cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Eliminating Blur in Small Unmanned Aircraft Imaging Systems

A novel procedure to eliminate blur in imagery captured by small unmanned aircraft is demonstrated. The whirling props and airflows often cause unwanted image blur due to the unstable platform from which they are captured. In multirotor aircraft these image artifacts often produce remote sensing data that is inferior to the imaging system capability. By eliminating the vibration of the host vehicle, the full potential of the instruments can be obtained, as demonstrated in imaging studies presented. To accomplish this an attachment system has been developed so that the props can be shut off in a perched configuration and the unwanted vibration will cease. This concept not only reduces the vibration levels, but also greatly prolongs the effective use of imaging or robotic systems. Typically, most of the power usage is for propulsion and not for payloads, therefore without the need for lift and maneuvering, the payload systems can operate for periods many times the flight operation duration. The dynamic performance of two aircraft is presented; first is a highly modified remote control helicopter clearly illustrating the concept and the second a custom built system in a small footprint enclosure with increased payload capacities for remote sensing and robotic equipment.
Predictors of post-hospitalization recovery of renal function among patients with acute kidney injury requiring dialysis.

Introduction: Acute kidney injury (AKI) requiring dialysis complicates 1% of all hospital admissions, and up to 30% of survivors will still require dialysis at hospital discharge. There is a paucity of data to describe the postdischarge outcomes or to guide evidence-based dialysis management of this vulnerable population. Methods: Single-center, retrospective analysis of 100 consecutive patients with AKI who survived to hospital discharge and required outpatient dialysis. Data collection included baseline characteristics, hospitalization characteristics, and outpatient dialysis treatment variables. Primary outcome was dialysis independence 90 days after discharge. Findings: Overall, 43% of patients recovered adequate renal function to discontinue dialysis, with the majority recovering within 30 days post discharge. Worse baseline renal function was associated with lower likelihood of renal recovery. In the first week postdischarge, patients with subsequent nonrecovery of renal function had greater net fluid removal (5.3 vs. 4.1 L, P = 0.037), higher ultrafiltration rates (6.0 vs. 4.7 mL/kg/h, P = 0.041) and more frequent intradialytic hypotension (24.6% vs. 9.3% with 3 or more episodes, P = 0.049) compared to patients that later recovered. Discussion: A significant proportion of AKI survivors will recover renal function following discharge. Outpatient intradialytic factors may influence subsequent renal function recovery.
Hox5 Paralogous Genes Modulate Th2 Cell Function during Chronic Allergic Inflammation via Regulation of Gata3

Allergic asthma is a significant health burden in western countries, and continues to increase in prevalence. Th2 cells contribute to the development of disease through release of the cytokines IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13, resulting in increased airway eosinophils and mucus hypersecretion. The molecular mechanisms behind the disease pathology remain largely unknown. In this study we investigated a potential regulatory role for the Hox5 gene family, Hoxa5, Hoxb5, and Hoxc5, genes known to be important in lung development within mesenchymal cell populations. We found that Hox5-mutant mice show exacerbated pathology compared with wild-type controls in a chronic allergen model, with an increased Th2 response and exacerbated lung tissue pathology. Bone marrow chimera experiments indicated that the observed enhanced pathology was mediated by immune cell function independent of mesenchymal cell Hox5 family function. Examination of T cells grown in Th2 polarizing conditions showed increased proliferation, enhanced Gata3 expression, and elevated production of IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 in Hox5-deficient T cells compared with wild-type controls. Overexpression of FLAG-tagged HOX5 proteins in Jurkat cells demonstrated HOX5 binding to the Gata3 locus and decreased Gata3 and IL-4 expression, supporting a role for HOX5 proteins in direct transcriptional control of Th2 development. These results reveal a novel role for Hox5 genes as developmental regulators of Th2 immune cell function that demonstrates a redeployment of mesenchyme-associated developmental genes.
The Gunpowder Games: Traditional Equestrianism as Moroccan Invented Heritage Tourism

Under King Hassan II’s reign (1961–1999), the Moroccan state recognized the traditional equestrian display of tbourida or fantasia [1], as a symbol and sport of Morocco. Historically, the games once played a fundamental military, social, and communal role in the lives of Moroccans. Contemporarily, tbourida exhibitions are now organized competitions, or heritage displays at local festivals. The equestrian practice has even extended to sparingly include women riders and groups. By examining the emergence of tbourida as a performance of heritage, this research sheds light on advances in the conceptualization and development of a “cultural heritage tourism industry” within Morocco. The main driving research question is: How does tbourida as a case study fit into Morocco’s national heritage tourism? Thus, this chapter explores the ways in which the tbourida evolved from cavalry charges and celebratory displays on local saint’s days, or moussems, how the French usurped and absorbed these practices into the French colonial agenda, and how tbourida was rearticulated under the French colonial government (1912–1956). It also considers tbourida in contemporary society of Morocco as a state-regulated heritage sport, emphasizing how the state creates a national and tourist identity around this performance.
Hierarchies of N-point functions for nonlinear conservation laws with random initial data

