cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Educação Ambiental e os Gêneros Textuais

Neste artigo sera apresentado a articulacao da disciplina transversal, Meio Ambiente sob a otica do estudo dos generos textuais nas aulas de Lingua Portuguesa, a pesquisa em questao envolveu uma sala de aula de 7o ano, fundamental II , de uma escola publica municipal da cidade de Juazeiro do Norte Ceara. Esse estudo propos um breve referencial teorico sobre a tipologia textual, generos textuais, meio ambiente e a educacao ambiental. Atraves dessa pesquisa percebeu-se que os temas transversais raramente e discutido e abordado no interior dos ambientes escolares, o que de certa forma, nota-se que a maioria dos docentes ainda se restringem apenas a area especifica na qual lecionam, nao dando enfase a integracao entre as outras disciplinas, ou seja nao articulam ou propoem a interdisciplinaridade entre as outras areas do saber. Foi relevante tambem atraves desse trabalho que os discentes participaram com afinco, de maneira satisfatoria, no decorrer de todo o estudo, o que se constatou que a interdisciplinaridade e um “pilar” a ser construido e ampliado nas salas de aula.
Comments on the Formulation of the National Broadband Research Agenda

This paper responds to a call by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) for public comment to inform the development of the National Broadband Research Agenda. We propose the development of a comprehensive national database on Internet access packages and pricing available to residential consumers. While some data exist on average annual spending on Internet access service nationwide, the level of detail is inadequate to use for research or to correlate with demographic factors that might affect Internet access. Aggregate annual pricing statistics also fail to detail any breakdown of costs, which may include monthly service charges, introductory pricing that changes over time, installation fees, activation fees, data overages, and equipment purchases. Moreover, high-level numbers do not allow researchers to evaluate the effects of competition in regional marketplaces. The formulation of a National Broadband Research Agenda presents an opportunity to create a robust database from which researchers, individuals and institutions could benefit.
Resisting Theoretical Disembodiment

Little did I know when I began this research in 2005 that a few years later U.S. citizens would elect a mixed race president. Ironically, the prominence of Barack Obama has simultaneously highlighted mixed race experience and hidden it. Although it is well known that Obama is the son of a White mother and a Black African father, that fact is often overshadowed by descriptions of him as “the first Black president.”
On the Use of Hyperspectral Observations in Climate Studies: Unveiling a Hidden Dimension

This talk summarizes a few studies in my research group that utilized spectral information in the hyperspectral radiances to test and diagnose global climate models, demonstrating the non-traditional use of such spectrally resolved observations.
Prevention of Preeclampsia and Eclampsia

Publisher Summary The precise pathogenesis of convulsions with the preeclampsia syndrome is enigmatic, the two prevailing schemes are vasospasm with ischemia and hypertensive encephalopathy. Eclampsia prevention can be primary by preventing worsening of preeclampsia; it can be secondary by using agents to prevent convulsions in women with established preeclampsia; and it can be tertiary by preventing recurrent convulsions in women with eclampsia. The decision to use secondary prophylaxis would in some regards depend on the likelihood of eclamptic convulsions in women with preeclampsia. Thus the use Magnesium Sulfate is used in mild and severe preeclampsia. The primary objective of magnesium sulfate prophylaxis in women with preeclampsia is to prevent or reduce the rate of eclampsia and associated complications. Other benefits include reduced maternal and perinatal mortalities and morbidities. In addition, in women with mild preeclampsia, a secondary benefit might include a decreased rate of progression to severe preeclampsia.
Surface feature formation mechanism during finish milling of gray cast iron

Gray cast iron (GCI) is highly anisotropic at the microscale consisting of stochastically distributed and orientated graphite flakes within a ferric matrix. The anisotropy of the microstructure endows gray cast iron with favorable damping characteristics which makes it a common material for machine tool structural components. However, the microstructure inhibits the formation of a finished surface of sufficient quality for use as a slideway when milled with a defined cutting edge. The mechanisms of irregular surface formation during the machining of GCI were investigated using both a 3-D finite element cutting simulation and milling experiments. Investigation of simulation and machining tests indicates that the interaction of the primary shear zone in front of the cutting edge and graphite flakes is the cause of microcavity formation on the machined surface.
Document Understanding Using Improved Sqrt-Cosine Similarity

Text similarity measurement aims to find the commonality existing among text documents, which is fundamental to most information extraction, information retrieval, and text mining problems. In this paper, we propose a new similarity measure. We conduct comprehensive experiments to evaluate our new similarity measure with existing ones. The experimental results show the effectiveness of our proposed method.
Responding to Drug Trafficking: A Question of Motives

In contrast to the history of the drug wars in Latin America‚ the response to organised crime in West Africa has been much less militaristic. However‚ the response has still been coercive‚ mobilising law enforcement to interdict illicit flows and arrest those involved in drug trafficking. This chapter engages with the risks of a law enforcement approach as a common strategy to respond to organised crime in West Africa arguing that it is driven by the motives of the actors deploying these strategies, rather than specific needs.
Altered Carnitine Homeostasis in Children With Increased Pulmonary Blood Flow Due to Ventricular Septal Defects.

