cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High-dynamic-range cascaded-focus optical limiter

We report experimental results of using an f/5, cascaded-focus optical geometry for a high-dynamic-range optical limiter. The device consists of a 2-cm-thick CS2 cell at the first focus and a reverse saturable-absorber dye in a thin cell (0.1 mm) at the second focus. The strong self-focusing in the CS2 that is due to the ac Kerr effect and electrostriction keeps the energy at the second cell below its damage threshold. Using lead phthalocyanine in chloroform as the reverse saturable-absorption material, we clamped the maximum output energy below 1 µJ for input energies up to 14.5 mJ without damage. We used a frequency-doubled, Q-switched 5-ns (FWHM) Nd:YAG laser operating at a 10-Hz repetition rate. The measured dynamic range of the device is at least 7500.
Prediction of contralateral slipped capital femoral epiphysis using the modified oxford bone age score

BACKGROUND The purpose of the present study was to determine whether the modified Oxford bone score can be used as a predictor for the risk of developing contralateral slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) in children who present with a unilateral slip. METHODS We identified 260 patients treated for unilateral SCFE between 1980 and 2002 and followed them up to skeletal maturity or until development of contralateral slip. Exclusion criteria included patients with endocrine or metabolic disorder, Down syndrome, and those with radiographs inadequate to determine the modified Oxford bone score. The initial radiographs were given a score ranging from 16 to 26. Statistical analysis was used to determine whether the modified Oxford bone score was predictive of future development of contralateral slip. A linear regression model was used to estimate the probability of future development of a contralateral slip as related to the modified Oxford bone score. RESULTS Of the 260 patients, 64 (24%) developed a contralateral slip, at an average of 10 months after initial presentation. Race, sex, age, and weight at initial presentation were not predictive of the development of contralateral slip. The modified Oxford score and a triradiate score of 1 were found to be significant (P<0.0001) predictors, with the modified Oxford score a better overall predictor. CONCLUSIONS The modified Oxford bone age score is the best predictor of the risk of development of a contralateral SCFE in patients presenting with a unilateral slip. Controversy exists regarding prophylactic pinning of a normal hip in patients presenting with unilateral SCFE. The benefits of prophylactic pinning must outweigh risk. This study provides probability data for predicting a contralateral slip based on the modified Oxford bone maturity score that can be shared with families and allows physicians to decide their threshold for prophylactically pinning the contralateral hip in patients presenting with a unilateral slip. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Therapeutic level IV, Case series.
Modeling soil parameters using hyperspectral image reflectance in subtropical coastal wetlands

Abstract Developing spectral models of soil properties is an important frontier in remote sensing and soil science. Several studies have focused on modeling soil properties such as total pools of soil organic matter and carbon in bare soils. We extended this effort to model soil parameters in areas densely covered with coastal vegetation. Moreover, we investigated soil properties indicative of soil functions such as nutrient and organic matter turnover and storage. These properties include the partitioning of mineral and organic soil between particulate (>53 μm) and fine size classes, and the partitioning of soil carbon and nitrogen pools between stable and labile fractions. Soil samples were obtained from Avicennia germinans mangrove forest and Juncus roemerianus salt marsh plots on the west coast of central Florida. Spectra corresponding to field plot locations from Hyperion hyperspectral image were extracted and analyzed. The spectral information was regressed against the soil variables to determine the best single bands and optimal band combinations for the simple ratio (SR) and normalized difference index (NDI) indices. The regression analysis yielded levels of correlation for soil variables with R2 values ranging from 0.21 to 0.47 for best individual bands, 0.28 to 0.81 for two-band indices, and 0.53 to 0.96 for partial least-squares (PLS) regressions for the Hyperion image data. Spectral models using Hyperion data adequately (RPD > 1.4) predicted particulate organic matter (POM), silt + clay, labile carbon (C), and labile nitrogen (N) (where RPD = ratio of standard deviation to root mean square error of cross-validation [RMSECV]). The SR (0.53 μm, 2.11 μm) model of labile N with R2 = 0.81, RMSECV= 0.28, and RPD = 1.94 produced the best results in this study. Our results provide optimism that remote-sensing spectral models can successfully predict soil properties indicative of ecosystem nutrient and organic matter turnover and storage, and do so in areas with dense canopy cover.
Caught in the Akt: Regulation of Wnt Signaling in the Intestine

