cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Immunogenicity of Haemophilus influenzae type b polysaccharide-protein conjugate vaccines in children with conditions associated with impaired antibody responses to type b polysaccharide vaccine.

Polysaccharide-protein conjugate vaccines are members of a new class of vaccines designed to immunize infants against diseases caused by encapsulated bacteria, including H influenzae type b. There are at least four H influenzae type b polysaccharide-protein conjugate vaccines undergoing clinical evaluation in the United States,1 and three of the four recently were licensed for use in 18-month-old children. Although these conjugate vaccines differ considerably in chemical composition and immunologic properties, each consists of the H influenzae type b polysaccharide, polyribosylribitolphosphate (PRP) (or a derivative thereof), covalently coupled to a carrier protein or proteincontaining complex. As a group, the H influenzae type b polysaccharide-protein conjugate vaccines are more immunogenic in healthy infants and older children than the conventional PRP vaccine.1,2 Several groups of children have been found to be at increased risk for invasive disease caused by H influenzae type b compared with children in the general US population. These include Native Americans (Apaches, Navajos, and Alaskans),3-6 blacks (when studied with regard to allotype),7-9 and children with previous disease caused by H influenzae type b.10,11 Other groups of children who have underlying diseases or genetic phenotypes associated with impaired serum antibody responses to immunization with conventional PRP vaccine have been described (Table 1). In most instances, children without these conditions also are considered to be at a higher risk of invasive disease caused by H influenzae type b than children of comparable ages in the general population.3-6,22,24-26 The reasons for the poor antibody responses to PRP vaccine in children with these underlying conditions, in children of certain racial groups, or in children with hyporesponsive genetic phenotypes are not well understood.
New interfaces for popular music performance

Augmenting performances of live popular music with computer systems poses many new challenges. Here, "popular music" is taken to mean music with a mostly steady tempo, some improvisational elements, and largely predetermined melodies, harmonies, and other parts. The overall problem is studied by developing a framework consisting of constraints and subproblems that any solution should address. These problems include beat acquisition, beat phase, score location, sound synthesis, data preparation, and adaptation. A prototype system is described that offers a set of solutions to the problems posed by the framework, and future work is suggested.
Gender as a risk factor for advanced neoplasia and colorectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background & Aims Studies have reported higher rates of advanced colorectal neoplasia in men than in women. We performed a meta-analysis to provide a quantitative pooled risk estimate of the association between gender and advanced colorectal neoplasia. Methods We conducted a systematic review to identify studies of average-risk and asymptomatic individuals undergoing screening colonoscopy. We also included studies of subjects with a family history of colorectal neoplasia. We used random effects models to evaluate pooled relative risk estimates and performed heterogeneity and publication bias analyses. The primary outcome measure was relative risk of advanced neoplasia in men compared with women. A secondary outcome measure was relative risk for colorectal cancer. Results Seventeen studies consisting of 18 different populations were included, comprising 924,932 men and women. The pooled relative risk estimate for advanced neoplasia for men compared with women was 1.83 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.69–1.97). This positive association between gender and advanced neoplasia was significant across all age groups from 40 to older than 70 years. In 5 studies, the relative risk estimate for cancer for men compared with women was 2.02 (95% CI, 1.53–2.66). Significant heterogeneity was found for the overall analysis and for studies reporting on cancer but not for studies that excluded subjects with a family history or for those analyses grouped by age. Conclusions This meta-analysis provides strong evidence that men are at greater risk for advanced colorectal neoplasia across all age groups. This might inform decisions to create sex-specific colorectal cancer screening recommendations.
Educating Seminarians for Convicted Civility in a Multifaith World

Seminary education is adjusting to the global realities of inter-religious encounter. An increasingly important element of equipping seminarians must be the ability to embrace two dimensions of mature faith; (1) deep convictions related to their own faith, and (2) genuine civility in their engagement with others. The practice of convicted civility is best learned experientially through participative assignments and close contact with people of other faiths. The article explores an approach by which students are encouraged to develop the capacity and skills to both address the faith issues that divide us and to respond to social issues that require the exercise of civility to live together peacefully. The experience of Fuller Seminary, an evangelical, multidenominational, and multiethnic institution provides a context for educating seminarians for convicted civility in a multifaith world.
Determination of ventricular structure from multisignature MR images of the brain

