cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sustainable intensification of China's agroecosystems by conservation agriculture

Abstract Agriculture in China started about 8000 BCE with cultivation of millet and rice. Thus, China's modern agriculture is rooted in a long evolutionary history of agricultural practices. China's population of 211 million in 1700 increased to 295 million in 1800, 400 million in 1900, 1266 million in 2000, and is 1409 million in 2017. Thus, China has to feed 18.5% of the world population on merely 7% of the world's arable land and with even scarcer water resources. Yet, between 1950 and 2017, the grain production in China increased at a faster rate than that of the population. Total grain production (million ton or Tg) was 113 in 1949, 305 in 1970, 462 in 2000, and 603 in 2015. The high agricultural productivity is attributed to high consumption of fertilizers (58.8 Tg in 2015), pesticides (1.81 Tg in 2014), and irrigation (65.7 Mha in 2014). However, the high production is also associated with the severe problems of soil degradation (erosion), water contamination and air pollution. It is estimated that ~40% of China's arable land is degraded to some degree. Thus, there is a strong need for a paradigm shift of sustaining high productivity while restoring quality of natural resources of soil, water and air. In this context, conversion to a system-based conservation agriculture (CA) may be an important strategy of sustainable intensification of agro-ecosystems for advancing and sustaining high production while restoring soil health, purifying water and air and improving the environment. The CA has been practiced in China since 1990s and was adopted on ~8.0 Mha in 2015. The available literature shows that conversion to CA increases soil organic C (SOC) concentration and stocks mostly in the surface layer while also producing an equivalent agronomic yield. Therefore, a widespread adoption of CA in China would necessitate a deeper understanding of its ecological underpinnings. To be effective, site-specific CA practices must reduce risks of soil erosion under dry land farming, achieve and sustain high productivity, reduce emissions of N2O and CH4, sequester SOC, and decrease inputs of fertilizers and pesticides. To be widely accepted, site-specific CA packages must also address the followings: availability of crop residues mulch, techniques of weed control, access to a seed drill, and availability of farm labor. Economically, CA must increase agronomic yield and the farm profit. Being a knowledge-intensive and complex system, there is a strong need to strengthen the extension services, and conduct long-term and farmer-driven research to alleviate specific constraints (e.g., drought, wind and water erosion, nutrient imbalance, weed control).
Relationship Between Objective Financial Burden and the Health-Related Quality of Life and Mental Health of Patients With Cancer.

Purpose:The high and increasing costs of cancer care can lead to financial burden for patients and their families. However, no study has specifically examined the association between objective measures of financial burden and the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and psychological health of patients with cancer.Methods:Data on patients with cancer were obtained from the 2010 to 2014 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. High financial burden was defined as a ratio of annual family out-of-pocket health care expenditures to family income exceeding either 10% or 20%. Multivariable linear regressions were used to estimate the relationship between high financial burden and patient HRQOL, nonspecific psychological distress, and depressed mood.Results:Of 6,799 patients with cancer, 15% and 6% experienced high financial burden exceeding 10% and 20% of family income, respectively. Compared with those without high financial burden, patients with cancer with high financial burden were more likely to have significan...
Cine MRI during spontaneous cramps in women with menstrual pain.

Background The lack of noninvasive methods to study dysmenorrhea has resulted in poor understanding of the mechanisms underlying pain, insufficient diagnostic tests, and limited treatment options. To address this knowledge gap, we have developed a magnetic resonance imaging–based strategy for continuously monitoring the uterus in relationship to participants’ spontaneous pain perception. Objective The study objective was to evaluate whether magnetic resonance imaging can detect real-time changes in myometrial activity during cramping episodes in women with dysmenorrhea, with a handheld squeeze bulb for pain reporting. Study Design Sixteen women with dysmenorrhea and 10 healthy control women both on and off their menses were evaluated with magnetic resonance imaging while not taking analgesic medication. Continuous magnetic resonance imaging was acquired using half-Fourier acquisition single-shot turbo spin echo sequence along with simultaneous reporting of pain severity with a squeeze bulb. Pearson’s coefficient was used to compare results between reviewers. Proportional differences between women with dysmenorrhea and controls on/off menses were evaluated with a Fisher exact test. The temporal relationships between signal changes were evaluated with Monte Carlo simulations. Results Spontaneous progressive decreases in myometrial signal intensity were more frequently observed in women on their menses than in the absence of pain in the same women off their menses or participants without dysmenorrhea (P Conclusion Transient decreases in myometrial uterine T2-weighted signal intensity can be reliably measured in women with menstrual pain. The directionality of signal change and temporal relationship to pain onset suggest that cramping pain may be caused by a combination of uterine pressure and hemodynamic dysfunction.
Delirium as a predictor of mortality in US Medicare beneficiaries discharged from the emergency department: a national claims-level analysis up to 12 months

