cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Vegetation Characteristics of Mountain and Wyoming Big Sagebrush Plant Communities in the Northern Great Basin

Dominant plant species are often used as indicators of site potential in forest and rangelands. However, subspecies of dominant vegetation often indicate different site characteristics and, therefore, may be more useful indicators of plant community potential and provide more precise information for management. Big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt.) occurs across large expanses of the western United States. Common subspecies of big sagebrush have considerable variation in the types of sites they occupy, but information that quantifies differences in their vegetation characteristics is lacking. Consequently, wildlife and land management guidelines frequently do not differentiate between subspecies of big sagebrush. To quantify vegetation characteristics between two common subspecies of big sagebrush, we sampled 106 intact big sagebrush plant communities. Half of the sampled plant communities were Wyoming big sagebrush (A. tridentata subsp. wyomingensis [Beetle & A. Young] S. L. Welsh) plant communities, and the other half were mountain big sagebrush (A. tridentata subsp. vaseyana [Rydb.] Beetle) plant communities. In general, mountain big sagebrush plant communities were more diverse and had greater vegetation cover, density, and biomass production than Wyoming big sagebrush plant communities. Sagebrush cover was, on average, 2.4-fold higher in mountain big sagebrush plant communities. Perennial forb density and cover were 3.8- and 5.6-fold greater in mountain compared to Wyoming big sagebrush plant communities. Total herbaceous biomass production was approximately twofold greater in mountain than Wyoming big sagebrush plant communities. The results of this study suggest that management guidelines for grazing, wildlife habitat, and other uses should recognize widespread subspecies as indicators of differences in site potentials.
Marital Paradigms A Conceptual Framework for Marital Attitudes, Values, and Beliefs

This article outlines a conceptual framework for summarizing the marital beliefs and values of individuals regardless of marital status. Drawing on concepts from symbolic interactionism and recent midrange theories of marital attitudes, we propose that marital beliefs can be conceptualized as an individual marital paradigm, which comprises both beliefs about getting married and beliefs about being married. Six interconnected dimensions of marital paradigms are proposed: marital salience, marital timing, martial context, marital processes, marital permanence, and marital centrality. We proceed to make connections between the proposed model and relevant recent research on marital attitudes.
Follicular dynamics during the bovine estrous cycle: A limiting factor in improvement of fertility?

Abstract The use of ultrasonographic techniques for visualizing bovine ovaries has elucidated patterns of follicular development in cattle and provided some insight into the regulation of follicular growth and development. In cattle the development of large antral follicles occurs in waves that consist of the contemporaneous appearance of around three to six follicles 5 mm or more in diameter. Over several days one follicle grows larger than the others and is selected to become the dominant follicle, while the smaller subordinate follicles regress. The dominant follicle appears to regulate the growth of subordinate follicles, since the appearance of the next wave is accelerated if the dominant follicle is destroyed and delayed if the lifespan of the dominant follicle is prolonged experimentally. Follicular waves occur regularly when plasma gonadotropin concentrations are basal and the number of waves per cycle is correlated with cycle length. There is evidence that subtle changes in hormonal milieu regulate the pattern of waves. Waves are preceded by small increases in plasma follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and natural or experimentally induced decreases in basal FSH are associated with the demise of the dominant follicle. Increases in luteinizing hormone (LH) pulse frequency are observed during prolonged development of dominant follicles. Although the mechanisms that promote the selection of a dominant follicle have not been elucidated, the results reviewed in this paper make it clear that a great deal of progress has been made in understanding patterns of follicular development and their regulation. These advances have provided insight into some of the limitations of current methods for regulating bovine fertility, interesting experimental models for future studies, and information that may be used for improving reproductive efficiency in cattle.
Motivation and Transactional, Charismatic, and Transformational Leadership: A Test of Antecedents:

Relationships between leaders' motivation and their use of charismatic, transactional, and / or transformational leadership were examined in this study. One hundred eighty-six leaders and 759 direc...
Overdiagnosis of breast cancer at screening is clinically insignificant.

Long-term follow-up of randomized trials provide the most accurate estimates of overdiagnosis. Estimates from follow-up of service screening studies are almost as accurate if there is sufficient adjustment for lead time and risk status. When properly analyzed data from both of these types of trials indicate that the rate of overdiagnosis at screening mammography is clinically negligible: 0–5%. Population trend studies are a potentially highly inaccurate means to estimate overdiagnosis. Most cases of DCIS detected at screening are medium and high grade with substantial potential to become an invasive disease. To avoid overtreatment, clinicians need to tailor their treatment of DCIS to the histologic and molecular characteristics of each case.
Neural network approach to Locating Cryptography in object code

