cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
THE ECONOMIC PAMPHLETEER: Realities of regenerative agriculture

First paragraphs: Regenerative agriculture is the latest phrase in the sustainable agriculture movement (Mer­field, 2019). Many early advocates have become disenchanted with the concept of sustainable agri­culture. Some claim it has been co-opted, misused, and essentially made useless by the defenders of industrial agriculture. However, regenerative agri­culture faces the same risks if it is not defined in terms that ensure agricultural sustainability. Others claim that sustainability is “not enough”—that we need better farming systems than we have today. They fail to recognize that farm systems that are not “good enough” are not sustainable. Authentic sustainability is the ability to meet the needs of the present without diminishing opportunities for the future (Ikerd, 2011). An agri­culture that does not meet the needs of the present is not good enough—for present or future generations. . . .
Drums, Kings, and Oral History in Buganda, Uganda

For decades, the Kawuugulu royal and clan drums have served as a political means for various kings in the Kingdom of Buganda. Many origin myths confirm that performers in the Kawuugulu royal ensemble have long served as the official entertainers and guards of the Kabaka (king), while other myths reveal the ensembles historical role in praising kings and enabling some kings to recapture power, mourn the loss of loved ones, or discover remains of deceased relatives. Indeed, the royal drums and their performances have been, and continue to be, a vital part of the kingdoms political life. Drawing on fieldwork, archival research, musicological analyses, and an integrated narrative of oral and written accounts, this paper will trace connections between the Kawuugulu royal ensemble and the various kings of Buganda. I will turn to African oral history to highlight how contemporary performers use origin myths and stories about the ensembles historical connections to leaders as a framework for musical performances in which they shape the principles of kingship. I will argue that the ensemble provides these performers with the agency to articulate and foster political structures and processes that are relevant to the current status of Bugandas kingship.
Aerosol measurements with laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy and conditional analysis

Abstract The methodology referred as to Conditional Analysis for sampling of aerosols was first evaluated and verified, and then revisited to include the possible case where the analyte emission intensities are affected by low particle sampling rates, and low-intensity analyte emission lines are observed in the single-shot spectra. Calcium-bearing aerosol streams with a Ca mass concentration from 36.3 to 182.5 μg/m3 and 3.6 and 18.2 μg/m3 were generated and analyzed with a LIBS probe that employed a 28.3-mJ laser beam and sampled the aerosol flow at 5 Hz. Average relative errors of 16.0 and 18.4% were obtained for each concentration range with the use of Conditional Analysis. A modified version of Conditional Analysis was developed by involving the experimental particle sampling rates in an earlier stage of the overall calibration and analyte determination. With such approach a general reduction of the relative errors was obtained, and an average relative error of 10.7% was obtained for 4 test samples prepared independently. A minimum detectable mass of approximately 8 fg was calculated using the LIBS models of discrete particle sampling; and the Ca limit of detection was determined as 0.45 μg/m3 (0.3 ppb) based on calibration curves.
Intra- and extra-cellular environments contribute to the fate of HIV-1 infection.

Summary HIV-1 entry into host cells leads to one of the following three alternative fates: (1) HIV-1 elimination by restriction factors, (2) establishment of HIV-1 latency, or (3) active viral replication in target cells. Here, we report the development of an improved system for monitoring HIV-1 fate at single-cell and population levels and show the diverse applications of this system to study specific aspects of HIV-1 fate in different cell types and under different environments. An analysis of the transcriptome of infected, primary CD4+ T cells that support alternative fates of HIV-1 identifies differential gene expression signatures in these cells. Small molecules are able to selectively target cells that support viral replication with no significant effect on viral latency. In addition, HIV-1 fate varies in different tissues following infection of humanized mice in vivo. Altogether, these studies indicate that intra- and extra-cellular environments contribute to the fate of HIV-1 infection.
A Novel Technique for Mapping Jammed Areas in Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs)

It is envisioned that in future, Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAV s) will be linked through Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs) to enable real-time sharing of traffic information known as beacons. Due to their ephemeral and high mobility nature, VANETs are prone to jamming attacks. In this paper, we propose a solution that combines Centroid Localization (CL) and Graham Scan's Hull algorithms to detect an attacker and map the jammed area in a VANET environment. Specifically, 1) we present a universal information collection mechanism for individual vehicles in the network regardless of their proximity to the RoadSide Units (RSUs); 2) we use associative law of set theory to accumulate vehicle subgroups and obtain a complete information of the network; and 3) we present different jamming attack scenarios with varying radii and x,y coordinates. Simulation results with IEEE 802.11p demonstrate that on average, our proposed technique achieves an average of 98.5% accuracy, 89.4% average precision-recall (APR), and 93.9% area under curve (AUC) receiver operating characteristics (ROC) score.
Fundamental Aspects of the Atterberg Limits