There is a strong association between inflammation and initiation of cancer in a number of organ systems. This correlation has been observed in patients with chronic inflammatory conditions and is highlighted in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), who have an increased risk of cancer. One major hurdle in definitively linking these two pathologic states is the lack of clear underlying and implicating molecular mechanisms. One intriguing link may be in regulatory crosstalk between cellular signaling pathways that are modulated by inflammatory cytokines and those that are implicated in tumor initiation. The Wnt and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways are two likely players. While β-catenin-mediated Wnt signaling is well-known for its role in stimulation of epithelial proliferation, it has been shown recently to be modulated by the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway on at least two levels, one directly within the nucleus through inhibition of β-catenin nuclear localization, and another through regulation of GSK3β phosphorylation. Furthermore, inflammatory cytokines have been implicated in activation of the Akt signaling pathway1, supporting a molecular link between inflammation and epithelial proliferation. In this issue of Gastroenterology, Lee et al, demonstrate that inhibition of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in a chronic intestinal inflammatory microenvironment resulted in decreased nuclear localization of β-catenin and a subsequent decrease in epithelial proliferation. These data provide a potential molecular basis for linking inflammation and cancer. Significantly, however, it also provides evidence that inhibition of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway might offer a viable therapeutic target for treatment of chronic intestinal inflammatory disease.
Lipid Composition of Submandibular Saliva from Normal and Cystic Fibrosis Individuals

The submandibular saliva of patients with cystic fibrosis was found to contain about 66% more lipids/100 ml of saliva than that of normal individuals and exhibited elevated levels of neutral lipids, phospholipids, and glycolipids. No significant differences were noted in the proportions of individual neutral lipid and phospholipid components present in both types of samples. The glycolipids of normal saliva consisted entirely of glyceroglucolipids, whereas those of cystic fibrosis saliva, in addition to glyceroglucolipids, also contained small amounts of glycosphingolipids. These quantitative and qualitative differences may affect the physicochemical properties of the secretion.
Psychology in the Design of Multimedia Presentations in the Classroom: An Interview with Richard S. Velayo:

Paul Smith (PS), an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Alverno College (Milwaukee, W.) conducted this issue's interview for The Generalist's Corner. He chose multimedia instructional techniques as his focus and interviewed Richard Velayo (RV) as our expert. Velayo is an Assistant Professor at Pace University (New York, NY) and has made presentations on the topic of multimedia instruction at regional and national psychology conferences.
L-glutamate dehydrogenase in rat and human fetal liver slices.

Abstract Preliminary experiments showed that hepatic glutamate dehydrogenase (EC 1.4.1.2. L-glutamate: NAD oxidoreductase) appears almost simultaneously with the development of the liver in the earliest human fetuses studied. Glutamate dehydrogenase activity was readily evident at 12 weeks of development and had doubled by 16 weeks. Glutamate dehydrogenase was present on the 17th day of development in the rat liver and increased to a maximum some two weeks after birth, remaining at that level until at least eight weeks of age. The present paper shows that the activity of glutamic dehydrogenase is increased greatly when liver slices are incubated in vitro in the presence of glutamate or certain other substances.
The marks of the hidden flame: three faces of dido in Curial e Güelfa

Curial e Guelfa, a fifteenth century Catalan chivalresque novel whose authorship is unknown, presents the story of two lovers: a widowed young noblewoman named Guelfa who falls in love with Curial, a page in her brother's household. The love story is configured to echo the tale of Dido and Aeneas. The character of Guelfa alone does not, however, present a complete portrait of Dido. Other dimensions to this portrait are provided by two important secondary female characters, Laquesis and Camar. The Laquesis episodes illustrate several important characteristics of Dido: she rejects other suitors, and attempts to prevent Curial's further travels in search of his destiny. Camar presents those same characteristics, and then some: she remains true to her love for Curial, rejecting a royal suitor, and eventually commits suicide, invoking Dido explicitly, to keep that faith. Initially Guelfa, and then Laquesis, represent the classical, Virgilian Dido; Camar completes the tale, evoking details of the Dido/Aeneas myth through Ovid, Augustine and Dante, creating a late medieval fully-realized portrait of the Carthaginian queen.
Convective solids settling induced by a buoyant phase — a new method for the acceleration of thickening

Abstract The recent discovery that the addition of buoyant particles to a suspension can greatly accelerate its settling rate has been investigated further and it is shown that (i) the closer the densities of heavy particles and liquid, the greater is the acceleration caused by buoyant particles, and (ii) large buoyant particles are more effective than small ones. Evidence is presented that supports the contention that the convective streams formed by the buoyant phase flow in laminar motion.
Utilizing Mobility to Minimize the Total Communication and Motion Energy Consumption of a Robotic Operation

Abstract It is a common assumption that motion costs more than communication and therefore it is always better to increase the transmit power of a robot, in a networked robotic operation, instead of moving to a spot that is better for communication. The goal of this paper is to see if and when this assumption is correct by considering both the communication and motion costs of a robotic operation. More specifically, we consider a scenario where a robot needs to transmit a given number of bits to a remote station under time constraint and Bit Error Rate (BER) requirement, and while minimizing the total energy consumption. The robot is allowed to move along a predefined trajectory and design its transmission rate/power and motion policy (motion speed and possible stop times) accordingly. We then address the following question: should the robot send the given information at its initial position, or spend energy on motion and move to a location with a better communication quality? By co-optimizing the communication and motion strategies of the robot, we characterize the properties of the optimum policy, which shows that under several conditions it is more beneficial for the robot to spend energy on motion in order to move to a location that is better for communication. We also discuss a special case to see how the channel parameters and motion energy model impact the motion decision of the robot. Our simulation results show that, by using our strategy, the robot can reduce its total energy cost significantly.
Magnetostratigraphy and biochronology of the San Timoteo Badlands, southern California, with implications for local Pliocene–Pleistocene tectonic and depositional patterns

