cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Coupled elemental and isotopic analyses of polygenetic zircons from granitic rocks by ion microprobe, with implications for melt evolution and the sources of granitic magmas

Sequential Pb isotopic and trace element analyses were applied to the geochemical characterization of polygenetic zircons in the San Bernardino and Granite Mountains intrusive suites, two contemporaneous but compositionally distinct suites emplaced in the early evolutionary stage of the western U.S. Cordillera magmatic arc. These coupled analyses allow characterization of both melt evolution and regional diversity in the principal rock types present in the crustal sources of these two suites. Zircon grains in both intrusive suites exhibit consistent compositional zonation — Hf solid solution in zircon generally increases with cooling and crystallization, and with other indices of melt evolution, including total REE abundances and especially the MREE as indicated by increasing Yb/Gd ratios. These temperature-dependent fractionations are superimposed on persistent parental melt compositional differences in Hf/Zr and Yb/Gd ratios. Premagmatic zircons of Paleoproterozoic to Mesoproterozoic age are common across multiple samples from each suite, and their age and compositional variations image the crustal sources of these magmas. The high K San Bernardino suite had a lithologically comparatively simple 1.7 Ga metaigneous source, whereas the Granite Mountains suite had a source distinguished by the presence of hotter, 1.7 Ga metaigneous rocks hybridized by later intrusion of 1.4 Ga rocks. The absence of evidence for Grenville-age or Paleozoic-age zircons severely limits input in these intrusive suites from either upper crustal sedimentary rocks at the level of emplacement or underthrust sediments derived from erosion of the continental margin.
Demography and the Moral Economy of Mid-Altitude Forest Conservation in East Africa

This paper is based on field research around Kibale National Park in western Uganda and the East Usambaras in northeast Tanzania as well as reviews of other protected or partially protected mid-altitude forests in East Africa. All of these are surrounded by very high agricultural populations, most of whom migrated to the areas over the last five to six decades. The key historic experience for most people living around these forests is domestication of a frontier rather than expulsion from ancestral homelands. As a result, there are few if any “traditional” institutions or incentives to preserve large tracts of forest, especially with respect to their (often endemic) floristic and faunal diversity. Instead, economic choices and moral guidelines strongly favor extraction from and conversion of forested and other undomesticated habitats into economically useful, generally privately owned resources. Natural experiments across cases indicate that external (rather than internal) sanctions are needed to preserve significant expanses of forest, and, to an even greater extent, forest fauna. The good news is that local acceptance of forest conservation can be widespread, as can appreciation of the environmental services provided by forests, provided sanctions are perceived as fairly implemented. The less good news is that there is little if any incentive or capability for local enforcement of conservation vs. conversion. Moreover, the benefits of conserving animals are far less obvious than of conserving trees, and the locally desired objective is to separate the realm of wild animals from the human realm as thoroughly as possible.
Universal Power of Kolmogorov-Smirnov Tests of Under-Identifying Restrictions

We provide a test for the specification of a structural model without identifying assumptions. From the dual formulation of a null hypothesis of compatibility of the data generating process with the structure, we derive a Kolmogorov-Smirnov statistic for Choquet capacity functionals, which we use to construct our test. We show that our test is uniform in level over all the data-generating processes compatible with the structure, and has power against local alternatives defined in terms of total variation.
COMPOSITION OF RAW AND PROCESSED SKIMMILK

Many processors make a more palatable skimmilk by adding nonfat dry milk solids and/or lactose. Compared to the skimmilk portion of raw milk, processed skimmilk contained more solids not fat and its freezing point was lower. The data do not indicate many, if any, processed samples in the study with added lactose, other than that contained in the added nonfat dry milk solids.
Technical and economic feasibility of unitary, horizontal ground-loop geothermal heat pumps for space conditioning in selected california climate zones

Abstract This work investigates the viability of unitary 3.5 kWt, ground-source terminal heat pumps (GTHP) employing horizontally drilled geothermal heat exchangers (GHX) relative to air-source packaged terminal heat pumps (PTHP) in hotels and motels and residential apartment buildings in California’s coastal and inland climates. The GTHP can reduce hourly peak demand for the utility by 7–34% compared to PTHP, depending on the climate and building type. The annual energy savings of up to 5% are highly dependent on the water-pump energy consumption relative to savings associated with the ground-air temperature difference (ΔT). In mild climates with small ΔT, the pump energy use may overcome savings from utilizing a GHX. The levelized cost savings, ranging from $1.7/yr-m2 to $3.6/yr-m2, were mainly due to reduced maintenance and lifetime capital costs. Without these reductions, the GTHP does not appear to offer significant advantages over PTHP in the climates studied. The GTHP levelized cost was most sensitive to variation in installed cost and system efficiency. These results can inform installers and decision makers about the viability of this technology, which is highly dependent on climate and building type.
Atomistic Prediction of Sorption Free Energies of Cationic Aromatic Amines on Montmorillonite: A Linear Interaction Energy Method

