cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Commonness and rarity of species: Does species’ rank influence contribution to ecosystem function?

Across the globe, biodiversity loss is occurring at an unprecedented rate. Rare species are especially susceptible to extinction, given that they typically have small population sizes and restricted geographic ranges, are less adaptable to disturbances, and are greater habitat specialists. However, while rare species may be prone to extinction, it remains unclear whether the loss of rare species is important to ecosystem function. In addition, it is important to consider the way in which rarity is defined, given that there are multiple definitions of rarity based on a species' geographic range, habitat specificity, and abundance in a community. Therefore, to better understand the contribution of rare species to community function, our study has two goals: 1) to determine whether rare species contribute to community trait space, which serves as a proxy for ecosystem function, more than common species; 2) to determine if the effect of rare species differs based on the definition of rarity employed. Using grassland data from Cedar Creek Minnesota, we assessed the importance of rare species on community trait space. We found that rare species have an equal effect on trait space as common species, except in the case of rarity defined as mean abundance. This suggests that when defining rarity by geographic range and habitat specificity, rare species may play an important role in ecosystem functioning due to their unique contribution to trait space. When considering local abundance of species, however, rare species contribute less than common species to trait space, possibly due to habitat filtering. These results suggest that the importance of rare species to trait space, and possible ecosystem function, depend on the definition of rarity employed.
Lessons from the Trenches: Twenty Years of Using Systems Thinking in Natural Resource Conflict Situations

Natural resource management is rich with systems complexity, which is amplified when interest group politics and tactics create an overlay of strategic behaviors. For the past two decades, systems thinking techniques have comprised a key part of the Collaborative Learning facilitation methodology in natural resources management and environmental policy decision making. This essay focuses specifically on the contribution that systems thinking makes to the facilitation of natural resource conflict, drawing upon broad observations drawn from a number of applications. The discussion provides a context for understanding the systemic complexity of natural resource conflicts, offers a brief summary of a particular systems-based facilitation paradigm (i.e. Collaborative Learning), and then presents a set of lessons that have emerged from 20 years of application. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The impact of sleep disturbances on adipocyte function and lipid metabolism

Classically, sleep has been considered to serve an essential restorative function for the brain. However, there are an increasing number of studies linking decreased sleep quantity and/or quality in humans to an increased obesity and diabetes risk. Reductions in sleep quantity or quality lead to an increase in hunger and appetite, which chronically could predispose an individual to obesity. Carefully controlled studies have shown that two nights of insufficient sleep is causally linked to a decrease in disposition index, the most commonly used predictor of an individual's diabetes risk, and impairments in glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity. Thus, sleep appears to play a critical role in modulating energy metabolism in peripheral tissues. Here we will discuss recent work implicating adipose tissue as a potential direct target of disruption of sleep quality, and explore the potential mechanistic links between sleep, adipose tissue and the global control of energy metabolism in humans.
Connection admission control in ATM networks using survey-based type-2 fuzzy logic systems

This paper presents a connection admission control (CAC) method that uses a type-2 fuzzy logic system (FLS). Type-2 FLSs can handle linguistic uncertainties. The linguistic knowledge about CAC is obtained from 30 computer network experts. A methodology for representing the linguistic knowledge using type-2 membership functions and processing surveys using type-2 FLS is proposed. The type-2 FLS provides soft decision boundaries, whereas a type-1 FLS provides a hard decision boundary. The soft decision boundaries can coordinate the cell loss ratio (CLR) and bandwidth utilization, which is impossible for the hard decision boundary.
An implicit enumeration algorithm for mining high dimensional data

Model selection is an important problem in mining information from large data bases. For example, in selecting a regression model, there may be J independent variables from which to choose, giving 2J feasible possible combinations of models from which to choose. Information criteria such as Akaike's (1973) Information Criterion (AIC) and Bozdogan's (1988, 1990, 1994, 2000, 2004) Information Measure of Complexity (ICOMP) Criterion, provide a method defining the 'best' solution, by providing an estimate of the measure of difference between a given model and the true model. In this paper, we introduce a new exact implicit enumeration (IE) algorithm to identify the subset of variables that minimises the information criterion. The IE algorithm uses efficient bounding strategies for the nonlinear objective function of the model selection problem. In computational tests, the IE algorithm outperforms the existing exact algorithms from the literature. The IE algorithm also has the advantage of being the only exact algorithm that can be used with all of the existing information criteria, including ICOMP. ICOMP has the advantage that it explicitly takes into account the effect of the covariance of the variables on parameter estimation in the model selection process and that it makes also no assumption that the parameter estimates are unbiased.
At-Risk Student Averse: Risk Management and Accountability.

