cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Differential Patterns of Gonadotropin Responses to Ovarian Steroids and to LH-Releasing Hormone Between Constant-Estrous and Pseudopregnant States in Aging Rats

The stimulatory feedback actions of estradiol and progesterone on gonadotropin secretion were tested in acutely ovariectomized (OVX) old constant estrous (CE) and pseudopregnant (PSP) rats of similar age (20-26 months). Studies were also performed to determine the pituitary LH responses to synthetic LU-releasing hormone (LHRI-I) in both intact and OVX, estradiol-implanted CE and PSP females. Serial blood samples were collected through chronic intra-atrial cannulae for measuring plasma LU and FSH, while single blood samples were obtained for estrogen and progestin assays. Serum concentrations of estradiol were twice as high in CE (26 ± 3 pg/mI, mean ± SEM) as in PSP rats (11 ± 2 pg/mI), whereas progesterone and 20a-hydroxyprogesterone levels were many-fold greater in PSP than in CE rats. In acutely OVX-PSP rats, estradiol and progesterone administration elicited a significant increase in LH release. PSP females that had evidence of pituitary tumors and/or lesions showed an LH response to ovarian steroidssimilartothatof animals with normal pituitaries. In contrast, steroid administration failed to increase LH release in acutely OVX-CE rats, and this lack of LH response was found in animals regardless of whether pituitary pathology was evident. Despite these differences between the CE and PSP states, the pituitary LU responses to single iv. pulses of LHRH were the same in intact CE and PSP rats. Placement of estradiol implants into OVX-CE and PSP rats significantly increased serum estradiol concentrations in both groups, but enhanced the LU response to LHRH only in the PSP rats and not in the CE animals. The present study demonstrates that the stimulatory feedback actions of estradiol and progesterone on LH secretion, which are present in acutely OVX old PS? rats, are absent in old CE females immediately following ovariectomy. Together with other data the results suggest changes in central nervous function of CE rats, which are probably related to their ovarian steroid background rather than to advanced age per Se.
Gluon multiplicity in coherent diffraction of onium on a heavy nucleus

We derive the cross section for the diffractive gluon production in high energy onium-nucleus collisions that includes the low-x evolution effects in the rapidity interval between the onium and the produced gluon and in the rapidity interval between the gluon and the target nucleus. We analyze our result in two limiting cases: when the onium size is much smaller than the saturation scale and when its size is much larger than the saturation scale. In the later case the gluon multiplicity is very small in the quasiclassical case and increases when the low-x evolution effects in onium become significant. We discuss the implications of our result for the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider, Large Hadron Collider, and Electron Ion Collider phenomenology.
Safe programmable speculative parallelism

Execution order constraints imposed by dependences can serialize computation, preventing parallelization of code and algorithms. Speculating on the value(s) carried by dependences is one way to break such critical dependences. Value speculation has been used effectively at a low level, by compilers and hardware. In this paper, we focus on the use of speculation by programmers as an algorithmic paradigm to parallelize seemingly sequential code.We propose two new language constructs, speculative composition and speculative iteration. These constructs enable programmers to declaratively express speculative parallelism in programs: to indicate when and how to speculate, increasing the parallelism in the program, without concerning themselves with mundane implementation details.We present a core language with speculation constructs and mutable state and present a formal operational semantics for the language. We use the semantics to define the notion of a correct speculative execution as one that is equivalent to a non-speculative execution. In general, speculation requires a runtime mechanism to undo the effects of speculative computation in the case of mis predictions. We describe a set of conditions under which such rollback can be avoided. We present a static analysis that checks if a given program satisfies these conditions. This allows us to implement speculation efficiently, without the overhead required for rollbacks.We have implemented the speculation constructs as a C# library, along with the static checker for safety. We present an empirical evaluation of the efficacy of this approach to parallelization.
Virtual computing initiative at a small public university

Student participation and resulting expertise is as valuable as having the high-performance resource itself.
A software-implemented baseband processor for digital communications

A digital multiplexer for low-speed synchronous data communications in a military environment is described. A 16-b embedded microprocessor is employed as a platform for executing real-time software to process the digital data signals. The system undertakes the clock recovery, plesiochronous buffering and data multiplexing for thirty low-speed data inputs. The implementation of a simple clock recovery algorithm is discussed. >
Runtime leakage minimization through probability-aware dual-Vt or dual-tox assignment

With process scaling runtime leakage current, when the circuit is operating, has become a major concern in addition to traditional standby mode leakage. In this paper we propose a new leakage reduction method that specifically targets runtime leakage current. We first observe that the state probabilities of nodes in a circuit tend to be skewed, meaning that they have either a high or a low value. We then propose a method that exploits these skewed state probabilities by setting only those transistors to high-Vt (thick-oxide) that have a high likelihood of being OFF (ON) and hence contributing significantly to the total runtime leakage. Accordingly, we also propose a library specifically tailored for the proposed approach, where Vt and Tox assignment with favorably trade-offs under skewed input probabilities are provided. The optimization algorithm performs simultaneous sizing, Vt and Tox assignment and shows substantial leakage improvement over probability-unaware optimization.
Enthesitis is an Extraintestinal Manifestation of Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Background Enthesitis is an extra-intestinal manifestation of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in adults. However, little has been published about the prevalence or characteristics of enthesitis in pediatric IBD.
The Continued Design and Development of the University of California, Davis FutureCar

