cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Donors deferred for self‐reported Chagas disease history: does it reduce risk?

Background Current Food and Drug Administration guidance specifies that all blood donors must be asked about a history of Chagas disease. Study Design and Methods We identified all American Red Cross donors deferred for Chagas disease history from January 2000 to August 2011. Attempts were made to contact all deferred donors and invite them back for anti-Trypanosoma cruzi testing. After January 2007, all accepted donors (no Chagas history) were anti-T. cruzi tested. Results Over the 12-year period (approx. 88 million donor presentations), 34 donors had a Chagas deferral. When contacted, seven reported risk (e.g., travel or residence in an endemic area, vector exposure) and six were anti-T. cruzi tested with one radioimmunoprecipitation assay (RIPA) positive. Six others had answered the question incorrectly. The remaining 21 could not be contacted but from the donor record it could be determined that 13 were Hispanic ethnicity or Spanish speaking and/or provided specific details of Chagas risk or disease. Conclusions In 12 years, only 28 potentially infected donors were identified using the Chagas question. Limited testing data suggest that few of these would have had serologic evidence of prior infection. In contrast, nearly 5 years of anti-T. cruzi screening identified 488 RIPA-positive donors, none of whom answered “yes” to the Chagas question. According to estimates in this study, the value of retaining the questionnaire in addition to testing translates to preventing the collection of 0.4 infected donors per billion. Thus, the Chagas history question has no meaningful value.
Red light running prediction for dynamic all-red extension at signalized intersection

This paper reports on a Red-Light-Running (RLR) prediction scheme for an intersection collision avoidance system that dynamically extends the all-red phase to avoid RLR related collisions. The paper addresses the issues of predicting the red-light running using an infrastructure-based sensor and a vehicle-to-roadside communication (Intellidrive) system. In the infrastructure-based sensor case, we validate the performance of the improved prediction algorithm that incorporats the inter-vehicle (car-following) status. From a field experiment, the study shows that the accurate and timely RLR prediction potential can be obtained through the Intellidrive-enabled system. Moreover, the perspective of the integration of infrastructure-based sensor and Intellidrive is also analyzed in this paper.
Non-invasive assessment of liver fibrosis and prognosis

Over the past decade, several advances have been made in the non-invasive assessment of liver fibrosis. Both serum markers and imaging-based tissue elastography predict the presence of advanced fibrosis compared with liver biopsy. Serum markers may be indirect or direct markers of liver structure and function. Imaging-based techniques measure liver stiffness as a surrogate for fibrosis and include ultrasound and MRI-based methods. Most non-invasive techniques work well at identifying subjects at the extremes of fibrosis but may not accurately discern intermediate stages. In addition to being a diagnostic tool, elastography may have an evolving role in prognosis. Increasing stiffness is associated with higher rates of liver decompensation, need for transplantation, hepatocellular carcinoma, and death. There are special populations of patients where elastography may serve as a non-invasive method to impart useful clinical information, such as patients after liver transplantation, those with congenital heart disease and those being treated for chronic viral hepatitis. The role of non-invasive markers in accurately predicting the presence of fibrosis in obese patients needs to be further refined.
Determining Equivalent Linear Parameters for Use in a Capacity Spectrum Method of Analysis

A new methodology for calculating equivalent linear parameters for use in predicting the earthquake response of structures is presented. The methodology is applied to single-degree-of-freedom inelastic structural models subjected to a suite of earthquake acceleration time histories. Error distributions over a two-dimensional parameter space of effective period and effective damping are analyzed through a statistical approach with an optimization criterion most applicable to structural design. Four hysteretic models are analyzed: bilinear, stiffness degrading, and two pinching models. Evaluation of the equivalent linear parameters is performed by two separate approaches. The first compares the maximum response of the equivalent linear system to the maximum response of the nonlinear system. The second compares the performance point displacement prediction calculated by the capacity spectrum method using the equivalent linear parameters developed in this paper to the maximum response of the nonlinear system. Results are compared to analysis using the existing equivalent linear parameters as set forth in Applied Technology Council-40 (ATC-40). The error analysis reveals that the ATC-40 equations are significantly unconservative at lower values of ductility and conservative at the higher values of ductility. The new equivalent linear parameters lead to a substantial improvement for both error measures over the entire ductility range.
Ultraviolet Resonance Raman Spectroscopy of Bulk and Microscopic Human Colon Tissue