The physical significance of the Atterberg limits is examined and theoretical relationships between the liquid and plastic limits and the clay content of a soil are developed. The relationships are shown to be in good agreement with actual test data for inorganic and organic clays. With the aid of these results, an analysis is made to determine the relationship between liquid limit and plasticity index for organic and inorganic clays. It is shown that inorganic clays will necessarily lie in a small zone of the plasticity chart; organic clays will lie in a somewhat larger but generally lower zone of the chart. The predicted positions of the different types of clay are in excellent agreement with previous experimental determinations. It is shown that at clay contents greater than approximately 40%, the plasticity indices of soils containing a given type of clay will be directly proportional to the clay content although this relationship will not be true at lower clay contents. Thus, definitions of the activity of clays based on simple linear relationships should be used with caution.
Comparative measurements of phototherapy: a practical guide

Increasing the dose of administered phototherapy has been shown to increase the rate of bilirubin decrement up to a saturation point beyond which no further increases in bilirubin degradation are observed. This study provides irradiance measurements which can be used to interpret phototherapy dose-response and saturation data clinically and to determine an optimal phototherapy lamp combination for maximal bilirubin degradation.
An Experiment-based Comparative Study of Fuzzy Logic Control

This paper presents an approach to the control of a dynamic physical system through the use of approximate reasoning. The approach has been implemented in a program named POLE and we have successfully built a prototype hardware system to solve the cart-pole -balancing problem in real-time. This approach provides a complementary alternative to the conventional analytical control methodology, and is of substantial use where a precise mathematical model of the process being controlled is not available. This paper also furnishes a set of criteria for comparing controllers based on approximate reasoning and those based on conventional control schemes.
The Intuitive Psychologist And His Shortcomings: Distortions in the Attribution Process1

Publisher Summary Attribution theory is concerned with the attempts of ordinary people to understand the causes and implications of the events they witness. It deals with the “naive psychology” of the “man in the street” as he interprets his own behaviors and the actions of others. For man—in the perspective of attribution theory—is an intuitive psychologist who seeks to explain behavior and draw inferences about actors and their environments. To better understand the perceptions and actions of this intuitive scientist, his methods must be explored. The sources of oversight, error, or bias in his assumptions and procedures may have serious consequences, both for the lay psychologist himself and for the society that he builds and perpetuates. These shortcomings, explored from the vantage point of contemporary attribution theory, are the focus of the chapter. The logical or rational schemata employed by intuitive psychologists and the sources of bias in their attempts at understanding, predicting, and controlling the events that unfold around them are considered. Attributional biases in the psychology of prediction, perseverance of social inferences and social theories, and the intuitive psychologist's illusions and insights are described.
X-region-specific transcript in mammalian hepatitis B virus-infected liver.

In vitro gene expression systems for hepatitis B virus have demonstrated that the virus genome is capable of producing an X-region-specific transcript of approximately 0.7 kilobases (kb). However, this transcript has not been detected in virus-infected cells. We now report the presence of a heterogeneous X-region-specific transcript of approximately 0.65 kb that is found primarily in the nucleus of liver cells infected with the woodchuck hepatitis virus. Interestingly, the majority of the transcripts are not polyadenylated. The transcript, which represents less than 1% of total virus-specific RNA, is found in animals with both acute and chronic woodchuck hepatitis virus infections. While it is probable that the 0.65-kb transcript is involved in the expression of the X gene protein, it may also direct the translation of a protein encoded by a newly identified open reading frame, ORF5, that is present in all hepadnavirus genomes analyzed. Images
Nasal septal and craniofacial form in European- and African-derived populations

As a component of the chondrocranium, the nasal septum influences the anteroposterior dimensions of the facial skeleton. The role of the septum as a facial growth center, however, has been studied primarily in long-snouted mammals, and its precise influence on human facial growth is not as well understood. Whereas the nasal septum may be important in the anterior growth of the human facial skeleton early in ontogeny, the high incidence of nasal septal deviation in humans suggests the septum's influence on human facial length is limited to the early phases of facial growth. Nevertheless, the nasal septum follows a growth trajectory similar to the facial skeleton and, as such, its prolonged period of growth may influence other aspects of facial development. Using computed tomography scans of living human subjects (n = 70), the goal of the present study is to assess the morphological relationship between the nasal septum and facial skeleton in European- and African-derived populations, which have been shown to exhibit early developmental differences in the nasal septal-premaxillary complex. First we assessed whether there is population variation in the size of the nasal septum in European- and African-derived samples. This included an evaluation of septal deviation and the spatial constraints that influence variation in this condition. Next, we assessed the relationship between nasal septal size and craniofacial shape using multivariate regression techniques. Our results indicate that there is significant population variation in septal size and magnitude of septal deviation, both of which are greater in the European-derived sample. While septal deviation suggests a disjunction between the nasal septum and other components of the facial skeleton, we nevertheless found a significant relationship between the size of the nasal septum and craniofacial shape, which appears to largely be a response to the need to accommodate variation in nasal septal size.
A parallel implementation of iterative-deepening-A

