cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Microtopography as an indicator of modern hillslope diffusivity in arid terrain

Diffusion of topography is normally considered a smoothing process, but at the scale of the diffusive disturbance, diffusion becomes a roughening process. Roughening is exemplified by topographic features associated with disturbances such as animal burrows, hoof prints of grazing animals, and small landslides (here called large-scale processes). Diffusive processes that make small or indistinct topographic landmarks, such as rain splash and rheological creep (here called small-scale processes), tend to erase these roughness elements. The ratio of the small-scale diffusion coefficient to the large-scale diffusion coefficient can be estimated by a measurement of the areal density of large-scale disturbances. In lightly vegetated, arid terrain, small-scale diffusion is dominant unless large-scale roughness elements cover a large fraction of the surface. The values of large-scale and small-scale modern diffusion coefficients can be estimated if the rate of generation of large-scale disturbances is known. Such estimates are performed for a burrowed fault scarp in Nevada.
Deviational methods for small-scale phonon transport

We review deviational methods for solving the Boltzmann equation governing phonon transport processes in the context of small-scale, solid-state heat transfer. We briefly discuss the numerical foundations of deviational algorithms as well as basic simulation methodology. Particular emphasis is given to recent developments in the field yielding appreciable efficiency improvements, such as linearized and adjoint formulations, and their applications to complex multiscale problems. Recently developed methods for simulating the ab initio collision operator for applications to phonon transport in novel two-dimensional materials, such as graphene, are also reviewed and discussed.
Magnetic field measurement by NMR imaging

Measurement of magnetic field distributions is performed using a method based on the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technique of Fourier imaging. By selecting objects which limit the spatial distribution of the NMR-observable nuclei, images can be obtained which allow easy interpretation of the magnetic field distribution and facilitate rapid shimming of magnets. Results are presented showing the effect of a shim coil set of a superconducting solenoid magnet of the type use for NMR imaging. The application of this type of measurement to the rapid shimming of similar magnet designs is analysed. The effects of steel plates close to the magnet are also observed.
Identification of habit in Japanese food consumption

Abstract Demand models were estimated for five commodities using annual retail level Japanese data. Estimates were made with the Houthakker–Taylor [Houthakker, H.S., Taylor, L.D., 1970. Consumer Demand in the United States: Analysis and Projections. Harvard University Press, New York, MA] state adjustment model. Significant lags were found for meat and cereal, which means that habit is important for these commodities. Some habit affects were also found for seafood.
Sensitivity of Crop Water Need to 2071–95 Projected Temperature and Precipitation Changes in Jamaica

AbstractThis study uses empirical models to examine the potential impact of climate change, based on a range of 100-yr phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) projections, on crop water need in Jamaica. As expected, crop water need increases with rising temperature and decreasing precipitation, especially in May–July. Comparing the temperature and precipitation impacts on crop water need indicates that the 25th percentile of CMIP5 temperature change (moderate warming) yields a larger crop water deficit than the 75th percentile of CMIP5 precipitation change (wet winter and dry summer), but the 25th percentile of CMIP5 precipitation change (substantial drying) dominates the 75th percentile of CMIP5 temperature change (extreme warming). Over the annual cycle, the warming contributes to larger crop water deficits from November to April, while the drying has a greater influence from May to October. All experiments decrease crop suitability, with the largest impact from March to August.
Collaborative Tagging of Multimedia

The four articles in this special issue focus on collaborative tagging of multimedia. The papers are summarized here.
DETERMINANTS OF AMMONIA CLEARANCE BY HEMODIALYSIS

Ammonia toxicity appears to contribute to the genesis of brain edema, a leading cause of death in fulminant hepatic failure. Because dialysis has been recommended for acute hyperammonemia in other conditions, we have conducted a study to analyze the determinants of ammonia clearance with the use of a single-pass dialyzer. We have used an ionic solution with a constant concentration of ammonia to estimate clearance at different blood flow rates, at dialysate flow rates, and with different dialyzer surfaces. Once hemodialysis had been optimized, we estimated ammonia, glutamine, and urea removal by using a single-compartment model. Our results show that the clearance of ammonia is blood flow dependent and is also influenced by dialysate flow rate and dialyzer surface. At clinically feasible conditions, ammonia can be extracted by more than 80% by setting the dialysate flow at a high rate. In addition to ammonia removal, hemodialysis allows the clearance of urea and glutamine, molecules that can be regarded as ammonia equivalents and that also undergo flow-dependent elimination.
Computerized Tomography and Ultrasonographic Findings in Massive Thymic Hyperplasia Case Discussion and Review of Current Concepts

Massive thymic hyperplasia in the neonate and young infant can be difficult to diagnose. Differentiation from neoplastic lesions may require thoracotomy for a pathologic specimen. We review a case in a 15-month-old child referred to our institution and discuss the radiographic, ultrasound, and computerized tomographic features of hyperplastic thymic tissue. We review current concepts of the hyperplastic thymus as an anterior mediastinal mass in infancy.
Dynamic spectral structure specifies vowels for adults and children.

