cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Beyond gatekeeping: enlisting patients as agents for quality and cost-containment.

Health care cost inflation is arguably the most fundamental challenge confronting the U.S. health care system. Without effective cost-containment, health insurance premiums will continue to rise, causing employers to drop coverage and putting the price tag for universal insurance further out of reach.1 And though quality of care in this country is far from perfect,2 most Americans are more worried about affordability than quality.3 The causes of rising health care costs are many. However, most health economists finger high utilization of medical technologies (including drugs, devices, and procedures) as the central problem.1,4
A profile of UK exporting companies—an empirical study

The export marketing literature in the UK has tended to focus on successful exporting companies, whilst much of the key literature is based on experience of exporters in the USA and Canada. This paper reports on a study of UK manufacturing exporters. It provides a profile of the UK exporter together with evidence on the methods used by manufacturers to find and select an overseas representative. The results also show that most manufacturers are satisfied with their relationships with overseas agents and distributors, although relationships with some agents and distributors were clearly difficult.
Social Change within the "Establishment": A City's Response to National Antiabortion Protesters

From 1988 to 1992, antiabortion groups such as Operation Rescue attempted to close abortion clinics through use of innovative protest techniques. Their strategy was to overload local institutions such as police departments, render them ineffective, and allow protesters to block and subsequently close abortion clinics. This study viewed reaction to these new protest techniques from within a local community rather than from a national perspective. The study found that local institutions surprised protesters with animated defenses that ultimately caused the protest groups, rather than local institutions, to be overextended. The article attributes this effective response to a view that public officials became activists. The authors defined activists as those whose behavior changed from the predictable and routine to that which was unexpected and had not been experienced previously by opponents. The authors were participant observers.
Proarrhythmia: Definition, risk factors, causes, treatment, and controversies

“Proarrhythmia” or “arrhythmogenicity” indicates the capacity of a cardiac or noncardiac drug to aggravate an existing arrhythmia or provoke a new arrhythmia at therapeutic or subtherapeutic levels. This definition excludes arrhythmias induced by drug toxicity or arrhythmias (usually bradyarrhythmia) elicited in patients with preexisting sick sinus syndrome, atrioventricular impairment, or intraventricular conduction abnormalities. Previous classi& cation of proarrhythmias included the toxicity-related arrhythmias (bradyarrhythmia) as a sign of proarrhythmic response to antiarrhythmic drugs.l The first reported relation between syncope and antiarrhythmic therapy was the description of quinidine syncope occurring concomitantly with low blood levels of this drug (Table I).2 Quinidine syncope appears as a result of polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (VT) with a prolonged QT interval, also known as torsade de pointes.2U4 As our understanding of the mechanism of proarrhythmia evolved with the development of new antiarrhythmic drugs, the definition of proarrhythmia expanded (Table II). Proarrhythmia was defined as the development of a new or more dangerous arrhythmia after treatment with antiarrhythmic drugs5 The definition then expanded to include an increase in the frequency and complexicity of ventricular premature complexes (VPC)69 7 and the delineation of proarrhythmic criteria during electrophysiologic testing (Table III).8-10 Rinkenberger et
Pregnancy in multiple system atrophy: a case report

Introduction Multiple system atrophy is a late, adult-onset α-synucleinopathy with no data on the effect of pregnancy on the disease course. Early stage multiple system atrophy can be difficult to distinguish from Parkinson's disease.
Analysis of adenocarcinoma in Barrett's esophagus utilizing a staging system

Based on a retrospective review of nine patients with adenocarcinoma in a Barrett's esophagus and the reports of similar cases in the literature, a staging system for this malignancy was devised. A progression of changes could be identified that corresponded to the stages. These changes consisted of dysplasia progressing to carcinoma in situ and invasive malignancy with metastases. Stage III disease carried the same grim prognosis as a similar stage of squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus. Earlier stages of adenocarcinoma of the esophagus appeared to have a better prognosis. White men with symptoms of reflux esophagitis, esophageal strictures, and/or hiatal hernias who have Barrett's esophagus extending proximal to the distal 10 cm of the esophagus appear to have a propensity to develop adenocarcinoma of the esophagus. Consideration should be given to antireflux surgery and close follow-up by periodic esophagoscopy and biopsy of the esophagus in these patients. If neoplasia is found, the thoracic esophagus should be totally removed with the stomach or left colon anastomosed to the cervical esophagus. Because of the poor prognosis of Stage III disease, postoperative chemotherapy should be considered. Cancer 55:1353-1360, 1985.
Multivariate analysis of covariance based on residuals

