cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Using Petri nets for the design of conversation boundaries in fault-tolerant software

Only a few mechanisms have been proposed for the design of fault-tolerant software. One of these is the conversation, which, though it has some drawbacks, is a potentially promising structure. One of the problems with conversations is that they must be defined and verified by the user. In this short note, a systematic method for generating the boundaries of conversations directly from the specification is proposed. This method can also be used to verify conversations selected by the user. The specification is described by a high-level modified Petri net which can easily be transformed into a state model called an action-ordered tree. The conversation boundaries are then determined from this tree. It is proved that the method proposed is complete in the sense that all of the possible boundaries can be determined, and it has the merit of simplicity. A robot arm control system is used to illustrate the idea. The proposed method can serve as the basis of a tool to assist in conversation designs. >
Laser Velocimeter Measurements in the Pump of an Automotive Torque Converter: Part I—Average Measurements

The three-dimensional average velocity field in an automotive torque converter turbine was examined. Two significantly different operating conditions of the torque converter were tested: the 0.065 and 0.800 turbine/pump speed ratio. Velocities were measured using a one-directional, frequency-shifted laser velocimeter. The instantaneous angular positions of the torque converter turbine and pump were recorded using digital shaft encoders. Shaft encoder information and velocities were correlated to generate average velocity blade-to-blade profiles and velocity vector plots. Measurements were taken in the inlet, quarter, mid, and exit planes of the turbine. From the experimental velocity measurements, mass flows, turbine output torque, average vorticities, viscous dissipation, inlet incidence flow angles, and exit flow angles were calculated. Average mass flows were 23.4 kg/s and 14.7 kg/s for the 0.065 and 0.800 speed ratios, respectively. Velocity vector plots for both turbine/pump speed ratios showed the flow field in the turbine quarter and midplanes to be highly nonuniform with separation regions and reversed flows at the core-suction corner. For the conditions tested, the turbine inlet flow was seen to have a high relative incidence angle, while the relative turbine exit flow angle was close to the blade angle.
Optical remote mapping of rivers at sub-meter resolutions and watershed extents

At watershed extents, our understanding of river form, process and function is largely based on locally intensive mapping of river reaches, or on spatially extensive but low density data scattered throughout a watershed (e.g. cross sections). The net effect has been to characterize streams as discontinuous systems. Recent advances in optical remote sensing of rivers indicate that it should now be possible to generate accurate and continuous maps of in-stream habitats, depths, algae, wood, stream power and other features at sub-meter resolutions across entire watersheds so long as the water is clear and the aerial view is unobstructed. Such maps would transform river science and management by providing improved data, better models and explanation, and enhanced applications. Obstacles to achieving this vision include variations in optics associated with shadows, water clarity, variable substrates and target‐sun angle geometry. Logistical obstacles are primarily due to the reliance of existing ground validation procedures on time-of-flight field measurements, which are impossible to accomplish at watershed extents, particularly in large and difficult to access river basins. Philosophical issues must also be addressed that relate to the expectations around accuracy assessment, the need for and utility of physically based models to evaluate remote sensing results and the ethics of revealing information about river resources at fine spatial resolutions. Despite these obstacles and issues, catchment extent remote river mapping is now feasible, as is demonstrated by a proof-of-concept example for the Nueces River, Texas, and examples of how different image types (radar, lidar, thermal) could be merged with optical imagery. The greatest obstacle to development and implementation of more remote sensing, catchment scale ‘river observatories’ is the absence of broadly based funding initiatives to support collaborative research by multiple investigators in different river settings. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Corruption In The Baltic State Region

The corruption studied here includes illegal, immoral, or dishonest acts that undermine economic and government activities. This gray area of economic activity is often referred to as the “underground economy,” and the number of individuals and the amounts of money involved can only be ascertained by educated guesses. Corruption is used to mean a state of progressive putrefaction; on a large scale corruption curtails a country’s ability to grow efficiently and effectively. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the World Bank have developed a methodology to study transition economies. Through one-on-one interviews the Business Environment and Enterprise Performance Survey (BEEPS II 2002) gathered information from business owners and managers on a variety of topics in 23 transition economies. This paper uses the BEEPS data to examine the perceptions of corruption in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland.
Incorporating prior knowledge into Gene Network Study

