cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pre-harvest Viral Contamination of Crops Originating from Fecal Matter

Pre-harvest contamination of fresh produce and fruits is a possible route for viral transmission which should not be ignored. The contamination originates from viruses shed in human or animal fecal materials which eventually reach crops through many steps and hurdles, including spread of viruses into the agricultural environment through leakage of septic tanks/pipes or runoff from animal lagoons, virus survival during biosolids and manure treatment, virus survival and transport in soil and subsequent contamination of irrigation water, and virus transmission to crops through irrigation water, etc. Initially, large quantities of virus particles may be released from infected humans or animals, and then in the environment viruses are gradually inactivated under various natural conditions (e.g., temperature, water activity, microbial activities, etc.) and only a tiny portion of viruses may reach crops and cause the contamination. However, the fact that the infectious dose of some foodborne viruses is as low as 10–100 particles makes the pre-harvest contamination still a threat to human health. In the USA, the Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulations and guidances on proper treatment and usage of manure and biosolids for agricultural purpose may largely reduce the release of viruses to the environment; however, pre-harvest viral contamination due to fecal matter is not completely avoidable. This review focuses on the current knowledge of pre-harvest viral contamination and describes the complex transmission process regarding the presence and survival of virus in soil and fecal material, the effect of different biosolids/manure treatment on virus inactivation, the transmission of virus from soil to water, the contamination of crops by irrigation water and survival of virus on crops.
New roles for families in child welfare: Strategies for expanding family involvement beyond the case level

Abstract This paper examines the strategies and approaches child welfare agencies used to integrate meaningful family involvement into their service delivery systems, under the Children's Bureau Improving Child Welfare Outcomes Through Systems of Care demonstration initiative. Through a series of retrospective interviews with child welfare agency staff, systems of care project staff, family members actively involved in implementing the systems of care initiative, and local program evaluators, researchers investigated the family involvement planning and capacity building activities of child welfare agencies during the initiative's implementation. Findings indicate that child welfare agencies' capacity building efforts primarily centered on human resource development, focusing on three areas: program staffing, family engagement, and agency buy-in. These findings illustrate the importance of developing the capacity of child welfare agency staff and family members before fully implementing family involvement programs and activities. Although more research is needed to document the impact of family involvement, the lessons learned from these grant communities' experiences provide critical information and can inform development of policies and practices to help child welfare and other child- and family-serving systems promote and implement meaningful and sustainable family involvement.
From Keynes to Hayek: The marvel of thriving macroeconomies

Inherent ignorance of and uncertainties about the future may translate into doubts about the overall viability of market mechanisms. However, these doubts are quelled by a broad empirical observation: market economies thrive. Hayek sometimes abstracted from such ignorance and uncertainties in order to identify the market mechanisms that are essential to thriving economies. His often-overlooked “interest-rate brake,” for instance, keeps the rate of implementation of new technologies in line with peoples willingness to save. A careful reading of macroeconomic history suggests that artificial booms often ride piggyback on genuine booms. During a period of technological breakthroughs, the central bank's adherence to the Real Bills Doctrine overrides the interest-rate brake and engenders an unsustainable boom.
Agent-based simulations of service policy decisions

During service engagements, project managers frequently encounter resource constraint issues. For each resource shortfall encountered, a project manager must decide among a narrow set of alternatives, weighing the resulting effects on project schedule, cost, and customer satisfaction. If a project is part of a larger collection of similar service engagements, it is less clear what the optimal strategy across all projects should be in deciding between alternatives. This paper describes an agent-based simulation environment to explore decision-making policies for hypothetical service business models using different agent-policy combinations. Results suggest advantages for maintaining flexibility in handling resource shortfall actions.
A frequency domain approach to control structure synthesis

The traditional methods for the actuator and sensor selection based on LQG theory have found only limited use in process control. The main reason is that LQG theory offers a handy design tool but the numerical value of the quadratic performance index lacks practical significance. A new approach to control structure synthesis using a frequency domain description of the system is suggested here. The screening of alternate control structures is carried out in two stages. At the first stage the fundamental limitations to control quality, which are shown to be RHP transmission zeroes and time delays, are identified and preliminary control structure selection is made. In the second stage the performance of the remaining systems is compared when they are robust with respect to a prespecified model-plant mismatch. The intuitive appeal of this screening procedure should make it attractive for industrial applications. Some features of this new method are illustrated on a heat exchanger network and a distillation column.
A sensitivity study of the driving forces on fluid flow during continental-rift basin evolution