Finding and identifying cryptography is a growing concern in the malware analysis community. In this paper, artificial neural networks are used to classify functional blocks from a disassembled program as being either cryptography related or not. The resulting system, referred to as NNLC (Neural Net for Locating Cryptography) is presented and results of applying this system to various libraries are described.
Bayesian modeling of dynamic scenes for object detection

Accurate detection of moving objects is an important precursor to stable tracking or recognition. In this paper, we present an object detection scheme that has three innovations over existing approaches. First, the model of the intensities of image pixels as independent random variables is challenged and it is asserted that useful correlation exists in intensities of spatially proximal pixels. This correlation is exploited to sustain high levels of detection accuracy in the presence of dynamic backgrounds. By using a nonparametric density estimation method over a joint domain-range representation of image pixels, multimodal spatial uncertainties and complex dependencies between the domain (location) and range (color) are directly modeled. We propose a model of the background as a single probability density. Second, temporal persistence is proposed as a detection criterion. Unlike previous approaches to object detection which detect objects by building adaptive models of the background, the foregrounds modeled to augment the detection of objects (without explicit tracking) since objects detected in the preceding frame contain substantial evidence for detection in the current frame. Finally, the background and foreground models are used competitively in a MAP-MRF decision framework, stressing spatial context as a condition of detecting interesting objects and the posterior function is maximized efficiently by finding the minimum cut of a capacitated graph. Experimental validation of the proposed method is performed and presented on a diverse set of dynamic scenes.
SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL PATTERN IN LENGTH-MASS REGRESSIONS OF FRESHWATER GASTROPODS IN NEVADA SPRING ECOSYSTEMS

We developed length-mass regressions for 16 aquatic gastropods collected from 27 springs in Nevada, United States. The relationship between shell length and body mass for all species was best described by fitting a power function. The mean value of the exponent b (2.40 ± 0.39) was lower than reported for other aquatic gastropods, particularly for smaller genera, such as Pyrgulopsis and Tryonia. Length-mass regressions of gastropods showed intraspecific variation, as well as spatiotemporal variation among the same species. Certain habitat characteristics, especially water temperature, may play a key role in determining growth rates and ultimately length-mass regressions in this study. Although the power term b showed high variability when the same species (Melanoides tuberculata, Pyrgulopsis lockensis, and Pyrgulopsis turbatrix) were collected from different springs, the power term was similar when the same species (Pyrgulopsis marcida) was collected from the same spring during different seasons and years. Therefore, we suggest that published equations should be used with caution and only when habitat characteristics and length ranges are similar compared to those in the literature.
Electricity Deregulation and Re-regulation: The Role of Basic Industry Conditions

Past conditions in the electricity sector (technology, demand, information access and ownership) led to state and federal regulation. Changes in those basic conditions have caused policymakers to change the rules to facilitate the introduction of competition into generation. Yet, actual industry performance under deregulation is causing us to review how market structure leads to favorable and unfavorable outcomes. Recent experience has highlighted the need to prioritize policy objectives and promote realistic expectations among stakeholders. The importance of constraining market power and the role of environmental concerns in structural reforms are additional lessons.
Health Physics and Waste Minimization Best Practices benchmarking study

The Health Physics and Waste Minimization Best Practices project examines the usefulness of benchmarking as a tool for identifying health physics and waste minimization best practices for low-level solid radioactive waste (LLW) in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) complex. The goal of the project is to identify best practices from the nuclear power industry that will reduce the amount of LLW going to disposal in a cost-effective manner. An increase in worker efficiency and productivity is a secondary goal. These practices must be adaptable for implementation in the DOE complex. Once best practices are identified, ranked, and funded for implementation, a pilot implementation will be done at the Chemistry and Metallurgy Research (CMR) building at Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Economic Development and Changing Consequences of Race Discrimination in Southern Agriculture

D ISCRIMINATION against some group or groups on grounds of religion, race, personality, or other non-pecuniary considerations has always been a part of man's recorded history. Yet, the economics of race discrimination has been almost completely unexplored until recently. The definitive work of Gary S. Becker in his book, The Economics of Discrimination,l provides for the first time a theoretical framework within which discrimination as a market phenomenon may be systematically analyzed and understood. His contribution is all the more worthy in that it is exceedingly rich in empirical content.2 Prior to his trail-blazing work, studies on discrimination were for all intents and purposes the exclusive domain of the sociologists and psychologists. Efforts were largely limited to discovering the determinants of the taste for discrimination. The economic question as to exactly how individual tastes for discrimination interact with other variables (such as the distribution of tastes, the relative importance of the group discriminated against, the degree of complementarity or substitutability involved, and the competitiveness of the factor and product markets) and jointly determine observable market discrimination was left unanswered.
CFTR activation: additive effects of stimulatory and inhibitory phosphorylation sites in the R domain

