cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mitigating the Problem of Vulture Holdout: International Certification Boards for Sovereign Debt Restructurings

The Great Recession has brought greater sovereign debt defaults, which in turn have brought a surfeit of academic explorations and policy discussions of sovereign debt restructuring. The purpose of this article is to offer yet one more idea for the hopper of what to do with the seemingly intractable problem of restructuring sovereign bond debt. The field does not lack for statutory and contractual proposals, from SDRM to CACs, but it is not yet sufficiently saturated that another proposal cannot join the mix. The proposal is for the establishment of international certification boards that can give a stamp of approval to workout proposals for bond debt that is (at least in part) privately held. The reason for the boards is to combat the problem of holdouts in an age of vulture funds and other new-age sovereign debt investors. The boards are deliberately non-judicial and will have no hard law power by design. Nonetheless, it is suggested that these boards will have an incremental effect in coalescing agreement around sovereign debt restructuring proposals.
The ladder and the clock: cancer pain and public policy at the end of the twentieth century

The origins of the WHO Cancer Pain Relief Program (the Analgesic Ladder) and its research basis in two very different research traditions, one at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, the other at St. Christopher's Hospice in London, are discussed. The Sloan-Kettering group emphasized precise relative differences in analgesic effects of various drugs, whereas Twycross at St. Christopher's used patient well-being as the crucial benchmark. Despite these differences, both traditions presented evidence of the safe and effective use of strong opioids for cancer pain relief, in a setting of individualized attention and close physician monitoring. The success and limitations of the Ladder as a global health policy are briefly addressed.
Analytical Models for Architecture-Based Software Reliability Prediction: A Unification Framework

Traditional approaches to software reliability modeling are black box-based; that is, the software system is considered as a whole, and only its interactions with the outside world are modeled without looking into its internal structure. The black box approach is adequate to characterize the reliability of monolithic, custom, built-to-specification software applications. However, with the widespread use of object oriented systems design & development, the use of component-based software development is on the rise. Software systems are developed in a heterogeneous (multiple teams in different environments) fashion, and hence it may be inappropriate to model the overall failure process of such systems using one of the several software reliability growth models (black box approach). Predicting the reliability of a software system based on its architecture, and the failure behavior of its components, is thus essential. Most of the research efforts in predicting the reliability of a software system based on its architecture have been focused on developing analytical or state-based models. However, the development of state-based models has been mostly ad hoc with little or no effort devoted towards establishing a unifying framework which compares & contrasts these models. Also, to the best of our knowledge, no attempt has been made to offer an insight into how these models might be applied to real software applications. This paper proposes a unifying framework for state-based models for architecture-based software reliability prediction. The state-based models we consider are the ones in which application architecture is represented either as a discrete time Markov chain (DTMC), or a continuous time Markov chain (CTMC). We illustrate the DTMC-based, and CTMC-based models using examples. A detailed discussion of how the parameters of each model may be estimated, and the life cycle phases when the model may be applied is also provided
Design and analysis of a connected broadband multi-piezoelectric-bimorph- beam energy harvester

The rapid growth of remote, wireless, and microelectromechanical system (MEMS) devices over the past decades has motivated the development of a self-powered system that can replace traditional electrochemical batteries. Piezoelectric energy harvesters are ideal for capturing energy from mechanical vibrations in the ambient environment. Numerous studies have been made of this application of piezoelectric energy conversion; however, the narrow frequency operation band has limited its application to generate useful power. In this paper, a broadband energy harvester with an array/matrix of piezoelectric bimorphs connected by springs has been designed and analyzed based on the 1-D piezoelectric beam equations. The predicted result shows that the operational frequency band can be enlarged significantly by carefully adjusting the small end masses, length of the beam and spring stiffness. An optimal selection of the load impedance to realize the maximum power output is discussed. The results provide an important foundation for future broadband energy harvester design.
Inhibition of geranylgeranyltransferase I decreases generation of vascular reactive oxygen species and increases vascular nitric oxide production1

Background Vascular injury with endothelial dysfunction results in an imbalance between the production of vasoprotective molecules such as nitric oxide (NO) and deleterious reactive oxygen species (ROS). The purpose of this work was to test the hypothesis that inhibition of geranylgeranyltransferase I (GG Tase I) reduces vascular injury by increasing vascular NO production while decreasing ROS generation. Methods and results GGTI-298 decreased the formation of intimal hyperplasia at 14 days following balloon injury. GGTI-298 (10 μ m ) inhibited activation of RhoA and Rac1 as well as inhibited SMC proliferation. GGTI increased SMC-inducible NO synthase (iNOS) levels and NO production in vitro . Additionally, the activation of NAD(P)H oxidase subunits was decreased by GGTI in vitro . This correlated with a decrease in TNF-α- or angiotensin-II-induced ROS production assayed by DCF fluorescence. In vivo , GGTI treatment increased endothelial NOS (eNOS) expression in uninjured arteries and iNOS expression in balloon-injured arteries. Furthermore, GGTI treatment attenuated balloon-injury-induced superoxide generation assayed by MCLA luminescence. Conclusions GGTI decreases the production of ROS and increases the production of NO both in vitro and in vivo . These effects may be mediated via the inhibition of activation of the small GTPases Rac1 and RhoA. Pharmacological inhibition of GGTase I may prove to be a useful clinical adjunct in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.
Organizational Competence and Firm-Specific Tobin's q: The Moderating Role of Corporate Reputation:

