cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ecotypic variation in forage nutrient value of a dominant prairie grass across a precipitation gradient

Ecotypic variation in forage nutrient value of a dominant grassland species, Andropogon gerardii Vitman (big bluestem), was quantified across a longitudinal precipitation gradient of the US Great Plains. Ecotypic variation of A. gerardii has been documented across this gradient, but the extent to which forage nutrient value differs among ecotypes is poorly known. Seven indicators of forage nutrient value (neutral detergent fiber [NDF], acid detergent fiber [ADF], in-vitro dry matter digestibility [IVDMD], crude protein [CP], crude fat [CF], ash content) and relative feed value [RFV] were examined in 12 populations representing four ecotypes corresponding with distinct climate regions: eastern Colorado, central Kansas, eastern Kansas and southern Illinois. Vegetative material of A. gerardii was collected from each population in July 2010. A greenhouse study tested the effect of watering regime on seedlings of the ecotypes from three of the precipitation regions grown under controlled conditions. Forage nutrient value indicators nitrogen and CP increased, and ADF decreased east to west, while IVDMD decreased across the gradient corresponding with less annual precipitation. The greenhouse experiment showed that sampling before and after water treatment affected forage nutrient value measurements, with the exception of NDF and CF. Nutrient value was most related to soil moisture and phenology, with smaller differences among ecotypes. Nutrient value of populations from the southern Illinois ecotype changed the least in response to variation in soil moisture. The southern Illinois ecotype will likely maintain forge nutrient value under variable precipitation projected to occur with climate change better than the ecotypes from more westerly parts of the range of A. gerardii.
Estimation of the Number of Sources Present in Instantaneous and Anechoic Mixtures

In this paper we propose a method for estimating the number of sources in the instantaneous and anechoic mixing systems without the knowledge of the system parameters. From the observation of the two or more mixing signals, we can obtain the scattering plot that consists of the phase and amplitude information of the mixing signals. Using the sparsity property of the sources in the time-frequency domain and the time-frequency coefficients of the sources form individual clusters that are resolvable, the number of sources present in a given mixed signals can be estimated by estimating the number of clusters present in the scattering plot. A criterion used for the estimation of the number of clusters is also presented in this paper. The results are shown for both synthetic and experimental (real) mixing data. From the results it can be seen that the estimation of the number of sources is 100% accurate for the examples provided.
Scheduling, pricing, and efficiency of non-preemptive flexible loads under direct load control

A market comprising a scheduler with a renewable generator and a pumped water storage system, a certain number of flexible and inflexible loads, and a non-renewable generator is considered. At the beginning of activity, the scheduler receives the following three information from each of the loads - consumption (in MW), duration (in hours) and start window. The start window of a load is the time interval in which the load must be started. A load is inflexible if its start window is singleton. The loads are assumed to be non-preemptive, that is, after a load is started, it cannot be interrupted or paused, and it must be served for its duration. The goal of the scheduler is to develop a scheduling policy that minimizes the aggregate cost of buying electricity from the non-renewable generator. We develop an understanding of the nature of optimal solutions to such an optimization problem and propose an approximately optimal scheduling policy for a sufficiently wide class of scheduling problems.
Chesley's hypertensive disorders in pregnancy

Chesley's hypertensive disorders in pregnancy , Chesley's hypertensive disorders in pregnancy , کتابخانه مرکزی دانشگاه علوم پزشکی تهران
Enhanced Photoactivity from Single-Crystalline SrTaO 2 N Nanoplates Synthesized by Topotactic Nitridation.

There are few methods yielding oxynitride crystals with defined shape, yet shape-controlled crystals often give enhanced photoactivity. Herein, single-crystalline SrTaO2N nanoplates and polyhedra are achieved selectively. Central to these synthetic advances is the crystallization pathways used, in which single-crystalline SrTaO2N nanoplates form by topotactic nitridation of aerosol-prepared Sr2Ta2O7 nanoplates and SrTaO2N polyhedra form by flux-assisted nitridation of the nanoplates. Evaluation of these materials for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) showed improved performance for the SrTaO2N nanoplates, with a record apparent quantum efficiency (AQE) of 6.1 % for OER compared to the polyhedra (AQE: 1.6 %) and SrTaO2N polycrystals (AQE: 0.6 %). The enhanced performance from the nanoplates arises from their morphology and lower defect density. These results highlight the importance of developing new synthetic routes to high quality oxynitrides.
Quantifying phase lock loop robustness through interference using the phase discriminator output