Purpose – The prevailing theory of action underlying accountability is that holding schools and students accountable will increase educational output. While accountability's theory of action intuitively seemed plausible, at the point of No Child Left Behind's national implementation, little empirical research was available to either support or critique accountability claims or to predict the long‐term impact of accountability systems on the success of at‐risk students and the schools that served them. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the work and perceptions of school teachers and leaders as they seek to meet the requirements of educational accountability.Design/methodology/approach – Interviews with 89 administrators, staff and teachers revealed a variety of methods utilized to manage risks associated with low test scores and accountability ratings.Findings – The findings reported in this paper challenge the proposition that accountability improves the educational outcomes of at‐risk students and ...
Is adjustment of national eye institute visual function questionnaire scores for general health necessary in randomized trials

Abstract Purpose To assess whether treatment comparison of National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI-VFQ) scores in a clinical trial is influenced by general health to warrant adjusting for it. Design Two randomized pilot trials. Methods Patients enrolled in two randomized pilot trials of submacular surgery versus observation for choroidal neovascularization had quality of life interviews (NEI-VFQ and the Short Form-36 Health Survey) 24 months after enrollment. Information on comorbidities was collected through chart reviews. Data from 120 patients were analyzed using linear regression methods. Results Adjustment for comorbidities did not change the magnitude of the treatment effect on NEI-VFQ scores. However, adjustment for Short Form-36 physical and mental component summaries produced changes in the estimated treatment effect when NEI-VFQ scores were compared. Conclusions Adjustment of NEI-VFQ scores for general health may be advisable. The Short Form-36 summary scores may be appropriate for this purpose.
Sparsity Promotion Models for the Choquet Integral

In this paper, we present a novel algorithm for learning fuzzy measures for Choquet integration. There are two novel aspects of the algorithm: it seeks to explicitly reduce the number of nonzero parameters in the measure to eliminate noninformative or useless information sources and it uses a Bayesian model for parameter estimation which has not been previously applied to the fuzzy measure learning problem. The method uses a hierarchical model that implements a sparsity promotion algorithm through a Gibbs sampler. This approach builds on the methods proposed by Figueiredo et al which uses expectation maximization (EM) to maximize the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) criterion under a distribution that promotes sparsity. Additional constraints are needed to satisfy the requirements of fuzzy measures. Figueiredo's algorithm does not have a mechanism for imposing these constraints. The constraints are imposed by sequentially exploring the lattice tree of the power set and requiring that each fuzzy measure value assigned to a set lies in the domain of a truncated Gaussian determined by the fuzzy measures of supersets of the set under consideration
A GENERAL SOLUTION FOR THE ELASTIC QUARTER-SPACE.

Abstract : The algorithmic procedure used by the author previously in the solution for the elastic quarter plane, is extended in this paper for the elastic quarter space. Values of the stress components were evaluated on the top and side surfaces of the quarter space for four values of Poisson's ratio mu = 1/2, 1/3, 1/6 and 0. (Author)
Distance Education in Brazil and in the United States: A Comparative View.

This article provides an overview of distance education in Brazil and compares it with that in the United States. It presents a brief historical perspective of private and public initiatives in Brazil and concentrates on present governmental projects and educational policies guiding distance education, with emphasis on higher education. Deficits of higher education are discussed and e-learning is presented as a partial solution to the problem of supply and demand of higher education in the country.
Process Defects and Effects on Mosfet Gate Reliability

Gate failures are a significant factor in FET field failures. The role of defects (especially particulates) in the gate (thin dielectric) reliability failures on PET's has been previously studied. However, little or no data has been reported on defect size distributions, siting information (where they are located) and density distributions over varying device sizes and topologies. In addition, little is known about correlation of all these parameters to accelerated life test failures. This study was initiated to help provide some of this information.
Measuring the Extent and Width of Internal Energy Deposition in Ion Activation Using Nanocalorimetry

The recombination energies resulting from electron capture by a positive ion can be accurately measured using hydrated ion nanocalorimetry in which the internal energy deposition is obtained from the number of water molecules lost from the reduced cluster. The width of the product ion distribution in these experiments is predominantly attributable to the distribution of energy that partitions into the translational and rotational modes of the water molecules that are lost. These results are consistent with a singular value for the recombination energy. For large clusters, the width of the energy distribution is consistent with rapid energy partitioning into internal vibrational modes. For some smaller clusters with high recombination energies, the measured product ion distribution is narrower than that calculated with a statistical model. These results indicate that initial water molecule loss occurs on the time scale of, or faster than energy randomization. This could be due to inherently slow internal conversion or it could be due to a multi-step process, such as initial ion-electron pair formation followed by reduction of the ion in the cluster. These results provide additional evidence for the accuracy with which condensed phase thermochemical values can be deduced from gaseous nanocalorimetry experiments.
Extensions of characters from Hall π-subgroups of π-separable groups

