cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Risk Management Strategies using Precision Agriculture Technology to Manage Potato Late Blight

Precision agriculture has emerged as a revolutionary technology, which transforms farming related data into useful information for agricultural decision-making. This paper compares precision farming technology with calendar-based approach in scheduling fungicide applications to manage potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) late blight disease. Three fungicide scheduling strategies were evaluated: calendar-based strategy, BlightPro decision support system based strategy (DSS-based strategy), and unsprayed control. Using results from 14 yr of computer simulation experiments for 59 locations in the United States, we constructed distributions of net return to all costs excluding fungicide cost and application cost per 0.41 ha (net return per 0.41 ha) for the calendar-based and DSS-based strategies at each location. These distributions were then compared using three risk management methods: stochastic dominance, stochastic dominance with respect to a function, and stochastic efficiency with respect to a function. The DSS-based strategy was identified as the most effective approach to manage late blight in terms of disease suppression, net return per 0.41 ha, and risk-adjusted net return. Results indicate that the DSS-based strategy is the preferred method to schedule fungicide applications. Under high disease pressure circumstances, the economic benefits to potato growers of adopting the precision agriculture technology ranged from US$30 to $573 per 0.41 ha. For risk neutral individuals, who are concerned about the difference between average net return per 0.41 ha, the benefits ranged from $30 to $305 per 0.41 ha. Except for growers raising the moderately resistant potato cultivars, more risk averse individuals tended to benefit more from adopting the precision agriculture technology, with benefits ranging from $38 to $573 per 0.41 ha.
Alcohol and Adolescent Psychopathology

Most people begin drinking alcohol during the adolescent years and, just as their parents do, use and abuse alcohol more than any other psychoactive drug. Most of them do not get into trouble, and the alcohol use may be considered appropriate for their age and sociocultural milieu. At the same time, the alcohol use does have profound impact on many young people, and behavior patterns are often developed that will be destructive in later years.1,2
Factors Predicting Complications After Sacral Neuromodulation in Children.

Objective To identify if any preoperative variables are associated with postoperative complications after pediatric sacral neuromodulation (SNM). Materials and Methods A review of all patients undergoing SNM with an implantable pulse generator at our institution was performed. Postoperative infection, lead migration, lead breakage, and need for reoperation were recorded in a prospective database. We collected demographic information and indication for the procedure. We defined indication for procedure as either primarily bowel or primarily bladder symptoms. Multivariate analysis was used to determine any associations between preoperative factors and postoperative complications. Results Sixty-three children (34 females, 29 males) underwent SNM from 2012 to 2015. Mean age was 11.5 years, and body mass index (BMI) was 51st percentile for age. SNM was placed for primarily bowel symptoms in 49% and for primarily bladder symptoms in 51%. Follow-up was 1.9 years (0.19-4.3). Reoperation was required in 25%, with mean time to reoperation of 10.9 months (0.9-31.5). Lead migration occurred in 17.4%, and wound infection in 8%. There were no significant associations between patient age, gender, or BMI, and need for reoperation, wound infection, or lead migration. Low BMI had no increased risk of lead complications (P = .115). There was a significant increase in lead migration in the children who underwent SNM for primarily bladder symptoms (P = .0034). Conclusion There is no association between age, gender, or BMI and postoperative complications in this large cohort of pediatric SNM. Children with primarily bladder symptoms may have higher rate of lead complications for unclear reasons.
Hispanic and Asian Performance on Method-Based Selection Procedures

Hispanics and Asians make up a substantial and increasing portion of the workforce. Unfortunately, there is little empirical data addressing how these groups perform on various predictors of job pe...
Acquisition of habitual visual attention and transfer to related tasks

