cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Human Intestinal Epithelial Cells Express a Novel Receptor for IgA

Binding and transport of polymeric Igs (pIgA and IgM) across epithelia is mediated by the polymeric Ig receptor (pIgR), which is expressed on the basolateral surface of secretory epithelial cells. Although an Fc receptor for IgA (FcalphaR) has been identified on myeloid cells and some cultured mesangial cells, the expression of an FcalphaR on epithelial cells has not been described. In this study, binding of IgA to a human epithelial line, HT-29/19A, with features of differentiated colonic epithelial cells, was examined. Radiolabeled monomeric IgA (mIgA) showed a dose-dependent, saturable, and cation-independent binding to confluent monolayers of HT-29/19A cells. Excess of unlabeled mIgA, but not IgG or IgM, competed for the mIgA binding, indicating that the binding was IgA isotype-specific and was not mediated by the pIgR. The lack of competition by asialoorosomucoid and the lack of requirement for divalent cations excluded the possibility that IgA binding to HT-29/19A cells was due to the asialoglycoprotein receptor or beta-1, 4-galactosyltransferase, previously described on HT-29 cells. Moreover, the FcalphaR (CD89) protein and message were undetectable in HT-29/19A cells. FACS analysis of IgA binding demonstrated two discrete populations of HT-29/19 cells, which bound different amounts of mIgA. IgA binding to other colon carcinoma cell lines was also demonstrated by FACS analysis, suggesting that an IgA receptor, distinct from the pIgR, asialoglycoprotein receptor, galactosyltransferase, and CD89 is constitutively expressed on cultured human enterocytes. The function of this novel IgA receptor in mucosal immunity remains to be elucidated.
A ring Compton scatter camera for imaging medium energy gamma rays

Characteristics of a novel ring Compton scatter camera are described. This camera is designed to image medium-energy (0.5 to 3 MeV) gamma-ray fields. It consists of two position-sensitive detector arrays: a 4*4 planar array of high purity germanium (HPGe) crystals and a ring array of up to 64 NaI(Tl) crystals. Past evaluations of Compton cameras have used a planar second detector, which is subjected to a large flux of gamma rays that either pass directly through or undergo small angle scatter in the first detector. A ring array significantly reduces direct and small angle scattered events in the second detector. An analytical model for ring camera systems has been developed to predict angular resolution and efficiency, and has been benchmarked against measurements made with a prototype system consisting of the 4*4 HPGe array and an eight-element ring. Predictions are made for a system with 64 crystals in the second detector ring. >
MSE-optimal training for linear time-varying channels

We consider pilot-aided transmission (PAT) for a general class of systems encompassing linear modulation and a linear time-varying channel. For these systems, and given a pilot energy constraint, we derive a tight lower bound on the mean squared error (MSE) of pilot-aided channel estimates as well as necessary and sufficient conditions on PAT to attain this bound. We then apply these results to the design of single-antenna PAT for doubly selective channels and arrive at novel MSE-optimal PAT schemes. In this application, we assume a block-based cyclic-prefix PAT and a basis expansion model for the channel.
Inheriting knowledge in neural networks

The problem of inheriting knowledge between different networks is examined. Such inheritance allows speeding up training, avoiding some local minima, and coupling fast training networks to fast executing networks. After formulating the general approach, the technique is illustrated and equations are derived for the case of transferring knowledge between a two-layer net and a three-layer net. The equations are written and solved using symbolic algebra techniques for the ease of the XOR. >
Fear of Causing Harm: Use of Mannequin-Based Simulation to Decrease Student Anxiety Prior to Interacting With Female Teaching Associates

Background: There is a paucity of research assessing the potential benefits of mannequin trainers when preparing students to interact with teaching associates. Purpose: The goal of this study was to better understand the effects of mannequin-based simulators on student comfort toward learning specific aspects of the clinical female pelvic exam. Methods: First-year medical students (N = 344) were surveyed before and after a mannequin-based simulation curriculum to assess their comfort levels toward learning the female pelvic exam. Results: Causing harm was the top cause of student anxiety toward learning the pelvic exam. Although the mannequin-based simulation curriculum was effective in significantly increasing (p < .001) student comfort levels toward learning the pelvic exam, the majority of students progressed from being “very uncomfortable” with the exam to being “somewhat comfortable.” Conclusion: We suggest that mannequin-based simulators be used prior to students' learning experience with pelvic exa...
Seasonal response of slash pine (Pinus elliottii var. elliottii Engelm.) photosynthesis to long‐term exposure to ozone and acidic precipitation*