The main result of this paper is the followingTheorem A. Let G be a π-separable finite group with Hall πsubgroup H. Suppose θeIrr(H). Then there exists a unique subgroup M, maximal with the property that it contains H and θ can be extended to a character of M.
Gauge Theories on Four Dimensional Riemannian Manifolds

This paper develops the Riemannian geometry of classical gauge theories — Yang-Mills fields coupled with scalar and spinor fields — on compact four-dimensional manifolds. Some important properties of these fields are derived from elliptic theory: regularity, an “energy gap theorem”, the manifold structure of the configuration space, and a bound for the supremum of the field in terms of the energy. It is then shown that finite energy solutions of the coupled field equations cannot have isolated singularities (this extends a theorem of K. Uhlenbeck).
Broadband transport — the synchronous digital hierarchy

All data networks require a physical transmission medium to convey information between network nodes. Within a local environment this physical medium might, for example, take the form of an Ethernet LAN, but wide area connections are provided using telecommunications constant bit rate transmission equipment. Furthermore, the assumption that data networking is simply the provision of WAN connectivity for large corporate networks is becoming dated. The explosion of interest in the Internet means that, for transport networks, the term data may encompass voice, video and multimedia applications for delivery to both home and office. This places additional requirements on the network infrastructure as each service has specific transport requirements. Network operators are currently in the process of deploying core networks of equipment conforming to the ITU-T Recommendations for a synchronous digital hierarchy (SDH), but many networks also contain a significant proportion of older transmission technologies. This paper provides a review of transmission technology and describes the impact of such networks on the transport of data.
Affine distortions of pictorial space: some predictions for Goldstein (1987) that La Gournerie (1859) might have made.

Goldstein (1987) studied the perception of pictures seen from the front and the side. Several distinctions arose from his results and analysis, but only one is central to the reanalysis presented here: The perceived orientation of objects within a picture with respect to the external world is a function of viewer position in front of the picture. For example, the eyes of a portrait subject appear to follow an observer who moves around a gallery. Viewed from many positions, such objects can be said to rotate, following a mobile viewer. Goldstein called this the differential rotation effect because those objects that point directly out of the picture (at 90°) rotate most; those pointing at other angles rotate in decreasing amounts. Goldstein offered no theoretical model and little in the way of explanation for this effect. This Observation offers a model based on the affine geometry and the analyses of La Gournerie (18 59). This analysis transforms pictorial space (the space behind a photograph or representational picture) by shears, compressions, and dilations according to the viewpoint of the observer in relation to the composition point of the picture. These effects account for Goldstein's differential rotation effect quite well.
Achieving Strategic Fit/Integration between Business Strategies and Human Resource Management (HRM) Strategies in the Banking Sector: An Assessment of the Commercial Banks in Malawi

As the business environment becomes volatile and competitive and as more bank services and financial institutions battle for recognition in the market, numerous strategies are needed by business firms for dealing with such fierce competition. For the banks to win the much anticipated competition, the business strategies they employ have to be strategically integrated with human resource management strategies. A strategic fit between business strategy and human resource management strategy helps in retaining and motivating employees translating into high organizational performance and competitive advantage for the firm. This paper studied how the commercial banks in Malawi are strategically achieving a fit between business strategies and H.R.M strategies. The findings of the study indicate a correlation and a strong fit between business strategies and HRM strategies in the commercial banks in Malawi. The fit is achieved through an integrated process where HRM strategy is an integral part of the business strategy, alongside other functional strategies DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijssm.v1i4.11022 Int. J. Soc. Sci. Manage. Vol-1, issue-4: 143-159
Human neutrophil elastase releases two pools of mucinlike glycoconjugate from tracheal submucosal gland cells.