Motivation: A major goal in genomic research is to identify genes that may jointly influence a biological response. From many years of intensive biomedical research, a large body of biological knowledge, or pathway information, has accumulated in available databases. There is a strong interest in leveraging these pathways to improve the statistical power and interpretability in studying gene networks associated with complex phenotypes. This prior information is a valuable complement to large-scale genomic data such as gene expression data generated from microarrays. However, it is a non-trivial task to effectively integrate available biological knowledge into gene expression data when reconstructing gene networks. Results: In this article, we developed and applied a Lasso method from a Bayesian perspective, a method we call prior Lasso (pLasso), for the reconstruction of gene networks. In this method, we partition edges between genes into two subsets: one subset of edges is present in known pathways, whereas the other has no prior information associated. Our method assigns different prior distributions to each subset according to a modified Bayesian information criterion that incorporates prior knowledge on both the network structure and the pathway information. Simulation studies have indicated that the method is more effective in recovering the underlying network than a traditional Lasso method that does not use the prior information. We applied pLasso to microarray gene expression datasets, where we used information from the Pathway Commons (PC) and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) as prior information for the network reconstruction, and successfully identified network hub genes associated with clinical outcome in cancer patients. Availability: The source code is available at http://nba.uth.tmc.edu/ homepage/liu/pLasso.
DO PARAKEETS EXHIBIT DERIVED STIMULUS CONTROL? SOME THOUGHTS ON EXPERIMENTAL CONTROL PROCEDURES

Breaking new ground in the study of emergent stimulus control in nonverbal subjects may require innovation in procedures. A recent study of parakeets is exemplary. This study used intricate procedures for maintaining test-trial performance without differential reinforcement of the target emergent performance. Also, it used successive simple discrimination procedures, which are rare in such studies. Given the importance of these innovations and the outcomes that they produced, we suggest additional control procedures that would rule out the possibility of adventitious reinforcement of the test-trial performances.
Do the best companies to work for provide better customer satisfaction

Using data from both the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) and Fortune Magazine's lists of Best Companies, we examine the relationship between making the ‘100 Best’ list and customer satisfaction. Based on a subset of the 100 Best in each year from 1994 to 2002, we find strong evidence that firms on the list earn higher customer satisfaction ratings than firms not on the list. This result is stronger for firms in the service sector than for those in the manufacturing sector. Our analysis also suggests that the increase in customer satisfaction resulting from Best Company status yields about a 1.6 percent increase in return on assets. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
2-Chloro-2-propyl mesityl sulfone

Crystalline 2-chloro-2-propyl mesityl sulfone (α-chloro­iso­propyl mesityl sulfone), C12H17ClO2S, exhibits much less rotational disorder of its α-chloro­iso­propyl group than that exhibited by the α-bromo­iso­propyl group in the related crystalline 2-bromo-2-propyl mesityl sulfone.
A Decomposed Gradient-Based Approach for Generalized Platform Selection and Variant Design in Product Family Optimization

A core challenge in product family optimization is to jointly determine (1) the optimal selection of components to be shared across product variants and (2) the optimal values for design variables that define those components. Each of these subtasks depends on the other; however, due to the combinatorial nature and high computational cost of the joint problem, prior methods have forgone optimality of the full problem by fixing the platform a priori, restricting the platform configuration to all-or-none component sharing, or optimizing the joint problem in multiple stages. In this paper, we address these restrictions by (1) introducing an extended metric to account for generalized commonality, (2) relaxing the metric to the continuous space to enable gradient-based optimization, and (3) proposing a decomposed single-stage method for optimizing the joint problem. The approach is demonstrated on a family of ten bathroom scales. Results indicate that generalized commonality dramatically improves the quality of optimal solutions, and the decomposed single-stage approach offers substantial improvement in scalability and tractability of the joint problem, providing a practical tool for optimizing families consisting of many variants.
Dynamic ping optimization for surveillance in multistatic sonar buoy networks with energy constraints

In this paper we study the problem of dynamic optimization of ping schedule in an active sonar buoy network deployed to provide persistent surveillance of a littoral area through multistatic detection. The goal of ping scheduling is to dynamically determine when to ping and which ping source to engage in order to achieve the desirable detection performance. For applications where persistent surveillance is needed for an extended period of time, it is expected that the energy available at each ping source is limited relative to the required system lifetime. Hence efficient management of power consumption for pinging is important to support the required lifetime of the network while maintaining acceptable detection performance. Our approach to ping optimization is based on the application of approximate partially observable Markov decision process (POMDP) techniques such as the rollout algorithm. To enable a practical implementation of the policy rollout, we apply sampling-based techniques based on a simplified model that approximates the detailed multistatic model. Using high fidelity sonar simulations, we evaluate the performance of the proposed approach and compare it with the greedy technique in terms of detection performance and system lifetime.
The Efficiency of Maternal Transfer of Lead and Its Influence on Plasma IgE and Splenic Cellularity of Mice

