cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Controls on back-arc crustal accretion: insights from the Lau, Manus and Mariana basins

Abstract Together, the Lau, Manus and Mariana basins encompass a broad range of conditions of back-arc basin development. Marine surveys have determined the tectonic setting and reconnaissance-scale geophysical and geochemical properties of the extension axes in these basins. We review these data to examine crustal accretion characteristics in the back-arc setting. In each basin magmatism is enhanced in spreading centres near the arc volcanic front, but decreases becoming ‘deficient’ in axes further from the arc. In the Lau and Manus basins the axes extend far behind the arc and develop typical mid-ocean ridge (MOR)-like characteristics. We propose that these variations are controlled by the subducting slab, which shapes composition and flow within the mantle wedge: water released from the slab lowers the mantle solidus and increases in concentration toward the volcanic arc. Spreading centres near the arc advect the hydrated mantle material, enhancing melt production. Slab-induced flow carries melt-depleted mantle material back beneath the basin where it mixes with ambient mantle. Spreading centres further from the arc advect this mantle mixture and produce thinner than normal crust. Far from the arc, spreading centres advect essentially mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB)-source mantle and their characteristics are MOR-like. Thus, in addition to spreading-rate effects on mantle melting that predominate at MORs, in back-arc basins the subducting slab introduces additional systematic effects.
Macroinvertebrate Community Responses to Gravel Addition in a Southeastern Regulated River

Abstract Sediment transport, one of the key processes of river systems, is altered or stopped by dams, leaving lower river reaches barren of sand and gravel, both of which are essential habitat for fish and macroinvertebrates. One way to compensate for losses in sediment is to supplement gravel to river reaches below impoundments. Because gravel addition has become a widespread practice, it is essential to evaluate the biotic response to restoration projects in order to improve the efficacy of future applications. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the response of the macroinvertebrate community to gravel addition in a high-gradient, regulated river in western North Carolina. We collected benthic macroinvertebrate samples from gravel-enhanced areas and unenhanced areas for 1 season before gravel addition, and for 4 seasons afterwards. Repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance indicated that the responses of macroinvertebrates to gravel addition were generally specific to individual taxa or...
Learning nonlinear functions with MLPs and SRNs

In this paper, nonlinear functions generated by randomly initialized multilayer perceptrons (MLPs) and simultaneous recurrent neural networks (SRNs) are learned by MLPs and SRNs. Training SRNs is a challenging task and a new learning algorithm - DEPSO is introduced. DEPSO is a standard particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm with the addition of a differential evolution step to aid in swarm convergence. The results from DEPSO are compared with the standard backpropagation (BP) and PSO algorithms. It is further verified that functions generated by SRNs are harder to learn than those generated by MLPs but DEPSO provides better learning capabilities for the functions generated by MLPs and SRNs as compared to BP and PSO. These three algorithms are also trained on several benchmark functions to confirm results.
Network analysis of information flows to integrate in-vehicle information systems

Many in-vehicle information systems (IVIS) are developed without consideration of how components need to be integrated. This can increase the cognitive load, errors and annoyance for drivers. This paper presents a taxonomy of IVIS functions and describes the information flows associated with these functions to show how a network analysis can guide integration. This analytic technique uses elements of graph theory to identify central functions and groups of functions that should be considered in system design. The analysis highlights potential dangers of failing to design integrated systems and the benefits of effective integration. Specifically, the analysis of information flows identifies highly central functions and groups of functions that are not obvious from the more traditional intuitive analysis of graphical representations.
Atlantic Hurricane Season of 1989

Abstract A general overview of the 1989 hurricane season is presented. Eleven named tropical cyclones were tracked, seven of which reached hurricane strength. Three hurricanes and a tropical storm struck the U.S. mainland. The large Cape Verde-type hurricanes dominated the season for the second consecutive year as Hugo raked the islands of the northeast Caribbean and devastated portions of the Carolinas making it the costliest hurricane ever.
Ferroelectricity in ultrathin perovskite films

We report studies of ferroelectricity in ultrathin perovskite films with realistic electrodes. The results reveal stable ferroelectric states in thin films less than $10\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{\AA{}}$ thick with polarization normal to the surface. Under short-circuit boundary conditions, the screening effect of realistic electrodes and the influence of real metal-oxide interfaces on thin film polarization are investigated. Our studies indicate that metallic screening from the electrodes is affected by the difference in work functions at oxide surfaces. We demonstrate this effect in ferroelectric $\mathrm{Pb}\mathrm{Ti}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ and $\mathrm{Ba}\mathrm{Ti}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ films.
Thermo-Responsive Shape Memory Self-Healing Polyurethanes and Composites With Continuous Carbon Fiber Reinforcement

