cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Vitamin D in chronic kidney disease: a systemic role for selective vitamin D receptor activation.

Hyperparathyroidism occurs in most patients during the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and one of its initiating events, reduced serum levels of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, results from a decrease in renal 1α hydroxylase activity, which converts 25-hydroxyvitamin D to its activated form. The combination of persistently high parathyroid hormone (PTH) and low 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D is associated with bone loss, cardiovascular disease, immune suppression and increased mortality in patients with end-stage kidney failure. Recent studies in dialysis patients suggest that paricalcitol, a selective activator of the vitamin D receptor (VDR), is associated with a more favorable efficacy to side effect profile than calcitriol, with less morbidity and better survival. One hypothesis derived from such studies suggests that systemic activation of VDRs may have direct effects on the cardiovascular system to decrease mortality in CKD. Although current guidelines for regulating serum calcium, phosphate and PTH recommend specific interventions at the various stages of CKD to prevent or postpone irreversible parathyroid disease and decrease cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, emerging data suggest that vitamin D therapy may prolong survival in this patient population by mechanisms that are independent of calcium, phosphate and PTH. It is suggested that a re-evaluation of current treatment recommendations is needed and that future research should focus on mechanisms that distinguish potential tissue specific benefits of selective VDR activators in patients with CKD.
Heritable epigenetic mutation of MLHI in a mother and daughter with Lynch syndrome

Background Lynch syndrome is a hereditary predisposition to colorectal and endometrial cancers, in addition to cancers of the stomach, ovary, upper urinary tract, small bowel, hepatobiliary tract, skin and brain. Lynch syndrome is caused by defects in DNA mismatch repair (MMR), and germline mutations in MLHl, MSH2, MSH6 and PMS2 as well as high levels of tumor microsatellite instability (MSI) and loss of MMR protein expression are frequently found. MMR deficiency due to loss of MLH1 in tumor tissue may also be due to gene silencing resulting from hypermethylation of the MLH1 promoter, which is found in 15% of sporadic colorectal and endometrial cancers, and as the second “hit” in some individuals with germline mutations in MLH1. Recently, epigenetic silencing of MLH1 in normal body cells has been proposed as a novel cause of predisposition to Lynch syndrome associated tumors. Twenty five cases of hypermethylation of the MLH1 promoter in peripheral blood (MLH1 epimutation) of individuals with young onset colorectal cancer and/or endometrial cancer have been reported. The heritability of MLH1 epimutation is still under investigation. Methods and results A 39-year-old woman from the Philippines was diagnosed with stage III rectal cancer. Her rectal biopsy was screened for evidence of MMR deficiency, which showed high levels of MSI and loss of MLH1 and PMS2 protein expression. Her mother was diagnosed with synchronous colon and endometrial cancers at age 40. She underwent germline mutation analysis of MLHl which failed to identify a mutation. Her rectal tumor was screened for MLH1 promoter methylation and BRAF V600E, which showed hypermethylation of the MLH1 promoter in both tumor and normal colonic mucosa, and negative BRAF V600E. Analysis of MLH1 promoter methylation in her peripheral blood was consistent with MLH1 epimutation. Tissue from her mother’s colon tumor, endometrial tumor, and normal body tissue showed high levels of MSI, loss of MLH1 protein expression, negative BRAF V600E, and hypermethylation of the MLH1 promoter. Her mother died from her colon cancer in 1995, thus peripheral blood was not available. The patient has two unaffected siblings, ages 31 and 35, who have undergone MLH1 epimutation testing. Neither showed hypermethylation of the MLH1 promoter in peripheral blood.
Pedogenesis in a wetland meadow and surrounding serpentinitic landslide terrain, northern California, USA

Landslide deposits in serpentinitic terrain of northern California are common, and often support wet meadows, which are strikingly different from the surrounding xeric landscape. These landslide deposits provide an opportunity to observe pedogenic processes across differing moisture conditions and depositional environments in ultramafic terrain. The objective of this study was to assess predominant pedogenic processes by landscape position for a stabilized landslide bench and the surrounding area in serpentinitic terrain. Distributions of dithionite extractable metals and exchangeable cations were compared to interpret processes involved in element redistribution. Landscape positions were defined as the scarp, flanks, foot, and bulge. The foot, which supports a wet meadow, is inundated during a significant part of the year due to water ponding behind the bulge. The forested scarp and flank positions are subject to episodes of erosion, probably following wildfires, thereby delivering sediments to the lower landscape positions. The major pedogenic processes on the slopes of the scarp and flanks include mineral weathering, oxidation, and illuviation of clay, as evidenced by argillic horizons in which Cr- and Al-bearing Fe-oxyhydroxides are concentrated. Serpentine-weathering products are transported from the scarp and flanks to the poorly drained foot where fine sediments and neoformed smectite yield clayey soils. On the foot, cycles of vegetation growth and deposition of sediments, coupled with reducing conditions, result in deep, organic-rich soils.
Micrositing Optimization of the Block Island Wind Farm, RI, USA