A sensitive ultraviolet resonance Raman (UVRR) system, which integrates bulk and microscopic capabilities, is described for use with human tissue. The system incorporates a quasi-continuous tunable laser excitation source in the range 200± 300 nm, a liquid nitrogencooled charge-coupled device (CCD), a single grating spectrometer, dielectric longpass laser line rejection ® lters, and cooled specimen holders to minimize bio- and photo-degradation. The system was used on normal human colon tissue, and was compared to our previously used Nd:YAG-based system. Spectra with higher signal-tonoise ratio (S/N) than has previously been achieved, and with less than 5% photobleaching, are presented. The present system outperforms our previous system by improving the S/N in bulk normal colon spectra by a factor of greater than 10. We show for the ® rst time UVRR spectra collected from the various microscopic regions of human colon in a thin section preparation, and the line shapes from the different microscopic morphological components are related to the bulk colon spectra. At 251 nm the epithelial cells and the lamina propria are the major contributors to the UVRR spectrum of bulk colon tissue. Our data suggest that combined bulk and microscopic UVRR spectroscopy of human tissue could provide a valuable tool for bioassay and histochemistry. Index Headings: Ultraviolet resonance Raman spectroscopy; Human colon; Quantitative histology.
Bayesian Estimation of Stochastic Parameterizations in a Numerical Weather Forecasting Model

Parameterizations in numerical models account for unresolved processes. These parameterizations are inherently difficult to construct and as such typically have notable imperfections. One approach to account for this uncertainty is through stochastic parameterizations. This paper describes a methodological approach whereby existing parameterizations provide the basis for a simple stochastic approach. More importantly, this paper describes systematically how one can “train” such parameterizations with observations. In particular, a stochastic trigger function has been implemented for convective initiation in the Kain–Fritsch (KF) convective parameterization scheme within the fifth-generation Pennsylvania State University–National Center for Atmospheric Research (Penn State–NCAR) Mesoscale Model (MM5). In this approach, convective initiation within MM5 is modeled by a binary random process. The probability of initiation is then modeled through a transformation in terms of the standard KF trigger variables, but with random parameters. The distribution of these random parameters is obtained through a Bayesian Monte Carlo procedure informed by radar reflectivities. Estimates of these distributions are then incorporated into the KF trigger function, giving a meaningful stochastic (distributional) parameterization. The approach is applied to cases from the International H2O project (IHOP). The results suggest the stochastic parameterization/Bayesian learning approach has potential to improve forecasts of convective precipitation in mesoscale models.
Architectural rule checking for high-level synthesis

Verifying an implementation produced from high-level synthesis is a challenging problem due to many complex design tasks involved in the design process. In this paper, we present an architectural rule checking approach for high-level design verification. This technique detects and locates various design errors and verifies both the consistency and correctness of an implementation. Besides describing different rule suites, we also report a working environment for the architectural rule checking. Finally, we highlight the value of the proposed approach with a real-life design.
Genetic diversity in Prochlorococcus populations flow cytometrically sorted from the Sargasso Sea and Gulf Stream

An investigation into the genetic structure of Prochlorococcus picophytoplankton in depth profiles from the Sargasso Sea and the Gulf Stream revealed a high degree of genetic heterogeneity within local populations. Partial sequencing of cloned polymerase chain reaction products amplified from flow cytometrically sorted cells was used to identify 6-21 different Prochlorococcus petB/D alleles recovered from each of eight sorted samples, with 68 alleles identified among 187 clones in the combined data set. Rarefaction analyses indicated that many additional unsampled alleles were present at each level of sample aggregation. Overlapping sets of alleles were recovered from Prochlorococcus populations in the two water columns, from different depths within each water column, and from flow cytometrically distinguishable subpopulations sorted from the same water sample, suggesting that each of these populations drew their membership from a single gene pool. Consistent with results of autecological studies, members of a high-light-adapted Prochlorococcus clade predominated in clone libraries from surface waters. It thus appears that wild Prochlorococcus populations consist of individuals drawn from a variety of evolutionary lineages and that populations at different depths and in two distinct hydrographic rcgimcs recruit their members from the same gene pool. Natural selection favors the predominance of high-light-adapted genotypes in near-surface populations drawn from this gene pool. An understanding of the genetic structure of phytoplankton populations is necessary to model growth, carbon fixation, and other ecological processes. Genetically homogeneous (clonal) populations respond to changing environmental conditions by simple physiological acclimation, whereas populations comprised of cells arising from different lineages respond by a combination of physiological acclimation and changes in the dominance of subpopulations (Wood 1988; Wood and Leatham 1992). Thus, homogenous populations may be modeled as if they were large cultures, but genetically diverse populations require conceptualizations that account for subpopulations that may differ in growth rates, competitive strategies, and susceptibility to viruses and predation. The marine cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus provides an
Hydrocarbons, popular protest and national imaginaries: Ecuador and Bolivia in comparative context

