cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Education Program in Support of a Sustainable Future

The historical evolution and current status of sustainability education at Michigan Technological University is described. The history considers the last 15 years, during which, the faculty of Michigan Tech have been collaborating on the development of environmental curricula and courses. This development effort initially focused on specialized offerings for the environmental/chemical engineering programs. With time, recognition of the importance of environmental issues (wastes, natural resources, energy, etc.) to other disciplines across the campus grew. For example, chemists, biologists, foresters, etc. each have a role in characterizing the behavior of ecological systems. Engineering disciplines that are focused on the design of products, processes, or systems influence long term societal sustainability. Social scientists must understand the relationship/linkages between the environment, industry, citizens, and government. Greener products, environmentally responsible processes, life cycle thinking, and environmental stewardship need to become part of the modern lexicon of globally aware students. Faculty from diverse disciplines across the campus are now collaborating to develop courses and modify curricula to educate students with respect to the triple bottom line (i.e., sustainable economic, societal, and environmental future). Problems associated with the traditional education paradigm are discussed. A new education model aimed at training students to create a sustainable future is proposed.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Gilbert damping in conducting ferromagnets. II. Model tests of the torque-correlation formula

We report on a study of Gilbert damping due to particle-hole pair excitations in conducting ferromagnets. We focus on a toy two-band model and on a four-band spherical model which provide an approximate description of ferromagnetic (Ga,Mn)As. These models are sufficiently simple that disorder-ladder-sum vertex corrections to the long-wavelength spin-spin response function can be summed to all orders. An important objective of this study is to assess the reliability of practical approximate expressions which can be combined with electronic structure calculations to estimate Gilbert damping in more complex systems.
Gemcitabine Pulmonary Toxicity in Ovarian Cancer

Background. A case of gemcitabine-induced lung toxicity is reported in a woman with stage IIIc ovarian papillary serous carcinoma. Case. An 83-year-old woman with stage IIIc ovarian serous papillary carcinoma diagnosed in 2001 underwent suboptimal cytoreductive surgery followed by carboplatin– paclitaxel chemotherapy. Initially in remission following chemotherapy, the disease subsequently progressed over the next 5 years. The patient received gemcitabine palliative chemotherapy. She developed significant pulmonary toxicity consistent with drug-induced interstitial pneumonitis, which improved with steroid therapy. Conclusion.Gemcitabine, a second-line chemotherapy agent for the treatment of ovarian cancer, may rarely cause a serious or even fatal condition of pulmonary lung toxicity. The Oncologist 2008;13:807–811
Toward a Dialectical Model of Family Gender Discourse: Body, Identity, and Sexuality

The goal of this article is to propose a dialectical model representing gender discourse in families. A brief review of literature in sociology, psychology, and gender studies focuses on three dialectical issues: nature versus culture, similarity versus difference, and stability versus fluidity. Deconstructing gender theories from a postmodern feminist perspective, the authors discuss agency and context in families' gender discourse. Narrative excerpts from interviews with an adolescent daughter and her mother illustrate three emergent themes in the social construction of gender: body, identity, and sexuality. The article concludes with recommendations for family researchers.
Simultaneous Force and Stiffness Control of a Pneumatic Actuator

This paper proposes a new approach to the design of a robot actuator with physically variable stiffness. The proposed approach leverages the dynamic characteristics inherent in a pneumatic actuator, which behaves in essence as a series elastic actuator. By replacing the four-way servovalve used to control a typical pneumatic actuator with a pair of three-way valves, the stiffness of the series elastic component can be modulated independently of the actuator output force. Based on this notion, the authors propose a control approach for the simultaneous control of actuator output force and stiffness. Since the achievable output force and stiffness are coupled and configuration-dependent, the authors also present a control law that provides either maximum or minimum actuator output stiffness for a given displacement and desired force output. The general control and maximum/minimum stiffness approaches are experimentally demonstrated and shown to provide high fidelity control of force and stiffness, and additionally shown to provide a factor of 6 dynamic range in stiffness.
Flat square knots: are 3 throws enough?

Objective The objective of the study was to determine the integrity of flat square knots. Study Design Three sutures were used in both 0 and 2-0 suture gauges: poliglecaprone 25 (Monocryl), polyglactin 910 (Vicryl), and silk. For each, flat square knots were tied with either 3 or 5 throws. Knots were tested to failure. The major outcome measured was the proportion of 3 throw knots untying, compared with that of 5 throw knots. Results There were high rates of untying for the poliglecaprone 25 and for the polyglactin 910 with both suture gauges when tied with only 3 throws. The failure rate decreased significantly when the throws were increased. There was no statistical benefit to increasing the number of throws for silk. Conclusion Knot failure is decreased by increasing the number of throws for poliglecaprone 25 and polyglactin 910. However, there is no advantage to increasing the number of throws from 3 to 5 for silk.
Method of moments scattering computations using high-order basis functions

