cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Overview of Current Capabilities and Research Activities in the Airspace Operations Laboratory at NASA Ames Research Center

The Airspace Operations Laboratory at NASA Ames conducts research to provide a better understanding of roles, responsibilities, and requirements for human operators and automation in future air traffic management (ATM) systems. The research encompasses developing, evaluating, and integrating operational concepts and technologies for near-, mid-, and far-term air traffic operations. Current research threads include efficient arrival operations, function allocation in separation assurance and efficient airspace and trajectory management. The AOL has developed powerful air traffic simulation capabilities, most notably the Multi Aircraft Control System (MACS) that is used for many air traffic control simulations at NASA and its partners in government, academia and industry. Several additional NASA technologies have been integrated with the AOL's primary simulation capabilities where appropriate. Using this environment, large and small-scale system-level evaluations can be conducted to help make near-term improvements and transition NASA technologies to the FAA, such as the technologies developed under NASA's Air Traffic Management Demonstration-1 (ATD-1). The AOL's rapid prototyping and flexible simulation capabilities have proven a highly effective environment to progress the initiation of trajectory-based operations and support the mid-term implementation of NextGen. Fundamental questions about accuracy requirements have been investigated as well as realworld problems on how to improve operations in some of the most complex airspaces in the US. This includes using advanced trajectory-based operations and prototype tools for coordinating arrivals to converging runways at Newark airport and coordinating departures and arrivals in the San Francisco and the New York metro areas. Looking beyond NextGen, the AOL has started exploring hybrid human/automation control strategies as well as highly autonomous operations in the air traffic control domain. Initial results indicate improved capacity, low operator workload, good situation awareness and acceptability for controllers teaming with autonomous air traffic systems. While much research and development needs to be conducted to make such concepts a reality, these approaches have the potential to truly transform the airspace system towards increased mobility, safe and efficient growth in global operations and enabling many of the new vehicles and operations that are expected over the next decades. This paper describes how the AOL currently contributes to the ongoing air transportation transformation.
Why Democracies May Actually Be Less Reliable Allies

Recent research builds on the observation that democracies have more durable alliances to argue that democracies make more reliable allies. This need not be the case. Alliances serve as commitment devices, adding ex ante credibility to states' claims about ex post behavior. Variation in alliance durability must reflect differences in the desirability of formalizing alignments. Put simply, democracies are “most improved” by formal commitments. We offer two related explanations for why democracies might actually be less reliable alliance partners. Information costs for participating in policymaking and the advantages of organized interest groups combined with distributional incentives generated by the periodic turnover of governments may conspire to make informal commitments on the part of democracies problematic. Determining the net effect of democratic virtue and vice is best done empirically. We test alliance reliability by focusing on intervention, rather than on the duration or the number of commitments. Our results suggest that democracies make less reliable allies.
Determining optimal size reduction and densification for biomass feedstock using the BioFeed optimization model

The benefi ts of particle size reduction and mechanical densifi cation of biomass feedstock for storage, transportation, and handling must be assessed in relation to the systemic costs and energy consumption incurred due to these operations. The goal of this work was to determine the optimal levels of size reduction and densifi cation through a combination of modeling and experimen- tal studies. Size reduction and densifi cation data for Miscanthus and switchgrass were generated using a two-stage grinding process and the energy requirement and bulk densities for the particle sizes between 1 mm and 25.4 mm were determined. Increase in bulk density through compression by a pressure of 1.2 MPa was also measured. These data were used within BioFeed, a system-level optimization model, to simulate scenarios capturing the possibilities of performing size reduction and densifi cation at various stages of the supply chain. Simulation results assuming size reduction at farms showed that the optimal particle size range for both Miscanthus and switchgrass was 4-6 mm, with the optimal costs of $54.65 Mg -1 and $60.77 Mg -1 for Miscanthus and switchgrass, respectively. Higher hammer mill throughput and lower storage costs strongly impacted the total costs for different particle sizes. Size reduction and densifi cation of biomass at the county-specifi c centralized storage and pre-processing facilities could reduce the costs by as much as $6.34 Mg -1 for Miscanthus and $20.13 Mg -1 for switchgrass over the base case. These differences provided the upper bound on the investments that could be made to set-up and operate such systems. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd Supporting information may be found in the online version of this article.
A test system architecture to reduce transmission line effects during high speed testing

Testing high speed CMOS devices in a "non-terminated" transmission line environment can result in significant timing errors due to signal reflections. These errors can be substantially reduced with a test system designed to minimize the distance between device outputs and tester comparator inputs.
"What does a CPU have in common with a fast food restaurant?" A reflection on emphasizing the big ideas of computer science in a computer organization class

While each class in a computer science curriculum serves to teach the principles and core knowledge of one domain, it is equally important that our students receive a deep understanding of the central ideas of the field that cut across sub-disciplines. In this respect, a class on computer organization provides an ideal context for concretely demonstrating some of the most important ideas in computer science. This paper describes how, with little effort, discussions of abstraction, indirection, and during completeness can be introduced into lectures on computer organization. We also discuss explaining the broader applications of two architecture-centric ideas, caching and pipelining. We present data from pre- and post-tests on our students learning of these concepts, demonstrating the relative difficulty of these ideas for students and identifying some of the sources of student misconceptions
Using Structured Reading Groups to Facilitate Deep Learning.

