cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Towards flexible sheet cameras: Deformable lens arrays with intrinsic optical adaptation

We propose a framework for developing a new class of imaging systems that are thin and flexible. Such an imaging sheet can be flexed at will and wrapped around everyday objects to capture unconventional fields of view. Our approach is to use a lens array attached to a sheet with a 2D grid of pixels. A major challenge with this type of a system is that its sampling of the scene varies with the curvature of the sheet. To avoid undesirable aliasing effects due to under-sampling in high curvature regions of the sheet, we design a deformable lens array with adaptive optical properties. We show that the material and geometric properties of the lens array can be optimized so that the object-side point spread function corresponding to each pixel widens with the curvature of the sheet at that pixel. This intrinsic adaptation of focal length is passive (without the use of actuators or other control mechanisms), and enables a sheet camera to capture images without aliasing, irrespective of its shape. We have designed a 33×33 lens array, fabricated it using silicone rubber, and conducted several experiments to verify its optical adaptation characteristics. We conclude with a discussion on the advantages of our proposed approach as well as future work.
Children's Coping with Recurrent Headache

We investigated the relationships among perceptions of control over pain, gender, and coping responses in 57 school-aged children receiving services at a specialized pediatric headache clinic. Perceptions of control and gender interacted to predict frequency of active and negative coping responses. A wide range of coping strategies was reported, but only minimal gender or perceived control differences were found in the frequency and helpfulness of individual coping strategies. Results are discussed within the context of recent stress and coping models within the pediatric chronic illness literature.
On the Location of the Maximum Stirling Number(s) of the Second Kind

Let S(n, k) denote Stirling numbers of the second kind, and Kn be the integer(s) such that S(n, Kn) ⩾ S(n, k) for all k. We determine the value(s) of Kn to within a maximum error of 1.
Skeletal evidence of craft production from the Ch'iji Jawira site in Tiwanaku, Bolivia

The Tiwanaku culture in the Bolivian highlands was comprised of neighborhoods home to various groups laboring at differing jobs. Ch'iji Jawira, one site within this community, is described archaeologically as containing both a manufacturing center for pottery and a residential area home to these ceramic manufacturers. Prior bioarchaeological research has also noted that the people buried at the Ch'iji Jawira site show statistically significant differences in labor and activity from others who lived in the Tiwanaku capital. Using a life-history approach, this study explores the idea that Ch'iji Jawira was home to ceramic specialists by describing one individual from this community, a 30–39 year old female (CJ-35250). This person has evidence of degeneration associated with osteoarthritis in her arms, wrists, hands, fingers, lumbar spine, sacroiliac, hip, and feet. The bones of her wrists, hands, fingers, and feet also have extensive skeletal changes at tendon and muscle attachment areas. The pattern on her bones suggests she worked at crafting, especially tasks involving repetitive joint movement and heavy use of arm, hand, and foot musculature. From her burial location and grave goods, it may be that CJ-35250 was one of the earliest potters at this site.
The Moroccan Jurist al-Khamlīshī: Can a Woman Become a Legislator (Mujtahid)?

The idea of deducing legal rulings in Islamic law, or ijtihād, as well as the qualifications of the person who practices ijtihād, known as the mujtahid, has been a complex issue among Muslim ʿulamāʾ for centuries. Many Muslim ʿulamāʾ and Western scholars have maintained that the gate of ijtihād was closed. The title of mujtahid was therefore impossible to attain. The Moroccan intellectual al-Khamlīshī maintains that the strenuous conditions put forth by some of the Sunni jurists to qualify an individual to become a mujtahid actually contributed to the demise of ijtihād. These qualifications, according to al-Khamlīshī, were proven to be unachievable and stood as myriad obstacles in creating new generations to reform the old Islamic fiqh. This essay shows that, despite the extremely strenuous set of qualifications, through the writings of al-Khamlīshī, Moroccan women penetrated men’s domain in Islamic family law, breaking the long-standing monopoly men held therein.
Inflammatory TNBC breast cancer: demography and clinical outcome in a large cohort of TNBC patients

e12036 Background: Inflammatory breast cancer is a rare but aggressive form of breast cancer. Even with modern chemotherapy along with multimodality therapy, 5-year survival is poor in the range of 30-50%. Knowledge and information about inflammatory breast cancer with TNBC phenotype are limited. Here, we report the characteristics and outcome of TNBC inflammatory breast cancer cohorts from large TNBC dataset. Methods: Obtaining IRB approval we collected information on 476 women with TNBC diagnosis between 1996 and 2011. Data were gathered on age, race, grade, lymphovascular invasion (LVI), nodal involvement and treatment information. Overall Survival (OS) was computed from the date of diagnosis to the date of death or last follow-up (FU). For disease free survival (DFS), patients were scored if they failed either locally or distally. Statistical analysis was performed using SAS v9.3. Results: A total of 34 patients (7%) were diagnosed with inflammatory TNBC. The median age at diagnosis was 51 (35-77) yea...
Top POEMS for Choosing Wisely: Another Tool to Help Physicians Practice Good Medicine.