It is shown that using high-order basis functions in Galerkin method of moments calculations permits a significant reduction in the number of unknowns needed to achieve a given accuracy in modeling a scatterer or antenna. For instance, to model scattering from an infinite circular cylinder, six times as many unknowns are required to achieve 10/sup -6/ accuracy by using pulse basis functions than using higher-order basis functions on larger patches. Decreasing the size of the patches on the surface reduces the error by a power of the patch size. Increasing the number of basis functions makes the error exponentially smaller. >
Performance limits of matching pursuit algorithms

In this paper, we examine the performance limits of the Orthogonal Matching Pursuit (OMP) algorithm, which has proven to be effective in solving for sparse solutions to inverse problem arising in overcomplete representations. To identify these limits, we exploit the connection between sparse solution problem and multiple access channel (MAC) in wireless communication domain. The forward selective nature of OMP helps it to be recognized as a successive interference cancellation (SIC) scheme that decodes non-zero entries one at a time in a specific order. We leverage this SIC decoding order and utilize the criterion for successful decoding to develop the information-theoretic performance limitation for OMP, which involves factors such as dictionary dimension, signal-to-noise-ratio, and importantly, the relative behavior of the non- zeros entries. Supported by computer simulations, our proposed criterion is demonstrated to be asymptotically effective in explaining the behavior of OMP.
Increased release of tumor necrosis factor-alpha into the cerebrospinal fluid and peripheral circulation of aged rats.

We earlier reported that risk factors for stroke prepare brain stem tissue for a modified Shwartzman reaction, including the development of ischemia and hemorrhage and the production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, after a provocative dose of lipopolysaccharide. In the present study, we sought to determine whether blood and central nervous system cells of rats with the stroke risk factor of advanced age produce more proinflammatory and prothrombotic mediators than do those of young rats of the same strain.Levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and platelet activating factor in the cerebrospinal fluid and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in the serum of 2-year-old and 16-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats were monitored before and after challenge with lipopolysaccharide.No consistent tumor necrosis factor-alpha activity was found in the cerebrospinal fluid or blood of control animals. Intravenous administration of lipopolysaccharide (1.8 mg/kg) increased serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels but had no effect on tu...
Neural-network-based fuzzy logic control and decision system

A general neural-network (connectionist) model for fuzzy logic control and decision systems is proposed. This connectionist model, in the form of feedforward multilayer net, combines the idea of fuzzy logic controller and neural-network structure and learning abilities into an integrated neural-network-based fuzzy logic control and decision system. A fuzzy logic control decision network is constructed automatically by learning the training examples itself. By combining both unsupervised (self-organized) and supervised learning schemes, the learning speed converges much faster than the original backpropagation learning algorithm. The connectionist structure avoids the rule-matching time of the inference engine in the traditional fuzzy logic system. Two examples are presented to illustrate the performance and applicability of the proposed model. >
Microwave Anisotropies From Cosmic Strings

The anisotropies in the microwave background radiation in the cosmic-string theory of galaxy formation are calculated using a general-relativistic analysis. On small scales (t-italich-italice-italict-italica-italicapprox. =0.5/sup 0/) we predict /sup 1/2//Tapprox. =4 x 10/sup -6/, on large scales (t-italich-italice-italict-italica-italicapprox. =6/sup 0/) /sup 1/2//Tapprox. =10 /sup -5/. The dominant effect is the Sachs-Wolfe effect from string loops. The above amplitudes are significantly smaller than the best current observational upper bounds.
Transitional life events and trajectories of cigarette and alcohol use during emerging adulthood: latent class analysis and growth mixture modeling.

Objective:Emerging adulthood (ages 18–25 years) has been associated with elevated substance use. Transitional life events (TLEs) during emerging adulthood in relation to substance use are usually examined separately, rather than as a constellation. The purposes of this study were (a) to explore distinct subgroups experiencing various TLEs during emerging adulthood, (b) to identify heterogeneous trajectories of cigarette and alcohol use during emerging adulthood, and (c) to examine the association of TLEs with cigarette and alcohol use trajectories.Method:Five waves of longitudinal data (mean age range: 19.5–26.0 years) were used from a community-based drug prevention program (n = 946, 49.9% female). Distinct subgroups of emerging adults who experienced various TLEs were identified using latent class analysis. Cigarette and alcohol use were examined using a latent growth mixture model.Results:A three-class model fit the data best in identifying TLE subgroups (new family, college attenders [NFCA]; uncommitt...
The Generation of Equatorial Transient Planetary Waves: Control Experiments with a GFDL General Circulation Model

Abstract In order to study the generation of transient planetary waves in the tropics, the effects of topography, midlatitude disturbances and condensational heat are eliminated one by one from a GFDL general circulation model during the period June and July. The time development and three-dimensional propagation of waves are examined by a space-time spectral analysis using the maximum entropy method. It is found that the characteristic scale and period of Kelvin and mixed Rossby-gravity waves do not depend on land-sea contrast or the zonal variation of sea surface temperature. Even if midlatitude disturbances are eliminated, both these waves appear in the stratosphere due to the effect of latent heat release in the troposphere. In contrast to Kelvin waves, however, mixed Rossby-gravity waves can be significantly intensified by westward moving midiatitude disturbances which are found to propagate intermittently toward the equator.
Investing in Credit: How Good is Your Information?

