cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Suntrakker-a student-designed solar vehicle

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the major challenges faced by the student team while designing, building and racing the Suntrakker Solar Car, and competing in the 1993 World Solar Challenge in Australia. The author hopes that this paper will offer a glimpse of the scale of such a project, and by highlighting some of challenges, help any student group that wishes to do the same.
Bone cysts after osteochondral allograft repair of cartilage defects in goats suggest abnormal interaction between subchondral bone and overlying synovial joint tissues

The efficacy of osteochondral allografts (OCAs) may be affected by osseous support of the articular cartilage, and thus affected by bone healing and remodeling in the OCA and surrounding host. Bone cysts, and their communication pathways, may be present in various locations after OCA insertion and reflect distinct pathogenic mechanisms. Previously, we analyzed the effect of OCA storage (FRESH, 4°C/14d, 4°C/28d, FROZEN) on cartilage quality in fifteen adult goats after 12months in vivo. The objectives of this study were to further analyze OCAs and contralateral non-operated (Non-Op) CONTROLS from the medial femoral condyle to (1) determine the effect of OCA storage on local subchondral bone (ScB) and trabecular bone (TB) structure, (2) characterize the location and structure of bone cysts and channels, and (3) assess the relationship between cartilage and bone properties. (1) Overall bone structure after OCAs was altered compared to Non-Op, with OCA samples displaying bone cysts, ScB channels, and ScB roughening. ScB BV/TV in FROZEN OCAs was lower than Non-Op and other OCAs. TB BV/TV in FRESH, 4°C/14d, and 4°C/28d OCAs did not vary compared to Non-Op, but BS/TV was lower. (2) OCAs contained "basal" cysts, localized to deeper regions, some "subchondral" cysts, localized near the bone-cartilage interface, and some ScB channels. TB surrounding basal cysts exhibited higher BV/TV than Non-Op. (3) Basal cysts occurred (a) in isolation, (b) with subchondral cysts and ScB channels, (c) with ScB channels, or (d) with subchondral cysts, ScB channels, and ScB erosion. Deterioration of cartilage gross morphology was strongly associated with abnormal μCT bone structure. Evidence of cartilage-bone communication following OCA repair may favor fluid intrusion as a mechanism for subchondral cyst formation, while bone resorption at the graft-host interface without affecting overall bone and cartilage structure may favor bony contusion mechanism for basal cyst formation. These findings suggest that cysts occurring after OCAs may result from aberrant mechanobiology due to (1) altered compartmentalization that normally separates overlying cartilage and subchondral bone, either from distinct ScB channels or more general ScB plate deterioration, and (2) bone resorption at the basal graft-host interface.
Biological Function of Nuclear Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Action

Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) were believed until recently to act at the cell membrane in a singular fashion (i.e., binding of ligands on the extracellular domain would activate the intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity in the intracellular domain), which would then start a cascade involving other intracellular signaling molecules that would act as effectors. However, new evidence indicates that some RTKs can signal through a different modality; they can move into the nucleus where they directly exert their actions. Although some studies have showed that the proteolytically released intracellular domain of several RTKs can move to the nucleus where they influence gene expression and cell function, others suggest that RTKs can also move to the nucleus as holoproteins. The identification of this novel signaling mechanism calls for a critical reevaluation of the mechanisms of action of RTKs and their biological roles.
Optimal estimation of time series functions

The principal methods of spectral estimation include kernel smoothing, ME-AR methods, and the Prony algorithm. In this paper we consider not only the estimation of spectral density matrices, but also related time series functions such as transfer functions, gain, phase, cepstrum, and so on. Computational algorithms are developed for use of splines as estimators. Smoothing splines are shown to be special cases of kernel smoothers so that properties of kernel smoothers carry over to spline estimators. Optimality of these estimators is discussed.
Insulin and IGF-1 Receptors in A Human Intestinal Adenocarcinoma Cell Line (Caco-2): Regulation of Na+ Glucose Transport Across the Brush Border

AbstractBoth insulin and IGF–1 receptors are present in intestinal mucosal cells, although their role in this tissue is unclear. We have characterized these receptors in a human adenocarcinoma cell line, Caco-2, and examined their role in the regulation of glucose transport and absorption in these cells. The Caco-2 cells demonstrated specific insulin and IGF-1 receptors. They also bound cytochalasin B, suggesting the presence of a glucose transporter-like protein. When grown on membranes, the Caco-2 cells formed columnar, bipolar cells with tight junctions. The monolayer selectively transported D-glucose, and methyl-D-glucose, with complete exclusion of L-glucose, D-mannitol and inulin. The absorption of glucose across the monolayer occurred via a Na+/glucose cotransporter, as indicated by a change in short circuit current after addition of glucose to the apical membrane. When examined under several conditions, neither insulin nor IGF-1 had an affect on the transport of glucose across the Caco-2 monolayer...
Adaptive Appearance Model and Condensation Algorithm for Robust Face Tracking