Background Delirium is common among seniors discharged from the emergency department (ED) and associated with increased risk of mortality. Prior research has addressed mortality associated with seniors discharged from the ED with delirium, however has generally relied on data from one or a small number of institutions and at single time points. Objectives Analyse mortality rates among seniors discharged from the ED with delirium up to 12 months at the national level. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Analysed data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services limited data sets for 2012–2013. Participants Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries aged 65 years or older discharged from the ED. We focused on new incident cases of delirium, patients with any prior claims for delirium, hospice claims or end-stage renal disease were excluded. Sample size included 26 245 delirium claims, and a randomly selected sample of 262 450 controls. Outcome measures Mortality within 12 months after discharge from the ED, excluding patients transferred or admitted as inpatients. Results Among all beneficiaries, 46 508 (16.1%) died within 12 months, of which 39 404 (15.0%) were in the non-delirium (ie, control group) and 7104 (27.1%) were in the delirium cohort, respectively. Mortality was strongest at 30 days with an adjusted HR of 4.82 (95% CI 4.60 to 5.04). Over time, delirium was consistently associated with increased mortality risk compared with controls up to 12 months (HR 2.07; 95% CI 2.01 to 2.13). Covariates that affected mortality included older age, comorbidity and presence of dementia. Conclusions Our results demonstrate delirium is a significant marker of mortality among seniors in the ED, and mortality risk is most salient in the first 3 months following an ED visit. Given the significant clinical and financial implications, there is a need to increase delirium screening and management within the ED to help identify and treat this potentially fatal condition.
Matter radii and configuration mixing in 15-19 C

I present new calculations of matter radii for 15-19C, with a variety of mixed configurations. Results are compared with previous and new matter radii deduced from cross sections.
Ring (not Algebra) Isomorphisms of H(G)

We return here to the ring structure of H(G). A ring homomorphism of R1 to R2 is a function φ: R1 → R2 which preserves multiplication i.e. φ(rs) = φ(r)φ(s) and φ(r + s) = φ(r) + φ(s) for all r, s ∈ R1. A ring isomorphism is a ring homomorphism that is one-to-one and onto. If G and G’ are two conformally equivalent domains in ℂ then there is an algebra isomorphism from H(G) to H(G’) as we saw in Chapter 5. An algebra isomorphism will be a ring isomorphism which additionally preserves scalar multiplication. It follows from Proposition 5.4 that H(G) and H(G’) are isomorphic as algebras if and only if G and G’ are conformally equivalent. But a ring isomorphism can exist without conformal equivalence.
Abstract 4276: Analysis of sensitivity of genomic signatures of therapeutic responses of non-small cell lung cancer in patient-derived xenograft models

Genomic alterations are important characteristics of therapeutic responses and therapeutic-resistance phenotype in cancer. These genomic alterations are complex and are determinants of aberrations in signaling pathways and their dynamics. A genomic signature includes a set of genomic alterations like gene expressions, mutations, copy number variations, etc. These genomic signatures are used as biomarkers for assigning treatment to individuals benefiting from a specific treatment plan and are validated using preclinical models such as patient-derived xenograft models (PDX models). We have proposed a methodology to optimize these genomic signatures in silico and evaluate their accuracy in vivo using PDX models of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Our integrative analysis has shown that different sizes and complexities of gene sets provide different layers of information applicable in designing therapeutic regimens. To eliminate sloppy signatures, it is possible to find optimized and sensitive genomic signatures for precision oncology. Citation Format: Iman Tavassoly, Ravi Iyengar. Analysis of sensitivity of genomic signatures of therapeutic responses of non-small cell lung cancer in patient-derived xenograft models [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4276.
Retinal detachment and infantile-onset glaucoma in Stickler syndrome associated with known and novel COL2A1 mutations.

Background: Few reports on surgical outcomes after retinal detachment in Stickler syndrome exist. Also, infantile-onset glaucoma associated with Stickler syndrome has been rarely reported and no re...
Time, Life & the Emotive Source

A Panpsychism, or neo-vitalism, is presented having to do with the penetration of time in living organism. Time is described having bifurcated or polarized into two windows: one that looks forward in time and follows a chain of determinism, and one that looks backward in time to frequencies and past habits. The emotive source is described as a singularity, the timeless middle-term holding the two windows together. This view is related to the laws of physics, the second law of thermodynamics, genetics and epigenetic switches. Warm-body quantum mechanics is implicated broadly, and in particular with the creation of adaptive mutations that are coxed by epigenetic cues.
Vitamin E deficiency in the monkey. IV. Further studies of the anemia with emphasis on bone marrow morphology.

