cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thiosemicarbazide; a new toxic derivative of thiourea.

SummaryThiorsemicarbazide, a derivative of both thiourea and hydrazine, has proved to differ from other toxic thioureas previously studied. Instead of producing fatal pulmonary edema in a limited number of animal species and not harming others at equivalent dose levels, thiosemicarbazide caused convulsions and death within 1 to 3 hours in the 6 species tested, when given in amounts ranging from 10 to 30 mg/kg. In some individual laboratory rats, however, including those in which the convulsions had been suppressed by administration af a barbiturate, death was delayed and accompanied by the development of pulmonary edema. Thiosemicarbazide may have promise as a practical odenticide, because of its general toxicity to rats of several species and because it appears to be readly accepted in lethal amounts when offered to rats in either water solution or bait.
Towards Future Navier-Stokes Schemes: Uniform Accuracy, O(h) Time Step, and Accurate Viscous/Heat Fluxes

We report progress towards the development of Navier-Stokes schemes having the following features: uniform accuracy with a compact stencil for all Reynolds numbers, O(h) time step for all Reynolds numbers through the viscous limit, and simultaneous computation of diffusive fluxes (viscous stresses/heat fluxes) at the same order of accuracy as the main variables. In this paper, we show that various such schemes can actually be constructed for the advection-diffusion equation, in the form of finite-difference, finite-volume, or residual-distribution, based on a first-order hyperbolic advection-diffusion system, which is an extended system of the first-order hyperbolic diffusion system introduced in Ref.[1]. Following the study on the model problem, we discuss its extension to the Navier-Stokes equations and potential benefits of Navier-Stokes schemes that will emerge as a result.
RLLib: C++ Library to Predict, Control, and Represent Learnable Knowledge Using On/Off Policy Reinforcement Learning

RLLib is a lightweight C++ template library that implements incremental, standard, and gradient temporal-difference learning algorithms in reinforcement learning. It is an optimized library for robotic applications and embedded devices that operates under fast duty cycles e.g., $$\le $$30i¾źms. RLLib has been tested and evaluated on RoboCup 3D soccer simulation agents, NAO V4 humanoid robots, and Tiva C series launchpad microcontrollers to predict, control, learn behavior, and represent learnable knowledge.
Rival Team Influence on Team Identification and Cause-Related Sports Marketing

Cause-related marketing (CRM) has become increasingly popular with professional sport leagues and large charitable organizations (Genzale 2006). A prominent example is the National Football League’s (NFL) Pink Campaign, branded “A Crucial Catch,” with the American Cancer Society (ACS). While a large body of research suggests that CRM can positively affect purchase intentions and behavioral responses (e.g., Bhattacharya and Sen 2003), consumers’ response to CRM in a sports context may be confounded by team allegiances and rivalries (Platow et al. 1999). The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of rivalry in CRM on hometown team identification and consumer behavior in support of the cause.
Burning through Every Context: On Narrating the Modern Sublime in Jacob’s Room

An investigation of the narrative voice in Jacob’s Room leads O’Hara to track occurrences of the “unseizable force,” tantamount to a force of nature, embedded in the text. Through this force, O’Hara demonstrates, Woolf invokes a romantic version of the sublime, an overwhelming form of nature juxtaposed with transcendent reason; and in doing so, she conjures echoes of the great thinkers of the past, particularly Wordsworth, Kant, Coleridge, and Shelley. In Jacob’s Room, reason takes the shape of social critique, thereby lacing the sublime with ironic overtones. O’Hara finds the modern ironic sublime in scenes in the British Museum and then heightened when Jacob visits Greece. The final chapter underscores the transparency of the sublime, O’Hara argues, by allowing readers to inconclusively access multiple earlier thinkers.
Divided Education—Education in Ethnic Cylinders

Political elites in BiH are still fighting the war via soft issues like education and are using education to control the population in each of the three ethnic cylinders created by the DPA(Perry, 2012). Education has been used to continue the ethnic cleansing stopped by the end of the war, resulting in the three ethnic cylinders in which ethnic political elites engender hatred and stoke fears to stay in power. As a result, any ‘possibility of a multi-ethnic polity is often repressed and marginalized’ (Belloni, 2001, p. 173). Local politicians have attempted to dominate education policy in BiH in the post-war era with efforts to continue the ethnic cleansing policies of the war via education (Durmic-Kahrovic, 2000), using numerous and staunch efforts to preserve the ethnically divided education system (Perry & Keil, 2012; Stabback, 2007).
Otospermophilus beecheyi (Rodentia: Sciuridae)

Otospermophilus beecheyi (Richardson, 1829), the California ground squirrel (formerly, Beechey ground squirrel), is dorsally brown with silver spotting. This facultatively social and ecologically flexible species occurs at a range of elevations, has a wide dietary niche, and is common in California grasslands and oak woodlands. Although listed as “Least Concern,” it has a tenuous relationship with humans. It contributes to crop and infrastructure damage and is associated with the spread of zoonoses, including plague. Nonetheless, it is an important prey species for mammalian, reptilian, and avian predators and an ecosystem engineer that constructs burrows that benefit commensals. Ongoing study of its behavioral ecology continues to advance our understanding of mammalian antipredator behavior, disease transmission, behavioral plasticity, and social evolution.
Single-cell transcriptomics of small microbial eukaryotes: limitations and potential

