cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Delivery room hospice

Advances in perinatal science over the past five decades have reduced the practical ‘threshold of viability’ by approximately one week every 10 years such that survivors are expected as early as 22 weeks. Ethical standards regarding treatment of this periviable patient population remain enigmatic. Conclusion We review limitations in the current ethical rationale for caring for these infants in the delivery room and introduce an alternative utilising a delivery room hospice care approach involving the administration of opioids.
From paper to plastic: electronic benefits transfer as technology of neoliberalization

ABSTRACTThis analysis refocuses attention to the relationship between neoliberal government practice and co-conditioning rhetorical consequence through examination of Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT). Operating by a plastic card similar to consumer debit cards, EBT opens new possibilities of consumption for those receiving Food Stamps. Rather than simply signaling a disciplining governmentality, electronic food assistance functions as a technology of neoliberalization, proffering the potentiality of social equity while (re)instantiating class boundaries. I appropriate the finance term securitization to specify the disposal of liberalist logics that transform the poor from economic risk to state asset while also leaving the conditions of poverty and food insecurity unchallenged.
Astrocyte and Neuron Coculturing Method

It is customary to credit Rudolf Virchow (1) with the discovery of neuroglia (see ref. 2). As a practicing pathologist who was familiar with inflammatory processes in the brain, Virchow opposed his contemporaries' assertion that the brain was void of connective tissue. He hypothesized that underneath the single-cell layer of the ependyma, the ventricles were lined with connective tissue cells that were capable of mounting inflammatory responses, and referred to these cells as "Nervenkitt" or "nerve putty." Although erroneous, this coined term has persisted as the preferred generic term, or in its shortened form "glia," for a class of nonexcitable brain cells. Classification and histological characterization of the true nature of the various neuroglial types followed the development of impregnation techniques by Golgi and Ramon y Cajal in the late 1800s. By the 1920s, the major forms of glial cells had been recognized and identified. Their basic structures and relationships with other critical parts of the nervous system were also beginning to emerge.
Opportunities During Early Life for Cancer Prevention: Highlights From a Series of Virtual Meetings With Experts

Compelling evidence suggests that early life exposures can affect lifetime cancer risk. In 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) Cancer Prevention Across the Lifespan Workgroup hosted a series of virtual meetings with select experts to discuss the state of the evidence linking factors during the prenatal period and early childhood to subsequent risk of both pediatric and adult cancers. In this article, we present the results from a qualitative analysis of the meeting transcripts and summarize themes that emerged from our discussions with meeting participants. Themes included the state of the evidence linking early life factors to cancer risk, research gaps and challenges, the level of evidence needed to support taking public health action, and the challenges of communicating complex, and sometimes conflicting, scientific findings to the public. Opportunities for collaboration among public health agencies and other stakeholders were identified during these discussions. Potential next steps for the CDC and its partners included advancing and building upon epidemiology and surveillance work, developing and using evidence from multiple sources to inform decision-making, disseminating and communicating research findings in a clear and effective way, and expanding collaborations with grantees and other partners. As the science on early life factors and cancer risk continues to evolve, there are opportunities for collaboration to translate science into actionable public health practice.
The Career Pathways Movement: A Promising Strategy for Increasing Opportunity and Mobility

As the movement to raise academic standards has grown over the past 25 years, so has the notion grown that the primary purpose of the American high school is to prepare all students for college. High school students and their families have increasingly bought into the notion that the only legitimate destination after high school is “college.” The “college for all” mantra has to some degree been fueled by the dire predictions of economists that we were headed into a world in which there were only going to be two kinds of jobs: high-skill, high-wage jobs for those with at least a 4-year degree; and low-wage, low-skill jobs for everyone else. The career pathways movement—based on the premise that everyone needs something beyond a high school diploma but not necessarily a 4-year degree, and designed to connect young people to middle-skill jobs in such growing fields as information technology, health care, and advanced manufacturing—offers a promising route to upward mobility for those young people not well served by our current education system.
Gender dimorphism of brain reward system volumes in alcoholism

The brain's reward network has been reported to be smaller in alcoholic men compared to nonalcoholic men, but little is known about the volumes of reward regions in alcoholic women. Morphometric analyses were performed on magnetic resonance brain scans of 60 long-term chronic alcoholics (ALC; 30 men) and 60 nonalcoholic controls (NC; 29 men). We derived volumes of total brain, and cortical and subcortical reward-related structures including the dorsolateral prefrontal (DLPFC), orbitofrontal, and cingulate cortices, and the temporal pole, insula, amygdala, hippocampus, nucleus accumbens septi (NAc), and ventral diencephalon (VDC). We examined the relationships of the volumetric findings to drinking history. Analyses revealed a significant gender interaction for the association between alcoholism and total reward network volumes, with ALC men having smaller reward volumes than NC men and ALC women having larger reward volumes than NC women. Analyses of a priori subregions revealed a similar pattern of reward volume differences with significant gender interactions for DLPFC and VDC. Overall, the volume of the cerebral ventricles in ALC participants was negatively associated with duration of abstinence, suggesting decline in atrophy with greater length of sobriety.
Primary Commodity Prices and Macroeconomic Variables: A Long Run Relationship