Two-dimensional finite element models of coupled sediment compaction, variable-density ground-water flow, and conductive/convective heat transfer are used in this study to quantify basin hydrodynamics during the initial and flexural stages of continental rifting. The analysis also incorporates a two-stage stretching/cooling geodynamic model of the thermomechanical evolution of the lithosphere underlying the rift in order to specify geologically relevant boundary conditions for basin subsidence and basal heat flow. A sensitivity study is made using the model to explore the controls of both permeability and water table configuration in determining the dominant fluid flow drive (compaction, density, or topography) during basin evolution. The sensitivity analysis incorporates hydrologic conditions and rock properties representative of many extensional terrains . Assuming that rift basin subsidence and basal heat flow can be represented by the geodynamic model , two distinct ground-water flow systems evolve within continental rifts during basin evolution. During the initial (stretching) phase of rifting, subsidence is accommodated by fault block motion, and a topography-driven ground-water flow system develops within the permeable alluvial-fan deposits. Within the less permeable lacustrine facies located in the center of the basin, compaction-driven ground-water flow dominates. Here, the compacting lacustrine sediments focus pore fluids laterally from the basin center into the alluvial-fan deposits due to the relatively large permeability contrast between the two depositional environments. Thermal anomalies resulting from convective heat transfer are restricted to alluvial-fan facies near the basin-framing fault. During the thermal cooling (flexural) stage of basin development, laterally extensive onlap facies are deposited, and density-driven ground-water flow dominates in the permeable alluvial-fan deposits, while compaction-drivenflow continues within the lacustrine and onlap facies. The presence of a permeable aquifer within the onlap facies resulted in long-range fluid transport to the edge of the basin. During both stages of basin evolution, ground-water velocities varied from 10 -5 to 10 -1 m/yr between the lacustrine and alluvial-fan deposits, respectively. The observed presence of ore mineralization within alluvial-fan deposits of some continental-rift systems, such as the Cretaceous Rift Basin of Angola, supports the findings of this study.
Computer Network Security Protocols

The rapid growth of the Internet and corresponding Internet community has fueled a rapid growth of both individual and business communications leading to the growth of e-mail and e-commerce. In fact, studies now show that the majority of the Internet communication content is e-mail content. The direct result of this has been the growing concern and sometimes demand for security and privacy in electronic communication and e-commerce. Security and privacy are essential if individual communication is to continue and e-commerce is to thrive in cyberspace. The call for and desire for security and privacy has led to the advent of several proposals for security protocols and standards. Among these are Secure Socket Layer (SSL) and Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocols, secure IP (IPsec), Secure HTTP (S-HTTP), secure e-mail (PGP and S/MIME), DNDSEC, SSH, and others. Before we proceed with the discussion of these and others, we want to warn the reader of the need for a firm understanding of the network protocol stack; otherwise, go back and look over the material in Chap. 1 before continuing. To make sure that the reader understands the security of networks based on protocol stacks, we will consider these protocols in both the ISO and TCP/IP stacks. Figure 17.1 shows the relationships between the ISO and TCP/IP stacks.
Deep submicron CMOS based on silicon germanium technology

The advantages to be gained by using SiGe in CMOS technology are examined, Conventional MOSFETs are compared with SiGe heterojunction MOSFETs suitable for CMOS technology and having channel lengths between 0.5 and 0.1 /spl mu/m. Two-dimensional computer simulation demonstrates that the improved mobility in the SiGe devices, due to higher bulk mobility and the elimination of Si/SiO/sub 2/ interface scattering by the inclusion of a capping layer, results in significant velocity overshoot close to the source-end of the channel. The cut-off frequency, f/sub t/, is found to increase by around 50% for n-channel devices while more than doubling for p-channel devices for typical estimates of mobility. The results offer the prospect of a more balanced CMOS and improved circuit speed especially when using dynamic logic.
Fission yeast with DNA polymerase δ temperature-sensitive alleles exhibits cell division cycle phenotype

DNA polymerases alpha and delta are essential enzymes believed to play critical roles in initiation and replication of chromosome DNA. In this study, we show that the genes for Schizosaccharomyces pombe (S.pombe) DNA polymerase alpha and delta (pol alpha+ and pol delta+) are essential for cell viability. Disruption of either the pol alpha+ or pol delta+ gene results in distinct terminal phenotypes. The S.pombe pol delta+ gene is able to complement the thermosensitive cdc2-2 allele of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S.cerevisiae) at the restrictive temperature. By random mutagenesis in vitro, we generated three pol delta conditional lethal alleles. We replaced the wild type chromosomal copy of pol delta+ gene with the mutagenized sequence and characterized the thermosensitive alleles in vivo. All three thermosensitive mutants exhibit a typical cell division cycle (cdc) terminal phenotype similar to that of the disrupted pol delta+ gene. Flow cytometric analysis showed that at the nonpermissive temperature all three mutants were arrested in S phase of the cell cycle. The three S.pombe conditional pol delta alleles were recovered and sequenced. The mutations causing the thermosensitive phenotype are missense mutations. The altered amino acid residues are uniquely conserved among the known polymerase delta sequences.
Use of the Köppen-Trewartha climate classification to evaluate climatic refugia in statistically derived ecoregions for the People's Republic of China

