cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
To Broadcast Push or Not and What

A major problem in mobile web applications as well as the wireless Internet is the scalable delivery of data. The most popular solution for this problem is a hybrid system that uses broadcast push to scalably deliver the most popular data, and reserves broadcast pull for delivery of less popular data. Such a hybrid scheme introduces a variety of data management problems at the broadcast server. In this paper, we examine three of these problems: the push popularity problem, the document classification problem, and the bandwidth division problem. The push popularity problem is to estimate the popularity of the documents in the web site. The document classification problem is to determine which documents should be pushed and which documents must be pulled. The bandwidth division problem is to determine how much of the server bandwidth to devote to pushed documents and how much of the server bandwidth should be reserved for pulled documents. We propose simple and elegant solutions for these problems. We report on experiments with our system that validate our algorithms.
Proteolysis of a Negative Regulator of Innate Immunity Is Dependent on Resistance Genes in Tomato and Nicotiana benthamiana and Induced by Multiple Bacterial Effectors

RPM1-interacting protein 4 (RIN4), a negative regulator of the basal defense response in plants, is targeted by multiple bacterial virulence effectors. We show that RIN4 degradation is induced by the effector AvrPto from Pseudomonas syringae and that this degradation in Solanaceous plants is dependent on the resistance protein, Pto, a protein kinase, and Prf, a nucleotide binding site-leucine-rich repeat protein. Our data demonstrate overlap between two of the best-characterized pathways for recognition of pathogen virulence effectors in plants. RIN4 interacts with multiple plant signaling components and bacterial effectors in yeast and in planta. AvrPto induces an endogenous proteolytic activity in both tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and Nicotiana benthamiana that degrades RIN4 and requires the consensus site cleaved by the protease effector AvrRpt2. The interaction between AvrPto and Pto, but not the kinase activity of Pto, is required for proteolysis of RIN4. Analysis of many of the effectors comprising the secretome of P. syringae pv tomato DC3000 led to the identification of two additional sequence-unrelated effectors that can also induce degradation of RIN4. Therefore, multiple bacterial effectors besides AvrRpt2 elicit proteolysis of RIN4 in planta.
PENN SQUARE, PROBLEM LOANS, AND INSOLVENCY RISK

This paper investigates the influence of the failure of Penn Square Bank of Oklahoma City on stock prices within the banking industry. This influence is compared to the results of previous studies of the failures of Franklin National Bank of New York and United States National Bank of San Diego. While each of these earlier studies finds only a transitory impact on bank securities, this paper finds evidence of a structural change in the pricing mechanism for bank stocks after the Penn Square failure.
Active Vehicle Safety System Design Based on Driver Characteristics and Behaviour

In the development of driver adaptive and context aware active safety applications, driver-vehicle interaction signals offer excellent opportunities for advanced system design, yet limited progress has been realised. The implementation of driver adaptive and context aware systems requires longer time windows to analyse the current status of the driver and/or traffic situation ahead. In this study, a summary of systems that can be realised based on the long-term analysis of driver-vehicle interaction signals is presented. These signals are readily obtained by using Controller Area Network (CAN) Bus via On Board Diagnostic System (OBD) II port that can be utilised at low cost. Based on the analysis results, quantitative metrics are suggested that can be used in many ways, with two prospects considered here: (1) manoeuvres can be recognised for context aware intelligent active safety and (2) the models or signal processing methods can be proposed so as to distinguish distracted/impaired driver behaviour from normal/safe behaviour.
Angiotensin II does not mediate the pressor response to PGD2 (icv).

The objective of the present studies was to examine the interaction between brain-derived angiotensin II (Ang II) and prostaglandins in order to identify the mechanisms mediating the pressor response produced by these neuroregulators. Inhibiting synthesis of prostaglandins with indomethacin [indocin, 200 µg/ 5 µl artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF)], administered intracerebroventricularly (icv) to conscious adult male Sprague-Dawley rats, reduced blood pressure to values below basal levels. When injected prior to Ang II (50 ng/5 µl aCSF; icv), indomethacin completely abolished the pressor response induced by the octapeptide. The increase in blood pressure produced by prostaglandin D2 (PGD2, 20 µg/5 µl; icv), the most prominent prostaglandin in the rat brain, however, was not prevented by losartan (25 µg/5 µl; icv), an Ang II AT1-receptor antagonist. Collectively, these results indicate that prostaglandins produced tonically in the brain maintain resting arterial blood pressure and that the pressor action of Ang II is dependent on de novo synthesis of a prostaglandin.
Long-term outcome and evaluation of organ function in pediatric patients undergoing haploidentical and matched related hematopoietic cell transplantation for sickle cell disease.

