cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genetic Engineering of Herbicide Resistance Genes

The ability to integrate functional genes stably into a plant genome not only offers a powerful approach to address the fundamental questions of developmental gene expression but also provides valuable opportunities for crop improvement (for reviews, see Fraley et al., 1986; Goodman et al, 1987). Exciting progress has been made during the last four years in the identification and transfer of genes that confer resistance to plant viruses and insect pests. Gene transfer has also been used to engineer resistance to nonselective, environmentally safe herbicides. Over the past several years, the use of herbicides has become an established practice in world agriculture. By eliminating weeds that compete with crops for water and nutrients, herbicides increase the crop yield. New highly potent herbicides have been developed that inhibit plant growth by interfering with the biosynthesis of essential amino acids, rather than by inactivating a component of the photosynthetic apparatus (Table 1) (LaRossa and Falco, 1984). These structurally unrelated herbicides include: glyphosate which inhibits the synthesis of aromatic amino acids; the sulfonylurea and imidazolinone herbicides which block branched chain amino acid biosynthesis; and phosphinothricin which inhibits glutamine biosynthesis. Although potent and environmentally safe, these herbicides have broad-spectrum activity that discriminates poorly between weeds and crops. The genetic engineering of selective resistance to these herbicides in crop species will have substantial agronomic significance and has been the major focus of research in several labs.
The Role of Variation, Mistakes, and Complexity in Producing Nonconformities.

Variation in component properties and dimensions is the most widely recognized cause of product nonconformities. However, conventional statistical methods, like statistical process control (SPC), are ineffective in controlling mistakes. The distinction ..
Vascular ATP-dependent potassium channels, nitric oxide, and human forearm reactive hyperemia.

Vascular ATP-dependent potassium (K+ATP) channels open and contribute to reactive hyperemia (RH) in animals. The contribution of K+ATP channels to ischemic vasolidation during RH and interactions with endothelium-derived nitric oxide have not been well characterized in human subjects. RH blood flow responses (mL/dL) following 5 minutes of cuff occlusion were measured using strain-gauge plethysmography in 22 normal human subjects age 42 ± 2 years. Measurements were obtained at baseline and following intra-arterial administration of the K+ATP channel closer glibenclamide, the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor L-N-monomethyl arginine (L-NMMA), or both drugs simultaneously. Glibenclamide (100 µg/min) did not change basal flow (2.7 ± 0.3 to 2.7 ± 0.3 mL/min/dL), but L-NMMA (8 µmol/min) and combined glibenclamide and L-NMMA significantly (p < 0.05) decreased basal flow (3.0 ± 0.5 to 2.0 ± 0.2 and 3.3 ± 0.5 to 2.5 ± 0.3, respectively). Glibenclamide significantly (p < 0.01) decreased RH flow (18.2 ± 1.3 to 14.8 ± 1.3) and excess flow (5.3 ± 1.2 to 1.3 ± 1.3). L-NMMA significantly (p < 0.05) decreased RH flow (21.2 ± 1.8 to 18.9 ± 1.9) and tended to decrease excess flow (6.1 ± 2.2 to 3.9 ± 2.5). Combined drug infusion significantly (p < 0.1) decreased RH flow (21.6 ± 2.2 to 18.0 ± 2.4) and excess flow (6.3 ± 1.6 to 1.6 ± 1.6), with reductions in RH and excess flow similar to those following glibenclamide infusion alone. We conclude that forearm vascular K+ATP channels are closed at baseline. They open and contribute to RH vasodilation. The addition of nitric oxide inhibition to K+ATP channel blockade does not result in additive or synergistic inhibition of RH.
Low-Loss Wafer-Scale Silicon Photonic Interposer Utilizing Inverse-Taper Coupler

This paper experimentally demonstrates a low loss inter-chip coupler with coupling loss below 1dB utilizing inverse-taper coupling from a wafer scale silicon photonic interposer, designed to distribute laser emission to 100 photonic integrated circuit dies (PICs) with equal power and phase. During the packaging, PICs are flip-chip bounded onto the interposer to achieve electrical, optical, and thermal coupling.
Estimating the Prevalence of United States Women with Alcohol-exposed Pregnancies and Births