Objectives:Congenital heart disease with increased pulmonary blood flow results in progressive pulmonary vascular endothelial dysfunction and associated increased perioperative morbidity. Using our ovine model of congenital heart disease with increased pulmonary blood flow, we have previously demons
Structure Theory of Reductive Groups

In this chapter, we discuss the structure theory of reductive algebraic groups, root systems and Bruhat decomposition in reductive algebraic groups. For details, refer to [5, 25].
Spondylolysis and Spondylolisthesis

Spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis are two commonly encountered pathologies of the spine. Understanding of these conditions is useful in the assessment and treatment of the spine patient. This chapter will discuss the applied anatomy and define the conditions, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management options.
Confucian philosophy and influence on perceived values and behavioural orientations by Taiwan’s millennials

This study examines the millennials’ perceptions of Confucianism and their influence on their personal values and behavioural orientations with a sample from Taiwan to address the research gap in intergenerational and intercultural human resource development (HRD) research. It complements results from western research and offers important insights to worldwide managers and HRD practitioners for talent development and learning-related initiatives when working with employees and organizations with East Asia backgrounds. The concept of Confucius’ process of developing into a virtuous person seems to be rooted in the Taiwanese millennials’ mind, who as guided by Confucius tend to have a primary focus on accumulating knowledge, practicing moral behaviour, and correcting one’s mind and behaviour. Along with the globalization and technology advancement, the sampled millennials hold a strong traditional values of Confucian philosophy; yet, such strong cultural values may be attenuated a great deal after e...
Type-based analysis of neural ensembles

Theoretical considerations indicate that discharges from individual neurons in the auditory pathway cannot adequately represent stimulus features. To assess how well a neural ensemble encodes information, we develop a type-based approach that assumes no a priori knowledge of how the component response patterns are inter-related and which naturally accommodates response non-stationarities. From records or simulations of a neural population, we measure neural group activity and determine what aspects of the group response crucially represent sensory variables. The measure thus produced makes optimal use of data, and can assess sensory representation fidelity from both detection and estimation theoretic viewpoints.
イチゴうどんこ病 (Sohaerotheca humuli) に対する薬剤の防除効果と葉面における薬剤付着量との関係

イチゴうどんこ病に対する薬剤の防除効果と葉面における薬剤の付着量の関係を調査した. うどんこ病の激発している圃場で, 生産者が慣行的に行なっている噴口をイチゴ‘とよのか’の株上から横振りにして薬剤を散布する方法では, イチゴ葉裏からは薬剤はまったく検出されず, 防除効果も低かった. これに対し, 同圃場でイチゴの葉裏に対し十分薬剤がかかるように散布した場合では, 高い防除効果を示した. 品種による草姿と薬剤付着量について調査したところ,‘とよのか’の草姿は‘女峰’に比較して開張性であり, 生産者の行なう散布法では感染しやすい部位の葉裏には薬剤が付着しにくかった. 葉面における薬剤付着量を高めて薬剤の防除効果を高めるためには, 噴口をイチゴの真上や通路側からだけ向けて散布するのではなく, 畝中央の条間に噴口の先端を入れて散布する方法が有効であった.
Binding of Minor Groove Ligands to Short DNA Segments: Berenil Complexed with d(GCAATTGC)2 and d(GCTTAAGC)2

Berenil is a trypanosidal drug which binds to double helical DNA. The binding of berenil to DNA increases the absorption maximum of the drug from 370 nm to 380 nm (Newton, 1967), but does not produce unwinding of closed circular DNA (Waring, 1970). This latter result indicates that it does not bind by intercalatiion. It is most likely that berenil binds in the minor groove of duplex DNA, as do netropsin and distamycin (Kopka et al., 1985a, 1985b). One berenil molecule has been reported to bind to 4 base pairs (Waring, 1970; Braithwaite & Baguley, 1980), with a preference for A-T sequences over G-C sequences has been observed (Braithwaite & Baguley, 1980; Portugal & Waring, 1987).
Co-receptors and recognition of self at the immunological synapse.

The co-receptors CD4 and CD8 are important in the activation of T cells primarily because of their ability to interact with the proteins of the MHC enhancing recognition of the MHC–peptide complex by the T cell receptor (TCR). An antigen-presenting cell presents a small number of antigenic peptides on its MHC molecules, in the presence of a much larger number of endogenous, mostly nonstimulatory, peptides. Recent work has demonstrated that these endogenous MHC–peptide complexes have an important role in modulating the sensitivity of the TCR. But the role of the endogenous nonstimulatory MHC–peptide complexes differs in MHC class I and class II-restricted T cells. This chapter discusses the data on the role of CD4 or CD8 co-receptors in T cell activation at the immunological synapse, and the role of non stimulatory MHC–peptide complexes in aiding antigen recognition.
PhIP-Seq characterization of serum antibodies using oligonucleotide-encoded peptidomes