Exposure to the well known environmental toxicant lead is typically assessed by blood and/or bone levels and has been implicated in the onset of a variety of diseases affecting multiple human systems. However, there are conflicting data regarding the efficiency of in utero versus lactational transfer of lead to offspring, and the immunomodulatory effects of lead in early life have not been well defined. Pregnant BALB/c mice were exposed to lead acetate in their drinking water beginning at approximately day 15 of gestation, and cross-fostering of exposed/nonexposed litters was performed at parturition. Significant increases of blood lead levels of all exposed offspring were found at 1 week of age with evidence for both transplacental and lactational transfer. Additionally, mice exposed to lead continuously beginning at approximately 6 days prior to birth showed significant decreases in their blood lead levels 2 weeks after weaning, despite continued exposure as adults. This result suggests maternal transfer of lead is more efficient than oral adult exposure and that substantial lead transfer occurs both transplacentally and lactationally. The incidence of childhood atopic responses including asthma has risen considerably in recent years, particularly within areas containing higher levels of environmental pollutants. Plasma IgE levels of 2-week-old neonates exposed to lead before and/or after birth were measured as an index of atopy. Neonates exposed to lead transplacentally and/or lactationally had significantly higher plasma IgE levels, a biomarker of atopy, and lower splenic white blood cell numbers than age-matched controls. These results resemble the lag in immuno-competency and increase in serum IgE noted in atopic children and suggest a role for environmental toxicants and non-allergen-specific immunology in the prevalence of atopy and asthma in children.
Role of Context, Resources, and Target Population in the Fidelity of Critical Time Intervention.

Objective:The goal of this study was to understand departures from a model program, critical time intervention (CTI), when used with a population of men with mental illness who were leaving prison, a new population for the intervention.Methods:A fidelity study was conducted with the CTI Fidelity Scale Manual, and six program staff participated in semistructured interviews. Thematic analysis of interviews supplemented information on departures from the model.Results:The overall fidelity score indicated a well-implemented program, but low scores on early engagement, early linking with community resources, monitoring the transfer of services from CTI to community services, and nine-month follow-up were related to the context of the prison setting, the population of men leaving prison, and environmental resources.Conclusions:The setting in which evidence-based practices are applied, the environmental resources available, and the target population may affect program fidelity.
Acoustic Emissions in Medium Plasticity Clayey Silt

In spite of recent studies of subaudible acoustic emissions, there has been relatively little work done in the soil mechanics area. This technical note presents a technique of monitoring acoustic emissions of soil under stress. Utilization of such a technique seems to provide an alternate to measuring soil strains, which in the in situ state is quite difficult. The technique may offer a nondestructive testing method for the monitoring of a wide variety of soils under stress.
A Method for Obtaining Antibiotic-Sensitive Mutants in SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIAE

We have isolated a temperature-sensitive mutant of S. cerevisiae which has proven useful for the isolation of antibiotic-sensitive strains.
EVOLUTION OF THE MERYCOIDODONT MASTICATORY APPARATUS (MAMMALIA, ARTIODACTYLA).

The mammalian order Artiodactyla is ar extremely successful group of ungulates Although many factors contributed to this success, the masticatory apparatus was apparently a key factor in many of the radiations. The teeth found within the ordei range from bunodont, as in the pigs and peccaries, to selenodont as in the majority of living artiodactyls (e.g., camels, deer, giraffes, sheep and antelope). The teeth of many of the important fossil artiodactyl groups were also of the selenodont type. A number of early Tertiary selenodont families left no living descendents. Moreover, while these early groups in Europe survived for only a relatively short time, the North American merycoidodonts (oreodonts) were successful during a large part of the Tertiary and are among the most common large mammalian fossils of Oligocene and Miocene time. The merycoidodonts were rather short legged ainimals that possessed well developed selenodont cheek teeth. Their complete dentition differed from that of living selenodont artiodactyls in having retained many of the teeth most of the modern animals have lost, including the large caniniform teeth. The merycoidodonts also possessed a robust skull, in contrast to the more delicate skull of the modern selenodont artiodactyls (Fig. 1). This is due partly to the very large temporal fossa, relatively smaller braincase, the strong zygomatic arch, and the smaller orbit in the merycoidodonts. Also contributing to this difference in appearance is the narrow, elongated rostral region of the modern selenodont artiodactyls (correlated with the presence of a long diastema) which contrasts with the short rostrum and virtual absence of a diastema in the merycoido-
Evaluating Acetaminophen and Salicylate Poisoning in an Emergency Setting

The poisoned patient often presents as a diagnostic and therapeutic dilemma. The emergency department physician (or medical toxicologist) not only depends upon the history of the patient and clinical findings of a specific drug or toxin, but also relies heavily on the clinical laboratory to provide information to guide proper patient management. The medical necessity of these results can often vary in an acute vs a chronic overdose. Two of the most common poisonings encountered in the emergency department are overdoses of acetaminophen and aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid). With both drugs, the laboratory plays a major role in the diagnosis and treatment of these patients.
Relationships between Genetic Variability and Niche Dimensions among Coexisting Species of Peromyscus