Changes in climate as projected by state-of-the-art climate models are likely to result in novel combinations of climate and topo-edaphic factors that will have substantial impacts on the distribution and persistence of natural vegetation and animal species. We have used multivariate techniques to quantify some of these changes; the method employed was the Multivariate Spatio-Temporal Clustering (MSTC) algorithm. We used the MSTC to quantitatively define ecoregions for the People's Republic of China for historical and projected future climates. Using the Koppen-Trewartha classification system we were able to quantify some of the temperature and precipitation relationships of the ecoregions. We then tested the hypothesis that impacts to environments will be lower for ecoregions that retain their approximate geographic locations. Our results showed that climate in 2050, as
Last mile problem in overlay design

Performance of overlay networks is dependent on last-mile connections, since they require that data traverse these last-mile bottlenecks at each forwarding step. This requires several times more upstream bandwidth than downstream, further exaggerating the asymmetry between down-stream and upstream bandwidth in last-mile technologies. This imbalance can cause packet queuing at the outgoing network interface of forwarding nodes, increasing latency and causing packet losses. We describe a model of a last-mile constrained overlay network and formulate and use it to solve a simplified latency- and bandwidth-bounded overlay construction problem. We observe that queueing delay may be a significant component of the end-to-end delay and approaches ignoring this may potentially result in an overlay network violating the delay and/or loss bounds. We observe that allowing a small amount of loss, it is possible to support a significantly large number of nodes. For a given end to end delay and loss bound we identify feasible degree (fan out) of each nodes. Our study sheds insights which provide engineering guidelines for designing overlays accounting for last mile problem in the Internet.
Multiplexed Predictive Control of a Large Commercial Turbofan Engine

Model predictive control is a strategy well-suited to handle the highly complex, nonlinear, uncertain, and constrained dynamics involved in aircraft engine control problems. However, it has thus far been infeasible to implement model predictive control in engine control applications, because of the combination of model complexity and the time allotted for the control update calculation. In this paper, a multiplexed implementation is proposed that dramatically reduces the computational burden of the quadratic programming optimization that must be solved online as part of the model-predictive-control algorithm. Actuator updates are calculated sequentially and cyclically in a multiplexed implementation, as opposed to the simultaneous optimization taking place in conventional model predictive control. Theoretical aspects are discussed based on a nominal model, and actual computational savings are demonstrated using a realistic commercial engine model.
Bile acids. LIV—Mass spectra of conjugated bile acids

The electron impact mass spectra of conjugated bile acids, their 5alpha-analogs and methyl esters of glyco conjugates were determined by direct insertion into the ion source and their fragmentation patterns were found to be basically similar to those of methyl esters of the free bile acids. The conjugates are additionally characterized by a significant loss of [NH2CH2CO2H] from the glycine moiety and [CH2 = CHSO3 H] from the taurine group. Several 5 alpha- and 5 beta-isomers can be differentiated, but no general pattern of recognition is discernable. Field desorption mass spectra contain [M + Na]+ and [m + Na]2+ ions.
ENERGETICS OF COCKROACH LOCOMOTION

Cockroaches, Gromphadorhina portentosa , were run at different speeds for 20 min on a miniature treadmill enclosed in a lucite respirometer while oxygen consumption ( V O 2 ) was continuously monitored. The data collected on these 5 g insects are remarkably similar to those obtained on vertebrates. V O 2 rises rapidly with the onset of exercise; the t ½ on-response was about 1 min with steady-state reached within 4 min at the fastest speed, 0.12 km/h. Recovery was rapid; the t ½ off-response was 4–6 min, with total recovery achieved in less than 1 h. The tracheal system appears to be a highly efficient mode of O 2 conductance in contrast to the crustacean method of delivery involving gills and circulation. V O 2 (ml O 2 /g.h) at steady-state running varies directly with velocity ( V ). The regression equation at 24 °C is V O 2 = 0.45+4.92 V . The Y -intercept, at zero velocity, is 2.4 times the actual resting V O 2 rate of 0.19 ml O 2 /g.h. Temperature does not change the slope of the regression line but shifts it up or down in accordance with a simple Q 10 effect. Incline running produces no changes compared to level running. The minimum cost of transport, the lowest V O 2 necessary to transport a given mass a specific distance, is high in cockroaches (4.92 ml O 2 /g.km) and comparable to that expected for a small quadrupedal or bipedal pedestrian vertebrate.
Atomic data from the iron project - LXI. Radiative E1, E2, E3, and M1 transition probabilities for Fe IV

