cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Use of shelter tubes, grass‐specific herbicide, and herbivore exclosures to reduce stressors and improve restoration of semiarid thornscrub forests

In semiarid south Texas, land conversion has reduced thornscrub forests by greater than 95%, and stressors, including competition with invasive grasses, mammalian herbivory, and drought, threaten the success of restoration efforts. This study assessed the effectiveness of multiple restoration treatments aimed at improving survival and growth of thornscrub forest seedlings planted in old agricultural fields. In January 2013, we treated greater than 1,100 seedlings with grass-specific herbicide, herbivore exclosures, and shelter tubes, used separately or combined. We further evaluated the effects of shelter tube duration (0, 6, 12, and 18 months). For each seedling, we quantified surrounding invasive grass cover, browse intensity, height, and basal diameter every 4 months until September 2014. Herbicide application decreased invasive grass cover approximately 5-fold and increased seedling survival (23%) and basal diameter (26%). Shelter tube application for 12 and 18 months increased seedling survival (10%) and height (43 and 74%, respectively), whereas seedlings treated with tubes for only 6 months performed similar to those left untreated. Exclosures had no impact on seedling survival but increased seedling height (23%) and basal diameter (26%). We found no significant interactive effects of treatments. Overall, herbicide most effectively increased seedling survival and basal diameter growth, whereas shelter tubes proved most useful for promoting height growth. Combined, these treatments increased implementation and maintenance costs 2-fold, but minimized seedling mortality and maximized restoration potential. These findings highlight the necessity of post-planting seedling management to reduce stress from invasive grasses, mammalian herbivory, and drought and improve restoration potential in semiarid thornscrub forests.
An Overview of Fertilization and Irrigation Management in the Conventional and Certified Organic Production of Vegetable Crops in Florida

The postharvest quality of vegetable crops from conventional and organic production systems depends on pre-harvest factors such as variety genetic potential, fertilization, and irrigation. The five principles of plant nutrition (plants absorb ions, not fertilizers; Leibeig’s law of the minimum; nutrient application requires a source, a rate, a placement and a time of application; no correlation exists between total nutrient presence in the soil and availability; and plant nutrient concentration and yield are related) must be followed throughout the crop growth cycle. In certified organic production in the United States, cover crops, manure and composts may be used together with Organic Materials Review Institute–approved fertilizer products. A fertilization program usually includes (1) soil sampling and understanding the recommendation; (2) adjusting pH if necessary; (3) applying preplant fertilizer and developing a schedule for sidedressing or fertigation; (4) using foliar fertilization; (5) monitoring plant nutrient status; and (5) keeping fertilization records. The components of an irrigation schedule are (1) determining a target irrigation volume based on reference evapotranspiration and crop age; (2) adjusting this amount based on soil moisture content; (3) determining the contribution of rainfall; (4) developing a rule for splitting irrigation; and (5) keeping irrigation records. A poorly designed irrigation program can negate the benefits of a sound fertilization program. Challenges encountered in conventional and organic production include predicting nutrient release rates from organic materials, supplying enough N throughout the cropping season, identifying rescue strategies, keeping production costs low, and meeting the additional legal requirements of the food safety and best management practices programs.
Mixed Model Make-to-Order Assembly

Make to order assembly occurs when the customers specify the features and options for each unit they buy. The methods to control the operation of this type of assembly line are described by an example. The example begins with the work elements, element times, predecessor elements and any associated features and options. The probability of options by feature is used to project the number of options and features by shift over the planning horizon. The shift time and the number of units to build over the shift are then used to estimate the element times over the shift. With this information, the assignment of elements to the stations.
Three distinct cell populations express extracellular matrix proteins and increase in number during skeletal muscle fibrosis.

Tissue extracellular matrix (ECM) provides structural support and creates unique environments for resident cells (Bateman JF, Boot-Handford RP, Lamande SR. Nat Rev Genet 10: 173–183, 2009; Kjaer M....
Load analysis and sleep mode optimization for energy-efficient 5G small cell networks

Dense deployment of small cells is seen as one of the major approaches for addressing the traffic demands in next-generation wireless networks. However, dense deployment of large number of small cells necessitates effective techniques for placing under-loaded small cells into sleep mode, so as to save energy. Such techniques should be low complexity and should not also compromise quality of service of users such as short access delay, while they can also result in significant energy savings for delay-tolerant network traffic. In this study, we introduce energy efficient, low-complexity techniques for load-based sleep mode optimization in densely deployed 5G small cell networks. We define a new analytic model to characterize the distribution of the traffic load of a small cell using a Gamma distribution, find its distribution parameters, and verify the validity of the model using computer simulations. We also compare the throughput of various sleep mode techniques as a function of different delay tolerance levels, where our simulation results show that the proposed technique achieves the highest throughput.
Critiquing the Legacy of Chivalry