Abstract Aims Researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently estimated the number of women at risk for alcohol-exposed pregnancies (AEPs) as 3.3 million per month. The number of women at risk was widely interpreted as the actual number of AEPs. The actual number of AEPs may be easier to interpret and may be more a more relevant public health metric for evaluating efforts to reduce AEPs. We estimated the expected actual number of AEPs among U.S. women 15–44 years of age and the expected actual number of alcohol-exposed births (AEBs). Methods Like the CDC researchers, we used data about women aged 15–44 years who were neither pregnant nor sterile from the 2011–2013 National Survey of Family Growth. We identified women who had had sex without contraception in the last 4 weeks and reported binge drinking or drinking on more than 7 of the last 30 days. We then estimated the expected actual number of AEPs and AEBs, accounting for the chances of becoming pregnant and for pregnancy outcomes (birth, miscarriage, and abortion). We also conducted sensitivity analyses with varying assumptions. Results Estimated prevalences of AEPs and AEBs were 1.2% (95% confidence interval, 0.9–1.7) and 0.8% (95% confidence interval, 0.5–1.2), respectively. During a 1-month period, we estimate 731,000 U.S. women had AEPs and 481,000 resulted in AEBs. Sensitivity analyses indicate expected actual AEP estimates ranging from 104,000 to 1,242,000 and AEBs from 79,000 to 816,000. Conclusions Under our assumptions, the estimated expected actual number of AEPs is 2.5 million less than the CDC estimate of the number at risk of an AEP. By using evidence-informed assumptions for the chances of becoming pregnant and common pregnancy outcomes, our estimate of the expected actual number of AEPs is only 22% as large as the CDC's estimate of number at risk, and our estimate of expected actual number of AEBs only 15% as large. The evidence-informed assumptions used here should inform future efforts to estimate expected actual numbers of AEPs and AEBs.
Adolescent AIDS Prevention in Context: The Impact of Peer Educator Qualities and Classroom Environments on Intervention Efficacy

Peer-led, school-based interventions show promise for preventing AIDS among adolescents, but little is known about the processes underlying effective peer education or the conditions that promote its efficacy. This study examined the implementation in one school of an effective, peer-led AIDS prevention program for inner-city 7th-grade participants (n = 123) and identified the qualities of peer educators (n = 15) and classroom environments (n = 5) that contributed to improvement in participants' postintervention AIDS-related attitudes. The Peer Educator Rating Scale was developed to assess two dimensions of participants' perceptions of peer educators: “positive regard” and “perceived similarity.” Participants reported greater positive regard for more highly individuated and less shy peer educators, and participants' positive regard for peer educators in turn was associated with lowered AIDS risk as measured by perceptions of peer norms regarding sexual activity and self-efficacy for peer communication regarding sexual topics and condoms. Participants' perceived similarity was not associated with any postintervention improvements in AIDS-related knowledge and attitudes. Participants' classroom membership was associated with improvements in all 5 knowledge and attitude scales, and exploratory classroom-level findings indicated that classroom intervention environments perceived as more organized by participants showed slightly greater overall improvements across AIDS-related knowledge and attitudes scales. Consistent with individual-level findings regarding participants' positive regard for peer educators, the two classrooms with the greatest positive regard for their peer educator teams showed the most student improvement. Implications for further research and the design of future prevention and promotion programs for adolescents are discussed.
Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus Is Associated With Increased Risks of Postoperative Complications Following Total Knee and Total Hip Arthroplasty.

Abstract Background Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) has not been studied as a potential risk factor for postoperative complications after primary total knee (TKA) and total hip arthroplasty (THA). Methods Nearly 2000 patients with a diagnosis of NPH who underwent TKA or THA from 2005 to 2014 were identified in a national insurance database and compared to 10:1 matched controls using a logistic regression analysis. Results NPH was associated with an increased risk of hospital readmission, emergency room visit, and infection following TKA (odds ratio 1.48-2.70, all P Conclusion The diagnosis of NPH is associated with an elevated risk of postoperative complications and increased resource utilization following TKA and THA.
Idiosyncratic volatility shocks, behavior bias, and cross-sectional stock returns

Abstract This paper examines the impact of idiosyncratic volatility (IV) shocks on cross-sectional stock returns. The IV shock is defined by comparing a stock’s idiosyncratic volatility in month t against its own idiosyncratic volatilities estimated in the previous months. The results indicate that stocks with positive (negative) IV shocks subsequently underperform (outperform). Unlike the conventional cross-sectional sorts on the level of IV, the intertemporal IV shocks identified in this paper are better served to capture the very moment when firm specific information arrives or is fully absorbed. Therefore, the performance divergence between stocks with positive and negative IV shocks reflects how investors interpret the new information. We document that cognitive bias, such as the disposition effect and gambler’s fallacy, may provide a reasonable explanation for the IV shock effect.
Computerized Physician Order Entry in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Narrative Review

Background Computerized physician order entry (CPOE) has grown since the early 1990s. While many systems serve adult patients, systems for pediatric and neonatal populations have lagged. Adapting adult CPOE systems for pediatric use may require significant modifications to address complexities associated with pediatric care such as daily weight changes and small medication doses. Objective This article aims to review the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) CPOE literature to characterize trends in the introduction of this technology and to identify potential areas for further research. Methods Articles pertaining to NICU CPOE were identified in MEDLINE using MeSH terms “medical order entry systems,” “drug therapy,” “intensive care unit, neonatal,” “infant, newborn,” etc. Two physician reviewers evaluated each article for inclusion and exclusion criteria. Consensus judgments were used to classify the articles into five categories: medication safety, usability/alerts, clinical practice, clinical decision Support (CDS), and implementation. Articles addressing pediatric (nonneonatal) CPOE were included if they were applicable to the NICU setting. Results Sixty-nine articles were identified using MeSH search criteria. Twenty-two additional articles were identified by hand-searching bibliographies and 6 articles were added after the review process. Fifty-five articles met exclusion criteria, for a final set of 42 articles. Medication safety was the focus of 22 articles, followed by clinical practice (10), CDS (10), implementation (11), and usability/alerts (4). Several addressed more than one category. No study showed a decrease in medication safety post-CPOE implementation. Within clinical practice articles, CPOE implementation showed no effect on blood glucose levels or time to antibiotic administration but showed conflicting results on mortality rates. Implementation studies were largely descriptive of single-hospital experiences. Conclusion CPOE implementation within the NICU has demonstrated improvement in medication safety, with the most consistent benefit involving a reduction in medication errors and wrong-time administration errors. Additional research is needed to understand the potential limitations of CPOE systems in neonatal intensive care and how CPOE affects mortality.
ANTIMICROBIAL & ANTI-DIABETIC EFFECT OF TRITERPENE BARRINGOTOGENOL C GLYCOSIDES ISOLATED FROM AERIAL PART OF MEDICAGOSATIVA L.(ALFALFA) (FAMILY FABACEAE) CULTIVATED IN EGYPT.

