cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Scalable matrix computations on large scale-free graphs using 2D graph partitioning

Scalable parallel computing is essential for processing large scale-free (power-law) graphs. The distribution of data across processes becomes important on distributed-memory computers with thousands of cores. It has been shown that two-dimensional layouts (edge partitioning) can have significant advantages over traditional one-dimensional layouts. However, simple 2D block distribution does not use the structure of the graph, and more advanced 2D partitioning methods are too expensive for large graphs. We propose a new two-dimensional partitioning algorithm that combines graph partitioning with 2D block distribution. The computational cost of the algorithm is essentially the same as 1D graph partitioning. We study the performance of sparse matrix-vector multiplication (SpMV) for scale-free graphs from the web and social networks using several different partitioners and both 1D and 2D data layouts. We show that SpMV run time is reduced by exploiting the graph's structure. Contrary to popular belief, we observe that current graph and hypergraph partitioners often yield relatively good partitions on scale-free graphs. We demonstrate that our new 2D partitioning method consistently outperforms the other methods considered, for both SpMV and an eigensolver, on matrices with up to 1.6 billion nonzeros using up to 16,384 cores.
Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease by Transposition of the Omentum

There is increasing evidence that cerebral hypoperfusion plays a key role in the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). As one ages, cerebral blood flow (CBF) decreases as a direct reflection of a normal aging process. Coupled with this expected drop in CBF are a host of other factors, such as hypertension, stress, smoking, diabetes, cholesterol buildup, etc., which further decrease blood flow to the brain. Maintaining a critical level of CBF is essential if adequate amounts of oxygen and glucose are to be presented to neurons to sustain their cellular energy production (ATP). If CBF drops below a critical flow level, insufficient ATP will be produced and, if this situation is not corrected, neurons will deteriorate and eventually die. When a critical mass of neurons die in areas of the brain involved with cognition and memory, AD will result. Omentum transposition to the brain is a surgical procedure by which a large volume of blood and other biological agents can be delivered to the brain over an indefinite period of time. The omentum gives metabolic support to deteriorating neurons and its presence on the brain has resulted in the reversal of AD symptoms. Additionally, omentum transposition to the brain can markedly reduce senile plaque accumulation, but has no apparent effect on reducing neurofibrillary tangles. Omental transposition may play an important role in the future treatment of AD, especially in early and moderate cases.
Identification of Babesia bigemina and Babesia bovis merozoite proteins with isolate- and species-common epitopes recognized by antibodies in bovine immune sera.

Abstract Immunoprecipitation of radiolabeled antigens with bovine antisera indicated that many Babesia bigemina and Babesia bovis merozoite proteins contain isolate-common epitopes, while at least 16 B. bigemina and 8 B. bovis proteins contain species-cross-reactive epitopes. One immunogenic, isolate-common, and species-specific candidate diagnostic protein from each species was identified.
Land, labour and group formation: Blacks and Indians in the United States

Abstract Why did a comprehensive racial consciousness emerge early among African‐Americans in the United States, but only relatively recently among Native Americans? An understanding of group formation must take into account the opportunity structures ‐ not only economic and political but conceptual ‐ that foster or discourage particular bases of collective identity and action. Critical to the Indian/Black comparison is the fact that Blacks were of interest to the larger society primarily for their labour, Indians primarily for their lands. This difference set in motion two distinct trajectories of group formation which, in turn, were shaped by particular political relationships and by the classifications made by dominant‐group members. In the Black case labour‐based relations broke down indigenous group boundaries and encouraged comprehensive racial consciousness. In the Indian case land‐based relations sustained indigenous group boundaries and discouraged the rapid emergence of comprehensive group consc...
Improving the Writing Skills of Students in Introductory Psychology

This article describes a writing component for an introductory psychology course and reports its effects on students' writing skills. During the semester, each student wrote about 3,000 words in response to questions on weekly essay tests. Test questions were drawn from a larger set handed out in advance, permitting students to organize, unite, and revise trial answers before the test. Essays were graded for content and writing skill. Two variations of this format are reported and evaluated for their impact on students' writing skills over the semester. The more successful program restricted essay questions to four rhetorical forms students encounter in freshman composition classes and graded the essays for orderly presentation of ideas.
ANSI standards: creating a local, searchable database

– To review the history behind and steps taken to inventory and build search/edit modules for a database containing the Iowa State University Library's extensive collection of American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards. Design/methodology/approach – Iowa State University built a database inventory of the ANSI collection of standards through the use of Microsoft Excel and Oracle production software. The collection was inventoried and input into an Excel database, then converted into a web‐based search engine using Oracle software. Edit modules were developed to allow for adding to the database, and updating and correcting existing records., – With the addition of this search engine and edit module, the task of keeping records up to date and keeping patrons informed as to the availability of standards within the ISU collection has been greatly improved., – The implications for this form of database suggest it could be introduced into other major research libraries with large collections of uncatalogued literature utilizing similar software and expertise. This was a local concern that could have a broad impact on the way ANSI standards are inventoried and searched in libraries., – The library that possesses a large collection of work under a single call number that is not inventoried and is looking for solutions for improved patron access will find this information valuable.
Banks and Discrimination: How Far Can We Go with Competition? A Reply to Block, Snow, and Stringham

