cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cumberland Falls chondritic inclusions - Mineralogy/petrology of a forsterite chondrite suite

The mineralogy and petrology of a suite of chondritic inclusions from the Cumberland Falls aubrite are investigated in order to clarify the relation of the inclusions to each other, forsterite chondrites, and the aubrites. Thin sections of nine chondritic inclusions and the achondritic matrix of Cumberland Falls were examined in reflected light, then analyzed for up to 12 elements by electron microprobe techniques. Minerals detected in abundant quantities include low-Ca pyroxene, olivine, plagioclase, kamacite, taenite, schreibersite, troilite, ferroan alabandite and daubreelite; diospide, oldhamite and a Ti-rich sulfide are found in one or two inclusions. The mineralogic compositions indicate similar degrees of reduction for the inclusions in the Cumberland Falls meteorites and in four meteorites identified as forsterite chondrites (Kakangari, Mt. Morris, Pontlyfni and Winona). The inclusions are found to be of a primitive composition, corresponding to petrological types 2 or 3, while the identification of jadeitic pyroxene in nearly all inclusions indicates a substantial degree of shock. The results suggest that the inclusions formed from nebular material that condensed and accreted over a broad redox range, and experienced tertiary shock in a collision with an enstatite meteorite in which the Cumberland Falls meteorite formed.
Complete regression of villous adenomas of the colon using piroxicam, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug

A 73-year-old patient with a past history of rectal carcinoma was found to have two sessile villous adenomas of the cecum. Because he refused surgical resection, a course of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug therapy using piroxicam was given, and the villous adenomas regressed within three months. The cecum has remained clear at one year.
Time-Resolved Fluorescence Quenching Measurements to Study the Structural Defects Induced by Myosin Essential Light Chain Cardiomyopathy Mutations in Muscle Fibers

We used time-resolved fluorescence quenching measurements to determine the effects of three cardiomyopathy-causing myosin essential light chain (ELC) mutations (E143K-, M149V, and R154H) on the structure of myosin in muscle fibers. These ELC mutations cause familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (FHC) in humans. A cysteine at C187 in the ventricular ELC was labeled in the absence (wildtype) and presence of the ELC mutations, with a fluorescent probe, called IAEDANS. The labeled ELCs were then be separately reconstituted into ELC-depleted skeletal muscle fibers. Acrylamide was used as a “quencher” to determine whether the ELC mutation changes the environment of the probe in rigor, relaxing, and isometrically contracting muscle fiber bundles. Time-resolved emission lifetimes were acquired as a function of [acrylamide] for the wildtype and the ELC mutants in the muscle fibers. The fluorescence lifetime of the probe will decay faster when it is exposed to the acrylamide on the surface of the protein than when it is more-buried in the protein interior. We determined that the ELC mutants perturbed the extent of acrylamide quenching in rigor, relaxing, and contracting muscle fiber bundles compared to fiber bundles with the wildtype ELC, suggesting that the ELC mutations induced structural changes to expose the probe to the solvent. This research is significant to understanding how myosin dysfunction is correlated with the phenotype of the FHC disease. Fluorescence spectroscopy was performed at the Biophysical Spectroscopy Center at the University of Minnesota, with assistance from Fluorescence Innovations, Inc. (Greg Gillispie, President). This research was supported by a NIH grant (AR052360) to OR and UofMn UROP fellowships to RJP.
Amphetamine and methylphenidate psychosis

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the amphetamine and methylphenidate psychosis. A total of 17 actively ill schizophrenic patients, who were in good health without cardiovascular or other physical illness were administered active drug by a single injection, preceded and followed by placebo injections every 5 min. In actively schizophrenic patients, methylphenidate produced a marked worsening of the schizophrenic symptoms causing a doubling of the psychosis scores. d -amphetamine worsened psychotic symptoms somewhat, but was less potent than methylphenidate. l -amphetamine was the least potent of three drugs. l -amphetamine 10 mg, and d -amphetamine 4 mg were less potent than l -amphetamine 28 mg. The results from each of several experiments were combined to arrive at drug potencies relative to the psychosis worsening effects of l -amphetamine. In the experiment in which methylphenidate was given followed by physostigmine, methylphenidate produced a 50% increase in psychosis ratings. It is found that when physostigmine was administered after methylphenidate, there was essentially no net increase in psychosis, so that physostigmine effectively reversed the psychosis worsening property of methylphenidate. Methylphenidate also increased interactions, and this effect was blocked by physostigmine.
The gender gap in educational expectations among youth in the foster care system