Neutrophil elastase can contribute to the pathogenesis of increased airway reactivity and excess mucus secretion in many pulmonary diseases. Ten nanomolar human neutrophil elastase (HNE) effectivel...
The Cosmological Argument

Almost everyone who has reflected on theism is aware of the following argument: “The universe must have had a beginning, since an infinite series, or a set of infinite series, of causes and effects stretching back into the past ad infinitum is impossible”. I shall discuss that argument briefly at the end of this chapter. But before doing so, I shall consider a somewhat similar argument which originated with the 18th century English philosopher, Samuel Clarke. The latter argument does not deny the possibility of an infinite regress into the past; and, for that reason, a number of theists have found it more compelling than the anti–infinite regress argument. Now I think that in fact the anti–infinite regress argument has more merit than does Clarke’s argument. But, in order to facilitate an accurate assessment of the latter, I shall, for the time being, proceed on the assumption that an infinite causal regress into the past cannot be known to be impossible.
Stability of Nuclear Reactors with Changes in Eigenvalue

The stability of a nuclear reactor with prompt feedback is examined when its eigenvalue (size, material buckling) is increased or decreased. Two models describing the temperature dependence of the ...
Structure–Activity Relationships in the Tetracycline Series

Publisher Summary The tetracyclines may be defined as a family of broad-spectrum antibiotics, which have a perhydronaphthacene skeleton in common. Although discovered later than chlortetracycline and oxytetracycline, tetracycline is considered the parent compound for nomenclature purposes. In addition to these three tetracyclines, other tetracyclines that have found extensive clinical use are demethylchlortetracycline, rolitetracycline, methacycline, and doxycycline. Some common trade names and the typical oral and daily dosage of the tetracyclines are summarized in the chapter. The chapter discusses only the earliest stages of the route of a tetracycline from discovery to clinical use. This early stage is concerned with biological screening for in vitro and in vivo antibacterial activity. It is only at this level that a large number of derivatives have been studied so as to permit a detailed discussion of structure-activity relationships.
Impact Factors for Farmers′ Behavior of Transacting Farmland in Traditional Agricultural Area

To provide references to promoting land outflow,the present paper studied farmers′ behavior of transacting farmland based on N County of Henan Province as a representative of traditional agriculture area.The Logistic model was used to analyze the influencing factors of farmers′ willingness of transacting farmland on the basis of a questionnaire.The research findings showed that the farmers′ willingness of transacting farmland was not high.The factors such as the age of the respondents,the number of family laborers,the family income and the level of social security exerted significant influences.The results also showed that the older the subjects who were investigated,the weaker their willingness of transacting farmland,and that the larger the number of family laborers,the higher the family income and social security level,the stronger the farmers′ willingness of transacting farmland.
Tracking Inhibitory Alterations during Interstrain Clostridium difficile Interactions by Monitoring Cell Envelope Capacitance.

Global threats arising from the increasing use of antibiotics coupled with the high recurrence rates of Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infections (CDI) after standard antibiotic treatments highlight the role of commensal probiotic microorganisms, including nontoxigenic C. difficile (NTCD) strains in preventing CDI due to highly toxigenic C. difficile (HTCD) strains. However, optimization of the inhibitory permutations due to commensal interactions in the microbiota requires probes capable of monitoring phenotypic alterations to C. difficile cells. Herein, by monitoring the field screening behavior of the C. difficile cell envelope with respect to cytoplasmic polarization, we demonstrate that inhibition of the host-cell colonization ability of HTCD due to the S-layer alterations occurring after its co-culture with NTCD can be quantitatively tracked on the basis of the capacitance of the cell envelope of co-cultured HTCD. Furthermore, it is shown that effective inhibition requires the dynamic contact ...
A Ti: Al2O3 Master-Oscillator/Power-Amplifier System

We have designed, assembled, and operated a longitudinally pumped, multi-stage, Ti:Al2O3 master-oscillator-power-amplifier system to produce pulsed (10 Hz), tunable, radiation from 750 to 850 nm. We have obtained 200-ns, single-frequency, near-Gaussian output with 0.38 J/pulse at 800 nm. This system is composed of three major subsystems: 1) a cw Ti:Al2O3 master oscillator, 2) a Ti:Al2O3 amplifier, and 3) frequency-doubled Nd:YAG pump lasers.
Exploring Partial Replication to Improve Lightweight Silent Data Corruption Detection for HPC Applications

Silent data corruption SDC poses a great challenge for high-performance computing HPC applications as we move to extreme-scale systems. If not dealt with properly, SDC has the potential to influence important scientific results, leading scientists to wrong conclusions. In previous work, our detector was able to detect SDC in HPC applications to a certain level by using the peculiarities of the data more specifically, its "smoothness" in time and space to make predictions. Accurate predictions allow us to detect corruptions when data values are far "enough" from them. However, these data-analytic solutions are still far from fully protecting applications to a level comparable with more expensive solutions such as full replication. In this work, we propose partial replication to overcome this limitation. More specifically, we have observed that not all processes of an MPI application experience the same level of data variability at exactly the same time. Thus, we can smartly choose and replicate only those processes for which our lightweight data-analytic detectors would perform poorly. Our results indicate that our new approach can protect the MPI applications analyzed with 49---53i¾ź% less overhead than that of full duplication with similar detection recall.
Functional Reconstruction of Dyadic and Triadic Subgraphs in Spiking Neural Networks

