cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PyVOL: a PyMOL plugin for visualization, comparison, and volume calculation of drug-binding sites

Abstract Motivation Binding pocket volumes are a simple yet important predictor of small molecule binding; however, generating visualizations of pocket topology and performing meaningful volume comparisons can be difficult with available tools. Current programs for accurate volume determination rely on extensive user input to define bulk solvent boundaries and to partition cavities into subpockets, increasing inter-user variability in measurements as well as time demands. Results We developed PyVOL, a python package with a PyMOL interface and GUI, to visualize, to characterize, and to compare binding pockets. PyVOL’s pocket identification algorithm is designed to maximize reproducibility through minimization of user-provided parameters, avoidance of grid-based methods, and automated subpocket identification. This approach permits efficient, scalable volume calculations. Availability PyVOL is released under the MIT License. Source code and documentation are available through github (https://github.com/schlessingerlab/pyvol/) with distribution through PyPI (bio-pyvol). Contact avner.schlessinger@mssm.edu, arvin.dar@mssm.edu
Evaluation of non-lethal gut microbiome sampling methods in a passerine bird

Gut microbial communities play critical roles in the biological functions of their host, such as mediating nutrient absorption, digesting food components the host cannot, and offering protection against enteric pathogens. Extensive research on gut microbial communities has been conducted on mammals, including humans and rodents, but much less work has been done in birds. Furthermore, much of the research on host–microbe interactions make use of faecal samples and rectal/cloacal swabs as a proxy for intestinal samples, which can be difficult to obtain directly. However, little is known about the overlap between the microbial communities of the gut, faeces and swabs, which limits interpretability of results based on faecal samples and swabs. To address this gap in knowledge, we compared the microbiome from five sample types – proventriculus, small intestine, large intestine, cloacal swabs and faeces – across individual Zebra Finches Taeniopygia guttata housed in constant conditions with a standardized diet. We compared diversity and community composition through 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Our results show that microbial communities from both cloacal swabs and faeces were distinct from proventriculus and small intestinal samples, but generally indistinguishable from large intestinal samples, indicating that these non‐lethal samples may be useful proxies for large intestinal bacterial communities. Gaining insight into non‐invasive sampling techniques for passerines has implications for studies of gut microbial diversity and abundance in wild bird populations. Furthermore, reliable non‐lethal sampling is necessary for experiments where repeated sampling is required.
Impact of adverse childhood experiences on quality-adjusted life expectancy in the U.S. population

Abstract Background Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) adversely impact morbidity and mortality. Objective To quantify burden of disease associated with ACEs among U.S. adults by estimating quality-adjusted life expectancy (QALE) according to number of ACEs reported. Participants and setting Data from respondents’ adverse experiences occurring before age 18 were collected in nine states through the 2011 and 2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). Methods We estimated health-related quality of life (HRQOL) scores from BRFSS data. We constructed life tables from the Compressed Mortality Files to calculate QALE, a generalization of life expectancy that weights expected years of life lived with the HRQOL score, according to number of ACEs. Results The QALE for an 18-year-old person reporting 0, 1–2, and 3+ ACEs was 55.1, 53.4, and 45.6 years, respectively. Reporting 3+ ACEs was associated with a 9.5-year decrease (17%) in QALE. The adverse impact of ACEs are present according to age, gender, and race/ethnicity subgroups. The impact of 3+ ACEs on QALE was nearly 3-fold greater for women than men (13.2 vs. 4.7-year decrease). By contrast, an 18-year-old reporting 1–2 ACEs experienced a small decrease in QALE (1.7 years). Conclusions Reporting 3+ ACEs led to a significant burden of disease, as assessed by QALE loss, to a similar degree as many other well-established behavioral risk factors and chronic conditions. Providers and policymakers should focus on efforts to prevent ACEs, initiate early detection of and interventions to minimize the impact of an ACE, and reduce the likelihood of engaging in maladaptive risky behaviors.
Trust and White Ethnic Diversity in Small Town Iowa

Trust is a highly valued social good and scholars have long been interested in what shapes who and how we trust. One line of inquiry within this area has focused on racial/ethnic diversity. In this...
A note on the extremal non-central sections of the cross-polytope

Abstract We find minimal and maximal length of intersections of lines at a fixed distance to the origin with the cross-polytope. We also find maximal volume non-central sections of the cross-polytope by hyperplanes which are at a fixed large distance to the origin and minimal volume sections by symmetric slabs of a large fixed width. This parallels recent results about non-central sections of the cube due to Moody, Stone, Zach and Zvavitch.
Detection of Trabecular Landmarks for Osteoporosis Prescreening in Dental Panoramic Radiographs