If you're looking for concise lists of tips to change clinical practice for the better, consult this list of top POEMs for Choosing Wisely.
Electronic Performance Monitoring: Implications for Work Design

Abstract Electronic performance monitoring (EPM) systerns measure workers output continuously and unobtrusively. They may be used to establish and administer production standards for pay and job tenure purposes. Employee and unions perspectives on perceived EPM uses and abuses arc reviewed together with some empirical research on EPM impact. EPM technology's impact on the workplace social system is examined via linkages between performance and pay/job status, the method through which production standards are established and administered, their perceived fairness, and job design.
Variable Selection for Skewed Model-Based Clustering: Application to the Identification of Novel Sleep Phenotypes

In sleep research, applying finite mixture models to sleep characteristics captured through multiple data types, including self-reported sleep diary, a wrist monitor capturing movement (actigraphy)...
Gadolinium Retention and Deposition Revisited: How the Chemical Properties of Gadolinium-based Contrast Agents and the Use of Animal Models Inform Us about the Behavior of These Agents in the Human Brain.

This article provides important confirmatory evidence that can be used to begin to understand how the two different forms of gadolinium-based contrast agents (linear and macrocyclic) might behave when present in the brain.
Egg-retention in the Urinary Bladder of a Florida Cooter Turtle, Pseudemys floridana floridana

ABSTRACT A mature adult female Florida cooter turtle, Pseudemys floridana floridana, was evaluated after being hit by a car. The turtle was treated for a crushing injury to the left carapace and a penetrating wound to the coelom. The turtle began laying eggs five days post hospital admission and layed eight of nine additional radiographically identified eggs within two days. Based on the lack of response to repeated doses of oxytocin and the caudal midline location of the egg radiographically, it was suspected that the egg was within the urinary bladder. Ultrasonographic coelomic examination confirmed the presence of a single egg within the urinary bladder. The egg was removed via a left flank incision and cystotomy under general anesthesia. Ultrasonographic examination proved to be valuable in confirming the diagnosis of egg-retention within the urinary bladder.
A missense mutation in MYH1 is associated with susceptibility to immune-mediated myositis in Quarter Horses.

The cause of immune-mediated myositis (IMM), characterized by recurrent, rapid-onset muscle atrophy in Quarter Horses (QH), is unknown. The histopathologic hallmark of IMM is lymphocytic infiltration of myofibers. The purpose of this study was to identify putative functional variants associated with equine IMM. A genome-wide association (GWA) study was performed on 36 IMM QHs and 54 breed matched unaffected QHs from the same environment using the Equine SNP50 and SNP70 genotyping arrays. A mixed model analysis identified nine SNPs within a ~ 2.87 Mb region on chr11 that were significantly (Punadjusted < 1.4 × 10− 6) associated with the IMM phenotype. Associated haplotypes within this region encompassed 38 annotated genes, including four myosin genes (MYH1, MYH2, MYH3, and MYH13). Whole genome sequencing of four IMM and four unaffected QHs identified a single segregating nonsynonymous E321G mutation in MYH1 encoding myosin heavy chain 2X. Genotyping of additional 35 IMM and 22 unaffected QHs confirmed an association (P = 2.9 × 10− 5), and the putative mutation was absent in 175 horses from 21 non-QH breeds. Lymphocytic infiltrates occurred in type 2X myofibers and the proportion of 2X fibers was decreased in the presence of inflammation. Protein modeling and contact/stability analysis identified 14 residues affected by the mutation which significantly decreased stability. We conclude that a mutation in MYH1 is highly associated with susceptibility to the IMM phenotype in QH-related breeds. This is the first report of a mutation in MYH1 and the first link between a skeletal muscle myosin mutation and autoimmune disease.
A Gentle Combination of Plurality Vote and Proportional Representation for Bundestag Elections

In the decision of 3 July 2008 the German Federal Constitutional Court called upon the Bundestag to amend the Federal Election Act (Bundeswahlgesetz) in order to avoid negative voting weights, and set a deadline of 30 June 2011 (Schreiber 2009; Meyer 1994).
Five-Year and Ten-Year Plans

We all imagine the life after residency as easier. Our earning potential increases. We will have our house, family, fancy cars, exotic vacations, and prestige, and patients will come forevermore. The truth is, it doesn’t get any easier. In fact, in many ways, it gets a lot harder. And there is a lot of competition out there. Having a plan is a way to assess your progress in reaching your goals after residency/fellowship training. It is a way to ensure your way to the top, rather than meandering and losing your way.
Outcome of Myelodysplastic Syndromes Over Time in the United States: A National Cancer Data Base Study From 2004-2013.

