cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Seed Treatment Effects on Maize Seedlings Coinfected with Rhizoctonia solani and Pratylenchus penetrans

The roots of maize seedlings typically are attacked by a complex of organisms that includes fungal pathogens and plant-parasitic nematodes but few studies have examined the effects of these organisms in combination. Rhizoctonia solani can be an important component of the seedling disease complex; like other fungi, its effect on the plant may be influenced by the activity of nematodes such as the root-lesion nematode Pratylenchus penetrans. In this study, we assessed the impact of seed treatments, including fungicide–nematicide combinations, on maize seedlings exposed to R. solani and P. penetrans alone or in combination. In growth-chamber and greenhouse experiments, seed treated with various active ingredient combinations were planted in an autoclaved sand-soil mixture with or without inoculum of R. solani. In some treatments, a suspension of P. penetrans adults and juveniles was added to the sand-soil mixture. In the greenhouse experiments, infection by R. solani caused dramatic reductions in root length...
Data Analytics with NVLink: An SpMV Case Study

A recent advancement in the world of heterogeneous computing, the NVLink interconnect enables high-speed communication between GPUs and CPUs and among GPUs. In this paper we show how NVLink changes the role GPUs can play in graph, and more in general, data analytics. With the technology preceding NVLink, the processing efficiency of GPUs is limited to data sets that fit into their local memory. The increased bandwidth provided by NVLink imposes a reassessment of many algorithms---including those used in data analytics---that in the past could not efficiently exploit GPUs because of their limited bandwidth towards host memory. Our contributions consist in the introduction of the basic properties of one of the first systems using NVLink, and the description of how one of the most pervasive data analytics kernels, SpMV, can be tailored to the system in question. We evaluate the resulting SpMV implementation on a variety of data sets, and compare favorably to the best results available in the literature.
Cellular localization of responses to catecholamines in brain tissue.

Publisher Summary The chapter discusses biochemical responses in an attempt to shed light on functional biochemical target cells with β-adrenoceptors. There are two types of target cells with these receptors. The first type is a glial cell in which cAMP is formed, and the second type is a neuron in which the immediate early genes are activated. These two target cells and their possible relationship are discussed. The extent to which the toxin lowers the β-CAMP response is used as a measure of the extent to which β-receptors have a glial localization. The chapter also describes the cellular localization of immediate early gene responses to β- receptor activation in the brain to see if this agrees with the localization of the β-CAMP response. Immediate early genes (IEGs) are a group of genes that are rapidly activated by various neurotransmitters, hormones, and growth factors. It was found that release of the brain norepinephrine (NE) onto β-receptors by the α 2 -blocker, yohimbine (which antagonizes the inhibition of NE release by α 2 -agonists), caused cells in many regions of the brain to stain positively for c-fos.
Targeted genome editing in Caenorhabditis elegans using CRISPR/Cas9.

Utilization of programmable nucleases to generate DNA lesions at precise endogenous sequences has transformed the ability to edit genomes from microbes to plants and animals. This is especially true in organisms that previously lacked the means to engineer precise genomic changes, like Caenorhabditis elegans. C. elegans is a 1 mm long free-living, nonparasitic, nematode worm, which is easily cultivated in a laboratory. Its detailed genetic map and relatively compact genome (~100 megabases) helped make it the first metazoan to have its entire genome sequenced. With detailed sequence information came development of numerous molecular tools to dissect gene function. Initially absent from this toolbox, however, were methods to make precise edits at chosen endogenous loci. Adapting site-specific nucleases for use in C. elegans, revolutionized studies of C. elegans biology. Zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs), transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), and then CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) were used to target specific endogenous DNA sequences to make double-strand DNA breaks (DSBs). Precise changes could be engineered by providing repair templates targeting the DSB in trans. The ease of programming Cas9 to bind and cleave DNA sequences with few limitations has led to its widespread use in C. elegans research and sped the development of strategies to facilitate mutant recovery. Numerous innovative CRISPR/Cas9 methodologies are now primed for use in C. elegans. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
Dynamic mortar finite element method for modeling of shear rupture on frictional rough surfaces

This paper presents a mortar-based finite element formulation for modeling the dynamics of shear rupture on rough interfaces governed by slip-weakening and rate and state (RS) friction laws, focusing on the dynamics of earthquakes. The method utilizes the dual Lagrange multipliers and the primal–dual active set strategy concepts, together with a consistent discretization and linearization of the contact forces and constraints, and the friction laws to obtain a semi-smooth Newton method. The discretization of the RS friction law involves a procedure to condense out the state variables, thus eliminating the addition of another set of unknowns into the system. Several numerical examples of shear rupture on frictional rough interfaces demonstrate the efficiency of the method and examine the effects of the different time discretization schemes on the convergence, energy conservation, and the time evolution of shear traction and slip rate.
Gaps in Federal and State Screening of Tuberculosis in the United States

