cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nutrient and algal responses to winterkilled fish-derived nutrient subsidies in eutrophic lakes

Abstract Fishes inhabiting shallow, glacial lakes of the Prairie Pothole Region in the United States and Canada periodically experience hypoxia in severe winters that can lead to extensive fish mortality resulting in high biomasses of dead fish. However, the role of carcass-derived nutrient subsidies in shallow, eutrophic lakes translocated to pelagic primary producers is not well documented. This study quantified the influence of winterkill events on nutrient contributions from decaying fish carcasses of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and the phytoplankton response among pre- and postwinterkill years and compared seasonal patterns of nutrient limitation and phytoplankton community composition between winterkill and nonwinterkill lakes. We found that fish carcasses contributed an estimated 2.5–4.3 kg/ha of total (Kjeldahl) nitrogen (N) and 0.3–0.5 kg/ha of total phosphorus (P) to lakes that experienced winterkill conditions. Nutrient bioassays showed that winterkill lakes were primarily N limited, congruen...
Texture-Based Vanishing Point Voting for Road Shape Estimation

Many rural roads lack sharp, smoothly curving edges and a homogeneous surface appearance, hampering traditional vision-based road-following methods. However, they often have strong texture cues parallel to the road direction in the form of ruts and tracks left by other vehicles. This paper describes an unsupervised algorithm for following ill-structured roads in which dominant texture orientations computed with Gabor wavelet filters vote for a consensus road vanishing point location. The technique is first described for estimating the direction of straight-road segments, then extended to curved and undulating roads by tracking the vanishing point indicated by a dierential “strip” of voters moving up toward the nominal vanishing line. Finally, the vanishing point is used to constrain a search for the road boundaries by maximizing texture- and color-based region discriminant functions. Results are shown for a variety of road scenes including gravel roads, dirt trails, and highways.
On converting a dual graph into a block layout

SUMMARY One of the difficulties associated with the application of graph theory to the facilities layout problem is the conversion of the dual graph into a block layout. This paper presents a procedure to address this problem. The procedure exploits the similarities between the graph-theoretic approach and computerized layout-construction procedures, and also resolves some of their differences. It considers the faces of the dual graph one by one and places them in the block layout adjacent to each other in a manner consistent with the adjacencies specified by the dual graph, The procedure is independent.of the manner the maximal planar weighted graph is developed.
Combining ecophysiological models and genomics to decipher the GEM-to-P problem

Much of agricultural research has the ultimate goal of enhancing our ability to predict phenotypes (P) based upon knowledge of genotypes (G), environment (E) and management (M) in order to quantitatively predict phenotypes (P), also known as the GEM-to-P problem. Ecophysiological models are powerful tools for quantitatively predicting phenotypes in terms of environment and management, but their representations of genetic effects are very simplistic. Genomics offers promising avenues to reduce model uncertainty by improving descriptions of the genetic differences among cultivars. This paper reviews use of genetics and genomics with emphasis on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor [L.] Moench) and common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Cultivar-specific parameters, such as for photoperiod sensitivity or grain size, are often problematic because their values are estimated empirically from field studies and because the assumed physiology is inaccurate. Estimates based on genotypic data should be more reliable than estimates from phenotypic data since environmental variation is eliminated. Using ecophysiological models for wheat, sorghum and common bean, cultivar coefficients were estimated using linear functions for gene effects. For all three crops, simulations with gene-based coefficients were similar to those from conventional coefficients. Wider use of this approach has been limited by the number of loci that have been characterized for readily modelled traits. However, data limitations are diminishing as genomic tools provide robust characterization of genes such as the Vrn and Ppd series in wheat. Genomics also can contribute to understanding of how processes should be represented in models. Examples include determining the end of the juvenile phase, characterizing interactive effects of temperature on photoperiod sensitivity, improving how tiller development is modelled, and estimating carbon costs of low-lignin traits for bioenergy crops. The merger of ecophysiological models with genomics, however, will not happen spontaneously. Modellers must broaden their understanding of genomics and related fields, while developing effective collaborations with the plant biology community.
Design and optimization of Fresnel zone plates using a genetic algorithm and a full‐electromagnetic simulator

The optimization of Fresnel zone plates using a genetic algorithm and a the body-of-revolution, finite-difference time-domain simulator is studied. This technique is applied to zone plates for use in a free-space, focused-beam system to measure the electrical properties of materials. The results are compared with a traditionally designed zone plate and a doubly hyperbolic lens. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 51: 2223–2227, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.24520
Constructivist learning systems: a new paradigm

The educational enterprise is in the midst of a philosophical shift from a behaviorist to a constructivist paradigm. If constructivism is to be taken seriously as a new educational paradigm in the information age, learning technology RD distributed instructional system; learning community; constructivist learning system.
How the brain acts on technical information