The San Timoteo Badlands expose nearly 2000 m of nonmarine sedimentary rocks ideally situated temporally and spatially to address questions regarding major tectonic events that occurred in southern California from latest Miocene to medial Pleistocene time. These events include development of the San Andreas–San Jacinto fault system and uplift of the Transverse Ranges. The badlands sequence also spans three of the four most recent North American Land Mammal “ages” and therefore coincides with important trans-Beringian and Neotropical mammal dispersal events. No other terrestrial sequence in North America records relatively continuous deposition over this interval of time. Magnetostratigraphy and mammalian biochronology provide a temporal framework that allows greater resolution of the geologic and biotic events recorded within the sequence than previous studies on this region. Data show that the sequence extends from chron C3An.2n, ca. 6.3 Ma, at the lowest part of the section in the study area, to within the Brunhes chron, or younger than 0.78 Ma, near the top. Refined age estimates for geologic and biotic events recorded within the sequence indicate that (1) a Peninsular Ranges basement source south of the badlands region dominated deposition from before 6.3 Ma to about 4.6 Ma, after which time the provenance shifted to a San Gabriel Mountains basement source from the north; (2) deposition of San Gabriel Mountains–type material continued until as recently as ca. 0.70 Ma, although sediments from the San Bernardino Mountains appeared in the northwesternmost area of the badlands ca. 1.5 Ma; (3) the late Hemphillian Mount Eden Local Fauna is dated as 5.6 Ma, compared with previous estimates of 5.0–5.4 Ma; (4) the early Irvingtonian El Casco Local Fauna is 1.3–1.4 Ma; and (5) the Shutt Ranch Local Fauna is ca. 0.7–0.99 Ma. Paleomagnetic data show that the badlands region may be slightly rotated in a counterclockwise direction, contrary to previous models predicting clockwise rotation in right-lateral shear zones.
The American Ideal: Literary History as a Worldly Activity

The American Ideal argues that the institution of American literary scholarship enshrines a reactionary view of history, of narrative, and a reactionary and dangerous view of America itself. It examines the way the idea of 'America' has been wrapped up with American literary history and unwraps the implications of that relationship for contemporary debates about the methods and status of literary history in general.
Discrimination learning as a function of the duration of rewarding hypothalamic stimulation

Independent groups of rats received posterior hypothalamic stimulation of 0.5, 1.0, 3.0, or 5.0 sec duration as a reward for performance in a brightness discrimination task. Acquisition of this discrimination was found to be inversely and linearly related to the duration of rewarding stimulation. It is suggested that long durations of hypothalamic stimulation, while generating strong approach tendencies, may retard learning by interfering with critical association and/or consolidation processes.
Numerical Simulation of Thunderstorm Outflow Dynamics. Part I: Outflow Sensitivity Experiments and Turbulence Dynamics

Abstract In this first paper of a two-part series, a two-dimensional numerical model is developed and used to investigate the dynamics of thunderstorm outflows. By focusing only on the outflow and using essentially inviscid equations and high spatial resolution, we are able to explicitly represent important physical processes such as turbulent mixing. To simplify interpretation of the results, the model atmosphere used in all experiments is calm and dry adiabatic. This approach allows us to establish basic characteristics of modeled outflows in simple physical settings, and provides a foundation for future studies using more realistic environments. All simulated outflows are initialized by prescribing a (controlled) horizontal flux of cold air into the model domain through a lateral boundary. In a series of sensitivity tests, we examine three parameters of the cold air source region: 1) the vertical temperature deficit profile, 2) the magnitude of the temperature deficit, and 3) the cold-air depth. By hol...
Fluctuations in self-assembled sickle hemoglobin fibers

We discuss microscopic measurements of thermal fluctuations in self-assembled sickle hemoglobin fibers. These permit the measurement of various mechanical moduli that control the rheology of the fiber gel responsible for the pathology of the disease. Differential interference contrast microscopy of isolated fibers undergoing equilibrium thermal bending fluctuations leads to estimates of thermal persistence lengths of between 0.23 and 10.4 mm for the most flexible and stiffest fibers, respectively. We argue that this large range may reflect the formation of fiber bundles. If the most flexible fibers are single fibers, then the stiffest measured object is consistent with a “closed shell” hexagonal bundle of 7 single fibers. We estimate the spectrum of persistence lengths associated with bundles consisting of different numbers of single fibers and compare this with the experimental data. The equivalent Young's modulus for the material is 0.1 GPa, less than for structural proteins but much larger than for ext...
IS THERE A ROLE FOR DIGITAL RECTAL EXAMINATION IN THE FOLLOWUP OF PATIENTS AFTER RADICAL PROSTATECTOMY

