cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Seasonal Cropping Pattern Effects on Abundance of Bemisia tabaci (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) and Incidence of Lettuce Infectious Yellows Virus

The sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius), was trapped throughout the southern desert agricultural region of California during two consecutive growing seasons. Trap data revealed changes in whitefly population densities that provide insight into the epidemiology of lettuce infectious yellows virus (LIYV) in fall melon and lettuce. Whitefly abundance increased rapidly from July to September in cotton. During that period, there were significant correlations between number of cotton fields in a region and number of whiteflies trapped in that region. Beginning in August and September, whitefly densities increased in melon, and the proportion of viruliferous whiteflies increased in cotton and melon. After the defoliation of cotton was initiated in September, whiteflies migrated to melons, which not only served as their host but also as a reservoir for LIYV. In October and November high numbers of viruliferous whiteflies were found in melon and lettuce. As melons were harvested and the fields dried, viruliferous whiteflies migrated to newly emerged lettuce.
Missing the moral: Excited delirium as a negative case study of a moral panic:

This article examines Excited Delirium, a controversial medical explanation offered as an explanation for a variety of in-custody deaths. It appears to fit all essential criteria to incite a moral ...
The Challenge of GaAs Heterojunction Bipolar Transistor Integrated Circuit Technology.

The status and progress of AlGaAs/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistor integrated circuits are reviewed. The challenge of fabricating large-scale integrated circuits using heterojunction bipolar transistors is discussed. Specifically, the issues related to low defect epitaxial materials, localized impurity doping techniques, simple and reliable ohmic contacts, and multilevel interconnects are examined.
CHRNA4 and ANKK1 Polymorphisms Influence Smoking-Induced Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Upregulation.

INTRODUCTION Tobacco smoking leads to increased numbers of β2*-containing nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (β2*-nAChRs) throughout the brain, which return to nonsmoker levels over extended abstinence. The goal of the current study was to determine whether the degree of tobacco smoking-induced changes in β2*-nAChR availability is genetically influenced. METHODS In this study, 113 European Americans participated in one or two [(123)I]5-IA-85380 single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) brain scans. Smokers (n = 58) participated in one scan at 7-9 days of abstinence and those who remained abstinent (n = 27) were imaged again at 6-8 weeks of abstinence. Age- and sex-matched nonsmokers (n = 55) participated in one scan. Blood samples were collected for DNA analysis and genotyped for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the CHRNA4 and ANKK1 gene loci. β2*-nAChR availability was measured in the thalamus, striatum, cortical regions, and cerebellum. RESULTS The CHRNA4 SNP rs2236196 and ANKK1 SNP rs4938015 were associated with significantly higher cerebellar and cortical β2*-nAChR availability in smokers versus nonsmokers for specific genotypes. There were no significant differences by carrier status in the change in β2*-nAChR availability in smokers from 7-9 days to 6-8 weeks of abstinence. CONCLUSION This study provides evidence for genetic regulation of tobacco smoking-induced changes in β2*-nAChR availability and suggests that β2*-nAChR availability could be an endophenotype mediating influences of CHRNA4 variants on nicotine dependence. These results highlight individual differences in the neurochemistry of nicotine dependence and may suggest the need for individualized programs for smoking cessation. IMPLICATIONS This study demonstrates genetic regulation of smoking-induced changes in β2*-nAChRs throughout the brain and highlights the need for personalized programs for smoking cessation.
Quantitative imaging analysis of posterior fossa ependymoma location in children

Imaging descriptions of posterior fossa ependymoma in children have focused on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signal and local anatomic relationships with imaging location only recently used to classify these neoplasms. We developed a quantitative method for analyzing the location of ependymoma in the posterior fossa, tested its effectiveness in distinguishing groups of tumors, and examined potential associations of distinct tumor groups with treatment and prognostic factors. Pre-operative MRI examinations of the brain for 38 children with histopathologically proven posterior fossa ependymoma were analyzed. Tumor margin contours and anatomic landmarks were manually marked and used to calculate the centroid of each tumor. Landmarks were used to calculate a transformation to align, scale, and rotate each patient’s image coordinates to a common coordinate space. Hierarchical cluster analysis of the location and morphological variables was performed to detect multivariate patterns in tumor characteristics. The ependymomas were also characterized as “central” or “lateral” based on published radiological criteria. Therapeutic details and demographic, recurrence, and survival information were obtained from medical records and analyzed with the tumor location and morphology to identify prognostic tumor characteristics. Cluster analysis yielded two distinct tumor groups based on centroid location The cluster groups were associated with differences in PFS (p = .044), “central” vs. “lateral” radiological designation (p = .035), and marginally associated with multiple operative interventions (p = .064). Posterior fossa ependymoma can be objectively classified based on quantitative analysis of tumor location, and these classifications are associated with prognostic and treatment factors.
Prolonged Survival of Pig Skin on Baboons After Administration of Pig Cells Expressing Human CD47

