cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sampling Ants with Pitfall Traps Using Either Propylene Glycol or Water as a Preservative

Abstract Performance of pitfall traps using a mixture of propylene glycol and water or water alone as a preservative/killing agent was compared to investigate the selectiveness of these two agents for sampling/preserving ants. Results indicated that traps with a propylene glycol/water mixture collected significantly higher numbers of ants compared to traps with water only. The abundance of Solenopsis invicta Buren, Paratrechina sp. and Diplorhoptrum sp., was significantly higher when propylene glycol was used as the preservative. Results indicate this common preservative affected the behavior of several ant species.
Stacked subwavelength gratings as circular polarization filters

We have stacked subwavelength gratings (SWGs) on a single substrate to create a compact, integrated circular polarization filter. The SWGs consist of a wire grid polarizer and a broadband form-birefringent quarter-wave plate (QWP). Rigorous coupled-wave analysis was used to design the QWP for operation over the 3.5–5.0-µm wavelength range. The fabricated silicon broadband QWP exhibited a phase retardance of 82–97° across this wavelength range. Two stacked structures are presented, each with a different wire grid polarizer fabricated on an organic planarization layer (SU-8) that is deposited on a QWP grating. Transmittance measurements of the first structure when illuminated with nominally right- and left-circularly polarized light indicate a circular extinction ratio (CER) limited by the low linear extinction ratio of the polarizer. Use of a wire grid polarizer with a higher extinct ratio led to a stacked SWG structure that demonstrated CERs of 10–45 across the 3.5–5.0-µm wavelength range.
Evidence Indicating that the X and the Y or the Z and the W were Originally an Homologous Pair of Ordinary Chromosomes

Today, the X and Y of mammals and the Z and W of birds are totally different from each other in size as well as genetic content. Yet, it can be shown that the two were originally an homologous pair of ordinary chromosomes or autosomes. A broad review of the sex-determining mechanism of various vertebrates enables us to reconstruct, step-by-step, this process of sex chromosome differentiation.
Squamous cell differentiation markers in normal, premalignant, and malignant epithelium: Effects of retinoids

Vitamin A and some of its analogs (retinoids) maintain normal differentiation of epithelial tissues by preventing aberrant squamous differentiation of cells in nonkeratinizing epithelia. They can also reverse squamous metaplasia, which develops in vivo during vitamin A deficiency. These effects are the result of the ability of retinoids to suppress the expression of genes associated with squamous differentiation (e.g., transglutaminase type I, loricrin, involucrin, filaggrin, and keratin K1). In addition, retinoids reverse keratinizing premalignant lesions in the oral cavity, and inhibit the growth and squamous differentiation of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) in vitro. Nuclear retinoic acid receptors, which function as DNA-binding, trans-acting, transcription-modulating factors, are considered to be the proximate mediators of the effects of retinoids on gene expression and may mediate the re-regulation of aberrant differentiation and growth of premalignant and some malignant cells, thereby suppressing the development of head and neck cancer.
Sidelobe suppression in small Josephson junctions

Abstract Many applications of Josephson junctions require that the sidelobes of the critical-current patterns as a function of magnetic field be as small as possible. The sidelobes can be significantly suppressed by appropriate choice of junction geometry. This paper emphasizes that suppression is not just a long-junction effect. For a wide variety of shaped small junctions, the diffraction patterns are given by simple expressions, inspection of which quickly shows the overall features of the patterns. For some shapes the highest sidelobes can be kept well under 1% of the central lobe. For applications requiring long junctions, the geometry of small junctions giving the desired pattern is a practical starting point for a long-junction analysis.
Comparision of varuious bulk fluids and modifiers as near‐crtical mobile phases on a polymeric column using linear solvatio energy realationships

Linear solvation energy realationships (LSERS) were used to qunatitatively compare the relative contributions of dipolarity/polarizability, hydrogen bonding, and other types of intermolecular interactions to retention and selectivity using various bulk moblie phase component. Using experimental condition which differ only by the compostion of the bulk moble phase component, the factors which cause selctivity to differ between HPLC, subcritical fluid chromatography and supercritical fluid charomatography were decovoluted. Heptance-based HPLC mobile phases showed superior selectivities towards analytes which differ in hydrogen bond donating ability, gas-to-hexadecane partion coefficint and dipolarity/ploarizability. subcritical fluid chromatography with HFC-134a (1, 1, 1, 2-tetrafluoroethane) as the bulk fluid produced superior seclectivities for which differ in hydrogen bond accepting ability and execess molar refraction properties. Many of these factors showed temperature dependences which act to attenuate or accenture the particular intermolcular interaction.
Impact of the die attach process on power & thermal cycling for a discrete style semiconductor package