Radiative decay rates (A) and line strengths (S ) are presented for a large number of electric dipole allowed (E1) and forbidden electric quadrupole (E2), octupole (E3) and magnetic dipole (M1) transitions in Fe IV. The ion is amongst the most complex iron ions and exhibits effects of strong electron correlation. It has closely spaced fine structure levels from seven configurations: 3s 2 3p 6 3d 5 ,3 s 2 3p 6 3d 4 4s, 3s 2 3p 6 3d 4 4p, 3s 2 3p 6 3d 4 4d, 3s 2 3p 6 3d 3 4s4p, 3s 2 3p 6 3d 3 4s4d, 3s 2 3p 5 3d 6 before an energy gap could be noted. Atomic parameters are presented for multipole radiative transitions among the 1275 fine structure levels dominated by these seven configurations. A total of approximately 173 000 transitions of type E1, E2, E3 and M1 are presented, The set of intercombination and forbidden transitions complements the earlier extensive set of dipole allowed (∆J = 0, ±1, ∆L = 0, ±1, and ∆S = 0) fine structure transitions in Fe IV. The results are obtained in the relativistic Breit-Pauli approximation using an updated atomic structure code SUPERSTRUCTURE. Transition probabilities are compared with the existing results and varying degrees of agreement are found. The total number of transitions presented should provide a reasonably complete set for modeling of most optical to ultraviolet Fe IV spectra of astrophysical sources.
A microsatellite genetic linkage map for Xiphophorus.

Interspecies hybrids between distinct species of the genus Xiphophorus are often used in varied research investigations to identify genomic regions associated with the inheritance of complex traits. There are 24 described Xiphophorus species and a greater number of pedigreed strains; thus, the number of potential interspecies hybrid cross combinations is quite large. Previously, select Xiphophorus experimental crosses have been shown to exhibit differing characteristics between parental species and among the hybrid fishes derived from crossing them, such as widely differing susceptibilities to chemical or physical agents. For instance, genomic regions harboring tumor suppressor and oncogenes have been identified via linkage association of these loci with a small set of established genetic markers. The power of this experimental strategy is related to the number of genetic markers available in the Xiphophorus interspecies cross of interest. Thus, we have undertaken the task of expanding the suite of easily scored markers by characterization of Xiphophorus microsatellite sequences. Using a cross between Xiphophorus maculatus and X. andersi, we report a linkage map predominantly composed of microsatellite markers. All 24 acrocentric chromosome sets of Xiphophorus are represented in the assembled linkage map with an average intergenomic distance of 7.5 cM. Since both male and female F1 hybrids were used to produce backcross progeny, these recombination rates were compared between “male” and “female” maps. Although several genomic regions exhibit differences in map length, male- and female-derived maps are similar. Thus Xiphophorus, in contrast to zebrafish, Danio rerio, and several other vertebrate species, does not show sex-specific differences in recombination. The microsatellite markers we report can be easily adapted to any Xiphophorus interspecies and some intraspecies crosses, and thus provide a means to directly compare results derived from independent experiments.
ORIGINS OF THE GENETIC CODE: The Escaped Triplet Theory

▪ Abstract There is very significant evidence that cognate codons and/or anticodons are unexpectedly frequent in RNA-binding sites for seven of eight biological amino acids that have been tested. This suggests that a substantial fraction of the genetic code has a stereochemical basis, the triplets having escaped from their original function in amino acid–binding sites to become modern codons and anticodons. We explicitly show that this stereochemical basis is consistent with subsequent optimization of the code to minimize the effect of coding mistakes on protein structure. These data also strengthen the argument for invention of the genetic code in an RNA world and for the RNA world itself.
Expectations and the Limits of Legal Validity

Drawing on the work of Jeremy Bentham, we can forward a parity thesis concerning formal and substantive legal invalidity. Formal and substantive invalidity are, according to this thesis, traceable to the same source, namely, the sovereign's inability to adjust expectations to motivate obedience. The parity thesis, if defensible, has great appeal for positivists. Explaining why contradictory or contrary mandates yield invalidity is unproblematic. But providing an account of content-based invalidity invites the collapse of the separation between what the law is and what the law ought to be. Grounding formal and substantive invalidity in a unified source – the sovereign's inability to adjust expectations to motivate obedience – allows us to avoid bringing in any additional apparatus that might compromise this separation. This essay fleshes out and defends the parity thesis.
Body mass index is a stronger predictor than the metabolic syndrome for future asthma in women. The longitudinal CARDIA study.

Rationale: It is hypothesized that the metabolic syndrome explains the association between body mass index (BMI) and asthma in adults.Objectives: Our objective was to longitudinally compare the relative strengths of the associations of the metabolic syndrome and BMI with incident asthma in adults.Methods: We included 4,619 eligible participants in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) cohort followed over 25 years. Incident asthma was defined by a new self-reported provider asthma diagnosis plus either the presence of asthma symptoms and/or use of asthma medications. Cox proportional hazard analyses were performed.Measurements and Main Results: Six hundred two subjects (417 women and 185 men) developed incident asthma over 25 years of follow-up. Metabolic syndrome predicted incident asthma among women but not men (unadjusted hazard ratios, 1.50 and 0.98; P = 0.01 and 0.93, respectively). BMI had a similar predictive association among women but not men (unadjusted hazard ratios, 1.1...
Optimal secondary voltage-VAR control using pilot point information structure