Corporate reputation activities have been shown to be a predictor of and a response to strategic organizational activities and outcomes. However, relatively little is known about the moderating role of corporate reputation in the relationship between organizational competencies and firm performance. Using a dynamic panel data model, this study examines how organizational competencies - employee value-added and technological competence - influence firm-specific Tobin’s q, and how corporate reputation activities moderate this relationship. The results indicate that organizational competencies enhance firm-specific Tobin’s q and that corporate reputation activities play a synergistic role, reinforcing the relationship between organizational competencies and firm performance. These findings contribute to both the resource-based view of the firm and corporate reputation literature by complementing and extending earlier research on the role of corporate reputation activities on firm-specific performance.
Realism, Narrative, and Happenstance: Thucydides' Tale of Brasidas

Neorealism and some versions of realism seek to furnish nomothetic theories of the international system at the same time that they also strive to prescribe policy for political leaders. Insofar as practical advice is insufficiently articulated by means of either nomothesis or the structural theoretical framework that (neo-)realist paradigms supply, these two aspirations seem contradictory. This essay is an examination of what contemporary realism and, especially, neorealism require to make practical wisdom available for practitioners. It argues that narrative, which is exemplified in the so-called classical realism of Thucydides, remains a crucial component of practical realism and neorealism.
Angular scattering in ion-atom collisions at intermediate energies

Abstract The classical trajectory Monte Carlo method has been used to calculate H+ + H(1s) electron capture and ionization differential cross sections at energies of 25–200 keV. Angular scattering of the electron removed by the ionization process has been studied as a function of ejected electron velocity νe. The classical calculations are in reasonable agreement with coupled-channel results for the “electron capture to the continuum” (ECC) component of the ionization process where this term is defined as the ejected electron being more closely centered to the projectile than the target nucleus after the collision. The ECC cross section σECC was studied as a function of collision energy (50–500 keV/amu) and projectile charge state (q=1 to 10). At high energies, σECC scaled as q 2.3 E 2.5 . The maximum value for σECC was found at an energy Emax≅(56 keV/amu) q0.4.
Electrical Conductivity and Structural Order of p-Type Amorphous Silicon Thin Films

The dependence of dark conductivity and room temperature Raman spectra on boron and hydrogen incorporation in thin films of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) prepared by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition was investigated. It was found that the dominant conductivity is Mott variable range hopping conduction. However, at lower temperatures, Efros-Shklosvkii hopping conduction is observed and contributes to the total conductivity. For structural characterization, transverse optical (TO) and transverse acoustic (TA) modes of the Raman spectra were studied to relate changes in short- and mid-range order to the effects of boron and hydrogen incorporation. With an increase of hydrogen incorporation and/or substrate temperature, both short and mid-range order improve, whereas the addition of boron results in the degradation of the short range order. The line width and frequency of the Raman TO Raman peak correlate with electrical measurements and suggest that this technique can be used for non-destructive characterization of a-Si:H.
The Mysterious Case of the Missing Men: Gender and Class in Early Industrial Medellín

In February of 1920, four hundred women and about one hundred men struck Colombia's largest textile mill, the Compa??a de Tejidos de Medellin. From the beginning, the women's actions radically expanded observers' understandings of what "a strike" might be. First, the striking women made unexpected demands; not only did they want higher wages and a ten-hour day but also the dismissal of two sexually abusive foremen. Second, they used gender as a weapon, shaming male strike-breakers with direct sexual taunts. At this, reporters expressed both surprise and conde scension. The local correspondent for a Bogot? daily, El Correo Liberal, described the scene with bemusement:
A review on yield, grain quality and resistance of hybrid rice in Guangxi

The general aspects such as yield,quality and the resistance of hybrid rice in Guangxi have been studied using these hybrid rice combinations which have been certified and registered by Guangxi Committee for Crop Variety Registration from 2000 to 2005.It was pointed out that the yield,resistance and quality of hybrid rice could not fully meet with the real needs.It was put forward that elite germplasm of wild rice was essential for making breakthrough in hybrid rice breeding,and hybrid rice selective breeding should be strengthened.In order to enrich the diversity of hybrid rice type and further improve the yield,quality and resistance,super hybrid rice combinations should be selectively bred according to the ecological conditions in Guangxi by fully exploring the wild rice germplasm resources in Guangxi.
The ADVANCE Associates Program: An Intervention for Retaining Women Faculty Members in STEM