When readers consume the products of technical communicators, their brains detect, identify, interpret, decide about and act on information. While to an observer these processes may seem smoothly linked they are performed by different parts of readers' brains and operate differently. Technical communicators may be able to produce more usable information if they take readers' brain processes into account. The paper provides a rough guide to some fundamental features of brain anatomy and functioning.
Encourage Applied Research and Publish the Findings

To fill the increasingly widening gap between academic research and the requirements of practical design, there is an urgent need to step up the so-called applie research in sanitary engineering. This can be best accomplished by engineers practicing in the nonacademic field through the study of their actual installations. To promote the general acceptance of this approach it is desirable that a guiding scheme be provided to illustrate how this type of research can be economically conducted and the mechanism of evaluating and reporting the results. Special programs should be designed to facilitate the reporting and the publishing of these findings. Various means such as special grants and favorable tax treatment, should also be developed to encourage this activity.
Voltage-Dependent Gating

The voltage dependence of ionic conductances such as those of sodium and potassium is the result of the voltage influence on the open and closed times of individual channels. This means that an understanding of the voltage dependence of the fraction of open channels will help to correlate the microscopic (single-channel) and macroscopic properties (total ionic current). The question arises as to how the channel goes from the open to the closed configuration and, in particular, how the voltage across the membrane regulates the state of the channel, a process known as voltage gating.
Potential of Radiation-Induced Cellular Stress for Reactivation of Latent HIV-1 and Killing of Infected Cells

The use of highly active antiretroviral therapy against HIV-1 for last two decades has reduced mortality of patients through extension of nonsymptomatic phase of infection. However, HIV-1 can be preserved in long-lived resting CD4(+) T cells, which form a viral reservoir in infected individuals, and potentially in macrophages and astrocytes. Reactivation of viral replication is critical since the host immune response in combination with antiretroviral therapy may eradicate the virus (shock and kill strategy). In this opinion piece, we consider potential application of therapeutic doses of irradiation, the well-known and effective stress signal that induces DNA damage and activates cellular stress response, to resolve two problems: activate HIV-1 replication and virion production in persistent reservoirs under cART and deplete infected cells through selective cell killing using DNA damage responses.
Self‐report as an approach to measuring communication competence

Approaches to measurement of communication competence are reviewed. The self‐report approach to measurement of communication competence is examined. It is concluded that self‐reports have little validity as indicants of competent communicative performances but may serve as useful measures of self‐perceptions which may function as precursors of communicative choices. The Self‐Perceived Communication Competence scale is suggested as a measure which can he used for such purposes.
DL3 selectively binds to androgen receptor and inhibits its signaling in prostate cancer cells

C4 Our previous study identified a novel compound, DL3, that inhibited androgen receptor (AR) function and expression and, hence, androgen-induced cell growth and PSA expression (Mol Cancer Ther 2007 6: 2057-2064). The goal of this research was to further determine potential mechanisms by which DL3 inhibited AR signaling. The protein docking analysis against a crystal structure of the ligand-binding domain (LBD) of AR revealed that DL3 fitted into the same pocket as dihydrotesterone (DHT) in the LBD. A competitive ligand-binding assay showed that DL3 inhibited the binding of DHT to LNCaP prostate cancer cells, but had no effects on the binding of estradiol to MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Consistently, DL3 inhibited growth of LNCaP cells in a dose-dependent manner, but had minimal effects on growth of MCF-7 cells. The inhibitory effects of DL3 on cell growth were also significantly reduced in PC-3 prostate cancer cells that do not express AR. Furthermore, among 13 compounds identified in virtual screenings of the Zinc database, DL3 was the most potent in inhibition of both the growth of and the binding of DHT to LNCaP cells. Taken together, these data suggest that DL3 inhibited AR signaling through its selective binding to AR.
The Self-Compassion Scale is a Valid and Theoretically Coherent Measure of Self-Compassion

Recently, the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS) has been criticized for problems with psychometric validity. Further, the use of an overall self-compassion score that includes items representing the lack of self-compassion has been called into question. I argue that the SCS is consistent with my definition of self-compassion, which I see as a dynamic balance between the compassionate versus uncompassionate ways that individuals emotionally respond to pain and failure (with kindness or judgment), cognitively understand their predicament (as part of the human experience or as isolating), and pay attention to suffering (in a mindful or over-identified manner). A summary of new empirical evidence is provided using a bi-factor analysis, which indicates that at least 90 % of the reliable variance in SCS scores can be explained by an overall self-compassion factor in five different populations, justifying the use of a total scale score. Support for a six-factor structure to the SCS was also found; however, suggesting the scale can be used in a flexible manner depending on the interests of researchers. I also discuss the issue of whether a two-factor model of the SCS—which collapses self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness items into a “self-compassion” factor and self-judgment, isolation, and over-identification items into a “self-criticism” factor—makes theoretical sense. Finally, I present new data showing that self-compassion training increases scores on the positive SCS subscales and decreases scores on the negative subscales, supporting the idea that self-compassion represents more compassionate and fewer uncompassionate responses to suffering.
New Federalism and the 1982 Recession in Illinois