In many experiments where data have been collected at two points in time (pre-treatment and post-treatment), investigators wish to determine if there is a difference between two treatment groups. In recent years it has been proposed that an appropriate statistical analysis to determine if treatment differences exist is to use the post-treatment values as the primary comparison variables and the pre-treatment values as covariates. When there are several outcome variables, we propose new tests based on residuals as alternatives to existing methods and investigate how the powers of the new and existing tests are affected by various choices of covariates. The limiting distribution of the test statistic of the new test based on residuals is given. Monte Carlo simulations are employed in the power comparisons.
HIV in the Leather Community: Rates and Risk-Related Behaviors

There exist many subcultures of men who have sex with men (MSM), all with differing values and health behaviors. The Leathermen comprise one such subculture, which is characterized by a heightened valuation of hypersexuality and adherence to sexual control dynamics (i.e., submission and dominance). No previous research has specifically examined this community for differences in sexual health (e.g., HIV rates) and sexual health behaviors (e.g., condom use). We conducted a large survey of men (N = 1,554) at one leather and non-leather event, collecting data from 655 Submissives, Dominants, Switches, and non-orienting Leathermen. Leathermen were 61% more likely to be HIV-positive than non-Leathermen. Decreased condom use found in HIV-positive Leathermen (relative to HIV-positive non-Leathermen) was a potential factor contributing to heightened HIV rates. Universal low condom use in Submissives engaging in receptive, and Dominants engaging in insertive, anal intercourse was an additional trend that potentially contributed to increased numbers of HIV-positive Leathermen. Our recommendation is for heightened awareness of the risks associated with sex among Leathermen, especially unprotected anal intercourse with sero-uncertain Submissives.
Comparative efficiency analysis of dynamically supplied power amplifiers (PA)

Data throughput, reliability, bit-error rates (BER), and backward compatibility complicate modern protocols so much that power amplifiers (PA) drive and demand most of the power mobile devices consume. As a result, PA power efficiency often limits battery life, which is why dynamically adaptive supplies are popular today. Justifying one supply scheme over another in terms of efficiency, however, is not straightforward. This paper analyzes the fundamental loss mechanisms in PAs to compare how power- and envelope-tracking (PT and ET) supplies improve efficiency. Results show that, even when ET supply efficiencies are 20% worse than PT's, ET schemes are 4% – 29% more efficient than PT systems for CDMA IS95 (and UMTS), CDMA 2000, and 802.11 a/g protocols across input power, and better in newer protocols where peak-average ratios (PAR) are higher. In fact, envelope elimination and restoration (EER) with a dynamic supply and feedback is optimal with 29% – 35% more efficiency than Class-A ET because a nonlinear PA dissipates little conduction power, the smart supply loses less power than the nonlinear PA saves, and feedback corrects nonlinear errors.
Presence of Dendroaspis natriuretic peptide-like immunoreactivity in human plasma and its increase during human heart failure.

Objective To determine whether Dendroaspis natriuretic peptide (DNP), a novel peptide isolated from the venom of the Dendroaspis angusticeps snake that contains a 17-amino acid disulfide ring structure similar to that in atrial, brain, and C-type natriuretic peptides, is present in normal human plasma and myocardium and whether, like the other natriuretic peptides, DNP-Iike immunoreactivity (DNP-LI) is activated in human congestive heart failure (CHF). Material and Methods Circulating DNP-LI was assessed in 19 normal human subjects and 19 patients with CHF (New York Heart Association class III or IV) with a specific and sensitive radioimmunoassay for DNP with no cross-reactivity with the other natriuretic peptides. Immunohistochemical studies that used polyclonal rabbit anti-DNP antiserum were performed on human atrial myocardial tissue obtained from four patients with endstage CHF who were undergoing cardiac transplantation and from three donor hearts at the time of transplantation. Results We report that DNP-LI circulates in normal human plasma and is present in the normal atrial myocardium. In addition, DNP-LI is increased in the plasma of patients with CHF. Conclusion This study demonstrates, for the first time, the presence of a DNP-like peptide in normal human plasma and in the atrial myocardium. Additionally, these studies demonstrate increased plasma DNP-LI in human CHF. These results support the possible existence of an additional new natriuretic peptide in humans, which may have a role in the neurohumoral activation that characterizes human CHF.
A quantitative electron microscope analysis of peripheral nerve in the urodele amphibian in relation to limb regenerative capacity.

An approximate 1:1 ratio of myelinated to unmyelinated fibers was established in counts from electron micrograph montages in nerves of the newt, Triturus (Notophthalmus) viridescens. The number of myelinated fibers correspond to the number counted with the light microscope after osmium fixation. Light microscope counts of silver impregnated sections yielded a value slightly higher suggesting that, except for bundles of unmyelinated fibers, the silver technique revealed mainly myelinated fibers. The results were used to reassess previous quantitative studies on the relation between number of nerve fibers and the control which nerves exert on regeneration. For a truer estimate of the number of axons affecting regeneration, fiber values previously reported should now be doubled to include the large number of unmyelinated fibers. However, calculations show that the unmyelinated fibers contribute less than 3% of the total neuroplasm in the peripheral nerve. Finally, counts made of Schwann cells and fibroblasts show that the latter are few in number.
Cross-linking in collagen by nonenzymatic glycation increases the matrix stiffness in rabbit achilles tendon.

