cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Isolation and Characterization of Cotyledon Fibers from Peas, Lentils, and Chickpeas

ABSTRACT Methods were developed to efficiently isolate legume cotyledon fibers with relatively high yields and purities. Seeds of pea (Pisum sativum), chickpea (Cicer arientinum), and lentil (Lens culinaris) were roller milled into flour and fractionated into prime starch, tailings starch, and water solubles. Insoluble dietary fiber was isolated from tailings starch by wet screening on sieves with openings ranging from 53 to 90 μm. Yield of insoluble fiber using a sieve with 53-μm openings ranged from 49.7 to 59.2% of insoluble fiber in flour with purities ranging from 85.5 to 87.3%. Soluble dietary fiber was isolated from the water-soluble fraction following acid precipitation of soluble protein at pH 4. Soluble fiber yield ranged from 83.3 to 89.6% of flour soluble fiber with purities ranging from 64.5 to 70.6%. Glucose was the most common sugar component of hulls and soluble cotyledon fibers, while arabinose was the main sugar in insoluble fibers. Insoluble fiber exhibited significantly higher swelling...
The molar extinction of rhodopsin.

The molar extinction of rhodopsin is 40,600 cm.2 per mole equivalent of retinene; i.e., this is the extinction of a solution of rhodopsin which is produced by, or yields on bleaching, a molar solution of retinene. The molar extinctions of all-trans retinene and all-trans retinene oxime have also been determined in ethyl alcohol and aqueous digitonin solutions. On the assumption that each chromophoric group of rhodopsin is made from a single molecule of retinene, it is concluded that the primary photochemical conversion of rhodopsin to lumi-rhodopsin has a quantum efficiency of 1; though the over-all bleaching of rhodopsin in solution to retinene and opsin may have a quantum efficiency as low as one-half. On bleaching cattle rhodopsin, about two sulfhydryl groups appear for each molecule of retinene liberated. In frog rhodopsin the —SH:retinene ratio appears to be higher, 5:2 or perhaps even 3:1. Some of this sulfhydryl appears to have been engaged in binding retinene to opsin; some may have been exposed as the result of changes in opsin which accompany bleaching, comparable with protein denaturation.
The Cretaceous and Paleocene Pleurotomariid (Gastropoda: Vetigastropoda) Fauna of Seymour Island, Antarctica

Leptomaria antipodensis and Leptomaria hickmanae are described from the Upper Cretaceous [Maastrichtian] Lopez de Bertodano Formation, Seymour Island, and represent the first Mesozoic records of the family Pleurotomariidae from Antarctica. Leptomaria stillwelli, L. seymourensis, Conotomaria sobralensis and C. bayeri, from the Paleocene [Danian], Sobral Formation, Seymour Island, are described as new. Leptomaria larseniana (Wilckens, 1911) new combination, also from the Sobral Formation, is redescribed based on better-preserved material. The limited diversity of the pleurotomariid fauna of Seymour Island is more similar to that of the Late Cretaceous faunas of Australia and New Zealand in terms of the number of genera and species, than to the older, more diverse faunas of South America, southern India, or northwestern Madagascar, supporting the status of the Weddelian Province as a distinct biogeographic unit. The increase in the species richness of this fauna during the Danian may be due to the final fragmentation of Gondwana during this period.
Ultrasound for Screening and Management of Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip

Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is a significant cause of disability in children and young adults. Early detection of this condition allows for nonoperative treatment, but the efficacy of DDH screening programs has not been clearly established. This article discusses the role of ultrasound in the diagnosis and management of DDH.
Interference Predictions - Philosophies, Objectives, and Future Directions

It is the intent of this paper to present both a broad overview of the total field of interference prediction and an analysis of past and current results obtained from specific prediction efforts. The broad overview portion of the paper consists largely of a discussion of the philosophy and purpose behind interference prediction efforts. The format of this overview will be an analysis of current system and equipment level problem areas conducted to establish (1) the areas in which interference predictions provide useful results, (2) why such predictions are necessary, (3) the primary objectives of interference prediction efforts, (4) the major factors involved in constructing accurate prediction models, and (5) the need for evaluation efforts to support prediction results. An analysis of past and current interference prediction efforts will be presented from a critical, but constructive, point of view. The efforts analyzed will include those intended to model equipment emissions and susceptibility thresholds based on limited spectrum signature data; system models involving a source, antenna, propagation factors, siting effects, and a receptor; environmental models concerned with relatively large geographical areas populated with many emitter-receptor combinations; etc. Based on the purpose, objective, and need for interference prediction in a broad sense and the detailed analysis of specific prediction efforts, needed developments, and improvements for the future are presented.
Rapid phasic activity of ventral pallidal neurons during cocaine self‐administration