Two significant challenges in teaching college courses are getting students to complete the readings and, beyond that, having them engage in deep reading. We have developed a specific group work format within our courses to facilitate both deep reading and active discussion of course material. Early in the semester, students are assigned to their small groups and a set of rotating group roles: discussion leader, passage master, devil’s advocate, creative connector, and reporter. Students meet with their group regularly in class throughout the semester. Before each group meeting, they are to complete a set of readings and a reading preparation sheet for their given reading group role. In this article, we outline how to implement these groups, the benefits of them, and variations to the standard format. We also present quantitative and qualitative student evaluations of this group work format demonstrating the success of this teaching technique.
Growth and immunologic studies on the culture forms of Trypanosoma lewisi.

SYNOPSIS. Culture forms of Trypanosoma lewisi grown at 27 C in a diphasic blood agar medium resemble in structure the stage found in the invertebrate host. Cultures inoculated with approximately 1 × 106 trypanosomes/ml attain maximum populations of 2–7 × 107 organisms/ml after 5–6 days of incubation. The stationary phase persists 6–15 days. The decline of the population is of relatively long duration with approximately 1 × 106 viable organisms/ml present after 90 days. Variations in growth were attributed to the preparation of defibrinated heated rabbit blood incorporated into the culture medium. With inocula of 3.0 × 105 trypanosomes/ml there was a lag in growth not observed with larger inocula. Trypanosomes incubated at elevated temperatures had altered growth curves compared to organisms at 27 C. Agitation of cultures did not affect the growth or stationary phases, but hastened the population decline. Heated and unheated 5% (v/v) normal rat serum incorporated in the liquid phase of the medium altered the growth of the organisms. Heated serum caused a decrease in the population and an extended lag phase. The effects on growth were more marked with unheated serum suggesting that both heat-stable and labile components affect growth. Antisera from rats injected with live culture forms included in the liquid phase inhibited, while antisera from rats 24 days after infection with the blood stream forms had no effect on the growth of the culture forms. Antisera from rabbits immunized with sonicates of culture forms also altered the growth of the organisms in culture. Rabbit antisera prepared by immunization with sonicates of dividing and non-dividing blood stream forms had no effect on the in vitro growth. Antisera from animals immunized with rat blood and culture medium were also without effect. The immunologic implications of the data are considered and discussed.
Unpacking Time Online: Connecting Internet and Massively Multiplayer Online Game Use With Psychosocial Well-Being

By unpacking different forms of Internet and massively multiplayer online game (MMO) use, the present study adopts a nuanced approach to examine the connections between online activities and psychosocial well-being. It combined self-reported survey data with unobtrusive behavioral data from server logs of a large virtual world, EverQuest II. Over 5,000 players were surveyed about how they use the Internet, their specific activities in the virtual world, and their psychosocial well-being. In-game communication networks were also constructed and analyzed.The results showed support for both time displacement and social augmentation effects for various activities. Whether Internet and MMO use were associated with negative or positive outcomes was largely dependent on the purposes, contexts, and individual characteristics of users. The results suggest that Internet use and game play have significant nuances and should not be considered as monolithic sources of effects.
Nuclear-Electric Spacecraft Concepts for Unmanned Planetary Exploration

The utilization of advanced, high-powered nuclear-electric spacecraft in the near future for the unmanned scientific exploration of space will provide significant weight allowances and power levels for scientific payloads and communication equipment. The electronic system designer, presently faced with minimum weight and power limitations imposed by today's chemically-propelled spacecraft, must develop new techniques to take advantage of the greater capabilities promised by nuclear-electric spacecraft. Power levels approaching 1 Mwe may be expected. Systems capable of employing this power must operate under an intense nuclear radiation flux at elevated temperatures for long time periods. Development of such equipment must be initiated at an early date.
Line Broadening and Radiative Recombination Background Interferences in Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectroscopy

Spectral line broadening and radiative electron-ion recombination processes may make significant contributions to the total spectral background level when inductively coupled plasma excitation sources are observed with spectrometers having low stray light levels. These background contributions are more easily identified in inductively coupled plasma discharges because of their stable background level and by the fact that net analyte line intensities are affected to such a small degree by changes in the concentration of concomitants. The wings of collisionally broadened lines may produce significant background changes at wavelengths removed 10 nm from the parent line center. For some elements such as Mg, linear Stark-broadened lines produced spectral background at unexpectedly large displacements from the line center. The radiative Al ion-electron recombination continuum produces a greater than tenfold increase in the background from ~210 down to 193 nm at Al solution concentration of 2500 μg/ml. Thus, a solution containing only 250 μg/ml of Al will cause an ~100% increase in the background level below 210 nm over that measured when deionized water is nebulized into the plasma.
Impact of neighbor selection on performance and resilience of structured p2p networks

Recent work has shown that intelligent neighbor selection during construction can significantly enhance the performance of peer-to-peer overlay networks. While its impact on performance has been recognized, few have examined the impact of neighbor selection on network resilience. In this paper, we study the impact with a generalized cost model for overlay construction that takes into consideration different types of heterogeneity, such as node capacity and network proximity. Our simulation results show that the resulting performance improvement comes at the cost of static resilience against targeted attacks and adding random redundancy can improve the resilience significantly.
Fish infected with Sphaerospora spp. Thélohan (Myxosporea) from waters enzootic for proliferative kidney disease of salmonids.

. Sphaerospores were found among three species of fish examined from waters known to be enzootic for proliferative kidney disease (PKD) of salmonids. They were detected in the renal tubules of both hatchery-reared rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) exposed to the infectious stage of PKD and in chubs (Gila bicolor) in the headwaters of a hatchery where PKD is enzootic. Sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) collected near net pens where Pacific salmon had experienced a PKD epizootic were also found to harbor sphaerospores in the lumen of the kidney tubules. The latter two host species contained developmental stages of a myxosporidan in the blood and in the lumen of the kidney tubules which are similar to those of PKX, the causative agent of PKD in salmonid fish. The sphaerospores observed in the rainbow trout are the first to be observed in this species. The similarity to previously observed developmental stages, rarity, and presence of these sphaerospores in salmonid fish from a hatchery where PKD is enzootic suggest that they are the most mature stage of the PKX myxosporidan yet observed.
ISIS: An accelerator for Sphinx speech recognition

The ability to naturally interact with devices is becoming increasingly important. Speech recognition is one well-known solution to provide easy, hands-free user-device interaction. However, speech recognition has significant computation and memory bandwidth requirements, making it challenging to offer at high performance, real-time and ultra-low power for handheld devices. In this paper, we present a speech recognition accelerator called ISIS. We show the overall execution flow of the accelerated speech recognition solution along with optimizations and the key metrics of performance, area and power.
Ultrasound Avoidance Behaviors in Two Species of Neoconocephalus (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae)

Abstract The hearing system of the katydid genus Neoconocephalus functions in two contexts: intraspecific communication and predator (bat) avoidance. Male calls and bat echolocation signals differ spectrally and temporally. In order to respond appropriately, katydids must recognize and discriminate between signal types. We categorized bat avoidance behaviors and examined temporal recognition of bat cries behaviorally during tethered flight in Neoconocephalus retusus and Neoconocephalus ensiger. We used simulated bat approaches to categorize bat avoidance behaviors in Neoconocephalus. Four distinct behaviors were observed: steering, wingbeat interruption, dives and leg kicks. The first three behaviors were amplitude dependent and could be elicited by a single pulse of ultrasound. The final behavior only occurred during the terminal phase and was found to be pulse-rate dependent. Response probabilities of specific behaviors varied between species, A comparison of the two Neoconocephalus species showed that ...
Close Encounters: How Cortical Neurons Find and Connect to Their Correct Synaptic Partners Depends on the Cell Type

In this issue of Neuron, Stepanyants et al. embark on quantitative analyses of the axonal and dendritic arbors of cortical neurons. They test whether the paths taken by axons actually bring them closer to their true synaptic partners than they would have gotten by chance encounters based on the same axon trajectories. The results depend on the type of presynaptic neuron. Inhibitory cells take paths that explicitly link them to their actual partners while excitatory axons are as likely to have close encounters with actual partners as with other neurons. These results suggest that the mechanisms for selectivity depend on the type of presynaptic neuron.
The Behavioral Implications of Ambivalence

This paper examines the effect of ambivalence towards climate change issues and the relationship to individual political and non-political behaviors. Previous studies of ambivalence have focused largely on how ambivalence structures mass attitudes on many salient issues, including social welfare and cultural issues. A new battery of questions in the 2008 CCAP focusing on citizen ambivalence on climate change issues is compared to measures of individual behaviors. The results indicate that there is clear evidence for value conflict among U.S. citizens on environmental issues. Importantly, there is evidence that ambivalence positively influences engaging in conservation and recycling, controlling for a range of attitudinal and demographic factors. I suggest that one cause for this relationship is that individuals respond to value conflict, which is psychologically discomforting, by seeking personal ways to deal with macro-level issues. Researchers should consider how political attitudes in other areas translate into social or other non-political behaviors.
Tracer Studies of the Arctic Freshwater Budget