The Rhode Island Ocean Special Area Management Plan (RIOSAMP) has been implemented in Rhode Island since 2008 to provide guidance to local regulators in the zoning of renewable energy, with a focus on the siting of offshore wind farms. The project culminated in the siting of the first North American offshore wind project, optimized using a spatial planning approach combining exclusionary and mitigating factors. The optimization of mitigating factors is based on a standard cost model approach and extended to include ecological and societal factors. This macro-siting optimization phase provided the framework to define a Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) for wind farm development and the present study seeks the siting optimization of the wind farm layout within this zone. The optimization considers the loss in power resulting from turbine wake interaction, a cable cost clustering algorithm, and the spatial variation of both foundation cost and the available wind resource within the REZ through a micrositing objective function. This initial objective function is extended to include ecological and social costs. The layout optimization is based on a Genetic Algorithm (GA) optimization scheme. The method is applied to the REZ area, demonstrating that a gain of approximately $10 million over 20 years could be obtained if an “optimal layout” would be selected over the initial layout chosen by the developers.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Deep earthquake rupture histories determined by global stacking of broadband P waveforms

[1] We conduct a systematic investigation of time histories of moment release in deep earthquakes, whose physical mechanism remains unknown. We have constructed source time functions (STFs) of 111 large deep earthquakes (depth ≥100 km and Mw ≥ 6.4) by stacking P waveforms from broadband seismograms recorded by the Global Seismographic Network. Aligning and stacking waveforms cancels noise and allows us to identify the rupture initiation and termination times accurately. Each STF is scaled to a reference moment of 1019 N m, using the duration-moment relation τ ∝ M01/3. In order to investigate depth dependence of the STFs, we bin them into three depth ranges, 100–350 km, 350–550 km, and deeper than 550 km, based on physical properties of the mantle and the distribution of the data. We infer a change in character near 550 km. Earthquakes deeper than about 550 km are shorter, have simpler time functions, and are more uniform in their characteristics. Further, we find longer than expected scaled durations and greater complexity in the 350–550 km depth range. The scaled durations of the 350–550 km earthquakes do not decrease with depth as 1/VS, instead possessing a slightly longer average scaled duration than those 100–350 km deep. We further categorize the earthquakes by subduction zone and find a similar depth dependence within individual zones. Finally, the events that have achieved highest moment rate in the first 1–2 s after initiation tend to be deeper and/or larger events, the latter suggesting that dynamic rupture propagation affects the final size of the earthquake. The depth dependence of duration and complexity suggests more complicated rupture histories between 350 and 550 km and a possible change in the physical mechanism of rupture at about 550 km.
Angiotensin inhibition in severe heart failure: Acute central and limb hemodynamic effects of captopril with observations on sustained oral therapy

Abstract The systemic, pulmonary, and limb circulatory responses to the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, captopril, were determined in 10 patients with severe, chronic heart failure. Immediate effects include sustained reductions in arterial pressure and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure and improvement in cardiac output, as reported with other vasodliator drugs. Calf vascular resistance did not change despite substantial lowering of total systemic vascular resistance, indicating that arteriolar dilatation occurred on a selective basis. Transient reduction in mean right atrial pressure paralleled slight calf venodillatation, but effects upon the resistance vasculature predominated. Plasma renin activity and norepinephrine concentrations increased after therapy in the acute phase as plasma aldosterone levels consistently fell. During maintenance oral treatment over 7 to 15 months (median, 11.5 months), patients displayed symptomatic benefit, improved functional capacity, and greater exercise tolerance. No major adverse reactions developed. These findings suggest that angiotensin converting enzyme inhibition with captopril in congestive heart failure patients improves cardiocirculatory function through selective arteriolar dilatation. The reordering of regional blood flow which appears to result from release of angiotensin-mediated vasoconstriction, as well as the suppression of aldosterone, may underlle the prolonged benefit observed in these patients. This oral vasodilator appears to represent an effective adjunct for the treatment of advanced, chronic heart failure refractory to conventional measures.
Analysis results and tools for the control of planar bipedal gaits using hybrid zero dynamics

New analysis and tools are presented that extend the hybrid zero dynamics (HZD) framework for the control of planar bipedal walkers. Results include (i) analysis of walking on a slope, (ii) analysis of dynamic (decoupling matrix) singularities, and (iii) an alternative method for choosing virtual constraints. A key application of the new tools is the design of controllers that render a passive bipedal gait robust to disturbances without the use of full actuation--while still requiring zero control effort at steady-state. The new tools can also be used to design controllers for gaits having an arbitrary steady-state torque profile. Five examples are given that illustrate these and other results.
Ambush along the TQM Trail

