cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Self-Acupressure for Older Adults With Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective This double-blind randomized controlled trial aimed to test the efficacy of self-administered acupressure for pain and physical function improvement for older adults with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Methods Participants were community-dwelling adults with symptomatic knee OA (n = 150, mean age 73 years), randomized to 1 of 3 groups: verum acupressure, sham acupressure, or usual care. Participants in the verum and sham groups, but not those in the usual care group, were taught to self-apply acupressure once daily, 5 days/week for 8 weeks. Assessments were collected during center visits at baseline, and at 4 and 8 weeks. In addition, pain level was assessed weekly by phone using a numeric rating scale (NRS). Outcomes included the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) pain subscale (primary), and subjective and objective physical function measures and the NRS and physical function measures (secondary). Linear mixed regression analysis was conducted to test between-group differences in mean changes from baseline for the outcomes at 8 weeks. Results Compared with usual care, both verum and sham acupressure participants experienced significant improvements in WOMAC pain (mean difference -1.27 units [95% confidence interval (95% CI) -1.95, -0.58] and -1.24 units [95% CI -1.92, -0.55], respectively), NRS pain (-0.74 units [95% CI -1.24, -0.24] and -0.51 units [95% CI -1.01, -0.01], respectively), and WOMAC function (-4.83 units [95% CI -6.99, -2.67] and -4.21 units [95% CI -6.37, -2.04], respectively) at 8 weeks. There were no significant differences between the verum and sham acupressure groups on any of the outcomes. Conclusion Self-administered acupressure is superior to usual care in pain and physical function improvement for older adults with knee OA. The reason for the benefits is unclear, and the placebo effect may play a role.
Interzonal airflow rates for use in near-field far-field workplace concentration modeling

ABSTRACTInterzonal air flow rates (β) for a workspace above a table were measured in 12 indoor air spaces using an experimental apparatus simulating a vapor release into an occupied near zone. The near field was modeled as a 0.32 m3 rectangular cube volume 0.60 m high above the 0.60 m × 0.90 m table. A total of 74 experimental measurements of β were made. The apparatus consisted of photoionization detectors measuring concentrations of acetone around an evaporating liquid surface with a robot arm simulating worker motion in the near field. The vapor release rate and the resulting concentrations were used in a near-field far-field (NF-FF) model to calculate β. Measures of mixing within the near-field supported the assumption of the NF-FF model that the near field is well-mixed. Measured values of β ranged from 0.4–19 m3/min with an average of 4.8 m3/min. This corresponds to 1.2–59 air changes per minute in the near field and an average of 15 air changes per minute. The values of β were log normally distribu...
Central Nervous System Infections in Patients Immunocompromised by Antineoplastic and Other Immune-Modulating Therapies

Central nervous system (CNS) infections in patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy for cancer or other systemic conditions often present complex diagnostic challenges as signs of infection may be absent or atypical. This chapter outlines a systematic clinical approach based on the etiology of immunosuppression, general examination, and presence of concurrent systemic infections. Patients with impaired barrier function, neutropenia, B cell depletion, and T cell abnormalities are included. The laboratory and imaging diagnosis, management, and prognosis of infections such as PML, VZV, human herpesvirus 6, and fungal infections likely to be seen by practicing neurologists are discussed and contrasted with conditions that mimic infection. Infections associated with mycophenolate, cyclosporine, tacrolimus, rituximab, brentuximab, and alemtuzumab are described. Human immunodeficiency virus-associated infections are covered in Chap. 15.
The Role of Perceived Organizational Support in Individual Change Readiness

This paper examines the role of perceived organizational support (POS) in individual change readiness. Drawing upon social exchange theory, this study tests the notion that POS is linked to readine...
Complex distal pancreatectomy outcomes performed at a single institution.

Abstract Objective Discuss the outcomes of distal pancreatectomy in a high volume academic community cancer center. Introduction Distal pancreatectomy can be done with minimal morbidity and mortality in high volume centers. However, there are limited reports of distal pancreatectomy being performed in the community. This study sought to define the experience with distal pancreatectomy at a high volume community cancer center with a dedicated surgical oncology team. Methods A retrospective chart review was performed for patients undergoing distal pancreatectomy performed over a twelve year period (2005–2017) at an academic community cancer center. Results 157 patients underwent distal pancreatectomy. The distribution of open, laparoscopic and robotic resections were 96 (61%), 42 (27%) and 19 (12%) respectively. Concomitant organ resection other than splenectomy was performed in 54 (34%) patients. Spleen sparing resections were performed in 6 (4%) patients. 84 (54%) out of the 157 resections had a malignant lesion on final pathology. Median length of stay was 6 days with 25 (16%) patients readmitted within 30 days. Grade 3 or 4 morbidity rate was 18% (28/157). The incidence of clinically significant pancreatic fistula (Grade B/C) was 8% (13/157). The reoperative rate was 3% (5/157). Overall 30 day mortality in all patients was 0.6% (1/157). Conclusion This is the largest series of distal pancreatic resections reported in a community cancer hospital. In a high volume academic community cancer center with a dedicated surgical oncology team, distal pancreatic resections can be performed with short hospital stays, minimal morbidity, and a mortality rate of less than 1%.
Axonal regeneration: Role of the extracellular matrix and the glial scar