Four triterpene barringotogenol C glycosidesnamely; 3-O-[α-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1-4)β-D-glucopyranosyl(1-4)-β-D-glucouronopyranoside]-21-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside barringotogenolC(I), 3-O-[α-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1-4) β-glucopyranosyl(1-4)β-D-galactopyranosyl]21-O-α-L- rhamnopyranosidebarringotogenolC(II),3-O-[β-D-glucopyranosyl(1-4) β-D-glucopyranosyl (1-4) β-D glucuronopyranoside] 21-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosidebarringotogenolC(III),3-O-[β-D-glucopyranosyl(1-6)β-D-glucopyranosyl]21-O-β-D-glucopyranosidebarringotogenol C(IV),Were isolated for the first time from the aerial part of Medicago sativa L.All compounds (I-IV) were identified by combination of spectroscopic methods (ID & 2DNMR) and compared with literature data.The extracts (Methanol & Dichloromethane) & isolated pure compounds were evaluated in vitro for their antimicrobial activity against Streptococcus pneumoniae (RCMB010010), Staphylococcus aureus (RCMB010028) (Gram+vestrain bacteria), Pseudomonas aeuroginosa (RCMB010043), Escherichia coli (RCMB010052) (Gram -vestrainbacteria) and Antifungal activity against Aspergillus fumigatus (RCMB02568) and Candida albicans (RCMB05036). Furthermore, theywere evaluated for their in vitro Anti-diabetic activity using α-Amylase inhibition method.
The AAA+ ATPase ClpX Is Critical for Growth and Development of Chlamydia trachomatis

Abstract Chlamydia trachomatis (Ctr) is an obligate intracellular bacterium that undergoes a complex developmental cycle in which the bacterium differentiates between two functionally and morphologically distinct forms, each of which expresses its own specialized repertoire of proteins. The transitions between the infectious, non-dividing elementary body (EB) and the non-infectious, replicative reticulate body (RB) are not mediated by division events that re-distribute intracellular proteins. Rather, both primary (EB to RB) and secondary (RB to EB) differentiation require protein turnover. The Clp protease system is well conserved in bacteria and, minimally, relies on a serine protease subunit, ClpP, and a AAA+ ATPase, such as ClpX, that recognizes and unfolds substrates for ClpP degradation. In Chlamydia, clpX is encoded within an operon adjacent to clpP2. We present evidence that the chlamydial ClpX ortholog, and the co-transcribed ClpP2, play a key role in organism viability and development. We demonstrate here that chlamydial ClpX is a functional ATPase and forms the expected homohexamer in vitro. Overexpression of a ClpX mutant lacking ATPase activity had a limited impact on DNA replication or secondary differentiation but, nonetheless, reduced EB viability. Conversely, the overexpression of an inactive ClpP2 mutant significantly impacted later developmental cycle progression by reducing the overall number of organisms. Blocking clpP2X transcription using CRISPR interference led to a decrease in bacterial growth, which did not occur when the non-essential gene incA was targeted. Taken together, our data indicate that ClpX and the associated ClpP2 play a critical role in developmental cycle progression and differentiation. Importance Chlamydia trachomatis is the leading cause of infectious blindness globally and the most reported bacterial sexually transmitted infection both domestically and internationally. Given the economic burden, the lack of an approved vaccine, and the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics for treatment of infections, a further understanding of chlamydial growth and development is critical for the advancement of novel, targeted antibiotics. The Clp proteins comprise an important and conserved protease system in bacteria. Our work highlights the importance of the chlamydial Clp proteins to this clinically important bacterium. Additionally, our study implicates the Clp system playing an integral role in chlamydial developmental cycle progression, which may help establish models of how Chlamydia spp. and other bacteria progress through their respective developmental cycles. Our work also contributes to a growing body of Clp-specific research that underscores the importance and versatility of this system throughout bacterial evolution and further validates Clp-proteins as drug targets.
Pisum sativum has no competitive responses to neighbours: a case study in reproducible ecology