We present an adaptive framework for condensation algorithms in the context of human-face tracking. We attack the face tracking problem by making factored sampling more efficient and appearance update more effective. An adaptive affine cascade factored sampling strategy is introduced to sample the parameter space such that coarse face locations are located first, followed by a fine factored sampling with a small number of particles. In addition, the local linearity of an appearance manifold is used in conjunction with a new criterion to select a tangent plane for updating an appearance in face tracking. Our proposed method seeks the best linear variety from the selected tangent plane to form a reference image. We demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed method on a number of challenging videos. These test video sequences show that our method is robust to illumination, appearance, and pose changes, as well as temporary occlusions. Quantitatively, our method achieves the average root-mean-square error at 4.98 on the well-known dudek video sequence while maintaining a proficient speed at 8.74 fps. Finally, while our algorithm is adaptive during execution, no training is required.
Inactivation kinetics of inoculated Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella Poona on whole cantaloupe by chlorine dioxide gas.

Abstract The objectives of this study were to examine inactivation kinetics of inoculated Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella Poona inoculated onto whole cantaloupe and treated with ClO 2 gas at different concentrations (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 3.0 and 5.0 mg l −1 ) for different times (0, 2.0, 4.0, 6.0, 8.0 and 10.0 min). The effect of ClO 2 gas on the quality and shelf life of whole cantaloupe was also evaluated during storage at 22 °C for 12 days. A 100 μl inoculation of each targeted organism was spotted onto the surface (5 cm 2 ) of cantaloupe rind (approximately 8–9 log CFU 5 cm −2 ) separately, air dried (60 min), and then treated with ClO 2 gas at 22 °C and 90–95% relative humidity for 10 min. Surviving bacterial populations on cantaloupe surfaces were determined using a membrane transferring method with a non-selective medium followed by a selective medium. The inactivation kinetics of E. coli O157:H7, L. monocytogenes and S . Poona were determined using nonlinear kinetics (Weibull model). A 3 log CFU reduction of E. coli O157:H7, L. monocytogenes and S . Poona were achieved with 5.0 mg l −1 ClO 2 gas for 5.5, 4.2 and 1.5 min, respectively. A 5 log CFU reduction of S . Poona was achieved with 5.0 and 3.0 mg l −1 ClO 2 gas for 6 and 8 min, respectively. A 4.6 and 4.3 log reduction was achieved after treatment with 5.0 mg l −1 ClO 2 gas at 10 min for E. coli O157:H7 and L. monocytogenes , respectively. Treatment with 5.0 mg l −1 ClO 2 gas significantly ( p −2 and kept them significantly ( p 2 gas did not significantly ( p >0.05) affect the color of whole cantaloupe and extended the shelf life to 9 days compared to 3 days for the untreated control, when stored at ambient temperature (22 °C).
Introduction to Geomicrobiology by K. Konhauser. 2007. Blackwell Science. 425 pp. ISBN 978-0-632-05454-1. USA/Canada $83.95, Europe £34.99.

I once heard from an esteemed colleague that geomicrobiology is a ‘new’ old science. Due to this novelty it has received more and more attention in recent years and it has become more than a passing fad as its focus on the interactions between the biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere becomes a fundamental to all of our work. Indeed, applied geochemistry has seen the influence of geomicrobiology on its past through many of the industrial technologies of the 19th and early 20th century. These technologies often took advantage of natural biological cycles, such as open pit leaching, in our applied science. In the broadest sense, geomicrobiology is the study of the evolution dynamics and ecological stability of our entire planet, which in many ways is considered an interactive and clearly biologically influenced entity. Kurt Konhauser took this global and process-orientated view of the discipline and has written a book to fulfil …
Genetic variation for tolerance to copper and zinc within and among populations of the moss, Funaria hygrometrica Hedw.

SUMMARY Ten individuals from each of lour populations of the moss, Funaria hygrometrica Hedw., were grown on two copper and two zinc treatments and a control in order to assess tolerance to these metals. Tolerances of two life-history stages (protonemal growth and stem production) showed significant variation among populations, and among individuals within all populations. Heritabilities for tolerance were high within three populations, but were close to zero within a population that originated on a copper mine. Phenotypic correlations among growth responses to the five experimental treatments were similar in the four populations, but this reflected a greater similarity among the environmental correlations than among the genotypic correlations. There was evidence of positive genetic correlations between growth on control medium and growth on media enriched with copper or zinc. This is in contrast to data from flowering plants and fungi, and raises the question of why tolerant individuals are restricted to contaminated sites in nature.
Determinants of Argentina`s External Trade

This paper presents new estimates of export and import equations for Argentina, using a broader set of variables than previous studies and distinguishing between intra- and extra-MERCOSUR trade. It measures the importance of relative price versus income effects in accounting for the higher trade deficit during the 1990s, and examines whether foreign trade elasticities have increased as a result of structural changes in the economy. It finds that the high income elasticity of imports and the responsiveness of exports to changes in world commodity prices, domestic absorption, and economic activity in Brazil have been key determinants of Argentina`s trade balance.
Display of Pixel Loss and Replication in Reprojecting Raster Data from The Sinusoidal Projection