Thermally responsive self-healing polyurethanes (1DA1T, 1.5DA1T, and 2DA1H) with shape memory property were developed and the fully reversible Diels-Alder (DA) and retro Diels-Alder (rDA) reactions were employed for the healing mechanism. The transition temperatures of the DA and rDA reactions were confirmed through a differential scanning calorimetry and the molecular level of analysis on the reversibility and the repeatability between the DA and rDA reactions were completed though a variable temperature proton nuclear magnetic resonance at the reaction temperatures. Also, compact tension specimens were made to observe the healing efficiencies. These specimens were healed without the use of external forces to close the crack surfaces after testing for the repeatable healing ability with three cycles. As a result, the average first healing cycle efficiencies of 80%, 84%, and 96% for 1DA1T, 1.5DA1T and 2DA1H, respectively, were achieved and small drops for the second and third healing cycles were observed. Then, using two of the self-healing polyurethanes as resins, continuous carbon fiber fabric reinforced polymer matrix composites (C1.5DA1T and C2DA1H) were fabricated and short beam shear testing was conducted to determine the healing capability on the delamination. Accordingly, the first healing efficiencies of 88% and 85% were measured without any additional treatments on the fibers; however, an external pressure was applied during the composite healing process.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Initial evaluation of the diving accident victim

Diving accidents include air embolism and decompression sickness. Both require early stabilization and initiation of therapy before transfer to a definitive medical center for recompression therapy. Initial treatment consists of hydration, oxygen therapy and often steroids and antithrombosis therapy. Symptoms must be separated from other related conditions including myocardial infarction.
Names and naming characters in African-language dramaturgy: the Yoruba example*

AbstractThis paper is a conceptual study of onomastics in the writings of Yoruba dramatists, focusing on a number of areas such as naming and cultural observance; naming and history; and naming, punning, and name-play. The study reveals that Yoruba playwrights, in general, make good use of names and naming to express opinions or make philosophical comments regarding characters and roles assigned to them. Furthermore, the research suggests that names selected by Yoruba playwrights serve as windows into their artistic methods, reflecting the playwrights’ maneuvering hands, their intentions, their frameworks, and their literary superstructures. Names, therefore, help to identify character types, reflect philosophical and moral positions that characters represent, and provide clues to the meaning of texts. This paper then concludes that names, for Yoruba playwrights, are not mere ornamental devices, but rather vital aspects of their literary art.
A Muckraker Battles Alienation in Organization Studies: Introducing Culbert’s “Transorganizational Muckraking: Method and Style”

For years Samuel Culbert has been providing penetrating analysis of how modern organizations are mismanaged, and the dysfunctional assumptions managers make. Presented are two papers describing his...
Insect Aerial Populations

From May 3, 1934 to May 11, 1935, flying insects were collected daily over a known distance by means of a net attached to the front fender of an automobile. These collections were made morning and evening of each day, if the temperature was above 40° F., and at noon during winter days when the temperature reached 40° F. Five hundred and twenty-five trips, or an aggregate of 2,100 miles, resulted in the collection of over 74,000 insects. From May 3, 1934, to June 19, 1934, the collections were made along four miles of pavement, Route 68, extending east from Horse Cave, Kentucky. From June 20, 1934 to May 11, 1935, the collections were made along a two-mile strip of highway extending northwest of Danville, Illinois, across Lake Vermilion. It was impossible to continue collections until June 20, 1935, in order to complete the year at Danville, Illinois.
KINETIC MODEL OF A HELICON PLASMA SOURCE FOR VASIMR

Plasma kinetic model for the analysis of composition of partially ionized hydrogen gas in the helicon plasma source used in the VASIMR thruster is developed. Zero dimensional model provides a calculation of the main parameters of the helicon hydrogen discharge. It solves a set of 14 coupled non-linear plasma chemistry equations with relevant boundary conditions. To calculate mean velocity of the gas flow we use hybrid mixed-collisional pipe flow model. Numerical results are benchmarked against current VX-1 data for hydrogen, deuterium and helium discharges. They also used to explain some of the experimental observations. Next the model is used to predict helicon plasma source performance in space, including next step VF-10 configuration. The following effects are analyzed: gas pre-heating, catalytic break of molecules, role of vacuum chamber pressure and baffles to retain gas. We discuss a possibility of fully kinetic simulation of multidimensional gas flow in a channel and relative importance of various gas-plasma collisions.
A dynamic physics-based model for tubular IPMC sensors under torsional excitation

Ionic polymer-metal composites (IPMCs) have intrinsic sensing and actuation properties. An IPMC sensor typically has the beam shape and responds to bending deﬂections only. Recently tubular IPMCs have been proposed for omnidirectional sensing of bending stimuli. In this paper we report, to our best knowledge, the ﬁrst study on torsion sensing with tubular IPMCs. In particular, a dynamic, physics-based model is presented for a tubular IPMC sensor under pure torsional stimulus. With the symmetric tubular structure and the pure torsion condition, the stress distribution inside the polymer only varies along the radial direction, resulting in a one-dimensional model. The dynamic model is derived by analytically solving the governing partial diﬀerential equation, accommodating the assumed boundary condition that the charge density is proportional to the mechanically induced stress. Experiments are further conducted to estimate the physical parameters of the proposed model.
Fluorine concentrations of ore fluids in the Illinois-Kentucky district: Evidence from SEM-EDS analysis of fluid inclusion decrepitates