ABSTRACT Many fields of science have experienced a replication crisis, where results from experiments with low statistical power published in the literature cannot be replicated. Ecology so far has not been drawn into this crisis, but there is no reason to think that this problem is absent in our field. Here, we originally attempted to replicate findings that showed pea (Pisum sativum L.) roots had strong differences in growth in the presence or absence of neighbours. Our original goal was just to develop a simple model system for studying how plant roots respond to competition from neighbours. In an attempt to replicate previous findings, we performed four separate experiments with 480 individual plants, across three years. Each time plants were grown in the full factorial combination of above and belowground competition. In addition, pea has been studied in similar experiments across six additional studies. Thus, we used meta-analysis to combine previous findings with our new findings. We were unable to replicate previous findings, and in all four experiments plants grew the same whether there were neighbours or not. Despite variability in individual studies, meta-analysis revealed that pea has no growth responses to neighbours and grows the same whether there is or is not below ground competition. Synthesis: Many other fields have gradually been drawn into a growing replication crisis, that is thought to be the result of low statistical power. Even though this is just one case study where a somewhat controversial result could not be reproduced, there is no reason to think ecology is immune from the replication crisis. We suggest that solutions developed in other fields might pre-emptively ward off similar problems. These include stricter cut-offs for statistical significance, a growing use of large replicated studies, and considering avenues for pre-registration of methods.
Macroalgal defense phenotype correlates with herbivore abundance

A primary goal in the study of producer–herbivore interactions is to characterize the tradeoffs between primary producer growth and defense. Across the Aleutian Island Archipelago, the widespread decline in sea otters has resulted in reduced predation on sea urchins, which has led to increases in urchin populations, the formation of urchin barrens, and ultimately to overgrazing of much of the region’s kelp forests. The occurrence of both kelp forests and urchin barrens on islands, along with among island variation in the time period that urchin barrens have formed, presents a unique opportunity to characterize the extent to which exposure to intense herbivory and increased light may alter marine macroalgal growth and defense tradeoffs. To address this, we used a field caging experiment with Codium ritteri, a common perennial green macroalga in the Aleutian Archipelago, to test whether urchin barren macroalgae exhibit increased defenses and reduced growth relative to kelp forest individuals. Our results suggest that urchin barren C. ritteri had greater defense than growth relative to kelp forest individuals. In the laboratory, we found little evidence for urchin barren C. ritteri growth under low light or altered defenses at high light. Grazing rates on C. ritteri were correlated with urchin biomass in the field suggesting higher herbivory intensity may shift primary producer energy allocation from growth to defense. Together, our data suggest that macroalgae occurring within kelp forests grow faster but are more palatable than macroalgae occurring in urchin barrens, which may increase urchin deforestation potential.
Bayesian Estimation of the Effect of Television Advertising on Web Metrics

Aggregate advertising—presenting a single ad to large groups of individuals through traditional media such as television and print—presents a unique challenge to measuring efficacy because treatment and outcome are observed from two disparate sources (interaction and revenue realization). In this work, we propose a Bayesian model to estimate the impact of an ad on observable web metrics that are readily available in many modern analytics suites. The proposed model controls for three sources of possible confounding: the time, geography, and content of the advertisement. The proposed model is easily applicable to a wide variety of problems and readily generates error bounds for the estimates. We evaluate our approach on a real dataset for a set of TV ads for an advertiser.
First Recorded Asian Longhorned Beetle (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) Infestation in the Southern United States

The Asian longhorned beetle [Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky), ALB] was found in Hollywood, SC, in May 2020. This infestation is at least 7-yr old and represents the southernmost infestation in North America. A federally regulated invasive forest and tree pest, ALB primarily attacks maples but is known to attack and reproduce in trees in at least 12 different genera. Damage observed in South Carolina is typical of that seen in other ALB infestations, including oviposition sites, splitting bark around larval feeding sites, and round holes made by emerging adults. Copious weeping from oviposition sites was commonly observed in the summer of 2020, and characteristic frass and wood shavings were commonly exuded from attacked trees. Federal and state regulatory officials established a 152 km2 (58.6 mi2) regulated area in October—which the state increased to 188.0 km2 (72.6 mi2) in January—and to date >4,000 trees (98% Acer spp.) infested with ALB have been identified. Several uncertainties regarding ALB's biology and ecology exist due to this area’s subtropical climate, including impacts to the beetle's life cycle. Questions also surround potential biological control agents in this area and whether new host trees would be utilized. While the standard eradication strategy of tree removal and chipping is being performed, there are several forested wetlands and areas otherwise inaccessible to typical removal equipment where alternate eradication strategies may need to be developed and deployed. Because this ALB infestation is located within a novel environment, it provides an opportunity to research new strategies that will help improve future detection and eradication efforts.
Who Is Included in Human Perceptions of AI?: Trust and Perceived Fairness around Healthcare AI and Cultural Mistrust

Emerging research suggests that people trust algorithmic decisions less than human decisions. However, different populations, particularly in marginalized communities, may have different levels of trust in human decision-makers. Do people who mistrust human decision-makers perceive human decisions to be more trustworthy and fairer than algorithmic decisions? Or do they trust algorithmic decisions as much as or more than human decisions? We examine the role of mistrust in human systems in people’s perceptions of algorithmic decisions. We focus on healthcare Artificial Intelligence (AI), group-based medical mistrust, and Black people in the United States. We conducted a between-subjects online experiment to examine people’s perceptions of skin cancer screening decisions made by an AI versus a human physician depending on their medical mistrust, and we conducted interviews to understand how to cultivate trust in healthcare AI. Our findings highlight that research around human experiences of AI should consider critical differences in social groups.
Is the Availability of Direct-Acting Antivirals Associated with Increased Access to Hepatitis C Treatment for Homeless and Unstably Housed Veterans?