In this paper, we develop a PLL performance measure that allows phase lock loop design parameters to be determined given a mean time to cycle slip requirement. This concept is directly applicable to both stationary and moving GPS receivers subject to wideband radio frequency interference. The PLL performance metric developed in [1] is improved to rule-out inadequate PLL designs and allow time-consuming experimental validation to be reserved for designs that that much more likely to be successful. This is accomplished by using direct non-linear PLL simulation to quantify the relationship between the discriminator output standard deviation and the mean time to cycle slip. This relationship can then be used to determine a suitable threshold for the DO standard deviation given a mean time to cycle slip requirement, which will depend on the particular application of interest. Then the phase lock loop parameters that are necessary to achieve this mean time to cycle slip can be determined analytically. Additional simulation results show that DO standard deviations less than 52 degrees correspond to more favorable DO distributions, and this translates to longer mean time to cycle slip. In addition, our results further validate the DO metric by showing that increasing coherent averaging time is the only way to obtain substantial increases in mean time to cycle slip under interference conditions.
Numerical Simulation of the Multiphase Flow of Contaminants in Porous Media

Three basic problem areas have dominated much of the recent research in reservoir simulation. First, one must obtain an effective model to describe the complex fluid/fluid and fluid/rock interactions that control recovery processes. This includes the problem of obtaining accurate reservoir descriptions at various length scales and including the effects of this heterogeneity in the reservoir simulators. Next, one must develop accurate discretization techniques that retain the important physical properties of the continuous models. Finally, one should develop efficient numerical solution algorithms that utilize the potential of the emerging computing architectures. We will discuss recent advances in each of these three areas.
Drugs as Discriminative Stimuli

Drug studies have long been a magnet for behavioral biologists. The biochemical changes drugs produce in brain, the neurophysiological effects they bring about, their alterations of unconditioned and conditioned behavior, their interactions with stimuli-including drug stimuli-that produce all manner of central effects: all these subjects have been of utmost importance. Drugs may be considered as a class of stimuli with effects so varied that the usual stimuli that psychologists use as independent variables -lights, sounds, feeds, electric shocks -- seem barren by comparison.
Body Pleasure and the Origins of Violence

A neuropsychologist contends that the greatest threat to world peace comes from those nations which have the most depriving environments for their children and which are most repressive of sexual a...
Imido Group Interchange in Reactions of Zwitterionic Tantalum(V) Vinylimido Complexes and Nitriles

We report the imido group exchange transformation upon reactions with nitriles with the formation of a new vinylimido group from the incoming nitrile and a free nitrile from the initial imido group. Preliminary studies suggest the mechanism comprises elimination of triethylamine from the amminium group as the initial step, followed by the deprotonation of the incoming nitrile, followed by the rearrangement of its carbanion into an imido group at the tantalum center. The cationic group on the imido ligand can be replaced with another neutral nucleophile, which was demonstrated by NEt3 to PPh3 and NEt3 to DMAP exchange reactions.
Henry Ossawa Tanner : Art, Faith, Race, and Legacy

Over the last forty years, renewed interest in the career of Henry Ossawa Tanner (1859–1937) has vaulted him into expanding scholarly discourse on American art. Consequently, he has emerged as the most studied and recognized representative of African American art during the nineteenth century. In fact, Tanner, in the spirit of political correctness and racial inclusiveness, has gained a prominent place in recent textbooks on mainstream American art and his painting, The Banjo Lesson (1893), has become an iconic symbol of black creativity. In addition, Tanner achieved national recognition when the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 1991 and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in 2012 celebrated him with major retrospectives. The latter exhibition brought in a record number of viewers. While Tanner lived a relatively simple life where his faith and family dictated many of the choices he made daily, his emergence as a prominent black artist in the late nineteenth century often thrust him openly into coping with the social complexities inherent with America’s great racial divide. In order to fully appreciate how he negotiated prevailing prejudices to find success, this book places him in the context of a uniquely talented black man experiencing the demands and rewards of nineteenth-century high art and culture. By careful examination on multiple levels previously not detailed, this book adds greatly to existing Tanner scholarship and provides readers with a more complete, richly deserved portrait of this preeminent American master.
County-level jail incarceration and preterm birth among non-Hispanic Black and white U.S. women, 1999-2015.

Abstract Jail incarceration is widely prevalent in the United States, with disproportionate impacts on communities of color, yet little research has quantified its health consequences for communities. We assess county-level jail incarceration as a contextual stressor for individual-level preterm birth among non-Hispanic Black and White U.S. women, the vast majority (>99%) of whom were not incarcerated, between 1999 and 2015. We linked county jail incarceration rates to birth certificate data for all births to resident non-Hispanic Black and White U.S. women (N = 41, 911, 094). Using multilevel logistic regression models, we estimated the association between quintiles of county jail incarceration rates and the odds of preterm birth, adjusting for maternal- and county-level covariates and state fixed effects. Women living in counties in the highest quintile of jail incarceration rates had 1.08 (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.07–1.09) times greater odds of preterm birth, adjusting for covariates, compared to women living in counties with the lowest quintile of jail incarceration rates. Taken together with other research, these findings suggest policies to lower jail incarceration rates could potentially help prevent preterm birth and other adverse population health consequences of mass incarceration.
The multimodal nature of Snapchat in close relationships: Toward a social presence-based theoretical framework