Four half-sib families of slash pine (Pinus elliottii var. elliottii) were planted in open-top chambers and exposed to ozone and simulated acidic precipitation (3: 7 molar ratio of nitric and sulphuric acids). The 4 ozone treatments were (1) charcoal-filtered air, (2) unfiltered ambient air, (3) twice ambient and (4) three times ambient ozone, with treatments applied 12 h per day, 11 months per year for 28 months. Seedlings were irrigated weekly with one of three rain acidities: pH 33, 4.3 or 5.3 at a total rainfall equivalent of 133 cm per year. Photosynthetic rates were measured approximately every 10 weeks, on the most recently emerged branches each year. In 1988 the 3rd flush was measured, and in 1989 and 1990 the 1st flush of each year was measured. Elevated ozone concentrations generally reduced photosynthetic rates, especially during the summer months, but there was no evidence of either a threshold dose or a simple linear relationship between photosynthesis and ozone exposure. There was a seasonal drop in photosynthetic rates from March to September each year. An ontogenetic decrease in photosynthesis was also evident as trees matured. Stomatal conductance also decreased as the needles aged. Seedlings irrigated with pH 3.3 solution typically exhibited the highest photosynthetic rates, presumably due to a fertilizer effect.
Designing Stealthy Trojans with Sequential Logic: A Stream Cipher Case Study

This paper describes how a stealthy Trojan circuit can be inserted into a stream cipher module. The stream cipher utilizes several shift register-like structures to implement the keystream generator and to process the encrypted text. We demonstrate how an effective trigger can be built with the addition of just a few logic gates inserted between the shift registers and one additional flip-flop. By distributing the inserted Trojan logic both temporally and over the logic design space, the malicious circuit is hard to detect by both conventional and more recent static analysis methods. The payload is designed to weaken the cipher strength, making it more susceptible to cryptanalysis by an adversary.
Master manipulators: an update on Legionella pneumophila Icm/Dot translocated substrates and their host targets

Macrophages are the front line of immune defense against invading microbes. Microbes, however, have evolved numerous and diverse mechanisms to thwart these host immune defenses and thrive intracellularly. Legionella pneumophila, a Gram-negative pathogen of amoebal and mammalian phagocytes, is one such microbe. In humans, it causes a potentially fatal pneumonia referred to as Legionnaires' disease. Armed with the Icm/Dot type IV secretion system, which is required for virulence, and approximately 300 translocated proteins, Legionella is able to enter host cells, direct the biogenesis of its own vacuolar compartment, and establish a replicative niche, where it grows to high levels before lysing the host cell. Efforts to understand the pathogenesis of this bacterium have focused on characterizing the molecular activities of its many effectors. In this article, we highlight recent strides that have been made in understanding how Legionella effectors mediate host-pathogen interactions.
Language Choice in Education: A Politics of Persuasion

The choice of indigenous versus European languages in education should be a hotly contested issue. Surprisingly, in much of Africa it is not. African states have dramatically increased their use of local languages in education over the last decade. This increase, however, has not proceeded from vocal demands on government by various language groups. Instead, it is the result of two more subtle factors: the changed attitude of a former coloniser and the work of language NGOs on the ground. These two forces have altered governments' perceptions about the utility of African languages in their education strategies. Because this political process works through persuasion, rather than bargaining, it allows choices about language in education to be less contentious than popularly assumed, separating this process from the violent ethnolinguistic conflict that is so often associated with Africa.
Molecules for intramolecular recognition. Synthesis and structures of diaryl- and arylnaphthylethynes

Abstract While synthesizing models for intramolecular recognition, a simple and efficient method for forming terminal arylethynes was developed and palladium-catalyzed coupling chemistry of alkynes with either aryl iodides or aryl triflates was used to form crowded disubstituted alkynes.
Clinical correlates of suicidal thoughts in patients with advanced cancer.

Objective Cancer patients are at heightened risk of suicide. Clinical correlates of suicidal ideation in advanced cancer patients were examined to identify those at risk and to inform the development of interventions to reduce suicidal ideation in this vulnerable group. Methods Coping with Cancer (CwC) is an NCI- and NIMH-funded multiinstitutional investigation examining psychosocial influences on the quality of life and care of advanced cancer patients. Baseline face-to-face interviews that assessed mental and physical functioning, coping, spirituality, and use of mental health services were conducted with 700 advanced cancer patients. Results Compared with patients without suicidal ideation, the 8.9% of patients who reported suicidal thoughts were more likely to be white and report no affiliation with an organized religion (p Conclusions Advanced cancer patients who report suicidal thoughts are more likely to meet criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder and panic disorder, feel unsupported, lack a religious affiliation, spirituality, and a sense of self-efficacy, and experience more physical distress. Palliative care interventions that promote a sense of self-efficacy, spirituality, and support while minimizing physical distress may offer promise for reducing suicidal thoughts in this at-risk group.
Salivary cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone, and testosterone interrelationships in healthy young males: A pilot study with implications for studies of aggressive behavior