Nonenzymatic glycation of connective tissue matrix proteins is a major contributor to the pathology of diabetes and aging. Previously the author and colleagues have shown that nonenzymatic glycation significantly enhances the matrix stability in the Achilles tendon (Reddy et al., 2002, Arch. Biochem. Biophys., 399, 174–180). The present study was designed to gain further insight into glycation-induced collagen cross-linking and its relationship to matrix stiffness in the rabbit Achilles tendon. The glycation process was initiated by incubating the Achilles tendons (n = 6) in phosphate-buffered saline containing ribose, whereas control tendons (n = 6) were incubated in phosphate-buffered saline without ribose. Eight weeks following glycation, the biomechanical attributes as well as the degree of collagen cross-linking were determined to examine the potential associations between matrix stiffness and molecular properties of collagen. Compared to nonglycated tendons, the glycated tendons showed increased maximum load, stress, strain, Young's modulus of elasticity, and toughness indicating that glycation increases the matrix stiffness in the tendons. Glycation of tendons resulted in a considerable decrease in soluble collagen content and a significant increase in insoluble collagen and pentosidine. Analysis of potential associations between the matrix stiffness and degree of collagen cross-linking showed that both insoluble collagen and pentosidine exhibited a significant positive correlation with the maximum load, stress, and strain, Young's modulus of elasticity, and toughness (r values ranging from .61 to .94) in the Achilles tendons. However, the soluble collagen content present in neutral salt buffer, acetate buffer, and acetate buffer containing pepsin showed an inverse relation with the various biomechanical attributes tested (r values ranging from .22 to .84) in the Achilles tendons. The results of the study demonstrate that glycation-induced collagen cross-linking is directly associated with the increased matrix stiffness and other mechanical attributes of the tendon.
Task planning and execution for UAV teams

We design the attack of the Blue force of unmanned air combat vehicles (UAV), against Red's ground force of SAM sites and radars. The design is structured in a two-level hierarchy of planning and execution. The plan, based on prior information, determines which targets are to be attacked and groups them into sub-tasks; allocates a UAV team to each sub-task; and selects a risk-minimizing path for each team. Execution is organized in a hierarchy of real-time controllers, which determine the actual flight path, weapons release, and space-time coordination of the actions of a UAV team. Plan development uses an algorithm that determines the sequence in which targets are to be attacked. Execution design is specified in Shift, a programming language for dynamic networks of hybrid automata.
Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Arterial Stiffness Associated With Obesity

See related article, pp 1105–1110 The obesity epidemic has led to a marked increase in the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, and systemic hypertension. When present, these comorbidities contribute to the adverse cardiovascular outcomes that have been associated with obesity. In fact, for overweight individuals, the hazard ratio for cardiovascular mortality has been reported to be 1.4 to 2.8 (stratified by increasing body mass index) during 10 to 26 years of follow-up.1 This excess cardiovascular risk seems to be confined to obese individuals with coronary heart disease risk factors, particularly systemic hypertension. A recent landmark study of the Framingham Offspring cohort demonstrated convincingly that arterial stiffness, a vascular pathophenotype characterized by progressive stiffening of large conduit vessels that perturbs blood flow patterns in the distal vasculature, precedes increases in systolic blood pressure and incident hypertension.2 Other studies have established that arterial stiffness is present in individuals with obesity or metabolic syndrome and can predict future cardiovascular events.3 In some cases, weight reduction has been shown to decrease arterial stiffness, in part, through the loss of total body and abdominal adiposity, suggesting that vascular stiffness may be reversible.1 Thus, arterial distensibility may be considered as a measure of vascular health, and progression to arterial stiffening may be viewed as a biomarker to predict future cardiovascular events.4 Although epidemiological studies highlight the association between obesity, arterial stiffness, and hypertension, they are unable to inform on causality, particularly at a cellular or molecular level. To date, there have been few mechanistic studies examining …
Increased Susceptibility to Methotrexate-Induced Toxicity in Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis