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment has experienced a rapid transformation in the USA. New direct-acting antiviral (DAA) medications make treatment easier, less toxic, and more successful (90% or greater viral cure) than prior, interferon-based HCV medications. We sought to determine whether DAAs may have improved access to HCV treatment for hard-to-reach populations such as the homeless. In a retrospective study of VA electronic medical record data, a cohort was created of 63,586 veterans with a positive HCV RNA or genotype test taken at any point from January 1, 2012, through December 31, 2016. Patient data were examined for up to 5 years using a discrete time survival model to assess the relationship between their housing status and receipt of HCV medications in 6-month time periods in both the interferon and DAA eras. In the interferon era, the probability of HCV treatment in a given 6-month window among housed veterans, at 6.2% (95% CI: 5.3–7.1%) was significantly higher than among veterans who were homeless or unstably housed; for example, among currently homeless veterans, the probability of treatment initiation, in a given 6-month window, was 2.6% (95% CI: 1.9–3.3%). With the arrival of DAAs, each housing category had an increased probability of treatment initiation. For housed veterans, the probability was 8.6% (95% CI: 8.3–8.9%) while for currently homeless veterans, it was 6.3% (95% CI: 5.7–6.9%). We found a clear indication that the likelihood of treatment initiation was greater for all veterans in the DAA era as compared to the interferon era. However, disparities in treatment initiation rates between housed and homeless veterans that were observed in the interferon era persisted in the DAA era.
Effect of Increasing Running Cadence on Peak Impact Force in an Outdoor Environment.

# Background An estimated 56% of recreational runners sustain a running-related injury related to the high impact forces in running. Increasing step frequency (cadence) while maintaining a consistent speed has been shown to be an effective way to lower impact forces which may reduce injury risk. # Purpose To examine effects of increased cadence on peak impact force during running in an outdoor setting. It was hypothesized that as cadence increases, peak force would decrease. # Study Design Repeated measures, quasi-experimental # Methods Peak force and cadence measurements were collected from 15 recreational runners (8 females, 7 males) during two 2.4-mile outdoor runs. Peak force was measured using an insole-based load measuring device. Baseline session run was completed at participant’s naturally preferred cadence and cadence session run was completed at a cadence targeted to be 10% greater than baseline. Pace was monitored with a GPS watch. Cadence was cued by an auditory metronome and measured with both GPS watch and insoles. Repeated-measures ANOVA’s examined the differences in average peak force, GPS-reported cadence, and insole-reported cadence between mile 1 and mile 2, and across the two cadence conditions. # Results Cadence differences of 7.3% were observed between baseline and cadence sessions (p\<0.001). A concurrent decrease in average peak force of 5.6% was demonstrated during the cadence run (p\<0.05). Average cadences measured by GPS watch and insoles were found to be the same at both baseline (p=0.096) and during cadence (p=0.352) sessions. # Conclusion Increasing cadence by an average of 7% in an outdoor setting resulted in a decrease in peak force at two different time points during a 2.4-mile run. Furthermore, using a metronome for in-field cadence manipulation led to a change in cadence. This suggests that a metronome may be an effective tool to manipulate cadence for the purpose of decreasing peak impact force in an outdoor setting. # Level of evidence 3b
Free Trade and Sailors' Rights in the War of 1812

Part I. Free Trade: 1. The Enlightenment and defining free trade 2. The revolutionary experience 3. The new diplomacy 4. Legacy Part II. Sailors' Rights: 5. Anglo-American traditions 6. The rise of Jack Tar 7. Impressment 8. Citizenship 9. The Hermione and the rights of man Part III. Origins: 10. Empire of liberty 11. Indians in the way 12. Contested commerce 13. The ordeal of Jack Tar 14. Honor Part IV. War: 15. The odyssey of the Essex 16. The language of combat 17. Politics of war 18. Pursuit of peace 19. Dartmoor Part V. Memory: 20. Winning the peace 21. Remembering impressment 22. The persistent dream 23. Politics 24. Popular culture 25. Conclusion.
Modulus and Damping of Soils by the Resonant-Column Method