Abstract Nonlinear conservation laws subject to random initial conditions pose fundamental problems in the evolution and interactions of shocks and rarefactions. Using a discrete set of values for the solution, we derive a hierarchy of equations in terms of the states in two different methods. This hierarchy involves the n-point function, the probability that the solution takes on various values at different positions, in terms of the ( n + 1 ) -point function. In the first approach, these equations can be closed but the resulting solutions do not persist through shock interactions. In our second approach, the n-point function is expressed in terms of the ( n + 1 ) -point functions, and remains valid through collisions of shocks.
Sources and Resources in Determining Immunization Status of Your Patients

Assessing the patient’s vaccination history to affirm that vaccinations are up to date or to provide those that are lacking is often somewhat challenging. This chapter reviews the processes that have proven to be successful in obtaining accurate vaccination records and for giving accurate advice as to which vaccines are required. Basic to these processes is ready access to information sources that keep the vaccine provider current: immunization applications, websites, webinars, newsletters, literature, textbooks, electronic data, and consultation with vaccine experts. Included is advice on how to stay current with updates regarding special circumstances such as immunocompromise, pregnancy, travel, or work exposure. Engaging the patient and patient’s family in the immunization process through the provision of high-quality patient education materials is critical to maintaining high vaccination rates. In summary, the chapter highlights the best basic tools to enhance the immunization provider’s vaccination prowess.
Collaborative Care for Depression among Patients with Limited English Proficiency: a Systematic Review

Patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) have high rates of depression, yet face challenges accessing effective care in outpatient settings. We undertook a systematic review to investigate the effectiveness of the collaborative care model for depression for LEP patients in primary care. We queried online PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL and EMBASE databases (January 1, 2000, to June 10, 2017) for quantitative studies comparing collaborative care to usual care to treat depression in adults with LEP in primary care. We evaluated the impact of collaborative care on depressive symptoms or on depression treatment. Two reviewers independently extracted key data from the studies and assessed risk of bias using the Cochrane bias and quality assessment tool (RCTs) and the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale (non-RCTs). Of 86 titles identified, 15 were included (representing 9 studies: 5 RCTs, 3 cohort studies, and 1 case–control study). Studies included 4859 participants; 2679 (55%) reported LEP. The majority spoke Spanish (93%). The wide variability in study design and outcome definitions precluded performing a meta-analysis. Follow-up ranged from 3 months to 2 years. Three of four high-quality RCTs reported that 13–25% more patients had improved depressive symptoms when treated with culturally tailored collaborative care compared to usual care; the last had high treatment in the control arm and found equal improvement. Two non-RCT studies suggest that Spanish-speaking patients may benefit as much as, if not more than, English-speaking patients treated with collaborative care. The remaining studies reported increased receipt of preferred depression treatment (therapy vs. antidepressants) in the intervention groups. Eight of nine studies used bilingual providers to deliver the intervention. While limited by the number and variability of studies, the available research suggests that collaborative care for depression delivered by bilingual providers may be more effective than usual care among patients with LEP. Implementation studies of collaborative care, particularly among Asian and non-Spanish-speakers, are needed.
Effect of input data in hydraulic modeling for flood warning systems

The main objective of this study was to quantify the error associated with input data, including various resolutions of elevation datasets and Manning’s roughness for travel time computation and fl...
The Roger Stevens Years

“If Stevens didn’t exist, we would have to invent him,” once remarked Abe Fortas, former justice of the Supreme Court.1 The Fortas comment sums the quality of this complex and brilliant man appointed by President Johnson to be the first chairman of the National Council for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Construyendo una zona de intercambio productiva en la investigación y práctica de la evaluación educacional

Markedly diverse viewpoints are in play in many varied contexts, from science to the classroom to the marketplace. Perhaps surprisingly, both divergent dissonances and convergent harmonies are routinely found together in productive real-world systems. The value of generalizable assessment outcomes hinges on their being both innovative and standardized. These apparently opposite tensions can be reconciled in terms of boundary objects, entities shared by different communities that use and view them quite differently. Further, science has long been seen as taking place on a continuum from everyday thinking and acting to formal logic and methods, so it should not be surprising to find this range manifest as well in psychometric research. We describe methods and results in which psychometrically modeled exemplars known as construct maps and Wright maps function as boundary objects and serve as a basis for productive analogies in educational assessment by (a) preserving relational structures, (b) making isomorphic mappings between systems, and (c) facilitating systematicity, understood as mapping systems of higher order relational structures (Nersessian & Chandrasekaran, 2009). In this conceptual context, we present an application of the BEAR Assessment System and its accompanying software, facilitating translations of relational structures across systems in support of practical alliances of teaching, policy-making, assessment and curriculum development, psychometrics, and information technology (IT).
Deletion of Robo4 prevents high-fat diet-induced adipose artery and systemic metabolic dysfunction.

