cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mastering the market: Japanese government targeting of the computer industry

A key topic of inquiry in the ongoing debate over Japan's remarkable postwar growth is the role of the government. Some argue that the state has played a leading role in stimulating and guiding the development of specific industries; others argue that market factors, such as high rates of investment and savings and low labor costs, have been the key impetus. This article focuses on the link between the state and the market, in particular the impact of state policies on market competition. It is primarily concerned with how targeting policies can be structured in ways that spur industrial development; that is, how policies can help firms enter an industry and encourage them to invest heavily to make better products, without sapping their initiative and making them dependent on the government. A case study of Japan's national strategy to develop an economically viable computer industry provides an opportunity to explore the relationship among targeting policies, market competition, and industrial development.
Groupthink: usability of secure group association for wireless devices

A fairly common modern setting entails users, each in possession of a personal wireless device, wanting to communicate securely, via their devices. If these users (and their devices) have no prior association, a new security context must be established. In order to prevent potential attacks, the initial context (association) establishment process must involve only the intended devices and their users.A number of methods for initial secure association of two devices have been proposed; their usability factors have been explored and compared extensively. However, a more challenging problem of initial secure association of a group of devices (and users) has not received much attention. Although a few secure group association methods have been proposed, their usability aspects have not been studied, especially, in a comparative manner. This paper discusses desirable features and evaluation criteria for secure group association, identifies suitable methods and presents a comparative usability study. Results show that some simple methods (e.g., peer- or leader-based number comparisons) are quite attractive for small groups, being fast, reasonably secure and well-received by users.
Plasma Dynamics and Flow Control Applications

Over the last decade, there has been considerable interest in the use of plasmas generated over high-speed vehicles for flow control and energy management. Plasma flow control does not use moving parts, and can be turned on and off on a very short time scale. In laboratory experiments, thermal plasmas, laser-induced breakdown, as well as various types of surface and volume-filling electric discharge plasmas, have been widely used to modify both subsonic and supersonic flows. Potential plasma flow control applications include drag reduction, boundary layer separation and transition control, mixing enhancement, shock wave modification, wave drag reduction, and on-board electrical power generation. Primary mechanisms of plasma flow control include magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) and electrohydrodynamic (EHD) interactions, as well as thermal methods using Joule heating of the flow. This article provides a brief overview of the main concepts and methods of plasma flow control. Keywords: flow control; plasma dynamics; Lorentz force; Coulomb force; Joule heating
Contemporary western feminist perspectives on prostitution.

This paper contrasts two prominent positions in contemporary Western feminist discourse about prostitution. The first is radical feminism which emerged in the early 1970s; the second is libertarian feminism which emerged in the late 1980s. The paper analyses the underlying assumptions and public policy recommendation of each position; it argues that each illuminates important aspects of the situations of some prostitutes but ignores or denies others. An approach to prostitution capable of providing an adequate guide to public policy must be less dogmatic or "essentialist" than either radical or libertarian feminism; it should investigate how the sex trade operates in specific locations and the varying meanings it has in different cultural contexts. Such investigations must be feminist not only in their commitment to ending the subordination of women but also in their respect for choices made by women who already must often endure not only exploitation but also stigmatization discrimination and exclusion. (authors)
Using Public Health Indicators to Measure the Success of Hypertension Control

Hypertension is widely recognized as a public health menace but rarely treated as one. In many ways, the challenge of hypertension reflects a transition from classic public health strategies that have been applied to control microbial epidemics to a fully medicalized approach requiring individual doctor–patient encounters. One reason why hypertension has perhaps not been seen as a legitimate public health problem is the unavailability of good surveillance measures that can describe disease burden. Although we have abundant information about the relative risk associated with various levels of blood pressure and the benefit to be gained from treatment, it had not been possible until recently to relate levels of hypertension treatment and control in a specific population to rates of cardiovascular sequelae. Reasonable evidence suggests that increased levels of treatment of cardiovascular (CV) risk factors have been associated with declines in CV mortality.1,2 The most recent estimates suggest that ≈60% of the CV decline can be explained by a combination of primary and secondary prevention.2 Soon after antihypertensive therapy came into widespread use, the long-term decline in stroke mortality in the US increased from 1% to 2% per year.1 Although stroke occurrence has been known to vary widely among countries,3 there are inadequate data on blood pressure control from national surveys that have been collected in standardized …
Is Mullerian-Inhibiting Substance a Circulating Hormone in the Chick-Quail Chimera?*

