cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An indoor–outdoor building energy simulator to study urban modification effects on building energy use – Model description and validation

An Indoor-Outdoor Building Energy Simulator to Study Urban Modification Effects on Building Energy Use – Model Description and Validation Neda Yaghoobian Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093‐0411 Jan Kleissl Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, EBU II‐580, La Jolla, CA 92093‐0411 E‐mail: jkleissl@ucsd.edu; Phone: 858‐534‐8087; fax: (858) 534‐7599 Abstract While there have been significant advances in energy modeling of individual buildings and urban canopies, more sophisticated and at the same time more efficient models are needed to understand the thermal interaction between buildings and their surroundings. In particular to evaluate policy alternatives it is of interest how building makeup, canyon geometry, weather conditions, and their combination modify heat transfer in the urban area. The Temperature of Urban Facets Indoor‐Outdoor Building Energy Simulator (TUF‐IOBES) is a building‐to‐canopy model that simulates indoor and outdoor building surface temperatures and heat fluxes in an urban area to estimate cooling/heating loads and energy use in buildings. The indoor and outdoor energy balance processes are dynamically coupled taking into account real weather conditions, indoor heat sources, building and urban material properties, composition of the building envelope (e.g. windows, insulation), and HVAC equipment. TUF‐IOBES is also capable of simulating effects of the waste heat from air‐conditioning systems on urban canopy air temperature. TUF‐IOBES transient heat conduction is validated against an analytical solution and multi‐model intercomparions for annual and daily cooling and heating loads are conducted. An application of TUF‐IOBES to study the impact of different pavements (concrete and asphalt) on building energy use is also presented. Keywords: Building energy simulator; Dynamic online modeling; Urban heat island mitigation.
Methane production, sulfate reduction and competition for substrates in the sediments of Lake Washington

Abstract Rates of methane production (both acetate fermentation and CO2 reduction) and sulfate reduction were directly measured as a function of depth in the sediments of Lake Washington. Although methanogenesis was the primary mode of anaerobic respiration (63%), the major zone of methane prodiction existed only below the sulfate reduction zone (16 cm). Acetate fermentation accounted for 61 to 85% of the total methane production, which is consistent with other low sulfate environments. The observed spatial separation of methane production and sulfate reduction, which has been reported for marine sediments, is attributed to competition between the methane-producing and sulfate-reducing bacterua for acetate and hydrogen. This hypothesis is supported by the strong correlation between the measured distributions of acetate and hydrogen and the rates of methane produced from these two precursors in Lake Washington sediments. Acetate concentrations increased rapidly (from 10–16 μM to 30–40 μM) once the sulfate concentration decreased below 30 μM and methane production via acetate fermentation began. A similar trend was observed for hydrogen concentrations, which increased from 7 to 22 nM up to 40 to 55 nM, at the onset of methanogenesis from CO2 and H2 (sulfate concentrations of 35–40 μM). These results show, for the first time in a freshwater lake, the separation of methane production and sulfate reduction and the corresponding changes in acetate and hydrogen concentrations.
Physicochemical Changes Produced in Egg Yolk by Streptococcus faecalis var. liquefaciens

Abstract The growth of Streptococcus faecalis var. liquefaciens in sterile liquid egg yolk for 48 hr at 25 C resulted in the separation of the homogeneous yolk into two components, which appeared as layers. The upper layer is clear, oily, and has a higher amount of lipids and cholesterol as compared to the viscous lower layer, which contains greater quantities of protein, phosphorus, calcium, and iron. This separation is related to the production of an extracellular factor, probably a protease, which because of limited proteolysis causes destabilization of the egg yolk system. This destabilization results in, or is due to, aggregation of the granules, which because of size, weight, and compositional differences, settled to constitute the lower layer. Evidently, these granules are responsible for opacity, as the yolk devoid of this settled material is clear and makes up the upper layer.
A Mathematical Model for the Analysis of Contour-Line Data

This paper describes a mathematical model for the study of contour-line data. Formal definitions are given for the various classes of contour lines found on a contour map. The concept of cliff lines is introduced and the properties of both contour lines and cliff lines are investigated. The objective of the paper is to lay a foundation for the development of algorithms that will facilitate the digital computer solutions of problems involving contour-line data.
Regulatory properties of brain glutamate decarboxylase.

