cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Organizational Form on Producer Contracting Decisions

A variable that has not yet been considered in the contracting literature is the impact of agribusiness organizational form on the producer's contracting decision. Contracts with cooperatives are more complicated decisions for producers than a standard marketing contract with noncooperatives because of the requisite membership capital investment in the firm. Contracting with cooperatives requires producers to make a dual supply and investment decision. Individual membership equity holdings in all agricultural cooperatives are increasing, but they are generally most substantial in the value-added, new-generation cooperatives. Portfolio theory is used to analyze the producer's decision to contract with three alternatively structured value-added processing organizations in an uncertain environment: a traditional cooperative, a new-generation cooperative and an investor-oriented firm. In the cooperative cases, the contract requires both supply and equity investment. Une variable dont n'ont pas encore tenu compte ceux qui ecrivent sur les contrats est l'impact du type d'organisation sur les decisions du producteur. Les decisions que ce dernier doit prendre au sujet des ententes avec les cooperatives sont plus complexes que les decisions de commercialization ordinaires en raison de l'investissement que suppose l'adhesion a la cooperative. Avant de conclure une entente avec une cooperative, l'agriculteur doit prendre une decision sur les approvisionnements et une autre sur l'investissement. L'actif des cooperatives venant des droits d'adhesion est a la hausse, mais il est generalement plus important chez les cooperatives a valeur ajoutee de la nouvelle generation. Les auteurs recourent a la theorie du portefeuille pour analyser les decisions des agriculteurs quant a la conclusion d'une entente avec trois organisations de types differents, fabriquant des produits transformes a valeur ajoutee dans des conditions economiques incertaines: une cooperative classique, une cooperative de la nouvelle generation et une entreprise avec participation a l'investissement. L'entente avec les deux cooperatives suppose un investissement au niveau de l'actif et des approvisionnements.
Human metapneumovirus: a newly emerging respiratory pathogen.

Purpose of review The present review focuses on the recent discovery, and clinical and epidemiological features of a virus associated with respiratory tract infections. Recent findings In June 2001, researchers in The Netherlands reported the discovery of a virus associated with respiratory tract disease in infants and children. Genetic studies of this newly discovered viral pathogen revealed that it was a paramyxovirus. This virus is the first human pathogen in the Genus Metapneumovirus and was called human metapneumovirus (hMPV). hMPV may be a common respiratory virus. Seroepidemiologic studies in The Netherlands suggested that, by age 5 years, nearly all individuals have been exposed to hMPV. The results of several studies suggest that hMPV may account for about 10% of respiratory tract infections in which a common respiratory virus, such as respiratory syncytial virus, or influenza or parainfluenza viruses, could not be detected. hMPV has been detected in patients with either upper or lower respiratory tract disease, or both. Symptoms associated with hMPV include cough, dyspnea, wheeze, and hypoxia. This newly recognized pathogen has been detected in children and adults. Epidemiological findings suggest that it may circulate worldwide and may have a seasonal distribution. Summary hMPV is a newly emerging respiratory pathogen and may be the cause of a significant proportion of both upper and lower respiratory tract infection in infants, children, and adults.
A mass spectrometric study of the fragmentation of the cuprous chloride vapor system

Abstract A recently developed angular distribution tecnique as well as the standard high temperature methods were used to study the ion source fragmentation processes of the cuprous chloride vapor system. The trimer, tetramer, and pentamer were shown to be the neutral precursors of thirteen ionic species identified in the mass spectrum. In addition, a metastable reaction corresponding to Cu 4 Cl 4 + → Cu 3 Cl 3 + + CuCl was detected.
The inhibition of clotting complexes of the extrinsic coagulation cascade by the phospholipase A2 isoenzymes from Naja nigricollis venom

Phospholipase A2 (PLA2) isoenzymes from Naja nigricollis venom exhibit anticoagulant activity with varying potencies. To determine which complexes in the extrinsic coagulation cascade are inhibited by these PLA2 enzymes, we examined their effects on the coagulation of bovine plasma initiated by the addition of thromboplastin, Russell's viper venom (RVV) or thrombin. The weakly anticoagulant PLA2 enzymes, CM-I and CM-II, prolonged clotting initiated by thromboplastin, but not that initiated by RVV or thrombin. The strongly anticoagulant enzyme, CM-IV, prolonged clotting initiated by both thromboplastin and RVV, but not clotting initiated by thrombin. To confirm the differences in their inhibitory properties, we examined the effect of these PLA2 enzymes on reconstituted extrinsic tenase and prothrombinase complexes. The weakly anticoagulant enzymes inhibited the tenase complex, but did not inhibit the prothrombinase complex, whereas the strongly anticoagulant enzyme inhibited both complexes. Thus the enzymes showed distinct differences in their inhibition patterns in the extrinsic coagulation cascade. Their dissimilarity in inhibition of the two phospholipid dependent activation steps probably reflects the difference in phospholipid requirements and/or mechanism of inhibition between the two complexes. Inhibition of successive amplification steps in the extrinsic coagulation cascade by CM-IV is consistent with its potency as a strongly anticoagulant PLA2.
Ant Species Differences Determined by Epistasis between Brood and Worker Genomes