Abstract The Illinois-Kentucky district is an atypical occurrence of Mississippi Valley-type (MVT) mineralization that consists predominantly of fluorite rather than metal sulfide minerals. A long-standing assumption for the predominance of fluorite in the Illinois-Kentucky district is that the ore fluids there were anomalously rich in dissolved fluorine compared to typical sedimentary brines and other MVT ore fluids. This hypothesis is based on the unusual close temporal and spatial association of fluorine-rich ultramafic igneous rocks to MVT mineralization in the district, high K and Sr concentrations in the igneous rocks and in MVT ore-hosted fluid inclusions, a significant mantle 3He/4He component in ore-hosted fluid inclusions, and reaction path models that show titration of a HF-rich fluid into sedimentary brine is capable of producing a fluorite-dominated MVT ore mineral assemblage. The purpose of the present study was to test this hypothesis more directly by determining the fluorine concentration of the Illinois-Kentucky ore fluid through SEM-EDS analysis of evaporative solute mounds resulting from thermal decrepitation of fluid inclusions hosted in sphalerite. All 26 evaporative solute mounds from Illinois-Kentucky sphalerite samples analyzed contained detectable concentrations of fluorine of 1–4 weight percent. Based on calibration to standard solutions and previously published fluid inclusion major element concentrations, these solute mound fluorine concentrations correspond to fluid inclusion fluorine concentrations of about 680–4300 ppm, indicating that the Illinois-Kentucky ore fluids were quite rich in fluorine compared to typical sedimentary brines, which have fluorine concentrations mainly on the order of 1’s to 10’s of ppm. In contrast, solute mounds from sphalerite-hosted fluid inclusions from the Tri-State district did not contain fluorine in excess of the detection limit. The detection limit equates to an aqueous fluorine concentration between 87 and 169 ppm. The high apparent fluorine concentrations of the Illinois-Kentucky fluid inclusions suggest that the ore fluids were very acidic with a pH ranging between 0 and 1.4, much lower than the typical pH range of MVT ore fluids of 4–5.5. Such a low pH would have greatly increased the solubility of metal sulfide minerals, suppressing their precipitation and contributing further to the predominance of fluorite in the Illinois-Kentucky district.
Long-term changes in fusiform rust incidence in the southeastern United States

Fusiform rust is the most devastating disease of slash pine (Pinus elliottii) and loblolly pine (Pinus taeda )i n the southeastern United States. Since the 1970s, the USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program has assessed fusiform rust incidence on its network of ground plots in 13 states across the southeastern United States. Through analysis of the FIA data, we found that current fusiform rust incidence varied by state, forest type, and stand origin and that across all stand ages, rust incidence was approximately equal in planted and natural stands of loblolly pine but was higher for planted versus natural stands of slash pine. Decreases in rust incidence over the last 30 – 40 years were evident in young planted loblolly pine stands but not in young planted slash pine stands. Results for slash pine were surprising, and the reasons remain unclear but one reason may be planting stock origin, which was unknown and may be highly variable in rust resistance. These analyses of FIA rust incidence data also were used to update the original rust disease hazard maps published by Starkey et al. (1997).
Tea in China: A Religious and Cultural History, by James A. Benn

Considering tea’s centrality in Chinese religion and culture, I was surprised to realize that Tea in China is the first English-language monograph on this topic. James A. Benn uses a wealth of prim...
Modelling biological processes in water treatment: the integrated biofiltration model

Biofiltration is a form of biofilm process used to make drinking waters biologically stable, which means that the water does not support excessive bacterial growth when it is distributed. Biofiltration avoids the many quality problems associated with biological instability: high chlorine doses, disinfection by-products, accelerated corrosion, taste and odours, high turbidity, and increased plate counts or coliforms. Most designs of biofilters have been empirical. However, using a mechanistic model as a design tool can improve process reliability and the effectiveness of pilot and laboratory studies on biofiltration. Unfortunately, models that include the critical phenomena have been quite complex; they are good research tools, but are not easily used for routine design and analysis. The Integrated Biofilm Model (IBM) is a spreadsheet program that includes all the key phenomena for biofiltration of drinking water, but is simple to use. Specifically included in the model are the consumption and production of chemical species (input substrates, end products and soluble microbial products); heterotrophic and nitrifying bacteria; inert biomass; physical processes, such as transport and detachment; and the relationships between all of the different organisms and chemical species. An example shows the inputs to the model and the kind of trends that it predicts for original substrates, soluble microbial products, and biofilm biomass. The IBM makes iterative design and analysis of biofiltration processes straightforward.
Doctrinal Roots of Short-Termism

