cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Agricultural activities and the global carbon cycle

The observed and projected increase in emission of greenhouse gases, with attendant effects on global warming and sea level rise, have raised interests in identifying mitigation options. Terrestrial C sequestration involves capture of atmospheric C through photosynthesis and storage in biota, soil and wetlands. Land use, vegetation and soil management have a strong impact on the biotic processes of C sequestration. Losses of C from the terrestrial ecosystems are exacerbated by deforestation, biomass burning, plowing, resource-based and subsistence agriculture, and practices that mine soil fertility and deplete the soil organic C (SOC) pool. Biomass burning may also produce charcoal, which is an inert carbon with long residence time. Practices that enhance C sequestration include afforestation and reforestation, conservation tillage and mulch farming, integrated nutrient management and adopting systems with high biodiversity. Net C sequestration within an ecosystem can be assessed by taking into account the hidden C costs of fertilizers, pesticides, tillage, irrigation and other input. Restoration of degraded soils and ecosystems has a vast potential of C sequestration. The Kyoto Protocol provides for C sequestration in terrestrial sinks and C trading through Clean Development Mechanisms. Terrestrial C sequestration, besides being a win–win strategy, offers a window of opportunity for the first few decades of the 21st century. It is a natural process of reducing the rates of gaseous emissions while alternatives to fossil fuel take effect.
Necessary Leaps for Addictions Nursing Education and Practice

In May 2005, the National Institute of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse (NIAAA) convened addictions nurse educators and clinicians as an expert panel to propose ideas for an NIAAA national nursing curr...
Growth, feeding, and mortality of larval and early postlarval stages of the oceanic shrimp Sergestes similis Hansen

Sergestes similis Hansen released from 670 to 1,140 eggs under laboratory conditions and was, for the first time, successfully reared from the egg to the 8th postlarval stage. Hatching viability, growth, mortality, and feeding during various developmental stages were investigated at four temperatures. Four phytoplankton and three zooplankton species were used as food. The optimum temperature range for larval development was lo”-15°C. The protozoeal stages, particularly the first and third, were the most critical in the development of S. similis. Growth rates were higher in the protozoeal and zocal than in the naupliar and postlarval stages. Average cocfficicnts of daily exponential growth ranged from 0.021 to 0.096 during the larval and early postlarval stages. Filtering, clearance, and ingestion rates increased with increasing body weight and with particle size. Filtering rates changed with concentration of algal cells, suggesting the existence of a threshold value at lower algal density. However, the clearance rates were affected not by the density but only by the size of prey. When animals began predation, at the 2nd protozoeal stage, the size range of food particles and the volume over which the animals searched for food increased abruptly. The maximum daily ration ranged from 24 to 110% of body weight; it was highest in the protozoeal stages and gradually decreased afterward. The gross growth efhciency was lo-50% (average 32%) in the larval and postlarval stages.
Photorefractive keratectomy for myopia with a 15 Hz repetition rate.

Abstract Purpose To evaluate excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) for myopia using a repetition rate of 15 Hz instead of 10 Hz. Setting The Cornea and Laser Eye Institute, Teaneck, and Department of Ophthalmology, UMDNJ–New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, USA. Methods Photorefractive keratectomy using a 15 Hz repetition rate was performed in 23 eyes of 14 patients by a single surgeon at 1 center. The attempted corrections ranged from –2.8 diopters (D) to –5.5 D. Preoperative and postoperative uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA), predictability, corneal haze, and subjective glare/halo were evaluated over 6 months. Results At 6 months, UCVA was 20/32 or better in all eyes and at least 20/20 in 14 eyes (73.7%). Two eyes (10.5%) lost 2 or more Snellen lines of BSCVA; postoperative BSCVA was at least 20/25 in 100% of eyes and 20/20 or better in 95.0%. Fifteen eyes (78.9%) were within ±0.5 D of attempted correction, and 19 (100%) were within ±1.0 D. Mean spherical equivalent refraction was –4.62 D preoperatively, +0.15 D at 1 month, –0.09 D at 3 months, and –0.37 D at 6 months. At 6 months, 4 eyes (21.0%) had no corneal haze and 14 (73.7%) had trace subepithelial haze. Fifteen eyes (78.9%) had no glare/halo effect at 6 months, and 4 (21.0%) had minimal glare/halo effect. Conclusions Clinical outcomes after excimer laser PRK for myopia using an increased repetition rate of 15 Hz were good and similar to those in studies conducted with a 10 Hz repetition rate.
Climbing techniques for bridge inspection

