cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tiller persistence of eight intermediate wheatgrass entries grazed at three morphological stages

cruited tillers in mid-May, July, and September. Tiller replacement has also been shown to be the primary means of persisratios,whichincorporatedcumulativerecruitmentandmortality,were greatest on plots grazed during early vegetative and mid-culm elonga- tence in many perennial grasses (Hendrickson and Briske, tion. Tiller recruitment, tiller mortality, and tiller replacement ratio 1997). Because perennial grass plants are essentially a had a year treatment interaction. In 2000, grazing during the early collectionoftillers,anunderstandingoftillerpersistence vegetative stage resulted in significantly higher tiller replacement ra- should give managers an understanding of how their graztios than grazing during late boot or no grazing, and grazing during ing strategy may affect stand persistence. Olson and mid-culm elongation and late boot had greater tiller recruitment but Richards (1988) used a tiller replacement ratio, which also greater tiller mortality than the other two treatments. Tiller re- incorporates new tiller emergence and tiller mortality placement ratio had a grazing treatment entry interaction in 2001. to determine persistence of tiller populations. ‘Mandan 1871’ had the greatest tiller replacement ratio and tiller The morphological stage of intermediate wheatgrass recruitment among entries. The results indicate time of grazing and development shouldbe considered in planninga grazing cultivar selection influence the persistence of tillers of intermediate
The boom and bust of Latin American lending, 1970–1992

Abstract External borrowing by debtors in Latin America has followed a rollercoaster pattern during the past two decades. From 1970–1981, the growth of external borrowing averaged 27% per year across the region, while from 1982–1992 foreign debt grew at a rate of 4.3% per year. This paper analyzed the factors which contributed to this pattern of borrowing, from the perspectives of both the lenders (particularly commercial banks) and the borrowers (particularly national governments). A pooled cross-section, time series model was estimated to explain the growth of foreign debt in 18 Latin American countries during the period 1970–1992. In the full period and in one or both sub-periods individually, the growth of foreign debt was significantly positively correlated with GNP and per capita GNP. Debt growth was significantly negatively correlated with the country's trade balance.
Rpd3p Relocation Mediates a Transcriptional Response to Rapamycin in Yeast

Treating yeast cells with rapamycin, a small molecule that inhibits the TOR proteins, leads to the repression of many genes. Consistent with prior studies, we find that RPD3, which encodes a histone deacetylase (HDAC), is required for repression upon rapamycin treatment. To elucidate the mechanism underlying RPD3-mediated repression, we screened all promoters in yeast for occupancy by Rpd3p before and after treatment with rapamycin. We find that Rpd3p binds to the promoters of rapamycin-repressible genes only following treatment. These data conflict with a previously proposed model suggesting that Rpd3p is constitutively bound to rapamycin-repressible genes and becomes active only after a stimulus such as treatment with rapamycin. Rather, the comprehensive analysis presented here strongly supports a model in which recruitment of Rpd3p to gene promoters is a regulated step in the control of gene repression.
Solvolytic decomposition studies on mixed phases: Synthesis of the anti-Fe2P-type BaX2 (X Cl, Br) from BaX2LnX3 phases☆

Abstract Metastable anti-Fe2P-forms of BaCl2 and BaBr2 have been synthesized by solvolytic decomposition reactions effected on mixed-cationic BaCl2 · y LnCl3 (Ln  La, Sm) with pyridine and BaBr2 · x LnBr3 (Ln  La, Nd) with tetrahydrofuran (THF) respectively. The phase, Ba9Ln5Br33 (Ln  La, Nd) is found to be isostructural with Eu14Cl33. The mixed Ba-Ln-Cl analogue has a related structure. The reaction mechanism is discussed.
Seasonal differences in the low-latitude F2-region ionization density caused by Ē × B̄ drift and neutral wind

In the low-latitude ionospheric F2-region the electron density distribution is affected by E × B drift and neutral wind as well as by production and loss processes and diffusion. At Jicamarca, Peru (dip angle, 2°), the daily variation of the measured vertical drift velocity undergoes changes in amplitude and phase between the December and June solstices. Incorporating models of the observed vertical drift velocity, the electron density as a function of latitude and local time is theoretically calculated by solving the time dependent plasma continuity equation. In this study the effects of east-west drift are specifically ignored. The results are compared with ionosonde observations at Huancayo, Peru (dip angle, 1°), and Tucuman, Argentina (dip angle, −22°), to determine the extent to which seasonal differences in the drift velocity can account for the seasonal differences in the maximum electron density, NmF2, measured at these two stations. Solving the equations with and without a neutral wind, it is found that at Huancayo the seasonal differences in NmF2 are caused primarily by the differences in E × B drift and only secondarily by neutral wind and production processes. At Tucuman, both E × B drift and neutral wind play important roles in accounting for the seasonal differences. Between the hours of 1200 and 1900 LT for both solstitial periods the meridional neutral wind must be blowing poleward to achieve good agreement between calculated and observed NmF2 values.
A fast admissible method for identifying a short list of candidate words