Abstract HLA-matched related donor (MRD) hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a well-established therapy for patients with sickle cell disease (SCD); however, experience using alternative donors, including haploidentical donors, in HSCT for SCD is limited. We report the long-term outcomes of 22 pediatric patients who underwent related donor HSCT for SCD at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, either a myeloablative sibling MRD HSCT (n = 14) or reduced-intensity parental haploidentical donor HSCT (n = 8). The median patient age was 11.0 ± 3.9 years in the MRD graft recipients and 9.0 ± 5.0 years in the haploidentical donor graft recipients. The median follow-up was 9.0 ± 2.3 years, with an overall survival (OS) of 93% and a recurrence/graft failure rate of 0%, for the MRD cohort and 7.4 ± 2.4 years, with an OS of 75%, disease-free survival of 38%, and disease recurrence of 38%, for the haploidentical donor cohort. We report the long-term hematologic response and organ function in patients undergoing MRD or haploidentical donor HSCT for severe SCD. Our data demonstrate long-term hematologic improvements after HSCT with sustained engraftment, and confirm that HSCT offers long-term protection from common complications of SCD, including stroke, pulmonary hypertension, acute chest, and nephropathy, regardless of donor source.
A set of GFP organelle marker lines for intracellular localization studies in Medicago truncatula

Genomics advances in the model legume, Medicago truncatula, have led to an increase in the number of identified genes encoding proteins with unknown biological function. Determining the intracellular location of uncharacterized proteins often aids in the elucidation of biological function. To expedite such localization studies, we have generated a set of intracellular organelle green fluorescence protein (GFP) marker lines in M. truncatula. In addition to fluorescent detection, this set of organelle marker lines can also be used in immunohistochemical and cellular fractionation detection assays. Moreover, this set of marker lines is compatible with both transient and stable expression systems. Thus, this marker set should prove to be a useful resource for the M. truncatula research community.
Against Feasibility Analysis

Feasibility analysis, a method of evaluating government regulations, has emerged as the major alternative to cost-benefit analysis. Although regulatory agencies have used feasibility analysis (in some contexts called “technology-based” analysis) longer than cost-benefit analysis, feasibility analysis has received far less attention in the scholarly literature. In recent years, however, critics of cost-benefit analysis have offered feasibility analysis as a superior alternative. We advance the debate by uncovering the analytic structure of feasibility analysis and its normative premises, and then criticizing them. Our account builds on two examples of feasibility analysis, one conducted by OSHA and the other by EPA. We find that feasibility analysis leads to both under- and overregulation, and we conclude that it lacks a normative justification and is unsuitable for government regulation.
Patient safety goals for the proposed Federal Health Information Technology Safety Center

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology is expected to oversee creation of a Health Information Technology (HIT) Safety Center. While its functions are still being defined, the center is envisioned as a public–private entity focusing on promotion of HIT related patient safety. We propose that the HIT Safety Center leverages its unique position to work with key administrative and policy stakeholders, healthcare organizations (HCOs), and HIT vendors to
Pluralism in Multicultural Liberal Democracy and the Justification of Female Circumcision

This article discusses the problems that a liberal, multicultural democracy has in dealing with cultural practices, such as female circumcision, which themselves suppress the liberal values of autonomy and pluralism. In this context I have chosen the justification of female circumcision as my issue for three reasons. First, with increasing immigration, in Western multicultural and pluralistic societies this practice has recently been given a good deal of public attention; second, I believe that it is time to put this cruel and discriminatory tradition finally in the past; and third, the paradox that the victims of this practice are also often its strongest proponents well demonstrates the problems that liberal democracies have in dealing with the question of autonomy and tolerance in real-life situations. My main argument is that, without giving up tolerance, we can show that there can be no moral justification for such a tradition as female circumcision, even within a multicultural and pluralist society. I shall first show why neither female circumcision nor any other tradition that oppresses and harms individuals and is maintained by coercion can be satisfactorily defended by liberal arguments. Then I shall discuss why ‘communitarian’counter-arguments which appeal to the significance of communal values and traditions or to cultural rights also fail to give any plausible support to the maintenance of this tradition. Finally, I shall consider in more detail how the value of autonomy should be normatively understood in a modern pluralist society [1].
TGF-β1 inhibits surfactant component expression and epithelial cell maturation in cultured human fetal lung

Transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) is a multifunctional cytokine shown to play a critical role in organ morphogenesis, development, growth regulation, cellular differentiation, gene expression, and tissue remodeling after injury. We examined the effect of exogenously administered TGF-beta1 on the expression of surfactant proteins (SPs) and lipids, fatty acid synthetase, and ultrastructural morphology in human fetal lung cultured for 5 days with and without dexamethasone (10 nM). Expression of the type II cell-specific marker surfactant proprotein C (proSP-C), studied by [35S]Met incorporation and immunoprecipitation, increased sevenfold with dexamethasone treatment. TGF-beta1 (0.1-100 ng/ml) in the presence of dexamethasone inhibited 21-kDa proSP-C expression in a dose-dependent manner (maximal inhibition 31% of control level at 100 ng/ml). There was no change in [35S]Met incorporation into total protein in any of the treatment groups vs. the control group. In immunoblotting experiments, TGF-beta1 blocked culture-induced accumulation of SP-A and SP-B. Under the same conditions, TGF-beta1 reduced mRNA content for SP-A, SP-B, and SP-C to 20, 38, and 41%, respectively, of matched control groups but did not affect levels of beta-actin mRNA. SP transcription rates after 24 h of exposure to TGF-beta1 were reduced to a similar extent (20-50% of control level). In both control and dexamethasone-treated explants, TGF-beta1 (10 ng/ml) also decreased fatty acid synthetase mRNA, protein, and enzyme activity and the rate of [3H]choline incorporation into phosphatidylcholine. By electron microscopy, well-differentiated type II cells lining potential air spaces were present in explants cultured with dexamethasone, whereas exposure to TGF-beta1 with or without dexamethasone resulted in epithelial cells lacking lamellar bodies. We conclude that exogenous TGF-beta1 disrupts culture-induced maturation of fetal lung epithelial cells and inhibits expression of surfactant components through effects on gene transcription.
Investigation of Transformer-Based Solutions for the Reduction of Inrush and Phase-Hop Currents

A comprehensive literature review shows that transformer-based solutions are superior for the mitigation of inrush currents than external (to the transformer) solutions. The use of air gaps and low-permeability (iron) materials are known techniques for this purpose. This paper investigates the effectiveness of these approaches for reducing inrush and phase-hop currents. Studies are carried out on toroidal transformers, due to their broad application in power electronics devices. Contrary to common belief, this paper demonstrates that air gaps do not reduce the inrush currents when a transformer is fully demagnetized. However, inrush currents can be mitigated by the use of low-permeability iron materials. It is also demonstrated that air-gaps significantly reduce inrush currents when transformers have residual flux, e.g., for phase-hop conditions. Analytical expressions are derived to compute the mitigation factor for a specific gap length. The results and formulae presented in this paper are verified with laboratory experiments, transient simulations with validated circuit models, and 2-D finite element simulations.
Today's Tomorrow

…It is said of the American Indian that, when traveling in strange territory, he frequently looked back to see from whence he had come. He thus could recognize familiar landmarks on the return journey and consequently never lost his way. The white man, on the other hand, was so eager to reach his destination that he only looked ahead, failed to notice that which was not in his direct path, and, therefore, unlike the Indian, always became lost. We know that many of our American presidents have been avid students of history. Was this because they sought to search the past in order to lend credence to the present or hopefully to find in the past a path to the future?…
Genetics of fertility restoration in cytoplasmic male sterile Phaseolus vulgaris L. : 1. Cytoplasmic alteration by a nuclear restorer gene.

Restoration of fertility in cytoplasmic male sterile Phaseolus vulgaris by line R-351 was controlled by a single gene. The restorer gene (Fr) displayed incomplete dominance leading to partial restoration of fertility in F1 generations; full restoration was not achieved until the F2 generation. Once full restoration of fertility was produced in the F2 generation, no segregation for sterility was observed in subsequent generations derived from heterozygotes Frfr, either by testcrossing (restored × maintainer) or in F3 progenies. Implications of the irreversible nature of this restoration are discussed.
Effect of Cysteine on the Survival of Vaccine Virus

It is well known that ultramicroscopic viruses rapidly lose their power to infect when kept at 37° C., and become wholly inactive in a few days. If the viruses, however, are placed under anaerobic conditions, they maintain activity for a longer period of time.The following experiments were made with neurovaccine virus for the purpose of noting the effects of an active reducing agent, cysteine hydrochloride.The virus was derived from infected rabbits' testicles and suspensions of the tissue were prepared in Ringer's solution, distilled water, and veal-infusion broth, the final dilutions being 1:50. Twenty tubes each containing 10 cc. of the respective suspensions were prepared and to each was added sufficient cysteine hydrochloride adjusted to pH = 7.5 to make a 1:2,000 dilution of the chemical. A similar series of tubes without cysteine completed the series. All tubes were sealed with petrolatum and kept at 37° C.After 7, 14, 21, 32, 42, 54, and 83 days, the material was tested for activity by the inocula...
Dispersal of the Alfalfa Weevil in Virginia

Adults of Hypera postica (Gyllenhal) were tagged with either red enamel spray paint or a fluorescent powder, and were released in the center of an alfalfa field where a cross pattern of aerial and ground sticky traps was maintained to catch weevils and to study the movement of either flying or crawling individuals. Of 5000 marked weevils released in 1962, only 3 were recaptured, 1 of which was taken 0.5 mile from the release point. In 1963, 2 releases of 5000 weevils each were made; of these, 1.14% of the first and 4.1% of the second release were detected within the survey area. In addition, alfalfa weevil flight in 3 areas of the State were studied through the winter of 1963â64 by means of sticky traps. Trapping results indicated that (1) the flight period of the weevil occurred from October into July, with peaks in May or June and November or December, (2) weevils left alfalfa fields before the middle of July and started to return in October; and (3) the level of flight activity was related to the general activity level of the weevil.
Organizational resilience and enrollment trends of independent, for-profit higher education institutions