The freshwater lens covering the surface of the Arctic Ocean is roughly 50 to 150 meters thick and consists of river runoff, sea-ice meltwater, and low-salinity water of Pacific origin imported through Bering Strait. Whereas salinity data provide us with a good picture of the distribution and variability of the total freshwater contained in the Arctic Ocean, they cannot, in general, distinguish between the individual freshwater components. To obtain this information, measurements of additional water mass properties have to be performed.
Impacts of home shopping on vehicle operations and greenhouse gas emissions: multi-year regional study

ABSTRACTAs a shopping behavior trend, home shopping has become more popular. This shopping method seems to decrease shopping trips, yet more delivery trucks are required to be on the roads. In addition, even more personal trips may occur because saving time on shopping might allow more time for alternate activities. A study investigated the effects of home shopping on vehicle operations and greenhouse gas emissions. The purpose of that study was to identify the home-shopping impacts on transportation system, its net effects on traffic volume of the transportation network, its effects associated with environmental sustainability and then to provide some projections for future condition. Simulation results showed that home shopping will put additional burden on Newark transportation network, as identified through four measures of effectiveness (MOEs) which were travel time, delay, average speed and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Neural interfacing

The problem of interfacing microsystems to neurons or brain has led to exciting developments in the fields of micro/nanotechnologies and integrated circuitry and systems. Neurons have been patterned using micro/nanotechnologies to form structural and functional networks. Micro-electrodes and integrated circuitry have been developed for large scale, multichannel measurements from brain tissue. Driving force for this technology comes from research and clinical interest in the emerging fields of neural prosthesis, deep brain stimulations and brain-machine interface. This review presents some examples of the work done in the field of neural patterning, tissue interfacing, electrodes, recording and system integration.
"Obstetric shock" and "shock in obstetrics".

Why do some women bleed uncontrollably during or after amniotic fluid embolism, abruptio placentae or other uteroplacental accidents? With amniotic fluid embolism, “obstetric shock,” rather than incoagulability of blood, is the primary problem. Abruptio placentae rarely produces fatal shock, but may lead to fibrinogenopenia. With “shock in obstetrics,” or hypovolemic shock, hypovolemia itself may lead to defibrination.
Agrarian dreams and neoliberal futures in life writing of the alternative food movement

ABSTRACTAutobiographical narratives have been central to the rise of the alternative food movement—the set of activists and organizations advocating what they characterize as sustainable, local, organic, and even beyond organic food. Life writing has been a primary site for subjects and critics to explore relationships between food, memory, and narrative; as a literary form and a critical rubric, alternative food life narrative puts productive pressure on understandings of those relationships. This essay considers Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma as paradigmatic of this emerging literary form in mobilizing narrative and memory to redefine the consumer as a political identity. Omnivore invokes a pastoral agrarian imaginary to diagnose a gastronomically disordered present and visualize a more ethically and aesthetically pleasing food future. The book engages a selective cultural memory to promote market-driven solutions to industrial food production through flexible, ethical consumerism. Form shapes ...
Exposing Students and Teachers to Plant Molecular Genetics with Short‐Term Barley Gene Mapping Projects

Many universities sponsor science research programs during the summer to provide hands-on laboratory experience to high school students and teachers. Our objective was to design a project that exposes the students to the full range of research, from developing and testing a hypothesis through presenting research results. The project goal is to demonstrate mapping of morphological traits using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. Students learn how to evaluate plants for morphological marker traits, extract DNA, conduct PCR (polymerase chain reaction) and gel electrophoresis, evaluate results, and conduct linkage analysis between traits and markers. Mapping data are presented for five of the barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) traits analyzed since 1997. The genes bracteatum (bra-a.001) and short awn (lks.o) were located on the short arm of chromosome 7H, the glossy phenotype conferred by cer-zv.268 was located near the centromere of chromosome 4H, fragile stem (fst2.b) was located near the centromere of chromosome 1H, and intermedium spike (int-h.42) was located on the short arm of chromosome 5H. The high school teachers have used their experiences to help teach genetics and molecular biology, and several have included the projects in their portfolio for an advanced degree. Many students have used their projects for science fairs and their experience to help obtain part-time jobs during their undergraduate studies. These experiments provide the necessary components of a successful research project for short-term programs and provide meaningful data to advance our ongoing projects, benefitting both the students and our laboratory.
Pentoses in Mucopolysaccharides and Glycoproteins