Objective Accumulating evidence suggests the vascular endothelium plays a fundamental role in the pathophysiology of obesity by regulating the functional status of white adipose and systemic metabolism. Robo4 is expressed specifically in endothelial cells and increases vascular stability and inhibits angiogenesis. We sought to determine the role of Robo4 in modulating cardiometabolic function in response to high-fat feeding. Methods We examined exercise capacity, glucose tolerance, and white adipose tissue artery gene expression, endothelium-dependent dilation (EDD), and angiogenesis in wild type and Robo4 knockout (KO) mice fed normal chow (NC) or a high-fat diet (HFD). Results We found Robo4 deletion enhances exercise capacity in NC-fed mice and HFD markedly increased the expression of the Robo4 ligand, Slit2, in white adipose tissue. Deletion of Robo4 increased angiogenesis in white adipose tissue and protected against HFD-induced impairments in white adipose artery vasodilation and glucose intolerance. Conclusions We demonstrate a novel functional role for Robo4 in endothelial cell function and metabolic homeostasis in white adipose tissue, with Robo4 deletion protecting against endothelial and metabolic dysfunction associated with a HFD. Our findings suggest that Robo4-dependent signaling pathways may be a novel target in anti-obesity therapy.
A study on changes in the cropping pattern in Chandrapur district.

An attempt has been made to study the extent of change in cropping pattern over a period of time in Chandrapur district of Vidarbha region. The study was based on time series data for a period of 11 years beginning from 1999-00 to 2009-10. The cropping pattern was measured by Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. The total change over the period was examined with the help of concordance coefficient 'W'. The analysis reveals that there is a no shift in the cropping pattern between 1999-00 and 2009-10 in the Chandrapur district of Vidarbha region. However, the acreage allocation between different crops was observed during the period of study.
IL-4/IL-13 Stimulated Macrophages Enhance Breast Cancer Invasion Via Rho-GTPase Regulation of Synergistic VEGF/CCL-18 Signaling

Tumor associated macrophages (TAMs) are increasingly recognized as major contributors to the metastatic progression of breast cancer and enriched levels of TAMs often correlate with poor prognosis. Despite our current advances, it remains unclear which subset of M2-like macrophages have the highest capacity to enhance the metastatic program and which mechanisms regulate this process. Effective targeting of macrophages that aid cancer progression requires knowledge of the specific mechanisms underlying their pro-metastatic actions, as to avoid the anticipated toxicities from generalized targeting of macrophages. To this end, we set out to understand the relationship between the regulation of tumor secretions by Rho-GTPases, which were previously demonstrated to affect them, macrophage differentiation, and the converse influence of macrophages on cancer cell phenotype. Our data show that IL-4/IL-13 in vitro differentiated M2a macrophages significantly increase migratory and invasive potential of breast cancer cells, at a greater rate than M2b or M2c macrophages. Our previous work demonstrated that the Rho-GTPases are potent regulators of macrophage-induced migratory responses; therefore, we examined M2a-mediated responses in RhoA or RhoC knockout breast cancer cell models. We find that both RhoA and RhoC regulate migration and invasion in MDA-MB-231 and SUM-149 cells following stimulation with M2a conditioned media. Secretome analysis of M2a conditioned media reveals high levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 18 (CCL-18). Results from our functional assays reveal that M2a TAMs synergistically utilize VEGF and CCL-18 to promote migratory and invasive responses. Lastly, we show that pretreatment with ROCK inhibitors Y-276332 or GSK42986A attenuated VEGF/CCL-18 and M2a-induced migration and invasion. These results support Rho-GTPase signaling regulates downstream responses induced by TAMs, offering a novel approach for the prevention of breast cancer metastasis by anti-RhoA/C therapies.
Developing a Meta Framework for Key-Value Memory Networks on HPC Clusters

We introduce a novel framework, DARE-MetaQA, enabling large-scale Question Answering (QA). By enhancing the Key-Value Memory Network (KV-MemNN) model, our framework is capable of overcoming inherent challenges of the baseline model in two specific aspects: (1) prediction performance and (2) computational scalability. The overall architecture aims to support a meta-learning strategy, for which multiple learning models are trained together and used for the inference. The meta framework is highly advantageous for developing a robust learning model, which is suitable for complicated nature of machine reasoning attempted by memory augmented network models. For the required computational scalability, our framework is designed to drive an ensemble of training models and multiple inference agents dynamically, leveraging parallel and distributed task and memory management. In this work, we focus on developing an optimized implementation of a computing environment for multi-node systems, specifically with the two high-end cluster systems (XSEDE Comet and Bridges) which are equipped with multiple GPUs along with a local runtime environment using an HPC container (Singularity). We highlight our main implementation decisions and achievements during the development, while discussing theoretical and technical underpinnings for the framework architecture and future works.
Preliminary Evidence That Rising Groundwater Tables Threaten Coastal Septic Systems

AbstractMany communities along the southern Rhode Island coast rely on onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS), known as septic systems, to treat and disperse wastewater. System design requires ...
Interrelationship between depression, anxiety, pain, and treatment adherence in hemophilia: results from a US cross-sectional survey.