BACKGROUND: From 2010 to 2012, the for-profit sector of higher education in the United States (otherwise known as career colleges) existed in a turbulent environment, characterized by regulatory, media, and public scrutiny. While virtually all career colleges experienced enrollment declines during this period, by 2012 some colleges were starting to see this trend stabilize or reverse, whereas others did not. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine if the differences in career colleges’ enrollment trends could be attributed to organizational resilience. METHODS: A quantitative correlation study using a multiple regression analysis was conducted to determine the nature of the relationship between organizational resilience and the enrollment fluctuations of 59 career colleges located throughout the United States. RESULTS: The correlation between organizational resilience levels and enrollment fluctuations was fair to moderate and significant, r = 0.40, p < 0.05. A multiple-regression analysis revealed that the model significantly explained the impact of the six organizational resilience factors on enrollment fluctuations, F = 4.15, p < 0.01. The R 2 for the model was 0.32, and the adjusted R 2 was 0.25. In terms of individual organizational resilience factors, two tested either significantly or moderately significantly: avoidance-skepticism and critical understanding or sensemaking. CONCLUSIONS: Recommendations for college leaders include monitoring the level of avoidance to ensure a healthy balance of skepticism regarding new situations and incorporating strategies to help organizational members increase their levels of critical understanding or sensemaking.
Incidence, Degree, and Clinical Effect of Subchondral Bone Overgrowth After Microfracture in the Knee

Background:Subchondral bone overgrowth has been described with variable frequency after microfracture, but little systematic information is available about the clinical incidence, risk factors, or clinical relevance of this phenomenon.Hypothesis:Subchondral overgrowth (1) occurs with high incidence and various degrees after microfracture, (2) is associated with risk factors, and (3) affects clinical outcome score and failure rate.Study Design:Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.Methods:A total of 84 patients undergoing microfracture in the knee were prospectively followed up to 6 years postoperatively through use of cartilage-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging to detect the incidence of subchondral bone overgrowth. The quantity of the overgrowth was graded systematically and was then correlated to patient and lesion characteristics, surgical technique, validated functional outcome scores, and failure rate.Results:Subchondral bone overgrowth was observed in 62% of patients at a mean of 22 months after sur...
Mechanisms of Heat Transfer in Porous Crystals Containing Adsorbed Gases: Applications to Metal-Organic Frameworks

We have studied the mechanisms of heat transfer in a porous crystal-gas mixture system, motivated by the not insignificant challenge of quickly dissipating heat generated in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) due to gas adsorption. Our study reveals that the thermal conductance of the system (crystal and gas) is dominated by lattice thermal conductivity in the crystal, and that conductance is reduced as the concentration of gas in the pores increases. This mechanism was observed from classical molecular simulations of a monatomic gas in an idealized porous crystal structure. We show that the decreased conductivity associated with increased gas concentration is due to phonon scattering in the crystal due to interactions with gas molecules. Calculations of scattering rates for two phonon modes reveal that scattering of the lowest frequency mode scales linearly with gas density. This result suggests that the probability of a phonon-gas collision is simply proportional to the number of gas molecules in the pore.
Comment on: World Kidney Day 2016: averting the legacy of kidney disease-focus on childhood

Dear Editors, I am writing in regard to an apparent error in the editorial BWorld Kidney Day 2016: Averting the legacy of kidney disease—focus on childhood^ [1] published in the March 2016 edition of Pediatric Nephrology. In Table 2 of the article the authors list HTN, defined in a footnote as hypertension, as the third most frequent cause of both CKD and ESRD in children and give the proportions of cases attributed to this cause in various studies. They cite a previous article in Pediatric Nephrology [2] as the source of this data. In Table 1 of the cited article, headed BSelected studies on the causes of chronic kidney disease in children,^ hypertension is not listed as a cause of either CKD or ESRD. Hereditary nephropathy is listed as the sixth most frequent cause of CKD and ESRD and the proportions of cases attributed to this cause are identical to those attributed to hypertension in the World Kidney Day editorial. It appears that the authors of the editorial have transposed the data from the hereditary nephropathy category in the previous paper to the hypertension category in their paper.
Somaesthetics: A Disciplinary Proposal