Abstract This paper examines contemporary struggles over hydrocarbon governance in Ecuador and Bolivia. Our comparative analysis illustrates the ways that petro-capitalism, nationalist ideologies, popular movements and place conjoin in the governance of oil and natural gas. In the case of Ecuador, state employees drew on their labor relations and political training to oppose the government’s efforts to privatize the state oil company. In Bolivia, urban popular movements opposed the privatization of the hydrocarbons industry and its domination by foreign firms. In both cases, hydrocarbons struggles involved the production of imaginative geographies of the nation and it hydrocarbon resources, which in turn drew on historical memories of nationhood. Whereas neoliberal political and economic restructuring sought to re-organize national hydrocarbons companies, redraw concessions, and draft new resource extraction laws, hydrocarbon movements aimed to counter these processes by re-centering hydrocarbon governance within a populist vision of the nation-state. In contrast to analyses of resource conflict in the environmental security and resource curse literatures, the cases of Ecuador and Bolivia demonstrate that such struggles cannot be reduced to models of opportunity structure, war profiteering, or resource scarcity (or abundance). Rather, these cases show that political economy and cultural politics are inseparable in the context of resource conflicts, which involve struggles over the meanings of development, citizenship and the nation itself.
A Case-Based Interprofessional Education Forum Increases Health Students’ Perceptions of Collaboration

Introduction The Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) expert panel advocates for health profession students to learn to work together. 1 This study examined the impact of a single interprofessional experience on three cohorts of health profession students’ readiness, knowledge, and perceptions of working as a team.
On the Right- and Left-Handedness of Quartz and Its Relation to Elastic and Other Properties

The confusion concerning the elastic properties of quartz which exists in the literature of the piezoelectric resonator is pointed out. Emphasis is placed on the accepted definitions of right and left quartz and of right- and left-handed optical rotation, the disregard of which by authors, together with a rather free use of axial systems of their own choosing, sometimes obscurely defined, is responsible for the confusion. An independent experimental investigation is made of the interrela-tions between piezoelectric polarization, optical rotatory power, elastic compressional compliance, and characteristic etch markings and thereby with the natural face forms of the quartz. Particular care is taken to avoid any possible errors in sign in relating these properties, and a number of such errors in the literature are pointed out. The etch pattern on a quartz sphere is described as well as its use as a reference standard in determining the orientation of quartz resonators by means of the etch patterns on their faces.
Survival for Patients With HIV Admitted to the ICU Continues to Improve in the Current Era of Combination Antiretroviral Therapy

Background The combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) era (1996 to the present) has been associated with improved survival among HIV-infected outpatients, but ICU data from 2000 to the present are limited. Methods We conducted a retrospective study of HIV-infected adults who had been admitted to the ICU at San Francisco General Hospital (from 2000 to 2004). The primary outcome was survival to hospital discharge. Results During the 5-year study period, there were 311 ICU admissions for 281 patients. Respiratory failure remained the most common indication for ICU admission (42% overall), but the proportion of patients with respiratory failure decreased each year from 52 to 34% (p = 0.02). Hospital survival ratios significantly increased during the 5-year period (p = 0.001). ART use at ICU admission was not associated with survival, but it was associated with higher CD4 cell counts, lower plasma HIV RNA levels, higher serum albumin levels, and lower proportions with AIDS-associated ICU admission diagnoses and with Pneumocystis pneumonia. In a multivariate analysis, a higher serum albumin level (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 2.08; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.41 to 3.06; p=0.002) and the absence of mechanical ventilation (AOR, 6.11; 95% CI, 2.73 to 13.72; p Conclusions In this sixth in a series of consecutive studies started in 1981, we found that the epidemiology of ICU admission diagnoses continues to change. Our study also found that survival for critically ill HIV-infected patients continues to improve in the current era of ART. Although ART use was not associated with survival, it was associated with predictors that were associated with survival in a multivariate analysis.
High-frequency characteristics of overhead multiconductor power lines for broadband communications

This paper presents a channel model suitable for multiwire overhead medium voltage lines. This model, incorporating ground admittance, is more appropriate at higher frequencies than predicted by Carson's model of 1926. The proposed model is further used to evaluate the multipath channel impulse response and associated capacity limit in sample power distribution grids for applications in broadband over power lines communications. For a sample grid model, comparison is made to the capacity value predicted based on the Carson's model, and it is demonstrated that the older model underestimates the potential of the overhead lines for broadband transmissions, significantly.
On the application of lacunae-based methods to Maxwell's equations

A straightforward application of the previously designed lacunae-based numerical methods to unsteady electro-magnetic problems would encounter certain difficulties, as it may violate the continuity of the charges and currents, which is a necessary solvability condition for the Maxwell equations. In the paper, we prove existence of the special auxiliary charges and currents that satisfy the continuity equations identically. We also show that using such charges and currents as a part of the numerical procedure provides a clear and unobstructed venue toward implementation of the lacunae-based methods in electromagnetics.
Nonlinear Control Design for a Supercavitating Vehicle