Abstract We present a fast method for identifying a short list of candidate words that match well with some acoustic input to serve as an initial matching stage in a large vocabulary isolated speech recognition system that uses hidden Markov models (HMM) and maximum likelihood decoding. This method is admissible in that the short list returned by it is guaranteed to contain the maximum likelihood word given by the HMMs. Given HMMs for all the words in the vocabulary we derive a class of algorithms that are faster than a detailed likelihood computation using these models by constructing an estimator of the likelihood. Using such an estimator we produce a list of candidate words that match well with the given acoustic input. We describe several possible estimators that can be used to construct such an admissible algorithm.
Statistical Analysis and Interpretation in a Follow-Up Study of Prelingually Deaf Children Implanted Before 5 Years of Age

Problems: One important challenge in the follow-up study was the need to develop composite measures that were highly reliable and equally representative of communication skills measured at two distinct developmental periods. A second challenge was the need to partition variance in the outcome variables among conceptually important sets of variables in an attempt to identify unique and significant predictors and to identify likely pathways of influence. A final challenge was the need to preserve sample size in the presence of attrition from the initial data collection period and missing data. Solutions: Primary analyses were based on principal components analysis to form composite measures of highly correlated variables followed by hierarchical multiple regression to determine the contribution of predictor sets ordered to reflect important causal assumptions and conceptual questions. The principal components analyses resulted in unidimensional, highly reliable composite measures of communication skill, educational environment, and information processing. The hierarchical multiple regression analyses allowed partitioning variance to isolate the unique contributions made by particular variables or sets of variables. Importantly, these analyses also allowed inferences about pathways of influence from early predictors to later outcomes. Multiple imputation was used to construct complete data sets, preserving power and consistency across the numerous analyses. Summary: Collectively, the chosen statistical analyses provide a pragmatic and parsimonious solution to the challenges posed by the data collected in this study. The analyses allowed clear conclusions about the major predictors of early and late communication skill in this sample and identified likely pathways through which early child, family, and educational environment variables have their influence.
Getting Students of All Ages Excited about Fluorescence

This letter to the editor makes several suggestions to a recent classroom activity connection. These recommendations include: using a yellow filter to extend the activity; amending the description of vitamin B tablet fluorescence to say the tablet must include vitamin B-2; suggesting that shortwave UV light will be better than longwave UV for some minerals and stamps; and recommending use of polycarbonate safety glasses to offer some protection even for longwave UV.
Cyclosporine inhibits prolactin induction of ornithine decarboxylase in rat tissues

Abstract Cyclosporine (CyA), formerly cyclosporin A, significantly inhibited the ability of prolactin (PRL) to elevate ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity in a variety of rat tissues. Administration of PRL to hypophysectomized rats also resulted in an induction of ODC activity which was inhibited markedly in all tissues studied in the presence of CyA. Transglutaminase (TGase) activity was not affected in any significant manner by PRL or CyA in most tissues studied. However, it was elevated in the adrenal by 10−8 M PRL. Bromocryptine, which selectively antagonizes pituitary PRL release, decreased the kidney ODC basal levels to 30% of vehicle control and serum PRL level to 4.3 ± 1.4 compared to 28 ± 10 in controls, suggestive of PRL maintenance of steady-state ODC activity in the kidney. CyA administration did not affect the action of glucagon, a known cyclic AMP-mediated hormone, or 8-bromo-cyclic AMP on kidney ODC activity. The elevation of rat kidney ODC activity by dexamethasone and triiodothyronine (T3), compounds which elevated serum prolactin levels in all cases, was also blocked by administration of CyA. Epidermal growth factor (EGF), which did not induce rat kidney ODC activity by itself, was capable of producing a small increment in ODC activity in the presence of CyA. The marked effect of CyA to selectively block ODC induction by PRL may be due to the ability of CyA to interact with receptor-required phospholipids in membranes and thus to antagonize hormone-receptor interaction.
Gorham-Stout disease and generalized lymphatic anomalies

We postulate that there exist two distinct lymphatic malformation disorders that affect bones and cause significant morbidity and mortality. Gorham-Stout disease (G-SD) is characterized by the progressive disappearance of trabecular and cortical bone. Generalized lymphatic anomaly (GLA) is characterized by missing areas within trabecular bone and sparing of cortical bone. It is likely that both diseases have a genetic etiology because they often affect multiple noncontiguous sites; however, neither disease is heritable. Both disorders cause focal skeletal fragility. Pleural, pericardial, and peritoneal effusions also frequently complicate these conditions. Case reports and small series suggest that radiation and medical therapies (predominantly interferon and/or bisphosphonates) can stabilize progressive disease. These studies are limited by inconsistent phenotyping, variation in length of therapy and follow-up, and publication bias. We performed a retrospective study of 102 patients who have been referred to our center (24 with G-SD and 78 with GLA). Our data suggest medical therapies may allow remineralization; however, we do not know whether all patients benefit or whether those that do have sustained improvement. Important next steps include a thorough study of natural history and responses to therapy in large patient cohorts, prospective interventional trials with clearly defined outcome measures, and discovery of the genetic cause(s). Recent technologic and analytic advances in DNA and RNA sequencing, improvements in recreating human disease-causing mutations in model organisms, and in high-throughput screening for new therapeutic agents create optimism that the scientific and medical community will soon achieve a detailed understanding of the causes of G-SD and GLA and devise improved therapies for patients.
Complementary thin-base symmetric lateral bipolar transistors on SOI