BackgroundSuccessful xenotransplantation will likely depend, in part, on the induction of immunological tolerance, because the high levels of immunosuppression otherwise required would likely have unacceptable side effects. Rapid clearance of administered porcine hematopoietic stem cells by primate
Implant strategies in an integrated beef production system

Anabolic implants are used to reduce the cost of beef cattle production. Implant products are available for suckling calves, grazing cattle, and finish- ing cattle. Improvements of 6, 15, and 20% in average daily gain can be realized in calves, stockers, and feedlot cattle, respectively, with implanting. Producers have numerous choices available today when using implants to lower production costs. In the current segmented beef industry, implanting decisions are dictated by phase of production in which the cattle are marketed. General recommendations have been to use implants predomi- nately in the finishing phase, and some feedlots cur- rently offer premiums when purchasing unimplanted cattle. However, in totally integrated beef production systems, traditional implant schemes may not be opti- mal. The primary objective of an integrated system is
Parsing free text nursing notes.

Parsing nursing notes requires tokenization, recognition of special forms, abbreviation expansion, and classification in the context of identified sections.
The Theory of Linear Programming

We noted in Chapter 3 that the primal feasible region Kp has a finite number of extreme points. Since each such point has associated with it a basic feasible solution (unique or otherwise), it follows that there exists a finite number of basic feasible solutions. Hence an optimal solution to the primal linear programming problem will be contained within the set of basic feasible solutions to AX = b. How many elements does this set possess? Since a basic feasible solution has at most m of n variables different from zero, an upper bound to the number of basic feasible solutions is $$ \left( {\tfrac{n}{m}} \right) = \frac{{n!}}{{m!(n - m)!}}, $$ i.e., we are interested in the total number of ways in which m basic variables can be selected (without regard to their order within the vector of primal basic variables XB) from a group of n variables.
Investigations of the Early Precambrian Onverwacht Sedimentary Rocks in South Africa

The Onverwacht Series is the oldest member of the Swaziland System, and it is well exposed in the Barberton-Badplaas region of the Eastern Transvaal in South Africa. The Swaziland System is a well preserved, oceanic to island arc and continental borderland sequence of volcanic and sedimentary rocks. The Onverwacht consist mainly of volcanic rocks with quite subordinate layers of tuffs, cherts and clastic sediements. These sediments appear to be the oldest known exposed sedimentary rocks on earth.
Genetic variations in the Hippo signaling pathway and breast cancer risk in African American women in the AMBER Consortium

The Hippo signaling pathway regulates cellular proliferation and survival, thus exerting profound effects on normal cell fate and tumorigenesis. Dysfunction of the Hippo pathway components has been linked with breast cancer stem cell regulation, as well as breast tumor progression and metastasis. TAZ, a key component of the Hippo pathway, is highly expressed in triple negative breast cancer; however, the associations of genetic variations in this important pathway with breast cancer risk remain largely unexplored. Here, we analyzed 8309 germline variants in 15 genes from the Hippo pathway with a total of 3663 cases and 4687 controls from the African American Breast Cancer Epidemiology and Risk Consortium. Odds ratios (ORs) were estimated using logistic regression for overall breast cancer, by estrogen receptor (ER) status (1983 ER positive and 1098 ER negative), and for case-only analyses by ER status. The Hippo signaling pathway was significantly associated with ER-negative breast cancer (pathway level P = 0.02). Gene-based analyses revealed that CDH1 was responsible for the pathway association (P < 0.01), with rs4783673 in CDH1 statistically significant after gene-level adjustment for multiple comparisons (P = 9.2×10(-5), corrected P = 0.02). rs142697907 in PTPN14 was associated with ER-positive breast cancer and rs2456773 in CDK1 with ER-negativity in case-only analysis after gene-level correction for multiple comparisons (corrected P < 0.05). In conclusion, common genetic variations in the Hippo signaling pathway may contribute to both ER-negative and ER+ breast cancer risk in AA women.
On Aperiodic Subtraction Games with Bounded Nim Sequence

Subtraction games are a class of impartial combinatorial games whose positions correspond to nonnegative integers and whose moves correspond to subtracting one of a fixed set of numbers from the current position. Though they are easy to define, sub- traction games have proven difficult to analyze. In particular, few general results about their Sprague-Grundy values are known. In this paper, we construct an example of a subtraction game whose sequence of Sprague-Grundy values is ternary and aperiodic, and we develop a theory that might lead to a generalization of our construction.
How bodies matter: working-class women’s theater in a time of war

Contemporary working-class women’s theaters from within Export Processing Zones in Sri Lanka are rich sites for documenting the development and nature of working-class, feminist and ethnic consciousness. Through a careful analysis of workers’ ‘development dramas’ – theater that contests dominant forms of development – their performative acts on a factory floor, and visual materials, this paper will explore how bodies are produced and made to matter. I will demonstrate how from their inception in the late 1970s onward, these zones were designed to cater to the needs of neoliberal capital and an increasingly ethnicized state at war with separatist Tamil forces. As such, even as the welfare state has been dismantled by neoliberalism, the military and ethnic powers of the state were expanded through these zones. An analysis of workers’ plays allows us to understand the relationship between ethnic war and neoliberalism as they intersect with gender. These plays allow us to explore the conditions of possibility...
Analysis of Plasmodium vivax Chloroquine Resistance Transporter Mutant Isoforms.