Abstract This study uses social presence theory and media multiplexity theory to explore Snapchat use and closeness in interpersonal relationships, between family members, in friendships, and in romantic relationships among college students. Snapchat, as a multimodal communication technology, is integral to understanding the role of multimodal technologies’ ability to enhance relational closeness and extends prior research by shifting the focus from monomodal to multimodal communication. College students (N = 49, m = 20.71, SD = 1.65) completed daily diary surveys (N = 441) to examine the multimodality of Snapchat, and how relational closeness is associated with the frequency of Snapchat use and social presence. Participants completed an initial survey and at least five daily diary surveys reporting on the same interpersonal partner throughout the study. We found that relational closeness is positively associated with the frequency of Snapchat use and that using Snapchat on one day predicts relational closeness on the following day. Further, Snapchat use increases social presence and closeness in romantic relationships and friendships. Finally, Snapchat use is multimodal and more strongly associated with relational closeness than the use of multiple monomodal media. This study extends prior research on media multiplexity theory in close, mixed-media relationships, and it helps to develop a social presence-based theoretical framework for why some communication technologies are more conducive of maintenance than others.
Nutrition sensitive agriculture: An equity-based analysis from India

Abstract Malnutrition remains a problem across India, particularly among women and children in rural areas. In response, nutrition-sensitive agriculture (NSA) programs have emerged, which promote activities such as crop diversification, nutrition education, and women’s empowerment. While research has assessed whether NSA programs have an impact on nutrition indicators, less work has examined whether such programs are equitable in distributive, procedural, and recognitional terms. This study investigates how one non-governmental organization (NGO) working through women-led self-help groups (SHGs) in eastern India has incorporated NSA practices into its traditional focus of improving cereal productivity and promoting cash crops. Given that both research sites in northern Jharkhand and eastern Madhya Pradesh have seen agricultural practices shift from more diverse, traditional cropping to high-yielding rice over the past decade, this research examines women’s responses to these new NSA promotion efforts. This 11-month study employed ethnographic methods including participant observation and 117 interviews with village women along with NGO and government workers across both sites. This analysis employed an equity framework based on the decolonial concept of cognitive justice, which asserts that epistemological inequity precedes socioeconomic inequities. The findings suggest while all respondents reacted positively to the tenets of NSA promotion, due to high-yielding paddy’s labor requirements and cultural aspirations to maximize rice production, many farmers (especially those engaged in improved paddy cultivation) were unable to adopt NSA practices robustly. While poorer farmers not growing improved paddy were better positioned to adopt NSA, many were less active in SHG activities due to structural barriers and an observed lack of cognitive justice. As NSA programs are still emerging, little research has detailed the ways such efforts may exacerbate or allay rural inequities. This study suggests NSA could have more impact on cropping practices and nutrition outcomes if it led with an equity approach centered on cognitive justice.
Surgical Management of Massive Irreparable Posterosuperior Rotator Cuff Tears: Arthroscopic-Assisted Lower Trapezius Transfer

Functionally irreparable rotator cuff tears (FIRCTs) remain one of the most challenging pathologies treated in the shoulder. The lower trapezius transfer represents a very promising treatment option for posterosuperior FIRCT. This article reviews the role for the lower trapezius transfer in the treatment of patient with FIRCTs and highlights the tips and tricks to performing this arthroscopic-assisted procedure. The treatment of posterosuperior FIRCTs contemplates a wide array of surgical options, including partial repair, biceps tenodesis/tenotomy, superior capsule reconstruction, subacromial balloon, reverse shoulder arthroplasty, and open-/arthroscopic-assisted tendon transfers. Tendon transfers have emerged as very promising reconstructive options to rebalance the anterior-posterior force couple. Controversy remains regarding the relative indications of latissimus dorsi transfer (LDT) and lower trapezius transfer (LTT). Initially used with very good success in patients with brachial plexus injuries, the open LTT has shown excellent clinical and radiographic outcomes in a recent series of patients with FIRCTs. However, this technique should be reserved for patients with an intact or reparable subscapularis tendon and no advanced glenohumeral arthritis or humeral head femoralization. With advancements in surgical technique, the arthroscopic-assisted LTT has shown similar promising results. However, studies on arthroscopically assisted LTT are limited to short-term follow-up, and future comparative trials with large patient numbers and longer follow-up are needed to better understand the indications for this novel tendon transfer in the treatment of FIRCT. The arthroscopic-assisted LTT is a novel, promising option for the treatment of patients with functional irreparable posterosuperior rotator cuff tears. Careful attention to indications and technical pearls are paramount when performing this procedure to optimize postoperative clinical outcomes.
Therapie mit kardialen implantierbaren elektrischen Devices im Alter

