cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Two essential properties of ( q , h ) -Bernstein-Bézier curves

The ( q , h ) -Bernstein-Bezier curves are generalizations of both the h-Bernstein-Bezier curves and the q-Bernstein-Bezier curves. We investigate two essential features of ( q , h ) -Bernstein bases and ( q , h ) -Bezier curves: the variation diminishing property and the degree elevation algorithm. We show that the ( q , h ) -Bernstein bases for a non-empty interval a , b satisfy Descartes' law of signs on a , b when q - 1 , q ? 0 , and h ? min ? { ( 1 - q ) a , ( 1 - q ) b } . We conclude that the corresponding ( q , h ) -Bezier curves are variation diminishing. We also derive a degree elevation formula for ( q , h ) -Bernstein bases and ( q , h ) -Bezier curves over arbitrary intervals a , b . We show that these degree elevation formulas depend only on the parameter q and are independent of both the parameter h and the interval a , b . We investigate the convergence of the control polygons generated by repeated degree elevation. We show that unlike classical Bezier curves, the control polygons generated by repeated degree elevation for ( q , h ) -Bezier curves with 0 < q < 1 do not converge to the original ( q , h ) -Bezier curve, but rather to a piecewise linear curve with vertices that depend only on q and the monomial coefficients of the q-Bezier curve having the same control points as the original ( q , h ) -Bezier curve. A similar result holds when q 1 . Here the control polygons generated by repeated degree elevation converge to a piecewise linear curve that depends only on q and the monomial coefficients of the 1 / q -Bezier curve with the control points of the original ( q , h ) -Bezier curve in reverse order.
SAR Image Classification Using Few-Shot Cross-Domain Transfer Learning

Data-driven classification algorithms based on deep convolutional neural networks have reached human-level performance for many tasks within Electro-Optical (EO) computer vision. Despite being the prevailing visual sensory data, EO imaging is not effective in applications such as environmental monitoring at extended periods, where data collection at occluded weather is necessary. Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) is an effective imaging tool to circumvent these limitations and collect visual sensory information continually. However, replicating the success of deep learning on SAR domains is not straightforward. This is mainly because training deep networks requires huge labeled datasets and data labeling is a lot more challenging in SAR domains. We develop an algorithm to transfer knowledge from EO domains to SAR domains to eliminate the need for huge labeled data points in the SAR domains. Our idea is to learn a shared domain-invariant embedding for cross-domain knowledge transfer such that the embedding is discriminative for two related EO and SAR tasks, while the latent data distributions for both domains remain similar. As a result, a classifier learned using mostly EO data can generalize well on the related task for the SAR domain.
Medical Students' Perceived Interests and Concerns for a Career in Neurosurgery

Objective The factors that attract and concern medical students about a career in neurosurgery have never been clearly characterized or delineated in a large nationwide cohort of medical students intending to pursue a career in neurosurgery. The objective of the present study was to characterize the factors that influence medical student interest in neurosurgery and assess the effects of a formal neurosurgery training course on participants' perceptions of a career in neurosurgery. Methods Before the Medical Student Neurosurgery Training Camp for subinternship preparation, registered students were surveyed about their interest level in neurosurgery, factors that attracted or concerned them about a career in neurosurgery, attendance at a national neurosurgery conference or course, formal clinical neurosurgery exposure in medical school, and whether they had a resident or attending mentor in neurosurgery. At the end of the course, all the participants completed the surveyed again. P Results Of the training camp attendees, >95% completed both pre- and postcourse surveys, including 41 first-year, 19 second-year, 30 third-year, and 5 fourth-year medical school students. The most common factors that concerned students about a career in neurosurgery were work–life balance (76%) and competitiveness (56%). All factors of concern were decreased in the postcourse survey, except for competitiveness. A small cohort (8.4%) of students had no concerns about a career in neurosurgery; this cohort had doubled to 17% after the course (P Conclusion A training camp for students pursuing a neurosurgery subinternship was effective in providing transparency and positively influencing the factors that attract and concern students about a career in neurosurgery. Characterization of medical student perceptions of neurosurgery from a large, nationwide cohort of students pursuing a subinternship has provided novel data and could help identify factors protecting against burnout later in life.
Abstract A041: Community engagement in the development of an m-health app utilizing a black male virtual health assistant (VHA) to promote colon cancer screening: An iterative study of credibility and likeability