Abstract Youth in the foster care system are at greater risk for a host of aversive outcomes including diminished educational performance and attainment. While these issues are well-documented, less is known about gender differences on academic outcomes for these students. Over the past three decades, women have overtaken men in college attendance and post-secondary degree attainment. Research suggests that this gender gap may be greater among marginalized groups, including youth emerging from the foster care system. Using data from a statewide sample of adolescents in foster care, the current study explores the effect of gender on educational expectations and measures gender differences in college efficacy, academic functioning, and preparation for post-secondary education. After controlling for race/ethnicity and grade level, logistic regression models showed the females in foster care reported more than twice the likelihood of achieving a Bachelor's or graduate degree. Comparisons between genders revealed that females had higher reported academic performance than males, with males making greater gains in educational expectations after participating in a college access program. Limitations and suggestions for future research and action are discussed.
EVALUATION OF THE SAFETY OF BETA BLOCKERS IN THE ACUTE MANAGEMENT OF COCAINE-ASSOCIATED CHEST PAIN

Cocaine-associated chest pain accounts for ∼40p of drug-related visits to the emergency department. It is not known whether beta-blockers (BB) are safe in the acute management of cocaine-associated chest pain, due to fears of unopposed alpha-receptor activity. We retrospectively
Double-blind comparison of doxepin and desipramine in patients with primary affective disorder

A double-blind comparison of doxepin versus desipramine was performed in carefully defined patients with research diagnoses of Primary Affective Disorder. While both drugs showed equal efficacy after 4 weeks, doxepin demonstrated a more rapid onset of action and surprisingly few side effects. Desipramine did not prove to be “activating” and did not worsen agitated depression. Although doxepin showed few autonomic side effects, it was nevertheless sedating, indicating that tricyclics with more anticholinergic effects are not necessarily more sedating drugs.
Accept, coach, and inspire: a formula for success

Purpose – Technical services librarians, catalogers and metadata specialists serve as the integral managers of comprehensive integrated systems designed to facilitate the ingestion, annotation, cataloging, storage, retrieval and distribution of organized, discoverable resources. Yet, despite the escalating costs to upgrade integrated library systems, maintain authority control for name and subject heading points of access and create original surrogate records for new library resources, technical services departments did not grow. Design/methodology/approach – The goal of sharing metadata is to reduce the local cost of its creation with minimal changes. However, research suggests that catalogers and metadata specialists review and authenticate the standards-compliant work of others, thus negating the goal of sharing and increasing the cost of building and maintaining online catalogs and discovery tools. How can a library administrator encourage the acceptance of metadata created at other information organi...
Plasticity in multiphase intermetallics

Abstract We have studied the mechanical behavior of model NiAl-based eutectic composites to gain insight on micromechanisms of plasticity in multiphase intermetallics. We show that in composites where the NiAl matrix and the reinforcing ductile second phase can deform compatibly due to easy slip transfer across interfaces, high room temperature tensile ductility and fracture toughness are obtained. In composites where interfaces are strong barriers to slip transfer and the metallic second phase has high strength and limited ductility, incompatible deformation of the two phases results in negligible tensile ductility and limited toughness enhancement. Factors that affect ease of slip transfer across interfaces are discussed. Calculations of dislocation pile-up stresses are used to predict whether slip is activated prior to cleavage or vice-versa for a given set of respective yield strengths and crystallographic orientation relationships between the two phases.
How Dinoflagellates Swim

Summary Dinoflagellates possess two flagella; usually these are directed perpendicular to one another constituting a transversal flagellum and a longitudinal, trailing flagellum, respectively. The transversal flagellum causes the cell to rotate around its length axis. The trailing flagellum is responsible for the translation of the cell; due to its asymmetric insertion it also causes a rotation of the cell around an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. Together, these two rotational components result in a helical swimming path. Cells can vary the two rotational components independently as well as the translational velocity. With these three degrees of freedom, cells can vary the parameters of their helical swimming paths for steering. Dinoflagellates use this mechanism for orientation in chemical concentration gradients (“helical klinotaxis”).
Where do chaplains fit in the world of cancer care

Finally, what are we about in modern chaplaincy? We have successfully shed our old image as a profession that is more tolerated than valued as a part of the team. We have become as skilled in interacting sensitively with patients and family members as any member of the health care team. We have become integrated professionals in the modern hospital. While maintaining these skills and that place, we need to reappropriate some of the unique features of who we are as people of faith and reintegrate them into our practice. The time when embracing science meant devaluing religious faith has come to an end. We can and must use the strengths of both science and religion to help cancer patients and their families strive for health. As we continue to grow in using the tools of science to bring people to faith and hope, we need to appropriate some other tools of psychology to help us. As I discussed, the role of assessment needs a great deal more exploration. Research on spiritual issues in coping with cancer is still in its infancy and desperately needs the participation of chaplains. We need the data from this research to help us maximize our patient's ability to use religious faith in their coping. As chaplains, we will always be on a bridge between science and religion. We will always have to be careful to stay balanced and not to wander too far toward one end of this bridge or the other. To keep our ministry in perspective, we must always remember that science is a method and a set of skills that we use while religious faith is at the center of who we are.
Phylogenetic inference from conserved sites alignments.