The derivation of ventricular structures from a pediatric population is discussed. The original dataset is classified via a metric-based clustering algorithm which is tuned to the signature distribution from the magnetic resonance images (MRIs). The cluster set (or sets) interpreted as cerebrospinal fluid are aggregated throughout the dataset into a group of connected components whose topology is understood. This typically recursive procedure is replaced by a divide-and-conquer approach which substantially reduces the stack space needed for the aggregation. Other class sets can be equivalently aggregated. Visualization and geometry are then simply deduced from the aggregated cluster sets in the data. It is demonstrated how this hierarchical cluster/classification strategy can successfully demonstrate ventricular structure from multisignature MRIs. >
On the determination of the quadrupole moment of oxygen from self-broadened line widths in the microwave spectrum

in order to obtain good agreement between experimental and theoretical data for the selfbroadened line widths of oxygen in the microwave”’ and for the oxygen-broadened line widths of carbon monoxide. (2) The problem of calculating the latter has already been discussed, in considerable detail, elsewhere. (3) Therefore, we need only note here that the values used for the quadrupole and hexadecapole moments of oxygen in Ref. (3) are indeed the same as those considered in the present paper. The value of e(O,) = 1.21 D A is three times as large as the value 0.4 D 8, reported by BUCKINGHAM and much larger than any of the values considered reliable by STOCRYN and STOGRYN(~) among all of the available estimates for this constant. The value obtained by MURPHY and BOGGS(~’ is 0.58 D A and not 1.16 D A, as has been wrongly quoted in Ref. (1). The quadrupole moment defined in Ref. (6) is twice that defined in Refs. (4) and (5) and employed in Refs. (l-3), and in the present paper. Our line width computations are performed under the premise that the quadrupole moment of oxygen is known and is equal to the value 0.4 D 8, measured by BUCKINGHAM. The computation is based upon an expanded version (3) of ANDERSON-TSAO-CURNUTTE theory (7) which includes terms in the interruption function due to the hexadecapole moment of oxygen and due to an empirical anisotropic repulsive force. Although our treatment of the quadrupole-hexadecapole, hexadecapole-quadrupole, hexadecapole-hexadecapole and of the repulsive forces is approximate, the main thrust of our calculation is to argue that the value 0.4 D A for the quadrupole moment of oxygen is consistent with a calculation similar to that of YAMAMOTO and CATTANI(‘) and of BOUANICH, .(2) that is, we wish to demonstrate that by not considering these additional interactions of much shorter range, which are
Flow Interactions in the Combustor-Diffuser System of Industrial Gas Turbines

This paper presents an experimental/computational study of cold flow in the combustor-diffuser system of industrial gas turbines to address issues relating to flow interactions and pressure losses in the pre- and dump diffusers. The present configuration with can annular combustors differs substantially from the aircraft engines which typically use a 360 degree annular combustor. Experiments were conducted in a one-third scale, annular 360-degree model using several can combustors equispaced around the turbine axis. A 3-D computational fluid dynamics analysis employing the multidomain procedure was performed to supplement the flow measurements. The measured data correlated well with the computations. The airflow in the dump diffuser adversely affected the prediffuser flow by causing it to accelerate in the outer region at the prediffuser exit. This phenomenon referred to as the sink-effect also caused a large fraction of the flow to bypass much of the dump diffuser and go directly from the prediffuser exit to the bypass air holes on the combustor casing, thereby, rendering the dump diffuser ineffective in diffusing the flow. The dump diffuser was occupied by a large recirculation region which dissipated the flow kinetic energy. Approximately 1.2 dynamic head at the prediffuser inlet was lost in the combustor-diffuser system;more » much of it in the dump diffuser where the fluid passed through the narrow gaps and pathways. Strong flow interactions in the combustor-diffuser system indicate the need for design modifications which could not be addressed by empirical correlations based on simple flow configurations.« less
Role of Gravity, Temperature Gradients, and Ion-Exchange Media in Formation of Fossil Brines

Calculations show that gravitational settling of ions in an isothermal sediment column could produce increases of equilibrium concentrations in pore waters ranging from 1 percent per 100 m depth for chloride to 4 percent per 100 m depth for strontium. The migration of ions in a thermal gradient (Soret effect) would cause minor salt enrichment upward toward the colder pole, but the presence of cation-exchanging particles such as clays would reverse this tendency and cause pumping of salt downward. A model calculation using literature data for the thermal potentials suggests that about 5-percent enrichment in Cl per 100 m depth may occur under steady-state conditions. These mechanisms do not explain the greater enrichments commonly found in subsurface brines, but may modify salt distributions due to other phenomena.
Isotopic composition of species-specific atmospheric Hg in a coastal environment

Abstract The isotopic composition of species-specific atmospheric mercury (Hg) was investigated in the coastal environment of Grand Bay, Mississippi, USA. Atmospheric mercury species (Hg 0 (g) , Hg II (g) and Hg (p) ) were collected individually, and analyzed for isotopic composition. Gaseous elemental Hg (Hg 0 (g) ) displayed δ 202 Hg ranging from − 3.88‰ to − 0.33‰. Aerosol Hg (Hg (p) ) displayed intermediate δ 202 Hg ranging from − 1.61‰ to − 0.12‰, while reactive gaseous Hg (Hg II (g) ) displayed positive δ 202 Hg ranging from + 0.51‰ to + 1.61‰. Significant positive mass-independent fractionation (MIF) was observed in Hg (p) (∆ 199 Hg = + 0.36‰ to + 1.36‰), while Hg 0 (g) displayed negative MIF (∆ 199 Hg = − 0.41‰ to − 0.03‰) and Hg II (g) displayed intermediate MIF (∆ 199 Hg = − 0.28‰ to 0.18‰). Positive MIF of 199 Hg and 201 Hg measured in Hg (p) is consistent with significant in-aerosol photoreduction. Significant MIF of 200 Hg was observed in all Hg species with Hg 0 (g) displaying negative ∆ 200 Hg values of − 0.19‰ to − 0.06‰ while Hg II (g) and Hg (p) displayed positive ∆ 200 Hg values of + 0.06‰ to + 0.28‰, which are similar to ∆ 200 Hg values reported by Gratz et al. (2010). These results suggest that isotope tracing of each atmospheric Hg species may be feasible during important atmospheric processes such as wet and dry deposition.
Characterization of composite ceramic high level waste forms.

