cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A simplified procedure for fractionating plant materials.

Sequential extraction of plant materials with methanol–chloroform–water and phenol–acetic acid–water mixtures gave good yields of water-soluble low-molecular-mass substances, lipids, proteins and polysaccharides in separate fractions unlaboriously and with little chemical damage. Results with potato tubers (Solanum tuberosum L.), leafy shoots of lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) and an oilseed (Pentaclethra macrophylla Benth.) are presented.
Role of transpiration suppression by evaporation of intercepted water in improving irrigation efficiency

Sprinkler irrigation efficiency declines when applied water intercepted by the crop foliage, or gross interception (Igross), as well as airborne droplets and ponded water at the soil surface evaporate before use by the crop. However, evaporation of applied water can also supply some of the atmospheric demands usually met by plant transpiration. Any suppression of crop transpiration from the irrigated area as compared to a non-irrigated area can be subtracted from Igross irrigation application losses for a reduced, or net, interception (Inet) loss. This study was conducted to determine the extent in which transpiration suppression due to microclimatic modification resulting from evaporation of plant-intercepted water and/or of applied water can reduce total sprinkler irrigation application losses of impact sprinkler and low energy precision application (LEPA) irrigation systems. Fully irrigated corn (Zea Mays L.) was grown on 0.75 m wide east-west rows in 1990 at Bushland, TX in two contiguous 5-ha fields, each containing a weighing lysimeter and micrometeorological instrumentation. Transpiration (Tr) was measured using heat balance sap flow gauges. During and following an impact sprinkler irrigation, within-canopy vapor pressure deficit and canopy temperature declined sharply due to canopyintercepted water and microclimatic modification from evaporation. For an average day time impact irrigation application of 21 mm, estimated average Igross loss was 10.7%, but the resulting suppression of measured Tr by 50% or more during the irrigation reduced Igross loss by 3.9%. On days of high solar radiation, continued transpiration suppression following the irrigation reduced Igross loss an additional 1.2%. Further 4–6% reductions in Igross losses were predicted when aerodynamic and canopy resistances were considered. Irrigation water applied only at the soil surface by LEPA irrigation had little effect on the microclimate within the canopy and consequently on Tr or ET, or irrigation application efficiency.
Dispersion measurements of mode-locked fiber laser components

Precise control of the dispersion within mode-locked laser cavities can lead to optical pulse compression and reduced timing jitter of mode-locked lasers. Two simple measurement techniques are used to provide a complete picture of the dispersion within an erbium doped mode-locked fiber laser cavity. We measured the optical dispersion of erbium-doped fiber, standard single mode fiber, and chirped Bragg gratings. We built a Michelson interferometer with a wideband LED source to measure the dispersion of fiber lengths of less than 1 meter. Next, we measured the dispersion of chirped Bragg gratings using a network analyzer and a tunable laser in a differential phase measurement technique.
Title VII Sex and Race Discrimination Litigation Settlements as Opportunities for Organizational Change

This study investigated how frequently and under what circumstances Title VII lawsuit settlements resulted in mandates for substantive organizational change in HR policies and practices that, according to social science research, are likely to move beyond mere pro forma compliance to foster greater inclusion and equality. 502 consent decrees settling Title VII sex and race discrimination lawsuits in 200–2008 were collected, coded, and analyzed. Multinomial logistic regression was used. Sociological theories of organizational change and of the relationship between law and organizations informed the study. 48 % of the consent decrees examined specified no meaningful substantive changes; 31 % required formalization of personnel decision-making remedies; 21 % required more innovative measures. Certified class actions, other non-individual lawsuits, lawsuits filed in more liberal Federal District Courts, and public sector employer predicted more substantive remedies for organizational change in organizations’ EEO policies and practices, all else being equal. Single plaintiffs and a conservative District Court legal environment predicted a greater likelihood of pro forma only remedies. Discrimination lawsuit settlements are a potential impetus for improved diversity management policies. Consent decrees are an unusually direct and potentially powerful mechanism under Title VII for employment discrimination lawsuits to mandate substantive organizational change. Whereas a few studies have discussed a very small number of high-profile settlements, this is the first systematic examination of the programmatic mandates in consent decrees and how they vary.
Eventual school placement of kindergartners observed as high risk in the classroom

To determine whether children's observable kindergarten behavior might predict eventual educational risk, 40 of 94 children originally observed in their classrooms at the beginning of kindergarten were followed at completion of second grade. The 40 subjects appeared to be representative in that they did not differ significantly from the total sample in terms of original kindergarten classroom behavior, sex, or race. Using four clusters of kindergarten behavior, significant differences were found in eventual special placement and in ratings of teacher anecdotal material. Attending behavior correlated highly with eventual risk, leading to speculation about early identification procedures.
Electron transfer between cofactors in protein domains linked by a flexible tether