Die Therapie mit Herzschrittmacher, implantierbarem Kardioverter-Defibrillator (ICD) oder kardialer Resynchronisation (CRT) ist bei Patienten im Alter besonders oft indiziert und hilfreich, stellt jedoch besondere Anforderungen an Indikationsstellung, Systemwahl, Implantation und Nachsorge. In der Schrittmachertherapie muss Einfuhlungsvermogen angewandt werden, um eine oft unspezifische Symptomatik mit einer Bradykardie zu assoziieren. In der ICD-Therapie muss berucksichtigt werden, ob bei hohem Alter und Komorbiditat eine Lebensverlangerung durch den ICD moglich und vom Patienten gewunscht ist. Bevor die Akutsituation nicht arrhythmischen Sterbens eintritt, sollte eine Deaktivierung der Schocktherapie erfolgen. Bei hohem Alter muss eine Implantation sicher und zugig durchgefuhrt, aber immer das optimale System (z. B. CRT) und eine optimale Elektrodenposition verwendet werden, da gerade alte Patienten sehr empfindlich auf eine suboptimale Hamodynamik reagieren.
Organic Anion-Transporting Polypeptide 1B1/1B3-Mediated Hepatic Uptake Determines the Pharmacokinetics of Large Lipophilic Acids: In Vitro-In Vivo Evaluation in Cynomolgus Monkey.

It is generally presumed that uptake transport mechanisms are of limited significance in hepatic clearance for lipophilic or high passive-permeability drugs. In this study, we evaluated the mechanistic role of the hepato-selective organic anion-transporting polypeptides (OATPs) 1B1/1B3 in the pharmacokinetics of compounds representing large lipophilic acid space. Intravenous pharmacokinetics of 16 compounds with molecular mass ∼400-730 Da, logP ∼3.5-8, and acid pKa 6.5), which generally showed high nonspecific binding in hepatocyte incubations. In vitro uptake clearance and fraction transported by OATP1B1/1B3 (ft,OATP1B) were found to be similar in monkey and human hepatocytes. Finally, for compounds with logP ≤6.5, good agreement was noted between in vitro ft,OATP1B and clearance ratio (as well as VDss ratio) in cynomolgus monkey. In conclusion, this study provides mechanistic evidence for the pivotal role of OATP1B-mediated hepatic uptake in the pharmacokinetics across a wide, large lipophilic acid space. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: This study provides mechanistic insight into the pharmacokinetics of a broad range of large lipophilic acids. Organic anion-transporting polypeptides 1B1/1B3-mediated hepatic uptake is of key importance in the pharmacokinetics and drug-drug interactions of almost all drugs and new molecular entities in this space. Diligent in vitro and in vivo transport characterization is needed to avoid the false negatives often noted because of general limitations in the in vitro assays while handling compounds with such physicochemical attributes.
Quantifying clinical severity of physics errors in high-dose rate prostate brachytherapy using simulations.

Abstract PURPOSE To quantitatively evaluate through automated simulations the clinical significance of potential high-dose rate (HDR) prostate brachytherapy (HDRPB) physics errors selected from our internal failure-modes and effect analysis (FMEA). METHODS AND MATERIALS A list of failure modes was compiled and scored independently by 8 brachytherapy physicists on a one-to-ten scale for severity (S), occurrence (O), and detectability (D), with risk priority number (RPN) = SxOxD. Variability of RPNs across observers (standard deviation/average) was calculated. Six idealized HDRPB plans were generated, and error simulations were performed: single (N = 1722) and systematic (N = 126) catheter shifts (craniocaudal; -1cm:1 cm); single catheter digitization errors (tip and connector needle-tips displaced independently in random directions; 0.1 cm:0.5 cm; N = 44,318); and swaps (two catheters swapped during digitization or connection; N = 528). The deviations due to each error in prostate D90%, urethra D20%, and rectum D1cm3 were analyzed using two thresholds: 5–20% (possible clinical impact) and >20% (potentially reportable events). RESULTS Twenty-nine relevant failure modes were described. Overall, RPNs ranged from 6 to 108 (average ± 1 standard deviation, 46 ± 23), with responder variability ranging from 19% to 184% (average 75% ± 30%). Potentially reportable events were observed in the simulations for systematic shifts >0.4 cm for prostate and digitization errors >0.3 cm for the urethra and >0.4 cm for rectum. Possible clinical impact was observed for catheter swaps (all organs), systematic shifts >0.2 cm for prostate and >0.4 cm for rectum, and digitization errors >0.2 cm for prostate and >0.1 cm for urethra and rectum. CONCLUSIONS A high variability in RPN scores was observed. Systematic simulations can provide insight in the severity scoring of multiple failure modes, supplementing typical FMEA approaches.
Agent-Based Models for Collective Animal Movement: Proximity-Induced State Switching

Animal movement is a complex phenomenon where individual movement patterns can be influenced by a variety of factors including the animal’s current activity, available terrain and habitat, and locations of other animals. Motivated by modeling grizzly bear movement in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, this article presents an agent-based model represented in a state-space framework for collective animal movement. The novel contribution of this work is a collective animal movement model that captures interactions between animals that can trigger changes in movement patterns, such as when a dominant grizzly bear may cause another subordinate bear to temporarily leave an area. The modeling framework enables learning different movement patterns through a state-space representation with particle-MCMC methods for fully Bayesian model fitting and the prediction of future animal movement behaviors.Supplementary materials accompanying this paper appear online.
Outcomes of EUS-guided transluminal gallbladder drainage in patients without cholecystitis.