Epistasis arising from physiological interactions between gene products often contributes to species differences, particularly those involved in reproductive isolation. In social organisms, phenotypes are influenced by the genotypes of multiple interacting individuals. In theory, social interactions can give rise to an additional type of epistasis between the genomes of social partners that can contribute to species differences. Using a full-factorial cross-fostering design with three species of closely related Temnothorax ants, I found that adult worker size was determined by an interaction between the genotypes of developing brood and care-giving workers, i.e. intergenomic epistasis. Such intergenomic social epistasis provides a strong signature of coevolution between social partners. These results demonstrate that just as physiologically interacting genes coevolve, diverge, and contribute to species differences, so do socially interacting genes. Coevolution and conflict between social partners, especially relatives such as parents and offspring, has long been recognized as having widespread evolutionary effects. This coevolutionary process may often result in coevolved socially-interacting gene complexes that contribute to species differences.
Survival Disparity of African American Versus Non–African American Patients With ESRD Due to SLE

Background A recent study showed an increased risk of death in African Americans compared with whites with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) due to lupus nephritis (LN). We assessed the impact of age stratification, socioeconomic factors, and kidney transplantation on the disparity in patient survival among African American versus non–African American patients with LN-caused ESRD, compared with other causes. Study Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting & Participants Using the US Renal Data System database, we identified 12,352 patients with LN-caused ESRD among 1,132,202 patients who initiated maintenance dialysis therapy from January 1, 1995, through December 31, 2006, and were followed up until December 31, 2010. Predictors Baseline demographics and comorbid conditions, Hispanic ethnicity, socioeconomic factors (employment status, Medicare/Medicaid insurance, and area-level median household income based on zip code as obtained from the 2000 US census), and kidney transplantation as a time-dependent variable. Outcome All-cause mortality. Measurements Multivariable Cox and competing-risk regressions. Results Mean duration of follow-up in the LN-caused ESRD and other-cause ESRD cohorts were 6.24±4.20 (SD) and 4.06±3.61 years, respectively. 6,106 patients with LN-caused ESRD (49.43%) and 853,762 patients with other-cause ESRD (76.24%) died during the study period ( P Limitations We used zip code−based median household income as a surrogate for patient income. Residual socioeconomic confounders may exist. Conclusions African Americans are at significantly increased risk of death compared with non–African Americans with LN-caused ESRD at age 18 to 40 years, a racial disparity risk that is 10 years longer than that in the general ESRD population. Accounting for area-level median household income and transplantation significantly attenuated the disparity in mortality of African American versus non–African American patients with LN-caused ESRD.
Role of Sodium Azide in Reducing Nonspecific Color Development in Enzyme Immunoassays

Improved enzyme immunoassay (EIA) procedures achieved by incorporating sodium azide during predilution of serum samples in a solid-phase EIA for the detection of anti-Toxoplasma antibody in swine using a peroxidase conjugate and in all washes of a bovine brucellosis rapid card test EIA using alkaline phosphatase conjugate are reported. Without this modification, substantial background interference was encountered that showed direct correlation with the degree of hemolysis of the serum samples. Anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibody-negative samples, separated by subjective groupings based on degree of hemolysis, into "clear", "slight", and "gross/total" samples, had a mean +/- standard deviation of 0.150 +/- 0.072, 0.187 +/- 0.105, and 0.232 +/- 0.108, respectively. The incorporation of sodium azide during the initial step of serum dilution dramatically eliminated the background, giving a mean +/- standard deviation of 0.079 +/- 0.029, 0.076 +/- 0.022, and 0.081 +/- 0.029, respectively. The level of endogenous peroxidase activity, a possible factor for this nonspecific interference, was considerably elevated in some of the swine sera. The clear, slight, and gross/total categories had relative levels of 1%, 2%, and 51% peroxidase activity compared to the conjugate peroxidase activity of 100%. Whereas sodium azide could be used only in sample predilution in the swine toxoplasmosis peroxidase-conjugate test, in the bovine brucellosis alkaline phosphatase-conjugate card test it could be used in all wash cycles. Many brucellosis card test results were visually uninterpretable because of significant background color when the manufacturer's wash reagent was used. The substitution of a wash reagent containing sodium azide eliminated background color, giving a visually unambiguous test.
Mapping the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Nigeria using exploratory spatial data analysis