This paper investigates the impact of die attach process, including a tilted die, on the power cycling and thermal cycling performance for a discrete style TO220 package. A non-linear material model for die attach solder material is introduced, and an advanced finite element methodology is developed to target the coupled thermal-mechanical problem. For power cycling, a transient thermal analysis is presented, that will show the thermal propagation as the power turned on and off, and the resulting temperature gradients. Then the authors used the cyclic transient temperature loads to apply to the model for the non-linear cycle stress analysis. For thermal cycling, the cycle temperature is directly applied to the model. The parameterized models for different die size and thickness' are simulated and analyzed. Finally discussion and conclusion regarding this study are presented.
Usable Privacy Controls for Blogs

Web 2.0 applications such as blogs, wikis and social networking sites have challenging privacy issues. Many users are unaware that search engines index personal information from these sites and offer public access to collected data. As a consequence, privacy invasions are rampant. In this paper, we demonstrate that tag-based privacy policies are a usable and flexible privacy control method for Web 2.0 applications. Content owners express their privacy policy in terms of tags on content objects; the system then applies the policy to objects based on the tags assigned to them. We implemented tag-based privacy controls as a plugin to the WordPress blogging system, and conducted a user study to measure whether users could efficiently address real-world privacy concerns using tag-based policies. Despite limited time and training, a third of the participants chose the tag-based policy tools. These users were able to perform privacy-related tasks with the same accuracy and increased speed using our tag-based privacy controls versus per-object privacy controls.
Effects of Chorda Tympani Nerve Anesthesia on Taste Responses in the NST

Human clinical and psychophysical observations suggest that the taste system is able to compensate for losses in peripheral nerve input, since patients do not commonly report decrements in whole mouth taste following chorda tympani nerve damage or anesthesia. Indeed, neurophysiological data from the rat nucleus of the solitary tract (NST) suggests that a release of inhibition (disinhibition) may occur centrally following chorda tympani nerve anesthesia. Our purpose was to study this possibility further. We recorded from 59 multi- and single-unit taste-responsive sites in the rat NST before, during and after recovery from chorda tympani nerve anesthesia. During anesthesia, average anterior tongue responses were eliminated but no compensatory increases in palatal or posterior tongue responses were observed. However, six individual sites displayed increased taste responsiveness during anesthesia. The average increase was 32.9%. Therefore, disinhibition of taste responses was observed, but infrequently and to a small degree in the NST. At a subset of sites, chorda tympani-mediated responses decreased while greater superficial petrosal-mediated responses remained the same during anesthesia. Since this effect was accompanied by a decrease in spontaneous activity, we propose that taste compensation may result in part by a change in signal-to-noise ratio at a subset of sites.
Demographic correlates of body size changes in children undergoing treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Introduction While it is known that leukemia therapy is associated with obesity in survivorship, limited information is available on its time-related pattern of development and its variation across patient subgroups. The goal of the present study was to examine demographic correlates of body mass index (BMI) changes over time from diagnosis through chemotherapy for children with B-precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Methods The study cohort consisted of 307 pediatric patients diagnosed with ALL who were treated at four South Texas pediatric oncology centers between 1990 and 2002. To minimize treatment-related variability, we excluded patients who received cranial irradiation as part of their treatment. Variation in age- and gender-standardized BMI z-scores according to age at diagnosis, gender, and ethnicity were assessed. Results The overall study cohort exhibited an increase in age- and gender-adjusted BMI z-scores for the first 24 months of chemotherapy followed by a slight decrease in BMI at 30 months (end of therapy). A repeated measures analysis indicated a statistically significant difference in the time-related pattern of BMI changes for age at diagnosis (P = 0.001) but no significant effect for gender (P = 0.32) or Hispanic versus non-Hispanic ethnicity (P = 0.89). Discussion In our cohort of ALL patients, BMI was elevated at diagnosis (mean standardized BMI z-score = 0.22, standard deviation = 1.4) then increased and remained elevated for the entire duration of chemotherapy. Children who were 2–9 years of age at diagnosis began therapy with a substantially lower BMI and remained lower over the course of chemotherapy than patients aged 10–18 years at diagnosis. It will be important for future investigations to explore the biological and behavioral factors that may underlie such differential patterns of BMI change over time. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2007;49:793–796. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Victimization Rates, Safety and Fear of Crime

A model is postulated of how victimization rates, safety and fear of crime interrelate. Certain population groups and cities show higher levels of fear of crime but lower measured victimization rates. According to the model this can happen because certain groups that do have higher “real” risks of victimization expose themselves less to crime and hence show lower measured victimization rates. The model also implies that even though victimization rates correct for underreporting of crime, they may still not be the correct calibrator of safety because they do not take into account exposure to crime. Measured victimization rates can be both positively and inversely related to the “real” risk of crime. A preliminary test of the model is made using cross-sectional city level data on both victimization rates and attitudes from the recent National Crime Survey. The analysis shows that fear of crime has higher correlations with victimization rates adjusted for exposure than the usually measured victimization rates reported by the government, and that exposure appears to be negatively related to fear of crime.
PTEN, a Putative Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase Gene Mutated in Human Brain, Breast, and Prostate Cancer