Single-cell transcriptomics is an emerging research tool that has huge untapped potential in the study of microbial eukaryotes. Its application has been tested in microbial eukaryotes 50 μm or larger, and it generated transcriptomes similar to those obtained from culture-based RNA-seq. However, microbial eukaryotes have a wide range of sizes and can be as small as 1 μm. Single-cell RNA-seq was tested in two smaller protists (8 and 15 μm). Transcript recovery rate was much lower and randomness in observed gene expression levels was much higher in single-cell transcriptomes than those derived from bulk cultures of cells. We found that the reason of such observation is that the smaller organisms had much lower mRNA copy numbers. We discuss the application of single-cell RNA-seq in studying smaller microbial eukaryotes in the context of these limitations.
"... in God only one infinite act can be thought...": The Ambiguity of Divine Agency and the Diversity of Evil

The paper argues that God does not act but is creative activity, which helps to overcome evil by the possibilities of the good that it opens up for creatures in the face of evil.
The World is Flat...The World is Lumpy

Suitable for MBA, EMBA, GEMBA, and executive education programs, this note sets the stage to unfold an analysis of popular notions about how the world works. On one hand, some believe that global competition has created a flattened world and that globalization has leveled the playing field. Yet a zest to view the world as flat, others have said, results in an underestimation of the differences between countries—standardization, exact replication, and scale expansion on a global basis could be problematic. In this note, we acknowledge that the flat world has some lumps, but regardless of whether the world is considered to be flat or round, there are certain implications on both sides that business leaders need to be aware of in order to create global efficiency. The note offers three practical examples that students can work through and apply their learning. Excerpt UVA-S-0191 Aug. 12, 2011 THE WORLD IS FLAT…THE WORLD IS LUMPY? Despite the seemingly fresh arrival of the term “globalization,” it is really nothing new. The drive to explore the unknown can be traced back to ancient civilizations and those brave souls who set out to explore the earth—mostly by sea. Trade followed, as did tariff duties. What has changed over the centuries is the amount of contact and the form of engagement. Much of the movement toward a global economy occurred during three different periods. The latter part of the 1800s to the mid-1900s generally marks what historians consider the first wave of globalization when trading goods expanded to investing capital and labor in foreign countries. Immediately following World War II, declining trade barriers between countries set off a second wave. And since 1980, economic policy reform, particularly among developing countries, as well as declining transportation costs and technology advancements allowed more countries to enter global markets and resulted in the third wave of globalization. At first, reaching outside of one's borders was limited to a few industries—mostly consumer-product-driven firms. Incentives included lower production costs, access to resources (either natural or knowledge and skills of local populations), growth into new markets, financial value, and/or a desire to be viewed as a local company as opposed to a foreign-owned one. By the year 2000, service industries started to appreciate the gains from going global. Transportation efficiencies allowed us to produce and deliver resources, products, and services around the world. And the meaning of globalization transformed well beyond the concept of international trade to include increasing worldwide connectivity, integration, and interdependence of cultural, ecological, governmental, high-tech, and social spheres. . . .
Creating Harmony from Diversity: What Confucianism Reveals about the True Value of Liberal Education for the 21st Century

This paper takes inspiration from Confucius’s teachings on social harmony to suggest that the most salient defense of a liberal education is that it is the indispensible means by which to parlay our increasingly diverse student populations into a more harmonious global society for the 21st century and beyond. Given the ever-increasing diversity of local communities and the globality of our social and professional lives as the significance of political boundaries and local citizenship fades, traditional defenses of a liberal education on the grounds that it prepares students for meaningful participation in local democracies or that it abstractly enhances life satisfaction, while valid, are no longer sufficient. Realizing that Confucius understood diversity on many levels as essential to cultivating social and universal harmony may help to reveal greater contemporary relevance of his teachings and bolster advocacy for a liberal education.
Travel mode identification using bluetooth technology

Bluetooth technology has been widely used in transportation studies to collect traffic data. Bluetooth media access control (MAC) readers can be installed along roadways to collect Bluetooth-based ...
Pancreatic Fluid Collections and Pseudocysts in Patients With Acute Pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis (AP) has a wide range of pathological features, radiological appearances, and treatment options (1). In most cases, it is a mild and self-limiting disease. However, severe disease develops in approximately 20% of patients associated with local and systemic complications (2, 3, 4, 5). Fluid collections commonly complicate AP and occur in up to half of cases of patients with moderate-to-severe cases (6,7). These fluid collections are associated with increased morbidity and mortality 8) and represent an exudative or serous reaction to injury of the pancreas. Around 50% of these acute fluid collections resolve spontaneously within 6 weeks (7,9,10). Between 10 and 15% may progress to pseudocyst formation after developing a capsule, and pseudocysts present further potential clinical and management problems.
Erythroblast macrophage protein (Emp): Past, Present and Future