Except for the Baltics, the countries of the former Soviet Union developed and implemented reform later and more slowly than the countries of Eastern Europe. Why? Political change marked the difference between the approaches of the countries of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union (FSU). The Baltics and most Eastern European countries wanted to break away from communism and the FSU domination - so their transition was characterized first by political change. Communists were discredited and removed from power, creating a period of extraordinary politics and a window of opportunity for reform. The collapse of the FSU did not lead to political change in most FSU states. There were indications of discontent with the Union, but except for the Baltics these were not as strong as in the Eastern European countries and there were no explicit demands for independence. The former communists hoped that the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) set up after the collapse of the FSU would evolve into a loose federation, maintaining old trade and financial links. Many FSU countries avoided policies different from Russia's. Most political leaders did not initially think that they would need structural reform policies which could diverge from Russian policies. The pace of reform quickened only after the collapse of the ruble zone in the FSU in 1993. Knowing where to go helped shape reform. The Eastern European and Baltic countries, wanting to join the European Union and encouraged to do so, first initiated political reform, which led to economic reform. Most FSU countries, not knowing with whom to align, initially saw no choice but the Russian Federation. Once reforms are launched, the outcomes are quite similar. Growth starts about two full years after stabilization, although it took about a year longer in the FSU. Initial conditions are important to the transition. Short to medium-term prospects seem most favorable to Eastern Europe and the Baltics, although they still have to catch up with the OECD countries. If admitted to the European Union, they may attain high growth rates even in the longer term. The FSU countries have even more catching up to do. In the short to medium term, countries with slower population growth rates and strong reform efforts should enjoy rapid per capita growth. The Central Asian countries, with their high population growth rates, need economic growth rates faster than their population growth rates. This leaves little room for slowing reform. Given the benefits of integration, there is a strong case for Central Asian countries pushing for an economic union, which would also facilitate the restructuring of their economies. This paper - a product of the Development Research Group - is part of a larger effort in the group to study the progress of transition economies.
Teaching advanced object-oriented programming techniques via a DBMS project

Object-oriented programming (OOP) is prevalent in academia and in industry, yet few problems offer enough complexity to allow students to develop a clear understanding of the advantages and power of OOP. Polymorphic code requires different classes of objects that share a common interface which is not a common requirement of many systems. Information hiding can be practiced in the simplest of OOP examples, yet trivial examples where an integer or string is hidden do little to convey the true power and complexity of this technique. In the course of teaching students how to implement a Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) from scratch, we have discovered a problem that not only benefits from using polymorphism and information hiding but is virtually impossible to implement without these techniques.
The Relative Costs of High- vs. Low-Energy-Density Foods and More vs. Less Healthful Beverages Consumed by Children.

The objective of this study was to compare grocery costs between relatively high-energy-density foods and sugar-sweetened/high-fat beverages and lower energy-density foods and more healthful bevera...
Preserving Closeness: Continuous Mappings

In discussing the operations described in Chapter 2, we paid particular attention to whether or not closeness between points of a figure was changed by the operations. It is worth looking into this idea more carefully.
OPEC's Demand Curve

I estimate world demand for crude petroleum, the effect of petroleum prices on world income, and non OPEC supply of crude petroleum using seasonally adjusted data and a number of instruments. Structural breaks help explain stationarity in demand, and cointegration of variables suggests superconsistency of estimated coefficients. Demand exhibits substantial persistence, a secular trend toward conservation, and becomes more elastic as price rises. The asymmetry of macroeconomic effects of changes in oil prices fully accounts for the asymmetry of their effects on demand. Effects of oil price increases on a stochastically trending world GDP decline as the world economy outgrows dependence on oil. Non OPEC supply exhibits persistence, improving technology, and costs that increase both as existing fields are pumped faster and as increasingly costly fields are drilled. Net demand to OPEC is more elastic than world demand, much more elastic in the long run than in the short run, and unit elastic over permanent decreases in price at a price of $81/bl under current conditions.
Abutilon ulbrichii, a New Name in the Malvaceae

Abstract: A new name, Abutilon ulbrichii, is proposed to replace the later homonym Abutilon longipes Ulbr. for a South American species (non A. longipes Mattei from Africa).
Chronic Intermittent Hypoxia Induces Robust Astrogliosis in an Alzheimer’s Disease-Relevant Mouse Model