The UC Davis FutureCar Team has redesigned a 1996 Ford Taurus as a parallel hybrid electric vehicle with the goals of tripling the fuel economy, achieving California ultra low emissions levels (ULEV), and qualifying for partial zero emissions vehicle (ZEV) credits in California. These goals were approached using a highly efficient powertrain, reducing component weight, and improving stock aerodynamics. A charge depletion driving strategy was chosen to maximize energy economy and provide substantial all-electric operating capabilities. The UC Davis FutureCar couples a Honda 660 cc gasoline engine and a UNIQ Mobility 48 kW-peak brushless permanent magnet motor within a compact, lightweight, and reliable powertrain. The motor is powered by a 15.4 kWh Ovonic Nickel Metal Hydride battery pack. The body of the vehicle has been reshaped using carbon fiber composite panels to improve airflow characteristics and reduce weight. At the 1997 FutureCar Challenge, the vehicle achieved an equivalent fuel consumption of 5.64 L/100 km (41.7 mpg) on the federal urban driving schedule and 3.74 L/100 km (62.8 mpg) on the federal highway driving schedule for a combined fuel consumption of 4.79 L/100 km (49.1 mpg). This represents a doubling of the stock vehicle’s fuel economy. Driving range exceeded 400 km on the combined driving schedules. The vehicle accelerates from 0 to 100 kph in 14.4 seconds and has an all-electric range of 105 km.
Mildly acidic conditions eliminate deamidation artifact during proteolysis: digestion with endoprotease Glu-C at pH 4.5

Common yet often overlooked, deamidation of peptidyl asparagine (Asn or N) generates aspartic acid (Asp or D) or isoaspartic acid (isoAsp or isoD). Being a spontaneous, non-enzymatic protein post-translational modification, deamidation artifact can be easily introduced during sample preparation, especially proteolysis where higher-order structures are removed. This artifact not only complicates the analysis of bona fide deamidation but also affects a wide range of chemical and enzymatic processes; for instance, the newly generated Asp and isoAsp residues may block or introduce new proteolytic sites, and also convert one Asn peptide into multiple species that affect quantification. While the neutral to mildly basic conditions for common proteolysis favor deamidation, mildly acidic conditions markedly slow down the process. Unlike other commonly used endoproteases, Glu-C remains active under mildly acid conditions. As such, as demonstrated herein, deamidation artifact during proteolysis was effectively eliminated by simply performing Glu-C digestion at pH 4.5 in ammonium acetate, a volatile buffer that is compatible with mass spectrometry. Moreover, nearly identical sequence specificity was observed at both pH’s (8.0 for ammonium bicarbonate), rendering Glu-C as effective at pH 4.5. In summary, this method is generally applicable for protein analysis as it requires minimal sample preparation and uses the readily available Glu-C protease.
Table of Contents for: Formations of United States Colonialism

Bridging the multiple histories and present-day iterations of U.S. settler colonialism in North America and its overseas imperialism in the Caribbean and the Pacific, the essays in this groundbreaking volume underscore the United States as a fluctuating constellation of geopolitical entities marked by overlapping and variable practices of colonization. By rethinking the intertwined experiences of Native Americans, Puerto Ricans, Chamorros, Filipinos, Hawaiians, Samoans, and others subjected to U.S. imperial rule, the contributors consider how the diversity of settler claims, territorial annexations, overseas occupations, and circuits of slavery and labor — along with their attendant forms of jurisprudence, racialization, and militarism — both facilitate and delimit the conditions of colonial dispossession. Drawing on the insights of critical indigenous and ethnic studies, postcolonial theory, critical geography, ethnography, and social history, this volume emphasizes the significance of U.S. colonialisms as a vital analytic framework for understanding how and why the United States is what it is today."This indispensable anthology makes a significant intervention in multiple fields by bridging what has often been seen as two separate processes, the consolidation of U.S. control over the continent and the rise of formal overseas interests at the end of the nineteenth century. The collected essays offer rich and substantive directions for future investigations to scholars interested in what American Indian and Indigenous studies bring to American Studies and U.S. imperial studies."- Jodi A. Byrd, author of The Transit of Empire: Indigenous Critiques of Colonialism"I can't think of an anthology published since Amy Kaplan and Donald Pease's Cultures of United States Imperialism (1994) that so directly engages the question of colonialism and empire in American Studies. What makes Formations of United States Colonialism so distinctive is its deep grounding in Native American Studies as the basis for a radical rethinking of the comparative study of U.S. empire, both on the North American continent and overseas."- Chandan Reddy, author of Freedom with Violence: Race, Sexuality, and the US State
Diversity and populations of Phytophthora, Phytopythium and Pythium species recovered from sediments in an agricultural run‐off sedimentation reservoir