To investigate the functional significance of individual consensus phosphorylation sites within the R domain of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), serines were eliminated by substituting them with alanine. Included in this analysis were serine-660, -670, -686, -700, -712, -737, -768, -795, and -813, which lie within protein kinase A consensus sequences, and serine-641, which does not. Elimination of single potential phosphorylation sites altered the sensitivity of CFTR (expressed in Xenopus oocytes) to activating conditions in a manner that was highly site dependent. Substitution at serine-660, -670, -700, -795, or -813 significantly increased the half-maximal activation constant (KA) for activation by 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine, which is consistent with the hypothesis that phosphorylation at any of these sites promotes CFTR activation. The effect of substitution at serine-813 was significantly greater than at the other sites. In contrast, alanine substitution at serine-737 or -768 actually decreased the KA for activation, suggesting that phosphorylation at either of these sites is inhibitory. Substitution at serine-641, -686, and -712 had no significant effect on activation sensitivity. The effects of multiple serine to alanine substitutions were consistent with the notion that phosphorylation at individual sites produced roughly additive effects, suggesting that the effect produced by phosphorylation of any one serine was not dependent on the phosphorylation state of other serines. These results are consistent with the notion that, although none of the phosphorylation sites studied here are absolutely necessary for activation of CFTR, individual sites contribute differently to the gating of the channel.
A Pilot Study of Social Information Processing Skills in Girls With Fragile X Syndrome

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a well-described inherited cause of intellectual disability and the most common known genetic cause of autism. Social deficits in girls with FXS are not well understood. To better understand barriers to social functioning that may contribute to mental health outcomes, we administered a theoretically based social information processing (SIP) interview about challenging social situations to 11 verbal mental age-matched girls with and without FXS. We hypothesized that (a) girls with FXS have global SIP impairments and (b) less autism symptomatology is related to better SIP skills in girls with FXS. Compared to controls, girls with FXS performed significantly worse on an early SIP skill (problem identification). Scores on later SIP skills tended to be lower and exhibited moderate to strong effect sizes. Competency in goal generation was correlated with autistic-like communication skills. Systematic studies of SIP skills in larger cohorts of girls with FXS are warranted.
Listen to your heart: The cultural shaping of interoceptive awareness and accuracy.

West African cultural contexts foster higher levels of attention to the bodily signals compared with the European American contexts. Interoception, or the processing of signals from the body, is a key component of emotional reactivity. Interoceptive awareness (i.e., the self-reported tendency to attend to physiological changes) and accuracy (i.e., the ability to accurately detect physiological changes) are distinct aspects of interoception. Does the West African cultural emphasis on interoceptive awareness affect individuals' abilities to accurately perceive physiological changes in response to emotional stimuli? West African and European American young adults watched a fear-inducing film clip and continuously rated their perception of heart rate changes in response to the clip. Actual heart rates were also recorded continuously. Cross-correlations were calculated between measures of perceived and actual heart rate. Although average levels of coherence between these measures were low across groups, West Africans showed higher levels of interoceptive awareness, but lower levels of interoceptive accuracy than European Americans. These results suggest that cultural scripts of attending to the body may affect coupling between actual and perceived physiological reactivity in the context of emotions. These results have implications for studying cultural shaping of somatic presentation of mood and anxiety disorders.
Phonosurgery for voice improvement and restoration

Recent advances in laryngology have occurred simultaneously in both the diagnostic and therapeutic realms. The advent of sophisticated voice laboratories with the ability for in-depth analysis of voice disorders has provided insights into their pathophysiology necessary to develop sophisticated procedures to treat them. Experience with these procedures has likewise provided new understanding of laryngeal function. Together these diagnostic and therapeutic modalities have allowed unprecedented advancement in treating laryngeal disorders, hitherto treated in a most unsatisfactory manner.
VX-770 and NPPB Modulate CFTR Gating via Different but Dependent Mechanisms

Understanding how small molecules potentiate CFTR gating is critical for developing novel therapy for cystic fibrosis. Our previous studies have suggested that VX-770 (ivacaftor), a CFTR potentiator now used in clinics, increases the Po of CFTR by shifting the gating conformational changes in CFTR's transmembrane domains (TMDs) to favor the open channel configuration. Lately, another CFTR potentiator NPPB was reported to enhance CFTR activity through a modus operandi that exploits the ATP hydrolysis-driven, non-equilibrium gating mechanism unique to CFTR. It is however puzzling that NPPB can also increase the activity of non-hydrolytic G551D-CFTR, the third most common pathogenic mutation. We therefore set forth to unravel the mechanism of NPPB using VX-770 as a reference. Once the blocking effect of NPPB was corrected, we found that NPPB and VX-770, when applied alone, increased the Po of G551D-CFTR by 6.9 ± 0.8 (n = 12) and 9.3 ± 1.4 (n = 21) folds respectively. Once these two reagents were applied together, however, the Po was increased by 28.98 ± 7.6 fold (n= 10), less than the expected magnitude (∼ 60-fold) if NPPB and VX-770 work independently. Hence, NPPB only increases the Po of G551D-CFTR by 3.7 ± 0.4 fold (n = 9) in the presence of VX-770. Similarly, a much reduced enhancement (4.8 ± 1.8 fold, n = 5) of the Po by VX-770 in the presence of NPPB was seen. Interestingly, we also observed that VX-770 effectively potentiates a CFTR mutant with its second nucleotide-binding domain completely removed (i.e., dNBD2), whereas NPPB has virtually no effect (n = 12). These results can be explained by a gating model featuring an energetic coupling between opening/closing of the gate in TMDs where VX-770 binds and dimerization/dissociation of NBDs where NPPB acts on.
Successful management of iliocostal impingement syndrome: A case series