We describe a class of quantitative credit risk models that take account of the unavoidable gaps in investors' information. These incomplete information models are structural/reduced form hybrids. They combine the best features of both traditional approaches while avoiding many of their shortcomings.
Phase control in immiscible Zn-Bi alloy by tungsten nanoparticles

Abstract Immiscible Zn-Bi alloy has a good potential to replace lead-based alloys to serve as a running layer in plain bearings. However, it is still a major challenge to uniformly disperse Bi phase in Zn matrix during solidification processing since Bi droplets grow very fast in liquid state and readily coagulate to induce phase sedimentation. In this study, tungsten (W) nanoparticles were, for the first time, used and effectively incorporated into the Zn-Bi melt for phase control. Tungsten nanoparticles were able to self-assemble onto the Zn-Bi phase interfaces to slow down the growth of the Bi phase and prevent their coagulations, resulting in a significant size reduction of the Bi phase and microstructure refinement. Moreover, the incorporation of W nanoparticles into the Zn-Bi alloy enhanced its microhardness significantly. This new approach of using chemically-stable metal nanoparticles has a great potential for scale-up manufacturing of immiscible alloys for widespread applications.
Generation of Fine Particulates in Packed Granular Bed in the Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA)

One of the most pressing mic ro -gravity issues related to air revitalization systems is the generation and migration of fine particulates downstream of a reactor bed. It has been reported that particulate fines caused the failure of desiccant/adsorbent beds in maintaining a vacuum dur ing desorb cycles as well as causing Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) selector valves to experience transition problems. There are five possible sources for the generation of these fine particulates: they may exist in the initial Zeolite material, th ey may be produced during compaction of the Zeolite bed, they may be generated during transportation of the bed, they may result from the increased stresses indu ced by the high level of acceleration during the launch of a rocket or space shuttle, and they may be caused by the breakup of particles resulting from thermal stresses during a space flight. The identification of the main sources of the fine particulates so as to provide a basis for engineering countermeasures, and an effective non -intrusive techni que that can continuously monitor the health status of the CDRA system are essential to the future extraterrestrial exploration missions of NASA. This paper reports the results of a study on the generation of fine particles under different stress level s an d stress cycles. Particle size analyses were conducted to determine the contents of fines in the Zeolite material before and after the application of different stress intensities and cycles. In addition, we are making an effort to develop a non -intrusive t echnique that can be configured for real -time health monitoring of the CDRA system using wave velocity measurement.
Incomplete Host Developmental Arrest Induced by Parasitism of Manduca sexta Larvae by Apanteles smerinthi

Observations of Manduca sexta (L.) larvae parasitized by Apanteles smerinthi Riley indicated that parasitism induced only partial host developmental arrest, since host molting was suppressed during parasitoid emergence but not thereafter. After parasitization of first-stage M. sexta larvae, parasitoid emergence usually occurred during the host's fourth larval stage. Two to six days later, host larvae either underwent apolysis in preparation for larval molting or exposed the dorsal vessel; in both cases, the larvae later formed nonviable larval-pupal intermediates. In many hosts, cuticle was secreted over the surface of partly emerged parasitoids. The occurrence of postemergence molting suggests that the host's ecdysteroid titer rises after emergence, in contrast to the low ecdysteroid titers measured after emergence in larvae parasitized by A. congregatus (Say), a highly co-evolved parasitoid. Together with the finding that few A. smerinthi larvae that emerged spun cocoons and eclosed as adults, the observed anomalous effects of parasitism were interpreted as indicative that this species is poorly adapted to using M. sexta as its host even though the parasitoid frequently escapes encapsulation by host hemocytes. This report is the first description of postemergence molting in larval hosts of endoparasitic Hymenoptera.
Purine metabolism in the chick embryo; effects of uricogenesis and xanthine oxidase inhibition.