The article discusses how tuberculosis (TB) control in the U.S. is affected by the fragmentation of responsibilities between state and federal governments as well as gaps in TB screening in state and federal regulations. It goes on to examine how future improvements will require states to use a more proactive approach against TB such as a risk-based screening policies as well as more federal funding to TB screening.
Pilot randomized controlled trial of foster parent training: A mixed-methods evaluation of parent and child outcomes

Abstract Many foster parents are challenged by the social-emotional consequences of children in foster care who have experienced childhood trauma. In this project, we provided foster parents with a trauma-informed, evidence-based parenting program (Incredible Years; IY) and assessed its impact on child behavior, foster parent stress and attitudes, and perceived effect on parenting. Foster parents of children aged 2–7 yrs. were randomly assigned to IY intervention or control groups. We assessed pre-post child behavior, parenting stress, and parental attitudes. A subset of intervention foster parents completed post-intervention focus groups and in-depth interviews. Main themes from qualitative data (3 focus groups; 5 interviews; total n = 12) revealed that IY foster parents perceived changes in their parenting that they attributed to the peer support, new perspectives on the value of play, and specific tools that enhanced parenting skills. These parenting skills improved family relations and were sustained over time. Quantitative data, however, did not as strongly support program effectiveness. Between the IY (n = 16) and control (n = 17) groups, foster parents were less likely to perceive their foster child in need of mental health treatment (p = 0.002), and changed their perception of their child's role in the family (p = 0.03). No between group differences were found for measures of child behavior or parent stress. Overall, these results suggest that trauma-informed IY for foster parents may provide unique peer support and increased confidence needed to implement strategies that can improve intra-family relations. Further research is needed to verify whether and how these relations are improved.
Impending total airway collapse involving a maxillary removable partial denture: A clinical report

This article presents a rare incident of a bilateral maxillary removable partial denture as an airway foreign body. The removable partial denture and the surrounding soft tissue irritation caused partial obstruction of the airway. Impending airway collapse was avoided after successful removal of the foreign body. Removing a removable dental prostheses at night, not only to prevent soft tissue pathology but also to avoid ingestion or aspiration of the prosthesis, must be emphasized.
Evaluation of Spectral Light Management on Growth of Container-Grown Willow Oak, Nuttall Oak and Summer Red Maple

Plant response to blue, red, gray or black shade cloth was evaluated with willow oak (Quercus phellos L.), Nuttall oak (Quercus nuttallii Palmer, Nuttall) and Summer Red maple (Acer rubrum L. ‘Summer Red’) liners. Light transmitted through the colored shade cloth had no influence on germination of willow oak acorns or height and caliper growth following germination. Tree height, trunk diameter, number of internodes, shoot and root dry weight were generally greater with the species tested when exposed to red or gray shade cloth, but were often similar to plants exposed to blue or black shade. Height increase of willow oak with red shade was similar to plants exposed to blue or gray; however, the average number of internodes was similar with oaks exposed to blue shade and 16% less with oaks exposed to gray shade. Summer Red maples exposed to black, blue or red shade cloth were similar in height, though plants with blue shade had 23% less dry weight. Nuttall oaks exposed to gray shade had the greatest height...
Extracellular Vesicles Released by Herpes Simplex Virus 1-Infected Cells Block Virus Replication in Recipient Cells in a STING-Dependent Manner

Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1)-infected cells release extracellular vesicles (EVs) that deliver to uninfected cells viral factors and host components, such as the stimulator of interferon genes (STING), which activates type I interferon upon foreign DNA sensing. The functions of EVs released by HSV-1-infected cells have remained unknown. Here, we describe a procedure to separate the EVs from HSV-1 virions that is based on an iodixanol/sucrose gradient. STING, along with the EV markers CD63 and CD9, was found in light-density fractions, while HSV components accumulated in heavy-density fractions. HSV-1 infection stimulated the release of EVs from the cells. The EVs derived from infected cells, but not from uninfected cells, activated innate immunity in recipient cells and suppressed viral gene expression and virus replication. Moreover, only the EVs derived from infected cells stimulated the expression of a subset of M1-type markers in recipient macrophages. Conversely, EVs derived from STING-knockdown cells failed to stimulate the expression of these M1-type markers, they activated innate immune responses to a lesser extent in recipient cells, and they did not sustain the inhibition of virus replication. These data suggest that STING from the EV donor cells contributes to the antiviral responses in cells receiving EVs from HSV-1-infected cells. Perturbations in the biogenesis of EVs by silencing CD63 or blocking the activity of the neutral spingomyelinase-2 (nSMase-2) increased the HSV-1 yields. Overall, our data suggest that the EVs released from HSV-1-infected cells negatively impact the infection and could control the dissemination of the virus.IMPORTANCE Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are released by all types of cells as they constitute major mechanism of intercellular communication and have the capacity to alter the functions of recipient cells despite their limited capacity for cargo. How the EVs released by HSV-infected cells could alter the surrounding microenvironment and influence the infection currently remains unknown. The cargo of EVs reflects the physiological state of the cells in which they were produced, so the content of EVs originating from infected cells is expected to be substantially different from that of healthy cells. Our studies indicate that the EVs released by HSV-1-infected cells carry innate immune components such as STING and other host and viral factors; they can activate innate immune responses in recipient cells and inhibit HSV-1 replication. The implication of these data is that the EVs released by HSV-1-infected cells could control HSV-1 dissemination promoting its persistence in the host.
The Trinity and Natural Reason: Lessons from Cambridge Platonism