Molecular sequences provide a rich source of data for inferring the phylogenetic relationships among species. However, recent work indicates that even an accurate multiple alignment of a large sequence set may yield an incorrect phylogeny and that the quality of the phylogenetic tree improves when the input consists only of the highly conserved, motif regions of the alignment. This work introduces two methods of producing multiple alignments that include only the conserved regions of the initial alignment. The first method retains conserved motifs, whereas the second retains individual conserved sites in the initial alignment. Using parsimony analysis on a mitochondrial data set containing 19 species among which the phylogenetic relationships are widely accepted, both conserved alignment methods produce better phylogenetic trees than the complete alignment. Unlike any of the 19 inference methods used before to analyze this data, both methods produce trees that are completely consistent with the known phylogeny. The motif-based method employs far fewer alignment sites for comparable error rates. For a larger data set containing mitochondrial sequences from 39 species, the site-based method produces a phylogenetic tree that is largely consistent with known phylogenetic relationships and suggests several novel placements. J. Exp. Zool. ( Mol. Dev. Evol.) 285:128-139, 1999.
Dosimetry studies on prototype 241Am sources for brachytherapy

Abstract Sealed sources of 241 Am emit primarily 60 keV photons which, because of multiple Compton scattering, produce dose distributions in water that are comparable to those from 226 Ra or 137 Cs. However, americium gamma rays can be shielded by thin layers of high atomic number materials since the half value layer thickness is only 1/8th of a mm of lead for americium gamma rays as compared to a value of 12 mm for 226 Ra gamma rays. This may allow effective in vivo shielding of critical organs, for example; the bladder can be partially shielded by hypaque solution, and the rectum and sigmoid colon by barium sulfate. In addition, the exposure to medical personnel involved in intracavitary application and patient care may be reduced substantially by the use of relatively thin lead aprons and light weight, portable shields. To investigate the feasibility of 241 Am sources for intracavitary irradiation, dosimetry studies on prototype 241 Am sources have been performed and a computer model for the determination of dose distributions around encapsulated cylindrical sources of 241 Am has been developed and tested. Results of dosimetry measurements using ionization chambers, lithium fluoride thermoluminiscent dosimeters, a scanning scintillation probe, and film dosimetry, confirm theoretical predictions that these sources can deliver dose rates adequate for intracavitary irradiation. Further dosimetry measurements in simulated clinical situations using lead foils and test tubes filled with hypaque or barium sulfate, confirm the predicted effectiveness of in vivo shielding which can be readily achieved with 241 Am sources.
Negative Trends, Possible Selves, and Behavior Change A Qualitative Study of Juvenile Offenders in Residential Treatment

This study uses Stein and Markus’ (1996) self-concept and behavior change framework to examine youth offenders’ responses to individual-level treatment in a residential correctional facility. The authors analysed transcripts collected from 10 male offenders, aged 15‐17, who were interviewed at least three times over a period of four to six months. Results showed that while many offenders were able to identify negative trends in their life that led to their criminal behavior, other cognitively filtered out self-defeating information and did not identify troubling life patterns. Offenders also articulated visions of hoped for selves that were anchored in their lived experiences with positive role models and feared the selves that they might become if they continued down a criminal path. However, nearly all of the offenders had loosely organized or vague strategies for achieving their hoped for or idealized selves. Based on these findings, the authors pose implications for self-concept theory and for treatment practices with this population group.
Effects of alcohols on the reactivity and stability of Azotobacter vinelandii hydrogenase.

Abstract The effects of alcohols on the reactivity of Azotobacter vinelandii hydrogenase were investigated. Hydrogenase catalyzed H 2 oxidation coupled to methylene blue, benzyl viologen, or phenazine methosulfate when in the presence of solvents containing 15 or 40% ethanol or 40% methanol or 2-propanol. In general, the K m 's for the electron acceptors were increased substantially by the presence of the alcohols, while the K m for H 2 was not altered in a solvent containing 40% ethanol. Calculation of the apparent maximum velocities for H 2 oxidation in the presence of alcohols indicated that the maximum velocity was not decreased in most cases. In contrast, the rates of both H 2 evolution and isotope exchange by hydrogenase were substantially decreased when in a solvent containing alcohol. Hydrogenase was inactivated in 100% ethanol with a half-life of 17 s. Hydrogenase from A. vinelandii was stable when stored in alcohol/buffer solvents at 20 °C or below. However, the thermal stability of hydrogenase was greatly decreased by inclusion of an alcohol in the solvent. When incubated at 55 °C in a solvent containing 40% ethanol, activity decreased in a first-order process with a half-life of 7 min. When incubated at the same temperature in aqueous buffer, no loss of activity was observed over 30 min.
Observer fields and the strong energy condition

We generalize some geometric features (in particular, timelike incompleteness) of warped product manifolds with non-negative timelike Ricci curvature to spacetimes that admit irrotational, but not necessarily geodesic, observer fields. It turns out that the strong energy condition still implies properties such as slowing expansion rates on these more general asymmetric spacetimes, provided the restspace is compact. Rigid observer fields are also studied in the context of curvature.
Androgen action in the rat ventral prostate: effect of castration and testosterone treatment on polyribosomes.