CMOS and bipolar technologies are intrinsically distinct. To take advantage of the beneficial attributes of both will drive expensive high mask count processes. We present a bipolar device architecture that will naturally integrate into an existing CMOS process flow without adding the complexity of vertical scaling present in the conventional high performance bipolar technologies. Symmetric thin-base silicon on insulator (SOI) lateral bipolar transistor is proposed. It overcomes the problems associated with conventional bipolar transistors including performance degradation at high current density and slow switching speed in saturation and fabricated samples show immunity to base-push-out effect. Simulation results suggest that THz f MAX is possible with current lithography capability and SOI thickness of 20 nm. Primary applications for low voltage and memory applications are discussed.
Effects of boundary condition in numerical simulations of vortex dynamics

We show that the periodic boundary conditions typically applied in numerical simulations of vortex dynamics can lead to significantly incorrect results even when the vortex cores are small compared to the computational domain. This is demonstrated for two previously studied flows which capture significant flow physics: (i) an isolated vortex embedded in fine-scale turbulence; (ii) two antiparallel vortices of unequal strength undergoing reconnection. In case (i), periodicity, when invoked, results in strong, unphysical turbulence growth leading to vortex core transition, whereas the vortex remains totally intact during its interaction with the turbulence when periodicity is not invoked. In case (ii), the vortex interaction, including reconnection, is significantly distorted. These differences are due to the artificial zero circulation constraint, inherent in periodic simulations.
Self-dual formulations of D = 3 gravity theories

We present a novel description of linearized topologically massive gravity in which the connections, rather than metrics or dreibeins, are the fundamental variables, thereby reducing the derivative order from third ro second. The “metricity” of the affinities is implied by the field equations. The ostensible “Einstein” and “Chern-Simons” terms in the action each generate the other tensor in the field equations. The “Chern-Simons” term by itself actually represents a first order form of linearized Einstein gravity; we discuss the relation between their nonlinear extensions. We also point out that the self-dual description immediately explains why the vector Chern-Simons term does not induce anyon behavior in its sources when the Higgs term in present.
Inflammation vs. fibrosis: evaluation of small bowel narrowing in Crohn's disease with CT enterography

Inflammation vs. fibrosis: evaluation of small bowel narrowing in Crohn's disease with CT enterography
Management of Locally Advanced Non Small Cell Lung Cancer from a Surgical Perspective

Stage III, locally advanced NSCLC, represents an incredibly heterogeneous group of patients. Optimal therapy for this group is controversial and the role of surgery is not clearly defined. There have been several randomized trials over the past three decades that have helped to guide our decision-making. In patients with T3N1 tumors, surgery is the primary treatment and there is now evidence for the use of adjuvant chemotherapy. Consensus has shown that the majority of IIIB tumors are not amenable to resection. Exceptions to this are selective T4 tumors by virtue of a satellite nodule or those with isolated invasion of the spine, superior sulcus, carina or vena cava. Such tumors require technically difficult resections and are reserved for patients with excellent performance status and no evidence of N2 disease. Patients with N2 disease represent the largest proportion of patients with stage III disease. There is an increasing understanding of the importance of multi-modality therapy for N2 disease, but the exact role and timing of chemotherapy, radiation and surgery remains unclear. The role of surgery is determined by the bulk of the mediastinal node involvement. Clearly, not all N2 disease is the same. Patients with micometastatic disease and single station nodal involvement have the greatest chance for cure and surgery has a significant role in their treatment. In addition, the ability to sterilize mediastinal lymph nodes with induction therapy correlates strongly with survival. However, the ideal form and timing of induction therapy has yet to be determined. Bulky multi-station disease is frequently not amenable to surgery and is best approached with definitive chemotherapy and radiation.
Enzymatic regulation of glycoprotein synthesis in peripheral nervous system myelin.