Neural networks reconstructed from measurement data are known to exhibit various forms of nonrandom structures, including subgraph motifs and smallworldedness. It has been suggested such nonrandom structures are critical for neural information-processing; however, it is unclear how the topological structure of anatomical networks influences the reconstruction of functional networks. To better understand the importance of such nonrandom structures, we study how dyadic and triadic subgraphs are preserved during the reconstruction. We use a model-free information-theoretic measure, transfer entropy, to quantify the directional associations of pairwise neuronal activity. We employ multiplex networks to compare how dyadic and triadic subgraphs differ from structural to functional networks, with particular attention to recurrent connections. We find that certain structural subgraphs have more influence on the topology of the functional network than others.
‘Ought’ implies ‘can’ against epistemic deontologism: beyond doxastic involuntarism

According to epistemic deontologism, attributions of epistemic justification are deontic claims about what we ought to believe. One of the most prominent objections to this conception, due mainly to William P. Alston, is that the principle that ‘ought’ implies ‘can’ (OIC) rules out deontologism because our beliefs are not under our voluntary control. In this paper, I offer a partial defense of Alston’s critique of deontologism. While Alston is right that OIC rules out epistemic deontologism, appealing to doxastic involuntarism is not necessary for generating that tension. Deontologists would still have a problem with OIC if doxastic voluntarism turned out to be true or if deontologism did not require voluntarism. This is because, in short, epistemic justification does not imply ‘can’. If, as deontologists maintain, epistemic justification implies ‘oughts’, then epistemic justification must also imply ‘can’ given OIC. But since epistemic justification does not imply ‘can’, OIC dictates that we reject deontologism. I end by exploring the possible consequences of this incompatibility between OIC and deontologism. My conclusion is that at least one of the following claims must be true. Either (1) ‘ought’ does not imply ‘can’, (2) attributions of epistemic justification are not deontic claims, or (3) epistemic claims lack necessary or categorical normative authority.
RNA N 6 -adenosine methylation (m 6 A) steers epitranscriptomic control of herpesvirus replication.

Latency is a hallmark of all herpesviruses, during which the viral genomes are silenced through DNA methylation and suppressive histone modifications. When latent herpesviruses reactivate to undergo productive lytic replication, the suppressive epigenetic marks are replaced with active ones to allow for transcription of viral genes. Interestingly, by using Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) as a model, we recently demonstrated that the newly transcribed viral RNAs are also subjected to post-transcriptional N6-adenosine methylation (m6A). Blockade of this post-transcriptional event abolishes viral protein expression and halts virion production. We found that m6A modification controls RNA splicing, stability, and protein translation to regulate viral lytic gene expression and replication. Thus, our finding for the first time reveals a critical role of this epitranscriptomic mechanism in the control of herpesviral replication, which shall shed lights on development of novel strategies for the control of herpesviral infection.
Successful Database Application

Abstract inadequate methods of tracking highly mobile families in a multi-site nutrition education program may result in inaccurate information. Quality documentation about the impact of dietary interventions requires maintenance of a complete and accurate database with ease of accessibility. One such database was developed for evaluation of the High 5, Low Fat program, a study for high-risk African American parents delivered through a national parent education program. Elements included in this database, developed through Microsoft Access, provided the foundation for tracking participants and evaluating program delivery and included the following variables: identification number, survey completion and retest dates, address and telephone number, an alternate contact, intervention delivery dates and deliverer, and a "comments" section that provides unique participant information. Compiling these variables in one centralized location allowed for ease of development of routine reports for both the community and academic agencies. Such reports provide ongoing evaluation of program progress including access of various recruitment strategies, recruitment/retention ratios, a timeline for projected versus actual intervention delivery, and a template for outcome surveys. Rapid access to a cost efficient database that contains current, reliable information provides the means to deliver and measure quality nutrition interventions to high-risk families, especially critical in the organization of multi-site interventions.
Prediction of lower-limb joint kinematics from surface EMG during overground locomotion