This paper presents a parallel version of the Iterative-Deepening-A* (IDA*) algorithm. Iterative-Deepening-A* is an important admissible algorithm for state-space search which has been shown to be optimal both in time and space for a wide variety of state-space search problems. Our parallel version retatins all the nice properties of the sequential IDA* and yet does not appear to be limited in the amount of parallelism. To test its effectiveness, we have implemented this algorithm on Sequent Balance 21000 parallel processor to solve the 15-puzzle problem, and have been able to obtain almost linear speedups on the 30 processors that are available on the machine. On machines where larger number of processors are available, we expect that the speedup will still grow linearly. The parallel version seems suitable even for loosely coupled architectures such as the Hypercube.
A Review of: “Unlocking the Heart of Adoption [Documentary]”

Unlocking the Heart of Adoption, a documentary that addresses issues of the adoption triad, has the ability to provoke an array of feelings and touch the hearts of those who are part of the adoptio...
Streptococcus pneumoniae specific Th17 memory immunity provides cross protection against invasive pneumococcal diseases in mice. (IRC9P.701)

Pneumonia caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae (Sp) remains a leading cause of serious illness and numerous deaths in children and elderly worldwide. Current pneumococcal vaccine is effective in preventing colonization by inducing serotype-specific antibodies. However, there is an increasing prevalence of infection by serotype strains not included in the vaccine; this highlights the need for a universal vaccine that protects against all serotypes. In current study, we found that mice intranasal immunized with Sp were protected against challenge with a different serotype Sp strain and cleared bacteria from the lung by day 2 post-challenge, and exhibited less apoptosis and tissue damage in lung. Sp infection in lung resulted in a tremendous CD4+T cell expansion and activation that consisted of mostly IL-17 producing Th17 cells but also IFNγ producing Th1 cells. Adoptive transfer of T cells from Sp immunized mice provided cross protection with a dominant Th17 recall response in the lung from donor CD4+ memory T cells. Furthermore, adoptive transfer of Sp specific CD4+ memory T cells provided cross protection against pneumonia and bacteremia, which can be blocked by IL-17 neutralizing antibody and transfer Sp memory CD4+ T cells from IL-17 knockout mice. Our results suggest that Sp memory Th17 cells played a key role in providing broad protective immunity against invasive Sp infection in a serotype independent manner.
Stem of SL1 RNA in HIV-1: Structure and Nucleocapsid Protein Binding for a 1 × 3 Internal Loop†,‡

The 5‘-leader of HIV-1 RNA controls many viral functions. Nucleocapsid (NC) domains of gag-precursor proteins select genomic RNA for packaging by binding several sites in the leader. One is likely to be a stem defect in SL1 that can adopt either a 1 × 3 internal loop, SL1i (including G247, A271, G272, G273) or a 1 × 1 internal loop (G247 × G273) near a two-base bulge (A269−G270). It is likely that these two conformations are both present and exchange readily. A 23mer RNA construct described here models SL1i and cannot slip into the alternate form. It forms a 1:1 complex with NCp7, which interacts most strongly at G247 and G272 (Kd = 140 nM). This demonstrates that a linear G-X-G sequence is unnecessary for high-affinity binding. The NMR-based structure shows an easily broken G247:A271 base pair. G247 stacks on both of its immediate neighbors and A271 on its 5‘-neighbor; G272 and G273 are partially ordered. A bend in the helix axis between the SL1 stems on either side of the internal loop is probable. An i...
Birdsfoot Trefoil Management. I. Root Growth and Carbohydrate Storage

Management research is lacking for birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.) cultivars adapted to the southeastern USA. This study was conducted to determine the effect of harvest interval and stubble height on root growth and carbohydrate storage of five birdsfoot trefoil entries. Two field experiments were conducted on a Cecil sandly loam (clayey, kaolinitic, thermic Typic Hapludult) soil near Athens, GA. One experiment consisted of two birdsfoot trefoil entries ('Fergus' and GA 1), three harvest intervals (21, 28, and 42 d), and two stubble heights (5 and 10 cm). The other experiment had five birdsfoot trefoil entries ('AU Dewey', 'Dawn', Fergus, GA 1, and 'Norcen') harvested on 21-d intervals at three stubble heights (3, 5, and 10 cm). The AU Dewey and GA 1 entries, selected in Alabama and Georgia, respectively, had greater root weights and diameter than the northern-developed cultivars. In the spring following 2 yr of harvest, root weights of Fergus and GA 1 were reduced 17 and 26%, respectively, when the harvest interval of the previous 2 yr had been 21 instead of 42 d. Raising the stubble height reduced fluctuations in carbohydrate reserves during regrowth. Total non-structural carbohydrate (TNC) levels were greater in midseason when the stubble height was 10 instead of 3 cm. A positive correlation was found between spring herbage yields and the mean TNC level of the 2 preceding years. This correlation suggests a cumulative effect of carbohydrate levels on vigor of birdsfoot trefoil stands and management should be designed to maintain relatively high TNC levels.
INACTIVATION OF ALICYCLOBACILLUS ACIDOTERRESTRIS USING HIGH PRESSURE HOMOGENIZATION AND DIMETHYL DICARBONATE

