cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fast-timing microchannel plate photodetectors: Design, fabrication, and characterization

We report a detailed design, fabrication, and characterization of 6 × 6 cm2 fast timing photodetectors based on next-generation microchannel plates (MCPs). The whole assembly is made of low-cost borosilicate glass materials and hermetically sealed with a bialkali photocathode in a vacuum. The flexible photodetector design provides the potential of modifying individual components as well as the entire configuration to fit for different applications. A series of prototype MCP-photodetectors were fabricated following a step-by-step process including functionalization of glass capillary array through atomic layer deposition, MCP baking and scrubbing, photocathode deposition, and hermetic thermo-compression sealing. The prototype MCP-photodetectors exhibit electron gains well beyond 107 level with good relative uniformity. An excellent rise time of 439 ps, timing distribution root-mean-square at a single photoelectron mode of 105 ps, a timing resolution of 20 ps, and magnetic field tolerance up to 1.3 T were achieved for a photodetector with 10 µm pore size MCPs, comparing to that of 536 ps, 205 ps, 63 ps, and 0.7 T for the one with 20 µm pore size MCPs.
A Theory of Genetic Interests

For several decades now, jurists have struggled to adapt the law to questions raised by genetic science. They have done so primarily by seeking to fit these new questions into existing legal categories. These efforts have intensified as uses of genetics have expanded in areas such as criminal law enforcement, genealogy, genetic testing and screening (including prenatally), and the development of genetics-based medical therapies, including stem cell technologies, gene therapies, immunotherapies, and more. But genetics fits poorly into existing legal frames. Genetic materials are at the same time chemical, functional, and informational entities. They are widely shared and intimately individual, fixed and everchanging, and they are rife with meanings that keep evolving as our knowledge and understanding of genetic science broadens and deepens. Efforts to capture some aspects of genetic materials under one legal category inevitably leave out other aspects, and legal approaches taken in one area are often inconsistent with approaches taken in others. In sum, genetic materials and the information they encompass are uniquely multifaceted in ways that cannot be adequately captured under existing bodies of law. In this article we identify the shortcomings of existing efforts to capture genetics within the law and suggest an alternative approach that is grounded in the multifaceted nature of genetic materials. We begin by elucidating the multitude of aspects of genetic materials and information: chemical-physical, informational, structural-functional, reproductive, taxonomical, and identity-conferring. We then illustrate why existing legal constructs — e.g., under property law, privacy law, tort law, patent law, criminal law, and even constitutional law — fail to adequately capture the full range of interests that individuals, families, and society at large have in genetic materials and information. We conclude with the case for a new holistic legal approach to genetics that would encompass the multidimensional nature of genetic materials and information.
Dysphagia predicts greater weight regain after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass: a longitudinal case-matched study.

Abstract Background Weight regain (WR) after gastric bypass is thought to be multifactorial in etiology with behavioral, neurohormonal, and anatomic features playing a role. A significant proportion of patients complain of dysphagia after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and may have difficulty tolerating solid foods. Our observations suggest that this subgroup of patients compensate for esophageal symptoms by increasing their intake of calorie-dense liquid and soft foods, which can precipitate WR. Objectives We hypothesize that dysphagia predisposes to greater WR than seen in individuals without swallowing symptoms. Setting Single tertiary care referral center. Methods This was a matched-cohort study analysis of prospectively collected data on RYGB patients. All individuals who underwent high-resolution manometry after RYGB were enrolled. Controls were identified via a retrospective analysis of a prospective institutional database. Patients who developed dysphagia were matched with controls, from a subset of 450 eligible controls. Each patient with dysphagia was matched with 4 control patients based on age, body mass index, and time since surgery. WR was defined as an increase of ≥15% from nadir. Χ2 and t test (or Wilcoxon rank sum, if applicable) were used for bivariable analysis. Multiple logistic and linear regression were used for multivariable calculations. Results Forty-nine patients with dysphagia were included. After matching, there were 196 RYGB controls that did not have swallowing or esophageal symptoms. Controls had similar baseline demographic characteristics and initial weight loss compared with dysphagia cases. WR was common in both groups; however, total WR in those with dysphagia was greater than controls (15.7 versus 11.4 kg, respectively; P = .02). In addition, percent WR in those with dysphagia exceeded that seen in controls (mean 37% versus 25%, P = .003), and more individuals regained 15% of nadir weight (55% of dysphagia cases versus 38% of controls, P = .03) when adjusting for baseline body mass index, age at surgery, and race. Dietary histories suggested that, among those with dysphagia, patients with partial or complete conversion to soft or liquid calories had greater WR than those who adhered to the solid food diet. Conclusions Dysphagia is a risk factor for WR post-RYGB. This is likely due to increased intake of soft or liquid foods that are tolerable in these patients but lead to a positive energy balance and accelerated WR. More than half of patients with dysphagia after RYGB regain significant weight. Screening for and aggressively managing dysphagia in patients before or after RYGB may be warranted to prevent significant WR.
Is the exchange rate a shock absorber or a source of shocks? Evidence from the U.S.