This review is a journey of the landmark erythroblast macrophage protein (Emp) discovered in 1994, and it walks chronologically through the progress that has been made in understanding the biological function of this protein. Historically, Emp was the first identified cell attachment molecule and is expressed in both erythroblasts and macrophages and mediates their attachments to form erythroblastic islands. The absence of Emp erythroblasts shows defects in differentiation and enucleation. Emp-deficient macrophages display immature morphology characterized by small sizes, round shapes, and the lack of cytoplasmic projections. Although the primary sequence of Emp has already been determined and its role in both erythroid and macrophage development is well established, there are major gaps in the understanding of its function at the molecular level. Recent studies had implicated its importance in actin cytoskeleton remodeling and cell migration, but the molecular mechanisms are still enigmatic. Previous studies have also demonstrated that downregulation of Emp affects the expression of mitogen-associated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1) and thymoma viral protooncogene (AKT-1) resulting in abnormal cell motility. In this review, we summarize the proposed function of Emp based on previous studies, present scenarios, and its plausible future in translational research.
A Novel Epidural Catheter Fixation Device

Epidurals are a method of long-term pain relief administered by injecting and continuously delivering an anesthetic via catheter in the spine. This method of pain relief is often used for patients in the Obstetrics/Gynecology unit as well as those in pre- and post-operational care. For almost 2 million singleton vaginal deliveries across 27 states in 2008 (representing 65% of all US singleton vaginal births in 2008), 61% of patients received some form of an epidural or spinal injection [1]. Additionally, this number has been increasing. For the 18 states for which 2006 and 2008 data are available, the average of the state-level increases in epidural/spinal injections is approximately 4.2% revealing an overall increase in these injections. Just between 2000 and 2010, the use of epidural injections increased by 160% [2]. Commonly, epidural catheters are inserted into the patient’s back in the appropriate location and then secured to the body with an adhesive medical dressing.Movement and subsequent dislocation of the catheter beneath the adhesive medical dressing can result in inefficient anesthetic delivery, increased patient discomfort, and repeated administration of the epidural. Secondary migration of epidural catheters is a problem responsible for failure in approximately 6.8% of epidurals administered [3]. Requiring an anesthesiologist to repeat the procedure is also an increased cost. A solution to secondary migration of epidural catheters would ensure effective delivery of the anesthetic to the patient, reduce the need for a repeated procedure, and prevent unwanted additional healthcare expenses.Copyright © 2017 by ASME
Neuromodulation for Treatment of Pediatric Defecatory Disorders

Defecatory disorders are relatively common in children and can have a significant detrimental impact on a child’s quality of life. Treatment options for constipation and fecal incontinence refractory to conventional treatment are limited and often invasive. Neuromodulation is a promising treatment modality for this population. Evidence for the use of sacral neuromodulation to treat children with refractory constipation and fecal incontinence has been growing over the past decade, and there are reports of clinical response in children with a variety of underlying disorders, including functional constipation, anorectal malformation, and spinal cord abnormalities. However, sacral neuromodulation does require surgery and can be associated with certain known risks of complications, which may require additional procedures. Less invasive forms of neuromodulation, like abdominal transcutaneous electrical stimulation and posterior tibial nerve stimulation, have been used for children with defecatory disorders to a limited extent and with mixed results. In this chapter, we review current applications of neuromodulation for treatment of pediatric defecatory disorders and discuss potential future applications.
Fine-grained, dynamic access control for database-backed applications

Flaws in access control checks in database-backed applications frequently lead to security vulnerabilities. I present a new language, ShillDB, for writing secure, database-backed applications. ShillDB supports writing declarative database security policies as part of program interfaces, and the language runtime enforces these security policies.
Genetics Basics & Mutations

One can never fully understand the process of evolution unless one has an understanding of the basic facts of inheritance, which explain variation.
Basin of Attraction and Limit Cycle Oscillation Amplitude of an Ankle-Hip Model of Balance on a Balance Board

The study of upright posture (UP) stability is of relevance to estimating risk of falls, especially among people with neuromuscular deficits. Several studies have addressed this problem from a system dynamic approach based on parameter bifurcation analyses, which provide the region of stability (RoS) and the delimiting bifurcation curves (usually Hopf and pitchfork) in some parameter-spaces. In contrast, our goal is to determine the effect of parameter changes on the size of the basin of attraction (BoA) of the UP equilibrium and the amplitude of the limit cycle oscillations (LCOs) emerging from the Hopf bifurcations (HBs). The BoA is an indicator of the ability of the UP to maintain balance without falling while LCOs may explain the sway motion commonly observed during balancing. In this study, a three degree of freedom model for a human balancing on a balance board was developed. Analysis of the model revealed the BoAs and the amplitude of the LCOs. Results show that physical parameters (time-delays and feedback control gains) have a large impact on the size of the BoA and the amplitude of the LCOs. Particularly, the size of the BoA increases when balancing on a rigid surface and decreases when either proprioceptive or combined visual and vestibular feedback gain is too high. With respect to the LCOs, it is shown that they emerge from both the subcritical and supercritical HBs and increase their amplitudes as some parameters vary.
Impact of road proximity on infants and children with bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