Mullerian-inhibiting substance (MIS) is a glycoprotein from the fetal testis which causes regression of the embryonic Mullerian duct. It was thought to be a locally acting agent, because in the true hermaphrodite, a Fallopian tube remains on the side contralateral to that bearing a testis, but is absent on the side adjacent to the testis. To test whether Mullerian duct regression could occur at a distant site, the chickquail chimera was used. Chick embryos were maintained in shellless culture from 3–14 days of incubation. At 7–9 days of incubation, a chick/quail chimera was created by grafting a quail Mullerian duct into the eye of the chick. Three or four days later, the eye was enucleated and histologically examined using the Feulgen reaction or a modification of this technique. Under these conditions, the quail cell nuclei could be readily identified, allowing absolute identification of the cells around the graft. Twenty-three female chick hosts received grafts; of the 17 grafts recovered, 16 were deve...
Team-Based Learning: Moderating Effects of Metacognitive Elaborative Rehearsal and Middle School History Content Recall

Promoting Acceleration of Comprehension and Content through Text (PACT) and similar team-based models directly engage and support students in learning situations that require cognitive elaboration as part of the processing of new information. Elaboration is subject to metacognitive control, as well (Karpicke, Journal of Experimental Psychology: General 138(4):469–485, 2009)—successful learners use metacognitive elaborative rehearsal to process and make sense of incoming information even in the absence of structured opportunities or instructional prompts for elaborating. Levels of processing and cognitive load theories suggest that students in PACT classrooms may outperform students in comparison classes because PACT engages and supports deep cognitive processing (via elaboration and discussion) at the time of learning, allowing participants to better conserve and more consistently reallocate cognitive and metacognitive resources (compared to students in the non-treated group) for encoding content. In other words, PACT may moderate the relationship of metacognitive elaborative rehearsal and content retrieval. Extant data from years 1 (n = 419) and 2 (n = 704) of the PACT/RFU project suggests such an effect. As hypothesized, there were no mean differences in reported metacognitive rehearsal use across the groups because metacognitive elaborative rehearsal was not taught. However, regression coefficients for content recall on metacognitive elaboration were greater in the treatment group in both samples suggesting that an instructional emphasis on deep processing leads to better content recall. The findings are discussed in the context of the Common Core State Standards and the large-scale testing programs in place currently across the USA.
Creep Behavior of a Model Refractory System MgO-CaMgSiO4

The effects of the presence of a silicate boundary phase on the high-temperature creep behavior of a model refractory system MgO--CaMgSiO/sub 4/ (monticellite, CMS) were studied at 1200 to 1450/sup 0/C. A change in the dominant mechanism of deformation was determined with increasing temperature and decreasing applied stress. It was concluded that, at 1200/sup 0/C, deformation is controlled by a dislocation mechanism in the MgO framework, whereas at higher temperatures creep is the result of simultaneous mechanisms but dominated by viscous deformation of the silicate boundary region.
Enhancement of Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) Infection by Seminal Plasma and Semen Amyloids Implicates a New Target for the Prevention of HSV Infection

Human herpesviruses cause different infectious diseases, resulting in world-wide health problems. Sexual transmission is a major route for the spread of both herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) and -2. Semen plays an important role in carrying the viral particle that invades the vaginal or rectal mucosa and, thereby, initiates viral replication. Previously, we demonstrated that the amyloid fibrils semenogelin (SEM) and semen-derived enhancer of viral infection (SEVI), and seminal plasma (SP) augment cytomegalovirus infection (Tang et al., J. Virol 2013). Whether SEM or SEVI amyloids or SP could also enhance other herpesvirus infections has not been examined. In this study, we found that the two amyloids as well as SP strongly enhance both HSV-1 and -2 infections in cell culture. Along with SP, SEM and SEVI amyloids enhanced viral entry and increased infection rates by more than 10-fold, as assessed by flow cytometry assay and fluorescence microscopy. Viral replication was increased by about 50- to 100-fold. Moreover, viral growth curve assays showed that SEM and SEVI amyloids, as well as SP, sped up the kinetics of HSV replication such that the virus reached its replicative peak more quickly. The interactions of SEM, SEVI, and SP with HSVs are direct. Furthermore, we discovered that the enhancing effects of SP, SEM, and SEVI can be significantly reduced by heparin, a sulfated polysaccharide with an anionic charge. It is probable that heparin abrogates said enhancing effects by interfering with the interaction of the viral particle and the amyloids, which interaction results in the binding of the viral particles and both SEM and SEVI.
Top-of-Atmosphere Direct Radiative Effect of Aerosols over Global Oceans from Merged CERES and MODIS Observations