This paper examines the spatial variation of HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in Nigeria. It uses Exploratory Spatial Data Analytical (ESDA) techniques to provide insight into the pattern. The overriding objective is to determine if there is a significant spatial clustering of HIV/AIDS. The calculated and mapped Global and Local Moran’s I, and Getis and Ord Gi* values reveal certain states such as Benue, Nassarawa, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Cross River have significant spatial clusters of HIV/AIDS rates in Nigeria. The spatial analysis enables policy makers to identify states most affected, and design effective and culturally acceptable preventive measures. Specific policies targeted at states are a more appropriate approach in tackling the epidemic rather than the usual universal cookie-cut HIV reduction strategies that may not be applicable to the different cultural milieu.
Absorption and emission of radiation by a sourceless Abelian gauge wall in a Robertson-Walker space-time

A model of a sourceless Abelian «gauge wall» consisting of a singular magnetic field occupying the (y, z)-plane is examined in the context of a flat Robertson-Walker space-time background. Exact solutions are found for the gauge field structure function. The solutions may be static or time dependent. Dynamic solutions exist which describe the absorption and emission of gauge field radiation by the gauge wall.
Laser Resonators with Tilted Reflectors

In this paper we solve the mode problem for laser resonators having identical tilted spherical reflectors of rectangular shape in both stable and unstable configurations. Gaussian quadrature integration is employed to convert the integral equation for the modes into a matrix equation which is solved with the matrix diagonalization program allmat. Plane parallel and aligned concentric resonators have identical losses; however, the latter are shown to be much less sensitive to alignment. We find that for low loss modes in the tilted stable resonator the loss can be approximated by the average loss of two aligned resonators; the region of validity for this approximation is given. Stable resonator losses increase monotonically with tilt; however, this is not always true for the unstable resonator where the loss may decrease for small tilts.
Atomic-Force Microscopy of Gold Nanocrystallites on Smooth and Stepped Strontium Titanate Surfaces

We have studied the nucleation and growth of Au nanocrystallites with dimensions of tens of nanometers on strontium titanate surfaces using an atomic force microscope. Strontium titanate ablated from a pressed pellet target by a KrF laser was deposited on both planar and offcut strontium titanate substrates. In a separate step, submonolayer quantities of gold were deposited, also by pulsed laser deposition, on the strontium titanate. The surfaces were then scanned by an atomic-force microscope to determine the effects of surface defects (such as steps and kinks on offcut surfaces), substrate temperature, and gold ablation yield on the nucleation, growth and size distribution of the nanocrystallites. The competition between diffusion and nucleation on planar vs stepped surfaces was particularly apparent in the AFM images. These results suggest several ways in which lateral decoration of the strontium titanate by the gold nanocrystallites can be achieved, an important step toward designer nonlinear photonic materials.
Knowledge-based land-cover classification using ERS-1/JERS-1 SAR composites

Land-cover classification of an ERS-1/JERS-1 composite is explored in the context of regional- to global-scale applicability. Each of these orbiting synthetic aperture radars provide somewhat complementary information since data is collected using significantly different frequencies, polarizations, and look angles (ERS-1: C-band, VV polarization, 23/spl deg/; JERS-1: L-band, HH polarization, 35/spl deg/). This results in a classification procedure for the composite image (a co-registered pair from the same season) that is superior to that obtained from either of the two sensors alone. A conceptual model is presented to show how simple structural attributes of terrain surfaces and vegetation cover relate to the data from these two sensors. The conceptual model is knowledge based; and it is supported by both theoretical considerations and experimental observations. The knowledge-based, conceptual model is incorporated into a classifier that uses hierarchical decision rules to differentiate land-cover classes. The land-cover classes are defined on the basis of generalized structural properties of widespread applicability. The classifier operates sequentially and produces two levels of classification. At level-2, terrain is structurally differentiated into man-made features (urban), surfaces, short vegetation, and tall vegetation. At level-2, the tall vegetation class is differentiated on the basis of plant architectural properties of the woody stems and foliage. Growth forms of woody stems include excurrent (i.e., pines), decurrent (i.e., oaks), and columnar (i.e., palm) architecture. Two classes of leaves are considered: broadleaf and needle-leaf. The composite classifier yields overall accuracies in excess of 90% for a test site in northern Michigan located along the southern ecotone of the boreal forest. For the area examined, the SAR-based classification is superior to unsupervised classification of multitemporal AVHRR data supplemented with a priori information on elevation, climate, and ecoregion.
Probability- and model-based approaches to inference for proportion forest using satellite imagery as ancillary data