Attwood examines Disney’s contribution to the popular perception of chivalry. Attwood reviews Disney’s portrayal of chivalric ideals through a synthesis of literature and movies in addition to other popular culture media. This evaluation provides additional context to explain the influence of popular culture on pre-service K-8 teachers’ perceptions of chivalry as a historical social construct.
Modeling anti-CD20 chimeric antigen receptor therapy in canine B cell lymphoma patients

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) therapy has demonstrated great promise in treating human leukemias, but preclinical murine models are limited in their ability to predict safety and efficacy in humans. Given the rapid and on-going advances in CAR T cell technology in the laboratory, it now becomes necessary to identify and develop an outbred, large animal spontaneous cancer model in which the safety of novel targets and therapeutic effectiveness of re-directed T cells can be evaluated and optimized. Canines naturally develop spontaneous B cell lymphoma, and we have previously shown the feasibility of evaluating CAR T cell therapy in dogs using CD20-targeting RNA CAR T cells. To parallel human CAR T cell approaches, we have now optimized primary canine T cell transduction with lentivirus. Once peak T cell activation and artificial antigen presenting cell elimination timeframes were established, transduction yielded up to 26% CAR+ canine T cells. Canine T cells transduced with a second generation CD20-targeting CAR (CD20-28-ζ) demonstrated CAR-mediated, antigen-specific proliferation and efficient cytolysis of a CD20+ canine B cell lymphoma line in vitro . Three relapsed canine B cell lymphoma patients were treated with autologous CD20-28-ζ CAR T cells. Despite the administration of low numbers of CAR T cells, transient anti-tumor effects were observed in the first 2 patients. Following administration of ~700,000 CAR T cells/kg intravenously to the third patient, CAR T cells were found to persist and expand in the periphery and malignant nodes and disease progression was halted. This work establishes the feasibility of using the dogs with spontaneous cancer as pre-clinical models for advancing human CAR T cell therapy.
Application of the FDA Biosimilar Extrapolation Framework to Make Off-Label Determinations.

BACKGROUND: The FDA’s extrapolation framework allows for a biosimilar to obtain licensure for indications that were not explicitly studied in the context of a clinical trial by extending conclusions from studies in 1 population to make inferences in other populations. Within routine clinical care, drugs and biologics are routinely used for medically accepted off-label indications. The appropriateness of these products for off-label indications are typically curated by compendia and guidelines, which have established processes and criteria for reviewing and evaluating the evidence to make such determinations. The evidence paradigm for biosimilars is different from originator biologics and is one of comparability to a reference product, not to reestablish clinical benefit. Thus, this paradigm shift can be applied to the exercise of making off-label determinations for biosimilars, and the FDA’s framework of extrapolation can be used by clinicians and coverage policy decision makers to determine appropriate o...
2-Octylcyanoacrylate for the prevention of anastomotic leak

BACKGROUND Anastomotic leak after colorectal surgery is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of a reinforced colo-colonic anastomosis with tissue adhesive, 2-octylcyanoacrylate (2-OCA), on the integrity of anastomotic healing as measured by anastomotic bursting pressure. METHODS Sixty-eight female Sprague-Dawley rats underwent a rectosigmoid colon transection and a sutured end-to-end anastomosis followed by randomization to receive no further intervention or reinforcement with the tissue adhesive, 2-OCA. After seven postoperative days, a macroscopic assessment of the anastomosis, mechanical assessment to determine anastomotic bursting pressure, and a detailed semi-quantitative histopathologic healing assessment were performed. RESULTS Thirty-four animals were randomized to each group. Study characteristics did not differ between the groups. There was also no difference in the degree of adhesions present postoperatively. Although there was no difference between the net proximal and distal luminal areas in the two groups (0.37 cm2versus 0.55 cm2, P = 0.26), the 2-OCA group exhibited evidence of stricture in 15% of anastomoses as compared with 3% in the suture-only group (P < 0.0001). Histologically, the presence of only fibroblasts density was statistically more evident in the 2-OCA group compared with the sutured-only anastomosis (P = 0.0183). There was not a significant increase in mechanical strength in the 2-OCA group (238.9 mm Hg) versus in the suture-only group (231.8 mm Hg). There was no difference in the rate of anastomotic leak in the 2-OCA as compared with the suture-only group (9.1 versus 8.8%). CONCLUSIONS Application of 2-OCA to reinforce a colo-colonic anastomosis clinically provides no benefit to its mechanical strength and detrimentally increases the rate of obstruction and/or stricture in this in vivo model.
A spectral analysis approach for social media community detection

Online forums are ideal platforms for worldwide Internet users to share ideas, raise discussions and disseminate information. It is of great interest to gain a better understanding on the dynamic of user interactions and identify user communities in online forums. In this paper, we propose a temporal coherence analysis approach to detect user communities in online forum. Users are represented by vectors of activeness and communities are extracted by a soft community detection algorithm with the support of spectral analysis.
From Switzerland with Love: Surrey’s Papers and the Original Intent(s) of Subpart-F