French researchers have recently introduced the concept of "secondary" voltage-VAR control based on "pilot points". Operator control of the input reference values on primary AVR's is termed secondary, voltage-VAR control. The French have proposed that such secondary control can be automated by monitoring certain key buses and making adjustments based on these "pilot point" voltages. The pilot points and the control strategy proposed are based on engineering intuition. We pose the problem of determining the optimal pilot point or points as an optimization problem using a Chebyshev norm. That is, we seek a pilot point and a control strategy that will minimize the maximum voltage deviation under a class of disturbances. If all voltage magnitudes are monitored we show that optimal secondary control is achieved through the solution of an overdefined set of equations in the Chebyshev sense. Various control strategies based on less information (a number of pilot points) are investigated including the original French strategy. As an example of optimal pilot point for the IEEE 30 bus test system is determined.
Healthy People 2010 and Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders: Defining a Baseline of Information

Objectives. Healthy People 2010: Understanding and Improving Health lists 6 areas of disparitiy in minority health services: infant mortality, cancer, cardiovascular disease, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, and immunizations. This study compiles existing Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) health data to establish a baseline. Methods. For federally-sponsored research (1986-2000), the Computer Retrieval of Information on Specific Projects (CRISP) database was analyzed. AAPI initiatives were divided by subpopulation and disparity area. MEDLINE articles (1966-2000) were similarly scrutinized. Results. Few federal health-related grants (0.2%) and MEDLINE articles (0.01%) mention AAPIs. For the 6 disparity areas, significant AAPI data gaps remain. Conclusions. To reach the Healthy People 2010 goals and have useful data, researchers and grant makers must focus on obtaining baseline data for disaggregated AAPI subgroups.
Body Fat Distribution and Risk of Non-Insulin-dependent Diabetes Mellitus in Women The Nurses' Health Study

Obesity is an established risk factor for non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). Anthropometric measures of overall and central obesity as predictors of NIDDM risk have not been as well studied, especially in women. Among 43,581 women enrolled in the Nurses' Health Study who in 1986 provided waist, hip, and weight information and who were initially free from diabetes and other major chronic diseases, NIDDM incidence was followed from 1986 to 1994. After adjustment for age, family history of diabetes, smoking, exercise, and several dietary factors, the relative risk of NIDDM for the 90th percentile of body mass index (BMI) (weight (kg)/height (m)2) (BMI = 29.9) versus the 10th percentile (BMI = 20.1) was 11.2 (95% confidence interval (CI) 7.9-15.9). Controlling for BMI and other potentially confounding factors, the relative risk for the 90th percentile of waist: hip ratio (WHR) (WHR = 0.86) versus the 10th percentile (WHR = 0.70) was 3.1 (95% CI 2.3-4.1), and the relative risk for the 90th percentile of waist circumference (36.2 inches or 92 cm) versus the 10th percentile (26.2 inches or 67 cm) was 5.1 (95% CI 2.9-8.9). BMI, WHR, and waist circumference are powerful independent predictors of NIDDM in US women. Measurement of BMI and waist circumference (with or without hip circumference) are potentially useful tools for clinicians in counseling patients regarding NIDDM risk and risk reduction.
Differences in components at delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction sites in mice immunized with either a protective or a nonprotective immunogen of Cryptococcus neoformans.

Cell-mediated immunity is the major protective mechanism against Cryptococcus neoformans. Delayed swelling reactions, i.e., delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH), in response to an intradermal injection of specific antigen are used as a means of detecting a cell-mediated immune (CMI) response to the antigen. We have found previously that the presence of an anticryptococcal DTH response in mice is not always indicative of protection against a cryptococcal infection. Using one immunogen that induces a protective anticryptococcal CMI response and one that induces a nonprotective response, we have shown that mice immunized with the protective immunogen undergo a classical DTH response characterized by mononuclear cell and neutrophil infiltrates and the presence of gamma interferon and NO. In contrast, immunization with the nonprotective immunogen results in an influx of primarily neutrophils and production of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) at the DTH reaction site. Even when the anticryptococcal DTH response was augmented by blocking the down-regulator, CTLA-4 (CD152), on T cells in the mice given the nonprotective immunogen, the main leukocyte population infiltrating the DTH reaction site is the neutrophil. Although TNF-α is increased at the DTH reaction site in mice immunized with the nonprotective immunogen, it is unlikely that TNF-α activates the neutrophils, because the density of TNF receptors on the neutrophils is reduced below control levels. Uncoupling of DTH reactivity and protection has been demonstrated in other infectious-disease models; however, the mechanisms differ from our model. These findings stress the importance of defining the cascade of events occurring in response to various immunogens and establishing the relationships between protection and DTH reactions.
Forgotten battles of the German‐Soviet war (1941–45), part 5: The winter campaign (5 December 1941‐April 1942): The Leningrad counteroffensive