This article discusses competition theory and how advancements from the fields of economics, cognitive science, decision sciences, and management urge us to stop using the same recipe for all different kinds of illnesses. The issue of discrimination in the banking industry offers an interesting platform for this argument, which is developed as an antithesis to what Block, Snow, and Stringham (2008) proposed in their article published in a recent issue of the Business and Society Review. Foundational concepts for a behavioral model of discrimination are presented.
Correlates of aortic stiffness in elderly individuals: A subgroup of the Cardiovascular Health Study

Background: Arterial stiffness has been associated with aging, hypertension, and diabetes; however, little data has been published examining risk factors associated with arterial stiffness in elderly individuals. Methods: Longitudinal associations were made between aortic stiffness and risk factors measured approximately 4 years earlier. Aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV), an established index of arterial stiffness, was measured in 356 participants (53.4% women, 25.3% African American), aged 70 to 96 years, from the Pittsburgh site of the Cardiovascular Health Study during 1996 to 1998. Results: Mean aortic pulse wave velocity (850 cm/sec, range 365 to 1863) did not differ by ethnicity or sex. Increased aortic stiffness was positively associated with higher systolic blood pressure (SBP), age, fasting and 2-h postload glucose, fasting and 2-h insulin, triglycerides, waist circumference, body mass index, truncal fat, decreased physical activity, heart rate, and common carotid artery wall thickness (P < .05). After controlling for age and SBP, the strongest predictors of aortic stiffness in men were heart rate (P = .001) and 2-h glucose (P = .063). In women, PWV was positively associated with heart rate (P = .018), use of antihypertensive medication (P = .035), waist circumference (P = .030), and triglycerides (P = .081), and was negatively associated with physical activity (P = .111). Results were similar when the analysis was repeated in nondiabetic individuals and in those free of clinical or subclinical cardiovascular disease in 1992 to 1993. Conclusions: In these elderly participants, aortic stiffness was positively associated with risk factors associated with the insulin resistance syndrome, increased common carotid intima–media thickness, heart rate, and decreased physical activity measured several years earlier.
Using Psychological Assessment in Structural Family Therapy

In the family therapy of children with academic problems, a psychological evaluation is often indicated. Reporting the results of this evaluation to the family is seen as an integral part of the ongoing therapeutic process. The way in which results are communicated should be influenced by the therapist's assessment of the family's dynamics. This paper examines several issues in this process and suggests techniques to enhance the therapeutic effectiveness of such feedback. Two case studies illustrating the use and effect of the psychological consultant in ongoing family therapy are presented.
Role of Flow-Sensitive microRNAs in Endothelial Dysfunction and Atherosclerosis Mechanosensitive Athero-miRs

Atherosclerosis preferentially occurs in arterial regions exposed to disturbed flow, in part, due to alterations in gene expression. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, noncoding genes that post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression by targeting messenger RNA transcripts. Emerging evidence indicates that alteration of flow conditions regulate expression of miRNAs in endothelial cells both in vitro and in vivo. These flow-sensitive miRNAs, known as mechano-miRs, regulate endothelial gene expression and can regulate endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis. MiRNAs such as, miR-10a, miR-19a, miR-23b, miR-17-92, miR-21, miR-663, miR-92a, miR-143/145, miR-101, miR-126, miR-712, miR-205, and miR-155, have been identified as mechano-miRs. Many of these miRNAs were initially identified as flow sensitive in vitro and were later found to play a critical role in endothelial function and atherosclerosis in vivo through either gain-of-function or loss-of-function approaches. The key signaling pathways that are targeted by these mechano-miRs include the endothelial cell cycle, inflammation, apoptosis, and nitric oxide signaling. Furthermore, we have recently shown that the miR-712/205 family, which is upregulated by disturbed flow, contributes to endothelial inflammation and vascular hyperpermeability by targeting tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-3, which regulates metalloproteinases and a disintegrin and metalloproteinases. The mechano-miRs that are implicated in atherosclerosis are termed as mechanosensitive athero-miRs and are potential therapeutic targets to prevent or treat atherosclerosis. This review summarizes the current knowledge of mechanosensitive athero-miRs and their role in vascular biology and atherosclerosis.
High-rate training of Gaussian mixture vector quantizers

Summary form only given. This paper discusses the design of fixed-rate Gaussian mixture vector quantizers (GMVQs) under input-weighted squared error distortion measures. The goal is to select the system parameters so as to minimize the expected high-rate distortion. GMVQ systems produce low complexity by operating M Gaussian codebooks in parallel (typically with low-complexity structures) and then choosing amongst their outputs with an M-point vector quantizer. Thus, the total codebook is the union of the component Gaussian codebooks, and the total encoder regions are optimal provided the component encoders are optimal with respect to their individual codebooks.
Imagining the Metropolis, Globalizing the Nation: Dar Es Salaam and national culture in Tanzanian cartoons