INTRODUCTION Infants born prematurely are at high risk for morbidities, including lung disease (bronchopulmonary dysplasia [BPD]). Little is known regarding environmental factors that can impact outcomes in BPD. We sought to assess the role of traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) on respiratory outcomes in BPD. METHODS A total of 784 subjects were included from the Johns Hopkins BPD clinic. Caregivers completed questionnaires on environmental exposures and respiratory outcomes (acute care use and chronic symptoms). Distance to the nearest major roadway was derived from subjects' geocoded residential addresses. RESULTS Approximately half of the subjects (53.8%) lived within 500 m of a major roadway. Subjects who lived within 500 m of a major roadway were more likely to be non-white (P = .006), have a lower estimated household income (P < .001) and live in more densely populated zip codes (P < .001) than those who lived further than 500 m away. For every 1 km increase in distance between residence and roadway, the likelihood of activity limitations decreased by 35% (P = .005). No differences in acute care use were seen with proximity to major roadways. CONCLUSIONS Proximity to a major roadway was associated with chronic respiratory symptoms, such as activity limitations (eg, dyspnea), and tended to be associated with nighttime symptoms as well. Self-reported minorities and families with lower estimated household incomes may be more likely to be exposed to TRAP. Further research is necessary to define the effects of TRAP versus other sources of indoor and outdoor air pollution as well as to determine the best ways of combatting pollution-related respiratory morbidities.
A Multifaceted Surgical Site Infection Prevention Bundle for Cesarean Delivery.

Objective Surgical site infections (SSI, including wound infections, endometritis, pelvic abscess, and sepsis) may complicate cesarean section (C/S). We report outcomes before and after the introduction of an SSI prevention bundle that did not include antibiotics beyond routine prophylaxis (cefazolin, or gentamicin/clindamycin for penicillin-allergic patients). Study Design The prevention bundle was introduced following an increase in C/S-associated SSI, which itself was associated with an institutional switch in preoperative scrub from povidone-iodine to chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG)/isopropanol. Components of the bundle included: (1) full-body preoperative wash with 4% CHG cloths; (2) retraining on surgeon hand scrub; (3) retraining for surgical prep; and (4) patient education regarding wound care. Patients delivered by C/S at ≥24 weeks of gestation were segregated into four epochs over 7 years: (1) baseline (18 months when povidone-iodine was used); (2) CHG scrub (18 months after skin prep was switched to CHG); (3) bundle implementation (24 months); and (4) maintenance (24 months following implementation). Results A total of 3,637 patients were included (n = 667, 796, 1098, and 1076, respectively, in epochs 1–4). A rise in SSI occurred with the institutional switch from povidone-iodine to CHG (i.e., from baseline to the CHG scrub epoch, 8.4–13.3%, p Conclusion Implementation of a prevention bundle was associated with a reduction in post-C/S SSI. This improvement was achieved without the use of antibiotics beyond standard preoperative dosing.
Connecting Real-World and In-School Problem-Solving Experiences

In this article, we address the challenge of supporting students in real-world problem solving as a vibrant part of their in-school experience of mathematics. On one hand, we describe the issues associated with using traditional schooling approaches to prepare students for success in a world that is increasingly characterized by complexity and rapid disciplinary change. Today’s STEM professionals need to adapt the knowledge they have learned in school in creative ways to use them effectively; thus it is desirable to provide learners with activities that offer a more realistic simulation of problem-solving settings beyond school. On the other hand, we argue that the schooling context does offer unique opportunities for reflecting on problem-solving experiences and for unpacking, extending, and formalizing ideas that emerge in students’ solutions to realistic problems. To balance these two needs, we describe Model-Eliciting Activities (MEAs) as authentic problem-solving settings, and we describe Model-Development Sequences (MDSs) as a framework for extension activities that help students to process the conceptual work they have done on MEAs and that help classroom groups to develop shared understandings that are consistent with disciplinary norms and conventions. With this frame in place, we then present a teaching episode extracted from ongoing design research, in which the first author elaborated and adapted an MDS in response to student needs that surfaced in the moment. We describe the instructional decisions that guided this work, and we articulate a set of six design principles for MDS sequences, which emerged through the author group’s reflective analysis of this implementation episode.
Vitamin C and inflammatory cytokine levels in elective total knee arthroplasty.

Background:Vitamin C levels are decreased in arthritis patients and reduced levels following surgery may impair adequate healing.Aim:This study measured changes in vitamin C and inflammatory marker...
Regional and income disparities in cost of living changes: evidence from Egypt

Inflation has been rising in Egypt since 2007, and reached record levels in 2017. It was more pronounced in rural Egypt and likely hurt the poor proportionately more, since rising food prices were ...
Uncertainty aware Search Framework for Multi-Objective Bayesian Optimization with Constraints.

