cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Self-broadened half-widths and pressure shifts for the R-branch J-manifolds of the 3v3 methane band

Abstract The self-broadening coefficients for the J-manifolds (0 ≤ J ≤ 7) of the R-branch of the 3v3-band of methane have been measured. These measurements were performed by comparing synthetic spectra with variable parameters to the measured ones. Measurements were made over a range of pressures of 500–1500 torr. Pressure shifts of the components within a J-manifold were also determined.
When “I like you” indicates disagreement an experimental differentiation of information and affect

Abstract It was hypothesized that the independent manipulation of the informational content and the affective meaning of personal evaluations would indicate that both informational judgments and attraction responses are a joint function of the two stimulus components. In a 2 × 2 factorial design, each of 80 subjects was exposed to a videotape message from a stranger which was either affectively positive or negative and informationally positive or negative. Analysis of variance indicated that perceived similarity was influenced only by the informational variable (p
The asymptotic maximal merit factor of indefinitely long binary sequences

The upper bound of the merit factor of long binary sequences has been established at 12.32... .
Robust gene expression signature is not merely a significant P value.

Since the seminal publication in 1999, the role of gene expression signatures in oncology has grown, particularly for predicting outcome or response to chemotherapy. Nevertheless, legitimate excitement about the attractiveness of molecular technologies and the promise of discovery-based research should not overlook adherence to the rules of evidence, otherwise it may result in claims that are not meaningful and lead to disappointment. The very first of these rules has to be the significance of the findings, both at the statistical and biological levels. Few studies based on the outcomeassociation argument report negative controls to check whether their signature of interest is actually more strongly related to outcomes than signatures with no oncological rationale. Faced with this fact, Venet et al. recently reported a very interesting study aiming to test the null hypothesis assuming a background of no associations with outcomes. They compared 47 published breast cancer outcome signatures to signatures of identical size constructed from random genes and showed that 60% of the published signatures were not significantly better outcome predictors than random signatures. Here we report exactly the same approach regarding the CINSARC signature recently published and validated
Developing next-generation climate change scholars: the DISCCRS experience

Addressing climate change successfully will require an interdisciplinary network of climate change scholars who can communicate effectively with scholars from other disciplines and with the many audiences beyond the ivory tower. Those scholars will need teamwork skills that foster sustained interdisciplinary collaborations and the specific professional skills and training needed for interdisciplinary scholars to navigate successfully in a disciplinary academic world. Yet, at present, our institutions of higher education are not providing these skills to new Ph.D.s. Most graduate students receive extensive disciplinary training but little, if any, training in doing interdisciplinary research, communicating effectively, or building their careers. The authors have developed DISCCRS—the Dissertations Initiative for the Advancement of Climate Change Research—to build this network of climate change scholars and to target these shortcomings in current training of climate change scholars. This article describes the institutional obstacles and disincentives that hinder the training of graduate students, and the career progress of faculty, interested in conducting interdisciplinary climate change research. The DISCCRS initiative’s annual Symposia, Dissertation Registry, website, and weekly electronic newsletter are described as ways to build an interdisciplinary network of scholars and to improve that network’s communication, team building, and early-career development skills. DISCCRS has developed a model that can be used, in whole or in part, as more universities take up the challenge of developing the next generation of climate change scholars.
What predicts early smoking milestones

Objective:As many cigarette smokers begin experimenting before age 16, prevention efforts require a comprehensive understanding of smoking predictors during adolescence. Research has made many advances in understanding the predictors of smoking initiation, yet more precision is still needed to determine whether the patterns of prediction differ across early smoking milestones. The purpose of this study was to use a sample of young adolescents to examine the predictors of two key milestones in smoking initiation: first puff and first cigarette.Method:Data came from an ongoing, prospective project examining psychosocial factors related to adolescent substance use. At Time 1 (T1), the sample was 1,023 Rhode Island middle school students (ages 10–15 years; M = 12.2). T1 measures included empirically supported risk and protective factors, as well as current smoking. Follow-up surveys assessed smoking behavior over the ensuing year (T2 smoking).Results:Cigarette availability was the most robust predictor of smo...
Are some adolescents differentially susceptible to the influence of bullying on depression

Abstract Not all children react to being bullied in the same way. Some children may be more predisposed to depression when bullied than are other children. Using a G × E approach, this study examined the influence of a genetic polymorphism in the serotonin transport gene (5-HTTLPR) on the victimization-depression link. The validity of the diathesis-stress versus environmental susceptibility hypothesis was tested. A total of 157 adolescents (Mage = 12.21) took part in this study. For adolescents with the S,S/S,L variants, victimization was positively related to depression. No relationship between victimization and depression was found for children with the L,L variant. Findings further suggest that the influence of 5HTTLPR on the association between victimization and depression more closely follow an environmental susceptibility model.
Susceptibility of Some Common Container Weeds to Phytophthora ramorum