Nuclear abnormalities were observed in all the erythroid precursors in the bone marrow of vitamin E-deficient monkeys. Many of these cells were multinucleated. The remainder of the marrow elements appeared normal. Reasons for considering the anemia to be primarily due to inadequate erythropoiesis are given. Serum iron, glutathione stability of the erythrocytes, hemoglobin electrophoresis, osmotic fragilities and platelet counts were all found to be normal in the vitamin E-deficient monkey.
Total Synthesis and Proof of Structure of a Human Breast Tumor (Globo-H) Antigen

The total synthesis of the Hakomori MBr1 antigen, heavily expressed on human breast tumors, is related. The construction involved the assembly of four glycals: (17 (twice), 18, 20, and 26) and an l-fucose derivative, 34. The sensitivity of the stereochemistry of sulfonamido galactosylation by a terminal galactose ring as a function of the state of protection status of its C4 alcohol was exploited in a key step. (See the formation of compound 51.) The synthesis served to confirm the Hakomori assignment of structure, and paves the way for immunoconjugation. (See compound 64.)
Family Resilience and Sexuality

Individuals and families are confronted with issues related to sexuality whether they like it or not. A topic of high significance, sexual experiences can entail pleasure and/or pain. Throughout this book there are many conceptualizations and definitions of resilience. For the purpose of this chapter, resilience is framed within the ecological literature. Canadian ecologist Holling (1973) was the first to describe resilience within ecological systems. He and his colleagues later defined ecological resilience as the capacity of a system to absorb disturbance and reorganize while undergoing change so as to still retain essentially the same function, structure, identity, and feedbacks (Walker, Holling, Carpenter, & Kinzig, 2004).
Measuring the Severity of Respiratory Illness in the First 2 Years of Life in Preterm and Term Infants.

Objective To develop a valid research tool to measure infant respiratory illness severity using parent-reported symptoms. Study design Nose and throat swabs were collected monthly for 1 year and during respiratory illnesses for 2 years in a prospective study of term and preterm infants in the Prematurity, Respiratory Outcomes, Immune System and Microbiome study. Viral pathogens were detected using Taqman Array Cards. Parents recorded symptoms during respiratory illnesses using a Childhood Origins of Asthma (COAST) scorecard. The COAST score was validated using linear mixed effects regression modeling to evaluate associations with hospitalization and specific infections. A data-driven method was also used to compute symptom weights and derive a new score, the Infant Research Respiratory Infection Severity Score (IRRISS). Linear mixed effects regression modeling was repeated with the IRRISS illness data. Results From April 2013 to April 2017, 50 term, 40 late preterm, and 28 extremely low gestational age ( Conclusions Using parent-reported symptoms, we validated the COAST score as a measure of respiratory illness severity in infants. The new IRRISS score performed as well as the COAST score.
Facial Synthesis from Visual Attributes via Sketch using Multi-Scale Generators

Automatic synthesis of faces from visual attributes is an important problem in computer vision and has wide applications in law enforcement and entertainment. With the advent of deep generative convolutional neural networks (CNNs), attempts have been made to synthesize face images from attributes and text descriptions. In this paper, we take a different approach, where we formulate the original problem as a stage-wise learning problem. We first synthesize the facial sketch corresponding to the visual attributes and then we generate the face image based on the synthesized sketch. The proposed framework, is based on a combination of two different Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) - (1) a sketch generator network which synthesizes realistic sketch from the input attributes, and (2) a face generator network which synthesizes facial images from the synthesized sketch images with the help of facial attributes. Extensive experiments and comparison with recent methods are performed to verify the effectiveness of the proposed attribute-based two-stage face synthesis method.
Imag(in)ing the Anthropocene: Nature Films and/as Creation Tales

The popular association of nature films with scientific objectivity and secular environmentalism obscures how these films also deploy mythological, etiological, and cosmogonic symbols, themes, and narratives to create worlds that appeal to audiences. From Disney’s Nature’s Half Acre to March of the Penguins, nature films have employed technical artifice to show nature ‘as it is’, and at the same time operated as a means of storytelling about Creation as a sublime order suffused with meaning and purpose. But in these films, humans largely remained outside the ‘natural’ field of reference. At the threshold of the Anthropocene, in which concerns about human responsibility for degraded planetary conditions are highlighted, new films like Racing Extinction and the Earth—A New Wild series have explored the potential of creating alternative imaginary and visual worlds of nature that include humans, to support the generation of renewed moral purpose for addressing the global ecological crisis.
Ultraviolet Assisted Pulsed Laser Deposition of Thin Oxide Films

The properties of Y 2 O 3 , ITO (indium tin oxide), and TaSi 2 thin layers grown using a new in-situ ultraviolet (UV)-assisted pulsed laser deposition (UVPLD) technique have been studied. X-ray diffraction investigations showed that with respect to conventional PLD grown films under similar conditions, but without UV illumination, UVPLD grown films exhibited better crystallinity, especially for growth at low substrate temperatures, from 200 °C up to 450 °C, depending on the material. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy investigations showed that UVPLD layers contained less physisorbed oxygen than the conventional PLD layers, exhibiting a better overall stoichiometry. These results suggest that during the ablation-growth process, UV radiation increases the surface mobility of adatoms and provides more reactive gaseous species. Both factors contribute to the crystalline growth and are especially effective at moderate processing temperatures, where the thermal energy available for the process is comparatively low.
Quantitative Restrictions on Crossing Patterns

This chapter is dedicated to beyond-planar graphs defined in terms of quantitative restrictions on the intersection pattern of edges. These classes include k-planar graph, k-quasiplanar graphs, k-gap-planar graphs, and k-locally planar graphs. The chapter reviews typical proof techniques, upper and lower bounds on the number of edges in these classes, as well as recent results on containment relations between these classes, and concludes with a collection of open problems.
Critical Thinking Tools for Quality Improvement Projects.