The dynamic specification account of vowel recognition suggests that formant movement between vowel targets and consonant margins is used by listeners to recognize vowels. This study tested that account by measuring contributions to vowel recognition of dynamic (i.e., time-varying) spectral structure and coarticulatory effects on stationary structure. Adults and children (four- and seven-year-olds) were tested with three kinds of consonant-vowel-consonant syllables: (1) unprocessed; (2) sine waves that preserved both stationary coarticulated and dynamic spectral structure; and (3) vocoded signals that primarily preserved that stationary, but not dynamic structure. Sections of two lengths were removed from syllable middles: (1) half the vocalic portion; and (2) all but the first and last three pitch periods. Adults performed accurately with unprocessed and sine-wave signals, as long as half the syllable remained; their recognition was poorer for vocoded signals, but above chance. Seven-year-olds performed ...
KOREAN CONFUCIAN RESPONSE TO THE WEST: A SEMIOTIC ASPECT OF CULTURE CONFLICT*

Etude de la reaction coreenne au defi que representent l'Occident et le christianisme au XIX e siecle pour la culture confuceenne. Examinant le mouvement fondamentaliste connu sous la banniere Rejet de l'heterodoxie et defense de l'orthodoxie, l'A. analyse les aspects semiotiques du conflit des cultures qui se manifeste a travers la reponse coreenne au monde moderne. Defendant leur identite, leurs frontieres et leur conception du monde, les nationalistes coreens delimitent le domaine semiotique des textes culturels de la philosophie de Chu hsi
Information retrieval from databases

This study further investigates and generalizes the database model of Coffey, Herbsman, and Sechrest (see Communication Theory and Applications II, HW Communications Ltd., United Kingdom, 1993) by applying new techniques to the problem of data retrieval. The problems analyzed are representative of important issues involved in storing data for context dependent retrieval from databases. They arise when simple storage devices such as tapes and disks are used to store relatively more complex data structures such as large multidimensional images. The mismatch between the physical nature of the storage device and the data structure, i.e., the manner in which its elements are requested, prevents some requests from being instantaneously accessible on the database. Hence, we have the non-trivial problem of designing the database so as to minimize the expected access time.
Nondegenerate four-wave mixing wavelength conversion in low-loss passive InGaAsP-InP quantum-well waveguides

Results on wavelength shifters based on four-wave mixing that operate in the 1.5-/spl mu/m regime are reported. These devices utilize the near-bandedge resonant enhancement in the third-order nonlinearity in passive InGaAsP-InP quantum-well waveguides. Over the erbium-doped fiber-amplifier gain band approximately -20 dB conversion efficiency was obtained with /spl ap/18-dBm CW pump power. The conversion efficiency was nearly constant for wavelength shifts up to /spl ap/26 nm (3.3 THz), limited by the phase-matching bandwidth of the 8.5-mm-long device.
JunctionViewer: customizable annotation software for repeat-rich genomic regions

Repeat-rich regions such as centromeres receive less attention than their gene-rich euchromatic counterparts because the former are difficult to assemble and analyze. Our objectives were to 1) map all ten centromeres onto the maize genetic map and 2) characterize the sequence features of maize centromeres, each of which spans several megabases of highly repetitive DNA. Repetitive sequences can be mapped using special molecular markers that are based on PCR with primers designed from two unique "repeat junctions". Efficient screening of large amounts of maize genome sequence data for repeat junctions, as well as key centromere sequence features required the development of specific annotation software. We developed JunctionViewer to automate the process of identifying and differentiating closely related centromere repeats and repeat junctions, and to generate graphical displays of these and other features within centromeric sequences. JunctionViewer generates NCBI BLAST, WU-BLAST, cross_match and MUMmer alignments, and displays the optimal alignments and additional annotation data as concise graphical representations that can be viewed directly through the graphical interface or as PostScript® output. This software enabled us to quickly characterize millions of nucleotides of newly sequenced DNA ranging in size from single reads to assembled BACs and megabase-sized pseudochromosome regions. It expedited the process of generating repeat junction markers that were subsequently used to anchor all 10 centromeres to the maize map. It also enabled us to efficiently identify key features in large genomic regions, providing insight into the arrangement and evolution of maize centromeric DNA. JunctionViewer will be useful to scientists who wish to automatically generate concise graphical summaries of repeat sequences. It is particularly valuable for those needing to efficiently identify unique repeat junctions. The scalability and ability to customize homology search parameters for different classes of closely related repeat sequences make this software ideal for recurring annotation (e.g., genome projects that are in progress) of genomic regions that contain well-defined repeats, such as those in centromeres. Although originally customized for maize centromere sequence, we anticipate this software to facilitate the analysis of centromere and other repeat-rich regions in other organisms.
Smoothed Analysis of Interior-Point Algorithms: Termination

We perform a smoothed analysis of the termination phase of an interior-point method. By combining this analysis with the smoothed analysis of Renegar’s interior-point algorithm in [DST02], we show that the smoothed complexity of an interior-point algorithm for linear programming is O(m 3 log(m/�)). In contrast, the best known bound on the worst-case complexity of linear programming is O(m 3 L), where L could be as large as m. We include an introduction to smoothed analysis and a tutorial on proof techniques that have been useful in smoothed analyses.
Vascular graft thrombosis after pancreatic transplantation: univariate and multivariate operative and nonoperative risk factor analysis.