Following injury to the mammalian central nervous system, a variety of reactive cells and the molecules they secrete form a major impediment to axonal regrowth known as the glial scar. An ironic dichotomy exists in which the formation of the glial scar is essential to ensuring the survival of the animal; however, this occurs at the expense of regeneration and restoration of function. This article focuses on the formation and composition of the glial scar and the effect of potently inhibitory extracellular matrix molecules within the hostile lesion environment on axonal regeneration.
Scale matching with factorial kriging for improved porosity estimation from seismic data

When seismic data and porosity well logs contain information at different spatial scales, it is important to do a scale-matching of the datasets. Combining different data types with scale mismatch can lead to suboptimal results. A good correlation between seismic velocity and rock properties provides a basis for integrating seismic data in the estimation of petrophysical properties. Three-dimensional seismic data provides an unique exhaustive coverage of the interwell reservoir region not available from well data. However, because of the limitations of measurement frequency bandwidth and view angles, the seismic image can not capture the true seismic velocity at all spatial scales present in the earth. The small-scale spatial structure of heterogeneities may be absent in the measured seismic data. In order to take best advantage of the seismic data, factorial kriging is applied to separate the small and large-scale structures of both porosity and seismic data. Then the spatial structures in seismic data which are poorly correlated with porosity are filtered out prior to integrating seismic data into porosity estimation.
A Guide to the History of Florida

Foreword by Samuel Proctor Preface The Historical Literature Aboriginal Florida The Early Contact Period, 1513-1565 Spanish Florida, 1565-1763, and Spanish East Florida, 1784-1821 British Florida, 1763-1784 West Florida (The Spanish Presidios of Pensacola), 1686-1763 West Florida, 1779-1821 Territorial Florida, 1821-1845 Florida, from Statehood through Reconstruction, 1845-1877 Florida in the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, 1877-1917 Sun-Bound Highways: The Growth of Florida as an Independent State, 1917-1940 Florida, from 1940 to the Present Black Floridians Women in Florida History The Seminole and Miccosukee Indians of Florida The Urbanization of Florida Archives and Sources The P.K. Yonge Library of Florida History Florida State Archives The State Library of Florida The Florida Historical Society Library Special Collections, Florida State University Library Special Collections, University of South Florida Library Sources for the Study of West Florida Prehistory, History, and Culture Manuscript Collections in Duval County Historical Collections in Volusia County Historical Collections in St. Augustine Collections in Hillsborough County Broward County Historical Collections Sources in Dade County Monroe County May Hill Russell Library Black Archives Research Center and Museum of Florida A&M University The Henry Morrison Flagler Museum Archives Small Archives and Private Holdings in Florida Archives Outside of Florida Appendix I: Chronology of Florida History Appendix II: Selected List of Organizations, Institutions, and Repositories with Special Interests in Florida History Index
Feeding value of cottonseed meal for feedlot cattle

One hundred twenty crossbred steers (294 kg, initially) were used in a 141-d finishing trial. Four concentrations (8, 16, 24, and 32% of diet DM) of cottonseed meal (CSM, prepressed solvent-extracted) replaced steam-flaked corn in a corn-based finishing diet. Increasing level of CSM decreased ADG (linear component, P .10) dressing percentage, longissimus area, fat thickness, or retail yield. Eight Holstein steers (285 kg) were used in a replicated 4 x 4 Latin square design to evaluate treatment effects on characteristics of digestion. Ruminal digestibility of OM decreased (linear component, P .10). Ruminal escape protein from CSM was 58%. Total tract starch digestion was not altered (P > .10), but total tract digestibility of OM and GE decreased (linear component, P < .05) and digestion of N increased (linear component, P < .01) as CSM replaced steam-flaked corn. The ratio of observed to expected DE value of the diets was similar across CSM levels, averaging .99. Thus, comparative DE value of CSM was not affected by level of inclusion, averaging 3.32 Mcal/kg. We conclude that the NEm and NEg values of CSM are 1.88 and 1.24 Mcal/kg, respectively, and in close agreement with tabular values. However, CSM should not exceed 16% of DMI, because higher levels may depress cattle performance and replacement value of CSM.
Better information retrieval through linguistic sophistication

An algorithm is suggested for learning sketchy scripts for a skimming parser. The parser is to be part of a knowledge-based information retrieval system. A case frame matcher will match an abstract of the user’s query against abstracts of the texts, and should provide significantly better “recall” than keyword based IR systems.
Personality Traits and Low Wealth at Retirement