A 17th century philosophical movement, the Cambridge Platonists, defended Trinitarian belief on the grounds of a rich conception of philosophy. They saw reason itself as revealing God’ character, and they further saw philosophical inquiry as ideally being carried out in a virtuous community, open to communion with God. The final end of philosophy was a life in union with God. This framework placed God’s character at the fore of their philosophical endeavor. Locke is seen as setting up a comparatively more secular outlook, upholding a methodology that treats God’s character as less central to a philosophy of God.
Electron Tunneling and the Emission of Secondary Ions from Silicon Surfaces

It has been observed in many systems that lowering of the work function Ф of the sample surface enhances the formation of negative secondary ions [1, 2] while suppressing the formation of positive ions [3]. A model based on the tunneling of electrons between the surface and the sputtered atom has been proposed [3,4,5] to explain these results. According to the model, the work-function dependence of the ionization probability should be independent of how the work-function change ΔФ is being induced, provided that the external atom used to induce ΔФ does not affect the chemical state of the target atoms. We have tested this prediction by studying the emission of secondary ions from Si(111) surfaces using Cs and Li overlayers to induce changes in Ф. These systems are chosen because the adsorption of Cs and Li does not change the chemical state of the surface Si atoms in any appreciable way.
Mobile Health Technology in Prenatal Care: Understanding OBGYN Providers' Beliefs about Using Technology to Manage Gestational Weight Gain.

High gestational weight gain (GWG) is linked to adverse maternal/infant outcomes. Scant research has examined OB/GYN providers’ (1) beliefs and barriers to using mobile health (mHealth) technology and (2) their perceptions of patient beliefs/barriers for using mHealth technology for managing GWG. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups with OB/GYN providers (N = 25) were conducted in person and via telephone. Principles of thematic analysis were used to content analyze the interviews; sample size was determined via data saturation. Most providers did not use technology when providing prenatal care (94%), recommended public websites for patients to obtain health information (72%), and reported a smartphone/tablet as the ideal tool for clinical care (83%). Providers also believed mHealth tools would be beneficial for high risk patients (e.g., overweight/obese; 67%). For the use of mHealth tools in clinical care, the most salient provider barriers were lack of time (78%), costs (61%), facility/technology issues (56%), and lack of provider willingness to adapt to change (44%). The most important provider-perceived patient barriers were access (72%) and lack of interest (67%). These findings suggest some OB/GYN providers may be open to using mHealth technology in prenatal clinics to help their patients manage GWG if the technology is time efficient, and both providers and patients can overcome barriers. The success of incorporating mHealth technology for diet/exercise counseling in prenatal clinics will lie in making it time efficient and interesting for the patient. Novel strategies to overcome provider and patient barriers are essential.
Family Psychological Morbidity After the Intensive Care Unit

This chapter addresses the array of psychological repercussions that may arise in family members of intensive care unit (ICU) survivors. In particular, it will address a range of issues known to exist under the rubric of a newly identified condition known as post-intensive care syndrome-family (PICS-F). The chapter will cover diverse topics such as risk factors and possible protective factors for psychological repercussions in family members, moderating factors, and dimensions of psychological morbidity, while providing a novel framework to help understand PICS-F. Additionally, proposed future research directions in the field are included.
Posterior Laminoforaminotomy for Radiculopathy

Cervical spondylosis is a commonly encountered degenerative condition and represents one of the most frequently treated diagnoses in neurosurgery. Its prevalence has recently been demonstrated as 89.7% in patients with a mean age of 56.4. Additionally, these patients may have more severe symptoms from nerve root or spinal cord compression, resulting in radicular pain or myelopathy, possibly causing a neurological deficit. Posterior cervical laminoforaminotomy (PCLF) was first described by Spurling and Scoville in 1944 and represents a safe and effective surgical technique by which to treat cervical radiculopathy in patients who have failed conservative therapy. The aim of this chapter is to describe the indications, contraindications, techniques, and complications of PCLF while providing a review of the current literature regarding this approach.
Interactions of acetamide and acrylamide with heme models: Synthesis, infrared spectra, and solid state molecular structures of five- and six-coordinate ferric porphyrin derivatives.