Abstract We examine the stabilization role of the exchange rate in the U.S. economy using a factor augmented vector autoregression model. We find that exchange rate shock explains a large fraction of the variation in exchange rate and transmits major disturbances to the real economy. Further, we find that demand and supply shocks explain less than a quarter of the exchange rate movement. We provide robust evidence that although the exchange rate plays some role as a shock absorber, its role as an independent source of shocks is more dominant for the U.S. economy. The foreign exchange market breeds its own shocks which are destabilizing not only to the value of the dollar but to the overall economy as well. Our results suggest that policymakers need to take foreign exchange market fluctuations into account when making macroeconomic policy decisions.
A notorious Nazi, revealed

Drawing from new sources and scholarship, historian David Marwell has written a compelling work that dispels many of the myths obscuring the identity of the infamous physician, Josef Mengele. Mengele: Unmasking the "Angel of Death" is at once a compact biography of the notorious war criminal, a detailed account of Mengele9s flight to South America, and an absorbing narrative of the quest to bring him to justice.
Thermal-optical design of a geodetic satellite for one millimeter accuracy

Abstract The LAGEOS (LAser GEOdynamic Satellite) satellites use a 1.5 in. uncoated retroreflector (cube corner). Design studies done for LAGEOS-1 showed that using smaller cubes would result in greater accuracy and lower thermal gradients. However, this would require using a larger number of cubes. Simulations showed that the accuracy goal of 5 mm could be met using 1.5 in. cubes by adding a dihedral angle offset. The LARES (LAser RElativity Satellite) satellite launched in 2012 is a smaller version of LAGEOS using the same size cube corner and floating mount as LAGEOS. The recent development of COTS (Commercial Off-The-Shelf) cube corners has eliminated cost as an obstacle to using a larger number of smaller cubes. COTS cubes have no dihedral angle offset. However, no offset is needed if the size is chosen properly. The diffraction pattern of a 1.0 in. uncoated cube with no dihedral angle offset has 6 lobes around the central peak due to total internal reflection, The velocity aberration for LAGEOS is about 32–40 microradians. The OCS (Optical Cross Section) of a one inch uncoated COTS retroreflector is about 0.5 million sq m for the LAGEOS orbit. Testing of 10 inexpensive COTS cubes by Ludwig Grunwaldt and Reinhart Neubert shows good cross section (unpublished work done at GFZ Potsdam, Germany). Measurement of 50 COTS cubes at INFN (Mondaini et al., 2018), shows a loss of cross section of only 33% (Slide 10). Simulations show that systematic range errors on the order of a half millimeter are possible for a spherical geodetic satellite such as LARES. Adjustments for the holding and ejection system result in some loss of accuracy.
Protection from β-cell apoptosis by inhibition of TGF-β/Smad3 signaling

Prevailing insulin resistance and the resultant hyperglycemia elicits a compensatory response from pancreatic islet beta cells (β-cells) that involves increases in β-cell function and β-cell mass. However, the sustained metabolic stress eventually leads to β-cell failure characterized by severe β-cell dysfunction and progressive loss of β-cell mass. Whereas, β-cell dysfunction is relatively well understood at the mechanistic level, the avenues leading to loss of β-cell mass are less clear with reduced proliferation, dedifferentiation, and apoptosis all potential mechanisms. Butler and colleagues documented increased β-cell apoptosis in pancreas from lean and obese human Type 2 diabetes (T2D) subjects, with no changes in rates of β-cell replication or neogenesis, strongly suggesting a role for apoptosis in β-cell failure. Here, we describe a permissive role for TGF-β/Smad3 in β-cell apoptosis. Human islets undergoing β-cell apoptosis release increased levels of TGF-β1 ligand and phosphorylation levels of TGF-β’s chief transcription factor, Smad3, are increased in human T2D islets suggestive of an autocrine role for TGF-β/Smad3 signaling in β-cell apoptosis. Smad3 phosphorylation is similarly increased in diabetic mouse islets undergoing β-cell apoptosis. In mice, β-cell-specific activation of Smad3 promotes apoptosis and loss of β-cell mass in association with β-cell dysfunction, glucose intolerance, and diabetes. In contrast, inactive Smad3 protects from apoptosis and preserves β-cell mass while improving β-cell function and glucose tolerance. At the molecular level, Smad3 associates with Foxo1 to propagate TGF-β-dependent β-cell apoptosis. Indeed, genetic or pharmacologic inhibition of TGF-β/Smad3 signals or knocking down Foxo1 protects from β-cell apoptosis. These findings reveal the importance of TGF-β/Smad3 in promoting β-cell apoptosis and demonstrate the therapeutic potential of TGF-β/Smad3 antagonism to restore β-cell mass lost in diabetes.
Consensus molecular subtypes (CMS) as a marker for treatment and disease biology in metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC).