Background Vascular thrombosis is still the leading cause of nonimmunologic, technical pancreatic transplant graft failures. The paucity of published data--coupled with our large institutional experience with pancreatic transplantation in all recipient and transplant categories, using a wide spectrum of surgical techniques--provided the impetus for a retrospective study of graft thrombosis risk factors. Study design Four hundred thirty-eight patients with pancreatic transplants (45 percent simultaneous pancreas-kidney [SPK], 23 percent pancreas-after-kidney [PAK], and 32 percent pancreatic transplants alone [PTA] and with Type I insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus were studied retrospectively. Of 438 pancreatic transplants, 90 percent were bladder-drained and 10 percent were enteric-drained. Ninety-three percent were from cadaver donors, 90 percent were whole-organ grafts, and 20 percent were retransplantations. Quadruple immunosuppression was given. For bladder-drained, whole-organ transplantations (n=378), we performed Cox regression analyses to study the impact on pancreatic graft thrombosis of donor, recipient, mode of preservation, and surgical variables. Results The overall thrombosis rate was 12 percent (5 percent arterial, 7 percent venous). For cadaver, bladder-drained, whole-organ pancreatic transplants, the thrombosis incidence was highest in PAK recipients (20 percent). The PAK category was also found to be an independent risk factor for thrombosis by stepwise Cox regression analysis. In separate stepwise Cox regression analyses for each category, other identified risk factors for thrombosis included the following: donor age (PAK, PTA); cardiocerebrovascular cause of donor death (SPK, PAK); the use of an aortic Carrel patch (SPK); arterial pancreatic graft reconstruction using a splenic artery to superior mesenteric artery anastomosis (SPK, PTA) or an interposition graft between the splenic artery and the superior mesenteric artery (PTA); portal vein extension graft (PAK); left-sided implantation into the recipient (PAK); and graft pancreatitis (defined as hyperamylasemia exceeding five days post-transplant [PAK, PTA]). Conclusions Older donors or those who died of cardiocerebrovascular disease should not be considered for any recipient category. Preservation time needs to be minimized and strategies need to be developed to decrease graft pancreatitis. Surgically, left-sided implantation and arterial reconstructions other than the Y-graft also increase risk, as do portal vein extensions. Renal transplants alone in prospective PAK recipients with Type I diabetes mellitus should, therefore, always be implanted left-sided to allow for right-sided pancreatic graft placement.
Influence of Engine Age on Morphology and Chemistry of Diesel Soot Extracted from Crankcase Oil

In this study, the role of engine age on the structure and chemistry of crankcase soot was studied using X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. Results indicate that the basic structure of the carbonaceous species remains the same in all cases and is composed of turbostratic carbon. However, there are some very subtle changes in the structure of the soot as the age of the engine increases. Older engines have a greater proportion of non-crystalline amorphous carbonaceous constituents in the soot relative to newer engines. In addition, the wear-induced debris increase with the age of the engine, with a larger proportion of phosphates of Ca and Zn as well as sulfates of Ca in the soot of older engines. The presence of these wear debris particles incorporated in the soot extracted from the crankcase indicates that they arise from three-body abrasive wear between the soot and the tribofilms formed within the engine.
The psychology of psychology: A thought experiment

In the target article, Duarte et al. allege that the lack of political diversity reduces research efficacy. We pose a thought experiment that could provide an empirical test by examining whether institutional review board (IRB) members, granting agencies, and journal reviewers filter scientific products based on political values, invoking scientific criteria (rigor, etc.) as their justification. When these same products are cast in terms highlighting opposite values, do these people shift their decisions?
279. Neuere Methoden in der Dickdarmchirurgie

Es werden 3 Operationsmethoden vorgestellt: 1. Die Rectotomia posterior als hinterer Zugang bei Tumoren des Rectum bis 12 cm Hohe. 2. Die Operationstechnik einer freien Transplantation autologer Dickdarmmuskulatur als Sphincterersatz bei endstandiger Colostomie. 3. Ein Gerat zur Herstellung tiefer maschineller Dickdarmanastomosen.
Introduction: Data Science and BigData Computing

What is Data Science? Data contains science. It is much different from the angle of classical mathematics that uses mathematical models to fit the data. Today, we are supposed to find rules and properties in the data set, even among different data sets. In this chapter, we will explain data science and its relationship to BigData, cloud computing and data mining. We also discuss current research problems in data science and provide concerns relating to a baseline of the data science industry.
Attention Allocation Efficiency in Human-UV Teams