Abstract The amide functional group is a fundamental building block of proteins, but is also present in several industrial chemicals such as acetamide and acrylamide. Some acetamide derivatives are known to deplete cytoplasmic heme, and some acrylamide derivatives are known to cause porphyria and may activate soluble guanylyl cyclase through a heme-dependent mechanism. We have prepared a representative set of six-coordinate acetamide and acrylamide (L) complexes of iron porphyrins of the form [(por)Fe(L)2]ClO4 (por = TPP (tetraphenylporphyrinato dianion), T(p-OMe)PP (tetrakis(p-methoxyphenyl)porphyrinato dianion)) in 76–83% yields. We have also prepared the five-coordinate derivatives [(OEP)Fe(L)]ClO4 (OEP = octaethylporphyrinato dianion) in 68–75% yields. These compounds were characterized by IR spectroscopy and by single-crystal X-ray crystallography. The molecular structures reveal the monodentate O-binding of the acetamide and acrylamide ligands to the ferric centers, with variable H-bonding exhibited between the acetamide/acrylamide –NH2 moieties and the perchlorate anions. The five-coordinate OEP derivatives exhibit a π-π stacking of their porphyrin macrocycles, with the acetamide complex in the Class I and the acrylamide complex in the Class S groups. These compounds represent the first structurally characterized acetamide and acrylamide adducts of iron porphyrins. Reactions of the six-coordinate derivatives with NO result in the nitrosyl [(por)Fe(NO)(L)]ClO4 derivatives that have been characterized by IR spectroscopy.
Using Massage to Combat Fear-Avoidance and the Pain Tension Cycle

Massage is a common therapeutic modality utilized by clinicians in a variety of settings to help treat injuries, reduce pain and return function to patients. Massage benefits the patients both psyc...
Accounting Information in Corporate Governance: Implications for Standard Setting

ABSTRACT Accounting standards are crucially relevant in the context of the use of accounting information in corporate governance. Notwithstanding highly liquid capital markets, large and small shar...
European and American Perspectives on Behavioural Law and Economics

Behavioural law and economics is one of the two most significant developments currently going on in legal scholarship. In this essay, I seek to describe, first, why behavioural law and economics is so important and to give a brief example of how it has altered the law-and-economic analysis of one significant area of substantive law—criminal law and punishment. Second, I discuss some criticisms of behavioural law and economics, finding that some of those criticisms have merit and raise serious issues that legal scholars should investigate further. I describe two recent articles that find a common behavioural policy prescription of using “nudges” to be not just ineffectual but damaging. Finally, I speculate on some differences between the structure of legal faculties and prevailing scholarly practices in Europe and North America that may have an impact on how quickly legal scholars in those two areas address the open questions in behavioural law and economics.
White cyber-protest in a Facebook group: Articulating colorblind racialization in response to perceived South Korean televised “xenophobia”

Abstract This study builds upon a nascent body of scholarship that examines the transnational movement of White Westerners. The purpose is to complicate the literature on multiculturalism and globalization by examining the “reverse” migration from, rather than to, the West. Specifically, it examines White migrants’ mobilization of online social protest through a Facebook group that came together in response to a report broadcast on South Korea’s Munhwa Broadcasting Company (MBC) that was interpreted as racist and xenophobic. In response, White residents in Korea organized dissent and engaged in symbolic protest that served a collective ego function, creating community around a perceived sense of shared oppression as racialized minorities. To do so, they drew on global hierarchies, White supremacy, and heteronormativity to challenge their lack of control over their own representations in the local culture.
Magnetic Domain Wall Based Synaptic and Activation Function Generator for Neuromorphic Accelerators

Magnetic domain walls are information tokens in both logic and memory devices and hold particular interest in applications such as neuromorphic accelerators that combine logic in memory. Here, we show that devices based on the electrical manipulation of magnetic domain walls are capable of implementing linear, as well as programmable nonlinear, functions. Unlike other approaches, domain-wall-based devices are ideal for application to both synaptic weight generators and thresholding in deep neural networks. Prototype micrometer-size devices operate with 8 ns current pulses and the energy consumption required for weight modulation is ≤16 pJ. Both speed and energy consumption compare favorably to other synaptic nonvolatile devices, with the expected energy dissipation for scaled 20 nm devices close to that of biological neurons.
Correction to: Association of CMV genomic mutations with symptomatic infection and hearing loss in congenital CMV infection.

After publication of the original article [1], we were notified that Fig. 3 has “Fig. 1” posted on the top of it and Figs. 4 and 5 have “Genomic Position” in a different spot.
Comparison of the Be 9 ( t , p ) Be 11 and Be 9 ( O 18 , O 16 ) Be 11 reactions

Relative to their population in a recent investigation of the $^{9}\mathrm{Be}(^{18}\mathrm{O},^{16}\mathrm{O})^{11}\mathrm{Be}$ reaction, the first two ${(sd)}^{2}$ states of $^{11}\mathrm{Be}$ were considerably stronger (by factors of 2--3) in an earlier $^{9}\mathrm{Be}(t,p)$ experiment. Comparison with other results suggests the presence of at least two states near 5.9 MeV, populated with different selectivity in different reactions.
Fourier Phase Retrieval with Side Information Using Generative Prior