1. Glutamate decarboxylase is a focal point for controllingγ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) synthesis in brain. Several factors that appear to be important in the regulation of GABA synthesis have been identified by relating studies of purified glutamate decarboxylase to conditionsin vivo. 2. The interaction of glutamate decarboxylase with its cofactor, pyridoxal 5′-phosphate, is a regulated process and appears to be one of the major means of controlling enzyme activity. The enzyme is present in brain predominantly as apoenzyme (inactive enzyme without bound cofactor). Studies with purified enzyme indicate that the relative amounts of apo- and holoenzyme are determined by the balance in a cycle that continuously interconverts the two. 3. The cycle that interconverts apo- and holoenzyme is part of the normal catalytic mechanism of the enzyme and is strongly affected by several probable regulatory compounds including pyridoxal 5′-phosphate, ATP, inorganic phosphate, and the amino acids glutamate, GABA, and aspartate. ATP and the amino acids promote apoenzyme formation and pyridoxal 5′-phosphate and inorganic phosphate promote holoenzyme formation. 4. Numerous studies indicate that brain contains multiple molecular forms of glutamate decarboxylase. Multiple forms that differ markedly in kinetic properties including their interactions with the cofactor have been isolated and characterized. The kinetic differences among the forms suggest that they play a significant role in the regulation of GABA synthesis.
Validation Techniques for Region-Level Microscopic Mass Evacuation Traffic Simulations

The experiences of several recent evacuations have demonstrated how a mass evacuation of a major city can affect traffic throughout an entire region. This realization has brought the need for analyzing and evaluating evacuation plans at a regional level. Numerous recent studies have devoted themselves to the topic of simulating large-scale evacuations. However, few studies have developed procedures for the validation of large-scale models. This paper discusses validation within the context of the recent development of the regional multimodal evacuation model for New Orleans, Louisiana. The New Orleans model is unique because it is among the first ever to incorporate qualitative and quantitative model validation procedures based on field data collected during an actual mass evacuation. The paper discusses the various statistics considered for validation, including their inherent advantages and disadvantages. It also presents the results obtained from the validation exercises of the New Orleans model. The study concluded that regression analyses were the most appropriate for statistically analyzing the spatial and temporal data correlations between the traffic patterns produced within the simulation and those actually observed during the Hurricane Katrina evacuation. From a qualitative standpoint, colorized spatiotemporal maps were also found to be quite effective for visualizing traffic speed and volume patterns. The maps were also invaluable for quickly identifying and analyzing bottleneck areas at both the local and regional levels.
Experimental Determination of Thermoplastic Casing Collapse Pressures

A major potential failure mode of thermoplastic well casing is collapse. The casing may be subjected to a collapsing pressure during grouting operations, backfilling, well development or simply from lateral soil pressure. Since the strength of thermoplastic materials significantly decreases at elevated temperatures, it is important to know how casing collapse resistance varies with temperature. A series of experiments have been performed to determine the collapse resistance of poly (vinyl chloride) (PVC) and acrilonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) well casing over a wide range of temperature. Results indicate that collapse resistance is inversely proportional to a function of the outside diameter-to-wall thickness ratio as indicated in the ASTM F480 standard and that collapse resistance decreases by approximately ½ psi per degree Fahrenheit increase in temperature above room temperature.
Beckett: Waiting for Godot. By David Bradby. Plays in Production Series. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001; pp. 255. $60 hardcover; Empty Figure on an Empty Stage: The Theatre of Samuel Beckett and His Generation. By Les Essif. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2001; pp. 254. $47.95 hardcover

These two studies of Beckett will be of enormous use to scholars but perhaps of somewhat less use to those charged with staging his plays, and therein hangs a tale.
A formal model of the software test process

A novel approach to model the system test phase of the software life cycle is presented. This approach is based on concepts and techniques from control theory and is useful in computing the effort required to reduce the number of errors and the schedule slippage under a changing process environment. Results from these computations are used, and possibly revised, at specific checkpoints in a feedback-control structure to meet the schedule and quality objectives. Two case studies were conducted to study the behavior of the proposed model. One study reported here uses data from a commercial project. The outcome from these two studies suggests that the proposed model might well be the first significant milestone along the road to a formal and practical theory of software process control.
The Internet and Social Life

The Internet is the latest in a series of technological breakthroughs in interpersonal communication, following the telegraph, telephone, radio, and television. It combines innovative features of its predecessors, such as bridging great distances and reaching a mass audience. However, the Internet has novel features as well, most critically the relative anonymity afforded to users and the provision of group venues in which to meet others with similar interests and values. We place the Internet in its historical context, and then examine the effects of Internet use on the user's psychological well-being, the formation and maintenance of personal relationships, group memberships and social identity, the workplace, and community involvement. The evidence suggests that while these effects are largely dependent on the particular goals that users bring to the interaction—such as self-expression, affiliation, or competition—they also interact in important ways with the unique qualities of the Internet communicat...
Policy Responses to Human Trafficking in Southern Africa: Domesticating International Norms

Human trafficking is increasingly recognized as an outcome of economic insecurity, gender inequality, and conflict, all significant factors in the region of southern Africa. This paper examines policy responses to human trafficking in southern Africa and finds that there has been a diffusion of international norms to the regional and domestic levels. This paper finds that policy change is most notable in the strategies and approaches that differ at each level: international and regional agreements emphasize prevention measures and survivor assistance, but national policies emphasize prosecution measures. Leaders across the region have adapted these policy norms to fit regionally specific conditions, including HIV/AIDS, conflict, traditional leaders, and prostitution. Yet, national policies often fail to incorporate preventative solutions to address gender inequality, human rights, and economic development. Until appropriate funding and preventative measures are introduced, the underlying issues that foster human trafficking will continue.
Atmospheric holes and small comets