Argonne National Laboratory has developed a composite ceramic waste form for the disposition of high level radioactive waste produced during electrometallurgical conditioning of spent nuclear fuel. The electrorefiner LiCl/KCl eutectic salt, containing fission products and transuranics in the chloride form, is contacted with a zeolite material which removes the fission products from the salt. After salt contact, the zeolite is mixed with a glass binder. The zeolite/glass mixture is then hot isostatic pressed (HIPed) to produce the composite ceramic waste form. The ceramic waste form provides a durable medium that is well suited to incorporate fission products and transuranics in the chloride form. Presented are preliminary results of the process qualification and characterization studies, which include chemical and physical measurements and product durability testing, of the ceramic waste form.
Congenital orbital teratoma: A review and report of two cases

Congenital orbital teratomas are rare tumors derived from more than one germinal cell layer. These tumors may arise within the orbit, or may originate intracranially and extend into the orbit. Recent advances in ultrasonography have made in utero diagnosis possible. We present the case reports of a primary orbital teratoma and an intracranial teratoma with secondary orbital involvement. The clinical features, histopathologic findings, treatment, and pathogenesis of orbital teratomas are discussed.
Translating social ecological theory into guidelines for community health promotion.

Health promotion programs often lack a clearly specified theoretical foundation or are based on narrowly conceived conceptual models. For example, lifestyle modification programs typically emphasize individually focused behavior change strategies, while neglecting the environmental underpinnings of health and illness. This article compares three distinct, yet complementary, theoretical perspectives on health promotion: behavioral change, environmental enhancement, and social ecological models. Key strengths and limitations of each perspective are examined, and core principles of social ecological theory are used to derive practical guidelines for designing and evaluating community health promotion programs. Directions for future health promotion research are discussed, including studies examining the role of intermediaries (e.g., corporate decision-makers, legislators) in promoting the well-being of others, and those evaluating the duration and scope of intervention outcomes.
Computational and Experimental Study of Gas Bubbles Removal in a Microfluidic System

Formation of unwanted bubbles is one the main issues in biomicrofluidics-based applications such as lab-on-a-chip devices, and adversely affects the performance of these systems. In this work we report a simple and efficient method for removing gas bubbles from liquid filled microchannels. This bubble removal system consists of a cavity on which a hydrophobic membrane is bonded parallel to the main fluidic channel to vent gas bubbles normal to the flow direction. A T-junction configuration is used to generate gas bubbles prior to entering the bubble removal cavity. A finite volume-based computational model is developed using ANSYS FLUENT to simulate gas removal characteristics of the system. The effects of various geometric parameters and operating conditions are studied both through numerical simulations and experimentally.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Hierarchical probabilistic regionalization of volcanism for Sengan region, Japan

A 1 km square regular grid system created on the Universal Transverse Mercator zone 54 projected coordinate system is used to work with volcanism related data for Sengan region. The following geologic variables were determined as the most important for identifying volcanism: geothermal gradient, groundwater temperature, heat discharge, groundwater pH value, presence of volcanic rocks and presence of hydrothermal alteration. Data available for each of these important geologic variables were used to perform directional variogram modeling and kriging to estimate geologic variable vectors at each of the 23949 centers of the chosen 1 km cell grid system. Cluster analysis was performed on the 23949 complete variable vectors to classify each center of 1 km cell into one of five different statistically homogeneous groups with respect to potential volcanism spanning from lowest possible volcanism to highest possible volcanism with increasing group number. A discriminant analysis incorporating Bayes’ theorem was performed to construct maps showing the probability of group membership for each of the volcanism groups. The said maps showed good comparisons with the recorded locations of volcanism within the Sengan region. No volcanic data were found to exist in the group 1 region. The high probability areas within group 1 have the chance of being the no volcanism region. Entropy of classification is calculated to assess the uncertainty of the allocation process of each 1 km cell center location based on the calculated probabilities. The recorded volcanism data are also plotted on the entropy map to examine the uncertainty level of the estimations at the locations where volcanism exists. The volcanic data cell locations that are in the high volcanism regions (groups 4 and 5) showed relatively low mapping estimation uncertainty. On the other hand, the volcanic data cell locations that are in the low volcanism region (group 2) showed relatively high mapping estimation uncertainty. The volcanic data cell locations that are in the medium volcanism region (group 3) showed relatively moderate mapping estimation uncertainty. Areas of high uncertainty provide locations where additional site characterization resources can be spent most effectively. The new data collected can be added to the existing database to perform future regionalized mapping and reduce the uncertainty level of the existing estimations.
FEOL reliability