For the first time since 1913, and as part of the 2017 tax reform, Congress adopted a tax regime that exempts from U.S. taxation dividends from foreign subsidiaries. By doing so, Congress abandoned the general principle that U.S. residents should be subject to tax on all income “from whatever source derived.” This shift marks a good opportunity for considering the reasons the United States taxed such dividends in the first place. In 1962, Congress enacted ‘Subpart-F,’ which subjected certain earnings of the foreign subsidiaries of American parent corporations to current-base taxation. This was a deviation from the general tax principle of tax deferral, under which earnings of foreign subsidiaries are taxed only upon repatriation of these earnings. An example of a taxable instance would be by a dividend. The new legislation was the result of political compromise. Although the Department of the Treasury (Treasury) supported a wide-scale elimination of tax deferral, Congress eventually adopted a much narrower law which eliminated tax deferral only in instances where it was abused, such as when deferrals are used to avoid paying otherwise owed U.S. taxes. Seven internal Treasury Department reports found in the archives of Harvard Law School’s Law Library reveal the dramatic sequence of events that led to the enactment of Subpart-F, one of the most prominent international tax reforms the United States has ever known. The reports unequivocally support the notion that Subpart-F was initially formed mainly due to the deteriorating U.S. Balance of Payment position, and that its “original intent,” as designed by its main architect, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, Stanley S. Surrey, was to eliminate tax deferral and protect the U.S. tax base. This was based on the principles of equity, efficiency (Capital Export Neutrality), and elegance. Congress, on the other hand, rejected the proposal and adopted a much narrower piece of legislation, mainly due to the concern that eliminating tax deferral would result in a competitive disadvantage to American corporations operating abroad. Based on the reports, as well as the controlling legal and economic concepts of the time, I argue that Congress was mistaken in limiting the original proposal to eliminate tax deferral. This mistake was the result of relying on overly-emphasized and exaggerated competitive concerns, rather than on concrete and sound tax and fiscal policies.
Federico Gauffin’s En tierras de Magú Pelá (1932): A Modernist Bildungsroman, an Intertextual Dialogue with Güiraldes and Arlt, and a Reaction to the Nationalist Project

En tierras de Magu Pela (1932), the first novel of an obscure Argentine writer, Federico Gauffin, is a semi-autobiographical account of his experiences on an expedition he had joined nearly three decades earlier to explore the Pilcomayo River in the Chaco region of northeast Argentina. The novel has received little critical attention, yet it is an invaluable piece of regionalist writing, and it also reveals something of the role of writers vis-a-vis the state and the 1930s Nationalist Project. Most significant, I will argue, are the ways in which the novel works within the narrative structure of the bildungsroman while testing the limits of the genre. The result is not merely another noteworthy Spanish American contribution to the bildungsroman but an intertextual dialogue with contemporary works that have become seminal pieces of Argentine literary history, most notably Ricardo Guiraldes’ Don Segundo Sombra and Roberto Arlt’s El juguete rabioso. One commonality between these three very different novels is that their apparent failures are paradoxically the keys to their success when viewed from a modernist bildungsroman point of view.
A report to mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of Josef Rossler-Orovsky, founding father of sport in the Czech lands

This paper looks at Josef Rossler-Ořovský, the founding father of sport in the Czech lands, who was instrumental in the development of sports in the Czech lands and in Czechoslovakia from the 1880s until the end of the 1920s. J. Rossler-Ořovský was a sportsman in his body and soul. In addition to his own sporting career, he was known for his efforts to get a large number of sports clubs and associations established in the Czech lands and have them registered in international sports federations. He also played a significant role in the Czech Olympic Committee. Josef Rossler-Ořovský, who would have celebrated his 150th birthday in 2019, is indisputably one of the greatest names in Czech sport. ​
Toward ultrafast, ultra-stable imaging arrays: Superlattice doping to enhance the performance of backside-illuminated 3D-hybridized silicon photodetectors

In this paper, the authors report the latest results on their development of superlattice-doped, thinned, backside-illuminated (BSI), 3D-integrated photodiode detectors—a step toward their ultimate goal of demonstrating ultrafast, ultrastable CMOS imaging arrays. As with most silicon-based photodetectors, backside-illumination and backside surface passivation are keys to achieve the highest performance capability. The two-dimensional (2D) doping technique developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has proved to result in a highly efficient, highly stable detector response when combined with a variety of detectors. Here, JPL's 2D-doping has been combined with Sandia's BSI photodetectors hybridized with custom fanout wafer via copper Direct Bond Interconnect (DBI®), a technology that is rapidly becoming industry standard for BSI CMOS imaging arrays. The prototype detectors were packaged and evaluated with respect to their response to low energy electrons. The authors find that the responsivity of 2D-doped BSI detectors is higher than devices prepared using other surface passivation techniques (i.e., ion implantation). The success of the work described herein verifies that the 2D-doping processes previously developed for Sandia's frontside-illuminated photodetectors are generally applicable to BSI detectors and demonstrates for the first time that JPL's 2D-doping process is compatible with the Cu-DBI® technology.In this paper, the authors report the latest results on their development of superlattice-doped, thinned, backside-illuminated (BSI), 3D-integrated photodiode detectors—a step toward their ultimate goal of demonstrating ultrafast, ultrastable CMOS imaging arrays. As with most silicon-based photodetectors, backside-illumination and backside surface passivation are keys to achieve the highest performance capability. The two-dimensional (2D) doping technique developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has proved to result in a highly efficient, highly stable detector response when combined with a variety of detectors. Here, JPL's 2D-doping has been combined with Sandia's BSI photodetectors hybridized with custom fanout wafer via copper Direct Bond Interconnect (DBI®), a technology that is rapidly becoming industry standard for BSI CMOS imaging arrays. The prototype detectors were packaged and evaluated with respect to their response to low energy electrons. The authors find that the responsivity of 2D-d...
Maternal prepregnancy BMI and size at birth: race/ethnicity-stratified, within-family associations in over 500,000 siblings.