Abstract Objective To study the changes in overall outcome of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDSs) after approval of several treatments. Patients and Methods We identified 54,953 MDS cases in the National Cancer Data Base diagnosed from January 1, 2004, through December 31, 2013, using International Classification of Diseases for Oncology, 3rd edition, codes 9980, 9982-9983, 9985-9987, 9989, 9991-9992. Overall survival and different subgroups were studied over 3 periods of diagnoses (2004-2006, 2007-2009, and 2010-2013). Results Median age at diagnosis was 76 years. The most common subtype was MDS-unclassifiable, which represented 55.6% of all cases. We found that males, older patients, patients with refractory anemia with excess blasts, Medicare insurance recipients, and those treated at nonacademic centers had the worse survival (P Conclusion In the past decade, overall outcome of MDS did not improve despite the advent of new therapies. More studies are needed to understand the impact of newly approved treatments on the outcome of patients with MDS.
Social Stories and Visual Supports Interventions for Students at Risk for Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Antecedent interventions are often used preventatively to address engagement, but few studies have evaluated their effectiveness with students at risk for disability. This study evaluated the effec...
Drivers of employee engagement: differences by work area and gender

Previous studies have not integrated the impact of the area of study into the notion of employee engagement. The purpose of this study is to empirically measure the association between employee engagement and the two antecedent factors of perceived organizational support (POS) and employee loyalty across different areas of study.,A nationally representative survey of 2,408 adults in the USA collected by the worker representation and participation survey (WRPS) was used. A multinomial logit regression was used to estimate the impact of POS and loyalty across different areas of study.,The findings of this study consistent with the previous studies showed that POS and employee loyalty are positively and significantly associated with employee engagement. This study found by a decline in the level of support from a “lot of support” to “somewhat support,” the degree of engagement declines by about 50 per cent. Further, it found that the level of engagement changes across different areas of study. For instance, professional and skilled workers are more engaged compared to other groups of workers. The findings were similar for the variables of loyalty to supervisors and loyalty to organizations. Moreover, the findings showed that conditioned on being loyal, women are more engaged than men.,This is the first study that uses WRPS to understand how the level of engagement varies across different kinds of study.
Next-generation physiology approaches to study microbiome function at single cell level

The function of cells in their native habitat often cannot be reliably predicted from genomic data or from physiology studies of isolates. Traditional experimental approaches to study the function of taxonomically and metabolically diverse microbiomes are limited by their destructive nature, low spatial resolution or low throughput. Recently developed technologies can offer new insights into cellular function in natural and human-made systems and how microorganisms interact with and shape the environments that they inhabit. In this Review, we provide an overview of these next-generation physiology approaches and discuss how the non-destructive analysis of cellular phenotypes, in combination with the separation of the target cells for downstream analyses, provide powerful new, complementary ways to study microbiome function. We anticipate that the widespread application of next-generation physiology approaches will transform the field of microbial ecology and dramatically improve our understanding of how microorganisms function in their native environment. In this Review, Hatzenpichler et al. introduce next-generation physiology, which is a suite of new techniques that enable investigation into the phenotypes of individual cells in a non-destructive manner. Next-generation physiology complements genomics and culturing and provides new insights into microbiome function.
That's Pretty Cool. Using Work to Freeze Water. The Vapor-Compression Refrigerator and How It Works

The fundamental principles and applications of thermodynamics and single-component phase equilibrium are used to explain and quantitatively analyze the operation and performance of the vapor-compression refrigerator (VCR). Carbon dioxide is used as the refrigerant. The four processes (or steps) that comprise the VCR refrigeration cycle are explained. The thermophysical properties of CO2 are used to calculate the heat, work, and changes in internal energy, enthalpy, and entropy for each step. Plots of pressure versus molar volume (Vm), temperature versus Vm, and temperature versus molar entropy are presented. The coefficient of performance, an index of refrigerator efficiency, is calculated.
Francisco Pacheco y una anunciada intervención de Fernando III el Santo: un testimonio sobre el Libro de Retratos

This article introduces a testimony by Francisco Pacheco concerning his Book of Portraits, which confirms certain hypotheses about the manuscript, including its form, value, and biography. The account is then examined via the literary topos of the found manuscript.
Falls: To D or Not to D—That Is Not the (Only) Question!

Appel and colleagues reported the impact of vitamin D supplementation on falls in older adults. The editorialist discusses how the findings reinforce some of what we know and underscore what we nee...
Congenital cytomegalovirus infection

Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, the most common congenital viral infection worldwide, occurs in approximately 1% of infants. Most congenitally infected infants have no long-term sequelae related to CMV infection. Approximately 10% have sensorineural hearing loss or neurologic deficits, including cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and cognitive impairment. Because of the high prevalence of congenital CMV infection, CMV is the most common non-genetic cause of deafness in children and an important cause of permanent neurodevelopmental disabilities. Treatment with ganciclovir has modest beneficial effects on outcome; no vaccine is currently available to prevent congenital CMV infection.
Palliative care referral criteria and outcomes in cancer and heart failure: a systematic review of literature