Abstract Two ribosomal fractions were prepared from rat ventral prostate and examined by electron microscopy. One fraction sedimenting at 10,000 g contained ribosomes associated with heavy membrane fragments (heavy fraction), and another sedimenting with the 105,000 g pellet contained ribosomes in free clusters or associated with light membrane fragments (light fraction). Centrifugation of both fractions on sucrose gradients revealed the presence of various absorbance peaks of polyribosomes which could be dissociated into monoribosomes by treatment with ribonuclease, and into ribosomal subunits by exposure to EDTA. Castration caused the dissociation of polyribosomes of both fractions into monoribosomes within 12–24 h and into ribosomal subunits within 48–72 h. In the heavy fraction, dissociation of polyribosomes was detected as early as 12 h after castration, while in the light fraction these changes were not noted until 24 h after castration. Polyribosomal peaks of both fractions disappeared completely between 48–72 h. Testosterone treatment of the castrate restored polyribosomal peaks at a rate similar to the rate of dissociation after castration. The rate of restoration in the light fraction appeared to be faster than in the heavy fraction. In doses of 1 mg/day, 17β-hydroxy-5α-androstan-3-one was as effective as testosterone, and 5α-androstane-3α,17β-diol was somewhat less effective. Cortisol had a very slight effect, while progesterone and estradiol-17β had no effect on polyribosome reassembly. To determine which components of polyribosomes were most affected by castration, the incorporation of tritiated cytidine into polyribosomes was studied in castrates and testosterone treated castrates. Within periods of 12, 18, or 48 h, testosterone treatment of the castrate caused an increase in cytidine incorporation into all components of polyribosomes.
Effects of glucagon, insulin and cyclic-AMP on mitochondrial calcium uptake in the liver

Abstract The effects of glucagon and insulin administration in vivo on hepatic mitochondrial Ca 2+ uptake were compared with the effects of these hormones when they were added directly to the perfused liver. Glucagon administration increased mitochondrial calcium uptake both in vivo and in the perfused liver. In contrast, while injection of insulin into rats stimulated, addition of insulin to the perfusate, inhibited Ca 2+ uptake. Cyclic AMP, when added to the perfusate, also increased the uptake of Ca 2+ by mitochondria, subsequently isolated. The possible implications of the results are discussed.
Effects of round window stimulation on unit discharges in the visual cortex and superior colliculus.

1. The effect of labyrinthine polarization on single cells in the cat visual system was studied in 106 visual cortex and 137 superior colliculus neurons. The principal influence observed in cortex was an increase in unit firing rate above spontaneous activity and a facilitation of the unit's response to light; the dominant effect in colliculus was a decrease in spontaneous firing rate and/or a depression of the unit's response to light. 2. Suppressive effects in colliculus were not mediated by visual cortex, since such suppressive effects were present in cats with visual cortex lesions. 3. Round window stimulation effects were compared to the effects of stimulation calculated to induce general arousal; similar effects were sometimes observed, but different responses were often elicited from the same unit by round window and forepaw or reticular formation stimulation. 4. In cats in which the VIIth–VIIIth nerve complex had been sectioned, round window polarization still had a definite influence on visual neurons. 5. The use of labyrinthine polarization as a method for activating specific vestibular pathways was discussed; experimental evidence suggested that multiple pathways, including non-specific ones, may be activated by round window stimulation.
Salton Award Lecture: People, Interacting with Information