Chloroquine (CQ) resistance (CQR) in Plasmodium falciparum malaria is widespread and has limited the use of CQ in many regions of the globe. Malaria caused by the related human parasite P. vivax is as widespread as is P. falciparum malaria and has been treated with CQ as extensively as has P. falciparum, suggesting that P. vivax parasites have been selected with CQ as profoundly as have P. falciparum parasites. Indeed, a growing number of clinical reports have presented data suggesting increased P. vivax CQR. Cytostatic (growth inhibitory) CQR for P. falciparum is caused by Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter (PfCRT) mutations, and it has been proposed that mutations in the PvCRT orthologue may simliarly cause P. vivax CQR via increasing CQ transport from the P. vivax digestive vacuole. Here we report the first quantitative analysis of drug transport mediated by all known mutant isoforms of Plasmodium vivax chloroquine resistance transporter (PvCRT) in order to test the protein’s pote...
General Mental Ability ( g ) and Leader Development

Intelligence (also known as general mental ability or g), as an explanatory construct, has been somewhat ignored in the study of human development in general and in leader development in particular. Studies of intelligence reveal it to be a strong predictor of academic, career, and life success. Researchers in the past have shown that intelligence also plays a role in predicting leadership emergence and effectiveness. Leader development, however, since it is properly nested in developmental (and organizational) psychology, tends to elicit the use of models and social processes to explain how leaders develop. In contrast, intelligence researchers have traditionally taken an individual difference approach. Evidence is herein presented which supports the validity of intelligence as a psychological scientific construct and demonstrates its association with academic, occupational, and life achievement. Then, in more speculative fashion, the literature dealing with leadership and leader development is explained, culminating in suggestions for a research agenda.
Neuromodulation: Regulatory Considerations

Abstract Researchers and companies developing new concepts in neuromodulation will, at some point, find themselves navigating the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulatory programs, whether during the conduct of a clinical trial or at the time market approval is sought. While established companies may have experience with the broad scope of regulatory requirements, most early stage researchers and small companies do not, and therefore do not benefit from learned strategies of interaction with the agency.
Preferences for depression advice among low-income women.

Objectives: Because patient reluctance to discuss depression may influence the success of depression interventions, we assessed preferences for the source of depression advice among high-risk women and factors associated with those preferences. Methods: The sample included 147 consecutive patients at a hospital-based obstetrics and gynecology clinic. All were age 18–44, on Medicaid and able to complete a previsit survey and postvisit interview. Women were asked “Where would you prefer to get advice on how you are feeling, whether you are sad or worried?” Responses were grouped as the ob/gyn clinic, general medical provider, mental health/substance abuse provider or no professional advice desired. Results: Many women did not want professional advice on depression: 33% said they preferred to get advice from informal sources and 5% preferred no information. A total of 23% of women preferred to discuss depression with the ob/gyn provider, 14% with a general medical provider, and 25% with a mental health or substance abuse provider. Women were more likely to want advice from a health provider (of any type) if they had previously use mental health care (OR = 3.6, p = 0.005) or had at least one chronic health condition (OR = 3.1, p = 0.013). Women were more likely to want advice from the ob/gyn clinic if it was their primary care provider (OR = 41.8, p = 0.002) or if they had high depressive symptoms (OR = 4.8, p = 0.048) Conclusions: Many women do not want to discuss depression with a health professional, but familiarity with the mental health care system, health status, and relationship with a provider influence women's openness to depression advice.
Why People Vote? Rationality or Affect

The purpose of this study is to examine whether voters mainly depend on rationality or affect to make their turnout decisions. By utilizing the data of ANES 1976, 1988 and 2008, this study finds that in the 1976 presidential election, it is mainly affect to have an influence on people’s decision on whether to vote. However, in the 1988 and 2008 presidential elections, rationality plays an important role in affecting individual turnout decision. This study argues that with the increase of elite polarization in America, it is easier for voters to clarify the ideological differences between competing parties and between competing candidates, which helps them make their turnout decisions.
Delayed Drive Line Site Soft Tissue Infection after Ventricular Assis Device Inactivation: A Case Report