Background:Iliocostal impingement syndrome is a rare, painful, and disabling condition associated with thoracic hyperkyphosis and kyphoscoliosis. There is little published literature regarding management of this syndrome. The purpose of this case series is to report treatment outcomes for iliocostal impingement syndrome with improving posture and back muscle strength.Case Description and Methods:Thirty-eight women with thoracic hyperkyphosis or kyphoscoliosis and back and/or flank pain were diagnosed with iliocostal impingement syndrome on the basis of symptoms and spine radiographs. They were instructed in weighted kypho-orthosis use and taught a home back-extensor strengthening program. Outcome measures included posture evaluation and pain level.Findings and Outcomes:All patients reported immediate pain reduction with weighted kypho-orthosis trial. Nineteen patients returned within 2 years, and all had continued pain relief and posture improvement.Conclusions:Our findings suggest that successful managem...
Proton therapy for the management of uveal melanoma and other ocular tumors

Proton beam radiotherapy of uveal melanoma and other malignant and benign ocular tumors has shown tremendous development and success over the past four decades. Proton beam is associated with the lowest overall risk of local tumor recurrence in uveal melanoma, compared with other eye-conserving forms of primary treatment. Proton beam is also utilized for other malignant and benign tumors as primary, salvage, or adjuvant treatment with combined modality therapy. The physical characteristics of proton therapy allows for uniform dose distribution, minimal scatter, and sharp dose fall off making it an ideal therapy for ocular tumors in which critical structures lay in close proximity to the tumor. High radiation doses can be delivered to tumors with relative sparing of adjacent tissues from collateral damage. Proton beam therapy for ocular tumors has resulted in overall excellent chances for tumor control, ocular conservation, and visual preservation.
Friction Factors of Various Metal on Plastic Hip Replacement Designs With Scratched Femoral Heads Captured During Testing on a Multi-Station Hip Simulator

Damage to metallic femoral heads can occur in vivo. Testing of hip prostheses under abrasive conditions is one among various efforts needed towards more realistic and harsher testing. Abrasion likely increases both wear and friction at the head/liner interface. This study investigates if our novel friction measurement technique can detect damage to femoral heads during extended wear testing of metal-on-plastic (MOP) THRs of various material combinations using both scratched and as-new femoral heads. Friction was measured based on equilibrium of forces and moments measured by a 6-DOF load cell on each test station of an AMTI hip simulator. The force and moment data from the load cells was utilized to calculate the frictional torque about each of three rotational axes (flexion/extension, abduction/adduction and internal/external rotation). The frictional torques were transformed to account for the offset in load cell position from the hip center and were then vector summed to yield an overall frictional torque about the femoral head. The friction factor was then computed by dividing the overall frictional torque by the applied compressive load and the femoral head radius. The waveforms specified in ISO-14242-1 were used. Diluted bovine serum at 37°C with 30 g/L protein concentration lubricated the specimens. Twelve UHMWPE liners (40 mm I.D.) were tested against CoCrMo femoral heads. Liners were of three materials: a) Three conventional (GUR1020, gamma-sterilized 3.5 Mrad), b) Three highly cross-linked (HXL) (GUR 1020, 10 Mrad, annealed, EtO-sterilized, artificially aged), and c) Six HXL w/vitamin-E (GUR 1020, 12 Mrad, annealed, EtO-sterilized, aged). The test consisted of three phases were as follows: –Phase-I: Standard clean (non-abrasive) test for 5 Mc. –Phase-II: Pulverized PMMA was added to serum at 700 mg/L (to introduce abrasive conditions); however, effects were minimal after 2 Mc (7 Mc total). –Phase-III: Femoral heads were scratched using a technique developed in house to create latitudinal and longitudinal scratches similar to what is seen on retrievals. Phase-III lasted for 1 Mc, for a total of 8 Mc. The friction results are shown in Fig. 1. Friction factors of the three THR types tested were similar for the first 5 Mc (0.062 ± 0.0084) and increased only marginally after the PMMA powder was added (0.066 ± 0.0066). The PMMA powder did not appear to damage the heads much visually, and therefore the insignificant increase was not surprising. However, once heads were intentionally scratched at 7 Mc, the friction factor rose on all three THR types: a) 0.11 ± 0.0077, b) 0.082 ± 0.0049, c) 0.087 ± 0.022. This friction technique successfully detected when femoral head damage had occurred. Higher friction was clearly observed after femoral heads had been scratched.
Appendectomy in patients with human immunodeficiency virus: Not as bad as we once thought