Mapping of homozygous deletions on human chromosome 10q23 has led to the isolation of a candidate tumor suppressor gene, PTEN, that appears to be mutated at considerable frequency in human cancers. In preliminary screens, mutations of PTEN were detected in 31% (13/42) of glioblastoma cell lines and xenografts, 100% (4/4) of prostate cancer cell lines, 6% (4/65) of breast cancer cell lines and xenografts, and 17% (3/18) of primary glioblastomas. The predicted PTEN product has a protein tyrosine phosphatase domain and extensive homology to tensin, a protein that interacts with actin filaments at focal adhesions. These homologies suggest that PTEN may suppress tumor cell growth by antagonizing protein tyrosine kinases and may regulate tumor cell invasion and metastasis through interactions at focal adhesions.
The future of WiMAX: Multihop relaying with IEEE 802.16j

Relaying and cooperation have re-emerged as important research topics in wireless communication over the past half-decade. Although multihop relaying for coverage extension in wireless networks is an old concept, it became practical only recently. Nowhere is this better illustrated than in the IEEE 802.16 working group, which has devoted a task group to incorporating relay capabilities in the foundation of mobile WiMAX-IEEE 802.16e-2005. Currently, this task group is in the process of finishing IEEE 802.16j, the multihop relay specification for 802.16. This amendment will be fully compatible with 802.16e-2005 mobile and subscriber stations, but a BS specific to 802.16j will be required for relays to operate. This article presents an introduction to the upcoming IEEE 802.16j amendment and provides insight about the obstacles that practical system designers face when incorporating relaying into a wireless broadband network.
Effects of projected climate change on energy supply and demand in the Pacific Northwest and Washington State

Climate strongly affects energy supply and demand in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) and Washington State (WA). We evaluate potential effects of climate change on the seasonality and annual amount of PNW hydropower production, and on heating and cooling energy demand. Changes in hydropower production are estimated by linking simulated streamflow scenarios produced by a hydrology model to a simulation model of the Columbia River hydro system. Changes in energy demand are assessed using gridded estimates of heating degree days (HDD) and cooling degree days (CDD) which are then combined with population projections to create energy demand indices that respond both to climate, future population, and changes in residential air conditioning market penetration. We find that substantial changes in the amount and seasonality of energy supply and demand in the PNW are likely to occur over the next century in response to warming, precipitation changes, and population growth. By the 2040s hydropower production is projected to increase by 4.7–5.0% in winter, decrease by about 12.1–15.4% in summer, with annual reductions of 2.0–3.4%. Larger decreases of 17.1–20.8% in summer hydropower production are projected for the 2080s. Although the combined effects of population growth and warming are projected to increase heating energy demand overall (22–23% for the 2020s, 35–42% for the 2040s, and 56–74% for the 2080s), warming results in reduced per capita heating demand. Residential cooling energy demand (currently less than one percent of residential demand) increases rapidly (both overall and per capita) to 4.8–9.1% of the total demand by the 2080s due to increasing population, cooling degree days, and air conditioning penetration.
Structural Realism and the Causes of War

Structural realism is the most prominent contemporary version of realpolitik, the traditional paradigm in the study of world politics. However, given recent evidence that favors dyadic over systemic explanations for the outbreak of war, it is appropriate to reassess the achievements of structural realism in this, its most important area of application. A review of studies that use capability-based variables, aggregated at the level of the system, to account for war leads to the conclusion that structural realism remains viable but requires elaboration to compete effectively with alternative theories. In particular, the highest priority for structural realism is the development of a rational choice-based theory of state behavior in response to system structure.
The Disposal of Iodine-129

One of the problems to be solved in the nuclear waste management field is the disposal of radioactive iodine-129 (1). This nuclide is one of the more volatile and long-lived fission products. Studies at ORNL have shown that fission products can be fixed in concrete for permanent disposal (2,3). Current studies have demonstrated that practical cementitious grouts may contain up to 18% iodine as barium iodate. The waste disposal criterion is based on the fact that harmful effects to present or future generations can be avoided by isolation and/or dilution. Long-term isolation is effective in deep, dry repositories; however, since penetration by water is possible, although unlikely, release was calculated based on leach rates into water. Further considerations have indicated that sea disposal on or in the ocean floor may be a more acceptable alternative.
Phosphorus restriction reverses hyperparathyroidism in uremia independent of changes in calcium and calcitriol.

