cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Remote sensing based water-use efficiency evaluation in sub-surface irrigated wine grape vines

Increased water demands have forced agriculture industry to investigate better irrigation management strategies in crop production. Efficient irrigation systems, improved irrigation scheduling, and selection of crop varieties with better water-use efficiencies can aid towards conserving water. In an ongoing experiment carried on in Red Mountain American Viticulture area near Benton City, Washington, subsurface drip irrigation treatments at 30, 60 and 90 cm depth, and 15, 30 and 60% irrigation were applied to satisfy evapotranspiration demand using pulse and continuous irrigation. These treatments were compared to continuous surface irrigation applied at 100% evapotranspiration demand. Thermal infrared and multispectral images were acquired using unmanned aerial vehicle during the growing season. Obtained results indicated no difference in yield among treatments (p<0.05), however there was statistical difference in leaf temperature comparing surface and subsurface irrigation (p<0.05). Normalized vegetation index obtained from the analysis of multispectral images showed statistical difference among treatments when surface and subsurface irrigation methods were compared. Similar differences in vegetation index values were observed, when irrigation rates were compared. Obtained results show the applicability of aerial thermal infrared and multispectral images to characterize plant responses to different irrigation treatments and use of such information in irrigation scheduling or high-throughput selection of water-use efficient crop varieties in plant breeding.
Sexual behavior and HIV risk among age-discrepant, same-sex male couples

Research has suggested that men who have sex with men and who have older sexual partners are at increased risk of HIV infection. However, while several studies have explored risk among men in age-discrepant non-primary partnerships, only two have explored age discrepancy and risk in primary same-sex male relationships. We used data from semi-structured in-depth interviews to explore sexual behaviour and HIV risk among 14 Black, white and interracial (Black/white) same-sex male couples with an age difference of 10 or more years. Most couples regularly used condoms, and sexual positioning tended to lead to lower risk for younger partners. Some serodiscordant couples abstained from anal sex, while others used seropositioning to avoid transmission within the relationship. Within some couples, older partners acted as mentors on HIV prevention and broader life lessons. Future studies should further explore the potential risks and benefits of large age differences in same-sex male primary relationships.
Yttrium zoning in garnet: Coupling of major and accessory phases during metamorphic reactions

The concentration of yttrium in pelitic garnets as a function of metamorphic grade has been examined in relation to the distribution of xenotime (YPO 4 ) in samples from New England and British Columbia. Samples with xenotime present only as inclusions in garnet generally possess high-Y cores and concentrations that drop off discontinuously along zoning shoulders of variable width to low-Y outboard regions. Samples with matrix xenotime are restricted to the garnet zone; Y concentration of these garnets generally decreases smoothly from core to rim. Xenotime may also be present in reaction zones around garnet. In xenotime-bearing samples, [Y] G r t is strongly temperature-dependent and ranges from ∼5000 ppm in the garnet zone to ∼150 ppm in the sillimanite zone. Measured yttrium zoning profiles in xenotime-absent samples are reproduced with both Rayleigh fractionation and diffusion models, but P-T histories of the samples examined favor the Rayleigh model, with garnet volume, bulk-rock yttrium, and mode of (Y, HREE) accessory phases controlling the profile shape. High-yttrium annuli in staurolite-zone samples may form by garnet overgrowth of proximal matrix enriched in yttrium due to garnet consumption during discontinuous staurolite-forming reactions. An increase in [Y] G r t and [HREE] G r t in garnet from anatectic samples is related to dissolution of phosphates in vapor-absent, peraluminous melt, with partitioning of highly compatible Y and HREE into garnet grown during anatexis; textural analysis reveals that phosphates are absent from regions of garnet grown in equilibrium with melt. A main result of this study is identification of an intimate coupling between major pelite phases and accessory phases during reaction progress. This coupling is of great advantage in that it may be used to (1) calibrate sensitive geothermometers and geobarometers, (2) identify particular regions of garnet grown in different garnet-producing reactions over a range of grades, and (3) reveal portions of pelite reaction history invisible to major elements.
Structural Adjustment Reforms, Ten Years Later

The nation of Mongolia is in the process of a difficult and often frustrating transition to a democratic and free market society. The structural adjustment necessary for this transition can have disproportionate impacts on the education and human resource (EHR) sector if the sector’s key role in the transition is not carefully articulated. Serious damage to the present education and training system could even cause a decline in public acceptance of the structural adjustment process itself. (Government of Mongolia 1993: i)
Revegetation of an abandoned coal washing site

ABSTRACT Various reclamation techniques were applied on an abandoned coal washing pond in western Kentucky. The entire site was treated with fertilizer and lime to add nutrients and neutralize the soil pH. Four main treatments and control plots were established. The treatments included bark; straw and manure; bark, sawdust and manure; and a mixture of sewer sludge and kiln dust.. Plots were also treated with a water absorbing synthetic polymer. All plots were seeded with various grasses, legumes, and black locust. The site was measured in 1992 after three growing seasons for woody plant biomass and percent ground cover. Significant differences in both woody plant biomass and percent ground cover were found between the treatments.
In-depth circuits edit analysis to reveal the implantation-related defect