: The enzyme UDP-N-acetylglucosamine: dolichyl phosphate, N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphate transferase initiates the synthesis of the oligosaccharide chain of complex-type glycoproteins. In view of the high content of glycoprotein in peripheral nerve myelin, the properties of this enzyme, its changes with age, and the effect of the specific inhibitor tunicamycin were investigated. The enzyme activity in rat peripheral nerve homogenate was completely dependent on the presence of exogenous dolichyl phosphate as well as Mg2+ and a detergent (Triton X-100) and was also greatly stimulated by a high salt concentration (0.4 M KCl) and AMP. The highest specific activity was present in the postmitochondrial membranes. The specific activity in postmitochondrial membranes in the presence of exogenous dolichyl phosphate reached a maximum at 17 days and remained relatively high throughout development, up to 2 years of age, but the activity was much lower when dolichyl phosphate was not added. This indicates that the enzyme level does not decrease with age, but that the content of the lipid cofactor may limit glycoprotein synthesis in vivo. Tunicamycin (5 μg) was injected intraneurally into 24-day-old rat sciatic nerve, and the enzyme was assayed from 1 to 24 days after injection. The specific activity of the transferase remained at low levels (5–40% of the level in control nerve) in most injected nerves assayed throughout this postinjection period. A protein previously identified as the unglycosylated P0 protein was synthesized in vitro by the tunicamycin-injected nerve and could be demonstrated to be incorporated into myelin in large amounts at 2 days and in small amounts at 6 days after injection. At 11 days, the protein was synthesized but not incorporated into myelin, and morphological examination showed evidence of myelin disintegration at 14 and 30 days after tunicamycin injection. These results indicate an important role for the enzyme UDP-N-acetylglucosamine:dolichyl phosphate, N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphate transferase in the synthesis of P0 in peripheral nerve myelin. The activity of this enzyme may be a limiting factor in the maintenance of the nerve.
STANDARD CODE TECHNIQUE IN THE ENUMERATION OF EPICYCLIC GEAR TRAINS

Abstract The development of an efficient solution procedure for the enumeration of epicyclic gear trains based on the standard code technique for colored graphs is introduced. The results for such gear trains with up to eight links and having six gear pairs are presented. The efficiency of checking isomorphisms of various graphs by the standard code algorithm makes this solution procedure to be very efficient compared to the existing methods. Using this study, correct numbers are identified for structurally different gear trains over which there has been minor discrepancies between previous researchers. Further, this study has enabled the discovery of cospectral colored graphs for the very first time.
Bronchial fenestration improves expiratory flow in emphysematous human lungs.

Abstract Background The crippling effects of emphysema are due in part to dynamic hyperinflation, resulting in altered respiratory mechanics, an increased work of breathing, and a pervasive sense of dyspnea. Because of the extensive collateral ventilation present in emphysematous lungs, we hypothesize that placement of stents between pulmonary parenchyma and large airways could effectively improve expiratory flow, thus reducing dynamic hyperinflation. Methods Twelve human emphysematous lungs, removed at the time of lung transplantation, were placed in an airtight ventilation chamber with the bronchus attached to a tube traversing the chamber wall, and attached to a pneumotachometer. The chamber was evacuated to −10 cm H 2 O pressure for lung inflation. A forced expiratory maneuver was simulated by rapidly pressurizing the chamber to 20 cm H 2 O, while the expiratory volume was continuously recorded. A flexible bronchoscope was then inserted into the airway and a radiofrequency catheter (Broncus Technologies) was used to create a passage through the wall of three separate segmental bronchi into the adjacent lung parenchyma. An expandable stent, 1.5 cm in length and 3 mm in diameter, was then inserted through each passage. Expiratory volumes were then remeasured as above. In six experiments, two additional stents were then inserted and forced expiratory volumes again determined. Results The forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV 1 ) increased from 245 ± 107 mL at baseline to 447 ± 199 mL after placement of three bronchopulmonary stents ( p 1 increased to 666 + 284 mL ( p Conclusions Creation of extra-anatomic bronchopulmonary passages is a potential therapeutic option for emphysematous patients with marked hyperinflation and severe homogeneous pulmonary destruction.
Policy-Based Management of the Future Airborne Network via Peer-to-Peer Networking

In this paper we present two prototype implementations of the policy-based network management framework, using peer-to-peer (P2P) protocols to improve policy distribution for the future IP-based Airborne Network. The policy-based management framework defines an architecture that simplifies and distributes network device configuration commands and thereby streamlines deployment of a coherent network-wide configuration scheme. The management capabilities offered by policy-based management may enable consistent quality of service (QoS) throughout the future Airborne Network, which is particularly important because of its highly dynamic topology and bandwidth limitations. However, the current policy-based management applications that have been developed for fixed-infrastructure networks do not present an effective solution for the Airborne Network. A more suitable approach for policy-based management of the future Airborne Network is a distributed system that can dynamically discover network devices. By providing distributed services and peer-discovery mechanisms, peer-to-peer networking appears to be an ideal candidate architecture for such a system. In JXTA, which is an open set of P2P protocols, there exists the potential to develop a more efficient policy-based network management application designed to meet the needs of the Airborne Network.
Pseudoepidemics of heroin addiction

Smooth unimodal skewed distributions, sometimes referred to as "epidemic-like" curves, are often used as evidence of time to time changes in incidence. Data on year of onset from groups of treated heroin addicts are generally alleged to reflect incidence, and this distribution is used to evaluate effectiveness and predict future needs. This paper describes the development of simple demographic models which demonstrate the production of epidemic-like curves without changes in incidence, ascertainment or duration of disorder. These graphic models are relevant to other non-infectious disorders where there is continuing exposure to the etiologic agents and where intervals between onset and ascertainment are not uniformly distributed.
Wetting transition for carbon nanotube arrays under metal contacts.