Background Cardiotoxicity resulting in heart failure (HF) is among the most dreaded complications of cancer therapy and can significantly impact morbidity and mortality. Leading professional societies in cardiology and oncology recommend improved access to hospice and palliative care (PC) for patients with cancer and advanced HF. However, there is a paucity of published literature on the use of PC in cardio-oncology, particularly in patients with HF and a concurrent diagnosis of cancer. Aims To identify existing criteria for referral to and early integration of PC in the management of cases of patients with cancer and patients with HF, and to identify assessments of outcomes of PC intervention that overlap between patients with cancer and patients with HF. Design Systematic literature review on PC in patients with HF and in patients with cancer. Data sources Databases including Ovid Medline, Ovid Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science from January 2009 to September 2020. Results Sixteen studies of PC in cancer and 14 studies of PC in HF were identified after screening of the 8647 retrieved citations. Cancer and HF share similarities in their patient-reported symptoms, quality of life, symptom burden, social support needs, readmission rates, and mortality. Conclusion The literature supports the integration of PC into oncology and cardiology practices, which has shown significant benefit to patients, caregivers, and the healthcare system alike. Incorporating PC in cardio-oncology, particularly in the management of HF in patients with cancer, as early as at diagnosis, will enable patients, family members, and healthcare professionals to make informed decisions about various treatments and end-of-life care and provide an opportunity for patients to participate in the decisions about how they will spend their final days.
Chapter 4 On the How and Why (not) of Learning from Outcomes

Publisher Summary Human judgment in a wide array of areas can be captured, measured, analyzed, and facilitated. Human judgment in a given domain is shaped by the feedback received over time concerning how judgments compare to the standards of accuracy in that domain. The information received may be in the form of cognitive feedback. In that case, the judgmental policy will be analyzed and compared to the known optimal judgmental model. More often, though, outcome feedback is obtained, that is, information only about how accurate each of one's judgments turned out to be. Using outcome feedback to learn is described as “the hard way,” as it makes learning difficult even in a deterministic environment. The outcomes observed are prone to inscrutable variation due to unknown controlling variables, inaccurate feedback, and perhaps even some truly random error. The basic Brunswikian view of learning gives rise to a paradigm for laboratory studies of learning in probabilistic environments, usually referred to as multiple cue probability learning (MCPL). The MCPL paradigm captures several important features of learning from feedback in natural situations.
Chapter 26 Liability for medical malpractice

Abstract Physicians are traditionally liable under a negligence rule of liability. Economic analysis of liability rules, including malpractice, assumes that the primary function of liability is injury prevention (deterrence). Compensation can be provided more efficiently through other forms of social or private insurance. In theory, a negligence rule creates incentives for efficient care, hence there should be no negligence, no claims and no demand for liability insurance. In practice, the incidence of negligent injury has been estimated at roughly one per hundred hospital admissions in the US and about one in seven physicians is sued per year. These discrepancies between the theory and actual operation of the negligence system arise primarily because of imperfect information on the part of courts, doctors, patients, liability insurers and health insurers. Imperfect information and extensive health insurance lead to biased and uncertain legal standards. Uncertain legal standards create incentives for physicians to practice defensive medicine and incentives for plaintiffs and defendants to invest in litigation, leading to high overhead costs, such that compensation through the malpractice system carries a load of $1.50 per $1.00 of compensation. Nevertheless, the extreme criticisms of the malpractice system are exaggerated. Malpractice premiums are less than 1 percent of total health care costs. There are no comprehensive estimates of defensive medicine costs; in any case such costs are likely to decline with the growth of managed care. Although claim disposition exhibits both Type 1 and Type 2 errors, negligent injuries are much more likely to lead to a claim being field and payment to the plaintiff than non-negligent injuries, and awards are strongly related to loss incurred. The limited empirical evidence of provider response to liability and the deterrent effect of claims suggests — but cannot prove — that the net benefits of the malpractice system may plausibly be positive. Nevertheless, reforms designed to reduce inappropriate compensation and deter excessive litigation and defensive practice would make the system more cost-effective. The empirical evidence, based primarily in the US, includes studies of malpractice injuries; physician response to liability; trends in claim frequency, severity (size), and claim disposition; and the malpractice insurance market. Analyses of actual and proposed reforms address tort reform, no fault, enterprise liability and optimal liability under managed care. More limited evidence is available on the negligence regimes in Canada and the UK, and the quasi no-fault regimes in Sweden and New Zealand.
ExoPTF Science Uniquely Enabled by Far-IR Interferometry: Probing the Formation of Planetary Systems, and Finding and Characterizing Exoplanets

By providing sensitive sub-arcsecond images and integral field spectroscopy in the 25 - 400 micron wavelength range, a far-IR interferometer will revolutionize our understanding of planetary system formation, reveal otherwise-undetectable planets through the disk perturbations they induce, and spectroscopically probe the atmospheres of extrasolar giant planets in orbits typical of most of the planets in our solar system. The technical challenges associated with interferometry in the far-IR are greatly relaxed relative to those encountered at shorter wavelengths or when starlight nulling is required. A structurally connected far-IR interferometer with a maximum baseline length of 36 m can resolve the interesting spatial structures in nascent and developed exoplanetary systems and measure exozodiacal emission at a sensitivity level critical to TPF-I mission planning. The Space Infrared Interferometric Telescope was recommended in the Community Plan for Far-IR/Submillimeter Space Astronomy, studied as a Probe-class mission, and estimated to cost 800M dollars. The scientific communities in Europe, Japan, and Canada have also demonstrated a keen interest in far-IR interferometry through mission planning workshops and technology research, suggesting the possibility of an international collaborative effort.
All that is Solid: Writing, Reading and Publishing in Postmodern Capitalism