Traditionally, promotion of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening among minority and rural populations including African American men was delivered by Community Health Workers (CHW), Patient Navigators, and decision aids (printed text or video media) at clinics. A novel approach to increase CRC screening of black men includes developing and utilizing a patient-centered, tailored message delivered via mobile-health (m-health) technology. In this study, a Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) approach provided feedback on a Virtual Health Assistant (VHA) designed to deliver precision and personalized messages promoting the Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) for CRC screening. Focus groups of Black men were recruited to understand and employ their perceptions of a Black-male VHA. Specifically, these men identified source characteristics that would enhance the credibility of the VHA and likeability of an m-health app. The MAIN Model which examines how an interface features affect the user’s psychology through four Affordances: Modality, Agency, Interactivity, and Navigability was used to assess the presumed credibility of the VHA and likability of the app from the focus group transcripts. Each affordance triggers heuristic cues that stimulate a positive or negative perception of trustworthiness, believability, and understandability thereby increasing source credibility and likability. Data collected in the focus group included feedback on the different content modalities, both text and visual: size and font of the text, VHA appearance, voice, movement, diction, the environment as well as perceptions of the trustworthiness and expertise of the interface. Data related to interactivity and ease of navigation through the app was also collected and analyzed. All in all, 25 Black men from the community contributed to the development of three iterations of a Black male VHA over an eighteen-month time span. The final version of the Black male-VHA, ALEX is now part of an intervention to increase CRC screening among minority and rural populations. Citation Format: Danyell Wilson-Howard, Melissa Vilaro, Lauren Griffin, Fatemeh Travassoli, Mohan Zalake, Benjamin Lok, Francois Modave, Peter Carek, Thomas George, Janice Krieger. Community engagement in the development of an m-health app utilizing a black male virtual health assistant (VHA) to promote colon cancer screening: An iterative study of credibility and likeability [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Twelfth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2019 Sep 20-23; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl_2):Abstract nr A041.
Condition Monitoring of Airport Pavements Subjected to Repeated Dynamic Aircraft Loading

Pavement surface deflection, which is a reliable indicator for predicting pavement performance, is easily measurable using a heavy weight deflectometer (HWD). The HWD measures deflections to an applied dynamic load that simulates a moving wheel at moderate speeds. Nondestructive tests using the falling weight deflectometer and the HWD were conducted at various times on flexible test pavements at the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s National Airport Pavement Test Facility (NAPTF) to monitor the effect of simulated Boeing 777 and Boeing 747 aircraft gear trafficking on pavement structural condition. Multi-Depth Deflectometers (MDDs) installed within the pavement sections recorded the load-induced displacements in the pavement and in the subgrade. This paper compares the variations in HWD surface deflections acquired at different stages of NAPTF trafficking with the MDD resilient displacements obtained under multiple-wheel heavy aircraft gear trafficking. The results between the HWD and MDD methods are found to be comparable under dynamic loading conditions, and both the HWD and MDD deflections closely follow the pavement surface rutting trends. These findings demonstrate the usefulness of surface deflection basins accrued from periodic HWD tests for characterizing the airport pavement structural deterioration under repeated multiple-wheel aircraft gear loading and support the validity of developing deflection-based airport pavement design criteria.
Transnational Science Publication Ethics Training Using Scenarios

This paper reports completed empirical studies of a larger, STEAM-driven endeavor that bridges two continents and several disciplines, highlighting the role of the technical communicator. The research questions revolve around whether, and to what degree, scenario-based ethics training is effective in helping chemists understand the expectations for responsible publication practice in chemistry, as defined by prestigious universities, professional organizations, and reputable journals. We build on previous studies of scenario-based ethics training. We identify possible next steps for research and training in global science ethics. Ultimately, by building empirical and theoretical knowledge about challenges to ethical behavior, we will be able to identify effective instructional methods for culturally-inclusive, validated ethics training.
Doxorubicin Induces Senescence in Intestinal Epithelial Cells

Doxorubicin treatment induces DNA damage and apoptosis in rapidly dividing cell types like intestinal epithelial cells. This has been demonstrated both in vivo and in vitro . In certain cell types some cells do not undergo DNA damage-induced apoptosis in response to doxorubicin but instead become senescent. Induction of senescence in these cells can lead to dysfunction and chronic inflammation, which can lead to more damage. We questioned whether a single dose of doxorubicin would be able to induce apoptosis and senescence in intestinal epithelial cells in vitro . For these studies, we exposed IEC-6 small intestinal epithelial cells to doxorubicin to evaluate whether senescence is induced in a relatively homogeneous population of intestinal epithelial cells. Although some cells underwent apoptosis, those that did not showed traits of senescence. Our studies showed that doxorubicin treatment increased cell size and increased expression of senescence-associated β-galactosidase. Concomitantly, we observed increased mRNA expression of several genes associated with a senescence-associated secretory phenotype including IL-6 , Ptges , Faim2 , and Cdkn1a and decreased expression of Sirt1 . We also observed release of HMGB1, a cellular alarmin, from treated cells. Together, these data suggest that doxorubicin induces senescence in intestinal epithelial cells. Furthermore, our data indicate that cellular responses to a DNA damaging agent, such as doxorubicin, can differ within a population of cells suggesting differing levels of sensitivity within a relatively homogenous cell population. Further studies are needed to delineate the mechanisms that determine whether a cell moves down an apoptotic or senescent pathway following DNA damage.
Survival prediction in glioblastoma on post-contrast magnetic resonance imaging using filtration based first-order texture analysis: Comparison of multiple machine learning models.