We consider the problem of constrained multi-objective (MO) blackbox optimization using expensive function evaluations, where the goal is to approximate the true Pareto set of solutions satisfying a set of constraints while minimizing the number of function evaluations. We propose a novel framework named Uncertainty-aware Search framework for Multi-Objective Optimization with Constraints (USeMOC) to efficiently select the sequence of inputs for evaluation to solve this problem. The selection method of USeMOC consists of solving a cheap constrained MO optimization problem via surrogate models of the true functions to identify the most promising candidates and picking the best candidate based on a measure of uncertainty. We applied this framework to optimize the design of a multi-output switched-capacitor voltage regulator via expensive simulations. Our experimental results show that USeMOC is able to achieve more than 90 % reduction in the number of simulations needed to uncover optimized circuits.
Tax Reporting Implications of Asymmetric Treatment: Direct Subsidies Versus Tax Deductions

The Treasury Department recently criticized use of the federal income tax system to deliver indirect subsidies to taxpayers in the form of tax deductions, and recommended that all such deductions be eliminated. It recognized, however, that it would be necessary to replace some tax deductions with direct subsidies. Using an experimental economics design, we examined whether the form of the subsidy (tax deduction or direct subsidy) affects tax reporting. Despite the economic equivalence of the two forms of subsidy, we found that taxpayers disadvantaged by not receiving a direct subsidy reported more income than taxpayers disadvantaged by not receiving a tax deduction. In addition, we examined the effect of exchange equity on tax reporting by incorporating a public good into the experiment and distributing the public good either equally or unequally. We found that when the public good was allocated to offset inequities due to the asymmetric distribution of tax deductions or direct subsidies, disadvantaged taxpayers reported income comparable to that reported by equitably treated taxpayers. This result provides evidence that exchange equity can moderate horizontal inequity resulting form asymmetric tax deductions or direct subsidies.
Reflections on a Physician Assistant Entrance Exam: Does the Profession Need One?

ABSTRACT: Standardized entrance exams are used in many health professions as one way to objectively measure knowledge and facilitate comparisons across student groups. The physician assistant (PA) profession has historically not employed a profession-specific entrance exam, and the idea was never seriously explored until the Physician Assistant College Admissions Test was developed recently by a commercial assessment publisher, with field testing in some volunteer programs in 2018 and the exam's first administration in May of 2020. The 2020 Physician Assistant Education Association Presidents Commission chose to investigate the issues raised by a consensus-derived, PA-specific entrance exam to stimulate more informed discussion on the efficacy of such an exam. While it may have the potential to enhance efficiency in PA admissions and reduce variability in admissions requirements, a PA entrance exam would also likely introduce new challenges, including increased costs, impact on the diversity of the applicant pool, and incongruence with an increasingly holistic admissions process. The biggest barrier would likely be the lack of current consensus on the knowledge, skills, and attributes that matriculants need to be successful in the program and in clinical practice. Development of a consensus-derived PA entrance exam would be a complex, expensive, and time-consuming endeavor, requiring considerable attention to technical issues of psychometric quality, process transparency, and legal defensibility. Changes being made to health professions admissions practices due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the dropping of test scores as a requirement by some institutions, may make some of the issues raised in this paper more timely than ever.
Automated NLP Extraction of Clinical Rationale for Treatment Discontinuation in Breast Cancer

PURPOSEKey oncology end points are not routinely encoded into electronic medical records (EMRs). We assessed whether natural language processing (NLP) can abstract treatment discontinuation rationa...
Prenatal environmental variation, alternative reproductive tactics and the formation of a mixed-kin cooperative society

Abstract Although animal societies often evolve due to limited natal dispersal that results in kin clustering and facilitates cooperation among relatives, many species form cooperative groups with low and variable kin structure. To understand how such mixed-kin societies form despite their potential for social conflict, we investigated the environmental causes and subsequent fitness consequences of dispersal decisions in male cooperatively breeding superb starlings (Lamprotornis superbus) living in a climatically unpredictable environment. We show that the two alternative reproductive tactics—natal dispersal vs. philopatry—exhibit reproductive tradeoffs resulting in equal lifetime inclusive fitness. The tactic an individual adopts is governed by the environment its parents experience prior to laying rather than the environment it experiences as an adolescent. When individuals adopt the tactic not predicted by early life environmental conditions, their fitness is reduced. Ultimately, climate-driven oscillating selection may help stabilize mixed-kin animal societies by influencing alternative reproductive trajectories early in life.
Remotely estimating photosynthetic capacity, and its response to temperature, in vegetation canopies using imaging spectroscopy