Phosphorus is a well-known modulator of renal 1 alpha-hydroxylase activity. In early and moderate renal failure it is proposed that dietary Pi reduction ameliorates secondary hyperparathyroidism through increased circulating levels of calcitriol (i.e, 1 alpha, 25-dihydroxycholecalciferol). To gain further insight into the mechanisms by which a low-Pi diet ameliorates secondary hyperparathyroidism in advanced renal insufficiency, studies were performed in five dogs before and 6 mo after the induction of uremia by 5/6 nephrectomy. Glomerular filtration rate decreased from 69.0 +/- 2.3 to 10.5 +/- 0.5 ml/min, immunoreactive parathyroid hormone (irPTH) increased from 66.0 +/- 8.8 to 321.0 +/- 46 pg/ml, and calcitriol decreased from 39.0 +/- 10.4 to 27.0 +/- 6.2 pg/ml. Thereafter, dietary Pi was decreased gradually every 2 wk from 0.95% to 0.6, 0.45, and 0.3%, respectively. Dietary Ca was reduced from 1.6 to 0.6% to prevent development of hypercalcemia. Ionized Ca (ICa) decreased from 5.4 +/- 0.04 to 5.2 +/- 0.05 mg/dl (P less than 0.02), and plasma Pi decreased from 6.3 +/- 0.7 to 4.7 +/- 0.2 mg/dl (P less than 0.05). Calcitriol remained low (23.3 +/- 4.7 pg/ml). However, irPTH gradually decreased from 321.0 +/- 46.0 to 94.7 +/- 22.9 pg/ml (P less than 0.005). These studies indicate that a decrease in dietary Pi from 0.95 to 0.3% suppressed irPTH by approximately 70%. Reduction of irPTH was observed in the absence of a concomitant increase in levels of ICa or calcitriol. These studies suggest that reduction in dietary Pi in advanced renal insufficiency improves secondary hyperparathyroidism by a mechanism that is independent of the levels of calcitriol or plasma ICa.
Valuing a Liquidity Discount

In the recent financial crisis, unprecedented compressions of securities prices were frequently observed. Such compressions were mainly driven by the lack of liquidity. We therefore propose an equilibrium model for quantifying such liquidity compressions in prices. We demonstrate that our model can produce extremely large discounts while there are no substantial changes in economic fundamentals and under very reasonable levels of risk preference. Furthermore, our model can be extended to explain high correlations among assets observed in a crisis and to include Merton-type default models to provide interactions between liquidity and credit risks. Such an implication helps further the construction of models for stress tests and risk management.
NMR characterization of silicon nitride: slurry homogeneity by T2-weighted proton imaging

The Si3N4/water slurries were studied by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1HNMR) imaging for homogeneity. 1H nuclear spin echo signals from Si3N4/water slurries were observed by a (π/2)-τ-π-τ-echo pulse sequence. Bloch’s equations were used to calculate the spin-spin relaxation times (T2) from these echo intensities. The T2 for the protons in these slurries was measured to be 53.7±0.1 ms. The T2-weighted imaging technique utilizing (π/2)-τ-π-τ multiple pulse sequence was mixed with a “shape pulse” for radio frequency (RF)-excitation to detect nuclear spin echo signals for image construction. Sinc shape pulses were used to mix with both the (π/2) and the π pulses as a frequency carrier because of the mobility of water molecules in the slurry. The nuclear spin echo intensities were transformed into three-dimensional pictures by magnetic field gradients generated by coils along x, y and z-co-ordinates. Axial-section slices were taken to map the water distribution of the slurry in an NMR tube. A stable and well-dispersed Si3N4/H2O slurry, with ammonium polymethacrylate as dispersant, was observed for several hours. Agglomerization of this slurry was detected after 15 h of standing and NMR imaging shown in contour plots depicted clearly the location and the degree of agglomerization. The water distribution can also be presented in three dimensions by stack plotting of the water intensity profiles.
Introduction to the Retina

Here, we briefly introduce and survey the retina including terminology and naming conventions. We consider anatomical structures of the retina including gross and microscopic anatomy of the fundus, layers of the retina, retinal cell types, and neuronal wiring of the retina. We discuss briefly biochemistry of the visual transduction cascade and the Vitamin A cycle. We introduce physiological processes including outer segment disk shedding and origins of electrical signals detected by the electroretinogram. This sets the stage for a more in-depth look at specific aspects of retinal structure and function in subsequent sections in this chapter.
FP-33 Final Analysis Report

This report describes an analysis of 244Pu from VNIIEF (FP-33) sent to the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory as test samples.
Abstract 3132: Genome-wide scan for genetic markers modifying survival of pancreatic cancer patients