Recent studies show the sinusoidal projection to be a superior planar projection for representing global raster datasets. This study uses the sinusoidal projection as a basis for evaluating pixel loss and replication in eight other planar map projections. The percent of pixels represented accurately as a single pixel when projected from the sinusoidal to one of the other projections ranged from a low of about 58% for the Van der Grinten projection to a high of about 83% for the Mollweide projection. The graphic display of these losses and gains of pixels had revealing patterns, for example, large values of replication in the higher latitudes of cylindrical projections.
Exploring the relationship between scenario planning and perceptions of learning organization characteristics

This article attempts to verify some assumptions evident in the scenario planning literature through the application of quantitative measures. The Dimensions of the Learning Organization Questionnaire is used to measure participant perceptions of the learning organization characteristics pre- and post-scenario planning intervention. Results are discussed, limitations are identified and clarified, and conclusions are drawn with speculations and refinements for future research.
Impaired graduate students: A process model of graduate program monitoring and intervention

Psychological impairment is an area of concern in training graduate students in counseling programs. This article reviews the potentially harmful consequences of impaired graduate students to graduate programs, faculty, other graduate students, and the counseling profession. The paper provides an overview of existing trends, policies, and procedures regarding student screening, remediation, and dismissal from graduate training programs within a Western framework. A process model for monitoring and intervention is presented.
Undergraduate medical education in the U.S. and Israel: contrasts and common challenges

In 2014, the Israeli Council for Higher Education (CHE) commissioned an international panel of outstanding educators to prepare an ad hoc report reviewing the four established medical schools in Israel. The report described the strengths, weaknesses and challenges facing medical education in Israel with a focus on three specific areas: workforce planning, the structure of the curriculum and the financing of medical education. There are interesting parallels between the challenges facing medical education in the U.S. and in Israel: a lack of clarity regarding the optimal size for the workforce and the optimal method for enhancing the number of primary care physicians; an absence of methodologies for evaluating innovations in medical education and a lack of transparency in funds flow. However, there are also important differences, one of the most important being an absence in Israel of students’ hands-on responsibility for their patients until year six of their undergraduate medical education. The presence of a small number of medical schools with common funding and geographic proximity, in a relative sense, provides the Israeli medical schools with a unique opportunity to evaluate innovations in medical education and to set a high bar for inter-school collaboration and cooperation.
The Science of Control

AbstractThe primary objectives of control are somewhat different from those of much of fusion plasma physics. Magnetic fusion physics has historically focused on understanding the physics of plasmas in magnetic confinement devices, whereas fusion plasma control seeks to capitalize on the understanding already gained to cause the system (fusion device plus plasma) to behave in certain desirable ways. For example, early uses of plasma control in fusion devices had simple goals such as extending the survival of discharges by minimizing plasma-wall interaction or by regulating density. Present applications are primarily aimed at achieving conditions with better potential fusion performance or conditions under which fusion plasmas can be more easily studied. The demanding performance requirements and significant constraints expected on control of future fusion reactors suggest that plasma control is a critical enabling technology for progress toward commercial fusion power. A greater understanding of control t...
Success or Selection? An Economic Perspective on Fisheries Co-Management

This paper comments on a recent paper published in the journal Nature that claims that fisheries co-management causes successful outcomes in fisheries. We outline theoretical arguments in favor of and against co-management as an approach to solving fisheries-commons problems. We argue that the principal claims of the authors are not supported by their data and analysis. Spurious inference about effectiveness of co-management runs the risk of undermining rather than advancing the policy process.
A symbolism study of expression in text-based communication

Modern communication technology such as mobile phone and the Internet have made long-distance text-based communication very convenient. As a result, more and more people choose to send text messages via SMS or instant message software (e.g., WhatsApp) as a major approach to communicate with each other. However, due to the limitations of written language, text-based communication usually cannot accurately express the emotions and feelings of the message sender. Symbolic facial expressions, such as emoji and emoticons, were invented to overcome this shortcoming of text-based communication. By inserting symbols in a text message, the sender has an ability to express his emotions and feelings represented by facial expressions. In this thesis, I study the usage of symbolic facial expressions in text-based communications and it’s impact on people’s communication behaviors. 1. Is the use of Emoji partially too culturally specific? 2. Can symbolic facial expression be used by themselves? If so, in what situations? 3. During SMS conversation, how many facial expressions are excessive? Will excessive symbolic facial expression impede SMS communication? 4. What factors influence the behavior of emoji usage in a SMS sender? These questions explore different aspects of the usage of facial expressions/emoji in text communication including culture differences, usage of emoji compared to text, the definition of excessive usage of emoji, and the interpretation of these symbols in general. In order to find
ASSIGNING RACE TO OCCUPATIONAL COHORTS USING CENSUS BLOCK STATISTICS

