cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Insights on Telehealth and Virtual Reality

The technologic transformation of health care is far from a novel enterprise. Some have pointed to ancient Greece and the use of smoke and fire as advancing coordinated distant communication.1 While an intriguing origin that invites examination through the ages, this chapter will explore communication technology in healthcare (i.e., telehealth) within the current era. Such an exploration is predicated on the nature of progress as purposefully driving emerging technologies rather than the reverse (i.e., innovating for the sake of innovation). This critical distinction seeks to differentiate the transformative property of innovation from just the technologically possible. This chapter will distill a collection of clinical and program development experiences toward a suggested conceptualization of telehealth that may prove helpful to those seeking to engage technology in health care for themselves. In an effort to complement the insights found elsewhere in this publication, this chapter specifically considers the notion of remote “presence” or how technology has transformed the way individuals come together.
Study on Monitoring Technology and Forecasting Information System of Shallow-buried Asymmetrically-loaded Tunnels

Monitoring plays an important role in the information-based construction of tunnels.A forecasting information system is established on basis of field data collection,analysis and feedback so as to scientifically forecast the main disasters in the tunnel construction.Taking the shallow-buried asymmetrically-loaded portal section(on Gelong side) of the left tube of Jibai tunnel of Gelong-Duyun section of Xiamen-Chengdu expressway as the study object,the authors successfully forecast the slope slide tendency in the tunnel portal section on basis of the monitoring results(convergence,displacement,crown settlement,ground surface displacement,etc.) and the forecasting information system.Therefore,the design and construction organization plan of the tunnel are adjusted,the risk are effectively controlled and the tunneling safety are guaranteed.
Network-Based Meta-Analyses of Associations of Multiple Gene Expression Profiles with Bone Mineral Density Variations in Women.

Background Existing microarray studies of bone mineral density (BMD) have been critical for understanding the pathophysiology of osteoporosis, and have identified a number of candidate genes. However, these studies were limited by their relatively small sample sizes and were usually analyzed individually. Here, we propose a novel network-based meta-analysis approach that combines data across six microarray studies to identify functional modules from human protein-protein interaction (PPI) data, and highlight several differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and a functional module that may play an important role in BMD regulation in women.
Evaluation of the Lui Easy Freeze Elution Test

The Lui easy freeze elution test is a rapid freeze-thaw method for the recovery and identification of allosensitizing antibody. Use of this method for the preparation of eluates to confirm ABO hemolytic disease of the newborn is evaluated and discussed.
Prognostic factors in intermediate high grade lymphoma.

The study of prognostic factors in any disease seeks the identification of certain parameters that can predict different patient outcomes, measured usually by survival. This information would lead to a more rational approach to an individual case where treatment to be offered to patients with a worse than average prognosis could be intensified or dramatically changed, while the better prognostic subgroup of patients could benefit from conventional treatment. In addition, the study of prognostic factors has also influenced the design of chemotherapy protocols where trials would stratify patient entry by known pretreatment determinations. In one step further, certain treatment protocols are designed for specific subgroups of patients who share adverse characteristics that justify the need for newer approaches. For instance, proposals for children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) presenting with hyperleukocytosis, B cell markers, or a Philadelphia chromosome translocation would usually include a bigger number of drugs at maximum tolerated doses.
The Times and the Theory

The modern corporation is exceedingly complex. The subtlety of its operations and the complexity of its systems has daunted all but the most academically courageous researchers. So many factors could weigh in on the creation of corporate value and the corresponding price of a corporate equity that, until the publication of John Burr Williams’s treatise, financial analytics was regarded as an art rather than a science. Even the financing decisions a corporation could employ to expand was so varied that, until Modigliani and Miller produced their theorem, decisions as to the best capital structure were best left to intuition and business style. Only once a great mind comes along who can simplify the problem and hone our intuition could observers see the forest through the trees and begin to understand the important determinants of corporate value. Ronald Coase’s seminal paper on the essential advantage of the corporate structure was one such high mark in our understanding of corporate finance.
Abstract 1152: MUC1: A metabolic regulator in triple-negative breast cancer