(2000). Forgotten battles of the German‐Soviet war (1941–45), part 3: The winter campaign (5 December 1941‐April 1942): the Moscow counteroffensive. The Journal of Slavic Military Studies: Vol. 13, No. 2, pp. 139-185.
Advances in aircraft design: multiobjective optimization and a markup language

Today’s modern aerospace systems exhibit strong interdisciplinary coupling and require a multidisciplinary, collaborative approach. Analysis methods that were once considered feasible only for advanced and detailed design are now available and even practical at the conceptual design stage. This changing philosophy for conducting conceptual design poses additional challenges beyond those encountered in a low fidelity design of aircraft. This thesis takes some steps towards bridging the gaps in existing technologies and advancing the state-of-the-art in aircraft design. The first part of the thesis proposes a new Pareto front approximation method for multiobjective optimization problems. The method employs a hybrid optimization approach using two derivative free direct search techniques, and is intended for solving blackbox simulation based multiobjective optimization problems with possibly nonsmooth functions where the analytical formof the objectives is not known and/or the evaluation of the objective function(s) is very expensive (very common in multidisciplinary design optimization). A new adaptive weighting scheme is proposed to convert a multiobjective optimization problem to a single objective optimization problem. Results show that the method achieves an arbitrarily close approximation to the Pareto front with a good collection of well-distributed nondominated points. The second part deals with the interdisciplinary data communication issues involved in a collaborative mutidisciplinary aircraft design environment. Efficient transfer, sharing, and manipulation of design and analysis data in a collaborative environment demands a formal structured representation of data. XML, a W3C recommendation, is one such standard concomitant with a number of powerful capabilities that alleviate interoperability issues. A compact, generic, and comprehensive XML schema for an aircraft design markup language (ADML) is proposed here to provide a common language for data communication, and to improve efficiency and productivity within a multidisciplinary, collaborative environment. An important feature of the proposed schema is the very expressive and efficient low level schemata. As a proof of concept the schema is used to encode an entire Convair B58. As the complexity of models and number of disciplines increases, the reduction in effort to exchange data models and analysis results in ADML also increases.
Nursing Facility Staffing Policy: A Case Study for Political Change:

After a decade of consumer advocacy, nursing facility staffing became a national political issue in the fall of 2000 when President Clinton and three senators made proposals to set minimum staffing...
The Effect of Federal Government Size on Long-Term Economic Growth in the United States, 1791-2009

We consider whether there is statistical evidence for a causal relationship between federal government expenditures and growth in real GDP in the United States, using available data going back to 1791. After studying the time-series properties of these variables for stationarity and cointegration, we investigate Granger causality in detail in the context of a Vector Error Correction Model. While we find causal evidence that faster GDP growth leads to faster growth in government spending, we find no evidence supporting the common assertion that a larger government sector leads to slower economic growth.
The role of alcohol and aldehyde dehydrogenases in alcohol-related diseases: clinical studies of molecular markers.

The rapid advances achieved in the field of molecular genetics over the past few years have had a profound effect on the study of complex conditions as well as single gene disorders. In the field of alcoholism and alcohol - related diseases, the application of these new techniques is now gathering pace. There is general agreement that a significant genetic component exists in alcoholism, as illustrated by the twin and adoption studies performed over the past 20 years, but this clearly does not conform to a simple Mendelian model. The central question that is being addressed concerns the inherited basis for the observed variation in individual responses to ethanol.
Influence of acidic atmospheric deposition on soil solution composition in the Daniel Boone National Forest, Kentucky, USA

Acid atmospheric deposition may enter an environmental ecosystem in a variety of forms and pathways, but the most common components include sulfuric and nitric acids formed when rain water interacts with sulfur (SO x ) and nitrogen (NO x ) emissions. For many soils and watersheds sensitive to acid deposition, the predominant chronic effect appears to be a low pH, loss of base cations, and a shift in the mineral phase controlling the activity of Al3+ and/or SO4 2– in solution. Soil solutions from lysimeters at various depths were taken at two sites in the Daniel Boone National Forest, Kentucky, USA, to evaluate potential impacts caused by acid deposition. The sites chosen were in close proximity to coal-burning power plants near Wolfe and McCreary counties and contained soils from the Rayne and Wernock series, respectively. Physicochemical characteristics of the soils revealed that both sites contained appreciable amounts of exchangeable acidity in the surface horizons, and that their base saturation levels were sufficiently low to be impacted adversely by acidic inputs. Soil solution data indicated that the sites were periodically subjected to relatively high NO3 – and SO4 2– inputs, which may have influenced spatial and temporal variation in Al and pH. As a consequence, the formation of Al-hydroxy-sulfate minerals such as jurbanite, alunite and basaluminite were thermodynamically favored over gibbsite. Given these conditions, long-term changes in soil solution chemistry from acid deposition are acknowledged.
Thin Film Growth of Zinc Oxide by Vapor Phase Epitaxy