Abstract Some key electron-transfer (ET) proteins have domains containing redox cofactors connected by a flexible tether. The relative motion of the domains is essential for reaction because of the strong ET rate dependence on distance. The constrained conformational flexibility produces a kinetic regime intermediate between “unimolecular” and “bimolecular”. We used a simple model for ET coupled to conformational diffusion to explore the structure dependence of the ET kinetics. The model describes the evolution of an initially prepared reduced donor state, and recovers the diffusion and electron tunneling-limited regimes. The restriction of the conformational space imposed by the tether introduces an entropic component to the effective donor–acceptor interaction potential. As such, the tether length may control the transition between the electron tunneling and diffusion-limited regimes.
Inductive multi-task learning with multiple view data

In many real-world applications, it is becoming common to have data extracted from multiple diverse sources, known as "multi-view" data. Multi-view learning (MVL) has been widely studied in many applications, but existing MVL methods learn a single task individually. In this paper, we study a new direction of multi-view learning where there are multiple related tasks with multi-view data (i.e. multi-view multi-task learning, or MVMT Learning). In our MVMT learning methods, we learn a linear mapping for each view in each task. In a single task, we use co-regularization to obtain functions that are in-agreement with each other on the unlabeled samples and achieve low classification errors on the labeled samples simultaneously. Cross different tasks, additional regularization functions are utilized to ensure the functions that we learn in each view are similar. We also developed two extensions of the MVMT learning algorithm. One extension handles missing views and the other handles non-uniformly related tasks. Experimental studies on three real-world data sets demonstrate that our MVMT methods significantly outperform the existing state-of-the-art methods.
On the almost-convergence of iterates of a nonexpansive mapping in Hilbert space and the structure of the weak ω-limit set

LetT be a nonexpansive self-mapping of a closed convex subsetC of a real Hilbert space. In this paper we deal with the structure of the weak ω-limit set of iterates {T nx}, establish conditions under which it is invariant underT, and show that {T nx} converges weakly iffT has a fixed-point andT nx-Tn+1x→0 weakly.
Evolution and strategic stability: From maynard smith to kohlberg and mertens☆

Abstract A simple and intuitive condition on a set of strategy profiles guarantees that the set has a strategically stable subset. The condition arises naturally in evolutionary contexts.
Understanding collaborative learning processes in new learning environments

Trying to understand the complexity of computer-mediated problem-based learning environments is not easy. Sociocultural theory provides a theoretical framework for understanding such environments because it emphasizes the socially situated nature of learning and the critical role of tools in mediating learning. To examine how different aspects of discourse relate to each other, as well as to the tools being used in the collaborative learning process, it is important to understand how collaborative knowledge building unfolds and how these processes are mediated. This requires going beyond coding individual speech acts. The use of Chronologically-Ordered Representations of Discourse and Tool-Related Activity (CORDTRA) diagrams is one way of achieving this understanding. We use this to study contrasting cases of more and less successful groups using the STELLAR learning environment. STELLAR is an integrated online PBL environment for preservice teachers, containing a learning sciences hypermedia, a library of videocases, and online personal and collaborative spaces. Our analyses suggest that an important locus of differences is how students use resources and engage in different kinds of metacognitive talk and knowledge transforming activities, sometimes to the group’s detriment. Frequency analyses provided an easily interpreted snapshot of each group’s activity. The CORDTRA analyses provide a more dynamic view that helps researchers and teachers better understand how collaborative learning unfolds. Such analyses have implications for understanding new learning environments as well as helping identify where interventions might be needed.
Short-lived axions and kaon decay.

An experimental limit for the branching ratio GAMMA(K/sup +/ ..--> pi../sup +/a)/GAMMA(K/sup +/..-->..all) ..e/sup +/e/sup -/, is presented.
Voting blocks, reluctant functions, and a formula of Hurwitz

Abstract In this note we present a combinatorial proof from first principles of the Hurwitz formula which is a generalization of Abel's formula which in turn is a deep generalization of the binomial formula.
DUAL ANTIPLATELET THERAPY AND LONG-TERM CLINICAL OUTCOMES AFTER PRIMARY PCI: THE HORIZONS-AMI TRIAL

To assess the association of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) use and long-term clinical outcomes in patients undergoing primary stenting for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). HORIZONS-AMI was a prospective, randomized trial of paclitaxel-eluting stents (PES) vs. bare metal stents
SU-GG-T-526: Energy Thresholds in 180 Degree Arc Delivery Proton Therapy