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed to calculate free energies of sorption (ΔGsorb) of cationic aromatic amines to Ca-montmorillonite. We applied the linear interaction energy (LIE) method, well-established in the biochemistry field, to derive ΔGsorb. We obtained a mean average error of 0.3 kcal mol–1 within the compound training set and an error of 0.41 kcal mol–1 for a validation test set. We were able to reproduce absolute ΔGsorb values for a variety of compound structures, including the zwitterionic antibiotic oxytetracycline. MD simulations also provided atomistic level insights into the underlying driving forces that modulate sorption. Importantly, our approach provides a compelling alternative to polyparameter linear free energy relationship methods, which have shown limited success in capturing the sorption of ionogenic compounds with polar and/or charged moieties. We conclude that the LIE method can be used as a robust and tractable method to predict ΔGsorb within families of organ...
Substance Use Disorders and Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration among Male and Female Offenders.

The lifetime prevalence of substance abuse or dependence is 14.6%, and 3.8% of individuals meet criteria for a substance use disorder at any single point in time (Kessler, Chiu, Demler, & Walters, 2005). Rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) in patients seeking treatment for substance use disorders are alarmingly high, with approximately half reporting a recent history of IPV perpetration (Fals-Stewart & Kennedy, 2005; O’Farrell & Murphy, 1995). Evidence suggests that substance use rates may be equally high among inmates convicted of partner violent offenses (Greenfeld, et al., 1998) while approximately 70% of alleged intimate homicide perpetrators tested positive for alcohol use (Slade, Daniel, & Heisler, 1991). The high prevalence of co-occurring substance abuse and partner violence has prompted researchers to evaluate the efficacy of joint treatment approaches for use in both community and forensic settings (Easton et al., 2007; O’Farrell & Fals-Stewart, 2000). Treatment and prevention efforts are hindered by limited data describing the occurrence of IPV among samples with comorbid substance use disorders, particularly among female perpetrators. The current investigation sought to evaluate the gender-specific associations between partner violence perpetration and specific substance use diagnoses among a forensic sample. While our knowledge about the independent associations between IPV and specific substances of abuse has grown considerably over the past decade, research into the relationships between IPV and comorbid substance use disorders, particularly in forensic samples, remains limited (Moore, Stuart, Meehan, Rhatigan, Hellmuth, & Keen, 2008; Stith, Smith, Penn, Ward, & Tritt, 2003). Understanding and appreciating the impact of comorbid substance use disorders could heighten the ability of practitioners to screen for, detect, and complete appropriate referrals or implement adjustments to treatment given the presence of IPV. Such steps may be critical in reducing the occurrence of IPV-related criminal recidivism. Additionally, much of the research clinical related to substance abuse and IPV has made use of samples comprised of individuals who were actively engaged in treatment during the study period. This group of active treatment clients may represent a unique sample from those referred for substance abuse evaluations by the court system. Court-referred individuals attending an initial evaluation may differ from clients who eventually seek treatment, either voluntarily or through court order, in that they may be less likely to either attend any treatment sessions due to refusal or noncompliance or be diverted into treatment due to the severity of their criminal charges. Given their potential divergence from voluntary referrals, further research is required to better understand the association between IPV and the problematic use of specific substances among male and female offenders completing court-mandated substance use evaluations.
Phosphate metabolism in nutritional muscular dystrophy and hyperthyroidism.

Summary1) Rabbits and rats were made Vit. E-deficient by feeding a purified diet. Control animals received the same diet supplemented with Vit. E. Hyperthyroidism was induced in rats by giving subcutaneous injections of sodium thyroxinate. Control and experimental animals from each group were injected with P32 in dilute HCl and specific activities of plasma inorganic phosphate, and skeletal muscle inorganic phosphate, creatine phosphate, and ATP phosphate determined. The S. A. of the plasma inorganic phosphate was unchanged by Vit. E deficiency and was decreased by hyperthyroidism. Skeletal muscle inorganic phosphate S. A. was increased by Vit. E deficiency and the difficulties in interpreting these data were discussed. The S. A. of phosphates of creatine phosphate and ATP phosphate were high in both Vit. E deficient rabbits and hyperthyroid rats. The significance of these findings was discussed in relation to turnover of creatine phosphate and ATP. 2) These experiments indicate that there is an elevated ...
Evaluation of the IMPROVE Equation for estimating aerosol light extinction.