Structural arrays with nanoscale spacing arise in many device concepts. Carbon nanotube transistors are an extreme example, where a practical technology will require arrays of parallel nanotubes with spacing of order 10 nm or less. We show that with decreasing pitch there is a first-order transition, from a robust structure in which the metal wets the substrate between tubes, to a poorly wetting structure in which the metal rides atop the nanotube array without touching the substrate. The latter is analogous to the superhydrophobic ``lotus leaf effect.'' There is a sharp minimum in the delamination energy of metal contacts at the transition pitch. We discuss implications for contact resistance and possible mitigation strategies.
Making War at Home in the United States: Militarization and the Current Crisis

Our job as intellectuals, this article argues, is to struggle to understand the crisis presented by terrorism in all its forms. This can center on a theoretical account of militarization and its relationship to broader social changes, from the emergence of nationstates to the course of racialization and other inequalities to the convergence of interests in military spending. The article gives a terse historical account of the 20th-century history of the militarization process and of the distinct modes of warfare that have developed over that time. To account for the growth of militarization over the last half of the century requires a focus on the growth of U.S. hegemony and the naming of the empire that dominated the global scene as the most recent crisis opened on September 11, 2001. This account suggests how we can connect these global and national histories with specific ethnographically understood places and people, giving some examples from ethnographic and historical research in a military city, Fayetteville, North Carolina. Finally, this review of militarization suggests that the attacks on the United States, and the war that followed, represent a continuation and acceleration of ongoing developments, rather than sharp openings in history. These new developments include reasons for hope that the legitimacy of violence and empire may also be under challenge. [Keywords: militarization, modes of warfare, United States, ethnography of empire]
Quantitative Analysis of Lutein Esters in Marigold Flowers (Tagetes erecta) by High Performance Liquid Chromatography

A novel quantitative procedure for the analysis of lutein esters in Marigold flowers (Tageres erecta) using high performance liquid chromatography is described. A new solvent system consisting of methanol and ethyl acetate suitable for the separation of carotenoid hydrocarbons and esters on reversed phase adsorbent was developed for the analysis. Lutein ester concentrations in fresh Marigold flowers varied from 4 pg/g in greenish yellow flowers to 800 pg/g in orange brown flowers. The method is suitable as a general procedure for carotenoid analysis in fruits and flowers where the hydroxylated carotenoids are acylated.
Achieving Dynamic Capabilities with Cloud Computing

Although many organizations use cloud computing to improve their operational capabilities, only a few use it to pursue dynamic capabilities. Dynamic capabilities refer to the firm's ability to integrate, build, and reconfigure organizational competences to address business challenges posed by rapidly changing environments and achieve competitive advantage. Based on a study involving senior IT executives in 14 organizations that are engaged in novel uses of cloud computing, the authors present recommendations on the use of cloud computing to achieve dynamic capabilities. This article is part of a special issue on advancing cloud computing.
The series–parallel replacement problem

Abstract Traditional equipment replacement models focus on single machine problems. However, the capacity of many production facilities is defined by multiple, heterogeneous machines. In this situation, optimal replacement (and expansion) decisions must consider all machines and their integration simultaneously as they define system capacity and are therefore economically interdependent. We model a multiple machine replacement problem that is characterized as a parallel flow shop environment. Work flows through processes in a facility according to a predetermined processing order for the product(s). For a given process, numerous machines, which may differ according to type (different manufacturers), capacity, and/or age, operate in parallel. A series of these processes defines a line and in our analysis, a plant is comprised of multiple, parallel lines. In this preliminary investigation, we present an integer programming formulation to determine optimal purchase, salvage, utilization and storage decisions for each asset over a finite horizon. We illustrate that this model is difficult to solve. We provide valid inequalities to improve the lower bound provided by the linear programming relaxation and a dynamic programming approach to provide initial upper bounds.
The dining bidder problem: à la russe et à la française

Item bidding auctions are a line of research which provides a simple and often efficient alternative to traditional combinatorial auction design - in particular, they were inspired by real world auction houses, like eBay and Sotheby's. We survey the literature from a culinary perspective, offering an intuitive illustration of the welfare in simultaneous and sequential auctions. Welfare in simultaneous first and second price auctions is high when bidders have complement-free valuations. In contrast, sequential second price auctions can lead to bad outcomes due to signaling problems and even in the case of first price, a good outcome is only guaranteed for unit demand bidders. We give an intuitive interpretation of an example with bad welfare in sequential first price auctions with submodular bidders from Paes Leme, Syrgkanis and Tardos (SODA'12).
Thyroid feeding of salmon parr.