The present small pilot study was designed to demonstrate the feasibility and relevance of using salivary assessments of biological markers to model a complex biological substrate of aggressive behavior. Five college-aged males completed the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory on enrollment and provided saliva samples at 2000, 0200 and 0800 h during one mid-week 24-h period for three consecutive weeks. Saliva samples were assayed for cortisol (C), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and testosterone (T). All three biological measures showed stable circadian rhythms for each individual across the weeks of the study. Circadian variations indicate the importance, for C in particular, of including collection at 0200 h. Examination of the relationship among C, DHEA and T and the scales of the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory provides preliminary evidence of an acceptable methodology to study complex interrelationships based on both levels and circadian variations of all three biological measures. This study demonstrates the feasibility of using salivary collection and assays to assess the level and stability of circadian variation in biological markers, and the necessity of formulating complex models to investigate the relationship between biology and behavior.
iMStrong: Deployment of a Biosensor System to Detect Cocaine Use

Biosensor systems are increasingly promoted for use in behavioral interventions. Portable biosensors might offer advancement over self-report use and can provide improved opportunity for detection and intervention in patients undergoing drug treatment programs. Fifteen participants wore a biosensor wristband capable of detecting multiple physiologic markers of sympathetic nervous system (SNS) arousal for 30 days. Urine drug screening and drug use self-report were obtained twice per week. A parameter trajectory description method was applied to capture abrupt changes in magnitude of three measures of SNS activity: Electrodermal activity (EDA), skin temperature and motion. Drug use events detected by the biosensor were verified using a triad of parameters: the biosensor data, urine drug screens, and patient self-report of substance use. Twelve positive cocaine urine screens were identified. Thirteen self-reported episodes of cocaine use were recorded. Distinct episodes with biometric parameters consistent with cocaine use were identified on biosensor data. Eleven potential cocaine use episodes were identified by biosensors that were missed by both self-report and drug screening. Study participants found mobile biosensors to be acceptable, and compliance with the protocol was high. Episodes of cocaine use, as measured by supraphysiologic changes in biophysiometric parameters, were detected by analysis of biosensor data in instances when self-report or drug screening or both failed. Biosensors have substantial potential in detecting substance abuse, in understanding the context of use in real time, and in evaluating the efficacy of behavioral interventions for drug abuse.
Public Policy and Public Opinion Toward Sex Education and Birth Control for Teenagers

Government policy toward provision of sex education and contraception for adolescents is influenced by public opinion. This is reflected in the fact that recent program formulation appears to follow the conventional wisdom of a general conservative shift among the American public; i.e. recent policy toward adolescent pregnancy is conservative in the sense of being reactive rather than preventive. The validity of this conventional wisdom was checked by examining available data on public opinion toward sex education and birth control services for teenagers. However these data reveal an upward not a downward trend in public approval of such services for adolescents which runs counter to the conventional wisdom. The available data on American opinions and values demonstrate that the overall movement in attitudes decisively contradicts the idea of a simple conservative swing. Provision of more and better contraceptive services and sex education to teenagers is an important policy goal that would lower the incidence of adolescent pregnancy and would be supported by the American people. (authors modified.)
Simulating large-scale evacuation scenarios in commercial shopping districts: methodologies and case study

Large-scale regional evacuation is an important component of homeland security emergency response planning; however, evacuations involving large commercial shopping areas have not been a major focus area for research initiatives. This paper presents microscopic simulation methods for modeling large scale evacuations within the context of a case study involving the evacuation of parking lots within a commercial shopping district. A base model for background traffic was constructed and validated in order to represent real traffic conditions. Six evacuation scenarios were developed and explored within simulation experiments by varying factors involving the occupancy rate of parking lots and background traffic levels. The performance of vehicles attempting to evacuate the areas was captured in terms of an evacuation risk profile involving the most problematic parking lots and areas where traffic bottlenecks are projected to occur.
Memory Processes in Reading Disabled Children

For the past several years, the study of memory processes in children with reading disabilities has been a very popular area of inquiry. The goal of most recent research has been to understand why reading disabled children have problems on memory tasks, rather than simply to document the fact that they perform poorly in comparison with children who achieve normally. This month's Topical Review provides a general framework for understanding memory problems in reading disabled children by considering some of the factors that can influence memory performance. This general framework provides a useful background for understanding two important issues in current research: the relationship of memory to general intelligence, and causal relations between memory disabilities and reading failure.—JKT
OBJECTIVE EVALUATION FOR AGRICULTURAL LENDING

