cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Changes in phosphatase kinetics with soil depth across a variable tropical landscape

Abstract Phosphatase enzymes play a key role cycling phosphorus from organic to plant-available pools, particularly in tropical soils where inorganic phosphorus is often limited. However, most studies of phosphatase activity have focused only on surface soils, despite the large quantities of carbon and nutrients stored in tropical subsoils. The goal of this study was to determine how acid phosphatase kinetic parameters change with depth across two parent materials (represented by Oxisols and an Inceptisols) and two distinct forests (lower and upper montane) at the Luquillo Critical Zone Observatory in northeast Puerto Rico. We collected samples from five soil pits at each of four soil × forest types, and measured apparent phosphatase kinetic parameters (AppVmax and AppKm) and soil nutrients at 0, 20, 50, 80, 110 and 140 cm depths. Across all sites, AppVmax declined 97% and AppKm declined 85% from the surface to 140 cm depth. The ratio of AppVmax to AppKm (i.e., Ka) did not change through the first meter of soil profiles but was significantly reduced by 50% 140 cm. Total carbon, nitrogen and extractable phosphorus all declined exponentially with depth. Carbon concentrations and AppVmax were both significantly greater in Oxisols compared with Inceptisols, and in the higher elevation montane forest compared to the lower elevation forest. The scaling relationship we observe between AppVmax and AppKm is common for environmental systems, although the degree of correlation in our study (R2 = 0.48) is unusually high, suggesting these parameters are both driven by changes in energy and nutrient availability along depth profiles. However, the consistency of Ka with depth indicates that overall catalytic capacity of phosphatase is maintained across a range of substrate concentrations. The larger variability in AppVmax compared with AppKm suggests microorganisms exert more control over phosphatase production than substrate availability. Our findings indicate that subsoil microbial communities are not metabolically dormant, but rather contribute to P-cycling at rates comparable to their surface counterparts. Further research on ecology of microorganisms in resource-limited tropical subsoils is warranted to better understand microbial contributions to biogeochemical cycles throughout tropical soil profiles.
A widely tunable laser based on semiconductor optical amplifier in a highly birefringent fiber ring cavity

A fast and widely tunable single-mode laser source is a useful component in wavelength-division multiplexing networks. We demonstrate a novel semiconductor ring laser that has the potential to tune the laser wavelength over more than 100 channels with nanosecond tuning time. The setup consists of a traveling-wave semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) as the gain medium, a rotating linear polarizer, a polarization independent isolator, and a polarization loop controller. All of the components in the setup are fiber pigtailed. The 500-/spl mu/m-long index-guided buried heterostructure SOA has a fiber-to-fiber gain of 15 dB at a bias current of 90 mA and a gain 3-dB bandwidth of 30 nm.
Mortality risks associated with pediatric dental care using general anesthesia in a hospital setting.

The purpose of the present study was to the review the literature and survey the risk of mortality associated with general anesthesia in children in a hospital setting.An 8-item, one page, survey was sent to all (928) southeast regional hospital members of the American Hospital Association (AHA). A response rate of 41% was established. They reported 22,615 dental cases using general anesthesia on children the ages 1 to 6 years and there were no deaths associated with anesthesia reported by responding hospitals. It was concluded that no deaths were reported among more than 22,000 cases over a 10-year period. This provides valuable information on the safety using general anesthesia for pediatric dental care.
The Utilization of Urea by Ruminants as Influenced by the Presence of Starch in the Ration

Summary 1.Further studies on urea utilization in the rumen fistula heifer are reported. 2.With timothy hay as the sole ingredient of the basal ration, utilization of added urea took place only partially, if at all. In the presence of starch a suitable substrate was provided for the development of an active flora and urea was efficiently utilized. 3.When casein was added to a timothy hay-starch-urea ration the utilization of urea was markedly reduced.
The Domestic Politics of Strategic Retrenchment, Power Shifts, and Preventive War†

We present a formal model of international bargaining between two states in which one government must negotiate with a domestic opposition faction to secure tax revenue for military spending. The model examines how robust the international order is to domestic political crises that activate a stark trade-off to a governing coalition. Namely, offering fiscal relief to stave off domestic revolution can simultaneously undermine the larger international political order by facilitating military spending that can, under some circumstances, result in sizable shifts in the relative distribution of military power between states. We find that two key domestic conditions influence the likelihood of preventive war: the distribution of income within the state's economy and the relative economic stake that opposition groups possess in international settlements.
Classical Theory, Graham's Theory, and Linear Programming in International Trade

I. Introduction, 520. — II. A simple model, 522. — III. An examination of Graham's principal conclusions, 526. — IV. Relaxation of the assumptions, 537. — V. Relation to linear programming, 540. — Mathematical Appendix, 542.
The “Easy” Way to Have a Baby