Africa's cities in general and particularly its metropolises are the setting within which Africans take goods and practices derived from the global economy and embed them into local contexts. Africans use these translated items to debate salient issues in their lives, and one most crucial issue is the city itself—its nature and role in their lives. Swahili-language cartoon magazines in Tanzania exemplify such a debate. Since their inception in the late 1980s, these urbanfocused texts portray Dar es Salaam as Tanzania's premier city, the place where Tanzanians find foreign commodities, Europeanized behavior, and imported fashions. Through the magazines, the authors articulate images of the metropolis, its residents, and their relationships with non-urbanites. Yet the citys image has not remained constant over time. In the early 1990s, cartoonists primarily highlighted urban versus rural ways and ethnicity, creating a portrait of the city as a place where heterogeneous groups came together to form the nation. By the late 1990s, however, the emphasis shifted to debating trends in urbanism, national policies, and the impact of globally-derived culture upon Tanzanian society. As cartoonists portray a different place for Dar es Salaam relative to the imagined communities of the nation and the globe, they highlight changes m the metropolis and Tanzania itself. [Tanzania, city, cartoons, globalization, popular culture]
The Relative Importance of First- and Second-Phase Insulin Secretion in Countering the Action of Glucagon on Glucose Turnover in the Conscious Dog

While it is known that glucagon induces a biphasic release of insulin when infused into a normal animal, it is not known whether the resultant pattern of insulin secretion has important metabolic consequences. To ascertain whether such is the case, glucagon was elevated fourfold in the presence of first-, second-, or combined first- and second-phase insulin release to determine ability of the latter hormone to antagonize the effect of glucagon on glucose turnover in the conscious dog. To separate the effects of the different phases of insulin release the “pancreatic clamp” technique, in which somatostatin is given to inhibit the endocrine pancreas and replacement amounts of insulin and glucagon are given intraportally, was used. In this way, a rise in glucagon (∼220 pg/ml) was brought about in the presence of simulated first-phase (peak IRI 25 μU/ml at 5 min; basal by 30 min), secondphase (peak IRI 19 μU/ml at 30 min and sustained elevation thereafter), or first- plus second-phase (peak IRI 33 μU/ml at 5 min; 17 μU/ml at 30 min and sustained elevation thereafter) insulin release. Optimal glycemic control required both first- and second-phase insulin release. A selective deficiency of first-phase release resulted in a transient (2 h) worsening of the glucagon-induced hyperglycemia (twofold the normal increment). This defect was attributable to a larger initial rise in glucose production (3.6 ± 0.6 mg/kg · min) than that observed when both phases of insulin release were present (0.9 ± 0.4 mg/kg · min). First-phase insulin release had no significant effect on glucose clearance. A selective deficiency of second-phase release resulted in marked (sixfold) and prolonged worsening of the glucagon-induced hyperglycemia. In this case, however, the hyperglycemia was primarily the result of a defect in glucose clearance. Glucose clearance fell by 29 ± 7% instead of rising by 30 ± 4% as it did when both firstand second-phase release were present. Glucose production was mildly elevated between 15 and 75 min when second-phase insulin release was deficient relative to that apparent when both the first- and secondphases of release were present; this also contributed to the abnormal hyperglycemia. We conclude that both phases of insulin release are vital to full counterregulation of the action of glucagon on glucose metabolism. First-phase insulin release is important to counter the quick effect of glucagon on glucose production, while second-phase insulin release is important to sustain that inhibition and to augment glucose utilization. Absence of first-phase release results in a transient (2 h) and moderate (20–30 mg/dl) glycemic defect while an absence of second-phase release results in a prolonged and dramatic (70–100 mg/dl) defect.
Effects of Organochlorines, Individually and in Mixtures, on B-Cell Proliferation in Marine Mammals and Mice

Organochlorines (OC) are lipophilic and stable, and therefore accumulate in tissues of top predators, such as marine mammals. While the immunomodulatory effects of individual OC have been studied in lab animals, their effects in other species (such as marine mammals) and the possible interactions between chemicals in mixtures are not well understood. This study investigated the immunomodulatory effects of four polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB, IUPAC numbers 138, 153, 169, and 180), as well as 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), individually and in mixtures, in marine mammals and mice. Mitogen-induced B lymphocyte proliferation was mostly modulated by non-coplanar PCBs, for which general mechanisms underlying toxicity are poorly understood. Simple additive effects of OC in mixtures were found only in mice, while both synergistic and antagonistic interactions between OC were found in marine mammals. The toxic equivalency (TEQ) approach, which is currently used to assess the dioxin-like toxicity of OC mixtures, failed to predict immunotoxicity in mice and marine mammals, likely due to the complexity of interactions between OC and effects via dioxin-independent pathways. The commonly used mouse model failed to predict the immunotoxicity due to OC in the marine mammals tested. In addition, clustering data suggested that phylogeny might not help predict the toxicity of OC. Lymphoproliferative response was modulated in most species tested suggesting the possibility of increased susceptibility to infectious diseases in these animals. These findings may be helpful in more accurately characterizing the immunotoxic potential of OC in different target species and help in more relevant risk assessment.
Microwave Dielectric Model for Aggregated Soils