Dental panoramic radiography (DPR) images have recently attracted increasing attention in osteoporosis analysis because of their inner correlation. Many approaches leverage machine learning techniques (e.g., deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs)) to study DPR images of a patient to provide initial analysis of osteoporosis, which demonstrates promising results and significantly reduces financial cost. However, these methods heavily rely on the trabecula landmarks of DPR images that requires a large amount of manual annotations by dentist, and thus are limited in practical application. Addressing this issue, we propose to automatically detect trabecular landmarks in DPR images. In specific, we first apply CNNs-based detector for trabecular landmark detection and analyze its limitations. Using CNNs-based detection as a baseline, we then introduce a statistic shape model (SSM) for trabecular landmark detection by taking advantage of spatial distribution prior of trabecular landmarks in DPR images and their structural relations. In experiment on 108 images, our solution outperforms CNNs-based detector. Moreover, compared to CNN-based detectors, our method avoids the needs of vast training samples, which is more practical in application.
Towards a sociology of imagination

Cultural sociologists have devised numerous theoretical tools for analyzing meaning making among individuals and groups. Yet, the cognitive processes which underpin these theories of meaning making are often bracketed out. Drawing on three different qualitative research projects, respectively on activists, religious communities, and gamers, this article synthesizes work in sociology, psychology, and philosophy, to develop a sociology of imagination. Current work highlights that (1) imagination is a higher order mental function, (2) powerful in its effects, which (3) facilitates intersubjectivity, and (4) is socially constructive. However, sociology can additionally contribute to scholarly understandings of imagination, which have often focused on individualistic mental imaging, by highlighting the degree to which (a) imagination allows individuals and groups to coordinate identities, actions, and futures, (b) imagination relies on widely shared cultural elements, and (c) imagination is often undertaken collectively, in groups. The article concludes with suggestions for future sociological work on imagination.
Social Entrepreneurship: A Needed Tool for Contemporary Community Development Education

Community development education (CDE) can learn from the field of social entrepreneurship to catalyze transformational change in communities. Social entrepreneurship does not aim to incrementally improve unjust equilibriums, but aims to transform them into new and more just equilibriums. As CDE seeks to instruct students to address social, economic, and environmental change, social entrepreneurship supplies another tool for instructor, student, and professional toolkits to improve community well-being. This article begins by outlining fundamental concepts from the fields of community development and social entrepreneurship. Intersections in the respective literatures for each of the fields are then discussed. This article continues with aims to inform an emerging national research agenda for CDE. In that light, Martin and Osberg’s (2015) social entrepreneurship process is presented alongside examples that can be used by students, instructors, and professionals in courses and in the field. Furthermore, the article highlights critical perspectives to help both fields get beyond better – to disrupt unjust social equilibriums.
Senolytic Peptide FOXO4-DRI Selectively Removes Senescent Cells From in vitro Expanded Human Chondrocytes

Autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) is a procedure used to treat articular cartilage injuries and prevent the onset of post-traumatic osteoarthritis. In vitro expansion of chondrocytes, a necessary step in ACI, results in the generation of senescent cells that adversely affect the quality and quantity of newly formed cartilage. Recently, a senolytic peptide, fork head box O transcription factor 4-D-Retro-Inverso (FOXO4-DRI), was reported to selectively kill the senescent fibroblasts. In this study, we hypothesized that FOXO4-DRI treatment could remove the senescent cells in the expanded chondrocytes, thus enhancing their potential in generating high-quality cartilage. To simulate the in vitro expansion for ACI, chondrocytes isolated from healthy donors were expanded to population doubling level (PDL) 9, representing chondrocytes ready for implantation. Cells at PDL3 were also used to serve as the minimally expanded control. Results showed that the treatment of FOXO4-DRI removed more than half of the cells in PDL9 but did not significantly affect the cell number of PDL3 chondrocytes. Compared to the untreated control, the senescence level in FOXO4-DRI treated PDL9 chondrocytes was significantly reduced. Based on the result from standard pellet culture, FOXO4-DRI pre-treatment did not enhance the chondrogenic potential of PDL9 chondrocytes. However, the cartilage tissue generated from FOXO4-DRI pretreated PDL9 cells displayed lower expression of senescence-relevant secretory factors than that from the untreated control group. Taken together, FOXO4-DRI is able to remove the senescent cells in PDL9 chondrocytes, but its utility in promoting cartilage formation from the in vitro expanded chondrocytes needs further investigation.
An analysis of pedestrian crash trends and contributing factors in Texas