The aim of this article is to alert nurses, in settings which primarily serve natural families, that adoptive families have many of the same needs. These needs often go either unrecognized or unmet. It is hoped that this article will encourage nurses in these and other settings to assess the needs of the adoptive family and to intervene where appropriate.
Approximate Motion Synthesis of Open and Closed Chains via Parametric Constraint Manifold Fitting: Preliminary Results

In this paper we present a novel dyad dimensional synthesis technique for approximate motion synthesis. The methodology utilizes an analytic representation of the dyad’s constraint manifold that is parameterized by its dimensional synthesis variables. Nonlinear optimization techniques are then employed to minimize the distance from the dyad’s constraint manifold to a finite number of desired locations of the workpiece. The result is an approximate motion dimensional synthesis technique that is applicable to planar, spherical, and spatial dyads. Here, we specifically address the planar RR, spherical RR and spatial CC dyads since these are often found in the kinematic structure of robotic systems and mechanisms. These dyads may be combined serially to form a complex open chain (e.g. a robot) or when connected back to the fixed link they may be joined so as to form one or more closed chains (e.g. a linkage, a parallel mechanism, or a platform). Finally, we present some initial numerical design case studies that demonstrate the utility of the synthesis technique.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Seasonal dispersal patterns of sylvan deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) within Montana rangelands

We examined seasonal dispersal patterns and timing of new infections of Sin Nombre virus (SNV), as determined by recent acquisition of antibodies (seroconversion), in deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) at two Montana rangeland study sites over three years, 2004-2007. One study site was located in grassland habitat, and the other was located in shrub-steppe. In Montana, both of these habitats are commonly associated with peridomestic environments (in and around buildings). Peridomestic environments are where most reported human cases of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) likely originate. Furthermore, deer mice dispersing from sylvan habitats colonize peridomestic environments. Thus, a thorough understanding of deer mouse dispersal is needed to help predict when humans are most at risk for exposure to SNV. We trapped mice at each study site twice a month, accumulating 85,200 trap nights of effort and capturing 6,185 individual deer mice a total of 22,654 times. We documented 980 dispersing individuals over 3 yr. We found positive correlations between the number of dispersing mice and number captured at each site, but there were no statistically significant seasonal differences in the number of dispersing mice. However, we did find a spring/summer bias in mice that seroconverted and dispersed, suggesting that recently infected deer mice are most likely to enter settings where humans may be exposed to SNV during spring and summer.
The role of DDX3 in regulating Snail

DDX3, a DEAD box protein family member, appears to promote the progression of some cancers, which may partly result from its impedance of death receptor-mediated apoptosis. We found that another mechanism by which DDX3 may aid cancer progression is by promoting increased levels of the transcription factor Snail. Snail represses expression of cellular adhesion proteins, leading to increased cell migration and metastasis of many types of cancer. Knockdown of DDX3 levels by shRNA reduced basal levels of Snail in HeLa and MCF-7 cells, and this was associated with reduced cell proliferation and migration. Snail protein and mRNA levels were increased by treatment with the HDAC inhibitors sodium butyrate or trichostatin A, and these increases were attenuated in cells with DDX3 knocked down. Treatment of cells with camptothecin was discovered to increase Snail protein levels, and this increase was diminished in cells with DDX3 knocked down. Analysis of 31 patient glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) samples revealed a significant correlation between the levels of DDX3 and Snail. Thus, DDX3 is required for basal Snail expression and increases in Snail induced by HDAC inhibitors or camptothecin, indicating that this action of DDX3 may contribute to its promotion of the progression of some cancers.
Comparison of lowering copper levels with tetrathiomolybdate and zinc on mouse tumor and doxorubicin models

Tetrathiomolybdate (TM), presumably by lowering copper levels and availability, has shown excellent efficacy in animal models of cancer and models of injury that produce fibrotic or inflammatory damage in lung, heart, and liver. Trials in human patients are underway. If the efficacy of TM is indeed through lowering copper levels, other anticopper drugs should be equally efficacious. Zinc is an anticopper drug, with proven efficacy in Wilson's disease, a disease of copper toxicity. In this study, the efficacy of zinc is compared with TM on a mouse tumor model and on the doxorubicin model of heart damage, and it is hypothesized that when copper availability is lowered to an equivalent extent, the 2 drugs would show equivalent efficacy. No effect is found of zinc on inhibiting growth of a tumor that is markedly inhibited by TM, and zinc is found to be less effective than TM in inhibiting cardiac damage from doxorubicin. This study shows that TM's mechanism of action in protecting against doxorubicin toxicity is because of its anticopper effects, as copper supplementation eliminated the protective effect of TM. It is also hypothesized that the differences between TM and zinc may be caused by TM's mechanism of action in which it binds copper already in the body, whereas zinc does not.
A novel mechanism for data streaming across multiple IP links for improving throughput and reliability in mobile environments