Little is known regarding the involvement of the ventral pallidum (VP) in cocaine-seeking behavior, in contrast with considerable documentation of the involvement of its major afferent, the nucleus accumbens, over the past thirty years utilizing electrophysiology, lesion, inactivation, molecular, imaging, and other approaches. The VP is neuroanatomically positioned to integrate signals projected from the nucleus accumbens, basolateral amygdala, and ventral tegmental area. In turn, VP projects to thalamoprefrontal, subthalamic, and mesencephalic dopamine regions having widespread influence across mesolimbic, mesocortical, and nigrostriatal systems. Prior lesion studies have implicated VP in cocaine-seeking behavior, but the electrophysiological mechanisms underlying this behavior in the VP have not been investigated. In the present investigation, following 2 weeks of training over which animals increased drug intake, VP phasic activity comprised rapid-phasic increases or decreases in firing rate during the seconds prior to and/or following cocaine-reinforced responses, similar to those found in accumbens. As a population, the direction (increasing or decreasing) and magnitude of firing rate changes were normally distributed suggesting that ventral striatopallidal processing is heterogeneous. Since changes in firing rate around the cocaine-reinforced lever press occurred in animals that escalated drug intake prior to neuronal recordings, a marker of “addiction-like behavior” in the rat, the present experiment provides novel support for a role of VP in drug-seeking behavior. This is especially important given that pallidothalamic and pallidomesencephalic VP projections are positioned to alter dopaminoceptive targets such as the medial prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, and dorsal striatum, all of which have roles in cocaine self-administration. Synapse 64:704–713, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
An experimental laboratory environment for teaching embedded hardware systems

This paper describes Marquette University's efforts to build an experimental embedded systems laboratory for hands-on projects in an introductory hardware systems course. Our prototype laboratory is now serving as the basis for a coherent sequence of class projects threaded throughout subsequent courses in operating systems, networking, and embedded systems, among others. We describe the major components of our laboratory environment, how it is used in our hardware systems course, and how this has contributed to significant improvements in other core courses in our curriculum.
Oxygen isotope trends of granitic magmatism in the Great Basin: Location of the Precambrian craton boundary as reflected in zircons

The δ 18 O values of magmas in the Great Basin help to decipher the tectonic assembly of North America and to determine the magmatic source and potentially the composition of the crust at depth. Igneous zircons from Precambrian, Jurassic, Cretaceous, and Tertiary intrusive bodies of the northern Great Basin best preserve the rec ord of magmatic oxygen isotope ratios. The variation of δ 18 O values in zircon with age reconciles previous differences in interpretation based on δ 18 O WR and radiogenic isotope data. The new δ 18 O Zrc data support the results of previous radiogenic isotope studies documenting the increased availability of crustal and sedimentary components to magmas in the Cretaceous during the Sevier orogeny and a return to a larger proportion of mantle-derived components in the Tertiary during Basin and Range extension. In the Great Basin, δ 18 O Zrc values also vary systematically with crustal structure as determined by radiogenic isotope systematics. Plutons emplaced east of the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr i = 0.706 isopleth have higher δ 18 O Zrc values than plutons intruded west of the 0.706 line. However, analyses of δ 18 O values in quartz do not show the bimodal distinction across the 0.706 line owing to subsolidus alteration. On the basis of δ 18 O Zrc , plutons intruding the Walker Lane belt are indistinguishable from other plutons emplaced west of the 0.706 line despite significant tectonic displacement and rotation of the belt. The difference in δ 18 O values across the 0.706 line reflects the involvement of high-δ 18 O Precambrian and Paleozoic sedimentary rocks of the continental margin and Precambrian craton in magmas intruded east of the 0.706 line, whereas magmas west of the 0.706 line are dominated by lower-δ 18 O rocks derived from juvenile volcanic arcs. Crustal boundaries and discontinuities in the Great Basin determined by radiogenic isotope systems agree with discontinuities observed in δ 18 O Zrc values; this agreement indicates that the 0.706 line marks a geochronologic and compositional discontinuity in the basement rocks.
Discovering overlapping communities of named entities

Although community discovery based on social network analysis has been studied extensively in the Web hyperlink environment, limited research has been done in the case of named entities in text documents. The co-occurrence of entities in documents usually implies some connections among them. Investigating such connections can reveal important patterns. In this paper, we mine communities among named entities in Web documents and text corpus. Most existing works on community discovery generate a partition of the entity network, assuming each entity belongs to one community. However, in the scenario of named entities, an entity may participate in several communities. For example, a person is in the communities of his/her family, colleagues, and friends. In this paper, we propose a novel technique to mine overlapping communities of named entities. This technique is based on triangle formation, expansion, and clustering with content similarity. Our experimental results show that the proposed technique is highly effective.
Fast Similarity Search for Learned Metrics

We introduce a method that enables scalable similarity search for learned metrics. Given pairwise similarity and dissimilarity constraints between some examples, we learn a Mahalanobis distance function that captures the examples' underlying relationships well. To allow sublinear time similarity search under the learned metric, we show how to encode the learned metric parameterization into randomized locality-sensitive hash functions. We further formulate an indirect solution that enables metric learning and hashing for vector spaces whose high dimensionality makes it infeasible to learn an explicit transformation over the feature dimensions. We demonstrate the approach applied to a variety of image data sets, as well as a systems data set. The learned metrics improve accuracy relative to commonly used metric baselines, while our hashing construction enables efficient indexing with learned distances and very large databases.
The ABM Issue in the Senate, 1968–1970: The Importance of Ideology