4089Background: Consensus molecular subtypes (CMS) categorize colorectal cancer (CRC) into groups based on gene transcription and are prognostic in early-stage and first-line metastatic settings. T...
Acute Lung Injury and Non-infectious Pneumonias

Lung injury can occur secondary to a myriad of causes, including infection, immunologic disorders, drug toxicity, or inhalational injury among others. Although the list of causative agents is long, the lung’s response to injury is limited resulting in similar patterns of disease irrespective of the cause. From a pathological perspective, acute lung injury refers to a group of entities that present with acute or subacute disease. These conditions are characterized by particular histological patterns including diffuse alveolar damage, acute fibrinous and organizing pneumonia, organizing pneumonia, and eosinophilic pneumonia and clinically correspond to the varying degrees of acute respiratory distress syndrome (Patel et al, Chest 125:197–202, 2004; Beasley et al, Arch Pathol Lab Med 126:1064–1070, 2002; Avecillas et al, Clin Chest Med 27:549–557, 2006; Cottin, Cordier, Semin Respir Crit Care Med 33:462–475, 2012; Ferguson et al, Intensive Care Med 38:1573–1582, 2012). In most cases, the underlying cause will not be apparent from the histological findings requiring close correlation with clinical history and laboratory findings to determine the etiology. Nevertheless, careful search for infectious organisms with application of histochemical and immunohistochemical stains should be performed in all cases in order to identify cases that benefit from more targeted treatment.
Nodular-defect-induced light intensification over a range of multilayer mirror reflectance

Electric field enhancement of nodular defects in multilayer mirrors has been extensively modeled and experimentally validated. However, the impact of reflectance has not been sufficiently explored. Hafnia and silica are the most favored coating materials for high fluence optical and near infrared mirrors. In this study, hafnia and silica mirrors with a reflectance of 0.99, 0.999, 0.9999, and 0.99999 are generated by increasing the layer count >2×. Each of these cases is explored for light intensification at 0° and 45° incidence at both polarizations. The spatial and temporal characteristics of light intensification is examined for these different test cases.
Curcumin in the Management of Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a chronic gynecological inflammatory disorder in which the immune system dysregulation is thought to play a role in its initiation and progression. Due to altered sex steroid receptor concentrations and other signaling defects, endometriotic tissues have an attenuated response to hormonal treatment. This hormonal resistance contributes to lesion survival, proliferation, and infertility. Current agency-approved hormonal therapies, including synthetic progestins, GnRH agonists, and danazol, are often of limited efficacy and counterproductive to fertility and cause systemic side effects due to suppression of endogenous steroid hormone levels. In this chapter, we highlighted the curcumin (diferuloylmethane, CUR), which has long been used as an anti-inflammatory folk medicine in Asian countries for this condition.
Modeling of Trust Within a Human-Robot Collaboration Framework

In this paper, a time-driven performance-aware mathematical model for trust in the robot is proposed for a Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC) framework. The proposed trust model is based on both the human operator and the robot performances. The human operator’s performance is modeled based on both the physical and cognitive performances, while the robot performance is modeled over its unpredictable, predictable, dependable, and faithful operation regions. The model is validated via different simulation scenarios. The simulation results show that the trust in the robot in the HRC framework is governed by robot performance and human operator’s performance and can be improved by enhancing the robot performance.
High-resolution phenotyping of sorghum genotypic and phenotypic responses to low nitrogen and synthetic microbial communities

Much effort has been placed on developing microbial inoculants to replace or supplement fertilizers to improve crop productivity and environmental sustainability. However, many studies ignore the dynamics of plant-microbe interactions and the genotypic specificity of the host plant on the outcome of microbial inoculation. Thus, it is important to study temporal plant responses to inoculation in multiple genotypes within a single species. With the implementation of high-throughput phenotyping, the dynamics of biomass and nitrogen (N) accumulation of four sorghum genotypes with contrasting N-use efficiency were monitored upon the inoculation with synthetic microbial communities (SynComs) under high and low-N. Five SynComs comprising bacteria isolated from field grown sorghum were designed based on the overall phylar composition of bacteria and the enriched host compartment determined from a field-based culture independent study of the sorghum microbiome. We demonstrated that the growth response of sorghum to SynCom inoculation is genotype-specific and dependent on plant N status. The sorghum genotypes that were N-use inefficient were more susceptible to the colonization from a diverse set of inoculated bacteria as compared to the N-use efficient lines especially under low-N. By integrating high-throughput phenotyping with sequencing data, our findings highlight the roles of host genotype and plant nutritional status in determining colonization by bacterial synthetic communities.
Autoimmune Demyelinating Syndromes: Aquaporin-4-IgG-positive NMOSD and MOG - IgG Associated Disorder