Global images of Earth's UV dayglow as gained with an imaging photometer on board Dynamics Explorer 1 exhibit transient decreases, or atmospheric holes, in the dayglow intensities over areas with diameters about 50 km. Features of these atmospheric holes include (1) preferential motion in the east-to-west direction across the sunlit face of Earth, (2) similar diurnal variations in occurrence rates as those for radar meteors, (3) correlation of the occurrence rates with the nonshower rates as determined with forward scatter radar, and (4) larger angular diameters for these atmospheric holes when the spacecraft approaches Earth during its perigee passes. These atmospheric holes are interpreted in terms of obscuration of the dayglow by water clouds from the disruption and subsequent vaporization of small comets at low altitudes above the atmosphere. Supporting evidence for the existence of these small comets is given by their telescopic sighting at greater altitudes before disruption and the detection of water bursts in Earth's upper atmosphere. The small-comet hypothesis and its relationship to geophysical, lunar, and interplanetary phenomena are discussed.
Cache Valley virus is a cause of fetal malformation and pregnancy loss in sheep

Abstract Cache Valley (CV) virus, a bunyavirus found throughout the USA, Canada and Mexico, infects a wide variety of domestic and wild animals, and humans. Transmission occurs through bites of infected mosquitoes. The majority of infections in sheep are subclinical. However, when infection occurs in ewes during the first trimester of pregnancy, the virus may cross the placenta and may produce embryonic death, mummification or fetal malformation, including arthrogryposis, torticollis, scoliosis, lordosis, hydranencephaly, microcephaly, porencephaly, and cerebellar and muscular hypoplasia. Infections that occur in the last two-thirds of pregnancy are clinically innocuous to the fetus. The demonstration of specific CV virus antibodies by neutralization test in sera of malformed fetuses or precolostral serum samples of newborns is the best method to corroborate intrauterine infection. Currently, there are no vaccines or treatments available to protect sheep against CV virus infection. Ewes that are exposed to CV virus and are seropositive before breeding are protected from reinfection and the adverse effects of the virus on pregnancy. Breeding ewes outside of the mosquito season may help reduce CV virus fetal infections. However, short-term changes in weather patterns during a particular season may result in renewed vector activity and increased risk of fetal infection. Cache Valley virus-seropositive animals are not protected against infection by bunyaviruses of a different serogroup, some of which may induce similar fetal pathology.
Screening Outcomes in Older US Women Undergoing Multiple Mammograms in Community Practice: Does Interval, Age, or Comorbidity Score Affect Tumor Characteristics or False Positive Rates?

Background Uncertainty exists about the appropriate use of screening mammography among older women because comorbid illnesses may diminish the benefit of screening. We examined the risk of adverse tumor characteristics and false positive rates according to screening interval, age, and comorbidity. Methods From January 1999 to December 2006, data were collected prospectively on 2993 older women with breast cancer and 137 949 older women without breast cancer who underwent mammography at facilities that participated in a data linkage between the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium and Medicare claims. Women were aged 66 to 89 years at study entry to allow for measurement of 1 year of preexisting illnesses. We used logistic regression analyses to calculate the odds of advanced (IIb, III, IV) stage, large (>20 millimeters) tumors, and 10-year cumulative probability of false-positive mammography by screening frequency (1 vs 2 years), age, and comorbidity score. The comorbidity score was derived using the Klabunde approximation of the Charlson score. All statistical tests were two-sided. Results Adverse tumor characteristics did not differ statistically significantly by comorbidity, age, or interval. Cumulative probability of a false-positive mammography result was higher among annual screeners than biennial screeners irrespective of comorbidity: 48.0% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 46.1% to 49.9%) of annual screeners aged 66 to 74 years had a false-positive result compared with 29.0% (95% CI = 28.1% to 29.9%) of biennial screeners. Conclusion Women aged 66 to 89 years who undergo biennial screening mammography have similar risk of advanced-stage disease and lower cumulative risk of a false-positive recommendation than annual screeners, regardless of comorbidity.
Synapsing with NG2 cells (polydendrocytes), unappreciated barrier to axon regeneration?