Abstract Purpose To estimate racial/ethnic-stratified effects of maternal prepregnancy BMI on size for gestational age at birth, by comparing siblings within families. Methods This study examined linked vital statistics and patient discharge data from 580,960 infants born to 278,770 women in the State of California (2007–2012). To control for family-level confounding, we used fixed effects multinomial regression, modeling size for gestational age (small [SGA], appropriate, large [LGA]) as a function of maternal BMI (underweight, normal weight, overweight, obesity class I, II, III) and time-varying covariates. We conducted overall and race/ethnicity-stratified (non-Hispanic white, black, Asian; Hispanic) analyses. For comparison, we fit analogous random effects models, which do not control for family-level confounding. Results In fixed effects models, maternal BMI was most strongly associated with LGA in non-Hispanic white women, reaching 6.7 times greater for class III obesity (OR [95% CI]: 6.7 [5.1, 8.7]); and weakest in black women (OR [95% CI]: 3.0 [1.5, 5.7]). Associations with SGA were similar across race/ethnicity. Compared with random effects estimates, fixed effects were most attenuated for LGA associations among racial/ethnic minority women. Conclusions Maternal prepregnancy BMI was differentially associated with size for gestational age across racial/ethnic groups, with the strongest family-level confounding in racial/ethnic minority women.
14 – Subband Coding

Publisher Summary This chapter provides the second of three approaches to compression in which the source output is decomposed into constituent parts. Each constituent part is encoded using one or more of the methods that are briefly described in the chapter. The approach described known as “subband coding” relies on separating the source output into different bands of frequencies using digital filters. A vector quantization scheme is most effective if blocks of the source output show a high degree of clustering. A differential encoding scheme is most effective when the sample-to-sample difference is small. If the source output is truly random, it is best to use scalar quantization or lattice vector quantization. Thus, if a source exhibited certain well-defined characteristics, one can choose a compression scheme most suited to that characteristic. The chapter explains filters; a system that isolates certain frequency components. One way to characterize filters is by their magnitude transfer function—the ratio of the magnitude of the input and output of the filter as a function of frequency. The most frequently used filter banks in subband coding consist of a cascade of stages, where each stage consists of a low-pass filter and a high-pass filter.
Bayesian Networks and Causal Ecumenism

Proponents of various causal exclusion arguments claim that for any given event, there is often a unique level of granularity at which that event is caused. Against these causal exclusion arguments, causal ecumenists argue that the same event or phenomenon can be caused at multiple levels of granularity. This paper argues that the Bayesian network approach to representing the causal structure of target systems is consistent with causal ecumenism. Given the ubiquity of Bayesian networks as a tool for representing causal structure in both philosophy of science and science itself, this result speaks in favor of the ecumenical view, and against rival exclusionary accounts. Gebharter’s (Philos Phenomenol Res 95(2):353–375, 2017) argument that the Bayes nets formalism is consistent with causal exclusion is considered and rebutted.
Use of Exam Wrappers and Measures of Anxiety on Class Performance in Six Gateway STEM Courses at a Small Liberal Arts College

Demand for STEM majors is increasing, yet attrition in STEM classes is common. Exam wrappers and asking students to write on test anxiety have both been shown to be somewhat successful as simple in...
Behavioral Strategies in Weight Management

Behavioral approaches to weight control are recommended as the treatment of choice for overweight and moderately obese adults. In these approaches, behavioral strategies are used to help participants make healthy, permanent changes in their eating and exercise behaviors. This chapter describes the history of behavioral approaches to obesity, the key components of these approaches, and the results that are achieved, both in terms of weight loss and health outcomes. New directions that are being pursued to improve these outcomes and extend their reach are also presented.
Nodal Structure of Quasi-Two-Dimensional Superconductors Probed by a Magnetic Field

We consider a quasi-two-dimensional superconductor with line nodes in the presence of an in-plane magnetic field, and compute the dependence of the specific heat C and the in-plane heat conductivity kappa on the angle between the field and the nodal direction in the vortex state. We use a variation of the microscopic Brandt-Pesch-Tewordt method that accounts for the scattering of quasiparticles off vortices, and analyze the signature of the nodes in C and kappa. At low to moderate fields the specific heat anisotropy changes sign with increasing temperature. Comparison with measurements of C and kappa in CeCoIn(5) resolves the contradiction between the two in favor of the d((x(2)-y(2)) gap.
Triple Oral Antithrombotic Therapy in Atrial Fibrillation and Coronary Artery Stenting