Vegetative cells and spores of five strains of Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris (N-1100, N-1108, N-1096, SAC, and OS-CAJ) were screened for their sensitivity to high pressure homogenization (HPH, 0 to 300 MPa) in Bacillus acidoterrestris thermophilic broth. The most and least resistant strains, SAC and OS-CAJ, respectively, were further tested for their sensitivity to inactivation or growth inhibition by dimethyl dicarbonate (DMDC, 250 ppm). The combined effects of HPH and DMDC were then evaluated against SAC spores over a 24-h period after treatment. HPH alone significantly inactivated (P < 0.05) vegetative cells of all five strains. SAC vegetative cells were least affected by HPH, with only about a 0.5-log reduction after the 300-MPa treatment. Spores were not significantly reduced by HPH for any of the five strains. DMDC reduced the initial vegetative cell population by 2 log CFU/ml and significantly increased the time to reach stationary phase. For spores, a 0.5-log decrease from the initial spore pop...
Densities, parton distributions, and measuring the nonspherical shape of the nucleon

Spin-dependent quark densities, matrix elements of specific density operators in proton states of definite spin-polarization, indicate that the nucleon may harbor an infinite variety of nonspherical shapes. We show that these matrix elements are closely related to specific transverse-momentum-dependent (TMD) parton distributions accessible in the angular dependence of the semi-inclusive processes $\mathit{ep}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}e\ensuremath{\pi}X$ and the Drell-Yan reaction $\mathit{pp}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}l\overline{l}X$. New measurements or analyses would allow the direct exhibition of the nonspherical nature of the proton.
Power flow controller for meshed systems with a fractionally rated BTB converter

The increasing load demand, increasing level of penetration of renewable energy and limited transmission infrastructure investments have significantly increased the need for a smart dynamically controllable grid. Existing solutions based on FACTS devices, are complex and expensive to implement at transmission level or even sub-transmission level voltages. This paper proposes a novel power flow controller for dynamic control of active/reactive power in a meshed network. The proposed controller is realized by augmenting a transformer with a fractionally rated bi-directional Back to Back (BTB) converter. The main advantages of the proposed converter are the fractional converter rating, reliability and scalability.
Improving treatment outcome in pregnant opiate-dependent women

Outcomes for 6 pregnant methadone-maintained opiate-dependent subjects in enhanced treatment were compared to those of 6 women receiving conventional methadone maintenance. Enhanced treatment consisted of weekly prenatal care, relapse prevention groups, thrice weekly urine toxicology screening with positive contingency awards for abstinence, and therapeutic child care during treatment visits in addition to treatment as usual. Treatment as usual included daily methadone, group counseling, and random urine toxicology screening. Study patients differed from the comparison group in three important ways, having fewer urine toxicology screens positive for illicit substances (59% vs. 76%), three times as many prenatal visits (8.8 vs. 2.7), and heavier infants (median birth weight, 2959 vs. 2344 grams). These results suggest that enhanced drug treatment can improve pregnancy outcome and, in particular, reduce low birth weight for this high-risk population.
Histone H4 lysine 20 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is monomethylated and functions in subtelomeric silencing

Histones undergo post-translational modifications that are linked to important biological processes. Previous studies have indicated that lysine methylation correlating with closed or repressive chromatin is absent in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, including at H4 lysine 20 (K20). Here we provide functional evidence for H4 K20 monomethylation (K20me1) in budding yeast. H4 K20me1 is detectable on endogenous H4 by western analysis using methyl-specific antibodies, and the signal is abrogated by H4 K20 substitutions and by competition with H4 K20me1 peptides. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation, we show that H4 K20me1 levels are highest at heterochromatic locations, including subtelomeres, the silent mating type locus, and rDNA repeats, and lowest at centromeres within euchromatin. Further, an H4 K20A substitution strongly reduced heterochromatic reporter silencing at telomeres and the silent mating type locus and led to an increase in subtelomeric endogenous gene expression. The correlation between the location of H4 K20me1 and the effect of the H4 K20A substitution suggests that this modification plays a repressive function. Our findings reveal the first negative regulatory histone methylation in budding yeast and indicate that H4 K20me1 is evolutionarily conserved from simple to complex eukaryotes.
Regional foreign direct investment potential of the states within the US