AbstractPurpose: We determine the role of digital rectal examination in the followup of patients after radical prostatectomy.Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data on 501 consecutive patients who underwent radical retropubic prostatectomy between 1992 and 1998, and were followed at the University of Miami. Patients were evaluated at 3 to 6-month intervals after surgery with serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) and digital rectal examination. Biochemical recurrence was defined as PSA greater than 0.2 ng./ml. and increasing on at least 2 consecutive measurements. Local recurrence, detected by an abnormal digital rectal examination, was defined as an induration or nodularity in the prostatic fossa.Results: Mean followup plus or minus standard deviation was 25.4 +/− 20.8 months. Disease recurred in 72 patients (14.4%) and was biochemical in all. An abnormal digital rectal examination was noted in 4 patients, none of whom had an undetectable PSA at the time of a palpable abnormality.Conclusio...
The New Journalism and the struggle for interpretation

Scholarship in literary journalism often focuses on matters of technique and style, and on the ethical challenges of immersion reporting. In some contexts, however, literary journalism may also tak...
Ubiquitin Depletion and Dominant-Negative VPS4 Inhibit Rhabdovirus Budding without Affecting Alphavirus Budding

The budding reactions of a number of enveloped viruses use the cellular machinery involved in the formation of the luminal vesicles of endosomal multivesicular bodies (MVB). Budding of these viruses is dependent on the presence of specific late-domain motifs in membrane-associated viral proteins. Such budding reactions usually involve ubiquitin and are blocked by expression of an ATPase-deficient form of VPS4, a cellular AAA+ ATPase believed to be required late in the MVB pathway for the disassembly/release of the MVB machinery. Here we examined the role of the MVB pathway in the budding of the late-domain-containing rhabdovirus vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) and the alphavirus Semliki Forest virus (SFV). We tested early and late steps in the MVB pathway by depleting ubiquitin with the proteasome inhibitor MG-132 and by using cell lines inducibly expressing VPS4A or VPS4B protein. As previously shown, VSV budding was strongly dependent on ubiquitin. In contrast to the findings of previous studies with VPS4A, expression of ATPase-deficient mutants of either VPS4A or VPS4B inhibited VSV budding. Inhibition by VPS4 required the presence of the PPPY late domain on the VSV matrix protein and resulted in the accumulation of nonreleased VSV particles at the plasma membrane. In contrast, SFV budding was independent of both ubiquitin and the activity of VPS4, perhaps reflecting the important role of the highly organized envelope protein lattice during alphavirus budding.
Magnetic resonance imaging findings after rectus femoris transfer surgery

We describe the magnetic resonance (MR) imaging appearance of the knee flexor and extensor tendons after bilateral rectus femoris transfer and hamstring lengthening surgery in five patients (10 limbs) with cerebral palsy. Three-dimensional models of the path of the transferred tendon were constructed in all cases. MR images of the transferred and lengthened tendons were examined and compared with images from ten non-surgical subjects. The models showed that the path of the transferred rectus femoris tendon had a marked angular deviation near the transfer site in all cases. MR imaging demonstrated irregular areas of low signal intensity near the transferred rectus femoris and around the hamstrings in all subjects. Eight of the ten post-surgical limbs showed evidence of fluid near or around the transferred or lengthened tendons. This was not observed in the non-surgical subjects. Thus, MR imaging of patients with cerebral palsy after rectus femoris transfer and hamstring-lengthening surgery shows evidence of signal intensity and contour changes, even several years after surgery.
A comment on Hubbell's zero‐sum ecological drift model

In Hubbell's model of zero-sum ecological drift, loss of species from communities by stochastic change in population size is balanced by the production of new species by processes analogous to mutation or to the fission of populations. Large regional metacommunities contain so many individuals that species are lost slowly and infrequent speciation events can maintain high diversity. However, validation of Hubbell's model requires that community size, diversity, and species life spans match up, and this is shown to be a problem with both the mutation and fission mechanisms of speciation. In the first case, most species are rare and ephemeral and would fail to be recognized by traditional taxonomic practices. In the second case, species life spans are so long that diversity builds to unrealistic levels. Thus, the problem confronting community drift probably is not the maintenance of diversity but rather its control, requiring such mechanisms as environmental change or occasional evolution of competitively superior species that sweep the metacommunity. Testing the community drift model will require close attention to community size and species life spans.
Cooperative analog-digital signal processing