position and progress of acceptable and probThis increase in debt load has made financial lem borrowers from three central and northevaluation more difficult for lenders. Narrow western Missouri Production Credit Associaprofit margins and increased average loan size tions. A linear discriminant model was dehave made financial institutions more aware of veloped containing three significant ratio varithe need to determine, for their loan portfolio, ables: loan repayment made plus marketable how borrower and agricultural business inventory divided by loan repayment characteristics relate to debt repayment abil- anticipated (called a repayment index), current ity and loan quality. assets divided by current liabilities, and total A study was designed to develop an ob- debt divided by the total assets. The model jective credit evaluation technique based on correctly classified 62 percent of the loans loan repayment ability characteristics of farm analyzed. This model has been used by the Fedborrowers. Such a technique would aid lenders eral Intermediate Credit Bank of St. Louis to in discriminating between borrowers who assist in classifying loans for the Sixth Farm would be acceptable and those who would pos- Credit District. sibly turn out to be weak and have problems in Dunn and Frey developed a credit scoring repayment. model using acceptable and problem loans from Production Credit Association loan appliPREVIOUS RESEARCH cations for the cash grain area of central Illinois. The data were taken from applications of Numerous methods have been devised to borrowers who were new loan applicants beevaluate relative financial and personal charac- tween 1964 and 1968 and who still had loans teristics of borrowers; however, the most com- outstanding in 1971. Multiple discriminant monly used and widely accepted technique has analysis was used to determine that there was been multiple discriminant analysis. Discrimi- no significant difference between data from difnant analysis has been applied to the classifica- ferent years; however, differences between any tion of agriculturally related loans by Bauer possible subgroups, of data were not conand Jordan, Johnson and Hagan, and Dunn sidered. Stepwise discriminant analysis was and Frey. then used to determine the variables and their Bauer and Jordan collected data on good and respective coefficients that most significantly problem loans for the period 1958-69 from two distinguished between acceptable and problem eastern Tennessee Production Credit Associa- loans. The final model contained four signifitions. No attempt was made to identify sub- cant variables: total liabilities divided by sets of the data that might have affected the total assets, amount of credit life insurance, overall effectiveness of the analysis. Stepwise amount of note divided by net cash farm inregression analysis was used to find the most come, and acres owned. The model correctly significant variables and multiple discriminant classified 90 percent of the acceptable loans analysis was used to find coefficients for these and 60 percent of the problem loans.
Material Bodies and the Transformation of the Social

In 1992, Emily Martin pronounced ‘the end of the body’ as we know it. In considering why and how ‘the body’ has come to resume center stage as a site of theoretical analysis in social scientific and humanistic inquiry, Martin suggested that we are undergoing fundamental changes in how our bodies are organized and experienced. As a result, the ‘problem’ of the body has been thrown into relief. Ian Burkitt’s Bodies of Thought: Embodiment, Identity and Modernityand John Hassard, Ruth Holliday and Hugh Willmott’s collection Body and Organizationare two notable additions to the growing literature on embodiment, which grapples with how to make sense of what Martin characterizes as the end of one kind of body and the beginning of another. This review essay considers these two texts within the context of larger contemporary theoretical debates about modernity, embodiment and the generation of social and personal meaning.
Molecular Clocks Do Not Support the Cambrian Explosion

The fossil record has long supported the view that most animal phyla originated during a brief period approximately 520 MYA known as the Cambrian explosion. However, molecular data analyses over the past 3 decades have found deeper divergences among animals (approximately 800 to 1,200 MYA), with and without the assumption of a global molecular clock. Recently, two studies have instead reported time estimates apparently consistent with the fossil record. Here, we demonstrate that methodological problems in these studies cast doubt on the accuracy and interpretations of the results obtained. In the study by Peterson et al., young time estimates were obtained because fossil calibrations were used as maximum limits rather than as minimum limits, and not because invertebrate calibrations were used. In the study by Aris-Brosou and Yang, young time estimates were obtained because of problems with rate models and other methods specific to the study, and not because Bayesian methods were used. This also led to many anomalous findings in their study, including a primate-rodent divergence at 320 MYA. With these results aside, molecular clocks continue to support a long period of animal evolution before the Cambrian explosion of fossils.
Isotopic compositions of lipid biomarker compounds in estuarine plants and surface sediments

We examined the isotopic compositions of fatty acids, sterols, and hydrocarbons isolated from three coastal macrophytes (Ze within each lipid class varied by up to 5.6%0. Trends in the isotopic compositions of lipids were consistent with #Xc compounds obtained from Z. marina were the most enriched in “C and those from J. roemerianus were tb: most depleted. The range in isotopic abundances and molecular compositions of the sediments was greater than that obtained from the plants, indicating that additional, presently unidentified sources of organic matter contribute to the Cape Lookout Bight sediments. Similarity between the signatures for suspended particulate matter and the sediments indicates that much of the sedimentary organic matter is derived from algal and bacterial sources. Bacterial sources of organic matter are likely greater during summer/early fall, and incorporation of 13C-enriched bacterial biomass may contribute to observed seasonal shifts in SY,,, in the surficial sediments.
Inter generational Discontinuities in Nigeria