California has about 24,000 publicly owned bridges that require routine structural evaluations to comply with National Bridge Inspection Standard (NBIS) mandates. Of these, about 800 are identified as possessing fatigue prone or fracture critical details requiring thorough tactile investigations. Gaining access to bridge elements to perform these investigations has become increasingly difficult and costly. The traditional uses of under bridge inspection trucks, lift equipment and rigging are economically and practically limited by bridge size, structure type, traffic demands and support costs. In some cases, bridges that have become damaged by earthquakes cannot safely support the loads of heavy personnel lift equipment. The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)'s Office of Structural Materials and Office of Structure Maintenance and Investigations evaluated the use of rock climbing and mountaineering techniques as an alternative means of gaining access for bridge inspections. Under a small research grant, a bridge climbing training course was developed through a local University of California outdoor recreation group and 7 engineers and technicians were initially trained. A comprehensive Code of Safe Practices was created and standards of training, procedures and equipment required for bridge inspections were established. A successful climb investigation on a large, previously inaccessible arch bridge was completed at the end of the training that proved the techniques safe, economical and effective. Within one year, 20 bridge maintenance engineers were trained, and a formal program was established to organize, schedule, equip and certify engineers and technicians for bridge climbing. Several other offices within Caltrans as well as the California Department of Water Resources have since adopted these techniques for specialized structural inspection tasks. Climbing techniques are now used routinely in California as an alterative means of gaining access to bridges and structures, and over 100 bridges have been identified as those where climbing is the only means available to perform structural investigations.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The 1D Discrete Cosine Transform For Large Point Sizes Implemented On Reconfigurable Hardware

The discrete cosine transform (DCT) is used in place of the discrete Fourier transform (DFT) in a wide variety of audio and image processing applications due to its energy compaction properties which approach those of the optimal Karhunen-Love transform. Previous work in reconfigurable hardware has focused on implementations of 2D 8times8 transforms of the type commonly used in the JPEG and MPEG standards. Several applications for larger DCTs exist, including those involving the extraction of features from image data, solving partial differential equations (PDEs) and those utilizing the preconditioned conjugate gradient (PCG) method such as phase-unwrapping. This paper presents an indirect algorithm and implementation on a Xilinx FPGA that performs 1D DCTs on large block sizes using a block floating point format. The DCT was designed to use fewer resources than other popular approaches due to the larger point sizes supported which would otherwise consume all available chip area, but at the cost of higher latency. This latency is similar to that required for an identically sized FFT A 512-point DCT has been shown to take 1771 cycles or 13.3 us at 133 MHz as compared to a similarly sized FFT that takes 1757 cycles or 13.2 us (including all component transfer times).
Electrostatic Dimension of Aligned-Array Carbon Nanotube Field-Effect Transistors

Accurate electrostatics modeling of nanotubes (NTs)/nanowires (NWs) has significant implications for the ultimate scalability of aligned-array NT/NW field-effect transistors (FETs). The analysis to date has focused on limits of capacitive coupling between the 1D channel and 2D gate that is strictly relevant only in the linear response operation of NT/NW-FETs. Moreover, the techniques of electrostatic doping by independent gates that cover only part of the channel are widely used, but the nature of its electrostatic coupling has not been explored. In this paper, we use a three-dimensional, self-consistent model for NT/NW-FETs to interpret the essence of electrostatic coupling with complex configuration of electrode geometries. The interplay between 3D electric fields and its 1D termination onto the NTs/NWs suggests surprising complexity of electrostatic interaction not captured in simpler models. This coupling can change the performance metrics such as ON and OFF currents by orders of magnitude depending o...
GEOGRAPHIC PATTERNS OF VARIATION IN OFFSHORE SPOTTED DOLPHINS (STENELLA ATTENUATA) OF THE EASTERN TROPICAL PACIFIC OCEAN

The spotted dolphin (Stenella attenuata), a species commonly associated with the tuna fishery, is widely distributed in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean (ETP). Geographic patterns in morphological characteristics of this dolphin were evaluated for 36 skull measurements of 574 museum specimens allocated to 5° latitude-longitude blocks. A strong subdivision between northern and southern offshore populations was demonstrated using principal components, canonical variates and cluster (UPGMA and function-point) analyses of block means derived from standardized, sex-adjusted measurements. Classification functions derived from a stepwise multiple discriminant analysis correctly identified more than 87 percent of the specimens as being from either a northern or southern locality. These results support recognition of southern spotted dolphins as a separate management stock. Dolphins from a sample representing a far-western locality show similarities with those from the south. Patterns of geographic variation in morphology were evaluated using Mantel tests and matrix correlations; 17 of the 36 characters showed regional patterning and 18 exhibited local patterning. Morphological trends were also assessed with respect to 14 oceanographic measures that characterize environmental variability in the ETP. In general, clinal variation in morphology mirrors a north-south trend found in several environmental variables. Overall, the most striking associations between morphological and environmental variables involved Solar Insolation (Jan.). Sea surface temperatures also exhibited a strong association with morphological variables; the highest correspondence was found between width of the temporal fossa and sea surface temperature in July. In addition, the thickness of the oxygen minimum layer exhibited a pattern of variation that was statistically associated with 58 percent of the skull characters. The geographic patterns found for cranial morphology and environmental measures are strongly clinal and in general congruent, suggesting that oceanographic conditions in part determine trends in morphological characteristics of spotted dolphins.
The relationship of land use practices to surface water quality in the Upper Oconee Watershed of Georgia

