cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Eisbergfreistadt: The Fictive and the Sublime

“How can something exist that, although actual and present, does not partake of the character of reality?” Wolfgang Iser, The fictive and the imaginary, p. 2. In May of 2008, the curator team of Ni...
Measuring turbulent heat fluxes over leads using kites

[1] During the MaudNESS project in the austral winter of 2005, radiosondes attached to a kite indirectly measured surface turbulent heat fluxes from leads in the Eastern Weddell Sea near Maud Rise. Kite flights over two different leads with similar widths and upwind ice conditions are discussed. Lead mean surface fluxes were estimated by measuring the excess temperature and humidity downwind of the leads, estimating the wind speed profiles and performing a heat and moisture budget quantification. The measured sensible (latent) heat fluxes were 318 Wm−2 (158 Wm−2) and 258 Wm−2 (85 Wm−2) for the two flights; the values were lower in the second flight due to lower wind speeds. The average neutral sensible heat transfer coefficients for the two flights was (1.48 ± 0.13) × 10−3, and the average neutral latent heat flux coefficient was (1.47 ± 0.09) × 10−3. As expected, these values are enhanced from what would be expected in a typical open ocean situation with the same air-sea temperature and humidity differences. Kite radiosonde profile measurements are an economically viable method for measuring lead heat fluxes that avoid many of the logistical problems associated with other methods for measuring fluxes over leads.
A COMPARISON OF THE EFFECTS OF CYTOSINE ARABINOSIDE AND BETA-LACTAMS ON DNA SYNTHESIS AND CELLULAR PROLIFERATION

Mechanisms underlying the inhibition of DNA synthesis are extensively reviewed elsewhere (Fram and Kufe, 1986; Kufe and Major, 1982). After transport across the cell membrane, ara-C is phosphorylated to the 5'-monophosphate by deoxycytidine kinase (Plagemann, 1978). Ara-CMP is then sequentially phosphorylated to ara-CTP by pyrimidine nucleoside monophosphate kinase and nucleoside diphosphokinase. While prior studies emphasized the competitive inhibition of polymerase alpha by ara-CTP as a means of inhibiting replicative DNA synthesis (Momparler et al., 1968; Furth and Cohen, 1968; Graham and Whitmore, 1970 a,b), kinetic studies have demonstrated that ara-CTP is a weak competitive inhibitor of this enzyme and that this competition does not completely explain the effect of this agent on DNA synthesis (Momparler, 1982). Other reports have demonstrated that ara-C is incorporated in internucleotide linkage (Momparler, 1969) as well as at the chain terminus (Graham and Whitmore, 1970a). These studies, however, did not correlate the extent of incorporation with either inhibition of DNA synthesis or cytotoxic effects.
In vitro progesterone modulation of amphetamine-stimulated dopamine release from the corpus striatum of ovariectomized estrogen-treated female rats: response characteristics.

Abstract We have previously reported that a pulsatile infusion of progesterone directly into superfusion chambers containing corpus striatal tissue fragments of ovariectomized estrogen-treated female rats augmented amphetamine-stimulated dopamine release in vitro. In an attempt to understand some of the means by which progesterone modulates dopamine release under these in vitro conditions, we examined two characteristics of this effect of progesterone. First, to determine the threshold dose of progesterone and whether it was necessary for progesterone to be administered in a pulsatile mode, in Expt. I we examined the effect of a single, brief infusion of progesterone at doses of 2, 4 and 40 ng/ml. Second, to evaluate the temporal relationship between progesterone infusion and its capacity to augment amphetamine-stimulated dopamine release, in Expt. II we varied the interval between progesterone infusion and amphetamine challenge, with amphetamine infused at 10, 30, 50 or 90 min post-progesterone. The results of Expt. I indicate that a single 10-min infusion of progesterone at 2 ng/ml was adequate to produce an accentuated response to amphetamine infusion. Although further increases were obtained following the 4 and 40 ng/ml doses, these values failed to differ significantly from the levels obtained with the 2 ng/ml dose. From Expt. II, we observed that this effect of progesterone was relatively rapid with statistically significant increase in amphetamine-stimulated dopamine release occurring at 30 min post-progesterone and similar responses being maintained at 50 and 90 min post-progesterone. These results demonstrate that a single brief exposure to progesterone results in a rapid increase in the capacity of striatal dopaminergic terminals to respond to amphetamine and suggests the activation of a non-genomic process leading to an increase in dopamine available for release from dopamine nerve terminals.
Infrared spectroscopic examination of the interaction of urea with the naturally occurring zeolite clinoptilolite