Only one of the four aldopentoses, ribose, has previously been firmly established as a component of macromolecules of animal origin. From time to time, however, the finding of other pentoses, particularly xylose, in mammalian tissues has been reported. For a number of reasons little attention has generally been paid to such findings: the quantities observed in any one tissue or purified product have been small, and in no case was the work carried beyond the stage of simple qualitative analysis. It has also often been assumed that xylose may arise by decarboxylation of glucuronic acid — a component of the acid mucopolysaccharides — and such a trivial explanation for the presence of pentose in polysaccharide hydrolysates has not been conducive to a ideeper penetration of the subject. Yet another explanation of the finding of xylose in animal tissues, such as intestinal mucus and mucosa from the pig, has been brought forward, i.e., the possibility of contamination of the tissue with plant material which often contains xylose [1].
Accuracy of 3-dimensional curvilinear measurements on digital models with intraoral scanners.

Introduction Our objectives were to evaluate and compare the digital dental models generated from 2 commercial intraoral scanners with manual measurements when performing 3-dimensional surface measurements along a curved line (curvilinear). Methods Dry mandibles (n = 61) with intact dentition were used. The mandibles were digitized using 2 chair-side intraoral scanners: Cadent iTero (Align Technology, San Jose, Calif) and Lythos Digital Impression system (Ormco, Orange, Calif). Digitized 3-dimensional models were converted to individual stereolithography files and used with commercial software to obtain the curvilinear measurements. Manual measurements were carried out directly on the mandibular teeth. Measurements were made on different locations on the dental arch in various directions. One-sample t tests and linear regression analyses were performed. To further graphically examine the accuracy between the different methods, Bland-Altman plots were computed. The level of significance was set at P Results There were no significant differences between any of the paired methods; this indicated a certain level of agreement between the methods tested (P >0.05). Bland-Altman analysis showed no fixed bias of 1 approach vs the other, and random errors were detected in all comparisons. Although the mean biases of the digital models obtained by the iTero and Lythos scanners, when compared with direct caliper measurements, were low, the comparison of the 2 intraoral scanners yielded the lowest mean bias. No comparison displayed statistical significance for the t scores; this indicated the absence of proportional bias in these comparisons. Conclusions The intraoral scanners tested in this study produced digital dental models that were comparatively accurate when performing direct surface measurements along a curved line in 3 dimensions.
Asymptotic Dynamic Time Warping calculation with utilizing value repetition

Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) is a popular method for measuring the similarity of time series. It is widely used in various domains. A major drawback of DTW is that it has a high computational complexity. To address this problem, pruning techniques to calculate the exact DTW distance, as well as DTW approximation methods, have become important approaches. In this paper, we introduce Blocked Dynamic Time Warping (BDTW), a new similarity measure which works on run-length encoded time series representation. BDTW utilizes any repetitive values (zero and nonzero) in time series to reduce DTW computation time. BDTW closely approximates DTW distance, and it is significantly faster than traditional DTW for time series with high levels of value repetition. Moreover, BDTW can be combined with time series representation methods which provide constant segments, to serve as a close approximation method even for the time series without value repetition. Constrained BDTW, BDTW upper bound and BDTW lower bound are discussed as variations of BDTW. BDTW upper bound and BDTW lower bound are presented as a new DTW upper bound and lower bound which can be efficiently applied on time series with high levels of value repetition for pruning unhopeful alignments and matches in the exact DTW calculation. We show the effectiveness of BDTW and its variations on different applications using the following datasets: Almanac of Minutely Power, Refit Smart Homes, as well as the 85 datasets from the University of California, Riverside time series classification archive (UCR archive).
Physiological Ethology of Aggression in Amphibians and Reptiles

Amphibians and reptiles have always excited the curiosity and interest of researchers, partly because of their status as transitional forms in the evolution of terrestrial life, and partly because, although representatives of our ancestors, they possess remarkably alien forms and habits. They have infiltrated the heart of many religious and cultural traditions (e.g., Frazer, 1935; Morris & Morris, 1965), and in many cases the thoughts of man and the habits of reptiles and amphibians have become intertwined in a way that challenges objectivity.
El Moderno Sistema-Mundo y la Evolución

The modern world-system has been a very particular type of historical system, unlike any other that we have heretofore known. It is a world-economy, to be sure not the first ever, but the only one that survived long enough to institutionalize a capitalist mode of production, and as a result the only world-economy that has ever succeeded in expanding its outer boundaries to encompass the entire globe. Only the capitalist world-economy has made the accumulation of capital the prime mover. This structure is coherent, and has operated effectively for some 500 years. It has now reached the limits of that effectiveness.
Expanding the Chemical Space of Biocompatible Fluorophores: Nanohoops in Cells