Human operators in unmanned vehicle systems must divide their attention between multiple tasks. This is particularly true of systems that contain multiple unmanned vehicles. In such systems, long-term research goals include determining (a) what dictates how humans allocate their attention, (b) where humans should focus their attention, (c) what can system designers do, via decision support systems, etc., to direct their attention to the “right” places, and (d) how do we measure the efficiency of human attention allocation. As a step toward finding answers to these questions, we conducted a user study in which a single human controlled multiple simulated unmanned vehicles. In this paper, we discuss some of the lessons we learned from this user study with respect to human attention allocation. These conclusions are made by using metrics derived from users’ selection strategies and switching times.
Envisioning the United States in the Latin American myth of ‘racial democracy mestizaje’

ABSTRACTTransnational comparison is relevant both to how racial hierarchy is obscured and elucidated. This Essay traces how the Latin American ‘racial democracy mestizaje’ depiction of the US as blind to racial mixture and color distinctions mistakenly misrepresent the Southern Jim Crow history as the only US experience of racism. It suggests that, in turn, such a limited frame for comparison cloaks not only the more extensive terrain of racism in the United States that is separate from the Jim Crow reality but also parallels to the Latin American context. Moreover, the circumscribed view of US racism adversely affects those who critique the ‘racial democracy mestizaje’ myth of Latin American post racialism. This is because the standard Latin American story of US racial history hinders the ability to fully countermand the attack that portrays racial justice activists as inappropriately applying overly restrictive US binary perspectives on race. With the fuller explication of the complete US racial history...
Epidemiological Analysis on Infectious Diarrhea in Huairou District of Beijing during 2005-2009

[Objective]To understand the epidemic situation and trend of infectious diarrhea in Huairou district of Beijing,provide the scientific basis for prevention and control of infectious diarrhea.[Methods]The data of infectious diarrhea reported by disease supervision information management system during 2005-2009 were analyzed with descriptive epidemiologic method.[Results]From 2005 to 2009,there were 827 ～1473 cases of infectious diarrhea in Huairou district,and the incidence rate was 242.96/lakh ～ 384.73/lakh.[Conclusion]With the exception of 2008,the incidence rates of infectious diarrhea increased significantly.The health education should be implemented to strengthen the health consciousness of population,and the prevention and control of infectious diarrhea in key area and focus group should be improved to reduce the health harm.
Performance of the Smeloff aortic valve beyond ten years.

The Smeloff aortic valve has remained unchanged in design and material since 1966. To assess the long-term performance of this prosthesis, we reviewed 394 consecutive patients undergoing elective aortic valve replacement. Concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting was performed in 26.4% of these patients. Follow-up was complete in 96%; maximum follow-up was 13.1 years (mean 4.3 years). The operative mortality was 7.4 %. Actuarial survival rate, including operative mortality, was 66.3 % ± 2.8 % at 5 years and 48.7% ± 4.5% at 10 years. Thromboembolism for the entire group occurred at a rate of 3.8% per patient-year. Patients who underwent anticoagulation continuously had a rate of embolision of 1.8% per patient-year. All patients had a 5 year embolus-free rate of 91% ± 2% and a 10 year embolus-free rate of 85% ± 3%. Patients receiving anticoagulants had a 5 year embolus-free rate of 92% ± 2% and a 10 year embolus-free rate of 89% ± 3%. There was no mechanical failure or prosthetic thrombosis in 1,690 patient-years of follow-up. The Smeloff aortic valve has excellent long-term durability and thromboembolism is low in patients receiving anticoagulants.
Results of surgical treatment in Stage I lung cancer

One hundred fifteen patients underwent resection for Stage I non-oat cell carcinoma of the lung. Each of these patients was evaluated carefully for extent of disease and classified as having a Stage I cancer only after the resected specimen was reviewed histologically and all regional nodes in the mediastinum were assessed. There were no deaths following operation. At 1 year of follow-up 75 of 81 patients (93 percent) were alive, and at 3 years, 77 percent were alive and free of disease. No patient had local recurrence and none was lost to follow-up. Patients with correctly staged early lung cancers have an excellent survival rate at 2 and 3 years with surgery alone. Merits of various adjuvant programs in this group of patients can be assessed correctly only if follow-up periods are prolonged and the numbers of patients evaluated are large.
The Auditory Skills Necessary for Echolocation: A New Explanation

The study presented here explored theories that account for echolocation and established an audiometric test battery for blind persons that is designed to predict success in echolocation. Statistic...
Valence and Ideological Proximity in the Rise of Nationalist Parties: Spanish General Elections, 2008 and 2011

During the last few years, in the aftermath of the bank crisis of 2007, anti-European and right or far-right parties started to gain more and more support across Europe (Bosco and Verney 2012). This reaction seems a natural response to austerity measures and the rise of unemployment in the region. Meanwhile, in some European regions that have a different cultural identity to the dominant identity, a seemingly significant rise of peripheral nationalism has occurred (Gomez Fortes and Cabeza Perez 2013; Brubaker 2011; Rico 2012).
Reflection on the Relevance and Use of Ecosystem Services to the LNE Department

