cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Studies on heterogeneous polymeric systems. I. Influence of morphology on mechanical properties

Polybutadiene rubbers of well-defined and varying molecular weight were prepared by anionic polymerization and used in the preparation of mass-polymerized polystyrene blends. The particle size of the dispersed rubber phase was varied by (1) controlling the relative viscosity, at phase inversion, of the two liquid phases composed of polystyrene and polybutadiene in styrene monomer; (2) by varying the intensity of mixing, and (3) by adding preformed polystyrene to the prepolymer, prior to phase inversion. The mechanical and dynamic properties of the resulting blends are found to be determined mainly by the particle size of the dispersed rubber phase, independently from the method used to obtain such size. The weight fraction of rubber phase, rather than the weight fraction of rubber charged, is found to correlate with the blend modulus and may also affect its level of toughness. Low molecular weight rubbers are found capable of efficient blend reinforcement, if the excessively small rubber particle size obtained by conventional processes is enlarged by incorporation of preformed polystyrene prior to phase inversion.
Wideband planar log‐periodic balun

This paper presents the analysis, design, and performance characteristics of a new planar balun structure. The design is based on the log-periodic antenna theory. The design guidelines, as well as simulation and measured results, are presented. It is shown that the new balun has greater than one octave bandwidth. A comparison to the half-wave balun is also included. The log-periodic balun will find applications in wireless communication circuits or devices such as mixers, amplifiers, and antennas. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE 11: 343–353, 2001.
SCALING OF FLOW DISTANCE IN RANDOM SELF-SIMILAR CHANNEL NETWORKS

Natural river channel networks have been shown in empirical studies to exhibit power-law scaling behavior characteristic of self-similar and self-affine structures. Of particular interest is to describe how the distribution of distance to the outlet changes as a function of network size. In this paper, networks are modeled as random self-similar rooted tree graphs and scaling of distance to the root is studied using methods in stochastic branching theory. In particular, the asymptotic expectation of the width function (number of nodes as a function of distance to the outlet) is derived under conditions on the replacement generators. It is demonstrated further that the branching number describing rate of growth of node distance to the outlet is identical to the length ratio under a Horton-Strahler ordering scheme as order gets large, again under certain restrictions on the generators. These results are discussed in relation to drainage basin allometry and an application to an actual drainage network is presented.
Effect of temperature and bleaching agent on bleaching of liquid Cheddar whey

The use of whey protein as an ingredient in foods and beverages is increasing, and thus demand for colorless and mild-tasting whey protein is rising. Bleaching is commonly applied to fluid colored cheese whey to decrease color, and different temperatures and bleach concentrations are used. The objectives of this study were to compare the effects of hot and cold bleaching, the point of bleaching (before or after fat separation), and bleaching agent on bleaching efficacy and volatile components of liquid colored and uncolored Cheddar whey. First, Cheddar whey was manufactured, pasteurized, fat-separated, and subjected to one of a number of hot (68°C) or cold (4°C) bleaching applications [hydrogen peroxide (HP) 50 to 500 mg/kg; benzoyl peroxide (BP) 25 to 100 mg/kg] followed by measurement of residual norbixin and color by reflectance. Bleaching agent concentrations were then selected for the second trial. Liquid colored Cheddar whey was manufactured in triplicate and pasteurized. Part of the whey was collected (no separation, NSE) and the rest was subjected to fat separation (FSE). The NSE and FSE wheys were then subdivided and bleaching treatments (BP 50 or 100 mg/kg and HP 250 or 500 mg/kg) at 68°C for 30 min or 4°C for 16 h were applied. Control NSE and FSE with no added bleach were also subjected to each time-temperature combination. Volatile compounds from wheys were evaluated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and norbixin (annatto) was extracted and quantified to compare bleaching efficacy. Proximate analysis, including total solids, protein, and fat contents, was also conducted. Liquid whey subjected to hot bleaching at both concentrations of HP or at 100mg/kg BP had greater lipid oxidation products (aldehydes) compared with unbleached wheys, 50mg/kg BP hot-bleached whey, or cold-bleached wheys. No effect was detected between NSE and FSE liquid Cheddar whey on the relative abundance of volatile lipid oxidation products. Wheys bleached with BP had lower norbixin content compared with wheys bleached with HP. Bleaching efficacy of HP was decreased at 4°C compared with 68°C, whereas that of BP was not affected by temperature. These results suggest that fat separation of liquid Cheddar whey has no effect on bleaching efficacy or lipid oxidation and that hot bleaching may result in increased lipid oxidation in fluid whey.
Understory Community Changes Associated with English Ivy Invasions in Seattle's Urban Parks