Purpose: To quantify the maximum initial proton kinetic energy necessary to treat a given percentage of patients with rotational proton therapy and to examine the impact of this energy threshold on the cost and feasibility of a compact, gantry‐mounted proton accelerator treatment system. Method and Materials: One hundred randomized treatment plans from patients treated with IMRT were analyzed. The maximum radiological pathlength from the surface of the patient to the distal edge of the treatment volume was obtained for 180° continuous arc proton therapy and for 180° split arc proton therapy (two 90° arcs) using CT♯ histograms from the Pinnacle treatment planning system. In each case, the maximum energy necessary to treat a patient with protons was calculated using proton range tables for various media. In addition, Monte Carlo simulations were performed to quantify neutron production in the patient as a function of maximum initial proton energy. Results: The widely accepted value of 250 MeV needed to treat 100 percent of patients with protons was confirmed. However, it was shown that 90 percent of patients could be treated at 198 MeV, and 95 percent of patients could be treated at 207 MeV. Decreasing the maximum proton energy from 250 MeV to 200 MeV decreases the total neutron energy fluence created in the patient by a factor of 2.3. Conclusion: It is possible to significantly lower the requirements on the maximum energy of a compact proton accelerator if the ability to treat a small percentage of patients with rotational therapy is sacrificed. This decrease in maximum energy, along with the corresponding decrease in neutron production, could lower the cost and ease the engineering constraints on a compact proton accelerator treatment facility. Conflict of Interest: An author of this study has financial interest in Tomotherapy, Inc., which has licensed proton accelerator technology.
Spatially resolved scattering polarimeter

We demonstrate a compact, spatially resolved polarimeter based on a coherent optical fiber bundle coupled with a thin layer of scattering centers. The use of scattering for polarization encoding allows the polarimeter to work across broad angular and spectral domains. Optical fiber bundles provide high spatial resolution of the incident field. Because neighboring elements of the bundle interact with the incident field differently, only a single interaction of the fiber bundle with the unknown field is needed to perform the measurement. Experimental results are shown to demonstrate the capability to perform imaging polarimetry.
A fractal technique for the classification of projectile point shapes

Certain cultural information is expressed in the morphology of projectile points. the present paper presents a technique that can extract a large amount of information in the shape of these points. Using a concept from fractal geometry, the degree of shape irregularity is quantified. This technique can be used to document variability in shape of individual points within a point type, or among point types. In this paper, the shapes are segmented into two components (structural and textural), and points of similar characteristics plot closely in bivariate plots of these components. If necessary, the method can be modified to provide information at more than two scales.
An integrated approach to realistic worst-case design optimization of MOS analog circuits

The authors present a new integrated approach for the optimization of MOS analog circuit performance by using realistic worst-case device parameter files, each corresponding to a performance measure. Nonlinear response surfaces are constructed for the performance measures of interest, and the worst-case device parameter files are identified by solving a set of suitably cast nonlinear programming problems. The worst-case files are shown to depend on the values of the designable parameters. An efficient method of incorporating this dependence during worst-case design optimization has been developed. This method enables the design of circuits with optimal performance and high parametric yields. Some illustrative analog circuit examples are given to demonstrate the application of the worst-case design optimization procedure. >
Full band UWB LNA with 8kV+ ESD protection in RFCMOS

This paper reports a single-chip full-band 3.1–10.6GHz ESD UWB LNA featuring cascode shunt-series feedback topology and very robust whole-chip ESD protection. Careful ESD+LNA co-design was excised to achieve full-chip circuit optimization with high ESD protection. This design is implemented in a foundry 0.18µm RFCMOS process. Measurement shows the highest reported ESD protection of 8.25kV, a peak gain of 10.9dB, a good gain flatness of 3.64%/GHz across 3.1–10.6GHz, low input reflection of &#60;−10dB, noise figure of 4.98dB, group delay of 103±35pS and good linearity with P 1-dB =2.88dBm@7GHz.
A Silicon Axon

We present a silicon model of an axon which shows promise as a building block for pulse-based neural computations involving correlations of pulses across both space and time. The circuit shares a number of features with its biological counterpart including an excitation threshold, a brief refractory period after pulse completion, pulse amplitude restoration, and pulse width restoration. We provide a simple explanation of circuit operation and present data from a chip fabricated in a standard 2µm CMOS process through the MOS Implementation Service (MOSIS). We emphasize the necessity of the restoration of the width of the pulse in time for stable propagation in axons.
Actions of Prostaglandin F2α and Prolactin on Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 Expression and Monocyte/Macrophage Accumulation in the Rat Corpus Luteum

Abstract Expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and the accumulation of monocytes/macrophages are inflammatory events that occur during PRL (PRL)-induced regression of the rat corpus luteum. Here we have compared the ability of prostaglandin F2α (PGF) and PRL to induce, in rat corpora lutea, inflammatory events thought to perpetuate luteal regression. Immature rats were ovulated with eCG-hCG and then hypophysectomized (Day 0), which resulted in a single cohort of persistent, functional corpora lutea. On Days 9–11, the rats received twice daily injections of saline, PGF (Lutalyse, 250 μg/injection), or PRL (312 μg/injection) to induce luteal regression. Surprisingly, luteal weight and plasma progestin concentrations (progesterone and 20α-dihydroprogesterone) did not differ between PGF-treated rats and controls; whereas both luteal weight and plasma progestins declined significantly in PRL-treated rats. Furthermore, corpora lutea of PGF-treated rats and controls contained relatively minima...
Synergy Between Leptin Therapy and a Seemingly Negligible Amount of Voluntary Wheel Running Prevents Progression of Dietary Obesity in Leptin-Resistant Rats