Breast cancer, the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women, is the most common cancer among North American women, accounting for nearly 1 in 3 cancer cases diagnosed in the U.S. women. Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) subtype accounts for approximately 15-25% of all breast cancer cases and has an increased incidence of metastasis, high recurrence within 1-3 years and a high mortality rate. Therefore, identifying factors that facilitate tumor growth and metastases have the potential to serve as novel molecular targets for breast cancer therapy. Mucin1 (MUC1), a glycoprotein associated with chemoresistance, is aberrantly overexpressed in TNBC and facilitates growth and metastasis of TNBC cells. This occurrence can be partially attributed to MUC1 interaction with hypoxia-inducible factor alpha (HIF1α), a key regulator of glycolysis. As metastasis is the leading cause of cancer related deaths, this process relies on the ability of tumor cells to adapt to the changing nutrient levels in the surrounding stroma. In the present study we examined how signaling through MUC1 facilitates metabolic phenotype in TNBC; thus facilitating tumor growth and metastasis. Our results indicate that MUC1 expression facilitates glucose and glutamine uptake in a panel of TNBC cell lines. Furthermore, metabolomic analysis through liquid chromatography-coupled tandem mass spectrometry approach revealed that MUC1 expression modulates metabolite levels in glycolysis, pentose phosphate pathway and TCA cycle in TNBC cells. Thus, our results support the notion that MUC1 serves as a metabolic regulator in TNBC, facilitating metabolic reprogramming that influences growth of TNBC. Citation Format: Gennifer D. Goode, Nina Chaika, Vinee Purohit, Venugopal Gunda, Pankaj Singh. MUC1: A metabolic regulator in triple-negative breast cancer. [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 1152.
Surveillance, anticoagulation, or filter in calf vein thrombosis

Objective This study compared the efficacy and complication rates of inferior vena cava (IVC) filters for calf vein thrombosis (CVT) vs conservative treatment with or without anticoagulation. Methods Vascular laboratory studies of patients who had an isolated CVT (anterior and posterior tibialis, peroneal, soleal, and gastrocnemius veins) from April 2009 to January 2014 were retrospectively analyzed from a single institution. Of 647 patients with isolated CVT, 285 (44%) received an IVC filter, and 362 (56%) received medical treatment alone (38.9% surveillance, 11.6% prophylactic anticoagulation, and 49.4% therapeutic anticoagulation). Univariate, multivariate, propensity matching, and Kaplan-Meier analyses were performed on abstracted data, which included, but was not limited to, risk factors, treatment modalities, venous thromboembolism (VTE) complications (defined as propagation of deep vein thrombosis [DVT] or pulmonary embolism [PE]), bleeding complications, and IVC filter-related complications (ie, filter tilting >15°, perforation >3 mm, fracture, migration >10 mm). Results The overall incidence of PE in was 2.5% in the IVC filter group and 3.3% in the medical group (P = .27). The overall incidence of VTE complications (propagation of DVT, PE) was 35% for the surveillance group without anticoagulation, 30% in patients treated with prophylactic anticoagulation, and 10% in patients treated with therapeutic anticoagulation (P = .0003). Only a minority of patients underwent duplex ultrasound imaging after filter insertion. In the IVC filter group, the most common reasons that contraindicated anticoagulation were bleeding (35%) or recent surgery (27%). The number of IVC filter-related complications in the IVC filter group was 29 (10%). Because the IVC filter group was older (mean age, 65 vs 61 years, P = .004) and more likely to have a history of thromboembolic events (56% vs 16%, P < .0001), and malignancy (49% vs 28%, P < .0001), propensity analyses were performed yielding a homogenous cohort. The overall complication and thromboembolic rates did not differ for muscular (soleal, gastrocnemius) vs tibial DVTs (anterior, posterior, peroneal veins). Conclusions The use of anticoagulation in patients with CVT significantly decreases the rates of VTE complications. The use of IVC filters in this study was associated with a 10% complication rate and did not significantly reduce the incidence of PE. Nevertheless, given the overall low rates of PE and the higher risk of VTE in patients who receive filters, the decision to insert a filter in patients with calf CVT should be individualized.
Relation Between Ventricular Premature Complexes and Incident Heart Failure.

Ventricular premature complexes (VPCs) may represent a reversible cause of heart failure (HF); however, the type of patients most prone remains unknown. This study leverages a large population-based database to examine interactions that might prove clinically useful in risk-stratifying patients with VPCs. We used the California Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project to identify patients with VPCs and incident systolic HF from January 1, 2005, to December 31, 2009. We calculated hazard ratios for predictors of incident systolic HF using multivariable Cox proportional hazard models. Interactions with known risk factors were studied. Of the 16.8 million patients experiencing 48.1 million hospitalizations, 35,817 (0.2%) had a VPC diagnosis and 198,818 (1.2%) developed systolic HF. Incidence of systolic HF was 62.8 per 1,000 patient-years (95% confidence interval [CI] 61.2 to 64.4) in those with and 6.1 per 1,000 patient-years (95% CI 6.1 to 6.2) in those without VPCs (p
Antidepressant Drugs Citalopram and Escitalopram but not Paroxetine Induce Arrythmogenic Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Calcium Release