Hepatic drug metabolizing enzymes and transporters play a crucial role in determining the fate of drugs, and alterations in liver function can place individuals at greater risk for adverse drug reactions (ADRs). We have shown that nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) leads to changes in the expression and localization of enzymes and transporters responsible for the disposition of numerous drugs. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of NASH on methotrexate (MTX) disposition and the resulting toxicity profile. Sprague Dawley rats were fed either a control or methionine-choline-deficient diet for 8 weeks to induce NASH, then administered a single ip vehicle, 10, 40, or 100 mg/kg MTX injection followed by blood, urine, and feces collection over 96 h with terminal tissue collection. At the onset of dosing, Abcc1-4, Abcb1, and Abcg2 were elevated in NASH livers, whereas Abcc2 and Abcb1 were not properly localized to the membrane, similar to that previously observed in human NASH. NASH rodents receiving 40-100 mg/kg MTX exhibited hepatocellular damage followed by initiation of repair, whereas damage was absent in controls. NASH rodents receiving 100 mg/kg MTX exhibited slightly greater renal toxicity, indicating multiple organ toxicity, despite the majority of the dose being excreted by 6 h. Intestinal toxicity in NASH however, was strikingly less severe than controls, and coincided with reduced fecal MTX excretion. Because MTX-induced gastrointestinal toxicity limits the dose escalation necessary for cancer remission, these data suggest a greater risk for life-threatening MTX-induced hepatic and renal toxicity in NASH in the absence of overt gastrointestinal toxicity.
Effect of high winter water temperatures on adult emergence of aquatic insects

Abstract The larvae of 10 species of aquatic insects (Trichoptera, Plecoptera, Ephemeroptera, and Diptera) were subjected to unseasonably high winter water temperatures in the laboratory from November through July. The stonefly Pteronarcys dorsata and the burrowing mayfly Hexagenia limbata emerged in January, 5 months earlier than their natural June emergence time. All other test species exhibited similar premature emergence under test conditions. The time between emergence of males and females was increased by increased water temperatures.
An Exploratory Model of Girl's Vulnerability to Commercial Sexual Exploitation in Prostitution

Due to inaccessibility of child victims of commercial sexual exploitation, the majority of emergent research on the problem lacks theoretical framing or sufficient data for quantitative analysis. D...
Emissions of carbon dioxide and methane from a headwater stream network of interior Alaska

[1] Boreal ecosystems store significant quantities of organic carbon (C) that may be vulnerable to degradation as a result of a warming climate. Despite their limited coverage on the landscape, streams play a significant role in the processing, gaseous emission, and downstream export of C, and small streams are thought to be particularly important because of their close connection with the surrounding landscape. However, ecosystem carbon studies do not commonly incorporate the role of the aquatic conduit. We measured carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) concentrations and emissions in a headwater stream network of interior Alaska underlain by permafrost to assess the potential role of stream gas emissions in the regional carbon balance. First-order streams exhibited the greatest variability in fluxes of CO2 and CH4, and the greatest mean pCO2. High-resolution time series of stream pCO2 and discharge at two locations on one first-order stream showed opposing pCO2 responses to storm events, indicating the importance of hydrologic flowpaths connecting CO2-rich soils with surface waters. Repeated longitudinal surveys on the stream showed consistent areas of elevated pCO2 and pCH4, indicative of discrete hydrologic flowpaths delivering soil water and groundwater having varying chemistry. Up-scaled basin estimates of stream gas emissions suggest that streams may contribute significantly to catchment-wide CH4 emissions. Overall, our results indicate that while stream-specific gas emission rates are disproportionately high relative to the terrestrial landscape, both stream surface area and catchment normalized emission rates were lower than those documented for the Yukon River Basin as a whole. This may be due to limitations of C sources and/or C transport to surface waters.
Risk Perception in Toxicology Part I: Moving Beyond Scientific Instincts to Understand Risk Perception

Information from the study of toxins by hard sciences like toxicology is interpreted based on affective, emotional, and instinctive psychologic cues discovered by social science. Understanding and respecting these soft science insights can help toxicologists better communicate their work and findings and have greater influence on the choices of individuals and policy makers.
Fast Track Reservoir Modeling of Shale Formations in the Appalachian Basin. Application to Lower Huron Shale in Eastern Kentucky

In this paper a fast track reservoir modeling and analysis of the Lower Huron Shale in Eastern Kentucky is presented. Unlike conventional reservoir simulation and modeling which is a bottom up approach (geo-cellular model to history matching) this new approach starts by attempting to build a reservoir realization from well production history (Top to Bottom), augmented by core, well-log, well-test and seismic data in order to increase accuracy. This approach requires creation of a large spatial-temporal database that is efficiently handled with state of the art Artificial Intelligence and Data Mining techniques (AI & DM), and therefore it represents an elegant integration of reservoir engineering techniques with Artificial Intelligence and Data Mining. Advantages of this new technique are a) ease of development, b) limited data requirement (as compared to reservoir simulation), and c) speed of analysis. All of the 77 wells used in this study are completed in the Lower Huron Shale and are a part of the Big Sandy Gas field in Eastern Kentucky. Most of the wells have production profiles for more than twenty years. Porosity and thickness data was acquired from the available well logs, while permeability, natural fracture network properties, and fracture aperture data was acquiredmore » through a single well history matching process that uses the FRACGEN/NFFLOW simulator package. This technology, known as Top-Down Intelligent Reservoir Modeling, starts with performing conventional reservoir engineering analysis on individual wells such as decline curve analysis and volumetric reserves estimation. Statistical techniques along with information generated from the reservoir engineering analysis contribute to an extensive spatio-temporal database of reservoir behavior. The database is used to develop a cohesive model of the field using fuzzy pattern recognition or similar techniques. The reservoir model is calibrated (history matched) with production history from the most recently drilled wells. The calibrated model is then further used for field development strategies to improve and enhance gas recovery.« less
Mixed messages: The ambiguity of the MOD chip and pirate cultural production for the Nintendo DS:

This essay1 examines the ambiguous character of videogame console modification chips (MOD chips) in the space of videogame piracy. While it is possible for these chips to be used to “pirate” versions of games for these devices, they also expand the utility of the devices by adding capabilities. Perhaps more significantly, MOD chips also enable users to create software and videogames that run on these consoles outside the typical rules and regulations of the videogame industry. Ethnographic work amongst Nintendo DS (“dual screen”) MOD communities is examined to illuminate this understudied space of cultural production.
Self-separation corridors

This paper describes a concept called self-separation corridors (SSCs). This is an automatic dependent surveillance - broadcast (ADS-B) application that establishes self-separation corridors in high-altitude en route airspace. This concept enables traffic managers to create high-density corridors along specific airspace segments for suitably equipped aircraft for use during heavy sector congestion or limited access due to severe weather. An SSC is defined as a set of parallel routes in close proximity to one another, in which crewmembers accept responsibility for separation from other aircraft in the corridor. While in an SSC, pilots use on-board instrumentation to ensure proper spacing behind the lead aircraft. The on-board instrumentation also provides protection from deviations or blunders by aircraft on the parallel routes. This paper describes the primary SSC concept, proposed solutions, and suggested areas of research.
Making Acquisition Measurable

Abstract : The ultimate objective of our investigations was to establish a foundation for improving how acquisition performance is managed. Our project looked broadly across the four principles highlighted in NDAA Section 804 and subsequently focused on the challenges that program managers might face in measuring adoption and impact of the user engagement principle. We discovered that the principles are interrelated and that an understanding of how acquisition success will be measured is critical to understanding the principles' contribution to successful acquisition outcomes. Our research focused most extensively on the challenges that Government program offices face in ensuring early and continual involvement of the user, measuring/monitoring user engagement in achieving program/system objectives, and determining the impact of user involvement. Based on direct interaction with users of Government systems and program capabilities, our research resulted in the identification of essential elements for an effective user engagement program, codification of key user types and characteristics, candidate high-priority user engagement metrics, lessons learned in deriving metrics, relevance of performance management principles for measuring user engagement, and insights from users for improving how program offices can more effectively and efficiently engage users in the process of delivering required capabilities.
Net community production and calcification from 7 years of NOAA Station Papa Mooring measurements

Seven years of near-continuous observations from the Ocean Station Papa (OSP) surface mooring were used to evaluate drivers of marine carbon cycling in the eastern subarctic Pacific. Processes contributing to mixed layer carbon inventory changes throughout each deployment year were quantitatively assessed using a time-dependent mass balance approach in which total alkalinity and dissolved inorganic carbon were used as tracers. By using two mixed layer carbon tracers, it was possible to isolate the influences of net community production (NCP) and calcification. Our results indicate that the annual NCP at OSP is 2 ± 1 mol C m−2 yr−1 and the annual calcification is 0.3 ± 0.3 mol C m−2 yr−1. Piecing together evidence for potentially significant dissolved organic carbon cycling in this region, we estimate a particulate inorganic carbon to particulate organic carbon ratio between 0.15 and 0.25. This is at least double the global average, adding to the growing evidence that calcifying organisms play an important role in carbon export at this location. These results, coupled with significant seasonality in the NCP, suggest that carbon cycling near OSP may be more complex than previously thought and highlight the importance of continuous observations for robust assessments of biogeochemical cycling.
Preliminary results of the effects of interactive computer labs

This paper details a research study on computer laboratory assignments designed for Liberal Arts Math. Preliminary results are mixed: students performed better on problem-solving assessments when given an opportunity to complete the assignments in a monitored setting, but performance was weaker on some course assessments. Statistical analyses are included.
Proposal for a Terahertz Zener Oscillator

In the absence of scattering and interband tunneling the motion of a carrier in a crystalline solid subject to a steady uniform electric field is described by a rectilinear trajectory in reciprocal space, traversing the extended Brillouin zone at a constant rate proportional to the field. The corresponding motion in direct space is periodic with a frequency proportional to the field, and is called a Zener oscillation. Zener oscillations are a possible source of electromagnetic radiation, and they are most likely to be useful at extremely high frequencies, in the millimetric and submillimetric regions of the spectrum, where oscillation periods are comparable with or shorter than the scattering lifetime.
The effect of intrauterine contraceptive device (IUD) on pregnancy in the rabbit.