Colleagues, friends, let me begin by expressing how pleased, and humbly honored I am to be a recipient of the Gerard Salton Award. Gerry was a great man, and to receive the award named for him is very special. For me personally, it is especially meaningful, given the sometime disputatious nature of our professional interactions, and what seemed, on the surface, to be quite different ideas about information retrieval. I say, on the surface, because in the end, I believe that he and I both shared the same goal for the field, although we approached it from quite different positions. In this presentation, I will speak at some length on that goal, and on how I think it might be best addressed. I am humbled also by the honor of having joined the ranks of the previous recipients of this award; the founders, leaders and innovators in information retrieval (IR), from the earliest beginnings of the field to today. It has been my distinct good fortune to have known all of the previous recipients, to have collaborated with many of them, to have argued with all of them, to have learned from them, and, I hope, to have been able to appropriately incorporate their insights into my own work. Today, following the example of many of my predecessors, I'd like to take this opportunity to, in Sue Dumais's words of 2009, "present a personal reflection on information retrieval." This will include an overview of my history in IR, a discussion of my personal take on its proper goals, and on how those might be best achieved, and saying something about the challenges that IR theory, experiment and practice face both now, and in the future, and how we might best address those challenges. I came to the field of IR from a starting point in information science; specifically, with the concern of addressing general problems of information in society. I initially thought that the best way to do this would be to establish a firm framework for a science of information. Acting on my then understanding of what a science constituted, I began the project of defining information. Fortunately for me, I did this at University College, London, with B.C. Brookes as my Ph.D. supervisor, and Steve Robertson my office mate. It didn't take long for me to be disabused of a) the idea that information could be defined; and b) that defining its phenomena of interest was a necessary precondition to a "real" science. Instead, perhaps under the influence of the great pragmatist, Jeremy Bentham, founder of University College, I turned to attempting to develop a concept of information which would lead to being able to predict its effect on a person's state of knowledge, which I took at that time as what IR systems should be attempting to do.
Relation between physical growth and information processing in infants born in India.

The relation between physical growth and cognitive development in infants growing up in India was examined in this study. Subjects were 183 5-12-month-olds. Weight and length, two anthropometric measures commonly used to index nutritional status in developing countries, related to infant measures of visual recognition memory and tactual-visual cross-modal transfer. Underweight infants performed relatively poorly on both cognitive measures and failed to show the clear age-related improvements in speed of processing found among the heavier infants. Weight and length correlated with both measures of infant cognition, r = .25 to r = .45, as did, to a lesser degree, head circumference. Although birthweight, previous illness, and parental education were also related to development, the relations between infant growth and cognition remained significant even after these variables were statistically controlled.
A multisystems on screen display for TV MCU

A novel on-screen display system for TV incorporated into an application-specific MCU (microprocessor control unit) is described. It uses the PLL (phase-locked loop) technique and is compatible with all currently known scanning standards which are detected automatically. The circuit is developed so that the characters are stable regardless of system change. Special techniques are used to minimize the horizontal jitter of the display. >
Controlled release of dexamethasone from PLGA microspheres embedded within polyacid-containing PVA hydrogels.

The development of zero-order release systems capable of delivering drug(s) over extended periods of time is deemed necessary for a variety of biomedical applications. We hereby describe a simple, yet versatile, delivery platform based on physically cross-linked poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) microgels (cross-linked via repetitive freeze/thaw cycling) containing entrapped dexamethasone-loaded poly(lacticco-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microspheres for controlled delivery over a 1-month period. The incorporation of polyacids, such as humic acids, Nafion, and poly(acrylic acid), was found to be crucial for attaining approximately zero-order release kinetics, releasing 60% to 75% of dexamethasone within 1 month. Microspheres alone entrapped in the PVA hydrogel resulted in negligible drug release during the 1-month period of investigation. On the basis of a comprehensive evaluation of the structure-property relationships of these hydrogel/microsphere composites, in conjunction with their in vitro release performance, it was concluded that these polyacids segregate on the PLGA microsphere surfaces and thereby result in localized acidity. These surface-associated polyacids appear to cause acid-assisted hydrolysis to occur from the surface inwards. Such systems show potential for a variety of localized controlled drug delivery applications such as coatings for implantable devices.
Brewster-plate spoiler: a novel method for reducing the amplitude of interference fringes that limit tunable-laser absorption sensitivities

A simple method is described for substantially reducing the amplitude of interference fringes that limit the sensitivities of tunable-laser high-resolution absorption spectrometers. A lead-salt diode laser operating in the 7-micron region is used with a single Brewster-plate spoiler to reduce the fringe amplitude by a factor of 30 and also to allow the detection of absorptances 0.001 percent in a single laser scan without subtraction techniques, without complex frequency modulation, and without distortion of the molecular line-shape signals. Application to multipass-cell spectrometers is described.
Appropriate Technology, X-Inefficiency, and a Competitive Environment: Some Evidence from Pakistan