Abstract Infrared spectroscopy has shown for the first time that the naturally occurring zeolite clinoptilolite can absorb urea, (NH2)2CO, under ambient conditions from either aqueous or ethanolic solutions. The two strongest NH stretching bands at 3441 and 3344 cm−1 in pure, solid urea shift to higher frequency (about 3504 and 3401 cm−1) after absorption. Two of the four urea bands in the 1800-1300 cm−1 range (at 1683 and 1467 cm−1) undergo marked downward shifts to about 1670 and 1445 cm−1. The other two bands show little change in frequency. The strong band at 1602 cm−1, however, diminishes in intensity to little more than an ill-defined shoulder on the 1626-cm−1 peak. When clinoptilolite is heated to 450 °C and then treated with molten urea (ca. 140 °C) for several minutes, and finally washed twice with ethanol to remove excess unreacted urea, further changes become apparent in the spectrum of the urea-treated clinoptilolite. The two NH stretching bands broaden without significant change in frequency. Two new bands appear in the midfrequency range at 1777 (weak) and 1719 (medium strong) cm−1. Of the four original midfrequency peaks, the one at 1602 cm−1 is now absent. Two others (1627 and 1440 cm−1) exhibit little change, while the fourth has broadened and shifted down to 1663 cm−1, where it appears as a shoulder on the band at 1627 cm−1. Both treatments clearly induce interaction between urea and the zeolite which seems to result in significant modifications in the nature of the hydrogen bonding of the substrate.
Leptin monotherapy rescues spermatogenesis in male Akita type 1 diabetic mice.

Type 1 diabetes is associated with subfertility in humans. The current treatment for type 1 diabetes, insulin monotherapy, is suboptimal to fully stabilize glycemia, potentially leading to this subfertility. Recent work has demonstrated that treatment with the energy-regulating hormone leptin, alone or in combination with insulin, can more effectively control glycemia in mouse models of type 1 diabetes. Here, we sought to determine whether the fertility defects in a type 1 diabetic mouse model, the Akita mouse, can be rescued with leptin monotherapy in the absence of any exogenous insulin. Akita homozygous mice treated with leptin alone had a larger total body size, testes, and seminal vesicles than their untreated siblings. Leptin treatment prevented testicular degeneration and rescued sperm motility to wild-type levels. Furthermore, sperm obtained from leptin-treated mice could successfully fertilize ooctyes in vitro. Despite completely rescuing spermatogenesis, the critical reproductive hormones LH and...
Economic evaluation of home blood pressure monitoring with or without telephonic behavioral self-management in patients with hypertension

Background The Take Control of Your Blood Pressure trial evaluated the effect of a multicomponent telephonic behavioral lifestyle intervention, patient self-monitoring, and both interventions combined compared with usual care on reducing systolic blood pressure during 24 months. The combined intervention led to a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure compared with usual care alone. We examined direct and patient time costs associated with each intervention. Methods We conducted a prospective economic evaluation alongside a randomized controlled trial of 636 patients with hypertension participating in the study interventions. Medical costs were estimated using electronic data representing medical services delivered within the health system. Intervention-related costs were derived using information collected during the trial, administrative records, and published unit costs. Results During 24 months, patients incurred a mean of $6,965 (s.d., $22,054) in inpatient costs and $8,676 (s.d., $9,368) in outpatient costs, with no significant differences among the intervention groups. With base-case assumptions, intervention costs were estimated at $90 (s.d., $2) for home blood pressure monitoring, $345 (s.d., $64) for the behavioral intervention ($31 per telephone encounter), and $416 (s.d., $93) for the combined intervention. Patient time costs were estimated at $585 (s.d., $487) for home monitoring, $55 (s.d., $16) for the behavioral intervention, and $741 (s.d., $529) for the combined intervention. Conclusions Our analysis demonstrated that the interventions are cost-additive to the health-care system in the short term and that patients' time costs are nontrivial.
Empathic Knowledge Management: reverse simulation experiments in a learning laboratory

The effective management of knowledge has emerged as a critical competency for organisations. This paper presents a methodology for managing knowledge in information- and knowledge-intensive services. The Empathic Knowledge Management methodology was developed on the foundation of an appreciative inquiry framework that surfaces and utilises tacit knowledge of participants in the context of process design efforts in a learning laboratory environment. Behavioural and analytic interventions were used to elicit and formalise the knowledge of the participants. The behavioural interventions created and maintained a learning climate for reverse simulation using appreciative inquiry, while the analytic interventions included systemic problem formulation, service blueprint development and system specification using appropriate software tools. The methodology was tested successfully in the design of two distinct product delivery processes in a large financial services company in the USA.
Quantification of Directional Migration by a Characteristic Directionality Time