The de novo synthesis and subsequent utilization of nucleotide by anabolic and catabolic pathways in the chick embryo have been studied using formate- 14 C and glycine-1- 14 C. The normal embryo produces soluble nucleotide far in excess of its requirement for polynucleotide synthesis, the major portion of newly synthesized purine being catabolized to uric acid largely via deamination and subsequent oxidation of guanine and its soluble anabolites. The untreated embryo thus appears to provide a biochemical model for essential hyperuricemia. The uricogenic agent 2-aminothiadiazole increases urate synthesis, presumably by inhibiting incorporation of nucleotide into nucleic acid, thus triggering a compensatory in crease in de novo synthesis. The xanthine oxidase inhibitor 4-hydroxy[3,4- d ]pyrazolopyrimidine specifically reverses the effect of aminothiadiazole upon uric acid labeling, while having no effect upon acid-soluble or nucleic acid purine. The absence, in the chick embryo, of an adequate salvage pathway for oxypurine bases is suggested as a basis for these and other observations.
Trumpet: Timely and Precise Triggers in Data Centers

As data centers grow larger and strive to provide tight performance and availability SLAs, their monitoring infrastructure must move from passive systems that provide aggregated inputs to human operators, to active systems that enable programmed control. In this paper, we propose Trumpet, an event monitoring system that leverages CPU resources and end-host programmability, to monitor every packet and report events at millisecond timescales. Trumpet users can express many *network-wide events*, and the system efficiently detects these events using *triggers* at end-hosts. Using careful design, Trumpet can evaluate triggers by inspecting every packet at full line rate even on future generations of NICs, scale to thousands of triggers per end-host while bounding packet processing delay to a few microseconds, and report events to a controller within 10 milliseconds, even in the presence of attacks. We demonstrate these properties using an implementation of Trumpet, and also show that it allows operators to describe new network events such as detecting correlated bursts and loss, identifying the root cause of transient congestion, and detecting short-term anomalies at the scale of a data center tenant.
Understanding emergency workers' behavior and perspectives on design and safety in the workplace

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is a demanding and hazardous industry. Because of the changing roles in the emergency response system, EMS workers are increasingly expected to provide treatment and care in addition to transport, which increases their task load and susceptibility to harm. This paper serves to outline the EMS field from the worker's perspective with the purpose of understanding their views on health, safety, and the work environment, and identify where gaps in worker well-being are exposed. Through direct observation, field studies, and formal interviews with EMS professionals, we discuss where reluctance lies in addressing safety issues and the current efforts to address them. A high prevalence of responses regarding the inadequacy of ambulance restraining systems was reported, as existing interventions do not take into account medic needs.
Radiative Forcing from Anthropogenic Sulfur and Organic Emissions Reaching the Stratosphere

Stratospheric aerosols cool the Earth by scattering sunlight. Although sulfuric acid dominates the stratospheric aerosol, this study finds that organic material in the lowermost stratosphere contributes 30-40% of the non-volcanic stratospheric aerosol optical depth (sAOD). Simulations indicate that non-volcanic sAOD has increased 77% since 1850. Stratospheric aerosol accounts for 21% of the total direct aerosol radiative forcing (which is negative) and 12% of the total AOD increase from organics and sulfate. There is a larger stratospheric influence on radiative forcing (i.e. 21%) relative to AOD (i.e. 12%) because an increase of tropospheric black carbon warms the planet while stratospheric aerosols (including black carbon) cool the planet. Radiative forcing from non-volcanic stratospheric aerosol mass of anthropogenic origin, including organics, has not been widely considered as a significant influence on the climate system.
The Death and Resurrection of Protestant Higher Education in Europe

Although Europe gave birth to the Protestant university, for all practical purposes by 1980 not one Protestant university existed in Europe. This chapter tells the story of the “death” of Protestant higher education in Europe and the important role nationalization and rationalism played in the drama. Yet, it also notes that this demise is not the end of the story. A small, but significant, resurrection of Protestant higher education has occurred since 1980 led by small groups bent upon retaining and building a Christian vision for education within secularized Europe. Today, Protestants have created new institutions or expanded old professional schools to create a number of institutions that are doing more than merely surviving. They still, however, face many difficulties. One of the biggest challenges facing these new institutions stems from the secularizing tendencies of nation-states and more recently, the European Union. In fact, the recent Bologna process instituted by the EU shows potential for creating new waves of secularization brought about in the interest of political unity and the fear of religious pluralism. Still, despite difficulties such as these, the entrepreneurial commitment of Protestants to create new institutions has remained resilient in the face of what appeared to be its.
The Role of a Disability-Specific Camp in Promoting Social Acceptance and Quality of Life for Youth With Hearing Impairments

Social acceptance, a foundation for friendship development and social inclusion, occurs when there is equal status among individuals, regardless whether the individual has a disability or not. Disability-specific residential camps for youth with similar life experiences may be one environment where social acceptance occurs. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between social acceptance and health-related quality of life for youth attending a residential summer camp specifically designed for people with hearing impairments who have cochlear implants or hearing aids. Results indicated disability specific residential camps may have an impact on social acceptance and perceived health related quality of life.
Socioemotional Correlates of Creative Potential in Preschool Age Children: Thinking Beyond Student Academic Assessments