The direct radiative effect of aerosols (DREA) is defined as the difference between radiative fluxes in the absence and presence of aerosols. In this study, the direct radiative effect of aerosols is estimated for 46 months (March, 2000 to December, 2003) of merged CERES and MODIS Terra global measurements over ocean. This analysis includes the contribution from clear regions in both clear and partly cloudy CERES footprints. MODIS-CERES narrow-to-broadband regressions are developed to convert clear-sky MODIS narrowband radiances to broadband SW radiances, and CERES clear-sky Angular Distribution Models (ADMs) are used to estimate the corresponding TOA radiative fluxes needed to determine the DREA. Clear-sky MODIS pixels are identified using two independent cloud masks: (i) the NOAA-NESDIS algorithm used for inferring aerosol properties from MODIS on the CERES Single Scanner Footprint TOA/Surface Fluxes and Clouds (SSF) product (NOAA-SSF); and (ii) the standard algorithm used by the MODIS aerosol group to produce the MODO4 product (MODO4). Over global oceans, direct radiative cooling by aerosols for clear scenes identified from MODO4 is estimated to be 5.5 W m-2, compared to 3.8 W m-2 for clear scenes from NOAA-SSF. Regionally, differences are largest in areas affected by dust aerosol, such as oceanic regions adjacent to the Saharan and Saudi Arabian deserts, and in northern Pacific Ocean regions influenced by dust transported from Asia. The net total-sky (clear and cloudy) DREA is negative (cooling) and is estimated to be -2.0 W m-2 from MOD04, and -1.6 W m-2 from NOAA-SSF. The DREA is shown to have pronounced seasonal cycles in the Northern Hemisphere and large year-to-year fluctuations near deserts. However, no systematic trend in deseasonalized anomalies of the DREA is observed over the 46-month time series considered.
Knowing when to 'second-guess': The mindful analysis of messages

Studies on social information gathering typically investigate how an interactant actively elicits needed information from another source. An alternative approach would focus on how a hearer gathers selected bits of information from the message(s) at hand. The process of second-guessing is proposed as one such interpretive approach to information gathering. Previous research confirmed that social actors do use this strategy and use it reasonably effectively. This article extends our knowledge of second-guessing by looking at the conditions or “cues” that provoke the process, and by showing that participants in an experimental study second-guess when confronted with those cues.
Kernel mechanisms for distributed real-time programs

The design of a kernel for distributed real-time programs is described. This design allows a distributed real-time program to be configured by interconnecting ports of component processes. This configuration is specified separately from the programs of individual processes, permitting easy reconfiguration of programs. The kernel provides mechanisms for both asynchronous and synchronous communication. A variety of mechanisms is provided for specifying real-time constraints. A novel aspect of this design is the provision of a structure called process clone that incorporates redundant computation for fault tolerance. This redundancy is provided such that it is transparent to application programs, and is used by the kernel to ensure continuity of operation in the presence of failures. Implementing this kernel poses many problems. The authors discuss some of these and present solutions that have been adopted in a prototype implementation of the kernel. >
Cheatgrass Invasion in Salt Desert Shrublands: Benefits of Postfire Reclamation

Abstract In 1998, fires burned more than 11 330 ha of rangeland on Dugway Proving Ground in Utah's west desert. Postfire revegetation was implemented in 2 affected salt desert shrub communities (greasewood; Sarcobatus vermiculatus Hook. and black sagebrush/shadscale; Artemisia nova A. Nels; Atriplex confertifolia Torr. & Frem.) to deter cheatgrass ( Bromus tectorum L.) encroachment. We monitored cheatgrass densities for 3 years after the fire in burned drill seeded, burned not-seeded, and unburned plots to assess the rate of invasion and determine the impact on cheatgrass of drill seeding perennial species. Cheatgrass invaded quickly in both shrub sites following the fires. In the greasewood site, drill seeded species germinated but did not establish. This was likely due to a combination of soil salinity and extremely dry weather conditions during the second year of the study. Drill seeded species in the black sagebrush site germinated and established well, resulting in the establishment of 16.5 perennial grasses · m -2 and 1 356 shrubs · ha -1 . Cheatgrass densities were consistently lower in drill seeded versus not-seeded plots, although these were not always statistically different when Bonferroni comparisons were considered. The initial decrease in cheatgrass densities in drill seeded plots may have resulted from soil disturbance coupled with extremely low precipitation rather than competitive effects. Nevertheless, as seeded species mature and increase their competitive ability, we predict long-term suppression of cheatgrass in the absence of further disturbance.
A large tumour from the gray snapper, Lutjanus griseus (L.)

. Using a panel of special stains employed in human histopathology and immunohistology, the authors diagnosed a tumour from the common gray snapper, Lutjanus griseus (L.), as a myoma, Only a few such tumours have been previously reported from fishes. Gray snapper are readily available and may provide a model for basic studies on this, as well as other, types of tumour.
Married Women’s Labor Supply and Spousal Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: Results from Panel Data

This paper investigates the effect of spousal insurance coverage on married women’s labor supply. This effect was hypothesized to be negative, since married women have an incentive to seek employment in jobs that will provide insurance when their husbands do not provide coverage. Panel data from the 1996–2004 Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys was used to control for the potential correlation between unobserved characteristics and spousal insurance. The findings suggest that spousal coverage does have a negative effect on married women’s labor supply, and that most of the reduction in labor supply seems to derive from shifts out of the labor force rather than between part-time and full-time work.
Prognosis following the use of complementary and alternative medicine in women diagnosed with breast cancer.