Supercavitating vehicles can achieve very high speed but also pose technical challenges in system stability, maneuvering, and control. Compared to a fully-wetted vehicle for which substantial lift is generated due to vortex shedding off the hull, a supercavitating vehicle is enveloped by gas surface (cavity) and thus the lift is provided by control surface deflections of the cavitator and fins, as well as planing force between the vehicle and the cavity. The nonlinearity in modeling of the cavitator, fins, and especially in modeling of the planing force makes the control design more difficult. In this paper, we investigate several nonlinear control design approaches such as sliding-mode control and quasi linear-parameter-varying control for the dive-plane dynamics of a supercavitating vehicle model. The stability and robustness of the final designs are analyzed. Since only a partial set of state variables are measurable, a high-gain observer is also designed to estimate state variables that are not directly available for feedback. Considering the physical limits of deflection angles of control surfaces of the cavitator and fins, we design a saturation compensator and activate it when needed. Then simulation results are presented for the (partial) output feedback controllers, which are combination of state-feedback nonlinear controllers and the high-gain observer.
The New Testament Gospels and the Gospel of Thomas: A New Direction

After surveying the debate over the relation of the Gospel of Thomas to the NT gospels, this essay argues that Gos. Thom. merits comparison with second-century Christian literature, in order to discern the similarity or dissimilarity with regard to the use of NT material. The second-century sources considered are found to manifest various types of literary dependence on the canonical gospels. A comparison suggests that Gos. Thom. does show many of the characteristics of this Christian literature known to depend on NT material, and, moreover, that Gos. Thom. appears to draw from all four of the canonical gospels. In fact, the significance of Gos. Thom. may not be as a witness to the historical Jesus, as some have hoped, but as one of the earliest witnesses to a four-gospel collection.
Impact of faculty development process in renewing engineering education

The effect of the faculty development process on reviewing engineering education is addressed, with particular attention given to the functions of faculty scholarship. Practical approaches and management strategies in this area are discussed. >
Visual literacy in corporate communication: some implications for information design

A model for the design of information products is presented. The model serves as a resource to diagnose ineffective designs as well as a guide for the construction of effective displays. It accommodates many factors affecting the reader's processing of visual displays, including cognitive and perceptual processing, ergonomic factors, and the influence of cultural differences. Because the disciplines employed in this paper are incomplete and often depend upon speculation, the model should not be viewed as complete or comprehensive. However, the model can be modified as information design matures as a discipline. >
Isospin-variant state functional for the Yang-Mills field

The gauge-covariant decomposition of the gauge potentials into their transverse and longitudinal parts is used to construct an isospin-variant “good” state functional for the non-Abelian gauge field.
Seed Morphology, Germination Phenology, and Capacity to Form a Seed Bank in Six Herbaceous Layer Apiaceae Species of the Eastern Deciduous Forest

We compared seed mass, seed morphology, and long-term germination phenology of three monocarpic (M) and three polycarpic (P) Apiaceae species of the herbaceous layer of the Eastern Deciduous Forest. Seeds (mericarps) of the six species differed considerably in mass, shape, and ornamentation. Mean seed masses were ranked Cryptotaenia canadensis (M) , Thaspium barbinode (P) , Sanicula canadensis (M) , S. gregaria (P) , Osmorhiza claytonii (P) , S. trifoliata (M). Germination peaks occurred in the first or second spring following sowing. Germination of a few seeds was delayed until the sixth year. Regardless of seed mass or morphology, each species has the potential to form a (modified) Type III or (modified) Type IV persistent soil seed bank. Occurrence of a germination peak in the first or in the second year following seed maturity was related to time of dispersal in autumn and to type of seed dormancy.
Who wins, who loses? Tools for distributional policy evaluation

Most policy changes generate winners and losers. Political economy and optimal policy suggest questions such as: Who wins, who loses? How much? Given a choice of welfare weights, what is the impact of the policy change on social welfare? This paper proposes a framework to empirically answer such questions. The framework is grounded in welfare economics and allows for arbitrary heterogeneity across individuals as well as for endogenous prices and wages (general equilibrium effects). The proposed methods are based on imputation of money-metric welfare impacts for every individual in the data. The key technical contribution of this paper are new identification results for marginal causal effects conditional on a vector of endogenous outcomes. These identification results are required for imputation of individual welfare effects. Based on these identification results, we propose methods for estimation and inference on disaggregated welfare effects, sets of winners and losers, and social welfare effects. We furthermore provide results relating aggregation with social welfare weights to the distributional decomposition literature. %Our framework generalizes approaches used in the empirical optimal tax literature, the distributional decomposition literature, and the literature on determinants of the wage distribution. We apply our methods to analyze the distributional impact of the expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), using variation in state supplements to the federal EITC and the CPS-IPUMS data. We find large negative effects of depressed wages as a consequence of increased labor supply. The estimated effects are largest for earning around 20.000 US$ per year, and for high school dropouts.
Patterns of medication adherence and health care utilization among patients with chronic disease who were enrolled in a pharmacy assistance program.

