cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Role of topography on the MJO in the maritime continent: a numerical case study

The role of topography on a Madden–Julian Oscillation (MJO) event in the Maritime Continent (MC) is explored using a regional model. Four simulations are conducted: lower-resolution (12 km) simulations using cumulus parameterization in the presence (LR) and absence (LR-Flat) of topography, and higher-resolution (4 km) simulations without cumulus parameterization in the presence (HR) and absence (HR-Flat) of topography. In the LR simulation, the MJO remains unorganized with no clear eastward propagation, while the LR-Flat simulation captures the MJO and its eastward propagation across the MC. In the absence of cumulus parameterization, both HR and HR-Flat capture the MJO and show several similarities and differences compared to the LR and LR-Flat simulations. To better understand these differences, a moisture budget analysis is conducted during the passage of the MJO. In the LR-Flat simulation, vertical advection of moisture is increased to the east of the islands, leading to continuity in MJO-associated convection, continuity that was not present in the LR simulation. The increase in vertical advection in the absence of topography is due to an increase in the mean moisture advection by the anomalous vertical winds. In the middle of the MC, horizontal advection seems to be the most important for an uninterrupted eastward propagation of the MJO. The increase in the horizontal advection in the absence of topography is primarily due to an increase in the anomalous moisture advection by the mean zonal winds. To what extent the MJO was influenced by the upstream effect from the New Guinea topography was also explored. These results indicate that the important physical processes for MJO-associated convection may be different in different parts of the MC. Further implications of these results in the context of other recent studies on MJO propagation across the MC are discussed.
Cheap Talk, Prices and Crises: An Experimental Study

This paper studies the role of public information in multiple-agent coordination problems underlying a variety of economic scenarios such as banking and debt crises. The impact of information on coordination in such settings rests on the interplay between two types of uncertainty that agents face: fundamental and strategic uncertainty (i.e. uncertainty about others’ actions). In a controlled laboratory setting, I study the impact of two key sources of public information on coordination: market prices and cheap talk (i.e. non-binding promises). I find that although informationally efficient market prices reduce fundamental uncertainty, efficiency of coordination does not improve because strategic uncertainty intensifies. In contrast, costless nonbinding cheap talk significantly improves coordination as it reduces strategic uncertainty.
Modeling Groundwater Flow and Quality

In most areas, rocks in the subsurface are saturated with water at relatively shallow depths. The top of the saturated zone—the water table—typically occurs anywhere from just below land surface to hundreds of feet below the land surface. Groundwater generally fills all pore spaces below the water table and is part of a continuous dynamic flow system, in which the fluid is moving at velocities ranging from feet per millennia to feet per day (Fig. 33.1). While the water is in close contact with the surfaces of various minerals in the rock material, geochemical interactions between the water and the rock can affect the chemical quality of the water, including pH, dissolved solids composition, and trace-elements content. Thus, flowing groundwater is a major mechanism for the transport of chemicals from buried rocks to the accessible environment, as well as a major pathway from rocks to human exposure and consumption. Because the mineral composition of rocks is highly variable, as is the solubility of various minerals, the human-health effects of groundwater consumption will be highly variable.
Implementing a Parent Education Program in the Special Care Nursery.

Abstract Background Parents of preterm hospitalized infants, whose lengths of stay can range from a few days to several months, often experience emotional liability. Because the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) or Special Care Nursery (SCN) is a stressful and intimidating environment, prompt attention should be given to reducing parental stress and increasing parental confidence in preparation to care for their child post-discharge. Methods A quality improvement pilot project was designed to evaluate the parent education and support program, titled HUG Your Baby, in a Level II SCN for its ability to decrease stress and increase confidence for postpartum mothers of preterm infants born at less than 35 weeks gestation during the infant's hospitalization. Results The outcomes demonstrated a statistically significant decrease in maternal stress and a statistically significant increase in maternal confidence. Discussion The HUG Your Baby program is an effective parent education and support program that would benefit NICU and SCN families.
The Politics of Theatricality

McCool summarizes the theory and history behind the politics of theatricality in the modern world. Hannah Arendt is the main representative of this politics. Whereas the politics of authenticity is about speaking openly and honestly about what one thinks or feels inside, the politics of theatricality sees politics as a performance in which we wear external masks and are only united in our external titles of “citizen.” Arendt blames mass society, the horrors of Jacobinism, and totalitarianism on the overemphasis on compassion, motives, and intention by which modern individuals came to judge each other after Rousseau. Theatricality, as the wearing of public costumes, can repoliticize the modern world by creating a dynamic, agonistic public realm.
Both aging and exercise training alter the rate of recovery of neuromuscular performance of male soleus muscles