Three hypotheses suggesting why senators might adopt or change positions on such an issue as the ABM are compared. The empirical analysis clearly substantiates the contention that position reflects ideology, not party commitment or potential state economic benefits. Furthermore, the influence of ideology is seen to have grown more apparent each year the issue was contested in the Senate. Virtually all the senators who changed position between 1968 and 1970 had initial positions that did not accord with their ideology, and they moved so as to bring them in accord. Virtually all those senators whose initial position was in accord with their ideology maintained that position.
Factors associated with thorough skin self-examination for the early detection of melanoma

Background Regular thorough skin self-examination (TSSE) has potential for detecting melanoma early and reducing melanoma mortality. Objectives We sought to model factors associated with skin self-examination (SSE) and test whether efficacy and attitudes about SSE mediated these relationships. Patients/Methods The Check-It-Out project is a randomized trial of an intervention to encourage TSSE; 2126 participants were recruited from the practices of primary care physicians. Correlates predicting baseline TSSE included demographic variables, skin cancer risk, physician advice to examine skin, and appropriate conditions for conducting SSE (availability of partner to assist with self-examination, availability of a wall mirror, and use of contact lenses/glasses). Results Those who were given physician advice, had a wall mirror, and had a partner available were more likely to perform TSSE. Limitations We identified the factors associated with concurrent TSSE practices. Further research is needed to determine if these same factors predict future behaviour. Our findings may not be applicable in geographical areas other than our recruitment area. Conclusions Primary care providers can recommend SSE and provide materials to increase ability to recognize skin problems. Providing instructions and aids for conducting TSSE may increase self-efficacy.
RNA-Seq Transcriptome Analysis in Date Palm Suggests Multi-Dimensional Responses to Salinity Stress

The ability of date palm tree to survive under adverse abiotic conditions renders it as a valuable genomic resource for identifying tolerance genes. While mechanisms for salt tolerance have been heavily investigated in model as well as in some agronomic crops, no such studies have been undertaken in date palm. The aim of this study is to identify stress tolerance-related genes through transcriptomic analysis to support further functional studies. Young roots of Deglet Beida cultivar have been subjected to salt stress treatment, and used for RNA-Seq expression profiling and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis. A total of 1939 genes are found to be differentially expressed between mock-treated roots and salt-stressed roots using log2FC ≥15≤−15. Many of these regulatory genes belong to DNA/RNA, protein, membrane, and signaling functional categories, suggesting that these genes play functional roles in tolerance to salt stress. Furthermore, RNA-Seq analysis has revealed activation of abscisic acid signaling pathways through SNF1-related protein kinases 2. Additionally, certain key genes involved in sodium uptake and transport are down-regulated, suggesting a potential mechanism for slowing down up-take and transport of salt solutes within plant tissues. TEM analysis has revealed that stressed roots exhibit plasmolysis in cortical cells of the distal region, while epidermal cells do not. Interestingly, root-tip regions of stressed roots do not exhibit plasmolysis, and this is likely due to higher solute contents present in these sink cells. These findings provide new information on multi-dimensional responses of date palm to salinity stress.
Identification of loci associated with tolerance to Johne's disease in Holstein cattle.

Johne's disease, caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (Map), is a fatal disease in cattle. The objective of this study was to identify loci associated with tolerance in cows infected with Map. Tolerance was defined as a cow's fitness at a given level of Map infection intensity. Fitness was measured by Map faecal cultures, and Map infection intensity was measured by culturing four gut tissues. The quantitative phenotype of tolerance was defined by numerical indexes of cultures of peak (peak tolerance, PT) and average (average tolerance, AT) faecal and tissue Map from 245 Holstein cows. The categorical phenotype was defined as: ≥ 100 cfu Map tissue infection, and faecal shedding ≥ 75 cfu (intolerant) or C (BTA15) was associated with PT (P = 1.12 × 10(-7)) and AT (P = 2.17 × 10(-6)). Associations were identified with PT and adjacent SNPs ss61512613:A>G and ss61530518:A>G (BTA6) (P G (BTA 2) (P = 3.3 × 10(-5)) and ss86284768:A>G (BTA1) (P = 3.31 × 10(-5)). For the categorical phenotype, an association was found with ss8632653:A>G (BTA6) (P < 5.0 × 10(-5)). This is the first study to identify loci associated with tolerance to Johne's disease.
Attachment of group B streptococci to macrophages is mediated by a 21-kDa protein.