English ivy has become a common invader in Seattle's urban parks and in forests throughout the Pacific Northwest. Despite a great deal of concern over the potential impacts of this species, no studies have investigated ivy's effects on native vegetation in this region. In this study, paired comparisons between ivy-invaded and adjacent non-invaded plots in three Seattle parks were used to quantify changes associated with ivy invasion in the forest understory. Species diversity, percent cover, and tree regeneration were surveyed. Differences in species diversity, calculated as both richness and evenness, were not significantly different between invaded and non-invaded plots. Ivy-invaded plots did have significantly higher total cover, and significantly lower non-ivy cover, than non-invaded plots. The reduction of percent cover in invaded plots was primarily due to the loss of native shrubs. A plot where ivy had been removed over five years was also surveyed, and percent cover in this plot showed intermediate values relative to invaded and non-invaded plots, for both total cover and cover of native shrubs. The number of trees regenerating in the understory was higher in invaded plots, though this difference was not significant. These results suggest that English ivy invasions have substantial impacts on understory cover, and may influence the species composition and diversity of forest communities over the long-term by increasing vegetative cover and suppressing dominant native shrubs.
Nurse Practitioner Intervention to improve Postpartum Appointment Keeping in an Outpatient Family Planning Clinic

A nurse practitioner (NP) program to improve postpartum appointment keeping in an outpatient family planning clinic is described and evaluated. The subjects (N = 59) were non-high-risk obstetric patients prescheduled to be seen at 6 weeks postpartum by the NP. Two groups were identified by convenience sampling: Group A (n = 25), the nonintervention group, and Group B (n = 34), the intervention group. Two types of intervention were used: a postpartum telephone call after discharge (n = 11), or a predischarge postpartum visit (n = 23). Results suggest that those in the intervention group were more likely to keep their appointments (p less than .02); only the postpartum visit increased the probability of appointment keeping (p less than .05).
Assumptions of behavioral consultation: After all is said and done more has been done than said.

The purpose of our article is to provide a reaction to the article by Noell and Witt (1996) regarding fi ve fundamental assumptions underlying behavioral consultation, as well as react to a manuscript by Witt, Gresham and Noell (1996a) pertaining to their critique of some aspects of behavioral consultation. We provide a reaction to the alleged fundamental assumptions pertaining to consultation, specifi cally that (a) consultation is a superior use of resources when compared to direct intervention/therapy; (b) consultation is conducted collaboratively; (c) talking to teachers is suffi cient to cause them to change their behavior; (d) teachers will generalize problem-solving skills developed in consultation to new problem situations with other clients; and (e) direct contact between the consultant and client is unnecessary. Issues surrounding future research in consultation are presented within the context of these two
Estimation of mortality for stage-structured zooplankton populations: What is to be done?

article i nfo Estimation of zooplankton mortality rates in field populations is a challenging task that some contend is inherently intractable. This paper examines several of the objections that are commonly raised to efforts to estimate mortality. We find that there are circumstances in the field where it is possible to sequentially sample the same population and to resolve biologically caused mortality, albeit with error. Precision can be improved with sampling directed by knowledge of the physical structure of the water column, combined with adequate sample replication. Intercalibration of sampling methods can make it possible to sample across the life history in a quantitative manner. Rates of development can be constrained by laboratory-based estimates of stage durations from temperature- and food-dependent functions, mesocosm studies of molting rates, or approximation of development rates from growth rates, combined with the vertical distributions of organisms in relation to food and temperature gradients. Careful design of field studies guided by the assumptions of specific estimation models can lead to satisfactory mortality estimates, but model uncertainty also needs to be quantified. We highlight additional issues requiring attention to further advance the field, including the need for linked cooperative studies of the rates and causes of mortality of co-occurring holozooplankton and ichthyoplankton.
Automatic composite wrapper generation for semi-structured biological data based on table structure identification

Biological data analyses usually require complex manipulations involving tool applications, multiple web site navigation, result selection and filtering, and iteration over the internet. Most biological data are generated from structured databases and by applications and presented to the users embedded within repeated structures, or tables, in HTML documents. In this paper we outline a novel technique for the identification of table structures in HTML documents. This identification technique is then used to automatically generate composite wrappers for applications requiring distributed resources. We demonstrate that our method is robust enough to discover standard as well as non-standard table structures in HTML documents. Thus our technique outperforms contemporary techniques used in systems such as XWrap and AutoWrapper. We discuss our technique in the context of our PickUp system that exploits the theoretical developments presented in this paper and emerges as an elegant automatic wrapper generation system.
Staphylococcus aureus Infection of Mouse or Human Osteoblasts Induces High Levels of Interleukin-6 and Interleukin-12 Production

Staphylococcus aureus is the principal causative agent of the inflammatory bone disease osteomyelitis. Unfortunately, the pathogenesis of this often chronic infection is poorly understood and is complicated by the recent observation that bone-forming osteoblasts can harbor S. aureus. Such an infection presents a significant challenge for the host immune response, because osteoblasts are not known to initiate protective cell-mediated immune responses. Cultured mouse and human osteoblasts infected with S. aureus were found to express high levels of interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-12p75, on the basis of complementary investigations demonstrating both S. aureus-induced up-regulation of expression of IL-6 and IL-12p40 mRNA and secretion of IL-6 and IL-12p75 by these cells. Additionally, a quantitative bioassay demonstrated that IL-12p75 secreted after infection was biologically active. These studies are the first to demonstrate induced IL-12p75 expression by osteoblasts and suggest a previously unrecognized role for osteoblasts in initiating immune responses after S. aureus infection.
Assessing Need in the United States, Germany, and Sweden: The Organization of Welfare Casework and the Potential for Responsiveness in the “Three Worlds”