ObjectiveMagnetic resonance texture analysis (MRTA) is a relatively new technique that can be a valuable addition to clinical and imaging parameters in predicting prognosis. In the present study, w...
Discovery and characterization of small-molecule inhibitors of NLRP3 and NLRC4 inflammasomes

Inflammasomes are macromolecular complexes involved in the host response to external and endogenous danger signals. Inflammasome-mediated sterile inflammation plays a central role in several human conditions such as autoimmune diseases, type-2 diabetes, and neurodegenerative disorders, indicating inflammasomes could be appealing therapeutic targets. Previous work has demonstrated that inhibiting the ATPase activity of the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain, leucine-rich repeat and pyrin domain–containing protein 3 (NLRP3), disrupts inflammasome assembly and function. However, there is a necessity to find new potent compounds with therapeutic potential. Here we combine computational modeling of the target and virtual screening to discover a group of novel compounds predicted to inhibit NLRP3. We characterized the best compounds and determined their potency, specificity, and ability to inhibit processes downstream from NLRP3 activation. Moreover, we analyzed in mice the competence of a lead candidate to reduce lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation. We also validated the active pharmacophore shared among all the NLRP3 inhibitors, and through computational docking, we clarify key structural features for compound positioning within the inflammasome ATP-binding site. Our study sets the basis for rational design and optimization of inflammasome-targeting probes and drugs.
Managing the experience of breathlessness with Tai Chi: A qualitative analysis from a randomized controlled trial in COPD.

Abstract Purpose Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with dyspnea, decreased physical activity, and reduced quality-of-life. While pulmonary rehabilitation is helpful, maintenance of physical activity afterwards is problematic. We sought to explore qualitatively the multi-dimensional, biopsychosocial experience of patients with COPD who participated in Tai Chi (TC) vs. group walking to facilitate physical activity after pulmonary rehabilitation). Methods We analyzed semi-structured qualitative exit interviews (N = 81) from a randomized controlled trial comparing 6-months TC with a time-matched group walking intervention and usual care control (UC). Transcripts were reviewed by at least 2 independent reviewers utilizing a social constructivist framework and theoretical sampling approach. An in-depth analysis of an exemplar subset was performed to thematic saturation and captured emergent themes within and between groups. Results Focused analysis was conducted on 54 transcripts (N = 21 TC, N = 16 Walking, N = 17 UC). Participants were characterized by mean age 68.5 (±8.3) years, GOLD Stage = 3.0 (IQR 2.0–3.0), baseline FEV1 percent predicted 48.8% (±16.4), and 48.2% female. We identified predominant themes of breathlessness, and associated fear and embarrassment that limited physical activity across all groups. In both TC and walking, participants reported improvements in energy and endurance. Those in TC additionally shared improvements in breathing, mobility, and capacity for daily activities facilitated by body and breath awareness, emotional control and regulation of breathing, and an adaptive reframing of breathlessness. Conclusion TC promoted physical and mental wellbeing by diminishing fear and embarrassment associated with breathlessness. Results highlight the multimodal characteristics of TC that may facilitate continued physical activity and improvement in quality of life.
Design of the River Dee Bridge, Aberdeen, UK

The River Dee Bridge is a 270 m long concrete box girder bridge constructed as part of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route. The detailed design commenced in 2014, with construction finishing in l...
Structure and function of the RNAs of brome mosaic virus.

Publisher Summary This chapter describes brome mosaic virus (BMV) as a small, multicomponent plant virus. It consists of three virions, designated H, L and M, which contain RNAs 1, 2, and 3-plus-4. RNAs 1, 2, and 4 are monocistronic messengers for proteins of molecular weight approximately 110,000, 105,000 and 20,000; the latter is BMV coat protein. RNA 3 is a dicistronic messenger; it encodes a protein of MW 35,000 and also coat protein. It reviews that all four RNAs are excellent messengers in cell-free extracts derived from wheat embryo. However, only the cistron for the 35,000 MW proteins is translated efficiently by RNA 3. All four RNAs have m 7 GpppG at the 5' terminus, and all four have nearly identical sequences extending for 160 nucleosides from their 3' terminus. The latter region is somewhat resistant to nucleases and can be obtained intact by partial digestion of the RNAs with ribonuclease T1. These 160-nucleoside fragments, as well as the RNAs from which they were obtained, are chargeable with tyrosine in reactions catalyzed by wheat-germ tRNA synthetases.
Athletic identity, identity foreclosure, and career maturity: An investigation of intercollegiate student-athletes

iii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF LITERATURE 6 CHAPTER 3: METHODS 27 CHAPTER 4: RESULTS 33 CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS 37 APPENDIX A: IRB APPROVAL 44 APPENDIX B: CONTACT LETTER 52 APPENDIX C: ATHLETIC DIRECTOR AUTHORIZATION FORM 53 APPENDIX D. INFORMED CONSENT AND INSTRUMENT 54 REFERENCES 60
Chapter 51 Anomalous yield behaviour of compounds with LI2 structure