Soulignant avec Montaigne et J.-M. Guyau le role complexe du corps dans l'experience esthetique, l'A. propose l'idee d'une nouvelle discipline centree sur le corps appelee esthetique somatique (somaesthetics). Faisant retour aux origines les plus profondes de l'esthetique et de la philosophie, l'A. montre que l'esthetique somatique s'inscrit dans le programme pratique de l'auto-perfection dans l'art de vivre qui caracterise la definition originale de l'esthetique chez Baumgarten, d'une part, et qu'elle realise les fins ultimes du projet philosophique que sont la connaissance, la vertu et la vie bonne, d'autre part. Se referant a J. Dewey et M. Foucault, l'A. montre que l'esthetique somatique va plus loin dans la philosophie contemporaine en revendiquant une culture du corps comme condition de possibilite de l'affirmation des gouts individuels en normes ou valeurs somatiques generales
Pharmacokinetics and distribution in interstitial and pulmonary epithelial lining fluid of danofloxacin in ruminant and preruminant calves

The objective of this study was to compare active drug concentrations in the plasma vs. different effector compartments including interstitial fluid (ISF) and pulmonary epithelial lining fluid (PELF) of healthy preruminating (3-week-old) and ruminating (6-month-old) calves. Eight calves in each age group were given a single subcutaneous (s.c.) dose (8 mg/kg) of danofloxacin. Plasma, ISF, and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid were collected over 96 h and analyzed by high-pressure liquid chromatography. PELF concentrations were calculated by a urea dilution assay of the BAL fluids. Plasma protein binding was measured using a microcentrifugation system. For most preruminant and ruminant calves, the concentration-time profile of the central compartment was best described by a two-compartment open body model. For some calves, a third compartment was also observed. The time to maximum concentration in the plasma was longer in preruminating calves (3.1 h) vs. ruminating calves (1.4 h). Clearance (CL/F) was 385.15 and 535.11 mL/h/kg in preruminant and ruminant calves, respectively. Ruminant calves maintained higher ISF/plasma concentration ratios throughout the study period compared to that observed in preruminant calves. Potential reasons for age-related differences in plasma concentration-time profiles and partitioning of the drug to lungs and ISF as a function of age are explored.
Alternative technical concepts: a geotechnical risk management tool

AbstractThe nature and unpredictability of geotechnical conditions on a construction project site is a major concern for designers and builders in almost every type of construction project. The risk of encountering conditions that differ from the information contained on the contract could potentially have very high impact on both the project’s cost and schedule. This makes the parties want to protect themselves from the consequences of the risk. For example, some owners approach the issue by increasing the extent of pre-award studies included in the contract, others include less and incorporate risk-transferring clauses in the contract, while most contractors allocate this uncertainty in their price as a contingency. These conventional solutions to the problem often result in creating friction between the parties that can lead to legal disputes and additional costs to the project. This paper proposes an additional solution that integrates the efforts between the owner and the contractor to achieve a comm...
Cardiomyopathy: Iron Overload (Hemochromatosis)

Close monitoring/early intervention (phlebotomy/chelation therapy) among patients with IOC/at increased risk, especially disorders requiring multiple blood transfusions, stem cell treatment, bone marrow transplant, as progression to overt HF can be prevented\
Uncertainty quantification of network availability for networks of optical ground stations

This paper analyzes differences in the availability of networks of optical ground stations computed using different methods and datasets, and quantifies the uncertainty of the results. For that purpose, we first review existing methods proposed in the literature, and then existing cloud coverage datasets, and we compare the results obtained using different methods and datasets for several scenarios. Finally, we propose a new probabilistic global cloud coverage model that aggregates values from existing datasets and quantifies the uncertainty in measuring cloud probability, and present a method to compute the availability of a network of multiple optical ground stations, along with the corresponding uncertainty.
COMPARING TRADITIONAL FORMAT EMT CLASSES WITH HYBRID FORMAT EMT CLASSES

As education has transitioned from classroom settings to online settings across disciplines, the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) field has followed suit. This research looked at the current formats of Emergency Medical Technician classes offered at the University of Utah and the benefits and limitations of each. EMS education institutions have followed this trend of online education most commonly in the form of hybrid classrooms where part of the course is taught online and part of the course is taught in a classroom. What must be explored is whether this transition to hybrid classrooms has improved, jeopardized, or maintained the level of preparation that Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) possess at the completion of the class.
A Digital Tool to Promote Alcohol and Drug Use Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment Skill Translation: A Mobile App Development and Randomized Controlled Trial Protocol