The resonant-column method, a relatively nondestructive test employing wave propagation in cylindrical specimens, is used to obtain modulus and damping of soils as functions of vibratory strain amplitude and other factorssuch as ambient confining stress and void ratio. Descriptions of the apparatus, calibration procedures, testing procedures, and aids for data reduction are given for apparatus which propagate either rod compression waves or shear waves or both. Data reduction aids include graphs for a wide range of apparatus conditions and include a computer program that covers all admissable boundary conditions.
Age and Sex Differences in Hemodynamics in a Large Animal Model of Brain Trauma

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a global health concern and is the leading cause of traumatic morbidity and mortality in children. Despite a lower overall mortality than in adult traumatic brain injury, the cost to society from the sequelae of pediatric traumatic brain injury is very high. Predictors of poor outcome after traumatic brain injury include altered systemic and cerebral physiology, including altered cerebral hemodynamics. Impaired cerebral hemodynamics, including cerebral blood flow and autoregulation following TBI may adversely impact poor outcome and may be age and or sex dependent. Yet, there is a paucity of information regarding changes in cerebral blood flow and cerebral autoregulation after pediatric TBI by age and sex. In this chapter, we first discuss clinical observations of pediatric TBI and how these can be used to better mimic TBI in a basic science large animal model of brain injury, the pig. Mechanistic explanations for age- and sex-dependent differences of TBI will focus on the spasmogen endothelin-1, glutamate, and the signaling system mitogen-activated protein kinase. Treatment strategies used for improvement of cerebral hemodynamics after TBI will consider the role of pressor choice in outcome. These data advocate for the consideration of development of sex-based therapies for treatment of hemodynamic sequelae of pediatric TBI.
Purification and Properties of the Components from Troponin

Procedures have been developed for purification of three of the four protein components usually found in skeletal muscle troponin preparations. These three components are the ones required for troponin activity, and an apparent functional property of each has been defined. TN-I with a molecular weight of 24,000 inhibits actomyosin ATPase activity both in the presence and absence of Ca++. TN-T, with a molecular weight of 37,000, interacts with tropomyosin as evidenced by the appearance of a new hypersharp peak when mixtures of the two proteins are examined in the analytical ultracentrifuge. TN-C, with a molecular weight of 20,000, was the only component which possesses high affinity Ca++ binding activity. The sulfhydryl groups of troponin are found only in TN-I and TN-C. TN-I and TN-T require salt for full solubility and both proteins show a strong tendency to aggregate. An attempt has been made to interpret results on troponin fractionation obtained in other laboratories in the light of the properties of our purified components.
Development of natural language concepts: IV. The relationship between semantic organization and learning☆

Abstract In Experiment 1, 30 subjects at each of three age levels were shown pictures of unfamiliar “animals”. They were told two semantic attributes for each animal (e.g., kind and strong) and were asked to learn these sets so that, when shown a picture, the appropriate attributes could be recalled. The results indicated that the dimensional structure of the attributes had a strong effect on new learning for young children. Incongruent pairs of attributes (e.g., kind and ugly) were difficult to learn compared to congruent (e.g., kind and beautiful) or unrelated (e.g., kind and tall) sets. These results indicate: (a) Attribute structure is a factor in new learning; (b) 6-year-olds tend to organize the verbal labels for attributes into bipolar dimensions, rather than into independent clusters of attributes. The latter findings require reexamination of the meaning of previous word-association data which had been interpreted as indicating that 6-year-olds tend not to organize meanings bipolarly. Experiment 2 showed that the disruptive effects of incongruence on new learning disappears by college age.
Does Planning Really Help?: Effectiveness of Planning in L2 Writing

Pre-task planning (i.e., planning prior to composing) has long been assumed to lead to L1 and L2 writing improvement. This assumption has historically been supported by L1 writing research from the field of cognitive psychology. However, the results of recent research on pre-task planning and L2 writing suggest that pre-task planning alone has minimal impact on features of L2 writers’ texts. This article provides an overview of how pre-task planning is theorized to impact L1 writers’ texts and examines recent quantitative L2 writing research on pre-task planning, the results of which suggest that pre-task planning may be moderated by general L2 proficiency as well as knowledge of the targeted writing genre. Areas for future L2 writing research are discussed as are the potential implications of future research.
Reading the Three as One: Such is Life in 1897

This paper is an attempt to read the original 1897 Such is Life from what remains in accessible printed form. It is argued that the 1897 version differs markedly from the 1903 version in three ways: location, argument, and the character of Tom Collins. The conclusion is that it was neither a ‘bush epic’ nor a ‘proto-modernist text’, but closer to a nineteenth-century urban comedy of manners.
Fast Algorithms for Fitting Multiresolution Hybrid Shape Models to Brain MRI

In this paper, we present new and fast algorithms for shape recovery from brain MRI using the multiresolution hybrid shape models introduced in Vemuri and Radisavljevic. We present three new computational methods for model fitting to data and demonstrate the efficiency of our methods via experiments on brain MRI data.
Correlation of ; In simple activated processes in solids

Abstract It is shown ΔS‡ ΔV‡ ≊ α β , where α is the volume coefficient of expansion and β is the isothermal compressibility. A comparison with experimental results is given.
Beholding and Being Beheld: Simone Weil, Iris Murdoch, and the Ethics of Attention