Classical methods for phase retrieval rely on prior knowledge about the support and positivity of the images. In recent years, sparse, low-rank, and generative models with spectral initialization have been proposed for various phase retrieval problems. Despite the progress, phase retrieval with structured measurements, still remains a challenging problem. In particular, Fourier phase retrieval is sensitive to the initialization and comes with inherent ambiguities about shift and flip on images. In this paper, we propose to use additional side information about the signal to initialize and regularize the phase retrieval problem. In particular, we assume that a part of the signal is known. We use the known part to initialize the estimate and incorporate the support knowledge as an additional constraint while solving the phase retrieval problem. We empirically demonstrate that our proposed method provides significant improvement over Fourier phase retrieval without side information.
How middle school special and general educators make sense of and respond to changes in teacher evaluation policy

In this multiple case study, we apply sensemaking theory to examine and compare how middle school special and general educators perceive and respond to teacher evaluation reform, including formal classroom observations, informal walkthroughs, and student growth measures. Our findings reveal that special educators experience conflict between the policy’s main elements and their understandings of how to effectively teach students with disabilities. Furthermore, special and general educators held contrasting beliefs regarding the appropriateness of evaluation. Our findings illustrate the importance of acknowledging differences in special and general educators’ roles and responsibilities and encourage policymakers to reconsider uniform teacher evaluation policies.
Predicting white etching matter formation in bearing steels using a fretting damage parameter

Abstract White etching cracks (WECs) are deleterious artifacts found in fatigue damaged bearings. The formation of WECs has been attributed to the frictional energy dissipation at subsurface cracks during cyclic rolling contact. This study introduces a novel Ruiz fretting damage parameter (FDP) implementation to predict the frictional energy dissipation at subsurface cracks. A parametric study using a finite element model explores the role of crack length, orientation, depth, and coefficient of friction (COF) on FDP. The FDP is maximized at a normalized length of 0.50a and depth of 0.78a, between the orientation of ±30°, at a COF of μ = 0.3, in agreement with experimental observations. These results provide strong evidence of the FDP as a predictor of WEC formation.
Boolean Matrix Factorization via Nonnegative Auxiliary Optimization

A novel approach to Boolean matrix factorization (BMF) is presented. Instead of solving the BMF problem directly, this approach solves a nonnegative optimization problem with an additional constraint over an auxiliary matrix whose Boolean structure is identical to the initial Boolean data. This additional auxiliary matrix constraint forces the support of the NMF solution to adhere to that of a BMF solution. The solution of the nonnegative auxiliary optimization problem is thresholded to provide a solution for the BMF problem. We provide the proofs for the equivalencies of the two solution spaces under the existence of an exact solution. Moreover, the nonincreasing property of the algorithm is also proven. Experiments on synthetic and real datasets are conducted to show the effectiveness and complexity of the algorithm compared to other current methods.
Independently Coupled and PZT Controllable Photonic Integrated Three-Resonator Photonic Molecule

We demonstrate an integrated three-resonator photonic molecule with independent buses and PZT controllable 5.11 million Q Si3N4 rings. Independent tuning is demonstrated with full control of resonances and splitting and verified with theory and simulation.
Effect of build angle and layer height on the accuracy of 3-dimensional printed dental models.

Introduction Three-dimensional (3D) printing technologies are profoundly changing the landscape of orthodontics. To optimize treatment-oriented applications, dimensional fidelity is required for 3D-printed orthodontic models. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of build angle and layer height on the accuracy of 3D-printed dental models and if each of their influences on print accuracy was conditional on the other. Methods A maxillary cast was scanned using an intraoral scanner. One hundred thirty-two study models were printed at various combinations of build angle (0°, 30°, 60°, 90°) and layer height (20 μm, 50 μm, 100 μm) with a digital light processing printer (n = 11 per group). The models were digitally scanned, and deviation analyzed using a 3D best-fit algorithm in metrology software. Results A statistically significant interaction was consistently found between build angle and layer height for each positive deviation, negative deviation, and proportion out of bounds. Average deviations of all study models were within clinically acceptable ranges, but the least accurate models were printed at 0°/20 μm. Although there was a tendency for an oblique build angle of 30° or 60° with a smaller layer height of 20 μm or 50 μm to print the most accurate models, 95 % confidence intervals overlapped with all other angles and heights except for 0°/20 μm. Conclusions Build angle and layer height have statistically significant interactive effects on the accuracy of 3D-printed dental models. Overall, digital light processing printers produced models within clinically acceptable bounds, but the choice of build angle and layer height should be considered in conjunction with the clinical application, desired print time, and preferred efficiency of each print job.
Endoparasites of pet reptiles and amphibians from exotic pet shows in Texas, United States