Background: Translation of knowledge and skills from classroom settings to clinical practice is a major challenge in healthcare training, especially for behavioral interventions. For example, screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) is a highly-promoted approach to identifying and treating individuals at risk for alcohol or drug problems, yet effective, routine use of SBIRT has lagged. Objective: The objective of this paper is to describe the development, pilot testing, and trial protocol of a mobile app based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to promote SBIRT skill translation and application. Methods: Intended for use after classroom training occurs, the mobile app has three primary functions designed to increase behavioral intent to deliver SBIRT: (1) review skills (ie, address knowledge and beliefs about SBIRT), (2) apply skills with patients (ie, build confidence and perceived behavioral control), and (3) report performance data (ie, increase accountability and social norms and/or influence). The app includes depression and anxiety screening tools due to high comorbidity with substance use. A randomized controlled trial (RCT) is in progress among health and social service learners (N=200) recruited from 3 universities and 6 different training programs in nursing, social work, internal medicine, psychiatry, and psychology. Participants are randomized to SBIRT classroom instruction alone or classroom instruction plus app access prior to beginning their field placement rotations. TPB-based data are collected via Qualtrics or via the mobile app pre-post and SBIRT utilization, weekly for 10 weeks. Key outcomes include the frequency of and self-reported confidence in delivery of SBIRT. Results: Beta testing with advanced practice nursing students (N=22) indicated that the app and its associated assessment tools were acceptable and useful. The system usability scale (SUS) mean was 65.8 (n=19), which indicated that the SBIRT app was acceptable but could benefit from improvement. Indeed, modifications were implemented prior to starting the trial. Enrollment of trial participants began in September 2016. Results are expected by December 2017. Conclusions: This report describes the process of TPB-based app development and testing, and the protocol for a RCT to determine the effectiveness of the app in enhancing skill translation. If effective, this approach could improve SBIRT implementation, fidelity, and clinical outcomes. [JMIR Res Protoc 2017;6(4):e55]
Fitness Outcomes Related to Glyphosate Resistance in Kochia (Kochia scoparia): What Life History Stage to Examine?

A fast-spreading weed, kochia (Kochia scoparia), has developed resistance to the widely-used herbicide, glyphosate. Understanding the relationship between the occurrence glyphosate resistance caused by multiple EPSPS gene copies and kochia fitness may suggest a more effective way of controlling kochia. A study was conducted to assess fitness cost of glyphosate resistance compare to susceptibility in kochia populations at different life history stages, that is rate of seed germination, increase in plant height, days to flowering, biomass accumulation at maturity, and fecundity. Six kochia populations from Scott, Finney, Thomas, Phillips, Wallace, and Wichita counties in western Kansas were characterized for resistance to field-use rate of glyphosate and with an in vivo shikimate accumulation assay. Seed germination was determined in growth chambers at three constant temperatures (5, 10, and 15 C) while vegetative growth and fecundity responses were evaluated in a field study using a target-neighborhood competition design in 2014 and 2015. One target plant from each of the six kochia populations was surrounded by neighboring kochia densities equivalent to 10 (low), 35 (moderate), or 70 (high) kochia plants m-2. In 2015, neighboring corn densities equivalent to 10 and 35 plants m-2 were also evaluated. Treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with at least 7 replications. Three kochia populations were classified as glyphosate-resistant (GR) (Scott (SC-R), Finney (FN-R), and Thomas (TH-R)) and three populations were classified as glyphosate-susceptible (GS) (Phillips (PH-S), Wallace (WA-S) and Wichita (WI-S)). Of the life history stages measured, fitness differences between the GR and GS kochia populations were consistently found in their germination characteristics. The GR kochia showed reduced seed longevity, slower germination rate, and less total germination than the GS kochia. In the field, increases in plant height, biomass accumulation, and fecundity were not clearly different between GR and GS kochia populations (irrespective of neighbor density). Hence, weed management plans should integrate practices that take advantage of the relatively poor germination characteristics of GR kochia. This study suggests that evaluating plant fitness at different life history stages can increase the potential of detecting fitness costs.
Soil quality changes due to flood irrigation in agricultural fields along the Rio Grande in western Texas