With ubiquitous computing and network access, multiple network conduits are becoming available to mobile as well as static hosts. Selection of the preferred mode of data transfer is a dynamic optimization problem depending on the type of application, its bandwidth/latency/jitter requirements, current network status, cost, power consumption, battery life, and so on. Furthermore, since wireless bandwidth is likely to remain a scarce resource, we foresee scenarios wherein mobile hosts require simultaneous data transfer across multiple IP interfaces to obtain higher overall bandwidth. We present a brief overview of related work identifying schemes that might be applicable to the problem, along with their feasibility, and pros and cons. We then propose a new mechanism to aggregate the bandwidth of multiple IP links by splitting a data flow across multiple network interfaces at the IP level. Our method is transparent to transport (TCP/UDP) and higher layers. We have analyzed the performance characteristics of the aggregation scheme and demonstrated significant gain when the links being aggregated have similar bandwidth and latency. The use of multiple interfaces also enhances reliability. Our analysis identifies the conditions under which the proposed scheme, or any other scheme that stripes a single TCP connection across multiple IP links, can be used to enhance throughput. Several interesting directions for future work have also been identified.
p75-deficient embryonic dorsal root sensory and neonatal sympathetic neurons display a decreased sensitivity to NGF

To understand the role of low-affinity neurotrophin receptor p75 in neural development, we previously generated mice carrying a null mutation in the p75 locus (Lee, K. F., Li, E., Huber, L. J., Landis, S. C., Sharpe, A. H., Chao, M. V. and Jaenisch, R. (1992) Cell 69, 737–749). To elucidate the mechanisms leading to deficits in the peripheral nervous system in p75 mutant mice, we have employed dissociated cultures to examine the responses of p75-deficient dorsal root ganglion (DRG) and superior cervical ganglion (SCG) neurons to different neurotrophins. We found that p75-deficient DRG and SCG neurons displayed a 2- to 3-fold decreased sensitivity to NGF at embryonic day 15 (E15) and postnatal day 3 (P3), respectively, ages that coincide with the peak of naturally occurring cell death. Furthermore, while p75-deficient E15 DRG neurons did not change their response specificity to BDNF, NT-3, and NT-4/5, P3 SCG neurons became more responsive to NT-3 at higher concentrations (nanomolar ranges). These results may help explain the deficits in the peripheral nervous system in p75 mutant mice and provide evidence that p75 can modulate neurotrophin sensitivity in some neurons.
Evidence-based teaching: Tools and techniques that promote learning in the psychology classroom

Evidence‐based teaching (EBT) entails the use of empirically validated pedagogical tools and techniques that promote student learning. We offer a rationale for why psychology instructors should emb...
Sequence estimation for class-IV partial-response channels with jitter

An analysis is presented of the output of class-IV partial-response channels corrupted simultaneously by jitter and additive white noise. The authors analyze the behavior of the least-squares (LS) decoder for this channel. They introduce the projection-minimization (P-M) algorithm and demonstrate that, under favorable conditions, its performance, even when not acceptable on its own, could possibly be beneficial when used in conjunction with the LS decoder in enhancing the reliability of the channel. Implementation of the P-M decoder is rather expensive, and it is not at all clear that combining the P-M algorithm with LS decoding and traditional error control schemes is the best way of dealing with channels corrupted by jitter. It may be possible to avoid the P-M algorithm and instead utilize a more aggressive traditional error correction scheme. Alternatively, it may be possible to choose modulation schemes which utilize pulses whose derivatives at the sampled values are small, and perhaps obtain better results than with partial-response class-IV signaling. >
Pharmacological inhibition of PAR2 with the pepducin P2pal-18S protects mice against acute experimental biliary pancreatitis

Pancreatic acinar cells express proteinase-activated receptor-2 (PAR2) that is activated by trypsin-like serine proteases and has been shown to exert model-specific effects on the severity of exper...
International knowledge flows and technological advance: the role of migration

This paper investigates whether knowledge flows from host to source country as a result of migration, alleviating the negative effects associated with outward migration. Using a fixed effects Poisson regression, patent citations are used as a proxy for knowledge flows and regressed on immigration and other control variables; the effect of immigration on patent citations is found to be positive and statistically significant. Additionally, the coefficient on immigration is found to be robust to different parameter changes in the model. These results suggest that reverse knowledge flows from outward migration help mitigate negative effects of outward migration on source countries.
Psychosocial Approaches to Alcohol Use Disorders Since 1940: A Review

Objective:A review of psychosocial approaches to alcohol use disorders (AUDs) was performed to identify and contextualize trends in major treatment approaches and special populations and provide possible future directions for alcohol research.Method:The PsycINFO database was searched for peer-reviewed articles relevant to psychosocial approaches to AUDs for each decade since the 1940s, resulting in approximately 4,246 articles for review. Topics were included if they made up at least 4% of the relevant articles for any one decade. Nine treatment and seven special population topics were identified for the current review.Results:Psychoanalytic/psychodynamic and aversion therapies were major topics in the 1940s and 1950s, but few articles have been published recently. Other topics have shown consistent representation in the literature, including criminal justice and military populations, self-help groups, group therapies, couples and family therapies, behavioral treatments and cognitive–behavioral therapy, a...
Three-Dimensional Printing: The Physics and Implications of Additive Manufacturing