In order to understand the interactions of soil properties and microwave emission better, a series of field experiments were conducted in 1984. Small plots were measured with a truck-mounted passive microwave radiometer operating at 1.4 GHz. The microwave data were collected concurrently with ground observations of soil moisture and bulk density. Treatment effects included different soil moisture contents and bulk densities. Evaluations of the data showed that commonly used models of the dielectric properties of wet soils could not explain the observations. This conclusion was based on the fact that the roughness parameters determined through optimization were significantly larger than those observed in similar other investigations. These discrepancies are most likely due to inadequate characterization of the effects of soil structure. Commonly used models assume a homogeneous three phase mixture of soil solids, air, and water. Under tilled conditions the soil is actually a two phase mixture of aggregates and voids. Appropriate dielectric models for this tilled condition were evaluated and found to match the observed data. These results indicate that previous conclusions concerning the effects of surface roughness in tilled fields may be incorrect, and the improved model may explain some of the inconsistencies encountered in roughness modeling.
WebGazeAnalyzer: a system for capturing and analyzing web reading behavior using eye gaze

Capturing and analyzing the detailed eye movements of a user while reading a web page can reveal much about the ways in which web reading occurs. The WebGazeAnalyzer system described here is a remote-camera system, requiring no invasive head-mounted apparatus, giving test subjects a normal web use experience when performing web-based tasks. While many such systems have been used in the past to collect eye gaze data, WebGazeAnalyzer brings together several techniques for efficiently collecting, analyzing and re-analyzing eye gaze data. We briefly describe techniques for overcoming the inherent inaccuracies of such apparatus, illustrating how we capture and analyze eye gaze data for commercial web design problems. Techniques developed here include methods to group fixations along lines of text, and reading analysis to measure reading speed, regressions, and coverage of web page text.
Susceptibility to acute Trypanosoma cruzi infection in autoimmune strains of mice.

We previously observed that mice bearing the autoimmune associated lpr gene exhibit increased susceptibility to challenge with Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas' disease. We have now tested two other autoimmune prone strains of mice, BXSB and NZB, and found that these animals also show increased sensitivity to acute T. cruzi infection. When challenged with a standard dose (10(2)) of Y strain trypomastigotes, BXSB males (BXSB-YSB), which develop early onset autoimmune disease, suffered high mortality, while late onset autoimmune BXSB females and minimally autoimmune male BXSB mice whose Y chromosome was derived from C57BL/6J mice (BXSB-YB/6) also recover. NZB mice were found to be highly susceptible to challenge while NZW and NZB/W were resistant. A finding common to all groups of susceptible autoimmune mice was increased plasma levels of T. cruzi specific antibody, especially IgM. The data indicate that in two of the three autoimmune prone strains examined, increased T. cruzi susceptibility appears to be linked to restricted genetic elements (i.e. lpr gene and the YSB associated factor) which also influence the rapidity of onset of autoimmunity.
Oncolytic (replication-competent) adenoviruses as anticancer agents.

Importance of the field: Whilst therapies for neoplasies have advanced tremendously in the last few decades, there is still a need for new anti-cancer treatments. One option is genetically-engineered oncolytic adenovirus (Ad) ‘vectors’. These kill cancer cells via the viral replication cycle, and amplify the anti-tumor effect by producing progeny virions able to infect neighboring tumor cells.Areas covered in this review: We provide a description of basic Ad biology and summarize the literature for oncolytic Ads from 1996 to the present.What the reader will gain: An overall view of oncolytic Ads, the merits and drawbacks of the various features of these vectors, and obstacles to further development and future directions for research.Take home message: Ads are attractive for gene therapy because they are relatively innocuous, easy to produce in large quantities, genetically stable, and easy to manipulate. A variety of have been constructed and tested, in pre-clinical and clinical experiments. Oncolytic Ads...
A Novel Cell-Ablation Strategy for Studying Plant Development

The processes controlling the differentiation of plant cells are not well understood. Two alternative, but not mutually exclusive, mechanisms probably play a major role in plant-cell differentiation. One mechanism utilizes a position-independent, cell-autonomous differentiation process. The other, employs a position-dependent, cell-cell interaction process that requires signals from neighbouring cells. Cell ablation studies can be used to distinguish between these two models of plant-cell differentiation. In this article we outline a new cell-ablation strategy that utilizes promoters with distinct, but overlapping, cell specificities that are fused with cytotoxic and anticytotoxic structural genes. We present preliminary observations on how this strategy can be used to dissect the events controlling anther development.
Neural network interactions related to auditory learning analyzed with structural equation modeling