Estimates of forest area are among the most common and useful information provided by national forest inventories. The estimates are used for local and national purposes and for reporting to international agreements such as the Montreal Process, the Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe, and the Kyoto Protocol. The estimates are usually based on sample plot data and are calculated using probability-based estimators. These estimators are familiar, generally unbiased, and entail only limited computational complexity, but they do not produce the maps that users are increasingly requesting, and they generally do not produce sufficiently precise estimates for small areas. Model-based estimators overcome these disadvantages, but they may be biased and estimation of variances may be computationally intensive. The study objective was to compare probability- and model-based estimators of mean proportion forest using maps based on a logistic regression model, forest inventory data, and Landsat imagery. For model-based estimators, methods for evaluating bias and reducing the computational intensity were also investigated. Four conclusions were drawn: the logistic regression model exhibited no serious lack of fit to the data; all the estimators produced comparable estimates for mean proportion forest, except for small areas; probability-based inferences enhanced using maps produced increased precision; and the computational intensity associated with estimating variances for model-based estimators can be greatly reduced with no detrimental effects.
Neuroprotection by Nicotine in Mouse Primary Cortical Cultures Involves Activation of Calcineurin and L-Type Calcium Channel Inactivation

Regulation of intracellular calcium influences neuronal excitability, synaptic plasticity, gene expression, and neurotoxicity. In this study, we investigated the role of calcium in mechanisms underlying nicotine-mediated neuroprotection from glutamate excitotoxicity. Neuroprotection by nicotine in primary cortical cultures was not seen in knock-out mice lacking the β2 subunit of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR). Neuroprotection was partially blocked in wild-type cultures by α-bungarotoxin, an antagonist of the α7 nAChR subtype, suggesting a potential cooperative role for these subtypes. Pretreatment with nicotine decreased glutamate-mediated calcium influx in primary cortical cultures by 41%, an effect that was absent in cultures from knock-out mice lacking the β2 subunit of the nAChR. This effect was dependent on calcium entry through L-type channels during nicotine pretreatment in wild-type cultures. The ability of nicotine to decrease glutamate-mediated calcium influx was occluded by cotreatment with nifedipine during glutamate application, suggesting that nicotine pretreatment decreased subsequent activity of L-type calcium channels. Treatment with the calcineurin antagonists FK506 and cyclosporine during pretreatment eliminated both nicotine-mediated neuroprotection and the effects of nicotine on L-type channels. We conclude that neuroprotective effects of nicotine in cortical neurons involve both β2- and α7-containing nAChRs, activation of calcineurin, and decreased intracellular calcium via L-type channels.
Particle methods for dispersive equations

We introduce a new dispersion-velocity particle method for approximating solutions of linear and nonlinear dispersive equations. This is the first time in which particle methods are being used for solving such equations. Our method is based on an extension of the diffusion-velocity method of Degond and Mustieles (SIAM J. Sci. Stat. Comput.11(2), 293 (1990)) to the dispersive framework. The main analytical result we provide is the short time existence and uniqueness of a solution to the resulting dispersion-velocity transport equation. We numerically test our new method for a variety of linear and nonlinear problems. In particular we are interested in nonlinear equations which generate structures that have nonsmooth fronts. Our simulations show that this particle method is capable of capturing the nonlinear regime of a compacton–compacton type interaction.
Treatment of Syphilis, 1989

With the introduction of penicillin after World War II, the incidence of syphilis in the United States decreased. Because of penicillin's great success, clinical trials stopped after an initial period of intensive investigation. Syphilis is a difficult disease to study; the natural history may span decades in an individual, and diagnosis and outcome are usually defined serologically, not clinically or bacteriologically. Although the recommended penicillin regimens changed, clinical trials were not repeated. Furthermore, because the early studies occurred before modern clinical-trial methodology was developed, interpretation of the results is difficult. As a result, while current regimens for syphilis therapy are effective, they may or may not be optimal. With the accumulation of reports of treatment failures and the recent appearance of human immunodeficiency virus, current regimens for the treatment of syphilis are being questioned. As background for a meeting at which treatment guidelines were reviewed, the available literature on syphilis therapy is summarized herein.
pistillata-5, an Arabidopsis B class mutant with strong defects in petal but not in stamen development

Summary The Arabidopsis floral organ identity genes APETALA3 (AP3) and PISTILLATA (PI) encode related DNA-binding proteins of the MADS family. Considerable evidence supports the hypothesis that a heterodimer of AP3 and PI is an essential component of B class activity. All ap3 and pi alleles characterized to date exhibit equivalent phenotypic defects in both whorls 2 and 3. In strong ap3 and pi mutants, petals and stamens are missing and sepals and carpels develop in their place. Weak ap3 and pi mutants exhibit partial conversions of petals to sepals and stamens to carpels. In this report, we describe the isolation and characterization of pi-5, an unusual B class mutant that exhibits defects in whorl 2 where sepals develop in place of petals, but third whorl stamens are most often normal. pi-5 flowers resemble those from 35S::SEP3 antisense plants. pi-5 contains missense mutation in the K domain (PIE125K). PIE125K exhibits defects in heterodimerization with its partner protein AP3. Via a reverse yeast two-hybrid screen, AP3K139E was isolated as a compensatory mutant of PIE125K. The compensatory interaction between PIE125K and AP3K139E is observed both in yeast two-hybrid assays and in planta. On its own, AP3K139E exhibits defects in specifying both petal and stamen identity. In addition, PIE125K is defective in interaction with SEPALLATA proteins in both two- and three-hybrid assays suggesting that PIE125K is defective in forming higher order complexes of MADS proteins. The decreased concentration of PI/AP3/SEP complexes offers an explanation for the petal defects observed in both pi-5 and 35S::SEP3 antisense plants.
Matching and stabilization of low-dimensional nonholonomic systems