The question of "appropriate" technology for less developed countries has received widespread attention in the last few years. The failure of industrial sector jobs in LDC's to grow as fast as the demand for them has generated high and rising apparent levels of unemployment. Policy makers and researchers have become interested in finding ways of encouraging more labor-intensive technologies. These are valued, not only for the employment that they will encourage, but also for the more favorable income distribution that is likely to result. Much attention has been focused on measuring the potential flexibility of production technologies and on examining the financial incentives to entrepreneurs in choosing technologies. There is now a mounting body of evidence that indicates that technologies are flexible and that relative factor prices have frequently been inappropriate for reaching the goal of labor-intensive production.' Recently, Wells and Ranis have generated a second hypothesis concerning appropriate technology.2 They argue that the absence of competition in many markets in LDC's, because of import protection and fewness of domestic producers, may also discourage labor-intensive technology. Protected producers, cushioned from the costminimizing rigors of competition, may well "indulge" in capital-intensive production methods. If this argument is correct, it implies that procompetition (and protrade) policies in LDC's may be more beneficial than just the static deadweight loss measures would indicate. Unfortunately, this hypothesis has had only anecdotal and impressionistic support and has not really been tested.
Analysis of the impact of alfalfa forage production under summer water-limiting circumstances on productivity, agricultural and growers returns and plant stand

The trade-off between summer water conservation from alfalfa production and the effects on plant growth, agricultural crop value, and grower returns in the low desert area (Imperial, Palo Verde, Parker and Yuma Valleys of California and Arizona) was analyzed using an experimental plot in the Palo Verde Valley. The purpose was to provide a basis for evaluating water conservation decisions and policies. Four summer dry-down periods (withdrawing water for a predetermined period) of 0 days (control), 35 days, 70 days, and 105 days were analyzed. Our results show that whereas the various dry-down periods would provide water conservation ranging from 254 to 944 million m3, the region would experience agricultural income decline by US $16 to US $73 million. For growers, benefits of dry-down would be effective only if the water price exceeds US $0.045 m -3 in California and US $0.036 m -3 in Arizona. Also drydown would have possible adverse effects in the following areas including declines in plant stand density, long-term productivity, service industry sales, employment and biological benefits of soil fertility and organic matter that is attributed by the alfalfa plant in which case agriculture's and growers monetary losses could increase.
Training a hybrid neural-fuzzy system

It is shown that hybrid neural-fuzzy systems can be described almost as concisely as conventional layered neural networks and can be subjected to the same methods for training. Combining elements of neural and fuzzy systems in this way offers clear benefits whenever the training a neural network can be improved by incorporation of prior knowledge or where a fuzzy system requires careful tuning. The examples suggest that the inclusion of fuzzy elements in a neural network framework may, for certain applications, increase representational power with fewer parameters than would be required by merely increasing the number of conventional nodes and layers. >
Caregiving by low-income adolescent mothers and the language abilities of their 30-month-old children

La principale question etudiee dans ce travail etait la suivante: les pratiques de mode de soin de meres adolescentes de milieux defavorises peuvent-elles, durant les deux premieres annees de la vie de leurs enfants, predire les differences individuelles des capacites de langage de leurs enfants de 30 mois Cette question a ete etudiee chez un echantillon de 76 meres adolescentes et leurs enfants qui partiicipaient a un programme de soutien familial. Differentes mesures de comportement de mode de soin, evalue lorsque les enfants avaient 6, 12, et 24 mois, etaient particulierement liees aux scores a l'Echelle de Langage d'Age Prescolaire-3. Le Test de Vocabulaire Expressif Un Mot Une Image, et aux Tests de Vocabulaire Receptif Un Mot Une Image passes par les enfants.
The deformation and compaction of partial molten zones

Summary. The segregation of melt from a partially molten source region requires a corresponding deformation of the unmelted residue (‘matrix’). The role of matrix deformation during melt segregation is examined using simple one-dimensional models, for which the deformation consists only of bulk compression or ‘compaction’. In model I, a volume fraction & of ascending mantle material undergoes pressure-release melting at a depth z = 0 (localized melting). Compaction of the matrix occurs in a boundary layer whose thickness (reduced compaction length 6,) is proportional to the square root of the matrix viscosity. In the Earth’s mantle, 6, - 10-100 m, indicating that compaction cannot be important over large distances. Model I1 examines the case in which melting occurs over a depth range of order h (distributed melting). In the limit k Q S,, the solution is the same as for the case of localized melting, except in a ‘melting layer’ of thickness - k near z = 0. In the more realistic limit h > 6,, compaction makes a negligible contribution to the balance of forces associated with melt segregation. This result is also valid for the more general case of two-dimensional flow. Compaction is therefore likely to be of negligible importance in the Earth’s mantle, with the consequence that melt segregation can be accurately described by Darcy’s law.
Anti-inflammatory activity of edible oyster mushroom is mediated through the inhibition of NF-κB and AP-1 signaling

Background Mushrooms are well recognized for their culinary properties as well as for their potency to enhance immune response. In the present study, we evaluated anti-inflammatory properties of an edible oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) in vitro and in vivo.
The intersection of inflammation, insulin resistance and ageing: implications for the study of molecular signalling pathways in horses