Background and Objectives: Cholecystectomy is the gold standard for most gallbladder-related disease. However, many patients with gallbladder disease are poor surgical candidates. Current nonsurgical gallbladder drainage (GBD) methods include percutaneous cholecystostomy and endoscopic ultrasound-guided transluminal GBD (EUS-GBD). Outcomes for EUS-GBD for the treatment of noncholecystitis (NC) gallbladder disease have not been defined. Materials and Methods: Cases were identified using procedural data from a quaternary academic hospital for endoscopic procedures from 2015 to 2020. Patients who underwent EUS-GBD for acute cholecystitis, biliary colic, gallstone pancreatitis, and secondary prevention of gallstone disease were included. Results: Fifty-five cases of EUS-GBD were identified over the 5-year study period. Forty-one cases were performed for acute cholecystitis, and 15 were performed for other NC indications. Indications for NC drainage included primary treatment of symptomatic biliary colic and secondary prevention of gallstone pancreatitis and choledocholithiasis. There was no statistically significant difference in complications, mortality, or reintervention requirements. There was a 13.3% rate of immediate complications in the NC group, which were all medically managed. Conclusions: EUS-GBD appears to be a safe and effective way to manage gallstone disease in nonsurgical candidates with NC gallbladder-related disease. Overall complications and readmissions were infrequent. Complication rates were similar to those published in patients who underwent EUS-GBD for acute cholecystitis.
ACQUISITIONS AND FOREIGN COMPETITION

I provide evidence on the impact of foreign competition on firms’ propensities to engage in mergers and acquisitions. Using import tariff reductions as an exogenous shock that increases foreign industry competition, I find that affected firms are more likely to make acquisitions following a tariff reduction. Cross-sectional tests show that this association is more pronounced for single segment firms, firms that innovate less, or that are more capital intensive, which suggests this association is stronger for firms which stand to gain more from an acquisition. Moreover, the positive relationship between acquisition likelihood and tariff cuts is less pronounced for financially constrained firms and during times of low capital liquidity, which implies that it is easier for firms with greater access to external capital to respond to increases in foreign competition by making acquisitions. Finally, I find that acquisitions made subsequent to tariff decreases are associated with positive wealth gains for bidder shareholders, indicating that these acquisitions are viewed favorably by market participants.
Beyond Neighborhood Food Environments: Distance Traveled to Food Establishments in 5 US Cities, 2009-2011.

Introduction Accurate conceptualizations of neighborhood environments are important in the design of policies and programs aiming to improve access to healthy food. Neighborhood environments are often defined by administrative units or buffers around points of interest. An individual may eat and shop for food within or outside these areas, which may not reflect accessibility of food establishments. This article examines the relevance of different definitions of food environments. Methods We collected data on trips to food establishments using a 1-week food and travel diary and global positioning system devices. Spatial-temporal clustering methods were applied to identify homes and food establishments visited by study participants. Results We identified 513 visits to food establishments (sit-down restaurants, fast-food/convenience stores, malls or stores, groceries/supermarkets) by 135 participants in 5 US cities. The average distance between the food establishments and homes was 2.6 miles (standard deviation, 3.7 miles). Only 34% of the visited food establishments were within participants' neighborhood census tract. Buffers of 1 or 2 miles around the home covered 55% to 65% of visited food establishments. There was a significant difference in the mean distances to food establishments types (P = .008). On average, participants traveled the longest distances to restaurants and the shortest distances to groceries/supermarkets. Conclusion Many definitions of the neighborhood food environment are misaligned with individual travel patterns, which may help explain the mixed findings in studies of neighborhood food environments. Neighborhood environments defined by actual travel activity may provide more insight on how the food environment influences dietary and food shopping choices.
A comparative verification of forecasts from two operational solar wind models

Abstract : The solar wind (SW) and interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) have a significant influence on the near-earth space environment. In this study we evaluate and compare forecasts from two models that predict SW and IMF conditions: The Hakamada-Akasofu-Fry (HAF) version 2. operational at the Air Force Weather Agency, and Wang-Shecley-Arge (WSA) version l.6, executed routinely at the Space Weather Prediction Center SW speed (V(sw)) and IMF polarity (Bpoi) forecasts at LI were compared with Wind and Advanced Composition Explorer satellite observations. Verification statistics were computed by study year and forecast day. Results revealed that both models' mean V(sw) are slower than observed. The HAF slow bias increases with forecast duration WSA had lower V,w forecastobservation difference (F-O) absolute means and standard deviations than HAF. HAF and WSA V(sw) forecast standard deviations were less than observed V(sw) F-0 mean square skill rarely exceeds that of recurrence forecasts. Bpoi is correctly predicted 65%-85% of the time in both models. Recurrence beats the models in Ppol skill in nearly every year forecast day category Verification by "event" (flare events less than or equal to 5 days before forecast start) and "nonevent" (no flares) forecasts showed that most HAF V(sw) bias growth, F-O standard deviation decrease, and forecast standard deviation decrease were due to the event forecasts Analysis of single time step V(sw) increases of greater than or equal to 20% in the nonevent forecasts indicated that both models predicted too many occurrences and missed many observed incidences. Neither model had skill above a random guess in predicting V(sw) increase arrival time at LI.
Ultrastructure of the plasmodial slime mold Perichaena vermicularis