Background The number of patients living with human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is growing due to advances in antiretroviral therapy. Existing literature on appendectomy within this patient population has been limited by small sample sizes. Therefore, we used a large, multiyear, nationwide database to study this topic comprehensively. Methods Using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, we identified 338,805 patients between 2005 and 2012 who underwent laparoscopic or open appendectomy for acute appendicitis. Interval appendectomies were excluded. We used multivariable adjusted regression models to test differences between patients with human immunodeficiency virus without acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and a reference group, as well as human immunodeficiency virus with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and a reference group, with regard to duration of stay, hospital charges, in-hospital complications, and in-hospital mortality. Models were adjusted for patient age, sex, race, insurance, socioeconomic status, Elixhauser comorbidity score, and appendix perforation. Results There were 1,291 (0.38%) patients with human immunodeficiency virus, among which 497 (0.15%) patients had acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. In regression analysis, human immunodeficiency virus alone was not associated with adverse outcomes, while acquired immunodeficiency syndrome alone was associated with longer duration of stay (incidence rate ratio 1.40 [1.37–1.57 95% confidence interval], P Conclusion Patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome who undergo appendectomy for acute appendicitis are subject to longer and more expensive hospital admissions and have greater rates of postoperative infections while patients with human immunodeficiency virus alone are not at risk for adverse outcomes.
Phase-noise characterization of optoelectronic components by carrier suppression techniques

Summary form only given. Phase noise of the optoelectronic components in a fiber-optic system represents a fundamental limit to achievable performance. This limit is not typically approached in signal transmission systems, because even reference signals have noise exceeding the noise of a photonic link. However, the optoelectronic device noise represents a limit for the achievable performance of the optoelectronic oscillator (OEO) and similar devices designed to photonically produce spectrally pure and stable references. In this paper, we propose a novel approach to characterize the phase noise of optoelectronic components.
Detection of Liquid Penetration of a Micropillar Surface Using the Quartz Crystal Microbalance

A quantitative characterization of the wetting states of droplets on hydrophobic textured surfaces requires direct measurement of the liquid penetration into surface cavities, which is challenging. Here, the use of quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) technology is reported for the characterization of the liquid penetration depth on a micropillar-patterned surface. The actual liquid–air interface of the droplet was established by freezing the droplet and characterizing it using a cryogenically focused ion beam/scanning electron microscope (cryo FIB-SEM) technique. It was found that a direct correlation exists between the liquid penetration depth and the responses of the QCM. A very small frequency shift of the QCM (1.5%) was recorded when the droplet was in the Cassie state, whereas a significant frequency shift was observed when the wetting state changed to the Wenzel state (where full liquid penetration occurs). Furthermore, a transition from the Cassie to the Wenzel state can be captured by the QCM techni...
Counter-Claims at the International Court of Justice (2012)

In proceedings before the International Court of Justice (I.C.J.), a “counter-claim” is “an autonomous legal act” by the Respondent in a contentious case, “the object of which is to submit a new claim to the Court,” one that is “linked to the principal claim, in so far as, formulated as a ‘counter’ claim, it reacts to" the principal claim. A counter-claim is not a defense on the merits to the principal claim; while it is a reaction to that claim, it is pursuing objectives other than simply dismissal of the principal claim. Hence, the reason for allowing a counter-claim to be included as part of an existing case is not because it assists in disposition of the principal claim but, rather, to assist in the disposition of two autonomous claims. The I.C.J. Statute does not directly address the issue of the Respondent filing a counter-claim against the Applicant. Art. 80 of the Rules, however, provides that the Court may entertain such a counter-claim in certain circumstances, as a part of the incidental proceedings of an existing case. Counter-claims featured somewhat in the early life of the Court (in 1950-52), but then disappeared for several decades; they have reemerged in several cases after 1997, such as Italy’s unsuccessful counter-claim filed in 2009 against Germany in Jurisdictional Immunities of the State. Renewed interest in the use of counter-claims may be due to a desire by Respondents to present to the Court a more balanced perspective of the conduct of the two States before it, because inclusion of the counter-claim may force both the Court and the other party to confront certain facts and legal arguments that otherwise would not feature in the case. From the Court’s perspective, allowing a counter-claim in the proper circumstances promotes the value of judicial economy; addressing the claim and counter-claim in a single proceeding may be more efficient than doing so in separate cases. At the same time, there are requirements that must be met before a counter-claim may be entertained, requirements designed to prevent a Respondent from using an unrelated counter-claim simply as a tactic for slowing down the disposition of principal claim and for detracting from a central focus on that claim.
Valuing the bad and the ugly: tasting agrobiodiversity among the Indigenous Canela.