Abstract To date, the utility of ecosystem and Earth system models (EESMs) has been limited by poor spatial and temporal representation of critical input parameters. For example, EESMs often rely on leaf-scale or literature-derived estimates for a key determinant of canopy photosynthesis, the maximum velocity of RuBP carboxylation ( V cmax , μmol m − 2 s − 1 ). Our recent work (Ainsworth et al., 2014; Serbin et al., 2012) showed that reflectance spectroscopy could be used to estimate V cmax at the leaf level. Here, we present evidence that imaging spectroscopy data can be used to simultaneously predict V cmax and its sensitivity to temperature ( E V ) at the canopy scale. In 2013 and 2014, high-altitude Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectroscopy (AVIRIS) imagery and contemporaneous ground-based assessments of canopy structure and leaf photosynthesis were acquired across an array of monospecific agroecosystems in central and southern California, USA. A partial least-squares regression (PLSR) modeling approach was employed to characterize the pixel-level variation in canopy V cmax (at a standardized canopy temperature of 30 °C) and E V , based on visible and shortwave infrared AVIRIS spectra (414–2447 nm). Our approach yielded parsimonious models with strong predictive capability for V cmax (at 30 °C) and E V (R 2 of withheld data = 0.94 and 0.92, respectively), both of which varied substantially in the field (≥ 1.7 fold) across the sampled crop types. The models were applied to additional AVIRIS imagery to generate maps of V cmax and E V , as well as their uncertainties, for agricultural landscapes in California. The spatial patterns exhibited in the maps were consistent with our in-situ observations. These findings highlight the considerable promise of airborne and, by implication, space-borne imaging spectroscopy, such as the proposed HyspIRI mission, to map spatial and temporal variation in key drivers of photosynthetic metabolism in terrestrial vegetation.
Outdoor Recreation: Experience Enlivens a Theory Course

(1977). Outdoor Recreation: Experience Enlivens a Theory Course. Journal of Physical Education and Recreation: Vol. 48, No. 6, pp. 17-17.
La internacionalización de la democracia en el sistema interamericano

Este articulo presenta la evolucion del tema de la proteccion de la democracia en el plano internacional como un fenomeno novedoso y estrechamente vinculado a la globalizacion y a los desarrollos economicos y tecnologicos de las ultimas decadas. Se analiza en particular las bases fundamentales del paradigma democratico como el unico regimen de gobierno que se reconoce como legitimo en el sistema interamericano. Asimismo contiene una especial referencia a la Carta Democratica Interamericana aprobada en el marco de la OEA, a sus principios y normas para la aplicacion de medidas de accion colectiva en determinadas situaciones que esten afectando gravemente el orden democratico en los Estados miembros. Finalmente se incluye una mirada critica a los alcances actuales de la proteccion internacional de la democracia en las Americas.
Chapter 15 HIV-related peripheral neuropathies

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the peripheral neuropathies. Peripheral neuropathy is one of the certain well-defined clinical category B conditions. In majority of patients, with typical HIV infection, each specific peripheral neuropathy is typically manifest at a certain point during the evolution of HIV infection, as discussed in the chapter. Distal symmetric polyneuropathy (DSP) is the most common by far and becomes common with advanced immunodeficiency and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Guillain–Barre syndrome (GBS), chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), and a usually benign form of mononeuropathy multiplex occur during the early asymptomatic phase of HIV infection, as apparent autoimmune phenomena. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) mononeuropathy multiplex and acute lumbosacral polyradiculopathy are characteristic of advanced immunodeficiency at a time the CD4+ T-cell counts are below 50 cells per mm 3 . In minority of patients, with diffuse infiltrative lymphocytosis syndrome, the likelihood of asymmetric or multifocal neuropathy is much higher and usually related to lymphocytic infiltration.
Tennenbaum at Penn and Rochester

This is the text of a lecture at the Logic Conference in Memory of Stanley Tennenbaum at the CUNY Graduate Center on April 7, 2006.
Advances in rare-earth-free permanent magnets

Recent constraints on availability and cost increase of rare-earth (RE) elements have stimulated a strong interest in the discovery of rare-earth-free materials with excellent permanent-magnet properties. Materials having energy products between alnico and Nd2Fe14B, in the range of 15 to 25 MGOe, would have important applications in energy conversion technologies. In this study, we discuss several approaches to this problem, including the development of novel materials without rare-earth elements, modification of known permanent-magnet alloys, and hard-soft exchange-coupled nanocomposites. Our recent research on rare-earth-free permanent-magnet materials, such as Co-rich Hf-Co and Zr-Co alloys, MnBi: X (X = Pt, Au, Fe), and FePt-based nanocomposites, is reviewed.
Jonathan Edwards and the Heidelberg Catechism

As part of the ongoing effort to reappraise the inﬂuence and use of the Heidelberg Catechism in early America, an important tradition to consider is New England Puritanism, and an important ﬁgure in that tradition, Jonathan Edwards. Though it might be assumed that Edwards had no interaction with the “Palatine Catechism,” a closer look reveals that it was actually a part of the religious culture. This essay looks for the ﬁrst time at Edwards’ exposure to the document and commentaries on it through colonial book-owning, and then focuses on two episodes in his life in which the Catechism played a role.
Open-chest epicardial "surgical" defibrillation: biphasic versus monophasic waveform shocks.