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the anomalous yield behavior of compounds with L12 structure. It is generally accepted that the anomalous increase of the yield and flow stresses with increasing temperature, observed in a number of L12 intermetallic compounds, is related to the thermally assisted immobilization of super dislocations gliding on planes when they are in the screw orientation. This immediately suggests that the reason why the anomalous yield behavior almost disappears for very small offset strains is that at this stage screw dislocations practically do not participate in the yielding process that is controlled by the motion of mobile non-screw dislocations. This is analogous to the situation observed during the micro-deformation of b.c.c metals when the temperature dependence of the flow stress is much weaker than when large deformation develops, because the sessile screw dislocations barely move in this regime. The PPV model (Paidar et al.) described in detail in this chapter successfully explains a number of important features characterizing the anomalous regime.
Information Technology and Performance Measures as Transformational Strategies

As discussed in other articles in this special issue, the Institute of Medicine's Crossing the Quality Chasm model is ideally suited to promote the transformation of mental health-care delivery systems [1]. The model identifies several key strategies through which transformation takes place, including new approaches to financing, preparing, and training of human resources; the introduction of evidence based practices; and implementation of information technology and performance measurement systems. This article focuses on only the last two of these strategies. Specific topics to be addressed include (a) the role of information technology in transformation, (b) development of a national information technology strategy, (c) development of a common information technology platform for the field, and (d) identification of common performance measures. Special attention is devoted to Decision Support 2000+, a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration initiative to promote these goals.
US-TEC: A new data assimilation product from the Space Environment Center characterizing the ionospheric total electron content using real-time GPS data

[1] The potential of data assimilation for operational numerical weather forecasting has been appreciated for many years. For space weather it is a new path that we are just beginning to explore. With the emergence of satellite constellations and the networks of ground-based observations, sufficient data sources are now available to make the application of data assimilation techniques a viable option. The first space weather product at Space Environment Center (SEC) utilizing data assimilation techniques, US-TEC, was launched as a test operational product in November 2004. US-TEC characterizes the ionospheric total electron content (TEC) over the continental United States (CONUS) every 15 min with about a 15-min latency. US-TEC is based on a Kalman filter data assimilation scheme driven by a ground-based network of real-time GPS stations. The product includes a map of the vertical TEC, an estimate of the uncertainty in the map, and the departure of the TEC from a 10-day average at that particular universal time. In addition, data files are provided for vertical TEC and the line-of-sight electron content to all GPS satellites in view over the CONUS at that time. The information can be used to improve single-frequency GPS positioning by providing more accurate corrections for the ionospheric signal delay, or it can be used to initialize rapid integer ambiguity resolution schemes for dual-frequency GPS systems. Validation of US-TEC indicates an accuracy of the line-of-sight electron content of between 2 and 3 TEC units (1 TECU = 1016 el m−2), equivalent to less than 50 cm signal delay at L1 frequencies, which promises value for GPS users. This is the first step along a path that will likely lead to major improvement in space weather forecasting, paralleling the advances achieved in meteorological weather forecasting.
Approximating additive distortion of embeddings into line metrics

We consider the problem of fitting metric data on n points to a path (line) metric. Our objective is to minimize the total additive distortion of this mapping. The total additive distortion is the sum of errors in all pairwise distances in the input data. This problem has been shown to be NP-hard by [13]. We give an O(logn) approximation for this problem by using Garg et al.’s [10] algorithm for the multi-cut problem as a subroutine. Our algorithm also gives an O(log1/p n) approximation for the L p norm of the additive distortion.
On the transition from shell structure to collective behavior A simplified shell-model study