This chapter examines short-termism in the United States and connects it with doctrinal antecedents in the received neoclassical theory. Specifically, it argues that capital in wealthy, post-industrial societies must be defined relative to preferred outcomes for which capital assets are to be deployed. This is consistent with the neoclassical profit Tacuna’ that in disequilibrium conflates the ‘productivity’ of asset placements by capitalists with the ‘non-productivity’ of asset placements by rentiers. Also conflated are the rewards to the respective classes of capitalists and rentiers. Consequently, the unbridled pursuit of self-interest in wealthy, financially sophisticated economies leads frequently to rentseeking, ‘pseudo-capitalist’ behaviours in which institutions and individuals ‘untether’ themselves from the conventional capitalist relationship: holding capital ‘patiently’ over the longer term. In sum, the pursuit of self-interest may not articulate with the attainment of the common good when financial innovations enable pseudo-capitalists to shed asset positions prematurely.
Increasing Appropriate BRCA1/2 Mutation Testing: The Role of Family History Documentation and Genetic Counseling in a Multidisciplinary Clinic

Background Findings show that 5–10 % of women with a diagnosis of breast cancer (BCa) have actionable genetic mutations. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines for testing to detect BRCA1/2 mutations include personal history (PH) variables such as age of 45 years or younger and a family history (FH) variables. Rates of FH documentation and overall rates of appropriate referral for genetic testing are low, ranging from about 30 to 60 %. The authors hypothesized that an upfront FH documentation and inclusion of a genetics counselor in a multidisciplinary clinic (MDC) setting would increase rates of appropriate referral for genetic testing.
Management and outcomes of acute pancreatitis patients over the last decade: A US tertiary-center experience.

Abstract Background/objectives Acute pancreatitis (AP) management remains largely supportive and can be challenging in patients with severe disease. This study aims to describe a ten-year US tertiary-center experience in managing AP patients. Methods Clinical management and outcomes of 400 prospectively enrolled AP patients stratified by the Revised Atlanta Classification were analyzed; trends in management between early (2004–2008) and late enrollment phase (2009–2014) were assessed. Results Fifty-two% of patients were classified as mild AP (MAP); moderately severe (MoAP) and severe (SAP) grades contained 23.5% and 24.5% of participants. Intravenous fluid administration during the first 24 h (MAP 3.7, MoAP 4.7, and SAP 4.8 L), need for ICU (6%, 23%, 93%), and nutritional support (7%, 51%, 90%) increased significantly with greater AP severity (p Conclusions This study provides an extensive report on clinical management of AP and its trends overtime. Pancreatic intervention is required in less than 50% of patients with necrotizing pancreatitis. Utilization of enteral nutrition and minimally invasive pancreatic interventions has been increasing over time.
Seasonal expression of migratory behavior in a facultative migrant, the pine siskin

The vast majority of what is known about migration comes from studies of obligate migration—regular and predictable “to-and-fro” seasonal movements. Much less is known about facultative migration, which occurs less predictably in space and time. Here, we use pine siskins (Spinus pinus), nomadic and irruptive finches, as a captive model to advance our understanding of facultative migration. Building on approaches used to study obligate migration, we investigate whether pine siskins exhibit migratory restlessness in captivity, similar to obligate migrants, and whether pine siskins express a seasonal pattern of migratory behavior. Pine siskins exhibited nocturnal migratory restlessness that was remarkably similar to that in obligate migrants; it was characterized by jumping and wing whirring behavior that was preceded by a period of quiescence. This behavior was expressed seasonally, peaking in the spring, when free-living pine siskins frequently migrate. As in many obligate migrants, migratory restlessness in pine siskins coincided with elevated body condition and showed minimal overlap with body molt. Although pine siskins are both nocturnal and diurnal migrants, patterns of diurnal activity did not mirror patterns of nocturnal activity and were more difficult to interpret. Free-living pine siskins frequently migrate in the fall, but in captivity showed no clear pattern of fall migratory restlessness. We suggest that this could reflect a relatively predictable and programmed spring migration and a more facultative fall migration. Migrations are undertaken by a diverse array of animals and are important to the functioning of many ecosystems. The goal of this study was to shed light on an important, but understudied form of migration: facultative migration. Facultative migrations occur less predictably than the better-studied “to-and-fro” seasonal migrations of obligate migrants. Using a songbird, the pine siskin, as a model, we sought to determine if pine siskins express a migratory state in captivity and whether pine siskins exhibit a seasonal pattern of migratory behavior. We found that pine siskins showed behavioral and physiological changes associated with a migratory state, which were remarkably similar to those in obligate migrants. Pine siskins showed seasonal changes in migratory behavior in the study that suggest that this species has a predictable and programmed spring migratory period and a much more flexible fall migration.
Evaluations and Bounds on Elastic Moduli of Heterogeneous Materials