Abstract Reptiles and amphibians are becoming increasingly more common in the exotic pet trade and as such veterinary care is also rising. Parasitic infections can pose a serious threat to pet reptiles and amphibians and are a common finding in these exotic pets. The purpose of the present study was to determine the species composition of parasites among reptiles and amphibians entering the pet industry. Excreta were collected from 283 reptiles and amphibians (181 geckos, 23 chameleons, 21 frogs, 16 tortoises, 11 snakes, 1 caiman, and 31 other lizard species), representing 58 different species. Samples were collected from animals being sold at exotic pet shows in Texas, USA, where breeders from throughout the United States gathered to showcase their exotic pets. Excreta samples were tested using double centrifugation flotation with Sheather's sucrose solution. Endoparasites were identified in 51.9% of samples. The most prevalent helminth parasite among reptiles and amphibians were Pharyngodonidae (44.5%) nematodes. Oocysts of coccidians such as Isospora, Eimeria, and Choleoeimeria, and cysts of the ciliate Nyctotherus were also identified. The prevalence rates of endoparasites among animal groups ranged from 0 to 87.5%. The highest prevalence of infection was found in Testudines (87.5%), followed by Chamaeleonidae (87%), other lizards (76.7%), Amphibia (71.4%), Serpentes (63.6%), and then Gekkonidae (55.2%). No endoparasites were detected in the one Crocodylia sampled. Our results show that parasitic infections, many of which can cause clinical disease and mortality, are common in exotic reptiles and amphibians being sold or traded as pets in the United States, underlining the need for veterinary care and routine diagnostic screening for parasitic infections.
Queer inclusion in the United Methodist Church

The United Methodist Church has been in conflict over lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender inclusion issues since 1972. That year, in response to the gay liberation and gay rights movements, wording was added to the UMC Book of Discipline (the compilation of denominational policies and doctrines) characterizing homosexuality as "incompatible with Christian teaching." Since then, United Methodist ministers have been forbidden to perform same-sex commitment ceremonies (and United Methodist churches forbidden to host them), a rule has been passed that non-heterosexual United Methodist ministers must be celibate, and the UMC has forbidden the funding of any program or organization "supporting" homosexuality. These policies have been met with significant resistance by those fighting for GLBT inclusion. In this groundbreaking book, Udis-Kessler examines this struggle, analyzing both sides of this divisive debate among one of the most prominent religious organizations in the United States.
The Sharing of Benefits from the Utilization of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture

A major issue in international multilateral negotiations is the creation of a fund for the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the utilization of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFAs). This chapter provides a conceptual understanding of the economic value of PGRFAs, identifies proxies for this value that can be used to determine the relative contribution of each country to the benefit-sharing fund, and evaluates the suitability of each proxy to this task.
Circumvention of drug resistance in human tumors harboring wild-type p53.

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 47, 2006 5420 A seminal player in apoptosis is the tumor suppressor p53, which is often mutated in cancers and this causes drug resistance. What is not readily appreciated is the clinical significance of drug resistance in tumors harboring wild-type p53. In fact, such tumors are highly prevalent, accounting for 35-100% of resistant breast, non-small cell lung, testicular and ovarian cancers. Moreover, resistance of wild-type p53 tumors can be significantly greater than mutant p53 tumors. In our panel of clinically resistant human ovarian cancer, the IC50 of cisplatin in mutant p53 tumors was 1.2-3.3 μM (mean, 2.0), whereas in wild-type p53 tumors this range was 2.8-9.9 μM (mean, 5.7). This represents 9- and 26-fold resistance, respectively, compared to sensitive wild-type p53 ovarian A2780 cells. A common factor to emerge was the inability of cisplatin-treated wild-type p53 resistant tumors to activate the p53/p21 pathway, which then attenuates p21-dependent inhibition of G1-phase cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) complexes. Activation of the p53/p21 pathway, inhibition of Cdk, and cell death were observed with DAP, a DACH-Pt(IV) analog with axial acetates. These effects of DAP were also seen in intrinsic cisplatin-resistant breast and prostate cancers harboring wild-type p53. More importantly, p21-deleted HCT-116 cell lines were 2- to 3-fold resistant to the two platinum drugs. The differential effects of cisplatin and DAP in resistant tumor cells may be due in part to the mechanism of post-translational modification to induce/activate p53. In this respect, cisplatin induces p53 phosphorylation at Ser-392 in sensitive MCF-7 cells, but DAP does not. Similarly, dephosphorylation at Ser-376 was maximal at 4 h after DAP treatment (20 μM), whereas equimolar cisplatin did not induce dephosphorylation at this time, but dephosphroylated p53 appeared by 8-16 h at about 50% of maximal levels seen with DAP. The temporal profile of Ser-15 phosphorylation and induction of total p53 mirrored dephosphorylation of Ser-376, and provides a correlative relationship between these three cellular events. Since Ser-376 dephosphorylation and a lack of Ser-392 phosphorylation are properties associated with ionizing radiation, which induces p53 in an ATM-dependent manner, we explored whether p53 induction by DAP involved ATM. Systematic knockdowns with siRNA indicated that p53 induction by cisplatin was ATR/Chk1-dependent, but not ATM/Chk2-dependent, whereas p53 induction by DAP was independent of either of these two pathways. These results demonstrate that cisplatin and DAP activate p53 through different pathways, and this provides a basis for reactivation of the p53/p21 pathway by DAP to circumvent cisplatin resistance. (Supported by NCI RO1 CA 77332, 82361 and 93941).
Application of Maxwell to undergraduate electromagnetics instruction