It is known that both exercise and aging influence neuromuscular performance; however their effects on post-exercise recovery are largely unknown. To examine how exercise training and aging might affect post-exercise recovery, the function of muscles taken from young, and aged male rats assigned to exercise, or control conditions was assessed with ex vivo procedures using indirect (nerve endings), and direct (sarcolemma) stimulation at different times (Initial, Final min of, and Recovery i.e. 1 min post, from 5 min of stimulation). Results revealed that initially, strength of indirectly stimulated young, male muscles was significantly (P = 0.05) greater than aged ones, but after continuous stimulation, aged and young muscles displayed similar strength, and controls showed more strength than trained muscles (P = 0.02). All groups except young controls exhibited significant recovery with 1 min of rest (P = 0.03). Compared to indirect stimulation, direct stimulation resulted in greater peak tension at each time point examined (P < 0.05); young muscles again were stronger than aged ones initially (P = 0.003), but not by the conclusion of stimulation (P = 0.20). One min following the direct stimulation protocol, no significant recovery was observed by any of the four treatment groups. These data indicate that motor neurons limit neuromuscular function, and that the effects of fatigue are more severe during stimulation of young, compared to aged muscle. Finally, results presented here indicate that age and training status do interact to influence post-exertional recovery, at least among male neuromuscular systems.
Constitutional Tensions in Agency Adjudication

Last Term the Supreme Court decided two cases — Lucia v. SEC and Oil States Energy Services v. Greene’s Energy Group — that illustrate the potential constitutional tensions in modern agency adjudication: the importance of political accountability, yet the dangers of political control. As part of the Iowa Law Review’s Administering Patent Law Symposium, this Essay examines these constitutional tensions and assesses two ways the Supreme Court (or Congress) could attempt to resolve them — i.e., by turning to Article III adjudication or by transforming agency adjudicators into “true adjuncts” of Article III courts. The Essay concludes by revisiting the patent adjudication proceedings at issue in Oil States to explore how these constitutional tensions and potential solutions may play out at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
The Internet of Battlefield Things: The Next Generation of Command, Control, Communications and Intelligence (C3I) Decision-Making

As a key component of the 3rd offset strategy, information and related networks have changed the landscape of military operations. This is exhibited by the pervasive connectivity of exponential numbers of intelligent sensing and actuation devices, known as the Internet of Battlefield things (IoBT). Command, control, communications, and intelligence (C31) has been critical to military dominance for all of recorded history. The convergence of IoBT and C31 systems marks a profound shift towards multi-domain, network-centric, strategic and tactical operations. This paper provides a review of C31, and IoBT and presents the implications of their technological convergence on military decision making.
Proceedings of the 1978 workshop on Theoretical issues in natural language processing

Three years ago (June 6-8, 1975) a highly successful interdisciplinary workshop called TINLAP (Theoretical Issues in Natural Language Processing) was held at MIT with the purpose of "bringing together researchers and students from computational linguistics, psychology, linguistics and artificial intelligence to provide a forum at which people with different interests in, and consequently different emphases on, the problems of natural language understanding, could learn of the models developed and difficult issues faced by people working on other aspects of understanding."The workshop was organized by Roger Schank of Yale and Bonnie Lynn Webber of Bolt Beranek and Newman. Approximately 350 people attended the meeting, many more than anticipated. A conference proceedings was published and made available before the meeting; so far approximately 1200 copies of this volume have been sold, and requests for copies are still being received.In my statement as candidate for Chairman of ACM/SIGART, written in November 1976, I suggested that it would be valuable to hold one or more workshops on topics of common interest in years between the International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence (held on odd years since 1969), and I asked for suggestions about the topics and forms such workshops might take. Of the approximately 30 responses I received, nearly all specifically suggested another TINLAP conference. The University of Illinois was selected as the site because the ACL annual meeting was already scheduled for July 25-27, 1978 at Urbana in conjunction with the LSA (Linguistics Society of America) Surmner Institute, and because I had originally proposed the idea and am on the faculty at this campus.For TINLAP-2, I selected six topics which I felt were especially interesting from among those suggested by persons who had asked for another TINIAP meeting, and generated lists of questions to be considered by authors for four of the sessions; Session 2 questions were generated by Bonnie Lynn Webber, and those in Session 5 are from Aravind Joshi. The lists of questions appear at the end of this volume. Authors were encouraged to summarize or criticize research, to speculate on language understanding mechanisms or future research directions, or to report recent work of their own.
Industrial inheritances: Makers, relatedness and materiality in New York and Chicago

As policy-makers and advocates seek to harness the ‘Maker movement’ for regional innovation and economic development, attention is turning to the role of regional ‘entrepreneurial ecosystems’ in su...
A Model for Assessing Necessary Conditions for Rural Health Care's Mobile Health Readiness: Qualitative Assessment of Clinician-Perceived Barriers.