Phytophthora ramorum is known to infect a number of ornamental plants grown in containerized culture. However, pots may also contain weeds. In this research, the foliage of 14 common weeds of containerized plant culture was inoculated with P. ramorum to determine susceptibility of aboveground parts. Three species were found to develop leaf lesions: northern willowherb (Epilobium ciliatum), fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium), and a fern (Pteris cretica). Weed roots from 11 species were inoculated to see if P. ramorum could persist on roots, and P. ramorum was isolated from most plant roots 1 month after inoculation when the washed roots were plated on selective medium; they were recovered only to a minor extent from surface-sterilized roots of weeds. Additional experiments were done to collect and sample runoff from pots containing inoculated plants to see if inoculum was produced on weed roots. In these experiments, little inoculum was found in runoff from root-inoculated weeds compared to Viburnum tinus. Percent root colonization recorded from washed roots was significantly greater in Viburnum compared to the weeds, and weeds that were foliar hosts had greater root colonization than weeds that were not.
The Significance of Psychology for the Study of Politics

As a part of its work, the committee on research of the American Political Science Association has undertaken a survey of the relation of politics to kindred types of inquiry, including psychology, anthropology, geography, biology, engineering and others. The purpose of such an inquiry is to explore the relationships that exist with kindred sciences, to facilitate cooperation with our fellow-workers, to improve our methods of investigation, and to promote the progress of political science.The committee is not responsible for this report, for its form or content, its scope or method, its sins of omission or commission. Probably the general sentiment of the committee toward psychology would be expressed by the phrase, con amore ma non troppo.It may be worth while at the outset to scrutinize some of the earlier relations of psychology to political science, for the friendship is one of long standing. In the earlier forms of political thinking, there are crude types of psychology that are of great interest and significance in the development of the art of political thinking. These philosophers evidently utilized all of the psychology that was current in the construction of their political systems.
Rationale for the Short Term Use of Intravenous Milrinone Under Hemodynamic Guidance in Patients With Severe Systolic Heart Failure

Patients with severe systolic heart failure have a decrease in both number and function of cardiac β receptors, which may result in a poor inotropic response to I.V. β-adrenergic agonists such as dobutamine. The I.V. use of the phosphodiesterase inhibitor milrinone, which is a combined positive inotrope/vasodilator in this patient population, is a more rational choice, especially if heart failure is chronic. Many of these patients may also be referred for consideration for cardiac transplantation, for which the use of invasive hemodynamic monitoring is typically necessary to determine whether severe hemodynamic compromise and pulmonary hypertension are reversible with therapy. The use of hemodynamically guided I.V. vasodilator therapy has also been extensively described as a tool to optimize oral vasodilator therapy and predict prognosis in patients evaluated for cardiac transplantation. This review summarizes the important studies supporting the rationale for and benefits of using I.V. milrinone under hemodynamic guidance in this patient population.
Coincident exposure of phosphatidylethanolamine and anionic phospholipids on the surface of irradiated cells

The major anionic phospholipid, phosphatidylserine (PS), and the neutral phospholipid, phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), are largely confined to the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane bilayer in mammalian cells under normal conditions. This asymmetry is lost when cells undergo apoptosis, become activated, or are exposed to irradiation, reactive oxygen species or certain drugs. It is not known whether exposure of anionic phospholipids (APLs) and PE occurs simultaneously or in the same region of the plasma membrane. Here we examined the coincidence of exposure of APLs and PE on the surface of bovine aortic endothelial cells and NS0 myeloma cells after irradiation. The cells were irradiated (5 Gy) and stained for APLs and PE using liposomes coated with either an Fab' fragment of a PS-binding antibody (bavituximab) or a PE-binding peptide (duramycin). Using live cell imaging and flow cytometry, we showed that irradiation leads to synchronous externalization of APLs and PE. The time course of appearance of APLs and PE on the cell surface was the same and the two phospholipid types remained colocalized over time. Distinct patches double positive for APLs and PE were visible. Larger areas of APLs and PE appeared to have detached from the cytoskeleton to form membrane blebs which protruded and drifted on the cell surface. We conclude that APLs and PE coincidently appear on the external leaflet of the plasma membrane of cells after irradiation. Probably, this is because PE and the major APL, PS, share common regulatory mechanisms of translocation.
A model for visualizing fluid handling by the gastrointestinal tract.

Students often find models useful in learning or reviewing physiological concepts. As a result, we have developed a physical model of the gastrointestinal tract, which is used in the GI sections of our medical and graduate physiology courses to demonstrate ingested, secreted, reabsorbed, and
Development of TEFs for PCB congeners by using an alternative biomarker--thyroid hormone levels.