The binding specificities of an individual’s antibody repertoire contain a wealth of biological information. They harbor evidence of environmental exposures, allergies, ongoing or emerging autoimmune disease processes, and responses to immunomodulatory therapies, for example. Highly multiplexed methods to comprehensively interrogate antibody-binding specificities have therefore emerged in recent years as important molecular tools. Here, we provide a detailed protocol for performing ‘phage immunoprecipitation sequencing’ (PhIP-Seq), which is a powerful method for analyzing antibody-repertoire binding specificities with high throughput and at low cost. The methodology uses oligonucleotide library synthesis (OLS) to encode proteomic-scale peptide libraries for display on bacteriophage. These libraries are then immunoprecipitated, using an individual’s antibodies, for subsequent analysis by high-throughput DNA sequencing. We have used PhIP-Seq to identify novel self-antigens associated with autoimmune disease, to characterize the self-reactivity of broadly neutralizing HIV antibodies, and in a large international cross-sectional study of exposure to hundreds of human viruses. Compared with alternative array-based techniques, PhIP-Seq is far more scalable in terms of sample throughput and cost per analysis. Cloning and expression of recombinant proteins are not required (versus protein microarrays), and peptide lengths are limited only by DNA synthesis chemistry (up to 90-aa (amino acid) peptides versus the typical 8- to 12-aa length limit of synthetic peptide arrays). Compared with protein microarrays, however, PhIP-Seq libraries lack discontinuous epitopes and post-translational modifications. To increase the accessibility of PhIP-Seq, we provide detailed instructions for the design of phage-displayed peptidome libraries, their immunoprecipitation using serum antibodies, deep sequencing–based measurement of peptide abundances, and statistical determination of peptide enrichments that reflect antibody–peptide interactions. Once a library has been constructed, PhIP-Seq data can be obtained for analysis within a week. Phage immunoprecipitation sequencing (PhIP-Seq) is a method for analyzing antibody-repertoire binding specificities. Phage-displayed oligonucleotide libraries encoding peptidomes are immunoprecipitated and analyzed by high-throughput DNA-Seq.
Asymmetric Catalysis Using Chiral Salen-Metal Complexes: Recent Advances.

Chiral salen–metal complexes are among the most versatile asymmetric catalysts and have found utility in fields ranging from materials chemistry to organic synthesis. These complexes are capable of inducing chirality in products formed from a wide variety of chemical processes, often with close to perfect stereoinduction. Salen ligands are tunable for steric as well as electronic properties, and their ability to coordinate a large number of metals gives the derived chiral salen–metal complex very broad utility in asymmetric catalysis. This review primarily summarizes developments in chiral salen–metal catalysis over the last two decades with particular emphasis on those applications of importance in asymmetric synthesis.
Temperature measurement of a heated rod array within a square cross section enclosure filled with dry rarefied helium

Abstract The goal of this work is to obtain experimental data that can be used to validate computational models that quantify the effect of gas rarefaction on heat transfer during vacuum drying of used nuclear fuel transport/storage canisters. An experimental apparatus is constructed, consisting of a 7 × 7 array of electrically heated rods held by spacer plates near their ends and contained within a square cross-section helium-filled pressure vessel. Thermocouples are used to measure heater rod, spacer plate, and enclosure temperatures for a range of rod heat generation rates, helium pressures in the continuum and rarefied-gas slip regimes, and different thicknesses of insulation outside the enclosure, which increases the apparatus temperatures. The results shows that the temperature difference between the enclosure and the rods increases by less than 4% when the pressure decreases within the continuum regime (from ~ 105 to 5700 Pa). However, it increases by up to 78% in the slip regime (~5700 to 65 Pa), due to the temperature-jump thermal resistance at the gas/solid interfaces. Random variation in the measured temperatures, caused by configuration and measurement errors, is less than 1.1℃, which makes this data well suited for benchmarking computational methods for calculating heat transfer and temperatures in used nuclear fuel canisters under vacuum drying conditions.
Integration of cannabidiol oil education into a pharmacy therapeutics curriculum.

Abstract Introduction To identify the impact of implementing a lecture regarding cannabidiol (CBD) oil delivered within a special populations therapeutics course on third-year (P3) pharmacy students' knowledge and confidence of CBD therapeutics. Methods A two-hour lecture which contained the pharmacological properties, therapeutic uses, and legal considerations of CBD products was added to a two-credit course in the final didactic semester of a doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) curriculum. Prior to the session, learners completed a 10-question knowledge-based questionnaire, ranking confidence in each answer with a 5-point Likert scale. Fourth-year (P4) learners, who did not attend the lecture, also responded to the questionnaire. Results There were a total of 93 P3 and 21 P4 student responses. Lecture attendance resulted in a statistically significant increase in average knowledge and confidence scores. Baseline and post-lecture mean knowledge was 73.7% and 82.3% (P Conclusions: Students who attended a lecture on CBD performed better and reported greater confidence than students who did not attend. Incorporating formal lecture on CBD into a PharmD curriculum increases students' knowledge and enhances confidence in counseling patients using CBD oil.
Gender is associated with long-term mortality after cerebellopontine angle tumor resection