Purpose Depression, anxiety, pain, and treatment adherence have reciprocal effects not characterized extensively in hemophilia. This study explored the relationships between depression, anxiety, chronic pain, and treatment adherence in adults with hemophilia. Patients and methods Adults with self-reported hemophilia A or B completed the cross-sectional IMPACT QoL II survey. Depression (9-item Patient Health Questionnaire [PHQ-9]), anxiety (7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale [GAD-7]), chronic pain (Faces Pain Scale-Revised [FPS-R]), social support (Duke UNC Functional Social Support questionnaire), level of pain control, clotting factor treatment adherence (VERITAS-Pro or -PRN), and previous depression/anxiety were analyzed. Results Among 200 participants (male, 77.3%; female, 22.8%), 54% had PHQ-9 and 52% had GAD-7 scores indicating moderate to severe depression or anxiety without diagnosis of either disorder. Participants with PHQ-9 scores ≥10 (moderate to severe depression) were more likely to have lower treatment adherence than those with PHQ-9 scores <10 (P<0.05). Participants with PHQ-9 or GAD-7 scores ≥10 were more likely to report uncontrolled pain and less social support versus PHQ-9 or GAD-7 scores <10 (χ2P<0.05). Significant correlations were found between PHQ-9 and GAD-7 (P<0.0001), PHQ-9 and FPS-R (P=0.0004), PHQ-9 and VERITAS (P=0.01), GAD-7 and FPS-R (P=0.02), and GAD-7 and VERITAS (P=0.001). Conclusion Depression and anxiety are underdiagnosed in hemophilia. Depression is associated with anxiety, pain, and lower treatment adherence. While treatment providers play an important role in diagnosis, social workers may play a pivotal role in depression and anxiety screening. This study highlights the importance of regular screening and treatment for these disorders.
Equivalent L-type channel (CaV1.1) function in adult female and male mouse skeletal muscle fibers.

Loss of total muscle force during aging has both atrophic and non-atrophic components. The former deficit is a direct consequence of reduced muscle mass while the latter has been attributed to a depression of excitation-contraction (EC) coupling. It is well established that age-onset reductions in sex hormone production regulate the atrophic component in both males and females. However, it is unknown whether the non-atrophic component is influenced by sex hormones. Since the non-atrophic component has been linked mechanistically to reduced expression of the skeletal muscle L-type Ca2+ channel (CaV1.1), we recorded L-type Ca2+ currents, gating charge movements and depolarization-induced changes in myoplasmic Ca2+ from flexor digitorum brevis (FDB) fibers of naive and gonadectomized mice of both sexes. Our first set of experiments sought to identify any basal differences in EC coupling or L-type Ca2+ flux between the sexes; no detectable differences in any of the aforementioned parameters were observed between FDB harvested from either naive males or females. In the latter segments of the study, ovariectomy (OVX) and orchiectomy (ORX) models were used to assess the possible influence of sex hormones on EC coupling and/or L-type Ca2+ flux. In these experiments, FDB fibers harvested from OVX and ORX mice both showed no differences in L-type Ca2+ current, gating charge movement or depolarization-induced changes in Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. Taken together, our results indicate L-type Ca2+ channel function and EC coupling are: 1) equivalent between the sexes, and 2) not significantly regulated by sex hormones. Since recent NIH review guidelines mandate the consideration of sex differences as a criterion for review, our work indicates the suitability of either sex for the study of the fundamental mechanisms of EC coupling. Thus, our findings may accelerate the research process by conserving animals, labor and financial resources.
Convergence, parallelism, and function of extreme parietal callus in diverse groups of Cenozoic Gastropoda

We use scanning electron microscopy imaging to examine the shell microstructure of fossil and living species in five families of caenogastropods (Strombidae, Volutidae, Olividae, Pseudolividae, and Ancillariidae) to determine whether parallel or convergent evolution is responsible for the development of a unique caenogastropod trait, the extreme parietal callus (EPC). The EPC is defined as a substantial thickening of both the spire callus and the callus on the ventral shell surface such that it covers 50% or more of the surface. Caenogastropods as a whole construct the EPC convergently, using a variety of low-density, poorly organized microstructures that are otherwise uncommon in caenogastropod non-callus shell construction. Within clades, however, we see evidence for parallelism in decreased regulation in both the shell and callus microstructure. Low-density and poorly ordered microstructure—such as used for the EPC—uses less organic scaffolding and is less energetically expensive than normal shell microstructure. This suggests the EPC functions to rapidly and inexpensively increase shell thickness and overall body size. Tests of functional ecology suggest that the EPC might function both to defend against crushing predation through increased body size and dissipation of forces while aiding in shell orientation of highly mobile gastropods. These interpretations hinge on the current phylogenetic placement of caenogastropod families, emphasizing the essential contribution of phylogeny when interpreting homoplasy.
Breast Cancer in the United States: A Cross-Sectional Overview.