Agricultural run‐off sedimentation reservoirs are an emerging aquatic system of critical importance to plant biosecurity, water and environmental sustainability. Oomycete pathogens such as Phytophthora and Pythium species in irrigation water have been demonstrated to pose significant risks to ornamental crops, but little is known about their diversity and populations in sediments of agricultural irrigation systems. This study investigated the oomycete communities including Phytophthora (Ph.), Phytopythium (Pp.) and Pythium (Py.) species in sediments at various depths of an agricultural run‐off sedimentation reservoir in Virginia during the winters of 2011 and 2015. The recovery of these oomycetes declined sharply with sediment depth from surface to 0·8 m and none was recovered from sediments deeper than 1·4 m. A total of 47 oomycete species were recovered, with all four species of Phytophthora and five of Phytopythium exclusively from the surface. Recovered species included many important plant pathogens such as Ph. nicotianae, Ph. pini, Ph. tropicalis, Pp. vexans, Py. irregulare and Py. monospermum. These results underline the importance of decontaminating sediments excavated from top layers (0–1·4 m) of the sedimentation reservoir before reuse in plant production.
Identification by Antithesis: The Turner Diaries as Constitutive Rhetoric

This article examines the infamous white supremacist novel, The Turner Diaries. Our analysis illustrates the rhetorical force of a fictional novel, as well as the author's efforts to constitute an audience that avoided any overt attempt to reveal the nature of that audience. We suggest that the constitutive functioning of the novel is most productively explored by examining various elements of the novel as an example of what Burke termed “identification by antithesis.” We close by offering insights into how this case study, and the use of identification by antithesis, extends our understanding of the constitutive functions served by rhetoric.
Applying systems thinking to oral health care: Commentary on Dr. Patricia H. Werhane's article.

One of Dr. Patricia H. Werhane’s assigned tasks was to formulate the several other current approaches to the ethics of access that were not discussed in my “Ethics, Access, and Care,”[1][1] and her survey of these other approaches is very useful. But what is most important about Werhane’s
Surface and Airborne Arsenic Concentrations in a Recreational Site near Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

Elevated concentrations of arsenic, up to 7058 μg g-1 in topsoil and bedrock, and more than 0.03 μg m-3 in air on a 2-week basis, were measured in the Nellis Dunes Recreation Area (NDRA), a very popular off-road area near Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. The elevated arsenic concentrations in the topsoil and bedrock are correlated to outcrops of yellow sandstone belonging to the Muddy Creek Formation (≈ 10 to 4 Ma) and to faults crossing the area. Mineralized fluids moved to the surface through the faults and deposited the arsenic. A technique was developed to calculate airborne arsenic concentrations from the arsenic content in the topsoil. The technique was tested by comparing calculated with measured concentrations at 34 locations in the NDRA, for 3 periods of 2 weeks each. We then applied it to calculate airborne arsenic concentrations for more than 500 locations all over the NDRA. The highest airborne arsenic concentrations occur over sand dunes and other zones with a surficial layer of aeolian sand. Ironically these areas show the lowest levels of arsenic in the topsoil. However, they are highly susceptible to wind erosion and emit very large amounts of sand and dust during episodes of strong winds, thereby also emitting much arsenic. Elsewhere in the NDRA, in areas not or only very slightly affected by wind erosion, airborne arsenic levels equal the background level for airborne arsenic in the USA, approximately 0.0004 μg m-3. The results of this study are important because the NDRA is visited by more than 300,000 people annually.
Application of event-related potentials in study on recognition memory in infancy

Recognition memory is ability of an individual to judge whether a stimulus has encountered previously,and it consists of two components: recollection and familiarity.It is a hot spot of study in recent years,especially study on recognition memory of infants.Event-related potential(ERP) is a non-invasive examination,it can record changes in brain potentials evoked by external events in absence of distinct external behaviors,and has a high temporal resolution.So,it is widely used in researches on cognitive development of infants.Late components of ERP is considered to reflect cognitive process of recognition memory: positive slow wave in late long latency is believed to be related to memory renewing process for partially encoded stimuli and negative slow wave in late long latency reflects processing of individual for novel stimuli.This article reviewed application of event-related potential in study on recognition memory of infants.
Cognitive Disorders in Benign Childhood Epilepsy with Centrotemporal Spikes (BECTS)

Intelligence and language functions were examined in 24 children (mean age 9 yrs; range 7-12 yrs) with BECTS and compared with a group of 16 controls matched for age and schooling, in a study at the Instituto Nazionale Neurologico, Milan, Italy.
Shoulder Dislocation Reduction Techniques

Subjective history of new-onset dislocation or recurrent dislocations combined with clinical assessment consistent with shoulder dislocation
MACFP: Maximal approximate consecutive frequent pattern mining under edit distance