An ongoing challenge for the administrative state is balancing the programmatic values of responsiveness and accountability. Few studies have examined these policy issues cross-nationally for social assistance, a needs-based form of income support where these tensions are especially significant. Based on street-level case studies, this article demonstrates persistent diversity among welfare states in how these programmatic tradeoffs are made, contrasting a U.S. approach that emphasizes programmatic control via a bureaucratic, flat-grant system, with German and Swedish programs in which individualized assessments of need are a core organizational task. In each European case, legal frameworks, expertise, and work arrangements have evolved in nationally specific ways to contend with the challenges frontline discretion poses to program integrity.
Toward A Theory of Institutional Ecology: The Dynamics of Macro Structural Space

Institutions, like populations and organizations, occupy physical, temporal, symbolic, and social space. It is reasonable, then, to assume institutions are characterized by ecological dynamics. In the paper below, a formal theory of institutional ecology is posited. It is argued that institutions have cores and surrounding environments, and a rule of proximity governs the way individual and corporate actors orient their behavior and attitudes. Hence, the closer are an individual, corporate unit, or field of actors to an institution's core, the greater is the visibility and access to institutional resources and authority systems and, therefore, the more likely they are to act, set goals, and make decisions as sanctioned by the institutional domain. Ultimately, a theory of institutional ecology can help link the micro- and meso-levels while also serving as an explanatory tool for understanding why some actions and goals are stereotyped, while others appear deviant or, in some cases, random.
SEM-induced shrinking of solid-state nanopores for single molecule detection

We have investigated the mechanism by which the diameter of solid-state nanopores is reduced by a scanning electron microscope. The process depends on beam parameters such as the accelerating voltage and electron flux and does not involve simple electron-beam-induced deposition of hydrocarbon contaminants. Instead, it is an energy-dependent process that involves material flow along the surface of the nanopore membrane. We also show that pores fabricated in this manner can detect double stranded DNA.
Mechanisms of Liver Fibrosis Associated with Experimental Fasciola hepatica Infection: Roles of Fas2 Proteinase and Hepatic Stellate Cell Activation

We have evaluated the possible mechanisms of liver fibrosis caused by Fasciola hepatica in an animal model and in culture using immortalized human stellate cells. Liver biopsies of F. hepatica-infected rats were performed at wk 8 and 16. Serum-starved LX-2 cells, a human stellate cell line, were exposed to increasing concentrations of Fas2 antigen. The expression of key fibrosis-related genes was evaluated by qRT-PCR. There was a significant correlation between fibrogenic gene expression and both intensity and duration of infection. LX-2 cells exposed to Fas2 showed progressively increased expression of mRNAs for Collagen I, alpha-smooth muscle-actin, platelet-derived growth factor beta receptor, and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase II; inhibition of Fas2 cysteine proteinase activity by E-64 abrogated these increases, suggesting that the protease activity of Fas2 is involved in fibrogenic stimulation. In summary, F. hepatica infection is associated with up-regulation of mRNAs associated with hepatic fibrogenesis in vivo and in activated hepatic stellate cells.
A Measurement-Based Modeling Approach for Network-Induced Packet Delay

An approach is presented to capture and model Internet end-to-end packet delay behavior using ARMA and ARIMA models. Autocorrelation (ACF) and Partial Autocorrelation (PACF) functions are used to identify the most appropriate model and the model order. Impact due to sending rate and packet size of the probe, and the available link capacity on these two metrics are investigated. Results indicate that the models presented reflect accurately the effect of packet correlation induced by the network. Modeling Inter-Packet Gap (IPG) is an alternative for capturing the effect of the network on a packet stream. A methodology for fitting ARMA and ARIMA models to end-to-end packet delay and IPG series is presented.
Experimental studies of Bose-Einstein condensates in disorder

Abstract We review recent studies of the effects of disorder on an atomic Bose–Einstein condensate (BEC). We focus particularly on our own experiments with 7Li BECs in laser speckle. Both the interaction, which gives rise to the nonlinearity in a BEC, and the disorder can be tuned experimentally. This opens many opportunities to study the interplay of interaction and disorder in both condensed matter physics and nonlinear science.
The density recovery profile: A method for the analysis of points in the plane applicable to retinal studies