Abstract Introduction & research objectives Pedestrian crash rates and deaths have risen across the United States over the past decade, in contrast to motor vehicle traffic crash counts and rates. Analysis of pedestrian crash rates per vehicle-mile traveled and walk-mile traveled (VMT and WMT) illuminates the impacts of homelessness, land development densities, income, weather, and many other variables across the State of Texas, helping to propel more effective safety policies. Methods This study examines key factors for and countermeasures against pedestrian crashes, while predicting pedestrian crash rates per VMT and WMT, as sourced from the Texas DOT (TxDOT) and the 2017 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) add-on sample. Crash data from TxDOT's Crash Records Information System (CRIS) database were analyzed using an ordinary least-squares (OLS) regression by controlling for a variety of socioeconomic, climate, and roadway design variables, including homelessness, which has emerged as a serious issue along freeway rights-of-way in many U.S. urban areas. Results At the county level in Texas, there is a moderately positive relationship between job density and pedestrian crash rates, but a practically significant and negative relationship with population density. Median income and homelessness have very practically significant, positive impacts on pedestrian crash and fatality rates. For example, a 1 standard deviation increase in homelessness per 1000 residents is associated with a +14.4% of 1 standard deviation rise in the total pedestrian crash rate per WMT at the county level, all else constant. Similarly, pedestrian crashes per WMT rise in a notable way with the share of children under age 17 and rates of homelessness. Conclusions These results suggest significant positive relationships between pedestrian crash rates per VMT and per WMT with respect to household incomes and homelessness, at the county level. Pedestrian crashes and pedestrian deaths per WMT also reveal practically significant contributions by larger youth populations and poverty rates. A weaker but still practically significant relationship exists between crash rates per VMT and population growth rate, warranting further investigation on the relationship between exurban land use patterns and pedestrian crashes.
Growth of juvenile black rockfish (Sebastes melanops) during estuarine residence

Many juvenile fishes have specific habitat requirements, and while some habitats may be more important than others for growth and survival, habitat-specific growth and survival information is missing for the sensitive juvenile life stage of many species. Given the potential impact of habitat productivity on growth and the importance of growth to survival, we evaluated the influence of specific estuarine habitats on post-settlement growth of a marine fish. Juvenile black rockfish (Sebastes melanops) were collected from May to September over 2 years at both anthropogenic (dock) and natural (eelgrass) habitats in a marine-dominated estuary on the central Oregon coast. Recent growth decreased throughout each year, which correlates with an increase in fish size. Recent growth did not differ between habitats in 2016, a year of increased upwelling, but did differ between habitats in 2017, when upwelling was reduced. Recent growth remained high between years at the eelgrass habitat but greatly decreased at the dock habitat between years. During high upwelling years, Yaquina Bay may be an extension of nearshore waters, where a high diversity of prey resources and less variation in source of nutrients leads to high juvenile black rockfish growth rates regardless of habitat type. In years of variable ocean conditions, however, habitat type may become more important for growth, with eelgrass providing a higher quality and more consistent habitat compared to anthropogenic structures, and therefore contributing to consistent and higher interannual growth rates.
Ocular allergies

Ocular allergic disease affects not only the conjunctivae but also surrounding structures including the eyelids. Allergic diseases of the eyelid include atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, and urticaria/angioedema. They must be differentiated from nonallergic eyelid diseases. Allergic diseases of the conjunctivae comprise a spectrum of disorders from common, non-sight-threatening conditions such as seasonal allergic conjunctivitis, perennial allergic conjunctivitis, and giant papillary conjunctivitis to less common and potentially sight-threatening diseases such as vernal keratoconjunctivitis and atopic keratoconjunctivitis. Each of these conditions is mediated primarily by type I hypersensitivity reactions. The clinical manifestations, differential diagnosis, and treatment of these conditions are reviewed in this article.
Are we all neoliberal now

This chapter outlines the ideological underpinnings of classical liberalism and its vigorous proclamation for individuality, free markets, governance, and subjectivity while outlining the role of the state (Braedley & Luxton, Competing philosophies: Neoliberalism and challenges of everyday life. In Braedley, S., & Luxton, M. (Eds.), Neoliberalism and everyday life (pp. 3–21). McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2010; Dean, Governmentality: Power and rule in modern society. Sage Publications, 2010). The chapter offers a definition of neoliberalism by outlining a historical timeline that will allow researchers to understand liberalism, Keynesian economics, and the return to a reimagined (neo) liberalism. More importantly, this chapter offers a theoretical framework for how neoliberalism establishes hegemonic power via common sense and offers a tool to make sense of what often feels like a nebulous ideology: the neoliberal ecological model. The neoliberal ecological model highlights how common sense is used to construct new ways of viewing the world—a world in which neoliberal values of individualism, competition, accountability, and metrics are asserted as pragmatic and logical.
Data-Driven Pole Placement in LMI Regions with Robustness Constraints

This paper proposes a robust learning methodology to place the closed-loop poles in desired convex regions in the complex plane. We considered the system state and input matrices to be unknown and can only use the measurements of the system trajectories. The closed-loop pole placement problem in the linear matrix inequality (LMI) regions is considered a classic robust control problem; however, that requires knowledge about the state and input matrices of the linear system. We bring in ideas from the behavioral system theory and persistency of excitation condition-based fundamental lemma to develop a data-driven counterpart that satisfies multiple closed-loop robustness specifications, such as $\mathcal{D}$-stability and mixed $H_2/H_{\infty}$ performance specifications. Our formulations lead to data-driven semi-definite programs (SDPs) that are coupled with sufficient theoretical guarantees. We validate the theoretical results with numerical simulations on a third-order dynamic system.
SEISMIC TECHNIQUES IN THE LABORATORY