Topic This article explores the use of 4 quality improvement tools and 2 evidence-based practice tools that, when used within the nursing process, encourage critical thinking about quality issues. Clinical relevance Patients and families expect to receive patient-centered, high-quality, and cost-effective care. Caring for critically ill patients is challenging and requires nurses to engage in quality improvement efforts to ensure that they provide evidence-based care. Purpose of paper To explore the use of critical thinking tools and evidence-based practice tools in assessing and diagnosing quality issues in the clinical setting. Content covered The nursing process serves as the framework for problem solving. Some commonly used critical thinking tools for assessing and diagnosing quality issues are described, including the Spaghetti Diagram, the 5 Whys, the Cause and Effect Diagram, and the Pareto chart.
Promoting Rationality at the Institute for Policy Integrity

In 2008 we founded the Institute for Policy Integrity at New York University School of Law with four overarching goals: to publish scholarship on critical policy issues; to improve government decisionmaking through advocacy; to build the capacity of other organizations to make economic arguments in policy proceedings; and to train and educate future scholars and policy practitioners. Our first decade of work has led to notable successes in each of these areas. Policy Integrity staff members have published an array of influential articles, books, and reports. Our advocacy efforts, which often build on this scholarship, have influenced policy at the federal, state, and local levels. Our partnerships and capacity building have helped numerous groups, from the Sierra Club to Planned Parenthood, to incorporate economic analysis into their advocacy. And our fellowship program and Regulatory Policy clinic have honed the skills of talented lawyers and economists who have gone on to prominent positions in government, academia, and policy advocacy.
The Number Needed to Prescribe — What Would It Take to Expand Access to Buprenorphine?

The Number Needed to Prescribe Policies have been proposed to remove obstacles to prescribing buprenorphine to people with opioid use disorder. But a larger barrier to treatment expansion is cultur...
Getting your package to the right place: Supervised machine learning for geolocation

Amazon Last Mile strives to learn an accurate delivery point for each address by using the noisy GPS locations reported from past deliveries. Centroids and other center-finding methods do not serve well, because the noise is consistently biased. The problem calls for supervised machine learning, but how? We addressed it with a novel adaptation of learning to rank from the information retrieval domain. This also enabled information fusion from map layers. Offline experiments show outstanding reduction in error distance, and online experiments estimated millions in annualized savings.
Registry-based Trainee Assessments: Leveraging a Quality Collaborative for Surgical Education.

Abstract Introduction We present our experience developing and embedding a registry-based module for resident feedback. Methods At our institution, entering operative data into the institutional quality collaborative registry is standard practice. In February 2019, a surgical education module was embedded into the registry to capture procedure-specific resident operative assessments. Faculty engagement with the sugical education module was assessed during its first year in existence (February 2019-February 2020). Results In total, 1074 of 1269 (85%) operative assessments were completed by 27 faculty via the surgical education registry module. Median faculty engagement rate with the module following resident-assisted procedures was 91% [IQR 76%-100%]. Residents received a median of 7 operative assessments [IQR 2-19] over the study period. Conclusion By embedding a surgical education module into an existing surgical quality collaborative registry, procedure-specific operative assessments can be routinely captured.
Different Curvilinear Trajectories of Individual Knowledge Bases in the Innovation Process

Knowledge depth and knowledge breadth, as the two dimensions of individual knowledge bases, serve as the most fundamental source of innovation. Following a mixed-method approach with both qualitati...
The Effect of Zoom Magnification and Large Display on Video Comprehension in Individuals With Central Vision Loss.

Purpose A larger display at the same viewing distance provides relative-size magnification for individuals with central vision loss (CVL). However, the resulting large visible area of the display is expected to result in more head rotation, which may cause discomfort. We created a zoom magnification technique that placed the center of interest (COI) in the center of the display to reduce the need for head rotation. Methods In a 2 × 2 within-subject study design, 23 participants with CVL viewed video clips from 1.5 m (4.9 feet) shown with or without zoom magnification, and with a large (208 cm/82" diagonal, 69°) or a typical (84 cm/33", 31°) screen. Head position was tracked and a custom questionnaire was used to measure discomfort. Results Video comprehension was better with the large screen (P < 0.001) and slightly worse with zoom magnification (P = 0.03). Oddly, head movements did not vary with screen size (P = 0.63), yet were greater with zoom magnification (P = 0.001). This finding was unexpected, because the COI remains in the center with zoom magnification, but moves widely with a large screen and no magnification. Conclusions This initial attempt to implement the zoom magnification method had flaws that may have decreased its effectiveness. In the future, we propose alternative implementations for zoom magnification, such as variable magnification. Translational Relevance We present the first explicit demonstration that relative-size magnification improves the video comprehension of people with CVL when viewing video.
Using social criteria to select watersheds for non-point source agricultural pollution abatement projects