The effects of the reductions in domestic spending enacted as a result of the Reagan administration initiatives have become subject to considerable controversy. Some observers argue that federal aid reductions are likely to result in significant reductions in the level of services and support provided to lower income groups and poor communities, while others argue that the magnitude of the reductions and their impact on services provided by state and local governments have been overstated, both by liberals anxious to prevent further reductions and by conservatives wishing to take credit for having reduced the size of government.' This article attempts to assess the relative merits of these competing claims in Illinois.
What does the Consumer Price Index for prescription drugs really measure

This article examines the conceptually desirable attributes of a fully quality-adjusted prescription drug price index. It provides an understanding of how the Consumer Price Index for prescription drugs and medical supplies treats quality changes in prescription drugs and, in particular, quality changes associated with the introduction of new drugs.
Shakespeare and the English-speaking Cinema

Russell Jackson's latest book on Shakespeare and film is a welcome contribution to the Oxford Shakespeare Topics series. The title's terminology is explained in the introduction: “English-speaking ...
Automatic licence plate reader (ALPR) technology: Is ALPR a smart choice in policing?

ALPR systems have been rapidly spreading in the US. However, little is known about their effectiveness. Results of an interrupted time series model suggest that ALPR systems significantly increased follow-up arrests in the Cincinnati Police Department (CPD) compared with traditional policing approaches. Human resources cost analysis of the study showed that ALPR technology carried out more follow-up arrests by using fewer police officers compared with traditional policing. Finally, cost-effective analysis revealed that ALPR technology is cost-effective and amortises itself within less than one week for property crimes, and less than a month for violent crimes.
Identifying core competencies to advance female professors’ careers: an exploratory study in United States academia

AbstractThis exploratory study aims to identify the core competencies necessary to successfully advance the careers of female associate professors in higher education. To ascertain these core career competencies, a critical incident interview technique was employed. One-to-one semi-structured interviews with six female full professors at a major research university in the Midwestern region of the United States were conducted. Based on participants’ career advancement experiences, the following competencies were identified: (1) making important connections, (2) fulfilling responsibilities in academia, (3) being politically savvy, (4) managing personal and professional obligations, (5) developing a sense of self-agency for one’s career, and (6) believing in one’s self in the work environment. The action-oriented findings of this research, rather than skill-based, can be easily adapted by faculty and institutions, both domestically and internationally, to improve current practices. These findings offer a uni...
DIRECT MARKETING AND ETHICS: A COLLISION COURSE

In recent years two concepts have garnered bands of supporters in the marketing discipline. The first of these concepts has been given a variety of labels; however, it essentially embraces the issue of the proper role of ethics in business in general and in marketing in particular. The second is the concept of direct marketing. Both of these are important to the marketing discipline; both have the potential to allow marketing to be more responsive to its consumers--to truly embrace the marketing concept. Unfortunately, the proponents of these concepts may find themselves on a collision course. The purpose of this paper is threefold: (1) to present brief backgrounds of the role of ethics in marketing and of direct marketing; (2) to outline their potential course of collision; and (3) to propose a way to divert this collision.
A physiological model to study gallbladder function in primates.

A primate model employing awake cholecystopexed baboons has been designed to permit quantitative studies of gallbladder function and its influence on the hepatic secretion of bile salts. Duodenal perfusion with [3H]inulin measures total bile salt output into the duodenum, while periodic percutaneous sampling of gallbladder bile labeled with [14C]inulin permits quantitation of changes in volume and bile composition in the gallbladder. The appearance of [14C]inulin in the duodenum quantitates gallbladder emptying. The presence of the catheter does not change the gallbladder’s ability to concentrate either radiographic dye or bile salts, nor does it interfere with or induce contraction. During fasting, hepatic bile salt secretion was low (about 5 mmoles per min) with less than one-half the output entering the gallbladder. No gallbladder contents appeared in the duodenum until contraction was induced by cholecystokinin. However, after gallbladder contraction with mobilization of the bile salt pool, hepatic bile salt secretion increased 2- to 4-fold. The preliminary data suggest that gallbladder filling and emptying play a role in governing the movement of bile salts around the enterohepatic circulation.
Healthcare burden of obstructive sleep apnea and obesity among asthma hospitalizations: Results from the U.S.-based Nationwide Inpatient Sample