On a watershed scale, geospatial information can be used to identify water resources that are least buffered from contamination. Implementing conservation practices at these locations may accelerate the process of increasing a watershed's ability to support its designated uses. The Upper Oconee Watershed of Georgia contains land areas devoted to poultry, dairy, and beef production. Within these historically agricultural lands, urbanization is proceeding rapidly around existing cities. Agricultural production practices are concentrated in the watershed with poultry in the headwaters area and dairy near a major lake (Lake Oconee). The objective of this research was to relate data sets representing surface water quality at selected sites throughout the watershed to the predominant land use in that portion of the watershed. The location of 550 poultry operations in the headwaters of the Upper Oconee Watershed, away from the city of Athens GA, has minimized conflicts between agricultural and urban interests. Phosphorus, nitrogen, and fecal coliform bacteria were high near the poultry production area, but were reduced within the watershed prior to reaching the intake for the municipal water supply. Athens had a large impact on surface water quality and approximately doubled the amount of phosphorus and nitrogen in the Oconee River. The Oconee River contributed approximately 70% of the water flowing to Lake Oconee. The residents of Lake Oconee have noted the 30 dairies located west of the lake impacting two relatively minor creeks flowing to the lake. These two creeks make up approximately 2.5% of the flow to the lake, but the proximity of the dairies to the lake makes losses of phosphorus, nitrogen, and fecal bacteria apparent in water samples. Fecal coliform numbers were elevated in some creeks with little agricultural or urban development. To test alternative microbial assays, surface water from a grazed watershed was compared to water from a wooded watershed. Assays for enterococci and E. coli may provide a better test for fecal contamination and allow differentiation between natural areas and areas impacted by grazing animals. Analysis of the Upper Oconee Watershed identified agricultural impacts and areas that should be priorities for natural resource management to reduce agricultural non-point source pollution. Focusing conservation efforts at these locations may prevent agricultural-urban conflict. However, the data also indicate that municipal sources of nutrients and fecal bacteria must be reduced to make significant progress in the watershed.
Trellis based lower bounds on capacities of channels with synchronization errors

In this paper, we model synchronization error channels as hidden Markov models. Through this model we introduce a rhomboidal trellis for calculating information rates for synchronization error channels. In particular, the introduced trellis is novel due to being synchronized with the channel input sequence, i.e., one trellis section corresponds to one channel input symbol, but (possibly) multiple channel output symbols. By further conditioning on the output sequence length, we construct a finite-length/finite-width trellis, and proceed to provide Monte Carlo methods to evaluate the information rates for Markov channel inputs of any finite order. We also demonstrate how to optimize the Markov process using a generalized Blahut-Arimoto technique to improve on the known lower bounds for the deletion channel.
Freedom and the Construction of Europe: Vattel's Rousseau: ius gentium and the natural liberty of states

From the context of mid-eighteenth-century Swiss debates on the natural liberty of small states and the commercial liberty of imperial powers, this paper will trace two distinct - but ultimately irreconcilable - approaches to accommodating the liberty of states and obedience to the law of nations within an emerging modern European political system. Throughout his writings on war, Rousseau struggled to overcome his own skepticism, but in the end remained trapped in his pessimism for international peace. It was Vattel who provided an alternative vision to Rousseau's deep-seated pessimism, and one that was sensitive to the new political arrangements in Europe at the time. For Vattel such adherence was derived from reciprocal voluntary relationships, in which states enter through traites publics. The liberty of states was not a product of a union of wills, as Rousseau would have it, but emerged from the interaction of rival societies based in pragmatic-driven sociability. The first part of this essay will explore Rousseau's state of war and show that Vattel's conception of international relations is best situated as a rejoinder to Rousseau's pessimism for international peace. The second part will then engage Vattel's description of modern Europe as his model for international sociability, held in equilibrium through commercial relations. The conclusion will remark on the uniquely Swiss nature of these debates and their relevance for present-day transformations of the European Union.
Guanine-nucleotide and hormone regulation of polyphosphoinositide phospholipase C activity of rat liver plasma membranes. Bivalent-cation and phospholipid requirements.