Tanya Cerulus - Environment, Nature and Energy Department, Environmental, Nature and Energy Policy Division, Government of Flanders. Economically underpinning the Flemish environmental policy, mainly on topics such as the economic valuation of ecosystem services and a.o. the integration of them in social cost-benefit analysis. Coordinating the Nature Value Explorer to enable policy makers and others to do so in an accessible way.
Multi-Photon Vertical Cross-Sectional Imaging With a Dynamically-Balanced Thin-Film PZT z-Axis Microactuator

Use of a thin-film piezoelectric microactuator for axial scanning during multi-photon vertical cross-sectional imaging is described. The actuator uses thin-film lead-zirconate-titanate to generate the upward displacement of a central mirror platform micro-machined from a silicon-on-insulator wafer to dimensions compatible with endoscopic imaging instruments. Device modeling in this paper focuses on the existence of frequencies near device resonance producing vertical motion with minimal off-axis tilt, even in the presence of multiple vibration modes and non-uniformity in fabrication outcomes. Operation near rear resonance permits large stroke lengths at low voltages relative to other vertical microactuators. Highly uniform vertical motion of the mirror platform is a key requirement for vertical cross-sectional imaging in the remote scan architecture being used for multi-photon instrument prototyping. The stage is installed in a benchtop testbed in combination with an electrostatic mirror that performs in-plane scanning. Vertical sectional images are acquired from 15- $\mu \text{m}$ diameter beads and excised mouse colon tissue. [2017-0073]
Polyphyly of Arundinoideae (Poaceae) and evolution of the twisted geniculate lemma awn.

Background and aims Subfamily Arundinoideae represents one of the last unsolved taxonomic mysteries in the grass family (Poaceae) due to the narrow and remote distributions of many of its 19 morphologically and ecologically heterogeneous genera. Resolving the phylogenetic relationships of these genera could have substantial implications for understanding character evolution in the grasses, for example the twisted geniculate awn - a hygroscopic awn that has been shown to be important in seed germination for some grass species. In this study, the phylogenetic positions of most arundinoid genera were determined using DNA from herbarium specimens, and their placement affects interpretation of this ecologically important trait. Methods A phylogenetic analysis was conducted on a matrix of full-plastome sequences from 123 species in 107 genera representing all grass subfamilies, with 15 of the 19 genera in subfamily Arundinoideae. Parsimony and maximum likelihood mapping approaches were used to estimate ancestral states for presence of a geniculate lemma awn with a twisted column across Poaceae. Lastly, anatomical characters were examined for former arundinoid taxa using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Key results Four genera traditionally included in Arundinoideae fell outside the subfamily in the plastome phylogeny, with the remaining 11 genera forming Arundinoideae sensu stricto . The twisted geniculate awn has originated independently at least five times in the PACMAD grasses, in the subfamilies Panicoideae, Danthonioideae/Chloridoideae and Arundinoideae. Morphological and anatomical characters support the new positions of the misplaced arundinoid genera in the phylogeny, but also highlight convergent and parallel evolution in the grasses. Conclusions In placing the majority of arundinoid genera in a phylogenetic framework, our study answers one of the last remaining big questions in grass taxonomy while highlighting examples of convergent evolution in an ecologically important trait, the hygroscopic, twisted geniculate awn.
Design of Mobile Health Tools to Promote Goal Achievement in Self-Management Tasks

Background: Goal-setting within rehabilitation is a common practice ultimately geared toward helping patients make functional progress. Objective: The purposes of this study were to (1) qualitatively analyze data from a wellness program for patients with spina bifida (SB) and spinal cord injury (SCI) in order to generate software requirements for a goal-setting module to support their complex goal-setting routines, (2) design a prototype of a goal-setting module within an existing mobile health (mHealth) system, and (3) identify what educational content might be necessary to integrate into the system. Methods: A total of 750 goals were analyzed from patients with SB and SCI enrolled in a wellness program. These goals were qualitatively analyzed in order to operationalize a set of software requirements for an mHealth goal-setting module and identify important educational content. Results: Those of male sex (P=.02) and with SCI diagnosis (P<.001) were more likely to achieve goals than females or those with SB. Temporality (P<.001) and type (P<.001) of goal were associated with likelihood that the goal would be achieved. Nearly all (210/213; 98.6%) of the fact-finding goals were achieved. There was no significant difference in achievement based on goal theme. Checklists, data tracking, and fact-finding tools were identified as three functionalities that could support goal-setting and achievement in an mHealth system. Based on the qualitative analysis, a list of software requirements for a goal-setting module was generated, and a prototype was developed. Targets for educational content were also generated. Conclusions: Innovative mHealth tools can be developed to support commonly set goals by individuals with disabilities. [JMIR Mhealth Uhealth 2017;5(7):e103]
Sapphire-optical-fiber-based interferometric sensors for high-temperature environmental applications