Rabbits were inserted with 10 cm of Silastic tubing in 1 uterine horn; blastocysts were collected from the control or treated horn on Pregnancy Day 5 and transferred to the opposite horn. 16 of 22 (72%) blastocysts implanted into an IUD horn failed to survive to Day 23. 10 of 16 (62.5%) blastocysts transferred to the control horn were found implanted on Day 12 and 9 pups were delivered. In other rabbits with su rgical anastomosis between the 2 horns 99.5% of implantations survived from Day 12 to 23 in control horns but only 20% in IUD horns. The leukocyte counts was markedly elevated in IUD horns and only moderately in control horns. These data indicate that the antifertility effect of the IUD is largely due to its direct contact with the developing embryos and the endometrium. (AUTHORS MODIFIED)
Response of two strains of rats to a high-protein diet containing sucrose or cornstarch.

AbstractMale BHE (carbohydrate-sensitive strain) and Wistar rats were fed from weaning to 400 days of age 45% casein diets containing sucrose or cornstarch. At this high protein intake type of carbohydrate had no effect on any of the parameters measured. Several significant differences, however, were observed between the two strains. Food utilization for weight gain was less efficient for young Wistar than for young BHE rats. BHE rats had a higher incidence and level of fat in the liver, and degree of nephrosis in the kidneys. Kidney calcium deposits were negligible in either strain. Urinary protein excretion was very low in young rats but increased with age. Urinary protein electrophoretic patterns changed with age; faster moving proteins were affected by age × strain interactions. At 400 days of age patterns were similar for both strains and probably related to the development of nephrosis. Total serum cholesterol and percentage prealbumin were higher, whereas serum albumin and very-low-density lipoprot...
Plant Age in Relation to the Resistance of Nicotiana to the Green Peach Aphid

Toxicity of resistant varieties of tobacco, Nicotiana tabacum L., and N. benthamiana Domin to Myzus persicae (Sulzer) increased as the plants matured. This paralleled an increase in the amount of the exudates on certain trichomes of these plants. Because of the lack of toxicity of seedling and young plants, older plants should be used in screening tests for this type of resistance to the green peach aphid.
A Simple Matrix Approach to Linear Differential Equations

(1956). A Simple Matrix Approach to Linear Differential Equations. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 63, No. 7, pp. 472-478.
Congruity and Incongruity of Status Attributes within Occupations and Work Positions

First, a psychoanalytically-based hypothesis predicting the nature of interpretations of Negrowhite/mixed-sex interaction was not supported. A much simpler theoretical basis for explaining the direction of the influence of attitudes on perception was found in the perceptual defense type of theory from experimental psychology. However, perceptual defense theory depends almost entirely upon the functioning of individual psychological processes. Such a theory has limitations in that it does not account for the selectivity of perception found in situations involving major cultural themes or shared expectations. That is, where cultural themes such as the "romantic complex" or "male domination" of intersexual situations are involved, these ometimes override individual attitudes and perceptual habits and give new direction to interpretation of such stimuli as Negro-white social situations where a mixing of the sexes is present. The findings point also to the pervasive influence of role categories in influencing the perception of the nature of interaction. The finding that the Negro male was viewed as "leading the action" by both prejudiced and unprejudiced subjects is a case in point. This finding is interesting from the standpoint of role theory, especially as regards role conflict. In the situation portrayed, the Negro male has two readily apparent, socially significant, but conflicting roles along with their attached statuses: the positively evaluated role of "adult male," and the negatively evaluated role of "Negro." Which of these sets of "expectations for others" are the most pervasive? According to our findings it would seem that the expectations defining the relationship of man to woman and vice versa, are more pervasive than those defining the relationship of white to Negro. In any case, these relationships are important enough to merit further testing. These findings also have methodological significance for attitude research. In spite of the fact that every definition of prejudice assumes "categorical" thinking, the present findings demonstrate the fact that categorization is not complete. People, even "prejudiced" people, do not react to Negroes simply as "a Negro," ignoring all other possible characteristics. Rather, other culturally provided, learned orientations enter into the stimulus field that triggers the attitudinal response. This finding is complementary to that of an earlier investigation by one of the authors in which it was established that the occupational status of the Negro was a significant determinant of the response of whites to a particular Negro.6
Water Crises and Institutions: Inventing and Reinventing Governance in an Era of Uncertainty

Ensuring sufficient availability of water for human and environmental needs is one of today’s most pressing global challenges. The demand for water—for human consumption, sanitation, power, industr...
Comparative evaluation of capacitor-coupled and transformer-coupled dual active bridge converters