Mature plasmodia ofPerichaena vermicularis require a light period to induce sporulation. In this paper the ultrastructure and acid phosphatase localization of the mature plasmodium ofPerichaena vermicularis are investigated. Acid phosphatase is localized in vacuoles containing remnants of bacteria and cell organelles. Morphological and histochemical evidence support the interpretation that these vacuoles constitute two types of lysosomes called respectively heterophagic and autophagic vacuoles. Coated vesicles which apparently originate from smooth endoplasmic reticulum are dispersed throughout the plasmodium and frequently associated with lysosomes. Several dumbbellshaped mitochondria are observed in the plasmodium at the onset of fruiting but not during later stages of plasmodiocarp development. Cytoplasmic microtubules are identified inPerichaena vermicularis. Some of these are closely associated with microfilaments.
Consideration of nerve-muscle grafts to improve the control of artificial arms

Improving the function of artificial arms remains a considerable challenge, especially for high-level amputations where the disability is greatest. It may be possible to denervate expendable regions of muscle in or near an amputated limb and graft the residual peripheral nerves to this muscle. The surface EMG signals from the nerve-muscle grafts would then be used as additional control signals for an externally powered prosthesis. Such a system would allow the simultaneous control of multiple degrees-of-freedom in a prosthesis and could greatly improve the function of myoelectric prostheses. The potential advantages, requirements for successful implementation and synergies with other research are discussed.
How Not to Forget Your Next Appointment: Use Technology to Combat the Effects of Aging

Scientists have long suspected that purposeful mental activity eases the deterioration of cognitive capacities later in life. Over the last several years, evidence confirming this view has been accumulating. With the expansion of technological developments, there are now even more options for the elderly to take control of mental decline.
A microprocessor based drug infusion control system employing a model reference adaptive control algorithm to regulate blood pressure in ICU patients

The authors present an approach for adaptive control of blood pressure using sodium nitroprusside. A modified stochastic model reference adaptive control algorithm with a time-varying reference model is developed and used for this purpose. An automatic adjustment of the reference model is proposed to optimize the performance of the closed-loop system while meeting clinical constraints imposed on the infusion rate and the mean arterial pressure. The algorithm has been implemented in a microprocessor-based system. The system has been verified for proper functionality with the aid of a hardware patient model for a wide range of patient parameters. >
Lognormal Distributions and Geometric Averages of Symmetric Positive Definite Matrices

This article gives a formal definition of a lognormal family of probability distributions on the set of symmetric positive definite (SPD) matrices, seen as a matrix-variate extension of the univariate lognormal family of distributions. Two forms of this distribution are obtained as the large sample limiting distribution via the central limit theorem of two types of geometric averages of i.i.d. SPD matrices: the log-Euclidean average and the canonical geometric average. These averages correspond to two different geometries imposed on the set of SPD matrices. The limiting distributions of these averages are used to provide large-sample confidence regions and two-sample tests for the corresponding population means. The methods are illustrated on a voxelwise analysis of diffusion tensor imaging data, permitting a comparison between the various average types from the point of view of their sampling variability.
Immersion Education: Practices, Policies, Possibilities, edited by Diane J. Tedick, Donna Christian, and Tara Williams Fortune

The theme of innovation in immersion education runs through this captivating compilation of research exploring programs in diverse settings. The combined expertise of editors Diane J. Tedick (coord...
FIRM-EXPLICIT HUMAN CAPITAL: UNDERSTANDING THE VALUE OF TRANSFERABLE FIRM KNOWLEDGE IN THE LABOR MARKETPLACE.

An executive's firm-specific human capital is argued to be a critical resource to the executive's current organization, but because of its lack of transferability, is of little value outside the fi...
The metabolomics of asthma control: a promising link between genetics and disease