This paper is a reflection on the publication practice of the journal Fast Capitalism, an open-source, electronic journal founded by Ben Agger and Timothy Luke in 2005. It also presents thoughts on writing, reading and publishing in postmodern capitalism.
Criminal law : cases and materials

This text, the only criminal law casebook authored by two progressive female law professors of color, provides the reader with both critical race and critical feminist theory perspectives on criminal law while following a traditional format. All of the usual subject areas are covered, but the book is unique in highlighting the cultural context of substantive criminal law. The book seamlessly integrates issues of race, gender, class, and sexual orientation so the teacher who wishes to address such issues does not have to assign supplemental reading assignments in order to do so. The book is also very student-friendly, providing a brief doctrinal overview of the subject matter at the beginning of each chapter. The book does away with the tradition of long lists of notes and questions following the cases, a trademark feature of many older casebooks, putting this material in the Teachers Manual for the teacher to use at his or her discretion. The forthcoming third edition is fresh and innovative, referencing several ripped from the headlines controversies, including the shooting of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman and Florida's stand your ground law, the arrest of African American Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. for disorderly conduct, the shooting of Larry King, a gender nonconforming teenager, by classmate Brandon McInerney and the gay panic defense, and the repeal of North Carolina's Racial Justice Act. For more information and additional teaching materials, visit the companion site.
Impact of Myocardial Ischemia and Reperfusion on Ventricular Defibrillation Patterns, Energy Requirements, and Detection of Recovery

Background— Shocks that have defibrillated spontaneous ventricular fibrillation (VF) during acute ischemia or reperfusion may seem to have failed if VF recurs before the ECG amplifier recovers after shock. This could explain why the defibrillation threshold (DFT) for spontaneous VF appears markedly higher than for electrically induced VF. Methods and Results— The DFT for electrically induced VF (E-DFT) was determined in 15 pigs before ischemia, followed by left anterior ascending or left circumflex artery occlusion. VF was electrically induced 20 minutes after occlusion, followed 5 minutes later by reperfusion. Whether spontaneous or electrically induced, VF during occlusion or reperfusion was treated with up to 3 shocks at 1.5×E-DFT. If all 3 shocks failed, shock strength was increased. Thirty minutes after reperfusion, the other artery was occluded and the protocol was repeated. Defibrillation was considered successful if postshock sinus/idioventricular rhythm was present for ≥30 seconds. VF recurring w...
IPL: the InterBase Parallel Language

IPL is a declarative distributed language designed to support application level programming in the InterBase project. This paper presents the IPL language and shows how it support flexible transactions, mixed transactions, time-constrained transactions and other features. Besides its transaction-oriented features, IPL can be used as a general purpose distributed programming language. >
NMR assignment of the N-terminal repeat domain of Bacillus subtilis ClpC.

The HSP100/AAA+ superfamily protein ClpC is a key regulator of cell development in Bacillus subtilis. We present here the backbone and side-chain assignments of the N-terminal repeat domain (residues 1–145) of ClpC from Bacillus subtilis.
Factors affecting municipal land use cooperation

This paper evaluates the factors affecting voluntary municipal land use cooperation in Michigan where neither substantial mandates nor incentives for such cooperation exist. Cooperation is conceptualized as the formality of land use cooperation. This paper uses quantitative data obtained through surveys of chief elected officials and finds that the extent of internal municipal support for cooperation, whether elected officials anticipate benefits from cooperation, and the effectiveness of regional institutions at providing supportive services for cooperation have positive impacts on the formality of land use cooperation. The amount of cooperation on services and a regional cooperative culture impact the formality of land use cooperation negatively.
Financial independence and age: Distributive justice in the case of adult education:

Under current law, students pursuing an undergraduate degree in the United States are considered financially independent (from their parents) for the purposes of financial aid if, among other condi...
Development and flight of a 250-A-h lithium thionyl chloride battery

A program to develop and fly a lightweight lithium thionyl chloride battery on the Titan IV Centaur upper stage was conducted. A high-rate battery cell was developed and tested to the environments and load profiles required. While the cell design was maturing, the cells were integrated into a battery housing. The battery assembly was subjected to a series of mechanical and thermal tests to qualify the structure for flight. During the development, design revisions were needed in the cell bus bars, locating rods and insulating washers, bus bar to electrode welds, and battery structure mounting flanges to withstand vibration levels. Stress corrosion in electrode tabs was found to cause intergranular cracking that could lead to safety-relate d problems. An isolated electrode led to a cell explosion during discharge. Proper orientation of substrate grain structure eliminated the problem. A total of 13 batteries completed a test matrix resulting in qualification for use on the Centaur upper stage. An initial procurement of five batteries was completed in 1995 culminating in the successful flight of two batteries on May 14, 1995. The batteries' installed weight was 84 Ib (38 kg) less than the silver-zinc batteries that they replaced.
Influence of Nutrient Source and Growing Environment on Tissue Elemental Concentration and Yield of Cos Lettuce in Hydroponic Culture