The density recovery profile is a plot of the spatial density of a set of points as a function of the distance of each of those points from all the others. It is based upon a two-dimensional point autocorrelogram. If the points are randomly distributed, then the profile is flat, with a value equal to the mean spatial density. Thus, any deviation from this value indicates that the presence of the object represented by the point alters the probability of encountering nearby objects of the same set. Increased value near an object indicates clustering, decreased value near an object indicates anticlustering. The method appears to be unique in its ability to provide quantitative measures of the anticlustered state. Two examples are presented. The first is based upon a sample of the distribution of the somata of starburst amacrine cells in the macaque retina; the second is based upon the distribution of the terminal enlargements on the dendrites of a single macaque ganglion cell that projects to the superior colliculus. In both cases, the density recovery profile is initially lower than the mean density, and increases up to the plateau at the value of the mean density. Two useful measures can be derived from this profile: an intensive parameter termed the effective radius, which quantifies the extent of the region of decreased probability and is insensitive to random undersampling of the underlying distribution, and an extensive parameter termed the packing factor, which quantifies the degree of packing possible for a given effective radius, and is insensitive to scaling. An extension of this method, applicable to correlations between two superimposed distributions, and based upon a two-dimensional point cross-correlogram, is also described.
Urine Calcium: Laboratory Measurement and Clinical Utility

Urine calcium measurement is a commonly ordered test in clinical laboratories. Unlike other urine markers, the utility of urine calcium is less clear to many laboratorians and physicians. Urine calcium can be used to assess parathyroid disease and familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia (FHH). Although not predictive of stone formation, urine calcium is frequently elevated in patients with lithiasis. The primary clinical value of urine calcium measurement is to aid in the differential diagnoses of patients and direct optimal treatment options for patients with abnormal serum calcium.
Influence of manufacturing variables on the characteristics and effectiveness of chitosan products. I. Chemical composition, viscosity, and molecular-weight distribution of chitosan products

Ten chitosan products were manufactured from dry shrimp hulls under differing process conditions and compared to a commercially available product. Manufacturing variables tested were: alkali versus enzymatic deproteination; acid demineralization versus no treatment; air versus nitrogen atmosphere; 5 min vs. 15 min deacetylation period: and varying the particle size of the dry starting material. Deproteination by alkali of enzymatic extraction did not substantially affect the nitrogen and ash compositions of dry chitosan samples. However, the viscosity was reduced in samples deproteinated by enzymatic hydrolysis. Elimination of the demineralization step resulted in products having 31–36% ash, as expected. Some differences in viscosity were observed between deminiralized and undemineralized samples, but on important differences in the molecular-weight distribution of these samples were evident. Purging the reaction vessel with nitrogen resulted in chitosan preparations having higher viscosities and molecular-weight distributions than those prepared in an air atmosphere. The degradative effect of air became more proshrimp hulls to 1 mm prior to any treatment resulted in a chitosan product of both higher viscosity and molecular weight than when ground to either 2 or 6.4 mm. Viscosity was not always a direct indicator of molecular weight, for although the presence of colloidal particles increased the viscosity of some samples, the molecular-weight distribution after filtration was essentially the same as in other less viscous samples.
Test‐retest reliability of the learning and study strategies inventory (lassi): New evidence

Abstract This article reports the results of a test‐retest reliability study that was conducted to determine the extent to which scale scores obtained from the first edition of the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI) were stable and provided consistent measures of students’ knowledge and use of study skills. When compared to an earlier test‐retest reliability study (Weinstein, 1987), the findings from the present study suggested that LASSI scale scores might yield inconsistent or unstable scores for at‐risk students.
Federal and State Marketing Orders

Marketing orders (MO) have been a fundamental component of US ­agricultural policy since the 1937 Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act. They were established to modify the conduct and performance of participants in selected agricultural commodity markets to achieve “orderly marketing.” As of 2011, MO existed for milk and approximately 22 types of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and specialty crops. Commodities regulated by MO share certain economic characteristics, including greater perishability (less storability), price variation and related distributional inequalities and multiple market outlets providing opportunities for price discrimination. MO for fruits, vegetables, nuts, and specialty crops have provisions that focus on grades and standards (including food safety) and volume restrictions (often linked to opportunities for price discrimination). MO for milk focus on minimum price regulation, with emphasis on milk used for fluid purposes. The economic impacts of MO have been examined in numerous studies, often without a strong consensus about how they affect the various forms of economic efficiency, either in general or for specific commodities. Policy options for MO include (a) maintaining current MO, (b) replacing MO with other government marketing programs, (c) modifying MO to keep pace with changes in industry and market characteristics, and (d) elimination of MO with or without a phase-out period. Additional research on MO should focus on the fundamental market parameters (such as relevant elasticities), nonmarket effects of MO (such as impacts on nutrition or health), and the dynamic implications of MO elimination or modification on price discovery, risk management options and use, and organizational arrangements.
Tornado Frequency in the United States Related to Global Relative Angular Momentum