Genic heterozygosity values in the four species of Peromyscus (Rodentia: Cricetidae) in this study span the range in variability known for the genus. Heterozygosity is high in populations of P. maniculatus (H = 0.11 to 0.15) and low in P. boylii and P. truei (H < 0.05). Peromyscus californicus is strongly differentiated at several polymorphic loci between geographically northern and southern population groups. In this species heterozygosity values vary geographically from 0.03 to 0.12, with the higher values found in the zone of contact and in southern populations. Genetic variability measured by variability in epigenetic characters is significantly correlated with the electrophoretic measure of variability. Habitat niche width was chosen as the most appropriate measure of environmental heterogeneity in these species. Neither the electrophoretic nor the epigenetic measure of genetic variability is significantly correlated with species niche width. The potential impact of geographic differentiation within a species, population patterns, and reproductive potential on levels of variability is discussed.
The early Eocene birds of the Messel fossil site: a 48 million‐year‐old bird community adds a temporal perspective to the evolution of tropical avifaunas

Birds play an important role in studies addressing the diversity and species richness of tropical ecosystems, but because of the poor avian fossil record in all extant tropical regions, a temporal perspective is mainly provided by divergence dates derived from calibrated molecular analyses. Tropical ecosystems were, however, widespread in the Northern Hemisphere during the early Cenozoic, and the early Eocene German fossil site Messel in particular has yielded a rich avian fossil record. The Messel avifauna is characterized by a considerable number of flightless birds, as well as a high diversity of aerial insectivores and the absence of large arboreal birds. With about 70 currently known species in 42 named genus-level and at least 39 family-level taxa, it approaches extant tropical biotas in terms of species richness and taxonomic diversity. With regard to its taxonomic composition and presumed ecological characteristics, the Messel avifauna is more similar to the Neotropics, Madagascar, and New Guinea than to tropical forests in continental Africa and Asia. Because the former regions were geographically isolated during most of the Cenozoic, their characteristics may be due to the absence of biotic factors, especially those related to the diversification of placental mammals, which impacted tropical avifaunas in Africa and Asia. The crown groups of most avian taxa that already existed in early Eocene forests are species-poor. This does not support the hypothesis that the antiquity of tropical ecosystems is key to the diversity of tropical avifaunas, and suggests that high diversification rates may be of greater significance.
Analysis of chaotic flow in a 2D multi-turn closed-loop pulsating heat pipe

Abstract Numerical study has been conducted for the chaotic flow in a multi-turn closed-loop pulsating heat pipe (PHP). Heat flux and constant temperature boundary conditions have been applied for heating and cooling sections respectively. Water was used as working fluid. Volume of Fluid (VOF) method has been employed for two-phase flow simulation. Volume fraction results showed formation of perfect vapour and liquid plugs in the fluid flow of PHP. Non-linear time series analysis, power spectrum density, correlation dimension and autocorrelation function were used to investigate the chaos. Absence of dominating peaks in the power spectrum density was a signature of chaos in the pulsating heat pipe. It was found that by increasing the filling ratio and evaporator heating power the correlation dimension increases. Decreasing of the autocorrelation function with respect to time showed the prediction ability is finite as a result of chaotic state. An optimal filling ratio of 60% and minimum thermal resistance of 1.62 °C/W were found for better thermal performance of the pulsating heat pipe. It is notable that two dimensional simulations in current study lead better understanding of the mechanism and validating the numerical method for full three dimensional modeling.
Optimizing myocardial supply/demand balance with α-adrenergic drugs during cardiopulmonary resuscitation

In 14 dogs the determinants of myocardial blood supply and metabolic demands were assessed during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and under steady-state conditions in fibrillating hearts on cardiopulmonary bypass. During open chest cardiac massage (nine dogs), coronary diastolic blood pressure and blood flow were low. Vasopressor infusion (methoxamine or epinephrine) raised diastolic pressure from 33 ± 3 to 55 ± 3 mm. Hg* and increased coronary blood flow (CBF) 124 percent (from 38 ± 3 to 85 ± 11 c.c. per 100 Gm. per minute.* Comparison of these drugs in fibrillating hearts on cardiopulmonary bypass showed that epinephrine increased the “vigor of fibrillation” (intraventricular balloon pressure rose 24 percent and oxygen uptake increased 42 percent)* but impeded subendocardial flow 53 percent* (endocardial/epicardial flow ratio fell from 0.79 to 0.48*). In contrast, methoxamine did not significantly change intraventricular balloon pressure, oxygen uptake, coronary flow, or its distribution. We conclude that augmentation of diastolic pressure with alpha adrenergic drugs during CPR improves coronary perfusion and that inotropic drugs may worsen myocardial ischemia during CPR by raising oxygen demands while simultaneously impeding subendocardial blood supply.
Poor Families in America's Health Care Crisis: Health Care for All Americans