The antidepressant citalopram, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), has been associated with increased risk of sudden cardiac death. Epidemiological data from the Danish population suggest that in patients taking citalopram, co-administration of carvedilol reduced sudden death risk compared to two other beta-blockers, metoprolol and bisoprolol. Since carvedilol is the only beta blocker that suppresses store overload-induced calcium release, we hypothesized that citalopram promotes calcium release from sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) calcium stores. Left ventricular myocytes were isolated from black 6 mice, permeabilized, and loaded with the calcium indicator, Fluo-4. Incubation of citalopram or escitalopram (S-enantiomer) for 20 minutes significantly increased calcium wave frequency and decreased calcium wave amplitude in a dose-dependent manner. This response was more sensitive to escitalopram, indicating selectivity for the S-enantiomer in the high nanomolar range. At 30 µM, calcium waves were no longer evident, however cytosolic calcium was elevated approximately two-fold, indicating possible constitutive calcium release from the SR stores. Incubation with a different SSRI, paroxetine, did not significantly alter calcium wave frequency or amplitude at concentrations as high as 30 µM. Calcium wave activation by citalopram and escitalopram resembled those seen in a calsequestrin knockout mouse model of catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT), suggesting a possible similar mechanism for citalopram. Pre-incubation of isolated myocytes with 1 µM carvedilol, but not metoprolol or bisoprolol, for 30 minutes significantly reduced calcium wave frequency and increased SR calcium stores in myocytes treated with citalopram or escitalopram. Taken together, increased calcium leak from SR stores through ryanodine receptor may contribute to the increased risk of sudden death associated with citalopram. Hence, our in vitro findings support the existence of drug-induced CPVT caused by citalopram or escitalopram, which can be prevented by co-administration of carvedilol.
Effects of instructional delivery systems and training parameter manipulations on electromechanical maintenance performance

A research program is presented in which computer assisted instructional (CAI) based delivery systems were compared with other training media to determine the extent to which instruction delivered via these methods affects performance on electromechanical maintenance tasks. Summaries of two preliminary studies are presented and a third study is discussed in greater detail. In the latter study opportunity for hands-on practice, access to job aids, and instructional delivery system parameters were manipulated. Performance was measured immediately following training and again after a one-week interval. Both handson practice of the maintenance activity and access to job aids during training were found to significantly improve maintenance performance. However, no differences in performance of procedural maintenance tasks were found among students who were trained using CAI-based as opposed to other lower technology-based instructional delivery systems.
Economic costs of aggressive climate policy

Whether aggressive climate policy is warranted crucially depends on the economic costs of emission cuts. Different from previous studies, this study estimates the economic costs of emission costs w...
High-energy photoproduction of pi + pi - pi 0, K+K-, and pp-bar states.

We report measurements from elastic photoproduction of $\ensuremath{\omega}'\mathrm{s}$ on hydrogen for photon energies between 60 and 225 GeV, elastic $\ensuremath{\varphi}$ photoproduction on hydrogen between 35 and 165 GeV and on deuterium between 45 and 85 GeV, elastic photoproduction on deuterium of an enhancement at 1.72 GeV/${\mathit{c}}^{2}$ decaying into ${K}^{+}{K}^{\ensuremath{-}}$, and elastic and inelastic photoproduction on deuterium of $p\overline{p}$ pairs.
Estimation and Inference of Regression Discontinuity Design with Ordered or Discrete Duration Outcomes

We consider the regression discontinuity (RD) design with the duration outcome which has discrete support. The parameters of policy interest are treatment effects on unconditional (duration effect) and conditional (hazard effect) exiting probabilities for each discrete level. We find that a flexible separability structure of the underlying continuous-time duration process can be exploited to substantially improve the quality of the fully nonparametric estimator. We propose global sieve-based estimators, and associated marginal and simultaneous inference. Simultaneous inference over discrete levels is nonstandard since the asymptotic variance matrix is singular with unknown rank. The peculiarity is delivered by the nature of the RD estimand, and we provide solutions. Random censoring and competing risks can also be allowed in our framework. The standard practice of applying local linear estimators to a sequence of binary outcomes is in general unsatisfactory, which motivates our semi-nonparametric approach. First, it provides poor hazard estimates near the end of the observation period due to small sizes of risk sets (in the neighborhood of the cutoff). Second, it fits each probability separately and thus does not support joint inference. The estimation and inference methods we advocate in this paper are computationally easy and fast to implement, which is illustrated by numerical examples.
Engineering Art Nouveau

The purpose of this design is to virtually engineer digital textile prints and laser cut patterns to explore innovative design methods and create a complex dress: both laser cutting and digital printing explore various ways to replicate the stained leaded glass effects. The source of design inspiration of this design is Tiffany lamps, which is stained leaded glass lamps originally designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany (Frelinghuysen, Cooney, & Obniski, 2007): these lamps are considered part of the Art Nouveau movement. The designer explored digital print patterns with different hues and saturations for the effects of lights that come out of the lamp. This design process of integrating various technologies gives new insights to design students in an educational setting. Therefore, designers can also take opportunistic advantage of emerging technologies that give them access to new solutions and aid the productivity of the design process.
Sociodemographic Characteristics, Health Literacy, and Care Compliance in Families With Spina Bifida.