Autoimmune demyelinating syndromes are a relatively young subgroup of inflammatory disorders of the central nervous system (CNS) where demyelination represents the main pathological feature and occurs as result of, or in association with, autoantibodies directed against specific CNS targets. This chapter focuses on the two main disease entities that currently characterize this category, namely, aquaporin-4 (AQP4)-IgG and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)-IgG associated disorders. The discovery of these antibodies during the last 15 years has revolutionized the field of CNS inflammatory demyelinating diseases leading to major improvements in our understanding of the mechanisms underlying CNS autoimmunity and demyelination. A thorough awareness of the clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) manifestations of AQP4-IgG and MOG-IgG autoimmunity has important implications in the clinical practice since treatment of these disorders often differs from that of other inflammatory diseases of the CNS. Multiple sclerosis (MS), the most common inflammatory demyelinating disease of the CNS, will not be the focus of this chapter since a specific autoantibody biomarker for MS is still lacking, but we will highlight important differences between CNS demyelination accompanied by AQP4-IgG and MOG-IgG from MS.
Research Status and Prospects of Materials for Aero-engines in China

Aero-engine, a highly complex and precise thermal machinery, is the engine that provides the aircraft with the necessary power for flight. As the heart of aircraft, it directly affects the performance, reliability, and economy of the aircraft, and it is also an essential embodiment of a country's scientific, technological, industrial, and national defense strength. Thus, this paper compares the material, structure, and process characteristics of China's aero- engines and the development process and research status of high-temperature alloys in the field of aero-engines. Finally, some prospects are put forward for the development of aero-engine materials.
The Roles of Campus Ministry Leaders: Guiding Students through the Transition to Adulthood.

Despite historic existence of campus ministries at universities, little is known about the roles of campus ministry leaders. This research explored campus ministry leaders’ engagement with students...
Spontaneous Bilateral Facial Paralysis Secondary to Metastatic Breast Cancer

Sudden onset, bilateral facial paralysis is a rare clinical entity, representing less than 2% of all diagnoses of facial nerve paralysis. The differential for these patients is necessarily broad and includes numerous etiologies. Metastatic breast carcinoma to the bilateral parotid glands is also exceedingly rare with only 2 reported case reports noted in the literature, neither of which demonstrated facial nerve paralysis. Here, we report the only known occurrence of a patient presenting with synchronous bilateral facial nerve paralysis secondary to metastatic breast carcinoma to the bilateral parotid glands. This exceedingly rare clinical presentation was further confounded by the presence of autoimmune antibodies, highlighting the importance of the diagnostic process and maintaining broad clinical suspicion.
Increased Medical Complications Following Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty in Patients With Solid Organ Transplant: A Matched Cohort Analysis.

Abstract Background As patient longevity increases following solid organ transplantation (SOT), more transplant patients are undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA). The purpose of this study is to compare 90-day postoperative complications and 2-year surgical complications following primary THA in patients with and without a history of SOT. Methods Patients with a history of SOT with subsequent primary THA between 2010 and 2018 were identified in a national all-payer claims database (PearlDiver Technologies). This SOT cohort was propensity-matched with a control cohort (no history of SOT) based on age, gender, Charlson Comorbidity Index, and obesity with bivariate analysis to compare outcomes between cohorts. Results Following matching, 3103 patients were included in the SOT cohort and 6196 patients in the control cohort. The cohorts were successfully matched, with no differences in demographics or comorbidities. Relative to the control cohort, patients with a history of SOT were at significantly increased risk of renal failure (P Conclusion Following primary THA, patients with a history of SOT are at increased risk of 90-day medical complications but not 2-year surgical complications or revisions relative to patients without SOT. Clinicians should be mindful of the increased risk for cardiopulmonary, renal, hematologic, and infectious complications when counseling and managing this patient population. Level of Evidence Level IV-Retrospective Database Study.
Teachers’ Motivation to Participate in Anti-bullying Training and Their Intention to Intervene in School Bullying: a Self-determination Theory Perspective

Bullying has become a pervasive threat for education, health, and policy. Inadequate professional development in bullying prevention and intervention has compounded this issue. Since teachers’ professional development is a critical aspect in shaping supportive, healthy, and safe learning environments as well as creating and maintaining high-quality education, the purpose of this study is to gain more insight into the motivational processes that contribute to teachers’ intention to participate in future anti-bullying professional development and intervene upon encountering school bullying. The study employed self-determination theory to examine associations between K-12 teachers’ (N = 414) autonomous (intrinsic and identified) and controlled (introjected and external) motivation for participating in anti-bullying training and their intention to (a) participate in future anti-bullying training and (b) intervene upon encountering school bullying. Structural equation modeling revealed that, unlike controlled motivation, teachers’ autonomous motivation for participating in anti-bullying training was positively related to their intention to participate in future training and intervene upon encountering school bullying, implying that school policy and professional development should foster autonomous motivation to increase intention to intervene upon encountering school bullying. Implications for professional development, educational practice, and future research are discussed.
HTPB Heat of Formation: Literature Survey, Group Additive Estimations, and Theoretical Effects

Hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) is a common ingredient in rocket propellants, but its thermochemical properties (composition, density, and heat of formation) are not well defined. A survey...
Pitfalls of Decision Analysis