IC functional failure is always a challenge for failure analysis engineers since it needs test pattern to access the defect location and electrically trigger it. Dynamic failure analysis is the only way to be used to do this kind of analysis. But it's time consuming and complex to employ dynamic analysis, so the success rate is lower and cycle time is longer. Static failure analysis is impossible to apply on these kinds of analysis since the test pattern and design information is needed. However, in this paper, the application of advanced FIB circuit edit (CE) was employed to isolate the suspected function block, and make it accessible to the DC bias. With static FA analysis, the defect location was successfully localized. Nanoprobing was employed on the further electrical analysis, and abnormal electrical performance was successfully observed. Combined with the device physics analysis, the suspected process was identified. Further PFA Wright etch was applied to visualize the defect which was a soft failure of Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT) device. Failure mechanism was built up to explain the electrical and physical phenomena successfully.
A calculation of the radiation environment on the Martian surface.

Abstract In this work, the radiation environment on the Martian surface, as produced by galactic cosmic radiation incident on the atmosphere, is modeled using the Monte Carlo radiation transport code, High Energy Transport Code—Human Exploration and Development in Space (HETC–HEDS). This work is performed in participation of the 2016 Mars Space Radiation Modeling Workshop held in Boulder, CO, and is part of a larger collaborative effort to study the radiation environment on the surface of Mars. Calculated fluxes for neutrons, protons, deuterons, tritons, helions, alpha particles, and heavier ions up to Fe are compared with measurements taken by Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) instrument aboard the Mars Science Laboratory over a period of 2 months. The degree of agreement between measured and calculated surface flux values over the limited energy range of the measurements is found to vary significantly depending on the particle species or group. However, in many cases the fluxes predicted by HETC–HEDS fall well within the experimental uncertainty. The calculated results for alpha particles and the heavy ion groups Z = 3–5, Z = 6–8, Z = 9–13 and Z > 24 are in the best agreement, each with an average relative difference from measured data of less than 40%. Predictions for neutrons, protons, deuterons, tritons, Helium-3, and the heavy ion group Z = 14–24 have differences from the measurements, in some cases, greater than 50%. Future updates to the secondary light particle production methods in the nuclear model within HETC–HEDS are expected to improve light ion flux predictions.
Racial and Ethnic Differences in Trajectories of Hospitalization in US Men and Women With Heart Failure.

BackgroundPrior studies have documented racial and ethnic disparities in hospitalization among patients with heart failure (HF). However, racial/ethnic differences in trajectories of hospitalizatio...
A cooperative game theory algorithm for distributed reactive power reserve optimization and voltage profile improvement

Modern power systems are continuously pushed to operate close to their limits due to economic and environmental constraints. As a result, the system voltage profile may seriously degrades, which can lead to voltage instability. The improvement of system voltage is thus of paramount importance for the reliability and stability of power grids. Several optimization techniques such as particle swarm optimization, artificial neural networks and non-cooperative game theory have been proposed to address the system voltage improvement and the related problem of reactive power maximization with varying levels of success. The framework of cooperative game theory is utilized in this work to propose novel models and algorithms for the joint optimization of reactive power reserve and voltage profile. We formulate a cooperative game with transferable utility to depict the interactions between system components during the operation of a power grid. First, a Shapley-value-based algorithm is developed to optimize system components locally (i.e., at the regional level). Second, we propose a cooperative game that adequately models the cooperation between independent regions within an interconnected power grid during power system operations. An algorithm is then developed to arrive at a global strategy that strives to optimize reactive power reserve and voltage profile at the regional level in a distributed manner. The proposed algorithms have been successfully validated using the IEEE-39 bus system and very encouraging results are reported.
Measuring peer feedback in face-to-face and online public-speaking workshops

ABSTRACTThis study explores the use of a survey instrument relating to feedback within the organizational context to measure student perceptions of peer feedback in a speech workshop activity condu...
Indigenous elsewheres: refusal and re-membering in education research, policy, and praxis

This special issue began with an invited talk Sandy Grande gave at the University of California, Los Angeles, entitled, ‘Biopolitics, Aging and the Struggle for Indigenous Elsewheres.’1 Five Indige...
Plants and Drought in a Changing Climate

Climate is changing in response to rising concentrations of atmospheric CO2 and it is commonly asserted that this will cause droughts to become more frequent and severe. However, different metrics of drought give diverging estimates of future impacts. I present a summary of the significant yet underappreciated influence that plant stomatal and growth responses to CO2 have on drought and highlight new insights into the impacts of drought on plants in a warmer world. Plants influence the water availability on land and thus reduce the duration and intensity of droughts under higher CO2 conditions. Plants are concurrently more vulnerable to mortality when droughts occur under hotter conditions. The frequency and severity of drought in the future depends on the response of plants to a changing climate—ignoring plant responses leads to over-prediction of drought. Nonetheless, the impact of current frequencies of drought on plants could lead to higher mortality rates in the future as plants must withstand drought stress simultaneously with hotter temperatures.
Tapering off and returning to buprenorphine maintenance in a primary care Office Based Addiction Treatment (OBAT) program

