Virus Vaccine Research: Time to Put Up or Shut Up

Unless urgently needed to prevent a pandemic, the development of a viral vaccine should follow a rigorous scientific approach. Each vaccine candidate should be designed considering the in-depth knowledge of protective immunity, followed by preclinical studies to assess immunogenicity and safety, and lastly, the evaluation of selected vaccines in human clinical trials. The recently concluded first phase II clinical trial of a human hepatitis C virus (HCV) vaccine followed this approach. Still, despite promising preclinical results, it failed to protect against chronic infection, raising grave concerns about our understanding of protective immunity. This setback, combined with the lack of HCV animal models and availability of new highly effective antivirals, has fueled ongoing discussions of using a controlled human infection model (CHIM) to test new HCV vaccine candidates. Before taking on such an approach, however, we must carefully weigh all the ethical and health consequences of human infection in the absence of a complete understanding of HCV immunity and pathogenesis. We know that there are significant gaps in our knowledge of adaptive immunity necessary to prevent chronic HCV infection. This review discusses our current understanding of HCV immunity and the critical gaps that should be filled before embarking upon new HCV vaccine trials. We discuss the importance of T cells, neutralizing antibodies, and HCV genetic diversity. We address if and how the animal HCV-like viruses can be used for conceptualizing effective HCV vaccines and what we have learned so far from these HCV surrogates. Finally, we propose a logical but narrow path forward for HCV vaccine development.
Integration of Energy Systems with Other Medical Devices

Electromagnetic interference (EMI) from medical equipment may originate from multiple sources and interfere with implantable electronic devices in the patient. Such implanted devices include cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED), i.e., pacemakers and implantable defibrillators; deep brain, spinal cord, vagal nerve and sacral nerve (bladder) stimulators; implantable infusion pumps and cochlear implants. The scope of this discussion is limited to CIED. EMI can be generated by many devices in the operating room and elsewhere within the hospital. These include monopolar electrosurgical and endoscopic devices, radiofrequency ablation, electrocardiographic monitors, fluid and blood warmers, MRI and CT scanners, and peripheral nerve stimulators. Ultrasonic shears generate mechanical rather than electromagnetic energy and are therefore safe to use in the presence of implantable devices. One must remember, however, that any energy device has the potential to cause damage, particularly to surrounding structures.
Irony in Adam Smith’s Critical Global History:

This essay argues that attention to Adam Smith’s ironic framing of his historical narratives in the Wealth of Nations shows his critique of modern commercial society to have been more radical than ...
ON-CHIP DOUBLE EMULSION DROPLET ASSEMBLY USING ELECTROWETTING-ON-DIELECTRIC AND DIELECTROPHORESIS

The double emulsion (DE) droplets used for fabrication of cryogenic foam targets for inertial confinement fusion experiments require precisely controlled volumes. On-chip electric field actuated mi...
Stage migration and increasing proportion of favorable-prognosis metastatic renal cell carcinoma patients: implications for clinical trial design and interpretation.

BACKGROUND: The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center risk model classifies patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) by 5 pretreatment features as favorable, intermediate, and poor risk. The number of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center patients in each risk group was examined by year of treatment to analyze stage migration. METHODS: The distribution of risk groups was examined retrospectively in 789 Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center patients with metastatic RCC treated in a first-line therapy clinical trial from 1975 to 2007. Date of treatment onset was divided into 6 cohorts between 1975 and 2007 (1975-1980, 1981-1985, 1986-1990, 1991-1995, 1996-2001, and 2001-2007). RESULTS: The median age of the first-line metastatic RCC clinical trial patients was 59 years (range, 20-82 years). Most patients received cytokine therapy (55%), 37% received chemotherapy/other, and 8% received vascular endothelial growth factor-targeted therapies. Overall survival increased with each consecutive cohort year group (P < .001). Median survival was 0.43 years (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.27-0.68) in the 1973-1980 cohort and 1.5 years in the 2001-2007 cohort (95% CI, 1.15-2.11). Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center risk-group distribution shifted between 1975 and 2007 (P < .0001). The poor-risk group proportion became smaller (from 44% in 1975-1980 to 13% in 2001-2007), whereas the favorable-risk group increased (from 0% in 1975-1980 to 49% in 2001-2007). The intermediate-risk group remained stable at 50%. After adjusting for type of therapy, the shifts continue to be significant (P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: The risk-group distribution for metastatic RCC patients in clinical trials shifted from 1975 to 2007. These shifts have direct implications for data analysis, interpretation of metastatic RCC trends, and drug development. Cancer 2010. © 2010 American Cancer Society.
What happens to soil organic carbon as coastal marsh ecosystems change in response to increasing salinity? An exploration using ramped pyrolysis