Consecutive pattern mining aiming at finding sequential patterns substrings, is a special case of frequent pattern mining and has been played a crucial role in many real world applications, especially in biological sequence analysis, time series analysis, and network log mining. Approximations, including insertions, deletions, and substitutions, between strings are widely used in biological sequence comparisons. However, most existing string pattern mining methods only consider hamming distance without insertions/deletions (indels). Little attention has been paid to the general approximate consecutive frequent pattern mining under edit distance, potentially due to the high computational complexity, particularly on DNA sequences with billions of base pairs. In this paper, we introduce an efficient solution to this problem. We first formulate the Maximal Approximate Consecutive Frequent Pattern Mining (MACFP) problem that identifies substring patterns under edit distance in a long query sequence. Then, we propose a novel algorithm with linear time complexity to check whether the support of a substring pattern is above a predefined threshold in the query sequence, thus greatly reducing the computational complexity of MACFP. With this fast decision algorithm, we can efficiently solve the original pattern discovery problem with several indexing and searching techniques. Comprehensive experiments on sequence pattern analysis and a study on cancer genomics application demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of our algorithm, compared to several existing methods.
Poly(isoprenecarboxylates) from Glucose via Anhydromevalonolactone

A short and efficient synthesis of a series of isoprenecarboxylic acid esters and their corresponding polymers is presented. The base-catalyzed eliminative ring opening of anhydromevalonolactone (3) provides isoprenecarboxylic acid (6-H), which was further transformed to the isoprenecarboxylic acid esters. Reversible addition–fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization was used to synthesize high molecular weight (>100 kg mol–1) poly(isoprenecarboxylates) with dispersities (Đ) of ca. 1.5. The glass transition temperatures (Tg) and entanglement molecular weights (Me) of the poly(isoprenecarboxylates) were determined and showed similar trends to the Tg and Me values for analogous poly(acrylate esters). These new glucose-derived materials could provide a sustainable alternative to poly(acrylates).
Comparison of Maximal Wall Thickness in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Differs Between Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Transthoracic Echocardiography.

Left ventricular (LV) wall thickness is a prognostic marker in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HC). LV wall thickness ≥30 mm (massive hypertrophy) is independently associated with sudden cardiac death. Presence of massive hypertrophy is used to guide decision making for cardiac defibrillator implantation. We sought to determine whether measurements of maximal LV wall thickness differ between cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE). Consecutive patients were studied who had HC without previous septal ablation or myectomy and underwent both cardiac MRI and TTE at a single tertiary referral center. Reported maximal LV wall thickness was compared between the imaging techniques. Patients with ≥1 technique reporting massive hypertrophy received subset analysis. In total, 618 patients were evaluated from January 1, 2003, to December 21, 2012 (mean [SD] age, 53 [15] years; 381 men [62%]). In 75 patients (12%), reported maximal LV wall thickness was identical between MRI and TTE. Median difference in reported maximal LV wall thickness between the techniques was 3 mm (maximum difference, 17 mm). Of the 63 patients with ≥1 technique measuring maximal LV wall thickness ≥30 mm, 44 patients (70%) had discrepant classification regarding massive hypertrophy. MRI identified 52 patients (83%) with massive hypertrophy; TTE, 30 patients (48%). Although guidelines recommend MRI or TTE imaging to assess cardiac anatomy in HC, this study shows discrepancy between the techniques for maximal reported LV wall thickness assessment. In conclusion, because this measure clinically affects prognosis and therapeutic decision making, efforts to resolve these discrepancies are critical.
Deleuze and Kieślowski: On the Cinema of Exhaustion

This article revisits Krzysztof Kieślowski's films in light of Gilles Deleuze's writings on cinema. Its central argument is that, while Kieślowski's films register what Deleuze calls exhausted life, or la vie epuisee, they also offer an affirmative response to exhaustion. Deleuze's articulation of exhaustion in the context of film emerges first in Cinema 2: The Time-Image, where the term is posited as the denial of life's capacity to transform itself. In the context of Kieślowski's films and the communist milieux from which they emerge, exhaustion as a film-philosophical concept acquires a socio-political specificity otherwise lacking in Deleuze. Kieślowski's films thus provide the basis for reading exhaustion as an affective correlate of what Deleuze famously calls the “crisis of the action-image”. Stressing Kieślowski's resistance to the hegemony of exhaustion – and what the director calls a “world without representation” – this article emphasizes films such as From the City of Łodź (Z miasta Łodzi, 196...
Vertical distribution of threecornered alfalfa hopper nymphs (Homoptera: Membracidae) and girdles on soybean

The vertical distributions of Spissistilus festinus (Say) instars, petiole girdles, and main stem girdles on soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merrill, were investigated by inspecting randomly selected whole plants. Vertical distribution patterns were characterized by dividing sampled plants into three strata: lower (the lower main stem), middle (the lower half of the canopy), and upper (the upper half of the canopy). Most nymphs were located in lower strata on plants of growth stages V2 through V7 and in middle strata on more developed plants. First and fifth instars tended to be distributed higher than third and fourth instars on plants of growth stage ≥ V10. Most main stem girdles occurred in lower plant strata regardless of plant phenology. Petiole girdles were distributed similarly to nymphs except for a scarcity in lower plant strata. Although plant phenology appeared to affect nymphal vertical distribution few nymphs or girdles were ever located in the upper plant canopy.
Hip joint biomechanics in those with and without post-traumatic knee osteoarthritis after anterior cruciate ligament injury