Introduction Heart transplantation is the treatment of choice for many patients with end-stage heart failure (HF). However, organ donor supply is limited. Ventricular assist devices (VAD) are increasingly used for the management of HF as a bridge to transplantation (BTT) or destination therapy (DT). Some patients with VADs have partial or full recovery of LV function thus qualifying for explant. Other patients may require an explant/exchange or pump inactivation due to complications of the device. While the infections at drive line site with active LVADs are seen in practice, we present a case of a delayed skin infection at the site of the original drive line. Case Report A 45-year-old man with ischemic cardiomyopathy underwent HeartMate II implant in 2014 as BTT. His subsequent course was complicated by recurrent GI bleeding (GIB). He was admitted in 2016 with GIB and declined further use of Coumadin. He was maintained on ASA but had recurrent bleeding. During these admissions he decided that he was not interested in heart transplantation. He was removed from the UNOS waitlist and his status was switched to VAD as DT. He was readmitted with VAD stoppage, low flows, high powers and chocolate colored urine. LDH>1500 and decreased hemoglobin. He was a poor surgical candidate, declined anticoagulation .He had minimal myocardial recovery with persistent severe LV dysfunction (EF ∼ 10%). He was felt to be too ill to undergo VAD explant surgery. Thus, the VAD was deactivated, inflow cannula and outflow grafts left in situ and the drive line severed and surgically buried. A ∼10-12 cm remnant was buried under the skin (figure). Skin incision was closed primarily. The original exit site was left to heal by secondary intention. The wound completely healed. Luckily, patient continued to do well. Almost a year after VAD inactivation, he developed skin irritation at the site of prior driveline site. He delayed contacting us and presented to clinic with a severe soft tissue infection (Enterobacter cloacae and Staph aureus) at the old driveline site. He required surgical debridement, excision of the driveline, IV antibiotics and a wound-vac. The drive line site is healing well afterwards. Discussion One sees a drive line site infection in VAD patient's, but our case highlights the fact that even if the drive line has been excised and stump buried under the skin, a delayed infection like ours, though unlikely, is still possible.Our case also highlights the fact that leaving all the VAD apparatus in patients who are high risk for explant is a safe option, as our patient continues to do well a year after his VAD deactivation.
Preferential orientation of spheroidal particles in wavy flow

We report a theoretical study of the angular dynamics of small, non-inertial spheroidal particles in a linear wave field. We recover the observation recently reported by DiBenedetto et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 837, 2018, pp. 320–340) that the orientation of these spheroids tends to a stable limit cycle consisting of a preferred value with a superimposed oscillation. We show that this behaviour is a consequence of finite wave amplitude and is the angular analogue of Stokes drift. We derive expressions for both the preferred orientation of the particles, which depends only on particle shape, and the amplitude of the oscillation about this preferred value, which additionally depends on the wave parameters and the depth of the particle in the water column.
Accelerating Learning About Accelerators

This book presents a range of observations about impact-oriented accelerators and the entrepreneurs and ventures that they attract and sometimes work with. Relying on data collected through the many programs that partnered with the EDP from 2013 to 2017, these observations provide consistent evidence that accelerators are influencing short-term commercial performance. It should be heartening for supporters of these programs to see that, on average, one dollar spent on acceleration leads to more than one dollar of incremental funding for participating ventures. The average effects are even more impressive when we consider that accelerators are implicated in positive growth outcomes for the most promising entrepreneurs, and in the negative growth outcomes experienced by participants that are (arguably) less promising. However, these accelerator effects are not equal across the board. When we zoom in to provide specific insights on these program-to-program differences, the EDP data become more equivocal. With a few exceptions, it is difficult to identify specific program choices that correspond systematically with better accelerator outcomes. The one thing that we can say with some degree of certainty is that accelerators do not currently work as well for certain emerging-market ventures, or for ventures launched by all-women founding teams. Thus, while accelerators appear to be a promising intervention for stimulating ‘entrepreneurial dead spaces,’ more work must be done to ensure they maximize their potential. Much of this work will be done by future program managers—innovating with donors, mentors, and investors—as they continue to adapt their offerings to bolster the quality of support offered to still-neglected entrepreneurs. However, we close the book by calling for additional heavy lifting by researchers, who must bolster collective learning efforts so that we lose less of the potential inherent in the world’s impact-oriented entrepreneurs.
A Review of African Americans' Beliefs and Attitudes About Genomic Studies: Opportunities for Message Design.