Extensive research has shown that statistical learning affects perception, attention, and action control; however, few studies have directly linked statistical learning with the formation of habits. Evidence that learning can induce a search habit has come from location probability learning, in which people prioritize locations frequently attended to in the past. Here, using an alternating training–testing procedure, we demonstrated that the initial attentional bias arises from short-term intertrial priming, whereas probability learning takes longer to emerge, first reaching significance in covert orienting (measured by reaction times) after about 48 training trials, and in overt orienting (measured by eye movements) after about 96 training trials. We further showed that location probability learning is persistent after training is discontinued, by transferring from a letter search task to a scene search task—emulating another characteristic feature of habits. By identifying the onset of probability learning and investigating its task specificity, this study provides evidence that probability cuing can induce habitual spatial attention.
Forest Stress: Influence of Air Pollutants on Disease Caused by Microbial Pathogens

Abnormal physiology, or disease, in woody plants follows infection and subsequent development of an extremely large number and diverse group of microorganisms internally or on the surface of tree parts. All stages of tree life cycles and all tree tissues and organs are subject, under appropriate environmental conditions, to impact by a heterogeneous group of microbial pathogens including viroids, viruses, mycoplasmas, bacteria, fungi, and nematodes. The influence of a specific disease on the health of an individual tree may range from innocuous to mild to severe. Over extended time periods, the interaction of native pathogens with natural forest ecosystems is significant, and frequently beneficial, in terms of ecosystem development and metabolism. As in the instance of insect interactions (Chapter 12), microbes, and the diseases they cause, play important roles in succession, species composition, density, competition, and productivity. In the short term, the effects of microbial pathogens may conflict with forest management objectives and assume a considerable economic or managerial as well as ecologic significance (Smith, 1970).
Damage sources for the NIF Grating Debris Shield (GDS) and methods for their mitigation

The primary sources of damage on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) Grating Debris Shield (GDS) are attributed to two independent types of laser-induced particulates. The first comes from the eruptions of bulk damage in a disposable debris shield downstream of the GDS. The second particle source comes from stray light focusing on absorbing glass armor at higher than expected fluences. We show that the composition of the particles is secondary to the energetics of their delivery, such that particles from either source are essentially benign if they arrive at the GDS with low temperatures and velocities.
How costs get discussed (or not) in routine oncology practice.

6512Background: Cancer patients are nearly 3x more likely to declare bankruptcy than people without cancer. However, little is known about the dynamics of the healthcare provider/patient (pt) conversations around cost issues, the range of topics explored, and the factors that may influence them. We reviewed audio recordings of a cross-section of medical oncology conversations to determine frequency, patterns and attitudes of pts and providers on cost. Methods: We audio recorded conversations between 5/3/2012 & 11/20/2013 for adult patients with any solid tumor malignancy seen in an outpatient medical oncology clinic at one of three sites in the Upper Midwest and Southern California. Basic demographic variables were abstracted from chart review. Recordings were de-identified, reviewed and flagged for any mention of cost. We used descriptive statistics and inductive qualitative content coding methods to further characterize conversation themes. Results: Among 525 recordings, 151 (28%) contained any mention ...
Low Quantum Defect Fiber Lasers via Yb-Doped Multicomponent Fluorosilicate Optical Fiber

A low quantum defect (QD <1.5%) fiber laser based on an Yb-doped multicomponent fluorosilicate optical fiber is presented. Modeling results indicate that the fiber laser is scalable and that QD values below 1% are feasible.
Understanding Sterilization Regret in the United States: The Role of Relationship Context

Although one fourth of sterilized reproductive-aged women in the U.S. express a desire to have their sterilization procedures reversed, the pathways leading to sterilization regret remain insufficiently understood. Particularly little is known about how cohabitation affects the likelihood of sterilization regret. This study used data from the 2006-2010 National Survey of Family Growth to investigate how relationship context shapes women's risk of sterilization regret. Our findings point to higher levels of regret among women who were cohabiting, rather than married or single at the time of sterilization. Experiencing post-sterilization union dissolution or post-sterilization union formation was also associated with an elevated risk of regret. Together, post-sterilization union instability and selected background characteristics largely explained elevated levels of regret observed among women who were cohabiting at the time of sterilization. An association between regret and post-sterilization union instability persisted, however, even when socioeconomic and reproductive background factors were controlled.
Properties of Manganites: Band and Percolation Approaches