Many cell types can bias their direction of locomotion by coupling to external cues. Characteristics such as how fast a cell migrates and the convolution of its migration path can be quantified to provide metrics that determine which biochemical and biomechanical factors affect directional cell migration, and by how much. To be useful, these metrics should be reproducible from one experimental setting to another, and the resulting quantitative analysis should describe the underlying processes that occur in the system. In this work, several metrics used to characterize cell migration, such as turning angle distribution and straightness index, are evaluated in the context of reproducibility and quantitative interpretability. We discuss how these existing metrics can be modified to be more reproducible, and introduce a new metric called directionality time that can be used to characterize convolution of the migration path. Directionality time is measured based on fitting the slope of the mean squared displacement in log-log coordinates. We apply three selected random walk models to demonstrate that the functional form of the fit equation is approximately model invariant. Directionality time is reproducible because the numeric result takes into account tracking noise and is independent of the time interval of path measurement, the two variables that tend to change from one experiment to another. The robustness of this metric is tested via computer simulation and against experiment data of neutrophils directionally migrating towards a chemoattractant.
Immunology: Toll-like receptors and antibody responses (reply)

Using a range of different experimental approaches (and not just analyses of MyD88-deficient mice), we showed that, contrary to the prevailing view, a T-helper response is not sufficient for the generation of optimal T-dependent antibody responses, and that Toll-like-receptor (TLR) signalling in B cells is also required1. Similar results have since been obtained in human B cells2. Nemazee .3 now question our conclusions1.
Exploring the strategic risk frontier

This article urges executives to expand their view of risk. Instead of just defending against bad risk events, leading companies define and anticipate the upside risks that, when well managed, can deliver the maximum rewards. The discipline of strategic risk management allows firms to raise their growth potential in addition to reducing their economic volatility. The author shows executives how to avoid the biggest risk of all – not taking the right growth risks for the business. Businesses today are exposed to greater risks across the board, ranging from political risks to product liability and environmental hazard risks. There also are a set of strategic risks that have become increasingly disruptive. These include not just the obvious high‐probability risks that a new ad campaign or new product launch will fail, but other less‐obvious risks as well in areas such as technology and customer needs. Failure to anticipate and manage this spectrum of strategic risks can expose a company to dramatic decreases in shareholder value and severe swings in stock prices. In today’s risk‐intense environment, firms must manage their economic and risk profiles more actively. The goal is not to eradicate risk, but to deliver the maximum reward for an acceptable level of risk. The author addresses some of the most important forms of strategic risk and the countermeasures that can be used to address them.
Metaphors and metonymies in New York Times and Times Supplement news headlines

Abstract The New York Times (NYT) publishes the Times Supplement (TS) in Taiwan every week. Although TS news articles are edited lightly from their corresponding NYT articles, TS headlines are often rewritten heavily. This paper addresses the cognitive, pragmatic, and rhetorical roles of conceptual metaphors and metonymies in TS and NYT headlines, focusing on variations in non-lexicalized metaphors and metonymies (namely those which have not been adopted into the lexicon). A textual survey and stylistic analysis were conducted on a corpus of 605 pairs of corresponding NYT and TS news articles. The results of the textual survey show that non-lexicalized metaphors and metonymies occur in more NYT headlines than TS headlines. Thus the degree of non-lexicalized figurations is reduced to make TS headlines more accessible to the TS reader. The stylistic analysis demonstrates that non-lexicalized metaphors and metonymies have some notable functions to fulfill in the headlines. Chief among them are: (i) metaphors and metonymies foreground a pragmatically relevant or stylistically interesting aspect of the story, (ii) metaphors and metonymies guide pragmatic inferencing in text interpretation, and (iii) metonymies create referential variety and enhance cohesion and coherence.
Production implementation of state-of-the-art electron beam inspection

Electron beam inspection (EBI), through the use of voltage contrast, is used extensively throughout the industry to identify in-line electrical failures. The inspection methodologies presented in this paper help us to understand and react to these buried yield detractors in a timely manner. The result is an increase in disposition efficiency and a decrease in mean time-to-detect. This paper will describe the implementation of a state-of-the-art EBI technology into 300 mm wafer manufacturing using the KLA-Tencor eS30 EBI tool. First, results will be shown to demonstrate sensitivity, throughput, and overall production worthiness. Next, we will describe the implementation of this technology into IBM's 300 mm production line. Finally, we will describe a case study that illustrates the value of this technique for monitoring electrical defectivity in volume production.
8-OH-DPAT influences extracellular levels of serotonin and dopamine in the medial preoptic area of male rats