OBJECTIVE —We examined whether chronic leptin treatment of diet-induced obese rats promotes or alleviates the susceptibility to continued high-fat feeding. Second, we examined if voluntary wheel running is beneficial in reducing the trajectory of weight gain in high-fat–raised leptin-resistant rats. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS —Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a standard diet or a high-fat diet for 5 months, and then hypothalamic leptin overexpression was induced through central administration of adeno-associated virus–encoding leptin while continuing either the standard or high-fat diet. Two weeks later, half of the rats in each group were provided access to running wheels for 38 days while being maintained on either a standard or high-fat diet. RESULTS —In standard diet–raised rats, either wheel running or leptin reduced the trajectory of weight gain, and the combined effect of both treatments was additive. In high-fat–raised leptin-resistant rats, leptin overexpression first transiently reduced weight gain but then accelerated the weight gain twofold over controls. Wheel running in high-fat–raised rats was sixfold less than in standard diet–raised rats and did not affect weight gain. Surprisingly, wheel running plus leptin completely prevented weight gain. This synergy was associated with enhanced hypothalamic signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 3 phosphorylation and suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 expression in wheel running plus leptin compared with leptin-treated sedentary high-fat counterparts. This enhanced STAT3 signaling associated with the combination treatment occurred only in high-fat–raised, leptin-resistant rats and not in standard diet–raised, leptin-responsive rats. CONCLUSIONS —Chronic leptin treatment in diet-induced obese rats accelerates dietary obesity. However, leptin combined with wheel running prevents further dietary weight gain. Thus, this combination therapy may be a viable antiobesity treatment.
The Everyday Stress Resilience Hypothesis: Unfolding Resilience from a Perspective of Everyday Stress and Coping

Resilience is often associated with extreme trauma or overcoming extraordinary odds. This way of thinking about resilience leaves most of the ontogenetic picture a mystery. In this chapter, we put forth the Everyday Stress Resilience Hypothesis where resilience is seen as a process of regulating everyday life stressors and is analyzed from a systems perspective. The hypothesis argues that successful regulation accumulates into regulatory resilience which emerges during early development from successful coping with the inherent stress in typical interactions. These quotidian stressful events lead to the activation of behavioral and physiologic systems. Stress that is effectively resolved in the short run and with reiteration over the long term increases children’s as well as adults’ capacity to cope with more intense stressors. Infants,however, lack the regulatory capacities to take on this task by themselves. Therefore, through communicative and regulatory processes during infant–adult interactions, we demonstrate that the roots of regulatory resilience originate in infants’ relationship with their caregivers and that infant reactivity, maternal sensitivity, and the nature of the stressor can help or hinder the growth of resilience.
Kawasaki Disease: Early Presentation to the Otolaryngologist

Kawasaki disease is an acute febrile illness of unknown etiology that occurs primarily in childhood. Early diagnosis and treatment can reduce the risk of cardiac complications of Kawasaki disease, which carries a 1% to 2% mortality for cardiovascular events. Clinical features include: (1) fever; (2) conjunctival injection; (3) oral cavity changes; (4) changes in the peripheral extremities; (5) erythematous rash; and (6) cervical adenopathy without suppuration. We describe three cases in detail and survey a series of 42 patients at our institution. Otolaryngologic manifestations were found to occur in the early stages of Kawasaki disease. The otolaryngologist may see these patients early in the disease and should be alert to the signs and symptoms for appropriate diagnosis and treatment. Characteristics of Kawasaki disease, difficulties in diagnosis during the initial febrile stage, and the importance of early diagnosis by the otolaryngologist is stressed.
A Positive Relationship Between Religious Faith and Forgiveness: Faith in the Absence of Data?