This chapter is concerned with composites and polycrystals, consisting of two or more distinct phases that have known stiffnesses L r defined in the fixed overall coordinate system of a representative volume V. Phase volume fractions C r \( \Sigma_{{r = 1}}^n\,{c_r} = 1, \) are no longer small, hence evaluation of both overall properties and local fields must reflect interactions between individual phase volumes. Spatial distribution of the phases in V is statistically homogeneous, as described in Sect. 3.2.2, and perfect bonding is assumed at all interfaces. Of interest are derivations of upper and lower bounds on the overall stiffness \( {L} = {{L}^{\text{T}}} \) and compliance \( {M} = {{L}^{{ - 1}}} \) of the aggregate, and of estimates of phase volume averages of strain and stress fields, caused in the heterogeneous system by application of uniform overall strain \( {{\varepsilon }^0} \) or stress \( {{\sigma }^0} \). Those are sought in terms of known volume fractions, elastic moduli, shape and alignment of the constituent phases, Sects. 6.1 and 6.2.
Visual Hull Method for Realistic 3D Particle Shape Reconstruction Based on High-Resolution Photographs of Snowflakes in Free Fall from Multiple Views

AbstractA visual hull method for reconstruction of realistic 3D shapes of snowflakes and other hydrometeors based on high-resolution photographs of particles in free fall from multiple views captured by a multiangle snowflake camera (MASC), or another similar instrument, is proposed and presented. The visual hull of an object is the maximal domain that gives the same silhouettes as the object from a certain set of viewpoints. From the measured fall speed and the particle shape reconstruction, the particle density and dielectric constant are estimated. This is the first time 3D shape reconstructions based on multiple high-resolution photographs of real (measured) snowflakes are performed. The results are clearly much better than any similar data in the literature. They demonstrate—in experiments involved in real snowstorm observations and those with simulated and fake 3D-printed snowflakes—sufficient silhouette information from the five cameras of the expanded MASC system and excellent performance of the i...
Spatio-Temporal Covariance Functions Generated by Mixtures

Spatio-temporal covariance functions are introduced in this paper by using two approaches: (1) positive power mixture of purely spatial and purely temporal covariances, and (2) scale mixture of purely spatial and purely temporal covariances. Various parametric and nonparametric families of nonseparable spatio-temporal covariance functions are obtained with appropriate selections of the mixing function and covariances being mixed.
Privacy preference modeling and prediction in a simulated campuswide IoT environment

With the advent of the Internet of Things (IoT), users are more likely to have privacy concerns since their personal information could be collected, analyzed, and utilized without notice by the networked IoT devices and services. Users may want to control all such activities by explicitly expressing their privacy preferences. However, it is becoming increasingly difficult for users to do so, not only because of the cognitive burden of continuously making privacy decisions for IoT services, but also because IoT devices have no, or only very restricted, user interfaces. Intelligent software helping users make better privacy decisions will be an important component of privacy-preserving IoT environments. In order to construct such a component, we aim to verify whether it will be possible to computationally model and predict users' privacy preferences in IoT. To that end, we survey 172 participants in a simulated campuswide IoT environment about their privacy preferences regarding hypothetical personal information tracking scenarios. Then, we cluster the scenarios based on the survey responses, arriving at four clusters with distinct associated privacy preferences. Based on the clustering results, we uncover contextual factors that induce privacy violations in IoT. Finally, we build machine learning models to predict users' privacy decisions, using both contextual information and the corresponding cluster membership as training data. The final trained model shows 77% accuracy in predicting users' decisions whether or not to allow the respective IoT scenario.
Peru: The Evolution of a Crisis

Introduction The Geographic and Demographic Setting The Years Before 1919 The Evolution of the Modern Political System: 1919-1968 Military Reformism: 1968-1980 The Belaunde Reprise: 1980-1985 Alan Garcia Perez at the Height of His Power: 1985-1987 The Decline of Alan Garcia Perez: 1987-1989 Selected Bibliography Index
Boundary Layer Quasi-Equilibrium (BLQ)

Boundary layer quasi-equilibrium (BLQ) is a theory of how moist convection is controlled over the warm tropical oceans. Theories of convective control fall into two categories, those which postulate that convection is controlled by the large scale convergence of moisture, and those which insist that convection is controlled by the production and destruction of convective instability. BLQ falls in the latter category and pays particular attention to the role of the subcloud or boundary layer in determining instability. This presentation is based on work published by Raymond [16] and Emanuel [6].
Factors Affecting Web Disclosure Adoption in the Nonprofit Sector

Nonprofit organizations (NPOs) are strategically using their own personal website to present themselves to the public and share information. Despite the potential benefits of enhanced public confid...
Where can switchgrass production be more profitable than corn and soybean? An integrated subfield assessment in Iowa, USA