Abstract Background Guidelines recommend long-term treatment for opioid use disorder including the use of buprenorphine; however, many patients desire to eventually taper off. This study examines the prevalence and patient characteristics of patients that voluntarily taper off buprenorphine. Methods This is a 12-year retrospective cohort study of adults on buprenorphine in a large urban safety-net primary care practice. The primary outcome was completion of a voluntary buprenorphine taper, which was further characterized as a medically supervised or unsupervised taper. The secondary outcome was re-engagement in care after taper. Descriptive statistics and estimated proportions of both taper completion and re-engagement in treatment were calculated using Kaplan-Meier estimates. Results The study sample included 1308 patients with a median follow-up time of 316 days; 48 patients were observed to taper off buprenorphine during the study period, with an estimated proportion of 15% (95%CI: 10%–21%) based on Kaplan Meier analyses. Less than half of the tapers, 45.8% (22/48), were medically supervised. Thirteen of the 48 patients subsequently, re-engaged in buprenorphine treatment (estimated proportion 61%, 95%CI: 27%–96%), based on Kaplan-Meier analyses with median follow-up time of 490 days. Discussion Despite the fact that many patients desire to discontinue buprenorphine, a minority had a documented taper. Among those who tapered, more than half did so unsupervised by the clinic and a majority of those who tapered off returned to buprenorphine treatment within two years. As many patients are unable to successfully taper off buprenorphine, the medical community must work to address any barriers to long-term maintenance.
Improving Learning & Reducing Time: A Constrained Action-Based Reinforcement Learning Approach

Constrained action-based decision-making is one of the most challenging decision-making problems. It refers to a scenario where an agent takes action in an environment not only to maximize the expected cumulative reward but where it is subject to certain action-based constraints; for example, an upper limit on the total number of certain actions being carried out. In this work, we construct a general data-driven framework called Constrained Action-based Partially Observable Markov Decision Process (CAPOMDP) to induce effective pedagogical policies. Specifically, we induce two types of policies: CAPOMDPLG using learning gain as reward with the goal of improving students' learning performance, and CAPOMDPTime using time as reward for reducing students' time on task. The effectiveness of CAPOMDPLG is compared against a random yet reasonable policy and the effectiveness of CAPOMDPTime is compared against both a Deep Reinforcement Learning induced policy and a random policy. Empirical results show that there is an Aptitude-Treatment Interaction effect: students are split into High vs. Low based on their incoming competence; while no significant difference is found among the High incoming competence groups, for the Low groups, students following CAPOMDPTime indeed spent significantly less time than those using the two baseline policies and students following CAPOMDPLG significantly outperform their peers on both learning gain and learning efficiency.
The anti-aging factor GDF11 has both direct and indirect effects on mouse neural stem cells (P5.089)

Objective: Determine the direct and indirect effects of the anti-aging factor GDF11 on neural stem cells and endothelial cells. Background: Aging is the number one risk factor for the development of Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Data from parabiosis experiments, in which old and young mice are surgically joined to share circulation, demonstrate that systemic circulating factors are able to reverse certain aspects of aging. GDF11, a TGFβ family member, has been proposed as one of the circulating factors responsible for the anti-aging effects of parabiosis. Accordingly, injection of recombinant GDF11 into old mice improves vasculature and increases neural stem cell (NSC) proliferation (Katsimpardi et. al. 2014). A better understanding of the mechanism of this effect, and of cross-talk between circulating factors, the vasculature, and NSCs, will provide insight into new therapeutic approaches for age-related neurodegenerative diseases. Design/Methods: We used an in vitro system of mouse subventricular zone-derived neurospheres and brain endothelial cells to study the direct and indirect effects of GDF11 and interactions between the vasculature and NSCs. We examined GDF11 effects on NSC proliferation and differentiation using size quantitation of neurospheres and immunocytochemistry for markers of differentiation. Transwell assays were performed to assess the indirect effects of GDF11-stimulated endothelial cells on co-cultured neurospheres. Results: Neurosphere derived cells activate downstream signaling components upon GDF11 treatment. Direct treatment of neurospheres with GDF11 alters the size of spheres produced. GDF11 treatment of vascular endothelial cells indirectly increases neurosphere production in a coculture system. GDF11 influences differentiation of neurospheres by decreasing the amount of neurons produced. Conclusions: GDF11 influences both NSC and progenitor expansion and resultant differentiation based on the direct effects observed in vitro . Additionally, endothelial cells may play an important role in mediating the indirect effects of GDF11 on neural stem cells, as coculture of endothelial cells with neurospheres further stimulates growth. Study Supported by: NIH NINDS R25 program Harvard University, Blavatnik Biomedical Accelerator Program Rainwater Charitable Foundation Disclosure: Dr. Krolewski has nothing to disclose. Dr. Buchanan has nothing to disclose. Dr. Rubin has received personal compensation for activities with Denali, Alkahest, ReNeuron, Q-State, Pharma Arava, and Yumanity. Dr. Rubin has received research support from Nikon, Biogen, and Pharma Arava.
THE COLIFORM BACTERIA OF STRAWBERRIES