Abstract Given various significant benefits, not only countries but also regions within a country compete against each other in trying to attract foreign direct investments (FDI). While there are several studies explaining the factors behind a country's potential for foreign direct investment, within-country location choice of multinationals has not been as adequately studied. After a brief review of the literature on location decisions of multinationals, this study attempts to fill this gap by identifying the factors that lead to variations in the attractiveness of regions within a country. The study uses states within the US as regions and develops an FDI potential index for the states using the results. The analysis is carried out not only to explain the amount of capital investment by multinationals to a specific region but also the level of employment resulting from the FDI, which seems to be the main reason for state legislatures’ efforts to attract such investments in the US. The index provides a guideline for identifying the successful strategies in states’ promotional economic development programs.
An OpenMP/MPI approach to the parallelization of iterative four-atom quantum mechanics

We present an approach to parallel iterative four-atom quantum mechanics calculations in a computing environment of distributed memory nodes, each node consisting of a group of processors with a shared memory. We parallelize the action of the Hamiltonian matrix on a vector, which is the main computational bottleneck in both iterative calculations of eigenvalues and eigenvectors and the iterative determination of quantum dynamics information via, e.g., wavepacket methods. OpenMP is used to facilitate the parallel work within each node, and MPI is used to communicate information between nodes. For a realistic problem the approach is shown to scale very well up to 512 processors at the NERSC computing facility, working at up to 20% of the theoretical peak performance rate. The highest total floating point rate we achieve is 0.16 Tflops, using 768 processors. Our approach should also be applicable to quantum dynamics problems with more than four atoms.
Genetic Support for Phenotype-based Racial Classification in Sorghum

The classification of domesticated sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] into five major races is based on phenotypic characteristics of the spikelet and panicle. Presumably, this classification also reflects genetic relatedness. In this study, we apply both model-based (STRUCTURE) and model-free (principal components analysis) approaches to a genetic data set of 434 single nucleotide polymorphisms and simple sequence repeat alleles in a panel of 216 exotic sorghum lines to study the congruence between genetic relatedness and phenotype-based racial classification. Both model-based and model-free approaches clearly identify genetic groups that correspond closely to the caudatum, durra, kafir, and guinea races of sorghum. Genetic groups differ from racial groups in several significant ways, including the classification of the West African Kaura group with guineas rather than with caudatums, and the identification of a novel genetic group affiliated with both kafirs and guineas. These results highlight that high-throughput genotyping now provides curators with an additional, critical tool to better characterize and quantify diversity found in collections. Because of technological advances and associated cost reductions of unit assays, high-throughput genotyping is now applicable to all crop species.
Automation of a high-speed imaging setup for differential viscosity measurements

We present the automation of a setup previously used to assess the viscosity of pleural effusion samples and discriminate between transudates and exudates, an important first step in clinical diagnostics. The presented automation includes the design, testing, and characterization of a vacuum-actuated loading station that handles the 2 mm glass spheres used as sensors, as well as the engineering of electronic Printed Circuit Board (PCB) incorporating a microcontroller and their synchronization with a commercial high-speed camera operating at 10 000 fps. The hereby work therefore focuses on the instrumentation-related automation efforts as the general method and clinical application have been reported earlier [Hurth et al., J. Appl. Phys. 110, 034701 (2011)]. In addition, we validate the performance of the automated setup with the calibration for viscosity measurements using water/glycerol standard solutions and the determination of the viscosity of an “unknown” solution of hydroxyethyl cellulose.
Analysis of condensation in porous insulation

Abstract The present work analyzes the problem of condensation in porous insulation. Specific consideration is given to a steady-state one-dimensional formulation, representing a porous slab exposed to two different humid environments on both sides. The analysis includes both the convective and the diffusive transport mechanisms along with phase change. Condensation (or freezing) is shown to take place in a wet zone in which the air-vapor mixture is saturated. When the two external environments are not saturated, the wet zone is bounded by two dry zones with no condensation. The effect of condensation, due to release of latent heat, on the overall thermal performance is found to be significant. Both the condensation rate and the resulting increase in heat transfer depend on the Peclet number, the Lewis number, and the Biot number, as well as on the temperatures and humidities of the two external environments.
Pan the Tool-Maker: Investigations into the Stone Tool-Making and Tool-Using Capabilities of a Bonobo (Pan paniscus)

Abstract Beginning in May 1990, a long-term collaborative investigation between palaeolithic archaeologists and cognitive psychologists has focused upon the stone tool-making and tool-using abilities of a captive bonobo (Pan paniscus). To date, this bonobo (named Kanzi) has acquired the basic skills required to produce usable flakes and fragments by hard-hammer percussion (as well as by his own innovation of throwing), although his skills in flaking stone are not yet as well developed as those exhibited by the earliest known tool-making hominids of the Oldowan industry. This research strategy allows direct comparisons and contrasts to be made between the products of modern human stone tool-makers, prehistoric proto-human tool-makers and non-human primates that have not evolved a flaked stone technology in the wild. This enables us to investigate what possible cognitive and biomechanical conditions of pre-adaptation for lithic technology may be present in extant apes. The bonobo's stone tool-making abilities are compared to those evident among early hominids in order to understand the complexities of this derived behaviour pattern in the earliest stone tool-makers. The possible evolutionary implications of this study are discussed.
Development and characterization of a cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) event with enhanced reproductive resistance to glyphosate.