Abstract Objective Gender can contribute to adverse patient outcomes through social and biological factors. It is important to assess the effects of gender on long-term patient outcomes after care has already been accessed, in order to improve quality of care and mitigate healthcare disparities. Patients and Methods 277 consecutive patients undergoing cerebellopontine angle tumor resection over a six-year period (June 09, 2013 – April 29, 2019) at a university health system were retrospectively evaluated. Outcomes included 90-day emergency department (ED) visit, readmission, reoperation and mortality following resection. Male and female patients in the whole population were analyzed by logistic regression. Thereafter, Coarsened Exact Matching was used to match female and male on important demographic factors, including history of prior surgery, median household income, and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) score, among others. Regression was carried out in the matched population, with significance set at a p-value Results In the matched population analysis, males were significantly more likely to experience mortality during the length of follow-up (p = 0.03) but not within 90-days of resection. There were no significant differences in 90-day mortality or reoperation during the length of follow-up in either the matched or pre-matched populations. No significant differences were found in any of the 90-day morbidity outcomes in either the matched or pre-matched populations. Conclusion Gender may predict long-term outcomes in patients following CPA tumor resection. It is possible that gender also contributes to outcome disparities in other neurosurgical procedures, which future studies should evaluate.
Integer quantum Hall effect with an anisotropic Coulomb interaction potential

Abstract We consider the properties of an integer quantum Hall effect state at filling factor one of the lowest Landau level in presence of an anisotropic Coulomb interaction potential. We adopt a disk geometry and calculate analytically the energy per particle corresponding to a system in the thermodynamic limit. It is found that the main effect of this particular anisotropic Coulomb interaction potential is an overall increase of the energy. The energy of the state at filling factor one in presence of this anisotropic Coulomb interaction potential can be scaled to that of the isotropic Coulomb counterpart by a scaling function tuned by the interaction anisotropy parameter.
Agrarian Reform as a Means to Economic and Social Development in Peru

Land reform is widely discussed today. Both the underdeveloped countries and the more advanced nations which bid to aid them in their progress have generally recognized that most programs for improving the standard of living in underdeveloped nations ought to include some means of increasing the food supply and improving the plight of agricultural workers, who often compose a majority of the population in such countries. This article considers the land reform bill passed by the Peruvian legislature in May, 1964, as a means of increasing food production and improving the living conditions of the Peruvian agricultural laborers. It establishes the context for evaluating this bill. Then it analyzes the bill and concludes that the law is an attempt at a comprehensive solution to a comprehensive problem. Very possibly it is the best legislation that could have been enacted under the circumstances. It is possibly the most progressive agrarian reform bill presently on the statute books of any Latin American country, but it is also the responsibility of Peru's agrarian planners, bolstered by the experience of United States technology and aid, to carry out the painful process by continuing, more intense efforts.
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) Instruments

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), developed by Starke Hathaway (1903–87) and J. Charnley McKinley (1891–1950), was published in 1943 to assist with the differential diagnosis of psychiatric disorders. Since its initial release, the inventory has undergone two major revisions, and it has been the subject of continual empirical research published in thousands of books, book chapters, and journal articles. The first revision, completed in 1989, focused on updating the test norms and produced the MMPI-2. An effort to modernize the MMPI scales began in the early 1990s and culminated in 2008 with publication of the MMPI-2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF). In this entry, the development and evolution of the MMPI instruments are described first, followed by information regarding administration, scoring, and interpretation of the current version of the inventory. Finally, research that supports use of the MMPI-2-RF in various settings is described briefly. Keywords: MMPI; MMPI-2; MMPI-2-RF; personality assessment; psychology of personality; restructured clinical scales; testing in psychology; assessment
Assessment of Vascular Patients and Indications for Therapy

Evaluation of the vascular patient requires a systematic approach that begins with the history and physical examination, generally followed by noninvasive studies to obtain a more quantitative estimation of the degree of vascular compromise. The decision to perform more invasive studies or to proceed to endovascular or open therapy must be individualized but is dependent in large part on the findings of the history, physical examination, and noninvasive studies [1].
Education: Misunderstood Purpose and Failed Solutions

There is so much quarrelling surrounding education today it seems people have lost sense of what needs arguing about, where there is a need for more research and where there are grounds for general agreement. Grounds now exist for shared agreement on matters of educational purpose. Moreover, there has in fact been much agreement on such matters over the years. With one flag to salute, people in education should be in a much better position to strategize on those tactics most likely to achieve our common pragmatically issued goals.
Domestic Violence Service Providers’ Needs and Perceptions of Technology: A Qualitative Study

There is growing recognition of the need to better understand the intersections between the work of domestic violence service providers and technology. Professionals who work with clients impacted by domestic violence are increasingly using technologies across different aspects of their work, including communicating with other professionals and seeking information and resources via the Internet. The current study used qualitative data from two sources—individual interviews and two focus groups—to learn about domestic violence service providers’ needs and perceptions related to technology use. The results provide insights about technologies used currently, expected benefits of future technological advances, barriers to using technology, and participants’ self-rated levels of comfort with technology.
The New Arteriovenous Fistula: The Need for Earlier Evaluation and Intervention