ZHANG, Y., et al.: Open-Chest Epicardial “Surgical” Defibrillation: Biphasic Versus Monophasic Waveform Shocks.The aim of the study was to compare biphasic versus monophasic shocks for open-chest epicardial defibrillation. Transthoracic biphasic waveform shocks require less energy to terminate ventricular fibrillation compared to monophasic waveform shocks. However, if biphasic shocks are effective for open-chest epicardial (“surgical”) defibrillation has not been established. Twenty-eight anesthetized adult swine (15–25 kg) underwent a midline sternotomy. Ventricular fibrillation was electrically induced. After 15 seconds of ventricular fibrillation, each pig in group 1(n = 16)randomly received damped sinusoidal monophasic epicardial shocks and truncated exponential biphasic epicardial shocks from large(44.2 cm2)paddle electrodes at eight energy levels(2–50 J). Pigs in group 2(n = 12)received monophasic and truncated exponential biphasic shocks from small(15.9 cm2)paddle electrodes. In group 1 (large paddle electrodes), the overall percent shock success rose from15 ± 9%at 2 J to97 ± 3%at 50 J. In this group there was no significant difference in percent of shock success between damped sinusoidal monophasic and biphasic waveform shocks. In group 2 (small paddle electrodes), biphasic shocks yielded a significantly higher percent of shock success than monophasic shocks at mid-energy levels from 7 to 20 J (allP < 0.01). With small surgical paddle electrodes, biphasic waveform shocks demonstrated a significantly higher percent of shock success rate compared to monophasic waveform shocks. With large paddle electrodes, the two waveforms were equally effective. (PACE 2003; 26:711–718)
The Iso-Dual Tesseract

In this work, we deploy Santilli's iso-dual iso-topic lifting and Inopin's holographic ring (IHR) topology as a platform to introduce and assemble a tesseract from two inter-locking, iso-morphic, iso-dual cubes in Euclidean triplex space. For this, we prove that such an "iso-dual tesseract" can be constructed by following a procedure of simple, flexible, topologically-preserving instructions. Moreover, these novel results are significant because the tesseract's state and structure are directly inferred from the one initial cube (rather than two distinct cubes), which identifies a new iso-geometrical inter-connection between Santilli's exterior and interior dynamical systems.
Storage capacity of bidirectional associative memories

The authors derive the storage capacity of a discrete bidirectional associative memory (BAM) based on the correct learning condition. The correct learning condition is a relaxed sufficient condition for a BAM matrix to possess the perfect recall property. In fact, the perfect recall property depends only on the way the equilibrium points are formed, since a discrete BAM is always asymptotically stable. The storage capacity provides a measure of probability that a given input to the BAM is perfectly recalled under the given situation. A comparison study between analytical and experimental results is reported. This experimental verification demonstrates the accuracy of the analytically derived formula for storage capacity. >
Interactions of NH3, coadsorbed with PF3, on Ru(001)

NH3, coadsorbed with PF3, on Ru(001) has been studied by temperature programmed desorption (TPD) and high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS). HREELS shows that the PF stretching frequency decreases by 60–90 cm−1 in the presence of NH3. This is explained by the enhancement, in the presence of NH3, of backdonation of electrons from the metal to the antibonding orbital of the PF3. The PF3 bending frequency does not change in the presence of NH3. This indicates that the σ donation of electrons from PF3 to the metal substrate is not influenced by coadsorbed NH3. The intensity of the PF3 vibrational bands, particularly the PF3 bending mode, decreases drastically in the presence of NH3. We interpret this in terms of electric field shielding created by the coadsorbed NH3 and/or the result of direct interactions between NH3 and PF3.
Progress on the National Ignition Facility (NIF)

NIF is a 192-beam ultraviolet laser facility under construction at LLNL. NIF will produce 1.8 MJ, 500 TW it the worldpsilas largest and most powerful laser system and preeminent ICF facility for ignition.
A new species of Galipea (Rutaceae) from Nicaragua and Costa Rica

Galipea granulosa from Nicaragua and adjacent Costa Rica is described and illustrated and its similarities toG. longiflora are discussed.
Synthesis of 6-amino-1-hexyl 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-3-, -4-, and -6-O-β-D-galactopyranosyl-β-D-glucopyranosides

Abstract 6-Aminohexyl glycosides of β- D -Gal→β- D -GlcNAc disaccharides having β-(1→3)-, β-(1→4)-, and β-(1→6)-Iinkages were prepared. 6-(Benzyloxycarbonylamino)-1-hexanol was glycosylated with 2-acetamido-3,4,6-tri-O-acetyl-2-deoxy-α- D -glucopyranosyl chloride, to yield (80 %) a crystalline β-glycoside acetate (3), Deacetylation of 3, followed by isopropylidenation (2,2-dimethoxypropane-TsOH) gave a crystalline 4,6-O-isopropylidene derivative (5) in 84% overall yield. Benzylation of 5 [benzyl bromide-BaO-Ba(OH2), in N,N-dimethylformamide] gave its 3-O-benzyl derivative, which was converted into 6-(benzyloxycarbonylamino)-1-hexyl 2-acetamido-3-O-benzyl-2-deoxy-β- D -glucopyranoside (7) in 69% overall yield. Glycosylation of 7 with 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-α- D -galactopyranosyl bromide (12) and silver trifluoromethanesulfonate in dry CH2Cl2 at 0° yielded the β-(1→6)-disaccharide glycoside (17) in 66% yield. Glycosylation of 5 with 12, using mercuric cyanide in 1: 1 (vlv) benzene-nitromethane at 60°, gave the β-(1→3)-disaccharide (86% yield). Limited benzylation of 7, followed by chromatography, gave its 3,6-di-O-benzyl derivative (9) in 47% yield. Glycosylation of 9 with 12 yielded the β-(1→4)-disaccharide (89%). Removal of the protecting groups under standard conditions yielded the desired 6-aminohexyl glycosides of the disaccharides.
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Contamination of Liquid Antacids: A Survey