Abstract Serotonin (5-HT) is generally inhibitory to male rat sexual behavior. However, the 5-HT1A agonist 8-hydroxy-di-propylaminotetralin (8-OH-DPAT), injected either systemically or into the medial preoptic area (MPOA), facilitates ejaculation. Three experiments were conducted to test the effects of 8-OH-DPAT on 5-HT and dopamine (DA) neurotransmission in the MPOA, a very important site for the control of male sexual behavior. In Experiment 1, systemically injected 8-OH-DPAT (0.4 mg/kg) decreased extracellular 5-HT levels in the MPOA as measured by in vivo microdialysis. In Experiment 2, 8-OH-DPAT (500 μM) administered directly into the MPOA via reverse dialysis increased extracellular levels of both DA and 5-HT; pretreatment with the selective 5-HT1A antagonist 4-iodo-N-[2-[4-(methoxyphenyl)-1-piperazinyl]ethyl]-N-2-pyridinyl-benzamide hydrochloride (p-MPPI) failed to prevent 8-OH-DPAT's stimulatory effects on DA and 5-HT levels in the MPOA. In Experiment 3, 8-OH-DPAT (8 μg) co-injected with 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine (5,7-DHT; 6 μg) prevented neurotoxic depletion of 5-HT in the site of injection (MPOA). Because systemic and MPOA injections of 8-OH-DPAT resulted in opposite effects on extracellular 5-HT in the MPOA, yet both can facilitate ejaculation, these data suggest that moderate changes in 5-HT in the MPOA may have relatively little influence on male copulatory behavior. Instead, the facilitative effects of 8-OH-DPAT in the MPOA on male copulatory behavior may result, at least in part, from stimulatory effects of 8-OH-DPAT on DA transmission. Facilitative effects of systemic injections of 8-OH-DPAT may result from decreased 5-HT release in several sites.
Relative risks of reported serious injury and death associated with hemostasis devices by gender.

Purpose To assess relative risks by gender of reported serious injuries and deaths associated with the use of hemostasis devices, stratified by year of report, type of injury, and type of device. Methods Reports from the Food and Drug Administration's Medical Device Reporting system and National Center for Health Statistics data on use of cardiac catheterization were used to estimate relative risks of reported serious injuries and deaths by gender. Results Estimated risks of reported serious injuries and deaths associated with hemostasis devices were two to three times greater in females than in males for hemorrhage and hematoma (p < 0.0001), but there was no significant difference in risks by gender for infection. Conclusions Cardiac catheterization is sometimes associated with serious injuries and deaths. Among patients who receive hemostasis devices, the risk of these events are disproportionately greater in women. Published in 2003 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
American Empire and the American Military

The concept of American empire has gained increasing popularity as a means of describing contemporary international relations. To the extent that an American imperial endeavor exists, this creates strain on the military, which, like the Roman legions of past millennia, is the ultimate means of enforcing an imperial will. There are several arguments that suggest the “empire of liberty” is a compelling description of America in the third millennium. This concept suggests a very active American military that may need to make adjustments due to the strain being placed upon it. Empire may not harm civilmilitary relations, but only if the United States can militarily resource its ambitions.
RIPENESS SORTING OF MUSCADINE GRAPES BY USE OF LOW-FREQUENCY VIBRATIONAL ENERGY

SUMMARY –A method is described for sorting Muscadine grapes (Vitis rotundifolia) for ripeness by use of low-frequency vibrational energy. The fruits of five cultivars of Muscadines were sorted into groups of increasing ripeness as the frequency of sinusoidal vibration (approximately constant energy) applied to a separatory trough was decreased from 200 to 100 cps (Hertz). The rms (root mean square) value of trough acceleration was held constant by holding the rms value of current driving the electromagnetic vibrator constant. Percent soluble solids, percent total acidity, the soluble solids to acid ratio and pH value of the juice were used as chemical parameters of ripening; these correlated highly with frequency of removal of the grapes from the trough. The coefficients of determination for these correlations varied from 0.871–0.999 with only three of the 20 (five cultivars X four chemical parameters) being below 0.9.
Genetic instability and oral cancer

Development of oral cancer proceeds through discrete molecular genetic changes that are acquired from the loss of genomic integrity after continued exposure to environmental risk factors. Of particular importance in oral cancer development are tobacco-related chemical carcinogens and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. To understand the mechanisms by which these risk factors contribute to tumorigenesis, we developed an in vitro model of sequential, multistep oral carcinogenesis model of normal human oral keratinocytes (NHOK) by immortalizing these cells with cloned "high risk" HPV genome. HPV viral genome alone failed to give rise to a tumorigenic cell population, which required further exposure to chemical carcinogens. HPV-immortalized cells exhibited impaired cell cycle control and DNA repair activity upon exposure to DNA damaging agents, and accumulated elevated frequency of spontaneous and mutagen-induced mutation. Furthermore, expression of E6 and E7 oncoproteins of "high risk" HPV were found to be sufficient for the enhanced mutation frequency in NHOK. These findings suggest that viral infection in combination with existing chemical carcinogens may be the paramount causative agents for the induction of genetic instability and development of oral cancer.
Lot Sizing with Random Yields: A Review

This paper reviews the literature on quantitatively-oriented approaches for determining lot sizes when production or procurement yields are random. We discuss issues related to the modeling of costs, yield uncertainty, and performance in the context of systems with random yields. We provide a review of the existing literature, concentrating on descriptions of the types of problems that have been solved and important structural results. We identify a variety of shortcomings of the literature in addressing problems encountered in practice, and suggest directions for future research.
Do political parties matter for turnout? Number of parties, electoral rules and local elections in Brazil and Bolivia