The health care financing crisis that threatens the health and wellbeing of the poor families whose story we have told in these chapters is part of a far more serious problem of equity, fairness, and access to social services that affects the health of our nation in various domains. The poor not only are exposed to serious physical and mental health risks but also forced to rely on a system of care that is fragmented and often inadequate. This vulnerability is clearly associated with the low productivity and low earnings capacities of individuals with little education and few job skills. Those individual vulnerabilities, however, are not just the result of poor personal decisions; they result in large part from the restricted opportunities available to those who grow up in low-resource barrios and ghettos. Low education and limited job skills are also the result of the threats to health to which those growing up in such circumstances are exposed. A rather large body of research, in addition to our study, documents the clear association between the lack of health insurance coverage, inadequate health care, and poor health outcomes (Institute of Medicine 2001; Institute of Medicine 2002a). It is clear as well that incomplete health care coverage of the population incurs substantial social costs (Institute of Medicine 2003a; Institute of Medicine 2003b). The previous chapters have illustrated the importance of Medicaid and SCHIP to pregnant women and families with children.
Pulse-Electrodeposited Ni–Fe (Oxy)hydroxide Oxygen Evolution Electrocatalysts with High Geometric and Intrinsic Activities at Large Mass Loadings

One practical metric for electrocatalyst performance is current per geometric area at a given applied overpotential. An obvious route to increase performance is to increase the catalyst mass loading—as long as the intrinsic performance (i.e., specific activity or turnover frequency) of the catalyst is independent of loading, and other electrical, ionic, or mass-transfer resistances are not severe. Here we report the geometric and intrinsic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activities of Ni(Fe)OOH films, the fastest known water oxidation catalyst in basic media, as a function of mass loading from 0 to ∼100 μg cm–2. We discuss practices for measuring and reporting intrinsic activities, highlighting experimental conditions where the film activity on a per-metal-cation basis can be accurately measured and where capacitance measurements of electrochemically active surface area fail. We find that the electrochemical reversibility of the (nominally) Ni2+/3+ redox wave correlates with the apparent intrinsic activit...
Deconvolution of X-Ray Backscatter Diffraction Data for NDE of Corrosion

The problem of corrosion of steel surfaces under thermal insulation is one that plagues the petroleum, petrochemical, chemical and pipeline industries [1,2]. Often internal surfaces, as well, are subject to attack by moisture, acids or other corrosive influences. Thermal insulation renders traditional NDE methods mostly ineffective but is essentially transparent to x-rays in the energy ranges commonly used for industrial radiography. Since transmission radiography is severely hampered by the need for access to “both sides” of the object being tested, the use of NDE methods employing Compton backscattered x-rays is strongly suggested [3,4]. Through appropriate collimation of incident and backscattered x- rays, depth as well as transverse information concerning the object under examination can be resolved. Access is required only to one side of the object, making the method potentially useful for examination of large vessels as well as pipelines.
Understanding Kant's Ethics

Kant's ethical thought remains one of the most influential, yet notoriously challenging, systems in the history of philosophy. This volume provides a sympathetic but critical reconstruction of the main strands of Kant's ethics, focusing on the most commonly read of Kant's ethical works, the Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals. Part I outlines Kant's arguments in defense of his Categorical Imperative, as well as elaborating Kant's understanding of dignity and human freedom. Part II addresses the most common objections to Kant's ethics, including challenges to the Formula of Universal Law; Kant's controversial ethical stances on suicide, sex and marriage, and non-human animals; and the place of reason, sentiment, and happiness in Kant's ethics. For scholars and specialists alike, the volume offers a clear and accessible account of what Kantian morality both offers us and asks of us.
Religion and the Novel

The novelist is free to deal with any aspect of life’s infinite variety that happens to interest him: war and peace, the impact of Fascism on peasant folk in a small Italian town, the outbreak of the plague, a mutiny on board a vessel in the Pacific during the Second World War, the wanderings and misfortunes of migratory workers during the years of the depression, the romantic passion of love, the Strindbergian inferno of marriage, the theme of homosexuality, the race problem in the South, the conflicts of the business world and the difficult search for integrity, prostitution, anti-Semitism, the fight against evil and corruption in politics, and what have you. He need not concern himself with religion or the problem of God. Fundamentally, whatever his ostensible theme, he is writing about people, their struggles, passions, dreams, hopes, fears, frustrations, and moments of joy and fulfillment. But in portraying these aspects of experience he discloses, if his vision is sufficiently comprehensive and penetrating, the light thrown on human striving and suffering by the fact of death. That dark light may break through murkily by implication, as in the way the intertwined motifs of disease and death enter into the composition of The Magic Mountain. In crisis situations, the characters on the stage of fiction must pass judgment, reveal the nature of their commitment, decide on the faith which animates them, or Job-like maintain their ways before the Lord.
The Future of Libraries: More Questions Than Answers?