Applications of scaled-down seismic cross-hole and steady-state Rayleigh wave tests to characterize dynamic soil properties in laboratory facilities are described. The nondestructive nature of seismic tests make them highly advantageous in laboratory settings. The major changes in test procedures and equipment to scale-down from field seismic tests are associated with: (1) Size and energy content of seismic source; (2) receiver size and sensitivity; (3) wave speed timing; (4) electronic triggering requirements; and (5) precision of distance or spacing measurements, or both. The seismic cross-hole test proved to be most effective in determining the spacial and temporal variation of elastic soil properties and proved to be a very sensitive indicator of small changes in confining pressure. In addition, a sand bin testing facility which is fitted with air bags to provide surface confining pressure and new torsional cross-hole hammer are described. (ASCE)
MANEJO DE GRAMÍNEAS CULTIVADAS EM FORMA EXCLUSIVA E CONSORCIADA COM Brachiaria ruziziensis E EFICIÊNCIA DO NITROGÊNIO APLICADO EM COBERTURA

O objetivo deste trabalho foi quantificar a eficiencia de N-recuperado do sulfato de amonio (SA) aplicado em cobertura, nas gramineas cultivadas em forma exclusiva, avaliar o desempenho de milho, milheto e sorgo granifero em sistema de manejo exclusivo e consorciado com Brachiaria ruziziensis e a producao de massa de materia seca de ambos os sistemas de manejo. O experimento foi conduzido durante a safra de 2007/2008, em Argissolo Vermelho, eutrofico, a moderado, textura arenosa, no Polo Regional Noroeste Paulista, em Votuporanga, SP, Brasil. O delineamento experimental foi em blocos casualizados, em triplicata, composto de seis tratamentos de cultura-manejo. Cada repeticao foi composta de sete fileiras de plantas com 15 m de comprimento. Foi avaliada a eficiencia de N-recuperado do SA aplicado na dose de 80 kg.ha -1 de N em cobertura, parcelado em duas vezes iguais, nas gramineas manejadas de forma exclusiva, a produtividade de graos e a producao de massa de materia seca na colheita, das gramineas manejadas de forma exclusiva e consorciada. O milheto foi mais eficiente na recuperacao do N-SA em relacao a milho e sorgo, no primeiro parcelamento de cobertura nitrogenada, sendo similar para as tres gramineas apos a aplicacao do segundo parcelamento. A maior proporcao do N-fertilizante foi determinada na parte aerea do milheto e nos graos na cultura de milho. O sorgo apresentou distribuicao similar entre a parte aerea e os graos. A produtividade de graos das gramineas milho, milheto e sorgo nao foi afetada pela presenca da pastagem consorciada. As culturas com maior desenvolvimento vegetativo (milho e milheto) inibiram o desenvolvimento da B. ruziziensis . O menor desenvolvimento vegetativo do sorgo favoreceu o maior desenvolvimento da pastagem consorciada. O manejo em consorcio aumenta efetivamente a cobertura de solo, importante para regioes com outono/inverno seco.
Novel strategies and targets for the management of hypertension.

Abstract Hypertension, as the sole or comorbid component of a constellation of disorders of the cardiovascular (CV) system, is present in over 90% of all patients with CV disease and affects nearly 74 million individuals in the United States. The number of medications available to treat hypertension has dramatically increased during the past 3 decades to some 50 medications as new targets involved in the normal regulation of blood pressure have been identified, resulting in the development of new agents in those classes with improved therapeutic profiles (e.g., renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system; RAAS). Despite these new agents, hypertension is not adequately managed in approximately 30% of patients, who are compliant with prescriptive therapeutics, suggesting that new agents and/or strategies to manage hypertension are still needed. Some of the newest classes of agents have targeted other components of the RAS, for example, the selective renin inhibitors, but recent advances in vascular biology have provided novel potential targets that may provide avenues for new agent development. These newer targets include downstream signaling participants in pathways involved in contraction, growth, hypertrophy, and relaxation. However, perhaps the most unique approach to the management of hypertension is a shift in strategy of using existing agents with respect to the time of day at which the agent is taken. This new strategy, termed “chronotherapy,” has shown considerable promise in effectively managing hypertensive patients. Therefore, there remains great potential for future development of safe and effective agents and strategies to manage a disorder of the CV system of epidemic proportion.
The Market for Public Interest Law Services

I want to thank Susan for inviting me to speak on this, my first American Association of Law Schools panel. I am here to discuss some early stage progress I’m making on a project I’m working on in connection with a program honoring one of my very great senior colleagues, Joel Handler. His mold-breaking empirical work on public interest law remains both field-defining and inspirational to all of us who care about access to justice. When I look at his seminal 1978 empirical study of public interest law, one of the important contributions that stands out is that Handler and his collaborators conceptualized public interest law as an “activity” rather than an organizational objective—an activity that “involve[s] the use of legal tools and ha[s] a high ratio of potential external benefits to potential total benefits.” Putting aside the contested nature of the definition itself, the important insight was that public interest law was conduct—a service— provided across different practice sites by lawyers who may or may not be ideologically committed to the representation’s ultimate objectives. As Handler noted, although public interest law activity occurred primarily in the voluntary sector, it had analogues in the for-profit and public sectors that invited careful study if one were to understand—in his terms—the complex and interconnected “public interest law industry.” The conception of my project is to take up Handler’s invitation in the contemporary context. I do so with a similar approach to the definition of public interest law: as the provision of legal services broadly defined to advance some vision of the public good beyond mere client representation. I am trying to follow in the footsteps of scholars like Deborah Rhode and K.T. Albiston who have recently published important empirical work analyzing the contemporary public interest field. They compare it back in
Public policy, perverse incentives, and the homeless problem