Short-acting β agonists (e.g., albuterol) are the most commonly used medications for asthma, a disease that affects over 300 million people in the world. Metabolomic profiling of asthmatics taking β agonists presents a new and promising resource for identifying the molecular determinants of asthma control. The objective is to identify novel genetic and biochemical predictors of asthma control using an integrative “omics” approach. We generated lipidomic data by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS), ­ using plasma samples from 20 individuals with asthma. The outcome of interest was a binary indicator of asthma control defined by the use of albuterol inhalers in the preceding week. We integrated metabolomic data with genome-wide genotype, gene expression, and methylation data of this cohort to identify genomic and molecular indicators of asthma control. A Conditional Gaussian Bayesian Network (CGBN) was generated using the strongest predictors from each of these analyses. Integrative and metabolic pathway over-representation analyses (ORA) identified enrichment of known biological pathways within the strongest molecular determinants. Of the 64 metabolites measured, 32 had known identities. The CGBN model based on four SNPs (rs9522789, rs7147228, rs2701423, rs759582) and two metabolites—monoHETE_0863 and sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) could predict asthma control with an AUC of 95%. Integrative ORA identified 17 significantly enriched pathways related to cellular immune response, interferon signaling, and cytokine-related signaling, for which arachidonic acid, PGE2 and S1P, in addition to six genes (CHN1, PRKCE, GNA12, OASL, OAS1, and IFIT3) appeared to drive the pathway results. Of these predictors, S1P, GNA12, and PRKCE were enriched in the results from integrative and metabolic ORAs. Through an integrative analysis of metabolomic, genomic, and methylation data from a small cohort of asthmatics, we implicate altered metabolic pathways, related to sphingolipid metabolism, in asthma control. These results provide insight into the pathophysiology of asthma control.
NECROCARCINUSOLSONORUM, NEW SPECIES, A CRAB (DECAPODA: CALAPPIDAE) FROM THE CRETACEOUS CARLILE SHALE (TURONIAN), WESTERN INTERIOR UNITED STATES

ABSTRACT Necrocarcinus olsonorum, new species, is a minor element in the Linuparus faunal association from the Cretaceous Carlile Shale of Turonian Age around the northern and eastern flanks of the Black Hills Uplift in South Dakota and Wyoming. The species is characterized by a highly arched ovate carapace ornamented with rounded bosslike spines and small granules, and dorsal shield with reflexed and rounded edges. The shape, ornamentation, and stratigraphic position of this crab suggest that it is related closely to the ancestral stock of the calappids (i.e., Calappa). Fourteen specimens known from seven localities are preserved as carapaces unassociated with sterna, abdomens, or appendages, possibly indicating the fragility of the missing exoskeletal elements, and suggesting adaptation to a shallow burrowing mode of life in muddy substrates. One carapace preserved with its sternum and proximal parts of pereiopods 1-3 indicates that pereiopods 4 and 5 were reduced.
Vulnerability of age-0 pallid sturgeon Scaphirhynchus albus to predation; effects of predator type, turbidity, body size, and prey density

Predation can play an important role in the recruitment dynamics of fishes with intensity regulated by behavioral (i.e., prey selectivity) and/or environmental conditions that may be especially important for rare or endangered fishes. We conducted laboratory experiments to quantify prey selection and capture efficiency by three predators employing distinct foraging strategies: pelagic piscivore (walleye Sander vitreus); benthic piscivore (flathead catfish Pylodictis olivaris) and generalist predator (smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu) foraging on two size classes of age-0 pallid sturgeon: large (75–100 mm fork length [FL]) and small (40–50 mm FL). Experiments at high (> 70 nephalometric turbidity units [NTU]) and low (< 5 NTU) turbidity for each predator were conducted with high and low densities of pallid sturgeon and contrasting densities of an alternative prey, fathead minnow Pimephales promelas. Predator behaviors (strikes, captures, and consumed prey) were also quantified for each prey type. Walleye and smallmouth bass negatively selected pallid sturgeon (Chesson’s α = 0.04–0.1) across all treatments, indicating low relative vulnerability to predation. Relative vulnerability to predation by flathead catfish was moderate for small pallid sturgeon (α = 0.44, neutral selection), but low for large pallid sturgeon (α = 0.11, negative selection). Turbidity (up to 100 NTU) did not affect pallid sturgeon vulnerability, even at low density of alternative prey. Age-0 pallid sturgeon were easily captured by all predators, but were rarely consumed, suggesting mechanisms other than predator capture efficiency govern sturgeon predation vulnerability.
The Ongoing Process of Peace After Civil Wars

Strengthening Peace in Post-Civil War States: Transforming Spoilers into Stakeholders. Edited by Matthew Hoddie, Caroline A. Hartzell Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2010. 256 pp., $29.00 paperback (ISBN-13: 978-0-226-35125-4). Why Peace Fails: The Causes and Prevention of Civil War Recurrence. By Charles T. Call Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press, 2012. 315 pp., $32.95 paperback (ISBN-13: 978-1-58901-894-5). Barriers to Peace in Civil War. By David E. Cunningham New York: Cambridge University Press, 2011. 282 pp., $94.00 hardback (ISBN-13: 978-1-107-00759-8). One need hardly justify the relevance of scholarship on the resolution of civil wars. The contemporary geopolitical landscape is rife with prominent examples of costly ongoing civil wars and tenuous peace processes whose prospects remain unsettled and uncertain. The three works under consideration here undertake a critical examination of the elements essential to the sustainment of peace and build on a significant body of prior findings with regard to the causes of war and peace, peacekeeping, barriers to settlement, and civil war duration (Blainey 1988; Wagner 1993; Balch-Lindsay and Enterline 2000; Regan 2002; Reynal-Querol 2002; Fearon 2004; Fortna 2004). In so doing, they credibly establish a differentiation between ending the violence and maintaining the peace. Together they provide a timely and relevant addition to the growing subfield of civil war research in political science. In Strengthening Peace in Post-Civil War States, Hoddie and Hartzell draw together a diverse group of researchers to analyze the process of post-conflict state-building. In their introduction, Hoddie and Hartzell specifically target for critique the current focus on the role of military force via international peacekeeping and the accompanying emphasis on a rapid transition to liberal democratic and economic institutions. In their place, the authors advocate increased soft interventions to restructure institutions for a stable peace capable of accommodating fluctuations in power relations in the years after a civil war. The first two essays by Lake and Roeder establish the tenor of the volume with an excellent counterpoint on how best to achieve the goal of sustainable peace. Lake emphasizes the need for rebuilding support for the underlying social contract—“the interest of the ruled in social order” (p. 37)—and that only through this type of grass roots legitimacy, in contrast to legitimacy bestowed by the international community, can the social …
New morphological algorithm for automated interpolation of height grids from contour images