Perennial bioenergy crops are considered an important feedstock for a growing bioeconomy. However, in the USA, production of biofuel from these dedicated, nonfood crops is lagging behind federal mandates and markets have yet to develop. Most studies on the economic potential of perennial biofuel crops have concluded that even high-yielding bioenergy grasses are unprofitable compared to corn/soybeans, the prevailing crops in the United States Corn Belt. However, they did not account for opportunities precision agriculture presents to integrate perennials into agronomically and economically underperforming parts of corn/soybean fields. Using publicly available subfield data and market projections, we identified an upper bound to the areas in Iowa, United States, where the conversion from corn/soybean cropland to an herbaceous bioenergy crop, switchgrass, could be economically viable under different price, land tenancy, and yield scenarios. Assuming owned land, medium crop prices, and a biomass price of US$ 55 Mg1, we showed that 4.3% of corn/soybean cropland could break even when converted to switchgrass yielding up to 10.08 Mg ha-1. The annualized change in net present value on each converted subfield patch ranged from just above US$ 0 ha-1 to 692 ha-1. In the three counties of highest economic opportunity, total annualized producer benefits from converting corn/soybean to switchgrass summed to US$ 2.6 million, 3.4 million, and 7.6 million, respectively. This is the first study to quantify an upper bound to the potential private economic benefits from targeted conversion of unfavorable corn/soybean cropland to switchgrass, leaving arable land already under perennial cover unchanged. Broadly, we conclude that areas with high within-field yield variation provide highest economic opportunities for switchgrass conversion. Our results are relevant for policy design intended to improve the sustainability of agricultural production. While focused on Iowa, this approach is applicable to other intensively farmed regions globally with similar data availability.
Basic Concepts in Clinical Immunology

With the rapid advancements in immunochemistry and protein analytic techniques, our present day concept of immunologic terms and definitions has been greatly modified. Older definitions, although still in use, have been redefined as new information on the molecular properties of immunogenic proteins became available. In the following section, a brief account of modern immunologic terms is presented, so that the clinical application, interpretation, as well as limitations of each immunologic technique are understood in proper perspective.
Simulation Power Analysis

Computer simulation has been applied to VLSI design for several decades. Most simulation programs operate on mathematical models which mimic the physical laws and properties of the object under simulation. Today, simulation is used for functional verification, performance, cost, reliability and power analysis. Many simulation languages have been developed specifically for IC’s. For example in digital logic simulation, VHDL (Very High Speed IC Hardware Description Language) and Verilog are two popular languages being used. Special purpose hardware has also been developed to speed up the simulation process.
Optimal Approach to Thoracic Outlet Syndrome: Transaxillary, Supraclavicular, or Infraclavicular

Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) is not a single entity. By definition, TOS is compression of the neurovascular bundle in the thoracic outlet area eliciting symptoms in the upper extremity. The neurovascular bundle, comprising nerve, artery, and vein, gives rise to three types of TOS: neurogenic, arterial, and venous. When using the term TOS, most people are referring to the neurogenic form which comprises over 95% of all TOS patients; venous TOS makes up 3% and arterial TOS 1%. Because the optimal approach for each of the three types is different, it is important to define which type of TOS is being discussed.
The opto-mechanical design of SAMOS: a DMD-based spectrograph for the SOAR telescope

We present the opto-mechanical design of SAMOS, the SOAR Adaptive-Module Optical Spectrograph. SAMOS is a multi-object, reconfigurable-slit spectrograph designed to fully exploit the Ground Layer Adaptive Optics (GLAO) laser guide system of SOAR, i.e. the SOAR Adaptive Module (SAM). While it is designed to maximize sensitivity, it can also efficiently operate in regular seeing limited conditions. It will operate in the optical spectrum, covering a bandpass of 400 - 950 nm, in two exposures, utilizing four grims: two to produce low resolution spectra, i.e. R » 3000, as well as two narrow bandpass, high resolution spectra at R » 10, 000. The instrument uses a large-format Digital Micromirror Device (DMD), a programmable array of miniature mirrors, as a programmable slit to steer light from the telescope focal plane into either a spectroscopic arm or an imaging arm. The DMD can be reconfigured in seconds, allowing a vast range of slit widths and lengths; each being a multiple of mirrors wide and long. In SAMOS this facilitates the collection of up to as many as 200 spectra simultaneously, allowing a multitude of slit configurations, which can be optimized for seeing and science, and, at the same time, enables parallel science imaging of non-dispersed targets through a suite of broad and narrowband filters. SAMOS is a very compact instrument, by necessity. It attaches to the SOAR Adaptive Optics Module (SAM), fitting in a location with limited space, requiring a highly folded, compact optical design. This paper discusses the opto-mechanical design of SAMOS, including the overall system design as well as detailed descriptions of the optical mounts and mechanisms.
Appropriateness of Hospital Admission for Emergency Department Patients with Bronchiolitis: Secondary Analysis.