Recent advancements in powered lower limb prostheses have led to the development of neural-machine interfaces for natural control during bipedal locomotion. In particular, electromyography (EMG) patterns recorded from the amputated limb can be leveraged to infer the intended gait pattern of the user. However, the optimal control strategy for translating the EMG patterns to kinematic space remains a challenge. In this study, six able bodied subjects were instrumented for mobile brain-body imaging and asked to walk on a multi-terrain gait course. A non-linear extension of the Kalman filter was used to predict knee and ankle joint kinematics from lower limb muscle activation patterns during overground locomotion. Specifically, muscles of the anterior and posterior thigh were used to predict both the knee and ankle joint position. The results revealed that muscles in the thigh can be used to predict the position of the knee and ankle with high accuracy. The highest mean r-value obtained for each of the six subjects was 0.92, 0.77, 0.38, 0.39, 0.63, and 0.77, with corresponding SNR values of 10.8 dB, 6.7 dB, 5.9 dB, 2.8 dB, 9.1 dB, and 9.2 dB, for each subject, respectively. This study is the first to demonstrate that continuous EMG can be used to predict the joint kinematics of the knee and ankle during overground locomotion. This approach may provide improvements during closed-loop control of a powered lower limb prosthesis when compared to other pattern-recognition based methods.
Harmonics-based multiple heartbeat detection at equal distance using UWB impulse radar

In this paper, we discuss and demonstrate the possibility of detecting multiple heartbeat of stationary subjects at equal distance away from a single input and single output UWB radar. To that end, we propose a novel concept to extract the heartbeat information from its harmonics to deal with the spurious peaks of respiration signal and intermodulations between respiration and heartbeat signals. We provide a numerical analysis to justify the proposed algorithm. We compare the ability of suppressing the interferencing harmonics between the proposed algorithm and other detection algorithms. Finally, we provide an experimental example and show that accurate heart rates detection from two subjects at equal distance can be achieved using the proposed method by comparing against two types of references: camera based system and chest heart rate sensor.
Soundscape Compositions for Art Classrooms

This thesis explores ways in which the process of listening, recording, and editing everyday soundscapes can be incorporated in the art classroom. For this study, I designed and carried out two series of educational workshops; firstly, with a group of students at an all-girls high school in Montreal; and secondly, with a group of art and music teachers from QAIS (Quebec Association of Independent Schools). The data generated from these workshops has been used to develop adaptable educational interventions for teaching this process for Art Education. The data also indicates that this creative practice has a number of salient features for learning and art education. For one, listening deeply to familiar spaces such as a school or classroom can shift and expand our conscious awareness of these surroundings. Furthermore, using technological devices to listen, record, and edit sound can allow students to experience quotidian environments in a different way. This can deepen students’ engagement with common environments by asking them to notice and creatively explore the sounds that define their daily experiences. This artistic and educational approach is grounded in a theoretical understanding of consciousness as a unity that integrates images, smells, textures, thoughts, feelings and memories to experience the world. Thus, the thesis calls for an approach to Art Education that is open to sensory multiplicity in exploring everyday experiences. Sound is a crucial component of such experiences; and as such, it warrants study in art classrooms.
Prescription Drug Coverage and Outcomes of Myeloma Therapy Among Medicare Beneficiaries

PurposeNovel parenteral (bortezomib) and oral (lenalidomide) therapies have improved survival in myeloma, but the standard Medicare benefit covers only parenteral drugs. We examined the association between prescription drug coverage, receipt of therapy, and survival among Medicare beneficiaries with myeloma.MethodsUsing SEER-Medicare data, we identified enrollment in a Medicare Part D plan (PDP) or other creditable prescription drug coverage (OCC) among 9,755 beneficiaries who were diagnosed with myeloma in 2006 to 2011. We examined the receipt of active myeloma therapy and that of classic cytotoxic agents or bortezomib as first-line regimen and overall survival. We report relative risk (RR) for binary outcome comparisons and 3-year restricted mean survival time (RMST) ratios, with 95% CI, adjusting for baseline patient- and disease-related characteristics. Beneficiaries with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, a cancer that is uniformly treated with parenteral chemotherapy, served as a comparison cohort.Resul...
Toward the Total Synthesis of Ryanodol via Oxidative Alkyne-1,3-Diketone Annulation: Construction of a Ryanoid Tetracycle.