The positive presumptive tests obtained on the examination of strawberries undergoing processing for freezing are generally caused by Gram negative bacteria indigenous to plants and to the soil. The bacteria produce gas at the expense of the sugars naturally present in the berries. Washing the berries in chlorinated water or in water containing detergents does not eliminate the microorganisms. The incidence of coliform bacteria appears to be associated with dirty fruit, and soft and unsound fruit. A greater number of positive presumptive tests are obtained with lauryl tryptose broth than with brilliant green bile 2 percent broth. The former medium is more efficient in detecting the organisms of human and of animal origin.
Abstract WP488: Transition of Care Needs of Stroke Patients Discharged From the Hospital

Background: Poststroke patients with residual deficits that do not require inpatient rehabilitation are at an increased risk of adverse events during transition of care especially readmission withi...
A Peptide Inhibitor of NADPH Oxidase (NOX2) Activation Markedly Decreases Mouse Lung Injury and Mortality Following Administration of Lipopolysaccharide (LPS).

We have previously derived three related peptides, based on a nine-amino acid sequence in human or rat/mouse surfactant protein A, that inhibit the phospholipase A2 activity of peroxiredoxin 6 (Prdx6) and prevent the activation of lung NADPH oxidase (type 2). The present study evaluated the effect of these Prdx6-inhibitory peptides (PIP) in a mouse (C57Bl/6) model of acute lung injury following lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administration. All three peptides (PIP-1, 2 and 3) similarly inhibited the production of reactive O2 species (ROS) in isolated mouse lungs as detected by the oxidation of Amplex red. PIP-2 inhibited both the increased phospholipase A2 activity of Prdx6 and lung reactive oxygen species (ROS) production following treatment of mice with intratracheal LPS (5 µg/g body wt.). Pre-treatment of mice with PIP-2 prevented LPS-mediated lung injury while treatment with PIP-2 at 12 or 16 h after LPS administration led to reversal of lung injury when evaluated 12 or 8 h later, respectively. With a higher dose of LPS (15 µg/g body wt.), mortality was 100% at 48 h in untreated mice but only 28% in mice that were treated at 12–24 h intervals, with PIP-2 beginning at 12 h after LPS administration. Treatment with PIP-2 also markedly decreased mortality after intraperitoneal LPS (15 µg/g body wt.), used as a model of sepsis. This study shows the dramatic effectiveness of a peptide inhibitor of Prdx6 against lung injury and mouse mortality in LPS models. We propose that the PIP nonapeptides may be a useful modality to prevent or to treat human ALI.
Escalation of negative social exchange: Reflexive punishment or deliberative deterrence?

Abstract Negative escalation of social exchange exacts significant costs on both individuals and society. Instead of in-kind reciprocity—an eye for an eye—negative reciprocity may escalate, taking two eyes for an eye. We tested two competing mechanisms for negative escalation using a modified dictator game that reliably produces escalating reciprocity to others' negative actions but not to positive actions. According to one mechanism, escalation is strategic: a deliberate attempt to deter future harm. According to another mechanism, escalation is reflexive: an impulsive act of retribution without consideration of future consequences. In seven experiments, we find clear evidence consistent with a reflexive mechanism. Encouraging deliberation reduced negative escalation in one-shot interactions as well as in repeated interactions. Focusing on future consequences decreased escalation whereas disabling deliberation increased escalation. Finally, the explicit goal to punish another's negative behavior increased escalation while the goal of deterring future transgressions did not. These experiments suggest that escalation is a reflexive form of punishment rather than a deliberate act of strategic deterrence. Encouraging, enabling, or training deliberative processes may effectively reduce costly escalation in everyday life.
A win ratio approach to the re-analysis of Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial:

Background:Composite outcomes, which combine multiple types of clinical events into a single outcome, are common in clinical trials. The usual analysis considers the time to first occurrence of any...
SMACK: Subjective Measure of Applied Contextual Knowledge

We developed an augmented reality [AR] application in Microsoft’s HoloLens platform to investigate if an AR-based assessment tool better assesses a student’s real-world knowledge and skill compared to a traditional, pen-and-paper-based assessment. The AR-based assessment focused on applying knowledge to contextually subjective problems while the traditional assessment required recalling knowledge in unchanging, deterministic problems.Under our AR-based simulated construction scene, participants, 18 students enrolled in a Construction Management Safety course, were required to visually inspect the scene, correctly identify unsafe conditions, and justify their selections in a multiple-choice setting. After their AR-based assessment, they were required to complete a post-survey and a debrief. Also, they were required to complete the traditional assessment and presurvey before the AR-based assessment. Our study demonstrated that the participants preferred the AR-based assessment over the traditional assessment. However, they had higher performance ratings in the traditional assessment than the AR-based assessment.
Diploid and triploid white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) differ in magnitude but not kinetics of physiological responses to exhaustive exercise at ambient and elevated temperatures