Publisher Summary The purpose of this chapter is to systematically explore some typical traps and pitfalls of decision analysis, and increase the practitioner's awareness of these problems. Another purpose is to present examples and lessons of the ways pitfalls—once recognized—can best be avoided. Much of this discussion applies directly to decision analysis, for example, the pitfall of addressing the wrong problem. Other pitfalls appear to be handled well by decision analysis, for example, the neglect of intangibles. Still others seem unique to decision analysis, for example, the “gaming” of utilities or probabilities. To provide a rich set of pitfalls several practitioners of decision analysis contributed examples of their own applied experiences. This paper discusses their contributions, following the stages of decision analysis: developing an analyst–client relationship, defining the problem, organizing the analysis, structuring and modeling, elicitation of utilities and probabilities, using and implementing the model. For each stage are described the general nature of the possible pitfalls. Hidden agendas sometimes occur in risk analysis applications of decision analysis if the client's intention is to use the analysis to prove that the product or technology is safe (or unsafe), rather than solving a decision problem related to the safety of the product. In many such instances, the analysis is in response to public or governmental concern about safety, and the client expects results that favor his or her position and, therefore, contribute to resolving the controversy in his or her favor. A common pitfall is to take the client's problem at face value. Another trap is to accept the client's restrictions of the part of the problem for which he or she wants an answer. The chapter stresses to understand the client, probe his or her motive, and carefully define the purpose of the analysis.
Non-Intrusive Fault Detection in Reciprocating Compressors

This research presents techniques developed for non -intrusive sensing and fault detection in reciproca ting compressors driven by induction motors. These procedures are “non-intrusive” because they rely only on voltage and current signals measured on the compressor power cable. The electrical sensor based method allows for easy and non-intrusive determination of many fault sensi tive signals that usually require complicated, expe nsive, and time consuming operations to measure. The electric signals are processed and used with the inverted dy namic motor model equations and motor parameters (which are also determined non-intrusively) to recover the instan taneous angular speed of the compressor shaft, as well as t he torque of electromagnetic origin provided by the motor. These two intermediate signals and compressor parameters such as crank shaft inertia are then used to solve for the compressor load torque. This load torque signal has high fault diagnostic value because it is composed of pressure and friction torques, and these signals are close t o mechanical phenomena of diagnostic interest in th e compressor. All these signals are recovered at a fine resolutio n giving high level of detail on a sub-shaft revolu tion basis. The use of the load torque signal in determining fa ults and additional diagnostic information is also given. A procedure for determining the cylinder suction and discharge pressure from the load torque signal and knowable cylinder parameters such as cylinder volume, crank arm length, and gas coefficients is discussed. The load torque signal is also useful directly: for the two piston machine used in the research, symmetry of the twice per rotation peak of the load torque is a valuable diagnostic me asure. Reed valve leakage faults were investigated by drilling small holes of varying sizes in one cylinder’s suct ion reed. The asymmetry in each cylinder’s pressure torque peak increases with increasing leak size, providing both an indication and measure of leakage severity.
Riparian Vegetation Responses: Snatching Defeat from the Jaws of Victory and Vice Versa

The 1996 controlled flood failed to demonstrate five aspects of its primary vegetation-related management goal of removal of near-shore vegetation. First, when compared to pre-flood measurements, total vegetative cover was reduced only 20% and the areal extent of wetland and woodland/shrubland patches was not significantly different from the previous year when measured 6 months after the high flows. There was an immediate effect in terms of burial of some marshy areas under coarse sand, but most of these recovered within 6 months. Second, the controlled flood consistently affected only the lowest vegetation layer (grasses and herbs). Third, there was some effect on soil seed banks; sites lost roughly 45% of the seeds and 30% of the species richness of the pool of readily germinable seeds in the top 10 cm of the soil. Fourth, the loss of surface organic matter (duff) was significant in only 3 of the 9 sites, the other 6 showed no significant differences between years. There was no significant change across all sites. Finally, although there was no consistent effect on germination site quality in terms of mean soil grain sizes, there was a significant homogenization of substrates within and among sites due mostly to the loss or burial of fine sediments in return current channel settings. As documented in other chapters of this volume, the controlled flood was a success administratively and a successful demonstration of other management goals, especially in moving sediment from the channel bottom to high elevation deposits. Further, the flood was also a success in that it provided a relatively consequence-free opportunity to learn about flood hydrographs and vegetation in this system. Our data and those of others in this volume suggest that had the flows been successful in removing plants and reworking the underlying substrate in wetland patches, the recovery of vegetation would have been slowed considerably by the lack of fine, nutrient-rich sediments.
Legacy of blood: does prasugrel inhibit megakaryocytes and do juvenile platelets inherit this inhibition?