We introduce the concept of cooperative analog-digital signal processing, and its implications on real-time signal processing functions. We discuss some of the trade-offs between performing operations in the analog computing circuit and digital computing circuits, and a general framework for “cooperative analog/digital signal processing systems” is presented. A key aspect of the cooperative analog/digital signal processing systems is the fact that new advances in analog VLSI circuits make it possible to developed advanced analog signal processing systems with programmable elements.
Examining the Viability of the Neisser Search Model in the Flight Domain and the Benefits of Highlighting in Visual Search

We conducted four experiments to examine the visual search capability of pilots and examine how search times could be reduced, invoking the framework of Neisser’s serial self terminating (SST) search model. In Experiment 1 which manipulated target presence and set size, our results show increases in response time as array size increases: an effect predicted by the SST model. In Experiment 2, we manipulated the background against which the visual search had to be performed. We found that the detrimental effects of array size on visual search time are maximal when the search is performed against maps, which have large quantities of terrain information. In Experiment 3, we sought to assess the degree to which high and low-lighting could be used to reduce the search times of pilots. We observed that although both high and lowlighting reduced the search times of pilots, the observed reductions were not predicted by the SST model. The advantage of highlighting elements of the target was shown in Experiment 4.
Early Mother-Child Attachment: Longitudinal Prediction to the Quality of Peer Relationships in Middle Childhood.

Although it is hypothesized that children with different insecure attachment patterns may experience a variety of peer difficulties, the question has been investigated almost exclusively for extern...
Coupling of magnetism and structural phase transitions by interfacial strain

Proximity effects and exchange coupling across interfaces of hybrid magnetic heterostructures present unique opportunities for functional material design. In this review, we present an overview of recent experiments on magnetic hybrid materials in which magnetism was controlled by proximity to an active material. In particular, we discuss interfacial strain coupling of ferromagnetic materials in contact with a material undergoing a structural deformation. Bilayers containing VO2 and V2O3 as active materials are shown to strongly affect the magnetization and coercivity of ferromagnetic materials due to stress anisotropy caused by a temperature-dependent structural displacement in the oxide. The possibilities of tuning the system by sample morphology and materials choice are discussed in detail. In addition, we highlight a length-scale competition between magnetic and structural domains which leads to a maximum change in the coercivity in a narrow temperature window of the vanadium oxide phase transition.
Upper bounds on twenty-first-century Antarctic ice loss assessed using a probabilistic framework

Estimating the probable magnitude of future sea-level rise under global warming is complicated by a limited understanding of long-term ice-sheet dynamics. This study presents a probabilistic approach for assessing upper bounds on twenty-first-century Antarctic ice-sheet loss, and its effect on sea level.
The role of renewal in organizational learning

The role of continuity in organizational learning has been given relatively little attention by people who try to improve learning. It is argued that if people view learning as a process of renewal rather than a process of transformation, they are more likely to preserve the continuity with past experience that is a pre–condition of learning.
Evaluation of pulmonary resistance and maximal expiratory flow measurements during exercise in humans.

To evaluate methods used to document changes in airway function during and after exercise, we studied nine subjects with exercise-induced asthma and five subjects without asthma. Airway function wa...
FMRI mapping of the somatosensory cortex with vibratory stimuli. Is there a dependency on stimulus frequency

Vibratory stimuli on the skin are mediated by two major receptors: Meissner corpuscles and Pacinian corpuscles. These receptors differ in properties such as density distribution, receptive field size, frequency sensitivity and depth of location. The cortical response to stimulation of these corpuscles can be tested by taking advantage of the differences in frequency discrimination of the receptors. Meissner corpuscles are most sensitive to frequencies around 10-50 Hz (flutter), while Pacinian corpuscles are most sensitive to high frequency (100-300 Hz) vibration. This study compared the neuronal responses (hemodynamic response) generated from vibratory stimuli of 35 Hz and 150 Hz with functional MRI. Group functional activation maps showed differences in the activation pattern for the two stimulus frequencies.
Control parameters optimization for PM DC motor in photovoltaic applications

Electric machines supplied by solar energy is increasingly attracting attention due to sustainability, clean and silence considerations. The efficiency of the machine drive is particularly important to reduce the overall system cost and maximize the energy utilization. Thus, this paper presents a modified and an optimized drive system control for a permanent magnet brushed (PMB) DC motor coupled with a mechanical pump for Photovoltaic (PV) water pumping applications. The proposed modification provides voltage protection and regulation for the motor to achieve the optimal performance with simple and low cost control implementation. The voltage regulation is control based avoiding the use of batteries and reducing cost. Also, a control parameters optimization is conducted to maximize the energy conversion efficiency for the whole system. The proposed optimization is based on genetic algorithm (GA) coupled with a Simulink Simpower simulation. Finally, the system is simulated and experimentally tested to validate the proposed drive.
Fluoroscopic catheter removal of blunt esophageal foreign bodies. A pediatric radiologist's perspective.

Fluoroscopic catheter removal of blunt esophageal foreign bodies is a safe, effications, time-effective, and cost-effective technique.
Present leprosy situation in India and the decade long experience of this correspondent.