Children with spina bifida experience varying rates of disease complications and health system overutilization. Data on sociodemographics, urinary tract infection, clean intermittent catheterization, and health system utilization were collected from caregiver-patient dyads. Newest Vital Sign (NVS) and Brief Health Literacy Screen (BRIEF) were administered to evaluate health literacy (HL). In total, 105 dyads completed enrolment with 24.8% versus 12.4% of caregivers scoring poor/marginal on the NVS and BRIEF, respectively. Nearly half on clean intermittent catheterization missed a catheterization over the previous week. Medicaid insurance, parental education, and household income predicted HL (P 6 times and 12 incurred charges over $50 000. Caregivers of children who missed ≥4 catheterizations per week had lower NVS scores (P = .03). Children with spina bifida represent high utilizers, and consideration of sociodemographic and HL differences is necessary when tailoring care plans.
Exogenous reproductive hormone use in breast cancer survivors and previvors

Considerable controversy exists regarding the safety of elective exogenous hormonal exposure among breast cancer survivors and women at high risk of developing the disease (referred to herein as 'previvors'). We performed a qualitative analysis focused on four areas of potential exogenous exposure to hormones among previvors and survivors: hormonal contraception; systemic hormone-replacement therapy (HRT); localized HRT; and hormonal manipulation for fertility preservation or enhancement. Herein, we discuss the available data and present clinical recommendations regarding the safety of hormonal exposure for both previvors and survivors. We found these data to be hampered by small cohort sizes, heterogeneous patient populations, and limited study designs, highlighting a great need to conduct further research with the aim of enabling better-informed patient management.
Targeted Nitric Oxide Synthase Inhibitors for Migraine

Nitric oxide (NO) is a small gaseous signaling molecule that has important biological effects. It has been heavily implicated in migraine; and the NO donor, nitroglycerin, has been used extensively as a human migraine trigger. Correspondingly, a number of components of the NO signaling cascade have been shown to be upregulated in migraine patients. NO is endogenously produced in the body by NO synthase (NOS), of which there are three isoforms: neuronal NOS (nNOS), endothelial NOS (eNOS), and inducible NOS (iNOS). Based on the accumulating evidence that endogenous NO regulation is altered in migraine pathogenesis, global and isoform-selective inhibitors of NOS have been targeted for migraine drug development. This review highlights the evidence for the role of NO in migraine and focuses on the use of NOS inhibitors for the treatment of this disorder. In addition, we discuss other molecules within the NO signaling pathway that may be promising therapeutic targets for migraine.
COMPUTER SIMULATION OF STEADY STATE CURVING PERFORMANCE OF HIGH SPEED ARTICULATED TRAIN SETS

This study focuses on the steady state curving performance of articulated High Speed Rail (HSR) train sets. The models incorporate the essential features of an articulated train system such as shared trucks, and suspension characteristics such as car-to-car and car-to-truck connections. As one of the first studies on the curving performance of articulated HSR train sets, linearized steady state curving models for ten-car, five-car, and three-car consists have been developed. Steady state curving performance of the three models has been evaluated and compared to determine the minimum number of cars required in a consist for effective simulation of curving performance. The models are further used for parametric study to examine the influence of selected parameters on the steady state curving performance. The results are compared with those of a parallel study on lateral stability performance in view of stability-curving trade-off. The results show that a baseline articulated train set corresponding to later...
Graphical Authentication Schemes: Balancing Amount of Image Distortion

Graphical authentication schemes offer a more memorable alternative to conventional passwords. One common criticism of graphical passcodes is the risk for observability by unauthorized onlookers. This type of threat is referred to as an Over-the-Shoulder Attack (OSA). A strategy to prevent casual OSAs is to distort the images, making them difficult for onlookers to recognize. Critically, the distortion should not harm legitimate users’ ability to recognize their passcode images. If designers select the incorrect amount of distortion, the passcode images could become vulnerable to attackers or images could become unrecognizable by users rendering the system useless for authentication. We suggest graphical authentication designers can distort images at brushstroke size 10 for a 112 × 90-pixel image to maintain user recognition and decrease casual OSAs. Also, we present mathematical equations to explicitly communicate the image distortion process to facilitate implementation of this OSA resistant approach.
Signal Processing for Swath Bathymetry and Concurrent Seafloor Acoustic Imaging

Whether they use the multibeam or sidescan geometries, swath bathymetry sonar systems aspire to provide the widest cross-track coverage with the highest spatial resolution possible. Although these two requirements are often contradictory, a fair compromise can be achieved through a combination of array design and signal processing techniques. To this end, a version of the split-aperture correlator is used in sidescan sonar systems to obtain estimates of differential phase as a function of time of arrival of seafloor echoes. These estimates are subsequently converted to sequences of angle of arrival versus time and then to bathymetry. The same technique is used in beamformed systems to detect the time of arrival of the echoes at the zero crossing of the differential phase sequence. However, this technique is unreliable in the near-specular direction and other beamformed echo detection methods working in the time domain or the spatial frequency domain are considered. FFT beamforming techniques offer some echo detection implementation advantages allowing a choice between any of the aforementioned techniques. For each ping, once signals backscatterred by the seafloor have been processed for bathymetry, the magnitudes of the returns can be positioned at their corresponding horizontal distances in an amplitude cross-track profile. Accumulation over many pings of such profiles as lines of a raster image forms a sidescanned acoustic image of the seafloor. This article reviews the signal processing issues related to these echo detection techniques, and their implication for bathymetric resolution and swath coverage.
ON MICROWAVE SCATTERING BY BREAKING WAVES