Precision Medicine, the practice of targeting prevention and therapies according to an individual’s lifestyle, environment or genetics, holds promise to improve population health outcomes. Within precision medicine, pharmacogenomics (PGX) uses an individual’s genome to determine drug response and dosing to tailor therapy. Most PGX studies have been conducted in European populations, but African Americans have greater genetic variation when compared with most populations. Failure to include African Americans in PGX studies may lead to increased health disparities. PGX studies focused on patients of African American descent are needed to identify relevant population specific genetic predictors of drug responses. Recruitment is one barrier to African American participation in PGX. Addressing recruitment challenges is a significant, yet potentially low-cost solution to improve patient accrual and retention. Limited literature exists about African American participation in PGX research, but studies have explored barriers and facilitators among African American participation in genomic studies more broadly. This paper synthesizes the existing literature and extrapolates these findings to PGX studies, with a particular focus on opportunities for message design. Findings from this review can provide guidance for future PGX study recruitment.
"Enfermarse aquí es un lujo": prácticas y perspectivas en la atención de enfermedades entre inmigrantes yucatecos en el sur de California.

Resumen:Este estudio se enfoca en como un grupo de inmigrantes originarios del estado de Yucatan, en Mexico, y quienes viven en el sur de California, atienden las enfermedades que les aquejan y com...
Globalization or Colonization in Online Education: Opportunity or Oppression?

A proliferation of student enrollment in online higher education, particularly in social work, may reflect a neoliberal shift from public good to private commodity. Critical theory is an excellent ...
The Improved Estimation of σ in Quality Control, Revisited

Recently, Derman and Ross (1995, An improved estimator of a in quality control, Probability in the Engineering and Informational Sciences 9: 411–415) derived an estimator of the standard deviation in the standard quality control model and showed that it had smaller mean squared error than the usual estimator. The new estimator was also shown to be consistent even when the underlying distribution deviates from normality, unlike the usual estimator. In this note, the mean squared error is further improved via shrinkage of the Derman-Ross estimator, and a consistent minimum variance unbiased estimator is presented. Finally, by making use of additional subgroup statistics, a minimum variance unbiased estimator is derived and further improved via shrinkage.
The effects of prostaglandin E1 on megakaryocyte proliferation in vitro.

A concentration of 560 nM Prostaglandin E1 (PGE1), in a medium containing either 10% serum and 10% plasma, or 20% plasma and a platelet extract prepared from 24 × 106 platelets/ml, caused after four days of incubation in a plasma clot culture system, highly significant increases over the controls in both the number of megakaryocyte colonies/clot and megakaryocytes/clot. A linear dose-response relationship over the entire 14–560 nM range was also demonstrated in cultures containing serum, between the concentration of PGE1 in each culture, and the number of megakaryocyte colonies/clot and megakaryocytes/clot. However, PGE1 did not appear to stimulate megakaryocytes in cultures containing only 20% rat plasma.
Design and the Modeling Relation

Abstract Human perceptions of the world can be described in terms of models, such as mental models, formal models, and so on. All models involve some selection of the elements which comprise them. The degree to which those selections are consciously made varies according to the type of model being described, or thought to be relevant. This is a commentary on Michael Lissack’s two-part article “Understanding is a Design Problem: Cognizing from a Designerly Thinking Perspective.” It discusses models in terms of Robert Rosen’s modeling relation, and explores the role that design plays in the process of modeling.
The Census: A Pillar of American Democracy and American Society

Two great civic mobilizations of the American people occur in 2020: the census on April 1 and the national elections on November 3. The U.S. Census is mandated by the Constitution to occur every 10 years, in years ending in zero, to provide the numbers needed to reapportion the House of Representatives. This is also a reapportionment of the Electoral College. In addition, the census numbers are used by state governments to redraw legislative districts, and the federal government uses the numbers in various funding formulas to distribute some $1.504 trillion in funding for highways, hospitals, schools, and many other purposes. Planning for the census has been underway for many years to adopt new technology and improve techniques at the same time that the population remains mobile and much more diverse, and therefore harder to count. For the first time in 2020, online responses will be the preferred response mode for the legally required census form.
New Compressible Barrier Devices for Enteric Fistula and Ostomy Effluent Isolation

Enteric fistulas are among the most dreaded surgical complications. Controlling fistula effluent and protecting the surrounding tissue is a difficult long-term endeavor that can consume significant clinical resources. This article describes novel, one-piece compressible isolation devices that can be used to manage the body surface around an enteric fistula, stoma, or drain tube to seal and protect the patient from effluent. The described devices and methods are the result of an innovative partnership between an abdominal reconstructive surgeon and a Certified Wound Ostomy Nurse (CWON) to deliver improved patient outcomes.
Conducting HCI Research with People Living with HIV Remotely: Lessons Learned and Best Practices

Conducting HCI research with people living with HIV in face-to-face settings can be challenging in terms of recruitment and data collection due to HIV-related stigma. In this case study, we share our experiences from conducting research remotely in two studies using the Asynchronous Remote Communities method with participants recruited from in-person and online support groups, respectively. Our findings and discussion around challenges, best practices, and lessons learned during the phases of recruitment and data collection expand and further support the suitability of the method to conduct research remotely with a highly stigmatized population.
Proper Care of Transgender and Gender Diverse Persons in the Setting of Proposed Discrimination: A Policy Perspective.

Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) individuals face significant barriers to accessing health care. Recent introductions of regulatory policies at state and federal levels raise concerns over the politicization of gender-affirming health care, the risks of further restricting access to quality care, and the potential criminalization of healthcare professionals who care for TGD patients. The Endocrine Society and the Pediatric Endocrine Society have published several news articles and comments in the last couple of years supporting safe and effective gender-affirming interventions as outlined in the 2017 Endocrine Society's Clinical Practice Guidelines. The Endocrine Society Position Statement on Transgender Health also acknowledges the rapid expansion in understanding the biological underpinning of gender identity and the need for increased funding to help close gaps in knowledge about the optimal care of TGD individuals. This Policy Perspective affirms these principles in the context of pending and future legislation attempting to discriminate against TGD patients while also stressing the need for science and health care experts to inform health policies.
Urban Turtle Project: Using Citizen Science to Document Freshwater Turtle Communities and Populations in Birmingham, Alabama, with Focus on Alabama Map Turtles (Graptemys pulchra)

Long-term data sets are critical in assessing populations of long-lived species such as turtles. The Urban Turtle Project was initiated in 2018 to begin building a long-term data set on the demography and ecology of the turtle populations in various urban waterways of Birmingham, Alabama. Another goal of the project is to increase public awareness of the state's impressive chelonian diversity by employing citizen scientists on semiannual sampling weekends. In its 2-yr existence, 52 participants volunteered over 200 hrs during 4 sampling weekends, with 16 volunteering for multiple weekends. Over 200 turtles of 10 species were sampled, with the majority of captures (n = 83) being Alabama map turtles (Graptemys pulchra), a historically understudied species. Collected demographic and reproductive data contribute to a better understanding of natural history of G. pulchra and how this and other species exist in an urban environment.
SeVa: A Food Donation App for Smart Living

An important goal in our world today is to eliminate food waste by reutilizing available food sources within local communities: leftover food items in restaurants, stores and food distribution centers that may be approaching expiration; and any perishable items not used in entirety within their desired period. This is highly significant, particularly during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper focuses on creating an interesting mobile application (app) called SeVa that provides a ubiquitous platform wherein users can visualize available food resources in their local area and consequently gain access to food, thereby tackling two major issues, i.e. hunger and food waste. This app is pertinent to the UN SDGs (United Nations Sustainable Development Goals) and fits the general realm of AI for Smart Living in Smart Cities. In addition to entailing IoT (Internet of Things) and ubiquitous computing, this work makes positive impacts on both healthcare and environment by reducing hunger and food waste respectively. We describe our SeVa app development using principles from AI, and especially HCI (Human Computer Interaction), along with its evaluation encompassing user surveys. We also list some open issues with the scope for future work.
Larmor Clock and Friedel Sum Rule

In this chapter, we will introduce in detail the pivotal formalism that can allow one to theoreticaly study the transport and thermodynamic properties of the general mesoscopic system described with respect to Fig. 2.8. Application of this formalism is limited to electronic charge related effects like magnetization, polarization, AC responce, non-linear response, etc., because that is where we can directly extend the Landauer philosophy. The formalism is in terms of complex scattering matrix elements and so the phase of the electron wavefunction cannot be ignored.
Training Medical Students as Peer-Facilitators to Identify Medical Student Mistreatment in the Clerkship Year

Introduction Data from the Association of American Medical Colleges' Medical School Graduation Questionnaire show persistent trends of medical student mistreatment nationwide. To reduce the barrier...
High conductivity n-Al06Ga04N by ammonia-assisted molecular beam epitaxy for buried tunnel junctions in UV emitters

Highly doped n-Al0.6Ga0.4N can be used to form tunnel junctions (TJs) on deep ultraviolet (UVC) LEDs and markedly increase the light extraction efficiency (LEE) compared to the use of p-GaN/p-AlGaN. High quality Al0.6Ga0.4N was grown by NH3-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (NH3 MBE) on top of AlN on SiC substrate. The films were crack free under scanning electron microscope (SEM) for the thickness investigated (up to 1 µm). X-ray diffraction reciprocal space map scan was used to determine the Al composition and the result is in close agreement with atom probe tomography (APT) measurements. By varying the growth parameters including growth rate, and Si cell temperature, n-Al0.6Ga0.4N with an electron density of 4×1019 /cm3 and a resistivity of 3 mΩ·cm was achieved. SIMS measurement shows that a high Si doping level up to 2×1020 /cm3 can be realized using a Si cell temperature of 1450 °C and a growth rate of 210 nm/hr. Using a vanadium-based annealed contact, ohmic contact with a specific resistance of 10−6 Ω·cm2 was achieved as determined by circular transmission line measurement (CTLM). Finally, the n-type AlGaN regrowth was done on MOCVD grown UVC LEDs to form UVC TJ LED. The sample was processed into thin film flip chip (TFFC) configuration. The emission wavelength is around 278 nm and the excess voltage of processed UV LED is around 4.1 V.
A Systematic approach to improve Support Vector Machine applied to ultrasonic guided wave spectrum image classification