Background: Genetic factors that are associated with pancreatic cancer survival have previously been examined in Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS), but the results are inconsistent due to limited sample size. Method: We performed a two-stage study on pancreatic cancer survival. The discovery phase took advantage of the existing GWAS data of 868 patients with European descendent from a case-control study conducted at MD Anderson. The validation study on ten top hits was conducted in another 820 white patients with Taqman. The missing genotypes were imputed using IMPUTE2 based on 1000 Genomes Project. Cox regression model was fitted to calculate allele-specific hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) with adjustment for demographics, tumor stage, resection, and chemotherapy. Results: After imputation, 7,738,399 SNPs with a Quality Score >0.03, minor allele frequency >0.01, and Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium were obtained for analysis. Three loci in complete LD at chromosome 2 were associated with overall survival (OS) at genome-wide significance (P = 1 ×): rs113988120 in PAIP2B (poly(A) binding protein interacting protein 2B), rs112493246 and rs138529893 in DYSF (dysferlin). The variant allele was associated with 3.02 fold higher risk of dying (95% CI: 2.07-4.40). SNP rs113988120 and nine others were examined in the validation study and rs113988120 remained nominally significant (P = 2.85 ×; HR: 1.45, 95% CI: 1.04-2.03). In the combined datasets of 1688 patients, this SNP was significantly associated with OS (P = 1.46 × and HR = 1.80 (95% CI: 1.42-2.30). Conclusion: These observations support our hypothesis that genetic variations to a certain degree influence patient survival in pancreatic cancer. Key words: Pancreatic cancer, GWAS, Survival Citation Format: Hongwei Tang. Genome-wide scan for genetic markers modifying survival of pancreatic cancer patients. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 3132.
Maternal pre-pregnancy and gestational diabetes, obesity, gestational weight gain, and risk of cancer in young children: a population-based study in California

We aimed to examine the influence of pre-pregnancy diabetes, pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), gestational diabetes, and gestational weight gain on childhood cancer risk in offspring. We identified cancer cases (n = 11,149) younger than age 6 years at diagnosis from the California Cancer Registry registered between 1988 and 2013. Controls (n = 270,147) were randomly sampled from California birth records, and frequency matched by year of birth to all childhood cancers during the study period. Exposure and covariate information were extracted from birth records. Unconditional logistic regression models were generated to assess the importance of pre-pregnancy diabetes, pre-pregnancy BMI, gestational diabetes, and gestational weight gain on childhood cancer risk. We observed increased risks of acute lymphoblastic leukemia and Wilms’ tumor in children of mothers with pre-pregnancy diabetes [odds ratio (OR) 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.37 (1.11, 1.69); OR (95 % CI) 1.45 (0.97, 2.18), respectively]. When born to mothers who were overweight prior to pregnancy (BMI 25–<30), children were at increased risk of leukemia [OR (95 % CI) 1.27 (1.01, 1.59)]. Insufficient gestational weight gain increased the risk of acute myeloid leukemia [OR (95 % CI) 1.50 (0.92, 2.42)] while excessive gestational weight gain increased the risk of astrocytomas [OR (95 % CI) 1.56 (0.97, 2.50)]. No associations were found between gestational diabetes and childhood cancer risk in offspring. We estimated elevated risks of several childhood cancers in the offspring of mothers who had diabetes and were overweight prior to pregnancy, as well as mothers who gained insufficient or excessive weight. Since few studies have focused on these factors in relation to childhood cancer, replication of our findings in future studies is warranted.
Parameter Adaption for Generalized Multiframe Tasks and Applications to Self-Suspending Tasks

The generalized multiframe task model (GMF) extends the sporadic task model and multiframe task model. Each frame in the GMF model contains an execution time, a relative deadline, and a minimum inter-arrival time. These parameters are fixed after task specification time in the GMF model. However, multimedia and adaptive control systems may be overloaded and no longer stabilized when the task parameters in such systems are not flexible. In order to address this problem, deadlines and periods may change to alleviate temporal overload, for example in the parameter adaption and elastic scheduling model. In this paper, we propose a new model GMF-PA (the GMF model with parameter adaption). This model allows task parameters to be flexible in arbitrary-deadline systems. A necessary schedulability test based on mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) is given to check the schedulability under EDF scheduling and optimally assign deadlines and periods at the same time. We also prove that the test is a sufficient and necessary schedulability test when task parameters must be integers. An approximation algorithm is also deployed to reduce computational running time. The speed-up factor of our approximation algorithm is 1+a#x0395; where a#x0395; can be arbitrarily small, with respect to the exact schedulability test of GMF-PA tasks under EDF. We also apply the GMF model to self-suspending tasks. By extending recent work on scheduling self-suspending tasks, we remove the assumption that deadlines are equally assigned in self-suspending tasks, and the system is extended from constrained-deadline systems to arbitrary-deadline systems. We have done exhaustive experiments to show that the schedulability ratio is improved using our techniques in our GMF-PA model.
On the moment-recovered approximations of regression and derivative functions with applications

In this paper three formulas for recovering the conditional mean and conditional variance based on product moments are proposed. The upper bounds for the uniform rate of approximations of regression and derivatives of some moment-determinate function are derived. Two cases where the support of underlying functions is bounded and unbounded from above are studied. Based on the proposed approximations, novel nonparametric estimates of the distribution function and its density in multiplicative-censoring model are constructed. Simulation study justifies the consistency of the estimates.
Positive orientation: Exploring the factors that constitute the bright side of personality