Zinc Oxide is a potentially valuable semiconductor with photoconducting, piezoelectric, optoelectronic, and optical waveguide applications. A technique for the growth of ZnO epitaxial layers is necessary for improved device fabrication. Previously, attempts at ZnO epitaxial growth were constrained to sapphire substrates using sputtering as the preferred preparation technique. However, with the present availability of single crystal ZnO substrates the hope of high quality epitaxial layers exists. The authors will discuss several possibilities for growth precursors, and the resulting chemical reactions required for the formation of ZnO. This presentation discusses the growth of ZnO epitaxial layers by chemical vapor deposition without using metal-organic compounds. The thermodynamics and predicted growth rates for several reactions are presented as well as the preliminary growth results. The preliminary growths are characterized with the aid of Hall Effect measurements, providing information on resistivity, Hall mobility, and carrier concentration.
Unequal error protection for progressive image transmission

The necessary condition for the optimal Unequal Error Protection (UEP) of progressive image was analyzed. The conclusion that the importance of bitstream after UEP with optimal allocation is monotonously decreasing was proved and the range of the expected distortion of the reconstructing image at the decoder was given. Result of this study can provide important reference for the design of progressive image transformation system.
Surveillace System Evaluation on Acute Flaccid Paralysis Cases in Meishan From 2001 to 2007

Objective To understand the operation of acute flaccid paralysis(AFP) case surveillance system after realizing the object of prolio-free status in Meishan city in 2000 so as to make the work of prolio-free status proceed.Method The data were statistically analysed by China national surveillance information management system on immunization program and Excel software.Results There were 111 cases of AFP reported during 2001 to 2007.The report revealed that the average incidence of AFP cases among children under 15 years old was 2.71 /100 000,investigation rate within 48 hours was 94.59%,the double adequate specimen collection rate within 14 days was 90.09%,specimen delivery rate within 7 days was 96.39% and the feedback rate during 60 to 75 days was 95.49%.Over 3 unqualified indices were found in every district of the city of Meishan in the period of 7 years.According to these 111 AFP cases,it showed that there was no remarkable seasonal variation and with a sex ratio of 1.9 males to 1 female.Meanwhile,the cases among children under 5 years old took up 65.77%,and 12.61% were cases without or with adequate immunity.Prolio-free enterovirus infection cases occupied 14.41%,and Guillain Barre syndrome(GBS) accounted for 22.52%.No any highly critical cases were reported.The operation of censoring system to AFP cases was well and the rate of immunity to prolio was above 93%.Conclusion The prolio-free status was kept during the year of 2001 to 2007 in the city of Meishan and every censoring index was qualified to the requirements of WHO and Chinese Ministry of Health.Because of the different situation in every district,the sensitive censoring system is still needed in order to maintain the high-level rate of immunity to prolio.
Perineal liposarcoma: diagnosis and management.

AbstractPerineal liposarcoma is excessively rare. Its clinical and pathological behavior can only be predicted by comparison with the behavior of liposarcoma in other parts of the body. We describe the management of a man who presented with symptoms related to bladder outlet obstruction and was found to have a prostatic mass on digital examination of the rectum. A needle biopsy was performed and the tissue was histologically consistent with sarcoma of the prostate. Computerized tomography suggested that the mass extended through the urogenital diaphragm and was contiguous with the corpus spongiosum and corpora cavernosa of the penis. Complete surgical extirpation was achieved through a perineal approach, although local extension of the growth beneath the internal anal sphincter and the urogenital diaphragm necessitated reconstruction of these structures. The surgical margins were free of tumor. We advocate local surgical extirpation rather than pelvic exenteration in these cases.
Re-entrance into the Labour Market of Women Graduates in Greece: The Results of an Experimental Training Programme

After carrying out research for a number of years and writing technical papers on various issues related to the position of women in the labour market in Greece, I decided to do some more practical work about some of the problems that I had encountered.2 In my research I found that among the most serious problems for women in Greece were those faced by non-working educated women who wanted to re-enter the labour market after some years of absence from it because of family obligations. Under present circumstances this is extremely difficult because of extensive unemployment among university graduates, the drastic changes during recent years in the types of knowledge and skills required by the business world, and the prejudices that exist in the labour market against women and particularly against those who have not worked for some time.
Stillbirths: The Hidden Birth Asphyxia — US and Global Perspectives

Stillbirths are among the most common pregnancy-related adverse outcomes but are more common in low-income and middle-income countries than in high-income countries. In high-income countries, most stillbirths occur early in the preterm period, whereas in low-income and middle-income countries, most occur in term or in late preterm births. In low-income and middle-income countries, conditions, such as prolonged or obstructed labor, placental abruption, preeclampsia/eclampsia, fetal growth restriction, fetal distress, breech and other abnormal presentations, and multiple births, are associated with stillbirth. In high-income countries, placental abnormalities are the most common associations. Globally, fetal asphyxia is likely the most common final pathway to stillbirth.
Fidelity: A Motion Picture Myth?