Leprosy, which was known to ancient India as “Kustha Roga” is thought to be its origin from India also. It is, still, a major public health problem in India affecting many people every year. India is, now, having maximum numbers of leprosy cases worldwide and accounts for 67% of total prevalence and 73% of total new case detection. Huge numbers of new cases have been detected in recent years (Last year new cases were 782501) because of adoption of new strategy, Modified Leprosy Elimination compaign (MLEC), and effective health education campaign. Presently, 70% of the total new caseloads of India are from five most heavily infected states. There is significant improvement in the overall situation as is evident from steady decline of prevalence rate from 38.6 cases per 10, 000 population in 1985 to 5.0 per 10, 000 in 1999.
Mediterranean, invasive, woody species grow larger than their less-invasive counterparts under potential global environmental change

PREMISE OF THE STUDY Revealing biological differences between invasive and noninvasive species is essential for predicting species' distribution changes with global environmental change. While most research has focused on differences between invasive and noninvasive species under favorable conditions using herbaceous species, invasive woody angiosperms are also of great ecological concern. Our study focused on how growth and allocation may change for invasive and noninvasive, mediterranean, woody angiosperms under future conditions caused by global change, specifically increased nitrogen deposition and drought. METHODS We tested how seedling functional traits differed between invasive and noninvasive woody angiosperms under different experimental conditions in a greenhouse setting. We compared growth rates and allocation patterns using two levels of soil nitrogen and three levels of watering. We also examined trait log response ratios to increases in nitrogen and increases in water. Our study sampled angiosperm trees and shrubs, incorporating congeneric/confamilial relationships through 13 phylogenetically controlled contrasts. KEY RESULTS Three functional traits were highly and positively associated with plant invasiveness for most conditions studied: seedling plant mass, leaf area, and height. Invasive species also had significantly higher root mass ratios at low water regardless of nitrogen input. Invasive and noninvasive species had similar log response ratios to increases in nitrogen and watering for studied traits. CONCLUSIONS Mediterranean, woody, invasive species' larger mass, leaf area, and early height advantage under elevated nitrogen input and increased root production in drought conditions may lead to increased invasion of these species with expected global climate change.
WWW Response Rates to Sociodemographic Items

In the era of World Wide Web survey usage, it is important for researchers to be aware of characteristics of their respondents. This study examined response rates to demographic items for a web-bas...
Observation on clinical efficacy of alareilin in preventing recurrence of ovarian endometriosis cyst after operation

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of alareilin in preventing the recurrence of ovarian endometriosis cyst(OEC) after the operation. Methods Retrospectively collected 54 patients with OEC in Tianjin Meizhong Yihe Women and Children's Hospital from March 2008 to December 2010 as the research object. The patients were accepted the operation of laparoscopic cyst removed,and they were im administered with alareilin 150 μg/d on day 1 of the first menstruation after the operation,and lasted for 5 d. Every 4 week was as one cycle,and they were continuously treated for six cycles. Fifty patients with OEC,who were accepted pure operation of laparoscopic cyst removed in the same period,were as control. Clinical efficacy,recurrence time,accumulated recurrence rate,and cumulative survival rate were compared by referring to the history. Results The total effective rates of the patients in the treatment and control groups were 92.59% and 78.00%,respectively,with the significant difference between the two groups(P 0.05). The average recurrence time of the patients in the treatment group was(24.69 ± 3.69) months,and that of the patients in the control group was(18.65 ± 1.25) months,with the significant difference between the two groups(P 0.01). Cumulative recurrence rate of the patients in treatment group was significantly lower than that of the patients in the control group. At the same time,the cumulative survival rate was significantly higher than that in the control group,with the significant difference between the two groups(P 0.01). Conclusion Alareilin could improve the clinical curative effect of patients with OEC undergoing laparoscopic cyst,and prolong the time of recurrence,reduce the recurrence rate,which has the important value of prevention on recurrence of OEC.
Cerebral hypoxia/ischemia selectively disrupts tight junctions complexes in stem cell-derived human brain microvascular endothelial cells