Is homelessness a housing problem per se? In this paper we employ a HUD study from 1984 and Census data from 1990 within the context of simultaneous empirical models to examine this and other issues relating to homelessness in the United States. Our central conclusion is that homelessness does not appear to be a national housing problem as such and that, given untoward incentives among actual and potential homeless populations, policies addressing homelessness should be directed at other instruments of change (such as mental health funding and expenditures to treat substance abuse).
Genetic Determination of T Cell Help in Loss of Tolerance to Nuclear Antigens

Sle1 is a major lupus susceptibility locus in NZM2410 lupus model that is associated with a loss of tolerance to nuclear Ags. At least three genes, Sle1a , Sle1b , and Sle1c contribute to Sle1 , and their relative role in lupus pathogenesis is unknown. We show here that Sle1 -expressing CD4 + T cells present an activated phenotype associated with increased proliferation and cytokine production. In addition, Sle1 CD4 + T cells provide help to anti-chromatin B cells to produce anti-nuclear antibodies, whether or not these B cells express Sle1 . The Sle1a locus alone accounts for all these Sle1 phenotypes, implying that a specific genetic defect in Sle1a is necessary and sufficient to produce autoreactive T cells. However, Sle1c induces intermediate T cell activation and only provides help to Sle1 -expressing anti-chromatin-producing B cells, demonstrating the synergic interactions between Sle1c T and Sle1 B cells. Moreover, Sle1a and Sle1c were associated with a significantly reduced level of CD4 + CD25 + regulatory T cells that precedes autoantibody production, suggesting a causal relationship with the generation of autoreactive T cells. Our study identifies for the first time that a specific genetic defect is responsible for lupus pathogenesis by inducing autoreactive T cells to break self-tolerance and that this genetic defect is also associated with a decreased number of regulatory T cells.
Isolation of Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris from nature by colony hybridization with rRNA probes

Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris is widely used in the manufacture of fermented milk products. Despite numerous attempts, efforts to isolate new strains by traditional plating and identification methods have not been successful. Previously, we described oligonucleotide probes for 16S rRNAs which could be used to discriminate L. lactis subsp. cremoris from related strains. These probes were used in colony hybridization experiments to screen large numbers of colonies obtained from enrichment cultures. A total of 170 strains of L. lactis were isolated from six milk samples, two colostrum samples, and one corn sample by using oligonucleotide probe 212RLa specific for the species L. lactis. Fifty-nine of these isolates also hybridized to L. lactis subsp. cremoris-specific probe 68RCa, and 26 of the strains which hybridized to the L. lactis subsp. cremoris-specific probe had the L. lactis subsp. cremoris phenotype.
Effect of Testosterone on Neuronal Morphology and Neuritic Growth of Fetal Lamb Hypothalamus-Preoptic Area and Cerebral Cortex in Primary Culture

Testosterone plays an essential role in sexual differentiation of the male sheep brain. The ovine sexually dimorphic nucleus (oSDN), is 2 to 3 times larger in males than in females, and this sex difference is under the control of testosterone. The effect of testosterone on oSDN volume may result from enhanced expansion of soma areas and/or dendritic fields. To test this hypothesis, cells derived from the hypothalamus-preoptic area (HPOA) and cerebral cortex (CTX) of lamb fetuses were grown in primary culture to examine the direct morphological effects of testosterone on these cellular components. We found that within two days of plating, neurons derived from both the HPOA and CTX extend neuritic processes and express androgen receptors and aromatase immunoreactivity. Both treated and control neurites continue to grow and branch with increasing time in culture. Treatment with testosterone (10 nM) for 3 days significantly (P < 0.05) increased both total neurite outgrowth (35%) and soma size (8%) in the HPOA and outgrowth (21%) and number of branch points (33%) in the CTX. These findings indicate that testosterone-induced somal enlargement and neurite outgrowth in fetal lamb neurons may contribute to the development of a fully masculine sheep brain.
Observations of the Global Water Cycle – Satellites