Race is an important determinant of disease frequency, yet the race of subjects in retrospective epidemiologic studies is frequently unknown. If addresses are available, the race of study subjects may be estimated from the racial composition of the blocks on which they have resided. Such information can be obtained from census block statistics for Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas and, with the 1990 Census, probably for the entire United States. The authors assigned black race to persons on blocks with greater than 60% black residents and white race to those residing on blocks containing less than 40% blacks. The validity of the procedure was tested on 341 decedents of known race who resided at the time of death within the Detroit, Michigan, Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area. Thirteen individuals who lived on blocks with 40-60% blacks were excluded from analysis, as well as 18 others for whom racial composition of blocks could not be ascertained. In 293 (94%) of the remaining 310 persons, race assigned on the basis of census information agreed with race obtained from death certificates. This method should prove useful for assigning race to study subjects lacking racial identification.
Volumetric multiphoton microscopy: Simultaneous imaging in 3D

Parallel multiphoton imaging of multiple focal planes while employing single element detection is demonstrated. This novel imaging modality enables three-dimensional specimen volumes to be recorded simultaneously in dynamic fashion.
Markers of Congenital Megacolon

Objective To observe the pathological changes and lesion extent in enteric nervous system(ENS),smooth muscle and interstitial cells of Cajal(ICCs)in congenital Hirschsprung's disease(HD),and to investigate the pathological diagnosis of HD and bowel resection range.Methods The expression of S-100,α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA)and c-kit was detected by immunohistochemistry in surgically resected colon specimens obtained from 20children who had HD(HD group)and 11children who died of diseases unrelated to gastrointestinal tract or nervous system(control group).Lesion distribution in ENS,smooth muscle and ICCs were observed in both groups.Results Compared with control group,the expression of S-100,α-SMA and c-kit in narrow segment,transitional segment and expansion segment at 0,2,4and 6cm significantly decreased in HD group(P0.05).However,the expression of S-100,α-SMA and c-kit gradually increased in expansion segment and became normal in expansion segment at 8and 10cm in HD group.Conclusion Lesions exist in ENS,smooth muscle and ICCs of the resected bowel in HD,but are relieved in expansion segment at 8cm.Therefore,the length of intestinal resection should be equal to or greater than 8cm in expansion segment if conditions can be met.
A regional survey of purse-string sutures for partial and complete closure of Mohs surgical defects.

BACKGROUND The purse-string suture is a method for partial and complete closure of circular surgical defects. OBJECTIVE Short-term and long-term efficacy and cosmesis were assessed to evaluate the utility of purse-string closure as the sole method of closure of Mohs defects in different locations. MATERIALS AND METHODS Sixty-six circular wounds from Mohs surgery were closed with a running intradermal suture traversing the circumference of the wound. Preoperative and immediate postoperative wound areas were measured. Long-term cosmetic appearance was also assessed. RESULTS An immediate decrease in average wound area was observed, most notably in the neck and arm. Long-term cosmetic results were best in the head and neck and were remarkably similar for a given anatomic area. CONCLUSION The purse-string suture is rapid, simple, and associated with little morbidity. In properly selected cases, it is an excellent alternative for partial and complete closure of circular defects resulting from Mohs surgery.
Electronic and spectroscopic properties of avobenzone derivatives attached to ditungsten quadruple bonds.

From the reactions between W2(TiPB)4, where TiPB is 2,4,6-triisopropylbenzoate, and 2 equiv of acid, 4-formylbenzoic acid, HBzald, 4-(3-oxo-3-phenylpropanoyl)benzoic acid, HAvo, or 4-(2,2-difluoro-6-phenyl-2H-1λ3,3,2λ4-dioxaborinin-4-yl)benzoic acid, HAvoBF2, three new compounds W2(TiPB)2(Bzald)2, I, W2(TiPB)2(Avo)2, II, and W2(TiPB)2(AvoBF2)2, III, have been prepared. As solid compounds I and II are blue while compound III is green. Characterization of these compounds has been carried out by means of 1H NMR, MALDI-TOF MS, steady-state absorption and emission spectroscopies, and femtosecond and nanosecond transient absorption and time-resolved infrared spectroscopies. Compounds I and II have strong metal to ligand charge transfer, MLCT, transitions in the visible region of their spectra while compound III exhibits MLCT absorption in the near-infrared (λmax = 1017 nm). All three have S1 states that have corresponding lifetimes of ∼3–30 ps and are 1MLCT in character. The triplet states are 3MLCT with lifeti...
Trace Metals and Harmful Algal Blooms