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is able to bind to human macrophages in vitro in the absence of exogenous opsonins. The exact mechanisms that mediate this attachment are unclear. This study was undertaken to determine what protein adhesins are present on the surface of GBS that mediate attachment to macrophages. We have identified a 21-kDa protein from the envelope of GBS type III that directly binds to macrophages as determined by Western blot analysis. Antiserum against this protein was able to inhibit binding of GBS to macrophages by greater than 80% as measured by flow cytometry. Antiserum against the 21-kDa protein cross-reacted with 21-kDa proteins from GBS type Ib, type II, type III (COH31 and MR732) and type IV, as well as Staphylococcus epidermidis, but not GBS type Ia, Listeria monocytogenes or Enterococcus faecalis. This protein may be important in mediating the attachment of GBS to macrophages in an opsonin-poor environment.
Plants as Sources of Medicinally and Pharmaceutically Important Compounds

Mankind has profitably used extracts of plants for the treatment of human diseases for centuries. The beginning of the 19th century heralded an era in which the active secondary-metabolite principles of medicinal plants began to be purified, with such pure constituents then introduced into therapy, as evidenced in turn by morphine, quinine, atropine, papaverine, cocaine, and pilocarpine. Important plant-derived drugs have continued to be incorporated into the physician’s armamentarium in the 20th century, such as digitoxin, digoxin, ergometrine, ergotamine, reserpine, tubocurarine, vinblastine, and vincristine (Baerheim Svendsen and Scheffer, 1982; Tyler et al, 1988). The current importance and/or the potential of plants as sources of drug substances per se, as lead compounds for synthetic modification, and as excipients in pharmaceutical formulations has been addressed by others in recent years (Baerheim Svendsen and Scheffer, 1982; Balandrin and Klocke, 1988; Balandrin et al, 1985; Farnsworth, 1984; Galeffi and Marini-Bettolo, 1988; Hosier and Mikita, 1987; Phillipson and Anderson, 1987, 1989; Steiner, 1986; Tyler et al., 1988).
Curious Behavior: Yawning, Laughing, Hiccupping, and Beyond by Robert Provine

Book reviews in the Journal of the History of the Neurosciences (JHN) have largely focused on historical figures, historical discoveries/events, and historical texts. Psychologist Robert Provine's ...
Designed transitions and what kind of design is transition design

AbstractWhat is Transition Design? How is “Transition Design” similar or different from other types of “design”? How might the overarching goal of “Transition Design” to achieve societal sustainable futures differentiate it from other types of design? Is there only one kind of “Transition Design” or multiple versions of “transition design”? And, if there are multiple versions how do they relate? What are the conditions by which transition design becomes Transition Design and vice versa? How might multiple types of “transition design” differ according to the design intent, design intelligence, timescale, context, systems involved? What relationship might Transition Design and businesses have?
The Flow and Decay Behavior of a Submerged Shear-Thinning Jet With Yield Stress

The flow and decay characteristics of submerged jets of shear-thinning fluids with yield stress are studied. Numerical solutions to the governing mass and momentum conservation equations, along with the Herschel-Bulkley rheological model, are obtained using a finitedifference scheme. A parametric study is implemented to investigate the influence of flow inertia and rheology over the following range of parameters: Reynolds number, 50 <= Re <= 200; yield number, 0 <= Y <= 1; and shear-thinning index, 0.6 <= n <= 1. A large recirculation region exists for Newtonian and shear-thinning non-Newtonian jets. However, the extent and strength of the recirculation region substantially diminish with the yield number and, to a lesser extent, when the shear-thinning index is reduced from 1 to 0.6. Increasing the yield number beyond a critical value eliminates flow recirculation. The centerline velocity and momentum decay of shear-thinning jets with yield stress, in general, increase with the yield number. Velocity-and momentum-based depths of penetration, DPU, and DPM, respectively, are introduced and presented. DPU and DPM are the downstream locations corresponding to 90% decay in the initial centerline velocity and jet momentum, respectively. A substantial decrease in DPU and DPM is observed when the shear-thinning index is reduced from 1 to 0.6 for Y = 0. The presence of yield stress significantly reduces both DPU and DPM of submerged jets. The impact of shear-thinning on the decay characteristics of the jet is more pronounced at low yield numbers.
A Wavelength Standard for the Near Infrared Based on the Reflectance Of Rare-Earth Oxides.

This work describes the techniques used to prepare and analyze a reflectance wavelength standard composed of three rare-earth oxides. A mixture of dysprosium oxide (Dy2O3), erbium oxide (Er2O3), and holmium oxide (Ho2O3) provides a pressed powder specimen exhibiting a near infrared reflectance spectrum characterized by many discrete absorption minima in the wavelength range 700 to 2000 nm. The object of this activity was to develop a wavelength standard for improving the accuracy of reflectance measurements in the near infrared. The reflectance minima of the rare-earth oxide mixture was analyzed for the effects of varying spectral resolution and temperature. The uncertainties associated with the various parameters affecting the measurements and the determination of the location of the reflectance minima have been analyzed. The overall uncertainty in the location of these reflectance minima is believed not to exceed ± 1 nm.
The Victorian Archive and its Secret

Twelve years ago, in writing Fiction in the Age of Photography, I sought to show how the sheer repetition of certain shots extracted visual information from the camera's human subject matter and re...
Bacterial Community Structure in Geographically Distributed Biological Wastewater Treatment Reactors