Sleep disturbances are a common early symptom of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other age-related dementias, and emerging evidence suggests that poor sleep may be an important contributor to development of amyloid pathology. Of the causes of sleep disturbances, it is estimated that 10-20% of adults in the United States have sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) disorder, with obstructive sleep apnea accounting for the majority of the SBD cases. The clinical and epidemiological data clearly support a link between sleep apnea and AD; yet, almost no experimental research is available exploring the mechanisms associated with this correlative link. Therefore, we exposed an AD-relevant mouse model (APP/PS1 KI) to chronic intermittent hypoxia (IH) (an experimental model of sleep apnea) to begin to describe one of the potential mechanisms by which SDB could increase the risk of dementia. Previous studies have found that astrogliosis is a contributor to neuropathology in models of chronic IH and AD; therefore, we hypothesized that a reactive astrocyte response might be a contributing mechanism in the neuroinflammation associated with sleep apnea. To test this hypothesis, 10-11-month-old wild-type (WT) and APP/PS1 KI mice were exposed to 10 hours of IH, daily for four weeks. At the end of four weeks brains were analyzed from amyloid burden and astrogliosis. No effect was found for chronic IH exposure on amyloid-beta levels or plaque load in the APP/PS1 KI mice. A significant increase in GFAP staining was found in the APP/PS1 KI mice following chronic IH exposure, but not in the WT mice. Profiling of genes associated with different phenotypes of astrocyte activation identified GFAP, CXCL10, and Ggta1 as significant responses activated in the APP/PS1 KI mice exposed to chronic IH.
Pelvic cardiovascular magnetic resonance venography: venous changes with patient position and hydration status.

To determine the effect of hydration as well as prone versus supine positioning on the pelvic veins during cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) venography. Under institutional review board approval, 8 healthy subjects were imaged with balanced steady state free precession, non-contrast CMR venography to measure common and external iliac vein volumes and common femoral vein cross-sectional area in the supine, prone and decubitus positions after dehydration and again following re-hydration. CMR venography from 23 patients imaged both supine and prone were retrospectively reviewed and measurements of common femoral and iliac veins areas were compared using Wilcoxon test. Common femoral vein area on CMR venography increased with prone positioning (83 ± 35 mm2) compared to supine positioning (59 ± 21 mm2) (p = 0.02) and further increased with hydration to 123 ± 44 mm2 (p < 0.01). With right and left side down decubitus positioning, the common femoral vein area on dehydration increased from 29 ± 17 mm2 in the ante-dependent position to 134 ± 36 mm2 in the dependent position (p < 0. 001). Similarly, common and external iliac veins increased in volume with prone, 5.4 ± 1.9 cm3 and 5.8 ± 1.9 cm3 compared to supine positioning 4.6 ± 1.8 cm3 and 4.5 ± 1.9 cm3 (p = 0.01) and further increase with hydration to 6.7 ± 2.1 cm3 and 6.3 ± 1.9 cm3 (p = 0.01). CMR venography on patients also demonstrated an increase in mean common femoral vein luminal area from 103 ± 44 mm2 in supine position to 151 ± 52 mm2 with prone positioning (p < 0.001) as well as increases in common and external iliac vein volumes from 6.5 ± 2.6 cm3 and 8.0 ± 3.4 cm3 in the supine position to 7.5 ± 2.5 cm3 and 9.3 ± 3.6 cm3 with prone positioning (p < 0.01). Common femoral and common/external iliac vein size on CMR venography may be affected by position and hydration status. Routine clinical CMR venography of the pelvis could include prone positioning and avoiding dehydration to maximize pelvic vein distension.
Early infectious complications after autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation for multiple myeloma.

BACKGROUND The spectrum of infectious complications in autologous hematopoietic cell transplant recipients (AHCT) with multiple myeloma has not been well described in the recent era of novel agent induction and improved supportive care. METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 413 adult myeloma AHCT recipients at our institution from 2007-2016 to describe the cumulative incidence and risk factors for various infections and FN occurring within the first 100 days after AHCT. Additionally, landmark analysis was done among 404 patients who survived at least 100 days after transplant admission to estimate the association of infections with subsequent non-relapse mortality (NRM), overall survival (OS), and relapse-free survival (RFS). RESULTS Cumulative incidences (95% CI) of infection events by day 100 were: FN 43% (38-48), any infection 21% (17-25), bacterial 17% (14-21), viral 4% (3-7) and fungal 1% (0.5-3), central line-associated blood stream infection 3% (2-6), and Clostridium difficile colitis 6% (4-8). Patients with infection had a longer initial transplant hospitalization (median 17 vs 16 days, P < 0.01), more readmissions (31% vs 8%, P < 0.01), and spent more days in hospital in first 100 days (median 18 vs 16 days, P < 0.01). A 100-day mortality was low and similar between groups (2% vs 1%, P = 0.28). In landmark analysis of 404 100-day survivors, OS was worse among patients with early infections (hazard ratio 1.54 [1.03-2.30], P = 0.03), although there was no difference in NRM and RFS. CONCLUSIONS Notwithstanding advances in supportive care, early infectious complications remain a relevant source of morbidity and require attention in myeloma AHCT recipients.
Crystalline Symmetry-Protected Majorana Mode in Number-Conserving Dirac Semimetal Nanowires