Two Ijo communities in the Niger Delta of Nigeria, Ebiama and Arnakiri, offer an opportunity to compare the effects of cultural change on intergenerational continuityfrom adolescence to adulthood. By intergenerational continuity we mean the relative consistency between the expectations of how children will or should behave as adults. In a rapidly changing society we anticipate cultural change to be manifested differently by younger and older generations and by males and females. Because we would expect change and continuity to be inversely related, we begin by hypothesizing that Arnakiri, the more acculturated community, will have less intergenerational continuity than Ebiama, the less acculturated one. Both Ruth Benedict and Margaret Mead interpreted the Sturm und Drang that supposedly characterizes adolescence as a result of cultural rather than biological causes, but they offered different explanations. Using Samoa as a test case, Mead's (1973[1928]) famous, albeit disputed, analysis rested on the homogeneity and simplicity of Samoan culture, as measured by the lack of choices open to individuals as they grew up. The extraordinaC cultural variation and multiple choices of adult activities in the United States, in contrast, explained the anxieties adolescents felt as they were both physically transformed and culturally moved from a children's world toward a completely different adult world.
Organizational Citizenship Behavior and Employee Performance: A Moderating Effect of Work Status in Restaurant Employees:

As the number of part-time employees continually increases in the United States, it is critical to know how employment status affects employees' attitudes and behaviors for organizational success as the employee plays the key role in the delivery of quality guest service and customer retention. The main goal of this study was to investigate the moderating effect of work status on the relationship between organizational and supervisor support, organizational commitment, citizen behaviors, and employee performance. Nearly 300 employees working in the restaurant industry were asked to participate in this study. Structural equation modeling was conducted to examine the four hypotheses proposed to investigate the objectives. The results indicate that there are stronger effects on employees' commitment and organizational commitment on citizenship behaviors among part-time employees than full-time workers. This finding implies that part-time employees should not be treated as perishable workers.
The notochord and floor plate guide growth cones in the zebrafish spinal cord

Elimination of the floor plate, a row of distinctive cells at the ventral midline of the spinal cord, dramatically increased the frequency of errors made by specific growth cones in the zebrafish embryo. This demonstrated that the floor plate participated in guiding specific growth cones at the ventral midline of the spinal cord. However, since a significant proportion of these growth cones followed their normal pathway despite the absence of the floor plate, we hypothesized that a second source of cues must exist at or near the ventral midline. We tested whether the notochord, which is located just ventral to the spinal cord, was an additional source of pathfinding cues by eliminating it prior to axonogenesis. Laser ablation of the notochord in wildtype embryos increased errors by spinal growth cones. Likewise, spinal growth cones made errors in no tail mutants that are missing the notochord but not the floor plate. These results demonstrate that the notochord also participates in guiding growth cones at the ventral midline. Furthermore, removal of both the floor plate and notochord resulted in a higher error rate than removal of either one alone. These results suggest that the notochord and floor plate normally act in concert to guide spinal growth cones at the ventral midline.
Predicted-Wavefront Backprojection for knowledge-aided SAR image reconstruction

This paper develops a SAR image reconstruction technique that incorporates knowledge of the scene to be imaged. This knowledge takes the form of predictions of the electromagnetic field propagation throughout the known portion of the scene, a predicted-wavefront map. This technique predicts wavefronts with INSSITE/RFScene based on an electromagnetic scattering model of the known portion. The novel SAR image reconstruction technique incorporates this predicted wavefront map into a filtered-backprojection framework, hence the name Predicted-Wavefront Backprojection. While this paper uses only results from INSSITE/RFScene, it formulates predicted-wavefront backprojection with sufficient generality that it can incorporate wavefront predictions from other electromagnetic-scattering codes, such as the full-wave codes TEMPUS, FISC, and SAF. A possible application for predicted-wavefront backprojection is Persistent Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (PISR) of an urban setting.
Thermodynamics of densification. II: Grain growth in porous compacts and relation to densification