Background: Mobile health (mHealth) technology dissemination has penetrated rural and urban areas alike. Yet, health care organization oversight and clinician adoption have not kept pace with patient use. mHealth could have a unique impact on health and quality of life for rural populations. If organizations are prepared to manage mHealth, clinicians may improve the quality of care for their patients, both rural and urban. However, many organizations are not yet prepared to prescribe or prohibit third-party mHealth technologies. Objective: This study explored organizational readiness for rural mHealth adoption, the use of patient-reported data by clinical care teams, and potential impact on improving rural health care delivery. Methods: Semistructured, open-ended interviews were used to investigate clinicians’ current practices, motivators, and perceived barriers to their use of mHealth technologies in rural settings. Results: A total of 13 clinicians were interviewed, and 53.8% (7/13) reported encouraging use of mHealth apps or wearable devices with rural patients. Perceived barriers to adoption were categorized into three primary themes: (1) personal (clinician), (2) patient, and (3) organizational. Organizational was most prominent, with subcodes of time, uniformity, and policy or direction. Thematic analysis revealed code-category linkages that identify the complex nature of a rural health care organization’s current climate from a clinician’s perspective. A thematic map was developed to visualize the flow from category to code. Identified linkages guided the development of a refined rural mHealth readiness model. Conclusions: Clinicians (including physicians) have limited time for continuing education, research, or exploration of emerging technologies. Clinicians are motivated to learn more, but they need guidance through organization-led directives. Rural health care institutions should consider investing in mHealth analysis, tool development, and formal recommendations of sanctioned tools for clinicians to use with patients.
Aging reduces succinate dehydrogenase activity in rat type IIx/IIb diaphragm muscle fibers

We examined the oxidative capacity as measured by maximum succinate dehydrogenase activity in older (18 or 24 mo old) Fischer 344 rat diaphragm muscle (DIAm) compared with young rats (6 mo old). In...
The Shareholder Response to Corporate Tax Planning Advice Regulation

We examine the shareholder response to heightened regulation of corporate tax planning advice through the covered opinions rules under U.S. Treasury Department Circular No. 230. These rules imposed extensive due diligence obligations and drafting requirements on tax professionals for a broad range of written tax advice. Despite overwhelming criticism from tax professionals, stock returns reveal a positive shareholder response to the promulgation of the rules, equating to a $12.33 billion aggregate increase in shareholder value. Consistent with shareholders believing that the benefits of the rules—deterrence of excessively risky tax planning and increased monitoring—would offset the burdens, we find that the shareholder response was more positive for firms with higher tax risk, weaker monitoring, and higher tax risk coupled with weaker monitoring. Overall, these findings provide new evidence that shareholders perceive regulations aiming to curtail risky tax planning as value enhancing when they target tax professionals rather than taxpayers.
Equilibrium solute segregation to matrix- θ ′ precipitate interfaces in Al-Cu alloys from first principles

Particular combinations of solute atoms segregated to the interface of the Al and ${\ensuremath{\theta}}^{\ensuremath{'}}\text{\ensuremath{-}}{\mathrm{Al}}_{2}\mathrm{Cu}$ in Al-Cu alloys can help stabilize ${\ensuremath{\theta}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ precipitates at high temperatures. Stabilization of such precipitates is determined by a combination of thermodynamics (including driving forces for coarsening and transformation and solute segregation tendencies) and kinetic effects (including solute diffusion and interfacial mobility in the presence of interfacial solute segregation). For some alloys such as recent Al-Cu-based alloys, multiple solutes segregate in significant quantities to interfaces, and solute-solute interactions at the interface are important, with multiple types of solutes competing for similar interfacial sites. To treat this situation, we develop and apply a statistical mechanics approach to calculate the temperature-dependent equilibrium solute atoms distribution near the coherent and semicoherent interfaces between the Al matrix and the ${\ensuremath{\theta}}^{\ensuremath{'}}\text{\ensuremath{-}}{\mathrm{Al}}_{2}\mathrm{Cu}$ precipitates. The developed approach is applied to the investigation of Si, Mn, and Zr segregation at the interface, as particular combinations of these elements affect the thermal stability of the ${\ensuremath{\theta}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ precipitates. We demonstrate that because Si and Mn atoms segregate on the same semicoherent interface, the presence of Si reduces the concentration of Mn solutes at the interface. Si atoms preferably occupy the first layer of the interface and compete with Mn atoms for one type of particular sites in the layer. Mn atoms preferably occupy the second layer of the semicoherent interface, and the Mn-Mn interaction plays an important role in their distribution. Zr atoms mostly segregate on one of the two nonequivalent sites of the second layer of the coherent interface. Due to symmetry properties of the coherent interface, the calculations show that the segregation Zr of atoms to this interface will likely lead to the formation of ${\mathrm{L}1}_{2}$ ordered ${\mathrm{Al}}_{3}\mathrm{Zr}$ layer.
Crop Protection Under Drought Stress