Have you heard of NG2 cells or NG2 glia or polydendrocytes? These are new names for the precursor cells that used to be referred to as oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs), which become the oligodendrocytes that myelinate central nervous system (CNS) axons. Evidence suggests, however, that they have other functions, besides differentiating into oligodendrocytes. Most notably, the OPCs/ NG2 cells are uniformly distributed in grey matter as well as in white matter, which matches poorly with the distribution of myelinating oligodendrocytes. Furthermore, not every NG2 cell is fated to become an oligodendrocyte. Hence the term OPC can be fairly applied only when discussing the role of these cells in the oligodendrocyte lineage.
Secondary ion mass spectrometry analysis of vertical cavity surface-emitting lasers

Depth profile analysis by high-resolution secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) can accurately determine C and Si concentrations within monolithic reflectors of vertical cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs). These SIMS depth profiles are quantified to atomic concentrations using relative sensitivity factors and calibration standards, and are correlated to the laser characteristics. We compare the light output versus current and voltage of a conventional oxide-confined VCSEL with a self-pulsating VCSEL. We show that SIMS depth profiling of VCSELs can be useful as a diagnostic method for VCSEL epitaxial wafers, and that the doping level of oxide aperture layers can dramatically impact the device performance.
Ecology of the Cooper's Hawk in North Florida

Summary of two study areas of the Cooper's Hawk in north Florida, including diet, foraging, home range, and predation.
The Efficacy of Ketamine in Pediatric Emergency Department Patients Who Present With Acute Severe Asthma

Study objective We determine whether a continuous infusion of ketamine can decrease the severity of a moderately severe acute asthma exacerbation by a clinically significant 2 points using a 15-point Pulmonary Index scoring scale. Methods A double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled trial was performed to evaluate patients aged 2 to 18 years who presented to a pediatric emergency department with an acute asthma exacerbation. Exclusion criteria included temperature greater than 39°C (102°F), focal infiltrate on radiograph, or any glucocorticoid use in the last 72 hours. Eligible patients received 3 treatments with albuterol, ipratropium bromide, and a dose of oral or parenteral glucocorticoids. If the Pulmonary Index score remained 8 to 14, enrollment proceeded. All enrolled patients received continuous nebulized albuterol at 10 mg/hour and were randomized to receive an intravenous bolus of 0.2 mg/kg of ketamine, followed by a 2-hour ketamine infusion at 0.5 mg/kg per hour or an equal-volume regimen with normal-saline placebo. A Pulmonary Index score was performed on patients at 0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes. Results Sixty-eight patients were enrolled, with 33 randomized to the ketamine infusion and 35 randomized to placebo. Mean ages of patients enrolled, chronic severity of asthma, and duration of symptoms before presentation were similar between groups. At enrollment, the mean Pulmonary Index score in the placebo group was 10.3±1.1 versus 10.5±1.5 for the ketamine group (difference of means 0.2; 95% confidence interval [CI] −0.5 to 0.8). Sixty-two patients completed the entire 2-hour infusion protocol. No significant difference between groups was seen in rate of improvement in the Pulmonary Index score at completion. The mean decrease in the Pulmonary Index scores at the end of the infusion was 3.6±1.3 in the placebo group versus 3.2±2.0 in the ketamine group (difference of means 0.4; 95% CI −0.4 to 1.3). No short-term adverse effects necessitating discontinuation of the infusion or adverse behavioral impacts at 48 hours after discharge were noted. Conclusion We conclude that ketamine given at 0.2 mg/kg followed by an infusion of 0.5 mg/kg per hour for 2 hours provided no incremental benefit to standard therapy in this cohort of children with a moderately severe asthma exacerbation.
An introductory physics exercise using real extrasolar planet data

This paper describes an exercise that makes use of actual data available on the internet that were used in the discovery of extrasolar planets. The exercise involves deriving equations that are used to determine the planets' orbital radii and masses and to write equations that when plotted will match the waveforms of the fits to the actual data. The process necessitates learning about the methods of detection, the physics used in the calculations of the planets' properties and superposition of waves. The exercise is at the level of introductory physics and can be used as an independent or directed study.
Perceived acceptance and helpfulness in a marathon group.

Two means of exploring what happened in one group marathon (N = 15) were used. Several statements can be made about the results: (1) Change occurred during the 24 hr. of the marathon in group structure as well as relationships within that structure. (2) Change was most evident in the “mean” population of the group—those persons seen as above or below chance at the onset—not the “extremes”—the leader or the unchosen. (3) Acceptance in a group, as measured by a target sociogram, was not achieved by psychological helpfulness, as measured by the post-marathon evaluation questionnaire. (4) Aggression-confrontation was not perceived as being as important a parameter as empathic identification or acceptance-warmth. (5) The statement: “I was least helpful…” elicited a high response from the participants on the aggression-confrontation dimension as well as the “write-in” dimension. (6) Profiles of helpfulness given, helpfulness received, least helpfulness given, and least helpfulness received differ markedly on th...
Student Disengagement and the Socialization Styles of High Schools

This paper advances a cross-contextual understanding of authoritative socialization, a concept developed by family researchers. Using data from the High School Effectiveness Study, I use multilevel modeling to test the effect of high school socialization style on student disengagement from 10th to 12th grades, controlling for both the sociodemographic context of schools and student characteristics. I find that school socialization style is differentially associated with student disengagement by 10th grade, and controlling for 10th grade disengagement, school styles have further effects on disengagement by 12th grade. As hypothesized, the pattern of effects replicates that found in studies of family socialization – authoritative schools have the lowest levels of disengagement and indifferent schools the highest, while authoritarian and permissive schools have moderate levels of disengagement.
TROY: track router with yield-driven wire planning