Glyphosate is a broad spectrum herbicide that inhibits the activity of endogenous plant 5-enolpyruvylshlkimate-3-phosiahate synthase (EPSPS). Glyphosate resistance has been engineered in multiple crops by constitutive expression of an EPSPS variant from Agrobacterium sp. CP4 (CP4 EPSPS) that binds glyphosate less efficiently. The first glyphosate-resistant cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) event, MON 1445, was developed utilizing this CP4 EPSPS and commercially introduced in 1997. Due to insufficient expression of CP4 EPSPS in male reproductive tissues, over-the-top glyphosate applications must be limited to the four-leaf stage of growth. In an attempt to generate events with complete constitutive expression, multiple constructs consisting of different promoters driving cp4 epsps were transformed into cotton. The MON 88913 event was identified as providing exceptional vegetative and reproductive resistance to glyphosate based on more than 8 yr of field testing. Cotton containing MON 88913 has a comparable agronomic profile to the respective negative isoline, the event is stably inherited over multiple generations, and the insertion site is simple with minimal disruption of the cotton genome. As a result, the MON 88913 event was commercially introduced in 2006 as Roundup Ready Flex Cotton (Monsanto Co., St. Louis, MO).
Sigmoid conduit urinary diversion

The courses of 11 patients with sigmoid conduit urinary diversion following total pelvic exenteration were reviewed in detail and the results presented. The sigmoid conduit appears to be a safe alternative to the ileal conduit for urinary diversion, and offers in addition the possible advantage of an effective antirefluxing ureterocolic anastomosis.
Endovascular occlusion of right to left arteriovenous shunt associated with persistent left superior vena cava

Left-sided superior vena cava (SVC) as the result of persistence of the left superior cardinal vein in postnatal life is a rare congenital anomaly, is usually associated with other cardiac defects, and can cause symptoms of right to left shunt. We report the case of a 58-year-old Asian man with a history of end-stage renal disease and Ebstein anomaly that was corrected surgically who presented with progressively worsening disabling dyspnea. An echocardiogram with concomitant intravenous saline injection raised the suspicion of right to left shunt, a finding that was confirmed with contrast injection of the left SVC that rapidly filled the left heart chambers and subsequently the aortic arch. To treat this anomaly, we accessed the left basilic vein under ultrasound guidance and inserted a 14F sheath into the left subclavian vein. A covered stent was then prepared at the back table with three Prolene 4-0 sutures that were wrapped around the middle portion of the graft to achieve a controlled area of stenosis after deployment. The stent graft was placed along the proximal innominate vein and the contiguous part of the left SVC. Coil embolization was then performed with coils that were positioned at the stenotic area of the covered stent. An immediate venogram demonstrated residual flow into the left SVC; however, a delayed venogram 2 weeks after the procedure showed occlusion of the left SVC and the development of collaterals to the right innominate vein that was draining to a normal right SVC. The patient remained marginally hypotensive after surgery, but he soon noted a substantial improvement in his symptoms. A repeat echocardiogram with intravenous saline injection confirmed the correction of the right to left shunt. Endovascular repair of persistent left SVC is feasible and safe and can be performed with minimal morbidity.
Policy and mechanism for carbon-aware cloud applications

This position paper explores research challenges facing carbon-aware cloud applications. These applications run inside of a renewable-energy datacenter, provision resources on demand, and seek to minimize their use of carbon-heavy, grid energy. First, we argue that carbon-aware applications need new provisioning policies that address the uncertainty of renewable energy. Second, we argue that renewable-energy datacenters need mechanisms to determine the contribution of grid energy to specific application workloads. We propose first-cut solutions to these problems and present preliminary results for carbon-aware Web server running on a small renewable-energy cluster.
Maria del Guadaloupe Davidson, Kathryn T. Gines, and Donna-Dale L. Marcano (eds), Convergences: Black Feminism and Philosophy

Review of Maria del Guadaloupe Davidson, Kathryn T. Gines, and Donna-Dale L. Marcano (eds), Convergences: Black Feminism and Philosophy (Albany: SUNY, 2010).
Multiframe super resolution based on block motion vector processing and kernel constrained convex set projection

Even though substantial progress has been made in super resolution research, many issues regarding robust sub-pixel estimation and fast implementation of feature preserving restoration still exist. To obtain more reliable sub-pixel information, we proposed to correct mis-aligned sub-pixels by motion vector (MV) processing based on hierarchical block partition and weighted vector median filtering (WVMF). Two indices - relative displaced frame difference and motion vector similarity degree - are computed and compared with trained thresholds to classify the motion blocks into reliable and unreliable groups. Then the unreliable blocks are divided into four sub-blocks with their motion vector processed by WVMF based on the reliability information of their neighborhood blocks. To preserve the local features such as edge direction, strength as well as its spread region, anisotropic kernels are learned from local gradient fields to represent edge information. Finally, a kernel constrained projection is established for restoring high resolution frames. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm preserves important features in the images and outperforms the traditional POCS method.
Beyond the Black Box: The Lettrist Cinema of Disjunction