The National Kidney Foundation's Dialysis Outcomes Quality Initiative recommends an ideal 3- to 4-month arteriovenous fistula (AVF) maturation period prior to cannulation. This recommendation may be misinterpreted by practicing nephrologists to mean that they should wait 3 months before performing a clinical assessment of the AVF. Such a delay in evaluating AVF maturity results in unnecessarily prolonged catheter use in dialysis patients whose ultimately unsatisfactory fistula could already have been diagnosed and modified at a much earlier point. Clinical assessment at 1 month can detect the common etiologies for nonmaturity, including stenosis in the vein adjacent to the anastomosis and accessory vein diversion of flow from the main fistula vein. Duplex ultrasound provides additional information in selected cases. Early evaluation allows for early fistulography for problems and potentially early cannulation for adequately maturing fistulas. Prospective trials of early AVF clinical assessment at 1 month should be performed.
New-Generation Pulse Oximetry in the Care of Critically Ill Patients

• OBJECTIVE To review the published, peer-reviewed studies to date on use of the new-generation pulse oximeters, which are manufactured with algorithms to filter out patients’ body motions, and describe the application of new-generation pulse oximetry in clinical practice in critical care. • METHODS MEDLINE was used to locate appropriate articles on pulse oximetry for the years 1995 to 2003. Each article was examined for scientific merit, content, and applicability to clinical practice. • RESULTS A total of 17 relevant articles on the clinical performance of the new-generation pulse oximeters were reviewed, and the data were organized into a table. • CONCLUSIONS The combination of studies done in both clinical and laboratory settings did not provide any strong and convincing evidence that the performance of any single new-generation device was superior to that of any other new-generation device. However, the clinical performance of all the newgeneration pulse oximetry devices was better than that of earlier devices. (American Journal of Critical Care. 2005;14:26-39)
Advances in Primate Community Ecology Research Across Spatial, Temporal, and Phylogenetic Scales

Understanding the factors influencing the diversity of primate communities is important for studies of primate evolutionary history, primate behavioral ecology, and the development of conservation strategies. Previous research on primate communities has focused on a variety of questions including explaining variation in species richness, biomass, and taxonomic composition (Kamilar and Beaudrot 2013; Reed and Bidner 2004), but with less attention given to the role of spatial scale in structuring communities, interactions between primates and other taxa, or evolutionary history. In recent years, there have been important advances in GIS, ecological informatics, macroecology, and phylogenetics, which have enabled scientists to revisit classic questions and address new questions in community ecology. This research has focused attention on the importance of variation in spatial, temporal, and phylogenetic scales for structuring communities (Beaudrot and Marshall 2011; Beaudrot et al. 2013; Gavilanez and Stevens 2013; Kamilar and Ledogar 2011; Kamilar and Muldoon 2010; Lehman 2006). The articles in this special issue of the International Journal of Primatology are based on a symposium at the 2013 American Association of Physical Anthropologists Meeting at Knoxville, Tennessee. The special issue includes a wide variety of perspectives to understand the diversity of primate communities across a variety of scales. The Int J Primatol (2014) 35:1083–1087 DOI 10.1007/s10764-014-9804-2
Free drop impact analysis of shipping cask

Abstract The WHAMS-2D and WHAMS-3D codes were used to analyze the dynamic response of the RAS/TREAT shielded shipping cask subjected to transient leadings for the purpose of assessing potential damage to the various components that comprise the cask. The paper describes how these codes can be used to provide an intermediate level of detail between full three dimensional finite element calculations and hand calculations which are cost effective for design purposes. Three free drops were addressed: (1) a thirty foot axialdrop on either end; (2) a thirty foot oblique angle drop with cask having several different orientations from the vertical with impact on the cask corner; and (3) a thirty foot side drop with simultaneous impact on the lifting trunnion and the bottom end. Results are presented for two models of the side and oblique angle drops; one model includes only the mass of the lapped sleeves of depleted uranium (DU) while the other includes the mass and stiffness of the DU. The results of the end drop aalyses are given for models with and without imperfections in the cask. Comparison of the analyses to hand calculations and simplified analyses are given.
Calibration of the High-Volume Air Sampler

Abstract The use of either a variable voltage transformer (Variac) for regulating the fan speed or resistances has been widely accepted for varying the air flow through a high-volume sampler during calibration. Calibration data for the Staplex high-volume sampler demonstrate that significant differences exist between the calibration results obtained by the two metheds. Calibration curves obtained with a bellows-type dry gas meter and a rotating vane anemometer clearly illustrate that resistances should be used as the standard procedure for varying the flow rate during calibration of the Staplex high-volume sampler. A simplified calibration procedure utilizing a rotating vane anemometer at the sampler inlet is described.
Effective placebo control conditions for PTSD efficacy research: a brief communication.