For modem VLSI, continuous gate oxide thickness scaling poses significant Front-End-of the Line (FEOL) reliability challenges. For instance, Time-Dependent Dielectric Breakdown (TDDB) and Hot-Carrier Injection (HCI) were the most dominant intrinsic FEOL failure mechanisms in traditional CMOS devices. Negative Bias Temperature Instability (NBTI), in additions, had been identified as a significant reliability concern due to dramatic electric field rising in highly scaled technology nodes. To alleviate the rapid gate leakage increases associated with aggressive oxide scaling, High-k dielectric with Metal Gate (HKV MG) has been implemented to replace Si-oxynitride (SiON) with Poly-Si. Besides, new architecture, as the three-dimensional FinFET, was invented to abate short channel effects. Those evolutions led to new reliability concerns, such as Positive Bias Temperature Instability (PBTI) and Stress-Induced Leakage Current (SILC). Here the topic includes an overview of key FEOL reliability challenges, status, and the corresponding learning nowadays. To address the physics, several characterizations such as polarity dependence onBTI and SILC in relation to HK/MG devices are discussed. Finally, future challenges and opportunity for FinFET reliability are also introduced.
Burns in children.

Treating a badly burned child is a difficult problem in the best of medical centers. Before a physician decides to care for such a child, he should first appraise his own and his hospital's resources. If he assumes responsibility for a burn patient, he will face the problems of supporting vital functions, measuring metabolic changes, protecting against infection, promoting healing, and maintaining comfort.
Pentecostalism, collective identity, and transnationalism among Salvadorans and Peruvians in the U.S.

L'A. etudie le role des idees pentecotistes, les pratiques et les formes d'organisation dans la construction de la communaute et de l'identite collective parmi les pentecotistes salvadoriens et peruviens des Etats-Unis. Pour cela il s'interesse a deux congregations : la Gran Comision qui se situe a Paterson dans le New Jersey, une ville qui represente la concentration la plus importante et la plus ancienne d'immigrants peruviens des Etats-Unis et l'Eglise des Apotres et Prophetes a Washington DC, la destination preferee d'une grande partie des migrants salvadoriens dans les annees 1980. Chacune de ces Eglises offre plusieurs voies dans lesquelles le pentecotisme aide les latino-americains a construire une communaute face a une identite nationale.
Effects of source, rate, and frequency of N application on yield, marketable grades and rot incidence of sweet onion (Allium cepa L. cv. Granex-33)

In a field experiment in the 1988-89 season, fertilizer formulations of NH4NO3, Ca(NO3)2, NaNO3, NaKNO3, and KNO3 as N sources were applied at 84 and 168 kg N ha−1 to onion plots direct seeded in the fall. A second experiment in the 1990-91 season tested the same N sources, except KNO3, at rates of 168 and 224 kg ha−1. Application strategy involved both splitting the total amount of fertilizer over two periods of the growing season (October–December and January—April) and the application frequency. With medium and high application rates (168 and 224 kg ha−1), NH4NO3, NaNO3, and NaKNO3, increased high-value jumbo and large onions (premium marketable grade). Increased premium grades was due to increased bulb size and weight. Only NH4NO3 and Ca (NO3)2 increased total onion weight when N rate was increased from 84 to 168 kg ha−1. Less frequent applications of split amounts of 84 kg N ha−1 reduced marketable weight in the 1988–89 season, but doubling the rate to 168 kg ha−1 restored the higher yields. At 224 k...
Effects of Transplanting Density and Nitrogen Fertilizer Rate on Yield Formation and Grain Quality of Super High Yielding Rice Zhongzao 22

A field experiment was conducted with different transplanting densities (24,30 and 36 hills/m2) and nitrogen fertilizer rates (0,105,150 and 195 kg/hm2 N) by using a super high yielding indica rice,Zhongzao 22 as material. The transplanting densities had less effect on the seed setting rate,1000-grain weight,number of productive panicles,grain number per panicle and grain yield. The effect of nitrogen fertilizer rate on grain number per panicle was lower than that on the number of productive panicles,seed-setting rate and 1000-grain weight. Seed-setting rate and 1000-grain weight were decreased significantly at 195 kg/hm2 of nitrogen applied rate. The transplanting density had no significant effect on rice quality. The protein content of rice increased with the increasing transplanting density. The increase in nitrogen fertilizer rate improved milling and appearance quality of rice,as well as protein content.
Vibrational Spectrum of an Isotopically Disordered Chain with Arbitrary Impurity Concentration