This paper builds on research linking personality traits to saving and wealth by focusing on determinants of very low wealth among American men aged 60–66. There is a strong and robust relationship between personality traits, particularly conscientiousness, and low relative wealth. The size of the effect is similar to those of risk aversion and time preference and is not explained by these factors or by income, age, or family size. The relationship between personality and wealth is found to be specific to people with low relative wealth and is independent of education and financial literacy.
Assessment of In-Season Soil Nitrogen Tests for Corn Planted into Winter Annual Cover Crops

Environmental and economic goals encourage the use of soil N tests to improve fertilizer N (FN) management in corn (Zea mays L.). Recently, the Solvita 1-d CO₂ burst test, which proposes to estimate soil potentially mineralizable N (PMN), has been promoted as a tool for FN recommendations. We aimed to compare the Solvita test with the established presidedress nitrate test (PSNT) for estimating optimum sidedressed FN rates in a typical corn crop rotation in the Mid-Atlantic United States that includes winter annual cover crops (WCCs). Research was conducted at eight locations from 2012 to 2014. Three WCC treatments [cereal rye (Secale cereale L.), hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth ssp. villosa) or a cereal rye–hairy vetch mix] were the main plots and 10 FN rates were the subplots. The WCCs affected preplanting (PP) Solvita results at one location, V4 NO₃–N at 0 to 15 cm (PSNT15) at four locations, and V4 NO₃–N at 0 to 30 cm (PSNT30) at two locations. Correlations between soil N test parameters and relative corn yields ranged from 0.31 to 0.13. Values for PSNT15 and PSNT30 correlated positively with corn check yields (r = 0.41 and 0.39 respectively). Solvita did not provide additional information to PSNT for predicting preplanting PMN, V4 PMN, or corn check yields. The advantages of the Solvita test were its simplicity, speed of analysis, and lower coefficient of variation relative to the PSNT. Neither method was consistently effective for predicting WCC effects on soil N or relative corn yield.
Using Bayesian analysis to examine associations between spanking and child externalizing behavior across race and ethnic groups.

Abstract While corporal punishment is widely understood to have undesirable associations with children's behavior problems, there remains controversy as to whether such effects are consistent across different racial or ethnic groups. We employed a Bayesian regression analysis, which allows for the estimation of both similarities and differences across groups, to study whether there are differences in the relationship of corporal punishment and children’s behavior problems using a diverse, urban sample of U.S. families (n = 2653). There is some moderation of the relationship between corporal punishment and child behavior by race or ethnicity. However, corporal punishment is associated with increases in behavior problems for all children. Thus, our findings add evidence from a new analytical lens that corporal punishment is consistently linked to increased externalizing behavior across African American, White, or Hispanic children, even after earlier externalizing behavior is controlled for. Our findings suggest that corporal punishment has detrimental consequences for all children and that all parents, regardless of their racial or ethnic background, should be advised to use alternatives to corporal punishment.
An Empirical Assessment of Agency Mechanism Choice

Administrative agencies rely heavily on the foundational legal mechanisms of the administrative state – rulemaking, licensing, and enforcement adjudication – to pursue their statutory objectives. These foundational mechanisms differ from each other in critical ways, including the applicable procedures (and the participatory rights that accompany them), the legal effect of their use, and the nature and extent of oversight (including judicial oversight) that accompany their use. As a result, an agency’s choice of which mechanism(s) to use to implement its statutory mission has significant impacts on key legitimizing features and values of the administrative state. Despite its importance, agency mechanism choice occurs largely in the shadows of the administrative state. Congress typically gives agencies considerable autonomy to choose among legal mechanisms, and none of the three branches whose actions legitimize agency action pays much attention to how agencies make those choices. Scholars’ traditional conception of “canonical administrative law” similarly has generally given short shrift to agency mechanism choice. This neglect is a prominent example of the symptomatic lack of attention to what some have referred to as internal administrative law. This Article helps to fill this gap in the literature through an empirical case study of how one agency, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has used regulations, permitting, and enforcement adjudication to reform its enforcement program through implementation of an initiative called “Next Generation Compliance” (Next Gen). The case study demonstrates that at least five variables have influenced EPA’s agency mechanism choices to advance Next Gen – the key actors that participate in programmatic design and implementation (both within and outside the agency), the agency’s goals, the governance tools at its disposal, its authority under different statutory regimes, and what we refer to as “intra-mechanism” features (differences, for example, between administrative and judicial enforcement adjudication). Ours is the first empirical study in the law review literature of which we are aware that seeks to unpack an agency’s mechanism choices to advance understanding of the choices an agency made, why it made them, and what effects those choices had. Because we examine factors that have not been considered before in the literature, the Article holds special promise for significantly extending and enriching our understanding of critical factors that influence agency mechanism choice decisions. The provisional assessment of the implications of our findings that we provide should help guide policymakers interested in driving agency mechanism choices toward strategies most likely to accomplish statutory goals while promoting the legitimacy of administrative decisionmaking.
Dental Plaque Removal and Re-Accumulation: A Clinical Randomized Pilot Study Evaluating a Gel Dentifrice Containing 2.6% Edathamil