The first two studies to test the efficacy of a new single session (5 to 6 hours) manualized procedure to treat posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) appeared in the January–March 2013, Volume 61, N...
Development and Dependence Along the New York–Haiti Remittance Corridor

Haiti and other developing countries have increasingly turned to emigrant remittances as a potential source of development capital. There is a vigorous debate in the development community about the impacts of remittances, however, with concerns about dependence challenging the optimism about a potential new development engine. Based on interviews with forty-two remittance recipients in Haiti and forty-five corresponding senders in New York State, we find that the remittance economy in Haiti is indeed productive and has the potential to generate employment and other important development benefits. That said, there are important limitations created by broader political–economic conditions and deeply entrenched inequalities.
Some efficient computational algorithms related to phase models

This paper develops efficient computational algorithms for some models that utilize phase type distributions. As in other instances, such as matrix-geometric methods, where the PH-distribution lends itself to useful and efficient computational methods, we examine how certain probabilities based on these distributions may be efficiently computed. The examples that we consider include token ring networks, simple multiqueues, and order statistics. By exploiting the geometric nature of PH-densities, it is shown that certain exponential time computations can be reduced to linear time, if recursive algorithms are used. We demonstrate speedup with the aid of a practical example, using a recursive as well as a nonrecursive algorithm, in verifying the stability of a queue on a token ring network.
Removing molybdate from water using a hybridized zero-valent iron/magnetite/Fe(II) treatment system

Abstract Batch tests were conducted to investigate molybdate removal in a hybridized zero-valent iron/Fe3O4/Fe(II) system (hZVI) in comparison with a conventional ZVI system. The hybrid system was created by employing a nitrate-Fe2+ pretreatment method to coat the ZVI grains with a magnetite (Fe3O4) surface and produce some discrete magnetite particles through a rapid ZVI-nitrate reaction. The co-presence of ZVI, Fe3O4, and Fe(II) species created a highly reactive system. Molybdate, a corrosion inhibitor, could not be effectively removed in a ZVI-only system. With the addition of Fe aq 2 + , molybdate removal was moderately accelerated in a ZVI/Fe(II) system, possibly through the formation of Fe(II)–molybdate–iron oxide complex. In an hZVI system with magnetite and Fe aq 2 + , molybdate was rapidly and sustainably removed via rapid reduction of Mo(VI) to lower valences, during which 1.1 mol Fe aq 2 + was consumed per 1 mol molybdate removal. While ZVI is the primary electron source for the redox reaction, magnetite may serve as an e−-conducting medium and host molybdate reduction reaction. Externally-supplied Fe2+ is essential to maintaining magnetite as the iron corrosion product and thus the high reactivity of ZVI surface. This study suggests that the hZVI system could overcome ZVI surface passivation problem and thus provide an effective chemical platform to harness the reactivity of ZVI for molybdate and potentially other water contaminants removal.
Structure in the two-photon absorption spectrum of TiO2 (Rutile)

Abstract The two-photon absorption spectrum of TiO 2 shows structure at 3.57 eV identifiable with transitions to S-excitons between Γ 3 + valence and Γ 3 + conduction bands. A direct gap of 3.75 ± 0.08 eV is inferred.
Activation of PKR by Stem-Loop RNAs with Flanking SsRNA Tails

Protein Kinase R (PKR) is a central component of the innate immunity antiviral pathway and is activated by double stranded RNA (dsRNA). PKR contains a C-terminal kinase domain and two tandem dsRNA binding motifs. In the accepted model for activation, binding of multiple PKR monomers to dsRNA enhances dimerization of the kinase domain. A minimum dsRNA length of 30 bp is required for binding two PKR monomers and eliciting strong enzymatic activation. However, short (15 bp) stem-loop RNAs containing flanking single stranded tails (ss-dsRNAs) are capable of activating PKR. Activation requires a 5'-triphosphate and the presence of both 5' and 3' ssRNA tails. The mechanism of PKR activation by ss-dsRNAs is not understood. Here, we have characterized the structural features of ss-dsRNAs that contribute to activation. We have designed a model ss-dsRNA PKR activator containing two single stranded tails of 15 nt and a 15 bp stem (5'-15-15-15-3') and made systematic truncations of the tail and stem regions. Analytical ultracentrifugation experiments combined with autophosphorylation assays were used to correlate RNA binding affinity with the ability to activate the kinase. Both tails are required for PKR activation; however, they can be truncated to produce either 10-15-5 or 5-15-10 without abolishing activation. Activity is retained upon reducing the stem to 10 bp but is lost upon further reduction to 5 bp. All of the ss-dsRNAs bind two PKR monomers in 75 mM NaCl. The loss of PKR activation is correlated with weaker PKR binding, consistent with a model where the autophosphorylation rates are proportional to the concentration of RNA species containing two PKR monomers. A 5'-triphosphate is required for activation. Although the binding affinity decreases upon removal of the 5'-triphosphate, the reduction is not sufficient to explain the loss of activation.
Interplay Between Different Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in Men