Triploid salmonids have been shown to underperform in suboptimal environments. It is thought this might be due to having larger cells to accommodate the increased number of chromosomes and therefor...
El Ebro y Zaragoza

Todas las ciudades establecen una relacion saprofita con su rio que primero es via de navegacion y defensa, despues un vado posible, que la construccion del primer puente –de piedra- confirma como nexo entre riberas y obligado cruce de caminos. El rio es garantia de agua limpia y alcantarilla, de huerta feraz y de energia. Solo algunas veces el agua toma la palabra y pretende recuperar derechos primigenios. Pero la ciudad siempre gana. El caso de Zaragoza y el Ebro es un perfecto paradigma. Esta comunicacion parte de un programa de estudio y un taller de proyectos sobre toda la Cuenca del Ebro, entendida como un territorio, donde las condiciones de la historia han establecido gran diversidad de fueros y lenguas generando una cultura riquisima. Los cursos y el taller, a la manera del viaje por el Danubio de Claudio Magris, reflexionan sobre las distintas vocaciones de las tierras y del agua. Pero siempre siendo conscientes de la centralidad de Zaragoza y de su mesura o desmesura urbana; en fin de la condicion de la ciudad como duena absoluta del rio. Los regadios, canales y huertas, las centrales nucleares o termicas, la industria y poblacion acumuladas, parecen confirmar en toda la Cuenca que todo trabaja para Zaragoza, incluso el Ebro. Compararemos los sistemas de ciudades de Aragon con los de la Cuenca entera y comprobaremos que la especial posicion en el centro del inmenso llano, superando la presencia del pequeno Huerva, ha permitido a Zaragoza crecer sin limites, incorporando finalmente “a su cuerpo” el propio Ebro. Una mirada minuciosa a la cartografia historica ha permitido confirmar que, a traves de encuentros y desencuentros, la ciudad siempre salda a su favor. Murallas, templos, ferrocarril, estacion, eventos, cambios de escala, todo tiene que ver con la relacion saprofita con el rio. Efectivamente el rio es la ciudad, y viceversa.
Remembering the big game: social identity and memory for media events

Two studies examined how memories are formed around championship sporting events, which we classify as media events. The first study employed a test-retest methodology to assess how fans of a sport...
Issues in the comparative cognition of same/different abstract-concept learning

Same/different abstract-concept learning provides a basis for higher order learning. We present criteria (e.g. the use of novel items, how to reinforce responding, achieving full concept learning) for evaluating evidence of abstract-concept learning. We discuss how revealing functional relationships also are critical for understanding how abstract concepts are learned. To illustrate our points, data from six diverse species are presented. The findings reveal quantitative differences in learning with all species achieving full abstract-concept learning. We conclude that same/different abstract-concept learning is an example of convergent evolution shared amongst mammalian and non-mammalian species.
Yield Stress and Physical Data Results for the Tank 19F Radioactive Mound Sample and Tank 19F Simulant Samples

The purpose of this work was to characterize and compare the settling behavior of the radioactive Tank 19F mound sample and non-radioactive Pacific Northwest Nation Laboratory simulants at 6, 11, and 16 weight percent total solids.
Frank Rizzo and boundary integral equations

Abstract Frank Rizzo was a pioneer in what he called boundary integral equation methods. With his students and colleagues, he developed theory and algorithms for many problems of engineering interest. In this memorial paper, we review his life and work. A list of his publications is included.
Predicting the effectiveness of chemotherapy using stochastic ODE models of tumor growth

Abstract Ordinary differential equation (ODE) models of cancer growth are often used to predict tumor growth and form the basis for more complex models used in personalized medicine. Unfortunately, ODE models provide predictions of the average behavior of the cell population neglecting the fact that cells are discrete objects subject to discrete events. This kind of stochasticity can dramatically change the time course of tumor growth, particularly when the cell population is small. Here, we investigate stochastic versions of seven common ODE models of cancer growth to determine the role of stochasticity in eradicating tumors via chemotherapy. We find that stochasticity leads to differences in predictions among the different models of both the level of chemotherapy needed to cure a tumor and the time it takes to achieve a cure. Our results highlight the need for more investigation of which model provides the best description of cancer growth.
Tuft cell-produced cysteinyl leukotrienes and IL-25 synergistically initiate lung type 2 inflammation