One of the cornerstones for topological quantum computations is the Majorana zero mode, which has been intensively searched in fractional quantum Hall systems and topological superconductors. Several recent works suggest that such an exotic mode can also exist in a one-dimensional (1D) interacting double-wire setup even without long-range superconductivity. A notable instability in these proposals comes from interchannel single-particle tunneling that spoils the topological ground state degeneracy. Here we show that a 1D Dirac semimetal (DSM) nanowire is an ideal number-conserving platform to realize such Majorana physics. By inserting magnetic flux, a DSM nanowire is driven into a 1D crystalline-symmetry-protected semimetallic phase. Interaction enables the emergence of boundary Majorana zero modes, which is robust as a result of crystalline symmetry protection. We also explore several experimental consequences of Majorana signals.
Earnings Management, Benchmarks, and Market Valuation — A Perspective from the Hospitality Industry

Hospitality industry (hotels and restaurants) has developed into an important sector in the world economy. We hypothesize and test that hospitality managers behave differently in managing reported earnings to meet/marginally exceed earnings benchmarks. We find that hospitality managers do not apply as much gain on asset sales and/or discretionary accruals as managers in the other industries, but they tend to promote sales by offering deep discounts/lenient credit terms and reduce discretionary expenses to meet/ marginally exceed earnings benchmarks. The market rewards them with a significant premium. The results of this study have important implications for hospitality managers, practitioners, and regulators.
Legislating at the Intersections: Race, Gender, and Representation

Record numbers of women, and in particular women of color, are gaining elective office across the country. This article explores how their presence in legislative bodies might make a difference in ...
Findings from a Feasibility Study of an Adapted Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Group Intervention to Reduce Depression among LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, or Queer) Young People

Depression disproportionately affects LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer) adolescents and young adults. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based treatment approach; however, there has been limited work to adapt and evaluate CBT with LGBTQ young people. This study examined the feasibility of an intervention called Being Out With Strength (BOWS), which is an 8-session, small-group, CBT-based intervention to reduce depression among LGBTQ young people. We used a descriptive cross-sectional mixed-methods feasibility study design to evaluate the feasibility of BOWS. Survey data were collected from 79 LGBTQ young adults, and interview data were collected from nine mental health professionals. Almost half of the young adults had clinically significant depressive symptoms. All providers indicated depression as a problem facing this population and a need for BOWS. Two-thirds of young people were interested in participating in BOWS. Providers believed that BOWS would be acceptable for LGBTQ-identified individuals, those in late adolescence or early/young adulthood, and those with mild or moderate depression. Youth and providers also made implementation recommendations concerning settings to implement BOWS, times of day for BOWS sessions, number of sessions, group size, and facilitator composition. There is a demand for BOWS, and it is likely acceptable for the target population. Study findings can be used in the future to successfully implement BOWS and evaluate preliminary efficacy.
Screening λgt11 Expression Libraries with Antibody Probes

Antibodies can be used as probes to isolate directly a particular gene of interest. A recombinant DNA library is first constructed in an Escherichia coli expression vector, and foreign antigens are expressed in E. coli from the DNA inserts. The antigens produced are transferred onto nitrocellulose filters and then probed with antibody to detect the desired recombinant. This approach is rapid, and is particularly useful for isolating genes that are expressed at a low level and therefore are difficult to isolate using techniques employing nucleic acid probes (see Ref. 1) or by hybrid/selection methods.2 This chapter describes methods for isolating eukaryotic genes by constructing and screening E. coli expression vector libraries with antibody probes using the bacteriophage expression vector λgt11.3,4
A framework for the integrated analysis of the magnitude, selectivity, and biotic effects of extinction and origination

The taxonomic and ecologic composition of Earth's biota has shifted dramatically through geologic time, with some clades going extinct while others diversified. Here, we derive a metric that quantifies the change in biotic composition due to extinction or origination and show that it equals the product of extinction/origination magnitude and selectivity (variation in magnitude among groups). We also define metrics that describe the extent to which a recovery (1) reinforced or reversed the effects of extinction on biotic composition and (2) changed composition in ways uncorrelated with the extinction. To demonstrate the approach, we analyzed an updated compilation of stratigraphic ranges of marine animal genera. We show that mass extinctions were not more selective than background intervals at the phylum level; rather, they tended to drive greater taxonomic change due to their higher magnitudes. Mass extinctions did not represent a separate class of events with respect to either strength of selectivity or effect. Similar observations apply to origination during recoveries from mass extinctions, and on average, extinction and origination were similarly selective and drove similar amounts of biotic change. Elevated origination during recoveries drove bursts of compositional change that varied considerably in effect. In some cases, origination partially reversed the effects of extinction, returning the biota toward the pre-extinction composition; in others, it reinforced the effects of the extinction, magnifying biotic change. Recoveries were as important as extinction events in shaping the marine biota, and their selectivity deserves systematic study alongside that of extinction.
Traumatic ventricular septal defect.