This chapter examines how different religious and nonreligious beliefs look at this betrayal behavior from a moral (religious or not) point of view. Trough the studies of films such as Balada triste de trompeta (2010) by Alex de la Iglesia, Belle Epoque (1992) by Fernando Trueba, El otro lado de la cama (2002) by Emilio Martinez Lazaro, Huevos de oro (1993) by Bigas Luna, and Chuecatown (2007) by Juan Flahn, among many others, the author emphasizes the need for a new ethics theory and the role Western values plays in how we see fidelity in our societies. The role of Spanish films is paramount in the representation of this current Spanish reality and in the eliciting of public awareness of the issue.
Abstract LB-214: DNAJB1-PRKACA chimera increases Aurora kinase A expression in fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma

Purpose: Treatment of fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma (FL-HCC), a rare liver cancer affecting the pediatric and adolescent population, is limited to surgical resection with no agents or therapeutic modalities available for unresectable disease. There has been recent interest in using Aurora kinase A (AURKA) inhibitors, with a clinical trial evaluating its efficacy in FL-HCC pending. Previously, we described a consistent single deletion of approximately 400 kB in chromosome 19 that results in a chimera between the heat shock protein DNAJB1 and the catalytic subunit of protein kinase A, PRKACA, in all FL-HCC tumor tissue studied. Furthermore, comparative ribonucleic acid sequence analysis has demonstrated that expression of AURKA, a regulator of cytokinesis and mitosis, is increased in FL-HCC tumor tissue compared with adjacent normal tissue. We hypothesize that the DNAJB1-PRKACA chimera is responsible for changes in AURKA expression in FL-HCC. Methods: The DNAJB1-PRKACA chimera was cloned into a lentiviral vector with a fluorescent reporter. Two stable cell lines (HeLa and a hepatocyte cell line, Huh-7) were transduced with a lentivirus containing either an empty multicloning site (control) or the DNAJB1-PRKACA chimera. Transduction was confirmed by the presence of a positive epifluorescent signal and immunoblots showing expression of the chimeric protein. Microarray data were evaluated for changes in AURKA expression while immunoblots were analyzed for the presence of AURKA in all transduced cells. Results: Microarray analysis showed an increase in AURKA transcripts in cells stably expressing the DNAJB1-PRKACA chimera. Compared to cells transduced with the control lentivirus, HeLa and Huh-7 cells transduced with the DNAJB1-PRKACA chimera demonstrated an increase in AURKA on immunoblots. Levels of a loading control, actin, were equivalent, indicating equal levels of protein examined between samples. Conclusion: Expression of the DNAJB1-PRKACA chimera results in an increase in AURKA. Upregulation of AURKA, in turn, may be responsible for subsequent tumor formation in FL-HCC. This finding further supports the DNAJB1-PRKACA chimera9s role in the pathogenesis of FL-HCC and provides a potential therapeutic target for a disease that has no effective treatment besides surgery. Citation Format: Irene Isabel P. Lim, Emily A. Greene-Colozzi, Jennifer M. Murphy, Todd E. Heaton, Sanford M. Simon, Michael P. LaQuaglia. DNAJB1-PRKACA chimera increases Aurora kinase A expression in fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-214. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-LB-214
SODIUM-DEPENDENT HIGH AFFINITY CHOLINE UPTAKE: ITS SIGNIFICANCE AND PRACTICAL USE

Abstract Sodium-dependent high affinity choline transport has a number of properties suggesting an important role in a functioning cholinergic neuron. One of these properties, namely its coupling to neuronal activity, suggests that it is at least one of the rate-limiting and regulatory steps in the formation of acetylcholine. In vitro studies show that depolarization and calcium influx cause the uptake activation in vivo. Since sodium-dependent uptake “follows” neuronal activity, it could be used as a simple measure of relative change in the activity of cholinergic neurons. Using this approach, evidence was obtained indicating that nigro-striatal dopaminergic neurons modulate the activity of striatal cholinergic neurons.
Los Angeles Safety-Net Program eConsult System Was Rapidly Adopted And Decreased Wait Times To See Specialists

Lack of timely access to specialty care is a significant problem among disadvantaged populations, such as those served by the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services. In 2012 the department implemented an electronic system for the provision of specialty care called the eConsult system, in which all requests from primary care providers for specialty assistance were reviewed by specialists. In many cases, the specialist can address the primary care provider’s question via an electronic dialogue, thereby eliminating the need for the patient to see a specialist in person. We observed rapid growth in the use of eConsult: By 2015 the system was in use by over 3,000 primary care providers, and 12,082 consultations were taking place per month, compared to 86 in the third quarter of 2012. The median time to an electronic response from a specialist was one day, and 25 percent of eConsults were resolved without a specialist visit. Three to four years after implementation, the median time to a specialist app...