ABSTRACTThis article summarizes the conclusions from a series of two-day seminars of professional library executives on the future of libraries. The provocative element in this summary is the groups’ promises to not get caught up in library “nostalgia, platitudes, and cliches.” The result is a clear-cut set of questions that all librarians but especially public librarians need to face as they prepare for the many questions of adaptation of their profession to the issues they already face in keeping or making their libraries successful through the remaining decades of the 21st century.
Current Guidelines for Colonoscopy

Colorectal cancer is one of the most frequent cancers and cause of cancer-related mortality. Cancer-specific outcomes and survival correlate with the tumor stage at the time of diagnosis. Development of sporadic colorectal cancer is a slow process over 7–10 years and goes through a number of genetic steps to transform normal colonic mucosa through stages of precursor lesions (polyps) to an invasive and metastasizing cancer. A number of high-risk constellations (e.g., genetic mutations) may be characterized by a shortened time course. Presence of clinical symptoms warrants a diagnostic workup. In contrast, colorectal cancer screening aims at testing specific asymptomatic patient cohorts based on their risk stratification with the goal to reduce the overall cancer incidence by removing precursor lesion and to improve cancer survival by detecting cancer at an earlier stage.
The Domestic Political Economy of China’s Preferential Trade Agreements

What role does China’s domestic politics play in its approach toward preferential trade agreements (PTAs)? What stands out immediately is an apparent absence of domestic politics from public eyes or in academic analysis in China and elsewhere. Does this mean that domestic politics does not matter in this case? If so, while a chapter on China might still be of some value as a stark contrast to domestic politics-rich cases such as Japan and the Republic of Korea discussed in the book, by itself it would be much ado about nothing.
Acceleration of the formation of biofilms on contact lens surfaces in the presence of neutrophil-derived cellular debris is conserved across multiple genera.

Purpose We have previously shown that invasive strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa exploit the robust neutrophil response to form biofilms on contact lens surfaces and invade the corneal epithelium. The present study investigated the ability of multiple bacterial genera, all commonly recovered during contact lens-related infectious events, to adhere to and form biofilms on contact lens surfaces in the presence of neutrophils. Methods Five reference strains from the American Type Culture Collection were used: P. aeruginosa, Serratia marcescens, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Staphylococcus aureus, and Staphylococcus epidermidis. Each bacterial strain was incubated overnight with or without stimulated human neutrophils in the presence of an unworn contact lens. Standard colony counts and laser scanning confocal microscopy of BacLight-stained contact lenses were used to assess bacterial viability. Three-dimensional modeling of lens-associated biofilms with Imaris software was used to determine the biofilm volume. Lenses were further examined using scanning electron microscopy. Results Less than 1% of the starting inoculum adhered to the contact lens surface incubated with bacteria alone. There were no differences in adhesion rates to contact lens surfaces between bacteria in the absence of neutrophils for either the Gram-negative or Gram-positive test strains. Bacterial adhesion to contact lens surfaces was accelerated in the presence of human neutrophils for all test strains. This effect was least evident with S. epidermidis. There was also an increase in the number of viable bacteria recovered from contact lens surfaces (p<0.001 for the Gram-negative and Gram-positive test strains, respectively) and in biofilm volume (p<0.001 for the Gram-negative test strains, p = 0.005 for S. aureus). Conclusions These results show that in addition to P. aeruginosa, other bacteria commonly encountered during contact lens wear possess the capacity to utilize neutrophil-derived cellular debris to facilitate colonization of the lens surface. These data suggest that this phenomenon is conserved among multiple genera. Thus, during contact lens wear, the presence of inflammation and the accumulation of neutrophil debris under the posterior lens surface likely contribute to colonization of the lens. Further studies are needed to correlate these findings with risk for infection in an animal model.
Does Posterior Fixation of Partially Unstable Open-Book Pelvic Ring Injuries Decrease Symphyseal Plate Failure? A Biomechanical Study.

Objective:Recent clinical study suggests an advantage to adding an iliosacral screw to the anterior fixation construct for anteroposterior compression type-2 (OTA/AO type 61-B1), partially unstable open-book pelvic ring injuries. Others have described stress examination to determine any required sup
Emerging Investment Rules in Mega Trading Blocs

This issue of Commonwealth Trade Hot Topics examines aspects of investment provisions being considered as part of two mega-regional arrangements – the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) – and their implications for excluded developing countries.
Abstract 3676: MyD88-Dependent Pathway Has a Dual Effect on Brain Injury after Cerebral Ischemia/Reperfusion in Mouse

Myeloid differentiation primary-response protein-88 (MyD88) is one of the intracellular adaptors in Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling pathways, which regulates the activation of nuclear factor kap...
Trade Openness, Economic Growth, and Environmental Degradationin Asian Developing Countries

This paper examines the effects of trade openness and economic growth on CO2 emission using a theoretical trade model. The theoretical results indicate that an increase in trade openness intensifies environmental degradation, while an increase in imports may result in advancement of technology that has positive effect on environmental quality, implying a possible existence of the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC). This paper explores these findings using panel data framework based on annual data from Asian developing countries (1986-2013). The empirical results show that trade openness and economic growth intensify CO2 emission. However, the results do not validate the EKC.
Antecedents and the Nature of Police Corruption and Impunity in Postcolonial and/or Developing Countries