Abstract Growing populations demand more food, putting more pressure on soil productivity and sustainability around the world. In western Texas along the Rio Grande Valley, the low natural rainfall requires frequent irrigations for sustaining agriculture. To investigate the impacts of irrigation on soil quality, we collected and modelled geochemical data (major elements and nutrients) on irrigation water, soil pore water, drainage water, and soil samples, and monitored soil moisture, temperature, and electrical conductivity with sensors from two pecan, one cotton, and one alfalfa fields in western Texas. This study showed that flood irrigation with both surface (Rio Grande river) and ground waters significantly increased the root-zone salinity, soil sodicity, and nutrient leaching from soils to the underlying aquifers and Rio Grande river from agricultural fields of the arid southwest. The water used for irrigation was high in total dissolved solids (>500 ppm generally), dominated by Na+, Cl−, Ca2+ and SO42−. After flood irrigation, infiltrating water dissolved salts such as gypsum that have accumulated in the soils due to previous irrigations, or/and mixed existing concentrated soil waters, and approached saturation with respect to these evaporite minerals. Soil water was supersaturated with respect to carbonates as pedogenic calcite precipitated out and reached concentrations of ∼10 wt% of total soil mass. This suggested that pedogenic carbonate is an important carbon reservoir and precipitation kinetics and controls of such secondary calcite need further investigation for the irrigated agricultural fields in arid regions of the world. Chemistry of agricultural return flow samples collected from drainage ditches was similar to that of irrigation water, suggesting that most of the irrigation water had taken a shallow and short flowpath through the fields to drains. Between irrigation events, soil water became more concentrated as water was lost through evapotranspiration that led to precipitation of evaporite salts. As a result, sodicity and salinity of soils, especially clayey soils, frequently exceeded the tolerance levels of major crops grown in the region. Here in these fine-textured soils, combination of high evapotranspiration rates, intensive irrigation with water of elevated salinity, and limited infiltration stunted crop growth, decreased soil porosity and permeability, led to poor aeration, and accelerated salt buildup via a positive feedback mechanism. During initial irrigation where soils were saturated, soil water also percolated and recharged to underlying aquifers, and thus salts, nutrients, and trace metals from agricultural practices (i.e., application of fertilizers, irrigation, soil amendments, and pesticide) could be mobilized to shallow groundwaters. This implied that chemistry of Rio Grande river, groundwater, and soil was closely linked. Thus the sustainability of agriculture depended on appropriate water, soil and crop management practices.
Medical management of acute radiation syndrome and associated infections in a high-casualty incident

A high-casualty incident may result in a significant human toll due to the inability of a community to meet the health care demands of the population. A successful medical response requires health care facilities to not only communicate and integrate medical services, meet surge capacity, protect health care workers and implement triage and treatment protocols, but also to provide the venue for clinical management of acute radiation injuries and their associated infections. Today, clinical management is primarily guided by the recommendations of a Consultancy that were made at the World Health Organization (WHO). This international consensus was reached on evidence-based, clinical management of each of the four sub-syndromes that compose acute radiation syndrome (ARS), including the hematopoietic subsyndrome (HS), gastrointestinal subsyndrome (GIS), neurovascular subsyndrome (NVS) and cutaneous subsyndrome (CS). Major findings in studies meeting inclusion criteria for management strategies for HS were that (i) no randomized controlled studies of medical countermeasures have been (or will likely ever be) performed for ARS cases, (ii) the data for management of HS are restricted by the lack of comparator groups, and (iii) reports of countermeasures for management of injury to non-hematopoietic organs are often incompletely described. Here, (i) recommendations made in Geneva are summarized; (ii) the analysis of countermeasures for HS is updated by review of two additional cases and extended to published reports not meeting inclusion criteria; and (iii) guidelines are provided for management of microbial infections based upon patient risk for prolonged immunosuppression.
Some Theoretical Implications of Cross-Modal Research in Speech Perception

Both face and voice carry information about an individual’s identity and emotional state. But the visual and auditory channels conveying this information are largely independent. Apart from a speaker’s sex and age, we cannot reliably pair the identities of face and voice; and the observation that a speaker’s face and voice may express quite different emotions is commonplace. Not surprisingly, then, studies of voice and face recognition, or of vocal and facial affect, are typically carried out by different people in different laboratories. Lipreading, by contrast, is typically studied by people who also study speech perception. The reason for this is simply that the two signals, optic and acoustic, that carry the phonetic message, are not independent: they both arise from the same physical source, the speaker’s articulations.
An Integrative Approach to American Indian Mental Health

Contemporary American Indians face many health and social problems with established roots in North American history. Current programs designed to address the unique health needs of American Indians have undergone many difficulties, including an apparent lack of culturally relevant therapeutic approaches, a severe shortage of funding and personnel, and an uncertain administration of health policies.
Child Welfare Workers in the Legal Arena: What Works, What Doesn't

Since the days of Mary Ellen Wilson, the American child welfare system has become increasingly regulated and monitored by the legal system of laws and courts. It is a reality of modern child welfare practice that the most important decisions about a case are made not at the agency, but on the legislative floor and in the courtroom. A child welfare worker can and must learn the knowledge and skills necessary to have greater impact on the legal system that is largely untrained on issues of family and child welfare. Based on training and experience as both a child welfare worker and an attorney, the author offers specific advice on building basic competency for thriving in the legal system.
Reinhold Niebuhr on Tragedy, Irony, and Politics

In arguing for the continuing relevance of realism, some of its defenders maintain that at its core realism is about learning to think tragically. The Christian realism of Reinhold Niebuhr, while taking seriously the persistence of the tragic, argues instead for 'irony' as the more appropriate lens to use in the interpretation of history and politics. From the standpoint of both faith and experience, Niebuhr's ironic stance affirms the goodness of existence and that one does not have to do evil that good may come.
Electron-Microscopic Studies on Cerebrospinal Fluid Sediment