Introduction. Breast cancer remains the most commonly diagnosed malignancy in women. It encompasses considerable heterogeneity in pathology, patient clinical characteristics, and outcome. This study describes factors associated with overall survival (OS) of breast cancer in an updated national database. Methods. We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients with breast cancer diagnosed between 2004 and 2016 based on the National Cancer Database. Categorical variables were summarized using frequencies/percentages, whereas continuous variables were summarized using the median/interquartile range (IQR). OS was explored using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results. Data from patients were analyzed. The median age at diagnosis was 61 years (range 18-90). 75% were non-Hispanic (NH) White; 11% were NH-Black; 4.7% were Hispanic-White; 0.1% were Hispanic-Black; and 3.4% were Asian. Most cases (73%) presented with ductal carcinoma histology; while 15% with lobular carcinoma. Rarer subtypes included epithelial-myoepithelial, fibroepithelial, metaplastic, and mesenchymal tumors. OS was associated with molecular subtype, histologic subtype, and AJCC clinical staging. Survival also correlated with race: a cohort including Asians and Pacific Islanders had the best survival, while Black patients had the worst. Finally, facility type also impacted outcome: patients at academic centers had the best survival, while those at community cancer programs had the worst. Conclusion. This large database provides a recent and comprehensive overview of breast cancer over 12 years. Molecular subtype, histologic subtype, stage, race, and facility type were correlated with OS. In addition to the educational perspective of this overview, significant factors impacting the outcome identified here should be considered in future cancer research on disparities.
Sharpening Sparse Regularizers via Smoothing

Non-convex sparsity-inducing penalties outperform their convex counterparts, but generally sacrifice the cost function convexity. As a middle ground, we propose the sharpening sparse regularizers (SSR) framework to design non-separable non-convex penalties that induce sparsity more effectively than convex penalties such as $\ell _1$ and nuclear norms, but without sacrificing the cost function convexity. The overall problem convexity is preserved by exploiting the data fidelity relative strong convexity. The framework constructs penalties as the difference of convex functions , namely the difference between convex sparsity-inducing penalties and their smoothed versions. We propose a generalized infimal convolution smoothing technique to obtain the smoothed versions. Furthermore, SSR recovers and generalizes several non-convex penalties in the literature as special cases. The SSR framework is applicable to any sparsity regularized least squares ill-posed linear inverse problem. Beyond regularized least squares, the SSR framework can be extended to accommodate Bregman divergence, and other sparsity structures such as low-rankness. The SSR optimization problem can be formulated as a saddle point problem, and solved by a scalable forward-backward splitting algorithm. The effectiveness of the SSR framework is demonstrated by numerical experiments in different applications.
Human-robot co-navigation using anticipatory indicators of human walking motion

Mobile, interactive robots that operate in human-centric environments need the capability to safely and efficiently navigate around humans. This requires the ability to sense and predict human motion trajectories and to plan around them. In this paper, we present a study that supports the existence of statistically significant biomechanical turn indicators of human walking motions. Further, we demonstrate the effectiveness of these turn indicators as features in the prediction of human motion trajectories. Human motion capture data is collected with predefined goals to train and test a prediction algorithm. Use of anticipatory features results in improved performance of the prediction algorithm. Lastly, we demonstrate the closed-loop performance of the prediction algorithm using an existing algorithm for motion planning within dynamic environments. The anticipatory indicators of human walking motion can be used with different prediction and/or planning algorithms for robotics; the chosen planning and prediction algorithm demonstrates one such implementation for human-robot co-navigation.
Dynamics of transition writing in antiferromagnetically coupled magnetic recording media

Summary form only given. Antiferromagnetically coupled (AFC) media are an important extension of longitudinal magnetic recording to high bit densities while maintaining thermal stability. In this paper micromagnetic calculations examine the writing of isolated transitions in the top and bottom layers of a double layer AFC medium as a function of bottom layer thickness and interfacial exchange coupling at pico second time resolution. It is demonstrated that there can be a significant difference between the switching time of the top layer and the time required for completing the bottom layer magnetization processes during writing. The AFC media are modeled as two granular epitaxial films with grain diameters of 8 nm and grain boundary thickness of 1 nm. The thickness of the top layer is kept fixed at 15 nm while the bottom layer thickness is varied from 1 nm to 9 nm. The interfacial AF coupling between top and bottom layer is studied in the range of 0.1 to 0.5 erg/cm/sup 2/. The dynamic Langevin equations are solved for these films at a temperature of 350 K. A magnetic write head flying at 14 nm is used to write isolated transitions with a record current rise time of 100 ps (zero-to-peak).
Ants on the Move: Resource Limitation of a Litter‐nesting Ant Community in Costa Rica1