ABSTRACTThe [revised] IMPROVE Equation for estimating light extinction from aerosol chemical composition was evaluated considering new measurements at U.S. national parks. Compared with light scattering (Bsp) measured at seven IMPROVE sites with nephelometer data from 2003–2012, the [revised] IMPROVE Equation over- and underestimated Bsp in the lower and upper quintiles, respectively, of measured Bsp. Underestimation of the worst visibility cases (upper quintile) was reduced by assuming an organic mass (OM)/organic carbon (OC) ratio of 2.1 and hygroscopic growth of OM, based on results from previous field studies. This assumption, however, tended to overestimate low Bsp even more. Assuming that sulfate was present as ammonium bisulfate rather than as ammonium sulfate uniformly reduced estimated Bsp. The split-mode model of concentration- and size-dependent dry mass scattering efficiencies in the [revised] IMPROVE Equation does not eliminate systematic biases in estimated Bsp. While the new measurements of...
Mitigation of Drought Stress Damage by Exogenous Application of a Non-Protein Amino Acid γ– Aminobutyric Acid on Perennial Ryegrass

Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) is an important forage and turfgrass species that is sensitive to drought stress. The objective of this study was to investigate whether gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) may play a role in promoting drought tolerance in grass species. GABA was exogenously applied as a foliar spray at the rate of 50 or 70 mM to perennial ryegrass 'CSI' under well-watered or drought-stressed conditions in a controlled- environment growth chamber. The effect of GABA on the growth physiology, drought stress response, antioxidant activity, and lipid peroxidation of perennial ryegrass exposed to drought stress was measured. GABA-treated perennial ryegrass exposed to drought stress had higher relative water content (RWC), turf quality, and peroxidase activity and lower wilt rating, canopy temperature depression, electrolyte leakage, and lipid peroxidation compared with untreated plants. GABA application had no significant effect on the activity of superoxide dismutase and catalase under well-watered and drought conditions. GABA application at 50 mM was found to be more effective in alleviating drought stress damage in perennial ryegrass. The results from this study suggest that GABA mitigated drought stress damage in perennial ryegrass by maintaining higher RWC and membrane stability.
High-Impact Social Work Scholars A Bibliometric Examination of SSWR and AASWSW Fellows

Objective:The purpose of this study was to identify and describe the bibliometric contributions of high-impact social work faculty.Methods:Toward this end, we used a sample comprising fellows (N = 143) affiliated with the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) and the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare (AASWSW). To quantify impact, we relied primarily upon the h-index (a measure of lifetime scholarly impact) and the m-index (which adjusts for career length).Results:Analyses revealed the mean h-index value for SSWR fellows (M = 26.44, SD = 14.72) was substantially lower than the mean for AASWSW fellows (M = 32.52, SD = 15.96), but minimal differences existed in m-index values. H- and m-index values for the 40 highest impact scholars ranged, respectively, from 33 to 93 and 1.13 to 3.33.Conclusions:The results indicate the social work profession includes many researchers who are making an exceptional scientific impact.
A Factor Analysis of Student Motivations for Taking International Business Courses: Implications and Suggestions

One of the currently dynamic aspects of American higher education is the internationalization of the curriculum. Business schools have joined that process by offering international business courses. International students are also increasing in their presence on college campuses thus creating new demands that the international courses be relevant to their needs. The American Academy of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) encouraged the trend a number of years ago by stating that business schools should educate business students in the various aspects of international as well as domestic business perspectives.
The effect of a sonographic estimated fetal weight on the risk of cesarean delivery in macrosomic and small for gestational-age infants.

AbstractObjective: To assess the association of a sonographic estimated fetal weight (sonoEFW) with the risk of cesarean delivery in women with macrosomic or small for gestational age (SGA) infants.Methods: Retrospective cohort of singleton deliveries >24 weeks by one MFM practice from 2005 to 2014. We included all patients who delivered an infant with macrosomia (birth weight ≥4000 g) or SGA (birth weight <10th percentile). We compared the risk of cesarean delivery between patients who did and did not have a sonoEFW within four weeks of delivery. Regression analysis was performed to control for any differences in baseline characteristics.Results: In patients with macrosomic infants (n = 352), the risk of cesarean delivery was significantly higher in the sonoEFW group (45.3% versus 17.6%, aOR 2.144, 95% CI: 1.06–4.34). When we restricted the analysis to the subgroup of 265 patients who attempted vaginal delivery, our results were similar (22.3% versus 9.1%, aOR 2.73, 95% CI: 1.15–6.48). In patients with a...
Public Policies and Health

In his novel The Plague, Albert Camus viewed health as a public good and disease as a public evil. Written immediately after World War II, the novel portrays the diverse reactions to the plague that struck the Algerian port city of Oran. Perceiving the pestilence as inevitable, fatalists resigned themselves to suffering and eventual death. Roman Catholics who deferred to ecclesiastical authority sought solace in prayer. Although Father Paneloux regarded God’s will as incomprehensible, he urged his parishioners to ‘remain faithful and agree to rely on God’, even when they could not understand the reasons for children’s deaths.1 Individualists who doubted the efficacy of prayer tried to escape the city. Those with greater optimism mobilized sanitary squads to improve public hygiene in the more congested areas of Oran. These egalitarian activists helped the official sanitary service disinfect the attics and cellars, so that rats could no longer infest residences with the bacteria that spread bubonic plague. Public policymakers, including the prefect and his subordinates, quarantined the city, fumigated houses, administered social services, and tried to maintain public order. The plague produced contradictory effects. Both solidarity and anomie resulted.
A Preliminary Experimental Investigation of Emotion Dysregulation and Impulsivity in Risky Behaviours