Abstract This article proposes social criteria for siting watershed-level agricultural non-point source (NPS) pollution abatement projects. A suite of indicators is introduced and a methodology is described for assessing the indicators and making a relative comparison between sites. Indicators discussed include funding availability, project interest, problem salience, and stakeholder collaboration and trust. The article concludes with a discussion of the challenges associated with measuring and comparing qualitative criteria.
New Pole Placement Algorithm: Polynomial Matrix Approach

A simple and direct pole placement algorithm is introduced for dynamical systems having a block companion matrix A. The algorithm utilizes well established properties of matrix polynomials. Pole placement is achieved by appropriately assigning coefficient matrices of the corresponding matrix polynomial. This involves only matrix additions and multiplications without requiring matrix inversion. A numerical example is given for the purpose of illustration.
The Effect of Relationship Characteristics and Relational Communication on Experiences of Hurt From Romantic Partners

This study expands the relational turbulence model (RTM; Solomon & Knobloch,) by theorizing about how characteristics of relationships and relational judgments influence people's experiences of hurtful messages. Previous applications of RTM to hurt have uncovered associations among relational characteristics that influence people's hurtful experiences; however, the process by which these characteristics influence experiences of hurt remains unclear. We propose that relational communication (specifically, perceptions of dominance, and disaffiliation) is the mechanism linking relational qualities to hurt. A multigroup SEM was conducted to test for the possibility of sex differences. Results showed that people's experiences of hurt vary as a function of both relationship characteristics and relational inferences. Results also indicated a difference in path coefficients for males and females.
AN ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT OF THE INTEGRATION OF CZECHOSLOVAKIA, HUNGARY, AND POLAND INTO THE EUROPEAN UNION

This paper is a study of the economic effects of the integration of the Central European Countries (CECs) into the European Union (EU). Our analysis of EU-CEC integration is based on a specially constructed version of the University of Michigan Computational General Equilibrium (CGE) Trade Model. We use this model to calculate the economic effects of EU-CEC integration on the trade, output, and employment by sector as well as the real returns to capital and labor and the economic welfare of the CECs, the EU members, and the other major trading country aggregates included in the model.
Frequency domain analysis of the multi-tap driver in high speed links

This paper presents a method, based upon channel frequency response, for determining tap settings for multitap link driver circuits. Optimization is based upon creating a flat magnitude response over frequency = 0 to 1/2 data rate.
Formulaic Language in Parkinson's Disease and Alzheimer's Disease: Complementary Effects of Subcortical and Cortical Dysfunction

Purpose The production of formulaic expressions (conversational speech formulas, pause fillers, idioms, and other fixed expressions) is excessive in the left hemisphere and deficient in the right h...
Massively Parallel Simulations with DOE?s ASCI Supercomputers: An Overview of the Los Alamos Crestone Project

The Los Alamos Crestone Project is part of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Accelerated Strategic Computing Initiative, or ASCI Program. The main goal of this software development project is to investigate the use of continuous adaptive mesh refinement (CAMR) techniques for application to problems of interest to the Laboratory. There are many code development efforts in the Crestone Project, both unclassified and classified codes. In this overview I will discuss the unclassified SAGE and the RAGE codes. The SAGE (SAIC adaptive grid Eulerian) code is a one-, two-, and three-dimensional, multimaterial, Eulerian, massively parallel hydrodynamics code for use in solving a variety of high-deformation flow problems. The RAGE CAMR code is built from the SAGE code by adding various radiation packages, improved setup utilities, and graphics packages. It is used for problems in which radiation transport of energy is important. The goal of these massively-parallel versions of the SAGE and RAGE codes is to run extremely large problems in a reasonable amount of calendar time. Our target is scalable performance to ∼10,000 processors on a 1 billion CAMR computational cell problem that requires hundreds of variables per cell, multiple physics packages (e.g., radiation and hydrodynamics), and implicit matrix solves for each cycle. A general description of the RAGE code has been published in [1], [2], [3] and [4].
Recovery of lime from coal gasifier waste containing calcium sulfide

Calcium-based materials hold great promise as sorbents for reduced sulfur compounds at high temperature. Such materials are needed for hot gas clean up or for direct addition to coal gasifiers in several types of integrated coal gasification, combined-cycle (IGCC) power generation systems under development. However, their use has been hindered by the lack of a suitable regeneration process for converting CaS back to CaO. Recently, it was discovered in the laboratory that CaS particles can be converted rapidly and almost completely to CaO by a cyclic process which exposures the material alternately and repeatedly to oxidation and reduction at 900 to 1,100 C. During oxidation with air a small portion of CaS is converted to CaSO{sub 4} which upon treatment with a reducing gas is converted to CaO. By repeating the cycle numerous times, individual particles are converted completely to CaO. Such a process can be carried out in a fluidized bed reactor which either has both oxidizing and reducing zones or is supplied with gas that is alternately oxidizing and reducing. The cyclic oxidation/reduction process for converting CaS to CaO has been demonstrated with a thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) systems, and the results are reported below. The effects of temperature and gas composition on the overall rate of conversion are indicated as well as the effect of subjecting typical sorbent materials to repeated sulfidation and regeneration.
On the lattice dynamics of metallic hydrogen and other Coulomb systems