This study examines the correlates of creative potential in preschool children, with a focus on children’s social behavior. Ninety-four preschool-aged children, their mothers, and teachers participated in the study. Mothers completed a questionnaire measure of children’s shyness, and teachers reported on children’s levels of shyness, prosocial behavior, and aggression. Children completed Torrance’s Thinking Creatively in Action and Movement. Results indicated that imagination was predicted by lower levels of shyness and greater prosocial behavior, whereas divergent thinking was predicted by older child age and teacher ratings of aggression. Implications for promoting young children’s creative potential in the classroom are discussed.
Direction and timing of dispersal of Scirtothrips dorsalis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) on select ornamental host plant species in south Florida

Abstract Chilli thrips, Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), is a troublesome pest of agronomic, vegetable, fruit, and ornamental crops. Scirtothrips dorsalis dispersal and monitoring were evaluated under field and greenhouse conditions in Homestead and Apopka, Florida, in 2007. A field test examined dispersal from Knock-Out® rose, Rosa ‘Radrazz’ (Rosaceae), onto green buttonwood, Conocarpus erectus L. (Combretaceae), and ‘Emerald Green’ schefflera, Schefflera arboricola Forst & Forst ‘Emerald Green’ (Araliaceae). Fewer adults were caught in traps set north, east, or south than west of rose plants corresponding to the average wind direction. Scirtothrips dorsalis flights increased during the morning to early afternoon, peaked about 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. EST, then decreased to almost no flights by 8:00 p.m. Warmer temperature and lower humidity corresponded to more adults caught per hour with most flights occurring after the accumulation of 300 degree-hours. ‘Emerald Green’ schefflera was...
Stability and efficiency of CO2 capture using linear amine polymer modified carbon nanotubes

Increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration has become a cause for concern. The design of efficient and stable solid amine adsorbents for CO2 capture, as well as for controlled release, is urgently needed. Polymeric amine modified multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNT) are a promising material for meeting these goals. In this study, linear polyethylenimine (LPEI) was supported on CNT and was characterized and studied for reversible CO2 adsorption. These results are compared to branched polythylenimine (BPEI) as well as other materials. Upon treatment with 3 M NaOH or 5 M HNO3, the CO2 adsorption was decreased by at least 15%. The CO2 adsorption by LPEI (1.89 mmol g−1) was lower than that of BPEI (2.43 mmol g−1) when coated on CNT supports. The desorption temperature was noticeably lower on CNT–LPEI versus CNT–BPEI for complete CO2 removal. CO2 adsorption capacity was strongly dependent on the packing height of the material in the column reactor. The stability study showed that CO2 adsorption of CNT–LPEI and CNT–BPEI decrease by 9.5% and 61.7%, respectively, after steam treatment, indicating that LPEI was more stable under humid conditions.
PD-1 blockade: It’s what’s for dinner

Tumor-associated macrophages limit the efficacy of programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) blockade through an FcγR-dependent clearance mechanism.
Effect of maternal exercise on calf dry matter intake, weight gain, behavior, and cortisol concentrations at disbudding and weaning

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to determine the effect of maternal physical activity during late gestation on calf dry matter intake, weight gain, behavior, and cortisol concentration during disbudding and weaning. Fifty-five Holstein and 5 Jersey × Holstein crossbred calves were enrolled into the study during gestation. Calves were born from pregnant, nonlactating Holstein (n = 58) and Jersey × Holstein crossbred (n = 2) dairy cows. Cows were assigned to either confinement (n = 20 cows; 13 female calves, 7 male calves), exercise (n = 20 cows; 8 female calves, 12 male calves), or pasture (n = 20 cows; 11 female calves, 9 male calves) treatments at dry-off from January to November 2015. Enrollment in treatment was balanced by parity (1.8 ± 0.9), projected mature-equivalent fat-corrected milk (13,831 ± 2,028 kg/lactation), dam breed, and projected calving date. Cows assigned to confinement remained in the pen throughout the dry period. Cows assigned to exercise were walked 5 times/wk at a targeted 1.5 h at 3.25 km/h. Cows assigned to pasture were turned out 5 times/wk for a targeted 1.5 h/d. Treatments were terminated on the expected due date or at signs of calving. Calves were removed from cows immediately once observed by farm staff and subsequently weighed and moved into a straw deep-bedded hutch. Data loggers were attached to the rear fetlock of each calf −3 d to +6 d relative to disbudding and weaning to monitor changes in lying behavior. Calves were weighed on d −7, −5, −3, −1, 0, 1, 3, 5, and 7, and grain was weighed the 7 d preceding and following disbudding and weaning. Blood was collected 24 h before and 0, 1, and 4 h after disbudding and d −1, 0, 1, and 2 relative to weaning to determine cortisol concentrations. Data were analyzed using mixed linear model in SAS (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC). Calf weight gain decreased the day after disbudding and calves tended to have elevated cortisol concentrations 1 h after disbudding, regardless of maternal treatment. Calf weight gain decreased the day of and after weaning; calves had elevated cortisol concentrations the day after weaning, regardless of treatment. Behavior did not differ by treatment at disbudding, but calves from pasture cows lay down for less time compared with confinement and exercise maternal treatments and less frequently than exercise maternal treatments at weaning. More research investigating the significance of lying time and restlessness around stressful events is needed to further understand the implications of such behavioral responses.
The Age of Loneliness