IN the spring of 1961, the Salmon Research Trust of Ireland, at its Research Station at Newport, Co. Mayo, conducted an experiment on feeding fresh thyroid to one-year-old salmon parr, on a small commercial scale.
MANAGEMENT OF DYSPLASIA IN THE COLUMNAR-LINED ESOPHAGUS

The management of patients with high-grade dysplasia in Barrett's esophagus is complex and controversial with regard to electing continued endoscopic biopsy surveillance until an early adenocarcinoma is detected or proceeding with partial esophagogastrectomy. Clinical recommendations to patients for either option should be individualized and based on several parameters reflecting patient and clinician factors. Available data on interpretational variation in the diagnosis of dysplasia; limitation of diagnostic errors with the use of a rigorous, systematic endoscopic biopsy protocol; new information on the apparent benign natural history of high-grade dysplasia in some patients; and the morbidity and mortality of esophageal resection all suggest that recommendation for continued endoscopic biopsy surveillance is an appropriate clinical practice in selected patients. Ongoing research investigations on high-grade dysplasia in Barrett's esophagus aim to reduce the potential for diagnostic errors, simplify cancer surveillance, and develop therapeutic interventions that are safer than but as effective as surgery.
Fabrication of porous hollow glass microspheres

Abstract Porous hollow glass microspheres have many uses, including porosity enhancers for lead-acid batteries. A fast, facile and high yield synthetic method for fabricating porous hollow glass microspheres with diameters around 45–55 μm is demonstrated. The process involves shaking commercially available hollow glass microspheres in dilute hydrofluoric acid for 20 min. This process yielded two pore morphologies by using different commercially available starting materials; sponge-like submicron pores etched from S38 microspheres, and straight through micron pore etched from K25. Yields were 33% and 40%, respectively. The simplicity of the reported fabrication technique has the potential to be scaled up for large scale production.
Bacteriologic and nonbacteriologic criteria for identifying individuals at high risk of developing dental caries: a review.

A review of the literature on bacteriologic and non-bacteriologic criteria for identifying individuals at high risk to dental caries is presented. The studies have been evaluated on the basis of 1) their ability to predict future caries activity of individuals and 2) their practical use. Single measurements of past caries experience in the primary and permanent dentitions, filled tooth surfaces, and S. mutans in dental plaque and saliva were found to have limited value in identifying individuals that later would develop carious lesions, as judged from the low values of sensitivity and specificity. Lactobacilli counts in saliva indicated some evidence of high reliability as a basis for selecting patients susceptible to dental decay. The results of these studies, however, were not comparable because of variations in methods, critical value of the screening criteria, and age and size of the samples. A combination of two or more predictors showed promising results, as the predictive value was increased. More research is needed on appropriate screening methods to provide higher reliability and validity of the predictors.
Cerium intermetallic compounds with two inequivalent crystallographic sites

Abstract The low-temperature properties of five cerium intermetallic compounds, Ce2Sn5, CePtGe2, Ce5Ni6In11 and Ce4−xRu4Ge12+x (with x = 0 and 1), which have two inequivalent cerium lattice sites, have been measured. The first three behave as trivalent systems at high temperatures (> 50 K) but at low temperatures they exhibit some unusual properties because of the different kinds of cerium-cerium interactions, including heavy fermion, intermediate valence and magnetic order. The Ce4−xRu4Ge12+x system is unusual and displays a variety of behaviors such as heavy fermion, magnetic and non-magnetic atom disorder (MAD/NMAD) spin glass, and both tri- and tetravalency. The existence of independent trivalent and tetravalent cerium atoms in an intermetallic phase is unique and as far as we are aware this is the first time such a distinct valence situation has been reported for a cerium compound. Other cerium systems with multi-cerium sites reported by others are also briefly discussed.
Metabolism: Bile acids heat things up

Thyroid hormone causes fat loss, but harnessing this action to treat obesity is difficult because it is associated with harmful side effects. However, bile acids generate active thyroid hormone just where it is needed.
A nose that looks like a hand and acts like an eye: the unusual mechanosensory system of the star-nosed mole.