Author(s): Anbarani, Afarin Golabgir; Wink, Cherie; Ho, Jessica; Lam, Tracie; Sahni, Karan; Forghany, Ali; Ngo, William; Vu, Thinh; Ajdaharian, Janet; Takesh, Thair; Wilder-Smith, Petra | Abstract: ObjectivesThe goal of this clinical study was to determine the effects of a dental gel containing 2.6% edathamil on overnight plaque re-accumulation and plaque removal.MethodsIn this double-blind, randomized crossover study, 10 subjects first brushed for one week with a washout toothpaste. On the evening of Day 7, prior to tooth brushing, Plaque Index (PI) was recorded, then plaque stained and photographed. Subsequently subjects were randomized to either brush with the test dental gel or the control. After overnight plaque accumulation, PI was recorded. Plaque was stained and photographed before and after subjects brushed with the same toothpaste as the previous night. Subsequently, the process was repeated with the second toothpaste. Image J software was used to quantify plaque presence.ResultsMean increase in PI overnight after brushing (1.78 versus 0.94) and final PI after tooth brushing the next morning (2.20 versus 1.31) were significantly (p l 0.05) better after use of the test gel. Tooth surface covered by plaque overnight was significantly higher after using the control gel (22.3%) than the test gel (11.8%; p l 0.05). After morning brushing, the residual area of plaque on the teeth was significantly higher for the control gel (9.2%) than for the test gel (3.6%; (p l 0.05).ConclusionsA test dental gel more effectively reduced overnight plaque re-accumulation and achieved better plaque removal than a control dentifrice.
Prenatal Stress and Maternal Immune Dysregulation in Autism Spectrum Disorders: Potential Points for Intervention

Background Genetics is a major etiological contributor to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Environmental factors, however, also appear to contribute. ASD pathophysiology due to gene x environment is also beginning to be explored. One reason to focus on environmental factors is that they may allow opportunities for intervention or prevention. Methods and results Herein, we review two such factors that have been associated with a significant proportion of ASD risk, prenatal stress exposure and maternal immune dysregulation. Maternal stress susceptibility appears to interact with prenatal stress exposure to affect offspring neurodevelopment. We also explore how maternal stress may interact with the microbiome in the neurodevelopmental setting. Additionally, understanding of the impact of maternal immune dysfunction on ASD has recently been advanced by recognition of specific fetal brain proteins targeted by maternal autoantibodies, and identification of unique mid-gestational maternal immune profiles. This might also be interrelated with maternal stress exposure. Animal models have been developed to explore pathophysiology targeting each of these factors. Conclusion We are beginning to understand the behavioral, pharmacopathological, and epigenetic effects related to these interactions, and we are beginning to explore potential mitigating factors. Continued growth in understanding of these mechanisms may ultimately allow for the identification of multiple potential targets for prevention or intervention for this subset of environmental-associated ASD cases.
A Flood Potential Index for Effective Communication of Streamflow Forecasts at Ungauged Communities

AbstractThis study proposes a flood potential index suitable for use in streamflow forecasting at any location in a drainage network. We obtained the index by comparing the discharge magnitude deri...
Electron microscopy for tight junction

Abstract Tight junction was first described as membrane fusion near the apex of epithelial and endothelial cells by using electron microscopic techniques. Electron microscopy has contributed immensely to the elucidation of tight junction structure and function in cells and tissues. This chapter describes the key approaches used to visualize tight junction by electron microscopy, which include transmission electron microscopy for cell culture, transmission electron microscopy for tissue section, transmission electron microscopy for tracer assay, transmission electron microscopy for immunolabeling application, freeze-fracture electron microscopy, and freeze-fracture replica immunolabeling technique.
Safe Zone or Battle Zone? Free Speech on the Campus Quad

The article explores the complicated constitutional and policy issues raised by hate speech regulation on college campuses.
Maternal Substance Abuse and the Mother-Child Relationship in Late Childhood.

This study examines the relationship between maternal substance abuse and various aspects of the mother-child relationship in late childhood while accounting for mental health and comorbid substance abuse and mental health among a predominantly racial minority sample. Using 369 mother-child dyads from the Rochester Intergenerational Study (64% Black, 17% Hispanic, and 8% mixed race/ethnicity), multilevel generalized linear models examined the effects of a maternal substance abuse history, a history of clinical depression, and comorbid substance abuse and depression histories on both maternal and child reports of five aspects of the mother-child relationship (i.e. warmth, consistent discipline, maternal knowledge, involvement, and conflict). RESULTS A maternal substance abuse history alone was unrelated to each aspect of the mother-child relationship as perceived by the mother or child, with the exception of child perceptions of maternal knowledge of behavior. Alternatively, a history of depression or comorbid histories of substance abuse and depression was negatively related to warmth, consistent discipline, involvement, and conflict but only as perceived by the mother. CONCLUSIONS This study reinforces the need for integrated treatment programs for women with substance use problems, particularly programs that incorporate mental health and parenting components. Moreover, it highlights specific targets for intervention that can reduce subsequent maternal substance abuse and improve offspring outcomes. The divergence in observed effects across reporter also suggests that future research should use multiple reporters to examine the interpersonal consequences associated maternal substance abuse.
A convolutional neural network based model to predict nearshore waves and hydrodynamics