Background: Bronchiolitis is the leading cause of hospitalization in children under 2 years of age. Each year in the United States, bronchiolitis results in 287,000 emergency department visits, 32%-40% of which end in hospitalization. Frequently, emergency department disposition decisions (to discharge or hospitalize) are made subjectively because of the lack of evidence and objective criteria for bronchiolitis management, leading to significant practice variation, wasted health care use, and suboptimal outcomes. At present, no operational definition of appropriate hospital admission for emergency department patients with bronchiolitis exists. Yet, such a definition is essential for assessing care quality and building a predictive model to guide and standardize disposition decisions. Our prior work provided a framework of such a definition using 2 concepts, one on safe versus unsafe discharge and another on necessary versus unnecessary hospitalization. Objective: The goal of this study was to determine the 2 threshold values used in the 2 concepts, with 1 value per concept. Methods: Using Intermountain Healthcare data from 2005-2014, we examined distributions of several relevant attributes of emergency department visits by children under 2 years of age for bronchiolitis. Via a data-driven approach, we determined the 2 threshold values. Results: We completed the first operational definition of appropriate hospital admission for emergency department patients with bronchiolitis. Appropriate hospital admissions include actual admissions with exposure to major medical interventions for more than 6 hours, as well as actual emergency department discharges, followed by an emergency department return within 12 hours ending in admission for bronchiolitis. Based on the definition, 0.96% (221/23,125) of the emergency department discharges were deemed unsafe. Moreover, 14.36% (432/3008) of the hospital admissions from the emergency department were deemed unnecessary. Conclusions: Our operational definition can define the prediction target for building a predictive model to guide and improve emergency department disposition decisions for bronchiolitis in the future.
The economic viability of suppressive crop rotations for the control of verticillium wilt in organic strawberry production

ABSTRACTSoil-borne diseases and nitrogen availability are important limits on organic strawberry production. A trial using suppressive crop rotations to combat Verticillium wilt was conducted to se...
The awkward biography of the young Washington Okumu: CIA asset (?) and the Prayer Breakfast’s man in Africa

Washington Okumu (1936–2016) is now largely forgotten, but he had had a burst of fame as the mediator that brought the Inkatha Freedom Party back into South Africa’s democratic elections of 1994. T...
The interaction of sociodemographic risk factors and measures of nicotine dependence in predicting maternal smoking during pregnancy.

Abstract Background Understanding differences in nicotine dependence assessments’ ability to predict smoking cessation is complicated by variation in quit attempt contexts. Pregnancy reduces this variation, as each pregnant smoker receives the same strong cessation incentive. Cigarette smoking during pregnancy (SDP) provides a powerful paradigm for analyzing the interplay between nicotine dependence measures and sociodemographics in predicting cessation failure. Methods Data from a female twin cohort (median birth year 1980), assessed in teens and early twenties, were merged with birth records to identify those with smoking history who experienced childbirth (N = 1657 births, N = 763 mothers). Logistic regression predicting SDP, as a function of birth record sociodemographic variables, generated a sociodemographic risk-score. Further analysis incorporated the risk-score with data from research interviews on DSM-IV-Nicotine Dependence symptom count, Heaviness of Smoking Index. Results Low maternal educational level, younger age at childbirth, and being unmarried all contributed risk for SDP. In addition to sociodemographic risk-score, the best predictors of SDP included HSI-score (OR:1.51), their two-way interaction (OR:0.39; reduced impact of dependence at intermediate-high sociodemographic risk), history of ≥ two failed quit attempts (OR:1.38), and a dummy variable for prior pregnancy at time of assessment (OR:1.82). DSM-IV-Nicotine Dependence symptoms underperformed the Heaviness of Smoking Index and did not improve prediction when added to the best model. Conclusions The 2-item Heaviness of Smoking Index measure and report of ≥ two failed quit attempts performed best for predicting SDP. The contribution of either nicotine dependence measure to SDP risk was diminished at increased levels of sociodemographic risk.
Adsorptive filtration of lead by electrospun PVA/PAA nanofiber membranes in a fixed-bed column

Abstract Poly(vinyl) alcohol/poly(acrylic) acid (PVA/PAA) nanofiber membranes were fabricated using electrospinning and showed good water stability and mechanical strength. Their application in lead (Pb(II)) removal from water was evaluated in a continuous fixed-bed column under varying conditions. The filtration was more efficient with a low feed concentration and low flow rate in terms of the elevated adsorption capacity and better bed utilization efficiency. The dynamic adsorption process was independent of bed height, so the fibers can be used as multilayer membranes in a fixed-bed column. The saturated column material could be regenerated and reused. The breakthrough curves were well fitted with the dose-response model, and the maximum adsorption capacity was 288 mg/g with the initial Pb(II) concentration of 1 mg/L. When tap water was used, the amount of water that can be treated before the effluent reached 15 μg/L increased by three times compared to the treatment of NaCl solutions, and a very high improvement was observed at pH 7 (4.5 L) than pH 5 (2.0 L) in tap water. These differences were further confirmed by the extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy, where a decreased coordination number and decreased interatomic distance between Pb and C were observed for tap water. This study provides valuable insights in the application of PVA/PAA nanofiber membranes in a dynamic system for Pb(II) removal, and sheds light on the interatomic behavior between Pb(II) and the nanofiber membranes in a flow-through system.
Complex networks are structurally distinguishable by domain