THE treatment of traumatic ventricular septal defects produced by penetrating injuries of the heart is a subject of controversy. Some advocate surgical closure of all such defects whereas others su...
Filter Selection for Wideband Harmonic Radar

To enable high-resolution imaging of electronic targets, a nonlinear radar must operate over a wide bandwidth with a high dynamic range. For harmonic radar, to achieve the necessary bandwidth and dynamic range simultaneously, passive filtering is implemented. Guidance is provided for selecting fixed filters to enable an experimental radar to interrogate targets using different UHF sub-bands. Harmonic detection is successfully demonstrated for four handheld radios across a 40% fractional bandwidth.
A pilot study of a group-based perinatal depression intervention on reducing depressive symptoms and improving maternal-fetal attachment and maternal sensitivity

To conduct a pilot study of a group-based perinatal depression intervention, the Mothers and Babies Course, on depressive symptomatology, maternal-fetal attachment, and maternal sensitivity, 60 pregnant women with moderate to severe depressive symptomatology were randomized to a 6-week intervention or usual care group at their initial prenatal care visit. Measures of depressive symptomatology and maternal-fetal attachment were collected at baseline and 36 weeks gestation. At 12 weeks postpartum, participants completed a measure of depressive symptomatology, and an objective measure of maternal sensitivity was collected. Participants randomized to the intervention group completed an average of 5.2 sessions, and 70% of women completed all six sessions. Exploratory analyses showed that at 12 weeks postpartum, participants randomized to the intervention group had an 8.32-point decrease from baseline on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) as compared to a 4.59-point decrease among participants randomized to usual care. Participants randomized to the intervention group had a mean change score of 12.60 in maternal-fetal attachment via the Maternal Fetal Attachment Scale (MFAS) as compared to 4.60 among participants in usual care. Maternal sensitivity scores, assessed via the Nursing Child Assessment Satellite Training-Feeding Scale (NCAST-Feeding), were higher at 12 weeks postpartum for women in the intervention group as compared to women in usual care (59.2 and 51.8, respectively). Our pilot study findings provide preliminary support for the benefits of a perinatal depression intervention, delivered in a group setting, on reducing depressive symptomatology, and improving maternal-fetal attachment and maternal sensitivity. Further research, conducted with larger samples, is necessary to determine the effect of this intervention on indicators of maternal attachment.
The Expression of Human DNA Helicase B Is Affected by G-Quadruplexes in the Promoter

G-Quadruplexes are secondary structures that can form in guanine-rich DNA and RNA that have been implicated in regulating multiple biological processes, including transcription. G-Quadruplex-forming sequences are prevalent in promoter regions of proto-oncogenes and DNA repair proteins. HELB is a human helicase involved in DNA replication and repair with 12 runs of three to four guanines in the proximal promoter. This sequence has the potential to form three canonical three-tetrad G-quadruplexes. Our results show that although all three G-quadruplexes can form, a structure containing two noncanonical G-quadruplexes with longer loops containing runs of three to four guanines is the most prevalent. These HELB G-quadruplexes are stable under physiological conditions. In cells, stabilization of the G-quadruplexes results in a decrease in the level of HELB expression, suggesting that the G-quadruplexes in the HELB promoter serve as transcriptional repressors.
The Effects of Early-Life Iron Deficiency on Brain Energy Metabolism:

Iron deficiency (ID) is one of the most prevalent nutritional deficiencies in the world. Iron deficiency in the late fetal and newborn period causes abnormal cognitive performance and emotional regulation, which can persist into adulthood despite iron repletion. Potential mechanisms contributing to these impairments include deficits in brain energy metabolism, neurotransmission, and myelination. Here, we comprehensively review the existing data that demonstrate diminished brain energetic capacity as a mechanistic driver of impaired neurobehavioral development due to early-life (fetal-neonatal) ID. We further discuss a novel hypothesis that permanent metabolic reprogramming, which occurs during the period of ID, leads to chronically impaired neuronal energetics and mitochondrial capacity in adulthood, thus limiting adult neuroplasticity and neurobehavioral function. We conclude that early-life ID impairs energy metabolism in a brain region- and age-dependent manner, with particularly strong evidence for hippocampal neurons. Additional studies, focusing on other brain regions and cell types, are needed.
Lineshape asymmetry for joint coherent population trapping and three-photon N resonances