Abstract This study proposes a convolutional neural network (CNN) based model to predict waves and hydrodynamics in the nearshore zone. Specifically, we address the so-called next-frame prediction of wave and hydrodynamic conditions using the previous-step conditions. A laboratory experiment on unsteady rip currents is simulated using the non-hydrostatic model SWASH. The simulated wave and hydrodynamic results are divided into two groups. The first group of data is used to train the CNN model, and the second group of data is used to evaluate the trained model by comparing the simulated water surface elevation, cross-shore velocity, and longshore velocity by SWASH with the corresponding prediction by the trained CNN model. The result shows that the CNN model accurately predicts the wave propagation over the offshore slope, wave breaking over the sandbar, and bore propagation over the shore including detailed wave crest bending and separation. Time-averaged water level comparison further confirms that the CNN model captures the wave setup induced by wave breaking. The CNN model also correctly predicts the cross-shore velocity and longshore velocity driven by wave breaking over sandbars and wave–current interaction. Finally, the low-frequency nearshore circulation pattern predicted by the CNN model is also evaluated by time-averaging the velocity field. The comparison shows that the CNN model correctly predicts the distribution of circulation cells and the number of cells, as simulated by the SWASH model. This work serves as a paradigm to integrate traditional coastal modeling with machine learning to study coastal processes.
Designing a General Purpose Development Platform for Energy-harvesting Applications

Battery-less energy-harvesting systems have widened the landscape of Internet-of-Things (IoT) applications by taking computation to hard-to-reach places. Energy-harvesting sensors are perpetual, environment-friendly, cost-effective, and maintenance-free. Despite having such lucrative characteristics, battery-powered devices hold majority share of today's IoT market, since developing energy-harvesting applications require more expert knowledge, careful implementation, and rigorous debugging than applications with stable power. In this paper, we argue that development becomes easier, faster, efficient, and scalable with a standard, re-usable, general purpose platform that ensures the platform's versatility across various application with proper balance between abstraction and accessibility in hardware and software. Such platforms would provide flexibility across both hardware and software layers, at the same time, producing reliable performance. However, realizing this design point pose several research challenges that need to be identified and addressed. We identify the limitations in existing systems, articulate the challenges and provide guidelines for the community to work towards a general purpose platform that would enable new diversified battery-less applications in the future.
Comments on “How Offshore Financial Competition Disciplines Exit Resistance by Incentive-Conflicted Bank Regulators”

Kane has presented a complex and provocative model of the dynamics of financial innovations and crises that treats regulation endogenously. I would like to begin by reviewing some of the key elements of his story and then take a closer look at his critique of international efforts to harmonize regulation.
Proinflammatory role of natural killer cells in allergic airway disease (HYP6P.264)

Natural Killer (NK) cells have been implicated in the development of allergic airway inflammation. However the in vivo role of NK cells has not been firmly established due to the lack of animal models with selective NK cell deficiencies. We studied the role of NK cells in a model of ovalbumin-induced allergic airway disease (OVA-AAD) using NK-deficient (NKD) mice, perforin-/- mice, and mice depleted of Ly49A/D/G+ NK cell subsets. Induction of OVA-AAD in wild-type (WT) mice resulted in the expansion of airway NK cells and the development of pronounced airway eosinophilia. In the absence of NK cells or specific NK cell subsets, either in NKD mice, or after depletion of Ly49A/D/G+ NK cells, the development of OVA-AAD was significantly impaired as seen by decreased airway inflammation, decreased secretion of IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13 and diminished OVA-specific antibody production. Furthermore, while OVA-exposure induced a dramatic expansion of dendritic cells in WT mice, their induction was significantly attenuated in NKD mice. Development of OVA-AAD in perforin-/- mice suggested that the proinflammatory role of NK cells is not dependent on perforin-mediated cytotoxicity. Lastly, induction of allergic disease by OVA-specific CD4 T cells from WT but not NK-depleted or NKD mice in RAG-/- recipients, demonstrates that NK cells are essential for T cell priming. In summary, our data demonstrate that NK cells play an important and distinct role in the development of AAD.
An Empire of Ideals: The Chimeric Imagination of Ronald Reagan