OCTOBER 135, Winter 2011, pp. 21–48. © 2011 October Magazine, Ltd. and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. As Caroline Jones has demonstrated, midcentury aesthetics was dominated by a rhetoric of isolated and purified opticality.2 But another aesthetics, one dramatically opposed to it, was in motion at the time. Operating at a subterranean level, it began, as early as 1951, to articulate a vision of intermedia assemblage. Rather than cohering into the synaesthetic unity of the Wagnerian Gesamtkunstwerk, works in this vein sought to juxtapose multiple registers of sensory experience—the spatial and the temporal, the textual and the imagistic—into pieces that were intentionally disjunctive and lacking in unity. Within them, we can already observe questions that would come to haunt the topos of avant-garde film and performance in the coming decades: questions regarding the nature and specificity of cinema, its place within artistic modernism and mass culture, the institutions through which it is presented, and the possible modes of its spectatorial engagement. Crucially associated with
The influence of programmers' cognitive complexity on program comprehension and modification

Abstract This investigation is concerned with the determination of the influence of programmers' cognitive complexity—differentiation and integration—on comprehension and modification of programs of different levels of complexity. In order to evaluate the research hypotheses, data were collected from ninety-three graduate and undergraduate students in a classroom setting. Three instruments were used to collect the data: (1) a background questionnaire, (2) a Role Construct Repertory (REP) Test, and (3) program comprehension and modification exercises. The findings of the study indicated that the high integration subjects performed significantly better than the low integration subjects in modifying the relatively complex program. Also, the high differentiation subjects performed slightly better than the low differentiation subjects in comprehending the relatively complex program. In general, these findings support the applicability of the cognitive complexity theory to explain individual differences in performing program modification tasks.
Prediction of neotropical tree and liana species richness from soil and climatic data

We present an analysis of local species richness in neotropical forests, based on a number of 0.1 ha samples of woody plants collected by the late Alwyn Gentry. For each of 69 forests, soils were analysed and climatic data were collated. Using transformed independent variables and interaction terms, multiple regression equations were developed that explained the greatest possible amount of variation in species richness, and the best equations were selected on the basis of regression diagnostics. The best models are presented for (a) all neotropical forests, (b) forests west of the Andes (transandean) and (c) east of the Andes (cisandean), and for various subsets based on elevation and annual rainfall. For the whole dataset, and for most subsets, annual rainfall and rainfall seasonality were the most important variables for explaining species richness. Soil variables were correlated with precipitation — drier forests have more nutrient-rich soils. After the inclusion of rainfall variables, available soil nutrient concentrations contributed little to explaining or accounting for additional variation in species numbers, indicating that tropical forest species richness is surprisingly independent of soil quality. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that plants in mature tropical forests may obtain nutrients through the process of direct cycling, in which mineral nutrients are extracted from litterfall before they enter the soil. The strong relationship between community species richness and rainfall patterns has implications for biodiversity conservation. Wet forests with an ample year-round moisture supply harbour the greatest number of woody plant species and should be a focus of conservation efforts.
Muscular Anatomy of the Podocoryna carnea Hydrorhiza

The muscular anatomy of the athecate hydroid Podocoryna carnea hydrorhiza is elucidated. The polyp-stolon junction is characterized by an opening, here called the chloe, in the otherwise continuous hydrorhizal perisarc. The chloe is elliptical when the polyp first arises, but takes on a more complex outline as multiple stolons anastomose to communicate with that polyp. Surrounding the polyp base are spots, here called anchors, which autofluoresce at the same wavelengths as perisarc and which, like perisarc, contain chitin as assessed by Calcofluor White, Congo Red and wheat germ agglutinin staining. Anchors remain after living tissues are digested using KOH. Collagen IV staining indicates that the mesoglea is pegged to the anchors and rhodamine phallodin staining detects cytoskeletal F-actin fibers of the basal epidermis surrounding the anchors. Longitudinal muscle fibers of the polyp broaden at the polyp base and are inserted into the mesoglea of the underlying stolon, but were neither observed to extend along the stolonal axis nor to attach to the anchors. Circular muscular fibers of the polyp extend into stolons as a dense collection of strands running along the proximal-distal axis of the stolon. These gastrodermal axial muscular fibers extend to the stolon tip. Epidermal cells at the stolon tip and the polyp bud display a regular apical latticework of F-actin staining. A similar meshwork of F-actin staining was found in the extreme basal epidermis of all stolons. Immunohistochemical staining for tubulin revealed nerves at stolon tips, but at no other hydrorhizal locations. These studies bear on the mechanisms by which the stolon tip and polyp bud pulsate, the manner in which the stolon lumen closes, and on the developmental origin of the basal epidermis of the hydrorhiza.
Scapulothoracic fusion for facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy.