The Associates Program was implemented as part of an ADVANCE Institutional Transformation award from NSF intended to address difficulty recruiting and retaining women faculty members in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields at a university emphasizing undergraduate education. At the end of the grant period, it was found that ADVANCE Associates were retained at a higher rate than general STEM faculty (91% versus 69%). The current study sought to examine why this was the case and what made participating faculty more likely to stay at the institution. Focus groups with former associates, coded using a grounded-theory approach to analyses, revealed participants in the program reported reduced isolation and a greater willingness to advocate for gender equity, which they linked to participation in the program.
Seizure detection using regression tree based feature selection and polynomial SVM classification

This paper presents a novel patient-specific algorithm for detection of seizures in epileptic patients with low hardware complexity and low power consumption. In the proposed approach, we first compute the spectrogram of the input fragmented EEG signals from three or four electrodes. Each fragmented data clip is one second in duration. Spectral powers and spectral ratios are then extracted as features. The features are then subjected to feature selection using regression tree. The selected features are then subjected to a polynomial support vector machine (SVM) classifier with degree of 2. The algorithm is tested using the intra-cranial EEG (iEEG) from the UPenn and Mayo Clinic's Seizure Detection Challenge database. It is shown that the proposed algorithm can achieve a sensitivity of 100.0%, an average area under curve (AUC) of 0.9818, a mean detection horizon of 5.8 seconds, and a specificity of 99.9% on using half of the training data for classification. The proposed approach also achieved a mean AUC of seizure detection and early seizure detection of 0.9136 on the testing data.
Global Observations of Open-Ocean Mode-1 M2Internal Tides

AbstractA global map of open-ocean mode-1 M2 internal tides is constructed using sea surface height (SSH) measurements from multiple satellite altimeters during 1992–2012, representing a 20-yr coherent internal tide field. A two-dimensional plane wave fit method is employed to 1) suppress mesoscale contamination by extracting internal tides with both spatial and temporal coherence and 2) separately resolve multiple internal tidal waves. Global maps of amplitude, phase, energy, and flux of mode-1 M2 internal tides are presented. The M2 internal tides are mainly generated over topographic features, including continental slopes, midocean ridges, and seamounts. Internal tidal beams of 100–300 km width are observed to propagate hundreds to thousands of kilometers. Multiwave interference of some degree is widespread because of the M2 internal tide’s numerous generation sites and long-range propagation. The M2 internal tide propagates across the critical latitudes for parametric subharmonic instability (28.8°S/N...
Generational Growing Pains as Resistance to Feminine Gendering of Organization? An Archival Analysis of Human Resource Management Discourses

Guided by a feminist communicology of organization framework, we examine generational growing pains by analyzing discourses appearing in HR Magazine at three different points in time, which approxi...
Thermal decomposition of C2H5I on Ag(111)

The decomposition of C2H5I on Ag(111) has been studied using temperature programmed desorption (TPD), work-function change measurements (ΔΦ) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Adsorption of C2H5I at 100 K is mostly molecular with little dissociation. C-I bond cleavage starts around 110 K. Below 1 monolayer coverage, all adsorbed C2H5I(a) dissociates to C2H5(a) and I(a) during TPD. C2H5(a) undergoes only recombination, producing gas phase butane (C4H10) around 190 K. No C-H or C-C bond cleavage takes place. On D/Ag(111), hydrogenation of C2H5(a) to C2H5(g) occurs readily between 150 and 220 K.
Modeling a minimal spanning tree

ABSTRACTWe model the distribution of the normalized interpoint distances (IDs) on the minimal spanning tree (MST) using multivariate beta vectors. We use a multivariate normal copula with beta marginals and a Dirichlet distribution to obtain beta vectors. Based on the normalized ordered IDs of the MST, we define a multivariate Gini index to measure the scatter of a data cloud. An example considers the MST of numerals in 11 European languages and obtains their Gini index. A simulation study compares the Gini index, the maximum and the range of the IDs for multivariate normal and log-normal data, with the results of modeling the distances on the MST.
Students and athletes? Development of the Academic and Athletic Identity Scale (AAIS).

Student-athletes face the challenges of balancing the demands of the classroom and the sports field to be successful as students and athletes. As a result, student-athletes may view themselves primarily as students or as athletes (or both). The purpose of this study was to create a short measure of the identification of students participating in sports that captures the extent to which being academically and athletically engaged is central to one’s sense of self. Two studies were conducted to develop the measure and provide initial reliability and validity of the Academic and Athletic Identity Scale (AAIS). Following the literature review, an initial pool of items was developed and submitted to a panel of experts for content validation. Next, the scale was pilot tested with a sample of 271 undergraduate students participating in sports. A confirmatory factor analysis suggested several modifications resulting in a refined scale with reasonable factor structure and internal consistency. In Study 2, the scale was administered to an independent sample of 596 undergraduate student-athletes (307 males, 289 females) participating in varsity (n 365) and club sports (n 231). Results confirmed a 2-factor structure and reliability, as well as provided evidence of factorial validity by establishing invariance across sport participation level (varsity and club sport studentathletes) and gender. The 11-item AAIS is suggested as a reasonable measure of identity of students participating in sports that can be used in future investigations. However, future research is needed to further examine the validity of the AAIS.
Spectroscopy and Dynamics of Jet-Cooled Polyynes in a Slit Supersonic Discharge: Sub-Doppler Infrared Studies of Diacetylene HCCCCH