Abstract Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are ubiquitous toxic contaminants. Health risk assessment for this class of chemicals is complex: the current toxic equivalency factor (TEF) method covers dioxin-like (DL-) PCBs, dibenzofurans, and dioxins, but excludes non-DL-PCBs. To address this deficiency, we evaluated published data for several PCB congeners to determine common biomarkers of effect. We found that the most sensitive biomarkers for DL-non-ortho-PCB 77 and PCB 126 are liver enzyme (e.g., ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase, EROD) induction, circulating thyroxine (T4) decrease, and brain dopamine (DA) elevation. For DL-ortho-PCB 118 and non-DL-ortho-PCB 28 and PCB 153, the most sensitive biomarkers are brain DA decrease and circulating T4 decrease. The only consistent biomarker for both DL- and non-DL-PCBs is circulating T4 decrease. The calculated TEF-TH, based on the effective dose to decrease T4 by 30% (ED30) with reference to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), is identical to both TEF-WHO98 and TEF-WHO05 for TCDD and DL-PCBs (correlation coefficients are r = 1.00, P
Surface structure of plasma-etched (211)B HgCdTe

The surface of (211)B HgCdTe has been studied by reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). RHEED analysis of the as-grown Hg-rich molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) (211)B HgCdTe suggests the surface reconstructs by additional Hg incorporation. The plasma-etched (211)B HgCdTe surface is crystalline but stepped and facetted. RHEED analysis indicates asymmetric pyramids (base dimensions ≈0.5×1.1 nm) are formed to minimize surface Hg concentration. The AFM examination of plasma-etched (211)B HgCdTe reveals oriented mesoscopic features.
Abnormal zygote development in mice after paternal exposure to a chemical mutagen.

AFTER paternal exposure to mutagens and subsequent mating, adverse genetic effects are seen in the form of pre-implantation losses of fertilized ova and zygotes, early foetal deaths, and sterility and semi-sterility in F1 progeny1. Early foetal deaths are a direct quantitative index of dominant lethal mutations. These are generally concomitant with pre-implantation losses, which thus constitute a presumptive but less specific measure of mutagenicity1. A practical, sensitive assay for mutagens, based, on the induction of dominant lethal mutations in mammals, has been developed and applied to a wide range of environmental chemical pollutants and to drugs2.
Maternal complication of cervical heterotopic pregnancy after successful potassium chloride fetal reduction.

Objective To present a case of maternal morbidity encountered in a cervical heterotopic pregnancy after successful potassium chloride (KCl) injection for transvaginal multifetal pregnancy reduction. Design Case report. Setting Tertiary referral care center. Patient(s) A woman with heterotopic twin gestation after IVF. Intervention(s) Diagnosis of a viable cervical heterotopic pregnancy was made at 6 weeks by ultrasound. A transvaginal reduction by KCl injection of the cervical pregnancy was performed under sonographic guidance. Main outcome measure(s) Maternal morbidity and mortality. Result(s) Although contents of the gestational sac within the cervix resolved, the trophoblastic tissue increased in both size and vascularity. The patient continued to have self-limited vaginal bleeding throughout the pregnancy. However, at 31 weeks, she had an acute hemorrhage, resulting in an emergency cesarean hysterectomy secondary to profuse bleeding from retained cervical trophoblastic tissue. Conclusion(s) Although KCl transvaginal multifetal pregnancy reduction might successfully terminate a cervical heterotopic pregnancy, the ongoing pregnancy might be complicated by persistence and even enlargement of remaining trophoblastic tissue, leading to obstetric hemorrhage.
An integrating sphere CCD-based measurement method of the OP-LED opto-electronic characteristics

An integrating sphere CCD-based measurement system has been developed to accurately characterize the opto-electronic performances of organic polymer light-emitting devices (OP-LEDs). Comparing this method with the previously developed lens-coupled method, we have found that the integrating sphere-based measurement method provides more stable and reliable optical data in comparison with the lens-coupled measurement method. In addition, we demonstrate that an inappropriate calibration of the OP-LED measurement system can greatly exaggerate the device performances.
Detection of intracellular lactate with localized diffusion { 1H-13C}-spectroscopy in rat glioma in vivo

Abstract The aim of this study was to compare the diffusion characteristic of lactate and alanine in a brain tumor model to that of normal brain metabolites known to be mainly intracellular such as N -acetylaspartate or creatine. The diffusion of 13 C-labeled metabolites was measured in vivo with localized NMR spectroscopy at 9.4 T (400 MHz) using a previously described localization and editing pulse sequence known as ACED-STEAM (‘adiabatic carbon editing and decoupling’). 13 C-labeled glucose was administered and the apparent diffusion coefficients of the glycolytic products, { 1 H– 13 C}-lactate and { 1 H– 13 C}-alanine, were determined in rat intracerebral 9L glioma. To obtain insights into { 1 H– 13 C}-lactate compartmentation (intra- versus extracellular), the pulse sequence used very large diffusion weighting (50 ms/μm 2 ). Multi-exponential diffusion attenuation of the lactate metabolite signals was observed. The persistence of a lactate signal at very large diffusion weighting provided direct experimental evidence of significant intracellular lactate concentration. To investigate the spatial distribution of lactate and other metabolites, 1 H spectroscopic images were also acquired. Lactate and choline-containing compounds were consistently elevated in tumor tissue, but not in necrotic regions and surrounding normal-appearing brain. Overall, these findings suggest that lactate is mainly associated with tumor tissue and that within the time-frame of these experiments at least some of the glycolytic product ([ 13 C] lactate) originates from an intracellular compartment.
Upgrading of solvent extracted athabasca bitumen by membrane ultrafiltration