Abstract Background Anterior cruciate ligament injury results in altered kinematics and kinetics in the knee and hip joints that persist despite surgical reconstruction and rehabilitation. Abnormal movement patterns and a history of osteoarthritis are risk factors for articular cartilage degeneration in additional joints. The purpose of this study was to determine if hip joint biomechanics early after anterior cruciate ligament injury and reconstruction differ between patients with and without post-traumatic knee osteoarthritis 5 years after reconstruction. The study's rationale was that individuals who develop knee osteoarthritis after anterior cruciate ligament injury may also demonstrate large alterations in hip joint biomechanics. Methods Nineteen athletes with anterior cruciate ligament injury completed standard gait analysis before (baseline) and after (post-training) extended pre-operative rehabilitation and at 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years after reconstruction. Weightbearing knee radiographs were completed 5 years after reconstruction to identify medial compartment osteoarthritis. Findings Five of 19 patients had knee osteoarthritis at 5 years after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Patients with knee osteoarthritis at 5 years walked with smaller sagittal plane hip angles ( P : 0.043) and lower sagittal ( P : 0.021) and frontal plane ( P : 0.042) external hip moments in the injured limb before and after reconstruction compared to those without knee osteoarthritis. Interpretation The current findings suggest hip joint biomechanics may be altered in patients who develop post-traumatic knee osteoarthritis. Further study is needed to confirm whether the risk of non-traumatic hip pathology is increased after anterior cruciate ligament injury and if hip joint biomechanics influence its development.
Effects of electrostatic interactions on ligand dissociation kinetics.

We study unbinding of multivalent cationic ligands from oppositely charged polymeric binding sites sparsely grafted on a flat neutral substrate. Our molecular dynamics simulations are suggested by single-molecule studies of protein-DNA interactions. We consider univalent salt concentrations spanning roughly a 1000-fold range, together with various concentrations of excess ligands in solution. To reveal the ionic effects on unbinding kinetics of spontaneous and facilitated dissociation mechanisms, we treat electrostatic interactions both at a Debye-H\"uckel (DH) (or implicit ions, i.e., use of an electrostatic potential with a prescribed decay length) level and by the more precise approach of considering all ionic species explicitly in the simulations. We find that the DH approach systematically overestimates unbinding rates, relative to the calculations where all ion pairs are present explicitly in solution, although many aspects of the two types of calculation are qualitatively similar. For facilitated dissociation (FD) (acceleration of unbinding by free ligands in solution) explicit-ion simulations lead to unbinding at lower free-ligand concentrations. Our simulations predict a variety of FD regimes as a function of free-ligand and ion concentrations; a particularly interesting regime is at intermediate concentrations of ligands where nonelectrostatic binding strength controls FD. We conclude that explicit-ion electrostatic modeling is an essential component to quantitatively tackle problems in molecular ligand dissociation, including nucleic-acid-binding proteins.
Anthropogenic disturbance induces opposing population trends in spotted hyenas and African lions

Large carnivore populations are declining worldwide due to direct and indirect conflicts with humans. Protected areas are critical for conserving large carnivores, but increasing human-wildlife conflict, tourism, and human population growth near these sanctuaries may have negative effects on the carnivores within sanctuary borders. Our goals were to investigate how anthropogenic disturbance along the edge of the Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, influences the demography and space-use of two large carnivore species that engage in intense interspecific competition. Here we document, in one disturbed region of the Reserve, a rapid increase in the population size of one large predator, the spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta), but a striking concurrent decline in numbers of another, the African lion (Panthera leo). Anthropogenic disturbances negatively affected lion populations, and decreasing lion numbers appear to have a positive effect on hyena populations, indicated here by an increase in juvenile survivorship. We also saw an increase in the number of livestock consumed by hyenas. Our results suggest human population growth and indirect effects of human activity along Reserve boundaries may be effecting a trophic cascade inside the Reserve itself. These results indicate both top-down and bottom-up processes are causing a shift in the carnivore community, and a major disruption of guild structure, inside the boundaries of one of the most spectacular protected areas in Africa.
Fundamentos de la nueva fórmula de asignación del Fondo de Aportaciones para la Infraestructura Social en México