Dual Active Bridge (DAB) converters are emerging to become the preferred high power DC-DC conversion topology to satisfy the requirements of modularity, high voltage transfer ratio, high efficiency and bidirectional power transfer capability. However transformer design for DAB converters remains a challenging problem, especially for high voltage conversion ratio and higher switching frequencies. Capacitor-coupled transformer-less DC-DC converters capable of arbitrary high voltage transfer ratio with reasonable efficiency have been recently introduced. The voltage gain in this case is achieved by series combination of capacitor coupled active bridge modules. This paper introduces the capacitor-coupled dual active bridge converter and compares it with the traditional transformer-coupled dual active bridge converter. A brief overview of the analytical models of both transformer-coupled and capacitor-coupled DAB converters is presented and the important design factors of both topologies are identified, followed by a comparative evaluation of a published benchmark design with details of all the power circuit components.
Multiple Fronts and Conflict Resolution: Impact of Rivals on Civil Conflict Adversaries' Negotiation and Settlement Behavior

What increases civil conflict adversaries’ willingness to negotiate and settle, and what endures their commitment to the process? Existent literature stresses the role of war-weariness in transforming the attitudes of warring parties towards conflict resolution, yet ignores the multi-threat environment that amplifies their weariness. In this article, I argue that both governments and rebel groups are more willing to negotiate a settlement when under pressure from their respective rivals to consolidate their scarce military or political resources. Moreover, these transparent external pressures minimize uncertainty about negotiators’ intent and thereby alleviate commitment problems. To test these arguments, I introduce original and global data on complete pool of negotiations as well as on rebel group rivalry for all internal conflict-dyad-years between 1980 and 2001. Findings using two-stage censored probit models show that presence of state and rebel rivalries increase the likelihood of negotiations and settlements, and that negotiators remain committed to talks throughout when they involve an actor simultaneously challenged by a rival. Article offers interesting implications for scholars and practitioners who study ripeness for resolution and influence of multi-actor dynamics on conflict resolution.
Transcranial direct current stimulation may modulate extinction memory in posttraumatic stress disorder.

Background Abnormalities in fear extinction and recall are core components of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Data from animal and human studies point to a role of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) in extinction learning and subsequent retention of extinction memories. Given the increasing interest in developing noninvasive brain stimulation protocols for psychopathology treatment, we piloted whether transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) during extinction learning, vs. during consolidation of extinction learning, might improve extinction recall in veterans with warzone-related PTSD. Methods Twenty-eight veterans with PTSD completed a 2-day Pavlovian fear conditioning, extinction, and recall paradigm. Participants received one 10-min session of 2 mA anodal tDCS over AF3, intended to target the vmPFC. Fourteen received tDCS that started simultaneously with extinction learning onset, and the remaining 14 participants received tDCS during extinction consolidation. Normalized skin conductance reactivity (SCR) was the primary outcome measure. Linear mixed effects models were used to test for effects of tDCS on late extinction and early extinction recall 24 hr later. Results During early recall, veterans who received tDCS during extinction consolidation showed slightly lower SCR in response to previously extinguished stimuli as compared to veterans who received tDCS simultaneous with extinction learning (p = .08), generating a medium effect size (Cohen's d = .38). There was no significant effect of tDCS on SCR during late extinction. Conclusions These preliminary findings suggest that testing the effects of tDCS during consolidation of fear extinction may have promise as a way of enhancing extinction recall.
Large spin Hall angle in vanadium film.

We report a large spin Hall angle observed in vanadium films sputter-grown at room temperature, which have small grain size and consist of a mixture of body centered tetragonal (bct) and body centered cubic (bcc) structures. The spin Hall angle is as large as θ V = −0.071 ± 0.003, comparable to that of platinum, θ Pt = 0.076 ± 0.007, and is much larger than that of bcc V film grown at 400 °C, θ V_bcc = −0.012 ± 0.002. Similar to β-tantalum and β-tungsten, the sputter-grown V films also have a high resistivity of more than 200 μΩ∙cm. Surprisingly, the spin diffusion length is still long at 16.3 nm. This finding not only indicates that specific crystalline structure can lead to a large spin Hall effect but also suggests 3d light metals should not be ruled out in the search for materials with large spin Hall angle.
A Case for Data Sharing and Database Networks in the Management of Water Resources and the Environment

Solutions to water-related problems must begin and end with good information and data. The gathering of data, their quality, comparability, and management, who controls and distributes them, how they are used, by whom, and toward what ends are potent determinants of the well-being of individuals and nations. Flowing water carries within itself its own information, and because watercourses tend to be very dynamic systems, water data are consequently almost always in one degree or another estimates, extrapolations, and, sometimes, even speculation. This study analyzes these issues and emphasizes the importance of cooperative data collection, the sharing of data, and argues the necessity for establishing a nexus of distributed water information systems, offering a specific model based on new relational software.
Scaling and Renormalization