The star-nosed mole (Condylura cristata) has a snout surrounded by 22 fleshy and mobile appendages. This unusual structure is not an olfactory organ, as might be assumed from its location, nor is it used to manipulate objects as might be guessed from its appearance. Rather, the star is devoted to the sense of touch, and for this purpose the appendages are covered with thousands of small mechanoreceptive Eimer's organs. Recent behavioral studies find that the star acts much like a tactile eye, having a small behavioral focus, or “fovea” at the center – used for detailed explorations of objects of interest. The peripheral and central nervous systems of the mole reflect these behavioral specializations, such that the small behavioral focus on the nose is more densely innervated in the periphery, and has a greatly enlarged representation in the somatosensory cortex. This somatosensory representation of the tactile fovea is not correlated with anatomical parameters (innervation density) as found in other species, but rather is highly correlated with patterns of behavior. The many surprising parallels between the somatosensory system of the mole, and the visual systems of other mammals, suggest a convergent and perhaps common organization for highly developed sensory systems.
Development of bioresorbable Mg-substituted tricalcium phosphate scaffolds for bone tissue engineering

Mg-substituted tricalcium phosphate (β-TCMP) samples were prepared either by the solid-state reaction of CaHPO 4 (DCPA), CaCO 3 and MgO powder at 1000 °C, or by a two-step process: wet precipitation of a precursor and further calcination of the precursor. The transition temperature from β-Tricalcium Phosphate (TCP) to α-TCP increases with the increase of Mg 2+ content in β-TCMP samples. A β-TCMP sample with 3 mol% Mg 2+ has a β-TCP to α-TCP transition temperature above 1300 °C, which was then used to fabricate various β-TCMP scaffolds in this study. Interconnected porous β-TCMP ceramics, with pore size > 100 μm and relative density of ~ 81% to 84%, were developed by a replication method using polyurethane foam as a template; micropores were also found in the scaffold struts. β-TCMP ceramics with a porous structure in the center and a dense shell-like structure outside, mimicking human bone, were fabricated by a molding method. Dense β-TCMP ceramic rings were also produced with an average compressive strength of 129 MPa.
Sex Distribution of Study Samples Reported in American Society of Biomechanics Annual Meeting Abstracts

Background Study samples should be appropriately selected to maximize generalizability of results. Excluding one sex from studies of conditions that affect both sexes is problematic and has received attention as a public policy issue in the United States, resulting in legislation and recommendations made by the National Institutes of Health to address this deficiency of study designs. It is unknown to what extent biomechanical studies have inappropriately excluded one sex. The objective of this study was to provide objective data on this question. Methods A retrospective review of random samples of abstracts presented at American Society of Biomechanics annual meetings from 1983 to 2013 was conducted to assess reporting of sex of study samples and whether the study samples were approximately balanced with respect to sex. Findings We did not find a statistically significant increasing trend in the percentage of abstracts reporting sex over time. However, increasing trends were noted in the percentage of abstracts including both sexes (p 0.05). In 2013 the percentage of abstracts reporting studies having approximately balanced study samples was only 28%, far from the ideal level of 100%. Interpretation While there has been modest change since 1983, there remains significant room for improvement in the reporting and composition of experimental studies reported at American Society of Biomechanics annual meetings.
The 14N NMR linewidth versus pH profiles for several amino acids

A spectrometer for recording 14N NMR spectra is described. The 14N NMR linewidth versus pH dependences of several amino acids and related molecules are presented. It appears that the linewidth pH profile of each amino acid is unique. Linewidth minima occur between pH 6 and 8. A discussion on how 14N NMR linewidths of amino acids might give information on weak association is given.
What Motivates African-American Charitable Giving: Findings from a National Sample

Abstract Given the growing wealth of minority families in America, including that of African-American families, the potential for charitable donations from these households is much greater. The purpose of this secondary analysis is to examine those variables that may influence African-American charitable giving patterns. This study uses the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) data to analyze the effects of multiple factors on the giving habits of African-Americans. Based on this study's findings, social workers employed as executive directors or fund-raisers in private nonprofit organizations may want to identify and cultivate individual African-American donors directly, instead of relying on United Way and other federated campaigns.
Applying question answering technology to locating malevolent online content

We have empirically compared two classes of technologies capable of locating potentially malevolent online content: 1) popular keyword searching, currently widely used by law enforcement and general public, and 2) emerging question answering (QA). The Google search engine exemplified the first approach. To exemplify the second, we further advanced the pattern based probabilistic QA approach and implemented a proof-of-concept prototype that was capable of finding web pages that provide the answers to the given questions, including non-factual ones (e.g. ''How to build a pipe bomb?''). The answers to those question typically indicate the presence of malevolent content. Our findings suggest that QA technology can be a good addition to the traditional keyword searching for the task of locating malevolent online content and, possibly, for a more general task of interactive online information exploration.
CT and MRI of pulmonary valvular abnormalities

Pulmonary valve disease constitutes a wide spectrum of conditions. Traditionally, echocardiography has been the technique of choice for the evaluation of pulmonary and other valvular disease. However, with advances in technology, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are playing increasingly important roles in the evaluation of these disorders. In this article, we review the normal appearance of the pulmonary valve and then illustrate various variants and pathological entities of the pulmonary valve.
The Arbitrability Dicta in First Options v. Kaplan: What Sort of Kompetenz–Kompetenz Has Crossed the Atlantic?