We show how a generalized matching technique for stabilization may be applied to the Routhian associated with a low-dimensional nonholonomic system. The theory is illustrated with a simple model-a unicycle with rider.
Part-set cuing of order information: implications for associative theories of serial order memory.

In three experiments, the effect of cuing, at the point of test, on memory for order and/or position was investigated. Experiment 1 used a partial reconstruction of order task to demonstrate a mnemonic benefit of part—set cuing at the time of test; this result is used to argue that people may commonly use interitem associative information, rather than just position information, to help them remember serial order. Experiment 2 replicated these findings and simultaneously demonstrated the mnemonic detriment that part—set cuing typically produces in free recall. Experiment 3 showed that cues presented at test will either help or hinder reconstruction of order, depending on whether those cues are consistent or inconsistent with the original presentation order. The results of all three experiments are discussed within the framework of position and associative theories of serial order memory.
Monitoring Incipient Breaching at an Artificial Inlet: Georgica Pond, New York

Abstract Georgica Pond, on Long Island's ocean coast in East Hampton, NY, is normally separated from the ocean by a beach about 100 m wide, but mechanically opened to the Atlantic Ocean. Observations of the breach were made for three days, until it closed naturally. A channel 6 m wide was dug on April 23, 2008. The water level in the Pond was initially 1.46 m higher than the ocean. Upon completion of the channel, pond water rushed seaward through the new inlet at a speed reaching 3.7 m/sec. The flow was supercritical with a hydraulic jump forming at the inlet mouth. The cut widened in an hour by the progressive, sudden collapse of steep sections of bank along its length, growing at a rate of about 0.2 m/min, then slowing to about 0.1 m/min, eventually stabilizing at a width of 43 m. Forty-two hours after opening, the salinity in the pond suddenly jumped from 7 to 19. Pond salinity reached 26 about four days after the inlet opened. Over the course of five days, the water level in the pond fell 0.5 m, drain...
Asymmetric conductance and coherence effects in mesoscopic Si metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors

The conductance of Si metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFET's) of submicrometer dimensions has been studied as a function of source-drain voltage, gate voltage, and magnetic field. At liquid-helium temperatures, and for very small source-drain voltage ${V}_{\mathrm{SD}}$, the conductance was observed to exhibit so-called ``universal'' fluctuations. As ${V}_{\mathrm{SD}}$ was increased, the conductance became increasingly nonlinear and asymmetric, with magnetic-field-dependent structure. This behavior was found to persist even when ${\mathrm{eV}}_{\mathrm{SD}\mathrm{\ensuremath{\gg}}{k}_{B}\mathrm{T}}$. The data demonstrate that these reproducible deviations from Ohm's law are caused by quantum-interference effects, as has been theoretically predicted for disordered metallic samples.
Absence of triglyceride accumulation in lipoprotein lipase-deficient human monocyte-macrophages incubated with human very low density lipoprotein

Lipoprotein lipase, a lipolytic enzyme essential for normal hydrolysis of triglycerides in very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) and chylomicrons, is found in several cell types, including macrophages. The role of lipoprotein lipase in mediating the uptake of normal VLDL triglycerides into human cultured monocyte-derived macrophages was studied using macrophage cells from a functionally lipoprotein lipase-deficient patient and macrophages of cells from a normal subject. After incubation with VLDL, massive accumulation of phase refractile (lipid) inclusions were noted by phase contrast microscopy within the normal, but not within the lipoprotein lipase-deficient, macrophages. Chemical determinations of intracellular lipid confirmed massive triglyceride accumulation within normal macrophages, but not in lipoprotein lipase-deficient macrophages. VLDL-derived cholesterol did not accumulate in either cell. These results confirm an additional role of lipoprotein lipase, that of mediating triglyceride accumulation...
A cephalometric comparison of black open-bite subjects and black normals.