Abstract To study the feasibility of carrying out shell-model calculations in nuclei with active protons and neutrons in different major shells, the following simple idealized model has been studied: (i) Proton and neutron configurations are chosen to be ( f 5 2 p 3 2 p 1 2 ) n p and ( g 7 2 d 5 2 d 3 2 s 1 2 ) n n , so that results for the separate proton and neutron basis states to be used in any approximation scheme can be compared with the results for exact shell-model calculations, (ii) The proton and neutron single-particle energies for these active shells are separately taken to be degenerate. (iii) The two-body interaction is approximated by the simple surface delta interaction (SDI). To effect the severe truncation of the full shell-model space needed to make such a shell-model study possible the separate proton and neutron parts of the shell-model basis are built from a superposition of the favored pair states of the SDI (with J ≠ 0, as well as J = 0). In the neutron configuration ( g 7 2 d 5 2 d 3 2 s 1 2 ) n n = 4 , for example only three of the 94 shell-model states with J n = 2 are retained in the truncation scheme. In this highly truncated basis both the energies and the strong B (E k ) values for the transitions from these states to similar favored states with other J -values are within a few percent (or better) of the results of exact shell-model calculations. A truncation of the shell-model space based on such superpositions of favored pair states leads to a manageable shell-model basis (dimensions ≦ 200). (a) The number of states in the separate proton and neutron parts of the basis are small enough (8–13 for the proton space, 15–30 for the neutron space). They are also the key states in the following sense (b) They include the low-lying energy eigenstates of the separate p-p and n-n parts of the interaction (c) They contain most of the collective coherence of the separate proton and neutron configurations. (d) The matrix elements of the n-p part of the interaction between the favored states are in general very large compared with the matrix elements between a favored and an excluded state. The latter effect is studied from several aspects, in particular in terms of sum rules for the matrix elements of the surface multipole operators from which the n-p part of the SDI is built. For most of the low-lying favored states the sum over all favored states gives more than 90 % of the total sum rule for the squares of matrix elements of the surface multipole operators. The results of shell-model calculations in this truncation scheme, with n p = 4 or 6, and n n = 4, show many of the features of a quadrupole vibrational spectrum. The presence and exact nature of a 0 + member of the 0 + , 2 + , 4 + “two-phonon triplet” is dependent on the inclusion of the key favored states with seniorities of 6.
Portraying physical activity in food advertising targeting children

Purpose – Childhood obesity is a serious health concern (World Health Organization (WHO), 2013) and advertising exposure is known to be a contributing factor (Institute of Medicine (IOM), 2006). In recent years consumers have expressed an increased interest in products appearing healthy and food companies have committed to changing their child-targeted marketing practices to promote a healthy lifestyle. The purpose of this paper is to examine depictions of physical activity in food advertising and assess how recognition of a promoted food’s healthy and unhealthy traits influences dietary selections among youth in Southern Arizona in the USA. Design/methodology/approach – A content analysis of food advertisements aired during 2009-2013 (n=534 and 354, respectively) identified changes to child-targeted food marketing messages. A structured interview determined differences in recognition of “juxtaposed beliefs” (i.e. that are contradictory and both healthy and unhealthy e.g. connecting exercise with a food h...
Steam Distillation of Volatile Fatty Acids in Rumen Ingesta

Abstract A suitable apparatus and methods for the steam distillation of VFA from approximately 100g of rumen ingesta have been described. The VFA were distilled at a pH of 3 from a saturated MgSO 4 solution maintained at 105C. A collection of 600ml distillate per sample was sufficient to give nearly complete recoveries of VFA present in the samples. The distilled VFA were found to be suitable for gas chromatographic analyses.
An experimental investigation into the metastable formation of phosphoran olivine and pyroxene

Abstract The formation of phosphoran olivine by crystallization from a melt was investigated experimentally using a one atmosphere furnace, using San Carlos olivine [(Mg,Fe) 2 SiO 4 ] mixed with either iron phosphide (FeP) or magnesium pyrophosphate (Mg 2 P 2 O 7 ). Both dynamic crystallization and isothermal experiments produced phosphoran olivine as zoned single crystals and as overgrowths surrounding normal, phosphorus-free olivine grains. The crystallization pathways that form phosphoran olivine were traced and confirm that it is a metastable phase that can crystallize from a phosphorus-rich melt over timescales of hours to days. Removal of the P and equilibration of the olivine however requires weeks to months in the presence of silicate melt. Phosphoran olivine with up to 27 wt% P 2 O 5 was generated and up to 69% of the Si tetrahedral sites were replaced by P. The substitution of Si by P into olivine was confirmed as 4 VI M +2 + 2 IV Si +4 ↔ 3 VI M +2 + 2 IV P +5 + VI []. Phosphoran olivine compositions that vary from (Mg,Fe) 2 SiO 4 to (Mg,Fe) 1.65 [] 0.35 Si 0.3 P 0.7 O 4 have been produced in these experiments. Phosphoran pyroxene was also generated in a few experiments and forms when phosphoran olivine reacts with either tridymite or melt. It has compositions compatible with protopyroxene, orthopyroxene, pigeonite and sub-calcic augite, and can contain up to 31.5 wt% P 2 O 5 . Like phosphoran olivine, it is also a metastable phase. Phosphorus replaces Si in pyroxene by the following substitution methods: 8 IV Si +4 ↔ 3 IV Si +4 + 4 IV P +5 + IV [] with Al entering the structure by the exchange 2 IV Si +4 ↔ IV Al +3 + IV P +5 . Phosphoran pyroxene compositions vary from (Mg,Fe) 8 Si 8 O 24 to (Mg,Fe) 8 Si 3 P 4 []O 24 .
How democracies differ: Public opinion, state structure, and the lessons of the Fashoda crisis

(1995). How democracies differ: Public opinion, state structure, and the lessons of the Fashoda crisis. Security Studies: Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 3-37.
Experimental Atherosclerosis. VII. Effect of Vitamin E

ConclusionIn cholesterol-fed rabbits, the intramuscular administration of d,l-alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) in olive oil or sesame oil augments appreciably the deposition of cholesterol in the aorta but increases only slightly the concentration of this lipid in whole blood and liver.
The Use of Meta-analysis in Psychology: A Superior Vintage or the Casting of Old Wine in New Bottles?