Patients with atrial fibrillation affected by an acute coronary syndrome have indications for oral anticoagulation and dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and a P2Y12 adenosine diphosphate receptor inhibitor after coronary artery stenting. The concurrent use of all 3 agents, termed triple oral antithrombotic therapy, significantly increases the risk of bleeding. To date, there is a lack of evidence on the proper combination and duration of anticoagulant and antiplatelet agents in patients with indications for both therapies. As such, care has been guided by expert opinion, and there is wide variation in clinician practice. In this review, the latest evidence on the risks and benefits of triple oral antithrombotic therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation after coronary artery stenting is summarized. We discuss the clinical risk scores useful in guiding the prediction of stroke, bleeding, and stent thrombosis. Additionally, we highlight where additional evidence is needed to determine the proper balance of anticoagulant and antiplatelet agents in this patient population.
Hydrogen and medical application

A number of basic and clinical researches have revealed that hydrogen is an important physiological regulatory factor with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic protective effects on cells and organs, with properties to mitigate various disease status. Recently, hydrogen gas has been identified as a signaling gas molecule like nitric oxide and carbon monoxide. Therapeutic hydrogen has been applied by different delivery methods including straightforward inhalation, drinking hydrogen dissolved in water and injection with hydrogen-saturated saline. Herein, I summarize currently available data regarding the protective role of hydrogen in medicine, provide an outline of recent advances in research on the use of hydrogen as a therapeutic medical gas in diverse models of disease, and discuss the feasibility of hydrogen as a therapeutic strategy. Hydrogen’s impact on therapeutic and preventive medicine could be enormous in the future.
Enhanced Sludge Washing for Pretreating Hanford Tank Sludges

The term “Enhanced Sludge Washing” (ESW) refers to a method by which tank sludges are leached with aqueous sodium hydroxide solutions (several molar in NaOH). The ESW process is designed to leach aluminum, chromium, phosphate, and sulfate from the sludges. Removing these nonradioactive components will reduce the amount of high-level waste being processed for final disposal. Aluminum is removed by dissolving aluminum oxides/hydroxides as sodium aluminate. We presume that phosphate and sulfate are removed by metathesis of insoluble phosphates and sulfates to the corresponding metal hydroxides and soluble sodium phosphate and sulfate. Earlier we presumed that chromium would be removed by dissolution of Cr(III) as Cr(OH)4 2−, but experimental evidence suggests that the removal of Cr by this mechanism is unfavorable. In this paper, we summarize ESW studies on actual tank waste samples. The behavior of the various sludge components as functions of waste type and processing conditions are discussed.
Super-Charged Pedicled Jejunal Interposition Performance Compares Favorably With a Gastric Conduit After Esophagectomy.

Background A variety of conduits can be utilized for esophageal reconstruction, but their postoperative function remains unknown. The objective of our study was to compare functional performance of super-charged pedicled jejunal (SPJ) to gastric conduits using a novel conduit assessment tool. Methods Patients who underwent esophageal reconstruction between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2013 were asked to complete questionnaires measuring postoperative functional outcomes. Conduit emptying and postoperative variables were recorded. Statistical analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney U test and Fisher exact test for crosstabs. Results Forty-five of the 94 esophageal reconstruction patients (48%) were alive, had either a gastric conduit or SPJ reconstruction, and completed the questionnaire. The mean age was 60.6 ± 12.5 years, 69% were male, and the majority of patients had cancer (87%). While the majority of the gastric patients underwent an oncologic resection for adenocarcinoma (65%), 50% of SPJ patients had undergone a previous resection ( p = 0.008). The average time after surgery for last conduit assessment was 15 ± 13 months for the gastric conduit group and 17 ± 12 months for the SPJ group ( p = 0.315). The average reflux, dumping, dysphagia, stricture, conduit emptying, and Zubrod scores were low and similar between groups: reflux 1.7 ± 1.9 for gastric conduit and 0.7 ± 1.3 for SPJ; dumping 0.97 ± 1.2 and 0.93 ± 1.1; dysphagia 0.60 ± 0.72 and 0.79 ± 0.89; stricture 0.7 ± 1.4 and 0.38 ± 0.96; conduit emptying 0.46 ± 0.93 and 0.33 ± 0.88; and Zubrod 0.84 ± 0.64 and 1.21 ± 0.8, respectively. The SPJ patients had a higher pain score (7.0 ± 3.2 vs 2.4 ± 2.4, p = 0.043). Conclusions Super-charged pedicled jejunal interposition performance is comparable with a gastric conduit after esophagectomy according to a novel, comprehensive conduit assessment tool.
Study of lateral shocks observed during fork truck and pallet jack operations for the handling of palletized loads