Abstract The effect of the GTP analogue guanosine 5'-[gamma-thio]triphosphate (GTP[S]) on the polyphosphoinositide phospholipase C (PLC) of rat liver was examined by using exogenous [3H]phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate [PtdIns(4,5)P2]. GTP[S] stimulated the membrane-bound PLC up to 20-fold, with a half-maximal effect at approx. 100 nM. Stimulation was also observed with guanosine 5'-[beta gamma-imido]triphosphate, but not with adenosine 5'-[gamma-thio]triphosphate, and was inhibited by guanosine 5'-[beta-thio]diphosphate. Membrane-bound PLC was entirely Ca2+-dependent, and GTP[S] produced both a decrease in the Ca2+ requirement and an increase in activity at saturating [Ca2+]. The stimulatory action of GTP[S] required millimolar Mg2+. [8-arginine]Vasopressin (100 nM) stimulated the PLC activity approx. 2-fold in the presence of 10 nM-GTP[S], but had no effect in the absence of GTP[S] or at 1 microM-GTP[S]. The hydrolysis of PtdIns(4,5)P2 by membrane-bound PLC was increased when the substrate was mixed with phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine or various combinations of these with phosphatidylserine. With PtdIns(4,5)P2, alone or mixed with phosphatidylcholine, GTP[S] evoked little or no stimulation of the PLC activity. However, maximal stimulation by GTP[S] was observed in the presence of a 2-fold molar excess of phosphatidylserine or various combinations of phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylserine. Hydrolysis of [3H]phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate by membrane-bound PLC was also increased by GTP[S]. However, [3H]phosphatidylinositol was a poor substrate, and its hydrolysis was barely affected by GTP[S]. Cytosolic PtdIns(4,5)P2-PLC exhibited a Ca2+-dependence similar to that of the membrane-bound activity, but was unaffected by GTP[S]. It is concluded that rat liver plasma membranes possess a Ca2+-dependent polyphosphoinositide PLC that is activated by hormones and GTP analogues, depending on the Mg2+ concentration and phospholipid environment. It is proposed that GTP analogues and hormones, acting through a guanine nucleotide-binding protein, activate the enzyme mainly by lowering its Ca2+ requirement.
Enhancement of estradiol potency by the 17 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase inhibitor, 16-methylene E2 in vivo.

The ability of 16-methylene E2, a 17 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase inhibitor, to enhance estradiol 17 beta (E2) potency was assayed by 24-hr weight gain in the immature rat uterus. Initial studies demonstrated that 16-methylene E2 (1-100 micrograms s.c.) did not produce significant uterine weight gain 24 hr after administration, whereas E2 (0.1-10 micrograms s.c.) produced a significant uterine weight gain under the same experimental conditions. A subthreshold dose of E2 (0.01 microgram s.c.) when administered in combination with 100 micrograms (s.c.) of 16-methylene E2 produced a significant uterine weight gain. When rats were predosed with 16-methylene E2 at 72, 48, 24, 6 or 0 hr before the administration of 0.01 microgram of E2, the magnitude of the 24-hr uterine weight gain increased and attained maximal values for the 6-hr pretreatment time point. A subsequent dose-response study of 16-methylene E2 (1-100 micrograms s.c.) administered 6 hr before 0.01 microgram of E2 revealed that the 10, 50 and 100 microgram 16-methylene E2 dose significantly increased uterine weight gain in a dose-dependent manner. These results indicate that 16-methylene E2 is not a direct acting estrogen but acts synergistically with E2 to produce an enhanced uterine response. In a separate set of monkey experiments: 1) A trace dose of [3H]E2 was perfused through the in situ, term rhesus monkey placenta via the umbilical arteries and samples were collected from the umbilical vein of this open system.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Composite Films of Copper / Boron Nitride and Nickel / Boron Nitride

The formation and characterization of composite films of copper/boron nitride (Cu/BN) and nickel/boron nitride (Ni/BN) are described. Composite Cu/BN and Ni/BN films were synthesized by a metal electrodeposition from suspensions of boron nitride particles on carbon steel substrates. The effects of concentration of boron nitride in the solution, temperature, potential and various additives on the morphology of composite films have been investigated. The morphology of these films was examined using Scanning Electron Microscopy. The elemental analysis for boron, nitrogen, copper and nickel was performed using Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), and a Microprobe X-ray Analyzer. The Vickers hardness of Cu/BN and Ni/BN films prepared under different conditions was also investigated. It has been found that the composite Cu/BN and Ni/BN films have an increased microhardness as compared to the respective pure metal films. The effects of deposition potential, temperature, concentration of BN and presence of various additives on the microhardness of Cu/BN and Ni/BN films have been investigated.
Diagnosis of septicaemia

Essential principles underlying blood collection for cultures the the requirements for several separate cultures because of the intermittency of most bacteraemias, for culture of a sufficiently large volume of blood because of the low order of magnitude of the majority of bacteraemias in adults, and for adequate dilution of the blood in the culture medium to minimize the bactericidal effects of blood on bacteria. Kor these reasons, it is suggested that 20 to 30 ml of blood be collected for each of 2 to 3 separate cultures per septic episode and that the blood be diluted in the media on a 10”,, vol/vol basis. When vacuum blood culture bottles are used, at least 2 should be inoculated so that one may be transiently vented prior to incubation and the other incubated unvented. Cultures should be examined visually later in the day of their inoculation and daily thereafter for a minimum of 7d and should be routinely subcultureel aerobically between 6 and 17 h following inoculation and 48 h later. Routine anaerobic subcultures arc unnecessary.
Models for Cyrogenic Cavitation in Rotating Turbomachinery

When the pressure drops below the working fluid’s saturation pressure in cryogenic rotating machinery, the growth rate of the resultant cavitation bubbles is limited by the heat transfer between the liquid and gas phases. To properly predict and calculate the performance of cryogenic turbomachinery, computational fluid dynamics codes must account for this heat transfer in the model for phase change. Within the framework of the computational fluid dynamics code ANSYS-CFX, three cavitation submodels are compared for flow over simple ogive shapes. To provide additional anchoring data, experiments were performed on an 84 degree helical inducer. Fully wetted performance data is presented along with head fall off due to cavitation at a flow coefficient of 0.05.
Reduce Driveline Trauma Through Stabilization and Exit Site Management: 30 Days Feasibility Results from the Multicenter Resist Study.