Does the number of political parties influence voter turnout in developing democracies? Some scholars argue that large party systems facilitate matching voter preferences with a specific party, increasing turnout. Others argue multiparty systems produce too many alternatives, decreasing turnout. In developing democracies, there is debate over whether these institutions matter at all. We argue that party systems do matter for turnout in developing countries, but the relationship between turnout and the number of political parties is conditional on the electoral formula. Under proportional representation systems, large numbers of parties increase turnout. Under winner take all systems, large numbers of parties depress turnout. Since electoral rules also influence the number of parties, we use an innovative sub-national research design, taking advantage of local variation in the number of parties that is largely unrelated to the electoral system. Specifically, we test these relationships by analysing turnout...
How the Cricket Frog Lost Its Spot: The Inducible Defense Hypothesis

Prey may use a variety of strategies to avoid predators, including behavioral modification and inducible defenses. For an inducible defense to evolve, one necessary component is that the defense must be costly; if it is not, then the defense should evolve into one that is always expressed (i.e., a constitutive defense). However, costs of inducible defenses have not been well-documented. Using predator exposure experiments in aquatic mesocosms, we demonstrate that dark tail coloration (or lack thereof) in Blanchard's Cricket Frog (Acris blanchardi) tadpoles is an inducible defense. Specifically, Acris tadpole tail spots in treatments with dragonfly predators (Anax sp.) were significantly larger when compared to treatments with fish predators (Lepomis macrochirus). However, tadpoles in control tanks (with no predators) had tail spots that were not significantly different in area from the Anax treatment. Therefore, this defense is unique among those known because the presence of fish induces the loss (not the appearance) of this morphology. Because Acris tadpoles express the tail spot in the absence of predation risk, this phenotype also does not appear to have any substantial allocation cost. We also document predation of Acris tadpoles by a fish predator and demonstrate reduction in movement and differential habitat use in the presence of fish predator cues. Under predation risk, tadpoles became less active and occupied the shallowest regions of their habitats. This combination of plastic morphological and behavioral defenses likely allows these frogs to successfully breed in a broad range of aquatic habitats with different assemblages of predators. While likely effective in reducing vulnerability to Anax attacks, the tail spot may increase vulnerability to fish. Our results suggest that the antagonistic effects of predator-specific inducible defenses may represent another type of cost relevant to the conditions under which inducible defenses are expected to evolve.
Rotational distributions from resonances in H + H2

Rotational distributions of the product H2 formed in resonant scattering of H + H2 are presented based on an extension of the reduced dimensionality theory of reactive scattering. The reduced dimensionality theory is based on an adiabatic treatment of the three-atom bending motion in the strong interaction region. The final rotational distributions are obtained by making a simple Franck–Condon projection of the bending states onto the final rotational states of the product H2. We focus in particular on the rotational distributions which may result from bend-excited resonances which have been recently identified in this system.
Canopy assessment of biochemical features by ground-based hyperspectral data for an invasive species, giant reed (Arundo donax)

This study explored the potential use of hyperspectral data in the non-destructive assessment of chlorophyll, carbon, and nitrogen content of giant reed at the canopy level. We found that pseudoabsorption and derivatives of original hyperspectral data were able to describe the relationship between spectral data and measured biochemical characteristics. Based on correlogram analyses of ground-based hyperspectral data, we found that derivatives of pseudoabsorption were the best predictors of chlorophyll, carbon, and nitrogen content of giant reed canopies. Within the visible region, spectral data significantly correlated with chlorophyll content at both 461 nm and 693 nm wavelengths. Within the near-infrared region, carbon levels correlated with hyperspectral data at five causal wavelengths: 1038 nm, 1945 nm, 1132 nm, 1525 nm, and 1704 nm. The best spectral wavelength for estimating nitrogen content was 1542 nm. Such relationships between nutrient content and spectral data were best represented by exponential functions in most situations.
Copper deficiency reduces iron absorption and biological half-life in male rats.