Fundamental, bending (ν6, ν7, ν8, ν9), and CC-stretch (ν2, ν3) hot band spectra in the antisymmetric CH stretch (ν4) region near 3330 cm–1 have been observed and analyzed for jet cooled diacetylene (HC≡C–C≡CH) under sub-Doppler conditions. Diacetylene is generated in situ in the throat of a pulsed supersonic slit expansion by discharge dissociation of acetylene to form ethynyl (C≡CH) + H, followed by radical attack (HC≡CH + C≡C–H) to form HC≡C–C≡CH + H. The combination of (i) sub-Doppler line widths and (ii) absence of spectral congestion permits rotational structure and Coriolis interactions in the ν4 CH stretch fundamental to be observed and analyzed with improved precision. Of particular dynamical interest, the spectra reveal diacteylene formation in highly excited internal vibrational states. Specifically, multiple Π ← Π and Δ ← Δ hot bands built on the ν4 CH stretch fundamental are observed, due to doubly degenerate bending vibrations [cis C≡C–H bend (ν6), trans C–C≡C bend (ν7), trans C≡C–H bend (ν8)...
The effect of low ATP on glucose uptake in soleus muscle during hemorrhagic shock.

SummarySubclavian arteries of rats were cannulated and the animals were bled rapidly to a pressure of 40 mm Hg and maintained at that level for 2 hr. Glucose uptake by isolated soleus muscles from normal rats and rats which were subjected to severe hemorrhagic shock (“shock muscles”) was the same although ATP levels were significantly lowered in muscles of the latter rats. Whereas shock muscles did not show increased glucose uptake, these muscles still responded to the in vitro effect of anoxia by showing increased glucose uptake, further depletion of ATP and increased lactic acid production. The present experiments indicate that: (a) during severe hemorrhagic shock, there is no cause-effect relationship between glucose uptake and ATP depletion and (b) whatever the mechanism of action of anoxia in promoting glucose uptake in vitro might be, it is quite different from that of in vivo.The studies described in this paper were largely inspired by experiments undertaken by I. H. Chaudry, during the course of h...
Adsorption and Oxidation of n-Butane on the Stoichiometric RuO2(110) Surface

We investigated the adsorption and oxidation of n-butane on a stoichiometric RuO2(110) surface using temperature-programmed reaction spectroscopy (TPRS) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. At low coverage, molecularly adsorbed n-butane achieves a binding energy of ∼100 kJ/mol on RuO2(110), consistent with a strongly bound σ-complex that forms through dative bonding interactions between the n-butane molecule and coordinatively unsaturated (cus) Ru atoms. We find that a fraction of the n-butane reacts with the RuO2 surface during TPRS to produce CO, CO2, and H2O that desorb above ∼400 K and present evidence that adsorbed σ-complexes serve as precursors to the initial C–H bond cleavage and ultimately the oxidation of n-butane on RuO2(110). From measurements of the product yields as a function of surface temperature we estimate that the initial reaction probability of n-butane on RuO2(110) decreases from 9% to ∼4% with increasing surface temperature from 280 to 300 K and show that this temperatu...
The nutritional value of food service meals ordered by hospitalized children.

Summary Background and aims US hospitals routinely provide food to hospitalized children. The nutritional content of provided foods has not been evaluated. We performed our study to examine meal orders of hospitalized youth and determine whether the nutritional contents of ordered meals meet dietary guidelines. Methods We performed a cross-sectional evaluation among hospitalized youth ≥1 y receiving all nutritional intake by mouth and not on a clear liquid diet. Meal orders from hospitalized youth were analyzed for nutritional content. Daily calories, fiber, protein, fat content, and sugar-sweetened beverages ordered were determined and compared with published dietary recommendations. Distribution analyses and odds ratios for meeting v. not meeting dietary recommendations were calculated for select factors and adjusted for hospital length of stay. Results 969 meal orders from 247 patients [13 (1, 26) [median (min, max)] years, 50% male, 47% Hispanic] at a tertiary care pediatric hospital were reviewed. Forty-four percent of daily meals exceeded caloric recommendations, 9% met fiber recommendations, 36% met fat recommendations, all met protein requirements, and 53% included sugar-sweetened beverages. Overweight/obese boys Conclusions Pediatric hospital meal orders commonly do not meet dietary guidelines. Hospitals should encourage youth and families to order within nutritional guidelines to prevent additional health risk.
Validity bites: comments and rejoinders