Antecedentes: El Fondo de Aportaciones para la Infraestructura Social (FAIS), instituido a partir de 1998, es una transferencia condicionada que distribuye el gobierno federal mexicano entre los estados y municipios para reducir la pobreza. La formula de asignacion usada hasta 2013 distribuia este fondo de acuerdo con la pobreza relativa de cada estado en relacion con la nacional. Este diseno no generaba los incentivos adecuados para reducir la pobreza. Metodos: Con base en un modelo agente-principal, y considerando explicitamente la asimetria de informacion entre los ordenes de gobierno federal y subnacional, en este articulo se propone una formula de asignacion del FAIS, que tiene dos caracteristicas fundamentales: se distribuye con base en la pobreza relativa de los estados/municipios; y contiene un componente para evitar el incentivo perverso de la formula de distribucion que se uso hasta 2013. Resultados: Se disena un mecanismo que se usa como fundamento teorico en la construccion de una formula para distribuir la transferencia. Conclusiones: Para lograr el impacto deseado de los programas gubernamentales que se financian con transferencias federales es importante disenar e implementar mecanismos que alineen los incentivos de los diferentes niveles de gobierno.
Metabolic Rifts, Temporal Imperatives, and Geographical Shifts: Logging in the Adirondack Forest in the 1800s

Distinct land-use patterns can radically transform ecological conditions. In the following historical study, the authors employ Marx’s metabolic approach, nested within a political-economic perspec...
Decision Conversations Decoded

We describe the vision and current version of a Natural Language Processing system aimed at group decision making facilitation. Borrowing from the scientific field of Decision Analysis, its essential role is to identify alternatives and criteria associated with a given decision, to keep track of who proposed them and of the expressed sentiment towards them. Based on this information, the system can help identify agreement and dissent or recommend an alternative. Overall, it seeks to help a group reach a decision in a natural yet auditable fashion.
The Iron Project: Atomic Data for Fe I-Fe VI

Recent progress in large scale computations of photoionization cross sections, radiative transitions probabilities, and collision strengths for the lowest ionization stages of Iron, i.e., Fe I-VI, are reported. These results are part of an international collaboration called the IRON Project. The present results exhibit large differences with respect to data currently in use and is expected to be of importance in the study of astrophysical objects in the UV and the EUV.
Mechanisms and Structural Determinants of mRNA Decay in Bacteria

Messenger RNA degradation is an important mechanism for controlling gene expression in all organisms. Recent investigations have shed light on the mechanisms of mRNA decay in bacteria and the elements in prokaryotic mRNAs that are responsible for their marked differences in longevity. These studies have identified several ribonucleases that participate in mRNA degradation and have shown that specific structural features near the 5′ and 3′ ends of mRNA can play a key role in determining mRNA longevity in vivo.
Effects of 21st century climate change on seasonal flow regimes and hydrologic extremes over the Midwest and Great Lakes region of the US.

Abstract Analyzing future changes in hydrologic extremes such as floods, low flows, and soil moisture extremes is important because many impacts on ecosystems and human systems occur during extreme events. To quantify changes in hydrologic extremes, this study conducts hydrologic modeling experiments over 20 Midwestern watersheds using the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model forced by historical observed datasets and future projections from statistically downscaled Global Climate Model (GCMs) simulations. Our results show that peak daily streamflow at the 100-yr reoccurrence interval will increase (+10–30%) in most watersheds by 2080s due to significant increases in precipitation (P) and increasing P as rainfall during winter and spring seasons. The simulations also show strong shifts towards earlier peak flow timing (up to a month), especially in strongly snowmelt-dominated watersheds. These effects are linked to strong decreasing trends in maximum Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) with warming, which are simulated over essentially the entire domain. Projected changes in 7-day extreme low flows are smaller in magnitude (−10–+10%) with somewhat larger decreases simulated at the end of century; however, the timing of extreme low flows is projected to shift from winter/spring to summer and fall in strongly snowmelt-dominated watersheds in the northernmost parts of the domain. Extreme low soil moisture increases over most of the domain in the future projections up to the 2050s, but by the 2080s there are more widespread decreases in extreme low soil moisture, especially in the northernmost parts of the domain.
Kinetic Models of Need-Based Transfers

Kinetic exchange models of markets utilize microscopic binary descriptions of wealth transfers to derive a Boltzmann-like equation describing the evolution of the corresponding wealth distribution. We develop such a model to describe a binary form of welfare called need-based transfer (NBT), inspired by the gift-giving of cattle practiced among the Maasai of East Africa. Variants of such welfare schemes can be attributed to other human and animal communities. Specifically, we consider NBTs relative to a given welfare threshold such that individuals with surplus give to individuals with need in order to preserve the recipient’s continued viable participation in the economy. Our NBT kinetic model considers redistribution rules parameterized to vary between regressive and progressive redistribution.
Thermal atom-ion collisions in a K- Yb + hybrid system