In this paper, we propose TROY, the first track router with yield-driven wire planning to optimize yield loss due to random defects. As the probability of failure (POF) computed from critical area analysis and defect size distribution strongly depends on wire ordering, sizing, and spacing, track routing plays a key role in effective wire planning for yield optimization. TROY formulates wire ordering into a preference-aware minimum Hamiltonian path problem. For simultaneous wire sizing and spacing optimization, TROY solves it optimally by formulating the problems into a second order conic programming (SOCP). Experimental results show that TROY can reduce the random-defect yield loss by 18% on average without any overhead in wirelength, compared with the widely used greedy approach.
Deep diving in the blood stem cell-ome

Defining the functional distinctions between cells comprising the bone marrow has yielded fundamental insights into lineage ordering and drivers of blood cell production. A novel, highly granular and multi‐dimensional molecular characterization of functional subsets of hematopoietic stem‐ and progenitor cells recently published in Cell Stem Cell (Cabezas‐Wallscheid et al , 2014) will serve as a landmark and treasure trove for unanticipated insights into basic biology and the development of future targeted medicine.
Salicide technology for fully-depleted SOI CMOS devices

Self-aligned silicide (salicide) is necessary to reduce device resistances associated with an ultra-thin film fully-depleted (UTF/FD) CMOS SOI technology. A salicide process for use with UTF/FD CMOS SOI devices is developed, and subsequent transistor characteristics are shown. Process optimization was achieved through experimental design techniques by minimizing salicide sheet resistance and improving salicide uniformity across the wafer. Replicates at the center points of the experimental designs determined the repeatability of the process and the ability of the models to predict responses. The salicide process developed for SOI is a four-step procedure: (1) Ti deposition (500 AA), (2) monosilicide formation (600-700 degrees C), (3) TiN/Ti removal (1:1 NH/sub 4/OH:H/sub 2/O/sub 2/), and (4) disilicide formation (700-800 degrees C). >
The Effect of Multiplet Splitting of the 4d Levels in Rare Earth Elements on Their X-Ray Spectra

The rare earth elements are characterized by partially filled 4f shells which give rise to an exchange interaction between the 4f and 4d levels. This interaction results in the splitting of the 4d3/2, 4d5/2, 4f3/2 and 4f7/5 atomic levels, thus generating electronic subshells which are found in the atoms of the rare earth elements only. As a result, the x-ray spectra of these elements exhibit emission lines which are not to be found in any other element. The energy and the relative intensity of these lines, which are observed on the low energy side of the Lγ1 and Lβ2 diagram x-ray lines, have been measured and compared with the results of a simple theory based on the exchange integral and the total spin of the 4f electrons.
Efficiency of subspace-based DOA estimators

This paper addresses subspace-based direction of arrival (DOA) estimation and its purpose is to complement previously available theoretical results generally obtained for specific algorithms. We focus on asymptotically (in the number of measurements) minimum variance (AMV) estimators based on estimates of orthogonal projectors obtained from singular value decompositions of sample covariance matrices in the general context of noncircular complex signals. After extending the standard AMV bound to statistics whose first covariance matrix of its asymptotic distribution is singular and deriving explicit expressions of this first covariance matrix associated with several projection-based statistics, we give closed-form expressions of AMV bounds based on estimates of different orthogonal projectors. This enable us to prove that these AMV bounds attain the stochastic Cramer-Rao bound (CRB) in the case of circular or noncircular Gaussian signals.
A Humorous Demonstration of in Vivo Systematic Desensitization: The Case of Eraser Phobia

We present a technique for demonstrating in vivo systematic desensitization in an engaging, humorous, and informative manner. It involves role playing the treatment of a student who ostensibly has a phobia of chalkboard erasers (hence the reason he or she always sits at the back of the room). Students enjoyed the demonstration and believed it enhanced their understanding of systematic desensitization.
Resident physicians as human information systems: sources yet seekers.

Objective To characterize question types that residents received on overnight shifts and what information sources were used to answer them. Materials and Methods Across 30 overnight shifts, questions asked of on-call senior residents, question askers' roles, and residents' responses were documented. External sources were noted. Results 158 of 397 questions (39.8%) related to the plan of care, 53 (13.4%) to medical knowledge, 48 (12.1%) to taskwork knowledge, and 44 (11.1%) to the current condition of patients. For 351 (88.4%) questions residents provided specific, direct answers or visited the patient. For 16 of these, residents modeled or completed the task. For 216 questions, residents used previous knowledge or their own clinical judgment. Residents solicited external information sources for 118 questions and only a single source for 77 (65.3%) of them. For the 118, most questions concerned either the plan of care or the patient's current condition and were asked by interns and nurses (those with direct patient care responsibilities). Discussion Resident physicians serve as an information system and they often specifically answer the question using previous knowledge or their own clinical judgment, suggesting that askers are contacting an appropriately knowledgeable person. However, they do need to access patient information such as the plan of care. They also serve an educator role and answer many knowledge-related questions. Conclusions As synchronous verbal communications continue to be important pathways for information flow, informaticians need to consider the relationship between such communications and workflow in the development of healthcare support tools.
Cattle Grazing as a Biological Control for Broom Snakeweed: Vegetation Response