Osteoporosis is a skeletal disorder characterized by low bone mass, which compromises its resistance and increases the risk of fractures, and is a widespread problem worldwide. Currently, the gold standard for assessing fracture risk is the measurement of the areal bone mineral density with Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry. Several ultrasound techniques have been presented as alternatives. It has been shown that the estimation of cortical thickness and porosity, obtained by Bi-Directional Axial Transmission, are associated with non-traumatic fractures in postmenopausal women. Cortical parameters were derived from the comparison between experimental and theoretical guided modes. However, this model-based inverse approach tends to fail for the patients associated with poor guided mode information. A recent study has shown the potential of an automatic classification tool, Support Vector Machine, to analyze guided wave spectrum images independently of any waveguide model. The aim of this study is to explore how the classification accuracy varies with the number of features. Optimization was done using the Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm, while adjustment was made considering age, body mass index, and cortisone intake. The results show that adjusting the data and optimizing the parameters improved classification. Moreover, the number of features was reduced from 32 to 15, with 73.5% accuracy comparable to the gold standard.
The Fly in the Flypaper

In a famous image, Wittgenstein expressed his aim in philosophy as being that of showing ‘the fly the way out of the fly-bottle’.1Surely, clearing up philosophical perplexity is one important philosophical task, one, indeed, which is a major part of my concern with the freewill problem. Now the process of clarification may, for some philosophical puzzles, be adequately represented by Wittgenstein’s image, but I suggest the image of the fly in the flypaper to depict an aspect of certain (sticky!) puzzles such as that of the one with which we are now dealing. The aspect to which I wish to call attention is suggested by the picture of the fly who can free a given leg from the flypaper, but only by entangling another one (or more). In this chapter I want to suggest that as long as we maintain the OES supposition our puzzle will remain a sticky one: that we will overcome one difficulty only at the expense of being entangled in another.
Probabilistic Model Development

Objective: Develop a Probabilistic Model for the Solar Energetic Particle Environment. Develop a tool to provide a reference solar particle radiation environment that: 1) Will not be exceeded at a user-specified confidence level; 2) Will provide reference environments for: a) Peak flux; b) Event-integrated fluence; and c) Mission-integrated fluence. The reference environments will consist of: a) Elemental energy spectra; b) For protons, helium and heavier ions.
Ceramide Mediated Lethal Mitophagy: A Novel Cell Death Mechanism in FLT3 Targeted Therapy for Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Mutations in FLT3 receptor tyrosine kinase are common in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) and confer a worse prognosis. Ceramide, a bioactive sphingolipid, is synthesized de novo by Ceramide Synthases (CerS) and mediates cancer cell death in response to various chemotherapeutic agents. This study investigates the biological role of ceramide lipid in FLT3-positive AML pathogenesis. We show that AML cell lines and patient samples expressing FLT3 have suppressed CerS1 expression and lower levels of its product C18-ceramide compared with FLT3 negative AML cells. Silenced FLT3 expression or its pharmacological inhibition increased CerS1 and C18-ceramide levels while FLT3 overexpression suppressed them. The increase in C18-ceramide after FLT3 inhibition is required for cell death as silencing CerS1 expression or inhibiting its enzymatic activity protected from FLT3 inhibitors-induced cell death. Targeting FLT3 resulted in C18-ceramide dependent mitophagy, as determined by increased LC3B-II levels and formation of a...
The Experimental Alteration of Malignancy with an Homologous Mammalian Tumor Material: I. Results with Intratesticular Inoculation

Many workers have reported that the injection of devitalized cells from embryonic, mammary, and tumor tissues will increase the susceptibility of rats and mice to tumor transplantation. This “manuring the ground” was brought about by injecting an emulsion of the devitalized cells subcutaneously ten or fifteen days before the tumor inoculation. Although many papers on the subject are to be found in the literature, no extensive series of experiments has been reported. Usually the phenomenon has been observed in the course of other experiments. From published reports, it is even doubtful whether devitalized embryonic and mammary tissues produce the effects ascribed to them at all, since the first work with such materials was not adequately controlled and experiments by other workers have failed to confirm it (1–10). The only statistically significant increase in the susceptibility of rats and mice to tumor transplantation has been obtained with devitalized cells from tumor tissues. Some outstanding work of this kind was done by Jobling (11), Haaland (12), Leitch (13), and Chambers and Scott (14). Although not considered essential by the authors quoted, the devitalized tumor cells used were in each case obtained from the same tumor as that used for transplantation and were thus homologous tumor cells. It should be pointed out, therefore, that, contrary to the general impression, the only statistically significant increase in the susceptibility of rats and mice to tumor transplantation has been effected through the use of homologous devitalized tumor cells. Hence, much more experimental work is needed to determine whether non-malignant tissues and transplantable tumors in general can be made to yield substances which will likewise facilitate tumor transplantation; and if such substances are found, whether they are limited in their activity to a single animal species or to a single type of tumor. Almost nothing has been done on the chemistry of the active substances except that Chambers and Scott have analyzed the substance discovered by them in the Jensen rat sarcoma and found that, chemically, it was relatively stable and almost protein-free in composition.
Estimation of surface topography from stereo SAR images