Abstract Three Dimensional Printing is a process for creating parts directly from a computer model. 3D Printing builds parts in layers by spreading a layer of powder and then selectively joining the powder in the layer by ink-jet printing of a binder material. After all layers are printed, the layer loose of powder is removed to reveal the finished part. Application areas include ceramic molds for metal castings, directly printed parts for end-use and for use as tooling, ceramic preforms for metal matrix composites, structural ceramic parts, and others. 3D Printing is a member of a group of layer manufacturing techniques which have the primary distinguishing feature of creating parts by the controlled addition (rather than subtraction) of material. The primitive building element in 3D Printing is a spherical ensemble of powder particles held together by one droplet of binder. Ballistic effects are important in the formation of primitives due to kinetic energy associated with the incoming droplet. Stitching together of droplets forms surfaces and hence determines surface finish. Vertical dimensional control is determined in pan by the compression of powder layers by subsequently applied powder. These physical mechanisms help to determine the dimensional control and surface finish of 3D Printed parts.
Cross-borehole electromagnetic probing to locate high-contrast anomalies

Electromagnetic (EM) probing between boreholes is useful for locating high-contrast geophysical anomalies such as a tunnel. Theoretical and experimental studies of EM field interaction with a tunnel show that minima in the received signal can be used for locating the tunnel. The theoretical studies show that as a transmitter and receiver are lowered in separate boreholes, the minima can be interpreted easily to yield both the lateral and vertical positions of the tunnel. The main mechanism of EM field interaction with the tunnel appears to be diffraction, and the spatial variation of the field strength is affected by the tunnel shape. Frequencies from 10 to 70 MHz were studied to assess the usable frequencies. The field in the receiver borehole was an effective diagnostic when a half-wavelength in the surrounding medium was less than or equal to the diameter of the tunnel. EM probing at two test sites gave the locations of tunnels within 1 ft of the surveyed locations.
Apolipoprotein E structural requirements for the formation of SDS-stable complexes with β-amyloid-(1-40): the role of salt bridges

Of the three major isoforms of human apolipoprotein E (apoE), apoE4 is a risk factor for the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Among possible neurologically relevant dierences in the properties of apoE3 and apoE4 is the fact that apoE3 forms an SDS-stable complex with b-amyloid-(1‐40) (Ab40) with greater avidity than does apoE4. This interaction may sequester potentially toxic species of Ab or facilitate clearance. To understand more about this dierence, we examined whether dierences in salt bridges between apoE domains influence the capacity of apoE isoforms to form complexes with Ab. In apoE3 there is a salt bridge between Arg-61 and Asp-65, while in apoE4 there are salt bridges between Arg-61 and Glu-255, and Arg-112 and Glu109. Mutation of position 112, which is Cys in apoE3 and Arg in apoE4, to Ala or Lys abolished complex formation, while mutant
Focal Therapy for Prostate Cancer

With the increasing rate of detection of localized, low-risk cancers of the prostate, new treatment strategies are required to avoid the morbidity of traditional whole-gland therapy while limiting the risk of significant disease progression. Focal therapy is a promising method of prostate cancer treatment with the potential to bridge the gap between active surveillance and radical treatment. Emerging data regarding oncological and quality of life outcomes from clinical trials are encouraging. Although the majority of contemporary-focal therapy options have yet to demonstrate comparable levels of cancer control as whole-gland or radical therapy, refinements in candidate selection, disease mapping, and accurate targeting of ablative energy to cancer foci may facilitate improvements in oncological outcomes. Some of the remaining challenges of focal therapy, including disease mapping, treatment monitoring, and evaluation at follow-up, may be addressed with advances in MRI sequencing and interpretation techniques. However, critical questions about long-term outcomes remain, which require further exploration before protocols for focal therapy in common clinical practice can be developed.
Box Models Revisited

A methodology in terms of box models has been reexamined for the investigation of conservative and nonconservative quantities in estuaries. Both one and two dimensional models and both tidal exchange and circulation effects are included. Various types of loss relations, sources and sinks, and vertical exchanges are considered. The box model results are tested against analytic solutions of the same problems where available and against two more refined, hydro-dynamic numerical model results for a nonconservative loss problem and for a suspended sediment distribution.
Evaluating the Impact of Government Land Use Policies on Tree Canopy Coverage