The leaf litter of tropical wet forests is replete with itinerant ant nests. Nest movement may help ants evade the constraints of stress and disturbance and increase access to resources. I studied how nest relocation and environmental factors may explain the density, size, and growth of leaf litter ant nests. I decoupled the relationships among litter depth, food abundance, and nest availability in a 4-mo manipulation of food and leaf litter in a community of litter-nesting ants in a lowland wet forest in Costa Rica. Over 4 mo, 290 1 m2 treatment and control plots were sampled without replacement. Nest densities doubled in response to food supplementation, but did not decrease in response to litter removal or stress (from litter trampling). The supplementation of food increased the utilization of less favored nesting materials. In response to food supplementation and litter trampling, arboreal ants established nests in the litter, and growth rates of the most common ants (Pheidole spp.) increased. Colony growth was independent of colony size and growth rates of the most abundant ants. In general, I conclude that litter-nesting ant density is driven primarily by food limitation, that nest relocation behavior significantly affects access to resource and the demographic structure of this community, and that nest fission may be a method to break the growth–reproduction trade-off. RESUMEN La hojarasca de bosques humedos tropicales esta repleta de nidos itinerantes de hormiga. El movimiento de nido puede ayudar a las hormigas a evadir las limitaciones producidas por tension y perturbacion y a la vez aumentar el acceso a recursos. lLas relaciones entre la profundidad de la hojarasca, la abundancia de alimento y la disponibilidad de nido fueron desconectadas durante 4 meses debido a la manipulacion de hojarasca y de alimento en un bosque humedo bajo en Costa Rica. Durante 4 meses, 290 parcelas de tratamiento y control de 1 m2 fueron muestreadas sin reemplazo. Las densidades de nido doblaron en respuesta al alimento suplementario, pero no disminuyeron en respuesta a la eliminacion de la hojarasca y la tension (causada al pisotear la hojarasca). El alimento suplementario aumento la utilizacion de materiales menos favorecidos para anidar. Debido al alimento suplementario y la tension en la hojarasca, las hormigas arboreas establecieron nidos en la hojarasca y las tasas de crecimiento de las hormigas mas comunes (Pheidole spp.) aumentaron. El crecimiento de la colonia era independiente del tamano de la colonia, y de las tasas de crecimiento de las hormigas mas abundantes. En terminos generales, se concluye que la densidad de las hormigas en la hojarasca es gobernada primordialmente por la limitacion de alimento, que la conducta de transladar nido afecta significativamente el acceso a recursos y a la estructura demografica de esta comunidad, y que la fision de nido puede ser un metodo para romper el intercambio entre crecimiento y reproduccion.
Wheat quality and wheat varietal identification

ABSTRACT The ability lo identify wheat at all stages of its growth and use is very important to many people. This paper describes the means to identify wheat varieties as well as some reasons for wanting or needing to identify them. Quality is in the eye of the beholder! A farmer might define quality as the amount of grain produced in the field, a miller might define it as the amount of flour that can be produced from a given amount of wheat on a given mill, a baker might define it as the type of consistent product they can make from a given flour and a breeder might define it as the overall the grain yield, which is a function of the plants' resistance to disease and drought, and the type of products that can be made from a given line. In each of these reasonable definitions, genetic, environmental, and genetic x environmental components are present. Since we can not control the environment, it is important to control or identify the genetics. Wheat gliadins are a genotypic expression of the plant and therefore characterizing the gliadins can be used to fingerprint wheat genotypes. Varietal identification can be accomplished by any of three broad ways; agronomic, physical, or biochemical. This presentation will describe and compare each of those areas and will focus on the biochemical methods of electrophoresis and chromatography to characterize or fingerprint wheat proteins for varietal identification.
No Planet Left Behind: Investigating Planetary Diversity and Architecture with SIM Lite

The evidence is mounting that star formation necessarily involves planet formation. We clearly have a vested interest in finding other Earths but a true understanding of planet formation requires completing the census and mapping planetary architecture in all its grandeur and diversity. Here, we show that a 2000-star survey undertaken with SIM Lite will uniquely probe planets around B-A-F stars, bright and binary stars and white dwarfs. In addition, we show that the high precision of SIM Lite allows us to gain unique insights into planet formation via accurate measurements of mutual inclinations.
Phase transfer catalysts anchored to polystyrene

Abstract Quarternary phosphonium and ammonium salts attached to polystyrene resins by short (2 - 3 atom) carbon chains are highly active phase transfer catalysts for a variety of nucleophilic substitution reactions.
Mercury in soils, lakes, and fish in Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota): importance of atmospheric deposition and ecosystem factors.