Religious faith and beliefs appear to play an important role in the lives of many individuals and are the topic of much research. The present study investigated the relationship between religious faith and forgiveness in a sample (n = 196) of college students. Students were asked to complete the Heartland Forgiveness Scale and the Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire. Analyses of scores on both measures revealed a positive, significant correlation between these constructs, suggesting that there is a meaningful relationship between religious faith and the tendency to forgive. Implications and directions for further research are discussed.
Du Bois and the Sociology of Religion: Rediscovering a Founding Figure*

In his popular introductory sociology text, Stark identifies W. E. B. Du Bois and Albion Small as important cornerstones of the U.S. sociological tradition. While the work of the "Chicago School" is well known in sociological circles, Du Bois' sociological legacy is not. The Philadelphia Negro ([1899] 1996) is a classic empirical sociological study that is rarely included in discussions of the development of scientific sociology. Likewise, The Negro Church ([1903b] 2003) represents one of the first empirically based sociological studies of a religious institution. Sociologists of religion routinely discuss the contributions of Durkheim, Weber, and Simmel while virtually ignoring Du Bois. This is ironic because Du Bois' work on religion was based on ethnographic data, field interviews, surveys, and census data. This article provides an overview of Du Bois' sociological study of the Black Church in the United States by identifying some of the main themes developed in The Philadelphia Negro ([1899] 1996), The Souls of Black Folk ([1903a] 1994), and The Negro Church ([1903b] 2003). These studies reveal that Du Bois was a pioneer in the areas of evaluation research, public sociology, service learning, and congregational studies.
Energy Confinement Scaling Predictions for the Stabilized Tandem Mirror

The absence of toroidal curvature and the relatively weak internal parallel currents in a tandem mirror gives the system favorable stability and transport properties. GAMMA-10 experiments demonstrate that sheared plasma rotation suppresses turbulent radial losses through control of the radial potential profiles. Recent achievements of the GAMMA-10 include 3 keV ion confinement potentials and T e ≥ 800 eV. Total energy confinement times for the GAMMA-10 experiment exceed by an order of magnitude the corresponding empirical confinement times in toroidal devices. At the temperatures achieved in the GAMMA-10, the end loss rate τp ≃ 100 ms so that radial losses determine τE, as intended in tandem mirror reactor designs. Drift-wave results on radial confinement times developed using Bohm, gyro-Bohm, and electron temperature gradient (ETG) scalings imply that the tandem mirror has a qualitatively different form of drift-wave radial transport from that in toroidal devices. Drift-wave eigenmodes for the GAMMA-10 are analyzed for the fluctuating electrostatic potential and magnetic perturbations.
Family Planning in Cross‐National Perspective: An Overview

Population control is a social problem involving the quality of life the slowing of economic progress and the inability of couples to maintain their desired family size. Factors affecting population dynamics at the family and societal levels include the private sector (individual attitudes about family size and birth-control knowledge) the mediating networks and the public sector (laws religious institutions public norms and values). There is a need for social scientists to examine social and psychological variables affecting family size desires especially in the U.S. and how these variables can be changed in order to control population growth.
Higher genus Gromov–Witten invariants as genus zero invariants of symmetric products

I prove a formula expressing the descendent genus g Gromov-Witten invariants of a projective variety X in terms of genus 0 invariants of its symmetric product stack Sg+1(X). When X is a point, the latter are structure constants of the symmetric group, and we obtain a new way of calculating the Gromov- Witten invariants of a point.
Converting between word and syllable counts in children's conversational speech samples

Several authors have suggested that it is possible to convert between word and syllable counts for basic clinical measurements such as the frequency of speech disfluencies or speaking rate in conversational speech samples. Based primarily on results from adults' speech samples, proposed conversion factors have averaged approximately 1.5 syllables per word. Because children produce fewer multisyllabic words than adults, this conversion factor is probably not appropriate for children's speech samples. This study sought to develop a more accurate conversion factor for children's speech by comparing syllable and word counts in spontaneous speech samples produced by 50 children, age 3 to 5. Analyses revealed an average ratio of 1.15 syllables per word, which was consistent across different subjects, across subject groups (children who stutter and children who do not stutter) and also, somewhat surprisingly, across age groups (3-year olds, 4-year olds, and 5-year olds). Results suggest that this constant conversion factor of 1.15 can be used to convert between word and syllable with sufficient precision to allow clinicians to compare their data to published guidelines and benchmarks about childhood stuttering.
Model for e- e+ annihilation at high energy

We have studied ${e}^{+}{e}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ annihilation into hadrons in a neutral pseudoscalar theory at high c.m. energy $\ensuremath{\surd}s$. The results are the continuation of $\mathrm{ep}$ inelastic scattering studied earlier. In particular, all distribution properties can be obtained from our calculation of $\mathrm{ep}$ inelastic scattering through the substitution ${q}^{2}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}s$, where $q$ is the lepton momentum transfer. Scale invariance may hold if none of the final hadron momenta is measured. However, it certainly fails if any of the hadron momenta is fixed. As in $\mathrm{ep}$ inelastic scattering, the hadrons in the annihilation process fall naturally into two jets. The longitudinal impact parameter space is realized in each of the jets when hadron momenta are measured.
Intermolecular interactions by perturbation theory including exchange effects

Abstract A perturbation theory for intermolecular interactions is developed with wave functions of arbitrary symmetry. First- and second-order expressions are written out. For the sake of simplicity in practical calculations, the Unsold approximation is introduced in the second-order energy.
Megacolon in the newborn; a clinical and röntgenological study with special regard to the pathogenesis; a preliminary report.