Dietary copper deficiency (CuD) in rats leads to iron (Fe) deficiency anemia. Is this because CuD reduces Fe absorption? Fe absorption in CuD rats was determined by feeding diets labeled with (59)Fe and using whole-body counting (WBC) to assess the amount retained over time. Two groups, each with 45 male weanling rats, were fed an AIN-93G diet low in Cu ( 0.20), but at d 25, CuD rats absorbed only 50% as much as CuA rats (P < 0.001). In the study beginning at d 7, the biological half-life (BHL) of (59)Fe in CuD rats was less (P < 0.02) than that in CuA rats [geometric mean (-SEM, +SEM); 75(62,91) d vs. 175(156,195) d]. In the study beginning at d 25, the BHL was again less (P < 0.02) in the CuD rats than in the CuA rats [33(23,49) d for CuD and 157(148,166) d for CuA]. Apparently, the route of Fe loss in the CuD rats was through the gut. At d 16 and 34, CuD rats lost 4 to 5 times more (P < 0.01) (59)Fe in the feces in a 24-h period than the CuA rats. Also, (59)Fe in the duodenal mucosa of CuD rats was approximately 100% higher (P < 0.01) than in CuA rats. These findings suggest that Fe deficiency anemia in CuD male rats is caused at least in part by reductions in Fe absorption and retention.
Reflection and Learning: Characteristics, obstacles, and implications

Reflection represents an important form of human thought; from ancient to modern times, the human capacity for reflective thinking has held the imagination of various philosophers and educational theorists. Despite this interest, researchers define reflection in different ways. One of the purposes of this article is to explore the activity of reflection by examining characteristics and contextual factors associated with it. For this purpose, various philosophical and theoretical sources are considered including Socrates, Rousseau, and Bruner, among others. Following this, empirical research is examined to determine whether elements associated with reflection are consistently integrated within regular classroom instruction. Next, practical and theoretical obstacles to reflection are proposed. One of these obstacles is an over‐emphasis on the technical interest, a concept described by Jurgen Habermas. Last, some implications are suggested with regard to the use of reflection as a construct for infusing new ...
Conservation in a social-ecological system experiencing climate-induced tree mortality

Abstract We present a social-ecological framework to provide insight into climate adaptation strategies and diverse perspectives on interventions in protected areas for species experiencing climate-induced impacts. To develop this framework, we examined the current ecological condition of a culturally and commercially valuable species, considered the predicted future effects of climate change on that species in a protected area, and assessed the perspectives held by forest users and managers on future adaptive practices. We mapped the distribution of yellow-cedar (Callitropsis nootkatensis) and examined its health status in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve by comparing forest structure, tree stress-indicators, and associated thermal regimes between forests inside the park and forests at the current latitudinal limit of the species dieback. Yellow-cedar trees inside the park were healthy and relatively unstressed compared to trees outside the park that exhibited reduced crown fullness and increased foliar damage. Considering risk factors for mortality under future climate scenarios, our vulnerability model indicated future expected dieback occurring within park boundaries. Interviews with forest users and managers revealed strong support for increasing monitoring to inform interventions outside protected areas, improving management collaboration across land designations, and using a portfolio of interventions on actively managed lands. Study participants who perceived humans as separate from nature were more opposed to interventions in protected areas. Linking social and ecological analyses, our study provides an interdisciplinary approach to identify system-specific metrics (e.g., stress indicators) that can better connect monitoring with management, and adaptation strategies for species impacted by climate change.
Riverine Landscape Patches Influence Trophic Dynamics of Riparian Ants

Food webs in riparian corridors are increasingly viewed as embedded in complex riverine landscapes characterized by an amalgam of aquatic, semi-aquatic, and terrestrial habitats. However, the influence of riverine landscape pattern on trophic dynamics of riparian consumers remains largely unknown. We used naturally abundant stable isotope ratios (δ15N) to compare trophic structure of ants (Formica subsericea) among riparian patch types (crop, grass/herbaceous, gravel bar, lawn, mudflat, shrub, swamp, and woody vegetation) at 12 riverine landscapes distributed along an urban-rural landscape gradient of the Scioto River, Ohio, USA. We expected that the diet of F. subsericea, a common generalist consumer, would reflect local prey availability and thus differences in trophic dynamics among patch types. Mean ant δ15N was higher in crop patches than in any other patch type, and was lowest in grass/herbaceous, lawn, shrub, and woody vegetation patches, suggesting that patch type was associated with trophic position of F. subsericea. We also found that the range of δ15N, and thus trophic breadth, was significantly different by patch type, with woody vegetation exhibiting the greatest spread. Variability in canopy, tree and shrub cover, and the degree of urban development was positively correlated with δ15N range (R2 = 0.78), pointing to the role of habitat structure in mediating trophic breadth of riparian ants. These findings provide evidence that riverine landscape pattern can strongly influence trophic dynamics of riparian arthropods. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Social geography I: Food

This review discusses the social geographies of food, focusing on how social geographic research has been taken up in and influenced by the wider discussions of food geographies in the discipline. ...
QUANTITATIVE GENETICS OF OVARIOLE NUMBER IN DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER. I. SEGREGATING VARIATION AND FITNESS.