The design and optimization of fluorescent molecules has driven the ability to interrogate complex biological events in real time. Notably, most advances in bioimaging fluorophores are based on optimization of core structures that have been known for over a century. Recently, new synthetic methods have resulted in an explosion of nonplanar conjugated macrocyclic molecules with unique optical properties yet to be harnessed in a biological context. Herein we report the synthesis of the first aqueous-soluble carbon nanohoop (i.e., a macrocyclic slice of a carbon nanotube prepared via organic synthesis) and demonstrate its bioimaging capabilities in live cells. Moreover, we illustrate that these scaffolds can be easily modified by well-established “click” chemistry to enable targeted live cell imaging. This work establishes the nanohoops as an exciting new class of macrocyclic fluorophores poised for further development as novel bioimaging tools.
Indications and efficacy of conversion from tacrolimus- to sirolimus-based immunosuppression in pediatric patients who underwent liver transplantation for unresectable hepatoblastoma.

SRL-based immunosuppressive strategies in pediatric liver transplantation are not clearly defined, especially within the first year after liver transplant. TAC is the more common, traditional immunosuppressant used. However, SRL may modulate TAC-associated kidney injury and may also have antiproliferative properties that are valuable in the management of patients following liver transplantation for HB. We sought to determine whether early conversion from TAC to SRL was safe, effective, and beneficial in a subset of liver transplant recipients with unresectable HB exposed to CDDP-based chemotherapy. Between 2008 and 2013, six patients were transplanted for unresectable HB. All patients received at least one cycle of CDDP-based chemotherapy prior to transplant. All patients were switched from TAC- to SRL-based immunosuppression within 1 year of transplant. Five patients had improvement in their mGFR, while one patient had a slight decline. The improvement in mGFR was statistically significant. No adverse events were identified. Three patients had BPAR that responded to pulsed steroids. Historical controls showed similar rates of BPAR within the first year after transplant. There were no identified HB recurrences in the follow-up time period. Conversion from TAC to SRL appears to be safe and effective in this selected group of pediatric liver transplant recipients without adverse reaction or HB recurrences.
THE PALEOBOTANY AND PALEOECOLOGY OF THE EOCENE HERREN BEDS OF NORTH-CENTRAL OREGON, USA

New collections of plant macrofossils and radiometric dates from the Herren beds of north-central Oregon provide the opportunity to document floral communities and calculate foliar-derived climate estimates from the warm early Eocene and the cooler middle Eocene. Plant macrofossils were collected from one fluvial site at East Birch Creek approximately 2 m below a 51.9 ± 0.9 Ma tuff. Collections were also made at two co-occurring fluvial sites at Arbuckle Mountain, whose ages are constrained to ca. 44.5–43.8 Ma based on a dated tuff from Willow Creek (44.5 ± 0.8 Ma) and reported ages for the overlying Clarno Formation. Floral findings show an almost complete vegetation overturn, with only two genera (Glyptostrobus and Allantodiopsis) appearing in both floras. Both floras are species poor, but the older East Birch Creek flora has higher richness and evenness than the younger Arbuckle Mountain flora. The four named genera at East Birch Creek are taxa found throughout Eocene North America; named genera at Arbuckle Mountain also include taxa restricted to the Pacific Northwest. Leaf margin analysis and leaf area analysis of the East Birch Creek community suggest a warmer and possibly wetter (mean annual temperature 23.4 ± 4.3 °C; mean annual precipitation 206 +89, -63 cm) climate than the Arbuckle Mountain flora (16.4 ± 4.2 °C; 165 +50, -71.4 cm). This research provides a framework for future research on Eocene floristic, environmental, and climatic trends of the Pacific Northwest.
Hybridization increases population variation during adaptive radiation

Adaptive radiations are prominent components of the world’s biodiversity. They comprise many species derived from one or a small number of ancestral species in a geologically short time that have diversified into a variety of ecological niches. Several authors have proposed that introgressive hybridization has been important in the generation of new morphologies and even new species, but how that happens throughout evolutionary history is not known. Interspecific gene exchange is expected to have greatest impact on variation if it occurs after species have diverged genetically and phenotypically but before genetic incompatibilities arise. We use a dated phylogeny to infer that populations of Darwin’s finches in the Galapagos became more variable in morphological traits through time, consistent with the hybridization hypothesis, and then declined in variation after reaching a peak. Some species vary substantially more than others. Phylogenetic inferences of hybridization are supported by field observations of contemporary hybridization. Morphological effects of hybridization have been investigated on the small island of Daphne Major by documenting changes in hybridizing populations of Geospiza fortis and Geospiza scandens over a 30-y period. G. scandens showed more evidence of admixture than G. fortis. Beaks of G. scandens became progressively blunter, and while variation in length increased, variation in depth decreased. These changes imply independent effects of introgression on 2, genetically correlated, beak dimensions. Our study shows how introgressive hybridization can alter ecologically important traits, increase morphological variation as a radiation proceeds, and enhance the potential for future evolution in changing environments.
The mediating role of presence differs across types of spatial learning in immersive technologies