Abstract Broom snakeweed ( Gutierrezia sarothrae [Pursh] Britton & Rusby) increases and dominates rangelands following disturbances, such as overgrazing, fire, and drought. However, if cattle can be forced to graze broom snakeweed, they may be used as a biological tool to control it. Cattle grazed broom snakeweed in May and August 2004–2007. Narrow grazing lanes were fenced to restrict availability of herbaceous forage to force cattle to graze broom snakeweed. They used 50–85% of broom snakeweed biomass. Mature broom snakeweed plant density declined because of prolonged drought, but the decline was greater in grazed lanes. At the end of the study, density of mature plants in grazed lanes was 0.31 plants · m -2 , compared with 0.79 plants · m -2 in ungrazed pastures. Spring precipitation in 2005 was 65% above average, and a new crop of seedlings established following the spring grazing trial. Seedling establishment was greater in the spring-grazed lanes in which the soil had been recently disturbed, compared with the ungrazed transects and summer-grazed lanes. The cattle were not able to use the large volume of new broom snakeweed plants in the spring-grazed pasture. They did reduce the number of seedlings and juvenile plants in the summer-grazed pasture. Intense grazing pressure and heavy use did not adversely affect crested wheatgrass ( Agropyron cristatum [L.] Gaertn.) cover, and it was actually higher in the summer grazed lanes than the ungrazed control transects. In moderate stands of broom snakeweed, cattle can be forced to graze broom snakeweed and reduce its density without adversely affecting the associated crested wheatgrass stand.
Role of Environmental Epigenetics in Perinatal and Neonatal Development

A number of epigenetic changes have been linked with pediatric diseases. These include, but are not limited to, autism, schizophrenia, and intellectual disability. Epigenetic changes can occur at the parental, prenatal, and postnatal stages of life. The early focus of the field of fetal programming was on associations between prenatal exposures and metabolic diseases and related disorders such as coronary heart disease, obesity, and diabetes. Currently, active research is being conducted to understand the link between epigenetic changes induced by environmental stressors and the development of childhood and adult diseases. Understanding the epigenetic markers of a particular disease may be important in designing early intervention that can alter disease outcomes. This review focuses on the epigenetic influences of various environmental factors specifically at the prenatal and immediate postnatal stages of life.
Modeling Sediment-Laden Gravity Currents

The gravity currents formed by instantaneous releases of a fixed volume of a suspension of fine sediment into a rectangular channel filled with tap water are studied numerically. The numerical model based on the filtered Navier-Stokes equations and mass transport equation is used to model dynamics of the flow and sediment transport. The effects of subgrid eddies on flow and sediment transport were calculated based on the modified Smagorinsky model that takes into account the effect of buoyancy on turbulence. The sediment transport is computed by the dispersion model. The governing equations are solved based on the operator-splitting algorithm and the third-order CCS scheme, which employs the Crank-Nicolson scheme for time advancing and the cubic spline to fit the spatial distributions of physical variables such as velocity components and concentration. Such a numerical scheme has been proven stable and almost free of numerical diffusion. The paper presents the comparisons between the numerical results and the experimental data such as propagation speed and areal sediment deposit. It is found that the numerical model is capable of correctly reproducing the flows and the associated sediment transport processes.
The Effect of Lonicera japonica on LPS-Stimulated B-Cell Functions

ABSTRACTLonicera japonica has been shown to have antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties. Given these properties, varying preparations of L. japonica are being used increasingly as immune enhancers. However, isolated compounds from L. japonica can inhibit lymphocyte functions, which would oppose the ability of L. japonica to serve as an immune enhancer. Prior studies in our laboratory demonstrated that an herbal powder extracted from the leaves of L. japonica inhibits T lymphocyte proliferation and survival. Because both T- and B-cell functions and interactions are required for effective immune responses, the effect of L. japonica on LPS-stimulated B-lymphocyte functions was assessed. Our data demonstrate that while total and IgM+ B cells are not largely diminished as a result of L. japonica treatment, IgM production was decreased, potentially as a consequence of suppressed proliferation.
Analysis of Combining Ability on the Main Agronomic Traits of Several Indica Three-lines Hybrid Rice Parents