We describe the development and testing of intrinsic and extrinsic sapphire fiber-based sensor designs intended for use in high temperature environments. The first is a sapphire-fiber-based intrinsic interferometric sensor. In this sensor, a length of uncoated, unclad, structural-grade multimode sapphire fiber is fusion spliced to a singlemode silica fiber to form a Fabry-Perot cavity. The reflections from the silica-to-sapphire fiber splice and the free endface of the sapphire fiber give rise to the interfering fringe output. This sensor has been demonstrated for the measurement of temperature above 1510 degree(s)C, and a resolution of 0.1 degree(s)C has been obtained. The second is an extrinsic sapphire fiber-based Fabry-Perot interferometer. Based on the intrinsic sapphire fiber sensor, another sapphire fiber is placed end-to-end to the first sapphire fiber and the two adjacent endfaces of the two sapphire fibers form a Fabry- Perot cavity. This sensor has been shown to be useful for strain and temperature measurement.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Stylistic variation in L1 and L2 Chinese: Native speakers, learners, teachers, and textbooks

This study examines stylistic variation patterns in L1 and L2 Chinese, focusing on two linguistic structures: morphosyntactic particle DE and subject pronoun. The data were from thirteen native speakers, four Chinese instructors, twenty-three L2 Chinese learners, and four Chinese textbooks. Results from variation analysis with frequency description show four general patterns. First, instructors used overt forms of stylistic variants in class significantly more frequently than native speakers did in conversations. Second, learners tended to overuse the overt forms compared with their native speaker peers. Third, learner patterns of stylistic variation aligned closely with those of their teachers. Finally, unlike teacher input, textbook input demonstrated mixed results compared with learner patterns. For DE use, learners’ patterns aligned significantly with those in textbooks, but did not for subject pronoun use. The implications for stylistic variation in conversational and written Chinese are discussed and suggestions are offered for Chinese and foreign language instruction.
Contributions of COPD, asthma, and ten comorbid conditions to health care utilization and patient-centered outcomes among US adults with obstructive airway disease.

Background Among persons with obstructive airway disease, the relative contributions of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, and common comorbid conditions to health care utilization and patient-centered outcomes (PCOs) have not been previously reported. Methods We followed a total of 3,486 persons aged ≥40 years with COPD, asthma, or both at baseline, from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) cohorts enrolled annually from 2008 through 2012 for 1 year. MEPS is a prospective observational study of US households recording self-reported COPD, asthma, and ten medical conditions: angina, arthritis, cancer, coronary heart disease, cognitive impairment, diabetes, hypertension, lung cancer, myocardial infarction, and stroke/transient ischemic attack. We studied the separate contributions of these conditions to health care utilization (all-cause and respiratory disease hospitalization, any emergency department [ED] visit, and six or more outpatient visits) and PCOs (seven or more days spent in bed due to illness, incident loss of mobility, and incident decline in self-perceived health). Results COPD made the largest contributions to all-cause and respiratory disease hospitalization and ED visits, while arthritis made the largest contribution to outpatient health care. Arthritis and COPD, respectively, made the greatest contributions to the PCOs. Conclusion COPD made the largest and second largest contributions to health care utilization and PCOs among US adults with obstructive airway disease. The twelve medical conditions collectively accounted for between 52% and 61% of the health care utilization outcomes and between 53% and 68% of the PCOs. Cognitive impairment, diabetes, hypertension, and stroke also made significant contributions.
Endoscopic resection of esthesioneuroblastoma

Esthesioneuroblastoma (olfactory neuroblastoma) is a rare malignant neoplasm originating from neuroepithelial cells. Treatment for this tumor has traditionally required a craniofacial resection through an external approach. The safety and efficacy of transnasal endoscopic resection is uknown. A series of five patients with Kadish stage A or B lesions of the anterior skull base were resected and immediately reconstructed endoscopically over a nine-year period. There were 2 males and 3 females with a mean age of 64 years. Three patients were treated primarily and two were treated secondarily for recurrences after failing a traditional external craniofacial resection and postoperative radiotherapy. All primary lesions received adjuvant radiotherapy. The mean follow-up time was 31 months. All patients were discharged within 4 days or less. Operative complications included temporary postoperative infraorbital anesthesia (1 patient), unplanned cerebrospinal fluid leak (1 patient), and can orbital hematoma (1 patient). None of these complications resulted in any permanent sequelae. Two patients had prolonged nasal crusting for up to one year due to a variety of factors; large cavities, radiation therapy, and exposed lyophilized dural graft. However, all skull base defects healed without any short- or long-term sequelae. There have been no local recurrences. Two patients (1 primary and 1 secondary) developed regional metastasis to the orbit or cervical lymph nodes managed with primary transorbital excision or modified neck dissection, respectively. All but one patient remain free of disease by clinical, endoscopic, and radiographic (CT or MRI) surveillance. The remaining patient recurred distally as an undifferentiated carcinoma in his temporal bone and lungs 12 months after the initial resection. In experienced hands select cases of esthesioneuroblastoma can be safely excised and reconstructed endoscopically with comparable degrees of tissue removal as with external approaches. Short-term oncologic results in this mall series of patients appear to be comparable to traditional methods. Longer follow-up on a larger series of patients is warranted.
Plant Systems Biology at the Single-Cell Level.