Satellite observations of Earth's climate system have evolved dramatically since the first crude video images of cloud cover taken over 40 years ago. Today, spaceborne measurements of precipitation, cloud attributes, radiative fluxes, and surface properties make crucial contributions to monitoring key processes and the evolving state of the planet's hydrologic cycle. We illustrate how this maturing capability has enabled study of the hydrologic cycle in a global context that goes beyond consideration of local or regional water balance. Remote sensing has become a key technology for addressing such interdisciplinary questions as whether the global hydrologic cycle is changing and if so how? What key processes linking the atmosphere, biosphere, and hydrosphere are at play, and what are the prospects for predicting extreme hydrologic events of significant societal impact? The discussion is motivated first by considering these key science problems. Following a brief overview of key remote sensing concepts, we then survey existing capabilities to determine various quantities such as precipitation, evaporation, soil moisture, turbulent fluxes, cloud cover, water vapor, and the links to radiative fluxes. Both successes and persisting challenges are discussed. An assessment of where we stand in developing an integrated picture of the hydrologic cycle and climate is presented, along with anticipated improvements in the future measurements. In the context of climate, we demonstrate that in spite of substantial improvements in determining hydrologic variables and processes from space, some key challenges remain. Our examination here of signals in precipitation, evaporation, and radiative fluxes suggests that at present we can detect regional patterns of interannual variability with considerable skill; we can resolve globally integrated signals with only modest certainty; and for the most part, we have little confidence yet in decadal changes or trends. Nevertheless, the situation is encouraging because in many cases these retrievals have been done without regard to intercalibration of sensor data streams, and in the case of operational retrievals, algorithm modifications which result in spurious trends. Careful reprocessing is likely to yield substantial benefits. Future planned missions with active remote sensing at 94 GHz (CloudSat) and interferometric measurements at 1.4 GHz promise to expand our knowledge of hydrologic processes of crucial importance to climate. Keywords: remote sensing; global hydrologic cycle; precipitation; land-surface data assimilation; turbulent fluxes
Composites, Future Concepts

The composite materials considered here are solid objects with a macrostructure. The constituents of these, solids can be observed with the naked eye. Solid objects are said to be smart if they embody additional functionality capabilities beyond their inherent structural attributes. These capabilities might be attributed to an embedded network of interconnected sensors, actuators and computers, for example. Synthetic inhomogeneous materials with these capabilities comprise the basis for a new generation of materials. These materials have the potential to revolutionize many types of products, and usher into existence unforeseen manufactured goods. Humankind's traditional quest for superior materials may be satisfied in the near future by ideas furnished by Mother Nature. The design and manufacturing methodologies needed for creating new generations of materials will come from a meticulous study of flora and fauna. The future lies with the development of synthetic materials that mimic naturally occurring biological materials. Current, noncommercial technologies of biological systems are detailed. Future use of these systems are discussed. Keywords: History; Smart materials; Structures; Noncommercial technologies; Future technnologies; Environmental design; Health monitoring; Biological materials
Computational Modeling of Metalloporphyrin Structure and Vibrational Spectra: Porphyrin Ruffling in NiTPP

This study extends DFT-SQM (density functional theory−scaled quantum mechanical) analysis to infrared and resonance Raman spectra of nickel(II) tetraphenylporphyrin (NiTPP), the largest molecular s...
Effect of elastic interaction on nucleation: II. Implementation of strain energy of nucleus formation in the phase field method

In paper I of this series, the coherency strain energy associated with nucleus formation in an elastically anisotropic crystal of an arbitrary pre-existing microstructure was presented in a close form as a linear function of the nucleus volume, which can be incorporated directly into the classical nucleation theory. In this paper we discuss incorporation of the coherency strain energy into the explicit nucleation algorithm of the phase field method, a formulation based on the classical nucleation theory, with an emphasis on the difference between conserved and non-conserved fields. In general, the local nucleation driving force is a function of both local field(s) and local stress, but for a conserved system with linear dependence of transformation strain on concentration the local nucleation driving force reduces to a function of local concentration only. To compare quantitatively the explicit nucleation algorithm with the Langevin force approach, a cubic → tetragonal transformation is considered in two dimensions. With the same material parameters and starting microstructure, a spatial correlation between nuclei and the pre-existing misfitting particles is achieved consistently in the two approaches on the same time and length scales. With the effect of local stress on nucleation incorporated, the explicit nucleation algorithm provides an efficient means for studying stress-induced nucleation phenomena in coherent solids, which are responsible for the formation of many self-assembled morphological patterns during coherent transformations.
Pathophysiologic, Morphometric, and Biochemical Studies of the Premature Baboon with Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia

Pathophysiologic, morphometric, and biochemical (surfactant and coagulation-fibrinolytic parameters) features were studied in premature baboons with and without bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). A total of 22 baboons were delivered by hysterotomy at 75% of gestation and randomized into two groups. Group 1 (PRN) animals were ventilated with high-frequency oscillation for 48 to 72 h and then changed to positive-pressure ventilation (PPV) while maintained on clinically appropriate oxygen for the 21-day experimental period. Group 2 (BPD) animals were ventilated with PPV and 1.0 FiO2 for 7 days followed by 0.8 FiO2 for 14 days. Group 3 (control) animals were delivered and immediately killed at 140 days gestation. Group 1 animals showed no significant airway or saccular lesions, and alveolarization of the saccules was present. Group 2 animals showed metaplastic or hyperplastic epithelial lesions in airways and an alternating pattern of atelectatic but more normal appearing saccules and alveoli interposed betwee...
Personality Traits and Sex Differences in Emotion Recognition among African Americans and Caucasians