Trace metals influence phytoplankton both as limiting nutrients and as toxicants. Until recently, phytoplankton productivity in the ocean was thought to be primarily limited by major nutrients (N, P, and Si). However, enrichment experiments in bottles and in mesoscale patches of surface water have shown that iron limits algal growth in major regions of the ocean (Coale et al. 1996; Tsuda et al. 2003; Boyd et al. 2000; Coale et al. 2004), and some coastal upwelling systems (Hutchins et al. 1998, 2002). In addition, it now appears that iron limits N2-fixation by cyanobacteria in the ocean, and thus may control oceanic nitrogen inventories (Rueter 1983; Falkowski 1997; Kustka et al. 2003; Mills et al. 2004). Several other micronutrient metals (Zn, Co, Mn, and Cu) have also been shown to stimulate phytoplankton growth in ocean waters, but their effect is usually less than that of iron (Coale 1991; Crawford et al. 2003; Franck et al. 2003). However, these metals may play an important role in regulating the composition of phytoplankton communities because of large differences in trace metal requirements among species (Brand et al. 1983; Coale 1991; Sunda and Huntsman 1995a). For example, the addition of zinc to surface waters of the subarctic Pacific stimulated the growth of coccolithophores over that of diatoms, while the addition of iron preferentially favored the growth of large diatoms (Crawford et al. 2003). In general, iron can have a critical influence on the composition and structure of algal communities because of differences in requirements among species, particularly coastal and oceanic ones (Brand et al. 1983; Sunda and Huntsman 1995b) and large-celled and small-celled species (Price et al. 1994; Sunda and Huntsman 1997). Trace metals are believed to be less important in limiting algal growth in most coastal and freshwater systems. An important issue in the influence of trace metals on harmful blooms is the relative sensitivity of HAB species to trace metal limitation or toxicity relative to that of competing non-HAB algae. Although such differences are likely, they are as yet largely unknown.
Multiple Evolutionary Origins of Ubiquitous Cu2+ and Zn2+ Binding in the S100 Protein Family

The S100 proteins are a large family of signaling proteins that play critical roles in biology and disease. Many S100 proteins bind Zn2+, Cu2+, and/or Mn2+ as part of their biological functions; however, the evolutionary origins of binding remain obscure. One key question is whether divalent transition metal binding is ancestral, or instead arose independently on multiple lineages. To tackle this question, we combined phylogenetics with biophysical characterization of modern S100 proteins. We demonstrate an earlier origin for established S100 subfamilies than previously believed, and reveal that transition metal binding is widely distributed across the tree. Using isothermal titration calorimetry, we found that Cu2+ and Zn2+ binding are common features of the family: the full breadth of human S100 paralogs—as well as two early-branching S100 proteins found in the tunicate Oikopleura dioica—bind these metals with μM affinity and stoichiometries ranging from 1:1 to 3:1 (metal:protein). While binding is consistent across the tree, structural responses to binding are quite variable. Further, mutational analysis and structural modeling revealed that transition metal binding occurs at different sites in different S100 proteins. This is consistent with multiple origins of transition metal binding over the evolution of this protein family. Our work reveals an evolutionary pattern in which the overall phenotype of binding is a constant feature of S100 proteins, even while the site and mechanism of binding is evolutionarily labile.
Observation of Flexibility Reversal in DNA Bending

Several experiments on DNA looping show that DNA looping probability at short length scales is higher than the prediction of the wormlike chain model. This observation suggests that DNA becomes more flexible at large bending angles and hints at the possibility that sequence dependence of flexibility may not be universal across different bending regimes. Using a FRET-based DNA looping assay, we measured flexibilities of various DNA sequences (some of which include base pair mismatches) from the looping and unlooping rates. Surprisingly, we find a strong correlation between the measured looping and unlooping rates, which points to an apparent flexibility reversal: more flexible sequences in the unlooped state are more rigid in the looped state. To explain this counterintuitive finding, we present a few hypotheses that challenge our coarse-grained level understanding of DNA.
Ligature-induced peri-implantitis and periodontitis in mice

Aim Peri-implantitis (PI), inflammation around dental implants, shares characteristics with periodontitis (PD). However, PI is more difficult to control, treat, and detailed pathophysiology is unclear. We aimed to compare PI and PD progression utilizing a murine model. Materials and Methods Four-week-old male C57BL/6J mice had their left maxillary molars extracted. Implants were placed in healed extraction sockets and osseointegrated. Ligatures were tied around the implant and second molar. Controls did not receive ligatures. Mice were sacrificed one week, one month, and three months (n≥5/group/time point) post ligature placement. Bone loss analysis was performed. Histology was performed for: hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), Tartrate Resistant Acid Phosphatase (TRAP), matrix metalloproteinase-8 (MMP-8), nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), toluidine blue, and calcein. Results PI showed statistically greater bone loss compared to PD at one and three months. At three months, 20% of implants in PI exfoliated; no natural teeth exfoliated in PD. H&E revealed that alveolar bone surrounding implants in PI appeared less dense compared to PD. PI presented with increased osteoclasts, MMP-8, and NF-κB, compared to PD. Conclusion PI exhibited greater tissue and bone destruction compared to PD. Future studies will characterize the pathophysiological differences between the two conditions. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Local-Colour Literature and Cultural Nations

Instead of following the time-honoured organisation of literatures around nations or empires, I propose in this article that a more accurate mapping of the worldwide literary landscape would draw attention to cultural ‘nations’, that is separate regional locales that have their own dialects, cultures, histories, ethnic identities and literatures, independent of the dominant national or imperial discourse. Nineteenth-century local-colour literatures are rooted in just such cultural regions, located on the margins of their respective nations, in places such as Emmental, Swabia, Westphalia, Bohemia, Alsace, Languedoc, the Scottish Highlands, Western Ireland or Ulster, and rural areas of New England. Each of these regions had their own unique culture, traditions and dialects, forming thus a separate cultural ‘nation’.
Characteristics of Effective School Principals: A Mixed-Research Study.