Climate extremes such as drought have significant impacts on agriculture, natural resources, and environment. Climate variables such as temperature and precipitation, which have key roles during a drought, directly impact crop production because they control crop growth, crop health, crop yield, and cropping system yields over time. Moreover, overall drought impact on crop yields is the combined effect of reduced or limited precipitation with increased temperature for a prolonged period, which leads to decreased soil moisture and requires adapted agricultural management practice. This chapter provides a critical and comprehensive review of recent studies about the impact of drought on crop physiology, morphology, and yields and global food security while also commenting on available genetic and agronomic tools in addressing drought stress and protecting crops under drought conditions. Furthermore, this chapter focuses on adaptation strategies to mitigate drought and crop management using sustainable and climate-smart agriculture. Best management practices that contribute to the effects of climate change related to drought adaptation and mitigation include appropriate agronomic and genetic tools for crop protection under drought conditions.
Quasar Strömgren Spheres Before Cosmological Reionization

Ionizing sources embedded in the neutral intergalactic medium (IGM) before cosmological reionization generate discrete H II regions. We show that a sufficiently bright quasar (for example, 1/10 as luminous as that recently discovered by Fan et al.) can ionize a large volume, allowing the transmission of a substantial fraction of the flux of its intrinsic Lyα emission line on both sides of the Lyα wavelength. The observed line profile is richly informative. We show that a sufficiently accurate, high spectral resolution (R ≈ 104) measurement of the line profile of a bright quasar is feasible using the Next Generation Space Telescope as well as large ground-based telescopes. Such a measurement has two potentially important applications. First, the red side of the Lyα emission line provides a way to measure the quasar lifetime. Second, the blue side provides a direct measure of the density fluctuations of the IGM at the quasar redshift. The estimate of the absorption of the red side is limited by the accuracy to which the intrinsic profile of the Lyα emission line is known. The blue side, however, does not sensitively depend on the intrinsic profile because the former is much narrower than the latter.
Measurement of Contamination from PCB Sources

When monitoring atmospheric polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) levels, the sampling method used should depend on the type of source and the level of contamination. The different types of sampling equipment used, both low- andhigh-volume, are discussed briefly in connection with the types of sources monitored and the efficiency of the equipment in collecting and retaining the PCBs. The methodology employed in the extraction, cleanup, and analysis of the samples is also discussed. The actual PCB sources tested, both indoor and outdoor, are discussed at some length with respect to the source type, sampling methodology used, and PCB levels found. Particular attention is given to monitoring the cleanup of a PCB spill site.
Women are underrepresented in major US sleep societies recognition awards.

Study Objectives: To investigate gender distribution of US sleep professionals who received major recognition awards over a 40-year period from the 2 national sleep societies: the American Academy ...
Favorable Outcomes in Octogenarians With Hostile Neck Undergoing Endovascular Repair Using EndoAnchors

Abstract Objectives Standard endovascular repair (EVAR) is not suitable in patients with hostile aortic anatomy. Open aneurysm repair (OAR) has been the gold-standard approach in managing these patients. EndoAnchors have been introduced as a technique to make EVAR in patients with short and angulated necks possible. The use of EndoAnchors in managing hostile aneurysms in octogenarians has not been studied before. Thus, the purpose of this study is to evaluate both short and long-term outcomes in octogenarians versus nonoctogenarians patients with hostile aortic anatomy undergoing EVAR using EndoAnchors. Methods Only patients enrolled in the primary arm of the ANCHOR registry were included and stratified into octogenarians (80–89 years) and nonoctogenarians ( Results Of 461 patients, 21% (N = 97) were octogenarians. Compared to nonoctogenarians, octogenarians were more likely to have a history of renal (32.0% vs. 18.4%) and genitourinary (30.9% vs. 21.2%) disease (both P Conclusions Despite a worse aortic neck anatomy, octogenarians undergoing EVAR using EndoAnchors showed acceptable short and long-term outcomes. The results of our study could expand the utilization of EVAR in octogenarians with hostile neck.
Three-dimensional Printing-Driving Liver Therapies.

End-stage liver diseases have long been a threat to human health, and so far, the treatment of these diseases lacks of effective means. Allogenic organ transplantation has become the last straw for most of the patients with end-stage liver diseases. However, this technique has been greatly limited by the serious shortage of donors and other factors, such as immune rejection, drug syndrome, and high cost. Recently, the emergence of three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting technologies, together with the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) techniques, has driven the rapid growth of this field toward liver therapies. There are several basic requirements for liver 3D bioprinting. From information collection of diseased livers, to 3D printing of liver substitutes (containing the major structural, material and functional characters), and to clinical applications, suitable 'bioinks' and 'bioprinters' have played essential roles. In this review, we highlight the advanced 'bioinks' and 'bioprinters' that have been used for vascularized and innervated liver tissue 3D bioprinting. Further studies for the incorporation of biliary networks in the bioartificial livers have been emphasized. It is expected that when all the bottle-neck problems for liver 3D bioprinting are solved, batch (i.e. mass) and personalized production of bioartificial livers will make it very easy to treat end-stage liver diseases.
Influence of post-application irrigation and mowing timing on fungicide fate on a United States Golf Association golf course putting green.