Summary Objective The purpose of this study was to assess whether CAM use affected breast cancer prognosis in those who did not receive systemic therapy. Design Secondary data analysis of baseline/survey data from the Women's Healthy Eating and Living (WHEL) study. 2562 breast cancer survivors participating in the study completed baseline assessments and a CAM use questionnaire. Cox regression models were conducted to evaluate the use of CAM modalities and dietary supplements on time to an additional breast cancer event (mean follow-up=7.3 years). Setting A US-based multi-site randomized dietary trial. Outcome Time to additional breast cancer events. Results The women who did not receive any systemic treatment had a higher risk for time to additional breast cancer events (HR=1.9, 95% CI: 1.32, 2.73) and for all-cause mortality (HR=1.7, 95% CI: 1.06, 2.73) compared to those who had received systemic treatment. Among 177 women who did not receive systemic treatment, CAM use was not significantly related to additional breast cancer events. There were no significant differences between high supplement users (≥3 formulations per day) and low supplement users in either risk for additional breast cancer events. Conclusion The risk for an additional breast cancer event and/or death was higher for those who did not receive any systemic treatments; the use of dietary supplements or CAM therapies did not change this risk. This indicates that complementary and alternative therapies did not alter the outcome of breast cancer and should not be used in place of standard treatment.
Analyte detection using an ion-channel sensor array

Ion-channel sensors can be used for detecting small metal ions and organic molecules. The sensor consists of a chamber with a lipid bilayer hosting ion channels produced by protein insertion. These channels allow selective transport and produce a characteristic signal across the chamber for each analyte. A four chamber ion channel sensor array is built for accurate analyte detection. In this paper, we address the case in which non-uniform number of channels formed in each chamber. The power distribution information in the transform domain is used as features for each chamber signal. We employ support vector regression to estimate the number of channels inserted in each chamber and normalize the chamber signal features. The change observed in the normalized features of the chamber containing the analyte with respect to other chambers is used for detection. Results show high accuracy rates for detection of analyte using simulated data and experimental data.
Indirect Detection of Little Higgs Dark Matter

Little Higgs models with $T$ parity contain an attractive dark matter candidate, the heavy photon. We compute the cross section of the heavy photon annihilation into $Z$-photon pairs, which turns out to be substantially higher than the previously computed cross section for the two photon final state. Unfortunately, even with this enhancement, the monochromatic photon flux from galactic heavy photon annihilation is unlikely to be detectable by GLAST or the currently operating atmospheric Cerenkov telescopes. We also compute the flux of high-energy neutrinos from the annihilation of the heavy photons captured by the Sun and the Earth. The maximum flux of upward-going muons due to such neutrinos is about $1\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{yr}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}\text{ }{\mathrm{km}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$.
Rapid Scan Inverse Raman Spectroscopy

Inverse Raman spectra are obtained at 1 cm−1 resolution at scan rates of 330 cm−1/min with good signal/noise ratio. Scan rates are limited by grating rotation speed of the dye laser. It is proposed that a dye laser designed for rapid tuning would allow scan rates above 1000 cm−1/min with no loss of resolution or signal/noise ratio.
Differential intensity contrast swept source optical coherence tomography for human retinal vasculature visualization

We demonstrate an intensity-based motion sensitive method, called differential logarithmic intensity variance (DLOGIV), for 3D microvasculature imaging and foveal avascular zone (FAZ) visualization in the in vivo human retina using swept source optical coherence tomog. (SS-OCT) at 1060 nm. A motion sensitive SS-OCT system was developed operating at 50,000 A-lines/s with 5.9 μm axial resoln., and used to collect 3D images over 4 mm^2 in a normal subject eye. Multiple B-scans were acquired at each individual slice through the retina and the variance of differences of logarithmic intensities as well as the differential phase variances (DPV) was calcd. to identify regions of motion (microvasculature). En face DLOGIV image were capable of capturing the microvasculature through depth with an equal performance compared to the DPV.
Factors associated with home environmental problems among community-living older people

Purpose : This paper describes the types of difficulties older people have with their home environments and the factors associated with having such difficulties. Method : Data were used from 296 study participants of the University at Buffalo's Consumer Assessments Study that examines the home modification needs and environmental difficulties of older people. A combination of socio-demographic variables, health and functional status indicators and measures of psychosocial well-being were used to predict environmental problems. Results : An average of 13 problems with the environment that posed as a barrier to safe and independent performance was observed in homes. It was found that most difficulties occurred in bathrooms, kitchens, bedrooms and access to entryways and rooms. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that having home environmental problems was most strongly associated with younger age, being female, being of minority status, having pain, and greater physical disability. Conclusion :...
Potassium Homeostasis, Regulation of