Background Poor medication adherence due to high drug costs is a barrier to optimal health outcomes among low-income uninsured patients with chronic conditions. Charitable pharmacy assistance programs provide medications to such patients, but little is known about the utilization patterns of program participants. Methods We used a retrospective cohort design to investigate 6-month outcomes for participants in the University of North Carolina (UNC) Health Care Pharmacy Assistance Program (PAP) who received medications indicated for hypertension, diabetes, and/or hyperlipidemia from 2009 through 2011. Logistic regression was used to analyze predictors of medication adherence and to evaluate the association between adherence and use of emergency and inpatient care. Results The 3 study cohorts included 866 patients receiving antihypertensive agents, 265 patients receiving oral glucose-lowering agents, and 455 patients receiving statins. When assessed 6 months after program enrollment, 52%, 45%, and 38% of patients in these 3 groups, respectively, were at least 80% adherent to treatment. Adherent patients in all cohorts had lower odds of requiring inpatient or emergency department care, but the decrease was only statistically significant among those taking antihypertensive agents (odds ratio for hospitalization = 0.58; 95% confidence interval, 0.39-0.87). Limitations Selection bias and inability to capture utilization data from sources other than UNC Health Care may have biased results. Conclusion Approximately 50% of PAP participants were adherent to chronic disease medications. Adherence to such therapies among patients who are receiving financial assistance with medications may reduce their need for costly health care services. Future research should assess the long-term ability of pharmacy assistance programs to promote medication adherence and should examine alternative strategies for improving adherence and health outcomes among low-income uninsured patients.
Mass Airflow Sensor: Ambient Temperature Compensation Design Considerations

Conception d'un capteur de debit massique d'air. Solutions pour tenir compte de la temperature ambiante
Organic/Inorganic Langmuir-Blodgeti Films Based on Metal Phosphonates

Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) bilayers of organophosphonic acids can be prepared where the phosphonic acid headgroups bind metal ions to form the same layered extended-solid structures present in solid-state metal phosphonates. The inorganic extended-solid network enhances the stability of the LB films, but can also be designed to introduce physical properties, such as magnetism, that are typical of the inorganic solid-state. By preparing films based on functionalized organophosphonic acids, the metal phosphonate approach can be used to produce "dualnetwork" LB films, where both the organic and inorganic networks add function to the thin film assembly. To begin to understand the design constraints associated with dual-network metal phosphonate films, LB bilayers of a phosphonic acidderivatized azobenzene amphiphile are formed with Cd2+ and La3+ and the structures are compared to octadecylphosphonate LB films prepared with the same metals.
A REAL-TIME DATA COLLECTION SYSTEM FOR PROBLEM-SOLVING PROTOCOLS

A computer program was developed to collect solution protocols with written explanations, with a level of detail difficult to obtain with traditional pencil-and-paper tasks. The program automatically presents the instructions, problems, solution entered, changes to the solution, explanation prompts, solution feedback, and system help in a Windows environment. The time to make each move and type each explanation is recorded, making it possible to compare solution times across treatment groups. Protocols are stored in individual ASCII files, eliminating transcription, and a summary data set for all protocols is created. The program was tested in a study where individual protocols were collected in small groups. This program can readily be adapted to different experimental contexts and can be a useful educational tool.
On the Composition of Bird Eggs

From data in the literature an attempt is made to provide a general overview of the composition of bird eggs and how individual components are related to the relative yolk content, which varies from about 15% in some Sulidae to 69% in the Kiwi (Apteryx). Regression equations are given for the relative water content of the fresh egg, albumen, and yolk, the solid and lipid fractions of egg content, and the calculated caloric density of egg content as a function of relative yolk content. As relative yolk content of eggs increases among 127 species representing 44 families, relative water content decreases. These changes are related to a progressive increase in hatchling maturity from altricial to precocial birds according to the classification of Nice (1962). Certain exceptions to this rule are discussed, namely, eggs of the pelagic feeding Procellariiformes and offshore-feeding terns. Both groups have reduced their clutch to a single egg, have unusually long incubation and fledging periods, and larger relative yolk content than predicted. A general model of egg components is presented which relates the ash, carbohydrate, protein, lipid, water, and caloric content to the relative amount of yolk in the freshly laid egg. Lipids make up 58% of all yolk solids, which have an energy content of 33 kJ-g-'; total solids in egg contents have an average energy content of 29 kJ.g-'. An overview shows how the initial solids and caloric contents are redistributed in the yolk-free neonate and the yolk reserve as well as estimates of the solids and caloric loss during development; energy cost of development is similar in all birds and amounts to ca. 36% of the initial energy content of fresh eggs.
Vision without the Image