This prospective experimental study sought to examine the unique effects of emotion dysregulation and impulsivity on risky behaviors over time. To this end, 20 African American women enrolled in a historically black university in the southern United States were randomly assigned to receive one of two brief empirically-supported skills training modules (i.e., emotion modulation [EM] or impulsivity reduction [IR]). Participants completed measures of emotion dysregulation, impulsivity, and past-week risky behaviors before (pre-) and one week after (post-) the experimental manipulation. Participants assigned to the EM condition reported significant improvements from pre- to post-manipulation in overall emotion dysregulation (as well as all specific dimensions of emotion dysregulation other than lack of emotional awareness), as well as two dimensions of impulsivity: negative and positive urgency. Participants assigned to the IR condition reported a significant decrease in one dimension of impulsivity (lack of premeditation) from pre- to post-manipulation. Findings also revealed a significant effect of time on risky behaviors, with participants reporting significantly fewer past-week risky behaviors at the post- (vs. pre-) manipulation assessment. Finally, changes in emotion dysregulation from pre- to post-manipulation accounted for the observed reduction in risky behaviors over time (above and beyond changes in impulsivity dimensions). Results highlight the relevance of emotion dysregulation to risky behaviors and suggest that treatments targeting emotion dysregulation may be useful in reducing risky behaviors.
Some New Thoughts on Migration and Development

Since some is not one and could well be two, I will devote this chapter to two issues: (a) to voice a concern about the prevailing choice of the dependent variable(s) in research on migration and development, and (b) to draw attention to a new sphere of analysis, if I may call it that, which I consider fruitful and promising in accounting for migration.
Locating N Points of a Rigid Body on N Given Planes

This paper describes a method for finding the location of a rigid body such that N specified points of the body lie on N given planes in space. Of special interest is the case N = 6, which is the minimum number to fully constrain the body. This geometric problem arises in two seemingly disparate contexts: metrology, as a generalization of so-called “3-2-1” locating schemes; and robotics, as the forward kinematics problem for 6ES or 6SE parallel-link platform robots. For N = 6, the geometric problem can be formulated algebraically as 3 quadratic equations having, in general, eight possible solutions. We give a method for finding all eight solutions via an 8 × 8 eigenvalue problem. We also show that for N ≥ 7, the solution can be found uniquely as a linear least squares problem.© 2004 ASME
Re-focusing the debate on trigger warnings: Privilege, trauma, and disability in the classroom

AbstractThe use of trigger warnings has been a hot topic both in academic circles and the popular press. Unfortunately, the focus has thus far been on whether or not students need to “toughen up.” The backlash trigger warnings receive is largely due to the fact that scholars and commentators alike have conflated trauma and discomfort in the classroom environment to mean the same thing. In this essay, I argue that trigger warnings should be seen primarily as a means of ensuring disability access in the classroom. In order to do so, I contend that terms such as trauma and discomfort can no longer be treated as synonyms in order to understand the ways in which trigger warnings alert students to utilize their coping strategies. The inability to recognize the necessity of trigger warnings stems largely from some instructors’ failure to identify their own privileges. Writing from and through my own embodied experiences, I seek to find clarity in existing conversations in support of trigger warnings and refocus ...
Comprehensive curriculum management: taking a business engineering group from declining to emerging skill sets - a holistic approach

A business direction can suddenly change course based upon the current and emerging market conditions leaving a workforce over-supplied with declining skill sets and under-supplied with emerging skills. The reactive urge to quickly implement a framing blitz without competencies and skills data must be resisted. In order to meet this challenge, the necessary skills need to be systematically identified and assessed for gaps. This process includes defining those skills in a measurable and objective manner (What is it they need to know, and how do we know they know it?) and assessing the prioritized gaps quantifiably. Only then, can the plans be identified to address the gaps. Once learning resources are identified, gaps are addressed through various methods including but not limited to training. Optimization of this process can be achieved through the use of an automated tool which assesses skills, analyzes and identifies gaps. The tool also maintains records of assessments, automatically generates an individual development plan (IDP), and provides management reports on organizational training health. This paper presents a case study of one quality and reliability business group's holistic approach to adapt to the business direction change and supply the emerging skills to the existing workforce, including data and cost savings realized. This includes the methods and tools used to identify skills, assess the organization, prioritize the expertise gaps, and then close the gaps.
The Changing Context of Rural America: A Call to Examine the Impact of Social Change on Mental Health and Mental Health Care

Recent social changes and rising social inequality in the rural United States have affected the experience and meaning of mental illness and treatment seeking within rural communities. Rural Americans face serious mental health disparities, including higher rates of suicide and depression compared with residents of urban areas, and substance abuse rates in rural areas now equal those in urban areas. Despite these increased risks, people living in rural areas are less likely than their urban counterparts to seek or receive mental health services. This Open Forum calls for a research agenda supported by anthropological theory and methods to investigate the significance of this changed rural social context for mental health.
Cellular Defense Systems of the Porifera