If learning is an emergent property of interacting brain regions, understanding it requires a network analysis of the patterns of interaction between brain regions. Brain mapping techniques have the potential of providing information about functional interactions within entire neural systems, but computational methods are needed to make sense of the complex interactions that take place in the brain. This review paper illustrates, with examples from auditory learning studies, the application of a computational method that quantifies the interactions among neural regions in terms of networks, and what is gained from this approach. The method is Structural Equation Modeling, and it computes network interactions by combining anatomical circuitry with the covariation in the activity between auditory structures. Activity was assessed by fluorodeoxyglucose uptake, and the functional strengths of auditory pathways were quantified by computing path coefficients representing the strength of the functional influence through each anatomical path. Changes in these values were used as indices of how learned information was processed and modified within the auditory system. Structural models of the auditory system revealed the patterns of network interactions related to habituation to a sound, as well as the patterns related to the opposite learned associative properties of the same sound. They illustrated how the functional interactions among parallel auditory neural pathways were modified as a result of auditory learning. This analysis supports the hypothesis that auditory learning is an emergent network property, distributed among connected brain regions showing specific patterns of interaction. ©1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Retrieval of aerosol properties over land using MISR observations

Global and regional mapping of aerosol properties, including column amount, particle type and effective size, is of great interest for environmental and climate studies. Increased aerosol production results in decreased insolation (a direct aerosol effect), mitigating the rise in global surface air temperature caused by enhanced concentrations of greenhouse gases, though on different spatial and temporal scales [Charlson et al., 1992; Kiehl and Briegleb, 1993; Andreae, 1995]. Indirect aerosol effects include an alteration of cloud particle properties (size, single scattering albedo) that can modify cloud scattering properties, lifetimes, and precipitation amount. Although oceans cover the majority of the Earth’s surface, land areas are the source of most aerosols and essentially all anthropogenic production. As a consequence, there is a tendency to find the largest aerosol optical depth values over land and coastal ocean. Monitoring of these vast areas on a frequent, global basis can be effectively accomplished only by means of space-based instruments. However, land and coastal waters generally have complex, heterogeneous, and a priori unknown surface reflectance characteristics, making the retrieval of aerosol properties in these locations particularly troublesome. The problem stems from the fact that the radiance measured at the top of the atmosphere (TOA) is a mixture of two components — radiance scattered solely by the atmosphere and radiance produced by multiple surface-atmosphere scattering interactions which is eventually transmitted up through the atmosphere to space. The successful retrieval process must be able to separate and explicitly describe these two radiance components, resulting in a determination of both the aerosol properties and the surface reflectance characteristics.
BEACH FILL PLANNING - BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA

Planning has recently been completed for a shore protection project along a 9-mile (14.5 km) reach of shoreline fronting the Towns of Yaupon Beach and Long Beach in Brunswick County, North Carolina. The investigative program related to this planning effort embodied numerous interrelated elements which, on integration, resulted in a rational engineering design having a continuous beach fill as the central feature. Specifically, the investigation included: (a) definition of the environment, viz, wind, waves, storm tide frequencies, beach profile characteristics, shore processes, and ecological habitats along the proposed project area as well as in potential beach fill sources; (b) Designs and cost estimates including establishment of various fill profile configurations, cost optimization of fill positions, evaluation of the frequency of shoreline retreat and the attendant displacement of fill materials, evaluation of the compatability of materials from various fill sources with the natural beach materials, environmental impact studies, and economic studies; and (c) Final plan formulation arriving at the optimum fill plan in terms of engineering functionality, economics, and minimal adverse environmental impacts.
Fourier transform infrared kinetic studies of the reaction of HONO with HNO3, NO3 and N2O5 at 295 K

The kinetics of the reaction of nitrous acid (HONO) with nitric acid (HNO3), nitrate radicals (NO3) and dinitrogen pentoxide (N2O5) have been studied using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Experiments were performed at 700 torr total pressure using synthetic air or argon as diluents. From the observed decay of HONO in the presence of HNO3 a rate constant of k<7×10-19 cm3 molecule-1 s-1 was derived for the reaction of HONO with HNO3. From the observed decay of HONO in the presence of mixtures of N2O5 and NO2 we have also derived upper limits for the rate constants of the reactions of HONO with NO3 and N2O5 of 2×10-15 and 7×10-19 cm3 molecule-1 s-1, respectively. These results are discussed with respect to previous studies and to the atmospheric chemistry of HONO.
Investigation on a food poisoning event due to Salmonella virchow

Objective:To investigate the pathogens of a food poisoning event by the method of genotyping,to disscuss the application possibilities of genotyping in traceability of the pathogens of Salmonella from poisoning food.Methods:Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis(PFGE) was used to analyze 11 isolates of Salmonella Virchow separated from the food poisoning event.Results:Eight strains isolated from patients and three strains isolated from foods were all the same.Conclusion:The food-poisoning is caused by the same genotype of S.Virchow strains.PFGE methods is helpful to find out the heredity background of isolated bacteria and to provide reliable and practical source of epidemiological investigation.
Improving customer satisfaction: emerging lessons about strategy and implementation, Part 2.