Introduction: The Enduring Appeal and Importance of Ronald Reagan's Imagination. 1. Ronald Reagan: A Biographical Sketch 2. The Imagination: A Philosophical Elucidation 3. 'A Talent for Happiness': Ronald Reagan, Optimism, and Politics 4. 'I Hear America Singing': Ronald Reagan and the American People 5. 'The Mystic Chords of Memory': Ronald Reagan and the American Revolution 6. 'Puzzle Palaces on the Potomac': Ronald Reagan and Contemporary American Government 7. 'A Crusade for Freedom': Ronald Reagan and America's Role in the World 8. 'A Cathedral of Peace': Ronald Reagan and Peace Among Nations 9. 'The Land of Limitless Possibilities': Ronald Reagan, Progress, Technology, and America 10. 'A Shining City Upon a Hill': Ronald Reagan, Religion, and America. Conclusion: An Empire of Illusions? The Chimeric Imagination of Ronald Reagan
Economic Development and Social Security in Mexico, 1945-1985

Debate persists about the relationship between economic development and the development of the welfare state in Third World countries. The expansion of social security in Mexico in the context of debt crisis presents a historical puzzle that challenges many theoretical expectations. In light of this puzzle, this study re-evaluates and compares the determinants of economic development and social security coverage through a time-series analysis of post-revolutionary Mexico. The analysis generates three important findings. First, the determinants of economic development and social security coverage differ considerably. Second, these differences suggest that the dependent development perspective may adequately account for the dynamics of economic development but does not adequately theorize the development of social security. Rather, a political struggle model which emphasizes the role of social protest as an impetus to welfare reform receives support in the Mexican case. Both strikes and opposition party politics have a positive effect on social security coverage, even in the context of economic constraints. Finally, this study indicates that the dynamics of economic development and social security politics vary significantly across time. The need for historically specific studies of development is further suggested by these findings.
On Mining Web Access Logs

Abstract : The proliferation of information on the world wide web has made the personalization of this information space a necessity. One possible approach to web personalization is to mine typical user profiles from the vast amount of historical data stored in access logs. In the absence of any a priori knowledge, unsupervised classification or clustering methods seem to be ideally suited to analyze the semi-structured log data of user accesses. In this paper, we define the notion of a user session , as well as a dissimilarity measure between two web sessions that captures the organization of a web site. To extract a user access profile, we cluster the user sessions based on the pair-wise dissimilarities using a robust fuzzy clustering algorithm that we have developed. We report the results of experiments with our algorithm and show that this leads to extraction of interesting user profiles. We also show that it outperforms association rule based approaches for this task.
Model Reference Adaptive Control

The sections in this article are 1 Identification Model 2 Reference Model 3 Model Reference Adaptive Control 4 Parameter Identification 5 Persistent Excitation
Sparking worker creativity: cultures where garden variety creativity can flourish

Purpose – This article discusses how managers can increase creativity from all workers, and how this increase will improve organizational outcomes at all levels.Design/methodology/approach – Paper recommendations are based on existing conceptual and data based garden variety creativity studies. From these studies, a practical, management oriented implementation model is developed.Findings – Managers can substantially improve worker creativity by removing creativity blocks, providing creativity support, and structuring work to promote creativity.Originality/value – The provided recommendations will improve worker creativity, and this increased creativity will aid companies to better cope with unexpected changes in the business environment.
Monkeys represent others’ knowledge but not their beliefs

The capacity to reason about the false beliefs of others is classically considered the benchmark for a fully fledged understanding of the mental lives of others. Although much is known about the developmental origins of our understanding of others' beliefs, we still know much less about the evolutionary origins of this capacity. Here, we examine whether non-human primates - specifically, rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) - share this developmental achievement. We presented macaques with a looking-time measure of false belief understanding, one that had recently been developed for use with 15-month-old human infants. Like human infants, monkeys look longer when a human experimenter fails to search in the correct location when she has accurate knowledge. In contrast to infants, however, monkeys appear to make no prediction about how a human experimenter will act when she has a false belief. Across three studies, macaques' pattern of results is consistent with the view that monkeys can represent the knowledge and ignorance of others, but not their beliefs. The capacity to represent beliefs may therefore be a unique hallmark of human cognition.
Ecology of soil arthrobacters in clarion-webster toposequences of iowa.

Toposequence variations in soil properties were characterized and related to variations in populations of total isolatable bacteria and arthrobacters. Increases in soil NO3-N, available phosphorous, NO3-N-producing power, Arthrobacter counts, and the percentage of the total counts represented by arthrobacters were correlated with decreases in soil acidity. The total bacterial counts were not correlated with soil acidity but were associated with percentage of soil organic matter and percentage of clay. The percentage of the total counts represented by arthrobacters was lowest at the summit position and increased downslope to the highest value in the toeslope position. Factor analysis of the data revealed that 67 to 81% of the total variance exhibited by all variables per site-sampling period could be accounted for by soil acidity, soil structure, soil fertility, soil moisture, and bacterial factors. A selective medium was developed for soil arthrobacters and tested on a wide variety of central Iowa soils to determine its potential as a medium for enumeration as well as isolation. The medium developed in this study was found to be superior to the other available direct-isolation media for soil arthrobacters.
piRNAs and piRNA-Dependent siRNAs Protect Conserved and Essential C. elegans Genes from Misrouting into the RNAi Pathway