Numerical results for the phonon spectra of metallic hydrogen and other Coulomb systems in cubic lattices are presented. In second order in the electron-ion interaction, the behavior of the dielectric function of the interacting electron gas for arguments around the seond Fermi harmonic leads to drastic Kohn anomalies and even to imaginary phonon frequencies. Third-order band-structure corrections are also calculated. Properties of self-consistent phonons and the validity of the adiabatic approximation are discussed.
Lymph node identification following neoadjuvant therapy in rectal cancer: A stage-stratified analysis using the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results (SEER)-medicare database.

Background and Objectives Neoadjuvant chemoradiation (nCRT) for rectal adenocarcinoma reduces lymph node (LN) identification following surgical resection. We sought to evaluate the relationship between LN identification following nCRT and disease-specific survival (DSS), stratified by pathologic stage. Methods The SEER-Medicare database (2000–2009) was queried for 1,216 pathologic stage I-III rectal cancer patients who underwent nCRT followed by curative-intent resection. Cox regressions evaluated the association between pathologic stage and DSS for LN cut-points from ≥2 up to ≥12 LNs. Results Extent of LN identification did not influence DSS in ypStage I or ypStage III disease; in particular, the 12 LN cut-point was not associated with DSS for ypStage I (HR 1.29, P = 0.51) or ypStage III (HR 1.08, P = 0.42) patients. In ypStage II patients, actuarial survival improved continually with increasing lymph node identification up to ≥12 LNs. The 5 LN cut-point was associated with the greatest reduction of risk of cancer death (HR 0.56, P = 0.006), with decreasing magnitudes of survival benefit associated with nodal counts beyond 5 LN. The 12 LN cut-point was not associated with DSS in ypStage II patients (HR 0.67, P = 0.07). Conclusion The association between DSS and LN identification is a dynamic outcome that varies by pathologic stage, with unique prognostic significance for ypStage II patients. J. Surg. Oncol. 2015; 112:415–420. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
ADAPTIVE SIGNIFICANCE OF VEGETATIVE INCOMPATIBILITY IN NEUROSPORA CRASSA

Certain features reminiscent of sexuality occur in the vegetative life cycle of some filamentous fungi such as Neurospora crassa. Hyphal fusions can occur between genetically different individuals, thereby endowing the new composite mycelium, a heterokaryon, with some of the advantages of heterozygosity usually associated with diploid organisms. In N. crassa , however, there are a number of incompatibility loci which prevent formation of heterokaryons unless the alleles at the incompatibility loci are identical in the two mycelia. The selection pressures that maintain incompatibility polymorphisms are not known. We suggest here that they are maintained because they prevent a kind of exploitation of heterokaryons by nuclei that are nonadaptive in homokaryons but that enjoy a proliferative advantage over other nuclei in heterokaryons. A mathematical model that abstracts the major features of the vegetative life cycle of Neurosopra crassa has been developed, and the action of selection in this model and various extensions of it is such as to maintain polymorphisms of vegetative incompatibility factors.
Neural Basis Function Control of Super Micro Autonomous Reconfigurable Technology (SMART) Nano-Systems

** Nanotechnology, taken to its full three-dimensional potential, will place within the volume of a cube of sugar systems of vast complexity that far exceed the quantitative and qualitative capabilities of today’s largest supercomputers. Currently, the uncertainty and imprecision of the real world is tamed, rigidly fixed, by addressable, digital techniques and the careful orchestration of digital patterns within our machines. How to handle the interaction between our digitally implemented systems and continuous, disorganized nature is a key question. NASA is currently researching ways to move beyond autonomy implemented as bruteforce control over every degree of freedom we can discover in our systems. Our systems operate in natural environments: inhumanly harsh, unfamiliar, unknown, and uncontrolled environments. Nature often surprises us, and so we turn to natural systems for clues about how to make massively complex systems more robust, reliable, and truly autonomous. Turning to Computer Science we draw on what we’ve learned about multi-agent systems running continuously and autonomously to understand information flow at the highest semantic levels. From physics we recall that the behaviors of systems may often be enumerated in a basis of fundamental behaviors. Non-linear physics contains clues about how to connect the physical world with the patterns of electric signals that make up the soft, information component of the systems. Genetics and control theory instruct how to handle long and short-term feedbacks throughout the system. Chemistry and biology provide important guiding principles governing system functions.
Nonincremental Policy Making: Notes Toward an Alternative Paradigm