Abstract The effects of immersive technology on learning have been mixed. It is therefore important to determine the factors that affect when and why immersive technologies are and are not effective. One psychological construct proposed to explain why higher levels of immersive technology may lead to better learning compared to lower immersion is presence, or the subjective feeling of “being there.” Participants completed a spatial task in three levels of immersive technology, reported the amount of presence felt, and completed learning outcome tasks measuring three levels of spatial knowledge: landmark, route, and survey knowledge. The relationships between the level of immersive technology, presence, and spatial learning outcomes were examined. The highest immersion condition led to better performance on landmark, route, survey, and overall spatial knowledge, and also led to higher levels of presence. Higher presence led to better performance on route, survey, and overall spatial knowledge. However, presence only significantly mediated the relationship for survey knowledge, and effects of low vs. medium immersion condition on learning and presence often did not differ, despite the devices having largely different affordances. The relationship between immersion and learning is thus complex, depends on type of learning, and may be mediated by both presence and non-presence effects on cognitive load.
Beyond Critique: Just War as Theological Political Theology

This chapter takes up a charge often directed to neo-Augustinians by neo-Anabaptists that their defense of just war lacks adequate theological foundations. It is the case that most contemporary just war advocates, even within Christian ethics, no longer embed their accounts within a distinctively theological context, let alone a robust appeal to a doctrine of God or divine providence attentive to the divine One who really entered history, suffered defeat, and conquered death. This development can be seen as a form of self-denial for the sake of consensus and casuistry. In so doing, however, they confirm the claim of many Christian pacifists that just war reasoning betrays the radical creativity of Christian virtue in the name of some external (often duty-based) notion of responsibility and retributive justice. My project differs. It taps into resurgent interest in political theology as a way to remedy this neglect at least a little. I focus on two aspects of political theology that bear primarily on the relation of the temporal and the eternal: providence and suffering. They are rooted in fundamental theology, guided by the memory of being grafted as strangers into the God of Israel, the same God who showed compassion for Esau even while blessing Jacob. Just war tradition is an act of compassion rooted in providence and the inevitable suffering faced in history. The point is to re-theologize a living tradition that generations of the ecumenical church bequeathed to us as an exercise of their Christian imagination within their historical contexts where they took all of history seriously as God’s time. Wary of idolatry, we should strive for more than critique or a disappointing choice between Christendom or Church as the only theological word to the nations.
Does Teachers’ Self-Efficacy Vary for Different Children? A Study of Early Childhood Special Educators:

Teacher self-efficacy (TSE) is a frequently studied construct due to its positive relations with student outcomes. However, TSE of teachers in inclusive early childhood special education (ECSE) cla...
A Lighting-Invariant Point Processor for Shading

Under the conventional diffuse shading model with unknown directional lighting, the set of quadratic surface shapes that are consistent with the spatial derivatives of intensity at a single image point is a two-dimensional algebraic variety embedded in the five-dimensional space of quadratic shapes. We describe the geometry of this variety, and we introduce a concise feedforward model that computes an explicit, differentiable approximation of the variety from the intensity and its derivatives at any single image point. The result is a parallelizable processor that operates at each image point and produces a lighting-invariant descriptor of the continuous set of compatible surface shapes at the point. We describe two applications of this processor: two-shot uncalibrated photometric stereo and quadratic-surface shape from shading.
Civil Discourse: Thinking with Other Humans

To this point, I’ve been encouraging us to think about teaching and learning as a uniquely human activity in which a relative expert goes out of her way to help a novice acquire some new component of useful knowledge or skill, largely through the medium of language. “That’s right. Hit it there. Good. Now what? Right. Hit it there.” This is not to say that we do not also learn just as other animals do: by observing and copying the expert behavior of others, and by interacting with the world around us on our own, keeping note of our successes and failures for future reference.
We Are, I Am, You Are: "Joining in" as a Pedagogy and Research Tool

We define and show one way we teach the process of “joining in,” where students learn to make non-judgmental associations and connections around a common text or piece of data. We then provide three storied examples of how we apply and teach this process of “joining in” in data collection, analysis, and reflection. For us, “joining in” is not only a tool, but is also a foundational approach to our teaching and research.
Selection of virtual simulation products: making the right choice