The percutaneous lead management kit (PLMK) was developed for the HeartMate 2 (HM2) left ventricular assist device (LVAD) to reduce trauma at the exit site and to maintain a clean environment. REduce Driveline Trauma through StabIlization and Exit Site ManagemenT (RESIST) was a multicenter, prospective, nonrandomized study designed to evaluate the feasibility of the PLMK for managing the HM2 driveline exit site. Fifty patients were enrolled at five sites at a median of 495 days post-HM2 implant; 92% (46 of 50) of patients used the PLMK for a minimum of 30 days. At 30 days, more patients found the PLMK to be extremely comfortable (80% vs. 37%, p < 0.001) and extremely effective at stabilizing the driveline (82% vs. 40%, p < 0.001) compared with each center's standard of care. Frequency of dressing changes was 6-7 days or higher for 85% of the patients with PLMK. Three patients developed driveline infection while on PLMK (6%, 0.15 events per patient year), and 35 patients continued to use the PLMK after 6 months. The PLMK is easy to use, increases patient comfort, and increases driveline stability with a dressing change frequency of 6-7 days.
A Behavior-Based Framework for Assessing Barrier Effects to Wildlife from Vehicle Traffic Volume

Roads, while central to the function of human society, create barriers to animal movement through collisions and habitat fragmentation. Barriers to animal movement affect the evolution and tra- jectory of populations. Investigators have attempted to use traffic volume, the number of vehicles passing a point on a road segment, to predict effects to wildlife populations approximately linearly and along taxonomic lines; however, taxonomic groupings cannot provide sound predictions because closely related species often respond differently. We assess the role of wildlife behavioral responses to traffic volume as a tool to predict barrier effects from vehicle- caused mortality and avoidance, to provide an early warning system that recognizes traffic volume as a trigger for mitigation, and to better interpret roadkill data. We propose four categories of behavioral response based on the perceived danger to traffic: Nonresponders, Pausers, Speeders, and Avoiders. Nonresponders attempt to cross highways regardless of traffic volume. Pausers stop in the face of danger so have a low probability of successful crossing when traffic volume increases. Hence, highway barrier effects are primarily due to mortality for Nonresponders and Pausers at high traffic volumes. Speeders run away from danger but are unable to do so successfully as traffic vol- ume increases. At moderate to high volume, Speeders are repelled by traffic danger. Avoiders face lower mortality than other categories because they begin to avoid traffic at relatively low traffic volumes. Hence, avoidance causes barrier effects more than mortality for Speeders and Avoiders even at relatively moder - ate traffic volumes. By considering a species' risk- avoidance response to traffic, managers can make more appropriate and timely decisions to mitigate effects before populations decline or become locally extinct.
Contemporary Capitalism in the Evolving International Situations

After World War II,contemporary capitalism has both played an important role in and been significantly influenced by the evolving international situations from various aspects such as the theme switch of the era,the pattern continuance of cold war,the development of multipolarization,and the advance of economic globalization.To study contemporary capitalism in the evolving international situations is beneficial to deeper understanding not only of the relationship between the evolution of international situations and contemporary capitalism,but also of the international environment for the construction of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
Spectroscopic determination of ecologically relevant plant secondary metabolites