We begin with the static scaling laws which have the objective of reducing the number of independent critical exponents to a couple, and the proposal is to achieve this by focussing on ever smaller neighborhoods of the critical point. The basic ideas of scaling are to be traced back to [Essam and Fisher, 1963, Widom, 1965, Kadanoff, 1966, Fisher, 1967a]; their justification was found later in the renormalization program we discuss in the next section. In a nutshell, the idea was that in the neighborhood of the critical point, the thermodynamic functions can be assumed to be generalized homogenous functions; see e.g. [Stanley, 1971, Fisher, 1983, Cardy, 1996].
Polymorphic Transitions in Cerium-Substituted Zirconolite (CaZrTi 2 O 7 )

Compounds with the formulae CaZr1−xCexTi2O7 with x = 0.1–0.5 were synthesized by solid state reaction. Cerium was used as a surrogate for actinide elements. A transition from the 2M polymorph to the 4M polymorph (expanded unit cell due to cation ordering) in zirconolite was observed with increasing cerium content. The presence of both tri- and tetravalent Ce, contrary to formulation, was confirmed using X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy, suggesting substitution on both Ca and Zr sites. Sintering was carried out via spark plasma sintering, during which the perovskite phase (Ca0.4Ce0.4TiO3) was stabilized due to the reducing conditions of this technique. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectrometry revealed that the 2M polymorph was dilute in Ce content in comparison to the 4M-zirconolite. High temperature X-ray diffraction was used to detail the kinetics of perovskite to zirconolite transition. It was found that CaCeTi2O7 (cubic pyrochlore) formed as an intermediate phase during the transition. Our results show that a transition from 2M- to 4M-zirconolite occurs with increasing Ce content and can be controlled by adjusting the PO2 and the heat treatment temperature.
A Probabilistic Geographical Aspect-Opinion Model for Geo-Tagged Microblogs

Due to the rapid increase in the number of users owning location-based devices, there is a considerable amount of geo-tagged data available on social media websites, such as Twitter and Facebook. This geo-tagged data can be useful in a variety of ways to extract location-specific information, as well as to comprehend the variation of information across different geographical regions. A lot of techniques have been proposed for extracting location-based information from social media, but none of these techniques aim to utilize an important characteristic of this data, which is the presence of aspects and their opinions, expressed by the users on these platforms. In this paper, we propose Geographic Aspect Opinion model (GASPOP), a probabilistic model that jointly discovers the variation of aspect and opinion, that correspond to different topics across various geographical regions from geo-tagged social media data. It incorporates the syntactic features of text in the generative process to differentiate aspect and opinion words from general background words. The user-based modeling of topics, also enables it to determine the interest distribution of various users. Furthermore, our model can be used to predict the location of different tweets based on their text. We evaluated our model on Twitter data, and our experimental results show that GASPOP can jointly discover latent aspect and opinion words for different topics across latent geographical regions. Moreover, a quantitative analysis of GASPOP using widely used evaluation metrics shows that it outperforms the state-of-the-art methods.
Hydroxyapatite and dittmarite precipitation from algae hydrolysate

Abstract Several research efforts across the globe have been concerned with addressing the technical barriers in the commercialization of algae-based sustainable biorefineries. Nutrients cost and management and in particular, phosphorus, have been highlighted as one of the most significant challenges in algae cultivation and downstream processing. In this study, 83 wt% of phosphorus present in Scenedesmus sp. microalgae was extracted as water-soluble phosphate in aqueous phase via flash hydrolysis process while preserving the algae lipids. Subsequently, the phosphate containing aqueous phase (algae hydrolysate) was used for producing dittmarite and hydroxyapatite by two different mineralization processes. In the first pathway, more than 97 wt% of the phosphate in the hydrolysate was recovered in the form of carbonate-hydroxyapatite, a valuable biomaterial, at 280 °C within one hour of residence time via hydrothermal mineralization process. Whitlockite as the secondary phase was also observed along with the hydroxyapatite. In the second pathway, 67 wt% of the phosphate and 6 wt% of nitrogen were recovered as dittmarite (magnesium ammonium phosphate), an effective slow-release fertilizer, at 20 °C via an atmospheric precipitation process. The effects of seeding, temperature, reaction time, and mineralizers to PO4 molar ratio on phosphate removal as well as product yield were studied. This is the first kind of study in which flash hydrolysis and mineralization processes were integrated to provide an energy efficient platform for phosphorus recovery from microalgae in forms of value added compounds that could be suitable for long-term storage and handling. Through this experimental study, we report the shortest residence time for hydroxyapatite precipitation from an algal hydrolysate. The short residence could substantially save in reactor size and processing time as well as provide an option for high throughput which could result in a significant cost reduction in algae to bioproducts and biofuels.