Complete fertilizers formulated for fertigation and soil application are commonly used in hydroponic production. However, these are unsuitable for hydroponic culture of many crops because of imbalances in mineral nutrient composition. Currently, research information about the effect of nonhydroponic fertilizers and the confounding effects of crop type and culture condition on crop yield is limited. The influence of mineral nutrient source (FERT) and growing environment (two controlled environment hydroponic greenhouses; CEHG) with different temperature and relative humidity (RH) regimes on mineral elemental concentration and yield of cos lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. var. longifolia Lam.), cv. Cimmaron, were determined in a nutrient film technique (NFT) hydroponic culture. With the exception of calcium, both CEHG and FERT had a significant effect on the tissue concentration of all the macronutrients, and the concentration of micronutrients in lettuce tissue were optimum, regardless of FERT and CEHG, except f...
Optical characterization of ZnMnSSe quaternary alloys for visible light emitting devices

Abstract We describe the photoluminescence and reflectance properties of Zn 1 − x Mn x S y Se 1 − y grown by molecular beam epitaxy on (100) GaAs substrates. A range of compositions has been explored with lattice constants ranging from 5.48 to 5.71 A, and 300 (1.7) K bandgaps ranging from 2.68 (2.79) to 3.43 (3.65) eV. A multiple quantum well heterostructure with ZnSe wells exhibits quantum confinement up to 2.91 eV. The material is of potential interest as a lattice-matched cladding layer in ZnSe-based separate confinement heterostructure short wavelength lasers.
Contribution of atmospheric nitrogen deposition to net primary productivity in a northern hardwood forest

Net primary productivity (NPP) in northern temperate forests is an important part of the global carbon cycle. Because NPP often is limited by nitrogen (N), atmospheric N deposition (Ndep) may increase forest NPP. At a northern hardwood forest site in northern Lower Michigan, USA, we quantified rates of N supply by Ndep, canopy retention of Ndep (Ncr), and soil net N mineralization (Nmin); calculated the N requirement of NPP; and estimated the fraction of NPP that could be attributed to atmospheric N inputs. Net N mineralization supplied 42.6 kg N·ha–1·year–1 (84% of the NPP N requirement), and Ndep averaged 7.5 kg N·ha–1·year–1 (15%). The forest canopy retained 38% of Ndep (Ncr = 2.8 kg N·ha–1·year–1), primarily in the forms of organic N and NH4-N. Fine root (62%) and leaf (31%) N requirements dominated the NPP N requirement of 50.7 kg N·ha–1·year–1. Annual N supply by the processes we measured agreed very closely with the NPP N requirement, suggesting that internally cycled N and N of atmospheric origin ...
The Goblin Spider Genera Stenoonops and Australoonops (Araneae, Oonopidae), with Notes on Related Taxa

Abstract The goblin spider genus Stenoonops Simon is relimited to include those spineless oonopids with a soft abdomen but a well-sclerotized cephalothorax, elevated and pointed sternal extensions separated by distinct grooves, and a dorsal, distal clump of short setae on the male and female palpal tarsi. Most of the 19 species currently assigned to Stenoonops belong elsewhere; the 14 misplaced species include members of six other genera. As relimited, Stenoonops comprises 23 species and is circum-Caribbean in distribution. The Mediterranean type species of Oonopinus Simon, O. angustatus (Simon), is poorly known, but none of the New World taxa that have been placed in Oonopinus are actually congeneric with O. angustatus. Oonopinus pretiosus Bryant is transferred to Stenoonops; O. centralis Gertsch and O. modestus Chickering are transferred to Theotima (Ochyroceratidae). The genus Scaphioides Bryant is removed from the synonymy of Stenoonops; S. minutus Chamberlin and Ivie from Florida, S. reductus (Bryant...
Proteolysis of the epidermal growth factor receptor by endogenous calcium-activated neutral protease from rat liver

In A-431 membranes but not in rat liver membranes, the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor was converted from a Mr=180,000 to a Mr=160,000 form by a protease activated when cells were broken in the presence of calcium. Calcium-activated neutral protease (CANP) activity in rat liver cytosol was separated from its protein inhibitor by DEAE-cellulose chromatography. When fractions containing this protease activity were incubated with rat liver membranes in the presence of calcium, the Mr=180,000 form of the receptor was converted to the Mr=160,000 form. This conversion was blocked both by the separated endogenous inhibitor and by leupeptin. Apparently CANP is a highly regulated endogenous protease which could degrade the EGF receptor-kinase in most tissues.
Effect of inferior olive lesion on seizure threshold in the rat