The frequency spectrum of a one dimensional crystal with a low concentration of impurities has been studied extensively. The problem of large concentration of impurity atoms was first studied by Davis and Langer(1) who made a self consistent calculation and more recently Taylor(2) has applied Lax’s multiple scattering theory to the same problem. Extensive numerical work has been done by Dean(3) and collaborators and more recently by Payton and Visscher(4). Although the numerical work provides much information on the density of states it is still of great interest to look for an analytic solution from which dynamical effects such as lifetimes of the phonons may be studied. In this paper we report on an extension of Langer’s theory for the frequency spectrum of a one dimensional crystal with a random distribution of isotopic impurities of arbitrary concentration. Langer expands the phonon self energy in a power series in the concentration of impurities and the first and second order terms have been studied. We have summed the largest contribution to the self energy from every order in the impurity concentration.
Historical versus Iconic Meaning: The Declaration, the Constitution, and the Interpreter's Dilemma

The Declaration of Independence is one of the paradigm texts of American history. It was originally written for a time-specific purpose. But it also has spoken td a broader audience across time, as an icon representing American ideals. After describing how the Declaration has been given both historical and iconic meaning by judges, presidents, and public figures, this Article considers the relevance of these two forms of meaning to current debates over constitutional interpretation. Originalists generally privilege the historical meaning of texts. Yet originalist Justices on the Supreme Court have acknowledged that iconic meaning also exists and can sometimes be more relevant. In Pleasant Grove City v. Summum, 555 U.S. 460 (2009), originalist Justices turned to the iconic meaning over the historical meaning, endorsing dynamic interpretation of public monuments-even those containing texts. Ironically, then, they found fluidity in the meaning of texts that are literally carved in stone. This Article closes with a discussion of the interpreter's dilemma: the tension between fidelity to the past (served by historical meaning) and affirmation in the present (served by iconic meaning). • Sho Sato Professor of Law, University of California, Berkeley. Saul Cornell and Craig Green contributed valuable comments on an earlier draft.
Parametric co-design of modular free-form 2-manifolds

A set of modular 2-manifold surface components has been designed that allows the assembly of free-form geometrical sculptures representing single-sided or double-sided surfaces ranging from genus 2 to genus 22. The paper describes the interplay between parameters that define the overall symmetry of the whole structure and other parameters that define the geometry of the individual modular components.
Malathion dermal permeability in relation to dermal load: Assessment by physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling of in vivo human data.

ABSTRACTEstimates of dermal permeability (Kp), obtained by fitting an updated human PBPK model for malathion to previously reported data on excreted urinary metabolites after 29 volunteers were dermally exposed to measured values of [14C]malathion dermal load (L), were used to examine the empirical relationship between Kp and L. The PBPK model was adapted from previously reported human biokinetic and PBPK models for malathion, fit to previously reported urinary excretion data after oral [14C]malathion intake by volunteers, and then augmented to incorporate a standard Kp approach to modeling dermal-uptake kinetics. Good to excellent PBPK-model fits were obtained to all of 29 sets of cumulative urinary metabolite-excretion data (ave. [±1 SD] R2 = 0.953 [±0.064]). Contrary to the assumption that Kp and L are independent typically applied for dermally administered liquids or solutions, the 29 PBPK-based estimates of Kp obtained for malathion exhibit a strong positive association with the 2/3rds power of L (lo...
Retiring Forum Non Conveniens

It is time for the federal courts to retire the doctrine of forum non conveniens. The doctrine, which allows judges to decline jurisdiction in cases they believe would be better heard in foreign courts, is meant to protect defendant fairness and promote international comity. But given recent developments at the Supreme Court, forum non conveniens is no longer needed to protect defendant fairness, and given flaws in the doctrine’s design, it may be doing more to hurt comity than to help it. This Article looks to the history, current use, and broader context of forum non conveniens to argue that it now causes more problems than it solves. The federal test for forum non conveniens, designed for an outdated domestic context and divorced from its historical roots, is unworkable in the transnational cases where it is used today. Efforts to fix the test are inconsistent or even counterproductive as the needed reforms only increase the test’s complexity — complexity that encourages the development of parochial biases within the test over time. Nor would an effort to redesign the test completely be worth the effort as developments at the Supreme Court have obviated the need for it: judges now have more narrowly tailored tools for addressing concerns about defendant fairness and international comity. Yet the very idea of forum non conveniens is distorting other areas of federal procedure and treaty-making. In short, the federal doctrine of forum non conveniens is unhelpful, unfixable, increasingly unnecessary, and disruptive to the development of more practical tools that would better help judges manage transnational litigation.
Developing Connections: Using an On-Campus Event to Connect HDFS Students and the Community