Potassium homeostasis is the fine regulation of the distribution of potassium within body fluid compartments, aimed to maintain the large concentration gradient between intracellular and extracellular potassium.
Maskelynite in asteroidal, lunar and planetary basaltic meteorites: An indicator of shock pressure during impact ejection from their parent bodies

Abstract Maskelynite is a diaplectic glass that forms from plagioclase at shock pressures of ∼20–30 GPa, depending on the Ca concentration. The proportion of maskelynite-rich samples in a basaltic meteorite group correlates with the parent-body escape velocity and serves as a shock indicator of launching conditions. For eucrites (basalts widely presumed to be from Vesta; vesc = 0.36 km s−1), ∼5% of the samples are maskelynite rich. For the Moon (vesc = 2.38 km s−1), ∼30% of basaltic meteorites are maskelynite rich. For Mars (vesc = 5.03 km s−1), ∼93% of basaltic meteorites are maskelynite rich. In contrast, literature data show that maskelynite is rare (∼1%) among mare basalts and basaltic fragments in Apollo 11, 12, 15 and 17 soils (which were never ejected from the Moon). Angrites are unbrecciated basaltic meteorites that are maskelynite free; they were ejected at low-to-moderate shock pressures from an asteroid smaller than Vesta. Because most impacts that eject materials from a large (⩾100 km) parent body are barely energetic enough to do that, a collision that has little more than the threshold energy required to eject a sample from Vesta will not be able to eject identical samples from the Moon or Mars. There must have been relatively few impacts, if any, that launched eucrites off their parent body that also imparted shock pressures of ∼20–30 GPa in the ejected rocks. More-energetic impacts were required to launch basalts off the Moon and Mars. On average, Vesta ejecta were subjected to lower shock pressures than lunar ejecta, and lunar ejecta were subjected to lower shock pressures than martian ejecta. H and LL ordinary chondrites have low percentages of shock-stage S5 maskelynite-bearing samples (∼1% and ∼4%, respectively), probably reflecting shock processes experienced by these rocks on their parent asteroids. In contrast, L chondrites have a relatively high proportion of samples containing maskelynite (∼11%), most likely a result of catastrophic parent-body disruption 470 Ma ago.
Task Complexity and Incentive Contracting - an Empirical Investigation

We explore the relation between task complexity, delegation, and incentive compensation. Conventional agency theory posits that task complexity increases the noise in performance measures and is hence associated with lower incentive compensation. However, Prendergast (2002) argues that task complexity increases the value of the manager's specific knowledge and increases the value of delegation and commensurately, the need to use incentive compensation. We use data from 145 for-profit hospitals to test these competing theories and explore outsourcing as an alternative to managerial delegation. We define delegation as the range of activities overseen by the manager. Holding the noise of performance measures constant, if outsourcing is a more efficient response to increases in task complexity, then task complexity should increase outsourcing and consequently decrease delegation, and thereby decrease the need for incentive compensation. Our empirical results support these predictions. First, we find the expected positive effect of task complexity on performance measure noise. Second, using two-stage least squares (2SLS) we find that delegation is positively associated the use of incentive compensation. Finally, we find that task complexity is negatively associated with delegation, consistent with the use of outsourcing as a more efficient mechanism to deal with contracting in the presence of task complexity.
Professional Women’s Dilemma between Work and Family An Examination of the ADVANCE Program

This study explores the underrepresentation of female professionals, especially in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, and the efforts of one program, the National ...
The Roles of Pet Dogs and Cats in Human Courtship and Dating

ABSTRACTWhat role do companion animals play in the dating lives of single adults? As dogs and cats are increasingly viewed as family members, a person's pets may wield significant influence in partner choice. Here, we provide descriptive quantitative data on the role pets play in mate appraisal and mate selection; we also test two hypotheses regarding the role of pets in single Americans’ dating lives. We hypothesized that single women will place more value on a how a potential mate interacts with their pet, than will single men. We also hypothesized that dogs will serve more prominent roles as “social tools” in the dating arena than cats, given that dogs are more social and dogs require more constant care. Thus, dogs may be a better measure of a potential mate's caregiving capacity. Data were obtained from a 2014 survey sent to a random selection of people in the US registered on the online dating site Match.com who had indicated pet information in their dating profiles. A sample of 1,210 individuals res...
A Review of: “Stories of Illness and Healing: Women Write Their Bodies, by S. DasGupta & M. Hurst (Eds.).”