Abstract Background Studies have highlighted the significant comorbidities of both obesity and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) among asthma patients in outpatient settings, but such data in the inpatient setting is sparse. Methods Using 2009–2011 U.S. Nationwide Inpatient Sample; survey-weighted regression analyses were conducted to address the role of obesity, OSA, and both obesity and OSA on length of stay (LOS), total hospital charges, need for respiratory therapy, and disposition among adults with primary asthma hospitalization (n = 179,789). Results Males had a higher prevalence of OSA than females (5.23% vs. 3.88%), while females had a higher prevalence of obesity (17.21% vs. 8.95%) and both obesity and OSA (7.11% vs. 6.19%). Increased hospital LOS was associated with presence of obesity (incidence rate ratio [IRR] males = 1.07, IRR females = 1.08), OSA (IRR males = 1.07, IRR females = 1.14), and both obesity and OSA (IRR males = 1.19, IRR females = 1.24). Increased total hospital charges was related to obesity (8.64% for males and 9.61% for females), OSA (15.39% for males and 19.13% for females), and both comorbidities (24.94% for males and 28.50% for females). Presence of OSA alone increased odds of need for respiratory therapy for males (odds ratio [OR] = 2.56) and females (OR = 3.22), as did presence of both comorbidities (OR males = 2.85, OR females = 3.60). Odds of routine disposition was lower among females with both comorbidities (OR = 0.82). Conclusion Compared to obesity alone, OSA and both obesity and OSA are associated with increased health resource utilization and poorer inpatient outcomes. This demonstrates the need for further clinical investigations of early detection of OSA among such at-risk populations.
Achieving the “Ideal” Clinical Trial: An Example of Applying the Merged Componential and Established Models

A study conducted in Texas by the author and colleagues in the late 1990’s aimed at comparing different drug classes and their onsets of actions, provided a good example of a “component-specific“ clinical trial. The results of that study are described demonstrating how the model works to achieve both the primary and secondary or profile of action results. The profile integrates the onset of clinical actions, the sequence, emphasizing the early or two week treatment results, and the nature of the component behavioral, mood and cognitive effects. It also, introduces the capacity afforded by the model to predict the outcome of the clinical trial, based on the two week results, opening the possibility of shortening future trials.
TWO STEP PRECIPITATION OF CALCIUM PHOSPHATES

ABSTRACT Batch precipitation tests with synthetic wastewaters were conducted to assess the effects of pH, Ca2+, and initial phosphate on the rate and extent of phosphate removal by calcium phosphate precipitation at pH values near 8. The results indicate that supersaturation with octacalcium phosphate [Ca4(PO4)3H] is necessary to initiate precipitation. At most concentrations, the ion activity product, (Ca2+)4(PO43-)3(H+), approached a value of 10-44.6±0.3 during a time period of 6 to 30 hours. Samples with the OCP ion activity product less than 10 did not precipitate. In most samples a kinetically controlled crystal growth phase was observed. The rate of the reaction is described: dP/dt = 10-14.2(Ca2+)5(P)3/(H+)4(CO3T) where all concentrations are molar. The extent of the reaction, at a near steady-state at several hundred hours reaction time, could be described by an ion activity product for hydroxyapatite [Ca5(PO4)3OH) of 10-49.4 ±0.4.In all these samples, the residual phosphate was between 0.01 and 0.02 mM/l. The reaction proceeds far enough to represent a feasible phosphate removal process. The rate of the reaction can be accelerated by using a solids recycling reactor.
Surgical Techniques at Cesarean Delivery: A U.S. Survey

Objective To assess the frequency of surgical techniques at cesarean delivery (CD) among U.S. obstetricians. Methods Members of the American College of Obstetrician Gynecologists were randomly selected and e-mailed an online survey that assessed surgical closure techniques, demographics, and reasons. Data were analyzed using SPSS (IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States), descriptive statistics, and analysis of variance. Results Our response rate was 53%, and 247 surveys were analyzed. A similar number of respondents either “always or usually” versus “rarely or never” reapproximate the rectus muscles (38.4% versus 43.3%, p = 0.39), and close parietal peritoneum (42.5% versus 46.9%, p = 0.46). The most frequently used techniques were double-layer hysterotomy closure among women planning future children (73.3%) and suturing versus stapling skin (67.6%); the least frequent technique was closure of visceral peritoneum (12.2%). Surgeons who perform double-layer hysterotomy closure had fewer years in practice (15.0 versus 18.7 years, p = 0.021); surgeons who close visceral peritoneum were older (55.5 versus 46.4 years old, p p Conclusion Similar numbers of obstetricians either reapproximate or leave open the rectus muscles and parietal peritoneum at CD, suggesting that wide variation in practice exists. Surgeon demographics and safety concerns play a role in some techniques.
Development of the SBIRT checklist for observation in real-time (SCORe).