In this multi-stage mixed analysis study, the views of 615 college students enrolled at two Hispanic-serving institutions in the Southwest were obtained concerning characteristics of effective school principals. Through the method of constant comparison (qualitative phase), 29 dominant themes were determined to be present in respondent-identified characteristics of effective school principals: Leader, Communication, Caring, Understanding, Knowledgeable, Fair, Works Well With Others, Listening, Service, Organized, Disciplinarian, Good Attitude, Patience, Respectful, Helping, Open-Mindedness, Motivating, Professional, Flexible, Being Visible, Honest, Good Role Model, Responsible, Builds Relationships, Involving, Consistent, Friendly, Focus on Schools, and Experience in the Classroom. An exploratory factor analysis revealed that these 29 themes represented five meta-themes. Then these themes (quantitative phase) were converted into numbers (i.e., quantitized) into an interrespondent matrix that consisted of a series of 1s and 0s and were analyzed to determine whether participants’ themes differed as a function of sex, ethnicity, college status, and first-generation/non-first-generation status. Statistically significant differences were present between undergraduate and graduate students, between males and females, between Hispanics and Whites, and between first-generation and non-first-generation college students. Implications are discussed.
Epicurean Hedonism as Qualitative Hedonism

Epicurus’ theory of what is good for a person is hedonistic: only pleasure has intrinsic value. Critics object that Epicurus is committed to advocating sensualist excess, since hedonism seems both to imply that more pleasure is always of some good for you, and to recommend even debauched, sensual kinds of pleasure. However, Epicurus can respond to this objection much like J. S. Mill responds to the objection that hedonism is a “doctrine worthy only of swine”. I argue that Epicurus’ hedonism is a version of qualitative hedonism on which static pleasure is intrinsically superior to other kinds of pleasure. I also argue that Epicurus conceives of pleasure as a phenomenal or felt quality of experience, and that this is compatible with his troublesome claim that there is an upper limit to pleasure and wellbeing.
Quester: A Speech-Based Question Answering Support System for Oral Presentations

Current slideware, such as PowerPoint, reinforces the delivery of linear oral presentations. In settings such as question answering sessions or review lectures, more extemporaneous and dynamic presentations are required. An intelligent system that can automatically identify and display the slides most related to the presenter's speech, allows for more speaker flexibility in sequencing their presentation. We present Quester, a system that enables fast access to relevant presentation content during a question answering session and supports nonlinear presentations led by the speaker. Given the slides contents and notes, the system ranks presentation slides based on semantic closeness to spoken utterances, displays the most related slides, and highlights the corresponding content keywords in slide notes. The design of our system was informed by findings from interviews with expert presenters and analysis of recordings of lectures and conference presentations. In a within-subjects study comparing our dynamic support system with a static slide navigation system during a question answering session, presenters expressed a strong preference for our system and answered the questions more efficiently using our system.
Political Theology between Reason and Will: Law, Decision, and the Self

Contemporary practitioners of political theology make use of Carl Schmitt’s account of sovereignty to criticize liberal political theory. But whereas Schmitt focused on “states of exception,” the new decisionism holds that decision-making is a quotidian feature of jurisprudence: the interpretation of law depends upon judicial decisions that serve to impose meaning on otherwise semantically indeterminate norms. Ironically, it is possible to detect in the contemporary decisionist critique of liberal theory, with its focus on law’s meaning , a liberalizing tendency: by insisting on the ubiquity of decision-making, the exception is made to seem unexceptional. In this way, Schmitt is tamed, and sovereignty is diffused into the mundane world of administrative governance. I want to resist this normalizing account on philosophical grounds: if one is to appreciate the exceptional character of the decision, it is important to retain some background of regularity with which it can be contrasted.
Bio-inspired imager improves sensitivity in near-infrared fluorescence image-guided surgery

Image-guided surgery can enhance cancer treatment by decreasing, and ideally eliminating, positive tumor margins and iatrogenic damage to healthy tissue. Current state-of-the-art near-infrared fluorescence imaging systems are bulky and costly, lack sensitivity under surgical illumination, and lack co-registration accuracy between multimodal images. As a result, an overwhelming majority of physicians still rely on their unaided eyes and palpation as the primary sensing modalities for distinguishing cancerous from healthy tissue. Here we introduce an innovative design, comprising an artificial multispectral sensor inspired by the Morpho butterfly’s compound eye, which can significantly improve image-guided surgery. By monolithically integrating spectral tapetal filters with photodetectors, we have realized a single-chip multispectral imager with 1000× higher sensitivity and 7× better spatial co-registration accuracy compared to clinical imaging systems in current use. Preclinical and clinical data demonstrate that this technology seamlessly integrates into the surgical workflow while providing surgeons with real-time information on the location of cancerous tissue and sentinel lymph nodes. Due to its low manufacturing cost, our bio-inspired sensor will provide resource-limited hospitals with much-needed technology to enable more accurate value-based health care.
Estimating sowing dates from satellite data over the U.S. Midwest: A comparison of multiple sensors and metrics