Illness narratives have been an important part of my research and so I was delighted when I was asked to review Stories of Illness and Healing: Women Write Their Bodies—a collection of poetry, pros...
The Effects of Merit-Based Scholarships on Educational Outcomes An Analysis of the Arizona AIMS Scholarship

This paper analyzes the effect of a statewide merit-based scholarship pro- gram on educational outcomes in Arizona. It tests whether Arizona's Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) scholarship has an effect on a comprehensive set of edu- cational outcomes such as the number of applicants, student admissions, first-year first-time enrollment, ACT scores of entering freshman, retention rates, as well as on the level of tuition and fees at the three schools targeted by the program; Ari- zona State University, University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University. Both difference-in-differences estimation as well as synthetic control methods shows that AIMS has an economically and statistically significant effect enrollment. Enrollment effects are greatest among African American and Hispanic students and are signifi- cant for both men and women. While point estimates suggest that AIMS also lead to increases in tuition and fees, these results are not robust to placebo tests.
VALIDATION OF THE GLUCOSE DISAPPEARANCE MINIMAL MODEL

This paper describes the validation of a glucose disappearance minimal model, and a comparison with the euglycemic clamp technique. Glucose and insulin data were collected measuring response to a bolus of injected glucose on ten similarly aged subjects of varied body weight. A second-order nonlinear model is used to describe the glucose response in the minimal model. The insulin data is used as an input to the model. Final parameter estimates are calculated for the model using the steepest descent and linearization method of Marquardt-Levenberg. The initial parameter estimates are calculated through equilibrium analysis and linearization of the nonlinear model. Additionally, sensitivity analysis is used to evaluate the correspondence between the model and reality, and to select initial parameter estimates. The peripheral insulin sensitivity predicted by the minimal model did not correspond well to the insulin sensitivity predicted by the euglycemic clamp technique.
Propagation of mouse hepatitis virus (Gledhill) in tissue culture.

SummaryThe Gledhill strain of mouse hepatitis virus (MHV 1) was passaged through 10 successive tissue cultures of newborn mouse kidney explants. As MHV 1 did not cause reproducible cytopathogenic effects, infectivity tests with newborn mice were used to detect propagation of this virus in serially passaged cultures. Observations suggest that virus was adsorbed by the proliferating explants and that cell-free culture fluids were infective. Total time of virus growth far exceeded decay rate of the virus incubated without tissue. After the tenth passage, the virus had been diluted 1012-fold which exceeded the extinction point of the original inoculum.
Occurrence and Identity of Cotton Mill Fungi

Observations are recorded upon the occurrence of the following fungi in cotton mills: Fuligo ovata (Schaeff.) Macbr., Stemonitis fusca (Roth) Rost., Reticularia lycoperdon Bull., Peniophora pubera ...
A Review on Grafting of Biofibers for Biocomposites

A recent increase in the use of biofibers as low-cost and renewable reinforcement for the polymer biocomposites has been seen globally. Biofibers are classified into: lignocellulosic fibers (i.e., cellulose, wood and natural fibers), nanocellulose (i.e., cellulose nanocrystals and cellulose nanofibrils), and bacterial cellulose, while polymer matrix materials can be petroleum based or bio-based. Green biocomposites can be produced using both biobased fibers and polymers. Incompatibility between the hydrophilic biofibers and hydrophobic polymer matrix can cause performance failure of resulting biocomposites. Diverse efforts have focused on the modification of biofibers in order to improve the performances of biocomposites. "Grafting" copolymerization strategy can render the advantages of biofiber and impart polymer properties onto it and the performance of biocomposites can be tuned through changing grafting parameters. This review presents a short overview of various "grafting" methods which can be directly or potentially employed to enhance the interaction between biofibers and a polymer matrix for biocomposites. Major grafting techniques, including ring opening polymerization, grafting via coupling agent and free radical induced grafting, have been discussed. Improved properties such as mechanical, thermal, and water resistance have provided grafted biocomposites with new opportunities for applications in specific industries.
Long-term effects of pest-induced tree species change on carbon and nitrogen cycling in northeastern U.S. forests: A modeling analysis

Abstract Invasive insects and pathogens can cause long-term changes in forest ecosystems by altering tree species composition, which can radically alter forest biogeochemistry. To examine how tree species change may alter long-term carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling in northeastern U.S. forests, we developed a new forest ecosystem model, called Spe-CN, that allows species composition to shift over time. We simulated the effects of species change due to three invaders—beech bark disease (BBD), hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA), and sudden oak death (SOD)—on forest productivity, C storage, and N retention and loss over a 300-year period. The model predicted changes in C and N cycling rates and distribution between vegetation and soils after stands were invaded, with the magnitude, direction, and timing dependent on tree species identity. For a stand in which sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) replaced American beech (Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.) due to BBD, the model predicted a change from net C loss (−13% after 100 years) to net C storage (+10% after 300 years), as plant C gain (+36%) overtook C loss from soils (−11%) and downed wood (−24%). Following replacement of eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carr.) by yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britt.) due to HWA, early loss of forest floor C (−28% after 100 years) was exceeded by gain of plant and downed wood C after 145 years; by 300 years, total C differed little between invaded and un-invaded stands. Where red maple (Acer rubrum L.) replaced red oak (Quercus rubra L.) due to SOD, loss of plant and soil C generated net C loss (−29%) after 100 years that continued thereafter. In contrast to C, for which patterns of storage and loss differed considerably among invasion scenarios, total N was ultimately lower following invasion across all three scenarios. Predicted nitrate leaching was also correspondingly higher in invaded vs. un-invaded stands (+0.3 g m−2 year−1 of N from nitrate), but the leaching increase lagged by nearly 100 years following HWA invasion. Together, these results demonstrate that the effects of pest-induced tree species change on forest C and N cycling vary in magnitude, direction of effect, and timing of response following invasion, depending on the identity of the declining and replacing species, and that species-specific modeling can help elucidate this variation. Future predictions will need to account for tree species change to generate meaningful estimates of C and N storage and loss.
Role of leukocytes in cerebral autoregulation and hyperemia in bacterial meningitis in rabbits