This study investigated the role of personality traits and sex differences in emotion recognition. In several studies using samples with mostly young Caucasian and Asian students, Matsumoto et al.1 found strong evidence that recognition of emotional expression in faces was related to Openness to Experience and, to a lesser extent, Conscientiousness. Openness is one of the major dimensions of the five-factor model2 (FFM) of personality that might play an important role in the recognition of emotion. Open individuals tend to be intellectually curious, imaginative, and sensitive to aesthetics and inner feelings. The present study seeks to replicate Matsumoto et al. and extend the findings to an older African American and an older Caucasian sample. Furthermore, this study tests whether the relation between personality traits and emotion recognition can be replicated with a purely verbal task. Finally, the hypothesis that women tend to be better than men in decoding facial expressions of emotion will be tested.
ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION AND CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE

The effective treatment of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and acute congestive heart failure (CHF) requires quick triage, accurate identification, and appropriate pharmacologic management. This article describes the initial assessment and management of adult patients with AMI and CHF, beginning with the first interaction of such patients with the emergency department staff.
Rotational bands in odd-odd holmium isotopes☆

Abstract Coriolis-mixed rotational bands have been observed in 160Ho and 162Ho with apparent moments of inertia approximately twice the rigid-body value. The combined effects of the two odd particles, occupying the unique-parity Nilsson orbitals 7 2 − [523] ( h 11 2 - proton ), and 5 2 + [642] ( i 13 2 - neutron ), are thought to be responsible.
Ovarian ecdysone secretion is controlled by a brain hormone in an adult mosquito

In the mosquito Aedes aegypti, a blood meal triggers egg development. Early workers used the simple technique of decapitation, or neck ligation, to show that a factor from the head was required for normal egg development1–4. Lea subsequently demonstrated that the source of this factor was the medial neurosecretory cells of the brain5. The hormone from these cells, which he termed the egg development neurosecretory hormone (EDNH), is stored in the corpus cardiacum (CC) and released shortly after a blood meal6. Previous work had demonstrated that the ovary begins to produce ecdysone after a blood meal8. Considerable evidence suggests that the ecdysone, after being converted to 20-hydroxyecdysone, stimulates the synthesis and secretion of vitellogenin by the fat body8–12. The vitellogenin is taken up by the growing oocytes and becomes part of the yolk. Analysis of the amount of 20-hydroxyecdysone present in females after a blood meal showed that significant quantities were first seen 4–6 h after a blood meal8. Vitellogenin synthesis begins at about the same time13. The early decapitation experiments of Gillett demonstrated that the head was necessary for 4–8 h after a blood meal for egg development to proceed normally3. A similar critical time was found for the control of vitellogenin synthesis by the brain hormone7. The coincidence of this timing suggested to us that the ovary was the target of the brain hormone. The experiments reported here were designed to test the hypothesis that the brain hormone released after a blood meal acted on the ovary, causing the synthesis of ecdysone. Our results confirm this.
A New Mathematical Model for Geometric Tolerances as Applied to Axes

A new mathematical model for representing the geometric variations of lines is extended to include form and accumulation (stackup) of tolerances in an assembly. The model is compatible with the ASME/ANSI/ISO Standards for geometric tolerances. Central to the new model is a Tolerance-Map© , a hypothetical volume of points which corresponds to all possible locations and variations of a segment of a line (the axis) which can arise from tolerances on size, position, orientation, and form. Every Tolerance-Map is a convex set in a metric space. The new model makes stackup relations apparent in an assembly, and these can be used to allocate size and orientational tolerances; the same relations also can be used to identify sensitivities for these tolerances. All stackup relations can be met for 100% interchangeability or for a specified probability. Much of the detail in this paper would probably reside internally to software for designers, yet would not be included in the interface; its workings should be invisible to the user.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
The Origins and Prevention of Genocide, Mass Killing, and Other Collective Violence

Difficult life conditions give rise to scapegoating and ideologies that identify enemies and lead a group to turn against another. Conflict between groups and self-interest are additional instigators of group violence. Discrimination and limited violence change individuals and groups and can lead to an evolution that ends in mass killing or genocide. Certain cultural characteristics make this process more likely. The passivity of bystanders allows it to unfold. This conception, previously used to understand other instances of collective violence and further developed here, is applied to the exploration of the roots of genocide in Rwanda. To hall violence, once it begins, action by nations and the community of nations is essential. Reasons for bystanders' passivity and necessary forms of action are discussed. To prevent group violence may require the healing of wounds due to past victimization, reconciliation, and the resolution of conflict between antagonistic groups. Changes in elements of a group's cult...
Replacing Haydn: Mozart's 'Pleyel' Quartets