piRNAs silence foreign genes, such as transposons, to preserve genome integrity, but they also target endogenous mRNAs by mechanisms that are poorly understood. Caenorhabditis elegans piRNAs interact with both transposon and nontransposon mRNAs to initiate sustained silencing via the RNAi pathway. To assess the dysregulation of gene silencing caused by lack of piRNAs, we restored RNA silencing in RNAi-defective animals in the presence or absence of piRNAs. In the absence of piRNAs and a cellular memory of piRNA activity, essential and conserved genes are misrouted into the RNAi pathway to produce siRNAs that bind the nuclear Argonaute HRDE-1, resulting in dramatic defects in germ cell proliferation and function such that the animals are sterile. Inactivation of RNAi suppresses sterility, indicating that aberrant siRNAs produced in the absence of piRNAs target essential genes for silencing. Thus, by reanimating RNAi, we uncovered a role for piRNAs in protecting essential genes from RNA silencing.
Development of a Tagless Strategy for the Identification and Characterization of Native Protein Complexes

s1-2 We are developing a novel tagless strategy to purify, identify and characterize water-soluble, stable complexes at high throughput, using the bacterium Desulfovibrio vulgaris as a model. First we fractionate a crude protein extract into a large number of fractions with four optimized orthogonal separation steps, ammonium sulfate precipitation, cation exchange chromatography, hydrophobic interaction chromatography, gel filtration chromatography. We then identify polypeptides and monitor their elution patterns by quantitative iTRAQ mass spectrometry (MS). Co-migrating polypeptides are automatically detected as putative protein complexes by mathematical algorithms. We fractionated 10 g of protein extract from a 400 L culture of cells by the four-step purification scheme. So far, we have analyzed 34% of fractionation space (2218 gel filtration chromatography fractions) by MS/MS, from which 833 polypeptides have been identified. As judged by their elution profiles, about 73% of the polypeptides migrate through gel filtration columns as part of multimeric complexes. Fourty heteromeric complexes were inferred on the basis of their homology to E. coli orthologs or a shared operon. Independent analysis by electron microscopy of a number of these DvH protein complexes confirms that their stoichiometries often differ not only from those of E. coli complexes but also in some cases from those of orthologs in more closely related species. This method will be used as part of a larger effort by the Ecosystems and Networks Integrated with Genes and Molecular Assemblies to model stress responses relevant to the detoxification of metal and radionuclide contaminated sites.
Regulatory Citrate Lyase Mutants of Salmonella typhimurium

Citrate lyase, the key enzyme of anaerobic citrate catabolism, could not be deleted from Salmonella typhimurium. The only class of mutants found had a mode of covalent regulation that strongly resembled the Escherichia coli system: citrate lyase was only active, i.e., acetylated, when a cosubstrate was present.
Circuit design for full scan ATPG

The author discusses full scan ATPG (automatic test pattern generation) ASIC designs. He examines the edge scan and LSSD (level sensitive scan design) versus nonscan designs in terms of gate overhead, power dissipation and cycle time for typical ASIC processes. In addition, problems and solutions to full scan design issues such as clocking schemes, asynchronous logic, latches and nonscan blocks are described. >
Early American Views Regarding European Unification

This article examines the origins of US foreign economic policy in the post-1945 period and the major challenges posed to US policy by European economic integration and the establishment of a multilateral trade regime. US post-war economic planning began in the early stages of World War II. The US promoted bilateral trade agreements based on reciprocity and most-favoured-nation principles. During the war, US policy makers debated the merits of various plans to provide economic and financial assistance to Europe based on the assumption that Nazi Germany would be defeated. The plans for economic reconstruction of Europe were made under the premise that US economy would benefit from the creation of export markets in Europe. However, US policy makers were also concerned that the creation of a unified European market could potentially constitute a challenge to US economic hegemony and perhaps a political threat should Europe fall under another tyrannical regime. US policy therefore pursued twin tracks: it prom...
Multicluster ALLIANCES: A Hight Throughput and Energy Efficient Approach for Wireless Sensor Networks

ALLIANCES is a new cooperative random access protocol which was proposed for resolving collisions in wireless networks. It can achieve high throughput and enables efficient use of energy with minimal scheduling overhead. The initial ALLIANCES approach was designed based on a small-scale network with fixed infrastructure, i.e., there is a base station (BS) that takes care of synchronization issues, declares each collision, and coordinates retransmissions. In this paper we propose a multicluster extension of ALLIANCES that enables its application to a large-scale wireless sensor network (WSN). The network is divided into groups of nodes called clusters, and each cluster is headed by the cluster head (CH). Collision resolutions and transmissions of CHs in different clusters are separable. Nodes in a cluster communicate only with the CH, who in turn forwards the information to a sink node. Collisions within a cluster are resolved as in ALLIANCES by the CH, which acts like a BS. Our simulation results shows that, with a proper clustering algorithm, the proposed scheme can achieve better performance than ALOHA, TDMA and single cluster ALLIANCES.
Gasification of surface carbon by H2O on Fe(100)