AbstractGlobal relative angular momentum and the first time derivative are used to explain nearly an order of magnitude of the variability in 1994–2013 U.S. boreal spring tornado occurrence. When plotted in a phase space, the global wind oscillation (GWO) is obtained. This global index accounts for changes in the global budget of angular momentum through interactions of tropical convection anomalies and extratropical dynamics including the engagement of surface torques. It is shown herein that tornadoes are more likely to occur in low angular momentum base states and less likely to occur in high angular momentum base states. When excluding weak GWO days, a maximum average of 3.9 (E)F1+ tornadoes per day were found during phase 1. This decreases to a minimum of 0.9 (E)F1+ tornadoes per day during phase 5. Composite environmental analysis suggests that increases/decreases in tornado occurrence are closely associated with anomalies in tropospheric ingredients necessary for tornadic storms. In addition, torna...
Stimulation of dog RVLM and A5 area changes sympathetic outflow to vascular beds without effect on the heart

Studies were conducted in anesthetized, vagotomized dogs while blood pressure; blood flows in femoral, renal, mesenteric, and left circumflex coronary arteries; electrocardiogram; and regional cardiac contractile force were monitored. The ventral surface of the medulla was exposed, and pressor sites in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) were mapped by microinjections of L-glutamate. L-Glutamate activation of the RVLM evoked selective effects on different components of the cardiovascular system. Increases of 20-130 mmHg in blood pressure were accompanied by vascular conductance decreases in the femoral (-48 +/- 4%), renal (-30 +/- 4%), and mesenteric (-38 +/- 3%) arterial beds. These effects were without any obvious topography within the RVLM. There were only small or negligible changes in heart rate (HR), cardiac contractile force, and coronary vascular conductance. Thus stimulation of the canine RVLM increased sympathetic tone selectively to structures other than the heart. Stimulation of the ventral medulla in a region that lay rostral to the RVLM and ventromedial to the facial nucleus selectively increased femoral vascular conductance by 103 +/- 33% and decreased vascular conductance in the renal (-20 +/- 5%) and mesenteric (-15 +/- 4%) arterial beds. There was no increase in HR, and the increases in blood pressure were relatively small. Immunohistochemical data led us, tentatively, to identify this rostral area as overlapping part of the A5 area.
The monotonicity of the negative stimulus during learning

To test explanations of why reversal of a more-trained discrimination is faster, rats were trained on two discriminations simultaneously-one discrimination received nine trials per day while the other received three trials per day. The two negative cues were then paired. The usual prediction, based on the assumption of monotonicity of the acquisition of S-would be that the more trained S-would be more negative than the less-trained S-. However in a group trained for nine days, 10 out of 12 rats chose the more-trained negative stimulus, showing that its negativity is not monotonic throughout acquisition.
Perceptions of Early-career School Music Teachers Regarding Their Preservice Preparation

The purpose of the present study was to examine the perceptions of early-career music teachers regarding their preservice music education program, with respect to its success in developing competen...
Therapeutic Properties of Sulfanilamide and Related Drugs in Experimental Typhoid Infection of Mice

sulfapyridine administered parenterally in amounts of 0.16 gm. per kilo in mice infected with broth cultures of the typhoid bacillus. Their small series of animals showed little protective action on the part of either drug. The present report deals with the therapeutic action of several sulfonamide drugs tested under various conditions in mice infected by the mucin method with 11 different strains of E. typhi procured from blood culture.
Fragmentation of deoxyribonucleic acid by bleomycin.

The ability of the antibiotic bleomycin to cause single- as well as double-strand breaks in deoxyribonucleic acid in vitro has been confirmed. Heat-denatured, single-stranded DNA is considerably more sensitive to the action of bleomycin than is native DNA. The rate of the reaction of DNA breakage by bleomycin is enhanced in the presence of 2-mercaptoethanol; however, 2-mercaptoethanol also inactivates bleomycin. This inactivation reaction is especially rapid at 80°, although bleomycin itself is stable to heating at 100° for 10 min. Bleomycin alone causes the fragmentation of DNA upon prolonged incubation, and therefore the presence of the reducing agent is not obligatory. In the presence of high concentrations of bleomycin, the DNA is degraded to the level of free nucleotides, nucleosides, or bases.
Verifikation von Webservicekompositionen

Webservicekompositionen koordinieren Webservices verschiedener Unternehmen. Es wird erwartet, dass sie die Grundlage serviceorientierter Architekturen bilden, Geschaftsprozesse verbessern sowie zur Forderung intra- und interorganisatorischer Integration beitragen. Vor allem in interorganisatorischen Kontexten stellen die Dienstqualitat bezogen auf nichtfunktionale Anforderungen und die Konformitat mit funktionalen Anforderungen zunehmend wichtige Merkmale dar. Da Webservicekompositionen asynchrone und verteilte Systeme sind, kann die zweite – auch als Korrektheit bezeichnete – Eigenschaft am besten mittels Verifikation nachgewiesen werden. Dieser Beitrag untersucht aus systemtheoretischer Perspektive, wie der Korrektheitsbegriff fur Webservicekompositionen konkretisiert werden kann. Auserdem wird ein Anforderungsframework fur serviceorientierte Modellierungsansatze vorgeschlagen, sodass Korrektheit durch Verifikation gezeigt werden kann und Webservicekompositionen intuitiv modelliert werden konnen. Um die prinzipielle Anwendbarkeit des Frameworks zu demonstrieren, wird ein beispielhafter Ansatz in Bezug auf die Anforderungen des Frameworks analysiert.
Multiscale Assessment of the Impacts of Climate Change on Water Resources in Tanzania