I wish to congratulate all the contributors and especially Paul Newton and Jo-Anne Baird for what I hope will be a well received special issue on test validity.Of the many interesting facets of New...
Next-generation Algorithms for Assessing Infrastructure Vulnerability and Optimizing System Resilience

This report summarizes the work performed under the project project Next-Generation Algo- rithms for Assessing Infrastructure Vulnerability and Optimizing System Resilience. The goal of the project was to improve mathematical programming-based optimization technology for in- frastructure protection. In general, the owner of a network wishes to design a network a network that can perform well when certain transportation channels are inhibited (e.g. destroyed) by an adversary. These are typically bi-level problems where the owner designs a system, an adversary optimally attacks it, and then the owner can recover by optimally using the remaining network. This project funded three years of Deon Burchett's graduate research. Deon's graduate advisor, Professor Jean-Philippe Richard, and his Sandia advisors, Richard Chen and Cynthia Phillips, supported Deon on other funds or volunteer time. This report is, therefore. essentially a replication of the Ph.D. dissertation it funded [12] in a format required for project documentation. The thesis had some general polyhedral research. This is the study of the structure of the feasi- ble region of mathematical programs, such as integer programs. For example, an integer program optimizes a linear objective function subject to linear constraints, and (nonlinear) integrality con- straints on the variables. The feasible region withoutmore » the integrality constraints is a convex polygon. Careful study of additional valid constraints can significantly improve computational performance. Here is the abstract from the dissertation: We perform a polyhedral study of a multi-commodity generalization of variable upper bound flow models. In particular, we establish some relations between facets of single- and multi- commodity models. We then introduce a new family of inequalities, which generalizes traditional flow cover inequalities to the multi-commodity context. We present encouraging numerical results. We also consider the directed edge-failure resilient network design problem (DRNDP). This problem entails the design of a directed multi-commodity flow network that is capable of fulfilling a specified percentage of demands in the event that any G arcs are destroyed, where G is a constant parameter. We present a formulation of DRNDP and solve it in a branch-column-cut framework. We present computational results.« less
Building Communities While Building Food Systems

First paragraph: The title of the journal you are reading is Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Develop­ment. That title suggests that there is a strong tie between food systems and community devel­opment. In general discussions around food systems and as those of us who work in food systems go about our specialized work, that tie is not always clear, though it should be. Growing Livelihoods: Local Food Systems and Community Development helps make it clearer. With fewer than 250 pages, it is not an encyclopedic treatment of food systems and community development but rather an overview of what can be and is being done in communities around the country....
The principal’s influence on the novice teacher’s professional development in literacy instruction

Effective teachers and principals, who are viewed as their building’s curriculum leader, are of vital importance to the literacy success of elementary-age students. This article will explore the influences of school leadership and professional development which teachers say can positively or negatively impact their ability to effectively teach literacy in the elementary grades. Novice teachers in this study reported that the knowledge their principal held in the field of literacy made a significant impact on their ability to effectively deliver literacy instruction. Findings have implications for the effective design of continued professional development for elementary teachers in order to optimize literacy outcomes for students.
Design and implementation of a mobile actor platform for wireless sensor networks

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) promise the ability to monitor physical environments and to facilitate control of cyber-physical systems. Because sensors networks can generate large amounts of data, and wireless bandwidth is both limited and energy hungry, local processing becomes necessary to minimize communication. However, for reasons of energy efficiency and production costs, embedded nodes have relatively slow processors and small memories. This makes programming sensor networks harder and requires new tools for distributed computing. We have developed ActorNet, an implementation of the Actor model of computing for sensor networks which facilitates programming by treating a sensor network as an open distributed computing platform. ActorNet provides a high-level actor programming language: users can write dynamic applications for a single cross-platform runtime environment with support for heterogeneous and physically separated WSNs. This shields application developers from some hardware-specific concerns. Moreover, unlike other programming systems for WSNs, ActorNet supports agent mobility and automatic garbage collection. We describe the ActorNet language and runtime system and how it achieves reasonable performance in a WSN.
Training Doctoral Students in Educational Statistics in the United States: A National Survey

Although numerous research studies have focused on issues related to the teaching of statistics, few studies have focused on the training of people who may become statistics teachers. The purpose o...
Turbulent pipe flow in the presence of centerline velocity overshoot and wall-shear undershoot