Acute coronary syndromes (ACS) are the first cause of death in the Western world. ACS are caused by a ruptured atherosclerotic plaque on the coronary arteries with the formation of a superimposed thrombus which occludes coronary circulation.[1][1] Although novel therapies for atherosclerosis are
Oxygen cost of dynamic or isometric exercise relative to recruited muscle mass

Background Oxygen cost of different muscle actions may be influenced by different recruitment and rate coding strategies. The purpose of this study was to account for these strategies by comparing the oxygen cost of dynamic and isometric muscle actions relative to the muscle mass recruited via surface electrical stimulation of the knee extensors.
Dairy farm feeding and income effects of using Voisin grazing management of permanent pastures

Permanent pastures produce far below their potential, as they are usually managed in the northcentral and northeastern United States. Dairy farmers in these regions generally feed their cattle year-round from stored forage and purchased concentrates, and use permanent pastures as mere holding or exercise areas, grazing them continuously. This practice involves high operating costs that, combined with lower milk prices, have resulted in greatly reduced profit margins. Farming practices that return more net income are needed. The Voisin system of rotational grazing management, which applies intensive management to forage crops on pastureland, is widely used on dairy and sheep farms in New Zealand. Farmers using the Voisin system there have low operating costs and obtain high yields of excellent quality forage over long grazing periods; increased net income results Between 1 May and 1 October 1984, 497 forage samples were taken and analyzed from permanent pastures grazed according to the Voisin management system on six Vermont dairy farms. This was done to provide farmers with current estimates of forage feeding value so that they could balance their cows' rations accordingly throughout the season, and determine if they could improve the profitability of their farms by using Voisin grazing management. Average grazingseason analyses (dry weight) were: 22.5% dry matter, 22.4% crude protein, 20.8% available protein, 28.4% acid detergent fiber, 1.18% calcium, .48% phosphorus, 1.60% potassium, .22% magnesium, and 1.58 Mcal/kg net energy lactation. Average dry forage yield was 8.9 metric tons/ha. Dry matter intake was adequate for milk production up to 36 kg/cow/day. Forage protein and energy contents were sufficient for at least 25 and 18 kg milk/day, respectively. On three farms where economic factors were calculated, net profits per cow averaged $67 more during the 5-month period from using Voisin grazing management, compared to continuous grazing of the same pastureland in the year before Voisin management was used. This profit resulted mainly from feed savings and a more favorable milk:concentrate ratio of 4.1:1 obtained with Voisin management, compared to 2.7:1 with continuous grazing and more feeding of stored or machine-harvested forage. Voisin-managed pastures can produce high yields of excellent-quality forage that can be incorporated into dairy feeding programs, thereby reducing feed costs and increasing profitability of the farming operations.
Anterior fixation of odontoid fractures in an elderly population.

Object Fractures of the odontoid process are the most common fractures of the cervical spine in patients over the age of 70 years. The incidence of fracture nonunion in this population has been estimated to be 20-fold greater than that in patients under the age of 50 years if surgical stabilization is not used. Anterior and posterior approaches have both been advocated, with excellent results reported, but surgeons should understand the drawbacks of the various techniques before employing them in clinical practice. Methods A retrospective review was undertaken to identify patients who had direct fixation of an odontoid fracture at a single institution from 1991 to 2006. Patients were followed up using flexion-extension radiographs, and stability was evaluated as bone union, fibrous union, or nonunion. Patients with bone or fibrous union were classified as stable. In addition, the incidence of procedure- and nonprocedure-related complications was extracted from the medical record. Results Of the 57 patient...
Direct current-dielectrophoresis assisted microscale machining of metal by femtosecond pulsed laser

Accumulation of ablation debris particles interferes with femtosecond laser micromachining of high-aspect ratio grooves in metal. Debris removal from such grooves by an air or inert gas jet requires that the gas jet axis be aligned with the groove. This requirement constrains the motion system design and programming as well as the gas nozzle design for cutting of arbitrary shapes. Gas jet debris removal is also not feasible in vacuum environments. In this study, a novel technique based on DC-dielectrophoresis (DEP) for removing debris from the cut groove was investigated. Femtosecond laser ablation of linear and circular grooves from thick sections of aluminum was performed with no debris removal and with debris removal by air jet or DC-DEP force. Ablation depth and precision were compared for the three experimental conditions. Debris removal by DC-DEP force resulted in the most accurate, consistent, and orientation-independent machining of high-aspect ratio grooves. Moreover, larger electric fields exerted stronger DC-DEP force on debris particles and resulted in better ablation precision and machining rate.
Rational Choice Requiem: The Decline of an Economic Paradigm and its Implications for Sociology