We show that a characteristic two-photon lineshape asymmetry arises in coherent population trapping (CPT) and three-photon (N) resonances, because both resonances are simultaneously induced by modulation sidebands in the interrogating laser light. The N resonance is a three-photon resonance in which a two-photon Raman excitation is combined with a resonant optical pumping field. This joint CPT and N resonance can be the dominant source of lineshape distortion, with direct relevance for the operation of miniaturized atomic frequency standards. We present the results of both an experimental study and theoretical treatment of the asymmetry of the joint CPT and N resonance under conditions typical to the operation of an N resonance clock.
Do EPA Regulations Affect Labor Demand? Evidence from the Pulp and Paper Industry

The popular belief is that environmental regulation must reduce employment, since such regulations are expected to increase production costs, which would raise prices and thus reduce demand for output, at least in a competitive market. Although this effect might seem obvious, a careful microeconomic analysis shows that it is not guaranteed. Even if environmental regulation reduces output in the regulated industry, abating pollution could require additional labor (e.g. to monitor the abatement capital and meet EPA reporting requirements). It is also possible for pollution abatement technologies to be labor enhancing. In this paper we analyze how a particular EPA regulation, the so-called “Cluster Rule” (CR) imposed on the pulp and paper industry in 2001, affected employment in that sector. Using establishment level data from the Census of Manufacturers and Annual Survey of Manufacturers at the U.S. Census Bureau from 1992-2007 we find evidence of small employment declines (on the order of 3%-7%), which are sometimes statistically significant, at a subset of the plants covered by the CR.
Small business digital transformation in the context of the pandemic

The pandemic is a major crisis for small businesses. Digital transformation (DT) offers a lifeline for some small businesses. In this paper, we outline a rapidly conceived and implemented research ...
Development of Thermally Stable Perovskite Solar Cells for Aerospace Applications

This research is focused on the development of a thermally stable perovskite cell designed for operation in space. We describe the methodology used to test both perovskite cells and component materials, in preparation for eventual space qualification.
A Field-Mapping Method for Analysis and Synthesis of Linear Closed-Loop Systems

SUMMARY A field mapping method that is an extension of the usual steadystate transfer function methods of analyzing closed-loop systems is presented. It is shown that, for such a system, the open-loop transfer function may be represented as a potential flow field in the complex plane (either the s-plane or, better, log s-plane) in which sources and sinks are placed at the locations of the poles and zeros of this open-loop transfer function. The values of the open-loop transfer function along the imaginary axis of this plane represent the steady-state (frequency) response of the open loop, and from their knowledge the flow field in the vicinity of closed-loop roots may be determined graphically by means of analytic continuation. The closed-loop roots occur at those points s for which the open-loop transfer function achieves the value — 1. The method allows a quick determination of the closed-loop roots for any value of loop gain and further shows the dependency of the roots on additionally introduced phase shifts.
Clinical Data Mining to Discover Optimal Treatment Patterns

With more healthcare providers adopting an electronic medical record, with the ready availability of insurance claims data, and with the availability of government sponsored healthcare databases, it is possible to use data mining and analytic tools to investigate optimal treatment decisions in medical practice. In this chapter, we present several data mining tools that can be used to investigate health outcomes, and we then provide a sample analysis of healthcare data to demonstrate their use. The tools include market basket analysis, text analysis, and predictive modeling. We use these tools to investigate cancer treatments. The need to analyze real data is particularly necessary with the increased prominence of comparative effectiveness analysis.
Related, but not Relevant: Content-Based Collaborative Filtering in TREC-8

Historically, solutions to the TREC filtering tasks have focused exclusively on the content of documents and search topic descriptions as training data. These approaches are well-known for their ability to focus on those salient concepts in the document stream which are most useful for separating relevant documents from irrelevant ones. However, one kind of information that has not been used is the relationships among the topics themselves. In our TREC-8 routing experiments, we employed a collaborative (or social) filtering algorithm, based on latent semantic indexing which highlights common term usage patterns among groups of filtering profiles. Our hypothesis was that this would allow related topics to share common relevant documents. We found, however, that the algorithm also recommends many documents of related, yet irrelevant interest. As a result of this process, many similar search topics are “linked” together by common sets of documents recommended to them. We visualize these topic relationships using graphs where topics are nodes and edges exist where two topics share a recommended document.
A catalytic independent function of the deubiquitinating enzyme USP14 regulates hippocampal synaptic short‐term plasticity and vesicle number

The ubiquitin proteasome system is required for the rapid and precise control of protein abundance that is essential for synaptic function. USP14 is a proteasome-bound deubiquitinating enzyme that recycles ubiquitin and regulates synaptic short-term synaptic plasticity. We previously reported that loss of USP14 in ax(J) mice causes a deficit in paired pulse facilitation (PPF) at hippocampal synapses. Here we report that USP14 regulates synaptic function through a novel, deubiquitination-independent mechanism. Although PPF is usually inversely related to release probability, USP14 deficiency impairs PPF without altering basal release probability. Instead, the loss of USP14 causes a large reduction in the number of synaptic vesicles. Over-expression of a catalytically inactive form of USP14 rescues the PPF deficit and restores synaptic vesicle number, indicating that USP14 regulates presynaptic structure and function independently of its role in deubiquitination. Finally, the PPF deficit caused by loss of USP14 can be rescued by pharmacological inhibition of proteasome activity, suggesting that inappropriate protein degradation underlies the PPF impairment. Overall, we demonstrate a novel, deubiquitination-independent function for USP14 in influencing synaptic architecture and plasticity.
OXIDATIVE METABOLISM OF HAEMOPHILUS SPECIES GROWN AT DIFFERENT LEVELS OF HEMIN SUPPLEMENTATION