Current knowledge of the microbial communities within biological wastewater treatment reactors is incomplete due to limitations of traditional culture-based techniques and despite the emergence of recently applied molecular techniques. Here we demonstrate the application of high-density microarrays targeting universal 16S rRNA genes to evaluate microbial community composition in five biological wastewater treatment reactors in China and the United States. Results suggest a surprisingly consistent composition of microbial community structure among all five reactors. All investigated communities contained a core of bacterial phyla (53-82% of 2119 taxa identified) with almost identical compositions (as determined by colinearity analysis). These core species were distributed widely in terms of abundance but their proportions were virtually the same in all samples. Proteobacteria was the largest phylum and Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes were the subdominant phyla. The diversity among the samples can be attributed solely to a group of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) that were detected only in specific samples. Typically, these organisms ranked somewhat lower in terms of abundance but a few were present is much higher proportions.
Management Situation and Countermeasure of Commercial Forestry in Jiangxi Province

The whole province have already totally completed construction area of 2040 000hm 2 of man made forest and industry raw material forest from 1981 to 2000,including:the total completion of 480 000hm 2 running forest base.the building of 400 000hm 2 mao bamboo high yield base,the newly exploition of 1100hm 2 fine oil-tea camellia,the development of 177 000hm 2 fruit tree and other economic forest.Developing countermeasure:making clear developing thinking,fomulating macro-control,adjusting disposition of key element,stimulating mechanism of offorestation,formulating policy of support and promoting continued development.
On influential node discovery in dynamic social networks

The problem of maximizing influence spread has been widely studied in social networks, because of its tremendous number of applications in determining critical points in a social network for information dissemination. All the techniques proposed in the literature are inherently static in nature, which are designed for social networks with a fixed set of links. However, many forms of social interactions are transient in nature, with relatively short periods of interaction. Any influence spread may happen only during the period of interaction, and the probability of spread is a function of the corresponding interaction time. Furthermore, such interactions are quite fluid and evolving, as a result of which the topology of the underlying network may change rapidly, as new interactions form and others terminate. In such cases, it may be desirable to determine the influential nodes based on the dynamic interaction patterns. Alternatively, one may wish to discover the most likely starting points for a given infection pattern. We will propose methods which can be used both for optimization of information spread, as well as the backward tracing of the source of influence spread. We will present experimental results illustrating the effectiveness of our approach on a number of real data sets.
A novel system for the culture of human lung: lung development and the response to injury.

Existing methods of fetal lung organ culture are complicated and require special skills. With the use of a polyester-based plastic sheet, we have developed a simpler human fetal lung organ culture that is viable for 6 wk. This novel method permits the study of growth and differentiation, pulmonary surfactant secretion, and the response of human lung tissue to injury in vitro. Lung tissues, obtained from human fetuses ranging in gestational age from 14 to 18 wk, were cultured on the polyester sheet in Dulbecco9s modified Eagle medium supplemented with 15% fetal calf serum and gentamicin. Microscopic study of the fetal lung before culturing revealed round epithelial tubules, lined by glycogen-rich columnar cells and a thick cellular interstitium. After 1 wk in culture, morphological examination showed the development and expansion of alveolar saccules and thinning of the interstitium; type I and II pneumocytes as well as fibroblasts and myofibroblasts were present. Lipid analysis of the tissues, 2 wk after the initiation of the culture, demonstrated a high percentage of dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine characteristic of pulmonary surfactant. Treatment of the organ culture with asbestos fibers induced type II cell hyperplasia, increased numbers of collagen fiber bundles within the interstitium, and the accumulation of multi-lamellated surfactant material within the alveolar lumens. We conclude that this organ culture system is suitable for studying lung growth, development, and injury in human tissue.
From Work to Activity: Technology and the Narrative of Progress

Information technology transforms work in all its variety into uniform inscriptions that are combinable across time and space. Its digitized codings and classifications are immutable mobiles which claim to represent the true form of work to management and workers alike. Activity based costing is an accounting technology that produces such immutable mobiles. It promises to capture the essence of work and transport it unchanged from the factory floor to the manager’s suite. We use this accounting technology as an exemplar to trace the rhetoric of how new worlds and new logics of work are created with the inspiration of information technology. We do so by analyzing a central story with which activity based costing justifies itself and makes its truth claims, and by identifying the kind of world, organization and work it creates. By expanding and extending the plot of the story told by the principal proponents of activity based costing, we expose some contradictions of this powerful system of representation and locate it within a larger narrative that promises progress through information technology.
Migraine Associated Symptom Prevalence

A review of associated symptoms of migraine determined by telephone survey of 500 self-reported migraine sufferers is reported from Temple University School of Medicine and the Comprehensive Headache Center, Germantown Hospital, Philadelphia, PA.
Regression based corn yield assessment using MODIS based daily NDVI in Iowa state