AbstractIn the context of changing climate, this study assessed the effects of global warming on water resources in Tanzania for the mid-21st century. Climate projections from six global circulation models under the most extreme emission scenario (RCP 8.5) were used as inputs to the soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) to examine the effects. The results were analyzed both at spatial (country-level, watershed-level, and subbasin-level) and temporal (annual and seasonal) scales concerning potential and actual evapotranspiration, surface runoff, water yield, and soil moisture. At the country level, the results showed a 0.8–27.4% increase in annual precipitation, which led to a general increase in evapotranspiration (−2.2–7.3%), surface runoff (12.6–94.1%), water yield (7.5–73.4%), and soil moisture (2.9–20.7%). Watershed-level analysis showed 2.4–31.5%, −2.6–6.8%, 18.4–159.7%, and 3.2–22.8% changes in average precipitation, evapotranspiration, surface runoff, and soil moisture, respectively. While no disti...
Geese, Ducks and Coots

Canada geese, snow geese, ducks, and American coots all have been implicated in agricultural crop and turf damage. Generally, goose, duck, and American coot damage to crops, vegetation and aircraft can be difficult to identify. Usually the damage to crops or vegetation shows signs of being clipped, torn, or stripped. Tracks, feces, or feathers found neat the damage can be used to help identify the species. Damage to aircraft is obvious if the bird is recovered, but if not, and only bird parts are recovered, a scientific analysis is required. Canada geese, snow geese, ducks, and American coots are federally protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), which stipulates that, unless permitted by regulation, it is unlawful to “pursue, hunt, take, capture, kill, possess, sell, barter, purchase, ship, export, or import any migratory birds alive or dead, or any part, nests, eggs, or products thereof.” Generally, geese, ducks, and coots can be hazed without a federal permit in order to prevent damage to agriculture crops and property with a variety of scare techniques. In most cases, live ammunition cannot be used.
Mosquitoes on the move.

The mosquito Aedes aegypti rose to global attention around 1900 when it was shown to be the vector of yellow fever, a viral disease that was ravaging the New World. After World War II, a partly successful program was mounted to eliminate this invader from the New World through the use of DDT. By the late 1960s, however, the urgency for eliminating Ae. aegypti receded after the widespread use of an effective yellow fever vaccine. Eradication efforts were suspended, and the mosquito reestablished itself in its previous, or even a greater, range. The mosquito continues to be a substantial public health threat that requires urgent attention, particularly given recent evidence for hybridization of previously distinct subtypes.
Exome Sequencing Identifies De Novo Pathogenic Variants in FBN1 and TRPS1 in a Patient with a Complex Connective Tissue Phenotype

Here we describe a patient who presented with a history of congenital diaphragmatic hernia, inguinal hernia, and recurrent umbilical hernia. She also has joint laxity, hypotonia, and dysmorphic features. A unifying diagnosis was not identified based on her clinical phenotype. As part of her evaluation through the Undiagnosed Diseases Network, trio whole-exome sequencing was performed. Pathogenic variants in FBN1 and TRPS1 were identified as causing two distinct autosomal dominant conditions, each with de novo inheritance. Fibrillin 1 (FBN1) mutations are associated with Marfan syndrome and a spectrum of similar phenotypes. TRPS1 mutations are associated with trichorhinophalangeal syndrome types I and III. Features of both conditions are evident in the patient reported here. Discrepant features of the conditions (e.g., stature) and the young age of the patient may have made a clinical diagnosis more difficult in the absence of exome-wide genetic testing.
Managing routing information for optimal vehicle refueling in transportation networks

Managing routing information is an important aspect of point-to-point delivery by motor carriers. In this paper, we describe the data structures and algorithms needed for implementing a system that can effectively maintain the routing and refueling information dynamically to minimize the fuel cost of point-to-point delivery by motor vehicles. Given a transportation network of n vertices, the system can maintain and update the critical routing information using quadratic space of n and cubic time of n. Given any starting point and an initial fuel level, the system can then on the fly determine an optimal refueling plan in quadratic time of n based on the established routing information.
The Changing View of Physical Recreation for People with Disabilities in the USA: A More Inclusive Perspective?