In a letter to his father dated 24 April 1784, Mozart lavished extravagant praise on Ignaz Pleyel's string quartets Op. 1 (1783), and he urged Leopold to go out of his way to secure a copy: 'You will at once recognize in them his master. Finecand it will be fortunate for music if Pleyel in his time is capable of replacing Haydn for us!' Pleyel had studied with Haydn in the 1770s and openly modelled several movements in Op. 1 on movements from Haydn's Op. 20 quartets. Mozart was himself about halfway finished with writing his own 'Haydn' Quartets in April 1784, and he appears to have recognized in Pleyel a rival of sorts. Mozart's engagement with Haydn's music in the 'Haydn' Quartets is well known; what has not been recognized to date is his simultaneous response to at least two of Pleyel's Op. 1 quartets, in the first and third movements of K. 464 and in the opening movement of K. 465. Mozart's commentary on Pleyel's Op. 1cboth verbal and musicalchas much to tell us about the unusual nature of the 'Haydn' Quartets as a whole, the set's celebrated letter of dedication, and Mozart's perception of his own place in the history of music.
An Inexpensive Underwater Multi-Point Temperature System

The goal of this project is to create an inexpensive, easily fabricated, stratified underwater temperature sensing system. The motivation for studying temperature is the seasonal thermal stratification within the Great Lakes, which affects oxygen levels throughout the year. Oxygen levels will in turn affect the life cycles of the lake's living organisms. The temperature system presented here is useful for studying the lake's dynamic physical structure.
Leaf Gas Exchange Parameters Vary among Cotton Genotypes

In trying to increase the yield of upland cotton (L.), breeders have indirectly selected more for increases in harvest index than in photosynthesis. Future cotton yield advances may need increases in both harvest index and photosynthesis. The objectives of this study were to determine if differences in leaf CO-exchange rate (CER) existed among cotton genotypes, investigate physiological mechanisms for the gas exchange differences, and determine if gas exchange parameters were related to genotypic lint yield variability. Field studies were conducted from 1990 to 1992 on 18 cotton genotypes. Leaf CER, chlorophyli.(Chl) concentration, soluble protein concentration, specific leaf weight (SLW), lint yield, and yield components were determined each year. In addition, Chl fluorescence measurements were made in 1992. The CER of the 18 genotypes significantly varied about 10% from a low of 26.0 μmol m s to a high of 28.8 ltmol m s. DES 119 and MD 51 ne had higher CER, whereas the CER of Dixie King and Stoneviile 508 were lower. The genotypes differed in leaf Chl and soluble protein concentration in both 1991 and 1992. The CER was positively correlated with leaf Chl concentration (= 0.768*) and SLW (= 0.568*) in 1991. No difference in the Fv/Fm parameter of Chi fluorescence was found among the genotypes in 1992. A significant positive association (= 0.205**) was found between lint yield and CER during the boll filling period in 1990 and 1991. CER was positively associated with fiber micronaire (= 0.772*) and fiber maturity (0.797*) in 1992. As some cotton breeders bred for higher yielding genotypes, they may have inadvertently selected for increased photosynthesis.
The TATA box binding protein

The TATA box binding protein is required by all three eukaryotic RNA polymerases to correctly initiate the transcription of ribosomal, messenger, small nuclear and transfer RNAs. Since the first gene encoding a TATA box binding protein was cloned from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, it has been the object of considerable biochemical and genetic study. Substantial progress has recently been made on structural and mechanistic studies of the protein. Three-dimensional structures newly elucidated include two TATA box binding proteins alone and bound to distinct TATA elements, and the ternary complex of transcription factor IIB recognizing a TATA box binding protein bound to a TATA element.
Effects of canopy removal and nitrogen enrichment on a Distichlis spicata-edaphic diatom complex

Edaphic diatoms were collected seasonally from a monotypic stand of Distichlis spicata (L.) Greene on Graveline Bay Marsh, Mississippi, in which the marsh surface had been enriched with NH 4 Cl and exposed to high light intensity by clipping the grass shoots. Clipping greatly reduced species diversity ( H′ ) and the number of taxa in a sample ( S ) in all seasons except winter, but did not stimulate the growth of filamentous algae. Nitrogen enrichment increased H′ and S in spring. Of the 111 taxa encountered, clipping eliminated nine pre-existing texa and introduced three new taxa into the community. No such effect was induced by nitrogen enrichment. A 3-way ANOVA (light×nitrogen×date) of the relative abundances of the 16 most abundant taxa revealed that 11 taxa were characterized by a significant 3-way interaction term. As with community diversity, effects due to clipping were more prevalent than those due to nitrogen enrichment. When all responses were considered, the specific combination of clipping and NH 4 Cl enrichment had for all practical purposes the same effects on community structure as did clipping alone. Nitrogen enrichment greatly stimulated the aerial yield of intact D. spicata stands and the regrowth of those clipped 3 months earlier.
Auden and Byron

If William Stewart Rose had arrived in Venice in September, 1817, with nothing but the magnesia and the red tooth powder Byron's publisher, John Murray, had sent him, Byron would probably be considered today a very minor poet.