A new morphological algorithm for automated interpolation of height grids from contour images is developed. Explicit identification of contours within the image is not necessary since interpolation is done directly in image space using morphologic iransforms and labeling schemes. 3-D depth-shaded perspective images of height grids for specified viewing angles are generated using transformed height columns. These methods avoid the processing associated with intermediate contour and polygonal representations. Co-registered continuous tone (gray scale) image data is mapped onto the 3-D views. Advantages of this new recursive algorithm include the ability to interpolate and label whole families of points simultaneously and the basing of interpolated values on surrounding contour morphology. In addition, the methodology for decomposition and labeling of contour intervals is directly amenable to parallel implementation.
Microfluorometric analysis of DNA replication in human X chromosomes

Abstract BUdR-sensitive fluorescence of the dye 33258 Hoechst allows microfluorometric analysis of replication in human chromosomes. Comparison of the fluorescence patterns of male and female X chromosomes obtained with this technique reveals differences that may reflect regional alterations in DNA synthesis kinetics.
A Weighted Mixed-Mean Inequality

(1999). A Weighted Mixed-Mean Inequality. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 106, No. 4, pp. 355-358.
New measurements for the sodium-bismuth phase diagram☆

Abstract Thermal analysis experiments provided data showing that the melting point of Na3Bi is 848.1 °C rather than 775 °C as stated in the literature. Enough data were collected to trace out the more nearly correct phase diagram of the Na-Bi system. Familial resemblances can be seen between the new Na-Bi phase diagram and the diagrams for the Li-Bi, Rb-Bi, and Cs-Bi systems if the latter diagrams are drawn more literally in accord with the data presented by the originating authors.
Proposal for a novel concept of a hybrid, minimally invasive cardiovascular surgical practice.

BackgroundDue to the increase in new Interventional cardiovascular technologies, traditional lines of division between the interventional and surgical aspects are expected to blur, with these proce...
SIGNALLING AND GENE REGULATION BY UREA AND NaCl IN THE RENAL MEDULLA

1. Cells of the mammalian renal medulla are routinely subjected to an enormously elevated and labile ambient osmolality as a consequence of the renal concentrating mechanism. The present review focuses on the most recent advances in hyperosmotic solute-mediated signal transduction and regulation of gene transcription in cells of the kidney medulla. 2. On the basis of osmolality alone, NaCl and urea are the principal renal medullary solutes. 3. Urea, which is membrane permeant, activates transcription of immediate-early genes via an extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)/Elk-1-dependent pathway. Urea also activates multiple effectors characteristic of a receptor tyrosine kinase-like signalling cascade. 4. In contrast, the functionally impermeant solute NaCl activates transcription of tonicity responsive genes (principally genes encoding proteins essential for osmolyte uptake or synthesis) via a unique consensus element contained within their 5' flanking sequences. 5. An activity exhibiting tonicity inducible sequence-specific interaction with this DNA element has been identified. 6. Hypertonicity, like thermal stress, activates transcription of genes encoding heat shock proteins. The relationship between signalling events leading to tonicity mediated and heat shock-mediated gene transcription remains to be established.
H∞ control of systems with compensators which read the command signal

This paper investigates H ∞ control design where the compensator is assumed to have immediate access to the command signal (usually denoted by W 1) but not to the disturbance signal (denoted by W 2). While the Doyle-Glover paradigm feeds only a plant output Y into the compensator, in many industrial applications the command signal at time t can be transmitted to the compensator at time t if there is any advantage to doing so. In this article we analyse both linear and nonlinear systems and find that the advantage of this control architecture is great. The results in this paper generalize those of Ball el al. (1993), Doyle et al. (1988) and Helton el al. (1992). A necessary condition is given for the general nonlinear systems. These suggest formulas for controllers. For special cases such as when there is no disturbance signal W 2or the system is linear, we have very satisfactory conclusions. In particular, for linear systems with uncertainty, we derive conditions for the solution of the robust H∞ control ...