Fungicides are routinely applied to golf course putting greens throughout the growing season. Gaining a better understanding of fungicide fate can improve fungicide use and stewardship. Therefore, optimizing fungicide applications with post-application management practices may enhance fungicide movement and limit potential off-target effects. Two field studies were initiated on a golf course putting green to evaluate the influence of post-fungicide application irrigation and mowing timing on fungicide movement into the soil profile and removal in turfgrass clippings. Plots were treated with a single application of either pyraclostrobin, triadimefon, or penthiopyrad and received 0.64 cm post-application irrigation immediately or 6 h after application or received no post-application irrigation. Clippings were collected 0, 1, and 3 d after treatment (DAT). Cores were harvested 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, and 14 DAT and dissected into the remaining aboveground vegetation (RAV; verdure/thatch; 0-to-2.5-, 2.5-to-5.1-, and 5.1-to-7.6-cm soil subsections). A small amount of fungicide ( 50% of fungicide remained restricted to the RAV for the first 3 DAT. Less fungicide remained restricted to the RAV, and more fungicide was detected in deeper soil depths when plots were irrigated immediately after application. Fungicide was only detected at the 5.1-to-7.6-cm depth when plots were irrigated immediately. Applying post-application irrigation immediately may result in more fungicide moving down to soilborne targets. Irrigating 6 h after application facilitated moderate fungicide movement compared with irrigating immediately but was better than no post-application irrigation.
Career Paths and Compensation for Accounting Graduates

This paper reports financial and career outcomes following a degree in accounting using a large cross-sectional and time-series survey of one university’s alumni. We extend the work of prior researchers by examining outcomes throughout accounting graduates’ careers, which include positions outside of public accounting. We find that starting salaries are positively associated with graduate degrees, working for a Big N firm and starting in a non-audit/tax specialty. Though most graduates begin in public accounting, they typically work for three different employers and assume non-accounting/leadership roles early in their careers. Current salaries are positively related to Big N experience, years employed, starting in a non-audit/tax specialty, and having children, while they are negatively related to number of employers. Graduate degree coefficients are insignificant in current salary regressions. Whereas we do not see gender effects for starting salaries, we see significantly large negative effects for women in the current salary analysis.
Data-Driven Design of Novel Halide Perovskite Alloys

The great tunability of the properties of halide perovskites presents new opportunities for optoelectronic applications as well as significant challenges associated with exploring combinatorial chemical spaces. In this work, we develop a framework powered by high-throughput computations and machine learning for the design and prediction of mixed cation halide perovskite alloys. In a chemical space of ABX$_{3}$ perovskites with a selected set of options for A, B, and X atoms, pseudo-cubic structures of compounds with B-site mixing are simulated using density functional theory (DFT) and several properties are computed, including stability, lattice constant, band gap, vacancy formation energy, refractive index, and optical absorption spectrum, using both semi-local and hybrid functionals. Neural networks (NN) are used to train predictive models for every property using tabulated elemental properties of A, B, and X site atoms as descriptors. Starting from the DFT dataset of 229 points, we use the trained NN models to predict the structural, energetic, electronic and optical properties of a complete dataset of 17,955 compounds, and perform high-throughput screening in terms of stability, band gap and defect tolerance, to obtain 574 promising compounds that are ranked as potential absorbers according to their photovoltaic figure of merit. Compositional trends in the screened set of attractive mixed cation halide perovskites are revealed and additional computations are performed on selected compounds. The data-driven design framework developed here is promising for designing novel mixed compositions and can be extended to a wider perovskite chemical space in terms of A, B, and X atoms, different kinds of mixing at the A, B, or X sites, non-cubic phases, and other properties of interest.
An Artefactual Field Experiment of Group Discrimination Between Sports Fans

This paper describes the outcome of an artefactual field experiment of group discrimination using sports fanatics. The behavior of individuals whose identity is deeply tied to a larger group or popular institution is politically important, particularly when it comes to crafting public policy. Sports fans provide a unique opportunity to study individuals who openly identify their in-group and rival groups. The study identifies within-subject group-based discrimination by quantifying the difference in dictator game takes (out of a possible $10) between fans of an individual’s self-professed team and fans of an individual’s self-professed rival. Fifty-two sports fans each participated in nine separate power-to-take dictator games with group identification spanning three levels (NCAA Division III, NCAA Division I, and professional) of football fandom. The results suggest that individuals discriminate between in-group and out-group members. The average takings ratio with same-team fans is 0.657 while the average takings ratio with other-team fans is 0.848 and the difference of 0.190 is statistically different from zero. We discuss the results in the context of team and league governance focusing on fan interactions.
The Early Stages of Implantation and Placentation in the Pig.