We present experimental studies of atom-ion collisions using buffer-gas cooled, trapped ytterbium (${\mathrm{Yb}}^{+}$) ions immersed in potassium (K) vapor. The range of the collisional temperature is on the order of several hundred kelvin (thermal regime). We have determined various collisional rate coefficients of the ${\mathrm{Yb}}^{+}$ ion per K-atom number density. We find the upper bounds of charge-exchange rate coefficients ${\ensuremath{\kappa}}_{\mathrm{ce}}$ to be $(12.7\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.6)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}14}\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}{\mathrm{cm}}^{3}{\mathrm{s}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ for K-$^{171}\mathrm{Yb}^{+}$ and $(5.3\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.7)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}14}\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}{\mathrm{cm}}^{3}{\mathrm{s}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ for K-$^{172}\mathrm{Yb}^{+}$. For both isotopes, the spin-destruction rate coefficient ${\ensuremath{\kappa}}_{\mathrm{sd}}$ has an upper bound at $(1.46\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.77)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}9}\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}{\mathrm{cm}}^{3}{\mathrm{s}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. The spin-exchange rate coefficient ${\ensuremath{\kappa}}_{\mathrm{se}}$ is measured to be $(1.64\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.51)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}9}\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}{\mathrm{cm}}^{3}{\mathrm{s}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. The relatively low charge-exchange rate reported here demonstrates the advantage of using K atoms to sympathetically cool ${\mathrm{Yb}}^{+}$ ions and the relatively high spin-exchange rate may benefit research work in quantum metrology and quantum information processing on an atom-ion platform using K atoms and ${\mathrm{Yb}}^{+}$ ions.
Epidemiologic Studies Cannot Reveal the True Shape of the Dose–Response Relationship for Radon-Induced Lung Cancer:

A long-standing controversy is the correct shape of the dose-response relationship for lung cancer induction by inhaled radon (eg, residential radon) at low levels. A probabilistic approach is used in this commentary to show that cohort and case-control epidemiologic studies cannot reveal the true shape of the dose-response relationship for radon-induced lung cancer. Using the indicated approach, it is found that while the dose response for radon-induced lung cancer is expected to be threshold-increasing, the dose-response curve for the cancer incidence when cancers caused by smoking and other carcinogens are included is expected to be threshold-decreasing (ie, threshold-hormetic), as low-level radon can protect from cancer induction by other carcinogens via stimulating the body's natural defenses against cancer. These defenses include DNA damage repair, removal of aberrant cells via apoptosis, suppression of cancer promoting inflammation, and anticancer immunity.
Possible Biogenic Magnetite Fossils from the Late Miocene Potamida Clays of Crete

In the 23 years since Lowenstam (1962) first discovered the mineral magnetite in chiton teeth, many other organisms have been reported to be able to form this mineral as well (Blakemore, 1975; Gould et al., 1978; Frankel et al., 1979; Walcott et al., 1979; Kirschvink, 1981a; Walker and Dizon, 1981; Lins de Barros et al., 1981). Magnetite is now the fourth most common biogenic mineral after carbonate, opal, and ferrihydrite and related ferric oxide in terms of its production by different groups of organisms (Lowenstam and Weiner, 1982). A variety of magnetite-forming organisms live in aquatic environments and hence there is the question whether magnetite formed by organisms can be preserved in sediments. In particular, one group of magnetite-synthesizing organisms, the magnetotactic bacteria, are cosmopolitan in their aquatic distribution. Based on calculations considering their natural population density, sedimentation rates, and volume of magnetite per cell, the biologic contribution of magnetic remanence in sediments has been estimated by Kirschvink and Lowenstam (1979) to reach the 10−4 A/m level. Towe and Moench (1981) revised this estimate upwards to 10−3 A/m which is more compatible with the remanence generally observed in sediments.
The Politics of Democratizing Finance: A Radical View*:

How can finance be durably democratized? In the centers of financial power in both the United States and the United Kingdom, proposals now circulate to give workers and the public more say over how...
Understanding diverse TRPV1 signaling - an update

The transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) is densely expressed in spinal sensory neurons as well as in cranial sensory neurons, including their central terminal endings. Recent work in the less familiar cranial sensory neurons, despite their many similarities with spinal sensory neurons, suggest that TRPV1 acts as a calcium channel to release a discrete population of synaptic vesicles. The modular and independent regulation of release offers new questions about nanodomain organization of release and selective actions of G protein–coupled receptors.
Ball milled biochar effectively removes sulfamethoxazole and sulfapyridine antibiotics from water and wastewater.

Abstract Release of antibiotics into the environment, which often occurs downstream of wastewater treatment plants, poses a human health threat due to the potential development of bacterial antibiotic resistance. In this study, laboratory experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of ball milled biochar on the removal of two sulfonamide antibiotics, sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and sulfapyridine (SPY) from water and wastewater. Aqueous batch sorption experiment using both pristine and ball milled biochar derived from bagasse (BG), bamboo (BB) and hickory chips (HC), made at three pyrolysis temperatures (300, 450, 600 °C), showed that ball milling greatly enhanced the SMX and SPY adsorption. The 450 °C ball milled HC biochar and BB biochar exhibited the best removal efficiency for SMX (83.3%) and SPY (89.6%), respectively. A range of functional groups were produced by ball milling, leading to the conclusion that the adsorption of sulfonamides on the biochars was controlled by multiple mechanisms including hydrophobic interaction, π–π interaction, hydrogen bonding, and electrostatic interaction. Due to the importance of electrostatic interaction, SMX and SPY adsorption was pH dependent. In laboratory water solutions, the Langmuir maximum adsorption capacities of SMX and SPY reached 100.3 mg/g and 57.9 mg/g, respectively. When tested in real wastewater solution, the 450 °C ball milled biochar still performed well, especially in the removal of SPY. The maximum adsorption capacities of SMX and SPY in wastewater were 25.7 mg/g and 58.6 mg/g, respectively. Thus, ball milled biochar has great potential for SMX and SPY removal from aqueous solutions including wastewater.
Emerging partner violence among young adolescents in a low-income country: Perpetration, victimization and adversity.