A synthetic strategy conceived with the intent of establishing a novel approach to the de novo construction of ryanoids is described that is based on a recently developed metallacycle-mediated intramolecular oxidative alkyne–1,3-diketone coupling reaction. In short, a one-pot annulation/oxidation sequence is shown to be capable of establishing a densely oxygenated polycyclic intermediate that could be converted to a composition of matter that contains the ABCD tetracyclic ring system present in the ryanoid family of natural products.
Relational values in agroecosystem governance

Understanding farmers’ values regarding biodiversity conservation, and how these values inform land use decisions within and around farms is essential because of the amount of land under agricultural production regionally and globally. New research within the emerging context of relational values offers a nuanced perspective that can deepen our understanding of farmer values and subsequent decision making, with direct applications to agricultural policy. Here we provide an initial review of some of the relational values articulated for agricultural systems associated with biodiversity conservation in a diverse literature. We illustrate that these relational values are complex, contribute to the maintenance of multifunctional landscapes, and frequently do not adequately intersect with current conservation policy. We use the literature to identify new areas of conservation biology and sustainability science research that might bridge this gap by understanding farmer’s values in relation to conservation policy in multifunctional agricultural landscapes.
Fungal occurrence, disease incidence and severity, and yield of maize symptomatic for seedling disease in Mississippi.

A study was conducted in Mississippi from 1995 to 1997 comparing soil rhizosphere fungi isolated from Pioneer 3167 hybrid maize (Zea mays L.) planted on Brooksville silty clay and Memphis silt loam soils. Maize seedlings were collected over four sampling dates from conventional and no-tillage plots. Eleven fungal genera consisting of nineteen species were isolated from these plants; Trichoderma spp. were most frequently isolated, followed by Fusarium spp. The highest disease incidence occurred in tilled plots of the latest planting date on Brooksville silty clay when samples were collected 17 days after planting. Root disease was most severe in 1996 from seedlings planted on the last planting date in tilled plots sampled 17 days after planting. Yields were significantly (P ≤ 0.05) higher on Brooksville silty clay soil than on Memphis silt loam in both 1995 and 1996. Yields were highest from no-tillage plots and from maize planted on the earliest date. There was a significant correlation between incidence of root infection and disease severity. There was no correlation between the incidence of root infection and yield or between disease severity and yield at either location.
Clinical Features, Microbiological Epidemiology and Recommendations for Management of Cellulitis in Extremity Lymphedema

Background This high volume, single center study investigated the prevalence, bacterial epidemiology, and responsiveness to antibiotic therapy of cellulitis in extremity lymphedema. Methods From 2003 to 2018, cellulitis events from a cohort of 420 patients with extremity lymphedema were reviewed. Demographics, lymphedema grading, symptoms, inflammatory markers, cultures and antibiotic therapy regimens were compiled from cellulitis episodes data. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed for detailed analysis. Results A total of 131 separate episodes of cellulitis were recorded from 43 (81.1%) lower limb and 10 (19.9%) upper limb lymphedema patients. The prevalence and recurrence rates for cellulitis in lymphedema patients were 12.6% (53 of 420) and 56.6% (30 of 53), respectively. The most common findings were increased limb circumference (127 of 131; 96.9%) and abnormal C-reactive protein (CRP) level (86 of 113; 76.1%). Blood cultures were obtained in 79 (60.3%) incidents, with 9 (11.4%) returning positive. Streptococcus agalactiae was the most isolated bacterium (5 of 9; 55.5%). Conclusions The cellulitis prevalence and recurrence rate in extremity lymphedema were 12.6%, and 56.6%, respectively. Strongest indicators of cellulitis were increased affected limb circumference and elevated CRP level. Empiric antibiotic therapy began with coverage for Steptococcus species before broadening to anti-Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and anti-Gram negatives if needed for effective treatment of extremity lymphedema cellulitis.
Feasibility and acceptability of using an IVRS to assess decision making about sun protection.

Objective We developed an interactive voice response system (IVRS), an automated telephone survey technology, to assess real-time decision making about sun protection. We examined the feasibility and acceptability of IVRS in this electronic health (eHealth) context. Methods Melanoma patients who underwent surgery referred their first-degree relatives (FDRs) for participation. Eligible FDRs were contacted twice daily (12:30 pm; 5:00 pm) over 14 consecutive days via IVRS to complete a survey about their sun protection behaviors and decisions about those behaviors. Results Of the 81 eligible FDRs, 69 (85%) consented to the study, and 53 (77%) completed the study. We assessed adherence with the IVRS via the number and pattern of missing survey items across all answered IVRS calls. About 80% of scheduled IVRS calls were answered (1316/1652). Most surveys (93%) of the IVRS-answered calls were completed. To examine acceptability, we analyzed the program satisfaction survey data collected at the end of the study. Most participants viewed the IVRS to be highly acceptable and easy to use. Conclusions These findings illustrate that use of real-time IVRS data collection regarding sun protection decision making is feasible and acceptable to higher-risk research participants and could thus be used with time and location-sensitive eHealth support to enhance sun protection decision making.
Pay to Play in Investment Management