Abstract Crop sowing date information is important for driving crop models and estimating crop yield. However, data on sowing dates are often scarce for both developed and developing countries, making remote sensing approaches to map sowing date an attractive approach. Yet the relative merits of different satellite sensors and metrics to estimate sowing date have not been well studied. We assess and compare the accuracies and uncertainties of satellite-derived sowing date estimates using different metrics (inflection point and threshold approaches) and satellite sensors that cover the range in the electromagnetic spectrum (optical, fluorescence, and radar). We validate these estimates using a county-level dataset derived from area-weighted field-level reported sowing dates for maize and soybean in the US states of Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana, and conduct our analysis both at the county level and at the aggregated tri-state region. We specifically use the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), solar-induced fluorescence (SIF) from Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment-2 (GOME-2) and Ku-band backscattering from QuikSCAT (dB). We also compare the inflection point method and the threshold approach that defines sowing date as a specific threshold value (10%, 30% and 50%) between the minimum and maximum value in a logistic-curve smoothed phenology. We find that satellite-based estimate of sowing dates from all methods and sensors shows a wide range of predictive power at the county level, with R2 ranging between 0.15 and 0.90, with significant variation across sensors. SIF has excellent prediction for more counties than the other sensors, but EVI performs more consistently with moderate to good prediction for the greatest bulk of counties among all sensors, while dB's predicted sowing dates are negatively correlated with observed dates for most counties. For each sensor, aggregation to the regional level produces time series of predicted sowing dates that more successfully capture linear time trends and inter-annual variability. Adjusting for spring temperatures and crop areal coverage significantly improves the accuracies of the estimated sowing dates at both the county and regional scales. Among the combinations of the three satellite products and four metrics, we find using SIF and/or EVI and the 30% threshold metric have the highest accuracies in terms of reproducing inter-annual variability and minimizing RMSE at regional scales. This study provides a systematic assessment of using different satellite sensors and metrics to estimate county- to regional-scale crop sowing dates, which has important implications for mapping sowing date in data-limited regions across the globe.
Negative Ecological Effects of the Musk Thistle Biological Control Agent, Rhinocyllus Conicus

Concern over the economic and environmental effects of invasive species is widespread (see McKnight 1993, OTA 1993, 1995). Clearly some plant species, when released from limiting factors in their indigenous environments and spread by their interaction with humans, expand to form large, dense, undesirable stands, e.g., Opuntia spp. cacti in Australia (Dodd 1940), as well as Carduus spp. thistles (Dunn 1976) and Rosa multiflora Thunb. (Amrine and Stasny 1993) in the middle and eastern USA. Some of these weedy species are considered threats to the integrity of protected plant communities in preserves. Examples include Centauria solstitialis (yellow star thistle) in California grassland, Tamarix ramosissima (tamarisk) in southwestern deserts, Vinca major (periwinkle) in Arizona, and Casuarina equisetifolia (Australian pine) in Florida coastal habitats (Randall 1993).
Methods for Studying Bacterial Gene Transfer in Soil by Conjugation and Transduction

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the method for studying bacterial gene transfer in soil by conjugation and transduction. Soil is unique among microbial habitats in that it is a structured environment with a high solid to water ratio. The discreteness of microhabitats in soil, the probability of genetic exchange may be less than the probability in ecosystems wherein water is continuous. Except for periods when soil is saturated with water, individual microhabitats are isolated by the surrounding pore space, movement of bacteria, transducing bacteriophages, and transforming DNA among the microhabitats. However, filamentous fungi appear to be able to bridge pore spaces between microhabitats, even when the pore spaces are not filled with water, as these fungi grow apically from mycelia that have a food and water base in a microhabitat and, therefore, are independent of the nutrient and water conditions surrounding the growing mycelia. Moreover, the extending mycelia probably have a surrounding water film in which bacteria or bacteriophages may be transported from one microhabitat to another.
Exploring Challenges of Monitoring Technology and Self-Injurious Behavior in Autism Spectrum Disorder:

Self-injurious behavior (SIB), such as head banging or self-hitting, is considered one of the most dangerous characteristics of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (Mahatmya, Zobel, & Valdovinos, 2008)....
HIV-1 envelope proteins up-regulate N6-methyladenosine levels of cellular RNA independently of viral replication