In order to deal with increasingly dynamic environments, organizations are rethinking the structure of their management systems. The recent literature suggests that, to a greater extent than before, new paradigms of management are being considered as alternatives to traditional forms of organization. One such transformational entity is total quality management (TQM). Statistical process controls, customer satisfaction and a culture supportive of change represent the underlying framework of the TQM system. There are numerous reports of organizations which have successfully made the transition to first‐time quality. On the other hand, many organizations struggle with change. The author spent a nine‐month sabbatical as a change agent in an organization attempting to incorporate TQM. He describes his role in the change programme, discusses the history of the organization, provides a summary of the TQM intervention, and, based on his observations, offers a critical analysis of the reasons that hindered the organization’s ability to implement TQM. Finally, intervention strategies to consider when dealing with adversity are discussed.
Higher-order squeezing in three- and four-wave mixing processes with loss.

An investigation is carried out of higher-order squeezing in a class of three- and four-wave mixing processes that can be modeled by a master equation. In (2N)th-order squeezing, as defined by Hong and Mandel, the Nth-power of the variance of a field quadrature falls below the value it would have for a coherent state. Higher-order squeezing is of interest because (i) it occurs in many processes in which ordinary (or second-order) squeezing occurs, and (ii) it allows a much larger fractional noise reduction to be achieved than ordinary squeezing. The master equation we use models a degenerate three- or four-wave process and takes into account the losses in the signal mode. We convert the master equation into a Fokker-Planck equation for the Wigner distribution function and solve it for a wide range of initial signal states (including thermal, coherent, Fock states, and mixtures of these). Results are presented for the enhancement of fourth- and sixth-order squeezing over second-order squeezing. Differences in the character of higher-order squeezing for different input states are pointed out. The role of losses in limiting the amount of achievable squeezing in all orders is especially investigated.
Attention to Form or Meaning? Error Treatment in the Bangalore Project.

This article reports an evaluation study of the Bangalore project, a content-based approach to language learning. It examines the question, Do teachers attend to, meaning or to form, and is such a distinction observable in classroom practice? The study investigated the way that error treatment in Bangalore classrooms was realized in practice in a sample of 21 lesson transcripts. It was found that the treatment of linguistic error was largely consonant with the project's statements about the kinds of attention that are appropriate to a focus on meaning and that this could be distinguished from the ways of treating linguistic error that are attributable to a focus on form. However, the most likely explanation for this finding is that as the project developed, task types were selected that would curtail learner production and, thereby, the risk of making linguistic error. This finding has implications for teachers interested in content-based curricula.
The Clustered Causal State Algorithm: Efficient Pattern Discovery for Lossy Data-Compression Applications

Pattern discovery is a potential boon for data compression, but current approaches are inefficient and produce cumbersome pattern descriptions. The clustered causal state algorithm is a new pattern-discovery algorithm that incorporates recent clustering technology
Bullying: Children Hurting Children

1. Gwen Glew, MD* 2. Fred Rivara, MD* 3. Chris Feudtner, MD* 1. 2. *Division of General Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Define bullying and recognize it as a major public health issue. 2. Identify children who are bullies and children who are victims of bullying. 3. Know how to educate parents and children about bullying and to advise those involved on how to prevent future episodes. 4. Understand the possible consequences of bullying and how to prevent them. Mark’s parents were worried. Their 14-year-old son, who recently had entered a new school, was a small, clumsy child who was poor at games and had odd mannerisms. He was unable to enunciate his words clearly or quickly and became flustered when provoked. He had problems making friends . After a few months in his new school, he became known as Mark the Martian because of his mannerisms. He was unable to ignore the taunting, which included being kicked, punched, and tripped by classmates. The problem was especially pronounced on the playground. He became so tense that he reacted volatilely and dramatically, earning him the reputation among staff of being aggressive. His reactions encouraged the bullies to continue. No single incident was severe, but the cumulative effect was devastating. Mark did not approach school staff, and they never saw any of the bullies’ attacks. They did see Mark’s aggressive reactions and did not have a sympathetic attitude toward him. The bullying finally came to light when it was discovered that Mark was walking around town all day in winter weather rather than facing school. At the same time, the mother of one of his classmates phoned his parents and the school to say that her son was becoming distressed at the extent of the bullying Mark was having to endure. Many of the children were disturbed by the events, but no teacher had been aware of what …
Reducing endogenous estrogen during prepuberal life does not affect boar libido or sperm fertilizing potential