Properties of the parent compound, LaMnO3 are greatly affected by strong Hund's coupling. The result of this coupling is antiferromagnetic ordering (with a low Neel temperature) along one of the cubic axes and, as a consequence, a picture of disconnected ferromagnetic layers. Furthermore, the cooperative Jahn–Teller effect turns the compound into a band insulator. At small doping (La1−x Ca x MnO3, x≪1) the band insulator state coexists with the presence of localized holes. An insulator-ferromagnetic metal transition occurs at the percolation point x c=0.16.
Hematopoietic cell transplant comorbidity index (HCT-CI) to assess AML induction risk.

e18519Background: Induction therapy for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is intense and methods for risk appraisal of therapy are controversial. Formal comorbidity assessment may allow for improved pro...
RWGuard: A Real-Time Detection System Against Cryptographic Ransomware

Ransomware has recently (re)emerged as a popular malware that targets a wide range of victims - from individual users to corporate ones for monetary gain. Our key observation on the existing ransomware detection mechanisms is that they fail to provide an early warning in real-time which results in irreversible encryption of a significant number of files while the post-encryption techniques (e.g., key extraction, file restoration) suffer from several limitations. Also, the existing detection mechanisms result in high false positives being unable to determine the original intent of file changes, i.e., they fail to distinguish whether a significant change in a file is due to a ransomware encryption or due to a file operation by the user herself (e.g., benign encryption or compression). To address these challenges, in this paper, we introduce a ransomware detection mechanism, RWGuard, which is able to detect crypto-ransomware in real-time on a user’s machine by (1) deploying decoy techniques, (2) carefully monitoring both the running processes and the file system for malicious activities, and (3) omitting benign file changes from being flagged through the learning of users’ encryption behavior. We evaluate our system against samples from 14 most prevalent ransomware families to date. Our experiments show that RWGuard is effective in real-time detection of ransomware with zero false negative and negligible false positive (\(\sim \)0.1%) rates while incurring an overhead of only \(\sim \)1.9%.
The pathway to a national vascular skills examination and the role of simulation-based training in an increasingly complex specialty

Abstract The evolving demands of surgical training have led to the successful implementation of skills examinations in the areas of laparoscopic and endoscopic surgery. Currently, there is no similar formal skills assessment in vascular surgery, despite endovascular intervention replacing open surgery in treatment of many vascular conditions. The adoption of less invasive techniques to treat aneurysm and occlusive disease has resulted in new training paradigms and technical challenges for trainees. The duty hour restriction for trainees and declining numbers of complex open vascular interventions have added to the challenges of vascular surgery training. Simulation is a promising avenue for both skills training and assessment. The ability to evaluate the fundamental skills of trainees would be an important step to ensure a degree of uniformity in trainees’ technical abilities. The role of simulation-based training in acquiring, testing, and refining these skills is still in its infancy in the vascular surgery training paradigm. This article aims to impart a deeper understanding of the conditions for developing and implementing the fundamentals of vascular and endovascular surgery, and to provide guidance regarding the role of simulation-based training in a rapidly evolving specialty. There are various forms of simulation available, including benchtop models, high-fidelity simulators, and virtual-reality simulators, and each requires a different method of proficiency assessment. Both open surgery and endovascular skills can be assessed and the application of successful implementation in academic vascular surgery training program is presented.
Microscale fracture mechanisms of HfO2-Si environmental barrier coatings

Abstract Environmental barrier coatings (EBCs) play a vital role in protecting advanced turbine components subjected to extreme service environments, where mechanical, thermal and chemical behaviors typically dominate the design criteria. This study focuses on investigating the mechanical properties of individual phases within a HfO2-Si ceramic matrix composite (CMC) structure through implementation of notched microcantilevers and micropillar splitting experiments. The microcantilever experiments resulted in fracture toughnesses ranging between 1.38–1.52 MPa-m1/2 for the Si-rich phase and 2.26–2.38 MPa-m1/2 for the HfO2-rich phase depending on the method of analysis. From our micropillar splitting experiments, we found fracture toughnesses of 1.13 ± 0.39 MPa-m1/2 for the Si-rich phase and 1.18 ± 0.26 MPa-m1/2 for the HfO2-rich phase. Comparisons with bulk single edge V-notched beams (SEVNBs) suggest the micropillar results are accurate whereas the microcantilever experiments may overestimate KIC of the Si-rich and HfO2-rich phases by ˜0.2–1.2 MPa-m1/2, most likely, due to dimensional errors that affect specimen and model compliances.
Evaluating Literature for Oncology Data Gaps to Improve the Quality of Standard Response Letters: A Retrospective Review:

Background:Medical information departments are responsible for maintaining standard response letters to address health care providers’ inquiries. Several factors, including Food and Drug Administra...
Luteolin attenuated pro-inflammatory conditions induced by activated microglia and protected against neuronal cell death

Excessive production of proinflammatory mediators by activated brain microglia plays an important role in sickness behavior and neurodegenerative disorders. Luteolin, a flavonoid found in high conc...
God's Joust, God's Justice: The Revelations of Legal history

History is more than a “series of tricks we play on the dead” and more than simply an arid and accidental chronology of first one thing happening and then another. History is also a source of revelation, a collection of wisdom. The archive is a treasure trove. Old books are windows on truth. The challenge of the Christian historian is to search within the wisdom of the ages for some indication of the eternal wisdom of God. It is to try to seek God's revelation and judgment over time without presuming the power of divine judgment. It is to try to discern God's justice within God's joust.This Article defends this religious perspective on legal history, and then uses the “binocular of law and religion” to offer first a panoramic overview of Western legal history and then more narrow denominational and thematic pictures of discrete eras and areas of legal history. The themes and contents of this Article were greatly expanded and revised in the author’s later book: God’s Joust, God’s Justice: Law and Religion in the Western Tradition (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2006).
Luminescence of ZnS:Ag scintillator prepared by the hydrothermal reaction method: Effects of reaction temperature and time, Ag concentration, and co-doping with Al

Abstract ZnS:Ag was synthesized by the hydrothermal reaction method with different Ag concentrations, from 0.05 to 5 mol%, Ag, Al co-doping concentrations, from 0.025 to 0.5 mol% ea., and under broad ranges of reaction temperature, from 60 to 200 °C, and reaction time, from 2 to 10 h. Samples were characterized on their structure, morphology, and luminescence by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), photoluminescence (PL), and radioluminescence under X-ray excitation (RL) measurements, respectively. SEM results suggested that nucleation and growth of ZnS:Ag occurred on the surface of microbubbles. XRD results also revealed the samples to have single cubic structure, and that crystallite size could be controlled within ca. 2–11 nm through specific combinations of reaction temperature and time. PL measurements revealed the contribution of distinct luminescence centers, and that blue/red emission could be tuned by the reaction conditions. It was found that PL and RL output was maximized with nominal 0.l-0.2 mol% Ag, and with nominal 0.1 mol% ea. Ag, Al co-doping.
Relationships between nurses’ experiences of workplace violence, emotional exhaustion and patient safety:

BackgroundThe rising rate of workplace violence in hospitals is a serious concern. While leading organisations recommend implementing interventions to address workplace violence, little is known ab...
Leading With Values: Strategies for Making Ethical Decisions in Business and Life

As societies become more polarized, there is increasing pressure for business leaders to have a sense of purpose and to make moral decisions. Being a good leader requires both a keen understanding of the realities of human decision making as well as an analysis of what is right and wrong. This book integrates lessons from three intellectual traditions – psychology, philosophy, and political economy – to guide readers on a journey to rigorously explore their values and decision making. The authors begin by examining people's intuitions about right and wrong. They then clarify principles that embody these intuitions and help readers engage with others whose intuitions or principles differ from their own. Ultimately, this book teaches readers how to be strategic as they lead with their values: as individuals, as designers of organizations, and as businesspeople interacting with societal institutions.
Determination of Relative Density of Sand Below Groundwater Table