Microwave radars, when viewing breaking waves at low grazing angles with high spatial resolution, observe sharp transient bursts of backscatter having large cross sections (of order 1 m2 or more), and a characteristic polarization dependence, with horizontal polarization giving sharper (briefer) returns down to about 1° grazing angle, below which horizontal and vertical returns look much the same. X-band returns have disclosed a modulation with periods of 10–20 ms. The transient nature of breakers, along with the several structurally different forms they may take, makes it difficult to establish a deterministic scattering model having any real credibility from observation alone. However, there is one theoretical model of a breaking wave, the “entraining plume model of a spilling breaker” (Longuet-Higgins and Turner, 1974), that contains structural and dynamic features which can be used as a basis for microwave scattering calculations. This chapter seeks to examine some of the characteristics of the radar return from structures suggested by the plume model. It is shown that several of these plumes, emerging from the wave crest at different times, could produce radar returns with the right cross section (a few square meters) and the right modulation period (10–20 ms). Moreover, the model explains certain observed shifts in the envelope and phase of the modulation produced by small (~10%) changes in radar frequency. In order to bring in polarization, near-field effects of the wave face just ahead of the advancing plume are considered. The results suggest that close to the crest, where wave slopes are steep, vertical and horizontal returns would be roughly the same. As the plume moves down the wave face encountering decreasing wave slopes, the horizontal return drops off sharply, while the vertical return peaks broadly over most of the wave. face. This is consistent with the observation of sharp horizontal and broad vertical returns, and with the tendency of the two polarizations to look alike at extreme grazing angles, where only the wave peaks remain visible. While neither rigorous nor definitive, these calculations suggest that accelerating plumes, or something like them, might provide a self-consistent explanation for many of the properties of microwave scattering by breaking waves.
Effect of grain boundary orientation on the sensitization of austenitic stainless steel

The effect of grain misorientation on the sensitization of grain boundaries in austenitic stainless steel was investigated by sensitizing samples consisting of a large number of 50–80 μm size grains that were sintered to flat, 10 mm2 single crystals. Seven different sensitization treatments were employed and samples were intergranulary corroded in the modified Strauss test. X-ray pole figures were obtained for each sample and were used to identify the grain misorientations that were resistant to sensitization. In general, macroscopic grain boundary geometry could not explain the sensitization behaviour of most grain boundaries. Nevertheless, the Σ = 9 boundary was found to be especially resistant to sensitization. Results suggest that grain misorientation primarily affects the growth of sensitization rather than its nucleation. Finally, the crystallographic plane of the grain boundary appears to have an effect on sensitization.
GROWTH INHIBITION INDUCED BY METHADONE: PREVENTION BY DIBUTYRYL CYCLIC ADENOSINE MONOPHOSPHATE

Chronic administration of low dosages (2 mg/kg of dl-methadone inhibit growth of young mice and the incorporation of 3H-leucine into brain, liver and muscle tissues. Analyses of brain adenylcyclase in treated vs litter-mate control mice revealed a 23% decrease after treatment for 3 weeks. Adenylcyclase remained depressed (44%, p <.01) for at least one week following cessation of treatment. The pronounced fall in adenylcyclase suggested that cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) might be involved in growth retardation. A single daily injection of dibutyryl cAMP (DBcAMP) in a dosage of 50 mg/kg prevented the deficit in 3H-leucine incorporation, with a significant deficit (12% p <.05) observed in the liver. There findings suggest that chronic dosing with methadone attenuates growth and metabolism in mice by a mechanism involving adenylcyclase.
Pretreatment CLR 124 Positron Emission Tomography Accurately Predicts CLR 131 Three-Dimensional Dosimetry in a Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Patient.

Abstract Introduction: CLR1404 is a theranostic molecular agent that can be radiolabeled with 124I (CLR 124) for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging, or 131I (CLR 131) for single-photon emis...
Role of neurons in the control of immune defense

Studies in recent years have strengthened the notion that neural mechanisms are involved in the control of immune responses. From initial studies that highlighted the vagus nerve control of inflammatory responses in vertebrates, many advances have been made, including the dissection of specific neural circuits that are involved in controlling immunity. Part of this has been facilitated by the use of a tractable model animal, Caenorhabditis elegans, in which individual neurons involved in sensing pathogens and controlling the immune response have been identified. Importantly, some of the underlying mechanisms involved in the neural control of immune pathways appear to be present in evolutionarily diverse species. This review focuses on some major developments in vertebrates and C. elegans, and how these discoveries may lead to advances in understanding neural-immune connections that govern inflammatory responses.
Community Colleges in the Anthropocene: A Philosophical Justification for Campus Climate Action Plans