A six-phase strategy has been developed and tested to strategically improve customer satisfaction across an entire managed care system. This article summarizes the theoretical underpinnings of the approach and highlights the first two phases of the overall strategy. Emerging lessons about strategy and implementation are described. A follow-up article will include a description of the last four phases of the strategy and a summary of initial results associated with the implementation of this approach.
The ontogeny of the somatotropic axis in male and female Hereford calves from birth to one year of age.

Insulin-like growth factor-binding proteins-2 and -3 may play a role in age-dependent growth response to bovine ST (bST) treatment in cattle; however, samples have been collected at infrequent intervals and at limited time points. Therefore, the objective of this experiment was to examine the ontogeny of components of the somatotropic axis in Hereford calves from birth to 1 yr of age at weekly intervals to determine whether there is a certain age or time frame when the somatotropic axis may change and/or potentially become more responsive to exogenous bST administration. Blood samples and body weight measurements were collected from eight male and eight female Hereford calves once per week from birth to 1 yr of age. Serum concentrations of ST, IGF-I, IGFBP-2, and IGFBP-3 were determined. Males began to grow faster than females at approximately 16 wk of age (P < 0.05). Average concentrations of ST, IGF-I, and IGFBP-3 were greater in males than females (P < 0.01). Average concentrations of IGFBP-2 were greater in females than in males (P = 0.05). Concentrations of ST decrease with age (P < 0.01); however, the decrease occurred earlier in female calves. Concentrations of IGF-I and IGFBP-3 increased in males and females (P < 0.01), and concentrations of IGF-I began to plateau at approximately the same time as growth rate differences were observed (16 wk of age). Following an initial increase (birth to approximately 16 wk of age), concentrations of IGFBP-3 remained constant until approximately 43 wk of age. Concentrations of IGFBP-2 increased to approximately 10 wk of age (P < 0.05), followed by a decrease, and then, similar to IGFBP-3, remained constant until 43 wk of age. Correlations between average daily gain, ST, IGF-I, IGFBP-2, and IGFBP-3 were determined. Average daily gain was negatively (P < 0.01) correlated with ST and positively (P < 0.1) correlated with IGF-I. In females, ST was negatively (P < 0.01) correlated with IGF-I. Concentrations of ST were positively correlated (P < 0.01) with IGFBP-2 and IGFBP-3. Concentrations of IGFBP-2 were negatively correlated (P < 0.01) with IGF-I and positively correlated (P < 0.01) with IGFBP-3. In conclusion, serum concentrations of ST, IGF-I, IGFBP-2, and IGFBP-3 differed between male and female calves. In addition, changes in components of the somatotropic axis occurred around the same time as males began to grow faster than females.
Normal Bone Marrow: In Utero Through the Adult Years

Hematopoiesis, the formation of blood cells, commences and is confined to the yolk sac of the fetus for the first 6 weeks. Between the sixth and twentieth weeks of age, the reticuloendothelial system, the liver and spleen, take over the process of blood cell formation [1]. From the sixteenth week, hematopoiesis commences in the bone marrow coinciding with the development of bone cavities [1, 2]. From then on, bone marrow remains the primary site for hematopoiesis. With advancing years, the number of sites and volume of hematopoietic bone marrow progressively decreases.
Double Bow-Tie Slot Antennas for Wideband Millimeter-Wave and Terahertz Applications

This paper presents millimeter-wave and terahertz double bow-tie slot antennas on a synthesized elliptical silicon lens. Two different antennas are designed to cover 0.1–0.3 and 0.2–0.6 THz, respectively. The double bow-tie slot antenna results in a wide impedance bandwidth and 78–97% Gaussian coupling efficiency over a 3:1 frequency range. A wideband coplanar-waveguide low-pass filter is designed using slow-wave techniques, and the measured filter response shows an S $_{21}$ < −25 dB over a 3:1 frequency range. Absolute gain measurements done at 100–300 GHz and 200–600 GHz confirm the wideband operation of this design. The double bow-tie slot antenna is intended to fill the gap between standard double-slot antennas and log periodic and sinuous antennas, with applications areas in radio astronomy and imaging systems.
Good COP, Bad COP: Climate Reality after Paris