AbstractThe Indigenous Canela of northeast Brazil cultivate a diversity of crops that are variously categorized as good and beautiful (impej), bad and ugly (ihken), tasty, bland, and even regular or common (cahac). Through an analysis of Canela crop categorization and human–plant encounters, the article demonstrates that valuing agrobiodiversity, including less delicious or bad crops, is grounded in an understanding of crop intentionality or subjectivity in garden spaces. An examination of Canela yam and manioc varietals in particular reveals that crops, as intentional subjects, are valued for the multisensory engagements they develop with each other and with their human counterparts in the emergent bio-sociocultural life-world. By drawing from and expanding upon recent approaches in multispecies ethnography and sensory anthropology, a Canela taste for agrobiodiversity emerges, one that incorporates not only the taste of delicious or less palatable food, but also multiple sensory modalities of myriad huma...
Preservice Preparation and Classroom Practices of Teachers of Students with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders.

A survey was conducted to identify and compare the perceptions of teachers of students with emotional and/or behavioral disorders and those of special teacher educators. The sample, 111 teachers an...
The impact of public R&D investments on patenting activity: technology transfer at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

This paper presents estimates of the impact of public R&D on patenting activity at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Using a time series of public sector agency data, we estimate the per-capita R&D elasticity of new patent applications using a knowledge production function framework model that is an expanded version of what other scholars have used with private sector data. New patent applications are an important step in the technology transfer activities of a federal agency. We estimate this elasticity to be about 2.0. This elasticity value represents an initial estimate of the impact of EPA’s R&D investments on its technology transfer activity.
Examination of intertidal and nearshore benthic macroinvertebrates along two non-nourished Florida beaches

Abstract Urban sandy beaches are often extensively modified by human activities such as nourishment projects. Such disturbances can significantly alter ecosystem structure, making it difficult to understand the “natural state”. Macrofaunal species are greatly influenced by direct sediment influx which may bury organisms that are unable to dig out quickly or relocate seaward. In this study we sampled the nearshore macrofaunal community in association to grain size on two beaches that are not directly nourished to help determine a “natural” state community. Macrofaunal samples were taken at four levels, two intertidal and two subtidal. Eighty overall samples were taken per beach. Cores were additionally taken at each level for geological analyses. The two beaches were found to differ both geologically (intertidally) and by macrofaunal community. Sediment grain size was highest in the intertidal levels at both beaches. Gulfstream Park’s intertidal zone possessed the largest grain-sized and most poorly sorted sediments. Gulfstream Park’s macrofaunal richness was greater at 17 taxa compared to MacArthur Beach State Park’s 5 taxa. From the 19 identified taxa 5 species constituted 83% of the macrofaunal community, with the isopod Ancinus depressus being the most common organism (32%). Community differences between the two beaches were attributed to greater sediment disturbance at Gulfstream Park. Macrofaunal species are important low-level consumers in coastal food webs. Changes to macrofaunal communities transmit to higher trophic levels and may potentially impact on human beach activities (e.g. fishing, nature watching).
Decline of transmissible gastroenteritis virus and its complex evolutionary relationship with porcine respiratory coronavirus in the United States

The epidemiology and genetic diversity of transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV) in the United States (US) was investigated by testing clinical cases for TGEV by real time RT-PCR between January 2008 and November 2016. Prevalence of TGEV ranged between 3.8–6.8% and peaked during cold months until March 2013, in which prevalence decreased to < 0.1%. Nineteen complete TGEV genomes and a single strain of porcine respiratory coronavirus (PRCV) from the US were generated and compared to historical strains to investigate the evolution of these endemic coronaviruses. Sixteen of our TGEV strains share 8 unique deletions and 119 distinct amino acid changes, which might greatly affect the biological characteristics of the variant TGEV, and resulted in a “variant” genotype of TGEV. The “variant” genotype shared similar unique deletions and amino acid changes with the recent PRCV strain identified in this study, suggesting a recombination event occurred between the ‘‘variant’’ TGEV and PRCV. Moreover, the results indicate the “variant” genotype is the dominant genotype circulating in the US. Therefore, this study provides insight into the occurrence, origin, genetic characteristics, and evolution of TGEV and PRCV circulating in the US.
Identifying/Quantifying Environmental Trade-offs Inherent in GHG Reduction Strategies for Coal-Fired Power