Our understanding of plant biology is increasingly being built upon studies using ‘omics and system biology approaches performed at the level of the entire plant, organ, or tissue. Although these approaches open new avenues to better understand plant biology, they suffer from the cellular complexity of the analyzed sample. Recent methodological advances now allow plant scientists to overcome this limitation and enable biological analyses of single-cells or single-cell-types. Coupled with the development of bioinformatics and functional genomics resources, these studies provide opportunities for high-resolution systems analyses of plant phenomena. In this review, we describe the recent advances, current challenges, and future directions in exploring the biology of single-cells and single-cell-types to enhance our understanding of plant biology as a system.
E-Justice in Europe: From National Experiences to EU Cross-Border Service Provision

The aim of this chapter is to shed some light on the Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) development and implementation in the justice domain (the so-called e-Justice), and to glance at the key elements of this emerging phenomenon, building on the European Union experience at national and Community level. Although ICTs are increasingly at the core of the functioning of the justice service provision in modern democracies, their implementation and deployment, and the complex intertwining between law, technology and organizations, which characterize e-Justice experiences, remains poorly understood. The analysis of concrete e-Justice cases allows clarification of some of the practical implications of different experiences, providing useful indications of the elements which have made feasible the development of effective e-Justice systems.
Lipid droplet biogenesis is spatially coordinated at ER–vacuole contacts under nutritional stress

Eukaryotic cells store lipids in cytosolic organelles known as lipid droplets (LDs). Lipid droplet bud from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and may be harvested by the vacuole for energy during prolonged periods of starvation. How cells spatially coordinate LD production is poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that yeast ER-vacuole contact sites (NVJs) physically expand in response to metabolic stress, and serve as sites for LD production. NVJ tether Mdm1 demarcates sites of LD budding, and interacts with fatty acyl-CoA synthases at the NVJ periphery. Artificially expanding the NVJ through over-expressing Mdm1 is sufficient to drive NVJ-associated LD production, whereas ablating the NVJ induces defects in fatty acid-to-triglyceride production. Collectively, our data suggest a tight metabolic link between nutritional stress and LD biogenesis that is spatially coordinated at ER-vacuole contact sites.
Chromium distribution between liquid iron and molten basic slags

An equilibrium study was made of the distribution of chromium and oxygen between liquid iron, containing less than 1 pct Cr, and simple slags of the CaO(MgO)-SiO2-FeO-Cr2O3 type in the temperature range 1526° to 1734°C The effects of slag oxidation, temperature, and basicity were observed.
Corrected Stabilized Non-conforming Nodal Integration in Meshfree Methods

A novel approach is presented to correct the error from numerical integration in Galerkin methods for meeting linear exactness. This approach is based on a Ritz projection of the integration error that allows a modified Galerkin discretization of the original weak form to be established in terms of assumed strains. The solution obtained by this method is the correction of the original Galerkin discretization obtained by the inaccurate numerical integration scheme. The proposed method is applied to elastic problems solved by the reproducing kernel particle method (RKPM) with first-order correction of numerical integration. In particular, stabilized non-conforming nodal integration (SNNI) is corrected using modified ansatz functions that fulfill the linear integration constraint and therefore conforming sub-domains are not needed for linear exactness. Illustrative numerical examples are also presented.
LIQUID SCINTILLATOR SOLVENTS

Abstract The scintillation efficiency of a liquid scintillator is determined by the molecular properties of its constituents. The energy expended in the solvent by an ionizing particle initiates a complex sequence of processes including ion formation and recombination, excitation of higher excited states, internal conversion, excimer formation and dissociation, and energy migration, leading to energy transfer to the fluorescent solute molecules. This paper discusses current knowledge of these solvent processes and of their influence on the efficiency of a liquid scintillator. The origin of the delayed scintillation component is also considered.
HP1/ORC complex and heterochromatin assembly.

We have used the highly conserved heterochromatin component, heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1), as a molecular tag for purifying other protein components of Drosophila heterochromatin. A complex of HP1 associated with the origin recognition complex (ORC) and an HP1/ORC-associated protein (HOAP) was purified from the maternally loaded cytoplasm of early Drosophila embryo. We propose that the DNA-binding activities of ORC and HOAP function to recruit underphosphorylated isoforms of HP1 to sites of heterochromatin nucleation. The roles of highly phosphorylated HP1, other DNA-binding proteins known to interact with HP1, and histone modifying activities in heterochromatin assembly are also addressed.
Interview With Dr. Ginetta Candelario

The Journal of Critical Thought and Praxis has traditionally published interviews with individuals who have strong connections to our special issue topics. We believe that interviews are important ways to contribute to the conversation surrounding critical issues in social justice. This interview features Dr. Ginetta Candelario, whose recent visit to Iowa State University offered the opportunity for the editorial team to discuss her research and interests in Latinx Studies.
Veristrat based stratification of responses to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB).

e20512Background: Veristrat (Biodesix, Boulder, CO) is a blood based proteomic assay that is dominated by inflammatory proteins and is prognostic and predictive in metastatic NSCLC after treatment ...
Urethral length in female infants and its relevance in the repair of cloaca.