Positive orientation is a general tendency to react to life experiences in a positive way. My aim in this article was to characterize the nature of positive orientation in the context of similar psychological variables. The importance of taking into account the sense of meaning in life as an additional positive orientation variable has been highlighted, suggesting that the value in the concept of positive orientation lies in its focus on a general tendency to perceive life in a positive way. The choice of the factors that constitute positive orientation may raise objections, but it may also encourage reflection and discussion.
Survival and Development of the True Armyworm Pseudaletia unipuncta (Haworth) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), on Endophyte-infected and Endophyte-free Tall Fescue

True armyworms, Pseudaletia unipuncta (Haworth), were fed tall fescue leaves either infected or uninfected with the symbiotic fungus, Acremonium coenophialum Morgan-Jones and Gams. Young larvae fed...
Quantifying antecedent climatic drivers of tree growth in the Southwestern US

Summary 1.Variation in antecedent (past) climate conditions is likely to govern tree growth over long periods of time. Antecedent conditions are rarely considered in models of tree growth, representing a weakness in quantitative understanding of forest responses to climate variations. 2.We applied the stochastic antecedent modelling (SAM) framework to 367 International Tree Ring Data Bank (ITRDB) chronologies in the southwestern US (‘Southwest’) representing eight conifer species. To better understand climatic and physiologic controls on tree growth, we quantify the effects of antecedent precipitation, temperature, and Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) over 60 months preceding and including the year of ring formation. 3.In Pinus edulis, P. ponderosa, and Pseudotsuga menziesii, growth responded primarily to recent precipitation and temperature conditions (43-49% of the response was driven by conditions during the year of ring formation), but to less recent PDSI conditions (>50% of response driven by conditions 13-48 months prior to the year of ring formation), though PDSI significantly affected growth at only 21% of sites. Combining extensive tree-ring data with monthly resolution climate data also reveals key climatic events, such as the effect of monsoon arrival date on growth, especially in P. menziesii, highlighting the ability of the SAM framework to identify climate effects at multiple time scales. 4.Sensitivity to antecedent climate, baseline growth at average climate conditions, and the strength of 1st order autocorrelation varied spatially, suggesting variation in mean growing conditions, non-structural carbohydrate storage, and/or seasonal precipitation contribution of the North American Monsoon may drive differences in growth sensitivities across species’ ranges. 5.Synthesis - Our findings provide further evidence for multi-year legacy effects of climate conditions, particularly drought metrics, on tree growth. Antecedent climate and especially drought are key drivers of growth in these species, and associated climatic sensitivities and growth indices vary spatially. We argue such factors should be considered in modelling efforts. The spatial variability in antecedent climate sensitivities points to key differences in how different populations within a species range may respond to climate change, particularly if timing of weather events, such as monsoon arrival date, or annual precipitation amounts undergo significant changes. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Crossing the Threshold: Geoffrey Chaucer, Adam Smith, and the Liminal Transactionalism of the Later Middle Ages

This chapter considers the economic elements of Chaucer’s thought as revealed through his poetry in relation to the medievalism inherent in the foundational economic writings of Adam Smith. The chapter advances the notion of “liminal transactionalism” to describe an economic outlook and set of practices merging gift-exchange with commerce, a mode of thinking and practice that obtained from the later Middle Ages well into the early Modern period, and in which Chaucer’s and Smith’s thought, while significantly distinct, can both be located. To explore their different positions on this spectrum, the chapter addresses first the satirical dimensions of Smith’s view of the decline of “feudalism.” It then analyzes how the elements that Smith picks out in that decline—especially the over-emphasis on personal prestige by lords, and the growth of more independent practical strategies by those who served them—featured in late medieval English poetry, especially Chaucer’s. Finally, the chapter argues that the Smithian elements of Chaucer’s thought do not fully amount to a Smithian “classical” economic model, but that Smith himself retains elements of a Chaucerian or late-medieval combination of ways of defining economic value.
Stress and Emotionality

Stress and emotionality (the expression of emotions) are normal components of our everyday existence that allow us to respond to the normal changes in internal and external environment. However, extremes in emotionality and/or chronic periods of stress can cause maladaptive responses and predispose one to affective disorders. This article briefly defines stress and emotionality and the neural pathways that act as organizers for these processes. As stress is an important modulator of emotionality, the interactions between these processes are also discussed with examples from human and animal models, focusing largely on the known contributions of stress hormones and their receptors in these interacting pathways.
Strategy utilization deficiencies in children: when, where, and why.