The paper proposes and shows that standard rational choice theory has experienced a certain degree of breakdown or crisis in much of contemporary economic science, especially social, institutional, and related economics. It identifies and considers several instances of standard rational choice theory’s breakdown in modern economics. They are, first, the end or discredit of homo economicus, second, the rejection of the premise of exclusive economic motivation, including egoism, third, the refutation of the assumption of fixed ‘natural’ tastes and preferences, and fourth, the replacement of the conception of perfect rationality. Consequently, the paper suggests that much of contemporary economics tends to move toward a more complex and realistic post-rational and in part irrational choice theory. The paper also discusses the possible implications of this trend in contemporary economics for rational choice sociology. It concludes that the continuing expansion of rational choice theory to sociology and related social sciences may not be sustainable indefinitely if the trend continues toward its breakdown in parts of contemporary economics.
Preparing an Aging Facility to Meet Expanding Lab Demands: Renovation of the Stanford Nanofabrication Facility

The Stanford Nanofabrication Facility at Stanford University is housed in a building approaching 30 years in age. The ability of the program to meet research needs is increasingly hampered by the capacity and age of the physical structure. In late 2010, the Stanford Nanofabrication Facility was awarded funding from the National Science Foundation, and matched by contributions from the University, to begin a renovation program that addresses these infrastructure shortcomings. This paper describes the key tasks undertaken and the challenges of executing a construction project of this nature with minimal impact to ongoing research. We conclude with lessons learned.
Eleven year cycle of dust concentration variability observed in the dust profile of the GISP2 Ice core from central Greenland: Possible solar cycle connection

We have re-examined the dust record from the GISP2 ice core retrieved from central Greenland and found that the background dust concentration is modulated with a period of 11 years all the way back to ice from at least 100,000 yrs BP. The only known, relevant, naturally occurring phenomenon with such a period is the well-known solar cycle. We believe that the background modulation we observe is related to the solar cycle and discuss this hypothesis.
Thinking Critically About Security Studies

The Geopolitics of American Insecurity: Terror, Power and Foreign Policy. Edited by Francois Debrix, Mark J. Lacy. London and New York: Routledge, 2009. 222 pp., $140.00 hardcover (ISBN-13: 978-0-415-46042-2). The Geopolitics of American Insecurity: Terror, Power, and Foreign Policy is the inaugural volume in the New Security Studies series sponsored by PRIO and edited by J. Peter Burgess. The series promises state-of-the-art theoretical and empirical work that addresses the “new challenges to security scholarship.” The first volume in the series gathers together 11 essays, which are introduced by the book's editors, Francois Debrix and Mark J. Lacy. In their introduction, the editors claim that the essays “all seek to provide warnings about the future of US foreign policy” (p. 8). However, the book is not a work of foreign policy analysis. Rather, the chapters are written by an eclectic and interdisciplinary group of critical theorists who seek to contribute to security studies. Interestingly, only two of the 13 contributors are women scholars. The unifying theme is a critique of US foreign policy, specifically (but not exclusively) directed at the George W. Bush administration. This critique largely takes shape through the conviction that government (with the aid of business and media) manipulates citizens into submission. The authors of the chapters approach their subject in different ways: four chapters present theoretical arguments, chapters four can be characterized loosely as political/historical case studies, and three comment on TV, film, or the arts. It might have been logical to divide the volume into three parts that each contain chapters that use a similar mode of inquiry, but this is not the …
Synthesis and Cation-Mediated Electronic Interactions of Two Novel Classes of Porphyrin−Fullerene Hybrids

The unique photophysical properties of C60 have generated significant research focused on its use as the acceptor in covalently bound donor-acceptor pairs.1 In particular, photophysical properties of porphyrin-linked C60 hybrids have received considerable attention.2 It has been shown that intramolecular electron transfer from the porphyrin to C60 to generate ion pairs occurs extremely rapidly with zinc porphyrins and with free base dyads in polar solvents; in nonpolar solvents, efficient formation of C60* was seen.2a,g,3 The extent of such interactions in the ground state has been attributed to the rigid conformation enforced by the linker.2,3 Herein we report the efficient synthesis as well as computational and photophysical studies of two novel classes of porphyrin-C60 hybrids. These hybrids (i.e., dyads) are unique in that (i) their synthesis utilizes a convergent strategy, providing access to a rich array of new structures, including the first azalinked porphyrin-fullerene hybrid, (ii) despite the fact that the porphyrin moiety is not rigidly connected to C60, electronic interactions still occur in the ground state, and (iii) cations induce formation of a complex with open-chain crown-ether mimics 6 and 8 in which there is a dynamic equilibrium between complexed and uncomplexed states (see Scheme 1). In the former state, the two chromophores are brought closer together, significantly increasing intramolecular interactions. Armed with a facile high-yield route to carboxylic acid 1 via sulfonium ylide addition and subsequent hydrolysis,4 fullerenes possessing linkers with terminal hydroxyl groups were synthesized through a protection-deprotection sequence by coupling of monoprotected diols with 1,5 followed by EDCmediated coupling6,7 with 5-(4′-carboxyphenyl)-10,15,20-triphenylporphine (3, Scheme 2).7,8 Flexibility in the choice of the
The role of growth, predation, and habitat selection in the population distribution of the crown conch, Melongena corona Gmelin