Sponges are diploblastic acoelomate Metazoa. They are sedentary, filter-feeding animals which utilize a layer of flagellated cells to pump a unidirectional water current through themselves. They are found in freshwater, but more abundantly in marine habitats. Sponges have been persistent throughout geological time from the Precambrian to the Recent, with special success during the Paleozoic. They are apparently the most primitive multicellular animals on a phylogenetic scale ranked by morphological complexity, although the levels of physiological and biochemical complexity found in sponges easily measure up to the degree of sophistication found in so-called higher animals. The Porifera (sponges) and Coelenterata are related as two phyla representing distinct stocks, but stemming from a presumed common although presently unknown origin (Hyman, 1940).
Markets as Governance Environments for Organizations at the Edge of Illegality: Insights From Social Network Analysis:

In the past two decades, researchers have examined the practices of online forums operating markets for the sale of stolen credit card data. Participants cannot rely on traditional legal system regulations in the event of disputes between buyers and sellers. Thus, this analysis focuses on two forms of monitoring within these forums: one based on an emergent social network of transactions among community members (second-party monitoring) and the other consisting of regulatory (third-party) monitoring by forum administrators. Using social network analyses of a series of posts from a data market forum, the findings demonstrate that governance of these forums is enabled by their functioning as a particular kind of market that economists characterize as a platform, or two-sided market. Specifically, second- and third-party trust-creating mechanisms are vital in establishing sustainability in illicit markets by increasing perceived market trustworthiness, which in turn leads to increased market demand.
Loss of MKP-5 promotes myofiber survival by activating STAT3/Bcl-2 signaling during regenerative myogenesis

The mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) have been shown to be involved in regulating myofiber survival. In skeletal muscle, p38 MAPK and JNK are negatively regulated by MAPK phosphatase-5 (MKP-5). During muscle regeneration, MKP-5 is downregulated, thereby promoting p38 MAPK/JNK signaling, and subsequent repair of damaged muscle. Mice lacking MKP-5 expression exhibit enhanced regenerative myogenesis. However, the effect of MKP-5 on myofiber survival during regeneration is unclear. To investigate whether MKP-5 is involved in myofiber survival, skeletal muscle injury was induced by cardiotoxin injection, and the effects on apoptosis were assessed by TUNEL assay in wild type and MKP-5-deficient mice. The contribution of MKP-5 to apoptotic signaling and its link to this pathway through mitochondrial function were determined in regenerating skeletal muscle of MKP-5-deficient mice. We found that loss of MKP-5 in skeletal muscle resulted in improved myofiber survival. In response to skeletal muscle injury, loss of MKP-5 decreased activation of the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway involving the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and increased expression of the anti-apoptotic transcription factor Bcl-2. Skeletal muscle of MKP-5-deficient mice also exhibited an improved anti-oxidant capacity as a result of increased expression of catalase further contributing to myofiber survival by attenuating oxidative damage. Taken together, these findings suggest that MKP-5 coordinates skeletal muscle regeneration by regulating mitochondria-mediated apoptosis. MKP-5 negatively regulates apoptotic signaling, and during regeneration, MKP-5 downregulation contributes to the restoration of myofiber survival. Finally, these results suggest that MKP-5 inhibition may serve as an important therapeutic target for the preservation of skeletal muscle survival in degenerative muscle diseases.
Setting up meshes of interferometers – reversed local light interference method

Many interesting linear optical networks, such as lattice filters and some interferometer meshes, are difficult to fabricate precisely and cannot be configured progressively even using recent algorithms. Our approach allows a broad category of optical networks to be set up progressively and automatically, including correcting for fabrication imprecision. We null interference locally in the network based on inputs calculated by considering the network operated in reverse. Calibration is only required for the network inputs, not for individual components (though this method can also calibrate those). We illustrate specific cases of lattice filters and rectangular meshes of interferometers, and we expect the approach can be applied broadly to networks in which the light only propagates forward in the network.
Rape, Consent, and Ecofeminist Narratology in the Komnenian Novels

This chapter examines the implicit and explicit threats of sexual violence that problematize issues of sexual consent between lovers in three twelfth-century Komnenian novels: Theodore Prodromos’ Rhodanthe and Dosikles, Eustathios Makrembolites’ Hysmine and Hysminias, and Niketas Eugenianos’ Drosilla and Charikles. The application of an ecofeminist narratology can demonstrate the ways in which the aesthetics and rhetorical practices of romance prioritize male voices and experiences while simultaneously silencing those of women, non-human animals, plants, and the other marginalized objects of male violence. By contrast, Christine de Pizan’s Old French anti-romance The Tale of the Shepherdess reveals the often terrifying and violent romantic encounters from the perspective of a woman, thus demonstrating how standpoint criticism can reveal patriarchal ideologies from perspectives of alterity.
Reconstructing Paleoclimate and Paleoecology Using Fossil Leaves