IN-PLACE DENSITIES OF A FINE SAND PLACED AS DUMPED FILL PARTLY BELOW AND ABOVE WATER IN LAKE MICHIGAN WERE DETERMINED BY THE SAND CONE METHOD.IN ORDER TO EXCAVATE BELOW THE WATER TABLE,A RING WALL WAS FROZEN TO BELOW THE 21 FT OF SAND INTO THE UNDERLYING CLAY.CORES WERE TAKEN FROM THE FROZEN WALL FOR COMPARISON WITH SAND CONE DENSITIES .IN ADDITION,TUBE SAMPLES WERE TAKEN OUTSIDE THE FREEZE WALL WITH A HYDRAULIC PISTON SAMPLER,AND STANDARD PENETRATION TESTS WERE MADE IN THE HOLES DRILLED FOR THE FREEZE PIPES. DENSITIES OBTAINED WERE CONVERTED TO RELATIVE DENSITIES. RESULTS FROM THE FROZEN SAND CORES, WHEN CORRECTED FOR WATER EXPANSION DUE TO FREEZING, AGREED WITH THE DENSITIES FROM THE SAND CONE TESTS.THE TUBE SAMPLE DENSITIES AGREED REASONABLY WELL WITH THE SAND CONE DENSITIES.THE RELATIVE DENSITY VARIED FROM 40 PERCENT AT THE WATER TABLE TO 90 PERCENT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SAND. /AUTHOR/
Reduced order H/sub 2/ and H/sub infinity / compensation via gradient techniques

H/sub 2/ and H/sub infinity / compensation techniques required compensators of order equal to that of the plant, which may be quite large when appended with dynamic weightings. Of practical interest is how close it is feasible to get to the full order solutions with reduced order controllers. The authors introduce a technique for solving the reduced order H/sub 2/ and H/sub infinity / problems using gradient information. First, the problem is set up in a Lagrange formulation with the necessary assumptions made. The stationary conditions are derived. Next, algorithms are presented for solving the reduced order H/sub 2/ and H/sub infinity / problems. Finally, some examples are given to highlight the features of this method. >
CLOSURE ON CYCLIC STRESS-STRAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF CLAY

SHERIF POINTS OUT THE CONTRAST BETWEEN THE MINOR EFFECT WHICH CYCLIC LOADING AT SMALL STRAIN LEVELS HAS ON STATIC STRENGTH AND THE MORE IMPORTANT EFFECT WHICH THE SAME LOADING HAS ON DYNAMIC MODULI. IT IS POINTED OUT THAT THE EFFECTS ON STRENGTH MIGHT BE BETTER UNDERSTOOD IF THE PROCEDURES USED TO DETERMINE STRENGTH WERE EXPLAINED MORE FULLY. THIS EXPLANATION IS PRESENTED. ALSO, SHERIF CAUTIONS THAT THESE EXPERIMENTS WERE CONDUCTED AT ONE FREQUENCY LEVEL AND DIFFERENT CONCLUSIONS MIGHT BE REACHED AT OTHER FREQUENCIES. THE EFFECTS APPEAR TO DEPEND ON THE STRAINS INVOLVED. REFERENCES: CYCLIC STRESS-STRAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF CLAY, GERALD R. THIERS, H. BOLTON SEED, ASCE PROCEEDINGS PAPER 5871, MARCH, 1968.
Oscillations of linear delay differential equations of neutral and mixed type

This paper deals with the oscillation of all solutions of the following higher order neutral differential equation x(n+1)(t) + ∑θjx(n+1)(t-µj) + ∑aix(i)(t) + ∑∑bi,jx(i)(t-τi,j) + ∑∑ci,jx(i)(t + σi,j) = 0 where µj, σi,j, τi,j, ai, bi,j ci,j are positive constants and θj are real constants. Our aim is to obtain easily verifiable sufficient conditions for the oscillation of all solutions of the above equation. Comparison with other sufficient conditions and examples are included.
Fossil evidence for the origin of spider spinnerets