Increasing sperm production per breeding male has economic significance with increasing use of artificial insemination. Manipulations to increase sperm production in livestock will only be useful if libido and sperm fertilizing capacity are not adversely affected. Reducing endogenous estrogens in the postnatal interval increases the number of Sertoli cells and hence testicular sperm production capacity. These experiments were designed to evaluate the effects of reducing endogenous estrogens on libido and sperm fertilizing capacity. Boars were treated with an aromatase inhibitor, letrozole, to reduce testicular estrogen production between 1 and 6 weeks of age or between 11 and 16 weeks of age, and the littermates to these boars were treated with the canola oil vehicle. Letrozole treatment did not affect time to first mount at 22 weeks of age, regardless of whether the treatment occurred from 1 to 6 weeks of age (118 seconds vs. 233 seconds, SEM = 161 for letrozole-treated and vehicle-treated boars, respectively) or from 11 to 16 weeks of age (107 seconds vs. 67 seconds, SEM = 63 for letrozole-treated and vehicle-treated boars, respectively). Similarly, sperm fertilizing ability and in vivo fertility were equivalent in letrozole-treated boars and their vehicle-treated littermates. Surprisingly, the increase in Sertoli cell numbers observed in the letrozole-treated boars at 20 weeks of age (5.8 vs. 4.3 billion, SEM = 0.5; P < 0.05) was not maintained to 40 weeks of age in their letrozole-treated littermates. Reducing endogenous estrogen production neonatally or prepuberally had no detectable adverse effect on libido or sperm fertilizing capacity.
Down-regulation of the caffeic acid O-methyltransferase gene in switchgrass reveals a novel monolignol analog

Background Down-regulation of the caffeic acid 3-O-methyltransferase EC 2.1.1.68 (COMT) gene in the lignin biosynthetic pathway of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) resulted in cell walls of transgenic plants releasing more constituent sugars after pretreatment by dilute acid and treatment with glycosyl hydrolases from an added enzyme preparation and from Clostridium thermocellum. Fermentation of both wild-type and transgenic switchgrass after milder hot water pretreatment with no water washing showed that only the transgenic switchgrass inhibited C. thermocellum. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GCMS)-based metabolomics were undertaken on cell wall aqueous extracts to determine the nature of the microbial inhibitors.
Decision Making During Healthcare-Associated Infection Surveillance: A Rationale for Automation

Attention to healthcare-associated infections has increased, in part due to legislative mandates for monitoring infections and federal payment policies. Current systems, which rely on considerable human involvement in finding and interpreting whether clinical events represent infection, can lead to biased institutional rankings. Relying on individuals employed by reporting institutions in an environment in which reporting healthcare-associated infections can be associated with punitive consequences is suboptimal. Cognitive psychology literature leads us to expect underreporting, economic theory suggests that underreporting will increase over time, and statistical theory indicates that there is a ceiling on reliability. With current systems, infection rates are likely to decline without meaningful improvement in practices. Fortunately, development of reliable and objective definitions and automated processes for infection determination has accelerated. Transition to such systems will be challenging; however, the result will be more valid interfacility comparisons.
A hyperplastic anterior choroidal artery with double persistent anastomotic channels

We describe a case of a hyperplastic anterior choroidal artery (AChA) with double persistent anastomotic channels. This hyperplastic AChA, which was detected at vertebral angiography, is different from previously reported cases, because it has an unusual, secondary anastomotic channel.
Handling timing errors in distributed programs

The authors describe a tool called TAP, which is defined to aid the programmer in discovering the causes of timing errors in running programs. TAP is similar to a postmortem debugger, using the history of interprocess communication to construct a timing graph, a directed graph where an edge joins node x to node y if event x directly precedes event y in time. The programmer can then use TAP to look at the graph to find the events that occurred in an unacceptable order. Because of the nondeterministic nature of distributed programs, the authors feel a history-keeping mechanism but always be active so that bugs can be dealt with as they occur. The goal is to collect enough information at run time to construct the timing graph if needed. Since it is always active, this mechanism must be efficient. The authors also describe experiments run using TAP and report the impact that TAP's history-keeping mechanism has on the running time of various distributed programs. >
Addressing Psychosocial Adversity Within the Patient-Centered Medical Home: Expert-Created Measurable Standards

The Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) may be improved by embedding identification and response for patients' experiences with psychosocial adversity, but how this might optimally occur in practice has not been well-specified. We sought input from an expert panel to define feasible elements that could adapt the PCMH to adequately respond to patients' experiences with psychosocial adversity. From December 2012 through September 2013, we used a Delphi process to systematically obtain expert opinions and reach consensus. We invited 37 experts to participate in three successive and iterative rounds of questionnaires, with each round based on aggregated, de-identified data from the prior round. We first asked experts to generate elements to adapt the PCMH, using the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA's) established six PCMH standards as the foundation. We then asked the experts to rate these elements on a 5-point Likert scale, and finally specify what they considered the most and least valuable elements. Eighteen of the 37 (49 %) invited experts responded to the first survey, and constituted our sample. Experts identified 35 elements that fell under the six NCQA standards. The top rated elements included using a screening tool to identify adversity; training providers to address psychosocial adversity; having a team member with mental health expertise; providing culturally-competent care; and having written patient information related to adversity and coping. This study derived key elements that may enhance the PCMH's ability to improve patient outcomes by purposefully identifying and responding to their psychosocial adversity.
Normal forms and relational database operators