Abstract Aim of the Study The goals of urinary reconstruction in urogenital sinus and cloacal repair include: (1) positioning of the bladder neck above the urogenital diaphragm to maximize future urinary continence, and (2) creating a visible urethra that can be catheterized if needed. A recent algorithm in cloacal reconstruction proposed a urethral length of 1.5 cm as the key determinant in deciding whether to perform a total urogenital mobilization or a urogenital separation, the hypothesis being that a 1.5 cm length urethra is needed for the patient to remain dry. We wondered if the normal female urethral length correlated with this empiric technical determinant. Methods We reviewed voiding cystourethrograms of healthy female patients between ages 6 and 36 months and measured the patient's urethral length. Results Ninety-one children were included. The mean urethral length for patients age 6–12 months was 2.50 cm, age 12–24 months was 2.31 cm, and age 24–36 months was 2.59 cm. There was no difference between the urethral length in the three groups (p = 0.38). Of 91 patients, 87 (96%) had a urethral length > 1.5 cm. Conclusion A urethra of at least 1.5 cm was present in the majority of normal control patients. We believe therefore that for urogenital sinus and cloacal repair, surgeons can extrapolate that patients need a 1.5 cm urethra at the end of the reconstruction. Additional follow-up is needed to determine if this urethral length as an independent factor maintains dryness in the long term after cloacal repair. Type of Study Case Series. Level of Evidence III.
Re-Engaging the Wesleyan-Holiness Tradition in Response to Diversification and Fragmentation in Theological Education: Christian Spiritual Formation Teaching and Practice at Nazarene Theological Seminary:

Nazarene Theological Seminary (NTS), a graduate school in the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition, is undergoing significant self-examination and adjustment in response to changes and challenges in ecclesi...
Differential Responses of OsMPKs in IR56 Rice to Two BPH Populations of Different Virulence Levels

The conserved mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades play vital roles in plant defense responses against pathogens and insects. In the current study, the expression profiles of 17 OsMPKs were determined in the TN1 and IR56 rice varieties under the infestation of brown planthopper (BPH), one of the most destructive hemimetabolous rice pests. The virulent IR56 BPH population (IR56-BPH) and the avirulent TN1 BPH population (TN-BPH) were used to reveal the roles of OsMPKs in the compatible (IR56-BPH infested on the TN1 and IR56 rice varieties, and TN1-BPH infested on the TN1 rice variety) and the incompatible (TN1-BPH infested on the IR56 rice variety) interaction. The statistical analysis revealed that rice variety, BPH population type, and infestation period have significant effects on the transcription of OsMPKs. Out of these genes, five OsMPKs (OsMPK1, OsMPK3, OsMPK7, OsMPK14, and OsMPK16) were found to exhibit upregulated expression only during incompatible interaction. Six OsMPKs (OsMPK4, OsMPK5, OsMPK8, OsMPK9, OsMPK12, and OsMPK13) were associated with both incompatible and compatible interactions. The transcription analysis of salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, and ethylene phytohormone signaling genes revealed their roles during the rice–BPH interactions. The upregulated expression of OsC4H, OsCHS, and OsCHI in the incompatible interaction implied the potential defense regulatory roles of phenylpropanoids. In both varieties, the elevated transcript accumulations of OsGST and OsSOD, and the increased enzyme activities of POD, SOD, and GST at 1 day post-infestation (dpi), but not at 3 dpi, indicated that reactive oxygen species (ROS) signaling might be an early event in rice–BPH interactions. Furthermore, upregulated transcription of OsLecRK3 and OsLecRK4 was found only during an incompatible interaction, suggesting their involvement in the BPH resistance response in the IR56 rice variety. Lastly, based on the findings of this study, we have proposed a model of interactions of IR56 rice with TN1-BPH and IR56-BPH that depicts the resistance and susceptibility reactions, respectively.
Defining, navigating, and negotiating success

Background: We studied female graduates of the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program (CSP, Class of 1984 to 1989) to explore and describe the complexity of creating balance in the life of mid-career academic woman physicians.
Prolonged esophageal foreign body: Management strategies in the setting of complicated tracheoesophageal fistula

Abstract Esophageal coins rarely migrate extraluminally or cause systemic illness and the development of tracheoesophageal fistulae (TEF) secondary to coin ingestion is rare. When they do occur, surgical repair may be complicated by a contaminated operative site and systemic instability. As a means to review treatment options in this setting, we present a rare case of a 16-year-old female with a history of longstanding esophageal foreign body complicated by a large tracheoesophageal fistula, mediastinitis, and sepsis. She was ultimately managed by means of endoscopic diversion and tracheal stenting to reduce wound contamination in preparation for definitive open repair. A comprehensive literature review is performed and our approach to this patient's management is discussed. In the setting of a mediastinal leak, infection and systemic instability, endoscopic techniques and novel clip applicators may be employed to control wound contamination prior to definitive repair.