The Age of Loneliness starts where The Invisible Foot ended. It felt to me like The Invisible Foot had raised issues, but it ended in a pretty depressing place, in a philosophic sense.
EFFECT OF VAIRIMORPHA SP. ON SURVIVAL OF GEOCORIS PUNCTIPES IN THE LABORATORY

Survival of Geocoris punctipes (Say) (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae) after ingestion of fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), tissues infected with Vairimorpha sp. (Microspora: Microsporida) was studied in the laboratory. In six tests involving 532 adult G. punctipes, survival averaged 38.1 days when infected larvae were consumed and 42.9 days when healthy larvae were eaten. These means were significantly different (P < 0.05). There was no germination of Vairimorpha spores or development of the pathogen in G. punctipes. Differences in survival between treated and control groups were attributed to ingestion of a non-nutritive meal equivalent to a brief period of starvation. The insect should be able to compensate in its natural habitat by seeking other prey. We believe the potential of this insect as a vector in spore dispersal outweighs the relatively minor effects of spore ingestion observed in the laboratory.
Coca and identity in alison spedding’s el viento de la cordillera

The article examines the treatment of region and ethnicity in Alison Spedding’s 2003 novel, El viento de la cordillera: un thriller de los 80, to show how the articulation of the Yungas region crafts a distinctive Bolivian narrative of narcotrafficking and traditional coca production in the 1980s. The analysis highlights the narration of the tension between contemporary cocaine paste production and traditional coca leaf cultivation in the Andean region. Further, the study examines how the presence or absence of “outsiders” in the Yungas help produce an example of Bolivian narcofiction. Finally, the study examines Spedding’s creation of a strong female indigenous protagonist as a form of resistance and subversion of the foreign demand for illicit drugs.
Fraud, Free Speech and Fossil Fuel: Lessons from Big Tobacco for Big Oil

ABSTRACTRecent journalistic investigations revealed that ExxonMobil carried out research beginning in the 1970s indicating fossil fuel's dangerous role in global warming. Rather than heed the warni...
History of Cognitive Slowing Theory and Research

As Birren and Fisher (1995) noted, current research on slowing in cognitive aging is built on the foundation of research on individual differences in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, for example, Galton’s “anthropometric measurements” obtained at the 1884 International Health Exhibition in London. Related work by Cattell in 1890 and Koga andMorant in 1923 suggested that individual differences in reaction time (RT) in elementary sensory tasks were potentially important measures of cognitive performance. Further, individual differences in the RTmeasures were not attributable entirely to peripheral, sensory processes but instead appeared to represent basic properties of the central nervous system. Birren (1965) also emphasized that age-related slowing was a central, rather than peripheral, phenomenon and that slowing was related to task complexity. That is, as information processing task complexity increased, older adults showed progressively larger slowing effects. Welford (1977) suggested that slowing was due largely to increased neural noise (i.e., disruptions of the neural networks responsible for cognitive functioning). Following Birren (1965) and Welford (1977), reaction time and related measures of processing speed have emerged to become critical dependent variables in research on age-related differences in cognition and central nervous system functioning (Madden 2001; Salthouse 1996).
Treatment of cryptococcosis in non-HIV immunocompromised patients.

Purpose of reviewCryptococcosis has become a common opportunistic infection among non-HIV immunocompromised hosts. Recent reports have shown the incidence of Cryptococcosis among HIV-negative immunocompromised patients reaches close to half of the overall cases reported in the USA. Management of thi
Blood pressure postoperative treatment: Model reference adaptive control with constraints

This paper presents an approach for adaptive control of blood pressure using sodium nitroprusside. A modified stochastic model reference adaptive control algorithm with a time varying reference model is developed and used for this purpose. In order to optimize the performance of the closed loop system while meeting medical constraints imposed on the infusion rate and the mean arterial pressure an automatic adjustment of the reference model is proposed. Extensive computer simulations show the robustness of the proposed controller in the presence of relatively high noise levels, over the full range of plant parameters and for large parameter variations.
Prey Identification and Prey Localization in Surface-feeding Fish and Fishing Spiders