Complex networks arise in many domains and often represent phenomena such as brain activity, social relationships, molecular interactions, hyperlinks, and re-tweets. In this work, we study the problem of predicting the category (domain) of arbitrary networks. This includes complex networks from different domains as well as synthetically generated graphs from six different network models. We formulate this problem as a multiclass classification problem and learn a model to predict the domain of a new previously unseen network using only a small set of simple structural features. The model is able to accurately predict the domain of arbitrary networks from 17 different domains with 95.7% accuracy. This work makes two important findings. First, our results indicate that complex networks from various domains have distinct structural properties that allow us to predict with high accuracy the category of a new previously unseen network. Second, synthetic graphs are trivial to classify as the classification model can predict with near-certainty the graph model used to generate it. Overall, the results demonstrate that networks drawn from different domains and graph models are distinguishable using a few simple structural features.
Designing and Operationalizing a Civic Data Infrastructure in Atlanta's Westside Neighborhoods

My doctoral research aims to understand if civic data infrastructures can be designed and operationalized to serve the data equity and advocacy needs of minoritized communities. I do this using a combination of participatory and ethnographic research methods to investigate the infrastructural elements of the Communities Who Know Data Dashboard. This research will be useful to both designers and users of civic data infrastructures as it will account for the socio, material, political, organizational and technological elements that are necessary for a community to learn, use and build civic data infrastructures that best serve their needs.
Potential of CdZnTe Thin Film Back Buffer Layer for CdTe Solar Cells

Cadmium zinc telluride (CdZnTe, CZT) thin films were investigated for use as a back buffer layer in CdTe devices. We show that the CZT film is easily doped with copper (Cu). Devices with CZT:Cu/Au and CZT:Cu/Te/Au back contacts demonstrated significant gains in VOC compared to Cu/Au back contacts. Barrier height measurements indicate that the valence band edge of the CZT is close to that of CdTe, which, when coupled with the high dopant density, should result in upward band bending at the back of the device. In the case of the CZT:Cu/Au back contact, the large band offset between the CZT and Au results in a depletion region that extends into the CdTe, limiting device performance. When the alignment is improved with the incorporation of Te, the efficiency improved.
Metabolomic analyses of the bio-corona formed on TiO2 nanoparticles incubated with plant leaf tissues

The surface of a nanoparticle adsorbs molecules from its surroundings with a specific affinity determined by the chemical and physical properties of the nanomaterial. When a nanoparticle is exposed to a biological system, the adsorbed molecules form a dynamic and specific surface layer called a bio-corona. The present study aimed to identify the metabolites that form the bio-corona around anatase TiO2 nanoparticles incubated with leaves of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. We used an untargeted metabolomics approach and compared the metabolites isolated from wild-type plants with plants deficient in a class of polyphenolic compounds called flavonoids. These analyses showed that TiO2 nanoparticle coronas are enriched for flavonoids and lipids and that these metabolite classes compete with each other for binding the nanoparticle surface.
The medical ethos and social responsibility in clinical medicine.

The medical profession will face many challenges in the new millennium. As medicine looks forward to advances in molecular genetics and the prospect of unprecedented understanding of the causes and cures of human disease, clinicians, scientists and bioethicists may benefit from reflection upon the origins of the medical ethos and its relevance to postmodern medicine. Past distortions of the medical ethos, such as Nazism and the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, as well as more recent experience with the ethical challenges of employer-based market driven managed care, provide important lessons as medicine contemplates the future. Racial and ethnic disparities in health status and access to care serve as a reminders that the racial doctrines that fostered the horrors of the Holocaust and the Tuskegee Syphilis Study have not been completely removed from contemporary thinking. Inequalities in health status based on race and ethnicity, as well as socioeconomic status, attest to the inescapable reality of racism in America. When viewed against a background of historical distortions and disregard for the traditional tenets of the medical ethos, persistent racial and ethnic disparities and health and the prospect of genetic engineering raise the specter of discrimination because of genotype, a postmodern version of "racist medicine" or of a "new eugenics." There is a need to balance medicine's devotion to the wellbeing of the patient and the primacy of the patient-physician relationship against with the need to meet the health care needs of society. The challenge facing the medical profession in the new millennium is to establish an equilibrium between the responsibility to assure quality health care for the individual patient while affecting societal changes to achieve "health for all."