Summary Spectroscopy has recently emerged as an effective method to accurately characterize leaf biochemistry in living tissue through the application of chemometric approaches to foliar optical data, but this approach has not been widely used for plant secondary metabolites. Here, we examine the ability of reflectance spectroscopy to quantify specific phenolic compounds in trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) and paper birch (Betula papyrifera) that play influential roles in ecosystem functioning related to trophic-level interactions and nutrient cycling. Spectral measurements on live aspen and birch leaves were collected, after which concentrations of condensed tannins (aspen and birch) and salicinoids (aspen only) were determined using standard analytical approaches in the laboratory. Predictive models were then constructed using jackknifed, partial least squares regression (PLSR). Model performance was evaluated using coefficient of determination (R2), root-mean-square error (RMSE) and the per cent RMSE of the data range (%RMSE). Condensed tannins of aspen and birch were well predicted from both combined (R2 = 0·86, RMSE = 2·4, %RMSE = 7%)- and individual-species models (aspen: R2 = 0·86, RMSE = 2·4, %RMSE = 6%; birch: R2 = 0·81, RMSE = 1·9, %RMSE = 10%). Aspen total salicinoids were better predicted than individual salicinoids (total: R2 = 0·76, RMSE = 2·4, %RMSE = 8%; salicortin: R2 = 0·57, RMSE = 1·9, %RMSE = 11%; tremulacin: R2 = 0·72, RMSE = 1·1, %RMSE = 11%), and spectra collected from dry leaves produced better models for both aspen tannins (R2 = 0·92, RMSE = 1·7, %RMSE = 5%) and salicinoids (R2 = 0·84, RMSE = 1·4, %RMSE = 5%) compared with spectra from fresh leaves. The decline in prediction performance from total to individual salicinoids and from dry to fresh measurements was marginal, however, given the increase in detailed salicinoid information acquired and the time saved by avoiding drying and grinding leaf samples. Reflectance spectroscopy can successfully characterize specific secondary metabolites in living plant tissue and provide detailed information on individual compounds within a constituent group. The ability to simultaneously measure multiple plant traits is a powerful attribute of reflectance spectroscopy because of its potential for in situ–in vivo field deployment using portable spectrometers. The suite of traits currently estimable, however, needs to expand to include specific secondary metabolites that play influential roles in ecosystem functioning if we are to advance the integration of chemical, landscape and ecosystem ecology.
Development of Position/Energy-Sensitive Detectors for Body Composition Measurements

We are developing a system for in vivo body composition measurements that uses detectors which are both position- and energy-sensitive. Traditional gamma detection systems provide whole body data for various elements, which may or may not be uniformly distributed, but do not indicate where the signals are located in the body. The counter we are developing at the Children’s Nutrition Research Center (CNRC) is a multiparameter data acquisition system capable of providing information to indicate the distribution within the body of the various photopeaks found in a standard delayed gamma spectrum (~100 keV to ~4 MeV) using NaI(T1) detectors.
The effects of corpse viewing and corpse condition on vigilance for deceased loved ones

Abstract One cognitive facet of the adaptive response to the absence of a valued relationship partner is increased vigilance toward indications of the agent's return, manifested in part as a lowered threshold for the detection of such indications. However, increased vigilance is dysfunctional when death is the cause of the partner's absence. Reliable cues of death should therefore diminish vigilance and raise detection thresholds. In the contemporary West, grief and related experiences often follow the death of a beloved pet, affording the opportunity to study the effects of exposure to cues of the death of a relationship partner free of the Western medicalized and professionalized aspects of human dying and mortuary preparation. Consonant with our thesis, in an online survey of 142 recently bereaved pet owners, we find evidence that seeing a corpse that exhibits reliable cues of death, such as grievous injuries or extensive disruptions to the body envelope, reduces vigilance to seek out the agent in the environment; in contrast, visual exposure to an intact corpse is insufficient to diminish vigilance for that agent. We discuss the implications of our evolutionary approach for bereavement research and modern funerary practices.
A New Kind of Social Media Strategy: Collecting Zines at the Vassar College Library

“Where do we go from here?” One way that the Vassar College Library is answering this question is by making concerted efforts to promote unique or rarely held materials—that is, nurturing collections that will make us stand out from the crowd. With that goal in mind, the Vassar College Library has spent the past year working to create a collection of zines. This article will discuss the importance of social media in the acquisition of zines, using the Vassar College Library’s experience as an example. Zines are DIY, self‐published materials that are a vibrant and creative way to represent diverse points of view in your collection; however, with DIY publications come a host of new collection development and acquisition hurdles to consider. Since zines are produced outside of the purview of for‐profit publishers, librarians cannot rely on our comfortable and well‐established mechanisms to explore and acquire these materials. Using social media to inform collection development can be daunting, but if zines are a medium your library wants to pursue, doing a little bit of networking can go a long way. Readers will learn about the Vassar zine collection development plan, and different ways that we use social media (particularly Twitter) to fulfill our mission. Different online zine distributors (or distros) will also be discussed, as well as the wealth of materials to be found from individual zinesters via avenues typically not utilized by libraries, such as Etsy. The topic of ethical zine acquisitions will also be explored.
Where is my stuff? Conceptualizing Hip Hop as ‘play’

ABSTRACTCultural continuity between home and school has been emphasized in a range of research concerning diversity and multicultural education (Colombo, M. (2005). Reflections from teachers of culturally diverse children. Young Children, Beyond the Journal, 60(6). Retrieved from http://www.journal.naeyc.org/btj/200511/ColomboBTJ1105.asp). However, research that examines ways Hip Hop culture can be conceptualized as ‘play’ in early childhood contexts is dismal. This dearth of literature regarding Hip Hop play suggests that Hip Hop play may not be regularly occurring or documented in early childhood classroom/learning settings. However, we do know that when culture is bridged from the home of some children to their schools, and when children experience positive outcomes academically and personally. This paper explores the possibilities of Hip Hop culture as ‘play’ as an approach for nurturing children’s development, cultural competence, cultural identities, and individual identities; and the power dynamics...
The Politics of Food Anti-Politics