Coastal wetlands store vast amounts of organic carbon, globally, and are becoming increasingly vulnerable to the effects of anthropogenic sea level rise. To understand the effect of sea level rise on organic carbon fate and preservation in this global sink, it is necessary to characterize differences in the biogeochemical stability of coastal wetland soil organic carbon (SOC). Here we use ramped pyrolysis/oxidation decomposition characteristics as proxies for SOC stability to understand the fate of carbon storage in coastal wetlands comprising the Mississippi River deltaic plain, undergoing rapid rates of local sea level rise. Soils from three wetland types (fresh, brackish, and salt marshes) along a salinity gradient were subjected to ramped pyrolysis analysis to evaluate decomposition characteristics related to thermochemical stability of SOC. At equivalent soil depths, we observed that fresh marsh SOC was more stable than brackish and salt marsh SOC. Depth, isotopic, elemental, and chemical compositions, bulk density, and water content of SOC all exhibited different relationships with SOC stability across the marsh salinity gradient, indicative of different controls on SOC stability within each marsh type. The differences in stability imply stronger preservation potential of fresh marsh soil carbon, compared to that of salt and brackish marshes. Considering projected marsh ecosystem responses to sea level rise, these observed stability differences are important in planning and implementing coastal wetland carbon-focused remediation and improving climate model feedbacks with the carbon cycle. Specifically, our results imply that ecosystem changes associated with sea level rise will initiate the accumulation of less stable carbon in coastal wetlands.
Assessing Tolerance for Wildlife: Clarifying Relations Between Concepts and Measures

Two parallel lines of inquiry, tolerance for and acceptance of wildlife populations, have arisen in the applied literature on wildlife conservation to assess probability of successfully establishing or increasing populations of controversial species. Neither of these lines is well grounded in social science theory, and diverse measures have been employed to assess tolerance, which inhibits comparability across studies. We empirically tested behavioral measures of tolerance against self-reports of previous policy-relevant behavior and behavioral intentions. Both composite behavioral measures were strongly correlated (r > .70) with two attitudinal measures of tolerance commonly employed in the literature. The strong correlation between attitudinal and behavioral measures suggests existing attitudinal measures represent valid, parsimonious measures of tolerance that may be useful when behavioral measures are too cumbersome or misreporting of behavior is anticipated. Our results demonstrate how behavioral mea...
Fracture and Tensile Properties of ASTM Cross-Comparison Exercise A 533B Steel by Small Punch Testing

The small punch (miniature disk bend) test was used to estimate conventional tensile and fracture properties of the reactor pressure vessel A 533B plate steel provided by ASTM for its Cross-Comparison Exercise on Determination of Material Properties Through the Use of Miniature Mechanical Testing Techniques. The test procedures followed those developed over the last six years mainly through support of the Electric Power Research Institute. The small punch, disk-shaped specimen of 6.35 mm (0.25 in.) diameter and 0.5 mm (0.020 in.) thickness is loaded by a 2.54 mm (0.1 in.) diameter hemispherical head punch at a constant displacement rate of typically 0.25 mm (0.01 in.) per minute. The room-temperature material fracture toughness (K I c ) and uniaxial tensile stress-strain curve and properties estimated from three separate small punch tests at room temperature show good reproducibility and agreement with the conventionally-measured, large specimen values. A series of small punch tests exhibited well-defined temperature-dependent energy transition behavior and potential for estimation of standard Chatpy transition temperatures from such data.
Reply: The Will of the People and the Process of Constitutional Change

This is a Reply for a symposium by the George Washington Law Review regarding The Will of the People: How Public Opinion Influences the Supreme Court and Shapes the Meaning of the Constitution. It takes up the question of constitutional change, clarifying what we know about the process and raising questions about what we don’t know. Constitutional change is a relentless process in which social movements play a large role, and much is motivated by the backlash to Supreme Court decisions. Change can be both ordinary and small, or take place in dramatic steps. Even improbable meanings of the constitutional text become law when accepted by large portions of the body politic.
Introduction to the Theory of Thermal Neutron Scattering, 3rd edn., by G.L. Squires. Scope: textbook. Level: early career researchers, researchers, specialists, scientists

Introduction to the Theory of Thermal Neutron Scattering, 3rd edn., by G.L. Squires, New York, Cambridge University Press, 2012, 270 pp., $85.00 (paperback), ISBN 9781107644069. Scope: textbook. Le...
Los hijos del pecado. Ilegitimidad y vida familiar en la Santafé de Bogotá Colonial. 1750-1810