Inflammation-associated insulin resistance contributes to chronic disease in humans and other long-lived species, such as horses. Insulin resistance arises due to an imbalance among molecular signalling mediators in response to pro-inflammatory cytokines in the aged and obese. The mammalian heat shock protein response has received much attention as an avenue for attenuating inflammatory mediator signalling and for contributing to preservation and restoration of insulin signalling in metabolically important tissues. Data on heat shock proteins and inflammatory signalling mediators in untrained and aged horses are lacking, and horses represent an untapped resource for studying the mediator imbalance contributing to insulin resistance in a comparative model.
Cultural Differences between Arabs and Americans Individualism-Collectivism Revisited

Cultural differences between Arabs and Americans were investigated using Wagner's individualism-collectivism survey. Arab subjects were significantly more collectivist than U.S. subjects, and within the Arab culture, Egyptian subjects were significantly more individualistic than Gulf States subjects.
Conflict Resolution: Preparing Preservice Special Educators to Work in Collaborative Settings

Collaborative practice to provide effective programs for students with special needs and their families has increased with many positive results. But as this collaborative practice increases, so does the potential for conflict. Constructive conflict resolution occurs when disputants have knowledge and skills to produce positive outcomes, maintain and improve relationships, and prevent or resolve future conflicts. In this study, a multiple baseline design was used to examine the effects of an instructional package designed to help preservice special educators understand, analyze, and take steps toward resolving actual teacher-teacher conflicts. Results indicated that participants' ability to analyze conflict situations and to apply appropriate steps toward resolution increased, and positive changes were noted in opinions about and approaches to conflict.
Circuits/Cycles of Desire Buddhism, Diaspora Theory, and Identity Politics in Russell Leong's Phoenix Eyes

Among contemporary Chinese American writers, Russell Leong strikes me as one of a handful most readily identifiable with a diasporic sensibility, if the term is taken to refer to conventional definitions of diaspora derived from the Babylonian exile of the Jews (e.g., Safran).2 In his poetry collected in The Country of Dreams and Dust (1993) and fiction collected in Phoenix Eyes (2000), Leong writes with exquisite sensitivity about the global displacements of the Chinese in recent history, often in an elegiac tone.3 In Phoenix Eyes, on which I will focus in this essay, most if not all of the stories are predicated on a profound sense of loss and involve restless translocal movements of various kinds, all meticulously historicized. To quote David James, Leong's work is "a triumph of the diasporic imagination, in which the relations between different contexts in which identity is formed—sexual, familial, linguistic, geographical, religious, political, and so on— are reconfigured across macro-political trans...
The solution of algebraic equations

The chapter discusses both algebraic and numerical methods for finding roots of algebraic equations. If an equation is written in the form f( x ) = O, where f is some function and x is a variable, solving the equation means to find those constant values of x such that the equation is satisfied. These values are called solutions or roots of the equation. If there are two variables in the equation, such as F ( x, y ) - O, then the equation can be solved for y as a function of x or x as a function of y, but in order to solve for constant values of both variables, a second equation, such as G ( x , y ) = O, is required, and the two equations must be solved simultaneously. In general, if there are n variables, then n independent and consistent equations are required. Algebraic methods for solving one equation with one unknown variable are first described. This includes polynomial equations, linear equations, and quadratic equations. Approximate solutions to equations are discussed in a segment of the chapter. Approximation by use of simplifying assumptions and approximation by linearization are the two methods that are detailed. Graphical solutions of equations using Excel are then provided. Numerical solutions of algebraic equations which include information on Mathematica and simultaneous equations are the other topics that form a part of the chapter.
Growth and nutritional properties of lettuce affected by mixed irradiation of white and supplemental light provided by light-emitting diode

Abstract ‘Green Oak Leaf’ lettuce were hydroponically cultured for 35 days under mixed light qualities of white light and a different supplemental light such as blue (B), green (G), yellow (Y), red (R), and far-red (Fr) provided by light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Effects of supplemental light qualities on the growth and nutritional properties of lettuce plants were investigated. The pure white LED (W) was used as control with a photosynthetic photon flux (PPF) value of approximately 135 μmol m −2 s −1 , and the basal white light in each treatment was 105 μmol m −2 s −1 while the photon flux added by supplemental LED was approximately 30 μmol m −2 s −1 . The results indicated that supplemental lights led to obvious morphological changes, plants with WR appeared compact and vigorous while those with WY and WFr looked sparse and twisted, dwarfed plants with large leaves were detected under WB. Compared with those grown in the white light control, the fresh weight of shoots increased by 63.2% and 21.7% with supplemental R and B respectively, while decreased by 35.9% with supplemental Fr. Chlorophyll and carotenoid contents were significantly higher with supplemental R and B than other treatments. Supplemental B and G resulted in decrease of nitrate content. Supplemental G significantly promoted soluble sugar accumulation. Supplemental Fr increased S/R ratio and ascorbic acid accumulation but resulted in lower biomass and pigment contents. However, no positive impact of supplemental Y light was observed in the research.
New North American Bees of the Genus Dufourea (Hymenoptera: Halictidae) Part II