This article explores the dynamics of a discursive contest between a “Real Food” frame in which, for concerned consumers and activists, processed food is an unhealthy product of a troubled food system, and a “Real Facts” frame in which, for food science and food industry advocates, processed food is a solution to the need to provide abundant, safe, and nutritious food. The analysis focuses on two school curricula that are vying to teach children “where food comes from.” I argue that the “food” in these two curricula is not the same thing. Within the Food, Inc. Discussion Guide, food is connection, responsibility, and politics. The Alliance to Feed the Future curricula respond with a strategic anti-politics of food, asserting that food can only be “what it obviously is” and framing Real Food9s challenge as scientific and technical ignorance.
Assessing Function and Functional Outcome in Schizophrenia

The diagnosis of schizophrenia can only be made in the presence of a loss of functioning in domains such as employment, independent living, and social functioning. Accurately measuring functioning is central to research on the course of the disorder, treatment and rehabilitation outcomes, and biosocial factors in schizophrenia. Assessments of functional disability have described three dimensions of functioning: functional capacity, functional performance, and functional outcome. The “competence/performance” distinction refers to the observation that an individual may demonstrate an ability to perform a functional task (capacity) but may not do so in her own community environment (performance). Functional outcomes are the result of both capacity and performance. Several recent reviews have compared the characteristics, reliability, and validity of various functional assessment instruments. Two major initiatives are underway to gather additional comparative data about functional assessment strategies. Recently, both the recovery movement and the recognition of the role of environmental factors in functioning have raised questions about the conceptual content of the functioning construct (construct validity). For instance, several studies have demonstrated that features of functioning need not track together over the course of the illness. In addition, the notion of recovery emphasizes processes like community integration and subjective well-being that are not static outcomes but are continually evolving features of the life course in chronic illness. Findings on the dynamic role of environmental moderators such as support and opportunity also present challenges to scientific constructs. For these reasons and others, the ecological validity of functional assessments has become a central concern. Both the verisimilitude and veridicality of functional assessments can be empirically assessed, but to date very few studies have measured the extent to which functional measures accurately predict individuals’ behavior in their usual environments. Observational studies in naturalistic environments are one important area for future research.
Toll-Like Receptor Signaling Contributes to Proinflammatory Mediator Production in Localized Provoked Vulvodynia.

OBJECTIVES Localized provoked vulvodynia (LPV) afflicts approximately 8% of women in the United States and represents a huge financial, physical, and psychological burden. Women with LPV experience intense pain localized to the vulvar vestibule (area immediately surrounding vaginal opening). We have identified mechanisms involved in the development of LPV whereby vulvar fibroblasts respond to proinflammatory stimuli to perpetuate an inflammatory response that causes pain. However, these mechanisms are not fully elucidated. Therefore, we explored the role of toll-like receptors (TLRs), a class of innate immune receptors that rapidly respond to microbial assaults. MATERIALS AND METHODS To determine whether TLRs are expressed by vulvar fibroblasts and whether these contribute to proinflammatory mediator production and pain in LPV, we examined TLR expression and innate immune responses in fibroblasts derived from painful vestibular regions compared with nonpainful external vulvar regions. RESULTS Human vulvar fibroblasts express functional TLRs that trigger production of inflammatory mediators associated with chronic pain. We focused on the TLR-7-imiquimod proinflammatory interaction, because imiquimod, a ligand of TLR-7, may exacerbate pain in women during treatment of human papillomavirus-associated disease. CONCLUSIONS Human vulvar fibroblasts express a broad spectrum of TLRs (a new finding). A significantly higher TLR-mediated proinflammatory response was observed in LPV case vestibular fibroblasts, and with respect to the imiquimod-TLR 7 interaction, development of chronic vestibular pain and inflammation may be a possible sequelae of treatment of vulvar human papillomavirus-associated disease. Suppressing enhanced TLR-associated innate immune responses to a spectrum of pathogen-associated molecular patterns may represent a new/effective therapeutic approach for vulvodynia.
Operation of Solar Cells in a Space Environment

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the operation of solar cells in a space environment. The first 30 years of space solar cell development focused on silicon solar cells. The concept of a tandem cell was proposed in the early days to enhance the overall efficiency. An optimized three-cell stack followed with a theoretical optimum efficiency of 37%. However, it was 40 years later before a multijunction solar cell flew in space. Today, silicon cells still fly in space, but the cell of choice is a multijunction solar cell. While commercial satellites use silicon, dual, or triple junction GaInP/GaAs/Ge, there is a marked interest in military applications of thin-film cells. NASA also has planned missions in which a large specific power (kW/kg) and lower cost would be beneficial. The advantages of thin film solar cells are their large specific power when deposited on a flexible, lightweight substrate with a suitably lightweight support structure. This chapter discusses space missions and their environments. Concepts of air mass zero spectrum, trapped radiation environment, solar flares, neutral environment, the particulate environment, and thermal environment are explained in detail.
Multimodal Pain Management Protocol Versus Patient Controlled Narcotic Analgesia for Postoperative Pain Control after Shoulder Arthroplasty