Aeroallergen sensing by airway epithelial cells can trigger pathogenic immune responses leading to chronic type 2 inflammation, the hallmark of airway diseases such as asthma. Airway tuft cells are specialized chemosensory epithelial cells and the dominant source of the epithelial cytokine IL-25 in the trachea and of cysteinyl leukotrienes (CysLTs) in the naive murine nasal mucosa. The interaction of IL-25 and CysLTs and the contribution of tuft cell-derived CysLTs to the development of allergen-triggered inflammation in the airways has not been clarified. Here we show that inhalation of LTC4 in combination with a subthreshold dose of IL25 leads to dramatic synergistic induction of type 2 inflammation throughout the lungs, causing rapid eosinophilia, dendritic cell (DC) and inflammatory type 2 innate lymphoid cell (ILC2) expansion, and goblet cell metaplasia. While lung eosinophilia is dominantly mediated through the classical CysLT receptor CysLT1R, type 2 cytokines and activation of innate immune cells require signaling through both CysLT1R and CysLT2R. Tuft cell-specific deletion of the terminal enzyme requisite for CysLT production, Ltc4s, was sufficient to reduce both the innate immune response in the lung: eosinophilia, ILC2 activation and DC recruitment, and the systemic immune response in the draining lymph nodes after inhalation of the mold aeroallergen Alternaria. Our findings identify surprisingly potent synergy of CysLTs and IL-25 downstream of aeroallergen-trigged activation of airway tuft cells leading to a highly polarized type 2 immune response and further implicate airway tuft cells as powerful modulators of type 2 immunity in the lungs.
Dual-Energy CT to Diagnose Occult Femoral Neck Fracture in MRI-Contraindicated Patient: A Case Report.

CASE A 79-year-old woman presented after a ground level fall with the inability to bear weight on her right hip. Radiographs and computed tomography (CT) imaging were negative for a femoral neck fracture. Her medical comorbidities precluded magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), so dual-energy CT with focused evaluation for bone edema was performed, identifying a femoral neck fracture that was stabilized surgically. CONCLUSION Dual-energy CT with processing for edema can successfully identify nondisplaced femoral neck fractures in MRI-contraindicated patients. This imaging modality could be useful for diagnosing femoral neck stress fractures and ipsilateral femoral neck fractures in patients sustaining high-energy femoral shaft fractures.
Noise minimization by multicompression approach in elasticity imaging [biomedical ultrasonic imaging]

Breast lesion visibility in static strain imaging ultimately is noise limited. When correlation and related techniques are applied to estimate local displacements between two echo frames recorded before and after a deformation, target contrast increases linearly with the amount of deformation applied. However, above some deformation threshold, decorrelation noise increases more than contrast such that lesion visibility is severely reduced. Multicompression methods avoid this problem by accumulating displacements from many small deformations to provide the same net increase in lesion contrast as one large deformation but with minimal decorrelation noise. Unfortunately, multicompression approaches accumulate echo noise (electronic and sampling) with each deformation step as contrast builds so that lesion visibility can again be reduced if the applied deformation increment is too small. This paper uses signal models and analysis techniques to develop multicompression strategies that minimize strain image noise. The analysis predicts that displacement variance is minimal when the applied strain increment is 0.0035 for typical breast imaging conditions. Predictions are verified experimentally with gelatin phantoms. For in vivo breast imaging, a strain increment as low as 0.0015 is recommended for minimal noise because of the high heterogeneity of the breast tissue.
Criteria for the Simple Path Property in Timed Automata

Timed automata have been studied in the past and have been found to have a complexity dependent on the relative scale of the time constants involved in the timing constraints imposed, even if the timing constraints are restricted to the form x<k where x is a clock variable and k is a constant. We have previously shown that this complexity dependence on the time constants can be eliminated if the timed automaton has the simple path property (state A is reachable from state B if and only if it is reachable along a path with no cycles), and gave a set of conditions on the placement of clock queries and resets which imply this simple path property. These automata were called alternating RQ timed automata. We gave a technique for using this properly to iteratively constrain an untimed automaton to rule out simple paths which cannot meet their timing constraints. The simple path property means that only simple paths need be constrained. In this paper, we give conditions for a timed automaton with arbitrary constraint equations to have the simple path property. As far as we know all practical examples in the literature meet these criteria. For example, this includes all automata with constraints of the form for each state s, a trace must remain in s for a time t where \(t_{s_{min} } < t < t_{s_{max} }\). We are currently working on an efficient implementation for timed automata where arbitrary linear inequalities among the clock values are allowed. Using linear programming, we iteratively detect simple paths which are not traversable and construct untimed automata which disallow these paths. The present paper serves to extend this approach to a wide class of applications. In addition, we define extended RQ timed automata which include all the examples in the literature and are easily tested for this property.
Numisheet2005 Benchmark Analysis on Forming of an Automotive Underbody Cross Member: Benchmark 2

This report presents an international cooperation benchmark effort focusing on simulations of a sheet metal stamping process. A forming process of an automotive underbody cross member using steel and aluminum blanks is used as a benchmark. Simulation predictions from each submission are analyzed via comparison with the experimental results. A brief summary of various models submitted for this benchmark study is discussed. Prediction accuracy of each parameter of interest is discussed through the evaluation of cumulative errors from each submission.
Gun Control and Gun Rights (Excerpt)