Abstract Many cities around the world are experiencing the negative effects associated with not sustaining a sufficient level of tree canopy coverage. Tree canopy provides environmental benefits such as clean water and air, erosion prevention, climate control, and native species habitat and provides economic benefits such as higher housing values and lower energy expenditures. We study local government policies in a large U.S. metropolitan area (the Atlanta Metropolitan Statistical Area) to find which policies perform the best at preserving or increasing urban forests. Empirical analysis reveals that a set of effective tree ordinance clauses, zoning ordinances, and having high quality smart growth projects in the community all help in preserving tree canopy in economically and environmentally meaningful amounts. Other actions, such as simply having a tree ordinance, designating a key management person in charge of tree programs, the presence of a tree board, and multiple communication channels were shown to be ineffective for our data set. Because benefits from tree canopy accrue to the local government's budget, to residents and to business owners, the entire community should gain from the passage of effective policies to preserve their local tree canopy. Estimated economic benefits from preserving tree canopy through an effective set of public policies are in the range of $10–15 million annually in an average county, mostly due to savings on stormwater management.
1-Methyl-4H-3,1-benzoxazine-2,4(1H)dione

In its crystal structure, the title compound, C9H7NO3, forms π-stacked dimers, with a centroid–centroid distance of 3.475 (5) A between the benzenoid and the 2,4 dicarbonyl oxazine rings. These dimers then form staircase-like linear chains through further π-stacking between the benzenoid rings [centroid–centroid distance of 3.761 (2) A]. The methyl-H atoms are disordered due to rotation about the C—N bond and were modeled with equal occupancy.
Gentlemen's agreement

I was fascinated to read about the Isaac Newton Institute (February p7) but your statement that the idea for a British institute in theoretical physics originated with a conversation between Abdus Salam and Michael Green is only partially correct. For the benefit of historians of science, it happened like this.
UAV-assisted broadband network for emergency and public safety communications

Communication during emergency situations is crucial to saving lives. Rescue workers at an emergency scene need to be able to coordinate and communicate effectively. Despite the vast improvements in personal communication networks, public safety communication has been lacking. A recent bill from Congress and the FCC has provided the groundwork for the creation of a nationwide broadband public safety communication network. This advancement in technology will allow rescue workers to receive critical information updates in all forms of media (e.g., video, text and voice). A problem arises when communication tower is destroyed; this network will no longer function for that area. A solution must be created to temporarily cover the partially or completely destroyed networks or towers assigned area to restore their connectivity and to connect them to the global network. In this paper, we design an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) network that can be used to route broadband data similar to a communication tower for when the main network is unusable. Using global geolocation map, the optimal/sufficient number of UAVs can be sent out quickly to the geolocation of a destroyed tower and route traffic accordingly. UAVs also have the advantage of being airborne, allowing for better line of sight with ground users. Simulation results show that the proposed design has better performance in terms of channel capacity and throughput when signal strength is lower.
Uptake of glycine from l -alanylglycine into renal brush border vesicles

Isolated renal brush border microvilli vesicles were employed to study the uptake of radiolabel froml-Ala · [3H]Gly andd-Ala · [3H]Gly as well as to determine the presence of dipeptidase activity. Microvilli vesicles were prepared from porcine kidney cortex by differential centrifugation through hypotonic Tris buffer containing Mg2+. The microvilli vesicles transiently accumulated radiolabel froml-Ala · [3H]Gly to higher levels than were initially present in the incubation medium (overshoot phenomenon). This accumulation was dependent on the presence of an inward-directed (extravesicular > intravesicular) Na+ gradient and was osmotically sensitive and linear with respect to microvilli protein concentration. Analysis of intravesicular contents revealed that all3H uptake froml-Ala · [3H]Gly appeared as free glycine. Hydrolysis studies demonstrated the rate ofl-ala · [3H]Gly hydrolysis to free alanine and [3H] glycine by the microvilli to be greatly in excess of their rate of radiolabel uptake from this dipeptide. In addition, the uptake profiles and kinetic constants for vesicular uptake of radiolabel froml-Ala · [3H]Gly and free glycine were demonstrated to be identical when measured by double-labeling techniques in the same experiments. These results indicate thatl-Ala · [3H]Gly is hydrolyzed at the external surface of the microvilli with the [3H]glycine released being transported into the vesicles by a Na+ gradient-dependent system identical to that employed for free glycine. Microvilli vesicle uptake of radiolabel fromd-Ala · [3H]Gly exhibited no Na+ dependent “overshoot” effect.d-Ala · [3H]Gly was completely resistant to microvilli-catalyzed hydrolysis. Analysis of the microvilli for renal dipeptidase, an enzyme with hydrolytic activity against a wide range ofl-dipeptides, revealed this enzyme to be enriched in the microvilli vesicles to a degree equivalent to that observed for marker enzymes for renal microvilli. Renal dipeptidase catalyzed hydrolysis ofl-Ala · Gly but notd-Ala · Gly, as was the case with microvilli-catalyzed hydrolysis of these dipeptides. With its location in the renal brush border microvilli and its hydrolytic action againstl-dipeptides, renal dipeptidase may act at the luminal surface of the proximal tubule cell to hydrolyzel-dipeptides present in the glomerular filtrate, with the resultant free amino acids transported across the brush border microvilli by Na+ gradient-dependent processes.
Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole and Other Sulfonamides

Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole continues to be a useful antibiotic for common outpatient problems such as urinary tract infections, prostatitis, acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis, and acute otitis media as well as for serious infections of the hospitalized patient including Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, acute pyelonephritis, and some forms of gram negative meningitis. The other sulfonamides have a limited role.
Deconstructing the ailment: one health care professional's experience as the patient.