Surface-feeding fish and fishing spiders prey on terrestrial insects trapped at the water surface. In addition, semiaquatic spiders feed on small fish, frogs, and tadpoles (Gudger 1922). The stimuli involved are surface waves such as those generated by insects trapped at the water—air boundary or aquatic vertebrates contacting the water surface to feed or breath (Schwartz 1965, 1971; Bleckmann and Barth 1984; Bleckmann and Lotz 1987). Both surface-feeding fish and fishing spiders determine the direction and distance to a concentric wave source. They can do this even under open loop conditions (i.e., even if the wave generator is turned off before or at the moment the fish or spider starts to turn to the wave source) (Bleckmann and Schwartz 1982; Bleckmann and Barth 1984). In addition, these animals are faced with the problem of distinguishing between prey and nonprey stimuli. The present chapter does not attempt to review the pertinent literature on surface-dwelling animals (see Bleckmann 1985a and Chap. 25). Instead, it focuses on two questions; namely, how can surface-feeding fish and fishing spiders determine the source distance, and how can they distinguish between prey and nonprey wave stimuli?
Review and Update on the Role of Peritoneal Cytology in the Treatment of Gastric Cancer

Abstract Background Positive peritoneal cytology (Cyt+) even in the absence of macroscopic disease is associated with poor prognosis in patients with gastric cancer and deemed as M1 disease. Recent years have seen advancements in the evaluation strategies for peritoneal washings and management of patients with Cyt+. The aim of this review was to describe the newest paradigms in the management of patients with gastric cancer who have Cyt+ without macroscopic peritoneal metastases. Methods A comprehensive literature review was performed to identify studies on the management of gastric cancer and thereby to summarize relevant information on the accuracy of various diagnostic tests and controversies involved in the treatment of patients with Cyt+. Results Although conventional cytology remains the standard technique for assessment of peritoneal washings, it is limited by low sensitivity. The role of immunohistochemistry and molecular techniques for the assessment of peritoneal washings is evolving. Although systemic chemotherapy remains the standard of care for patients with Cyt+ disease, the role of gastrectomy, intraperitoneal chemotherapy, extensive intraperitoneal saline lavage, and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy is being evaluated. Conclusions Clinical decision-making in patients with Cyt+ remains controversial given the seemingly technical resectable albeit biologically unresectable or aggressive disease that portends an overall poor prognosis. Current management strategies are evolving, and further studies are needed to develop an optimal treatment strategy for these patients.
Prognostic value of genomic alterations (GA) on overall survival in appendiceal adenocarcinoma (AA).

554Background: AA are extremely rare tumors, with potentially aggressive clinical behavior. The characterization of the molecular alterations of the disease is poorly described, as well as its asso...
Fitting Pieces into the Puzzle of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Type III Secretion System Gene Expression

Type III secretion systems (T3SS) are widely distributed in Gram-negative microorganisms and critical for host-pathogen and host-symbiont interactions with plants and animals. Central features of the T3SS are a highly conserved set of secretion and translocation genes and contact dependence wherein host-pathogen interactions trigger effector protein delivery and serve as an inducing signal for T3SS gene expression. In addition to these conserved features, there are pathogen-specific properties that include a unique repertoire of effector genes and mechanisms to control T3SS gene expression. The Pseudomonas aeruginosa T3SS serves as a model system to understand transcriptional and posttranscriptional mechanisms involved in the control of T3SS gene expression. The central regulatory feature is a partner-switching system that controls the DNA-binding activity of ExsA, the primary regulator of T3SS gene expression. Superimposed upon the partner-switching mechanism are cyclic AMP and cyclic di-GMP signaling systems, two-component systems, global regulators, and RNA-binding proteins that have positive and negative effects on ExsA transcription and/or synthesis. In the present review, we discuss advances in our understanding of how these regulatory systems orchestrate the activation of T3SS gene expression in the context of acute infections and repression of the T3SS as P. aeruginosa adapts to and colonizes the cystic fibrosis airways.
Cerebellar White Matter Damage Is Associated With Postural Sway Deficits in People With Multiple Sclerosis.

Abstract Objective To assess how postural sway deficits during eyes open and closed relate to the integrity of cerebellar peduncles in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS). Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Laboratory based setting. Participants Twenty-nine adults with MS (Expanded Disability Status Scale: 2-4) and 15 adults without MS were recruited (N=44). Inclusion criteria for all participants were ability to maintain balance independently by standing on toes for 3 seconds, and no known biomechanical conditions affecting balance. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Postural sway using body-worn, inertial sensors during quiet standing, integrity of cerebellar peduncles quantified using diffusion-tensor imaging and clinical assessment scales for ataxia and balance. Results Radial diffusivity of the inferior cerebellar peduncle was related to postural sway measures during both eyes open and closed. In contrast, radial diffusivity of the superior cerebellar peduncle was related to postural sway only in stance with eyes open. Conclusions The inferior cerebellar peduncle, which carries somatosensory information to the cerebellum, contributes to control of standing balance with or without visual inputs, consistent with the high dependence on somatosensory information for posture. The superior cerebellar peduncle, which carries cortical information to the cerebellum, contributes to control of standing posture only when vision is available. Radial diffusivity of the inferior cerebellar peduncle was related to reactive balance control, whereas radial diffusivity of the superior cerebellar peduncle was related to the kinetic component of the ataxia rating scale.
A realization of Thurston’s geometrization: discrete Ricci flow with surgery