Pregnancy in pigs includes the events of conceptus (embryo/fetus and placental membranes) elongation, implantation, and placentation. Placentation in pigs is defined microscopically as epitheliochorial and macroscopically as diffuse. In general, placentation can be defined as the juxtapositioning of the endometrial/uterine microvasculature to the chorioallantoic/placental microvasculature to facilitate the transport of nutrients from the mother to the fetus to support fetal development and growth. Establishment of epitheliochorial placentation in the pig is achieved by: (1) the secretions of uterine glands prior to conceptus attachment to the uterus; (2) the development of extensive folding of the uterine–placental interface to maximize the surface area for movement of nutrients across this surface; (3) increased angiogenesis of the vasculature that delivers both uterine and placental blood and, with it, nutrients to this interface; (4) the minimization of connective tissue that lies between these blood vessels and the uterine and placental epithelia; (5) interdigitation of microvilli between the uterine and placental epithelia; and (6) the secretions of the uterine glands, called histotroph, that accumulate in areolae for transport though the placenta to the fetus. Placentation in pigs is not achieved by invasive growth of the placenta into the uterus. In this chapter, we summarize current knowledge about the major events that occur during the early stages of implantation and placentation in the pig. We will focus on the microanatomy of porcine placentation that builds off the excellent histological work of Amoroso and others and provide a brief review of some of the key physiological, cellular, and molecular events that accompany the development of “implantation” in pigs.
Tuning computer gaming agents using Q-learning

The aim of intelligent techniques, termed game AI, used in computer video games is to provide an interesting and challenging game play to a game player. Being highly sophisticated, these games present game developers with similar kind of requirements and challenges as faced by academic AI community. The game companies claim to use sophisticated game AI to model artificial characters such as computer game bots, intelligent realistic AI agents. However, these bots work via simple routines pre-programmed to suit the game map, game rules, game type, and other parameters unique to each game. Mostly, illusive intelligent behaviors are programmed using simple conditional statements and are hard-coded in the bots' logic. Moreover, a game programmer has to spend considerable time configuring crisp inputs for these conditional statements. Therefore, we realize a need for machine learning techniques to dynamically improve bots' behavior and save precious computer programmers' man-hours. We selected Q-learning, a reinforcement learning technique, to evolve dynamic intelligent bots, as it is a simple, efficient, and online learning algorithm. Machine learning techniques such as reinforcement learning are known to be intractable if they use a detailed model of the world, and also require tuning of various parameters to give satisfactory performance. Therefore, this paper examine Q-learning for evolving a few basic behaviors viz. learning to fight, and planting the bomb for computer game bots. Furthermore, we experimented on how bots would use knowledge learned from abstract models to evolve its behavior in more detailed model of the world.
House of Horrors: Exorcising Electronic Resources

Providing access to, managing administrative elements of, and exercising authority over licensed electronic resources are challenges of increasing proportion for libraries of all types and sizes. This paper reviews the evolution of end-user access to e-resources. Management of administrative metadata is detailed. The paper concludes with a lament about the near-total lack of control libraries possess regarding their licensed electronic resources, and the arsenal libraries will need to counteract this damaging situation.
Alternative approaches for the application of ribozymes as gene therapies for retroviral infections.

Publisher Summary Ribozymes (ribonucleotide enzymes) are RNA molecules derived from these self-splicing introns that function as sequence-specific endoribonucleases. The ability to target ribozymes against specific RNA molecules has led to the development of strategies in which ribozymes are employed to specifically destroy gene transcripts and thereby inhibit gene expression. There are at least five ribozyme motifs that show promise as sequence specific inhibitors of gene expression. The function, structure, and possible applications of these ribozymes vary greatly, and some ribozymes may be better suited for a particular application than others. Although theoretically ribozymes could be used in gene therapy approaches to a number of infectious, oncologic, rheumatic, and cardiovascular diseases, most of the work in this field till date has focused on the use of ribozymes to inhibit replication of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). In tissue culture, ribozymes have shown promise in gene therapy approaches to the inhibition of HIV-1 replication, but the major limitation of this application of ribozymes is the development of systems to efficiently deliver ribozymes to HIV-1 host cells. The efficacy of ribozymes in the treatment of HIV-1 infection ultimately can be determined in clinical trials in HIV-1-infected individuals. Lastly, ribozymes are capable of more than just cleavage of other RNA molecules.
Logic in first courses for computer science majors

This paper describes the curriculum design of a two-semester introductory course for computer science majors. In each semester the course starts with logic and logic programming. The middle third of the semester continues with functional programming. The last third of the semester is dedicated to imperative programming. In such a presentation sequence reasoning leads to specifications which in turn lead to implementations. The concerns for ‘WHAT?’ are separated from concerns for ‘HOW?’. The advantages and disadvantages of the inclusion of all three major programming paradigms are discussed.
A Combined Numerical and Experimental Study of the Effect of Non-Axisymmetric Contouring on Performance and Film Cooling Behavior of a Rotating Turbine Endwall