Traditional method of visiting field and surveying farmers to estimate crop yield has been considered inefficient and impractical especially in cases when fields are not easily accessible. Remote sensing techniques, therefore, has been utilize to overcome these obstacles with good success. Normalize Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) based models are considered to be most effective and utilized technique in crop yield assessment and can provide up to field level assessment. This research utilize MODIS based 250m daily NDVI to estimate corn yield in 4 Agricultural Statistics Districts (ASD) in Iowa state. Corn is considered the primary crop in the US accounting for 90% of the total feed grains, hence utilized to be study in this research. Linear regression model was derived between NDVI curve and corn yield using all counties within the 4 ASD between years 2000 to 2014. The regression model showed statistically significant relation between NDVI curve and corn yield with coefficient of deterministic (R-square) over 0.80 in all 4 ASD. Similarly validating the model using new 2015 yield, the average predictability error was between 5 to 7 percent.
Toward A Global History of Trauma

In a coda to the volume, Mark Micale reflects on the larger cultural context of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Micale argues that writings by scholars in Japan, Korea, Russia and Australia can enrich our understanding and conceptualization of trauma and trauma studies. Micale encourages Western scholars to transcend international and cultural boundaries in order to point the way towards a next generation of historical thinking on trauma in a globalized context. Trauma scholarship, like the diagnostic entity PTSD, Micale argues, is still expanding to find new approaches to the varieties of traumatic experience. He highlights new paths for moving beyond trauma as a specialized medical phenomenon, and he encourages scholars to analyze our culture’s growing obsessions with a ‘trauma industry’ that mainstreams discussions of crisis, victimhood and memory.
Building Geospatial Health Applications from the EASTWeb Framework

Disease maps and forecasts developed using satellite remote sensing data can inform the decisions of public health officials and improve disease control and epidemic response. However, it is time consuming to construct a geospatial health system using remote sensing data products from scratch and it is quite expensive to maintain the system if changes are needed to the data products. We have developed an open-source Epidemiological Applications of Spatial Technologies (EASTWeb) framework to facilitate constructing applications to automate the retrieval, processing, and storage of satellite remote sensing data for public health research and applications. This paper briefly introduces the EASTWeb framework and uses a case study to demonstrate how the EASTWeb framework can be easily extended to be an application. The paper also illustrates the EASTWeb V2.0 system, which is extended from the framework and has been using in forecasting the West Nile Virus and Malaria epidemic risks in our research.
Mastication treatment effects on vegetation and fuels in piñon-juniper woodlands of central Colorado, USA

Abstract Forest mastication treatments are increasingly utilized by land managers as a means of reducing tree cover for fire hazard mitigation and other habitat objectives in pinon-juniper (P-J) woodlands. Mastication converts trees into small pieces (e.g., wood chips), in the process creating canopy openings, redistributing fuel from the canopy to the surface, converting large diameter to small diameter fuels, and covering the ground with piles of woody debris. We measured vegetation and fuels at 192 sites in 24 pairs of 1–11-year-old mastication treatments and untreated adjacent controls in P-J woodlands of the Arkansas River valley, Colorado, and used paired t -tests, mixed-effects models, and gradient analysis (non-metric multidimensional scaling) to assess mastication effects. Treatments were associated with major, persistent ecological shifts relative to controls. Tree cover and canopy fuels were reduced in treatments; concomitantly, dead and down woody surface fuels, forb, and graminoid cover were elevated. Treatments exhibited much higher frequency, richness, and cover by a suite of non-native plant species including cheatgrass ( Bromus tectorum ). Non-native plant expansion appears linked to the disturbance associated with treatment activities, reductions in tree canopy, and alterations to ground cover, and effective mitigation of increases by these species may necessitate both pre- and post-treatment control measures. Shifts from native-dominated woodlands to open, weedy, herb- and shrub-dominated communities are likely to change patterns of abundance and habitat use by woodland- and forest-dependent wildlife. Decreased canopy fuels and increased herbaceous surface fuels including exotic annuals are expected to alter potential fire behavior. We encourage managers carrying out P-J mastication projects to explicitly address potential trade-offs between desired treatment outcomes and potentially unwelcome impacts, and how these might be mitigated. It may also be worth considering whether or not tree removal treatments will be warranted given anticipated climate change impacts to these woodlands.
Safety and tolerability of surfactant nasal irrigation.

Background Abnormal mucus composition and bacterial biofilms are thought to contribute to the pathophysiology of rhinosinusitis. Addition of a mucoactive surfactant to saline irrigation solution has been hypothesized to address these factors. We evaluated the safety and tolerability of a reformulated surfactant in a sample of normal subjects. Methods A total of 33 volunteers were randomly assigned to receive either surfactant solution or buffered saline at baseline in a controlled crossover study design. Each subject underwent rhinoscopic exam and in-office smell testing via the 40-question smell identification test (SIT). Those with non-normosmic results or active rhinitis symptoms were excluded. Subjects were instructed to irrigate twice daily with the selected solution for 1 week while keeping a daily diary. For week 2, treatment was stopped. During week 3, each group switched to the other treatment. Exam, SIT, and degree of congestion were assessed after each phase. Results Use of surfactant led to a marginal reduction in mean SIT score of 1.5 points, which was statistically significant (p = 0.012). A clinically meaningful reduction in SIT score, defined as ≥4 points, was observed in 18% (6/33) of subjects after surfactant vs 3% (1/33) after saline (p = 0.046). During the surfactant phase, moderate or severe congestion was reported in 29% (8/28) of subjects completing the diary. In contrast, only 6% (2/32) of subjects reported moderate congestion after the saline phase (p = 0.021). Conclusion In normal volunteers, surfactant nasal irrigation may be associated with tolerability issues due to congestion. A subset may experience reduction in olfactory acuity that appears reversible.
Polymer encapsulated microcavity optomechanical magnetometer.