In a brilliant series of reports beginning with his introduction of lumbar puncture in 1891, Quincke12 described the normal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and most of the tests that we routinely perform today. He described the increased cell count in serous meningitis and the increased cell count, low sugar, and bacteria in bacterial meningitis. In addition, he described the changes in sugar, protein, and cell count and the presence of tubercle bacilli in the pellicle in tuberculous meningitis. Early cytological studies were carried out by Quincke and a number of other investigators, but the field was largely neglected until exfoliative cytology, in general, expanded with the introduction of the Papanicolaou stain in 1942.11 Since then, the cytological examination of CSF has been carried out in an increasing number of centers. Results have, in general, been rather disappointing and have, with a few exceptions, been limited to the study of malignancies. More recently, these studies have included special stains for ribonucleic acid, studies of thymidine uptake by CSF cells, and studies of cultured cells.9,14,17 In addition, immunofluorescent stains have been used to detect infectious agents in CSF.16
The use of 32di-isopropylfluorophosphate (32DFP) as a platelet label: evidence for reutilization of this isotope in man.

Certain aspects of 32 DFP metabolism in man have been studied. It is probable that about 10 per cent of an injected dose is metabolized and reappears in the platelet. This affects the platelet decay curve after day 8 and may influence data on red and white cell kinetics obtained with this isotope. Considering the effects of reincorporation of this compound, we have studied twenty normal individuals and have found a mean platelet lifespan of 11.5 days. Statistical analysis supports the concept that the platelet decay curve is linear: platelets are removed from the circulation because of senescence rather than in a random fashion. The literature on human platelet lifespans is reviewed. Most authors support the concept of a linear decay curve, although the evidence is conflicting and opinions are divided.
Affective keys: towards unobtrusive stress sensing of smartphone users

This work explores the use of pressure-sensing to capture cues of the stress of smartphone users while typing. In a controlled laboratory study, 11 participants were asked to write about a recent stressful and relaxing experience in counterbalanced order. Preliminary results show a significant positive correlation between the increase in typing pressure and self-reported stress across the two conditions (r=0.75, p=0.0081). In addition, we observed a significant negative correlation between the typing pressure baseline and the self-reported stress (r=-0.74, p=0.0093). These findings can help inform the development of less invasive methods for stress measurement.
Constant Mean Curvature Surfaces in Euclidean Spaces

A variant of the isoperimetric problem is to classify and study the hypersurfaces in the Euclidean space \({\mathbb{E}^{n + 1}}\) that have critical area subject to the requirement that they enclose a fixed volume. In physical terms this is equivalent to having a soap film in equilibrium under its surface tension and a uniform gas pressure applied to one of its sides; hence, such surfaces are often called soap bubbles. The geometric condition for such a surface is that its mean curvature H is a nonzero constant. The precise value of the constant is not important because it can be changed to any desired value by a homothetic expansion. We will be using the abbreviation “CMC surface” to mean “complete smooth hypersurface properly immersed in \({\mathbb{E}^{n + 1}}\) with H ≡ 1”. Notice that the above definitions do not require embeddedness.
Cartesian Aseity in the Third Meditation

The notion that something can exist a se (of/through itself) is central to Descartes’s overall metaphysics of causation. In the Meditations, divine aseity plays the role of explaining not only God’s existence but ultimately the existence of everything else apart from God. Yet in the Meditations proper, as well as in the early Replies, Descartes does little to clarify (much less defend) exactly what his view of divine aseity is and how it might differ from the sort of aseity commonly posited by the Scholastics. Despite Descartes’s later attempts to assuage this worry and clarify his position, the positive aseity charge has not gone away. (For example, John Carriero, in his recent lengthy commentary on the Meditations, repeats the charge in his analysis of the Third Meditation.) Here I shall argue that the charge is unjustified on all counts. Baldly stated, Descartes’s notion of aseity is no different (with one slight but important qualification) than the negative sense of aseity endorsed by his Scholastic predecessors - especially Aquinas. Understanding this not only helps in clarifying the overall picture of Cartesian causality but also aids in seeing how commentaries on the Meditations, old and new, have obscured it.
Enhancing System Security via Out-of-Market Correction Procedures

Electric power grid is one of the most complex engineered systems in the 21st century. Several challenges, including unexpected system element failure and resource uncertainty, exist for an efficient and reliable operation of a power system. While algorithmic performance and computation hardware have advanced significantly, model approximations and simplifications are still used in commitment and dispatch models. Operators must, therefore, seek to adjust and correct unreliable solutions outside of the market engine. Such operator-initiated actions are referred to as out-of-market corrections (OMC) in this paper. Two OMC models are proposed to mimic and optimize the process that operators take to adjust unreliable solutions. The OMC models estimate the operating costs incurred to move an unreliable solution to a reliable one. The proposed models are used to evaluate the reliability of the system and are compared with the traditional value-of-lost-load approach. The case study is conducted using the IEEE 118-bus system.