The number of ovarioles of the Drosophila melanogaster ovary is a trait thought to be associated with female fecundity, and therefore is expected to be under strong natural selection. This hypothesis may be tested by examining patterns of genetic and environmental variation for ovariole number in natural populations, and by deter- mining the association between ovariole number and fitness in isogenic lines derived from a natural population. We measured ovariole number, and competitive fitness and its components, for 48 homozygous chromosome 3 substitution lines in a standard inbred background; and body size in a sample of 15 chromosome 3 substitution lines. We found significant segregating genetic variation for ovariole number, with a broad-sense heritability (H2) of 0.403 and cor- respondingly high coefficients of genetic variation (CVG = 20.8) and residual variation (CVR = 25.3). Estimates of quantitative genetic parameters for body size (IHF = 0.191, CVG = 2.15, and CVR = 3.87) are similar to those previously reported for this trait. Although the isogenic chromosome 3 substitution lines varied significantly for components of fitness, there was no significant linear or quadratic association of ovariole number and body size with fitness. There was, however, highly significant sex x genotype interaction for fitness among these lines. This special case of genotype X environment interaction for fitness may contribute to the maintenance of genetic variation for fitness in natural populations.
Cross-classified occupational exposure data

ABSTRACTWe demonstrate the regression analysis of exposure determinants using cross-classified random effects in the context of lead exposures resulting from blasting surfaces in advance of painting. We had three specific objectives for analysis of the lead data, and observed: (1) high within-worker variability in personal lead exposures, explaining 79% of variability; (2) that the lead concentration outside of half-mask respirators was 2.4-fold higher than inside supplied-air blasting helmets, suggesting that the exposure reduction by blasting helmets may be lower than expected by the Assigned Protection Factor; and (3) that lead concentrations at fixed area locations in containment were not associated with personal lead exposures. In addition, we found that, on average, lead exposures among workers performing blasting and other activities was 40% lower than among workers performing only blasting. In the process of obtaining these analyses objectives, we determined that the data were non-hierarchical: re...
Inositol lipid turnover and compartmentation in canine trachealis smooth muscle.

We established conditions for the study of metabolism and compartmentation of inositol phospholipids in canine trachealis muscle. Unstimulated muscle was incubated with myo-[3H]inositol for 30 min at 37 degrees C which resulted in labeling of the tissue free myo-inositol pool, whereas only a small amount of radioactivity was incorporated into inositol phospholipids or inositol phosphates. After addition of 5.5 microM carbachol, phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate (PIP), and phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2), specific radioactivities increased exponentially, reaching apparent constant values in 180-240 min. Initial rates of increases in PI, PIP, and PIP2 specific radioactivities were 39, 32, and 66 times that measured in unstimulated muscle. Metabolic flux rates (nmol.100 nmol total lipid Pi-1.min-1) during development of force averaged 0.42 +/- 0.09 and during force maintenance averaged 0.14 +/- 0.01. Fractions of total PI, PIP, and PIP2 pools that were linked to muscarinic cholinergic activation were estimated to be 0.97, 0.85, and 0.65, respectively. Initial rates of increase in specific radioactivities and specific radioactivities during carbachol activation were similar in PI, PIP, and PIP2 fast active compartments, suggesting metabolic flux from PI to PIP to PIP2 was in near chemical equilibrium. Turnover times for PI, PIP, and PIP2 fast active compartments were estimated to be 21, 1.6, and 4.0 min, respectively.
Water polo injuries.

This article covers the commonly occurring injuries and conditions in water polo athletes with suggested treatments by the team physician. It addresses the uniqueness of the throwing/swimming combination inherent in this sport with the resultant difference in the treatment of water polo athletes compared to swimmers only, particularly the differences in knee injuries and conditions between the two types of athletes.
Security of emerging non-volatile memories: Attacks and defenses

While the non-volatile memory (NVM) has often been discussed in the context of alternatives to SRAM and RRAM for performance improvements in modern computing systems, their unique properties which lead to security applications and security vulnerabilities have also raised interests. In this paper, we provide a comparative discussion on how the usage of NVMs in the context of security in terms of mitigating some of their vulnerabilities. Further, we discuss innovative implementations of NVMs in the creation of novel hardware security primitives. Through this survey, we expect to have more non-traditional security applications of NVMs in modern designs leveraging their unique properties.
Capstone speaker: Agents? Seriously

Virtual agents, aka embodied conversational agents or virtual humans, are anthropomorphic animated characters that engage people in simulated face-to-face conversation. Applications of virtual agents have moved beyond entertainment and demos to real-world, serious interventions in health, training, education, and other domains. In this talk, I will focus on several conversational agents that have been developed as virtual health counselors and evaluated in large-scale randomized clinical trials. These interventions span cancer self-care, antipsychotic medication adherence, breastfeeding promotion, depression counseling, meditation and yoga guidance for treating chronic pain, preconception care promotion, exercise promotion for geriatrics patients, and more. I will discuss the technical challenges in building conversational agents for the real world, capable of interacting with thousands of patients for months or years, and the evidence base of their efficacy. I will also present a vision for how such agents can be effectively deployed in VR, and a range of promising serious applications that could be deployed using this technology.
Evaluating learning classifier system performance in two-choice decision tasks: an LCS metric toolkit

A "metric toolkit" to evaluate learning classifier system performance is proposed. The metrics are shown to be superior to crude accuracy in evaluating classification performance, especially for data with unequal numbers of positive and negative cases. In addition, these metrics provide information to the researcher that is not available from crude accuracy. When used appropriately, these metrics provide accurate depictions of learning classifier system performance during training and testing in supervised learning environments.
Does marijuana "blunt" smoking contribute to nicotine exposure?: Preliminary product testing of nicotine content in wrappers of cigars commonly used for blunt smoking.