The combining ability and heritability of hybrid rice parents,were estimated to provide an important theoretic foundation for breeding of hybrid rice parents and combinations.Five indica sterile lines were crossed with five indica restoring lines by incomplete dialle cross design.The six main agronomic traits of their F1 were analyzed to estimate their combining ability and heritability of hybrid rice parents.The results showed that plant height,effective panicle,grain number per panicle,seed setting rate,1000-grain weight and yield per plant were affected by the additive effect mainly.There was no significant corresponding relationship between general combining ability and specific combining ability of different characters of hybrid rice parents.The effect of the male parent on effective panicle,grain number per panicle,seed setting rate,1000-grain weight and yield per plant was higher than that of the female parent,while the effect of the female parent on plant height was higher than that of the male parent.Narrow heritability of the six main agronomic traits was 1000-grain weightplant heightseed setting rategrain number per panicleeffective panicle yield per plant.
Endoscopic treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease

"Gastroesophageal reflux disease is a chronic illness with a wide spectrum of symptoms that can significantly affect people's quality of life and increase the risk of complications, including cancer. Gastroesophageal reflux disease has been primarily treated with anti-secretory medications and, when needed, surgery. However, caveats to this approach include long-term medications, side effects, drug-interaction, cost, and the morbidity and mortality associated with surgery. Endoscopic management of gastroesophageal reflux disease offers a safe, effective and less invasive alternative to medications and surgery. There are different endoscopic therapies that include suturing, application of radiofrequency, injection of polymer, and placement of prostheses. The available data on these therapies is here discussed".
A graphical approach to GPS software-defined receiver implementation

Global positioning system (GPS) software-defined receivers (SDRs) offer many advantages over their hardware-based counterparts, such as flexibility, modularity, and upgradability. A typical GPS receiver is readily expressible as a block diagram, making a graphical approach a natural choice for implementing GPS SDRs. This paper presents a real-time, graphical implementation of a GPS SDR, consisting of two modes: acquisition and tracking. The acquisition mode performs a two-dimensional fast Fourier transform (FFT)-based search over code offsets and Doppler frequencies. The carrier-aided code tracking mode consists of the following main building blocks: correlators, code and carrier phase detectors, code and carrier phase filters, a code generator, and a numerically-controlled oscillator. The presented GPS SDR provides an abstraction level that enables future research endeavors.
Driven by Mutations: The Predictive Value of Mutation Subtype in EGFR-Mutated Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer

EGFR-mutated NSCLC is a genetically heterogeneous disease that includes more than 200 distinct mutations. The implications of mutational subtype for both prognostic and predictive value are being increasingly understood. Although the most common EGFR mutations-exon 19 deletions or L858R mutations-predict sensitivity to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), it is now being recognized that outcomes may be improved in patients with exon 19 deletions. Additionally, 10% of patients will have an uncommon EGFR mutation, and response to EGFR TKI therapy is highly variable depending on the mutation. Given the growing recognition of the genetic and clinical variation seen in this disease, the development of comprehensive bioinformatics-driven tools to both analyze response in uncommon mutation subtypes and inform clinical decision making will be increasingly important. Clinical trials of novel EGFR TKIs should prospectively account for the presence of uncommon mutation subtypes in study design.
Default phrasing and attachment preference in Korean.

This paper tests the validity of the Implicit Prosody Hypothesis (IPH) (Fodor 1998, 2002) based on production and perception experiments on Korean data. IPH states that attachment of a relative clause (RC) in a sentence with a complex noun phrase is influenced by a default prosodic contour of the structure projected in silent reading. It predicts that speakers of a language who prefer high attachment would produce a prosodic break between the RC and the adjacent noun phrase. Results show that Koreans prefer high attachment of an RC, but they do not produce a larger prosodic break between the RC and the adjacent noun phrase. Instead, the most common default phrasing is to produce each word in the same prosodic unit, an Accentual Phrase. Though this does not support IPH, the perception data show some sensitivity to prosody.
Mechanisms of Plasma Medicine: Coupling Plasma Physics, Biochemistry, and Biology

Low temperature plasma (LTP) has emerged in the last decade as a novel and promising therapy for wound and skin decontamination, promotion of wound healing, cancer remission, control of wound-resident multidrug resistant bacteria, and dental and cosmetic applications, among others. Progress has been rapid in developing clinically useful devices and many studies are underway worldwide. Mechanisms of plasma therapeutics are beginning to be understood but much remains to be explored. This review focuses on mechanisms coupling the physics and chemistry of LTPs to medically relevant biochemistry and biology.
Political ecology of land reforms in Kinnaur: Implications and a historical overview

Throughout the 20th century, a series of land reforms were implemented in the Kinnaur District of the state of Himachal Pradesh in the Indian Himalaya. Although the purpose of the reforms was to mitigate rising social and economic inequality, there has been no analysis of whether the reforms achieved their stated goals. In this paper, I draw on ethnographic research to study the broad impact the reforms have had on land and wealth redistribution, and on Kinnaur’s thriving apple economy. Land reforms were intended to redistribute land to the poorest population. While the immediate results failed to achieve their objectives, the consequences were uneven and some wealthy landowners benefited from land redistributions. The broader outcome, however, has led to an increase in the wealth of the poorest classes over time and a shift in agrarian relations in Kinnaur. Land reforms have continued to be one of the many factors affecting Kinnaur in recent decades, and have played a significant role in the district’s economic changes. Today the majority of Kinnauris, despite their caste and economic status, own small parcels of land from which they profit. This research, based on nearly one year of ethnographic fieldwork, exhibits a link between land reforms, land ownership, and economic development in Kinnaur.
Extra-Intestinal Manifestation of Celiac Disease in Children