Background: Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy causes winging of the scapula and weakness and discomfort of the shoulder. Surgical stabilization of the scapula to the posterior part of the chest wall permits shoulder abduction and flexion by the deltoid muscle. In the present retrospective study, we describe our experience with eleven scapulothoracic fusion procedures that were performed for the treatment of the infantile and adolescent forms of the disease. Methods: Eleven procedures were performed in eight patients, including four male patients (one of whom had bilateral involvement and three of whom had unilateral involvement) and four female patients (two of whom had bilateral involvement and two of whom had unilateral involvement). One of the female patients had the infantile variant, whereas all other patients had the adolescent form of the disease. The mean age at the time of the eleven operations was seventeen years. The scapula was fused to the thorax in 25° of abduction with use of 16-gauge wires, a plate or washers on the posteromedial scapular surface to prevent wire pull-out, and iliac crest autograft. After a mean duration of follow-up of 6.3 years, all patients were assessed clinically and radiographically. Results: In all cases, scapular winging and shoulder fatigue and pain were initially eliminated. In the first year after the operation, active abduction and flexion of the shoulder improved to a mean of 145° (range, 110° to 160°) and 144° (range, 130° to 160°), respectively, from a preoperative mean of 75° (range, 70° to 90°). At the time of the final assessment (mean, 6.3 years postoperatively), abduction and flexion were maintained at a mean of 139° and 134°, respectively, in seven shoulders; however, in the remaining four shoulders, both of these motions had decreased to a mean of 48° because of progressive loss of deltoid muscle strength. In two cases, prominent subcutaneous wires required trimming. There were no other complications. Conclusions: Scapulothoracic fusion relieves shoulder fatigue and pain, allows for smooth functional abduction and flexion of the upper extremity, and improves the appearance of the neck and shoulder in patients who have symptomatic scapular winging due to facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy. The procedure is associated with a low risk of complications. Progression of the disease affecting the deltoid muscle can cause loss of abduction, but the other benefits of stabilization persist. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Plurality and runoff systems and numbers of candidates

Although political scientists have in the last few decades learned much about the abstract properties of multicandidate electoral systems, we have accumulated little theoretical knowledge on the ways in which strategic behavior of voters and candidates changes when we move from one voting system to another. This essay has illustrated how the relative desirability of voting systems can change when the number of candidates — usually considered fixed in such comparisons — is taken as endogenous to the voting system in force at the time. Our main conclusion is, therefore, that the method of voting must be understood in relation to the total electoral system. It is not enough to analyze properties of voting systems in the abstract, but also in terms of the interactions that voting systems have with political groups and the constitutional setting.
Localization of androgenic metabolites in the brain of rats administered testosterone or dihydrotestosterone

Abstract Castrated adult male rats were administered 3H-testosterone or 3H-dihydrotestosterone and were sacrificed 30 min. later. Steroids were extracted from three brain samples: anterior hypothalamus, posterior hypothalamus and the remainder of the brain. Thin layer chromatography was used to separate the metabolites. Following 3H-testosterone, testosterone, dihydrotestosterone and androstenedione were found. Following 3H-DHT, DHT androstanediol and androstanedione were found. Acetylation of the dihydrotestosterone zone following DHT treatment revealed that the radioactivity rechromatographed primarily as DHT. The findings are related to the behavioral effects of DHT.
A quantum version of the classical Szilard engine

A reinvention of the classical Maxwel demon was proposed by Szilard around the time quantum mechanics was developed. His model continues to attract great interest, especially quantum versions of it. A quantum formulation of the Szilard engine is introduced and investigated here. It is made to operate through specified cycles in such a way that all thermodynamic quantities which pertain to the system can be evaluated exactly in closed form along each sequence of steps through a cycle. It is shown that as a result of the structure of the model, it is possible to calculate and compare various thermodynamic quantities as the engine proceeds around a well defined specific cycle.
The Distribution of Air Lead Levels Across U.S. Counties: Implications for the Production of Racial Inequality

This work draws upon previous studies of environmental inequity to investigate the distribution of estimated air lead concentrations across 3,111 U.S. counties. Data for this research come from the U.S. Census Bureau's 1990 Census of Population and Housing: Summary Tape File 3A and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 1990 Cumulative Exposure Project . Findings from OLS and WLS regression suggest that air lead concentrations are associated with county racial composition. Counties with the largest proportion of Black youth under 16 years of age (10th decile=0.09) have nearly 7.9 percent more lead in the air than counties with no Black youth (1st decile=0.00). Counties with the largest proportion of White youth under 16 years of age (10th decile=0.25) have nearly 10.0 percent less lead in the air than counties with the smallest proportion of White youth (1st decile=0.13). These findings persist despite adjustments for urbanization, income, and housing values. This work proposes that the distribution o...