Landry-Meyer and Strum discuss Developing Connections, an on-campus event that extends the classroom connecting students to the real world through community agencies. Discussion focuses on the organization of the event, objectives, and integration into pre-internship and internship courses. They also discuss the integration of high-impact elements such as students spending a considerable amount of time on meaningful tasks, faculty and student interacting about substantive matters, activities having meaning on/off campus, and making authentic connections. The authors also discuss implementation with a focus on community partners, faculty support, university support, programmatic alignment, student buy-in and participation, event planning, and feedback and assessment.
Coupled biochar amendment and limited irrigation strategies do not affect a degraded soil food web in a maize agroecosystem, compared to the native grassland

Climate change is predicted to increase climate variability and frequency of extreme events such as drought, straining water resources in agricultural systems. Thus, limited irrigation strategies and soil amendments are being explored to conserve water in crop production. Biochar is the recalcitrant, carbon-based coproduct of biomass pyrolysis during bioenergy production. When used as a soil amendment, biochar can increase soil water retention while enhancing soil properties and stimulating food webs. We investigated the effects of coupled biochar amendment and limited irrigation on belowground food web structure and function in an irrigated maize agroecosystem. We hypothesized that soil biota biomass and activity would decrease with limited irrigation and increase with biochar amendment and that biochar amendment would mitigate the impact of limited irrigation on the soil food web. One year after biochar addition, we extracted, identified, and estimated the biomass of taxonomic groups of soil biota (e.g., bacteria, fungi, protozoa, nematodes, and arthropods) from wood-derived biochar-amended (30 Mg ha−1) and nonamended soils under maize with limited (two-thirds of full) and full irrigation. We modeled structural and functional properties of the soil food web. Neither biochar amendment nor limited irrigation had a significant effect on biomass of the soil biota groups. Modeled soil respiration and nitrogen mineralization fluxes were not different between treatments. A comparison of the structure and function of the agroecosystem soil food web and a nearby native grassland revealed that in this temperate system, the negative impact of long-term conventional agricultural management outweighed the impact of limited irrigation. One year of biochar amendment did not mitigate nor further contribute to the negative effects of historical agricultural management.
Ethnic newspapers and low-income Spanish-speaking adults: influence of news consumption and health motivation on cancer prevention behaviors.

ABSTRACTObjective: Ethnic newspapers have the potential to reach and influence various cultural and ethnic subpopulations traditionally underserved in the United States. The current study sought to explore how ethnic news consumption interacts with health motivation to predict cancer prevention behaviors in a sample of Spanish-speaking adults.Design: Participants (N = 100) completed a survey in Spanish, with items measuring demographics, acculturation, health literacy, health motivation, ethnic newspaper consumption (for two papers: La Viva and La Raza), and cancer prevention behaviors.Results: Results indicated consumption of ethnic newspapers correlated positively to acculturation, and cancer screening utilization. In hierarchical regression analyses, the interaction of consumption of an ethnic newspaper (La Raza) and health motivation predicted two of the six prevention behaviors assessed: avoidance of fatty foods and screening behavior.Conclusion: The study provides evidence that consumption of Spanis...
Short-term low-magnesium diet reduces autoimmune arthritis severity and synovial tissue gene expression

Magnesium has been suggested to have anti-inflammatory properties in short-term, mostly in vitro studies. To examine the effect of dietary magnesium modifications in arthritis severity and joint damage DA rats were placed on one of three diet regimens before the induction of autoimmune pristane-induced arthritis (PIA): a 4 wk low-magnesium diet, normal diet, and a magnesium-supplemented diet. The diets were switched to a normal diet 14 days after the induction of PIA (typical time of disease onset). Arthritis severity was scored for 38 days, and joints were examined by histology and quantitative PCR for proinflammatory genes. Rats on the low-magnesium diet were significantly and reproducibly protected and had 70% lower median arthritis severity score, with preservation of normal joint histology without erosive changes. Rats on the normal or magnesium-supplemented diets were not protected and developed equally severe and erosive disease. While the dietary modifications were at disease onset (day 14 postinduction), the protective effect of the short-term low-magnesium diet persisted, suggesting a lasting effect on a critical pathogenic pathway. Rats on the low-magnesium diet had significant reduction in synovial tissue expression of IL-6, RORA, and RORC, which are genes required for the development of Th17 T cells. This study revealed a novel role for dietary magnesium in the regulation of autoimmune arthritis and opens new possibilities for the treatment of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis with short courses of dietary or drug-induced modulations of magnesium levels.
Woody structure facilitates invasion of woody plants by providing perches for birds.