Plants are strongly influenced by their surrounding environment, which makes them reliable indicators of climate and ecology. The relationship between climate, ecology, plant traits and the geographic distribution of plants based on their climatic tolerances have been used to develop plant-based proxies for reconstructing paleoclimate and paleoecology. These proxies are some of the most accurate and precise methods for reconstructing the climate and ecology of ancient terrestrial ecosystems and have been applied from the Cretaceous to the Quaternary. Despite their utility, the relationships between plant traits and climate that underlie these methods are confounded by other factors such as leaf life-span and phylogenetic history. Work focused on better understanding these confounding factors, incorporating the influence of phylogeny and leaf economic spectrum traits into proxies, expanding modern leaf trait-climate and ecology calibration datasets to additional biogeographic areas and climate regimes, and developing automated computer algorithms for measuring leaf traits are important growing research areas that will help considerably improve plant-based paleoclimate and paleoecological proxies.
An Exploratory Study of Western Orchestration: Patterns through History

Changes in instrument combination patterns in Western classical orchestral music are traced over a three hundred year period from 1701 to 2000. Using a stratified sample of sonorities from 180 orchestral works by 147 composers, various empirical analyses are reported. These include analyses of instrumentation presence, instrument usage, ensemble size, common instrument combinations, instrument clusterings, and their changes over time. In addition, the study reports associations of different instruments with various dynamic levels, different tempos, pitch class doublings, affinities between instruments and chord factors, as well as interactions between pitch, dynamics, and tempo. Results affirm many common intuitions and historical observations regarding orchestration, but also reveal a number of previously unrecognized patterns of instrument use.
Replication predicates for dependent-failure algorithms

To establish lower bounds on the amount of replication, there is a common partition argument used to construct indistinguishable executions such that one violates some property of interest. This violation leads to the conclusion that the lower bound on process replication is of the form $n > \lfloor kt/b \rfloor$, where t is the maximum number of process failures in any of these executions and k, b are positive integers. In this paper, we show how this argument can be extended to give bounds on replication when failures are dependent. We express these bounds in terms of our model of cores and survivors sets using set properties instead of predicates of the form $n > \lfloor kt/b \rfloor$. We give two different properties that express the same requirement for k > 1 and b=1. One property comes directly from the argument, and the other is more useful when designing an algorithm that takes advantage of dependent failures. We also consider a somewhat unusual replication bound of $n > \lfloor 3t/2 \rfloor$ that arises in the Leader Election problem for synchronous receive-omission failures. We generalize the replication bound for dependent failures, and develop an algorithm that shows that this generalized replication bound is tight.
Population Genetic Considerations in Statistical Interpretation of Microbial Forensic Data in Comparison with Human DNA Forensic Standard

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on some of the considerations that need to be employed to build a statistical paradigm for interpreting microbial forensic data. There are many differences in the genetic characteristics of microorganisms and these will determine to what extent a statistical paradigm can be put in place for interpretation of microbial forensic data. In microbial forensics, one may consider attribution solely to be the “fingerprinting” of a pathogenic agent. However, because of the clonal nature of many microorganisms and, on a case-by-case basis, lack of population and phylogenetic data, unique identification of a microorganism may rarely be possible. More importantly, the ultimate goal of attribution is identification of persons who committed the bioterrorist act or biocrime, intentionally or inadvertently. Therefore, and most likely, in addition to microbiological analytical tools, traditional forensic analyses, such as human DNA analysis, dermatoglyphic patterns, analytical chemistry, tool marks, computer data, and other techniques will be used to analyze a bioterrorist event or biocrime evidence. Epidemiological data from various documents may also be a valuable set of information to infer the chronological times of transfer of strains between laboratories that are likely contenders of being the nearest genetic neighbor of the evidentiary samples.
Voluntary simplicity: an enacted reality

Voluntary Simplicity is a term reflecting the attempt to live life more deliberately, in accordance with one's values. The following study examines voluntary simplicity as it is lived in social contexts. Following a historical review of simplicity in Chapter One, Chapter Two presents epistemological assumptions that undergird the research design that follows in chapter Three. It recognizes two major ways of knowing voluntary simplicity: (1) through comparing statements that different members of a family make and (2) through comparisons of statements that individuals make. The latter approach divides into noetic statements, or constituting acts, and noematic statements, or constituted content. Roughly, noesis indicates the active aspect of knowing, while noema indicates its passive aspects. In this study, the two will be treated as reciprocals. Chapters Three and Four present the research design and data, respectively. There were nine interviews of families, couples, one individual, and members of a Simplicity Study Circle. Excepting the study circle members, all interviewees expressed significant identification with voluntary simplicity. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed for emergent themes of three orders: (1) Individual enaction, (2) interactional generation, (or how simplicity is generated through interaction), and (3) observer effects, or a best estimate of how the interviewer's presence affected the interview. The data were analyzed for category clusters and domains. A combined data analysis presents a third-order view of voluntary simplicity. Data are organised into the major categories, "Social context" and "Participation in Social Context." Social context consisted of the headings, "Material and Time
Intracellular RNA Sensing in Mammalian Cells: Role in Stress Response and Cancer Therapies