Abstract Cerebellar stimulation has been associated with anticonvulsant activity in several experimental seizure models. We examined the effect of destruction of cerebellar climbing fibers, by systemic administration of 3-acetylpyridine (3AP) or electrothermic lesion of the inferior olive, on seizures produced by various chemical convulsants in rats. We found that inferior olive lesioned rats had lower threshold to seizures induced by strychnine and brucine, both glycine antagonists. The dose response curve for strychnine seizure was shifted 2.5 times to the left in 3AP lesioned rats. No difference in seizure threshold was seen when picrotoxin, bicuculline or pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) were used to produce seizures. Abnormal motor behavior (AMB) including myoclonus, backward movement and hyperextension, produced by all of the convulsants tested, was significantly aggravated in 3AP pretreated rats. The inferior olive-climbing fiber projection to the cerebellum appears to modulate seizures induced by inhibition of glycinergic neurotransmission.
Role of Habitat Components on the Dynamics of Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) from New Orleans

Monthly sampling of tire pile populations of Aedes albopictus (Skuse) in Orleans Parish, New Orleans, LA, was done in 1995 to determine prevalence of ascogregarine parasites and changes in wing length. Prevalence of Ascogregarina taiwanensis (Lien & Levine) infection was 100% in midsummer and decreased in the fall and spring (60–70%). Wing lengths were longest in the spring and fall and shortest in midsummer. We evaluated the effect of A. taiwanensis infections under high and deficient levels of leaf litter nutrients on mortality, development time, wing length, and reproductive potential of a New Orleans strain of Ae. albopictus. Parasitism and deficient nutrients caused a 35% increase in the rate of larval mortality and significantly extended the development time of females. Parasitized adults were 5% smaller and produced 23% fewer eggs than unparasitized siblings. In addition, abnormal Malpighian tubule morphology and melanization of ascogregarines were seen in adults from nutrient-deficient microcosms. We conclude that ascogregarine infections affect the dynamics of Ae. albopictus by increasing the mortality of immature stages when nutrients supplies are scarce, and by decreasing the reproductive capacity of females under high nutrient conditions.
Phylogeny and biogeography of the Asian trogons (Aves: Trogoniformes) inferred from nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences

We present the first species-level molecular phylogenetic hypothesis for the Asian trogons, using DNA sequences of multiple mitochondrial and nuclear loci, and Bayesian and maximum likelihood tree reconstruction methods. The two genera of Asian trogons, Harpactes and Apalharpactes, are distantly related to each other. Within the widespread Southeast Asian genus Harpactes, we recovered three species groups: (1) H. oreskios; (2) H. orrhophaeus and H. duvaucelii; and (3) a clade of the seven large-bodied species. Short internal branch lengths link species in the large-bodied group, suggesting rapid diversification. Apalharpactes, which is currently restricted to the montane forests of Sumatra and Java, appears to be a relictual lineage distantly related to all other trogons. Bayesian and maximum likelihood analyses indicate Apalharpactes is sister to the African genus Apaloderma, although this result was not strongly supported. Overall, the extant Asian trogon species appear to have diversified prior to the Pleistocene, based on large pair-wise mitochondrial divergences between taxa.
PARABOLIC EQUATION DEVELOPMENT IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY

In the 20th century, an important contribution to the modeling of wave propagation prediction is the Parabolic Equation (PE) approximation method. This did not happen until the last quarter of the century. During that time period, a number of contributions were made in the first 15 years, then, contributions were made continuously until the end of the 20th century. Contributions to the PE method are still going on. During the second half of the 1970 when the PE was introduced to the field of underwater acoustics, its main purpose was to predict long-range, low-frequency acoustic propagations under range-dependent environments in fluid medium; thus, there were a number of limitations. As time progresses these limitations were somewhat relaxed a great deal gradually due to many useful contributions. Up to this date, all contributions are aimed at the enhancement of the capability of the PE method. A few review papers of the PE have been presented in open archived literatures. This paper gives a complete survey of what has been done from the start until the end of 1999. Contributions up to the year 1994 were already reported in some detail in archived literatures; those contributions will be outlined. Surveying the contributions from 1995 to 1999 is a new addition to the already published survey papers. In recent years, the PE method has been used for many real applications; some results are included in this paper. A discussion will be given at the end of this paper on looking ahead how much more the PE can do in order to stimulate future research, development, and applications.
Morphology, geology and oceanography of the Hinlopen Strait and Trough, Svalbard, Norway

The Hinlopen Strait and Trough (Fig. 1) form a strikingly linear NW-SE feature, extending from Svalbard across the shelf and onto the Arctic Sea slope. Maximum water depths exceed 400111, but a number of sills, some presumably structural and others sedimentary. divide the strait/trough into a series of basins. Acoustically transparent sediment, which locally is thicker than 60 m in some basins, is probably late Quaternary in age, The upper 1-5m are Holocene, and were probably influenced by Atlantic water from the Arctic extension of the West Spitsbergen Current.
Program logic without binding is decidable

When the "binding mechanisms" of assignment, quantification, and procedure definition are removed from a conventional first order total correctness logic of programs, the remaining logical system is decidable in time approximately one exponential in the length of the input. This system is maximal in the sense that the presence of any one of the three binding mechanisms would make it undecidable. Such a decision procedure can play a central role in the construction of program verifiers based on decision methods.
Examining the Role and Methodology of Strategic Culture