We discuss the relationship between normal forms in a relational database and an allowed set of relational operators. We define "projection-join normal form" (PJ/NF), which is the ultimate normal form when only projection and join are allowed. Aho, Beeri and Ullman made the counterintuitive discovery that there is a relation schema with a valid decomposition into three of its projections without the decomposition being equivalent to a cascade of decompositions, each into two projections. Because of this possibility, there exist bizarre relation schemata that are in fourth normal form but not in PJ/NF. We also discuss issues associated with allowing the union operator.
Soft-Tissue Infection Due to Mycobacterium smegmatis: Report of Two Cases

Mycobacterium smegmatis is an uncommon pathogen in humans. Fourteen cases of skin or soft-tissue infection due to M. smegmatis have been previously reported. We report two cases of posttraumatic M. smegmatis infection of the lower extremity. M. smegmatis infection produces chronic cellulitis with fistula formation that is most commonly a result of direct traumatic inoculation of contaminated material. Extensive surgical debridement followed by skin grafting has been necessary for cure in the majority of cases.
Tropical respiratory medicine. 1. Pulmonary infections in the tropics: impact of HIV infection.

PIP: Infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis is so common in tropical areas that the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates more than 75% of the 8-10 million new cases of tuberculosis (TB) annually occur therein. Infection with HIV is also common in the tropics; the WHO estimated in 1992 that 9-11 million adults were infected with HIV, mostly in developing countries. This tropical overlap of HIV infection and pulmonary pathogens makes pulmonary infections a common manifestation of HIV infection, especially TB and bacterial pneumonia. Bacterial pneumonia accounts for at least 25% of medical admissions to one of East Africa's largest hospitals and recent cohort and case-control studies have shown increased rates of disease among HIV-infected individuals. Of all the pulmonary infections encountered in the tropics, however, M. tuberculosis is one of the most significant pathogens. Data from sub-Saharan Africa and Haiti have shown that 17-66% of TB cases are seropositive for HIV-1. Moreover, 50% of seropositive patients presenting with pulmonary symptoms have TB. This review, however, focuses upon non-tuberculosis pathogens affecting HIV-infected patients in tropical and developing countries. Pneumococcus, nocardiosis, and melioidosis are discussed under bacterial pneumonia and are followed by cryptococcosis, histoplasmosis, paracoccidioidomycosis, and penicillium marneffei under fungal pneumonia. Other sections explore pneumocystis pneumonia, parasitic pneumonia (strongyloidiasis), pleural effusions, and the evaluation of HIV-infected patients with pulmonary disease.
Understanding trends in coastal ecosystems through science-education partnerships

The Center for Ocean Science Education Excellence (COSEE) Coastal Trends is addressing issues that face our changing coastal oceans through unique partnerships among research scientists, educators, and students. Using a team approach, we apply a visual approach to communicate key coastal trends messages. The teams utilize current research to develop “coastal trends modules” for use in the K-12 classroom and by the general public. This article features two education modules created by our Scientist-Educator teams, one on “dead zones” and the second on seagrasses.
Towards an optimal placement of sensors in Wireless Sensor Networks with dynamic routing

In recent years, to ensure reliable monitoring and analysis of unknown and untested environments, practitioners have started using Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs), i.e., collections of tiny disposable, low-power devices, equipped with programmable computing, multiple-parameter-sensing, and wireless communication capacity, able to measure ambient conditions to detect some objects located or events happening around. Hundreds to thousands of unattended sensors forming a WSN communicate with each other and with a central base-station that, in its turn, communicates with the user(s). When designing a WSN, it is critically important to place the sensors and set up routing protocols in such a way as to maintain connectivity and maximize the network lifetime. In this paper, we describe techniques that maximize the network lifetime under the constraint that connectivity is preserved.
Thermal Transport From Gold Nanorod to Solvent, an Investigation of Ligand Effects by Ultrafast Laser Spectroscopy

To facilitate analysis of nanoscale heat transfer in nanoparticle systems the thermal properties of ligand layers must be understood. To this end, we use an optical pump-probe technique to study the thermal transport across ligands on gold nanorods and into the solvent. We find that varying properties of the ligand can have large impacts on the thermal decay of a nanorod after exposure to a laser pulse. By raising the concentration of free CTAB from 1 mM and 10 mM in solutions, the CTAB layer’s effective thermal interface conductance increases three fold. The transition occurs near the CTAB critical micelle concentration. Similar results are found for other ligand layers.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Local and Systemic Implications of Thymidine Catabolism by Human Keratinocytes