Abstract The gasification of surface carbon by water on Fe(100) was studied by flash desorption spectroscopy. The iron surface was carburized by adsorbing ethylene and heating. Water was adsorbed at 190 K. The reaction products were H 2 and CO. Two pathways to CO formation were present. One involved the reaction of adsorbed carbon and oxygen atoms at 800 K and the other led to the direct formation of molecular CO at low temperatures (300 to 400 K).
Power-bandwidth considerations in the design of MESFET distributed amplifiers

Quantitative procedures are given for the design of MESFET distributed amplifiers using series capacitors in the device gate circuits. It is shown that the choice of series capacitors allows the designer to trade gain for bandwidth while maintaining a given gain-bandwidth product. It is also shown that the input power capability can be increased by the use of series capacitors when the device pinch-off is the power-limiting factor. It is pointed out how the addition of series capacitors makes it possible to increase the gate periphery of an amplifier, which results in an increase in power-bandwidth product. >
Serial recall of visuospatial and verbal information with and without material-specific interference: implications for contemporary models of working memory.

A longstanding question in working memory (WM) research concerns the fractionation of verbal and nonverbal processing. Although some contemporary models include both domain-specific and general-purpose mechanisms, the necessity to postulate differential processing of verbal and nonverbal material remains unclear. In the present two-experiment series we revisit the order reconstruction paradigm that Jones, Farrand, Stuart, and Morris (1995) used to support a unitary model of WM. Goals were to assess (1) whether serial position curves for dot positions differ from curves for letter names; and (2) whether selective interference can be demonstrated. Although we replicated Jones et al.'s finding of similar serial position curves for the two tasks, this similarity could reflect the demands of the order reconstruction paradigm rather than undifferentiated processing of verbal and nonverbal stimuli. Both generalised and material-specific interference was found, which can be attributed to competition between prima...
Fluoxetine treatment decreases territorial aggression in a coral reef fish

Abstract Serotonin is an important neurotransmitter in the regulation of social interactions in many animals. Correlative studies in numerous vertebrate species, including fishes, indicate that aggressive males have lower relative serotonergic activity than less aggressive males. We used fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, to experimentally enhance serotonergic neurotransmission in a territorial coral reef fish and test the role of this neurotransmitter in mediating aggressive behavior and dominance interactions. The bluehead wrasse, Thalassoma bifasciatum, has a complex social system in which large males aggressively defend spawning territories from intruders. In separate experiments, we tested the effects of chronic and acute fluoxetine treatments on aggressive behavior using a resident–intruder design. In a laboratory experiment, males treated daily with intraperitoneal fluoxetine injections for 2 weeks (6 μg/g bw) displayed fewer intruder chases than saline-treated controls. Chronically fluoxetine-treated males also showed lower levels of activity than saline controls prior to intruder trials. However, activity was not correlated with chases on an individual level, indicating the lower aggression displayed by fluoxetine-treated males was not due solely to general reductions in behavioral display. A field study exposed males to a confined territorial intruder following single intraperitoneal injections of fluoxetine (10 μg/g bw) or saline given to the same individual on different days. The frequency of aggressive chases following acute fluoxetine treatment was significantly lower than that following saline injections. This study experimentally supports the link between serotonin and aggressive behavior in fishes in both a controlled laboratory testing environment and the animal's natural habitat.
Hg in metamorphic rocks

Abstract The concentration of Hg in the regionally metamorphosed politic schists, gabbroic rocks and in quartz, magnetite and hematite from metamorphosed iron formation rocks reported here ranged from tenths of ppb to tenths of ppm. The concentrations did not vary in a systematic way. However, in stepwise heating experiments the fraction of the total Hg released at higher temperatures, i.e. above 450°C, generally tended to increase with the reported increase in metamorphic grade. This is analogous to trends noted in chondritic meteorites. The Hg may thus reflect the thermal history of the sample and serve as a possible geothermometer.
Reinforcing brain stimulation and memory in monkeys

Abstract Sixty electrodes were implanted in various structures in the brain of two cynomologous monkeys subsequently trained to perform a three-position delayed response task. Each brain point was tested for the effects of electric stimulation, applied during the retention interval, on delayed response performance and for appetitive and aversive effects. At all points where there was clear evidence of approach or avoidance with respect to the brain stimulus, there was definite impairment of delayed response performance. In six of the twenty cases where there was possible evidence of approach or avoidance, there was impairment of delayed response. In none of the twenty-six cases where there was no evidence of approach or avoidance was there any evidence of impairment. The data were interpreted as indicating that the impairment produced by brain shocks could be accounted for by their appetitive or aversive effects.
Learning together to practice together.

My initial response to the questions “What is a nurse?” and “What is a doctor?” is that these are the wrong questions to be asking at this moment in time. As we stand on the verge of implementing major health insurance changes from the Affordable Care Act (ACA), we should be talking about having an