Maxwell is a comprehensive package of computer programs for modelling electromagnetic field problems by using the finite element method. It consists of an input module called Meshmaker for specifying the problem geometry and for creating the finite element mesh and a number of solution modules for solving for the propagation and radiation characteristics of transmission lines, waveguides, planar circuits, and antennas. It has been used with the IBM PC and the HP Bobcat in various forms in six undergraduate classes to aid in understanding fields.
Recycling Postconsumer Nylon Carpet: A Case Study of the Economics and Engineering Issues Associated with Recycling Postconsumer Goods

Summary Each year 34 billion pounds of nylon carpet are discarded into landfills in the United States. As a case study we examine the technical and economic feasibility of recycling a portion of this source of discarded plastic. The carpet could be (I) shredded for use as daily cover at landfills or as a strengthening component of concrete, (2) sheared or chemically processed for reuse as recycled nylon or as pure nylon feedstock, or (3) made into a new type of plastic. We estimate the costs of a recycling facility to handle 450,000 Ib of discarded nylon carpet each month in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We found that with current technology, regulations, and markets, only the recycling of carpet from commercial settings using shearing or chemical processing is economical and only under very narrow circumstances. We learned four lessons from this study, First, collection costs are high and can dominate the economics of recycling. Second, given time and incentives, collection costs can be reduced. Third, trying to recycle products not designed to be recycled leads to many problems. Carpet could be redesigned to make recycling easier by making the carpet out of a single material and using an adhesive that can be removed easily. Fourth, recycling processes should be designed to produce an existing material if at all possible, because new materials present marketing problems.
Stress Response in Bacteria: Heat Shock

Terminology Retrospective and Definitions Beyond Cells Properties Heat Shock and Other Stressors Heat-Shock Proteins Regulation Regulatory Circuits and Networks Proteolysis Chaperones and Proteases in Regulation New Looks of an Old Theme Thermotolerance and the Future Keywords: chaperone and chaperonins; heat shock; heat-shock genes; heat-shock proteins; stress; stress genes; stress proteins
Scaling zero-change photonics: An active photonics platform in a 32nm microelectronics SOI CMOS process

We demonstrate photonics monolithically integrated in a 32 nm SOI microelectronics process, including grating couplers, tunable filters, and modulators, the first migration of zero-change CMOS photonics moving down the microelectronics technology-node ladder, from the 45nm node.
Exploration and exploitation: knowledge sharing in digital government projects

This paper examines knowledge sharing processes in digital government projects (DGPs). Although knowledge sharing processes are a central feature of the functioning of government, they have received little attention in the literature. The importance of knowledge sharing has become even more evident with the rise of digital government initiatives, as these have a networking effect on bureaucracies. With multiple agencies and multidisciplinary knowledge coming together, it is necessary to combine and reconnect the required knowledge. Based on empirical data from four DGPs in Switzerland and the United States, a theoretical model for knowledge sharing in DGPs is proposed. The model ties together processes and content of knowledge sharing through two task dimensions, each of them subdivided into two phases: (1) Conception and implementation of the project, and (2) Exploration and exploitation of knowledge. I show that the implementation of DG requires a balanced mix of exploration and exploitation of knowledge, where exploration is more important in the conceptual phase, and exploitation becomes more fruitful in the implementation phase. I found that different configurations of knowledge networks in DGPs are related to different stages in the advancement of the project: DGPs rely on sparse networks during the conceptual phase of the project, and tend to employ teams or tightly-bound groups when the project moves towards implementation.
Constitutive Equations for Viscoelastic Liquids: Formulation, Analysis and Comparison with Data

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the two common classes of viscoelastic constitutive equations (CEs) for polymer melts and concentrated polymer solutions. These are general Maxwell-like and single integral CEs with instantaneous elasticity. The formulation of both classes of CEs are analyzed. The Maxwell-like CEs usually employ some hidden tensor variables with different physical senses. Therefore, in spite of the generality in formulation, their evolution equations and stress relations have different features, depending on the theoretical approach used. Some artifacts related to formulation of the CEs are also exposed. Such an important effect as compressibility is discussed. General results on stability for both classes of CEs is demonstrated, which included stability analyses of both the Hadamard and dissipative types. Results of the stability analyses are applied to popular CEs. The descriptive capability of a class of Maxwell-like CEs is demonstrated, whose formulation satisfies all the stability constraints. The data for equi-biaxial extension is obtained using the lubricated squeezing technique.
PRINCIPAL COMPONENT ANALYSIS OF SLOAN DIGITAL SKY SURVEY STELLAR SPECTRA

We apply Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to ~100,000 stellar spectra obtained by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). In order to avoid strong nonlinear variation of spectra with effective temperature, the sample is binned into 0.02 mag wide intervals of the g ? r color (?0.20 < g ? r < 0.90, roughly corresponding to MK spectral types A3-K3), and PCA is applied independently for each bin. In each color bin, the first four eigenspectra are sufficient to describe the observed spectra within the measurement noise. We discuss correlations of eigencoefficients with metallicity and gravity estimated by the Sloan Extension for Galactic Understanding and Exploration Stellar Parameters Pipeline. The resulting high signal-to-noise mean spectra and the other three eigenspectra are made publicly available. These data can be used to generate high-quality spectra for an arbitrary combination of effective temperature, metallicity, and gravity within the parameter space probed by the SDSS. The SDSS stellar spectroscopic database and the PCA results presented here offer a convenient method to classify new spectra, to search for unusual spectra, to train various spectral classification methods, and to synthesize accurate colors in arbitrary optical bandpasses.
Inverting for maritime propagation environments using proper orthogonal modes from radar imagery data