Background— Consumption of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) may reduce coronary heart disease (CHD) risk, but n-6 PUFAs may compete with n-3 PUFA metabolism and attenuate benefits. Additionally, seafood-based, long-chain n-3 PUFAs may modify the effects of plant-based, intermediate-chain n-3 PUFAs. However, the interactions of these PUFAs in relation to CHD risk are not well established. Methods and Results— Among 45 722 men free of known cardiovascular disease in 1986, usual dietary intake was assessed at baseline and every 4 years by using validated food-frequency questionnaires. CHD incidence was prospectively ascertained. Over 14 years of follow-up, participants experienced 218 sudden deaths, 1521 nonfatal myocardial infarctions (MIs), and 2306 total CHD events (combined sudden death, other CHD deaths, and nonfatal MI). In multivariate-adjusted analyses, both long-chain and intermediate-chain n-3 PUFA intakes were associated with lower CHD risk, without modification by n-6 PUFA intake. For example,...
Near-Lossless Compression of Hyperspectral Images

Research Supported By National Science Foundation Grant Number Ccr-0104800. Richard Ladner was supported in part by the Boeing Professor-ship in Computer Science and Engineering. Contact Information: Professor Agnieszka Miguel, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering Seattle University, 901 12th Avenue, P.O. Box 222000, Seattle, WA 98122-1090, (206)296-5965, amiguel@seattleu.edu. ABSTRACT Algorithms for near-lossless compression of hyperspectral images are presented. They guarantee that the intensity of any pixel in the decompressed image(s) differs from its original value by no more than a user-specified quantity. To reduce the bit rate required to code images while providing significantly more compression than lossless algorithms, linear prediction between the bands is used. Each band is predicted by a previously transmitted band. The prediction is subtracted from the original band, and the residual is compressed with a bit plane coder which uses context-based adaptive binary arithmetic coding. To find the best prediction algorithm, the impact of various band orderings and optimization techniques on the compression ratios is studied.
Activation of C2H6, C3H8, HC(CH3)3, and c-C3H6 by gas-phase Ru+ and the thermochemistry of Ru-ligand complexes

Abstract The reactions of Ru + with C 2 H 6 , C 3 H 8 , HC(CH 3 ) 3 , and c -C 3 H 6 at hyperthermal energies have been studied using guided ion beam mass spectrometry. It is found that dehydrogenation is efficient and the dominant process at low energies in all four reaction systems. At high energies, C–H cleavage processes dominate the product spectrum for the reactions of Ru + with ethane, propane, and isobutane. C–C bond cleavage is a dominant process in the cyclopropane system. The reactions of Ru + are compared with those of the first-row transition metal congener Fe + and the differences in behavior and mechanism are discussed in some detail. Modeling of the endothermic reaction cross sections yields the 0-K bond dissociation energies (in eV) of D 0 (Ru–H) = 2.27 ± 0.15, D 0 (Ru + –C) = 4.70 ± 0.11, D 0 (Ru + –CH) = 5.20 ± 0.12, D 0 (Ru + –CH 2 ) = 3.57 ± 0.05, D 0 (Ru + –CH 3 ) = 1.66 ± 0.06, D 0 (Ru–CH 3 ) = 1.68 ± 0.12, D 0 (Ru + –C 2 H 2 ) = 1.98 ± 0.18, D 0 (Ru + –C 2 H 3 ) = 3.03 ± 0.07, and D 0 (Ru + –C 3 H 4 ) = 2.24 ± 0.12. Speculative bond energies for Ru + = CCH 2 of 3.39 ± 0.19 eV and Ru + = CHCH 3 of 3.19 ± 0.15 eV are also obtained. The observation of exothermic processes sets lower limits for the bond energies of Ru + to ethene, propene, and isobutene of 1.34, 1.22, and 1.14 eV, respectively.
Patterns of rabbinic succession in modern France

Despite disparate geographical, political, and cultural conditions distinguishing one Jewish community from another, the rabbinate in late medieval and early modern Europe was a remarkably uniform institution. Irrespective of locale, rabbis serving the traditional Ashkenazic kehillot exercised comparable judicial prerogatives in the areas of religious and civil law, and functioned as authoritative teachers and interpreters of Torah. Their authority was, nonetheless, subordinated to that of the lay communal leadership which set the terms of the contractual relationship between the rabbi and the community. Much of modern scholarship has emphasized these widely shared characteristics, while producing a composite picture of the rabbinate. Our understanding of these general patterns owes a major debt of gratitude to the pioneering work of Jacob Katz. Combining the use of typological categories with more conventional methods of historical research, he succeeded in richly reconstructing and describing the prevailing norms of institutional life in the European Jewish community at the end of the Middle Ages.1 Divergences from this model are routinely viewed as minor variations on its general themes. The present study approaches the modern history of the rabbinate from a different perspective. Beginning from the proposition that the French rabbinate was profoundly fashioned by local and regional forces, as certainly was the case elsewhere, we shall explore the dynamic interplay between social, political, and cultural conditions on the one hand, and the phenomenon of rabbinic succession, on the other. By "succession" we will refer to a broad range of issues concerning appointment and tenure, as observed over a period of approximately a century, beginning in the mid 1700s. Drawing on details of the procedures which communities followed when filling a rabbinic post, as well as data which we have assembled on the origins, background, and training of rabbis appointed to
Modeling thermophoretic effects in solid-state nanopores