Although they would be unlikely to formulate their interests in these terms, Simone Weil and Iris Murdoch are both extraordinary explorers of the relationship between psychology and the Other. For Weil, the faculty of attention is a key condition for beholding what is there, in the world. Murdoch, drawing significantly on Weil's seminal insights, underscores the profound challenge entailed in doing so: owing to the ever-present intrusion of the ego, the world often remains veiled, obscured. Beholding the Other thus requires what Murdoch calls “unselfing,” divesting oneself of ego and thereby letting world emerge (1970, p. 82). One path of unselfing is through developing one's powers of attention. Along these lines, it might be said that sharpening and developing one's powers of attention is a prerequisite for beholding the Other, whatever it may be. Another path of unselfing—or another moment in the dialectical process being considered—is through encountering those “objects,” both human and nonhuman, that...
The Direct Detection of Dark Matter

After a brief review of the evidence for dark matter pervading the universe and of the hints that this dark matter is nonbaryonic, we discuss the implications of the recent evidence for the presence of Massive Compact Halo Objects (MACHOS) in the halo of our galaxy. Within the current observational uncertainties, the fraction of MACHOs can be as high as 100% of the halo or as low as 10%. We argue that the “natural” conclusion that they form the totality of the halo leads to serious difficulties, both with conventional stellar astrophysics and cosmology, and that given the other cosmological observations, the final answer may be closer to the lower limit. In any case, the case for nonbaryonic dark matter remains very strong and attempts to detect it directly important. We then review the present searches for the best motivated particle candidates: axions, light neutrinos and Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs). As an example of such searches, we finally describe the status of the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (CDMS) experiment.
"The Only Mexican in the Room": "Sobrevivencia" as a Way of Knowing for Mexican Transnational Students and Families.

Drawing upon multisited ethnographic case studies in the United States and Mexico, I demonstrate sobrevivencia, a survivalist way of knowing of Mexican-origin families. Through an underdog mentality, family members persisted and sometimes thrived. However, the grittiness of the underdog mentality did not always work out. By understanding sobrevivencia, educators can better engage transnational families, and researchers can further explore transnational ways of knowing with continuing multisited research.
MicroRNA analysis suggests an additional level of feedback regulation in the NF-κB signaling cascade

It is increasingly clear that the biological functions of a transcription factor cannot be fully understood solely on the basis of protein-coding genes that fall under its control. Many transcription factors regulate expression of miRNAs, which affect the cell by modulating translation and stability of mRNAs. The identities and the roles of NF-κB-regulated miRNAs have been attracting research interest for a long time. We revisited this issue in a system with controlled expression of one of the key regulators of NF-κB, RIPK1. Several regulated miRNAs were identified, including miR-146a, miR-215 and miR-497. The miRNAs were also inducible by IL-1β, but not when NF-κB activity was repressed by mutant IκBα. The presence of a miR-497 site was predicted in the 3′-UTR of IKBKB gene, which encodes IKKβ. Using appropriately engineered reporters, we confirmed that this site can be a target of suppressive action of miR-497. Our findings suggest that NF-κB controls expression of a miRNA, which may reduce production of IKKβ. Considering the role of IKKβ in the canonical pathway of NF-κB activation, our observations may indicate a new mechanism that modulates the magnitude of such activation, as well as the propensity of a cell to engage canonical vs. non-canonical pathways.
Towards music understanding without separation: segmenting music with correlogram comodulation

The application of a new technique for sound-scene analysis to the segmentation of complex musical signals is presented. This technique operates by discovering common modulation behavior among groups of frequency subbands in the autocorrelogram domain. The algorithm can be demonstrated to locate perceptual events in time and frequency when it is executed on ecological music examples taken directly from compact disc recordings. It operates within a strict probabilistic framework, which makes it convenient to incorporate into a larger signal-understanding testbed. Only within-channel dynamic signal behavior is used to locate events; therefore, the model stands as a theoretical alternative to methods that use pitch as their primary grouping cue. This segmentation algorithm is one processing element to be included in the construction of music perception systems that understand sound without attempting to separate it into components.
A seismologist's Difficulties with some mathematical theory or the lack of it

The elastic-wave theory is set up for an infinite isotropic elastic medium. Some work has been done on boundary-waves at the interface of two semi-infinite isotropic elastic media. Now most of such theory silently postulates that the elastic properties of a medium retain right up to its mathematical boundaries the same values which they have in its remote interior. We have all the assumptions of geometric optics that wave lengths are short with reference to the length of path in the medium, and that “discontinuities” are “sharp” with reference to wave length. An approach to the problem has been made in the paper “The effect of sharpness of discontinuities on the transmission and reflection of elastic waves,” by K. Sezawa and K. Kanai [see 1 of “References” at end of paper].
‘One single ivory cell’: Oscar Wilde and the Brain