This paper reports on solvent extraction processes that have been tested extensively for the separation of bitumen from surface-mineable, oil-bearing deposits. The end result of these processes is a solution of bitumen in a hydrocarbon solvent, usually a light naphtha. The bitumen solution contains only minimal amounts of solids and water; but, because of the constraints of the solid- liquid separation and washing steps, the bitumen concentration in the produced solutions can be quite low. Solvent must be separated from these solutions for recycle back to the extraction step of the process. This is usually accomplished by conventional techniques such as distillation, multiple-effect evaporation, or steam stripping. Sometimes a combination of these techniques is required. As a result of the low bitumen content of the solutions, the energy and capital costs associated with solvent recycle can be substantial. The use of membranes for nonaqueous liquid separations is a recent application of this developing technology. Several patents can be found describing processes for the recovery of solvent used in lube oil dewaxing or the regeneration of used automotive oils. A Japanese company has reported the development of several solvent-stable ultrafiltration membranes for the removal of solids from a number of solvents.more » The use of spiral-wound polysulfone membranes for the recovery of pentane solvent used in heavy oil deasphalting has been described by an American firm.« less
Decreased Bone Mineral Density in Rats Rendered Follicle-Deplete by an Ovotoxic Chemical Correlates with Changes in Follicle-Stimulating Hormone and Inhibin A

Bone loss during perimenopause, an estrogen-sufficient period, correlates with elevated serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and decreased inhibins A and B. Utilizing a recently described ovotoxin-induced animal model of perimenopause characterized by a prolonged estrogen-replete period of elevated FSH, we examined longitudinal changes in bone mineral density (BMD) and their association with FSH. Additionally, serum inhibin levels were assessed to determine whether elevated FSH occurred secondary to decreased ovarian inhibin production and, if so, whether inhibins also correlated with BMD. BMD of the distal femur was assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) over 19 months in Sprague-Dawley rats treated at 1 month with vehicle or 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide (VCD, 80 or 160 mg/kg daily). Serum FSH, inhibins A and B, and 17-s estradiol (E2) were assayed and estrus cyclicity was assessed. VCD caused dose-dependent increases in FSH that exceeded values occurring with natural senescence, hastening the onset and prolonging the duration of persistent estrus, an acyclic but E2-replete period. VCD decreased serum inhibins A and B, which were inversely correlated with FSH (r2 = 0.30 and 0.12, respectively). In VCD rats, significant decreases in BMD (5–13%) occurred during periods of increased FSH and decreased inhibins, while BMD was unchanged in controls. In skeletally mature rats, FSH (r2 = 0.13) and inhibin A (r2 = 0.15) correlated with BMD, while inhibin B and E2 did not. Thus, for the first time, both the hormonal milieu of perimenopause and the association of dynamic perimenopausal changes in FSH and inhibin A with decreased BMD have been reproduced in an animal model.
Assessing Product Architecture Costing: Product Life Cycles, Allocation Rules, and Cost Models

Product families and product platforms have been suggested as design strategies to serve heterogeneous markets via mass customization. Numerous, individual cost advantages of these strategies have been identified for various life cycle processes such as product design, manufacturing, or inventory. However, these advantages do not always occur simultaneously, and sometimes even counteract each other. To develop a better understanding of these phenomena, this paper investigates the cost implications of the underlying design decision: the product architecture choice. The investigation includes factors such as product life cycle phases, allocation rules, and cost models, all of which impact the cost analysis results. Based on this investigation, directions for future research on product architecture costing are provided.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Direct Measurement of Polysulfide Shuttle Current: A Window into Understanding the Performance of Lithium-Sulfur Cells

The shuttling of polysulfide ions between the electrodes in a lithium-sulfur battery is a major technical issue limiting the self-discharge and cycle life of this high-energy rechargeable battery. Although there have been attempts to suppress the shuttling process, there has not been a direct measurement of the rate of shuttling. We report here a simple and direct measurement of the rate of the shuttling (that we term “shuttle current”), applicable to the study of any type of lithium-sulfur cell. We demonstrate the effectiveness of this measurement technique using cells with and without lithium nitrate (a widely-used shuttle suppressor additive). We present a phenomenological analysis of the shuttling process and simulate the shuttle currents as a function of the state-of-charge of a cell. We also demonstrate how the rate of decay of the shuttle current can be used to predict the capacity fade in a lithium-sulfur cell due to the shuttle process. As a result, we expect that this new ability to directly measure shuttle currents will provide greater insight into the performance differences observed with various additives and electrode modifications that are aimed at suppressing the rate of shuttling of polysulfide ions and increasing the cycle life of lithium-sulfur cells.
RECURRENT MISCARRIAGE SYNDROME AND INFERTILITY CAUSED BY BLOOD COAGULATION PROTEIN OR PLATELET DEFECTS