Applying a new non-axisymmetric endwall contouring technology introduced by Turbomachinery Performance and Flow Research Laboratory (TPFL) at Texas A&M University to the second rotor row of a three-stage research turbine, has shown that for a single rotor row a major turbine efficiency improvement can be achieved [1]. Motivated by these results, comprehensive numerical and experimental investigations on the TPFL research turbine were conducted to determine the impact of the endwall contouring on film cooling effectiveness. For this investigation, the first rotor row directly subjected to the purge flow injection was chosen to which the new contouring technology was applied. Performing an extensive RANS simulation by using the boundary conditions from the experiments, aerodynamics, performance and film cooling effectiveness studies were performed by varying the injection blowing ratio and turbine rotational speed. Performance measurements were carried out within a rotational speed range of 1800 to 3000 RPM. The corresponding CFD simulations were carried out for four rotational speeds, 2000, 2400, 2600, and 3000 rpm. Comparison of the RANS aerodynamics simulation with experiments reveals noticeable differences. Considering the film cooling effectiveness, major differences between experiment and numerical results were observed and discussed in the paper.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Factors in Teacher Assignments: Measuring Workload by Effort.

Based on a national survey of 491 department heads in 25 major universities in the United States, this study examines what department heads perceive to be the component parts in making assignments to faculty members. The importance of evaluating faculty resources based on effort required rather than on time devoted to given tasks is stressed. Regression analysis is used to investigate how department heads interpret effort required to teach classes and how this effort varies by discipline (Biglan taxonomy), by class level, by number of students, and by type of instructional technique. The results are validated against reported time expenditures from a faculty activity analysis.
Role of Amines in Adhesion of Polybutadiene to Glass Substrates I. Reactions of Amines During Peroxide Curing of Polybutadiene

Abstract An attempt to elucidate the role of amines in general, and of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane in particular, has been made through a study of the title subject by several different approaches. This paper describes the interactions of amines during curing of the rubber phase. When aromatic or cyclic amines were added, maximum stress at break and minimum swelling ratios were observed when the number of alkoxide radicals generated was equal to the number of hydrogen atoms on the nitrogen of the amines. The order of reactivity was thus no amine > aniline > piperazine > m-phenylenediamine. The greatest effect of aliphatic amines also occurred when the concentration of primary amino groups was equal to the concentration of peroxide; but the behavior was complex and dependent on the backing against which samples were molded. The higher rigidity and reinforcement of the polybutadiene in the presence of low concentrations of amines was attributed to formation of chemical bonds between the amines and the poly...
A Poised Chromatin Platform for TGF-β Access to Master Regulators

Specific chromatin marks keep master regulators of differentiation silent yet poised for activation by extracellular signals. We report that nodal TGF-β signals use the poised histone mark H3K9me3 to trigger differentiation of mammalian embryonic stem cells. Nodal receptors induce the formation of companion Smad4-Smad2/3 and TRIM33-Smad2/3 complexes. The PHD-Bromo cassette of TRIM33 facilitates binding of TRIM33-Smad2/3 to H3K9me3 and H3K18ac on the promoters of mesendoderm regulators Gsc and Mixl1. The crystal structure of this cassette, bound to histone H3 peptides, illustrates that PHD recognizes K9me3, and Bromo binds an adjacent K18ac. The interaction between TRIM33-Smad2/3 and H3K9me3 displaces the chromatin-compacting factor HP1γ, making nodal response elements accessible to Smad4-Smad2/3 for Pol II recruitment. In turn, Smad4 increases K18 acetylation to augment TRIM33-Smad2/3 binding. Thus, nodal effectors use the H3K9me3 mark as a platform to switch master regulators of stem cell differentiation from the poised to the active state.
Chemosensory properties of sour tastants

In Experiment 1, a taste quality fractionation procedure was used to establish the degree to which sour and non-sour taste sensations are elicited by six concentrations of each of seven acids: citric, hydrochloric, sulfuric, lactic, malic, phosphoric and tartaric. In general, the acids differed significantly in their ability to elicit sour, salty and bitter sensations, with sulfuric and hydrochloric acids producing the smallest proportions of perceived sourness. Bitterness was found to be the largest non-sour sensation produced, followed by saltiness. The perceived taste qualities of the acids were stable across a wide range of concentrations. In Experiment 2 the extent to which the vapors of these test acids produce detectable intranasal non-gustatory sensations at concentration levels used in many human taste experiments was examined. All acids induced clear intranasal sensations at concentration levels used in some suprathreshold taste paradigms. The results suggest that a number of measures of sour taste sensation may be confounded by non-sour chemosensory factors, including intranasal stimulation.
Comparative endocrinology of domestic and nondomestic felids