ABSTRACT This essay explores an illness in a health care professional through lenses of role flexibility and professional accountability. It highlights the process of contemplation about the dual identifications implicit in the experience of being both a professional and a patient within one health care delivery system. This can be a position of standing on the borders of possibility. Thus, the dilemma of a “wounded healer” may challenge some assumptions inherent in the giving and receiving of care as well as grant us some regard for the power shifts within the management of our patients and of ourselves. The experience that one's ailment can be an opportunity-to explore notions of sickness and health or to help to tease out the limits or the potential impact of our responsibility toward that which we name disease and cure-may be the more salient message.
Dynamic Mechanical Analysis of CNF/Polymer Composites

The viscoelastic properties of carbon nanofiber (CNF) reinforced polymer matrix composites are examined in this chapter. Temperature-dependent variations in the properties from subzero to above glass transition temperature (T g ) is studied. Different compositions of CNF/polymer composites are evaluated for parameters such as storage modulus , loss modulus , and damping parameter using a dynamic mechanical analyzer. The maximum use temperature and T g of such composites are also determined. The ability to tailor the properties by means of CNFs and improve the stability of reinforced polymer composites at high temperatures is important for aerospace applications that handle mechanical load under thermal extremes.
Enhancing DVB-H BER based OFDM systems

Due to the need for enhancing the wireless systems performance, a new technique, and over the last decades, has been imposed to such systems, namely Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM). In order to overcome one of the main OFDM drawbacks a new proposal has been investigated, which could limit the usage of such system in the nonlinear devices. Peak-to-Average Power Ratio (PAPR) problem comes as a result of using Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) stage, where the input 2 N signals and after the process could be added together in the same phase. In this algorithm some modifications have been made over a previously published, where the wavelet entropy understanding has been imposed to be the judge for the PAPR consideration. In the previous published work, when a wavelet technique was proposed to DeNoise OFDM symbols and Replace the high PAPR and named by DORP. This is attained by making use of an adaptive threshold to allocate the affected samples, which are amended according to the surrounding ones. In the Modified-DORP (M-DORP), the wavelet transform is used to reconstruct the affected OFDM symbol with PAPR based on their entropies. A MATLAB simulation has been made to verify and validate the numerical model that is derived to investigate the systems performance. Furthermore, the achieved results were compared to either our previously published work or to the work that found in the literature. However, the simulation results show BER systems improvement under the same systems’ conditions, an additional transceivers complexity has been added. This will leave a space for further improvement in future. Furthermore, the M-DORP gives a noise immunity and verification rate up to 85%.
Research of Distributed Decision-Level Fusion Model of Complex Information System with Application

Aiming at the characteristic of complex information system, whose information source deal with multi- source and different class as well as different structure information in multiple different specialty, whose fusion pro- cess must integrate multiple models and carry through combine problem-solving, a new distributed and hiberarchy de- cision-level fusion model of complex information system is proposed. Integrated neural networks groups models fuse expert system and improved D-S evidence reasoning model in distributed and hiberarchy system architecture, domain theory models and experiential models fuse above models are implemented. Improved D-S evidence reasoning model solve the problem that evidence combine produce false results when evidences are paradoxical. Oil-field remaining oil distribution and potential forecast system has applied above models, it shows that the precision and reliability of fore- cast are improved, this paper provides an important guidance to engineer implementation of complex information fusion system.
Modifided massage therapy in premature infants at the time of refreshment

Objective: To explore the modifided massage for the value of the children's disease refreshment.Methods: 28 cases premature were admitted from January 2004 to June 2004.They were classified into test group and control group randomly.The test group were adopted the modifided massage(noruishment+massage+infant gymnastics) at the base of routine nursing.The control group were't adopted the improvement caress.The two groups have no significant difference in hospitalization conditions,disease and observation condition(P0.05). Results: The increment and extent of the modifided massage group's body weight significantly exceeded the control group(P0.001).The improvement caress group's extent of milk quantity's increasement slightly exceeded the control group(P0.05).Conclusion: Breast milk is the best and economicest food.Low birth weight formula milk powder is suitable for premature at the time of no breast milk which can make them grow rapidly.Caress benefit for the ailing children's health and growth.Infant gymnastics can improve limbs coordination of premature,promote the development of motion,prevent and correct the generation of bad posture.The modifided massage is medical and nursing technique for promotion the physical and mental growth which is easy and practical.It's worthy taking attention and speading for doctors and nurses.
Analysis on surveillance results of food-borne pathogens in Kaifeng