This study measured the lateral impact levels that occur when fork trucks are used to handle palletized loads. The existing ASTM-D4003 standard on pallet marshalling recommends a 40 G, 10 ms shock or a 10G. 50ms shock to simulate impacts on pallet loads due to fork truck equipment. This study investigated the validity of these levels since no previous studies documenting these levels is provided in the ASTM standards.5 A set of ten impacts were conducted in the two different scenarios using boxes, bins and drums. These scenarios represent a palletized load on a fork truck impacting a similar stationary pallet load and an empty fork truck impacting a pallet load. Results are presented for each category of impacts performed in terms of average and maximum levels measured. The average peak acceleration for the data collected was 36 G and the average duration of impact was 4.3 ms. An analysis describing the limiting conditions for the shock acceleration G and the duration T as a function of the fork truck weight, impact speed, pallet weight and impact condition was determined. This showed that the impacts should have the product of maximum shock (in G) and duration (T) mms lying between 37.2 and 368 for half-sine shocks.
c-Kit mutant mouse behavioral phenotype: altered meal patterns and CCK sensitivity but normal daily food intake and body weight.

The mouse W/Wv mutation of the c-Kit receptor causes extensive loss of gastrointestinal interstitial cells of Cajal and vagal intramuscular arrays (IMAs; one of the two putative mechanoreceptors in...
The reflection coefficients of the edge elements of large periodic antenna arrays

A simple equation is derived relating the reflection coefficients of the edge elements and the center elements of a two-dimensional antenna array. Calculated values of the coupling and reflection coefficients are presented for TEM-mode parallel-plate horn arrays. These are compared to published values for arrays with ground planes.
Laser recanalization of pyloric stenosis: a guidewire-directed contact probe technique.

A variety of techniques has been used to relieve the obstructive symptoms of pyloric stenosis. Endoscopic dilatation using hydrostatic balloon dilators, multiple-diameter bougies, and electrocautery with a sphincterotome have been described. The neodymium yttrium aluminum garnet laser also has been used, with both noncontact and contact probes. We describe a new technique using a guidewire-directed contact probe for laser recanalization of pyloric stenosisin a patient with radiation-induced gastric outlet obstruction.
Domineering mothers in the 1950s: Image and reality

Abstract While new economic and social possibilities were opening up for American women in the post World War II period, it was a time in which the only acceptable goals for women were marriage and the family. However, in spite of the fact that so many women conformed to this norm, they were simultaneously blamed for being overbearing with their children. Mothers were especially blamed for overprotecting their sons and creating weak and unmasculine men. It was a period of changing gender configurations and new personality goals. The anxiety and hostility this generated was directed at the mothers who were devoting themselves to their children in the way they were ‘supposed’ to.
Are we prepared for the economic risk resulting from telecom hotel disruptions

Abstract Large and small businesses in Seattle, Washington, as in most urban centers across the United States, increasingly rely on telecom hotels and related telecommunications centers to conduct business operations. What would be the economic impact to these businesses if a natural or man-made disaster were to make this infrastructure unavailable for a significant period of time? How long would it take for the owners of small businesses, which provide the foundation for economic recovery, to give up and move away? Are metropolitan regions prepared for this risk? This paper draws on publicly available reports of telecom hotel investments to examine the economic risks that such telecommunications hubs pose at the regional scale. New York City and Seattle are two urban areas that depend on key investments in telecom hotels. In the Pacific Northwest, these assets are located downtown, primarily in the center of the urban real estate market of Seattle. Although the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 were directed at the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan, collateral damage to a major telecommunications hub brought outages during and after the attacks that highlighted the serious risk posed to small- and mid-sized businesses from disruptions in telecommunications service. The Seattle case study illustrates the potential to learn from the experience in Lower Manhattan and apply this knowledge across the United States. Regional economic analysis of the benefits of and the means to protect small- and mid-sized businesses can provide the basis for strategic investments that minimize economic loss and reduce the recovery time.
Networking for computer-integrated manufacturing

The concept of a CIM (computer-integrated manufacturing) networking architecture for integration of factory and office communications is introduced. Some potential problems in CIM networking and approaches for their solution are elucidated. A simulation methodology is presented for evaluating the performance of integrated networks with different protocols and architectures and under diverse operating conditions. >
Chapter 4 Mechanisms of inflammation and infection with implanted devices

Abstract Inflammation, wound healing, and foreign body responses are generally considered as parts of the tissue or cellular host responses to injury. Table 1 lists the sequence of these events following injury. From the biomaterials perspective, placement of a biomaterial in the in vivo environment involves injection, insertion, or surgical implantation, all of which injure the tissues or organs involved (1,2). The implantation procedure initiates a response to injury, and mechanisms are activated to produce healing (3,4). The degree to which the homeostatic mechanisms are perturbed and the extent of pathophysiologic responses and their resolution are measures of the host reactions to the biomaterial, and they may ultimately determine its biocompatibility and its success or failure as a device or prosthesis. Although it is convenient to consider blood-material interactions separately from tissue-material interactions, it should be kept in mind that the mechanisms involved in both sets of interactions involve both blood and tissue. Furthermore, host reactions are tissue dependent, organ dependent, and species dependent. Obviously, the extent of injury varies depending on the implantation procedure. This chapter is intended as an overview of the inflammatory and infectious responses to implanted devices. Specific details regarding components of the inflammatory and wound healing processes are found in other chapters in this volume.
Cycloalkenyl-Functionalized Polymers and Block Copolymers : Syntheses via Selective RAFT Polymerizations and Demonstration of Their Versatile Reactivity