It is shown that grain-boundary motion in a sintering array of particles can be limited by the geometry of the sintered particle network. Despite its curvature, the grain boundary can encounter an energy barrier when it attempts to move through smaller grains toward its center of curvature. This energy barrier decreases to zero when the radius ratio (R) between adjacent grains approaches a critical value, R→Rc=− [cos (Ψe)]−1, where Ψe is the dihedral angle relating surface and grain-boundary energies. The change in radius ratio (R→Rc) can occur by interparticle mass transport, viz., coarsening. This result suggests grain growth kinetics within a sintering array can be controlled by coarsening kinetics, making it distinctly different from grain growth in the fully dense material which occurs by boundary motion. More significantly, it is shown that when a grain disappears from between larger grains by coarsening, the driving force for sintering between the newly joined grains is reinitiated. That is, grain growth via coarsening can continually drive sintering and array shrinkage. It is shown that coarsening by itself does not lead to significant array shrinkage, but can promote significant shrinkage when sintering is reinitiated. Densification is therefore expected to be predictably related to grain growth, and thus coarsening kinetics. It is shown that the relative density of a ring of spheres that undergoes cyclic coarsening and sintering is nearly linearly related to grain size. Conceptual relations between density and grain growth for real powder compacts are discussed and related to the function that describes the compact's distribution of pore coordination numbers. Finally, since coarsening can be the rate-limiting step for densification, it is suggested that theory and related experiments associated with densification kinetics should be reevaluated.
Getting warmer : Effect of global climate change on distribution of rodents in Texas

Historically, distributions of plants and animals have shifted with changes in regional and global temperatures. Current predictions from general circulation models show changes in level and variation in temperature and rainfall over the next several decades. The magnitude and direction of such changes vary regionally. Studies are beginning to show that these changes will impact distribution of species of plants and animals, and, concomitantly, species composition of plant and animal communities. We used geographic information systems, vegetation models, and general circulation models to predict the impact of global climate change (GCC) on the distribution of vegetation at a regional scale, the state of Texas. Then we used habitat preferences for species of rodents in the state to predict how GCC would impact their geographic range and species richness. Our determination of suitable habitats for species of rodents included an average of 98% of capture points, and we found that suitable habitat averaged 62% of the geographic range of species. Size of habitat-corrected range increased an average of 2- to 3-fold under GCC, indicating that rodents were more adaptable to changes in vegetation than were other mammals we studied (e.g., lagomorphs and insectivores), whose range decreased, but similar to Chiroptera, whose ranges also increased. Geographic ranges shifted an average of 54% under a warmer, wetter climate and 61% under a warmer, drier climate, resulting in inclusion of an average of 60% new vegetation associations in the ranges under the former scenario and 64% under the latter scenario. The impact of GCC on rodents in Texas was greatest under the warmer, drier climatic scenario. Two species, Oryzomys cousei and Microtus mexicanus, were predicted to go extinct because their suitable habitats did not occur under GCC. These results demonstrated that the type of climate change (warmer, drier or warmer, wetter) and its severity would be important. GCC was predicted to have the greatest impact on rodent distributions in eastern Texas under a scenario of a warmer and wetter climate because forests expanded, whereas the impact would be greatest in western and southern Texas if climate becomes warmer and drier because desert and shrub habitats expanded. Life-history variables (e.g., habitat type or diet) were correlated with changes in size of range, location, or habitat composition, and reflected broad changes in the relative distribution of vegetation types. Granivores and herbivores used fewer new habitat associations that entered Texas after GCC than did omnivores or insectivores, as did terrestrial rodents compared with fossorial or arboreal rodents.
The Association of Insurance Status and Race With Transfers of Patients With Traumatic Brain Injury Initially Evaluated at Level III and IV Trauma Centers

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of lack of insurance and African American race with the probability of transfer to level I/II trauma centers after evaluation in the emergency department of level III/IV trauma centers for traumatic brain injury (TBI). BACKGROUND: The influence of nonmedical factors on the disposition of TBI patients initially seen in less specialized institutions is debated. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study involving TBI patients who were registered in the National Trauma Data Bank between 2009 and 2011. Regression methods were used to investigate the association of insurance status and race with the disposition of TBI patients evaluated in less specialized trauma centers. RESULTS: During the study period, there were 26,031 TBI patients who were registered in the National Trauma Data Bank and met inclusion criteria. Of these, 10,572 (35.9%) were transferred to a higher level of care institution. Multivariable logistic regression after coarsened exact matching demonstrated an association of uninsured patients with an increased possibility of transfer (odds ratio [OR] = 1.22; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05-1.42). On the contrary, there was no association of African Americans with transfers (OR = 1.27; 95% CI, 0.99-1.62). Those with Glasgow Coma Scale score above 8 (OR = 1.22; 95% CI, 1.08-1.39) or Injury Severity Score below 16 (OR = 1.33; 95% CI, 1.13-1.56) had a higher possibility of transfer. CONCLUSIONS: In TBI patients, lack of insurance was associated with an increased possibility of transfer to higher level of care institutions after evaluation in a level III or IV trauma center emergency department. Regardless of insurance status, this transfer pattern was also observed for African Americans, but only for those with milder injuries. Language: en
Role of Fibronectin in the Pathogenesis of Syphilis