Objective To learn about the security status of food-borne pathogens of the main food in catering industry in Kaifeng,and early find out the potential safety hazard,so as to provide accurate information for analysis and surveillance of food safety in Kaifeng.Methods According to the national standard and " the food-borne pathogen detection manual",a total of 5 categories and 59 cases of food collected from part of the Kaifeng restaurants were conducted with determination for the surveillance of 4 categories of food-borne pathogens bacteria.Results Totally 7 strains of pathogenic bacteria were isolated,including 4 strains of Salmonella and 3 strains of Staphylococcus aureus,and the total detection rate was 11.86%.Conclusions A certain degree of food-borne pathogens contamination exists in the main foods of catering industry,which should attract the attention of relevant department.The supervision and surveillance should be strengthened and contamination should be controlled,so as to ensure the health of consumers.
Hamilton's Paradox: THE POWER OF THE PURSE: INTERGOVERNMENTAL GRANTS AND FISCAL DISCIPLINE

The creation of Debt should always be accompanied with the means of extinguishment. Alexander Hamilton, Report on Public Credit , 1790 This chapter expands on a key observation from Chapter 3 that was first suggested by Alexander Hamilton: Perceptions of the center's commitment not to intervene in subnational fiscal crises are shaped in large part by the intergovernmental fiscal system of taxes, revenue sharing, and transfers. A key argument in this chapter is that when subnational governments depend heavily on intergovernmental grants, loans, and revenue-sharing schemes as opposed to subnational taxes and fees, the central government's ex ante commitment to a policy of no bailouts lacks credibility. For a variety of reasons elaborated below, when a higher-level government has undertaken heavy obligations to fund the expenditures of lower-tier governments, doubts creep into the minds of voters, creditors, and local governments about the center's ability to withstand the political costs of allowing subnational governments to default. Hamilton alluded to this problem when expressing concerns that the states presided over insufficient tax base to sustain sovereign borrowing, making the federal government – with its deeper pockets and good credit history – an implicit guarantor. He feared that after a negative shock, borrowing by the states under these circumstances was bound to culminate in a legislative battle over debt renegotiation. For him, the solution to this moral hazard problem was not to expand the taxes available to state governments in order to firm up their sovereignty, but rather to clamp down on their access to deficit finance by placing all public borrowing firmly under the control of the central government.
Learning features in deep architectures with unsupervised kernel k-means

Deep learning technology and related algorithms have dramatically broken landmark records for a broad range of learning problems in vision, speech, audio, and text processing. Meanwhile, kernel methods have found common-place usage due to their nonlinear expressive power and elegant optimization formulation. Based on recent progress in learning high-level, class-specific features in unlabeled data, we improve upon the result by combining nonlinear kernels and multi-layer (deep) architecture, which we apply at scale. In particular, our experimentation is based on k-means with an RBF kernel, though it is a straightforward extension to other unsupervised clustering techniques and other reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces. With the proposed method, we discover features distilled from unorganized images. We augment high-level feature invariance by pooling techniques.
The q-Onsager algebra and the positive part of Uq(slˆ2)

The positive part Uq+ of Uq(slˆ2) has a presentation by two generators X,YX,Y that satisfy the q-Serre relations. The q -Onsager algebra OqOq has a presentation by two generators A,BA,B that satisfy the q -Dolan/Grady relations. We give two results that describe how Uq+ and OqOq are related. First, we consider the filtration of OqOq whose nth component is spanned by the products of at most n generators. We show that the associated graded algebra is isomorphic to Uq+. Second, we introduce an algebra □q□q and show how it is related to both Uq+ and OqOq. The algebra □q□q is defined by generators and relations. The generators are {xi}i∈Z4{xi}i∈Z4 where Z4Z4 is the cyclic group of order 4. For i∈Z4i∈Z4 the generators xi,xi+1xi,xi+1 satisfy a q -Weyl relation, and xi,xi+2xi,xi+2 satisfy the q -Serre relations. We show that □q□q is related to Uq+ in the following way. Let □qeven (resp. □qodd) denote the subalgebra of □q□q generated by x0,x2x0,x2 (resp. x1,x3x1,x3). We show that (i) there exists an algebra isomorphism Uq+→□qeven that sends X↦x0X↦x0 and Y↦x2Y↦x2; (ii) there exists an algebra isomorphism Uq+→□qodd that sends X↦x1X↦x1 and Y↦x3Y↦x3; (iii) the multiplication map □qeven⊗□qodd→□q, u⊗v↦uvu⊗v↦uv is an isomorphism of vector spaces. We show that □q□q is related to OqOq in the following way. For nonzero scalars a,ba,b there exists an injective algebra homomorphism Oq→□qOq→□q that sends A↦ax0+a−1x1A↦ax0+a−1x1 and B↦bx2+b−1x3B↦bx2+b−1x3.
Highly Constrained Bicyclic Scaffolds for the Discovery of Protease-Stable Peptides via mRNA Display