Local modulation of temperature has emerged as a new mechanism for regulation of molecular transport through nanopores. Predicting the effect of such modulations on nanopore transport requires simulation protocols capable of reproducing non-uniform temperature gradients observed in experiment. Conventional molecular dynamics (MD) method typically employs a single thermostat for maintaining a uniform distribution of temperature in the entire simulation domain, and, therefore, can not model local temperature variations. In this article, we describe a set of simulation protocols that enable modeling of nanopore systems featuring non-uniform distributions of temperature. First, we describe a method to impose a temperature gradient in all-atom MD simulations based on a boundary-driven non-equilibrium MD protocol. Then, we use this method to study the effect of temperature gradient on the distribution of ions in bulk solution (the thermophoretic effect). We show that DNA nucleotides exhibit differential response to the same temperature gradient. Next, we describe a method to directly compute the effective force of a thermal gradient on a prototypical biomolecule--a fragment of double-stranded DNA. Following that, we demonstrate an all-atom MD protocol for modeling thermophoretic effects in solid-state nanopores. We show that local heating of a nanopore volume can be used to regulate the nanopore ionic current. Finally, we show how continuum calculations can be coupled to a coarse-grained model of DNA to study the effect of local temperature modulation on electrophoretic motion of DNA through plasmonic nanopores. The computational methods described in this article are expected to find applications in rational design of temperature-responsive nanopore systems.
Update on gene and stem cell therapy approaches for spinal muscular atrophy

Introduction: Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is the leading genetic cause of pediatric death to which at present there is no effective therapeutic. The genetic defect is well characterized as a mutation in exon 7 of the survival of motor neuron (SMN) gene. The current gene therapy approach focuses on two main methodologies, the replacement of SMN1 or augmentation of SMN2 readthrough. The most promising of the current work focuses on the delivery of SMN via AAV9 vectors via intravenous delivery. Areas covered: In the review the authors examine the current research in the field of stem cell and gene therapy approaches for SMA. Also focusing on delivery methods, timing of administration and general caveats that must be considered with translational work for SMA. Expert opinion: Gene therapy currently offers the most promising avenue of research for a successful therapeutic for SMA. There are many important practical and ethical considerations which must be carefully considered when dealing with clinical trial...
Fourier analysis of textural variations in human normal and cataractous lens nuclear fiber cell cytoplasm.

Abstract Variations in cytoplasmic texture of human normal and cataractous lenses were investigated with Fourier analysis. Fixed Vibratome sections of six normal transparent human lenses (age range 55–72 years) and six nuclear cataractous lenses (age range 66–89 years) were examined using transmission electron microscopy. Images were taken of the fiber cell cytoplasm and examined using linear optical density scans, Fourier transforms and autocorrelation analysis. The cytoplasm of normal human lenses was found to be smooth and homogeneous. Radially-averaged plots of Fourier transforms revealed a broad band of intensity over the range of 15–50 nm. Four of the six cataracts also had homogeneous cytoplasm without substantial density variations. Fourier transforms and radially-averaged plots were similar to those of the normal, although slightly lower in intensity for components⩽20 nm. Two of the six cataracts had a slightly granular or textured cytoplasm that showed significant density variations. Fourier transforms and radially-averaged plots revealed significant intensity in the range⩾200 nm. Autocorrelation analysis supported the data obtained by Fourier transforms. Radially-averaged plots of the autocorrelation resultant displays detected only small structural units in the normal and non-textured cataractous cytoplasm, whereas larger structural units were detected in the textured cataractous cytoplasm. The appearance of the textured cataractous cytoplasm suggests that redistribution or loss of protein may be the cause of density variations in these types of cataracts. Importantly, these results indicate that some nuclear cataracts do not contain spatial fluctuations in the cytoplasm large enough to cause significant light scattering. The data suggest that nuclear cataractogenesis is a multi-factorial process involving minor alterations in cellular structure.
Momentum-space solution of exciton excited states and heavy-hole-light-hole mixing in quantum wells

A full valence-band mixing model for excitons in quantum wells is presented. The exciton equation is solved in momentum space using the modified Gaussian quadrature method, taking into account the angular dependence of the excitons. The theory accounts for the mixing of the ground state of the light-hole exciton and the excited states of the heavy-hole exciton at low temperatures reported previously by Vi\~na et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 58, 832 (1987)]. Our calculations reproduce correctly the resonant field, the minimum energy split at the resonant field, and the fine structure of the competing 2s and 2p states resolved in the experimental data. For the s-states-dominated spectra, the full model can be simplified to include only s-states coupling. We show that the numerical results based on the simplified model match very well the polarization-dependent room-temperature exciton absorption spectra of Miller et al. [IEEE J. Quantum Electron. QE-22, 1816 (1986)].