This paper considers Oscar Wilde's ongoing interest in the image of a single brain cell as a souvenir of human autonomy in a world of matter. Taking a long view of Wilde's career that demonstrates the relevance to his literary work of his college interests in physiology and philosophy, this paper shows how Wilde's socialism can be explained by his uniquely aesthetic take on the brain. For many late Victorians brain science threatened both the autonomy of human action and the legitimacy of beauty because it had the potential to invalidate conscious experience, but writers whose work Wilde knew, like Ernst Haeckel, W.K. Clifford and John Tyndall, apply aesthetic vocabularies to their own discussions of cells. Their theories illuminate Wilde's representation of the cell as an aesthetic object. Wilde's art collaborates with science to reject action, as action is conventionally understood, without relinquishing beauty as his ultimate value. His discovery of beauty in matter that is beyond the pale of human exp...
Combustibility of Loose Fiber Fill Cellulose Insulation: the Role of Borax and Boric Acid

The influence of borax and boric acid on the resistance of cellulose insulation to smouldering and flaming combustion has been examined using material treated by a wet application process. Boric acid has been shown to be required at an add-on level of at least 11.6 parts to 100 parts (by weight) of cellulose if resistance to smouldering combustion by cigarette ignition is to be achieved. In order to increase the resistance of the material to flaming combustion, however, it has been shown that borax is required in the formulation. Moreover, in order to maintain the resis tance to smouldering combustion it has been found necessary subsequently to increase the add-on of boric acid. The relationship between the amount of boric acid required to maintain resistance to smouldering combustion while providing for resistance to flaming combustion with borax is given by: boric acid required (pph) = 11.6 + [0.185 × (borax used)]
Influence of ozone and simulated acidic rain on microorganisms in the rhizosphere of Sorghum

Seedlings of a sorghum × sudangrass hybrid in pots of non-sterile soil-sand mix were exposed to ozone (O3) at 0, 0·15, or 0·30 μl litre−1 (7 h day−1, 3 days week−1) and simulated rain (SR) adjusted with H2SO4 + HNO3 to pH 5·5, 4·0, or 2·5 (2 cm in 1·5 h per event; 2 events week−1) over 3 weeks in a greenhouse. Ozone suppressed shoot and root growth, but increased acid content (i.e. pH < 5·5) of SR stimulated shoot growth and had inconsistent effects on root growth. Ozone × SR chemistry interactions significantly affected plant growth. Data for ‘total’ bacterial populations in the rhizosphere (number of colony-forming units per gram of rhizosphere soil) exhibited a curvilinear relationship with O3 (maximum at 0·15 μl liter−1). Increased acid content of SR stimulated numbers of ‘total’ bacteria but suppressed populations of amylolytic bacteria. Ozone and acid content of SR tended to stimulate numbers of fungal propagules in the rhizosphere, but this effect was not significant. Numbers of rhizosphere bacteria capable of phosphatase activity increased linearly with O3, but only when SR chemistry was characterised by pH 4·0. Data for other populations of rhizosphere microorganisms did not exhibit significant relationships to O3 × SR chemistry interactions.
The 2+2 bachelor of applied science in health information technology (BAS-HIT): continuation of the 2+2 BASIT program

The need for programs in Health Information Technology has led Southern Polytechnic State University Information Technology Department to start a Bachelor of Applied Science in Health Information Technology (BAS-HIT). The program will allow students who have earned an Associate of Applied Science degree in Health Information Technology from an accredited technical college to enroll at Southern Polytechnic State University and obtain a bachelor's qualification with two years of additional study and no loss of credit. Students who graduate from this program should contribute in assisting the Atlanta Metro Area as the hub of Health Information Technology. This paper introduces the program development of a Bachelor of Applied Science in Health Information Technology. This follows the successful established 2+2 Bachelor of Applied Science in Information Technology (BASIT) program format, creates the credit to transfer evaluation credit and creates a tailored curriculum for the BAS-HIT students.
Remnant buried ice in the equatorial regions of Mars: Morphological indicators associated with the Arsia Mons tropical mountain glacier deposits

Abstract The fan-shaped deposit (FSD) on the western and northwestern flanks of Arsia Mons is the remnant of tropical mountain glaciers, deposited several tens to hundreds of millions of years ago during periods of high spin-axis obliquity. Previous workers have argued that the Smooth Facies in the FSD contains a core of ancient glacial ice. Here, we find evidence that additional glacial ice remains preserved within several other landforms in the Smooth Facies and Ridged Facies. These include landforms that we interpret as kame and kettle topography on the basis of their distribution, size, and morphologies ranging progressively from knobs to degraded knobs to pits. We argue that some moraines in the Ridged Facies are ice-cored on the basis of their interactions with lava flows and the axial troughs at the crests of some moraines. We also argue that dunes with axial troughs, found in and surrounding the FSD, are the remnants of sediment-covered snow dunes formed by reworking of snow or glacial ice, and that the axial troughs form as tension cracks in the sediment and deepen by sublimation of the underlying ice. Long-term preservation of water ice in equatorial environments is assisted by a meters- to decameters-thick debris cover (lag) formed from sublimation of dirty ice, as well as burial beneath volcanic tephra and aeolian deposits. This ancient ice could contain preserved biosignatures, provide information on Martian climate and atmospheric history, and serve as a resource for human exploration.