Summary. 1 A clinical and rontgenological study of the onset and course in 9 megacolon cases in newborns discloses that the primary genetic factor in the etiology of the disease is a disturbance to the emptying of the bowel 2 The rontgenological megacolon picture is a secondary development to this disturbance, occurring within a varying period of time, which was established in 4 of the cases to be from 3 weeks to 3 1/2 months, while it may be longer or shorter in other cases 3 Redundancy of the colon and, in particular, the sigmoid was not more marked than in normal newborns. Nor was any other obstruction ascertainable 4 The study of these megacolon cases in comparison with normal newborns has revealed the untenability of the arguments which have supported the malformation and obstruction theories: a) The eases earlier described as megacolon in newborns and infants are either too old to prove the congenital nature of the changes, or too uncertain to reveal their megacolon nature. The abdominal distension soon after birth in cases of megacolon is a manifestation of a disease picture resembling ileus and does not prove the congenital dilatation of the colon b) The significance attributed to colonic redundancy is based on insufficient knowledge of the normal anatomy of the colon in newborns. The redundant colon in newborns can only to a very slight extent be explained by an actual increase in the length of the colon. It is, no doubt, chiefly due to the fact that the space left to the colon is considerably reduced in newborns by the largeness of the liver and the smallness of the pelvis. This gives rise to a sinuous course of the colon which is the rule in normal newborns and must be considered as physiological with regard to that particular age 5 Thus, megacolon may be characterized as a dilatation and hypertrophy of the colon owing to disturbed evacuation of the bowels. The particular kind of disturbance and the possible existence of a neuro-anatomical substratum have not as yet been elucidated. It is therefore consistent with prevailing terminology to define, for the time being, this disturbance as a functional disorder.
PORT: a Precision-Order-Recall MT Evaluation Metric for Tuning

Many machine translation (MT) evaluation metrics have been shown to correlate better with human judgment than BLEU. In principle, tuning on these metrics should yield better systems than tuning on BLEU. However, due to issues such as speed, requirements for linguistic resources, and optimization difficulty, they have not been widely adopted for tuning. This paper presents PORT, a new MT evaluation metric which combines precision, recall and an ordering metric and which is primarily designed for tuning MT systems. PORT does not require external resources and is quick to compute. It has a better correlation with human judgment than BLEU. We compare PORT-tuned MT systems to BLEU-tuned baselines in five experimental conditions involving four language pairs. PORT tuning achieves consistently better performance than BLEU tuning, according to four automated metrics (including BLEU) and to human evaluation: in comparisons of outputs from 300 source sentences, human judges preferred the PORT-tuned output 45.3% of the time (vs. 32.7% BLEU tuning preferences and 22.0% ties).
Buzz: telling compelling stories

This paper describes a digital theater installation called Buzz. Buzz consists of virtual actors who express the collective voice generated by weblogs (blogs). These actors find compelling stories from blogs and perform them. In this paper, we explore what it means for a story to be compelling and describe a set of techniques for retrieving compelling stories. We also outline an architecture for high level direction of a performance using Adaptive Retrieval Charts (ARCs), allowing a director-level of interaction with the performance system. Our overall goal in this work is to build a model of human behavior on a new foundation of query formation, information retrieval and filtering.
Culture conditions for equine bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and expression of key transcription factors during their differentiation into osteoblasts

The use of equine bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC) is a novel method to improve fracture healing in horses. However, additional research is needed to identify optimal culture conditions and to determine the mechanisms involved in regulating BMSC differentiation into osteoblasts. The objectives of the experiments were to determine: 1) if autologous or commercial serum is better for proliferation and differentiation of equine BMSC into osteoblasts, and 2) the expression of key transcription factors during the differentiation of equine BMSC into osteoblasts. Equine BMSC were isolated from the sterna of 3 horses, treated with purchased fetal bovine serum (FBS) or autologous horse serum (HS), and cell proliferation determined. To induce osteoblast differentiation, cells were incubated with L-ascorbic acid-2-phosphate and glycerol-2-phosphate in the presence or absence of human bone morphogenetic protein2 (BMP2), dexamethasone (DEX), or combination of the two. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, a marker of osteoblast differentiation, was determined by ELISA. Total RNA was isolated from differentiating BMSC between d 0 to 18 to determine expression of runt-related transcription factor2 (Runx2), osterix (Osx), and T-box3 (Tbx3). Data were analyzed by ANOVA. Relative to control, FBS and HS increased cell number (133 ± 5 and 116 ± 5%, respectively; P 0.8). Runt-related transcription factor2 expression increased 3-fold (P < 0.001) by d 6 of culture. Osterix expression increased 9-fold (P < 0.05) by d 18 of culture. Expression of Tbx3 increased 1.8-fold at d 3 (P < 0.01); however expression was reduced 4-fold at d 18 (P < 0.01). Dexamethasone, but not BMP-2, is required for differentiation of equine BMSC into osteoblasts. In addition, expression of Runx2 and osterix increased and expression of Tbx3 is reduced during differentiation.
Socioeconomic Influences on Health and Health Behavior in Adolescents