Historically, people with disabilities have had limited access to physical recreation. However, as society’s view of people with disabilities and their rights has been in transition, so has physical recreation activities for people with disabilities. The purpose of this study is to examine the transition of physical activity for people with disabilities in the United States. A three-fold search process of databases, ancestral, and descendent searches were conducted, yielding sixteen studies for inclusion in this historical literature review. The results show that the earliest physical recreational opportunities for people with disabilities were based in medical response to physical needs. Today, opportunities for physical recreation for people with disabilities include therapeutic and non-therapeutic activities. Nonetheless, there is still a division in how society views recreation for people with disabilities, represented by major recreation organizations holding either medical or sociopolitical views of people with disabilities.
Hydrogen Peroxide Generation in Divided-Cell Trickle Bed Electrochemical Reactor

A divided-cell trickle bed electrochemical reactor (TBER) with a porous cathode composed of carbon black and polytetrafluoroethylene was developed for generation of hydrogen peroxide. An important feature of the reactor is a divided cathode of different cells made with stainless steel mesh. This division into a sectional cathode resulted in a concentration of hydrogen peroxide that is more than twice that produced in an undivided cathode. The much improved performance was attributed to the even distribution of electrolyte and oxygen in the cathode bed, as well as an effective mass transport of oxygen from the gas phase to the electrolyte–cathode interface. Hydrogen peroxide generation was demonstrated from electrochemically reducing oxygen in concentrated alkaline electrolyte solutions using the TBER. Factors for the hydrogen peroxide electrosynthesis were systematically studied, including cell potential, electrolyte flow rates and concentrations, temperatures, and the number of cells.
Proton acceleration in long duration flares

The acceleration and trapping of protons necessary to explain long duration, high energy, gamma-ray solar flares is modeled as a single process within a coronal loop, where an injected proton spectrum is transported and accelerated by MHD turbulence. The loop is modeled as a leaky box where second-order Fermi-acceleration is a result of the turbulence. Protons accelerated in the coronal loop escape from the ends of the loop (precipitation) into the chromosphere or lower corona where they produce gamma-ray emission. The model provides a method for computing the proton spectrum as it evolves from an initial power law under coupled spatial and momentum diffusion. With reasonable coronal parameters the model yields time-extended relativistic proton precipitation, which peaks up to several hundred seconds after injection. Momentum diffusion is inversely proportional to spatial diffusion for an assumed Alfven wave field within the coronal loop. Assuming a magnetic field on the order of 100 G, δB/B need only be a few percent if the loop is 105 km in length in order to describe the temporal behavior of the high-energy gamma-ray flare of 3 June 1982.
The Influence of K. Danner Clouser: The Importance of Interpersonal Skills and Multidisciplinary Education

It is an honor to have been asked to contribute to this Festschrift. We have all learned from each other over the decades, but K. Danner Clouser had a gentleness in his teaching and personal style that was unique. I add my notes of admiration to this chorus of appreciation.
Beyond the No-Contact Rule: Ex Parte Contact by Lawyers with Nonclients

The ethics rules governing lawyers include a number of rules banning contact between lawyers and nonclients. These “no-contact” rules are rarely studied as a group. This Article examines and compares four no-contact provisions contained in the ethics rules. Although protecting vulnerable nonclients from lawyer overreaching plays an important role in justifying these rules, the rules also often aim to protect absent lawyers or clients as much as the contacted parties. This alternative purpose may better explain some features of the no-contact rules.
Impact of unbalanced DIF item proportions on group-specific DIF identification

AbstractDifferences in type I error and power rates for majority and minority groups are investigated when differential item functioning (DIF) contamination in a test is unbalanced. Typically, type...
Defective Viral Genomes Alter How Sendai Virus Interacts with Cellular Trafficking Machinery, Leading to Heterogeneity in the Production of Viral Particles among Infected Cells

Defective viral genomes (DVGs) generated during RNA virus replication determine infection outcome by triggering innate immunity, diminishing virulence, and, in many cases, facilitating the establishment of persistent infections. Despite their critical role during virus-host interactions, the mechanisms regulating the production and propagation of DVGs are poorly understood. Visualization of viral genomes using RNA fluorescent in situ hybridization revealed a striking difference in the intracellular localization of DVGs and full-length viral genomes during infections with the paramyxovirus Sendai virus. In cells enriched in full-length virus, viral genomes clustered in a perinuclear region and associated with cellular trafficking machinery, including microtubules and the GTPase Rab11a. However, in cells enriched in DVGs, defective genomes distributed diffusely throughout the cytoplasm and failed to interact with this cellular machinery. Consequently, cells enriched in full-length genomes produced both DVG- and full-length-genome-containing viral particles, while DVG-high cells poorly produced viral particles yet strongly stimulated antiviral immunity. These findings reveal the selective production of both standard and DVG-containing particles by a subpopulation of infected cells that can be differentiated by the intracellular localization of DVGs. This study highlights the importance of considering this functional heterogeneity in analyses of virus-host interactions during infection.IMPORTANCE Defective viral genomes (DVGs) generated during Sendai virus infections accumulate in the cytoplasm of some infected cells and stimulate antiviral immunity and cell survival. DVGs are packaged and released as defective particles and have a significant impact on infection outcome. We show that the subpopulation of DVG-high cells poorly engages the virus packaging and budding machinery and do not effectively produce viral particles. In contrast, cells enriched in full-length genomes are the primary producers of both standard and defective viral particles during infection. This study demonstrates heterogeneity in the molecular interactions occurring within infected cells and highlights distinct functional roles for cells as either initiators of immunity or producers and perpetuators of viral particles depending on their content of viral genomes and their intracellular localization.
A high-throughput chemical-genetics screen in murine adipocytes identifies insulin-regulatory pathways