Strategic culture has become a concept of significant debate within security studies over the last decade. It represents an attempt to integrate cultural influences about how actors within the international system made decisions regarding the use of force. Learning more about how and why actors use force in the system is an important topic to which strategic culture may provide some answers but the process of applying it is difficult. This article examines some of the trends in the work on strategic culture including definitional and methodological and proposes some approaches which may make the concept more accessible for researchers within the field.
Engineering research with a solar furnace

Abstract Research approaches using a solar furnace for the measurement of properties of matter and testing of materials at high temperatures under controlled conditions in the laboratory are discussed. Instruments to measure temperatures, heat flux, and flux density are described, and their uses pointed out. Methods for measuring thermal conductivity, thermal expansion, heat content, and emissivity of materials are explained, and the analytical and experimental procedure outlined.
The pretarsus of salticid spiders

The pretarsus of Phidippus audax (Hentz) consists of two claws flexibly articulated to a central claw lever which is flanked on either side by a curved plate of tenent setae. The claw apparatus allows for retraction of the claws by means of a dorsal cuticular cable of the pretarsal levator, while extension involves the pull of the pretarsal depressor on a ventral cable attached to the claw lever. A series of slit sensilla are strategically situated on either side of this lever. The anterior and posterior claws of the pretarsus differ in the number and spacing of their constituent teeth. The claw tufts are composed of specialized setae which account for the mechanical traction of the foot-pads. Whorled and filamentous setae of the distal tarsus are associated with the pretarsus. Comparable structures are found on other salticids.
Steroid hormone transformations by endocrine organs from pregnant mammals V. The biosynthesis and metabolism of progesterone and estrogens by orangutan placental tissue

Abstract The extensive conversion of Δ 4 -androstenedione-4- 14 C to estrone and estradiol-17β and of pregnenolone-7α- 3 H to progesterone has been demonstrated in vitro with orangutan placental tissue preparations. In addition, the following minor metabolites were isolated following incubation of either pregnenolone-7α- 3 H or progesterone-4- 14 C: 3β-hydroxy-5α-pregnan-20-one, 6β-hydroxyprogesterone and 20α-dihydroprogesterone. The compound 5α-pregnane-3, 20-dione was identified only after incubation with pregnenolone-7α- 3 H. The results demonstrate that the steroid metabolic activity of orangutan placental tissue closely resembles that of human placental tissue except for the Δ 4 -5α-reductase enzyme system which has not yet been demonstrated as a significant factor in human term placenta.
Transcriptional regulation by butyrate of mouse galectin-1 gene in embryonal carcinoma cells

Endogenous galactoside-binding lectins (galectins) have been implicated in cell adhesion, growth, differentiation, neoplastic transformation, and metastasis. Galectin-1 (gal-1), one member of this family, has been best characterized. We isolated a DNA clone containing the gal-1 gene from mouse genomic libraries, and the sequence of the 5' upstream region up to -2430 bp was determined. Our previous study showed that sodium butyrate (butyrate) induced expression of gal-1 at both mRNA and protein levels in the murine embryonal carcinoma (EC) cell line PCC4.aza1R and the induction of gal-1 by butyrate in PCC4.aza1R cells is at least partially regulated at transcriptional level. To locate the region which is responsible for the induction of gal-1 by butyrate, transient transfection of PCC4.aza1R cells with a series of gal-1 promoter/CAT chimeric gene, which have different deletions of the 5' region of the gal-1 promoter, showed that this 2430 bp sequence is a butyrate-inducible promoter, and butyrate-inducible ability remained when only a 62 bp sequence ahead of the transcription site (+1) existed. The sequence from -62 to -41 which contains an Sp1 site at -57 was important for the induction of gal-1 expression by butyrate. Gel shift assay indicated that transcription factor SP1 actually bound to that Sp1 site. The changes of two nucleotides within that Sp1 site, from GG to TT, abolished the nuclear proteins binding to that Sp1 site as well as the response to butyrate. These results suggest that the 5' proximal Sp1 site at -57 is crucial for the butyrate-induced expression of the gal-1, and the direct binding of SP1 to this Sp1 site may be involved in this induction.
The big squeeze: guest exchange in an M4L6 supramolecular host.

Guest exchange in an M4L6 supramolecular host has been evaluated to determine whether host rupture is required for guest ingress and egress. Two mechanistic models were evaluated: one requiring partial dissociation of the host structure to create a portal for guest passage and one necessitating deformation of the host structure to create a dilated aperture for guest passage without host rupture. Three related lines of inquiry support the nondissociative guest exchange mechanism. (a) Equally facile guest exchange is observed in labile ([Ga4L6]12-) and inert ([Ti4L6]8- and [Ge4L6]8-) hosts. (b) Molecular mechanics calculations demonstrate that the structural deformations required for enlargement of an M4L6 aperture in a nonrupture or nondissociative guest exchange mechanism are plausible. (c) As predicted by the calculations, CoCp*2+, a sterically demanding guest, significantly inhibits guest exchange. These results bring new insight to the application of the M4L6 supramolecular host for encapsulated react...