Abstract Orthodontic surveys of the adolescent and adult population of the United States have shown that the incidence of anterior open bite is three to four times higher in blacks than in whites. A cephalometric comparison of black subjects with and without an open bite was used to identify skeletal and dental differences between the two groups. Statistically significant differences were found in the vertical skeletal dimensions and incisor proclination. The open-bite group had a significantly longer anterior lower facial height and total facial height. The mandibular plane was rotated down relative to the cranial base and Frankfort plane and gonial angle was increased in the open-bite sample. There were small differences between the open bite and non–open-bite groups in the cranial base angle and the overbite depth indicator of Kim. No significant differences were found in the skeletal anteroposterior dimensions or dental vertical development. The vertical skeletal pattern and the greater degree of dent...
Social inequalities in malaria knowledge, prevention and prevalence among children under 5 years old and women aged 15–49 in Madagascar

Approximately 15 % of all deaths in Africa among children under five years old are due to malaria, a preventable and treatable disease. A prevailing sociological theory holds that resources (including knowledge, money, power, prestige, or beneficial social connections) are particularly relevant when diseases are susceptible to effective prevention. This study examines the role of socioeconomic inequalities by broadly predicting malaria knowledge and use of preventive technology among women aged 15–49, and malaria among children aged 6–59 months in Madagascar. Data came from women aged 15–49 years (N = 8279) interviewed by Madagascar’s 2011/2013 Malaria Indicator Studies, and their children aged under five years (N = 7644). Because geographic location may be associated with socioeconomic factors and exposure to malaria, multilevel models were used to account for unobserved geographic and administrative variation. Models also account for observed social, economic, demographic, and seasonal factors. Prevalence among children four years old and younger was 7.8 %. Results showed that both mother’s education and household wealth strongly influence knowledge about and efforts to prevent and treat malaria. Analyses also revealed that the prevalence of malaria among children aged 6–59 months was determined by household wealth (richest vs poorest: OR = 0.25, 95 % CI [0.10, 0.64]) and maternal education (secondary vs none: OR = 0.51, 95 % CI [0.28, 0.95]). Malaria may be subject to socio-economic forces arising from a broad set of behavioural and geographic determinants, even after adjusting for geographic risk factors and seasonality. Nearly 21 % of the sample lacked primary schooling. To improve malaria reduction efforts, broad-based interventions may need to attack inequalities to ensure that knowledge, prevention and treatment are improved among those who are most vulnerable.
THE ETIOLOGY OF PRE-ADOLESCENT KYPHOSIS

From a review of normal spines and spines afflicted with wedging round-back deformity in the thoracic region, it appears that persistence of the anterior vascular groove in the bodies of the thoracic vertebrae may play a role in the production of deformity by inviting anterior collapse of the vertebrae. Actual round-back deformity is the result of wedging of the vertebrae below the region of the fifth, sixth, and seventh thoracic vertebrae. This wedging accentuates the kyphos which normally is present at the fifth, sixth, and seventh thoracic vertebrae. It is believed that there is sufficient evidence to warrant treatment of children in the eight to fourteen year old age group who show this sign by x-ray and who present early clinical evidence of poor posture with round-back and increased lumbar lordosis.
Analytical Study of Unstiffened Elements

An equation for the elastic local buckling stress of unstiffened compression elements is derived using an approximate wave form for the solution of small deflection equation of plates subject to membrane stresses. Von Karman’s fourth-order partial differential equations for large deflection of thin plates with initial out-of-plane imperfections are solved, using the approximate wave form, to study the post-buckling behavior. The elastic and inelastic local buckling and post-buckling solutions obtained from the analytical study are compared with test results of members with unstiffened compression elements. Simple equation for the post-buckling effective width is derived through a parameter study.
International Transmission of Inflation and Deflation

The concept of an international transmission mechanism, the process whereby economic disturbances are spread from one country to another, is an old one. Sophisticated discussions of such a mechanism appear in the work of David Hume (1752) in the eighteenth century and even earlier in that of the Spanish scholastic philosophers of the School of Salamanca in the sixteenth (see Grice-Hutchinson 1952). Under the 19th- and earlier 20th century gold standard, the question of international transmission arose repeatedly. In some instances, the spur was inflation; in others, most notably the Great Depression of the 1930s, it was deflation.
Aripiprazole once-monthly long-acting injectable for the treatment of schizophrenia.

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Patient non-adherence increases the risk for relapse and the long-term care of schizophrenia. Long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics can decrease this risk by ensuring adherence. An extended formulation, aripiprazole 400 mg once-monthly (AOM 400) LAI (AOM LAI), received regulatory approval in the year 2013 for the treatment of schizophrenia. AOM LAI is the first dopamine D2 partial agonist available in a long-acting formulation for the treatment of schizophrenia.Areas covered: This review covers data on the efficacy and tolerability/safety of AOM LAI. AOM LAI is a lyophilized powder of aripiprazole, with an elimination half-life of 29.9 – 46.5 days, allowing for a 4-week injection interval. Antipsychotic efficacy was documented in a 12-week double-blind trial (n = 340) and in two maintenance-of-effect trials: a 38-week trial (n = 662) and a 52-week trial (n = 403). The side effect profile is similar to that of oral aripiprazole. Adverse events (≥5% and at least twice that for pl...
CO2 Life-Cycle Assessment of the Production of Algae-Based Liquid Fuel Compared to Crude Oil to Diesel