Guiomar Duenas Vargas. Los hijos del pecado. Ilegitimidad y vida familiar en la Santafe de Bogota Colonial. 1750-1810. Bogota: Editorial Universidad Nacional. 1997. 282 p. Esta edicion espanola de la disertacion doctoral que Guiomar Duenas Vargas presento en 1995 en la Universidad de Texas es una muy importante contribucion a la germinante literatura sobre sexualidad, ilegitimidad, estructura familiar y movilidad social durante las postrimerias de la Colonia en la America espanola. Es particularmente bienvenida debido a su interes por los sectores populares en la poco investigada Santafe de bogota.
A degenerating cystic uterine fibroid mimicking an endometrioma on sonography.

terine fibroids are the most common benign uterine neoplasms, occurring in 20% to 30% of women of reproductive age. Fibroids can be a source of pain, bleeding, and infertility in many women and account for 30% of all hysterectomies performed in the United States.1 Generally, the sonographic appearance of uterine leiomyomas is characteristic; however, they can undergo various kinds of degeneration that can dramatically change their sonographic appearance and make the diagnosis quite challenging. Here we describe a case of marked cystic degeneration of an exophytic uterine fibroid, which sonographically simulated an endometrioma.
Morphological Transitions in Solid Expitaxial Overlayers

We present a continuum model for the growth of solid epitaxial films which takes account of both surface tension and lattice mismatch. Layer-by-layer film growth is found to be unstable for fixed particle number. We show that the conventional nucleation and growth scenario for film decay is in error above the roughening temperature. Films decay to epitaxial solid droplets in coexistence with a microscopically thin, strained film through a barrierless mechanism which is closely related to spinodal decomposition. The decay of the film is triggered when the layer height exceeds the critical height beyond which misfit dislocations appear at the interface.
Differential effects of the immunosuppressive agents cyclosporin A, tacrolimus and sirolimus on drug transport by multidrug resistance proteins

We sought to determine the effects of the immunosuppressants, cyclosporin A (CsA), tacrolimus and sirolimus, on drug transport by the ATP-binding cassette proteins, P-glycoprotein (Pgp; ABCB1), multidrug resistance protein-1 (MRP-1; ABCC1) and breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP; ABCG2), and the major vault protein lung resistance protein (LRP). Cellular content of mitoxantrone, a Pgp, MRP-1 and BCRP substrate, was measured by flow cytometry in cells overexpressing these proteins following incubation with and without CsA, tacrolimus or sirolimus. Interaction of BCRP with these compounds was studied by photolabeling and ATPase assays. Nuclear–cytoplasmic distribution of doxorubicin was studied by confocal microscopy in cells overexpressing LRP. CsA increased cellular drug uptake in cells overexpressing Pgp, MRP-1 or BCRP and nuclear drug uptake in cells overexpressing LRP at the clinically achievable concentration of 2.5 μM. Tacrolimus enhanced cellular drug uptake at 1 μM, but not at 0.08 μM, its clinically achievable concentration, and did not enhance nuclear drug uptake. Sirolimus enhanced cellular drug uptake in cells overexpressing Pgp, MRP-1 and BCRP with optimal effects at 2.5 μM, but was effective at its clinically achievable concentration of 0.25 μM if cells were pre-incubated for at least 30 min before drug exposure, and also enhanced nuclear drug uptake at 0.25 μM. BCRP modulation by all three immunosuppressive agents was associated with competitive binding to the drug transport sites. CsA, tacrolimus and sirolimus modulate drug transport by Pgp, MRP-1 and BCRP and CsA and sirolimus modulate drug transport by LRP at concentrations that differ from immunosuppressive concentrations and maximum tolerated concentrations.
Computer simulation of defect-induced vitrification☆

In the process of using molecular dynamics to study freezing and melting in a model f.c.c. system that exhibits “tweed” microstructure and a tendency towards a martensitic instability, we have discovered that the lattice nucleates and grows a glassy phase at a temperature below its melting point (Tm) if the defect density is high enough. The interatomic potential was chosen to provide a (110) shear instability which produces an increasingly pronounced tweed microstructure below about 15Tm, as evidenced by tetragonal distortions of the lattice and (110) streaking of the diffraction pattern. Between 15Tm and Tm the lattice behaves as a normal f.c.c. solid, except that if two parallel 45° tilt boundaries (about 〈100〉) are inserted in the array of 635 atoms, then in the vicinity of 45Tm a vitrification transformation takes place. A metastable, essentially static glass is formed, as shown by the fact that the atomic mean square displacements (MSD) cease to increase after the transformation, unlike the behaviour of the MSD when melting occurs. The vitrification transformation does not occur at lower defect densities such as that provided by several vacancies or interstitials in an initially defect-free f.c.c. array. Similar results have been observed at 35Tm, but with different rates of transformation. We will analyze and display the transformation from several different aspects, and draw parallels where possible with the behaviour of real systems.
Property Tax Reform in Indonesia: Applying A Collection-Led Implementation Strategy∗