Woody encroachment threatens prairie ecosystems globally, and thus understanding the mechanisms that facilitate woody encroachment is of critical importance. Coastal tallgrass prairies along the Gulf Coast of the US are currently threatened by the spread of several species of woody plants. We studied a coastal tallgrass prairie in Texas, USA, to determine if existing woody structure increased the supply of seeds from woody plants via dispersal by birds. Specifically, we determined if (i) more seedlings of an invasive tree (Tridacia sebifera) are present surrounding a native woody plant (Myrica cerifera); (ii) wooden perches increase the quantity of seeds dispersed to a grassland; and (iii) perches alter the composition of the seed rain seasonally in prairie habitats with differing amounts of native and invasive woody vegetation, both underneath and away from artificial wooden perches. More T. sebifera seedlings were found within M. cerifera patches than in graminoid-dominated areas. Although perches did not affect the total number of seeds, perches changed the composition of seed rain to be less dominated by grasses and forbs. Specifically, 20–30 times as many seeds of two invasive species of woody plants were found underneath perches independent of background vegetation, especially during months when seed rain was highest. These results suggest that existing woody structure in a grassland can promote further woody encroachment by enhancing seed dispersal by birds. This finding argues for management to reduce woody plant abundance before exotic plants set seeds and argues against the use of artificial perches as a restoration technique in grasslands threatened by woody species.
Data Prep 3-1: Filling Missing Values With Constants

Filling missing values with a suitable data value for a variable is an operation called data imputation. The task of deciding which value to use to fill blanks in a record should follow rules or a set of rules defined based on assumptions about the pattern of the data. There is a drawback in this operation though: data added to the pattern might not reflect the underlying pattern of the complete data.
Use of Optical Clearing Agents for Imaging Root Surfaces With Optical Coherence Tomography

The diagnosis of root caries and root fractures is of increasing importance due to our aging population. The objective of this study is to show that optical clearing agents can be used to increase the visibility of subsurface structures in tooth roots to aid in the diagnosis of root caries depth and extension and to differentiate from subsurface defects. Previous studies have shown that high refractive index fluids can increase the depth penetration of optical coherence tomography (OCT) for imaging caries lesions on tooth enamel. Extracted teeth with suspected root caries were imaged with (OCT) with and without the addition of water (W), glycerol (G), and propylene glycol (PG). The reflectance was monitored in sound and demineralized areas before and after application of W, G, and PG. The visibility of subsurface root canals was also measured before and after application of the respective fluids. In addition, shrinkage in lesion areas was measured after lesion dehydration to aid in the assessment of lesion activity. This study shows that optical clearing agents can be used to increase the performance of OCT for the diagnosis of root caries and other defects on root surfaces.
A Semantic Web Reasoner for Rules, Equations and Constraints

We describe a reasoner for OWL ontologies and SWRL policies used on cognitive radios to control dynamic spectrum access. In addition to rules and ontologies, the reasoner needs to handle user-defined operations (e.g., temporal and geospatial). Furthermore, the reasoner must perform sophisticated constraint simplification because any unresolved constraints can be used by a cognitive radio to plan and reason about its spectrum usage. No existing reasoner supported all these features. However, the term rewriting engine Maude, augmented with narrowing, provides a promising reasoning mechanism. This allows for a behavior similar to that of a logic programming system, while constraint simplification rules as well as operations can easily be defined and processed. Our system and general approach will be useful for other problems that need sophisticated constraint processing in addition to rule-based reasoning, or where new operations need to be added. The implementation is efficient enough to run on resource-constrained embedded systems such as software-defined radios.
Space and Linearity

The ability to see the geometric properties of objects in space helps to visualize important properties of digital signals. It is only necessary to find the correspondence between the signal property and the geometric object. A starting point is the analytic geometry of the line, the plane, and space. However, most of the notions of geometry such as space, distance, angle, orientation, and motion can be defined much more generally,
Physiological Control of Alfalfa Growth and Yield

Unlike grain crops, the economic yield of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is herbaceous, composed predominantly of leaves and stems. Understanding physiological control of alfalfa yield, therefore, requires careful evaluation of factors influencing leaf and stem initiation and growth. Alfalfa yield is determined by the total amount of dry matter produced and the partitioning of dry matter. Partitioning of dry matter to crowns and roots also influences the survival of this perennial species. Natural selection may favor alfalfa survival over herbage production in most ecosystems. Finally, recent emphasis on production of high-quality alfalfa forage results in frequent defoliation at immature stages of development. As a result, increasing yield of high-quality forage without compromising alfalfa survival presents a challenging opportunity.
Diagnostic Algorithm for Evaluating Nasal Airway Obstruction

Nasal obstruction is a common symptom and can have a large impact on patient quality of life. There are numerous causes, including anatomic, congenital, inflammatory, infectious, neoplastic, toxic, and systemic. An algorithmic approach can aid in ensuring all pertinent patient information is incorporated into the final diagnosis and treatment plan. Key components include a thorough history, physical examination including modified Cottle and Cottle maneuver, patient-reported outcome measures and/or quality of life questionnaires, examination with and without decongestion, and nasal endoscopy. The resultant information can then be effectively used to narrow the differential and guide the next steps in management.
Reducing Use of Restraints in Intensive Care Units: A Quality Improvement Project