Cerebral hypoxia/ischemia (H/I) is an important stress factor involved in the disruption of the blood–brain barrier (BBB) following stroke injury, yet the cellular and molecular mechanisms on how the human BBB responds to such injury remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the cellular response of the human BBB to chemical and environmental H/I in vitro. In this study, we used immortalized hCMEC/D3 and IMR90 stem-cell derived human brain microvascular endothelial cell lines (IMR90-derived BMECs). Hypoxic stress was achieved by exposure to cobalt chloride (CoCl2) or by exposure to 1 % hypoxia and oxygen/glucose deprivation (OGD) was used to model ischemic injury. We assessed barrier function using both transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER) and sodium fluorescein permeability. Changes in cell junction integrity were assessed by immunocytochemistry and cell viability was assessed by trypan-blue exclusion and by MTS assays. Statistical analysis was performed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). CoCl2 selectively disrupted the barrier function in IMR90-derived BMECs but not in hCMEC/D3 monolayers and cytotoxic effects did not drive such disruption. In addition, hypoxia/OGD stress significantly disrupted the barrier function by selectively disrupting tight junctions (TJs) complexes. In addition, we noted an uncoupling between cell metabolic activity and barrier integrity. In this study, we demonstrated the ability of IMR90-derived BMECs to respond to hypoxic/ischemic injury triggered by both chemical and environmental stress by showing a disruption of the barrier function. Such disruption was selectively targeting TJ complexes and was not driven by cellular apoptosis. In conclusion, this study suggests the suitability of stem cell-derived human BMECs monolayers as a model of cerebral hypoxia/ischemia in vitro.
Regional variation in patient selection and treatment for lower extremity vascular disease in the Vascular Quality Initiative

Abstract Objective Prior studies on the cause and effect of surgical variation have been limited by utilization of administrative data. The Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI), a robust national clinical registry, provides anatomic and perioperative details allowing a more robust analysis of variation in surgical practice. Methods The VQI was used to identify all patients undergoing infrainguinal open bypass or endovascular intervention from 2009 to 2014. Asymptomatic patients were excluded. The 16 regional groups of the VQI were used to compare variation in patient selection, operative indication, technical approach, and process measures. χ 2 analysis was used to assess for differences across regions where appropriate. Results A total of 52,373 interventions were included (31%). Of the 16,145 bypasses, 5% were performed for asymptomatic disease, 26% for claudication, 56% for chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLI) (61% of these for tissue loss), and 13% for acute limb-threatening ischemia. Of the 35,338 endovascular procedures, 4% were for asymptomatic disease, 40% for claudication, 46% for CLI (73% tissue loss), and 12% for acute limb-threatening ischemia. Potentially unwarranted variation included proportion of prosthetic conduit for infrapopliteal bypass in claudication (13%-41%, median, 29%; P P P P P P P P P P Conclusions Significant variation exists both in areas where evidence exists for best practice and, therefore, potentially unwarranted variation, and in areas of clinical ambiguity. Quality improvement efforts should be focused on reducing unwarranted variation. Further research should be directed at identifying best practice where no established guidelines and high variation exists.
Sequential Structure of Discourse Segments Shaped by the Interplay of Recipient Design or Salience

This paper argues that speaker utterance is not just the result of recipient design. While fitting words into actual situational contexts speakers are driven not only by the intent that the hearer recognize what is meant as intended by the speaker (social), but also by individual salience that affects production subconsciously (egocentrism of speaker). The interplay of these social and individual factors shapes speaker utterance. The effect of individual salience (which is usually subconscious and uncontrolled) may result in uttering semantic units that make their own context, and occasionally may cause misunderstandings. It will be claimed and demonstrated through examples that recipient design usually requires an inductive process that is carefully planned in most cases while salience effect generally appears in the form of a deductive process that may contain repairs and adjustments. The speaker has something on his/her mind, and this intention is formulated abruptly, rather carelessly without specific planning.
Empirically Improving Model Adequacy in Scientific Computing

In developing mechanistic models, we establish assumptions regarding aspects of the system behavior that are not fully understood. Such assumptions in turn may lead to a simplified representation or omission of some underlying phenomena. Although necessary for feasibility, such simplifications introduce systematic bias in the model predictions. Often times model bias is non-uniform across the operational domain of the system of interest. This operational domain is defined by the control parameters, i.e., those that can be controlled by experimentalists during observations of the system behavior. The conventional approach for addressing model bias involves empirically inferring a functional representation of the discrepancy with respect to control parameters and accordingly bias-correcting model predictions. This conventional process can be considered as experimental data fitting informed by theoretical knowledge, only providing a one-way interaction between simulation and observation. The model calibration approach presented herein recognizes that assumptions established during model development may require omission or simplification of interactions among model input parameters. When prediction accuracy relies on the inclusion of these interactions, it becomes necessary to infer the functional relationships between the input parameters from experiments. As such, this study demonstrates a two-way interaction in which theoretical knowledge is in turn informed by experimental data fitting. We propose to empirically learn previously unknown parameter interactions through the training of functions emulating these relationships. Such interactions can be posed in the form of reliance of model input parameter values on control parameter settings or on other input parameters. If the nature of the interactions is known, appropriate parametric functions may be implemented. Otherwise, nonparametric emulator functions can be leveraged. In our study, we use nonparametric Gaussian Process models in the Bayesian paradigm to infer the interactions among input parameters from the experimental data. The proposed approach will equip model developers with a tool capable of identifying the underlying and mechanistically-relevant physical processes absent from engineering models. This approach has the potential to not only significantly reduce the systematic bias between model predictions and experimental observations, but also further engineers’ knowledge of the physics principles governing complex systems.
Place-Based Education in Geoscience: Theory, Research, Practice, and Assessment

Place-based education (PBE) is a situated, context-rich, transdisciplinary teaching and learning modality distinguished by its unequivocal relationship to place, which is any locality that people h...
Effect of management of organic wastes on inactivation of Brassica nigra and Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lactucae using soil biosolarization.