Abstract Introduction An increasingly popular method of consuming marijuana is through the smoking of “blunts,” cigar products in which some or all of the tobacco filler is removed and repacked with marijuana. Even if all tobacco filler is removed from the cigar product in the process of making blunts, nicotine may be present in the wrapper of the cigar product. This preliminary analysis quantified the nicotine content in wrappers of cigar products commonly used for blunt smoking. Methods Five cigar products (3 large cigars, 2 cigarillos) were tested, yielding physical characteristics of cigar length, diameter, weight, and wrapper weight. Nicotine concentration in the wrapper of each cigar product was analyzed via gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Total nicotine content in the wrapper of each cigar product was computed as the product of cigar wrapper weight and nicotine concentration in wrapper. Results Depending on the product, the cigar wrapper contributed between 8 and 18% of the weight of the entire cigar article. Total nicotine content in the cigar wrapper ranged from 1.2 to 6.0 mg per cigar. Discussion All 5 tested cigar products had wrappers that contain quantifiable levels of nicotine, indicating that users of blunts may expose themselves to some degree of nicotine, the addictive component of tobacco. Future experimental studies that examine the efficiency of nicotine delivery from typical blunt smoking, as well as surveillance studies that quantify the number of blunts smoked by an individual per day, are needed to evaluate the contribution of blunt smoking to nicotine dependence.
Neurodevelopmental Genomics of Autism, Schizophrenia, and Related Disorders

Autism and schizophrenia are diagnostic terms referring to behavioral syndromes reflecting poorly understood and heterogeneous neuro-developmental etiologies. A fundamental thesis of the current chapter is that both diagnoses are most usefully conceived of as spectra rather than unitary entities. Although modern classification systems consider autism-spectrum disorders (ASD) and schizophrenia-spectrum disorders (SSD) to differ categorically, the current chapter reviews historical commonalities in the constructs of ASD and SSD, as well as recent evidence indicating that specific genomic variants increase risk for ASD, SSD and for several other neuro-developmental syndromes long considered to be separate diagnostic entities. The chapter particularly highlights copy-number variants (CNVs) as a newly appreciated class of genomic variant associating with ASD and SSD, and discusses several specific CNV syndromes increasing risk for both sets of disorders. The chapter concludes with a reformulation of how research on CNV-related neuro-developmental disorders might be conducted, and discusses implications for design of future genetic-epidemiological studies of neuro-developmental disorders.
First Days at Hull House (1910)

The next January found Miss Starr and myself in Chicago, searching for a neighborhood in which we might put our plans into execution. In our eagerness to win friends for the new undertaking, we utilized every opportunity to set forth the meaning of the Settlement as it had been embodied at Toynbee Hall, although in those days we made no appeal for money, meaning to start with our own slender resources.
Learning a commonsense moral theory

Abstract We introduce a computational framework for understanding the structure and dynamics of moral learning, with a focus on how people learn to trade off the interests and welfare of different individuals in their social groups and the larger society. We posit a minimal set of cognitive capacities that together can solve this learning problem: (1) an abstract and recursive utility calculus to quantitatively represent welfare trade-offs; (2) hierarchical Bayesian inference to understand the actions and judgments of others; and (3) meta-values for learning by value alignment both externally to the values of others and internally to make moral theories consistent with one’s own attachments and feelings. Our model explains how children can build from sparse noisy observations of how a small set of individuals make moral decisions to a broad moral competence, able to support an infinite range of judgments and decisions that generalizes even to people they have never met and situations they have not been in or observed. It also provides insight into the causes and dynamics of moral change across time, including cases when moral change can be rapidly progressive, changing values significantly in just a few generations, and cases when it is likely to move more slowly.
Invisible Inequality Leads to Punishing the Poor and Rewarding the Rich

Beliefs about income inequality are inextricably linked to preferences towards public policies such as taxation and spending on social programmes, yet recent research suggests that many people are ...
How 1 million app calls can tell you a bit about malware

The XRDS blog highlights a range of topics from conference coverage, to security and privacy, to CS theory. Selected blog posts, edited for print, are featured in every issue. Please visit xrds.acm.org/blog to read each post in its entirety. If you are interested in joining as a student blogger, please contact us.