Background: Our institution’s traditional pain management strategy after shoulder arthroplasty has involved the utilization of postoperative patient-controlled narcotic analgesia. More recently, we have implemented a protocol (TLC) that utilizes a multimodal approach. The purpose of this study was to determine whether this change has improved pain control and decreased narcotic utilization. Methods: Patients undergoing primary total shoulder or reverse arthroplasty were retrospectively studied. All patients underwent interscalene brachial plexus blockade. “Traditional” patients were provided a patient-controlled analgesic pump postoperatively. TLC patients were given preoperative and postoperative multimodal, non-narcotic analgesic medications and breakthrough narcotics. Morphine equivalent units (MEU) consumed and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores for pain (0, 8, 16, and 24 hours) were considered. Results: There were 108 patients in each group. Total postoperative narcotic consumption in the first 24 postoperative hours was 38.5 +/- 81.1 MEU in the “Traditional group” compared to 59.3 +/- 59.1 MEU in the TLC group (P<0.001). Of patients in the TLC group, 88% utilized breakthrough narcotics. VAS pain was significantly higher in the “Traditional group” at 16 hours (4.1 +/- 2.9 vs 3.2 +/- 2.7, P=0.020) and 24 hours (4.8 +/- 2.7 vs 3.7 +/- 2.6, P=0.004). Conclusion: Those treated with the TLC protocol had greater narcotic utilization but better VAS pain scores at 24 hours after surgery. Both groups experienced rebound pain. While the TLC protocol led to an improved pain experience, further modification of the currently protocol may be necessary to reduce overall narcotic utilization. Level of evidence: III
Virtual nondestructive evaluation for anisotropic plates using Symmetry Informed Sequential Mapping of Anisotropic Green's function (SISMAG).

Abstract In this article, a generalized computational method to simulate virtual nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of anisotropic composite plates is presented. The ultrasonic wave fields were computed using a modified and generalized version of Distributed Point Source Method (DPSM), a semi-analytical mesh-free technique. The anisotropic Green’s functions required for DPSM implementation were calculated using Fourier transform method and Radon transform method and compared. It is established that the Green’s functions obtained from two different methods are identical. Applying generalized mathematical formulations, NDE of different degrees of anisotropic: transversely isotropic, orthotropic and monoclinic material are simulated and reported in this article. To boost the computational efficiency, a Symmetry Informed Sequential Mapping of Anisotropic Green’s function (SISMAG) is introduced with DPSM and discussed in detail. To prove the above claims, virtual NDE experiments of anisotropic plates with normal and angle incidence of the ultrasonic wave are simulated using a circular transducer of central frequency ∼1 MHz. Wave fields inside both the fluid and the solid media were calculated.
Adaptive measurement design for direction of arrival estimation and target tracking

Compressive sensing theory states that a sparse vector x in dictionary A can be recovered from measurements y = WAx. For recovery of x, the measurement matrix W is generally chosen as random since a random W is sufficiently incoherent with a given basis A with high probability. Although Gaussian or Bernoulli random measurement matrices satisfy recovery requirements, they do not necessarily yield the best performance in terms of minimal mutual coherence or best parameter estimation. In literature several studies focused on measurement matrix design mainly to minimize some form of coherence between W and A to minimize measurement numbers while exact reconstruction is guaranteed. On the other hand, for enhanced parameter estimation W can be designed to minimize the Cramer Rao Lower Bound (CRLB). In this study, we propose direct and sequential measurement designs that minimizes the CRLB for the application of direction of arrival (DoA) estimation. Based on our results an adaptive target tracking procedure for single and multiple target scenarios is also proposed. Initial simulations show that measurement design solutions provide enhanced parameter estimation and target tracking performance compared to widely used random matrices in compressive sensing.
IV—The effect of pancreatic duct ligation on the breakdown of antigen and antigen-antibody complexes on the intestinal surface

We have previously shown a consistent decrease in antigen absorption in vitro by ileal and jejunal gut sacs from orally or parenterally immunized rats in contrast to controls. In immunized rats, antigen appeared to be retained on the surface of the intestine and to undergo enhanced degradation by local proteases. This study was concerned with the role of pancreatic enzymes in degradation of antigen and antigen-antibody complexes. The breakdown of [125I]bovine serum albumin (BSA) by jejunal and ileal gut sacs from BSA-immunized, pancreatic duct-ligated rats was significantly decreased in comparison to that of BSA-immunized, sham-operated controls. Treatment of the immunized, pancreatic duct-ligated rats with pancreatic extracts prior to removal of the gut sacs, led to an increase in breakdown of [125I]BSA by the gut sacs in vitro. These findings suggest that pancreatic enzymes adsorbed to the surface of the intestine contribute to the proteolysis of antigens and antigen-antibody complexes at this site.