Improvements to coal power plant technology and the cofired combustion of biomass promise direct greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions for existing coal-fired power plants. Questions remain as to what the reduction potentials are from a life cycle perspective and if it will result in unintended increases in impacts to air and water quality and human health. This study provides a unique analysis of the potential environmental impact reductions from upgrading existing subcritical pulverized coal power plants to increase their efficiency, improving environmental controls, cofiring biomass, and exporting steam for industrial use. The climate impacts are examined in both a traditional—100 year GWP—method and a time series analysis that accounts for emission and uptake timing over the life of the power plant. Compared to fleet average pulverized bed boilers (33% efficiency), we find that circulating fluidized bed boilers (39% efficiency) may provide GHG reductions of about 13% when using 100% coal and reductions of a...
Comparing Outcomes Between the Over-the-Top and All-Epiphyseal Techniques for Physeal-Sparing ACL Reconstruction: A Narrative Review:

A variety of techniques are used for physeal-sparing anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction; however, there is no clear consensus on the ideal surgical technique, the frequency of complications, and how to best avoid growth disturbance. The purpose of this study was to compare outcomes and complications between over-the-top and all-epiphyseal ACL reconstruction techniques. The hypothesis was that both physeal-sparing reconstruction techniques are efficacious, with similar risk of growth disturbance and complications. The Embase and PubMed databases were queried for studies on ACL ruptures in the skeletally immature population from 1985 to 2018. Full-text English studies were included (N = 160). Studies reporting rerupture and/or complications after physeal-sparing ACL reconstruction, specifically growth disturbance, were included (n = 10). Studies were separated into 2 groups: an all-epiphyseal group with femoral and tibial fixation points within the epiphysis and a group that had over-the-top femoral and tibial physeal-sparing reconstruction. Complications not specific to the pediatric population were excluded. Demographics, evaluation of skeletal maturity, surgical technique, growth disturbance, rerupture, and patient-reported outcome scores were collected. Data were analyzed in aggregate. The 10 studies included 482 knees. The mean age was 12.0 years; 81% of patients were male; and mean follow-up was 47.7 months. A total of 178 patients underwent all-epiphyseal reconstruction, and 298 had the femoral graft placed over the top. The rerupture rate was 9.0% (16 of 178) in the all-epiphyseal group and 7.2% (14 of 195) in the over-the-top group, of which 82% required revision reconstruction. Six patients had overgrowth in the all-epiphyseal group (mean, 1.8 cm) and 1 patient in the over-the-top group (1.5 cm). Three angular deformities occurred, all of which were in the over-the-top group. Both physeal-sparing ACL reconstruction techniques are successful. Overgrowth was more common in the all-epiphyseal group and angular deformity in the over-the-top group. Rerupture rates were similar between the groups. The authors recommend standardization of skeletal age assessment and baseline lower extremity alignment films.
Post-disaster Repair Scheduling in Partially Automated Electricity Distribution Networks.

Natural disasters require repairing all damaged components in electricity distribution networks. Optimal scheduling repair crews to minimize the aggregate duration of interruptions reduces the harm. We consider the fact that the number of switches is much smaller than the number of edges. The problem is modeled by a parallel identical machine scheduling with group soft precedence constraints to minimize the total weighted energization time. We propose an LP-based list scheduling algorithm and a conversion algorithm and analyze their theoretical performances.
A Mathematical Model of the Effects of Aging on Naive T Cell Populations and Diversity

The human adaptive immune response is known to weaken in advanced age, resulting in increased severity of pathogen-born illness, poor vaccine efficacy, and a higher prevalence of cancer in the elderly. Age-related erosion of the T cell compartment has been implicated as a likely cause, but the underlying mechanisms driving this immunosenescence have not been quantitatively modeled and systematically analyzed. T cell receptor diversity, or the extent of pathogen-derived antigen responsiveness of the T cell pool, is known to diminish with age, but inherent experimental difficulties preclude accurate analysis on the full organismal level. In this paper, we formulate a mechanistic mathematical model of T cell population dynamics on the immunoclonal subpopulation level, which provides quantitative estimates of diversity. We define different estimates for diversity that depend on the individual number of cells in a specific immunoclone. We show that diversity decreases with age primarily due to diminished thymic output of new T cells and the resulting overall loss of small immunoclones.
Nonreacting Spray Characteristics for Alternative Aviation Fuels at Near-Lean Blowout Conditions

The spray characteristics of standard and alternative aviation fuels generated by a hybrid pressure-swirl airblast atomizer were studied at conditions corresponding to near-lean blowout conditions:...
Impacts of heifer postweaning residual feed intake classification on reproductive and performance measurements of first, second, and third parity Angus beef females.