In recent years studies concerned with the attachment of Treponema pallidum to host cells have focused on the possible, role of fibronectin in mediation of this event. Although our understanding of in vitro fibronectin-T. pallidum interactions has increased markedly, considerable controversy exists concerning not only the kinetics of binding but whether fibronectin is the only matrix protein involved in attachment. Moreover, a unifying hypothesis concerned with the role of fibronectin in the pathogenesis of syphilis cannot be limited solely to early events. Further characterization of fibronectin-T. pallidum interactions must also take into consideration that the natural infection, characterized by distinct stages, is accompanied by immunologic responses that undoubtedly impact on those cellular interactions.
Realization of parameterized reliability design of parts in Pro/E

Utilizing the characteristics of parameterized entity modeling and data complete correlation of Pro/E,the structural system of parameterized reliability designing system,the collection of entity model parameters and computing method of reliability design were studied.The applied living example was developed by its strong secondary development toolkit(Pro/Toolkit).The relevant application in enterprises raised the productive efficiency and gained comparatively good effects.
The method of the period verification based on Shewhart controlling graph in the electrical energy measuring equipments

In this paper the period verification on the electrical energy measuring equipments is introduced.In particularly,the method of the period verification based on Shewhart controlling graph is proposed.For the period verification on the three-phase electrical energy meter verification equipment,the reliability of the equipment is proved.It indicates that the believable state of the measuring result is ensured effectively.
Determination of Lead in Whole Blood by Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorbance Spectrometry with Nitric Acid-Hydrogen Peroxide Preparation for Protein Removal

[Objective]To establish a novel method for lead determination in whole blood by graphite furnace atomic absorbance spectrometry(GFAAS).[Methods]After the protein in whole blood was removed by 40mL/L nitric acid mixed with 6mL/L hydrogen peroxide in a centrifugal separator,lead in whole blood was determined by GFAAS with NH4H2PO4+Mg(NO3)2 as matrix modifier.[Results]Of the current methodological study,the linear range was 10-400μg/L,the detection limit was 4μg/L,the recovery rate range was 87.8%-115.3%,and the relative standard deviation(RSD) was 3.6%-8.6%.[Conclusion]Graphite furnace atomic absorbance spectrometry with nitric acid-hydrogen peroxide deproteinization is satisfied to the purpose of lead determination of whole blood.
Switching in amorphous semiconductors and insulators

The practical interest in the development of binary switching devices has stimulated a great deal of interest in amorphous semiconductors and, in particular, in the multicomponent chalcogenide glasses on which the most advanced “ovonic” switches are based. Switching glasses can have a variety of compositions: arsenic, tellurium, germanium, and silicon are among favored constituents. Switches can be made in two forms known, respectively, as threshold and memory switches. Their physical design is, or at any rate can be, the same, but memory switches are based on glass alloys with a lower glass transition temperature. The voltage-current characteristics of a threshold switch are shown by the full line on Figure 1. It consists of two branches, a stable OFF-state and a metastable ON-state. The ON-state requires a certain minimum holding current for its maintenance. The voltage characteristics of a memory switch are actually the same as those of a threshold switch, if the switching cycle is performed quickly, e.g., at 100 kHz. To obtain memory behavior, it is necessary to linger for a while (several milliseconds) at point P 1 or P 2 . Only then does the low-resistance ON-state stabilize, as shown by the chain line through the origin. Return to the OFF-state is accomplished by means of a higher energy pulse which causes local melting or, at least, softening, followed by thermal quenching. These memories are “nonvolatile,” in the sense that the impressed information is conserved when all electrical signals are removed.
PCR Assays for Diagnosis

A rapid and sensitive laboratory test for norovirus detection is essential, particularly during an outbreak, to contain the spreading of this highly contagious virus in the community. Stool samples are preferred for clinical diagnosis because they have higher viral titers compared to other gastrointestinal sample types. Using stool samples for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) diagnosis can be challenging due to the frequent presence of endogenous PCR inhibitors. Several US Food and Drug Administration-cleared gastrointestinal PCR panels have included internal controls (IC) to monitor for such inhibition. The need to repeat for PCR-inhibited samples, the assay throughput, and the overall test cost are critical factors when dealing with the massive sample volumes from outbreak surveillance programs, and many tests do not meet these requirements. A high-throughput, laboratory-developed, triplex quantitative PCR method for norovirus GI and GII, with inclusion of an IC, is described in this chapter. PCR inhibitions were present in 20% of the 1889 negative clinical samples tested.
What is time

People have been asking this question for centuries, and despite some advances in our understanding, it is likely to puzzle us for many years to come, says Adam Frank.
Desplazando a las “fuerzas retardatarias”. La Confederación de Trabajadores de América Latina y sus primeras acciones sindicales en Cuba, 1938-1939