A facile synthetic strategy for the preparation of well-defined polymers bearing cycloalkenyl side groups has been established via selective reversible addition−fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization of cycloalkene-functionalized asymmetrical divinyl monomers. Two representative monomers, 4-(6′-methylcyclohex-3′-enylmethoxy)-2,3,5,6-tetrafluorostyrene and 4-(cyclohex-3′-enylmethoxy)-2,3,5,6-tetrafluorostyrene, were synthesized. RAFT polymerizations of these bifunctional monomers, using S-1-dodecyl-S′-(α,α′-dimethyl-α′′-acetic acid)trithiocarbonate as the chain transfer agent and 2,2′-azobis(isobutyronitrile) (AIBN) as the thermal initiator, exhibited superb selectivity toward the substituted styrenyl vinylic unit relative to the cyclohexenyl unit, even at high monomer conversions (>80%). The resulting polymers retained quantitative cyclohexenyl groups, while having predetermined molecular weights and narrow molecular weight distributions (PDI = 1.09−1.15). Well-defined block copolymers with pe...
Modeling the Effects of Oyster Reefs and Breakwaters on Seagrass Growth

Seagrass beds have declined in Chesapeake Bay, USA as well as worldwide over the past century. Increased seston concentrations, which decrease light penetration, are likely one of the main causes of the decline in Chesapeake Bay. It has been hypothesized that dense populations of suspension-feeding bivalves, such as eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica), may filter sufficient seston from the water to reduce light attenuation and enhance seagrass growth. Furthermore, eastern oyster populations can form large three-dimensional reef-like structures that may act like breakwaters by attenuating waves, thus decreasing sediment resuspension. We developed a quasi-three-dimensional Seagrass-Waves-Oysters-Light-Seston (SWOLS) model to investigate whether oyster reefs and breakwaters could improve seagrass growth by reducing seston concentrations. Seagrass growth potential (SGP), a parameter controlled by resuspension-induced turbidity, was calculated in simulations in which wave height, oyster abundance, and reef/breakwater configuration were varied. Wave height was the dominant factor influencing SGP, with higher waves increasing sediment resuspension and decreasing SGP. Submerged breakwaters parallel with the shoreline improved SGP in the presence of 0.2 and 0.4 m waves when sediment resuspension was dominated by wave action, while submerged groins perpendicular to the shoreline improved SGP under lower wave heights (0.05 and 0.1 m) when resuspension was dominated by along-shore tidal currents. Oyster-feeding activity did not affect SGP, due to the oysters’ distance from the seagrass bed and reduced oyster filtration rates under either low or high sediment concentrations. Although the current implementation of the SWOLS model has simplified geometry, the model does demonstrate that the interaction between oyster filtration and along-shore circulation, and between man-made structures and wave heights, should be considered when managing seagrass habitats, planning seagrass restoration projects, and choosing the most suitable methods to protect shorelines from erosion.
Time-dependent theoretical treatments of the dynamics of electrons and nuclei in molecular systems

An overview is presented of methods for time-dependent treatments of molecules as systems of electrons and nuclei. The theoretical details of these methods are reviewed and contrasted in the light of a recently developed time-dependent method called electron-nuclear dynamics. Electron-nuclear dynamics (END) is a formulation of the complete dynamics of electrons and nuclei of a molecular system that eliminates the necessity of constructing potential-energy surfaces. Because of its general formulation, it encompasses many aspects found in other formulations and can serve as a didactic device for clarifying many of the principles and approximations relevant in time-dependent treatments of molecular systems. The END equations are derived from the time-dependent variational principle applied to a chosen family of efficiently parametrized approximate state vectors. A detailed analysis of the END equations is given for the case of a single-determinantal state for the electrons and a classical treatment of the nuclei. The approach leads to a simple formulation of the fully nonlinear time-dependent Hartree-Fock theory including nuclear dynamics. The nonlinear END equations with the [ital ab] [ital initio] Coulomb Hamiltonian have been implemented at this level of theory in a computer program, ENDyne, and have been shown feasible for the study of small molecularmore » systems. Implementation of the Austin Model 1 semiempirical Hamiltonian is discussed as a route to large molecular systems. The linearized END equations at this level of theory are shown to lead to the random-phase approximation for the coupled system of electrons and nuclei. The qualitative features of the general nonlinear solution are analyzed using the results of the linearized equations as a first approximation. Some specific applications of END are presented, and the comparison with experiment and other theoretical approaches is discussed.« less
Teacher and Student Evaluations of Cooperative Learning and Observed Interactive Behaviors