In the discipline of psychology there are numerous examples of multiple published studies examining the same topic with contradictory results. Meta-analysis is viewed by proponents as a superior me...
A biophysical process based approach for estimating net primary production using satellite and ground observations

An approach is presented for calculating interannual variation of net primary production (C) of terrestrial plant communities at regional scale using satellite and ground measurements. C has been calculated as the difference of gross photosynthesis (Ag) and respiration (R), recognizing that different biophysical factors exert major control on these two processes. Ag has been expressed as the product of radiation use efficiency for gross photosynthesis by an unstressed canopy and intercepted photosynthetically active radiation, which is then adjusted for stresses due to soil water shortage and temperature away from optimum. R has been calculated as the sum of growth and maintenance components (respectively, Rg and Rm. The Rm has been determined from nitrogen content of plant tissue per unit ground area, while Rg has been obtained as a fraction of the difference of Ag and Rm. Model parameters have not been determined by matching the calculated fluxes against observations at any location. Results are presented for cultivated and temperate deciduous forest areas over North America for five consecutive years (1986–1990) and compared with observations.
An anatomic and histologic study of the rat prostate

Various morphologic features of the rat prostate complex were characterized by anatomic dissection and by light microscope histology. The prostate complex is viewed as a whole and it is related to the individual portions of the male reproductive system. The three lobes of the prostate are designated as ventral, lateral, and dorsal according to their relation to the urethra. These lobes are connected to the urethra by fascia and a series of ducts. Relations of the prostate to the seminal vesicles, coagulating glands, vas deferens and ampullary glands, urinary bladder, and ureters are described. Vascular supply is also reviewed. While the acinar pattern of each prostatic lobe is unique, the dorsal and lateral lobes more closely resemble each other than the ventral lobes.
Generalizability of Epidemiological Findings and Public Health Decisions: An Illustration From the Rochester Epidemiology Project

Objective To illustrate the problem of generalizability of epidemiological findings derived from a single population using data from the Rochester Epidemiology Project and from the US Census.
Ethylene hydrogenation catalyzed by polymer-bound tetraruthenium clusters

Abstract Metal clusters with unique structures have been attached to solid polymeric supports and used to catalyze ethylene hydrogenation at 1 atm and 50–90 °C. Polymer-bound analogs of [H4Ru4(CO)12−x (PPh3)x] (with x = 1, 3, or 4) were synthesized by ligand exchange between [H4Ru4(CO)12] and poly(styrene-divinylbenzene) membranes functionalized with phosphine ligands. Rates of ethylene hydrogenation were measured with a flow reactor allowing simultaneous recording of the infrared spectra of the functioning catalyst. Each catalyst was stable, exhibiting undiminished activity after thousands of turnovers and presenting a carbonyl spectrum unchanged during catalysis and indistinguishable from that of the membrane incorporating the originally bound tetraruthenium cluster. The catalysts incorporating tri- and tetrasubstituted clusters exhibited the same form of kinetics, indicating saturation in ethylene and a reaction order in H2 of 0.8. The catalytic activity increased, the activation energy decreased, and the strength of bonding of ethylene to the catalyst increased with increasing substitution by electron-donor phosphine ligands on the cluster. The results suggest that the Ru4 framework provided the catalytic sites, perhaps by reversible Ru-Ru bond breaking to form coordinatively unsaturated metal centers.
Notes and Discussions: »The Subjective Element in Scientific Discovery: Popper versus ‘Traditional Epistemology'«

The explanation [of scientific change and problem solving] must, in the final analysis, be psychological or sociological. It must, that is, be a description of a value system, an ideology, together with an analysis of the institutions through which that system is transmitted and enforced. Thomas Kuhn (1) Traditional epistemology with its concentration… on knowledge in the subjective sense, is irrelevant to the study of scientific knowledge. Karl Popper (2)
Dual‐perspective SWOT: a synthesis of marketing intelligence and planning

This paper proposes a cognitive approach of integrating marketing and intelligence views into a new “dual‐perspective” SWOT framework. The new dimensions of SWOT are proposed to address the logical inconsistencies faced by marketing managers synthesizing SWOT components. By representing SWOT as the focus of practitioners’ cognition, researchers and consultants can capture the variability in managerial core logic employed to integrate a coherent strategic situation from a dual intelligence‐and‐planning perspective. Directions are outlined for this new avenue of marketing research.
FORWARD CHARGED-PION ELECTROPRODUCTION FROM FIXED-MOMENTUM-TRANSFER DISPERSION RELATIONS.