Background and aims Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) programs have been implemented widely in medical settings, with little attention focused on how well providers adhere to evidence-based service delivery in everyday practice. The purposes of this paper were to: (1) introduce a flexible, relatively simple methodology, the SBIRT Checklist for Observation in Real-time (SCORe), to assess adherence to evidence-based practice and provide preliminary evidence supporting its criterion validity; and (2) illustrate the feasibility and potential utility of the SCORe by analyzing observations of providers within four large-scale SBIRT programs in the United States. Methods Eighteen potential adherence judges were trained to recognize SBIRT service elements presented in realistic taped portrayals constructed to serve as criterion coding standards. Across the four SBIRT programs, 76 providers were observed performing 388 services in three types of medical settings; emergency departments (n = 10), hospital out-patient/ambulatory clinics (n = 16) and hospital in-patient settings (n = 5). Results Across two exercises, trainees identified 81% of screening and 75% of brief intervention (BI) elements correctly; for the six FRAMES components (Feedback, Responsibility, Advice, Menu of options, Empathy, Self-efficacy), agreement ranged from 69% to 91%. Across programs, 56% of screening, 54% of brief intervention (BI) (81% of FRAMES) and 53% of referral to treatment elements were observed. Programs differed significantly in adherence [screening, P = 0.024; BI, P < 0.001; FRAMES, P < 0.001; referral to treatment (RT), P < 0.001]; medical setting differences were minimal. Conclusions The Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment Checklist for Observation in Real-time provides a flexible method for assessing adherence to evidence-based Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment service protocols. Preliminary evidence supports the criterion validity, feasibility and potential utility of the Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment Checklist for Observation in Real-time protocol.
A large source of dust missing in Particulate Matter emission inventories? Wind erosion of post-fire landscapes

Wind erosion of soils burned by wildfire contributes substantial particulate matter (PM) in the form of dust to the atmosphere, but the magnitude of this dust source is largely unknown. It is important to accurately quantify dust emissions because they can impact human health, degrade visibility, exacerbate dust-on-snow issues (including snowmelt timing, snow chemistry, and avalanche danger), and affect ecological and biogeochemical cycles, precipitation regimes, and the Earth’s radiation budget. We used a novel modeling approach in which local-scale winds were used to drive a high-resolution dust emission model parameterized for burned soils to provide a first estimate of post-fire PM emissions. The dust emission model was parameterized with dust flux measurements from a 2010 fire scar. Here we present a case study to demonstrate the ability of the modeling framework to capture the onset and dynamics of a post-fire dust event and then use the modeling framework to estimate PM emissions from burn scars left by wildfires in U.S. western sagebrush landscapes during 2012. Modeled emissions from 1.2 million ha of burned soil totaled 32.1 Tg (11.7–352 Tg) of dust as PM 10 and 12.8 Tg (4.68–141 Tg) as PM 2.5 . Despite the relatively large uncertainties in these estimates and a number of underlying assumptions, these first estimates of annual post-fire dust emissions suggest that post-fire PM emissions could substantially increase current annual PM estimates in the U.S. National Emissions Inventory during high fire activity years. Given the potential for post-fire scars to be a large source of PM, further on-site PM flux measurements are needed to improve emission parameterizations and constrain these first estimates.
Using Facebook Groups to Encourage Science Discussions in a Large-Enrollment Biology Class:

This case study reports the instructional development, impact, and lessons learned regarding the use of Facebook as an educational tool within a large enrollment Biology class at Spelman College (A...
Warning: Children in the Library! Welcoming Children and Families into the Academic Library

While library programming for children is a staple in most public libraries, it is quite rare in the academic setting. In 2006 the education librarian at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire began offering literacy programs in a library that traditionally discouraged children and community members from using its resources. Successful programs now include monthly story time sessions, events for families, and a summer reading program for at-risk youth who participate in the Reading Partners and Upward Bound programs. Positive outcomes include media attention garnered both on and off campus, high attendance at programs, and increased collaboration with campus and community organizations.
Neural network learning in an ecological and evolutionary context

Neural network models are inspired by the nervous system of real organisms but these organisms are usually viewed as living in an ecological and evolutionary void. By assuming instead that neural networks control the behavior of organisms in an environment and are part of evolving populations subject to selective reproduction and mutation, learning can be studied in these networks in ways which are different from those of typical connectionist simulations of learning. We describe simulations in which learning occurs in an ecological and evolutionary context and we show how this type of learning has implications for what is learned, the control of the learning experience (i.e. the sequence of inputs during learning) by the network itself, initial conditions, and teaching input.
Addressing inequity in special education: An integrated framework for culturally responsive social emotional practice