Life-cycle assessment for carbon dioxide emission was performed for an open pond microalgae based process to grow, harvest, extract, and produce a paraffinic hydrotreated algae oil (HTAO). The process was assumed to also produce a co-product of animal feed. A base case was defined using generally accepted parameter values for present technology and does not represent an optimized design. This base case process was compared to the CO2 equivalent emissions from conventional crude oil refining through the middle distillate (MD) of the atmospheric column of a refinery. Both MD and HTAO products were viewed as equivalent being diesel or nearly diesel. CO2 emissions from the HTAO process were strongly dominated by drying of lipid extracted biomass for animal feed containing 85% moisture and the CO2 emissions in producing purified CO2 for algal growth. Ammonia as a nutrient was also a major CO2 contributor followed by energy required for pond flow. In aggregate, utilities (heat and electric) were a greater contr...
Reviewing Associational Freedom Claims in a Limited Public Forum: An Extension of the Distinction between Debate Dampening and Debate Distorting State Action

In this article, Professors Amar and Brownstein analyze the arguments made by the parties and the Supreme Court in the recent Christian Legal Society v. Hastings case, in which the Court upheld Hastings College of the Law’s non-discrimination policy as applied to registered student organizations (RSOs). The authors discuss what the Court’s use of the “reasonable and viewpoint neutral” test for limited public forums in this setting means for future doctrine. Among other things, the authors argue that even had the Hastings policy focused on prohibiting religious discrimination in particular (rather than requiring RSOs to “take all comers”), the Christian Legal Society’s argument that the policy was impermissibly viewpoint discriminatory should have failed. Laws that target and prohibit religious discrimination in some respects favor (rather than discriminate against) religious speech, by protecting religious adherents. Moreover, if singling out religious discrimination constitutes viewpoint discrimination against religious groups, then accommodating religion would also violate free speech neutrality norms by unlawfully favoring religious viewpoints, a result that would hinder rather than promote religious liberty.
Computational analysis of EBNA1 “druggability” suggests novel insights for Epstein-Barr virus inhibitor design

The Epstein-Barr Nuclear Antigen 1 (EBNA1) is a critical protein encoded by the Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV). During latent infection, EBNA1 is essential for DNA replication and transcription initiation of viral and cellular genes and is necessary to immortalize primary B-lymphocytes. Nonetheless, the concept of EBNA1 as drug target is novel. Two EBNA1 crystal structures are publicly available and the first small-molecule EBNA1 inhibitors were recently discovered. However, no systematic studies have been reported on the structural details of EBNA1 "druggable" binding sites. We conducted computational identification and structural characterization of EBNA1 binding pockets, likely to accommodate ligand molecules (i.e. "druggable" binding sites). Then, we validated our predictions by docking against a set of compounds previously tested in vitro for EBNA1 inhibition (PubChem AID-2381). Finally, we supported assessments of pocket druggability by performing induced fit docking and molecular dynamics simulations paired with binding affinity predictions by Molecular Mechanics Generalized Born Surface Area calculations for a number of hits belonging to druggable binding sites. Our results establish EBNA1 as a target for drug discovery, and provide the computational evidence that active AID-2381 hits disrupt EBNA1:DNA binding upon interacting at individual sites. Lastly, structural properties of top scoring hits are proposed to support the rational design of the next generation of EBNA1 inhibitors.
The Merits of Adopting a 0.05 Administrative Blood Alcohol Concentration Limit for Driving

In the article, the author discusses the effectiveness of reducing the criminal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit for driving in the prevention of alcohol-impaired driving deaths and injuries in the U.S. as of mid-2016. Also cited are the similar laws enacted in Canada and Australia, the policies by some major public health organizations like the American Medical Association that support such laws, and the survey by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on the issue.
Rollo May and the Search for Being: Implications of May’s Thought for Contemporary Existential-Humanistic Psychotherapy:

Rollo May left a body of profound and incisive written work, laying a foundation for existential psychotherapy for years to come. His insightful reflections on the cultural, philosophical, and psyc...
Spatial influence - measuring followship in the real world