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification of HIV-1 RNA regulates viral replication and protein expression. The m6A modification is regulated by two groups of cellular proteins named writers and erasers that add or remove m6A, respectively. HIV-1 infection of CD4+ T-cells increases m6A levels of cellular mRNA, but the underlying mechanism is unknown. Here, we show that HIV-1 infection of CD4+ primary T-cells or Jurkat cells significantly increases m6A levels of cellular RNA independently of viral replication. Compared with HIV-1–infected CD4+ T-cells, similar m6A up-regulation was detected in total RNA from HIV-1–infected cells treated with a reverse-transcriptase inhibitor or with heat-inactivated HIV-1. Compared with mock controls, significantly increased m6A levels were detected in total RNA from Jurkat cells infected by single-cycle HIV-1 pseudotyped with an HIV-1 envelope (Env) glycoprotein, but not with vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein G (VSV-G). Overexpression of HIV-1 Env in HEK293T cells did not affect m6A levels of cellular RNA, suggesting that de novo synthesis of Env is not required for m6A up-regulation. Interestingly, treatment of Jurkat cells with recombinant gp120 of HIV-1 Env significantly increased m6A levels of cellular RNA, which was reduced by a gp120-neutralizing antibody. Preincubation of Jurkat cells with a CD4 receptor–neutralizing antibody blocked HIV-1–induced up-regulation of m6A levels in cellular RNA. Moreover, HIV-1 infection or gp120 treatment did not alter the protein expression of m6A writers and erasers in cells. Our findings suggest that HIV-1 gp120 binding to the CD4 receptor is required for m6A up-regulation in cells.
Chemistry and Catalysis of MXenes

This chapter discusses chemical properties of MXenes focusing on the potential catalytic properties of these materials that can enable chemical transformations of relevance for achieving a sustainable energy future. First, we give an overview of the status of this new field providing a summary of where MXenes have been studied both experimentally and theoretically as catalyst materials as well as where discovery has benefited from a combined computational-experimental approach. We exemplify the combined computational-experimental approach and the crucial impact of a feedback loop between the two by using the hydrogen evolution reaction. When it comes to modeling, we describe how we can use high-throughput computational screening approaches to calculate reactivity and activity properties based on fundamental insight and understanding established prior to the screening process which in turn can be used to identify MXene candidate materials for specific chemical transformations. The chapter is concluded by providing some directions on how we could proceed discovery of new multicomponent MXene materials for chemical transformations.
Pulmonary vein antral isolation causes depolarization of vein sleeves: Implications for the assessment of isolation

PURPOSE Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) for atrial fibrillation has been shown to result in inexcitability of a large fraction of pulmonary veins (PVs), but the mechanism is unknown. We investigated the mechanism of PV inexcitability by assessing the effects of PVI on the electrophysiology of PV sleeves. METHODS Patients undergoing first-time radiofrequency PVI were studied. Capture threshold, effective refractory period (ERP), and excitability were measured in PVs and the left atrial appendage (LAA) before and after ablation. Adenosine was used to assess both transient reconnection and transient venous re-excitability. RESULTS We assessed 248 veins among 67 patients. Mean PV ERP (249.7 ± 54.0 ms) and capture threshold (1.4 ± 1.6 mA) increased to 300.5 ± 67.1 and 5.7 ± 5.6 mA, respectively (P < .0001 for both) in the 26.9% PVs that remained excitable, but no change was noted in either measure in the LAA. In 16.3% of the 73.1% inexcitable veins, transient PV re-excitability (as opposed to reconnection) was seen with adenosine administration. CONCLUSIONS Antral PVI causes inexcitability in a majority of the PVs, which can transiently be restored in some with adenosine. Among PVs that remain excitable, ERP and capture threshold increase significantly. These data imply resting membrane potential depolarization of the of PV myocardial sleeves. As PV inexcitability hampers the assessment of entrance and exit block, demonstrating transient PV re-excitability during adenosine administration helps ensure true isolation.
“What a Man”: Performing Masculinity in Arthur Miller’s and Tennessee Williams’ Plays

Death of a Salesman and A Streetcar Named Desire share a great deal in common. Written within two years of each other in the immediate postwar period, both plays feature a central male character who is a traveling salesman, and both involve the potential collapse of that character’s patriarchal status within his home. Moreover, in each drama females to some degree operate as an obstacle to the male patriarch’s quest to view himself as successful even as they also operate as props to his self-esteem. Yet the plays end quite differently. Willy Loman is driven to suicide by his acute sense of masculine failure, while Stanley Kowalski triumphantly reestablishes his absolute dominance in his household and community. The difference has much to do with each man’s relationship to American ideals of masculinity. Stanley has the good fortune to be surrounded, as Willy does not, by compliant foils who—wittingly or unwittingly—reinforce Stanley’s claimed status as both hypermasculine and a member of the rising, white middle class.
The deep historical roots of modern culture: A comparative perspective

Abstract This paper presents evidence showing that there have been since antiquity two opposed types of institutional systems: one resembling central planning and present in ancient China, ancient Egypt, the Inca Empire and other territorial states, and another one with strong market institutions, protection of property rights present mostly in city-states, not just in the Mediterranean but throughout the world. Evidence is presented that these institutional differences dating back to the antiquity are shaped by special geographical conditions. These institutional differences can be seen to be at the root of the two cultural systems in today's world: individualism and collectivism. These cultural differences have effects on economic performance and institutions in today's world.