Despite great strides toward equity and inclusion of all students, the disproportionate representation of students from culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) backgrounds has been an issue of concern within the field of special education for decades. Of particular concern is the disproportionate representation of students from CLD backgrounds among students served within the category of emotional disturbance and students faced with exclusionary disciplinary decisions. This paper presents an overview of literature related to school- and teacher-based factors that contribute to these issues of disproportionality. It concludes with the recommendation for an integrated framework of culturally responsive practice and social emotional learning as an approach to target these factors.
Five formations of publicity: Constitutive rhetoric from its other side

ABSTRACTThis essay rethinks the constitutive formation of publics by foregrounding the desirability of publics themselves. This project begins by theoretically resituating publics as a series of irrevocably lost objects. Specifically, I contend publics are composed of a montage of desires (oral, anal, phallic, scopic, and superego) modeled on Jacques Lacan’s stages of the object in obsessional neurosis. To explicate, I use this schema to parse the symbolic dimensions of the “people” aligned with Donald J. Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. Lacan’s schema of the object is adapted into a theory of publicity exemplified in the (astonishing) resilience of the “Trump voter,” the imaginary “people” routinely invoked throughout his emergence as a political figure. Lacan’s schema, I argue, helps explain the symbolic staging of the “Trump voter” as something more than just another potent social imaginary: an object of desire.
Inverse ECG modeling with spatiotemporal regularization for the characterization of myocardial infarctions

Myocardial infarctions (MIs) pose a significant risk to human health. Accurate identification and characterization of MI's are essential for the effective medical treatment. Traditional methods such as the standard 12-lead ECG identify MIs with the electrocardiogram (ECG) recorded on the body surface, which consider little about anatomical details of the human body. These methods are limited in the ability to map back the actual electrical activities of the heart and further characterize MIs. Inverse ECG (iECG) methods were proposed to trace the distribution of electric potentials on the heart surface and characterize MIs. However, these methods do not account for the spatiotemporal behaviors of the potential distributions, because the electric potentials are distributed in the complex geometry and varying dynamically over time. In this paper, a novel iECG model with spatiotemporal regularization is developed to image and characterize MIs. We solve the iECG problem with the method of spatiotemporal regularization and reconstruct electric potentials on the heart surface. Furthermore, we group the estimated heart potentials into healthy and infarct clusters with a wavelet-clustering method. Experimental results show that the proposed method effectively solves the iECG problem and better characterizes MIs compared with existing methods.
Status of soil organic carbon and nitrogen stocks in Koga Watershed Area, Northwest Ethiopia

Soil organic carbon and nitrogen are key indicators to evaluate farmland management. Many studies of soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) in Ethiopia had focused on either rainfed or irrigated farming. A comparative study was meager and less understood on the variation of SOC and TN between farming systems. Thus, the objective of the study was to carry out comparative analysis on the status of SOC and TN stocks between farming systems. Thirty-six composited and cumulative soil samples had been collected from 25 m2 plot designed at discrete intervals as 0–15 and 15–30 cm in both farming systems. Soil organic carbon and nitrogen were analyzed using Walkley and Black, and Kjeldahl method, respectively, and performed in Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) in Addis Ababa. The result showed that mean SOC stock increased by 2.85 t C ha−1 (3.44%) and total nitrogen stock by 0.12 t N ha−1 (1.99%) in irrigated compared to rainfed farming up to 30 cm soil layer. Similarly, soils of irrigation farming had sequestered at the rate of 0.41 t CO2 ha−1 year−1. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed that SOC and nitrogen stocks did not show the significant difference between farming systems (p < 0.05) because of slow turnover of organic matter. However, SOC and TN stocks had shown significant variation along depth (p < 0.05). Problems of soil acidity were found in both farming systems, but 9.3% mean pH value of soils of irrigation showed lower acidity than rainfed farming. The present study revealed that farming systems and soil depth had shown the variation in the spatial and vertical distribution of organic carbon and nitrogen stocks. Soils in irrigation farming system sequestered higher carbon and nitrogen and promise climate mitigation than the rainfed farming system.
Creep Crack Growth Behavior of Aluminum Alloy 2519: Part II—Numerical Analysis