The authors present a practical method for estimation of surface topography from opposite-side synthetic aperture radar (SAR) stereo images. The method uses a shape-from-shading (SFS) algorithm to recover needle maps, a facet model to extract features invariant to grazing direction, the successive-over-relaxation technique to construct a low-resolution depth image, and the Frankot-Chellappa (1987) SFS algorithm to reconstruct a high-resolution digital terrain map. The method does not require auxiliary data such as control points and can cope with large intersection angle SAR stereo image pairs with large intersection angles. Experimental results with simulated SAR images are presented. >
Vitamin A receptors. I. Comparison of retinol binding to serum retinol-binding protein and to tissue receptors in chick retina and pigment epithelium.

Abstract 1. 1. A simple, efficient three-step method for purification of serum retinol-binding-protein is described with homogeneity obtained after chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex, CM-Sephadex and Sephadex G-100. 2. 2. Evidence is presented indicating that retinol receptors present in the cytosol fraction of chick retina and pigment epithelium are separate and distinct from purified retinol-binding protein. Fluorescence charactersitics are different in tissue cytosol and serum as assessed by sucrose density gradient analysis. Tissue retinol receptors do not interact with human serum prealbumin although the prealbumin readily complexes with purified chicken retinol-binding protein. Likewise, no binding to serum retinol-binding protein antibody could be detected by sucrose density gradient analysis, in immunoprecipitation experiments or by double immunodiffusion. It thus appears that specific retinol receptors are present in neural retina and pigment epithelium that are different from serum retinol-binding protein.
Using Computer Vision in Real Applications: Two Success Stories

We present two systems which are used today in industrial applications. While they are very different, and the two domains have no overlap, they share the properties that the problems they address were considered very hard to solve, and the requirements were very constraining, especially complete automation. We jirst present a system which automatically registers two sets of halfone color separations used to produce color pictures. The challenges involve accuracy, speed of processing, and consistency with human operators. The second system substitutes, in real-time, a given billboard in a video stream, with another, synthetically generated billboard. The challenges involve real-time performance and photo-realism. For each of the two systems, we provide some background, describe the requirements and the issues, then the implemented solution.
Eliminating School Fees in Low-Income Countries: A Systematic Review

This article discusses a systematic review of studies of interventions in low-income developing countries that evaluated the elimination of school user fees (including tuition, uniforms, textbooks and other contributions). Only five rigorous empirical studies were identified that evaluate a school fees elimination program. Overall, the 36 empirical and descriptive studies identified show positive enrollment and persistence outcomes for fees elimination, although some indicate accompanying tradeoffs in education quality. The review highlights the need for more rigorous and longitudinal empirical research regarding the effects of various types of school fees elimination policies in low-income developing nations—particularly on the effectiveness of targeting policies to the most vulnerable groups, effects on education quality, and the extent to which fees abolition policies can be sustainable.
Activity of PAG Neurons During Conditioned Vocalization in the Macaque Monkey

Considering the wide variety of behaviors in which the midbrain PAG is involved and the lack of clearly defined cytoarchitectural organization (Beitz, 1985), it is not surprising to note the lack of a clear understanding of its unified function, if such exists. Various functions ascribed to the PAG include defense reactions (Bandler and Carrive, 1988; Bandler and Depaulis, this volume), anti-nociception (Amit and Galina, 1986; Hosobuchi, 1981; Besson et al., this volume), reproductive behaviors (Ogawa et al., this volume) and vocalization (Jurgens and Pratt, 1979; Larson and Kistler, 1984; 1986; Jurgens, this volume). It is also possible that the PAG may be involved in the integration of various components of complex behaviors into functional entities.
The Value Relevance of Revenue Recognition under International Financial Reporting Standards

This study examines if there has a major change in the value relevance of revenue recognition components since the adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards 15 in the United States. Our results show that the public firms revenue recognition are value relevant under United States of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (US GAAP) and remain so after the adoption of IFRS. Also, for revenue recognition after IFRS, along with an increase in the value relevance in the future. These results are consistent with the proportion that revenue recognition plays a reinforcing role that complements the more complex IFRS accounts. Consequently, if the International Accounting Standards (IASB) were to mandate revenue recognition, it would, in all likelihood, provide users of accounts with a valuable incremental source of hard international transaction information.