The issues of gun control and gun rights are volatile. Exploration of them tends to one-sided and filled with fallacies. (Coauthor previously wrote and published “The Rhetoric of Gun Control, exposing many of the fallacies on both sides of the debate.) “Gun Control and Gun Rights” is the only balanced presentation of gun issues ever to be published. Showcasing viewpoints from all sides of the debate, this comprehensive book includes selections from judicial opinions and a variety of scholarly books and journals, as well as extensive commentary and questions from the authors. Balance was achievable because of the mix of authors, which include one pro-gun control scholar (McClurg) and two pro-gun rights scholars (Kopel and Denning). Each worked hard at keeping the others balanced and honest throughout the writing and editing process. This SSRN excerpt includes the Preface, Table of Contents and first two chapters of the book: “The Benefits of Gun Ownership” and “The Costs of Firearms.” Together, these chapters offer an in-depth societal cost-benefit analysis of the roughly one-quarter billion firearms owned by private citizens in the United States.
A Review of Communication Scholarship on the Financial Markets and the Financial Media

This article reviews communication scholarship on the financial markets and the financial media since the 1980s. Although most work was published after the 2008 financial crisis (including six special issues in journalism and communication journals), the pre-crisis body of literature remains sizable. This article aims to summarize the body of literature preand post-crisis, draw themes from it, and stimulate scholars’ interests by suggesting research directions.
Review of Research on Team Effectiveness: Implications for Teams in Schools

Multidisciplinary teams are necessary for educational decision making concerning handicapped children. Research on group decision making and team effectiveness in various organizational settings su...
Magnetoencephalography (MEG) Slow-Wave Imaging for Diagnosing Non-acute Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is a leading cause of sustained impairment in military and civilian populations. However, mTBI is difficult to detect using conventional MRI or CT, even in patients with persistent postconcussive symptoms (PCS). Injured brain tissues in mTBI patients generate abnormal slow-waves (1–4 Hz) that can be measured by resting-state magnetoencephalography (MEG). We describe a voxel-based MEG slow-wave imaging approach for detecting abnormality in mTBI patients with persistent PCS on a single-subject basis (Huang et al., Neuroimage Clin 5:109–119, 2014). A normative database from 79 healthy control subjects was established for all brain voxels. High-resolution MEG source magnitude images were obtained by the Fast-VESTAL method (Huang et al., Neuroimage 84:585–604, 2014). In 84 mTBI patients (36 from blasts, and 48 from non-blast causes), this method detected abnormalities with positive detection rates of 84, 86, and 83 % for the combined (blast plus non-blast), blast, and non-blast mTBI groups, respectively, with no false-positives in the control subjects.
Structural and magnetic properties of indium–gadolinium oxide as a function of temperature

The addition of In2O3 to Gd2O3 results in the formation of solid solutions having the high pressure monoclinic and hexagonal phases of gadolinium oxide. The thermal stability and their thermal expansion coefficients were investigated up to 1000 °C using in situ X-ray diffraction. No phase transitions were observed in these samples up to 1000 °C. Volume thermal expansion coefficients for the hexagonal and monoclinic phases of bulk Gd2−xInxO3 for x = 0.5 and 1.0 showed increasing trend in comparison to the end compound of In2O3. The inverse susceptibility measurements between 300 and 5 K showed the linear relationship with temperature consistent with the Curie–Weiss law. The Weis constants were small and negative, indicating a slight degree of anti-ferromagnetic exchange between cations and consistent with the absence of magnetic order down to 5 K.
Towards Humanistic Mathematics Education

An exploration of forces and assumptions that influence the movement of humanistic mathematics education. Particular attention is paid to the limiting perspective of logic as a defining quality of mathematics; to recent developments in philosophy of mathematics; to the irony of the computer as an instrument for encouraging a sharper view of the concept of humanistic mathematics education; to the influence of the progressive education movement (especially on its student-centered focus); and to the Humanistic Mathematics Network as an example of a movement committed to that theme. The essay ends with an exploration of problematic issues—both hidden and made explicit by the movement. Among the topics explored are the need to re-consider the meaning of reason-giving and reason-seeking, the possibility of a reconstructed conception of personhood as it is defined in the humanistic movement, the desire for a more robust conception of problem and its educational uses, and the need to locate appropriate contexts within which mathematics education as both historical and personal drama might flourish.
DETERMINATION OF THE RESONANCE FREQUENCIES IN THE COURSE OF SOUNDING OF IMPEDANCE DEFECTS ON THE BOUNDARY OF THE RIGID JOINT OF A PLATE AND A HALF SPACE BY ELASTIC SH-WAVES