Abstract The existence and characteristics of an overshoot phenomenon in the axial velocity distribution that occurs at the centerline of a turbulent pipe flow is investigated and documented by means of numerical simulation. A complementary phenomenon is also encountered in which the axial variation of the wall shear stress experiences an undershoot. These occurrences are not restricted to the case of a uniform velocity profile at the pipe inlet. The magnitude of the inlet turbulence intensity was found to play a major role in the downstream development of the flow. In particular, the magnitude of the overshoot showed a dependence on the value of the inlet turbulence intensity; the higher the intensity value, the lower the magnitude of the overshoot. Evidence was presented that enabled the attribution of the velocity peak and the wall shear undershoot to an initial tendency for the flow to laminarize. In particular, the presence of the velocity peak was related to different patterns of radial flow. When a peak was present, there was a radial inflow of fluid toward the centerline of the pipe followed downstream by a radial outflow from the centerline to the wall. The suppression of the velocity peak was accomplished by a very high value of the turbulence intensity at the inlet which neutralized the tendency towards laminarization. Other evidence of the laminarization tendency was obtained by examining the magnitude of the turbulence viscosity.
Responses to Nitrogen-Oxides by Characiforme Fishes Suggest Evolutionary Conservation in Ostariophysan Alarm Pheromones

Many fishes of the superorder Ostariophysi (and members of their prey guild) possess chemical alarm signals or alarm pheromones (Smith, 1992; Mathis and Smith, 1993; Brown and Godin, 1997; Brown and Smith, 1997; Chivers and Smith, 1998; Brown and Brennan, 2000), which are sequestered in specialized epidermal club cells (Smith, 1992). Although controversial (Magurran et al., 1996; Smith, 1997; Brown and Godin, 1999a), there exists considerable evidence for the anti-predator function of alarm pheromones for both signal senders and receivers in Ostariophysan fishes (Smith, 1992; Chivers and Smith, 1998; Brown and Godin, 1999b). When detected by nearby conspecifics and sympatric heterospecifics, the alarm pheromone(s) elicits responses characterized by an increase in a variety of species-specific, anti-predator behaviors such as refuging, shoaling and immobility (Chivers and Smith, 1998).
The Peasant Question

‘The Peasant Question’ opens up the discussion of the deep causes of the uprising analyzing from a cross-border perspective the status of the main actors of the 1907 uprising, the peasants, and their economic predicament in contrast to their peers across the triple frontier in Austria-Hungary and Tsarist Bessarabia. The transnational comparison between land tenure and the position of the peasantry in Romania and in the neighbouring provinces aims to identify those factors pertaining to legal framework and social practice that set Romania apart from its neighbours and led to different outcomes.
Dietary intake and symptoms of anorexia nervosa in female university dancers.

This study was designed to measure and evaluate the dietary intake and symptoms of anorexia nervosa in female university dancers (no. = 21) and a control group of female university non-dancers (no. = 29). Three-day food records were analyzed for calories, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, calcium, phosphorus, and iron. Symptoms of anorexia nervosa were determined through the use of an objective questionnaire, the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT). The percent of subjects who consumed less than two-thirds of the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for energy was significantly higher in the dance group (28.6% vs. 10.3%, p less than .005). Seventy percent of the total study population consumed less than two-thirds of the RDA for at least one nutrient, and 24% consumed less than two-thirds of the RDA for three or more nutrients. Thirty-three percent of the dancers and 13.8% of the controls scored in the range symptomatic of anorexia nervosa on the EAT, a difference that was statistically significant (p less than .005). The results indicate that both female university dancers and female university students may be at risk for nutrient deficiency and anorexia nervosa.
Pollen tube guidance: the role of adhesion and chemotropic molecules.

Publisher Summary In many reproductive systems, adhesion and guidance are essential components of fertilization. In animals, sperm cells are motile and when guided to the egg cell, the sperm penetrates through the extracellular matrix (ECM) and adheres to the egg plasma membrane. Sperm cells in marine animals and algae are released into the open sea and must be guided to the egg. Marine invertebrates provide excellent material for the study of fertilization and information about the basic biology of the interaction between cell surfaces, as well as discoveries of the few molecules known to be involved in sperm–egg interaction. Motile sperm cells are also present in the lower divisions of land plants and in some seed plants. In ferns, sperm cells are released from the male gametophyte (gamete producing haploid phase of the life cycle) and swim, usually through rainwater, to the nearby female gametophyte, which bears archegonia with eggs enclosed. In both animals and plants, guidance cues from the female tissues are critical to accomplish fertilization. One of the most extensively studied guidance mechanisms is chemotaxis, defined as the movement of a cell up a molecular gradient; chemotropism refers to the growth of a cell up a molecular gradient. Adhesion molecules have been implicated in guidance in both reproduction and in embryonic cell movements in animal development, including neuron guidance. In plants, adhesion molecules are involved in reproduction, both in guidance and in the fertilization event, of gamete fusion. It is not unusual to find the same molecules involved in both adhesion and chemotropism in animals. However, in plants only a few such molecules have been reported. Recently, molecules involved in both pollen tube adhesion and guidance have been isolated from the flowering plant stigma and style transmitting tract tissues. This chapter discusses adhesion and chemotropism and looks at a chemotropic peptide in the lily stigma.
High-throughput computational X-ray absorption spectroscopy