Highly constrained peptides such as the knotted peptide natural products are promising medicinal agents because of their impressive biostability and potent activity. Yet, libraries of highly constrained peptides are challenging to prepare. Here, we present a method which utilizes two robust, orthogonal chemical steps to create highly constrained bicyclic peptide libraries. This technology was optimized to be compatible with in vitro selections by mRNA display. We performed side-by-side monocyclic and bicyclic selections against a model protein (streptavidin). Both selections resulted in peptides with mid-nanomolar affinity, and the bicyclic selection yielded a peptide with remarkable protease resistance.
Spatial variation in edaphic characteristics is a stronger control than nitrogen inputs in regulating soil microbial effects on a desert grass

Abstract Increased atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition can have wide-ranging effects on plant community structure and ecosystem function, some of which may be indirectly mediated by soil microbial responses to an altered biogeochemical environment. In this study, soils from a field N fertilization experiment that spanned a soil texture gradient were used as inocula in the greenhouse to assess the indirect effects of soil microbial communities on growth of a desert grass. Plant performance and interaction with soil microbiota were evaluated via plant above- and belowground biomass, leaf N concentration, and root fungal colonization. Nitrogen fertilization in the field increased the benefits of soil microbial inoculation to plant leaf N concentration, but did not alter the effect of soil microbes on plant growth. Plant-microbe interaction outcomes differed most strongly among sites with different soil textures, where the soil microbial community from the sandiest site was most beneficial to host plant growth. The findings of this study suggest that in a desert grassland, increases in atmospheric N deposition may exert a more subtle influence on plant-microbe interactions by altering plant nutrient status, whereas edaphic factors can alter the whole-plant growth response to soil microbial associates.
Scalable Nonparametric Tensor Analysis

Multiway data, described by tensors, are common in real-world applications. For example, online advertising click logs can be represented by a three-mode tensor (user, advertisement, context). The analysis of tensors is closely related to many important applications, such as click-through-rate (CTR) prediction, anomaly detection and product recommendation. Despite the success of existing tensor analysis approaches, such as Tucker, CANDECOMP/PARAFAC and infinite Tucker decompositions, they are either not enough powerful to capture complex hidden relationships in data, or not scalable to handle real-world large data. In addition, they may suffer from the extreme sparsity in real data, i.e., when the portion of nonzero entries is extremely low; they lack of principled ways to discover other patterns — such as an unknown number of latent clusters — which are critical for data mining tasks such as anomaly detection and market targeting. To address these challenges, I used nonparametric Bayesian techniques, such as Gaussian processes (GP) and Dirichlet processes (DP), to model highly nonlinear interactions and to extract hidden patterns in tensors; I derived tractable variational evidence lower bounds, based on which I developed scalable, distributed or online approximate inference algorithms. Experiments on both simulation and real-world large data have demonstrated the effect of my propoaed approaches.
Synaptotagmin-7-Mediated Asynchronous Release Boosts High-Fidelity Synchronous Transmission at a Central Synapse.

Synchronous release triggered by Ca2+ binding to synaptotagmin-1, -2, or -9 is thought to drive fast synaptic transmission, whereas asynchronous release induced by Ca2+ binding to synaptotagmin-7 is thought to produce delayed synaptic signaling, enabling prolonged synaptic computations. However, it is unknown whether synaptotagmin-7-dependent asynchronous release performs a physiological function at fast synapses lacking a prolonged signaling mode, such as the calyx of Held synapse. Here, we show at the calyx synapse that synaptotagmin-7-dependent asynchronous release indeed does not produce a prolonged synaptic signal after a stimulus train and does not contribute to short-term plasticity, but induces a steady-state, asynchronous postsynaptic current during stimulus trains. This steady-state postsynaptic current does not increase overall synaptic transmission but instead sustains reliable generation of postsynaptic spikes that are precisely time locked to presynaptic spikes. Thus, asynchronous release surprisingly functions, at least at some synapses, to sustain high-fidelity neurotransmission driven by synchronous release during high-frequency stimulus trains.
COLLEGE CHOICE AS A COLLECTIVE DECISION

Although the choice between colleges can be thought of as being made collectively by a family, models of educational choice almost universally portray the decision as made by the student alone. Using a novel experimental method for identifying collective decision functions, I find that students have more influence than parents over the decision, but not exclusive control. Students care more than parents about classroom experience and future earnings. Ignoring the dualâagent nature of the decision can weaken predictions and lead to poorly targeted policy designs. (JEL I21, J24, D13)