Abstract Nurse educators may need to select quality learning activities such as virtual simulation products. Adopting the best simulations for students is expected, yet faculty may not have the knowledge, skills, and experience to make informed decisions. With the rapid shift to online learning due to the COVID pandemic, educators need to select the most appropriate materials to best support student learning. Various virtual simulation products exist yet the limited available literature provides insufficient guidance in product selection. Identifying and addressing the different selection considerations will help educators select the most appropriate virtual simulation product. Virtual simulations offer a new, innovative teaching methodology. Nurse educators can utilize the selection criteria outlined in this manuscript to determine the best product for use.
Contention and Democracy in Europe, 1650–2000: REGIMES AND THEIR CONTENTION

Armed with our 21st-century democracy-finder, suppose we speed back to 17th-century Europe. In one part of Europe or another, we will find roughly 200 regimes we can reasonably call independent states: relatively autonomous, centralized, and well-bounded governments exercising priority in some regards over all other organizations operating within their territories. On four counters marked “Breadth,” “Equality,” “Consultation,” and “Protection,” we take readings for the regimes we locate in a journey throughout the continent. Where and when do we encounter vigorous vibrations of democracy? Let's say we land in the year 1650. We might think it an auspicious year for democratic initiatives: except for continuing struggle between France and Spain the major disruptions of the Thirty Years' War have just ended with the Treaties of Westphalia, great fissures have opened in the Habsburg empire, and the success of their 16th-century rebellion against Spain has finally brought the northern Netherlands international recognition as a highly decentralized independent republic. What do we find? We find plenty of revolution and war, but few signs of settled democracy. Touring the British Isles, we discover a Scotland rebelling openly against English hegemony, and a Scottish military force in northern England backing Charles Stuart's claim to succeed his father Charles I; just last year, England's contentious revolutionaries united temporarily to decapitate King Charles. In Ireland, Catholic leaders are battling not only each other, but also the English invading force of Oliver Cromwell.
Early Sport Specialization Linked to Throwing Arm Function and Upper Extremity Injury History in College Baseball Players

Background:Evidence suggests that shoulder and elbow injuries account for 31% to 37% of all National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) baseball injuries, and up to 69% of NCAA baseball injurie...
Lives stalled: the costs of waiting for refugee resettlement

During their migration, refugees often pass through transit countries, especially before resettlement elsewhere. These stays in cities or camps may last several months or years as refugees await th...
Reducing rural veteran suicides: Navigating geospatial and community contexts for scaling up a national Veterans Affairs program.

Objective To develop and use planning maps to prioritize and facilitate county-level recruitment for Together With Veterans (TWV), community-based rural Veteran suicide prevention program. Method Choropleth maps were created for 49 U.S. states, with four mutually exclusive categories indicating eligibility for the TWV program and increasing levels of need assigned to each county based on (a) percent Veterans Health Administration enrollees residing in rural communities, (b) percent population that are Veterans, and (c) crude suicide mortality rate. Results Of 3113 counties, 78.2% were eligible for TWV and 25.8% met our highest priority definition. A national map and state map were provided to demonstrate final products used to engage stakeholders. A table of recommendations for creating and using planning maps was provided for future projects to reference. Conclusions Geographic information system (GIS) is useful for identifying and prioritizing counties that may benefit most from a rural Veteran suicide prevention program. Choropleth maps allow for dissemination of information about county suicide risk and need for suicide prevention to community members, researchers, and others with a vested interest in suicide reduction. The maps are one tool among many which can support decision-makers in focusing available resources on populations with the most need.
Democracy Prevention: The Politics of the U.S.-Egyptian Alliance

1. Introduction 2. Peace and repression 3. State of emergency 4. The succession question 5. Leveraging aid 6. Groundswell 7. Conclusion.
Pruning roots affects tree quality in container-grown oaks.

Height and trunk growth of Quercus virginiana ‘SDLN’ Cathedral Oak® tops was not affected by root pruning that occurred each time trees were potted into a larger container, beginning when rooted cuttings were planted into #3 containers. All trees produced in air root-pruning Accelerator® containers without mechanical root pruning produced enough circling roots to make them culls according to Florida and California standards for nursery stock. Removing root defects by pruning roots when trees are potted to the next larger size reduced culls from 100% to 40% of the crop and is recommended for quality tree production. Root pruning when trees were potted from one container size to the next size had no influence on the number of primary structural roots that grew directly from the trunk base. Root pruning had no impact on the number of roots that were deflected down. Waiting to root prune until #3 containers were potted into #15 containers did not increase the number of straight roots compared to non-pruned controls. Slicing the root ball edges vertically from top to bottom in several places appears to reduce circling roots capable of forming stem girdling roots. But slicing in the manner described in this study did little to reduce the descending root defects.