The human epidermis possesses a very active thymidine phosphorylase with the capacity to catabolize all of the thymidine available to the epidermis from the circulation and from the degradation of DNA in terminally differentiating keratinocytes. This high capacity of keratinocytes to catabolize thymidine could affect local levels of thymidine within the epidermis for DNA synthesis and could contribute to the regulation of the concentration of thymidine in the systemic circulation. Further work is needed to delineate the physiologic role of this keratinocyte enzyme. A practical consequence of the activity of epidermal thymidine phosphorylase is the role it may play in limiting the clinical efficacy of certain thymidine analogs, an important class of antiviral agents.
The Role of Ethnic Interest Groups in U.S. Foreign Policy: The Case of the Cuban American National Foundation

The role and range of activities of ethnic interest groups in U.S. -foreign policy has received relatively little scholarly attention, though in the wake of the Cold War analysis of their activities has increased. The case of the Cuban American National Foundation (CANF) during the 1980s suggests, however, that ethnic interest group activity is not new and may be far more complex than our standard conceptualizations allow. We review the literature on the role of ethnic interest groups in U.S. foreign policy and assemble some common assumptions and arguments about their origins, roles and relations with the government, and the conditions that favor their success. Then we examine origins of CANF, its web of relationships with government even dluring the Cold War, and its role as a near co-executor of policy. We conclude by assessing what the CANF case suggests about standard views of the roles of at least some ethnic interest groups in the process of making U.S. foreign policy, including the need to see how the state may try to use and sponsor such groups to further its policy goals. The study of U.S. foreign policy, and foreign policy analysis more generally, has paid relatively little attention to the role and power of ethnic interest groups and the full range of their activities. Early studies showed these groups to have little influence, and the Cold War contributed to a foreign policymaking process that was largely dominated by the president. Interest group activity in foreign policy seemed relatively unimportant with a few notable exceptions. In the wake of the Cold War, though, scholars and journalists have begun to pay more attention to the activities of these groups in foreign and security policy. In an era when security threats are less pressing, when Congress is more engaged, and when the distinction between "foreign" and "domestic" politics is less clear, many have pointed to the increasing activism, if not always influence, of ethnic groups in U.S. foreign policy (e.g., Dent, 1995; Uslander, 1995; Vidal, 1996; Glastris, 1997). The case of the Cuban American National Foundation (CANF) during the 1980s-its origins, its web of relationships with the government even during the Cold War, and its role as a near co-executor of policy-suggests, however, that ethnic
Methods for dehydration-tolerance: Depression of the phase transition temperature in dry membranes and carbohydrate vitrification

Anhydrobiosis, or life without water, is the remarkable ability of certain types of plants and animals to survive almost total dehydration. This phenomenon requires a coordinated series of events within the cells of anhydrobiotes that protect their cellular components, particularly proteins and lipid membranes, from damage caused by the removal of water. Much of what is now understood about preserving biological samples during drying was learned by studying naturally desiccation-tolerant organisms and extended using model systems such as phospholipid vesicles. Most anhydrobiotic organisms accumulate disaccharides in their cells and tissues during the dehydration process. These carbohydrates, usually sucrose or trehalose, satisfy two criteria that appear to be necessary for protecting membranes during desiccation and during storage in the dry state. These requirements include: (1) depression of the gel-to-liquid crystalline phase transition temperature (Tm) in the dehydrated lipid to a temperature at or near that of the hydrated lipid, a process that appears to require a direct interaction between the carbohydrates and the lipid molecules of the membrane; and (2) formation of a carbohydrate glass with a relatively high glass transition temperature, leading to inhibition of fusion between the vesicles.
Dynamic study of virtual oscillator controlled inverter based distributed energy source

Application of virtual oscillator control for grid connected and islanded operation of inverter based distributed energy resource have been presented. A decentralized adaptive battery energy storage system(BESS) primary control scheme has been proposed which ensures stable operation of oscillator based microgrid control under grid connected and islanded operations. Photovoltaic and BESS have been used as distributed energy source. An application of virtual oscillator control for BESS application in a microgrid has been modeled and simulated in MATLAB/SIMULINK®. Feeder data of CIGRE benchmark low voltage microgrid network is used for microgrid modeling. A new reactive power control scheme has also proposed.
Improvements of the MODIS terrestrial gross and net primary production global data set