Much of the literature of policy analysis and public administration is dominated by incremental and “divisible goods” paradigms. Policy is assumed to be a process of marginal and adjustive decision making in which benefits are dispensed piecemeal—proportionate to prevailing distributions of power or publicized need. This essay asserts the existence of a class of nonincremental, indivisible policy pursuits for which the analytical weaponry of political science is largely inappropriate. Such policies display a distinctive set of political and administrative characteristics. These characteristics are explained and examined in connection with manned space exploration policy. An assessment is offered of the challenges posed by nonincremental policy to contemporary outlooks in political science.
A pragmatist theory of artistic creativity

L'A. prend parti pour Dewey dans le debat qui oppose la theorie pragmatiste de la creativite a l'esthetique analytique, en tant qu'il defend la relation organique de l'objet de production aux processus de production, conformement a sa conception de l'experience en philosophie
Comparing the Effects of Aquatic Stressors on Model Temperate Freshwater Aquatic Communities

Identifying the relative importance of stressors is critical for effectively managing and conserving freshwater aquatic ecosystems. However, variability in natural ecosystems and the potential for multiple stressors make understanding the effects of stressors challenging in the field. To address these challenges, we assessed four common stressors in the northeastern USA including acidification (pH), climate change (water temperature), salinization (Na and Cl), and nutrient addition using laboratory mesocosms. Each stressor was evaluated independently, with ten mesocosms assigned across a gradient of concentrations for each stressor (total N = 40). We then monitored the effects of the stressors on a model community consisting of periphyton, zooplankton, Northern watermilfoil (Myriophyllum sibericum), American ribbed fluke snail (Pseudosuccinea columella), and larval American bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus). Aquatic stressors varied in the strength of their effects on community structure: Nutrient addition was the least influential stressor, with no significant effects. Acidification influenced periphyton biomass, but not higher trophic levels. Water temperature influenced primary productivity and survival of amphibian larvae, but not intermediate trophic levels. Finally, road salt led to decreases in productivity for all trophic levels included in our model systems. Our results support the findings of prior research, although the effects of acidification and nutrient addition were less pronounced in our study. Importantly, we found that road salt had the most far-reaching effects on a model aquatic community. Given that road salt is the most easily managed of the stressors we compared, our results indicate that improving the condition of freshwater aquatic ecosystems in the northeastern USA may be a feasible objective.
LUMINESCENCE CHARACTERISTICS OF LASER-INDUCED BUBBLES IN WATER

The luminescence characteristics of laser-created bubbles in water have been studied for pressures between 1 and 15 bars. A fast peak in the luminescence is correlated with the first collapse point of the bubble. The width of the light pulse is several nanoseconds, and increases with the bubble size. With increasing pressure two fast peaks are observed, separated by tens of nanoseconds; this is found to arise from an instability where the bubble splits into two at the collapse. The luminescence is independent of whether the water contains ambient dissolved air, is completely degassed, or is filled with 150 torr partial pressure of argon gas or 1 bar of xenon gas.
Relaxation-induced anxiety: mechanisms and theoretical implications.

Abstract Literature evidence documenting the occurrence of relaxation-induced anxiety is reviewed, and several hypothesized mechanisms to explain the phenomenon are discussed. Possible avenues for circumventing the problem in therapy are offered. Finally, a theoretical model is presented wherein the phenomenon is viewed with a broader framework designed to explain the development and maintenance of the more generalized anxiety disorders. That framework emphasizes the emergence of fear of somatic anxiety cues and fear of loss of control from more fundamental interpersonal anxieties.
Use of Computed Tomography Scans for Cochlear Implants

While 3-dimensional (3D) imaging by computed tomography has long been desirable for research and treatment of cochlear-implant patients, technical challenges have limited its wide application. Recent developments in scanner hardware and image processing techniques now allow image quality improvements that make clinical applications feasible. Validation experiments were performed to characterize a new methodology and its imaging performance.
Effect of the Genetic Background on the Reproduction of Leptin-Deficient Obese Mice*

Obesity is often associated with an impairment of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. The leptin-deficient ob/ob mouse model is characterized by a morbid obesity with a sterility in males and females that is corrected by continuous leptin treatment. Since ob/ob mice are maintained on the C57BL/6J inbred genetic background, we sought to determine whether their infertility can be corrected without leptin treatment but via the effect of modifier genes brought into the obese-sterile phenotype by a different genetic background. Thus, we generated via an F2 intercross ob/ob mice on a mixed C57BL/6J-BALB/cJ genetic background and assayed them for fertility by mating with wild-type C57BL/6J mice. Whereas genetically heterogeneous F2 obese females remained sterile like male and female C57BL/6J ob/ob mice, 41% of F2 C57BL/6J-BALB/cJ obese males were capable of reproducing despite a morbidly obese state. Therefore, the sterility of the original C57BL/6J ob/ob mouse model was genetically corrected independently ...
Magnetic excitations and polarized neutrons