Recurrent miscarriage syndrome and infertility are common problems in the United States. Recurrent miscarriage affects more than 500,000 women annually. If properly screened through a cost-effective protocol, the cause will be found in almost all women. The most common singular defect in women with RMS is a hemostasis defect, and if a thorough APLS evaluation is performed, the most common of these is found to be APLS. Other hereditary and acquired procoagulant defects are also commonly found, if looked for. It is important to evaluate women with RMS appropriately, because if a cause for the RMS is found, most women will achieve normal-term delivery. Hemorrhagic defects are rare hemostasis causes of RMS, but these defects also are treatable in many instances and should be considered in appropriate women. Treatment of the common procoagulant defects consists of preconception low-dose ASA at 81 mg/day followed by immediate postconception low-dose unfractionated porcine heparin. LMWH may be a suitable alternative.
The influence of environmental parameters on concurrency fault exposures: an exploratory study

Testing multi-threaded applications is a daunting problem mainly due to the non-deterministic runtime behavior of paralleled programs. Though the execution of multi-threaded applications primarily depends on context switches, it is not clear which environmental factors and to what degree control the threads scheduling. In this paper, we intend to identify environmental factors and their effects on the frequency of concurrency fault occurrences. The test practitioners and researchers will find the identified factors beneficial when testing paralleled applications. We conduct an exploratory study on the effect of multicore platforms on fault exposures. The result provides no support of the hypothesis that number of cores has some impact on fault exhibitions.
Assembly reliability of Ball Grid Array and chip scale packages for high reliability applications

Different aspects of advanced surface mount package technology have been investigated for aerospace applications. Three key areas included the assembly reliability of conventional Surface Mount, Ball Grid Arrays (BGAs), and Chip Scale Packages. Reliability of BGAs was assessed as part of a consortium effort led by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Nearly 200 test vehicles, each with four packages, were assembled and tested using an experiment design. The most critical variables incorporated in the experiment were package type, board material, surface finish, solder volume, and environmental conditions. The BGA test vehicles were subjected to thermal environments representative of aerospace applications. The test vehicles were monitored continuously to detect electrical failure and their failure mechanisms were characterized. A Microtype BGA consortium with industry-wide support was also organized to address technical issues regarding the interplay of package type, I/O counts, PWB (Printed Wiring Board) materials, and manufacturing variables on quality and reliability of board level assembly. This paper presents the most current thermal cycling test results (>4000 cycles) for ceramic and plastic BGA packages as well as their failure mechanisms. The board level reliability of CSP assembly will also be reviewed and projected for a specific environmental condition.
Dynamic threshold detection for maximum likelihood sequence estimation

Maximum likelihood sequence estimation (MLSE) provides optimum detection for intersymbol interference (ISI) channels with additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN). This decoding process dynamically searches the minimum path through the ISI channel trellis, using the Viterbi algorithm. We exploit the structure of this trellis and present an equivalent optimum scheme based on dynamic quantization, which reduces the computational complexity. >
Health behaviors among college students: the influence of future time perspective and basic psychological need satisfaction

Health behavior change may prevent many fatal diseases, and may be influenced by social and motivational constructs. We assessed the interaction effect of future time perspective and basic psychological need fulfillment on positive and negative health behaviors. Future time perspective was associated with more positive, and less negative, health behaviors. Need fulfillment was associated with only positive health behaviors. In moderation analyses, individuals reporting both high need fulfillment and future perspective reported greater positive health behaviors, and were especially unlikely to smoke. Enhancing future-mindedness and supporting need satisfaction in interventions targeting modifiable health behaviors is encouraged.
Plücker formulae for the orthogonal group

Plucker formulae for horizontal curves in SO(m)-flag manifolds are derived. These formulae are seen to generalise the usual Plucker formulae for projective space curves. They also have applications in the theory of minimal surfaces in Euclidean sphere and the complex hyperquadric.
RFIC Design Methodologies Using Perfectly Calibrated Internal Ports

Power is inserted into microwave circuits during EM analysis by means of "ports". Such ports always add a small error because of their associated port discontinuity, which takes the form of fringing fields surrounding the port. These errors preclude certain design methodologies. The advent of perfect port calibration eliminates this restriction. New design methodologies now enabled include component selection methodology and tuning port methodology. Design closure, the process of selecting the optimal final layout based on EM analysis, is an order of magnitude faster using these methodologies. These methodologies are described in this paper with respect to RFIC design. The impact of perfectly calibrated ports on model extraction is also discussed.
A dialogue on responsibility, moral agency, and IT systems