We demonstrate a magnetometer using polymer encapsulated whispering-gallery-mode microcavity actuated by a micro-magnet. The magnetic field induces force on the micro-magnet causing deformation in the polymer around the microcavity. Subsequently the microcavity detects the change in the refractive index of the polymer resulted from the deformation. This magnetometer works in the frequency range of hertz-to-kilohertz range and achieves a sensitivity of 880 pT/Hz1/2 at 200 Hz in a micro-scale sensor volume. Polymer encapsulation of the magnetometer and fiber optical connection ensures environmental robustness and practicality of the sensor.
Effect of mix design on compressed earth block strength

Abstract Compressed earth blocks (CEBs) are masonry units that combine soil, stabilizer, and water under pressure to form an earth block. Unit block performance is dependent on the characteristics of soil and the mix design. This paper presents CEB unit strength test methods and results for CEBs produced from 14 mix designs at 7 and 28 day curing times in both saturated and unsaturated conditions. Trends in the effect of mix design on block strength reflect that strength increases with both moisture and cement content in the regimes of applicability for the production machinery. The unsaturated, 28-day unit compressive strengths ranged from 4.92 MPa to 15.72 MPa. The optimal mix contained 10.91% cement and 11.40% water which resulted in an average compressive strength of 15.15 MPa; ASTM C90 mandates a minimum compressive strength of 13.79 MPa.
Temperature and composition dependent thermal conductivity model for U-Zr alloys

Abstract Uranium-zirconium (U-Zr) based metallic fuels are promising fuel forms for next-generation fast reactors. The presence of temperature gradient and constituent redistribution in U-Zr based fuels can induce the formation of different phases that have different physical properties such as thermal conductivity. In this work, a semi-empirical model is developed to predict the thermal conductivities of U-Zr alloys for the complete composition range and a wide range of temperatures. The model considers the effects of different electron scattering mechanisms on the electronic thermal resistivity in pure metals and the model's parameters are empirically determined by fitting to the experimental data. A new mixing rule is used to predict the effective thermal conductivity in U-Zr alloys by taking the alloying effects into account. The thermal conductivity predictions by the new model show good agreement with many available experimental data. In comparison with previous models, the new model has further improvement, in particular for high-U alloys that are relevant to reactor fuel compositions and at the low-temperature regime for the high-Zr alloys.
Dosimetry Methods in Photoradiation Therapy

It is important to be able to specify the effective dose in photoradiation therapy (PRT) or photodynamic therapy (PDT) in order to compare results and to assure that the dose is sufficient to achieve the desired therapeutic effect while not damaging nonmalignant tissues excessively. The effective absorbed dose depends on the energy flux density or “space irradiance” at the dose point, the concentration of photosensitizing drug, and the concentration of molecular oxygen. Up to now, the clinician has not been able to specify the true, effective absorbed dose, although such terms as “light dose” (which is really an energy flux density, not a dose) have been used. The energy flux density at the dose point within the tumor is seldom known; instead the source power or irradiance is given. The dosage (mg drug per kg body weight) and the time delay after intravenous injection are specified, but the concentrations of the drug in tumor and normal tissue are not measured or even reproducible with the same dosage and time delay. The concentration of molecular oxygen is usually unknown, although a hypoxic region of a tumor would be protected from photodynamic cytotoxicity. Methods have to be developed to measure or calculate the contributions to the effective absorbed dose.
Bisphenol S alters development of the male mouse mammary gland and sensitizes it to a peripubertal estrogen challenge.