The experimental analysis of high temperature fracture in Aluminum Alloy 2519-T87 presented in Part 1 of this paper highlighted the creep-brittle fracture characteristics of the material and showed reasonable correlation of crack growth rates with the stress intensity factor K. Part 2 continues this investigation numerically using growing crack finite element analyses. Experimentally observed crack growth histories of four aluminum 2519-T87 compact specimens are enforced by controlling the rate of release of finite element nodes along the crack growth path to gain insight into the relation of the crack tip fields to far field fracture parameters and to crack growth rates. A variable time-step, nodal-release algorithm is presented to model the high strain rates that occur during the initial stages of crack growth. The numerical results indicate an initial transient period of crack growth followed by a quasi-steady-state crack growth regime in which the crack tip fields change slowly with increasing crack length. Transition of crack growth to the quasi-steady-state regime, where similitude and small-scale creep conditions roughly exist, is given by a transition time t{sub g} that depends on the crack growth history and material properties. Excellent correlation of the stress intensity factor K with the crack growth ratesmore » is observed after time t{sub g}. Experimental difficulties in measuring the creep component of the load-line deflection rate are also discussed.« less
DONG Energy: Clean and Reliable Energy

The head of Denmark's largest energy group, pondered how to use their limited resources to advance the delivery of clean and reliable energy. The Danish State owned DONG Energy had started life as a state owned importer and trader of gas and oil. Under the leadership of the current CEO, Anders Eldrup, the company had grown in an energy group, present in all steps of the gas and oil value chain and particular, in the EU market leader in offshore wind energy. In 2011, the company faced several strategic questions including if they should continue investing in offshore wind and had to identify the next key growth businesses of the future.Learning Objective: To examine the strategy and other key policies of a company that has succeeded with off-shore wind.
Guided-Wave Chemical Sensors

Chemical sensing with optical fibres is one of the more interesting areas of optical fibre sensors, and as classical chemical instrumentation frequently employs spectrometry there is a natural extension to using optical fibres as light guides in spectrometers. A number of people have reviewed work in optical fibre chemical sensors (1, 2, 3, 4) and optical fibre biomedical sensors (5, 6).
Topological multiband photonic superlattices

A one-dimensional discrete lattice of dimers is known to possess topologically protected edge states when interdimer coupling is stronger than intradimer coupling. Here, we address richer topological properties of photonic superlattices having an arbitrary number of elements in each unit cell. It is shown that the superlattice provides a tunable number of topologically protected edge and interface states depending on certain restrictions on intra- and intercell couplings maintaining inversion symmetry of the lattice. Simultaneous and stable propagation of multiple topological interface states, their interference pattern, and stable oscillation are reported. The configuration can be relevant for topologically protected mode-division multiplexing through a narrow route in photonic devices.
Strange food, paper

Though England imported most of the paper used for writing and printing until the late eighteenth century, the establishment of a white paper mill in 1588/89 provoked attention to the economy of paper and its figurative dimensions. Paper production became a site for imagining a national self-sufficiency and paper itself became momentarily visible as a material force in relations of literacy and sociality. This essay examines the literary and documentary archive about paper in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries and suggests that two key figures in the history of English finance capital, Thomas Gresham and John Spilman, may have been particularly interested in the production of white paper.
Arabic Proficiency Improvement Through a Culture of Assessment

In this chapter, we demonstrate how systematic implementation of proficiency testing, student self-assessment, and instructor professional development contributed to large gains in student proficiency in Arabic within two years. ACTFL assessments of speaking and reading in Arabic at three levels of the curriculum conducted over the course of two years showed dramatic improvements at each level between testing sessions. Results are interpreted within the context of systemic changes introduced in a post-secondary Arabic Program at all levels. These changes included Incorporating external, proficiency-based assessments at all program levels and creating a culture of student resilience around proficiency testing to establish a culture of assessment; Supporting this assessment culture with student self-assessment and reflection on the learning process; Establishing and maintaining a culture of continual instructor professional development and teamwork to reinforce and support student proficiency development; Close collaboration with support units dedicated to excellence in foreign language teaching, such as the Language Center.
FROM GENOCIDE TO POSTGENOCIDE: SURVIVAL, GENDER, AND POLITICS

On 31 July 2018, eighteen representatives of religious minority groups in Turkey, including the Armenians, Greeks, and Syriacs, issued a joint declaration saying: “As religious representatives and directors of different faiths and beliefs who have been residing in our country for centuries, we live out our faiths freely and practice our worship freely according to our traditions.” This state-orchestrated declaration contradicts a long history of discrimination suffered by minorities under different late Ottoman and Turkish political regimes. In the last two decades of the Ottoman Empire's rule, Ottoman Armenian, Greek, and Syriac subjects/citizens, among others, suffered extreme depredations and persecutions culminating in ethnic cleansing, genocide, and population exchange. The books under review deal with a grim phase in Ottoman and Turkish history: the Armenian Genocide during World War I and its repercussions during the subsequent republican period.
Potential for sustainable use of trees in hot arid regions: A case study of Emirati neighborhoods in Abu Dhabi