By the early 1980s, a clear picture of the role of strategies in memory development was emerging. Strategies generally help recall and thus are a main contributor to memory development. Young children have a production deficiency that is overcome during the grade school years. By the early 1990s, the process appeared to be a good deal more complex. Although spontaneously produced strategies often help recall, they do not inevitably do so, especially among novice strategy producers--even when their strategy production appears proficient. In the 1980s and 1990s, a main theme of research on children's strategies of memory has been that children begin to use strategies earlier than previously thought. Researchers have identified rudimentary strategies of even 2- and 3-yr-olds. Our research suggests that we also need to take a careful look at the other end of the spectrum. A strategy may continue to develop well beyond the point at which an apparently full-blown strategy is produced. Producing a relevant strategy does not mark the end of strategy development. Rather, it marks the beginning of the development of a proficient, low-effort strategy that enhances recall. Even after a child spontaneously produces the strategy fully and consistently, the strategy gradually becomes less effortful to access and to execute and is integrated with other mnemonic strategies and activities. As a result, the strategy is increasingly likely to facilitate recall. Researchers need to conduct a fine-grained analysis of the actual implementation of a strategy--how the strategy of interest dovetails with a set of strategic, metamemorial, information-processing, and motor-control processes. The utilization deficiency phenomenon may challenge current conceptions of how and why skills develop. Why do children spontaneously use and continue to use a skill that helps them little or not at all? The usual assumption has been that children acquire and perfect skills because they have some benefit for them. This benefit is still true in the long run, but not the short run. The utilization deficiency, Bjorklund and Green's (1992) account of young children's overoptimism, and Siegler's (e.g., McGilly & Siegler, 1989) observation that children sometimes reject, at least temporarily, a strategy that helps them, describe behaviors that do not fit easily into current models of children as rational problem solvers. We need a different conceptualization of the course of strategy development and perhaps skill development more generally. Language: en
Personal and situational factors as predictors of end user performance

End-user computing (EUC) has the potential to enhance productivity. However, for this potential to be realized, end users must learn EUC skills and perform at high levels. Because of the significance of end user performance to organizations, it is important to uncover factors that influence end user performance. However, prior research has relied almost exclusively on person factors to predict end user performance even though several models suggest that both person and situational factors influence behavior and performance. This limitation of previous research was overcome by examining the influence of both person and situational factors on end user performance. The three person factors and four situational factors investigated in this study, together, explained almost 40% of the variance in end user performance. Suggestions to enhance end user performance are offered, and directions for future research are discussed.
Parameterizing Turbulent Diffusion in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer

The statistical approach to atmospheric turbulence, elucidated by John Lumley in The Structure of Atmospheric Turbulence, his pathbreaking 1964 monograph with Hans Panofsky, is particularly useful with large-eddy simulation. We discuss the progress we have made along these lines in parameterizing the diffusion of conservative scalars in the convective boundary layer of the atmosphere.
Telling the Bees: Designing for Immersion, Mediation, and Ritual

This paper presents Telling the Bees, a prototype of an immersive media experience that explores the connections among ritual, tangible interfaces, and procedural interactivity. The project provides a basis for further exploration of hybrid interfaces in contexts of culture and tradition, specifically ritual traditions. We build upon the historical practice of -telling the bees," in which beekeepers and their families would share important news with their bees. A conversation between the interactor and the platform is mediated by tactile and vocal inputs with procedural audio-visual feedback. Our interface encourages body postures and input-response dynamics to bridge ritual tradition and digital immersion.
T-cell large granular lymphocytic leukemia evolution post-transplant: The Cleveland Clinic experience.

e19072Background: T-cell large granular lymphocytic leukemia (LGLL) has been reported after solid organ transplantation (SOT) and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT); yet its underlying ...
Mortgage Credit Availability for Self-Employed Households

This article shows that post-crisis underwriting standards are such that the mortgage market is not adequately meeting the lending needs of self-employed households. The authors look at how self-employed households fared from 2001 to 2016, compared to salaried households in terms of income, homeownership rates, and mortgage usage. Although self-employed households continue to earn higher incomes than salaried households, they were hit harder by the housing crisis and have been slower to recover. Incomes for self-employed households are still below pre-crisis levels, and incomes for salaried households have largely recovered. However, at any income level, both the homeownership rate and mortgage usage have declined more for self-employed households than for salaried households. This suggests that factors beyond income, such as tighter mortgage credit availability and requirements of Appendix Q of the Qualified Mortgage (QM) Rule, are at play. The authors suggest that the CFPB use the 2021 expiration of the GSE patch as an opportunity to fix this issue by revamping the QM rule and eliminating Appendix Q. TOPICS:Analysis of individual factors/risk premia, legal and regulatory issues for structured finance Key Findings • The incomes of self-employed households were hit harder by the crisis and have been slower to recover than their salaried counterparts. • However, at any income level, both the homeownership rate and mortgage usage have declined more for self-employed households than for salaried households. • Tight mortgage credit availability has played a role in this; Appendix Q of the Qualified Mortgage Rule makes it much tougher for self-employed borrowers to document income, contributing to both a fall in mortgage usage and the rise of the non-QM market.
Histone Signatures Predict Therapeutic Efficacy in Breast Cancer