Novel image sensors transduce the stream of photons directly into asynchronous electrical pulses, rather than forming an image. Classical approaches to vision start from a good quality image and therefore it is tempting to consider image reconstruction as a first step to image analysis. We propose that, instead, one should focus on the task at hand (e.g., detection, tracking or control) and design algorithms that compute the relevant variables (class, position, velocity) directly from the stream of photons. We discuss three examples of such computer vision algorithms and test them on simulated data from photon-counting sensors. Such algorithms work just-in-time, i.e., they complete classification, search and tracking with high accuracy as soon as the information is sufficient, which is typically before there are enough photons to form a high-quality image. We argue that this is particularly useful when the photons are few or expensive, e.g., in astronomy, biological imaging, surveillance and night vision.
Social media trends in medical history: tweets as sources in the history of contemporary science.

What was once the ultimate in the fleeting world of ephemera, the tweet, is now being archived by the most august library in the land. The Library of Congress is archiving about 500 million tweets per day, up from 140 million per day just two years ago. As Twitter processes 58 million tweets per day, this is still only about ten times the number of tweets that continue to be tweeted every day. But as of January 2013, the Library of Congress had archived a total of 170 billion tweets in 133.2 terabytes. A more extensive textual repository of ephemera related to today’s world – a treasure trove for Twitterstorians – can scarcely be imagined.
Factors affecting puberty in replacement beef heifers

Puberty is defined as when ovulation is accompanied by visual signs of estrus and subsequent normal luteal function. Age at puberty is an important trait in relation to reproductive success, productive life span, and profitability in beef operations. Although puberty and initiation of normal estrous cycles are complex events that require maturation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, it has been well documented that nutrition, age, and genetics are regulators of age at puberty. However, their role is mainly as regulators of the endocrine maturation that must occur for sustained ovarian cyclicity to be initiated. Increased growth rate between 4 and 7 months of age is apparently sufficient to induce early puberty, and this increased growth rate decreased the negative feedback of estradiol on LH secretion during the prepubertal period. As puberty approaches, a progressive decrease in the negative feedback of estradiol on GnRH secretion allows increased pulse frequency of LH, thus stimulating follicular growth and increased estradiol production. In addition, expression of estrogen receptors in the anterior hypothalamus and ventromedial nucleus is negatively correlated with LH pulse frequency. Although a significant number of genes and pathways are involved in neuromaturation for the initiation of normal estrous cycles, the inhibitory effects of neuropeptide Y on GnRH/LH release appear to decrease, and the stimulatory effect of melanocyte-stimulating hormone alpha on GnRH appears to increase as puberty approaches. Thus, a thorough understanding of the metabolic and neuroendocrine changes that occur to initiate normal estrous cycles is needed to facilitate management of the important reproductive event.
Response to Lidstrom, Lewis, and Barnes on Fragmented Regionalism:

Critics often take their subjects on worthy journeys. Lidstrom has done this through a comparative approach. He draws parallels between American public authorities and European “inter-municipal coo...
Stability of Integro-Differential Equations with Impulsive Effect

This paper will employ a class of piecewise continuous Lyapunov function to give out the stability of impulsive integro-differential equations: d x d t=Ax(t)+∫ t 0C(t,s)x(s) d s,\ t≠t k Δx=I k(x),t=t k,k=1,2,....
Supranutritional oral supplementation with vitamin D3 and calcium and the effects on beef tenderness.

Ultimate meat tenderness can be influenced by numerous preslaughter and postmortem management techniques. Increased levels of intracellular Ca 2+ , through postmortem injection, infusion, or marination, have been shown to improve the tenderness of cooked meat products. Oral supplementation with vitamin D 3 effectively increases serum Ca 2+ and has been hypothesized to increase muscle Ca 2+ content, the activity of muscle proteases, and thus the tenderness of cooked beef. Individual Charolais x Hereford heifers (n = 191) were assigned to an unsupplemented control group or groups that were supplemented via oral bolus (for dose regulation purposes) with one of seven levels of vitamin D 3 (1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 x 10 6 IU D 3 /d, 2 x 10 6 IU D 3 /d plus 75 g CaCO 3 or 4 x 10 6 IU D3/d plus 75 g CaCO 3 ) for 2, 4, 6, or 8 d antemortem. Individual feedlot performance, serum Ca 2+ levels, and carcass data were collected, and eight longissimus steaks/carcass were used to obtain Warner-Bratzler shear force values measured at 2, 7, 14, and 21 d postmortem for longissimus steaks cooked to 70° or 85°C. Cattle supplemented with 4 x 10 6 IU D 3 /d plus 75 g of CaCO 3 had lower daily feed intake (as-fed) and reduced (P 0.05) across treatment groups. Supplementation with 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 x 10 6 IU D 3 /d, for 2 or more days, increased (P 0.05) Warner-Bratzler shear force at 2, 7, 14, or 21 d of postmortem aging compared with controls when steaks were cooked to final internal temperatures of either 70 (control means 6.27, 4.91, 4.64, and 3.80 kg, respectively) or 85°C (control means 7.31, 5.32, 4.69, and 4.46 kg, respectively). Results indicated that oral supplementation with vitamin D 3 (at high or low doses) for 2 to 8 d before slaughter increased serum Ca 2+ concentration but does not improve cooked longissimus tenderness.
Evaluating test validity: reprise and progress