In a recent survey, 279 retail packages of liquid antacid containing magnesium hydroxide as an active ingredient from 11 manufacturers, 21 raw materials, and six in‐process samples were examined for Pseudamonas aeruginosa.Eighty‐five of the finished bottles (30.5%) and two in‐process samples (33%) were positive. The aerobic plate count ranged from <100 to 9,300,000 organisms/ g. Nineteen of the total samples (6.8%), including one water sample used as a raw material, were contaminated with coliforms or Alcaligenessp. These samples had an aerobic plate count from <100 to 500,000 organisms/g.
Erratum to “‘You lost me at hello’: How and when accent-based biases are expressed and suppressed” [Intern. J. of Research in Marketing 30/2 (2013) 185–196]

a Department of Marketing, University of Central Florida, 4000 Central Florida Blvd, Orlando, FL 32816, United States b College of Business and Public Administration, Old Dominion University, 2147 Constant Hall, Norfolk, VA 23529, United States c School of Business, University of Kansas, 1300 Sunnyside Avenue, Summerfield Hall Room 315-F, Lawrence, KS 66045, United States d Department of Psychology, University of Kansas, 1415 Jayhawk Blvd., Lawrence, KS 66045, United States
Metabolic niche of a prominent sulfate-reducing human gut bacterium

Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) colonize the guts of ∼50% of humans. We used genome-wide transposon mutagenesis and insertion-site sequencing, RNA-Seq, plus mass spectrometry to characterize genetic and environmental factors that impact the niche of Desulfovibrio piger, the most common SRB in a surveyed cohort of healthy US adults. Gnotobiotic mice were colonized with an assemblage of sequenced human gut bacterial species with or without D. piger and fed diets with different levels and types of carbohydrates and sulfur sources. Diet was a major determinant of functions expressed by this artificial nine-member community and of the genes that impact D. piger fitness; the latter includes high- and low-affinity systems for using ammonia, a limiting resource for D. piger in mice consuming a polysaccharide-rich diet. Although genes involved in hydrogen consumption and sulfate reduction are necessary for its colonization, varying dietary-free sulfate levels did not significantly alter levels of D. piger, which can obtain sulfate from the host in part via cross-feeding mediated by Bacteroides-encoded sulfatases. Chondroitin sulfate, a common dietary supplement, increased D. piger and H2S levels without compromising gut barrier integrity. A chondroitin sulfate-supplemented diet together with D. piger impacted the assemblage’s substrate utilization preferences, allowing consumption of more reduced carbon sources and increasing the abundance of the H2-producing Actinobacterium, Collinsella aerofaciens. Our findings provide genetic and metabolic details of how this H2-consuming SRB shapes the responses of a microbiota to diet ingredients and a framework for examining how individuals lacking D. piger differ from those who harbor it.
Hybrid decomposition heuristics for solving large-scale scheduling problems in semiconductor wafer fabrication

Most shop-floor scheduling policies used in practice rely on dispatching, making use of only local information at individual workcenters. However, in semiconductor manufacturing environments, we have access to real-time shop-floor status information for the entire facility. In these complex facilities, there would appear to be significant potential for improved schedules by considering global shop information and using optimization-based heuristics. To this end, we propose a rolling horizon (RH) heuristic that decomposes the shop into smaller subproblems that can be solved sequentially over time using a workcenter-based decomposition heuristic. We develop test instances for evaluating our heuristic using a simulation model of an industrial facility. The results demonstrate that the proposed heuristic yields better schedules than the dispatching rules in the vast majority of test instances with reasonable computational effort.
Receptors, rafts, and microvesicles in thrombosis and inflammation.

Summary. Hemostasis at sites of blood vessel injury and its pathologic counterpart, thrombosis, involve a complex interplay between several blood elements: soluble proteins of the blood coagulation system, blood cells (most prominently platelets) and cell fragments, and elements of the vessel wall (endothelial cells and, at sites of injury, the exposed matrix and deeper cellular components). In this review, we focus on ways in which specialized membrane microdomains known as lipid rafts are involved in various phases of hemostasis and thrombosis.
A proposed computer education curriculum for secondary school teachers

A 1983 study investigated the certification of high school computer science teachers. A major portion of the study was devoted to the identification of those computer science courses most appropriate for such teachers and, therefore, for certification programs. This paper presents the results of the study and proposes a computer education core curriculum based on those results.
The Varieties of CitiStat

Baltimore’s performance strategy, CitiStat, has been adapted by a number of cities in the United States. None of these adaptations is identical to the original or to any of the others. In fact, this analysis identifies five important features of CitiStat along with 20 sub-traits of these features that can be used to specify the important differences among these various CitiStats.