Este articulo tiene como objetivo dar a conocer la colaboracion que realizo Vicente Lombardo Toledano como presidente de la Confederacion de Trabajadores de America Latina (CTAL), para concretar la unidad del proletariado en Cuba, en enero de 1939, instaurandose la Confederacion de Trabajadores de Cuba (CTC). Ademas, en la isla tambien se trazaron las primeras acciones sindicales de la CTAL para el continente durante la celebracion, en noviembre-diciembre de 1939, de la Conferencia Americana del Trabajo, patrocinada por la Organizacion Internacional del Trabajo (OIT). Ambas instancias marcaron un precedente para la realidad obrera continental, pues se inicio un fortalecimiento de las organizaciones obreras existentes y se desarrollaron acciones conducentes a formar confederaciones unitarias de trabajadores en otros paises de la region. El papel de la CTAL es propender a la unidad obrera continental, y sus primeras tareas sindicales que se proyectaron para el proletariado de America Latina no han sido estudiadas por la historiografia obrera, cuestion que en este articulo consideramos una contribucion necesaria para reinterpretar la historia de la clase obrera durante este periodo.
An End-to-End Trainable Neural Network Model with Belief Tracking for Task-Oriented Dialog.

We present a novel end-to-end trainable neural network model for task-oriented dialog systems. The model is able to track dialog state, issue API calls to knowledge base (KB), and incorporate structured KB query results into system responses to successfully complete task-oriented dialogs. The proposed model produces well-structured system responses by jointly learning belief tracking and KB result processing conditioning on the dialog history. We evaluate the model in a restaurant search domain using a dataset that is converted from the second Dialog State Tracking Challenge (DSTC2) corpus. Experiment results show that the proposed model can robustly track dialog state given the dialog history. Moreover, our model demonstrates promising results in producing appropriate system responses, outperforming prior end-to-end trainable neural network models using per-response accuracy evaluation metrics.
Crimes and the Professional Writer

The first subsection examines the evolution of British and international copyright laws for published and performed works, and Shaw’s efforts to improve them. It investigates how he tried to protect his writings from unauthorized publication and his practices in permitting their productions on stage and screen. It concludes with a lawsuit involving copyright infringement of The Chocolate Soldier on Arms and the Man. After a historical summary of income tax in Great Britain, the second subsection analyzes the 1910 surtax on large incomes, to which Shaw’s and his millionaire wife Charlotte’s were subjected, with her income legally treated as his. His income as a writer varied yearly, he had no means of determining what hers was, and he was taxable for a larger income than he enjoyed. Thus, he was at odds with the law. How he handled the issue displays his practical abilities and tact.
The Patient Who Changes His Mind

Bioethics should adopt the more nuanced view of rationality from behavioral economics. Most of us are conscious and capable of making decisions, but we are not consistently rational about all the issues all the time in all phases of life. And it is not to be taken for granted that we like to make decisions, whatever they are and whatever their consequences are. In this chapter, I make a case for bringing behavioral economics to bear on bioethics, so we have a bioethics that recognizes bounded rationality. I believe that such a “behavioral bioethics” will benefit both physicians and patients by bringing them together.
Metropolitan Regional Scale Smart City Approaches in a Shrinking City in the American Rust Belt—Case of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

This chapter describes the smart city example from the City of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the United States. Pittsburgh is a typical city in the rust belt of America that faced decline and shrinkage due to de-industrialization and globalization forces. The economic transformation of Pittsburgh into a post-industrial regime has brought its own set of unique challenges and represent a unique perspective of urban and regional planning approaches that met with varying degrees of success. The purpose of this chapter is to describe the smart city approaches in the context of a Shrinking City that have been shaped by forces of industrial decline, population and job loss, abundance of derelict industrial sites, suburban exodus and racial conflicts, along with shared notions of fighting back to comeback and succeed in the New Economy. After witnessing a prolonged state of industrial and economic decline since the 1980s, Pittsburgh had no choice but adopt planning strategies that would restructure its economy, and transform its large-scale abandoned brownfield sites to create places of vibrant economy and community. Pittsburgh’s proactive policies to involve local communities in reusing old and vacant lands for economic transformation and urban greening, as well as using green infrastructure for storm water management and improving the quality of its waterways, resulted in many success stories throughout the region. Thus, our study of Smart City strategies in Pittsburgh focuses on the successes and failures of economic transformation, brownfield redevelopment and urban greening. While it is in the process of coming back, the region still faces several challenges, such as a large number of vacant and distressed lands, aging population and infrastructure, which needs to be addressed in the coming decades.
Early Chemical and Medical Applications of Alcohol

Alcohol had a profound influence on the art of the apothecary or pharmaceutical chemist [1], as well as changing the way that many artisans and alchemists carried out some types of reactions in the process of chemical pursuits. In this final chapter, the use of alcohol in early chemical and medical applications will be discussed, first as a simple component of fermented beverages and later in its purified form. In the process, the lasting effects of the availability of alcohol on the practice of both medicine and the chemical arts will be addressed.