Hamilton’s Ricci flow (RF) equations were recently expressed in terms of a sparsely-coupled system of autonomous first-order nonlinear differential equations for the edge lengths of a $d$-dimensional piecewise linear (PL) simplicial geometry. More recently, this system of discrete Ricci flow (DRF) equations was further simplified by explicitly constructing the Forman-Ricci tensor associated to each edge, thereby diagonalizing the first-order differential operator and avoiding the need to invert large sparse matrices at each time step. We recently showed analytically and numerically that these equations converge for axisymmetric 3-geometries to the corresponding continuum RF equations. We demonstrate here that these DRF equations yield an explicit numerical realization of Thurston’s geometrization procedure for a discrete 3D axiallysymmetric neck pinch geometry by using surgery to explicitly integrate through its Type-1 neck pinch singularity. A cubic-splinebased adaptive mesh was required to complete the evolution. Our simulations yield the expected Thurston decomposition of the sufficiently pinched axially symmetric geometry into its unique geometric structure — a direct product of two lobes, each collapsing toward a 3-sphere geometry. The structure of our curvature may be used to better inform one of the vertex and edge weighting factors that appear in Forman’s expression of Ricci curvature on graphs.
Programming cases for DBS in Parkinson's Disease, dystonia, and tremor

Abstract A 64-year-old male with an 11-year history of Parkinson's disease and bilateral segmental lead Subthalamic nucleus (STN) Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) electrodes and implantable pulse generators (IPGs) placed 2 weeks prior to the visit presents to clinic for initial programming of his device. His primary symptoms were bradykinesias in both the upper and lower limbs. Up to the year prior to surgery, the patient was managed well medically and was on levodopa and an additional dopamine agonist. In the year prior to the DBS surgery, he had started to require more medication and was “on” for only about half hour at his peak medication dose. Surgery had been uneventful and bilateral STN leads were placed. The patient had no other comorbidities.
SARS-CoV-2, ACE2 expression, and systemic organ invasion.

A novel coronavirus disease, COVID-19, has created a global pandemic in 2020, posing an enormous challenge to healthcare systems and affected communities. COVID-19 is caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)-CoronaVirus-2 (CoV-2) that manifests as bronchitis, pneumonia, or a severe respiratory illness. SARS-CoV-2 infects human cells via binding a "spike" protein on its surface to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) within the host. ACE2 is crucial for maintaining tissue homeostasis and negatively regulates the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) in the humans. The RAAS is paramount for normal function in multiple organ systems including the lungs, heart, kidney, and vasculature. Given that SARS-CoV-2 internalizes via ACE2, the resultant disruption in ACE2 expression can lead to altered tissue function and exacerbate chronic diseases. The widespread distribution and expression of ACE2 across multiple organs is critical to our understanding of the varied clinical outcomes of COVID-19. This perspective review based on the current literature was prompted to show how disruption of ACE2 by SARS-CoV-2 can affect different organ systems.
Reading Statutes in the Common Law Tradition

There is wide agreement in American law and scholarship about the role the common law tradition plays in statutory interpretation. Jurists and scholars of various stripes concur that the common law points away from formalist interpretive approaches like textualism and toward a more creative, independent role for courts. They simply differ over whether the common law tradition is worth preserving. Dynamic and strongly purposive interpreters claim the Anglo-American common law heritage in support of their approach to statutory interpretation, while arguing that formalism is an unjustified break from that tradition. Formalists reply that the common law mindset and methods are obsolete and inimical to a modern legal system of separated powers. They argue that because the legal center of gravity has shifted from courts to complex statutory regimes, judicial interpreters should no longer understand themselves as bearers of the common law tradition.Contemporary debate in statutory interpretation thus offers a choice between continuity with the common law tradition (and thus, creative statutory interpretation) or formalist interpretation that breaks with that heritage. This neat frame, however, misses important parts of the picture. This Article argues that classical common law jurisprudence in fact offers substantial support for formal theories of interpretation like textualism. In fact, the formalist’s respect for legislative compromise and deference to text or original intent may represent the natural development of a common law tradition that has increasingly linked law with popular custom and consent. By contrast, nonformal approaches to statutory interpretation rely on a partial, controversial vision of the common law tradition. A more complete understanding of traditional common law thought undercuts an important justification for nonformal theories of statutory interpretation.More broadly, we need not understand the debate between formalists and dynamic interpreters as a disagreement about the common law tradition’s continued validity; rather it is an argument over which interpretation of that tradition best suits a modern, complex polity. There are good reasons — reasons grounded in common law thought — for believing that statutory formalists have a stronger argument than their dynamic critics. Given the challenges a complex, pluralistic society poses to developing common law through adjudication, the formalist’s emphasis on legislative primacy may be necessary for the common law tradition and its virtues to persist in our legal system.