ABSTRACTIn this paper, we offer a philosophical argument explaining why and how community college leaders may support the adoption and implementation of campus climate action plans. Our argument is...
Maintaining soil fertility and health for sustainable pastures

Abstract Soil management is the foundation of agriculture and essential to sustainable forage and beef production. Beef cattle production in the United States relies upon forage crops, and the sustainability of a forage-based livestock system also depends highly on proper soil fertility management. Most pastures in the Southeastern United States are established on marginal areas usually associated with poor soil fertility conditions. Soil fertility management is one of the most important decisions that can affect pasture productivity and sustainability. Soil fertility management and pasture fertilization, however, can also have unintended negative impacts on the environment. Therefore, effective soil fertility programs are required not only to optimize agricultural production, but also to preserve and protect the quality of soil, water, and air resources. Diagnostic technologies and tools to estimate nutrient availability in soil and the likelihood of obtaining crop responses to added nutrients are essential for designing sound pasture fertilization programs. In addition to increasing forage accumulation and nutritive value, soil fertility strategies can also affect soil chemical, physical, and biological properties; therefore pasture fertilization decisions should include both production and conservation goals. In this chapter we will cover the basic principles of soil fertility and nutrient management for warm-season perennial forages. Topics include soil fertility management for harvested versus grazed forage systems, the importance of soil and tissue testing, liming and fertilizing forage crops with chemical versus organic amendments, and soil health. This chapter contains practical information on nutrient management to sustain adequate forage production while protecting the soil and natural resources.
So You Want to Be a Reviewer.

Peer review is a process for evaluating the quality of "work" of a scientist or professional as judged by others in the same or related field. In the context of the biomedical and health sciences, it primarily pertains to review of manuscripts submitted to journals for consideration of publication, abstracts for proposed presentations at professional meetings, and competitive research grant applications. Serving as a reviewer is a scholarly pursuit and a worthwhile endeavor, assuming it is approached in a conscientious, responsible manner. The purpose of this article is to define peer review and its various forms, suggest reasons for serving as a manuscript reviewer, discuss considerations prior to accepting a review assignment, and provide guidelines for the process.
Citizen Scientist: Frank Von Hippel’s Adventures in Nuclear Arms Control PART 5. Working in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy

Von Hippel describes his introduction to the ways of the government bureaucracy as an assistant director in the White House Office of Science and Technology (OSTP). He describes providing White Hou...
The effects of elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide [CO2] on micronutrient concentration, specifically iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) in rice; a systematic review

Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels have reached an all-time high, contributing to increased average temperature, more frequent and severe weather patterns, increasing sea levels, and the acidi...
The Paradoxical Foundations of the Trump Presidency: Causes and Consequences

This chapter begins with the role of the presidency in American political life and how that has developed. It then turns to an analysis of the 2016 presidential election from the perspective of two major opposing sides, both of whom saw the election in stark dire terms. In reality, that election brought to the fore a set of simmering political crises that had been brewing for decades, including the abortive rise of the “Tea Party” in 2008, centered on profound issues of trust. We link those with Trump’s election victory and his presidential ambitions, understood as the Politics of American Restoration. We close with a consideration of Trump’s leadership style and demeanor, their relationship to presidential “guardrails,” and the rise of a by any means necessary opposition to the Trump Presidency.
Promoting Quality Improvement in Primary Care Through a Longitudinal, Project-Based, Interprofessional Curriculum.

Introduction Health professionals must demonstrate competencies in quality improvement (QI) and interprofessional (IP) practice. Yet few curricula are designed to address these competencies in an i...
Optimization of <= 200μm pitch CZT detectors for future high-resolution x-ray instrumentation in astrophysics

Cadmium Zinc Telluride and Cadmium Telluride are the detector materials of choice for the detection of X-rays in the X-ray energy band E ≥ 5 keV with excellent spatial and spectral resolution and without cryogenic cooling. Owing to recent breakthroughs in grazing incidence mirror technology, next-generation hard X-ray telescopes will achieve angular resolution between 5 and 10 arc seconds - about an order of magnitude better than that of the NuSTAR hard X-ray telescope. As a consequence, the next generation of X-ray telescopes will require pixelated X-ray detectors with pixels on a grid with a lattice constant of ≤ 250 μm. Additional detector requirements include a low energy threshold of less than 5 keV and an energy resolution of less than one keV. The science drivers for a high angular-resolution X-ray mission include studies and measurements of black hole spins, the cosmic evolution of super-massive black holes, active galactic nuclei feedback, and the behaviour of matter at very high densities. In this contribution, we report on our RandD studies with the goal to optimise small-pixel Cadmium Zinc Telluride and Cadmium Telluride detectors.
Brief Report: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Music to Obtain More Accurate Blood Pressure Readings in Children with Williams Syndrome

This study examined if listening to music will improve the accuracy of blood pressure (BP) readings in children with Williams syndrome (WS). Fifty-two participants (7–12 years) were randomly assigned to a music or non-music group. BPs were obtained at two time points. There was a significant decrease in both systolic and diastolic BP from Time 1 to Time 2 for everyone. Participants from the music group had lower systolic BP readings at Time 2 than participants in the non-music group (Cohen's d = 0.33). Systolic BP readings were approximately 3.8 mmHg lower in the music group. Music may be beneficial in obtaining more accurate systolic BP readings in children with WS.
From Flatland to Jupiter: Searching for Rules of Interaction Across Biological Scales.