Silk production from opisthosomal glands is a defining characteristic of spiders (Araneae). Silk emerges from spigots (modified setae) borne on spinnerets (modified appendages). Spigots from _Attercopus fimbriunguis_ (Shear, Selden & Rolfe, 1987^1^), from Middle Devonian (386 Ma) strata of Gilboa, New York were described in 1989^2^ as evidence for the oldest spider and the first use of silk by animals. Slightly younger (374 Ma) material from South Mountain, New York, conspecific with _A. fimbriunguis_, includes spigots and other evidence which elucidate the evolution of early Araneae and the origin of spider silk. No known _Attercopus_ spigots, including the original specimen^2^, occur on true spinnerets but are arranged along the edges of plates. Spinnerets originated from biramous appendages of opisthosomal somites 4 and 5; while present in _Limulus_, no other arachnids have opisthosomal appendage homologues on these segments. The spigot arrangement in _Attercopus_ shows a primitive state prior to the re-expression of the dormant genetic mechanism which gave rise to spinnerets in later spiders. The inability of _Attercopus_ precisely to control silk weaving suggests its original use as a wrapping, lining or homing material.
A Review of “The Routledge Handbook of Research Methods in the Study of Religion”

The Routledge Handbook of Research Methods in the Study of Religion (hereafter referred to as “Handbook”) is a unique collection of essays on diverse techniques of religious research. Its unique co...
Genesis of ascites in ovarian cancer.

Abstract Ascites circulation, the site of ascites production and radiation effect on ascites circulation were studied by the 131 I (RISA) dilution method and direct observation. In ascites due to ovarian cancer there is an increased production of fluid. Most of this comes from free peritoneum and not from the tumor surface. Portal venous pressure is increased in ascitic patients. Radiotherapy has a suppressive effect on ascites formation.
Survey on In-vehicle Technology Use: Results and Findings

ABSTRACT The use of advanced technology in automobiles has increased dramatically in the past couple of years. Driver-assisting gadgets such as navigation systems, advanced cruise control, collision avoidance systems, and other safety systems have moved down the ladder from luxury to more basic vehicles. Concurrently, auto manufacturers are also designing and testing driving algorithms that can assist with basic driving tasks, many of which are being continuously scrutinized by traffic safety agencies to ensure that these systems do not pose a safety hazard. The research presented in this paper brings a third perspective to in-vehicle technology by conducting a two-stage survey to collect public opinion on advanced in-vehicle technology. Approximately 64 percent of the respondents used a smartphone application to assist with their travel. The top-used applications were navigation and real-time traffic information systems. Among those who used smartphones during their commutes, the top-used applications were navigation and entertainment.
Pulsed field probe of real time magnetization dynamics in magnetic nanoparticle systems

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) are extensively used in biotechnology. These applications rely on magnetic properties that are a keen function of MNP size, distribution, and shape. Various magneto-optical techniques, including Faraday Rotation (FR), Cotton-Mouton Effect, etc., have been employed to characterize magnetic properties of MNPs. Generally, these measurements employ AC or DC fields. In this work, we describe the results from a FR setup that uses pulsed magnetic fields and an analysis technique that makes use of the entire pulse shape to investigate size distribution and shape anisotropy. The setup employs a light source, polarizing components, and a detector that are used to measure the rotation of light from a sample that is subjected to a pulsed magnetic field. This magnetic field “snapshot” is recorded alongside the intensity pulse of the sample's response. This side by side comparison yields useful information about the real time magnetization dynamics of the system being probed. The setup is highly flexible with variable control of pulse length and peak magnitude. Examining the raw data for the response of bare Fe3O4 and hybrid Au and Fe3O4 nanorods reveals interesting information about Brownian relaxation and the hydrodynamic size of these nanorods. This analysis exploits the self-referencing nature of this measurement to highlight the impact of an applied field on creating a field induced transparency for a longitudinal measurement. Possible sources for this behavior include shape anisotropy and field assisted aggregate formation.
The rise of the ‘China Model’ and ‘Beijing Consensus’: evidence of authoritarian diffusion?