The twenty-first Conference of the Parties (COP21) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Paris was a good COP in contrast to COP15 in Copenhagen, which will remain in history as the low point in climate policy. COP21 demonstrated unprecedented global collaboration when divisions were deep and stakes were high and resulted in the Paris Agreement, the first legally binding document to articulate a clear global temperature goal and a commitment to reach global net-zero emissions after 2050. The agreement is also universal, with developed and developing countries alike expected to act. This article outlines key outcomes and explains what led to the shift from a bad to a good COP. It also examines the threats and opportunities as the world moves from making commitments to implementing them and draws parallels to the global agenda-setting process on sustainable development that is also unfolding in the United Nations at the same time.
Effect of Phase Offset on the Probability of Error of Two Co-Channel MSK Signals

In this paper we derive exact mathematical expressions for the probability of error of minimum shift keying (MSK) in presence of a co-channel interferer. We show that the probability of error of MSK is highly dependant on the phase difference between the two signals and with proper phase offset the two signals are quasi-orthogonal. The mathematical expressions derived here are validated through Monte-Carlo simulations
Modeling of soil nitrification responses to temperature reveals thermodynamic differences between ammonia-oxidizing activity of archaea and bacteria

Soil nitrification potential (NP) activities of ammonia-oxidizing archaea and bacteria (AOA and AOB, respectively) were evaluated across a temperature gradient (4-42 °C) imposed upon eight soils from four different sites in Oregon and modeled with both the macromolecular rate theory and the square root growth models to quantify the thermodynamic responses. There were significant differences in response by the dominant AOA and AOB contributing to the NPs. The optimal temperatures (Topt) for AOA- and AOB-supported NPs were significantly different (P 12 °C greater than AOB. The change in heat capacity associated with the temperature dependence of nitrification (ΔCP‡) was correlated with Topt across the eight soils, and the ΔCP‡ of AOB activity was significantly more negative than that of AOA activity (P<0.01). Model results predicted, and confirmatory experiments showed, a significantly lower minimum temperature (Tmin) and different, albeit very similar, maximum temperature (Tmax) values for AOB than for AOA activity. The results also suggested that there may be different forms of AOA AMO that are active over different temperature ranges with different Tmin, but no evidence of multiple Tmin values within the AOB. Fundamental differences in temperature-influenced properties of nitrification driven by AOA and AOB provides support for the idea that the biochemical processes associated with NH3 oxidation in AOA and AOB differ thermodynamically from each other, and that also might account for the difficulties encountered in attempting to model the response of nitrification to temperature change in soil environments.
Rover observations in Gusev Crater: Evidence for a style of weathering unique to Mars?

The Mars Exploration Rover “Spirit” provided us with a serendipitous opportunity to traverse a section of the ancient martian crust, acquiring a trove of imaging, geochemical, and mineralogical measurements along the way. This small window looking out on the Noachian period (>3.7 Ga), dubbed the Columbia Hills, pokes out from the younger, volcanically resurfaced floor of Gusev Crater. It was our first detailed look at early Mars, a time when liquid water appears to have played a much more prominent role in shaping and modifying the planet than later in its history. The abundance of rocks that appear to be snapshots from early in the history of Mars is a luxury compared to the rarity and inevitable metamorphic overprinting of Hadean and early Archean samples from Earth. However, few planetary surfaces of this age anywhere in the solar system escape the disruption caused by impacts. In this sense, it is difficult to identify the geologic context of any given sample or series of samples. Although what appears to be an outcrop of a draping volcaniclastic unit in the Columbia Hills may still be in place, it is also possible for it to have been highly …
Obesity-induced hepatic steatosis is mediated by endoplasmic reticulum stress in the subfornical organ of the brain

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), characterized by an excess accumulation of hepatic triglycerides, is a growing health epidemic. While ER stress in the liver has been implicated in the development of NAFLD, the role of brain ER stress - which is emerging as a key contributor to a number of chronic diseases including obesity - in NAFLD remains unclear. These studies reveal that chemical induction of ER stress in the brain caused hepatomegaly and hepatic steatosis in mice. Conversely, pharmacological reductions in brain ER stress in diet-induced obese mice rescued NAFLD independent of body weight, food intake, and adiposity. Evaluation of brain regions involved revealed robust activation of ER stress biomarkers and ER ultrastructural abnormalities in the circumventricular subfornical organ (SFO), a nucleus situated outside of the blood-brain-barrier, in response to high-fat diet. Targeted reductions in SFO-ER stress in obese mice via SFO-specific supplementation of the ER chaperone 78-kDa glucose-regulated protein ameliorated hepatomegaly and hepatic steatosis without altering body weight, food intake, adiposity, or obesity-induced hypertension. Overall, these findings indicate a novel role for brain ER stress, notably within the SFO, in the pathogenesis of NAFLD.
Detecting STR peaks in degraded DNA samples