Academics always run the risk of a passionate need to categorize the world, and even its most complex problems, into the single perspective or theory that most inspired us in our earliest study and entry into the real world of scholarship. If we are not careful, this single perspective or theory can function as a dominant lens capable of blocking all else out but the facts or data that support or affirm the theory or perspective that we came in with in the first place (Rosling 2018).
Ecological and ethical issues in virtual reality research: A call for increased scrutiny

ABSTRACTWe argue that moral judgment studies currently conducted utilizing virtual reality (VR) devices must confront a dilemma as a result of how virtual environments are designed and how those en...
Wine sector: Definitions and nuances from global to country analysis—A comparison between Old World, New World, and emerging wine countries from 2005 to current

Abstract Consisting of wine, beer, cider, ready-to-drink (high-strength premixed alcohol), and spirits, the worldwide alcoholic drink market is a $1397 billion industry. In 2015, the size of alcoholic drink market value was spread as follows: - $613 billion for the beer, cider, and perry (pear-based cider) market - $472 billion for the spirit market - $287 billion for the wine industry - $24 billion for ready-to-drink beverages The beer and spirit industries are highly concentrated. The 10 largest brewers have 60% market share, while the 10 largest distillers have a market share of 26%. On the other hand, the wine industry is not as concentrated with the 10 largest wine companies holding 14% market share ( Easton Sally, 2015 ); most of these companies are American-based. On a volume basis, the worldwide wine and spirit industries are comparable, whereas the beer industry is nine times bigger. When we compare the categories, in volume, the market share for beer and cider is 44%, spirits is 39%, wine is 16%, and ready-to-drink is 1%. Based on International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV) data, wine production has been decreasing in the Old World, while the New World has been reporting increases in wine production. New players coming from emerging countries have also moved into this lucrative wine market with a focus on their local market for the moment. These changes will have several notable consequences for wine industry stakeholders: firstly, the increasing number of wineries in the New World (due to the market growth) and the associated competition; secondly, the decreasing vineyard area in the Old World and combined improvement in quality to maintain not only its local but also its international positioning; and finally, the need for a marketing strategy to move local consumption to internationalization for the emerging countries. World wine production exceeds world consumption, putting negative pressures on prices. However, the situation is very different depending on the wine region, with sizable differences between how prices will change for the historical wine regions (Napa, Bordeaux, Rhone Valley, Burgundy, Barolo, etc.) compared with the regions that lack international awareness (Lodi, Languedoc, Romania, etc.).
The Microflora Diversity and Profiles in Dental Plaque Biofilms on Brackets and Tooth Surfaces of Orthodontic Patients

AbstractObjective: Fixed orthodontic appliances may influence the oral environment through accumulation of plaque, decreased plaque pH, and increased gingival inflammation. These changes in the ora...
Structures of the Rhodopsin-Transducin Complex: Insights into G-Protein Activation

Rhodopsin (Rho), a prototypical G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) in vertebrate vision, activates the G-protein transducin (GT) by catalyzing GDP-GTP exchange on its α subunit (GαT). To elucidate the determinants of GT coupling and activation, we obtained cryo-EM structures of a fully functional, light-activated Rho-GT complex in the presence and absence of a G-protein-stabilizing nanobody. The structures illustrate how GT overcomes its low basal activity by engaging activated Rho in a conformation distinct from other GPCR-G-protein complexes. Moreover, the nanobody-free structures reveal native conformations of G-protein components and capture three distinct conformers showing the GαT helical domain (αHD) contacting the Gβγ subunits. These findings uncover the molecular underpinnings of G-protein activation by visual rhodopsin and shed new light on the role played by Gβγ during receptor-catalyzed nucleotide exchange.
Are former rebel parties more likely to use violence during elections

In this paper, we examine whether former rebel parties are more likely to engage in electoral violence when compared to other parties. In many ways because of combat experience and a trained cadre of former fighters, it may be the case that former rebel parties are more likely to rely on violent acts in order to pursue electoral objectives, particularly in the first elections after the end of a civil conflict. Further, we also suggest that certain types of rebel parties, particularly those that are based more on “resource capture” are more likely to engage in violent acts during elections than those that are based on popular mobilization.
Comparison of short-term streamflow forecasting using stochastic time series, neural networks, process-based, and Bayesian models