Concentrations of methylmercury in game fish from many interior lakes in Voyageurs National Park (MN, U.S.A.) substantially exceed criteria for the protection of human health. We assessed the importance of atmospheric and geologic sources of mercury to interior lakes and watersheds within the Park and identified ecosystem factors associated with variation in methylmercury contamination of lacustrine food webs. Geologic sources of mercury were small, based on analyses of underlying bedrock and C-horizon soils, and nearly all mercury in the O- and A-horizon soils was derived from atmospheric deposition. Analyses of dated sediment cores from five lakes showed that most (63% ± 13%) of the mercury accumulated in lake sediments during the 1900s was from anthropogenic sources. Contamination of food webs was assessed by analysis of whole, 1-year-old yellow perch (Perca flavescens), a regionally important prey fish. The concentrations of total mercury in yellow perch and of methylmercury in lake water varied subst...
Walt chairs annual meetings

Two major changes characterize the evolution of the AGU annual meetings, in the eyes of Martin Walt, meetings chairman. Walt, the director of physical sciences at the Lockheed Palo Alto Research Laboratory, was recently appointed meetings chairman for AGU annual meetings through 1982 by AGU President J. Tuzo Wilson. Walt's term will end with the 1982 Fall Meeting in San Francisco; that meeting will be chaired jointly by Walt and his successor. The first change Walt sees is a more businesslike approach to the meetings than when he first attended more than a decade ago. ‘I think people are preparing their talks better now, the session chairmen are more rigorous in keeping to schedule, and the meeting facilities have been improved,’ Walt noted.
Quantum delocalization of protons in the hydrogen-bond network of an enzyme active site

Enzymes use protein architectures to create highly specialized structural motifs that can greatly enhance the rates of complex chemical transformations. Here, we use experiments, combined with ab initio simulations that exactly include nuclear quantum effects, to show that a triad of strongly hydrogen-bonded tyrosine residues within the active site of the enzyme ketosteroid isomerase (KSI) facilitates quantum proton delocalization. This delocalization dramatically stabilizes the deprotonation of an active-site tyrosine residue, resulting in a very large isotope effect on its acidity. When an intermediate analog is docked, it is incorporated into the hydrogen-bond network, giving rise to extended quantum proton delocalization in the active site. These results shed light on the role of nuclear quantum effects in the hydrogen-bond network that stabilizes the reactive intermediate of KSI, and the behavior of protons in biological systems containing strong hydrogen bonds.
STS at Michigan Technological University: A History and Profile:

At Michigan Tech, science, technology, and society (STS) was introduced as a means of attracting new students to the school, providing general education courses more attractive to engineering students, and furnishing a focus for an unfocused, multidisciplinary department of the Social Sciences. STS enjoyed very limited success in the first two areas; however, using STS as a focus for a hitherto unfocused department has been highly successful and has led to the creation in the department of two new and successful STS-related graduate programs in industrial archaeology and environmental policy.
Strain and kinematic analysis in general shear zones

We present a unifying theory for the development and distribution of strain markers and kinematic indicators in zones of general shear, and thus provide a framework in which data previously considered contradictory may be understood. Rigid and deformable porphyroclast systems, including σ, δ and complex σ-δ grains are potential indicators of both strain and flow. The shapes and distribution of such porphyroclast systems may be used to distinguish among different tectonic regimes. General shear is divided into two fields: sub-simple shear, in which the rotational component of the strain is less than that for simple shear, and super-simple shear, in which the rotational component is greater than for simple shear. Sub-simple shear may involve narrowing or broadening of shear zones. Super-simple shear regimes are possible in local regions such as the vicinities of deformable porphyroclasts, but must be enclosed by regimes of sub-simple shear. The polar Mohr constructions for finite deformation and flow are useful to analyze general shear in theory. The hyperbolic net is employed for practical plotting of real data and derivation of the kinematic vorticity number, Wn. This number represents the relative contributions of pure and simple shear in steady flow. In nature, deformation is thought to build up and decay by processes that may invalidate the assumption of constant flow regime. We therefore introduce the concept of accelerating deformation and analyze the implications of non-steady flow for the shearing histories of deformed objects.
The crystal dynamics of grey (α) tin at 90°K☆

Abstract The crystal dynamics of the low temperature semiconducting allotrope of tin, α-Sn, have been studied at 90°K by means of thermal neutron inelastic scattering. From the phonon frequency-wavevector dispersion relation along the [100], [110], and [111] symmetry axes a frequency distribution has been derived and used to calculate several thermodynamic properties. Limited measurements were made at 250°K to investigate the effect of the α → β transition at 286°K - no effect was detected.
Properties of Dilute Mixtures of He 3 in Liquid He 4 at Low Temperatures

Properties of dilute mixtures of ${\mathrm{He}}^{3}$ in liquid ${\mathrm{He}}^{4}$ are calculated on the assumption that, for the most part, they behave as low-density fermion systems with an effective ${\mathrm{He}}^{3}$ Hamiltonian. Expressions for ${\mathrm{He}}^{3}$ scattering amplitudes in terms of phase shifts are obtained, and the measured spin diffusion coefficient $D$ for temperature $T$ below 1\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K is used to determine the effective interaction between ${\mathrm{He}}^{3}$ atoms. It is found to have a strong repulsive region with a longer-range attraction which is deeper but of shorter range than the corresponding part of the Van der Waals force. At low momenta, the phase shifts are small, and at low temperatures, the effects are weak. At higher temperatures, larger momenta are probed, and the scattering is more significant. The phase-separation curve and the low-temperature viscosity, thermal conductivity, spin susceptibility, compressibility, and specific heat are calculated and agree with existing experimental evidence. It is found that the mixtures should undergo a fermion superfluid phase transition, but the maximum transition temperature is ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}6}$ \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. Evidence for the transition should be found in a 4% decrease of D${\mathrm{T}}^{2}$ between ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}2\mathrm{\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}}}$ and 2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K.
Strontium isotopes in ocean water and marine sediments