IN MAY of 1995 the United States Supreme Court handed down a significant decision about the allocation of functions between judges and arbitrators. First Options of Chicago v. Kaplan 1 arose from an arbitral award rendered against both an investment company and its owners with respect to debts owed to a securities clearing house. The owners argued that they had never signed the arbitration agreement from which the arbitral tribunal drew its power, and consequently were not bound by its award. The Supreme Court held that the scope of the arbitration agreement was a matter for courts to decide independently ( i.e. , without deference to the arbitral finding on the matter), and affirmed the Court of Appeals' decision that the owners had not agreed to arbitrate.2 So far so good. The problematic part of the Supreme Court's opinion lies in dicta suggesting that in some situations (although not under the facts of Kaplan ) what the Court called ‘the arbitrability question itself’ may be submitted to arbitration,3 in which case the courts must defer (‘give considerable leeway’4) to arbitrators' decisions on the limits of their own jurisdiction. What exactly this dicta means is unclear. Human nature being what it is, however, the securities industry and other groups relying on arbitration clauses in standard form contracts can be expected to give the dicta an expansive interpretation, tending to further a degree of arbitral autonomy that may be at odds with sound arbitration policy. ### (a) The Public Side of Private Adjudication As the volume5 and scope6 of non-judicial dispute resolution increases, so does the need for scholars to address how courts should deal with jurisdictional challenges in private adjudication. Truly private forms of dispute resolution, such as conciliation and mediation, depend for their effectiveness on the moral force of the adjudicator and the socio-economic pressures …
Scalable and Reliable Sensor Network Routing: Performance Study from Field Deployment

Scalable and reliable routing is a critical issue in sensor network deployment. A number of approaches have been proposed for sensor network routing, but sensor field implementation tends to be lacking in the literature. In our study, the problems of scalability and reliability in sensor network routing are addressed through a simple but powerful scheme implemented on Mica2 motes running TinyOS along with other, more widely-used routing protocols. Motes are tested in an outdoor sensor field, and detailed experiments are carried out for performance analysis. This paper presents the implementation details and the results obtained from head-to-head comparison of routing protocols. The proposed protocol delivers 93% of packets injected at a rate of one packet per second in networks with end to end hop distances of over 10 hops-a result which significantly improves upon results from the standard TinyOS routing implementation of MINTRoute. The promising results can be explained by the key protocol properties of reliability (via multi-path redundancy), scalability (with efficiently contained flooding), and flexibility (source-tunable per-packet priority) which are achieved without adding protocol complexity or resource consumption. These strengths enable the protocol to outperform even sophisticated link estimation based protocols especially in adverse outdoor sensor field environments.
Neural Encoding of Rapidly Fluctuating Odors

SUMMARY Olfactory processing in the insect antennal lobe is a highly dynamic process, yet it has been studied primarily with static step stimuli. To approximate the rapid odor fluctuations encountered in nature, we presented flickering ‘‘white-noise’’ odor stimuli to the antenna of the locustand recorded spike trains from antennal lobe projection neurons (PNs). The responses varied greatly across PNs and across odors for the same PN. Surprisingly, this diversity across the population was highly constrained, and most responses were captured by a quantitative model with just 3 parameters. Individual PNs were found to communicate odor information at rates up to � 4 bits/s. A small group of PNs was sufficient to provide an accurate representation of the dynamic odor time course, whose quality was maximal for fluctuations of frequency � 0.8 Hz. We develop a simple model for the encoding of dynamic odor stimuli that accounts for many prior observations on the population response.
Increasing the “natural” draw ratio by hot nip drawing

The drawing of polymers into high strength films or tapes is an important process in industry. A method of local heating and drawing of plastic sheets into high strength films is discussed, and the preliminary results of this new technology are presented.
An eigenface approach for estimating driver pose

In this paper, we present a non-parametric method which can be used to analyze facial video data of an automobile driver as he or she drives the vehicle. Each frame in the video sequence is classified using an eigenface representation. A database of face pose images is constructed, and experimental results are given which measure the performance of the method on a large test set. Variations in the performance as the number of faces used to train the classifier, as well as the number of eigen coefficients in the representation are varied, are also reported.
Homology in development and the development of the homology concept

Homology is a central concept for Developmental Evolution. Here I argue that homology should be explained within the reference processes of development and evolution; development because it is the proximate cause of morphological characters and evolution because it deals with organic transformations and stability. This was already recognized by Hans Spemann in 1915. In a seminal essay “A history and critique of the homology concept” Spemann analyzed the history and present problems of the homology concept. Here I will continue Spemann's project and analyze some of the 20th century contributions to homology. I will end with a few reflections about the connections between developmental processes and homology and conclude that developmental processes are inherent in (i) the assessment of homology, (ii) the explanation of homology, (iii) the origin of evolutionary innovations (incipient homologues), and (iv) can be considered homologous themselves.