Background Use of physical restrainst is scrutinized in intensive care units today. Usage rates for the 5 intensive care units in the Christiana Care Health Services, Newark, Delaware, were higher than the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators mean rate of 9.61% to 15.43% for many months during fiscal years 2013 and 2014. Objective To reduce and sustain the restraint rates to less than the national database mean rates for all 5 intensive care units. Methods A quality improvement process was used that included forming a multiunit restraint collaborative; reviewing restraint data, including self-extubation rates; surveying staff nurses to examine alignment with evidence-based practice; and selecting a new restraint-alternative product. Results All 5 intensive care units were able to successfully decrease restraint rates to less than the national database mean for the majority of the months since the start of the restraint collaborative in September 2012. Conclusion Use of a restraint collaborative with subsequent adoption of restraint alternatives led to a decrease in restraint rates for the 5 intensive care units to less than the national database mean, enabled sustained success, and helped align nurses' beliefs with evidence-based practice.
Parasite-mediated anorexia increases or decreases virulence evolution, depending on dietary context

Parasite-mediated anorexia is a ubiquitous, but poorly understood component of host-parasite interactions. These temporary but substantial reductions in food intake (range: 4-100%) limit exposure to parasites and alter within-host physiological processes that regulate parasite development, production, and survival, such as energy allocation, immune function, host-microbiota interactions, and gastrointestinal conditions. By altering the duration, severity, and spread of infection, anorexia could substantially alter ecological, evolutionary, and epidemiological dynamics. However, these higher-order implications are typically overlooked and remain poorly understood - even though medical (e.g., non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, vaccines, targeted signaling pathways, calorie restriction) and husbandry practices (e.g., antibiotic and diet use for rapid growth, nutrient supplementation) often directly or indirectly alter host appetite and nutrient intake. Here, we develop theory that helps elucidate why reduced food intake (anorexia) can enhance or diminish disease severity and illustrates that the population-level outcomes often contrast with the individual-level outcomes: treatments that increase the intake of high-quality nutrients (suppressing anorexia), can drive rapid individual-level recovery, but inadvertently increase infection prevalence and select for more virulent parasites. Such a theory-guided approach offers a tool to improve targeting host nutrition to manage disease in both human and livestock populations by revealing a means to predict how nutrient-driven feedbacks will affect both the host and parasite.
Development of a Dominant Negative Competence‐Stimulating Peptide (dnCSP) that Attenuates Streptococcus pneumoniae Infectivity in a Mouse Model of Acute Pneumonia

Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is a prevalent human pathogen responsible for a variety of diseases, including pneumonia, bacteremia, sepsis, meningitis and otitis media, with a death toll of >22 000 a year in the United States alone. Pneumococcus uses the competence regulon and its associated signaling peptide, the competence stimulating peptide (CSP), to initiate its attack on the host and establish an infection. In this work, we set out to: 1) develop a pan-group quorum sensing inhibitor that could effectively interact with both the pneumococcus ComD1 and ComD2 receptors; and 2) evaluate the utility of dominant-negative CSPs (dnCSPs) in attenuating pneumococcus infectivity. Our results highlight the potential of inhibiting the competence regulon as a therapeutic approach to combat pneumococcus infections.
Microbial metabolites mediate bumble bee attraction and feeding

Abstract Animals such as bumble bees use chemosensory cues to localize and evaluate essential resources. Increasingly, it is recognized that microbes can alter the quality of foraged resources and produce metabolites that act as foraging cues. The distinct nature of these sensory cues however and their use in animal foraging remain poorly understood. Here, we test the hypothesis that species of nectar-inhabiting microbes differentially influence pollinator attraction and feeding via microbial metabolites in nectar. We examined electrophysiological potential of bumble bee antennae to respond to volatile microbial metabolites, followed by behavioral responses using choice assays. We assessed gustatory responses through both no-choice and choice feeding assays. Antennae responded to some microbial volatiles, and bees chose Asaia bacterial solutions compared to Metschnikowia yeast based on volatiles alone. However, B. impatiens consumed significantly more Metschnikowia-inoculated nectar, suggesting distinct roles for volatile and non-volatile microbial metabolites in mediating feeding decisions, with potential to affect associative learning and future foraging. Our results suggest that microbial metabolites may represent non-reinforcing cues with potential consequences for forager learning, economics and floral host reproduction.
Cam-based passive variable friction device for structural control

Abstract A solution to increasing the resiliency of civil structures with respect to natural and man-made hazards is the implementation of supplemental damping systems. These systems can be constructed using passive, active, and semi-active devices. In particular, passive devices are widely accepted in the field of structural engineering, because they do not require power to operate and can be holistically integrated into the structural design process. This paper investigates the use of 3D printing technology to expand on the possibilities in passive damping, notably in the fabrication of a variable friction device. This device uses a 3D printed cam with a pre-defined surface profile to vary the normal forces applied to a traditional sliding plate friction system. It follows that these varying forces develop a variable damping force that is dependent on the device’s displacement. In this work, a friction model is developed to characterize the device’s behavior. This model is then validated on various cam profiles by exposing the device to a set of harmonic motions and to a nonstationary motion. Results show a high level of agreement between the experimental results and analytical model.