The effect of leukocytes on regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and cerebrovascular autoregulation in experimental meningitis was determined in rabbits. Four groups of animals were studied. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leukocyte migration was prevented in two groups by pretreatment with 1.5 mg/kg of IB4, a monoclonal antibody directed against CD11/18 leukocyte adhesion receptors. Intracisternal inoculation was performed with saline (control and control-IB4 groups) or Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib and Hib-IB4 groups). Eighteen hours later, rCBF was determined with radiolabeled microspheres. Autoregulation was assessed by graded hemorrhagic hypotension. Compared with untreated meningitis (Hib group), IB4-pretreated meningitis (Hib-IB4 group) was associated with a reduced CSF leukocyte count (1,980 +/- 880 vs. 200 +/- 110 cells/microliter; P < 0.05) and an elevated CSF colony count (2.87 +/- 0.08 vs. 5.63 +/- 0.72 log10colony-forming units/ml; P < 0.05). Compared with control, baseline CBF was elevated in both untreated and IB4-pretreated meningitis (51 +/- 2, 54 +/- 2, 66 +/- 5, and 102 +/- 17 ml.100 g-1.min-1 in control, control-IB4, Hib, and Hib-IB4 groups, respectively). The degree of hyperemia in meningitis was related to the CSF colony count, with a high CBF occurring in animals with high colony counts. During hypotension, CBF remained at or above baseline in the Hib group and both control groups, indicating preservation of cerebrovascular autoregulation in untreated Hib meningitis. In the Hib-IB4 group, the elevated baseline CBF was not maintained during hypotension, falling to 51% of baseline at a cerebral perfusion pressure of 30 mmHg and indicating impairment of cerebrovascular autoregulation. These results suggest that CSF leukocytes are not primarily responsible for the hyperemic response in Hib meningitis. Cerebral hyperemia may be induced either directly by bacterial components or indirectly by components of the inflammatory cascade that precede CSF leukocyte migration.
International Financial Institutions and Latin American Development

Organisations of all kinds are now participating in the expanding system of international economic co-operation. The distinguishing feature of the financial institutions is that their output is more than verbal; for that reason they are often considered, and perhaps have become, the most effective mechanisms for multilateral collaboration. They are receiving and transmitting mechanisms, even though their members have conflicting interests, differing degrees of power, and substantial bilateral financial relations. As far as Latin American development is concerned, we might consider these international financial institutions to be not only independent variables, but also mechanisms shaped by the demands of that development.
A Newton-Krylov solver for fast spin-up of online ocean tracers

Abstract We present a Newton–Krylov based solver to efficiently spin up tracers in an online ocean model. We demonstrate that the solver converges, that tracer simulations initialized with the solution from the solver have small drift, and that the solver takes orders of magnitude less computational time than the brute force spin-up approach. To demonstrate the application of the solver, we use it to efficiently spin up the tracer ideal age with respect to the circulation from different time intervals in a long physics run. We then evaluate how the spun-up ideal age tracer depends on the duration of the physics run, i.e., on how equilibrated the circulation is.
The World Bank and Africa: A Historical Overview of Shifting Paradigms and Strategies of Environmental and Habitat Management

The World Bank has been the most prolific producer of development, environment, and habitat-management paradigms and strategies in Africa in the post-independence period. It has been particularly successful in creating a discourse in which Africa's developmental, environmental, human settlement, and natural-resource management problems have been framed, constructed, and deconstructed within global development and ecological discourses, management paradigms, strategies, and practices. Based on archival research, semi-structured interviews of World Bank environmental officers at its headquarters in Washington, D.C., and field experiences as environment and habitat director for UNEP (the United Nations Environment Program) and Habitat (the United Nations Center for Human Settlements) focal points in Ethiopia, the author argues that environment and habitat-management paradigms and strategies sponsored and promoted by the World Bank have yet to create strong, effective, and sustainable management capacities in...
Reliability of Power System with High Wind Penetration Under Frequency Stability Constraint