Abstract The intertidal gastropod Melongena corona Gmelin exhibits a size gradient along the shore as a function of habitat. Small, juvenile snails were found on the sand beach and larger adults were found on hard substratum habitats (shell rubble beach and oyster bar). A transplant experiment was performed to test three proximate explanations for this pattern: 1. (1) differential growth rate of conchs in different habitats, 2. (2) differences in predation intensity between habitats and 3. (3) active habitat selection by snails. Shell scars on the last shell whorl were used as an index of predation pressure. Growth and predation were not significantly different for snails of similar size in different habitats, but snails were found to return to their original habitat when displaced. The ability to home did not differ between sexes or juveniles and adults. Active habitat selection appears to be a significant proximate factor maintaining the population distribution. A number of potential ultimate causes of the size class segregation are suggested.
The influence of hormones on the biochemical development of fetal rat lung in organ culture. II. Insulin.

Summary: The influence of insulin on the biochemical and morphologic maturation of 19-day fetal rat lung (term is 22 days) was studied in an organ culture system. Exposure to insulin for 24 hr resulted in a significant increase in the glycogen content and the rate of glucose oxidation to CO2. In association with this, there was morphologic evidence of delayed lung maturation as evidenced by a significant decrease in the number of lamellar bodies and type II cells in the explants. Insulin treatment had no effect on the rate of choline incorporation into phosphatidylcholine (PC) or disaturated PC and did not antagonize the dexamethasone-induced stimulation of choline incorporation into PC. When the incorporation of [3H]acetate into the various phospholipid fractions was examined, however, it was found that exposure to insulin resulted in a significant decrease in the percentage of phospholipid radioactivity in the disaturated PC fraction and an increase in the percentage of radioactivity in the “membrane” phospholipids, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol plus phosphatidylserine, and sphingomyelin. There was no significant change in the unsaturated PC and phosphatidylglycerol fractions. Treatment with dexamethasone generally had the opposite effect to insulin with regard to acetate incorporation into the various phospholipid fractions, and when the two hormones were combined, this effect was diminished or abolished. The effects of insulin could not be accounted for on the basis of a change in activity of any of the enzymes of phospholipid synthesis that were examined. These findings suggest that insulin stimulates the synthesis of the cell membrane phospholipids while decreasing that of the surfactant phospholipid, disaturated PC. Speculation: Insulin stimulates lung cell growth while delaying lung cell differentiation.
Are Students Failing School or Are Schools Failing Students? Class Cutting in High School

In many urban public high schools today, students navigate their day by selectively cutting class leading to course failure and dropping out. Collaborative, qualitative research conducted with urban high school students indicates that cutting results from disengagement and alienation that students label "boredom." Focus group data (N= 160 in 8 groups) indicate that class cutting has not only an individual component that schools address, but also a systemic, conflictual component that schools do not address. These unaddressed, intransigent conflicts can foster moral exclusion and structural violence. These data suggest that rather than relying on standard punitive approaches, schools can respond to class cutting more effectively by taking students' concerns seriously, working collaboratively with students, and engaging in institutional self-scrutiny.
Notch-dependent control of myelopoiesis is regulated by fucosylation

Cell-cell contact–dependent mechanisms that modulate proliferation and/or differentiation in the context of hematopoiesis include mechanisms characteristic of the interactions between members of the Notch family of signal transduction molecules and their ligands. Whereas Notch family members and their ligands clearly modulate T lymphopoietic decisions, evidence for their participation in modulating myelopoiesis is much less clear, and roles for posttranslational control of Notch-dependent signal transduction in myelopoiesis are unexplored. We report here that a myeloproliferative phenotype in FX−/− mice, which are conditionally deficient in cellular fucosylation, is consequent to loss of Notch-dependent signal transduction on myeloid progenitor cells. In the context of a wild-type fucosylation phenotype, we find that the Notch ligands suppress myeloid differentiation of progenitor cells and enhance expression of Notch target genes. By contrast, fucosylation-deficient myeloid progenitors are insensitive to the suppressive effects of Notch ligands on myelopoiesis, do not transcribe Notch1 target genes when cocultured with Notch ligands, and have lost the wild-type Notch ligand-binding phenotype. Considered together, these observations indicate that Notch-dependent signaling controls myelopoiesis in vivo and in vitro and identifies a requirement for Notch fucosylation in the expression of Notch ligand binding activity and Notch signaling efficiency in myeloid progenitors.
Reduced-scale building model and numerical investigations to buoyancy-driven natural ventilation

Abstract Similarities of a reduced-scale building model using air as the working fluid for buoyancy-driven natural ventilation have been analyzed and experiments were carried out using the scaled model for a common natural ventilation building, which has open office floor plans connected to a central atrium. Both open and closed cases have been investigated for the stack vents, located at the top of the atrium. Inputs for the scaled building model were taken from results measured in the prototype building by the authors. The parameters of the scaled building model's experiments thus were used as inputs into a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation model to compare predicted and measured airflow patterns, temperatures and velocity distributions in the scaled building model.