The AERA, APA, NCME Standards define validity as ‘the degree to which evidence and theory support the interpretations of test scores for proposed uses of tests’. A century of disagreement about val...
A Problem for the Traditional Account of Knowledge

This chapter begins by briefly recapping what has been discovered about the traditional account of knowledge throughout the previous chapters. The traditional account of knowledge holds that one has knowledge of some proposition just in case one justifiedly believes the proposition, and the proposition is true. As earlier chapters showed, believing a proposition requires having an appropriate mental representation of the proposition, being justified in believing the proposition requires believing on it on the basis of sufficiently strong evidence, and a proposition’s being true consists of it accurately describing objective reality. After the traditional account of knowledge has been made clear, a decisive objection to that account of knowledge is explained: the Gettier Problem. In addition to explaining how the Gettier Problem shows that the traditional account of knowledge is incomplete this chapter explores some promising responses to the Gettier Problem. Finally, the chapter concludes by noting that even without an answer to the Gettier Problem we can use the traditional account of knowledge as a framework for understanding scientific knowledge.
3 – Secondary Production: Activities of Heterotrophic Organisms—Microbes

Abstract Consumption and decomposition are the two key ecosystem catabolic functions. Archaea, bacteria, and fungi, all under risk of viral attack, are the primary agents of decomposition. Microbial production and turnover are studied by direct methods (microscopy) and a variety of indirect ones: biochemical and physiological methods. In effect, land managers (crop growers, foresters, etc.) are “managing microbial biomass.” We introduce links between microbial community structure and function, also discussed more extensively in Chapter 8, Future Developments in Soil Ecology. A blending of qualitative and quantitative measures of microbial dynamics will pay large dividends in future studies.
Flow-dependent YAP/TAZ activities regulate endothelial phenotypes and atherosclerosis

The focal nature of atherosclerotic lesions suggests an important role of local hemodynamic environment. Recent studies have demonstrated significant roles of Yes-associated protein (YAP) and transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) in mediating mechanotransduction and vascular homeostasis. The objective of this study is to investigate the functional role of YAP/TAZ in the flow regulation of atheroprone endothelial phenotypes and the consequential development of atherosclerotic lesions. We found that exposure of cultured endothelial cells (ECs) to the atheroprone disturbed flow resulted in YAP/TAZ activation and translocation into EC nucleus to up-regulate the target genes, including cysteine-rich angiogenic inducer 61 (CYR61), connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), and ankyrin repeat domain 1 (ANKRD1). In contrast, the athero-protective laminar flow suppressed YAP/TAZ activities. En face analysis of mouse arteries demonstrated an increased nuclear localization of YAP/TAZ and elevated levels of the target genes in the endothelium in atheroprone areas compared with athero-protective areas. YAP/TAZ knockdown significantly attenuated the disturbed flow induction of EC proliferative and proinflammatory phenotypes, whereas overexpression of constitutively active YAP was sufficient to promote EC proliferation and inflammation. In addition, treatment with statin, an antiatherosclerotic drug, inhibited YAP/TAZ activities to diminish the disturbed flow-induced proliferation and inflammation. In vivo blockade of YAP/TAZ translation by morpholino oligos significantly reduced endothelial inflammation and the size of atherosclerotic lesions. Our results demonstrate a critical role of the activation of YAP/TAZ by disturbed flow in promoting atheroprone phenotypes and atherosclerotic lesion development. Therefore, inhibition of YAP/TAZ activation is a promising athero-protective therapeutic strategy.
Propagation parameters for medium frequency signals in a transmission line at different positions within a mine entry

A medium frequency (MF) communication system used in underground coal mines generally couples its electromagnetic signals to existing conductors in a mine entry (tunnel), and exchanges signals with transceivers near the conductors. The conductors act as a transmission line (TL). The propagation characteristics of the TL, which play a major role in determining the performance of an MF communication system, can be affected by a mine environment. This paper compares the measured propagation parameters of a TL in three different positions within a mine entry. This comparison shows that the differences between the electrical properties of local coal and rock close to the TL can influence the propagation characteristics of the TL when in a different position.
Howard Thurman's Practice of Intimacy in the Development of Community

The human spirit seems to be inherently allergic to isolation. It cannot abide a sense of being permanently alone or stranded in all the vastness of the universe or lost in the complexities of pers...
Long-Acting Reversible Contraception for Adolescents: A Review.