Abstract The isotopic composition of Sr in the major oceans of the world is uniform at the present time; the average Sr 87 /Sr 86 ratio is 0.7094 ± 0.0012 at the 95 per cent confidence level. The clay fractions of the equatorial Atlantic deep sea sediments contain Sr of variable composition, not in isotopic equilibrium with ocean water. The Sr composition in the sediments is related to provenance and clay mineralogy.
PRENATAL MATERNAL STRESS RESCUES CRH-DEFICIENT NEONATAL MICE FROM DEATH.2056

The effect of prenatal maternal stress on fetal development and postnatal outcome is unclear. Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH)-deficient mice, created by targeted gene disruption, have deficient glucocorticoid (GC) production. CRH-deficient mice uniformly die within the first 12 hr of life with abnormal pulmonary development, but survive with normal pulmonary maturation following prenatal GC treatment of mothers from embryonic day 12(e12) to term (e19). We have asked whether prenatal maternal psychological stress can similarly induce normal pulmonary development and improve postnatal survival in CRH-deficient neonates. CRH-deficient mothers carrying CRH-deficient fetuses received twice daily sessions of restraint stress (30-60 min each) starting e12 or e16 to e19. Following restraint, blood corticosterone levels rose from 1.5 to 15 μg/dL. All mothers were allowed to deliver spontaneously. Among offspring of control mothers not subjected to restraint stress, all (36 offspring from 6 litters) died within the first 12 hr of life from respiratory failure. Among offspring of mothers subjected to restraint stress, 13 of 19 survived at least 48 hr, with 12 surviving up to several weeks until sacrificed for analysis of lung development, which was advanced compared with that of control offspring dying in the perinatal period. This study indicates that prenatal maternal psychological stress, possibly by causing an elevation in GC levels, can improve fetal survival in GC-deficient fetuses. In human pregnancy, pulmonary maturation of premature neonates, which is stimulated by prenatal glucocorticoid treatment, might also be improved following prenatal maternal stress.
The Increasing Economic Value of Human Time

HEN data and theory talk to each other there is hope for economics. We are very much in need of such talk with a view of explaining the long-term changes in relative prices of the productive services of the factors of production. When we leave the equilibrium static state and endeavor to bring theory to bear on the economic processes that change these prices relative one to another, our factor price economics is wanting. Modern economic growth theory puts this issue aside on the convenient assumption that these prices do not change relative to each other. The classical economists, however, had more courage and a broader perspective of economic processes, and their theories continue to influence our thinking about long-term changes in rents relative to wages and relative to the price of the services of reproducible capital. By their theory, rents would necessarily rise relative to wages. But the data have been hard on this theory. We were all taught that the rent paid for the services of land must rise relative to the price of other factor services in accordance with the rise in Ricardian Rent as a consequence of population increases and of economic growth because of the highly inelastic supply of land. But what we observe in countries where per capita incomes are high is that rent per acre declines over time relative to the price of human time. In the United States, for example, the total real compensation per hour at work of all manufacturing production workers increased between 1929 and 1970 more than four times as much as did the rent of farm
Circulating Heart Autoantibodies in Familial as Compared With Nonfamilial Idiopathic Dilated Cardiomyopathy

Background Idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a serious heart disease characterized by enlargement of one or both ventricles and ventricular dysfunction. Although most patients have sporadic disease, 20% have been found to have familial DCM when relatives are investigated by echocardiography. No other factors have been identified to date that consistently distinguish familial from nonfamilial DCM. Although some patients have a family history of DCM, a "negative" family history does not exclude familial DCM because affected family members may be presymptomatic or undiagnosed. Because some patients have life-threatening complications at the time of initial assessment of DCM, identifying a serum marker predictive of familial disease would help determine which families would most likely benefit from echocardiographic investigation. Objective In this study, our objective was to determine whether antiheart autoantibodies could be used to distinguish familial from nonfamilial idiopathic DCM. Methods We analyzed serum specimens for antiheart antibodies from 19 patients categorized as having familial DCM and 15 classified as having nonfamilial DCM on the basis of echocardiographic investigation of first-degree relatives. The mean duration of disease in these 34 patients was 50 months at the time the serum specimens were obtained. Results Titers of antibodies against the adenine nucleotide translocator, branched-chain keto acid dehydrogenase, and cardiac myosin did not distinguish between familial and nonfamilial cases of DCM.