Finding influential people in a society has been the focus of social studies for decades due to its numerous applications, such as viral marketing or spreading ideas and practices. A critical first step is to quantify the amount of influence an individual exerts on another, termed pairwise influence. Early social studies had to confine themselves to surveys and manual data collections for this purpose; more recent studies have exploited web data (e.g., blogs). In this paper, for the first time, we utilize people's movement in the real world (aka spatiotemporal data) to derive pairwise influence. We first define followship to capture the phenomenon of an individual visiting a real-world location (e.g., restaurant) due the influence of another individual who has visited that same location in the past. Subsequently, we coin the term spatial influence as the concept of inferring pairwise influence from spatiotemporal data by quantifying the amount of followship influence that an individual has on others. We then propose the Temporal and Locational Followship Model (TLFM) to estimate spatial influence, in which we study three factors that impact followship: the time delay between the visits, the popularity of the location, and the inherent coincidences in individuals' visiting behaviors. We conducted extensive experiments using various real-world datasets, which demonstrate the effectiveness of our TLFM model in quantifying spatial influence.
MO-A-209-01: AAPM Journal Finances: Facts, Figures, and Fundamentals

Scientific publishing is a major endeavor of the AAPM. Although publishing requires substantial resources, it has the potential to generate both reputation and revenue to further the missions of our society. The AAPM owns and publishes two journals: Medical Physics and the Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics (JACMP). Medical Physics, with the tagline “The international journal of medical physics research and practice,” publishes research concerned with the application of physics and mathematics to the solution of problems in medicine and human biology, with an emphasis on theoretical and experimental approaches. The JACMP is an applied journal that publishes papers designed to help clinical medical physicists perform their responsibilities more effectively and efficiently for the greater benefit of patients. The two journals reflect two different missions, reach two different (yet often overlapping) audiences, engage two different publication approaches, and operate under two different financial models. A journal must serve both “producers” (authors who submit manuscripts to – and ultimately have their work published in – the journal) and “consumers” (readers – either individuals who access journal content or subscribing institutions that make the journal's content available to its members). Any viable publication model and cost-recovery structure must satisfy the interests of both groups without sacrificing the needs of the scientific community. The purpose of this symposium is to explore the roles of the AAPM's two journals in advancing the scientific and clinical missions of the society and to understand the complex interplay of economic factors that impact financial decisions governing the journals and the returns they bring to the AAPM. Learning Objectives: 1.Appreciate the complementary roles of Medical Physics and JACMP in advancing the scientific and clinical missions of the AAPM. 2.Understand AAPM resources committed to the two journals and the return on these investments. 3.Understand the role of the AAPM's Journals Business Management Committee in the financial stability of the two journals. 4.Explore the potential benefits and pitfalls of various economic and publication models for the two journals. J. Bourland, Member, Journals Business Management Committee, AAPM.
Universal Mask Usage for Reduction of Respiratory Viral Infections After Stem Cell Transplant: A Prospective Trial

Background. Respiratory viral infections (RVIs) are frequent complications of hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). Surgical masks are a simple and inexpensive intervention that may reduce nosocomial spread. Methods. In this prospective single-center study, we instituted a universal surgical mask policy requiring all individuals with direct contact with HSCT patients to wear a surgical mask, regardless of symptoms or season. The primary endpoint was the incidence of RVIs in the mask period (2010–2014) compared with the premask period (2003–2009). Results. RVIs decreased from 10.3% (95/920 patients) in the premask period to 4.4% (40/911) in the mask period (P < .001). Significant decreases occurred after both allogeneic (64/378 [16.9%] to 24/289 [8.3%], P = .001) and autologous (31/542 [5.7%] to 16/622 [2.6%], P = .007) transplants. After adjusting for multiple covariates including season and year in a segmented longitudinal analysis, the decrease in RVIs remained significant, with risk of RVI of 0.4 in patients in the mask group compared with the premask group (0.19–0.85, P = .02). In contrast, no decrease was observed during this same period in an adjacent hematologic malignancy unit, which followed the same infection control practices except for the mask policy. The majority of this decrease was in parainfluenza virus 3 (PIV3) (8.3% to 2.2%, P < .001). Conclusions. Requiring all individuals with direct patient contact to wear a surgical mask is associated with a reduction in RVIs, particularly PIV3, during the most vulnerable period following HSCT.
Thermoelectric properties of the LaCoO 3 -LaCrO 3 system using a high-throughput combinatorial approach

Abstract A combinatorial film of the LaCo1-xCrxO3 system was fabricated using the LaCoO3 and LaCrO3 targets at the NIST Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) facility. As the ionic size of Cr3+ is greater than that of Co3+, the unit cell volume of the series increases with increasing x. Using a custom screening tool, the Seebeck coefficient of LaCo1-xCrxO3 approaches a measured maximum of 286 μV/K, near to the cobalt-rich end of the film library (with x ≈ 0.49). The resistivity value increases continuously with increasing x. The measured power factor, PF, of this series, which is related to the efficiency of energy conversion, also exhibits a maximum at the composition of x ≈ 0.49, which corresponds to the maximum value of the Seebeck coefficient. Our results illustrate the efficiency of applying the high-throughput combinatorial technique to study thermoelectric materials.