Abstract We review the historical development of polarized beam techniques for studies of condensed matter physics. In particular we describe, in some detail, the recent advance of the triple axis technique with polarization analysis. It is now possible to carry out quantitative characterization of magnetic cross sections S ( Q ,ω) in absolute units, for a wide range of energy and momentum transfers. We will discuss some examples of recent inelastic measurements on 3d ferromagnets and heavy fermions.
The Insects and Other Inhabitants of Shelf Fungi in the Southern Blue Ridge Region of Western North Carolina. I. Introduction, Description of the Habitat, and the Host Fungi

Berlese-funnel techniques extracted thousands of animals (largely arthropods) from 8 genera and more than 35 species of fungi (mostly Basidiomycetes of the families Polyporaceae, Thelephoraceae, and Boletaceae) collected in Macon, Transylvania, and Jackson Counties, N. C; Rabun Co., Ga.; and Oconee Co., S. C. Most of the collections were made in the gorge areas along the Blue Ridge Escarpment—cool, protected situations with high rainfall and a virtual rainforest aspect which shelter numerous relict species. For comparative purposes, other collections were made outside the gorge areas. One reason for making these collections was to compare the fungus-inhabiting fauna of the Blue Ridge with that of the Chicago area (already published), which has a very different climate. In this introductory paper, the species of host fungi are listed, and complete data are given for 120 collections.
Effect of Fish Attributes and Handling Stress on Quality of Smoked Arctic Char Fillets

: Arctic char hatched at 6.5 and 9.5 °C and later divided into large, medium, and small size groups were assigned to processing (1) without handling stress, (2) immediately after handling stress, (3) at 24 h after handling stress, and (4) at 48 h after handling stress. Stress reduced gut weight and muscle a* value, increased muscle L* for the 9.5 °C group, decreased muscle L* for the 6.5 °C group, and increased fillet weight loss after brining. Fillets from the stressed, 9.5 °C group absorbed more brine, increasing salt and ash content of smoked products. A 24-h stress recovery decreased total- and water-phase salt. Fish hatched at 9.5 °C appeared to be more sensitive to handling stress than fish hatched at 6.5 °C. A 48-h stress recovery increased gut weight and enhanced muscle L*.
Immunological features of synthetic peptides derived from the retinal protein IRBP: differences between immunodominant and non-dominant peptides.

Interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (IRBP) is a glycoprotein of 1264 residues (bovine) which localizes specifically in the retina and pineal gland and induces inflammatory changes in these organs (EAU and EAP, respectively) in immunized animals. We report here on differences between the immunological activities in Lewis rats of four IRBP-derived synthetic peptides. Only one of these peptides, designated R14 (residues: 1169-1191) is immunodominant, i.e., it has the capacity to stimulate lymphocytes sensitized against whole IRBP. The remaining peptides, R4 (1158-1180), R8 (1197-1209), and R12 (248-266), are non-dominant and are not recognized by IRBP-sensitized lymphocytes. R14 differed profoundly from the other peptides in its immunogenicity, inducing cellular immunity at the low dose of 0.1 nmol/rat, whereas the non-dominant peptides initiated immune responses at doses approximately 100 times higher. R14 was also superior to the non-dominant peptides in its antigenicity, as determined by the lowest concentration required to induce sensitized lymphocytes to proliferate. Responses were stimulated by R14 at a concentration of 10(-6) microM, while the three non-dominant peptides were stimulatory at the much higher concentration of 10(-1) microM. These data support the concept that immunodominance is linked to a high binding affinity of the peptide determinant to the major histocompatibility complex antigens on antigen-presenting cells.
Nucleation and Growth of Polycrystalline Silicon Films in an Ultra high Vacuum Rapid Thermal Chemical Vapor Deposition Reactor Using Disilane and Hydrogen

A study of Si nucleation and deposition on SiO2 was performed using disilane and hydrogen in an ultra high vacuum rapid thermal chemical vapor deposition reactor in pressure and temperature ranges of 0.1–1.5 Torr and 625–750°C. The film analysis was carried out using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. At lower pressures, an incubation time exists which leads to a retardation in film nucleation. At 750°C, the incubation time is 10s at 0.1 Torr and decreases to less than Is at 1.5 Torr. The nuclei grow and form three dimensional islands on S1O2, and as they coalesce, result in a rough surface morphology. At higher pressures, the inherent selectivity is lost resulting in a higher nucleation density and smoother surface morphology. For ˜ 2000 A thick films, the root-mean-square surface roughness at 750AC ranges from 110A at 0.1 Torr to 40A at 1.5 Torr. Temperature also strongly influences the film structure through surface mobility and grain growth. At 1 Torr, the roughness ranges from 3A at 625°C to 60A at 750°C. The grain structure at 625°C/1Torr appears to be amorphous, whereas at 750°C the structure is columnar. The growth rate at 625°C/1.5 Torr is 1200 A/min provides a surface roughness on the order of atomic dimensions which is comparable to or better than amorphous silicon deposited in LPCVD furnaces.