Radar wave front arrival times and spatial energy deposition, associated with propagation through a given marine atmospheric boundary layer, may be described using proper orthogonal modes, and subsequently represented as points on a compact Stiefel manifold. By exploiting the Riemannian structure of Stiefel, interpolation within the cloud of manifold points is possible when solving inverse problems aimed at uncovering in situ maritime conditions affecting radar propagation on a given day.
Bases para una interpretación tipológica de la vivienda rural introducida en la Patagonia Suroccidental desde el fenómeno de sus adaptaciones al clima

Se postula que durante ciertas etapas del desarrollo rural de la Patagonia suroccidental ocurrio un proceso de mixtura y adaptacion de tradiciones culturales y constructivas diversas, que dio como resultado una arquitectura introducida pero adaptada al territorio, la que se concreta, particularmente, a traves de las relaciones entre los recintos que conforman la vivienda y los que definen su vinculacion con el contexto climatico. Entre estos ultimos, destaca la importancia de los elementos perimetrales, dado su potencial de adaptacion al clima local. Se reconoce, asimismo, determinadas organizaciones espaciales que ayudaron a la constitucion de una identidad arquitectonica en el contexto de estudio, y se enfatiza en los procesos adaptativos que se desarrollaron en virtud de la condicion rural de las viviendas analizadas para relacionarse con el ambiente en su dimension climatica. Se sostiene, finalmente, que esta interpretacion permite complementar la valorizacion del patrimonio arquitectonico, en funcion de los habitos de uso relacionados con la condicion termica de las viviendas, antes que por la sola catalogacion estetica o figurativa.
‘Voglio sedurre quelli che stanno di là’: Same-Sex Tourism and the Manufacturing of Queer Elsewheres

This essay examines queer writers’ representations of North Africa, focusing especially on Franco Buffoni’s novel Zamel (2009). In the Maghreb, the same-sex tourist sees a land of primal (s)excess where the norms of home — exclusive heterosexuality, homophobic violence, and monogomous coupling — need no longer apply. Crossing the Mediterranean, this subject hopes to flee the discursive borders (gay versus straight) that supposedly domesticate desire in Italy. Eros not bound by either/or labels is thought still to flourish in North Africa. Turning to the Maghreb, the Italian same-sex tourist longs to approximate the homoerotics Italy once housed. North Africans do not represent for the Italian tourist an impossibly distinct Other but rather are made to signify a return to Italy’s imagined erotic past. While certainly questioning the progressivist plots of Europe’s LGBT movements, where the act of coming-out is considered equivalent to the forward- movement of history, Zamel presents North Africa as a land ...
Measuring service-specific performance and educational value within a general surgery residency: the power of a prospective, anonymous, Web-based rotation evaluation system in the optimization of resident satisfaction.

Abstract Background. We used a Web-based evaluation system to institute specific changes to various clinical teaching services in our integrated residency in an effort to optimize the overall quality of the educational experience and measured the resident satisfaction in these rotations. Methods. Residents rated 8 categories of experience on a scale of 1 to 5 (maximum summation score, 40 points). Data were analyzed by t -test for equality of means. A probability value of less than.05 was considered significant. Results. Compliance with completion of the evaluations was 100%. The Chronbach's alpha reliability coefficient of the tool was 0.826. Tukey's estimate of power to achieve additivity was 1.5. Six under-performing services were re-engineered with prominent effects on 7 postgraduate year (PGY) rotations. On 2 general surgery services at 1 hospital, the workload was redistributed, and a dedicated team teaching time was instituted (PGY-3 [a]: before, 22 points/after, 31 points; P =.003; PGY-3 [b]: before, 25 points/after, 31 points; P =.004; PGY-1: before, 24 points/after, 29 points; P =.07). A general surgery service at another hospital redistributed coverage of the attending surgeons to create a nonteaching service (PGY-1: before, 22 points/-after, 27 points; P =.01). The transplantation service (PGY-3) was examined, and the role of the point was redefined (before, 24 points/after, 31 points; P =.01). One vascular service (PGY-2) redistributed cases and workload (before, 27 points/after, 22 points; P =.07). The vascular PGY-2 position was eliminated and replaced by a mid-level practitioner. The cardiothoracic service (PGY-1) rotation was converted into a preceptorship (before, 23 points/after, 30 points; P =.015). Conclusions. A web-based clinical rotation evaluation provides a means for the assessment of the impact of programmatic changes while preserving resident anonymity and maintaining accountability. (Surgery 2001;130:289-95.)