This is the second of a series of papers describing new Dufourea . Subsequent papers will comprise a revision of the North American species which will include illustrations of the bees described in the present series.
A Comparative Study of Eggshell Thickness in Cowbirds and Other Passerines

We directly measured the eggshell thickness of the three brood parasitic Molothrus cowbirds, 17 other icterids, and 13 additional passerines. By correcting these shell thickness measurements for variation attributable to interspecific differences in egg volume, we show that the Molothrus cowbirds lay eggs with shells that are 30% thicker than expected for their size. Our samples of nonparasitic icterids and of other passerines do not differ significantly in shell thickness values corrected for differences in egg volume. We evaluate two hypotheses for the evolution of unusually thick-shelled eggs in cowbirds. The first, an old idea proposed for parasitic cuckoos, is that thick shells resist damage to the parasite's egg at laying. From indirect tests we could find little or no evidence that the thin-shelled eggs of the hosts of cowbirds were damaged by impact when cowbird eggs were laid in their nests; thus, we tentatively conclude that resistance to laying damage has not been critical in favoring the evolution of thick shells in cowbird eggs. As an alternative hypothesis we propose that thick shells have evolved in cowbird eggs to resist puncture ejections by hosts that are too small to grasp whole cowbird eggs for ejection. We show that a puncture specialist, the Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris), has greater difficulty puncturing cowbird eggs than the thinner-shelled eggs of various other passerines. Implications of our hypothesis concerning resistance to puncture ejections are discussed.
Imaging of Weight-Lifting Injuries

Weight lifting is a popular form of exercise. Resistance exercises and weight training have been shown to have beneficial effects on both muscle and osseous development and maintenance. Furthermore, weight training remains the ideal method for counteracting the effects of sarcopenia that occurs during the process of aging. Competitive weight-lifting events have broad appeal to both genders, with participants of all sizes and ages striving to create higher standards in performance. Therefore, it is not surprising that the incidence of injuries related to the lifting of weights has been on the rise in recent years. In general, most lifting injuries relate to either tensile forces or compressive forces, with overuse contributing a significant component to the injury. Although some weight-lifting injuries are readily apparent at the time of the injury, it is noteworthy that most injuries are difficult to isolate or quantify either clinically or with the use of radiographs. In these situations, MRI is best suited for further evaluation.
Thrombocytopenia with a Circulating Platelet Agglutinin, Platelet Lysin and Clot Retraction Inhibitor

A case is reported of thrombocytopenia developing suddenly in a patient with metastatic carcinoma. Studies of this patient’s serum revealed a platelet agglutinin presumed to be related to the development of the thrombocytopenia in spite of the failure to demonstrate autoagglutination. In addition, a technique is described for the detection of a platelet lysin and clot retraction inhibitor, both of which could be demonstrated in this patient’s serum. The identity of the lysin and retraction inhibitor is suggested. Studies on the serums of other patients showed a dissociation between the occurrence of platelet agglutinin on the one hand and of platelet lysin and retraction inhibitor on the other.
Making Connections: Writing Stories and Writing Code

Interdisciplinary competence should be an integral part of undergraduate education. The development of interdisciplinary skills expands students’ perspectives and blurs differences between general education and major courses, preparing them to be better problem-solvers in an increasingly complex and connected world. This chapter describes the design, development, and teaching of an interdisciplinary course linking creative writing and computational thinking for non-computer majors. In this interdisciplinary course, students develop original stories which they then implement as a video game prototype using computer programming. Via interdisciplinary connections between writing stories and writing computer code, even non-computer majors acquire computational thinking concepts and skills.
Racial Injustice in the Criminal Justice System

This chapter presents evidence that African-American males are disproportionately harmed by every aspect of the criminal justice system. From selective enforcement, incarceration, racial profiling, sentencing, prosecutorial abuse, police brutality, and to the death penalty, African-American males face racial injustices. The “war on drugs” has resulted in a disproportionate number of African-American males being arrested, sentenced, and incarcerated. The Federal Sentencing Guidelines have contributed to the mass number of African-American males in jail and prison. This chapter reveals that African-American males continue to face police brutality and disparity in the death penalty systems. This chapter offers compelling evidence that every African-American male in this country who drives a vehicle, or has traveled by bus or plane, either knowingly or unknowingly has been the victim of racial profiling by law enforcement officials. This chapter also discusses how African-American male youth are at risk of being arrested, detained, and prosecuted as adults.