The ability to track gonadal and adrenal activity via hormones is key to optimizing health and reproduction. Through decades of study, a great deal has been learned about the biology of female domestic cats, including endocrine function. More recently, comparative endocrine studies have greatly expanded our knowledge base of nondomestic felids as well. The latter has been possible largely through the development of noninvasive fecal steroid metabolite analysis techniques, which currently is the method of choice for monitoring endocrine function in wildlife species, including felids. It now is well-recognized that a range in endocrine patterns exists among Felidae, with many traits and mechanisms being uncommon, if not unique. There is a high degree of variability in the type of ovulation (spontaneous versus induced) expressed across the taxon. Even within species, some individuals exhibit ovulation that is only induced, whereas others ovulate spontaneously as well. Steroid metabolism also differs in that metabolites are excreted almost exclusively in feces, with very little steroid found in urine. Across species there are marked differences in seasonal and social influences on reproduction, adrenal responses to husbandry practices, and ovarian responses to assisted reproductive procedures. This means that developing strategies to improve health and reproduction of felids must be done on a species by species basis. This paper summarizes current knowledge on the reproductive endocrinology of female domestic and nondomestic cats, and describes how the rapidly growing endocrine database is aiding ex situ management efforts.
Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Features of the Disruption-Prone and the Disrupted Carotid Plaque

Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability and is the third most common cause of death in the U.S. and western countries. Twenty percent of strokes are thought to arise from the carotid artery. Histopathological studies have suggested that plaque disruption is a key factor in the etiology of carotid-related ischemic events. Features associated with plaque disruption include intraplaque hemorrhage, large necrotic cores with thin overlying fibrous caps, plaque neovasculature, and inflammatory cell infiltrate. In vivo high-spatial-resolution, multicontrast-weighted cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) has been extensively evaluated using histology as the gold standard, and has documented reliability in the identification of these key carotid plaque features. This pictorial essay illustrates the capability of CMR for identifying features of disruption-prone and disrupted atherosclerotic carotid plaques.
Removal of a glowing spot from an image tube using laser radiation.

The use of a ruby laser to remove a glowing spot from a Kron electronograph image tube is described. The intense laser radiation eliminated the glowing spot and did not damage the image tube.
Assessment of frequent litter amendment application on ammonia emission from broilers operations.

Litter amendments have been used to control the ammonia (NH3) emission from the broiler litter during the brooding period. One of the commercially available litter amendments, sodium bisulfate, was frequently applied on the litter with two different rates on weekly basis in a laboratory setup and with a single rate on biweekly basis under field conditions. Repeated application of sodium bisulfate led to significant reduction in NH3 emissions from broilers. The magnitude of NH3 emission reduction increases with the application rate of sodium bisulfate. The reduction rates of cumulative emissions with 366 g/wk-m2 (75 lb/wk-1000 ft2) rate (from 14% to 64.5%) were higher than the reduction rate of 183 g/wk-m2 (37.5 lb/wk-1000 ft2) rate (from 0% to 55%) from 28 to 61 days of age. The cumulative NH3 emission was reduced by 51.7% with 244 g/2 wk-m2 (50 lb/2 wk-1000 ft2) rate over a three-flock period (8-wk average grow-out per flock) under field production conditions. Sodium bisulfate application showed no signi...
Methadone-Induced Hypoglycemia

To determine if recent observations of hypoglycemia in patients receiving high-dose methadone extended to an animal model, we explored the effects of methadone and other mu-opioids on blood glucose levels in mice. Methadone lowered blood glucose in a dose-dependent manner with 20 mg/kg yielding a nadir in average glucose levels to 55 ± 6 mg/dL from a baseline of 172 ± 7 mg/dL, an effect that was antagonized by naloxone and mu selective antagonists β-funaltrexamine and naloxonazine. The effect was stereoselective and limited to only the l-isomer, while the d-isomer was ineffective. Despite the robust decrease in blood glucose produced by methadone, a series of other mu-opioids, including morphine, fentanyl, levorphanol, oxycodone or morphine-6β-glucuronide failed to lower blood glucose levels. Similar differences among mu-opioid agonists have been observed in other systems, suggesting the possible role of selected splice variants of the mu-opioid receptor gene Oprm1. This mouse model recapitulates our clinical observations and emphasizes the need to carefully monitor glucose levels when using high methadone doses, particularly intravenously, and the need for controlled clinical trials.
The New Genetics

Genetic factors are responsible for 30% of pediatric hospital admissions. They also contribute to birth defects in 4% of newborns and chronic diseases in 10% of adults. Nurses working in maternal‐child health need to have current information on the new genetics. With knowledge of the tools, applications, and implications of genetic engineering, nurses can be resources to families at risk for heritable diseases.