Importance Adolescents have higher rates of unintended pregnancies than any other age group. Contraceptive implants and intrauterine devices (IUDs) are long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) that are known to be highly effective in preventing pregnancy. New devices have recently been approved for use in adolescents, yet pediatricians may be less familiar with how to counsel adolescents about implants and IUDs. Observations LARC methods should be described in basic terms to adolescents, including hormone dose, method of insertion, and method of pregnancy prevention. Clinicians should appreciate the developmental stages of adolescents, discuss the most effective methods of contraception, and ensure confidentiality from their parents. Short-acting contraception methods (eg, oral contraceptives) can be used as a temporary bridge to provide coverage until a LARC method can be placed. The most common adverse effect of LARC is nuisance bleeding, which can be managed with short courses of oral contraceptives or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Conclusions and Relevance LARC devices constitute first-line contraceptive methods for adolescents. All clinicians, including pediatricians, can counsel about LARC even before suggesting an oral contraceptive or another less effective contraceptive method. Effective, confidential communication with sensitive language to inform adolescents of the different types of LARC is necessary to normalize offering LARC as a contraceptive option and improve its uptake among adolescents. Special clinical populations can also be offered appropriate contraceptive options inclusive of LARC.
Characterising resource use and potential inefficiencies during large-fire suppression in the western US

Currently, limited research on large-fire suppression effectiveness suggests fire managers may over-allocate resources relative to values to be protected. Coupled with observations that weather may be more important than resource abundance to achieve control objectives, resource use may be driven more by risk aversion than efficiency. To explore this potential, we investigated observed percentage of perimeter contained and self-reported containment values, the exposure index, and patterns of resource use during the containment and control phases of fire response. Fireline production capacity of responding resources typically exceeds final fire perimeter, often by an order of magnitude or more. Additionally, on average, 21% of total incident resource productive capacity was observed on the fire during the control phase, that is, after the fires cease to grow. Our results suggest self-reported percentage containment significantly underestimates actual percentage of perimeter contained throughout an incident, with reported values averaging only 70% contained at actual fire cessation. Combined, these results suggest a fire manager’s risk perception influences resource use and may unnecessarily expose responders to fireline hazards. These results suggest a considerable opportunity to improve large-fire management efficiency by balancing the likelihood and consequences of fire escape against the opportunity cost of resource use.
Making science suburban: The suburbanization of industrial research and the invention of “research man”:

In the early 1900s, industrial firms embraced research as a key element of corporate strategy. In order to internalize scientific research, firms constructed laboratories many of which were located...
Conversion of grazed pastures to energy cane as a biofuel feedstock alters the emission of GHGs from soils in Southeastern United States

Abstract The cultivation of energy cane throughout the Southeastern United States may displace grazed pastures on organic soil (Histosols) to meet growing demands for biofuels. We combined results from a field experiment with a biogeochemical model to improve our understanding of how the conversion of pasture to energy cane during early crop establishment affected soil GHG (CO2, CH4, and N2O) exchange with the atmosphere. GHG fluxes were measured under both land uses during wet, hot and cool, dry times of year, and following a fertilization event. We also simulated the impact of changes in precipitation on GHG exchange. Higher fertilization of cane contributed to greater emission of N2O than pasture during warmer and wetter times of the year. The model predicted that energy cane emitted more nitrogen than pasture during simulated wetter than drier years. The modeled emission factor for N2O was 20 to 30-fold higher than the default value from IPCC (1%), suggesting that the default IPCC value could dramatically underestimate the consequences of this land conversion on the climate system. Predicted soil CH4 and CO2 fluxes were higher in pasture than energy cane, and this difference was not affected by increasing precipitation. Model simulations predicted that soils under first year cane emit more GHGs than pasture, particularly during wet years, but this difference disappeared two years after energy cane establishment. Our results suggest that management practices may be important in determining soil GHG emissions from energy cane on organic soils particularly during the first year of cane establishment.
Contextualizing technology in the classroom via remote access: Using space exploration themes and scanning electron microscopy as tools to promote engagement in multidisciplinary geology/chemistry experiments

A multidisciplinary science experiment was performed in K-12 classrooms focusing on the interconnection of technology with geology and chemistry. The engagement and passion for science of over eight hundred students across twenty-one classrooms, utilizing a combination of hands-on activities to study the relationships between Earth and space rock studies, followed by a remote access session wherein students remotely employed the use of a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) to validate their findings was investigated. Participants were from predominantly low-income minority communities, with little exposure to the themes and equipment used, despite being freely available resources. Students indicated greatly increased interest in scientific practices and careers, as well as a better grasp of the content as a result of the lab and remote access coupling format.