Pathways linking activation of the insulin receptor to downstream targets of insulin have traditionally been studied using a candidate gene approach. To elucidate additional pathways regulating insulin activity, we performed a forward chemical–genetics screen based on translocation of a glucose transporter 4 (Glut4) reporter expressed in murine 3T3-L1 adipocytes. To identify compounds with known targets, we screened drug-repurposing and natural product libraries. We identified, confirmed, and validated 64 activators and 65 inhibitors that acutely increase or rapidly decrease cell-surface Glut4 in adipocytes stimulated with submaximal insulin concentrations. These agents were grouped by target, chemical class, and mechanism of action. All groups contained multiple hits from a single drug class, and several comprised multiple structurally unrelated hits for a single target. Targets include the β-adrenergic and adenosine receptors. Agonists of these receptors increased and inverse agonists/antagonists decreased cell-surface Glut4 independently of insulin. Additional activators include insulin sensitizers (thiazolidinediones), insulin mimetics, dis-inhibitors (the mTORC1 inhibitor rapamycin), cardiotonic steroids (the Na+/K+-ATPase inhibitor ouabain), and corticosteroids (dexamethasone). Inhibitors include heterocyclic amines (tricyclic antidepressants) and 21 natural product supplements and herbal extracts. Mechanisms of action include effects on Glut4 trafficking, signal transduction, inhibition of protein synthesis, and dissipation of proton gradients. Two pathways that acutely regulate Glut4 translocation were discovered: de novo protein synthesis and endocytic acidification. The mechanism of action of additional classes of activators (tanshinones, dalbergiones, and coumarins) and inhibitors (flavonoids and resveratrol) remains to be determined. These tools are among the most sensitive, responsive, and reproducible insulin-activity assays described to date.
The Molecular Biologists Attack the Problem

Studies on the nucleic acids involved in immunoglobulin synthesis had been underway for over a decade when the major breakthroughs came with the application of recombinant DNA technology to the antibody problem in the late 1970s. The essential groundwork for these break-throughs had been laid by the discovery of the mouse myelomas by Potter and their adaptation to tissue culture. The new wave of discovery would be further based on the early work by Askonas, Williamson, Stavitsky, Scharff, Milstein, Mach, and others who isolated mRNA from these tumors and developed techniques for its purification and enrichment as well as assays for the synthesis in vitro of immunoglobulin polypeptide chains. The first decade of work on nucleic acids was not particularly fruitful because the powerful technologies that emerged in the mid 1970s and were immediately applied to the antibody problem had not yet been developed.
Robotic Liver Resection

Robotic surgery has rapidly evolved. It is particularly attractive as an alternative minimally invasive approach in liver surgery because of improvements in visualization and articulated instruments. Limitations include increased operative times and lack of tactile feedback, but these have not been shown in studies. Considerations unique to robotic surgery, including safety protocols, must be put in place and be reviewed at the beginning of every procedure to ensure safety in the event of an emergent conversion. Despite the lack of early adoption by many hepatobiliary surgeons, robotic liver surgery continues to evolve and find its place within hepatobiliary surgery.
Domoic acid depuration by intertidal bivalves fed on toxin-producing Pseudo-nitzschia multiseries.

Abstract Domoic acid (DA), a neurotoxin produced by certain species within the diatom genus Pseudo-nitzschia, has caused numerous persistent harvest closures for razor clam Siliqua patula along the outer coast of Washington State (USA) over the last three decades. In comparison, bivalve harvest closures for DA have only occurred three times in Washington's largest inland estuary, Puget Sound, which has a variety of bivalve species excluding razor clam. While differing bloom dynamics in the two locations are responsible for much of the disparity in shellfish harvest closures, species-specific differences in DA depuration may affect the duration of harvest closures in the two regions. Toxin-producing Pseudo-nitzschia multiseries were fed to four species of bivalves, followed by measurement of tissue DA content over time to estimate depuration rate. Experimental species include razor clam and three species of intertidal Puget Sound bivalves: soft-shell clam Mya arenaria, purple varnish clam Nuttallia obscurata and Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum. Using an exponential decay model, DA depuration rates were estimated as: 0.02·day−1 ±0.08 for razor clam, 0.10·day−1 ±0.07 for purple varnish clam, 0.37·day−1 ±0.03 for soft-shell clam, and 0.44·day−1 ±0.02 for Manila clam. Puget Sound species depurated DA between five and 22 times as fast as outer coast razor clams. Within Puget Sound species, slow DA depuration rates in purple varnish clam indicate that it may be a good sentinel organism for assessing beach-wide maximum DA concentrations in Puget Sound bivalves.