X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) is a widely-used materials characterization technique. In this work we present a database of computed XAS spectra, using the Green's formulation of the multiple scattering theory implemented in the FEFF code. With more than 500,000 K-edge X-ray absorption near edge (XANES) spectra for more than 40,000 unique materials, this database constitutes the largest existing collection of computed XAS spectra to date. The data is openly distributed via the Materials Project, enabling researchers across the world to access it for free and use it for comparisons with experiments and further analysis.
Explaining the Failure of School Turnaround: Important Issues

There is almost no information on the costs of turnarounds at the school level. While we know a good deal about the “reforms” as they are adopted by schools, we found no estimates of the real (monetary and non-monetary) costs of turnaround (e.g., cost of faculty time to interview principal and teacher candidates) and nothing beyond some relation to what the funds produce in terms of achievement score gains. “Tracking reform cash—and determining whether schools have gotten their money’s worth—remains daunting” (Klein, 2012, p. 11).
Chemically fueled covalent crosslinking of polymer materials

Transiently crosslinked dynamic polymer networks are developed, using carbodiimide hydration to link carboxylic acids as anhydrides. From aqueous polymer solutions, non-equilibrium hydrogels are transiently formed, which dissolve upon anhydride hydrolysis. The materials can be refueled using a subsequent injection of carbodiimide. The gels exhibit higher storage moduli compared to transient supramolecular gels as a result of their covalent crosslinks.
The Chinese Model of Democracy as Liberal Democracy's Major Competitor

The People’s Republic of China officially refers to its current system of governance as democracy with Chinese characteristics. This paper seeks to understand that claim and foster trans-Pacific discussion by focusing first on differences from and then on similarities to the model of liberal democracy embraced in much of the rest of the world. The first part of the paper examines the ways in which the Chinese model concentrates power in a rejection of what I argue to be the key features of liberal democracy. That part also seeks to render understandable the development of the different view of democracy in China through a brief and tentative sketch of the different historical and intellectual developments in China and the West, where liberal democracy first developed. Especially important, the paper argues, are differences in attitudes about the power of political and moral education to overcome the individual’s self-seeking behavior. The strong Confucian belief in the power of education appears to have played an important role in rationalizing great concentrations of power in China. In the west, Lord Acton’s Maxim epitomizes the thinking that education is never enough; structural limitations provided by, among others, electoral competition are necessary to protect against tyranny and corruption. The Chinese model is thus the major competitor for liberal democracy, at least for the fifth of the world’s population that lives in China. Nevertheless, the second part of the paper seeks to show that the Chinese are not so different because we share concerns about such important issues as the dangers of unguided populism, the politicization of the judiciary through constitutional review, and the problem of the role of money in politics.
Direct Convective Nervous System Drug Delivery for Patients with Neurodegenerative Disorders

Abstract The field of intracerebral direct drug delivery has entered the era of intraoperative, real-time magnetic resonance imaging guidance for convection-enhanced delivery. This chapter describes the use of a clinical platform developed to enable accurate planning and placement of infusion cannulas, as well as strategies for simultaneous visualization and optimization of drug distribution within a target structure.
Effect of Nanodiamond Surface Chemistry on Adsorption and Release of Tiopronin

Abstract Tiopronin is an FDA-approved thiol drug currently used to treat cystinuria and rheumatoid arthritis. However, due to its antioxidant properties, it may be beneficial in a variety of other conditions. One primary obstacle to its wider application is its limited bioavailability, which necessitates administration of high systemic doses to achieve localized therapeutic effects. Incorporation of a drug delivery vehicle can solve this dilemma by providing a means of controlled, targeted release. Functionalized nanodiamond is a promising theranostic platform that has demonstrated great potential for biomedical applications, including drug delivery. Design of nanodiamond theranostic platforms requires comprehensive understanding of drug-platform interactions, and the necessary physical chemical investigations have only been realized for a limited number of compounds. Towards the long-term goal of developing a nanodiamond-tiopronin treatment paradigm, this study aims to shed light on the effects of nanodiamond surface chemistry on adsorption and release of tiopronin. Specifically, adsorption isotherms were measured and fit to Langmuir and Freundlich models for carboxylated, hydroxylated, and aminated nanodiamonds, and release was monitored in solutions at pH 4.0, 5.8, 7.3, and 8.1. Our results indicate that aminated nanodiamonds exhibit the highest loading capacity while hydroxylated nanodiamonds are the most effective for sustained release. Therefore, a high degree of flexibility may be afforded by the use of nanodiamonds with different surface chemistries optimized for specific applications.
Influence of Patient Demographics and Surgical Characteristics on Pass Rates of Return-to-Activity Tests in Anterior Cruciate Ligament-Reconstructed Patients Before Physician Clearance.