The dialogue that follows was written to express some of our ideas and remaining questions about IT systems, moral agency, and responsibility. We seem to have made some progress on some these issues, but we haven't come to anything close to agreement on several important points. While the issues are becoming more clearly drawn, what we have discovered so far is closer to a web of connecting ideas, than to formal claims or final conclusions.
Embracing Variability in the Application of Plant–Soil Interactions to the Restoration of Communities and Ecosystems

Plant–soil interactions are the foundation of effective and sustained restoration of terrestrial communities and ecosystems. Recent advances in ecological science have greatly contributed to our understanding of the effects of soil conditions on plant community dynamics and our understanding of plant composition impacts on almost every aspect of soil structure and function. Although these theories provide important guidelines for the practice of restoration, they often fall short of providing the level of information required to make effective site-specific management decisions. This is largely because of ecology’s search for simple unifying theories and the resulting tendency to generalize from studies at one or only a few sites. An average effect or broad-scale simple relationship tends to provide a “one-size-fits-all” (or none) prescription for managers. Plant–soil interactions can vary greatly depending on their context (e.g., environmental conditions, management practices, time, neighboring community, interaction with other organisms). The ability to predict these context-dependent interactions between plants and soils can be developed by building upon existing general frameworks for understanding plant–soil interactions. Collaborations between researchers and managers can develop conceptual tools that allow us to understand and manage the variability and complexity of plant–soil interactions, simultaneously advancing theory and applicability.
Pain management in paediatric trauma patients with long bone fracture

Summary Objectives This study was done to review and describe the care of paediatric trauma patients with respect to pain assessment and medication administration. Methods A retrospective review of paediatric trauma patients, age Results Fifty-six children were included. All but three received pain medication during resuscitation. The median time to first dose of pain medication after arrival was 20 min (95% CI: 14–29 min). The median pre- and post-treatment pain scores, on a 5-point scale, were 4 and 2, respectively. Vital signs were unaffected. Conclusions As a group, our paediatric trauma resuscitation team did a much better job managing pain, in this segment of the population, than the preponderance of existing literature would predict.
Open-loop control of a MEMS deformable mirror for large-amplitude wavefront control

A method is introduced for predicting control voltages that will generate a prescribed surface shape on a MEMS deformable mirror. The algorithm is based upon an analytical elastic model of the mirror membrane and an empirical electromechanical model of its actuators. It is computationally simple and inherently fast. Shapes at the limit of achievable mirror spatial frequencies with up to 1.5 μm amplitudes have been achieved with less than 15 nm rms error.
Tree-Ring-Based Reconstruction of Precipitation in the Bighorn Basin, Wyoming, since 1260 a.d

Abstract Cores and cross sections from 79 Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and limber pine (Pinus flexilis) trees at four sites in the Bighorn Basin of north-central Wyoming and south-central Montana were used to develop a proxy for annual (June–June) precipitation spanning 1260–1998 a.d. The reconstruction exhibits considerable nonstationarity, and the instrumental era (post-1900) in particular fails to capture the full range of precipitation variability experienced in the past ∼750 years. Both single-year and decadal-scale dry events were more severe before 1900. Dry spells in the late thirteenth and sixteenth centuries surpass both magnitude and duration of any droughts in the Bighorn Basin after 1900. Precipitation variability appears to shift to a higher-frequency mode after 1750, with 15–20-yr droughts becoming rare. Comparisons between instrumental and reconstructed values of precipitation and indices of Pacific basin variability reveal that precipitation in the Bighorn Basin generally responds ...
Effect of Refrigeration on the Antinematodal Efficacy of Ivermectin

Several observations have suggested that the anthelmintic ivermectin can affect nematodes by non-oral entry into the nematode body. To investigate this possibility further, we refrigerated Caenorhabditis elegans at 5 C to prevent its locomotion and to block the pharyngeal pumping that is so prominent a feature of its feeding. Worms were exposed to ivermectin (1–25 µg/ml) at that temperature for 1 hr, after which the medium was replaced by unmedicated medium at room temperature. After 1 hr at room temperature the worms were examined and counted to determine the degree to which irreversible immobilization had occurred. The drug was significantly less effective at 5 C than at room temperature. This reduction in potency could be attributed to a general cold-induced decline in the rate of the biochemical processes involved in drug action. Alternatively, the reduction could be attributed to the cold-induced blockade of pharyngeal pumping, which would suggest that the efficacy of ivermectin is partially the resu...
Morphological analysis of 3D faces for weight gain assessment