Background Intimate partner violence (IPV) is prevalent in high- as well as low-income contexts. It results in a substantial public health burden and significant negative socioeconomic and health outcomes throughout the life-course. However, limited knowledge exists about IPV during early adolescence. This period is critical during the transition to adulthood for at least two reasons: it is when the majority of adolescents in low-income countries first encounter dating, sexuality and partnerships, often with older adolescents or adults, and it is also the period when lifelong patterns of violence and norms about acceptable IPV are formed. The current study is one of the first to measure IPV prevalence among young adolescents in a low-income setting, examine the potential etiology, and investigate relationships with gender ideology, poverty, mental health and childhood adversity. Methods We surveyed 2,089 adolescents aged 10-16 in Malawi using standardized instruments. We estimated the prevalence of IPV, and use multivariate logistic regression to test potential correlates. Results More than a quarter (27%) of ever-partnered adolescents in Malawi report being victimized. A substantial proportion of both male and female adolescents (15%) report committing violence against their partner. Girls were more likely than boys to report being a victim of sexual IPV (24% versus 8%), and boys more likely to perpetrate such (9% versus 1%). Almost 10% of the sample had both committed and been a victim of IPV. Cumulative childhood adversity (e.g., physical abuse, witnessing domestic violence) was a consistent and strong correlate of IPV victimization (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.30) and of perpetration (aOR 1.35). Depression and PTSD were likewise associated with IPV victimization in the overall sample. Notably, gender ideology was not predictive of either victimization or perpetration, even among boys. Conclusions IPV is common for both male and female young Malawian adolescents, and includes both victimization and perpetration. IPV compounds other adversities experienced by adolescents in this low-income setting, and it is rarely alleviated through help from the health system or other formal support. These findings underscore the need to intervene early when interventions can still break destructive pathways and help foster healthier relationships. This focus on early adolescence is particularly critical in low-income countries given the early onset and rapid pace of the transition to adulthood, with sexual activity, dating and partnership thus being common already in young adolescence. Promising interventions would be those that reduce violence against or around children, as well as those that reduce the impacts of such trauma on mental health during adolescence.
Chapter 8 – Animal Models

Publisher Summary Animal models are extensively used in the discovery of the primary events that trigger asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Animal models are also used to guide research into pharmacological interventions for the treatment of asthma and COPD. This chapter reviews the mouse models of asthma induced by ovalbumin sensitization and challenge and the animal models of chronic bronchitis as created by exposure to high concentrations of SO2 gas. The chapter focuses on changes in the mechanics of the airways because it is the airway obstruction associated with asthma and COPD that ultimately causes lung dysfunction, disability, and death. In humans, asthma is characterized by intermittent reversible airway obstruction, airway hyperresponsiveness, and airway inflammation. Although there is no specific animal that spontaneously mimics all these traits, a syndrome with some features of asthma can be observed in certain horses and cats and in the Basenji-greyhound cross of dogs. As a result, many investigators have developed animal models in which an asthma-like phenotype is induced by some intervention. The strategy most often employed for this purpose is allergen sensitization and challenge. Chronic bronchitis is characterized by cough and mucus hypersecretion, airway obstruction, and airway hyperresponsiveness. Animal models have been developed that mimic many of these aspects. The methods used to generate these models include chronic exposure to high concentrations of SO2 gas, endotoxin, and sodium metabisulfite.
Go from HRM Practices to HRM capabilities: A Dynamic Capabilities Perspective

While a resource-based view (RBV) has been widely used as a theoretical framework to explain the role of HRM practices in enhancing firm performance, the HRM practices suggested by strategic HRM re...
Toward sustainable batteries

Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries based on manganese oxide electrode materials are more environmentally friendly than conventional ones but generally suffer from rapid performance fading. A recent study sheds light on possible remedies through engineering of the interface.
The Theory and Craft of Digital Preservation. By Trevor Owens. [Review]

The world of digital materials presents archivists with many opportunities to access, present, and engage with materials in more flexible ways. Of course, this also presents challenges, including feeling like we do not know the “right” way to proceed, or knowing that we lack the resources to proceed the way we believe is best. In The Theory and Craft of Digital Preservation, Trevor Owens offers a set of frameworks and concepts related to digital preservation with the expectation that an understanding of a few basic principles will provide an informational foundation, allowing archivists to respond with professional expertise and creativity to the ever-evolving digital landscape.