This study investigates the pervasiveness of pay to play in U.S. public pensions. We document a strong positive and statistically significant relation between the presence of government clients for an investment advisory firm and past owner and officer donations to influential state politicians. We use the adoption of SEC Rule 206(4)-5 which prohibited pay to play activities as a quasi-experiment. Prior to rule adoption, advisors that donate have nearly twice the percentage of public pensions in their client base relative to non-donor advisors. We observe a precipitous decline in donations made by advisors catering to public pension plans post-rule enactment.
Biobased polymers for mitigating early- and late-age cracking in concrete

Abstract This chapter presents an overview of the application of superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) from synthetic, biobased, and hybrid sources and expounds on their role in mitigating early- and late-age cracking in cement-based materials. Synthetic, petroleum-based SAPs have been applied for many years as an internal curing agent in low water-to-cement ratio concretes to reduce damage due to autogenous shrinkage. Due to recent demands for more renewable materials and concrete additives, SAPs from renewable resources have been increasingly researched, developed, and applied to mitigate early- and late-age cracking in concrete. This chapter surveys and discusses classes of natural polymers (i.e., polysaccharides and polypeptides) that have been used to create hybrid and biobased SAPs and those that merit further exploration for use in cementitious materials. In addition, the potential for expanding the utility of SAPs, namely, exploiting SAPs for late-age crack mitigation, imparting multiple functionalities, and standardizing methods of their use in concrete, are highlighted and discussed herein.
Burnout Among Beginning First-Year Students from Three Health Professional Training Programs.

The study objective was to learn about burnout prevalence among beginning first-year students from three health professional programs—Advance Practice Registered Nursing (APRN), Medicine, and Physician Associate (PA) training. All first-year students were invited to anonymously complete a survey measuring burnout. Subscales for exhaustion and disengagement together accounted for burnout. Means and frequencies were derived for categorical variables (gender, program, and direct entry from college). Subscales were summarized with means and standard deviations. Analysis of variance and post hoc t-tests compared unadjusted differences in means. Based on results, multivariable linear regressions for total burnout and exhaustion examined associations for the independent variables. With a 97% response rate, 70% were female (the APRN program is predominantly female), and 32% began training directly after college. Female students had significantly higher average total burnout and exhaustion than males. APRN and PA students had significantly higher total burnout and exhaustion than MD students. There were no other significant associations. In multivariable linear regressions, APRN students had significantly higher, and PA students had not quite significantly higher, burnout and exhaustion compared with medical students, with no moderation by any other variables. Burnout among first-year students in all three programs was more prevalent than anticipated. Consistent with previous literature, the programs with students who experienced higher burnout used more competitive, multi-tiered grading systems and introduced clinical expectations earlier in training. The implication is that educational leaders should consider effects of competitive grading and early clinical exposure on burnout among beginning health professional students.
Fluid-structure interaction modeling of blood flow in the pulmonary arteries using the unified continuum and variational multiscale formulation

In this work, we present a computational fluid-structure interaction (FSI) study for a healthy patient-specific pulmonary arterial tree using the unified continuum and variational multiscale (VMS) formulation we previously developed. The unified framework is particularly well-suited for FSI, as the fluid and solid sub-problems are addressed in essentially the same manner and can thus be uniformly integrated in time with the generalized-α method. In addition, the VMS formulation provides a mechanism for large-eddy simulation in the fluid sub-problem and pressure stabilization in the solid sub-problem. The FSI problem is solved in a quasi-direct approach, in which the pressure and velocity in the unified continuum body are first solved, and the solid displacement is then obtained via a segregated algorithm and prescribed as a boundary condition for the mesh motion. Results of the pulmonary arterial FSI simulation are presented and compared against those of a rigid wall simulation.
EFFECTS OF CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION OF PEPTIDES ON BODY TEMPERATURE OF THE RABBIT

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a study to analyze the effects of central administration of peptides on the body temperature of a rabbit. To investigate the nature of effects of α-MSH and ACTH on body temperature, these peptides were administered to rabbits in cold and hot environments. Hypothermias produced by α-MSH and ACTH were enhanced when given in the cold, but the high dose of the peptides did not alter rectal temperatures of animals exposed to heat. At least five of the peptides tested may have roles in central thermoregulatory processes. Other peptides that were ineffective in the experiments may have influenced body temperature when given in higher doses or under other conditions. The greatest effects on temperature were produced by α-MSH and ACTH, which caused dose-related hypothermia in thermoneutral and cold environments but had no effect in the heat. These results indicated that the peptides do not disrupt central thermoregulatory processes in a nonspecific manner but that they inhibit heat production pathways and stimulate heat loss pathways.