In this paper we analyse patterns in face shape variation due to weight gain. We propose the use of persistent homology descriptors to get geometric and topological information about the configuration of anthropometric 3D face landmarks. In this way, evaluating face changes boils down to comparing the descriptors computed on 3D face scans taken at different times. By applying dimensionality reduction techniques to the dissimilarity matrix of descriptors, we get a shape space in which each face is a point and face shape variations are encoded as trajectories in that space. Our first results show that persistent homology is able to identify features which are well-related to overweight, and may help assessing individual weight trends. The research is carried out in the context of the European project SEMEOTICONS, which is developing a multisensory platform which detects and monitors over time facial signs of cardio-metabolic risk.
The Impact of Bond Measures of Self-Control on Deviance Among Korean Juveniles: Testing Hirschi’s Redefinition of Self-Control

The purpose of the research was to develop and test a new measure of self-control based on the reconceptualization of self-control. A self-report instrument containing a broad bond-based self-control was developed and administered to a representative sample of youthful students and inmates in South Korea. Multiple ordinary least Squares (OLS) regression and path analysis were used to examine the influence of bond-based self-control on deviance. The findings generally indicate that the revised self-control measures, which included bond-based self-control measure were reliable and unidimensional. Importantly, the results showed that the new measures of self-control influences a decision to offend or not among Korean juveniles, which supports the revised concept of self-control theory.
Multiword Expressions as Discourse Relation Markers (DRMs)

Usually, by Multi-Word Expressions (MWEs) we mean expressions whose structure and meaning cannot be derived from their component words as they occur independently. In this talk I will discuss a different kind of multi-word expressions that behave as discourse relation markers (DRMs), yet do not seem to belong to well-defined syntactic classes. The apparent open-endedness of these expressions is a challenge for their automatic identification.1
Fundraising Consultants and the Representation of National and Local Campaign Donor Bases in U.S. House Election Campaigns

Do political consultants help candidates for the U.S. House appeal to national or local constituencies? This question is important for understanding whether consultants help candidates represent the ideologically-driven agendas of national parties or the local concerns of interests within their districts. Many consulting firms work contractually as agents of parties, via independent or coordinated expenditures or directly in support of national party operations and activities, while many other consultants, whom I refer to as free agents, have no contractual ties to national party campaign committees. The former type, which I call the party-agent consultant, often has additional clients beyond party committees. This dichotomy pertains to fundraising consultants in particular. Using FEC data on party spending using consultants, candidate spending on consultants, and candidate donor location in the 2010 House elections, I examine the differential impact of party-agent and free-agent fundraising specialists on the degree to which either type raises in-district and out-of-district funds. I assess the hypothesis that the more a candidate spends on party-agent fundraising firms, which is connected to national party donor networks, she will raise more in out-of-district donations than if she hires a free-agent ones, independent of competition and ideology. I evaluate a second hypothesis that candidates who instead spend for the services of free-agent fundraising consultants are more adept at mobilizing in-district donors. To the extent that campaign fundraising is a means of building a coalition of interests whom candidates represent, the use of political consultants by national parties helps candidates engage in surrogate representations but has the side effect of reducing candidate representation of local donor interests.
Measuring Individual Growth With Conventional and Adaptive Tests

Measuring individuals or groups longitudinally is frequently necessary in social science research and applications. Substantial research and discussion has focused on the statistical properties of measures of change and some of the psychometric problems involved This monte-carlo simulation study focused on properties of the measurement instruments used for obtaining scores that represent change or growth over five time points and examined how well scores from conventional tests and computerized adaptive tests used to measure individual growth curves reflect true change. Data representing four different patterns of individual change and a baseline no-change condition were generated from an item response theory (IRT) model. Different tests simulated were conventional peaked tests with narrow and wider difficulties and three levels of discrimination, and computerized adaptive tests (CATs) drawn from banks with the same levels of discrimination. Conventional tests were scored by number correct and IRT weighted maximum likelihood. Results showed that as the examinees’ scores moved from the difficulty levels at which the tests were concentrated, number-correct scores over-estimated true change and had increasing amounts of error. High discrimination conventional tests had the poorest recovery of change for both groups and individuals. IRT scoring of the conventional tests improved recovery of change somewhat. By contrast, CATs consistently estimated growth with minimum and consistent error and performed best with highly discriminating items. DOI:10.2458/azu_jmmss_v2i2_weiss
The impact of embryo quality and quantity on implantation and the establishment of viable pregnancies

The role of cleavage rates, number of embryos transferred, and some other variables in pregnancy outcome in 222 human embryo transfers was studied. Pregnancy rates were significantly higher in a group of 117 patients receiving at least one embryo that had reached the four-cell stage at 40 hr postinsemination (26% total pregnancies/transfer and 18% ongoing pregnancies/transfer) than in the 105 patients receiving embryos developing at a slower rate (7% total pregnancies/transfer and 2% ongoing pregnancies/transfer). Of the 23 ongoing or term pregnancies produced, 21 came from transfers of at least one embryo that had reached four-cell stage by 40 hr postinsemination. Pregnancy rates were unaffected in either the fast-cleaving or the slower-cleaving embryos by culturing in vitro for an additional 24 hr. The presence of anucleate cell fragments also had no effect on pregnancy rates. Pregnancy rates increased progressively with the transfer of more embryos per transfer. These results suggest that procedures to improve ovulation induction and in vitro embryo culture technique may better the success of in vitro fertilization by providing a high number of rapidly cleaving embryos for transfer.
Nano-Optical Conveyor Belt, Part I: Theory