DNA damage has been considered the primary action of ionizing radiation (IR) in normal and tumor cells resulting in cell autonomous death. However, recent findings have elucidated novel local and systemic effects of IR mediated by the induction of Type I interferons (IFN) and activation of adaptive immune responses. These responses are initiated by DNA- and RNA-dependent activation of pattern recognition receptors (PRR) which comprise an innate immunity system responsible for detection of exogenous pathogens, mounting of an anti-viral response, and activation of adaptive immunity. Activation of cytoplasmic RNA sensors by endogenous dsRNAs has emerged as an important mechanism of tumor cell-intrinsic Type I IFN induction in the response to genotoxic therapies. The fact that an effective anti-tumor effect of IR and chemotherapy response is dependent on the RNA sensing pathways indicates that tumor cells are equipped by functional innate immunity system which recognizes genotoxic stress insult as an intrusion of exogenous RNA pathogens. This indicates that DNA damage leads to the RNA stress, which is recognized as danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) presented by aberrant RNA molecules interacting with cytoplasmic RNA sensors. In the current review, we will discuss the mechanistic bases for RNA-dependent innate responses in tumor cells, RNA ligands recognized as DAMPs, and the potential implications of these findings to improve cancer therapies.
Prevalence survey of gastrointestinal and respiratory parasites of shelter cats in northeastern Georgia, USA

The goal of this study was to assess the prevalence of gastrointestinal and respiratory parasites of shelter cats from northeast Georgia, thus promoting a more targeted approach in parasite diagnosis and treatment. Fecal samples of cats kept in a shelter located in Lavonia, northeastern Georgia, USA, were processed for the presence of parasites using double centrifugation sugar flotation (n = 103) and Baermann techniques (n = 98). Flotation revealed eggs of Toxocara cati (17.5%), Ancylostoma sp. (11.7%), Taeniidae (3.9%), Spirometra mansonoides (2.9%), Mesocestoides sp. (1%), Dipylidium caninum (1%), and Eucoleus aerophilus (1%), and oocysts of Cystoisospora felis (16.5%), and Cystoisospora rivolta (8.7%). Baermann diagnosed Aelurostrongylus abstrusus larvae in 5 cats (5.1%), while fecal flotation alone identified only 2 of these infections. Taeniidae eggs were identified to species-level by PCR and sequencing targeting the cytochrome oxidase c subunit 1 (cox1) of the mitochondrial DNA. All isolates belong to Hydatigera taeniaeformis sensu stricto, which is the first unequivocal report of the species in North America. Overall, 45.6% of the cats were infected with at least one parasite. This prevalence of infection is much higher than what is generally reported in client owned animals, highlighting the importance of using appropriate fecal diagnostic techniques to detect gastrointestinal and respiratory parasites on newly adopted cats. Correct diagnosis may direct appropriate treatment and control strategies, which would mitigate the risk of infection of other animals in household, and human exposure to zoonotic parasites.
A Data Element-Function Conceptual Model for Data Quality Checks

Introduction: In aggregate, existing data quality (DQ) checks are currently represented in heterogeneous formats, making it difficult to compare, categorize, and index checks. This study contributes a data element-function conceptual model to facilitate the categorization and indexing of DQ checks and explores the feasibility of leveraging natural language processing (NLP) for scalable acquisition of knowledge of common data elements and functions from DQ checks narratives. Methods: The model defines a “data element”, the primary focus of the check, and a “function”, the qualitative or quantitative measure over a data element. We applied NLP techniques to extract both from 172 checks for Observational Health Data Sciences and Informatics (OHDSI) and 3,434 checks for Kaiser Permanente’s Center for Effectiveness and Safety Research (CESR). Results: The model was able to classify all checks. A total of 751 unique data elements and 24 unique functions were extracted. The top five frequent data element-function pairings for OHDSI were Person-Count (55 checks), Insurance-Distribution (17), Medication-Count (16), Condition-Count (14), and Observations-Count (13); for CESR, they were Medication-Variable Type (175), Medication-Missing (172), Medication-Existence (152), Medication-Count (127), and Socioeconomic Factors-Variable Type (114). Conclusions: This study shows the efficacy of the data element-function conceptual model for classifying DQ checks, demonstrates early promise of NLP-assisted knowledge acquisition, and reveals the great heterogeneity in the focus in DQ checks, confirming variation in intrinsic checks and use-case specific “fitness-for-use” checks.
Acoustically driven oscillatory flow fields in a cylindrical resonator at resonance