MODIS primary production products (MOD17) are the first regular, near-real-time data sets for repeated monitoring of vegetation primary production on vegetated land at 1-km resolution at an 8-day interval. But both the inconsistent spatial resolution between the gridded meteorological data and MODIS pixels, and the cloud-contaminated MODIS FPAR/LAI (MOD15A2) retrievals can introduce considerable errors to Collection4 primary production (denoted as C4 MOD17) results. Here, we aim to rectify these problems through reprocessing key inputs to MODIS primary vegetation productivity algorithm, resulting in improved Collection5 MOD17 (here denoted as C5 MOD17) estimates. This was accomplished by spatial interpolation of the coarse resolution meteorological data input and with temporal filling of cloud-contaminated MOD15A2 data. Furthermore, we modified the Biome Parameter Look-Up Table (BPLUT) based on recent synthesized NPP data and some observed GPP derived from some flux tower measurements to keep up with the improvements in upstream inputs. Because MOD17 is one of the down-stream MODIS land products, the performance of the algorithm can be largely influenced by the uncertainties from upstream inputs, such as land cover, FPAR/LAI, the meteorological data, and algorithm itself. MODIS GPP fits well with GPP derived from 12 flux towers over North America. Globally, the 3-year MOD17 NPP is comparable to the Ecosystem Model–Data Intercomparison (EMDI) NPP data set, and global total MODIS GPP and NPP are inversely related to the observed atmospheric CO2 growth rates, and MEI index, indicating MOD17 are reliable products. From 2001 to 2003, mean global total GPP and NPP estimated by MODIS are 109.29 Pg C/year and 56.02 Pg C/year, respectively. Based on this research, the improved global MODIS primary production data set is now ready for monitoring ecological conditions, natural resources and environmental changes.
Optimal long-term financial contracting

We develop an agency model of financial contracting. We derive long-term debt, a line of credit, and equity as optimal securities, capturing the debt coupon and maturity; the interest rate and limits on the credit line; inside versus outside equity; dividend policy; and capital structure dynamics. The optimal debt-equity ratio is history dependent, but debt and credit line terms are independent of the amount financed and, in some cases, the severity of the agency problem. In our model, the agent can divert cash flows; we also consider settings in which the agent undertakes hidden effort, or can control cash flow risk.
A method of food supplementation for ground-foraging insectivorous songbirds

Abstract Food supplementation can be an important experimental technique in studies of avian reproductive ecology, energetics, and parental care. We developed a method of food supplementation suitable for ground-foraging insectivorous passerines and tested it on Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla) and Wood Thrushes (Hylocichla mustelina). We provided mealworms at feeding stations made of plastic transparency film covered with a thin layer of green moss. Feeding stations were placed on the ground or on logs or boulders in the vicinity of nests. Direct and indirect evidence suggested that 92% of breeding Ovenbirds and 79% of breeding Wood Thrushes used supplemental food. The impact of non-target consumers was not significant: they were observed eating mealworms at approximately one-third of our food-supplemented nests. However, diurnal non-target consumers were only detected on a single occasion for each species, and nocturnal consumers fed on small amounts of mealworms left after daytime feeding experiments. Th...
Effects of a low-center-of-gravity backpack on the trunk stability of mountaineers while ascending and descending

[Purpose] This study developed a backpack with a low center of gravity (LCG) and investigated the effects of the LCG backpack on the trunk stability of mountaineers while ascending and descending. [Subjects and Methods] Ten males aged 20–32 years were recruited. The subjects ascended and descended a road with an inclination of 30 degrees wearing the standard or LCG backpack, and trunk acceleration was measured using a tri-axial accelerometer. [Results] The anterior-posterior (AP) and medial-lateral (ML) trunk acceleration while ascending and descending with the LCG backpack were significantly lower than those with the standard backpack. [Conclusion] The results suggest that the LCG backpack could prevent falling injuries during mountaineering and mountain-related activities.
Physical Education in Making Personality

(1928). Physical Education in Making Personality. American Physical Education Review: Vol. 33, No. 7, pp. 464-468.
Catalytic Actions of Sodium Salts in Direct Esterification of 3,3′4,4′-Benzophenone Tetracarboxylic Acid with Cellulose

Aromatic polycarboxylic acids can directly react with cellulose to form ester cross-linking structures and provide wrinkle resistance functions to cotton fabrics, different from aliphatic polycarboxylic acids, which will form anhydrides as intermediates. Sodium hypophosphite is a catalyst proven effective in the reactions of both acids. In order to find alternative catalysts, the mechanism of the direct esterification and the role of the catalyst in the reaction were investigated in this study. Several sodium salts of phosphorous acid and dichloroacetic acid with varied pKa values were employed in the treatment of cotton fabric with 3,3′,4,4′-benzophenone tetracarboxylic acid (BPTCA). The results confirmed that the overall reaction follows the Fischer esterification mechanism, an acid catalyzed reaction. The acid anions also play an important role in the reaction. Results of wrinkle recovery angles, FTIR band ratios of ester bonds, and thermogravimetric analyses of the treated fabrics consistently support...
Mechanical and water barrier properties of isolated soy protein composite edible films as affected by carvacrol and cinnamaldehyde micro and nanoemulsions