BACKGROUND Soil biosolarization is a promising alternative to conventional fumigation. Volatile fatty acids (VFAs) produced in the soil through fermentation of amended organic matter can affect pest inactivation during biosolarization. The objective was to determine how soil amended with organic wastes that were partially stabilized through either composting or anaerobic digestion affected the inactivation of Brassica nigra (BN; a weed) and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lactucae (FOL; a phytopathogenic fungus). RESULTS The mortality of BN seeds in the biosolarized soil was 12% higher than in the solarized soil, although this difference was not significant. However, a significant correlation between BN mortality and VFA accumulation was observed. The number of FOL colony-forming units (CFU) in solarized samples at 5 cm was 34 CFU g-1 of soil, whereas in the biosolarized samples levels were below the limit of quantification. At 15 cm, these levels were 100 CFU g-1 for solarized samples and < 50 CFU g-1 of soil for the biosolarized samples. Amendment addition positively affected the organic matter and potassium content after the solarization process. CONCLUSION The organic waste stabilization method can impact downstream biosolarization performance and final pest inactivation levels. This study suggests that organic waste management practices can be leveraged to improve pest control and soil quality. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.
An Ounce of Application is Worth a Ton of Abstraction: A Practical Guide to Implementing Total Quality Management

(1996). An Ounce of Application is Worth a Ton of Abstraction: A Practical Guide to Implementing Total Quality Management. Quality Management Journal: Vol. 3, No. 3, pp. 15-16.
Optimum connection route between a new substation and power grid using linear programing

Load growth in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has increased significantly due to population growth, domestic consumption, industrial and commercial development; hence, appropriate Network Expansion Planning (NEP) is desirable. This paper considers a five years' load forecast for a selected area in Dammam city. The load in Dammam exhibits substantial increase, which may violate the capacity limits of the existing network in the coming years. Consequently, National Grid-SA is required to build new 115/13.8KV substations in order to account for the future load growth. This paper aims to find the optimum feeding route between the location of new and existing substations with the least possible cost subjected to some technical constraints. A linear programming model is developed to solve this optimization problem.
Does Your Research Really Matter? Revitalizing Public Engagement in the Study of Emerging Adulthood:

The broad goal of researchers of emerging adulthood can be construed as wanting to advance the understanding of development in emerging adulthood with the outcome of bettering the lives of emerging...
Dissociation of molecular oxygen on unpromoted and cesium‐promoted Ag(111) surfaces

Density functional calculations for the dissociation of molecular oxygen on a Ag10 cluster model (seven surface and three subsurface atoms) of the [111] surface of silver are presented. The calculations show that the reaction pathway for the dissociation of molecular oxygen depends on the amount of cesium present on the surface. For the unpromoted surface, dissociation should have a low rate as the process is activated. As a single Cs atom is added to the cluster, O2 should readily dissociate since the process is kinetically and thermochemically favored. However, as a second Cs atom is added, the dissociation of O2 is quenched as the process is highly activated.
Hypertension in Diabetes Mellitus

Recent US National Health and Nutritional Examination Surveys of adults have estimated the age-adjusted prevalence of diabetes and hypertension at 8.3 % and 29 %, respectively. However, the prevalence of both conditions increases nearly exponentially with age and body-mass index, such that 67 % of diabetics had blood pressures ≥140/90 mmHg (or were taking antihypertensive medication) in the 2005–2008 datasets. Data from epidemiological studies and clinical trials in hypertensive subjects indicate that diabetes roughly doubles the risk of cardiovascular disease. For the US national dataset gathered from 2005 to 2010, diabetes and hypertension increased the risk for chronic kidney disease by a factor of 3.4 and 2.4, respectively. Across the USA, either diabetes or hypertension was cited in 2010 as the primary reason for end-stage renal disease in 44 % or 28 %, respectively, of those requiring renal replacement therapy. Clinical trials comparing antihypertensive therapy vs. placebo/no treatment in diabetics have demonstrated significant reductions in both cardiovascular and renal endpoints; the data are particularly strong for a single inhibitor (but not multiple inhibitors) of the renin–angiotensin system. Some, but not all, clinical trials have shown benefit for a lower-than-usual blood pressure target for diabetics, so current US guidelines suggest a blood pressure of 1 g/day. It is abundantly clear that hypertension increases the risk of all cardiovascular and renal endpoints in diabetes, and that one or more type of antihypertensive drug therapy decreases these risks. What is not clear is whether, in all diabetics, the additional effort required to reduce blood pressure to a lower-than-usual target results in better outcomes, either clinically or economically.