The $s$-channel approach to forward charged-pion photoproduction above the resonance region by means of fixed-$t$ dispersion relations is known to be quite successful. In this paper we investigate the kind of behavior that can be expected for charged-pion electroproduction on the basis of such a model.
Assessment of the first factor and related measures of construct differentiation

Abstract This exploration into the composition of the first factor was nested within a 3 (grid type) × 2 (administration session) mixed factorial design exploring differences in construct differentiation, assessed by three measures: the explanatory power of the first factor (EPFF), intensity (INT), and functionally independent construction (TIC). The main intent was to describe the evaluative component of the first factor (ECFF) and track changes in it across the 3 × 2 design. Hypotheses concerning the ECFF were that (a) the ECFF would increase under grid conditions involving figure comparison and a prerating construct valencing procedure and (b) the ECFF would increase across administration times. A secondary set of hypotheses related to the first factor as a measure of construct differentiation was as follows: (a) Differentiation would decrease under grid conditions involving figure comparison and a prerating construct valencing procedure, and (b) differentiation would decrease across administration tim...
Fearing Monarchs and Merchants: Montesquieu's Two Theories of Despotism:

lthough he did not invent the word despotism, Montesquieu more than any other author established it in that lexicon of political and politicized words--words such as capitalism, socialism, individualism, and bureaucracyinvented in the last three centuries in response either to specific political necessities or to more general political goals. In this case, the opponents of Louis XIV's arbitrary uses of power apparently invented the French word despotisme in the 1690s. The root of this word is, of course, Greek in origin, and in ancient Greek usage, a despot (despdtis) was technically a master who ruled in a household over those who were slaves or servants by nature. For Aristotle, however, the noun despot and the adjective despotic (despotikos) had political connotations, because such despotic rule was in a sense appropriate not only toward most servants and slaves within a household but toward all, such as barbarians, who were unable to be free. "For barbarians," wrote Aristotle, "being more servile in character than Hellenes, and Asiatics than Europeans, do not rebel against a despotic government" (Politics 1285al9-21). On occasion, Aristotle even used the words despotic and tyrannical interchangeably, but, when discussing the misuse of political power, Aristotle most often focused his attention on analyzing the political phenomenon of tyranny (tyrannus). The French word despotique first emerged when the pamphleteers for the Fronde attacked Cardinal Mazarin who was ruling in Louis XIV's name, but by the end of the seventeenth century, writers and again especially pamphleteers, were using such phrases as monarchie despotique, pouvoir despotique, puissance despotique, and gouvernement despotique in their protests against the extension of royal power. Although in 1704 Pierre Bayle apparently became the first writer of distinction to use the word despotisme, the word had been coined in the 1690s. And now an old and altered Greek
Pleistocene shoreline ridges from tide-dominated and wave-dominated coasts: northern Gulf of California and western Baja California, Mexico

Abstract The arid climate of northwestern Mexico preserves Pleistocene beach deposits forming linear, shoreline-parallel ridges on the coastal plains of Sonora, northern Gulf of California, and the Vizcaino Peninsula of Baja California. Beach deposits represent both cheniers (northern Gulf) and beach ridges (Vizcaino Peninsula). They formed during Pleistocene sea-level highstands, most commonly during oxygen-isotope stage 5e (∼ 125 ka). The ridges are 0.5 to 5.0 m thick, 100 m wide, and 1000 m long, coarse-grained with common low- to high-angle cross stratification, and are dominated by bivalve shells. Ridges from the tide-dominated northern Gulf of California and the wave-dominated western Vizcaino Peninsula differ in underlying lithology, size, profile, and shell fragmentation. Northern Gulf ridges progradationally overlie deltaic or marsh deposits, are smaller (median thickness 1.4 m; median width 25 m; median length 300 m), typically have a seaward-dipping upper surface and a linear crest on the landward side, and have low levels of fragmentation of large bivalve shells. In contrast, Vizcaino ridges disconformably overlie bedrock on wave-cut terraces, are larger (median thickness 3.3 m; median width 100 m; median length 2000 m), typically have a landward-dipping upper surface and a linear crest on the seaward side, and contain beds of extensively fragmented large bivalve shells. These differences are interpreted to reflect contrasting processes of ridge formation in the two regions. The ridges of the tide-dominated northern Gulf are true cheniers—transgressive beach deposits produced during episodes of clastic starvation associated with shifts in Colorado River delta deposition. They are modified primarily through episodic washover processes during high tides and storms. The ridges of the wave-dominated Vizcaino Peninsula are regressive beach ridges developed on highstand wave-cut terraces. They are modified primarily through continuous wave accretion to the beach face, and secondarily by washover processes.
Fractal states in quantum information processing