Teachers' use and evaluation of cooperative group learning were examined in this study, along with students' reactions to working in groups and their verbal interactive behaviors during group activ...
Adatom binding at the surface ledges of a jellium metal

Abstract The nature of a surface ledge on a jellium metal has been simulated by sharply cutting the uniform positive charge into the prescribed ledge and allowing the negative electronic charge to show a compensating modulation, falling off tangentially to the surface. The size of the associated fall-off parameter was determined by energy minimization and turned out to be quite independent of step height and comparable to that for the charge fall-off perpendicular to the surface. To this ledge a model adatom was brought, consisting of a Topp-Hopfield ion core and a single valence electron distribution. When approaching the ledge from the lower terrace, the adatom binding increased by about 40% more than its flat surface value. Conversely, the adatom approaching the ledge across the upper terrace experienced a decrease in binding (balustrade effect) also of about 40% of the flat surface binding. A particular application of the results to condensation from the vapor phase is the prediction that the spacing between a series of ledges will tend to become more uniform as the condensation proceeds.
Development of an HPLC-MS procedure for the quantification of N-acetyl-S-(n-propyl)-l-cysteine, the major urinary metabolite of 1-bromopropane in human urine.

Abstract An analytical procedure was developed for the detection and quantification of N-acetyl-S-(n-propyl)- l -cysteine (n-propylmercapturic acid, AcPrCys), a metabolite and biomarker for exposure to 1-bromopropane (1-BP). 1-BP is used as an industrial solvent and exposure is a health concern for industrial workers due to its toxicity. It has been associated with neurological disorders in both animals and humans. Urine sample preparation for the determination of AcPrCys consisted of solid phase extraction (SPE). Urine samples on preconditioned SPE (C18) columns were washed with 40% methanol/60% water solution prior to elution with acetone. Quantification was by means of a liquid chromatograph (LC) equipped with a mass spectrometer (MS) using an Aqua 3 μm C18 300A column and [d7]-AcPrCys was used as internal standard. Electrospray ionization (ESI) was used with the MS operated in the negative ion mode and selected ion monitoring (SIM) at m/z 204 for AcPrCys and m/z 211 for [d7]-AcPrCys. Demonstrated recovery of urine samples fortified at multiple levels (0.625–10 μg/ml) varied between 96 and 103% of theory with relative standard deviations (RSD) of 6.4% or less. The limit of detection (LOD) for the procedure was approximately 0.01 μg/ml AcPrCys in urine. These data will be discussed as well as other factors of the development of this test procedure.
Electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 to CO by polypyridyl ruthenium complexes

Electrocatalytic reduction of CO(2) by [Ru(tpy)(bpy)(solvent)](2+) (tpy = 2,2':6',2''-terpyridine, bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine) and its structural analogs is initiated by sequential 1e(-) reductions at the tpy and bpy ligands followed by rate limiting CO(2) addition to give a metallocarboxylate intermediate. It undergoes further reduction and loss of CO.
The heterogeneity of bovine IgG2. VII. The phenotypic distribution of the A1 and A2 allotypes of IgG2a among beef cows with known clinical history

Abstract A1 and A2 are allotypes of bovine IgG2a which differ significantly in their primary structure, allotope expression and the products of pepsin digestion. An analysis of 754 beef cows from 14 different breeds at the Meat Animal Research Center (MARC), Clay Center, NE, demonstrated a significant difference in the distribution of A1 and A2 among breeds but failed to find any correlation between the clinical disease history of the animals tested and their A-allotype. The proportion of all animals with either a history of infectious or respiratory disease (43.3 ± 3.5 and 17 ± 0, respectively) was the same among A1 A1 , A1 A2 and A2 A2 animals. Similarly, there was no preferential association between allotype and clinical disease within any one breed. A very high incidence of A1 homozygotes was found among Angus (84%), Brown Swiss (100%), Limousin (87%), MARC I (87%) and Pinzgauers (88%). In contrast, Herefords had a high incidence of A2 A2 homozygotes (41%) as did Brahmans (46%) and Gelbveih (34%). The distribution of A1 A1 , A1 A2 and A2 A2 animals within any breed was totally consistent with the concept that A1 and A2 represent Mendelian co-dominant alleles. These data suggest that, among vaccinated female beef cattle in a normal environment, A-allotypy plays no role in the propensity for clinical disease as defined in this study. It does not rule out such an association in non-vaccinated, severely stressed animals and in calves exposed to severe outbreaks of an infectious agent.
The stokes diameter of ellipsoidal particles

Abstract The Fuchs-Stechkina correction to the sedimentation velocity of spherical particles in the size range comparable to the mean free path has been applied to ellipsoidal particles. Numerical values were computed for logarithmic increments of about 0.3 in size parameter x from log x = −2.0 to 2.0 , in the density ρ from log ρ = -1.3 to 1.0 , and in the eccentricity parameter β from long β= −1.3 to 1.3. The resulting graphs permit estimation of fall velocities or equivalent sphere diameters for particles in this size range which approximate ellipsoids.