As part of its comprehensive 1984 tax reform, the government of Indonesia undertook a radical overhaul of the property tax system. The reform was carried out in two stages. The first entailed a major revision of the legal structure during which seven land-related taxes were replaced with a single Land and Building Tax in 1986. The second stage involved a major restructuring of the tax administration and its procedures. In addition to reorganising the tax department, the government adopted a collection-led implementation strategy for its reform activities and introduced a number of innovative procedures for property tax collection and enforcement, property information collection and management, and property valuation and assessment. This paper provides an analysis of that reform effort. ∗ This paper builds on research presented in “Implementing Tax Reform in Developing Countries: Lessons from the Property Tax in Indonesia”, a paper presented at the International Conference on Property Taxation and Land Pol...
Synchronous Versus Asynchronous Computation In Very Large Scale Integrated (VLSI) Array Processors

This paper compares timing and other aspects of a synchronous and asynchronous square array of processing elements, fabricated by means of VLSI technology. Timing models are developed for interprocessor communications and data transfer for both cases. The synchronous timing model emphasizes the clock skew phenomenon, and enables derivation of the dependence of the global clock period on the size of the array. This 0(N**3) dependence, along with the limited flexiblity with regards to programmability and extendability, call for a serious consideration of the asynchronous configuration. A self timed (asynchronous) model, based on the concept of wavefront oriented propagation of computation, is presented as an attractive alternative to the synchronous scheme. Some potential hazards, unique to the asynchronous model presented, and their solutions are also noted.© (1982) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Efficiency Analysis for Exogenously Fixed Inputs and Outputs

We evaluate, by means of mathematical programming formulations, the relative technical and scale efficiencies of decision making units DMUs when some of the inputs or outputs are exogenously fixed and beyond the discretionary control of DMU managers. This approach further develops the work on efficiency evaluation and on estimation of efficient production frontiers known as data envelopment analysis DEA. We also employ the model to provide efficient input and output targets for DMU managers in a way that specifically accounts for the fixed nature of some of the inputs or outputs. We illustrate the approach, using real data, for a network of fast food restaurants.
Duopoly with employee-controlled and profit-maximizing firms: Bertrand vs Cournot competition

Abstract This paper develops a theory of duopolistic competition between an employee-controlled firm that maximizes value-added per worker and a profit-maximizing firm and presents a few general results. First, we study Cournot competition in this setting and compare the resulting equilibrium with the one that obtains when both firms maximize profits. The presence of an employee-controlled firm increases the output and the profits of the other firm, while its own output and profits decrease. An employee-controlled firm can ensure its workers a compensation that is higher than the market wage whenever a profit-maximizing firm, using the same technology, could realize positive profits. Second, we consider a differentiated industry with Bertrand competition. In this case, the presence of an employee-controlled firm increases the prices charged by both firms and the profits of its competitor. Surprisingly, the profits of the employee-controlled firm can also increase.
Reactions of platinum complexes with spiro compounds. formation of platinospiroalkanes

Abstract Spiro[2. n alkanes ( n = 2, 4, 5) react with platinum complexes to form compounds of composition PtCl 2 (spiroalkane). These materials have been characterized by infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectra, and the point of insertion has been shown to be the cyclopropyl carbon—carbon bond opposite the spiro carbon.
Radiological aspects of prenatal-onset cortical hyperostosis [Caffey Dysplasia].

Abstract Objective Cortical hyperostosis is a bone disease that may, at times, occur with a prenatal onset. This study seeks to present the characteristic patterns of prenatal-onset cortical hyperostosis (PCH) with regard to the radiographic features, and tries to ascertain whether PCH is a separate entity from infantile cortical hyperostosis (ICH), known as classic Caffey Disease. Materials and methods This retrospective study identified cases with PCH based upon abnormal radiographic and chondro-osseous morphological and clinical findings, as available, from the International Skeletal Dysplasia Registry between 1987 and 2009. Outcomes and clinical information were also identified from medical records. Results Based upon radiographic results, we found 20 individuals with PCH, of whom 10 neonatally survived, and 10 died. Hyperostosis of the mandible was found in 18/20, and of the skull base in 16/20 cases. Hyperostosis of the ribs was found in 17/20 cases, of the scapulae in 14/20, and of the clavicles in 4/20. Hyperostosis of the ileum was found in 11/20 cases, and of the long bones in all 20/20 cases, of which three cases had fibula sparing. No hyperostosis of the hands, feet, and spine was found. Conclusions Our results suggest that, based upon clinical features and radiographic expression, ICH and PCH represent two separate entities, and that ICH should continue to be referred to as Caffey Disease and that PCH should be called Caffey Dysplasia. The findings of symmetrical hyperostosis of the mandible, ribs, scapulae, ilea, and long bones in any combination should suggest the diagnosis of PCH.