In this future-spanning perspective, we examine how an agent based model could be used to define general rules for interactions across biological systems and evolutionary time. To date there have been a number of attempts to simulate the emergence of ecological communities using agent-based models of individuals that have evolving traits. Here we speculate whether it is possible to use this computational modeling to simulate self-organizing systems and, importantly, to decipher universal principles that govern biological interactions. This perspective is a thought exercise, meant to extrapolate from current knowledge to how we may make Jupiter-shot leaps to further advance the biosciences in the 21st century.
Review of: Current Methods in Forensic Gunshot Residue Analysis

This book reviews the methods currently used for the analysis of gunshot residue, with particular emphasis on variable pressure SEM/EDS analysis of primer residues. The chapters consider in turn: (1) gunshot residue as forensic evidence (including the loss or transfer of gunshot residue and its collection at the scene of the crime), (2) the formation and composition of primer residue particles, (3) methods of gunshot residue analysis (concentrating on the aforementioned variable pressure SEM/EDS but also outlining graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry, neutron activation analysis, inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry and capillary electrophoresis), (4) gunshot residue plumes produced by a variety of firearms (presenting video captures from the highspeed video studies conducted by RJ Group, Inc., in 1994), (5) the results of SEM/EDS analyses of a number of samples of gunsot residue produced by various handguns firing a variety of brands of ammunition, and finally (6) the proper documentation of test results and the presentation of testimony. The book concludes with a glossary of ballistic terms and a comprehensive bibliography of articles relating to the analysis of gunshot residue.
Dissociation and the Dissociative Disorders: DSM-V and Beyond, edited by P. F. Dell and J. A. O'Neil

Dissociation and the Dissociative Disorders is perhaps the most comprehensive book on dissociation and dissociative disorders to date. The editors are seasoned experts: Dell is the director of the ...
An Evaluation of the Scholarly Productivity of Doctoral Graduates

Scholarly publication is becoming increasingly important in social work. Not only does publication reflect the knowledge development effort of the profession, but it apparently positively affects the careers of the authors. In the current study, the authors evaluated the scholarly productivity of 284 randomly selected doctoral graduates from 30 social work programs. The authors accumulated and aggregated for each program counts of publications appearing in the Source Index of the Social Sciences Citation Index.Findings indicated that the level of article productivity among doctoral graduates was normative. In addition, the productivity of doctoral program faculty was found to be related to the productivity of the program’s doctoral graduates. The authors suggest that perhaps productive faculty provide positive role models to their students; this mentoring relationship contributes to graduate productivity outcomes.
Notions of Relevance

Leblanc entitles his paper ‘Matters of Relevance’. He aims to see where and how the truth-value of a set of formulas depends upon the truthvalues of the atomic subformulas of the formulas of the set. This is his notion of relevance, here; and he — rightly, I believe — makes no claim that this is the only notion of relevance that matters. More about this in the finale. First, I want to amplify Leblanc’s results with respect to modal languages (‘languages with a box’).
Field-programmable multi-chip module (FPMCM) for high-performance DSP accelerator

We have described our work on FPMCM-I which integrates multiple FPGA chips by MCM technology, significantly increasing the logic capacity, reducing power consumption and speeding up the chip-to-chip communication. In the second part of the paper, we have described our bit-serial datapath circuit designs and their advantages over bit-parallel circuits on FPGA implementation. We have given some circuit layout examples of 2D FIR filter and IDCT circuits which demonstrates the efficiency of bit-serial circuits in terms of logic resource utilization, routability, IO pin utilization and performance.
Activity-Regulated Dynamic Behavior of Early Dendritic Protrusions: Evidence for Different Types of Dendritic Filopodia