Objective: Regulatory abnormalities caused by chromatin modifications are being increasingly recognized as contributors to cancer. While many molecularly targeted drugs have the potential to revert these modifications, their precise mechanism of action in cellular reprogramming is not known. Methods: To address this, we introduce an integrated phosphoprotein-histone-drug network (iPhDNet) approach to generate “global chromatin fingerprints of histone signatures.” The method integrates proteomic/phosphoproteomic, transcriptomic and regulatory genomic data to provide a causal mechanistic network and histone signatures of drug response. Results: We demonstrate the utility of iPhDNet in identifying H3K27me3K36me3 histone mark as a key fingerprint of response, mediated by chromatin remodelers BRD4, NSD3, EZH2, and a proto-oncogene MYC when treated with CDK inhibitors. Conclusions: We construct a regulatory network of breast cancer response to treatment and show that histone H3K27me3K36me3 status changes, driven by the BRD4/MYC pathway, upon treatment with drugs are hallmarks of response to treatment.
Systematic Review: Trust-Building Factors and Implications for Conversational Agent Design

Off-the-shelf conversational agents are permeating people’s everyday lives. In these artificial intelligence devices, trust plays a key role in users’ initial adoption and successful utilization. F...
Influence of geochemical reactions on the creep behavior of Mt. Simon sandstone

Abstract The capture and subsurface storage of carbon dioxide is a sustainable option that is currently pursued worldwide to mitigate greenhouse gas effect. However, predicting the long-term mechanical integrity of CO2 underground storage systems remains a challenge. To address that question, it is essential to understand the influence of fluid-rock chemo-mechanical interactions on the long-term and on the time-dependent mechanical properties. In turn, the long-term mechanical response and the time-dependent mechanical behavior can be represented by the creep response. We investigate the impact of CO2-induced geochemical reactions on the creep response of Mt. Simon sandstone with a 50–400 μ m grain size. We perform static and dynamic flow experiments on Mt. Simon sandstone specimens under geological conditions, at a temperature of T = 50 –53 ° C and for CO2 pressures of P = 8.62 , 17.2 MPa under both static flow and dynamic flow-through conditions. After aging, we employ creep indentation testing, high-resolution SEM-EDS, computer vision, machine learning, and micromechanics modeling to probe changes on the microstructure and mechanical properties. Following both static and dynamic flow-through experiments, we observe a 10–22% decrease in quartz volume fraction and an increase in both the microporosity (7–28%) and nanoporosity (60–65%). Additional CO2-induced microstructural changes include an enlargement of pore throats and the formation of channels. These observations point to the presence of CO2-induced K-feldspar dissolution and clay dissolution reactions. The macroscopic creep behavior is logarithmic and the macroscopic creep modulus varies depending on the microporosity and the relative quartz and feldspar content. As a result of these geochemical reactions and of the related microstructural changes, a 55–60% decrease in the macroscopic logarithmic creep modulus is predicted.
Rib Season: Temporal Variation in Chest Wall Injuries.

Abstract Introduction Trauma to the chest wall is one of the most common injuries suffered. Knowing whether there are regular and reproducible changes in frequency or severity of certain injury types may help resource allocation and improve prevention efforts or outcomes; however, no prior studies have evaluated seasonal variation in chest wall injuries (CWIs). We aimed to determine if CWIs vary annually in a consistent distinct temporal variation. Methods Using an established traumatic blunt CWI database at a single urban level 1 trauma center, patients with a moderate-to-severe (chest wall Abbreviated Injury Score (AIS) ≥2) CWI were reviewed. A subpopulation of predominant chest wall injury (pCWI) was defined as those with a chest wall AIS ≥3 and no other anatomic region having a higher AIS. Demographics, injury patterns, mechanisms of injury, and AIS were collected in addition to date of injury over a 4-y period. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics as well as Poisson time-series regression for periodicity. Seasonal comparison of populations was performed using Student's t-tests and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) with significance assessed at a level of P Results Over a 4-y period nearly 16,000 patients presented with injury, of which 3042 patients were found to have a blunt CWI. Total CWI patients per year from 2014 to 2017 ranged from 571 to 947. Over this period, August had the highest incidence for patients with any CWI, moderate-to-severe injuries, and pCWI. February had the lowest overall injury incidence as well as lowest moderate-to-severe injury incidence. January had the lowest pCWI incidence. Yearly changes followed a quadratic sinusoid model that predicted a peak between incidence, between June and October, and the low season. A low season was found to be December–April. Comparing low to high seasons of injured patient monthly means revealed significant differences: total injuries (69.94 versus 85.56, P = 0.04), moderate to severe (62.25 versus 78.19, P = 0.06), and pCWI (25.25 versus 34.44, P = 0.01). Analysis of injuries by mechanism revealed a concomitant increase in motorcycle collisions during this period. Conclusions There appears to be a significant seasonal variation in the overall incidence of CWI as well as severe pCWI, with a high-volume injury season in summer months (June–October) and low-volume season in winter (December–April). Motorcycle accidents were the major blunt injury mechanism that changed with this seasonality. These findings may help guide resource utilization and injury prevention.