Abstract Edible films may be used in food packaging, for which they must deliver good barrier and mechanical properties. Films based on proteins have good gas barrier and mechanical properties, but poor water barrier properties. Films made from lipids have good water barrier properties, but poor mechanical properties. Protein and lipids were then combined to form composite films, and the particle size of the lipid phase was reduced to evaluate its effect on the mechanical and barrier properties. Micro and nanodroplets of Acetem and Tween 60 were added into an isolated soy protein (ISP) solution. Oil-in-water droplets were formed by direct emulsification at 1300 rpm for 30 min (microdroplets) or 5 h (nanodroplets), dispersed into the ISP solution, and cast into films. Emulsified films showed reduced strength and increased elongation, indicating a plasticizing effect of emulsions. The water barrier properties were either unchanged or slightly improved by the addition of hydrophobic compounds. Reducing droplet size improved the barrier properties as surface area of the lipid increased. Carvacrol and cinnamaldehyde were also added, and they either improved or unaffected the mechanical and barrier properties of ISP films. Addition of emulsions and reduction of droplet size generally decreased total pore volume in the films as well as water vapor permeation, indicating that the microvoid model suitably explains the water barrier properties of ISP films. This work further clarifies possible differences in barrier properties by examining water diffusivity and adsorption/desorption kinetics.
Structural Optimization by Equilibrium Linear Programming

A technique for preliminary structural design is developed, based upon the logic used by practicing designers. By considering only the conditions of static equilibrium and stress admissibility, a linear problem results that can be solved by ordinary linear programming. The solution to this problem gives an initial design that is generally close to the final optimum solution. An exact elastic solution satisfying compatibility as well as equilibrium and stress admissibility can be found by subsequent nonlinear optimization based upon a flexibility approach. Computer results presented for steel grillage design problems with multiple local optimums indicate that the proposed design approach can increase significantly the likelihood of finding the global optimum solution, as opposed to other optimization methods.
Rapid Estimation of Essential Porous Media Properties Using Image-Based Pore-Scale Network Modeling

Physically representative network models have been used for years for investigating pore-scale behavior in porous materials. However, the technology has remained largely in the research domain, with limited application to industrial processes. In this work, we introduce two algorithms that are derived from well-tested network modeling techniques, but provide unique capabilities for rapid assessment of important porous material properties from high-resolution 3D images. The first is a fast, fully automated algorithm for determining the characteristic length scale for three continuum parameters: porosity, permeability, and electrical resistivity (or formation factor). This information is important for assessing the size of the computational domain needed for image-based modeling. It operates by computing relevant continuum properties from consecutively smaller subdomains extracted from a larger pore network model. Resulting data trends are plotted so that the relevant characteristic lengths can be inferred....
Design of AlGaN/GaN Heterojunction Bipolar Transistor Structures

The potential of III-nitride materials for the fabrication of bipolar transistors is investigated theoretically. Several different pseudomorphic AlGaN/GaN n-p-n heterojunction bipolar transistor structures are examined through calculations of their band profiles and majority carrier distributions in equilibrium. Spontaneous and piezoelectric polarization charges are utilized to create large hole sheet carrier densities in the base layer, thus minimizing the base spreading resistance. At the same time, a large accelerating field in the base can help reduce the base transit times of the electrons and, hence, increase the current gains of these devices. The effect of strain due to substrate mismatch is also investigated.
Using Environmental Tracers to Verify and Investigate Conceptual Models of Highly Localized Aquitard Leakage

The objective of this research was to use numerical modeling, environmen tal tracers and other ancillary data to verify conceptual models for highly localized leakage phenomena that are known to occur in the Northern Mississippi Embayment. The impetus of the research is source water protection and understanding the true risk t o drinking water supplies that may be recharged from relatively rapid flow paths in otherwise confined hydrogeologic settings. This research will show how preliminary field data and numerical modeling were used to establish a probable conceptual model that was subsequently tested using environmental tracer data at two study sites where leakage is known to occur in Shelby County, Tennessee. These highly localized leakage areas have been termed aquitard ‘windows’ and locating these points of leakage is an arduous task. The nature of ground water monitoring within large ground water basin areas is insular and the impacts of these leakage sites is not well understood. At the select study site areas, a combination of environmental tracers (tritium/helium -3), major and trace ion geochemistry, hydraulic response testing, measurement of hydraulic gradients, and groundwater flow modeling is being evaluated to quantify recharge of young water from the alluvial aquifer through the window to the Memphis aquifer. The outcomes of this research will demonstrate which data were most useful in determining the most probable physical model based upon system behavior and a preliminary framework for risk assessment.