This study evaluated heifer postweaning residual feed intake (RFI) classification on reproductive and performance measurements of first-, second-, and third-parity Angus beef females. We analyzed the annual, as well as, cumulative production of 347 Angus females from birth through weaning of their third calf. Heifer postweaning RFI was calculated as the actual dry matter intake minus the predicted dry matter intake based on the average daily gain of the contemporary group on an annual basis. Heifers were categorized based on RFI as either low ( +0.50 SD from the mean) within year. There was no RFI × Parity interaction (P ≥ 0.14) observed for all production/reproduction traits except for conception rates (P = 0.02). Julian birth date of cows was influenced by RFI classification (P < 0.01) and displayed a quadratic (P = 0.02) effect with high RFI cows being born earlier in the calving season than average RFI cows (71.2 vs. 75.3 d), but did not differ from low RFI cows (74.0 vs. 75.3 d). Cow birth weight, weaning weight, as well as all other cow weight and body condition measurements were not influenced by RFI classification (P ≥ 0.14). As expected, there was a linear increase in cow body weight at weaning with increasing parity (P < 0.01). Cow RFI classification had no influence on progeny weaning weight, birth date, calving interval, or postpartum interval (P ≥ 0.15). Calf birth weights displayed a quadratic parity effect (P < 0.01) with first calf heifers having calves with lower birth weights than second- and third-parity calves. Calf 205-d adjusted weaning weights displayed a quadratic effect (P = 0.01) with first calf heifers weaning lighter calves than second- and third-parity cows. Weaning weight ratio displayed a linear decrease with increasing parity (P < 0.01). Cow conception probability displayed a linear tendency for pregnancy 2 (P = 0.09), and a quadratic tendency for pregnancy 4 (P = 0.07) as a function of RFI classification, but no effects were observed for pregnancy 1 and 3. Cow artificial insemination conception rates differed by year of pregnancy (P < 0.01), but not RFI classification (P = 0.81). In summary, heifer postweaning RFI classification had minimal effects on beef cattle production and reproductive efficiency.
Tremorography in fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome, Parkinson's disease and essential tremor

Abstract Background Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS), a neurodegenerative disease affecting carriers of a 55–200 CGG repeat in the fragile X mental retardation 1 gene, may receive an initial diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD) or essential tremor (ET) due to overlapping motor symptoms. Therefore, tremor and bradykinesia were compared in these disorders using quantitative tremorography. Methods The inertial sensor based Kinesia ™ system was used to quantify upper extremity tremor and bradykinesia in participants with FXTAS (n = 25), PD (n = 23), ET (n = 18) and controls (n = 20) and regression analysis was performed to determine whether tremorography measures distinguished between the groups. The FXTAS Rating scale (FXTAS-RS) was administered to determine whether sub-score items on the clinician rated scale correlated with tremorography variables. Results FXTAS participants had reduced finger tap speed compared to those with ET, and ET had increased kinetic tremor compared to PD. Higher kinetic tremor distinguished FXTAS from PD (p = .02), and lower finger tap speed distinguished FXTAS from ET (p = .004). FXTAS-RS tremor and bradykinesia items correlated with tremorography measures (p = .005 to Conclusions This is the first quantitative study to compare tremor and bradykinesia in FXTAS, PD and ET. Kinetic tremor and bradykinesia measures using a quantitative inertial sensor system distinguished FXTAS from PD and ET, respectively. Such technologies may be useful for detecting precise tremor and bradykinesia abnormalities and distinguishing the tremor and bradykinesia profiles in each of these disorders.
Dynamic capability building and social upgrading in tourism - Potentials and limits of sustainability standards

The tourism sector is often characterized by precarious working conditions. With the aim of promoting sustainable business practices and addressing labour concerns, many tourism service providers a...
Potential use of floating treatment wetlands established with Canna flaccida for removing organic contaminants from surface water.

Surface water bodies worldwide may be contaminated with various organic contaminants. In many cases, the actual toxicity thresholds to nontarget organisms are unknown, thus presenting unknown risks...
How the Alt-Right Label Informs Political Assessments

Objective To determine how the alt‐right label informs how voters assess individuals and political candidates. Methods We use a survey experiment with a hypothetical candidate. Along with a control, we vary the ideological label the hypothetical candidate uses, including conservative and alt‐right. Results The alt‐right label leads people to view candidates as holding more right‐leaning ideological and issue positions relative to no label and often—specifically on issues relating to race, gender, and norms—relative to a more explicit conservative label. Conclusion These results shed light on how citizens come to understand and use new ideological labels and suggest that the alt‐right label conveys context‐specific information that differs from that connected to the conservative label.
Research Ethics during a Pandemic: A Call for Normative and Empirical Analysis.

The current COVID-19 pandemic is challenging many assumptions and previously held norms in medicine, medical research, and society in general. Clinicians, hospitals, and local governments have stru...
The Crisis of Liberalism and the Future of Think Tanks

Daniel Rothschild, Executive Director of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University in Arlington, VA, explores the Future of Think Tanks and Policy Advice in the United States.