Biberstein, Ernst L. (University of California, Davis) and Patricia D. Spencer. Oxidative metabolism of Haemophilus species grown at different levels of hemin supplementation. J. Bacteriol. 84:916–920. 1962.—Haemophilus strains were propagated on hemin-deficient and hemin-supplemented media and tested on various substrates for their ability to carry on oxidative metabolism. H. parainfluenzae and H. parahaemolyticus exhibited equally vigorousoxygen uptake under both methods of culture. Strains of H. influenzae showed substantially lower rates of oxygen uptake when cultivated in the absence of hemin than when grown in its presence. Some oxidative capacity remained, however, even when the organisms had been grown for several passages in the absence of hemin supplements.
DOCK 4.0: Search strategies for automated molecular docking of flexible molecule databases

In this paper we describe the search strategies developed for docking flexible molecules to macomolecular sites that are incorporated into the widely distributed DOCK software, version 4.0. The search strategies include incremental construction and random conformation search and utilize the existing Coulombic and Lennard-Jones grid-based scoring function. The incremental construction strategy is tested with a panel of 15 crystallographic testcases, created from 12 unique complexes whose ligands vary in size and flexibility. For all testcases, at least one docked position is generated within 2 A of the crystallographic position. For 7 of 15 testcases, the top scoring position is also within 2 A of the crystallographic position. The algorithm is fast enough to successfully dock a few testcases within seconds and most within 100 s. The incremental construction and the random search strategy are evaluated as database docking techniques with a database of 51 molecules docked to two of the crystallographic testcases. Incremental construction outperforms random search and is fast enough to reliably rank the database of compounds within 15 s per molecule on an SGI R10000 cpu.
Spontaneous spin textures in dipolar spinor condensates: A Dirac string gas approach

We study the spontaneous spin textures induced by magnetic dipole-dipole interaction in ferromagnetic spinor condensates under various trap geometries. At the mean-field level, we show the system is dual to a Dirac string gas with a negative string tension in which the ground state spin texture can be easily determined. We find that three-dimensional condensates prefer a meron-like vortex texture, quasi one-dimensional condensates prefer the axially polarized flare texture, while condensates in quasi two dimensions exhibit either a meron texture or an in-plane polarized texture.
A 3.1-10.6 GHz ultra-wideband pulse-shaping mixer

This paper presents a mixer for pulse-based ultra-wideband (UWB) communication. Pulses are shaped using a new technique that accurately approximates a Gaussian pulse by exploiting the properties of a BJT. The mixer is fabricated in a 0.18 /spl mu/m SiGe BiCMOS process. Simulation and experimental results are presented.
Correlation of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin induction of cytochrome P4501A in vascular endothelium with toxicity in early life stages of lake trout

Edema and cardiovascular dysfunction occur in vertebrates exposed to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) during early development. This study examined cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A) induction in endothelium and its possible association with mortality due to the edema and vascular effects of TCDD in lake trout early life stages. Lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) eggs were injected at 24-50 hr postfertilization with 0.2 microl of 50 mM phosphatidylcholine liposomes or liposomes containing TCDD to give seven doses ranging from 11 to 176 pg TCDD/g egg. Doses of TCDD greater than 44 pg/g egg elicited hemorrhages; yolk sac, pericardial, and meningial edema; craniofacial malformations; regional ischemia; growth retardation; and mortality at the sac fry stage of development. Expression of CYP1A was assessed at four developmental stages, by immunohistochemical analysis of serial sections of individual fish with monoclonal antibody 1-12-3 to teleost CYP1A. CYP1A staining occurred in endothelial cells of many organs of TCDD-exposed but not vehicle-exposed embryos at 1 week prehatch and sac fry at 2 weeks posthatch. Earlier developmental stages examined were negative for CYP1A expression at any dose of TCDD. The strongest response occurred in sac fry at TCDD doses greater than 88 pg TCDD/g egg but was detected at doses as low as 22 pg TCDD/g egg. CYP1A staining in endothelium appeared at lower doses and was stronger than that in other cell types, in both prehatch embryos and posthatch sac fry. Thus, the vascular system is a major initial site affected by TCDD in lake trout early life stages, and the vascular endothelium is a cell type uniquely sensitive to induction of CYP1A in these developing animals. Based on an index of immunohistochemical staining of CYP1A, endothelial CYP1A induction in sac fry by TCDD occurred with an ED50 of 64-69 pg TCDD/g egg, similar to the dose-response for mortality occurring during the sac fry stage of development (LD50 = 47 pg TCDD/g egg). The correlations seen here suggest that CYP1A or aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) in the endothelium may be linked to early lesions that result in TCDD-induced vascular derangements leading to yolk sac, pericardial, and meningial edema that is associated with lake trout sac fry mortality, but the precise mechanism remains to be determined.
On the PROVER9 Ontological Argument