We propose a method for peristaltic transport of nanoparticles using the optical force field over a nanostructured surface. Nanostructures may be designed to produce strong near-field hot spots when illuminated. The hot spots function as optical traps, separately addressable by their resonant wavelengths and polarizations. By activating closely packed traps sequentially, nanoparticles may be handed off between adjacent traps in a peristaltic fashion. A linear repeating structure of three separately addressable traps forms a "nano-optical conveyor belt"; a unit cell with four separately addressable traps permits controlled peristaltic transport in the plane. Using specifically designed activation sequences allows particle sorting.
Recent Performance-Based Advances in SparkJet Actuator Design for Supersonic Flow Applications

Practical application of active supersonic flow control is dependent upon the development of robust actuators that have the requisite control authority (in amplitude and frequency), are reliable and low cost and consume minimal power. The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory and Florida State University/Florida Center for Advanced Aero-Propulsion are continuing the investigation of a device intended for highspeed flow control called the SparkJet actuator, which manipulates high-speed flows without active, mechanical components. Previous experimental and computational efforts demonstrate peak cavity pressure efficiency of approximately 30%, while experience has shown difficulty in constructing a reliable device. This body of work addresses SparkJet design modifications to improve performance measures such as device reliability, efficiency and lifetime. Success toward improving these performance-based characteristics has been accomplished by focusing attention to the modification of the trigger mechanism and electrode design. The trigger mechanism has been changed from an external trigger to a pseudo-series trigger which allows for larger electrode gaps up to 4.0 mm corresponding to peak cavity pressure efficiency up to 75%. Electrode design considerations have included parametric studies to observe the effect of varying tip shape, electrode material and electrode design. Increasing electrode diameter improves survivability under high thermal loads; consistent tip shape design maintains control of spark location near the center of the cavity; and proper electrode material selection impacts survivability. Results confirmed that larger electrode diameters up to 3.175 mm improve survivability under the high thermal loads associated with the spark-discharge environment. Preliminary results also indicate that the length-to-diameter ratio of the electrodes should exceed approximately 24 for proper impedance matching at frequencies above 1 kHz. This paper summarizes these findings through presentation of experimental results including microschlieren imagery, cavity pressure measurements and qualitative observations.
Honeycomb Filled Board and Its Application in Automotive Industry

Honeycomb filled board is a high-performance structure material with advantages such as lightweight,high specific strength and stiffness,shock damper,heat insulation,sound insulation,fire retarding,etc.The paper introduces the structure characteristics of honeycomb filled board and the application thereof in aerospace,architecture,packaging,transportation and other industry field.It is pointed out the honeycomb filled board has good application prospects.
Maternal dietary supplementation with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids confers neuroprotection to the newborn against hypoxia-induced dopamine dysfunction

Abstract Introduction Up to 84% of prematurely born infants suffer hypoxic, anoxic, and ischemic insults. Those infants with subsequent behavioral, motor or cognitive dysfunction represent 8–11% of all live births. Yet, no interventions employed during pregnancy attenuate risk of morbidity in those at-risk infants. Dietary supplementation with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFAs) has been shown to reduce stroke-induced neuropathology in rat models emulating this adverse clinical event. To extend those studies we sought to determine whether maternal dietary supplementation with ω-3 PUFAs would confer neuroprotection against hypoxia-induced neurochemical dysfunction in newborn rat pups exposed to repetitive hypoxic insults. Methods We provided pregnant rats with either a ω-3 PUFA enriched diet or else a standard rat chow diet. At postnatal day 7, pups were assigned randomly to either repetitive hypoxic insults or repetitive bursts of room air. On postnatal day 12, pups were sacrificed and brain dopamine levels characterized. Results Baseline brain dopamine levels did not differ between rat pups born to dams who received ω-3 PUFA enriched versus standard rat chow diets. Rat pups born to dams maintained on normal diets, who were exposed to five days of repetitive hypoxic insults, experienced a 57% reduction in striatal dopamine levels accompanied by significant apoptosis. In contrast, ω-3 PUFA-enriched newborn pups experienced no loss in striatal dopamine levels, and only minimal apoptosis. Conclusions Our findings suggest that it may be feasible to confer neuroprotection against hypoxia-induced dopamine dysfunction to newborns likely to experience hypoxic insults. This could significantly improve the outcomes of those 8–11% of newborns who would otherwise experience hypoxia-induced behavioral, motor and cognitive dysfunction.