Adolescence is a time of profound neurological, hormonal, and psychosocial changes, making it also a time of higher vulnerabilities to risk factors such as poverty and low SES. However, compared to literature investigating adults and children, research on SES disparities in health among adolescents is relatively scarce. Amongst this age-group, the effects of low SES have been traced to poor cardiovascular health, obesity, asthma, depression, externalizing problems, and substance abuse. A wide range of psychosocial (e.g., access to resources and stress exposure), behavioral (e.g., substance use and physical inactivity), and biological (e.g., inflammatory processes and exposure to pollution) mechanisms appear to mediate the SES–health association. However, future research is needed to establish outcome-specificity of these mediating pathways, differentiate the effects of chronic versus episodic poverty, examine the role of age of onset of low-SES conditions, and identify moderators of the SES–health link.
Free will and moral responsibility in video games

Can a player be held morally responsible for the choices that she makes within a videogame? Do the moral choices that the player makes reflect in any way on the player's actual moral sensibilities? Many videogames offer players the options to make numerous choices within the game, including moral choices. But the scope of these choices is quite limited. I attempt to analyze these issues by drawing on philosophical debates about the nature of free will. Many philosophers worry that, if our actions are predetermined, then we cannot be held morally responsible for them. However, Harry Frankfurt's compatibilist account of free will suggests that an agent can be held morally responsible for actions that she wills, even if the agent is not free to act otherwise. Using Frankfurt's analysis, I suggest that videogames represent deterministic worlds in which players lack the ability to freely choose what they do, and yet players can be held morally responsible for some of their actions, specifically those actions that the player wants to do. Finally, I offer some speculative comments on how these considerations might impact our understanding of the player's moral psychology as it relates to the ethics of imagined fictional events.
Structure/Function of Mammalian Initiation Factors

The initiation phase of protein synthesis in eukaryotic cells is promoted by at least 10 different initiation factor proteins, comprising over 25 distinct polypeptides. The complexity of the process and the finding that these proteins are post-translationally modified by phosphorylation inter al., suggest that rates of translation are controlled by regulating initiation factor activities. In order to better understand the functional roles played by the initiation factors, we and others have purified the proteins from mammalian cells and have begun to elucidate their structures by cloning cDNAs encoding the factors. Possession of cDNA clones provides not only the protein’s sequence, but also tools for cloning the gene and studying its expression, for overexpressing the protein in cells, and for manipulating the protein’s structure. This allows us to study the function of the initiation factors in vivo, thereby providing confirmation of results obtained by in vitro biochemical experiments.
Adult Education Faculty and Programs in North America: Faculty Background, Work, and Satisfaction

This article reports on the findings of a quantitative survey of North American adult education faculty and a textual analysis of websites of adult education graduate programs in North America cond...
Reciprocity and Relationship: Urban Teacher Preparation Through Partnership

The authors describe a partnership model initiated between the social studies licensure program of a research-intensive university and a struggling, diverse urban high school. The authors demonstrate how partnership, facilitated by a partnership liaison located in the space between campus- and school-based teacher preparation, has catalyzed change in multiple aspects of the teacher preparation process. The authors also emphasize the importance of inter-institution reciprocity and relationship in bettering schools and teacher preparation for diverse urban classrooms.
How Cellulose Elongates--A QM/MM Study of the Molecular Mechanism of Cellulose Polymerization in Bacterial CESA.

The catalytic mechanism of bacterial cellulose synthase was investigated by using a hybrid quantum mechanics and molecular mechanics (QM/MM) approach. The Michaelis complex model was built based on the X-ray crystal structure of the cellulose synthase subunits BcsA and BcsB containing a uridine diphosphate molecule and a translocating glucan. Our study identified an SN2-type transition structure corresponding to the nucleophilic attack of the nonreducing end O4 on the anomeric carbon C1, the breaking of the glycosidic bond C1–O1, and the transfer of proton from the nonreducing end O4 to the general base D343. The activation barrier found for this SN2-type transition state is 68 kJ/mol. The rate constant of polymerization is estimated to be ∼8.0 s–1 via transition state theory. A similar SN2-type transition structure was also identified for a second glucose molecule added to the growing polysaccharide chain, which aligned with the polymer 180° rotated compared to the initially added unit. This study provid...
Reducing cultivation risk for at-risk species: Predicting outcomes of conservation easements for sage-grouse