Human identification from DNA is typically based on 13 short-tandem repeat (STR) alleles. Commercial kits used in forensic casework rely on the detection of these alleles in DNA samples acquired from an individual. However, the process itself is slow (it can take up to 2 days when conducting a laboratory analysis or 1 hour when using Rapid DNA systems) and has been designed to operate on pristine DNA samples. The need for achieving fast and accurate DNA processing has spurred efforts in developing portable systems that can reduce the processing time to less than 1 hour. But such systems are expected to operate on degraded DNA samples due to the architecture and process used by the instrument. Consequently, detecting the alleles in such degraded DNA samples can be a challenging problem. In this paper, we present an algorithm to detected allelic peaks from degraded DNA signals based on an adaptive signalprocessing scheme. The performance of the algorithm is evaluated on two datasets: 1) data collected at the WVU Department of Forensic and Investigative Sciences, obtained by performing a controlled DNA degradation using ultraviolet radiation, 2) data provided by NIST obtained by varying cycle counts for the PCR processing step. Experiments indicate the efficacy of the algorithm in allelic peak detection and reiterate the need for approaching the problem in a systematic manner.
A Case of Inhibition of Micturition: Unsystematic Desensitization

The errors which took place during an unguided attempt to systematically desensitize inhibition concerning urination are described, as is the course of the therapy and certain of its techniques. There were limited gains for the patient and the therapist.
Intramyocardial Dissecting Hematoma in Patients with Ischemic Cardiomyopathy: Role of Multimodality Imaging in Three Patients Treated Conservatively

Intramyocardial dissecting hematoma (IDH) is a rare form of cardiac rupture that can occur as a complication following acute myocardial infarction (MI) or during the remodeling process. It is usually caused by a hemorrhagic dissection through the myocardium.1, 2 It consists of blood infiltration into and through the myocardial wall, which maintains endocardial and epicardial integrity. Formation of IDH may result from rupture of intramyocardial vessels into the interstitial space, decreased tensile strength of the infarcted area, and acute increase of coronary capillary perfusion pressure.3, 4 Before the advent of noninvasive imaging techniques, the diagnosis of IDH was made only by necropsy. It can develop in the left ventricular (LV) free wall, the right ventricle, or the interventricular septum.5 We describe three cases, focusing on the utility of echocardiography and the use of other noninvasive imaging modalities. All of our patients were treated conservatively.
Setting Its Sights on the Marrakesh Treaty: The U.S.Role in Alleviating the Book Famine for Persons withPrint Disabilities

Today, a global book famine deprives hundreds of millions of persons with print disabilities access to basic information worldwide. The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) reports that the visually impaired have access to merely 5 percent of published books. Amid the global movement to reevaluate copyright laws for the digital age, a watershed opportunity exists to harmonize the deficient patchwork of national and international copyright laws perpetuating the book famine. After years of stalled progress, WIPO recently adopted the landmark Marrakesh Treaty to alleviate copyright barriers to access for the print-disabled worldwide. This Note argues that the United States should support the Marrakesh Treaty, while also continuing its national reform efforts. Since the Marrakesh Treaty is not a comprehensive solution, this Note advocates for United States to utilize this historic treaty as a vehicle to modernize its own national copyright laws to achieve equitable access for persons with print disabilities. In a word, literature is my Utopia. Here I am not disenfranchised. No barrier of the senses shuts me out from the sweet, gracious discourses of my bookfriends. They talk to me without embarrassment or awkwardness.
Micromechanical characterization of thermomechanically fatigued lead-free solder joints

Nanoindentation testing (NIT) was used to investigate micromechanical properties of (i) as-fabricated, (ii) thermomechanically fatigued (TMF), and (iii) TMF and crept lead-free solder joints. NIT also served to generate information for a database on lead-free solder joints. Sn–Ag-based solder materials used in this study included a binary eutectic alloy, one ternary alloy, and two quaternary alloys. TMF solder joints were thermally cycled for 0, 250, 500, 1000 cycles between −15 and 150 °C. Using NIT, mechanical properties such as hardness, elastic modulus, strength trends, creep behavior, and stress exponent for power-law creep were obtained on small (nominally, 100 μm thick) solder joints. Because the volume of material probed by the indenter during NIT is small and highly localized, the properties observed depended strongly on the particular joint microstructure of the indent location. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to image the nanoindents and monitor deformation and fracture events that resulted from the indenting.
ArF excimer laser debrides burns without destruction of viable tissue: A pilot study.

Abstract Introduction Recent evidence indicates that early removal of eschar by tangential debridement can promote healing. Laser debridement can be used for debridement of areas that prove challenging for debridement using tangential excision. In particular, irradiation with an ArF excimer laser ablates desiccated eschar and is self-terminating, preserving hydrated or viable tissue. Methods Thermal burns were created on the flanks of two outbred, female Yorkshire pigs using aluminum bars heated to 70 °C and applied for different lengths of time. Three days after injury, burns were debrided using an ArF excimer laser (193 nm). Tissue was harvested immediately after debridement and 7 days after debridement (10 days after burn). Results Data from a pilot study demonstrates that ArF excimer laser irradiation removes burn eschar and promotes healing at 10 days after burn. ArF excimer laser debridement is self-terminating and preserves underlying and adjacent perfused tissue. Potentially, this modality would be ideal for the complex curvilinear structures of the body.