This paper presents a new method to evaluate the reliability of a power system with high penetration of wind generation, considering the impact of not only the intermittence but also the low inertia characteristic of wind power. As wind generation gradually replaces conventional generation, the system stability and the reliability are negatively affected. Some of the measures employed to deal with the challenges resulting from increasing wind penetration include operating wind generators at lower levels than their available output and providing inertia so that wind generation is able to contribute to system frequency regulation. Apart from these measures, another factor that limits the amount of wind power that can be absorbed into the grid is the imposition of the frequency standard and this also affects the reliability of the system in the presence of wind penetration. The reliability evaluation approach proposed in this paper is developed using discrete convolution and implemented on an IEEE RTS-79 system with a suitable modification. Power system reliability with and without considering the impacts of wind intermittence and low inertia are compared to show the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Trusting the Internet of Things

The Internet of Things (IoT) appears to be the next great technology revolution. It is expected to affect everything from healthcare delivery, to food production, to how we work, to all forms of transportation and communication, and to automation. The IoT will impact everyone, and in multiple ways. With a technology revolution with such a large impact on society, it is imperative that IoT-based systems can be trusted. This special issue presents articles on security and privacy, authentication and authorization, and security risk assessment in the IoT.
Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone, Family of

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone, also called luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone, is the key hypothalamic neurohormone that controls reproduction for all vertebrates.
Case Studies of Exceptional Climate in United States 1975–1979 and Air-Sea Interactions

In the history of meteorology and oceanography, case studies have been used extensively in order to illuminate physical processes. These diagnoses have also been used to highlight special situations which, should they recur, might be helpful in future analysis and prognosis. The following three studies emphasize certain broad scale principles resulting from about 15 years of research on large scale air/sea interactions. They illustrate five following general principles: 1. The atmosphere and underlying ocean are closely though complexly coupled. 2. The time scale of thermal anomalies in the upper layers of the ocean is appreciably longer (perhaps by an order of magnitude) than variations of atmospheric elements. Thus, changes in the ocean’s thermal structure are much slower and outlast atmospheric anomalies. It is this persistence and persistent recurrence which allows the ocean to provide a memory for the atmosphere. 3. The space scale of thermal anomalies in the upper ocean is roughly the same as that of the centers of action in the atmosphere. Thus, extensive pools of warm or cold water (relative to normal) exist for months or sometimes years at a time. 4. Since the surface heat exchange is dependent upon both atmosphere and ocean, the character of air/sea influences in the statistical aggregate depends upon season, so that to be meaningful all studies must stratify the data on this time scale. 5. Regions where the horizontal gradient of sea surface temperature is abnormally large are apt to be associated with responses in cyclonic (or anticyclonic) activity such that cyclogenesis and frontogenesis are favored when cold water lies to the west of warm. These developments, often baroclinic in nature, spread their influences to remote parts of the hemispheric system, sometimes through barotropic dispersion. Hence events in the North Pacific can often influence climate patterns over North America.
Systematic Study of Crystal Packing

Systematic studies of crystal packing have included analyses of classes of molecules (e.g., aromatic hydrocarbons, carboxylic acids) and of space-group frequencies. Combinations of the two approaches are especially informative. Once the basic rules are known, classes of exceptions can be identified and investigated.
Fenton chemistry revisited: amino acid oxidation.

Many mixed-function oxidation (MFO) systems catalyze the O2/Fe(II)-dependent oxidative inactivation of enzymes.1–5 Such oxidation is likely implicated in the regulation of enzyme degradation2,5–7 in the accumulation of altered forms of enzymes during aging8,9 in neutrophil function.10 Results of mechanistic studies indicate that MFO systems generate H2O2 and Fe(II) which interact at metal-binding sites on the protein to generate active oxygen species (•OH, perferryl ion, singlet oxygen); the activated oxygen reacts in situ with the side chains of proximal amino acid residues (especially with histidine, arginine, proline, and lysine residues) and converts them to carbonyl derivatives.1,3,11 Protein oxidation by MFO systems is thus attributable to Fenton chemistry that occurs at Fe(II) binding sites on the protein.
Subtelomere Organization, Evolution, and Dynamics in the Rice Blast Fungus Magnaporthe oryzae

Magnaporthe oryzae is a filamentous, ascomycete fungus best known as the causal agent of a devastating disease of rice known as blast. In addition to being a pathogen of rice, it also causes diseases on other important crops, including wheat, millets, and forage grasses, and on turf grasses such as perennial ryegrass and St. Augustinegrass. Despite the species’ broad host range, fungal isolates from one host genus usually are unable to infect other host genera. Such specificity can also be manifested at the subspecies level, such that an isolate from one rice cultivar is often unable to infect other cultivars.