Oppenheimer & Zalta have re-formulated their non-modal version of the ontological argument, with the help of PROVER9, an automated reasoning engine. The authors end up rejecting the new argument; however, the theist has a rejoinder worth considering. But after presenting the rejoinder, I highlight that the conceivability of the being does not imply its possibility. One lesson is that even non-modal ontological arguments must engage modal matters concerning God. Another lesson is that if PROVER9 is able to derive a conclusion from fewer premises, the proof is sometimes inferior as an argument.
Neutral current interactions based on the gauge group SU(2)L × (T3)R × UV(1)☆

Abstract We present a unified model based on the gauge group SU(2) L × (T 3 ) R × U V (1) which successfully reproduces all the neutrino and electron-deuterium scattering data, the y -dependence of the latter, and still permits a range of values for Q W measured in atomic physics.
Dynamic Analysis of Sliding Contacts at Head-Disk Interface

As magnetic data storage technology moves towards higher areal data density with higher rotational speeds and lower flying heights, the propensity of severe sliding contacts at the head-disk interface is bound to increase. The tribological performance of the head-disk interface will have significant impact on the durability and service life of the hard disk drive (HDD). A 3D finite element model is constructed to simulate the high speed impact event of a slider on the disk surface. For a given design of the disk with known layer thicknesses and properties, as well as that of the slider with its surface texture, the model predicts contact zone, depth force and duration as well as time-history of energy transfer and its partition, substrate stress and plastic zone for a given impact velocity. The effects of the material properties and layer thicknesses on the performance of the HDD are investigated.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Phosphorylation by SR kinases regulates the binding of PTB-associated splicing factor (PSF) to the pre-mRNA polypyrimidine tract

PSF (PTB-associated splicing factor) is a multi-functional protein that participates in transcription and RNA processing. While phosphorylation of PSF has been shown to be important for some functions, the sites and the kinases involved are not well understood. Although PSF does not contain a typical RS domain, we report here that PSF is phosphorylated in vivo to generate an epitope(s) that can be recognized by a monoclonal antibody specific for phosphorylated RS motifs within SR proteins. PSF can be phosphorylated by human and yeast SR kinases in vivo and in vitro at an isolated RS motif within its N terminus. A functional consequence of SR phosphorylation of PSF is to inhibit its binding to the 3' polypyrimidine tract of pre-mRNA. These results indicate that PSF is a substrate of SR kinases whose phosphorylation regulates its RNA binding capacity and ultimate biological function.
Discrete Samples and Moving Sums in Stationary Stochastic Processes

Abstract Assume that an autoregression generates the basic data but that the observations are an equi-spaced sample of moving sums of the basic data for non-overlapping discrete intervals. Simple least squares estimates of the underlying autoregression are not consistent. It is shown that it is possible to estimate consistently the coefficients of the underlying autoregression based on the equi-spaced sample. These results are equivalent to showing how to interpolate a finite number of missing values between adjacent sample observations if it is assumed that the underlying model is an autoregression of a specified order. It is not possible to interpolate a continuum of missing observations on the basis of an equi-spaced sample; this assertion is equivalent to the aliasing problem well known in spectral analysis. Finally, the analysis is extended to an autoregression including exogenous variables.
The photomagneton $$\hat B^{\left( 3 \right)} $$ and electrodynamic conservation lawsand electrodynamic conservation laws

It is shown that the basic electrodynamical conservation laws are unaffected by the presence in free space of the photomagneton of light, $$\hat B^{\left( 3 \right)} = B^{\left( 0 \right)} \hat J/\rlap{--} h$$ , the fundamental photon property responsible for magnetization by light. The expectation value $$B^{\left( 3 \right)} = \left\langle {\hat B^{\left( 3 \right)} } \right\rangle $$ does not affect the Poynting vector, so that it does not contribute to electromagnetic flux density. The electromagnetic energy density can be expressed in terms ofB (3) through the equation $$\rlap{--} h\omega = \frac{1}{{\mu _0 }}\smallint B^{\left( 3 \right)} \cdot B^{\left( 3 \right) * } dV.$$ When light magnetizes matter, the unitB (3) of magnetic flux density per photon is transferred from light to matter. This is equivalent to an elastic transfer of angular momentum. Experimental indications for the existence ofB (3) are discussed.