Abstract This paper explores the future of landscapes in arid, coastal regions based on 4 water-energy regimes, using a case study of villa neighborhoods in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It examines the potential for the planting of 15 selected tree species for carbon storage under various water-energy regimes to create carbon neutral (or negative) villa neighborhoods. Recent improvements to solar photovoltaic and reverse-osmosis desalination technology have lowered the carbon emissions for water production by over 99% relative to current gas-powered multi-stage flash desalination (0.08 kg CO2/m3 vs.12.8 kg CO2/m3). This allows trees planted in hot, desert climates to utilize treated ocean water while net sequestering between 1.7 and 38.2 kg C/tree/yr depending on species. When planted in existing neighborhood open spaces, we find that net carbon storage rates from trees are significant (15–800%) relative to operational emissions rates for building energy (cooling, lighting, equipment) when households are supplied from 100% renewable energy sources. Thus, as technology advances, landscape design strategies in the region could evolve to maximize planting to sequester carbon while also creating more comfortable outdoor spaces that enhance the livability of neighborhoods. This study provides a first step in identifying the potential for landscape architectural design to employ a tree-based, neighborhood scale, carbon storage strategy in arid regions such as those in the Arabian Peninsula. As nations move towards a carbon-neutral future, it is imperative to develop innovative solutions that address urban sustainability, especially in resource-challenged and extreme climate regions where new urban development is planned.
Pparg promotes differentiation and regulates mitochondrial gene expression in bladder epithelial cells.

The urothelium is an epithelial barrier lining the bladder that protects against infection, fluid exchange and damage from toxins. The nuclear receptor Pparg promotes urothelial differentiation in vitro, and Pparg mutations are associated with bladder cancer. However, the function of Pparg in the healthy urothelium is unknown. Here we show that Pparg is critical in urothelial cells for mitochondrial biogenesis, cellular differentiation and regulation of inflammation in response to urinary tract infection (UTI). Superficial cells, which are critical for maintaining the urothelial barrier, fail to mature in Pparg mutants and basal cells undergo squamous-like differentiation. Pparg mutants display persistent inflammation after UTI, and Nf-KB, which is transiently activated in response to infection in the wild type urothelium, persists for months. Our observations suggest that in addition to its known roles in adipogegnesis and macrophage differentiation, that Pparg-dependent transcription plays a role in the urothelium controlling mitochondrial function development and regeneration. The nuclear receptor Pparg regulates urothelial differentiation in vitro but its role in healthy urothelium is unclear. Here, the authors show that PPAR gamma mediates urothelial development during both homeostasis (via mitochondrial function) and following infection, via an inflammatory response.
Local systems and finite unitary and symplectic groups

Abstract For powers q of any odd prime p and any integer n ≥ 2 , we exhibit explicit local systems, on the affine line A 1 in characteristic p > 0 if 2 | n and on the affine plane A 2 if 2 ∤ n , whose geometric monodromy groups are the finite symplectic groups Sp 2 n ( q ) . When n ≥ 3 is odd, we show that the explicit rigid local systems on the affine line in characteristic p > 0 constructed in [11] do have the special unitary groups SU n ( q ) as their geometric monodromy groups as conjectured therein, and also prove another conjecture of [11] that predicted their arithmetic monodromy groups.
Additionality Violations in Agricultural Payment for Service Programs: Experimental Evidence

This article defines perfect program additionality (PPA) for payment for ecosystem services subsidy programs and formalizes potential violations of PPA. PPA is examined for multiple subsidy programs in an experimental setting using a variant of the common public good game. A large proportion of subsidized activities are found to be nonadditional. Further, two sources of nonadditionality are identified and tested for: the pay-for-nothing effect and crowding-out. The extent to which subsidies generate truly additional benefits is a function of both the design of the subsidy program and, crucially, whether the incentivized best management practice acts as a substitute for other best management practices.
A Guideline for Effectively Synthesizing and Characterizing Magnetic Nanoparticles for Advancing Nanobiotechnology: A Review

The remarkable multimodal functionalities of magnetic nanoparticles, conferred by their size and morphology, are very important in resolving challenges slowing the progression of nanobiotechnology. The rapid and revolutionary expansion of magnetic nanoparticles in nanobiotechnology, especially in nanomedicine and therapeutics, demands an overview of the current state of the art for synthesizing and characterizing magnetic nanoparticles. In this review, we explain the synthesis routes for tailoring the size, morphology, composition, and magnetic properties of the magnetic nanoparticles. The pros and cons of the most popularly used characterization techniques for determining the aforementioned parameters, with particular focus on nanomedicine and biosensing applications, are discussed. Moreover, we provide numerous biomedical applications and highlight their challenges and requirements that must be met using the magnetic nanoparticles to achieve the most effective outcomes. Finally, we conclude this review by providing an insight towards resolving the persisting challenges and the future directions. This review should be an excellent source of information for beginners in this field who are looking for a groundbreaking start but they have been overwhelmed by the volume of literature.