OBJECTIVE To identify the frequency of passing return-to-activity tests after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) and to investigate the influence of patient-specific factors on pass rates. We hypothesized that isolated strength tests would be most difficult to pass and that graft type would be the most influential factor. DESIGN Cross-sectional. SETTING Laboratory. PARTICIPANTS Eighty patients with a history of primary, unilateral ACLR, and 80 healthy controls participated. INTERVENTIONS Bilateral isokinetic strength, isometric strength, and single-leg hop tests were recorded during a single visit. The International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) Subjective Knee Evaluation measured subjective knee function, and the Tegner Activity Scale measured physical activity level. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Pass rates were calculated for 3 thresholds of absolute between-limb asymmetry: 0% to 10%, 11% to 15%, and 16% to 20%. Pass rates were compared by sex (male and female), graft type (patellar and hamstrings), meniscal procedure (yes and no), physical activity level (</≥ median Tegner), and time from surgery (</≥ 6 months). RESULTS Isokinetic quadriceps strength was consistently most difficult to pass, whereas the 6-meter timed hop and crossover hop tests were easiest. Graft type had the greatest influence on pass rates (isometric quadriceps and hamstring strength, hamstrings-to-quadriceps ratio), followed by time from surgery (6-meter timed hop and crossover hop), physical activity (IKDC), and meniscal procedure (6-meter timed hop). CONCLUSIONS Isokinetic quadriceps strength was the most difficult test to pass, and single-leg hop tests were the easiest. Patient-specific factors including graft type, time from surgery, physical activity level, and meniscal procedure may influence the ability to meet return-to-activity criterion after ACLR.
Probabilistic sophistication without completeness

Abstract This is a study of probabilistically sophisticated choice behavior when the preference relation is incomplete. Invoking the analytical framework of Anscombe and Aumann (1963) and building on the work of Machina and Schmeidler (1995), the paper provides an axiomatic characterization of the general multi-prior multi-utility probabilistically sophisticated representation. In addition, the paper examines the axiomatic foundations for two special cases: complete beliefs and complete tastes. In the former case, the incompleteness is due to ambiguous tastes and in latter case it is due to ambiguous beliefs.
An R848-Conjugated Influenza Virus Vaccine Elicits Robust Immunoglobulin G to Hemagglutinin Stem in a Newborn Nonhuman Primate Model.

Eliciting broadly protective antibodies is a critical goal for the development of more effective vaccines against influenza. Optimizing protection is of particular importance in newborns, who are highly vulnerable to severe disease following infection. An effective vaccination strategy for this population must surmount the challenges associated with the neonatal immune system as well as mitigate the inherent immune subdominance of conserved influenza virus epitopes, responses to which can provide broader protection. Here, we show that prime-boost vaccination with a TLR7/8 agonist (R848)-conjugated influenza A virus (IAV) vaccine elicits antibody responses to the highly conserved hemagglutinin stem and promotes rapid induction of virus neutralizing stem-specific antibodies following viral challenge. These findings support the efficacy of R848 as an effective adjuvant for newborns and demonstrate its ability to enhance antibody responses to subdominant antigenic sites in this at-risk population.
Unraveling the Temporal Importance of Community-scale Human Activity Features for Rapid Assessment of Flood Impacts.

The objective of this research is to explore the temporal importance of community-scale human activity features for rapid assessment of flood impacts. Ultimate flood impact data, such as flood inundation maps and insurance claims, becomes available only weeks and months after the floods have receded. Crisis response managers, however, need near-real-time data to prioritize emergency response. This time lag creates a need for rapid flood impact assessment. Some recent studies have shown promising results for using human activity fluctuations as indicators of flood impacts. Existing studies, however, used mainly a single community-scale activity feature for the estimation of flood impacts and have not investigated their temporal importance for indicating flood impacts. Hence, in this study, we examined the importance of heterogeneous human activity features in different flood event stages. Using four community-scale big data categories we derived ten features related to the variations in human activity and evaluated their temporal importance for rapid assessment of flood impacts. Using multiple random forest models, we examined the temporal importance of each feature in indicating the extent of flood impacts in the context of the 2017 Hurricane Harvey in Harris County, Texas. Our findings reveal that 1) fluctuations in human activity index and percentage of congested roads are the most important indicators for rapid flood impact assessment during response and recovery stages; 2) variations in credit card transactions assumed a middle ranking; and 3) patterns of geolocated social media posts (Twitter) were of low importance across flood stages. The results of this research could rapidly forge a multi-tool enabling crisis managers to identify hotspots with severe flood impacts at various stages then to plan and prioritize effective response strategies.
Problems in Viscous Elasticity

We illustrate the theory of viscous elasticity in the present chapter by considering several basic problems involving either the standard linear viscoelastic solid, where the stress is dependent on the strain, strain rate, and the stress rate, or the Kelvin-Voigt viscoelastic solid, where the stress is dependent only on the strain and strain rate. Since, in either case, the viscoelastic equations reduce simply to the elastic relations of Chapter 4 when purely static deformations are considered, we shall limit our attention to dynamic or quasistatic problems, the latter being concerned, of course, with time-dependent deformations that occur slowly enough to allow the neglect of inertial effects.