We study the problem of diffraction of elastic SH-waves on the striplike impedance surface of the rigidly fastened edge of an infinite elastic layer. The problem is solved by the Wiener–Hopf method. We analyze the eigenvalues of operator of the problem corresponding to resonance vibration of the dynamical system in the main mode. We also construct the dependences of the first branch of roots of the characteristic equation on the ratio of crack length to the thickness of the plate for various values of the impedance of defects.
A rapid assay for aluminium phytotoxicity at submicromolar concentrations

Investigations of Al phytotoxicity, including the identification of the Al species responsible for toxicity, require a rapid assay procedure employing very low concentrations of Al and a chemically simple rooting medium. Root elongation in newly germinated red clover (Trifolium pratense L. cv. Kenland) was inhibited by submicromolar concentrations of Al. Ca2+ at concentrations of at least 0.2 mM was essential for optimal elongation in control seedlings. Ca2+ also relieved Al toxicity with the net effect that maximum reduction of elongation by 1 μM Al was achieved at 0.2 mM Ca2+. Elongation in control seedlings was at least 90% of maximum from pH 4.5 to 5.7. Increases in pH relieved Al toxicity so that maximum sensitivity to 1 μM Al occurred at pH 4.7. As a consequence of these experiments and other considerations we chose for our basic assay a medium composed of 0.2 mM CaSO4 adjusted to pH 4.5 with H2SO4, variously supplemented with Al2(SO4)3. Day-old seedlings were incubated in this aerated medium in the dark at 23°C for one day. No additions of other solutes increased the sensitivity of the assay, but amelioration of Al toxicity was effected by Mg2+, F-, phosphate and citrate. Increases in ionic strength per se had comparatively little effect on the toxic effects of Al. Two barley cultivars (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Dayton and Kearney) and two wheat cultivars (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Hart and Thorne) known to differ in sensitivity to Al were reliably separated at submicromolar Al concentrations by the assay procedure, which was slightly modified. Suggestions for the improvement of the assay and for applications to future research are offered.
Estimating Winter Wheat Tiller Density Using Spectral Reflectance Sensors for Early-Spring, Variable-Rate Nitrogen Applications

Adequate tiller density is critical for attaining optimum grain yield in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). To ensure maximum tiller development, several states in the Mid-Atlantic recommend split-applying N in the spring based on tiller density at Zadoks Growth Stage 25. However, this strategy requires that several labor-intensive measurements be made in each field. Recent work has suggested that remote sensing might eliminate this problem. The objectives of this study were to estimate winter wheat tiller density using an on-the-go, spectral reflectance sensor and to determine the effect on grain yield of tiller density-based, variable-rate N applications at a 1-m 2 resolution. Twenty-two site-years of data were collected from diverse locations across Virginia from 2000 to 2002. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) was a reliable predictor of tiller density across environments (0.67 ≤ r 2 ≤ 0.99), with 18 of 22 sites having slopes and intercepts that were not different from one another. Nitrogen fertilizer rates and grain yields resulting from using sensor-based estimates of tiller density were not different from those when using the standard practice for the Mid-Atlantic region at four out of six locations. At two of the six sites, sensor-based N recommendations were 11 kg N ha -1 lower than standard recommendations with no effect on grain yield, resulting in higher N use efficiencies at these locations. These results show that on-the-go, optical sensor technology can be used to accurately estimate winter wheat tiller density for determining and applying appropriate N fertilization rates at a 1-m 2 resolution with minimal ground truthing required (one physical tiller count for each major soil type in a field).
Self-healing bolted joint employing a shape memory actuator

This paper is a report of an initial investigation into the active control of preload in the joint using a shape memory actuator around the axis of the bolt shaft. Specifically, the actuator is a cylindrical Nitinol washer that expands axially when heated, according to the shape memory effect. The washer is actuated in response to an artificial decrease in torque. Upon actuation, the stress generated by its axial strain compresses the bolted members and creates a frictional force that has the effect of generating a preload and restoring lost torque. In addition to torque wrenches, the system in question was monitored in all stages of testing using piezoelectric impedance analysis. Impedance analysis drew upon research techniques developed at Center for Intelligent Material Systems and Structures, in which phase changes in the impedance of a self-sensing piezoceramic actuator correspond to changes in joint stiffness. Through experimentation, we have documented a successful actuation of the shape memory element. Due to complexity of constitutive modeling, qualitative analysis by the impedance method is used to illustrate the success. Additional considerations encountered in this initial investigation are made to guide further thorough research required for the successful commercial application of this promising technique.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Phonon-Quasiparticle Interactions in Dilute Solutions of He 3 in Superfluid He 4 . II. Phonon Boltzmann Equation and First Viscosity

We construct the phonon Boltzmann equation taking into account previously calculated phonon-${\mathrm{He}}^{3}$ scattering and absorption processes; when phonon-phonon interactions can be neglected this equation is exactly soluble. The first viscosity of solutions containing 1.3 and 5% molar concentrations of ${\mathrm{He}}^{3}$ is calculated from this equation for $T\ensuremath{\lesssim}0.6$\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K.