The fractal character of some quantum properties has been shown for systems described by continuous variables. Here, a definition of quantum fractal states is given that suits the discrete systems used in quantum information processing, including quantum coding and quantum computing. Several important examples are provided.
The problem of isotopic baseline: Reconstructing the diet and trophic position of fossil animals

Abstract Stable isotope methods are powerful, frequently used tools which allow diet and trophic position reconstruction of organisms and the tracking of energy sources through ecosystems. The majority of ecosystems have multiple food sources which have distinct carbon and nitrogen isotopic signatures despite occupying a single trophic level. This difference in the starting isotopic composition of primary producers sets up an isotopic baseline that needs to be accounted for when calculating diet or trophic position using stable isotopic methods. This is particularly important when comparing animals from different regions or different times. Failure to do so can cause erroneous estimations of diet or trophic level, especially for organisms with mixed diets. The isotopic baseline is known to vary seasonally and in concert with a host of physical and chemical variables such as mean annual rainfall, soil maturity, and soil pH in terrestrial settings and lake size, depth, and distance from shore in aquatic settings. In the fossil record, the presence of shallowing upward suites of rock, or parasequences, will have a considerable impact on the isotopic baseline as basin size, depth and distance from shore change simultaneously with stratigraphic depth. For this reason, each stratigraphic level is likely to need an independent estimation of baseline even within a single outcrop. Very little is known about the scope of millennial or decadal variation in isotopic baseline. Without multi-year data on the nature of isotopic baseline variation, the impacts of time averaging on our ability to resolve trophic relationships in the fossil record will remain unclear. The use of a time averaged baseline will increase the amount of error surrounding diet and trophic position reconstructions. Where signal to noise ratios are low, due to low end member disparity (e.g., aquatic systems), or where the observed isotopic shift is small (≤ 1‰) the error introduced by time averaging may severely inhibit the scope of one's interpretations and limit the types of questions one can reliably answer. In situations with strong signal strength, resulting from high amounts of end member disparity (e.g., terrestrial settings), this additional error maybe surmountable. Baseline variation that is adequately characterized can be dealt with by applying multiple end-member mixing models.
Miniaturized 3-D surface profilometer using a fiber optic coupler

A 3-D surface profilometer is described which uses a simple fiber optic coupler to form a Young's double pinhole interferometer. The Young's fringes are projected onto a surface, captured by a camera and analyzed using the Fourier transform method. The phase of the fringe pattern on the object is used to reconstruct the surface profile. System analysis, results from a simulation, and preliminary experimental results are provided which indicate a system resolution on the order of a tenth of a millimeter.
Association and Linkage Analysis of Aluminum Tolerance Genes in Maize

Background: Aluminum (Al) toxicity is a major worldwide constraint to crop productivity on acidic soils. Al becomes soluble at low pH, inhibiting root growth and severely reducing yields. Maize is an important staple food and commodity crop in acidic soil regions, especially in South America and Africa where these soils are very common. Al exclusion and intracellular tolerance have been suggested as two important mechanisms for Al tolerance in maize, but little is known about the underlying genetics. Methodology: An association panel of 282 diverse maize inbred lines and three F2 linkage populations with approximately 200 individuals each were used to study genetic variation in this complex trait. Al tolerance was measured as net root growth in nutrient solution under Al stress, which exhibited a wide range of variation between lines. Comparative and physiological genomics-based approaches were used to select 21 candidate genes for evaluation by association analysis. Conclusions: Six candidate genes had significant results from association analysis, but only four were confirmed by linkage analysis as putatively contributing to Al tolerance: Zea mays AltSB like (ZmASL), Zea mays aluminum-activated malate transporter2 (ALMT2), S-adenosyl-L-homocysteinase (SAHH), and Malic Enzyme (ME). These four candidate genes are high priority subjects for follow-up biochemical and physiological studies on the mechanisms of Al tolerance in maize. Immediately, elite haplotype-specific molecular markers can be developed for these four genes and used for efficient marker-assisted selection of superior alleles in Al tolerance maize breeding programs.
Dual-gate MOSFETs on monolayer CVD MoS2 films

Monolayer MoS2 with a direct band gap of 1.8 eV is a promising two-dimensional material with a potential to surpass graphene in next generation nanoelectronic applications.[1-3] We have synthesized monolayer MoS2 thin films via chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method on Si/SiO2 substrate and comprehensively study the device performance and variation on dual-gated MoS2 field-effect transistors. Over 100 devices are studied to obtain a statistical description of device performance on monolayer CVD MoS2. We have achieved record high drain current of 62.5 mA/mm in CVD monolayer MoS2 films ever reported.[4] We further extract the intrinsic contact resistance of low work function metal Ti on monolayer CVD MoS2 with an expectation value of 175 Ω·mm, which can be significantly decreased to 10 Ω·mm by appropriate gating. By taking the impact of contact resistance into account, average and max intrinsic field-effect mobility is estimated to be 13.0 and 21.6 cm2/V·s in monolayer CVD MoS2 films.