Abstract Humans are exposed to estrogenic chemicals in food and food packaging, personal care products, and other industrial and consumer goods. Bisphenol A (BPA), a well-studied xenoestrogen, is known to alter development of estrogen-sensitive organs including the brain, reproductive tract, and mammary gland. Bisphenol S (BPS; 4,4′-sulfonyldiphenol), which has a similar chemical structure to BPA, is also used in many consumer products, but its effects on estrogen-sensitive organs in mammals has not been thoroughly examined. Here, we quantified the effects of perinatal exposures to BPS on the male mouse mammary gland. In our first study, pregnant CD-1 mice were orally exposed to BPS (2 or 200 μg/kg/day) starting on pregnancy day 9 through lactation day 20, and male mammary glands were evaluated on embryonic day 16, prior to puberty, and in early adulthood. We observed modest changes in tissue organization in the fetal gland, and significant increases in growth of the gland induced by developmental BPS exposure in adulthood. In our second study, pregnant CD-1 mice were orally exposed to BPS (2, 200 or 2000 μg/kg/day) starting on pregnancy day 9 through lactational day 2. After weaning, the male pups were administered either oil (vehicle) or an estrogen challenge (1 μg ethinyl estradiol/kg/day) for ten days starting prior to puberty. After the 10-day estrogen challenge, we examined hormone-sensitive outcomes including anogenital index (AGI), weight of the seminal vesicles, and morphological parameters of the mammary gland. Although AGI and seminal vesicle weight were not affected by BPS, we observed dose-specific effects on the response of male mammary glands to the peripubertal estrogen challenge. Because male mammary glands are structurally less developed compared to females, they may provide a simple model tissue to evaluate the effects of putative xenoestrogens.
Effect of solvent polarity on the regioselective hydroxyalkylation of indole with trifluoroacetaldehyde hemiacetals

The effect of solvents has been found as a crucial factor in determining the regioselectivity of the hydroxyalkylation of indole with trifluoroacetaldehyde hemiacetals. The appropriate selection of the solvent ensured to achieve absolute N1 or C3 regio/chemoselectivity of the reaction depending on the polarity and dielectric constant of the medium. Reaction conditions were optimized considering the effect of solvent, including temperature, time, and molar ratio of reactants to base. In order to rationalize this effect, density functional theory has been employed in which implicit as well as explicit role of solvent was studied, which were further validated with in situ 1H NMR spectroscopy experiments. The comparison of transition states derived from the implicit calculations revealed that the lowest energy path of the reaction in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) leads to product formation with N-selectivity. Further DFT calculations on explicit interactions of indole with DMSO indicated enhanced nucleophilicity on the N atom compared to that of C3 atom, which is evident from the calculated electrostatic potential (ESP) fit charges of these complexes. These findings appear to support the experimental data and explain the N-selectivity in DMSO.
Levinas, Feminism, Holocaust, Ecocide

These remarks focus on what might be termed the transcendental but empirical conditions of ethics - ethics as indistinguishable and contrasting sets of presuppositions about what makes possible other than instrumental relations among human beings. The discussion is ‘transcendental’ in a loose Kantian sense of asking how or why certain beliefs are possible, especially when this possibility is itself not directly addressed in the beliefs themselves. By ‘empirical’ I mean concrete historical realities whose dark mysteries ethics are designed - consciously or unconsciously - to solve.
Effects of intimate partner violence among Seventh-Day Adventist church attendees

This analysis examines the effects of spouse abuse among a group of conservative Christians, specifically Seventh-day Adventists. The results highlight four broad types of effects associated with abusive behaviors in this sample: emotional disturbance, parental abuse or neglect, suicidal ideation, and spiritual disengagement. The analysis investigates risk factors associated with these effects and finds two primary risk factors – experiencing recent intimate partner violence and having a difficult economic situation. By identifying spiritual disengagement and its related factors, this analysis adds a significant dimension to the literature on the effects of intimate partner violence among religiously affiliated people.
A Bayesian Latent Class Model to Predict Kidney Obstruction in the Absence of Gold Standard

Kidney obstruction, if untreated in a timely manner, can lead to irreversible loss of renal function. A widely used technology for evaluations of kidneys with suspected obstruction is diuresis reno...
Patient Frailty Is Independently Associated With the Risk of Hospitalization for Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure

There is significant interest in identifying risk factors associated with acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). In transplant candidates, frailty predicts wait-list mortality and posttransplant outcomes. However, the impact of frailty on ACLF development and mortality is unknown. This was a retrospective study of US veterans with cirrhosis identified between 2008 and 2016. First hospitalizations were characterized as ACLF or non-ACLF admissions. Prehospitalization patient frailty was ascertained using a validated score based on administrative coding data. We used logistic regression to investigate the impact of an increasing frailty score on the odds of ACLF hospitalization and short-term ACLF mortality. Cox regression was used to analyze the association between frailty and longterm survival from hospitalization. We identified 16,561 cirrhosis hospitalizations over a median follow-up of 4.19 years (interquartile range, 2.47-6.34 years). In adjusted models, increasing frailty score was associated with significantly increased odds of ACLF hospitalization versus non-ACLF hospitalization (odds ratio, 1.03 per point; 95% CI 1.02-1.03; P < 0.001). By contrast, frailty score was not associated with ACLF 28- or 90-day mortality (P = 0.13 and P = 0.33, respectively). In an adjusted Cox analysis of all hospitalizations, increasing frailty scores were associated with poorer longterm survival from the time of hospitalization (hazard ratio, 1.02 per 5 points; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.03; P = 0.004). Frailty increases the likelihood of ACLF hospitalization among patients with cirrhosis, but it does not impact short-term ACLF mortality. These findings have implications for clinicians caring for frail outpatients with cirrhosis, including tailored follow-up, risk mitigation strategies, and possible expedited transplant evaluation.