Abstract Streamflow forecasts are essential for water resources management. Although there are many methods for forecasting streamflow, real-time forecasts remain challenging. This study evaluates streamflow forecasts using a process-based model (Soil and Water Assessment Tool-Variable Source Area model-SWAT-VSA), a stochastic model (Artificial Neural Network -ANN), an Auto-Regressive Moving-Average (ARMA) model, and a Bayesian ensemble model that utilizes the SWAT-VSA, ANN, and ARMA results. Streamflow is forecast from 1 to 8 d, forced with Quantitative Precipitation Forecasts from the US National Weather Service. Of the individual models, SWAT-VSA and the ANN provide better predictions of total streamflow (NSE 0.60–0.70) and peak flow, but underpredicted low flows. During the forecast period the ANN had the highest predictive power (NSE 0.44–0.64), however all three models underpredicted peak flow. The Bayesian ensemble forecast streamflow with the most skill for all forecast lead times (NSE 0.49–0.67) and provided a quantification of prediction uncertainty.
Correction to: Complex networks are structurally distinguishable by domain

The authors of this Erratum have jointly agreed that James P. Canning, Emma E. Ingram, Sammantha Nowak-Wolff, Adriana M. Ortiz and Karl R. B. Schmitt, referred to in the acknowledgements of the original version of the article [1], are co-authors of this article.
Effectiveness of Video Prompting Delivered via Augmented Reality for Teaching Transition-Related Math Skills to Adults With Intellectual Disabilities:

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a video-based instruction packet for teaching math-based vocational skills delivered through augmented reality (AR) to three adults w...
Two New Species of Toxicocalamus (Squamata: Elapidae) from Papua New Guinea

Abstract I describe two new species of the fossorial elapid snake genus Toxicocalamus from New Guinea. The first is restricted to the D'Entrecasteaux Islands off the southeastern tip of New Guinea; the second is known from only a single locality along the southern versant of the Central Highlands. The first species is a member of the Toxicocalamus loriae group, whose members are poorly differentiated from each other by scalational features but can be distinguished by differences in size, color pattern, and morphometric variables; it represents one of six clades of T. “loriae” previously identified using genetic data. Remaining populations assigned to T. loriae require further collecting and research to clarify their taxonomic relationships. The second species is more morphologically distinct and is most similar to Toxicocalamus stanleyanus. It is known from a single specimen, but it occurs in a region with few obvious topographic barriers, leaving uncertain the extent to which it may range more broadly ac...
Not all laparoscopic adrenalectomies are equal: analysis of postoperative outcomes based on tumor functionality

Laparoscopic adrenalectomy is known to have a low complication rate; however, the influence of functional tumor subtype on postoperative outcomes is not well defined. Patients undergoing laparoscopic adrenalectomy for benign adrenal tumors between 2009 and 2017 were selected from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database. Patient demographics, postoperative outcomes, and length of stay were compared between tumor subtypes. A total of 3946 patients underwent a laparoscopic adrenalectomy during the study period; 3214 (81.5%) were performed for non-functional adenomas, and 732 (18.6%) for functional tumors—467 (64%) aldosteronomas, 184 (25%) cortisol-producing adenomas, and 81 (11%) pheochromocytomas. The risk of any complication was highest for patients with Cushing’s (6.5%) and lowest with Conn’s syndrome (1.1%) compared to other lesions (3.7% pheochromocytoma, 5.3% adenoma, p < 0.001). Among the patients with functional tumors, those with cortisol-producing adenomas had the highest rates of both deep surgical site infection (1.6%, p = 0.026) and urinary tract infection (2.2%, p = 0.029), whereas myocardial infarction was most prevalent in patients with pheochromocytoma (2.5%, p = 0.012). When adjusted for demographic differences, BMI, and comorbidity scores, no tumor type was associated with increased complication rate; instead aldosteronoma (vs. benign adenoma) was independently predictive of fewer adverse events [0.3 (95% CI 0.1–0.7), p = 0.004] and a shorter length of hospital stay [0.6 (95% CI 0.4–0.8), p = 0.001]. The overall mortality rate was low at 0.4%, although significantly higher in Cushing’s patients (2.2%, p = 0.015). Laparoscopic adrenalectomy is a safe operation with low mortality and complication rates. However, postoperative risks differ between tumor subtype, so patients should be counseled accordingly.
Partial memory reinstatement while (lucid) dreaming to change the dream environment.

Abstract Lucid dreams often coincide with having control over dream events in real-time, although the limitations of dream control are not completely understood. The current study probed the ability of lucid dreamers to reinstate waking scene memories while dreaming. After brief exposure to an experimental scene, participants were asked to reinstate the scene while lucid dreaming (i.e., change dream scenery to match real-world scene). Qualitative analysis revealed that successful dream scene reinstatements were overwhelmingly inaccurate with respect to the original experimental scene. Importantly, reinstatement inaccuracies held even when the dreamer was aware of them during the dream, suggesting a dissociation between memory access while dreaming and dream imagery. The ability to change the environment of a dream speaks to the high amount of lucid dream control, yet the inaccuracies speak to a lack of detailed control. Reinstating context during lucid sleep offers an experimental method to investigate sleep, dreams, and memory.