Dendritic filopodia are long and thin protrusions that occur predominantly during early development of the mammalian CNS. The function of dendritic filopodia is unknown, but they could serve to form early synapses, to generate spines, or to regulate dendritic branching and growth. We used two-photon imaging to characterize the motile behavior of dendritic protrusions during early postnatal development (P2-P12) in pyramidal neurons from acute slices of mouse neocortex. Dendritic protrusions in immature neurons are highly dynamic, and this motility is actin based. Motility and turnover of these early protrusions decreases throughout development, mirroring an increase in their average lifetime and density. Interestingly, density, motility, and length of filopodia are greater in dendritic growth cones than in dendritic shafts. These growth cones disappear after P5. Blocking synaptic transmission globally using TTX or calcium-free solutions led to a 40-120% increase in the density and length of dendritic filopodia in shafts but not in growth cones. Moreover, blocking ionotropic glutamate receptors resulted in an ∼35% decrease in the density and turnover of shaft filopodia, whereas focal glutamate application led to a 75% increase in the length of shaft filopodia, but neither manipulation affected growth cone filopodia. Our results support the existence of two populations of filopodia, in growth cones and shafts, which are differentially regulated by neuronal activity. We propose that filopodia in dendritic growth cones are involved in dendritic growth and branching in an activity-independent manner, whereas shaft filopodia are responsible for activity-dependent synaptogenesis and, in some cases, may become dendritic spines.
Averted predator gaze reduces latency to flee by zebra-tailed lizards ( Callisaurus draconoides )

Directness of a predator’s gaze affects several aspects of antipredatory behavior, including flight initiation distance (FID = predator-prey distance when fleeing begins), which is longer under direct than averted gaze. However, the effect of gaze directness on probability of fleeing or latency to flee (LF) in a short interval when a prey is immobile near an immobile predator is unknown. We predicted that probability of fleeing is greater and LF is shorter if the predator’s gaze is averted than direct. If the predator has not detected the prey, it will detect it immediately and attack when the prey moves while under direct gaze. Therefore, the prey is less likely to flee than if the predator is looking elsewhere. Under direct gaze the cost of fleeing decreases over time because the predator is increasingly likely to detect the prey. Under averted gaze, risk of being detected is constant for immobile prey and increases if the prey flees. Cost of fleeing under averted gaze is therefore constant and lower if the prey flees than under direct gaze at short latency, predicting shorter LF and greater likelihood of fleeing within a short fixed interval. We test this novel prediction of a model of the effect of gaze directness using the zebra-tailed lizard, Callisaurus draconoides . The proportion of lizards that fled was three times greater for averted than direct gaze, suggesting that prey under scrutiny reduce movement to avoid being detected. We discuss effects of gaze on FID, LF and probability of fleeing.
Bovine gingival lysate: a novel substrate for rapid diagnosis of autoimmune vesiculo-bullous diseases. A preliminary observation.

: Immunoblot assays have been developed to characterize the autoantigens and to detect autoantibodies in muco-cutaneous autoimmune vesiculo-bullous diseases using different substrates. However the results have been inconsistent, because availability and standardization of different substrates has been a major problem. The aim of this study was to develop an immunoblot assay using bovine gingival lysate as substrate because it is easily and readily available as well as inexpensive. Sera from patients with different vesiculo-bullous diseases were studied. These included 25 patients with pemphigus vulgaris (PV), 8 with paraneoplastic pemphigus (PNP), 12 with pemphigus foliaceus (PF), 25 with bullous pemphigoid (BP), and 22 with cicatricial pemphigoid (CP). Serum samples from 40 normal human volunteers were also studied. The autoantibody titers were determined based on the binding pattern of each disease and compared to those obtained by routine indirect immunofluorescence (IIF). Our observations suggest that the titers from immunoblot assays were significantly higher than titers obtained by IIF (P<0.0001). When the autoantibody titers were compared using bovine gingival lysate and human epidermal lysate as substrate, statistically significant differences were not observed. The use of bovine gingival lysate as a substrate will facilitate the rapid and early serological diagnosis of patients with vesiculo-bullous diseases. It may also be of benefit to laboratory investigators studying these autoantibodies.
Molecular contrast optical coherence tomography: a pump-probe scheme using indocyanine green as a contrast agent

The use of indocyanine green (ICG), a U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved dye, in a pump-probe scheme for molecular contrast optical coherence tomography (MCOCT) is proposed and demonstrated for the first time. In the proposed pump-probe scheme, an optical coherence tomography (OCT) scan of the sample containing ICG is first acquired. High fluence illumination (∼190kJ/cm^2) is then used to permanently photobleach the ICG molecules—resulting in a permanent alteration of the overall absorption of the ICG. A second OCT scan is next acquired. The difference of the two OCT scans is used to determine the depth resolved distribution of ICG within a sample. To characterize the extent of photobleaching in different ICG solutions, we determine the cumulative probability of photobleaching, ϕ_(B,cum), defined as the ratio of the total photobleached ICG molecules to the total photons absorbed by the ground state molecules. An empirical study of ICG photobleaching dynamics shows that ϕ_(B,cum) decreases with fluence as well as with increasing dye concentration. The quantity ϕ_(B,cum) is useful for estimating the extent of photobleaching in an ICG sample (MCOCT contrast) for a given fluence of the pump illumination. The paper also demonstrates ICG-based MCOCT imaging in tissue phantoms as well as within stage 54 Xenopus laevis.