The aim of this literature review is to discuss the extra-intestinal manifestations of celiac disease within the pediatric celiac population.
The First Amendment and the Second Commandment

We live in an image culture, a world in which images are so ubiquitous as to be unremarkable. It is said that the image has surpassed the word as the dominant mode of communication. It seems preposterous to suggest that in this modern, digital, visual culture, we might still feel the ancient, bewitching pull of images, the instinct that images possess an uncanny power or danger. Surely, this view of images is archaic; it resembles the view that motivated both idolaters and iconoclasts in earlier, supposedly more primitive, cultures. Yet I believe this ancient view of images is alive and well (although we don’t acknowledge it) in the modern and ­supposedly rationalistic world of contemporary First Amendment law. In my view, First Amendment law consistently and unthinkingly favors text over image, and it does so for reasons that bear a remarkable similarity to the reasons that motivated iconoclasts throughout the history of religious and secular struggles over images.
Prosthetic Knee Replacement after Resection of a Malignant Tumor of the Distal Part of the Femur. Medium to Long-Term Results*

We evaluated the medium to long-term results of treatment with a custom prosthetic knee replacement after wide resection of a primary malignant tumor of the distal part of the femur in forty consecutive patients. The duration of follow-up ranged from five to seventeen years (median, eight years). At the time of the latest follow-up, thirty-five (88 per cent) of the forty patients were free of disease and five (13 per cent) were alive with metastatic disease. No local recurrence was observed. Twenty early complications occurred in eighteen patients (45 per cent). Aseptic loosening of the femoral component, which necessitated a revision in eleven patients at an average of fifty-one months, was the most frequent mode of failure. The rate of prosthetic survival, as estimated with use of the Kaplan-Meier method, was 85, 67, and 48 per cent at three, five, and ten years. Univariate analysis demonstrated that the rate of prosthetic survival was significantly worse for male patients, for those in whom at least 40 per cent of the femur had been resected, for those who had had total resection of the quadriceps muscles or subtotal resection (preservation of only the rectus femoris muscle), and for those in whom a straight femoral stem had been used (p < 0.05 for all comparisons). Multivariate analysis showed that the independent adverse prognostic factors for prosthetic survival were male gender, resection of at least 40 per cent of the femur, and fixation of the femoral stem with cement. The rate of limb salvage was calculated, with use of the Kaplan-Meier method, to be 93 per cent at three years and 90 per cent at five and ten years. At the latest follow-up examination, the functional scores according to the classification system of the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society ranged from 14 to 29 points; the mean was 24 points, which represents function that is 80 per cent that of normal. The mean scores in the categories of walking supports and gait were better for the patients in whom the quadriceps muscles had been preserved than for those who had had total or subtotal resection of those muscles. Although advances in imaging and local therapy narrow the indications for an extra-articular resection of a tumor, the implant that was used in the present study continues to be used in approximately 15 per cent of patients who have a fracture or an intra-articular extension of the tumor that necessitates extensive extra-articular resection.
Epidemiology of Ataxia-Telangiectasia in Costa Rica

Costa Rica is around 50,000 square Km with 3 million people, a third of them below 19 years of age. In 1985, a primary immunodeficiency (PID) registry was begun. Children with recurrent infections or PID from the whole country were admitted to one clinic at the Children’s Hospital in San Jose. Ataxia Telangiectasia (A-T) was registered as the most frequent PID (34%). A-T was more frequent than symptomatic Selective IgA deficiency. The prevalence was higher than SCID and Endocrine Congenital Defects, but 5-fold lower than Down Syndrome (Porras et al 1991).
Compressible Flow: Turbulence at the Surface

In a study of compressible flow, we have tracked the motion of particles that float on a turbulent body of water. The second moment of longitudinal velocity differences scales as in incompressible flow. However the separation 〈R2(t)〉 of particle pairs does not vary in time according to the Richardson–Kolmogorov prediction 〈R2(t)〉∝t3. As expected, the self diffusion 〈d2(t)〉 shows a crossover between ballistic motion 〈d2(t)〉∝t2 at small t and uncorrelated motion 〈d2(t)〉∝t in the longtime limit.
Clinical success and quality of life with brimonidine 0.2% or Timolol 0.5% used twice daily in glaucoma or ocular hypertension: A randomized clinical trial

Purpose:To compare the clinical success rates and quality of life impact of brimonidine 0.2% with timolol 0.5% in newly diagnosed patients naive to glaucoma therapy.Methods:A prospective, multicenter, randomized, double-masked, clinical effectiveness trial in which the clinical outcomes of twice dai