Abstract Conversion of native habitats to cropland is a leading cause of biodiversity loss. The northeastern extent of the sagebrush (Artemisia L.) ecosystem of western North America has experienced accelerated rates of cropland conversion resulting in many declining shrubland species including greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). Here we present point-process models to elucidate the magnitude and spatial scale of cropland effects on sage-grouse lek occurrence in eastern Montana, northeastern Wyoming, North Dakota and South Dakota. We also use a non-parametric, probabilistic crop suitability model to simulate future cropland expansion and estimate impacts to sage-grouse. We found cropland effects manifest at a spatial scale of 32.2 km2 and a 10 percentage point increase in cropland is associated with a 51% reduction in lek density. Our crop suitability model and stochastic cropland build-outs indicate 5–7% of the remaining population in the US portion of sage-grouse Management Zone I is vulnerable to future cropland conversion under a severe scenario where cropland area expands by 50%. Using metrics of biological value, risk of conversion, and acquisition cost to rank parcels, we found that a US $100 M investment in easements could reduce potential losses by about 80%, leaving just over 1% of the population in the study are vulnerable to cropland expansion. Clustering conservation easements into high-risk landscapes by incorporating landscape-scale vulnerability to conversion into the targeting scheme substantially improved conservation outcomes.
Soil Modification by Admixtures: Concepts and Field Applications

Abstract Civil engineering construction projects, particularly highway projects, built on problematic soils, including soft soils, expansive soils, and other soil types, require some form of soil stabilization to improve the subsoil properties. Without the stabilization, the infrastructure will experience severe distress, which results in poor performance. Throughout the years, several studies have been conducted to address the performance of soil stabilization methods and construction practices. These stabilization practices can be broadly classified into four main categories of methods based on soil improvement processing mechanisms: mechanical stabilization, chemical stabilization, thermal stabilization, and electrical stabilization. Among these, chemical additives are most often used to stabilize the soils by enhancing their inherent properties. Stabilization through chemical additives, such as lime, cement, and fly ash, modifies the soil properties, resulting in a stronger foundation-supporting infrastructure. This chapter primarily discusses the chemical treatment methods used in practice to stabilize subsoils. A wide variety of chemical additive treatment methods, including lime, cement, fly ash, and other ashes, and ground granulated blast furnace slag are discussed in this chapter. The design of the stabilizers and the appropriate dosages to enhance soil properties to certain prescribed levels, as well as the laboratory mix design methodologies, are discussed. Field construction practices, along with quality control and assessments followed, are also mentioned. At the conclusion of the chapter, a summary of the field application methods and the performance of different stabilizers is presented.
Current Concepts in Debridement: Science and Strategies.

Background:The establishment of a healthy wound bed through adequate debridement of infected, senescent, and/or devitalized tissue is central to the progression of normal wound healing. Although a variety of surgical and nonsurgical strategies have been proposed, none have proven completely effectiv
Classical Invariant Theory

For a linear algebraic group G and a regular representation (ρ,V) of G, the basic problem of invariant theory is to describe the G-invariant elements (⊗ k V) G of the k-fold tensor product for all k. If G is a reductive, then a solution to this problem for (ρ *, V *) leads to a determination of the polynomial invariants P(V) G . When G ⊂ GL(W) is a classical group and V = W k ⊕ (W *) l (k copies of W and l copies of W *), explicit and elegant solutions to the basic problem of invariant theory, known as the first fundamental theorem (FFT) of invariant theory for G, were found by Schur, Weyl, Brauer, and others. The fundamental case is G = GL(V) acting on V . Following Schur and Weyl, we turn the problem of finding tensor invariants into the problem of finding the operators commuting with the action of GL(V) on ⊗ k V, which we solved in Chapter 4. This gives an FFT for GL(V) in terms of complete contractions of vectors and covectors. When G is the orthogonal or symplectic group we first find all polynomial invariants of at most dim V vectors. We then use this special case to transform the general problem of tensor invariants for an arbitrary number of vectors into an invariant problem for GL(V) of the type we have already solved.
The Effect of Non-glide Stress on the Peierls Stress in BCC Metals

ABSTRACT The variation of the Peierls stress and core structure of the a/2 screw dislocation in a body-centred cubic lattice with non-glide stresses, i.e. stresses which do not cause a Peach-Koehler force, is described. The effects observed are not insignificant; with suitable non-glide stresses, the screw dislocation can be forced into fully glissile or sessile forms. It is found that the core shape depends principally on the glide shear strain, but that the Peierls stress is dependent almost exclusively on unexpected components, termed the edge stresses, of the applied shear stress. For the geometry of the bcc screw dislocation, cubic anisotropy predicts an elastic coupling between the edge stress and the glide strain. Supposing that the Peierls stress is governed by the core shape, the observations can be rationalised by noting that the core shape is sensitive to the glide strain, which is linked elastically to the edge stress. Results for different interatomic force laws suggest that the effect is in large part geometric in origin and hence applicable to al bcc metals.