Generation and development of acoustic waves in an air-filled cylindrical resonator driven by a conical electro-mechanical speaker are studied experimentally and simulated numerically. The driving frequencies of the speaker are chosen such that a standing wave field is produced at each chosen frequency in the resonator. The amplitude of the generated acoustic (pressure) waves is measured along the axis of the resonator by a fast response piezo-resistive pressure transducer, while the radial distribution of the oscillatory axial velocities is measured at the corresponding velocity anti-node locations by a constant temperature hot-film anemometer. For the cases studied, the acoustic Reynolds number ranged between 20.0 and 60.0 and the flow fields were always found to be in the laminar regime. The flow field in the resonator is also simulated by a high-fidelity numerical scheme with low numerical diffusion. Formation of the standing wave and quasi-steady acoustic streaming are numerically simulated by solving the fully compressible form of the Navier-Stokes equations. The effects of the sound field intensity (i.e., input power to the speaker) and driving frequency on the standing wave field and the resultant formation process of the streaming structures are also investigated.
Fuel Cycle Analysis of Novel Assembly Design for Thorium-Uranium-Ceramic–Fueled Thermal, High-Conversion Reactor

AbstractThis paper details the development and optimization of a novel seed blanket fuel assembly designed for utilizing high-conversion Th-233U fuel cycles in the current fleet of pressurized wate...
KCu7P3: A Two-Dimensional Noncentrosymmetric Metallic Pnictide

We report a 2D material, KCu7P3, with a noncentrosymmetric structure (trigonal space group P31m, a = 6.9637(2) A, c = 24.1338 (10) A), which forms both from a molten potassium polyphosphide flux and from the elements. This phase consists of infinite [Cu7P3]− layers with hexagonal P sheets separated by K+ ions. The structure of the layers is unique but related to both Cu3P and the CaCu4P2 structure-types. Single-crystal refinement reveals extensive disorder within the Cu3P-like slabs. KCu7P3 is paramagnetic and exhibits a room temperature resistivity of ∼335 μΩ cm with a metal-like temperature dependence. The metallic character is supported by density functional theory electronic structure calculations. Hall and Seebeck effect measurements yield p-type behavior with a hole mobility of ∼15 cm2 V–1 s–1 at 300 K and a carrier concentration on the order of 1021 cm–3. KCu7P3 is chemically stable in ambient conditions, as well as in aqueous neutral and acidic solutions.
Metabolomics for Biomarker Discovery and to Derive Genetic Links to Disease

Abstract This chapter introduces the field of metabolomics, covering aspects of study design, technologies, and analysis approaches that are used to reveal links between an individual’s metabotypes and states of health and wellness. Sample studies are described that link metabolic perturbations that are revealed in metabolomics studies with genetic polymorphisms and protein encoding genes. These studies point to metabolites that are important for nutritional intervention for the disease phenotypes.
Why Reinvent the Wheel? Use or Modification of Existing Clinical Outcome Assessment Tools in Medical Product Development

Assessment of clinical benefit in treatment trials can be made through report by a clinician, a patient, or a nonclinician observer (eg, caregiver) or through a performance-based assessment. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a final guidance for industry for one type of clinical outcome assessment (COA)-patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures-in 2009 that described how FDA reviews PRO measures for their adequacy to support medical product-labeling claims. Many of the principles described in the PRO Guidance could be applicable to the other types of COAs, including instruments completed by clinicians (ie, clinician-reported outcome assessments) and nonclinician observers (ie, observer-reported outcome assessments). FDA guidance describing the regulatory expectations for all COA types including performance outcome assessments, which are based on the patient's performance of a defined task or activity, is in progress to meet requirements described within the 21st Century Cures Act and PDUFA VI. This communication highlights potential ways in which existing instruments might be modified or used "as is" to conform to good measurement principles. An industry and a regulatory perspective are described.
Breaking browsers: a survey

Genetic programming can be used to explore browser vulnerabilities by generating HTML and over time learning what fragments of HTML crash browsers or cause them to run very slowly. A number of browsers have been evaluated with this technique and the results are reported.
Supporting the integration of evidence into federal educational policy and reform efforts: A navigational framework for educational researchers

AbstractThere is an ongoing debate about how best to infuse “evidence” into school evaluation and reform efforts, and what role education researchers can play in this effort. A lot of support has b...
Revisiting Ensembles in an Adversarial Context: Improving Natural Accuracy

A necessary characteristic for the deployment of deep learning models in real world applications is resistance to small adversarial perturbations while maintaining accuracy on non-malicious inputs. While robust training provides models that exhibit better adversarial accuracy than standard models, there is still a significant gap in natural accuracy between robust and non-robust models which we aim to bridge. We consider a number of ensemble methods designed to mitigate this performance difference. Our key insight is that model trained to withstand small attacks, when ensembled, can often withstand significantly larger attacks, and this concept can in turn be leveraged to optimize natural accuracy. We consider two schemes, one that combines predictions from several randomly initialized robust models, and the other that fuses features from robust and standard models.