The rise of authoritarian great powers has raised questions about the dominance of the liberal democratic model and has led to a perception that the relative balance between democracy and authoritarianism is shifting. Consequently, there is increasing interest in and concerns about the diffusion of alternative ‘models’ of political and economic development. Given that China's impressive economic development has led to growing military strength and geopolitical prestige, evaluating perceptions of the legitimacy, effectiveness, and applicability of that country's model of ‘illiberal capitalism’ is a good place to start. This paper evaluates whether the ‘China Model’ or ‘Beijing Consensus' is gaining traction internationally through a content analysis of eight years of US and non-US media sources. It finds that concerns about the beginnings of an anti-democratic ‘reverse wave’ are exaggerated and that at the present time there does not appear to be a decisive shift in favour of a model of authoritarian-capit...
Quantitative studies relating to the physical basis of chromosome synapsis.

Abstract 1. 1. Linear centers of pachytene chromosomes were used as indices of their relative positions in acetocarmine squash preparations of certain hyperploid maize stocks. It was assumed that the effects of the squash technique were generalized. 2. 2. Significant tendencies were noted for relative nearness of an extra chromosome univalent and a bivalent to which it was segmentally homologous. 3. 3. Although other possibilities are not excluded, the best tentative explanation for the results seems to be that the nearness noted is due to synaptic pairing affinities and that these are the consequence of a long range specific force of attraction. 4. 4. Some general tendency was also noted for shorter chromosomes to be nearer the periphery than longer chromosomes either because shorter chromosomes are more strongly expelled by natural forces or by squashing, or because the longer chromosomes are more likely to become entangled.
Effect of High Oxygen Tension on Potassium Retentivity and Colony Formation of Bakers' Yeast

The ability of yeast cells to retain potassium and to form colonies was studied after exposure to pressures ranging from 2 to 143 atmospheres of oxygen. The investigations allow comparison of these responses with those found after x-ray exposure. Exposure to 2 to 8 atmospheres of oxygen for 2, 20, and 40 hours showed decreased potassium leakage as measured by an elution technique. Further experiments using 0.5 to 22 hour exposures to 10 to 143 atmospheres of oxygen showed decreased potassium leakage when glucose was present in the test media, but increased leakage (as did x-ray effects) in the absence of substrate. There was increased potassium leakage into the suspending media (distilled water) during oxygen exposure but this usually did not affect the leakage rates measured subsequently. Marked inability to form colonies was observed after 20 hour exposures to 100 atmospheres of oxygen, with a much smaller response at lower pressures. Increased oxygen concentrations, not pressure, evidently caused these effects, since comparable pressures of nitrogen produced almost no change. The ratio of potassium leakage to survival sensitivity was found to be approximately unity when comparing exposures causing 50 per cent damage. This is quite different from that seen with x-ray or ultraviolet irradiation.
Articular chondrocytes and mesenchymal stem cells seeded on biodegradable scaffolds for the repair of cartilage in a rat osteochondral defect model.

This work investigated the ability of co-cultures of articular chondrocytes and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to repair articular cartilage in osteochondral defects. Bovine articular chondrocytes and rat MSCs were seeded in isolation or in co-culture onto electrospun poly(ɛ-caprolactone) (PCL) scaffolds and implanted into an osteochondral defect in the trochlear groove of 12-week old Lewis rats. Additionally, a blank PCL scaffold and untreated defect were investigated. After 12 weeks, the extent of cartilage repair was analyzed through histological analysis, and the extent of bone healing was assessed by quantifying the total volume of mineralized bone in the defect through microcomputed tomography. Histological analysis revealed that the articular chondrocytes and co-cultures led to repair tissue that consisted of more hyaline-like cartilage tissue that was thicker and possessed more intense Safranin O staining. The MSC, blank PCL scaffold, and empty treatment groups generally led to the formation of fibrocartilage repair tissue. Microcomputed tomography revealed that while there was an equivalent amount of mineralized bone formation in the MSC, blank PCL, and empty treatment groups, the defects treated with chondrocytes or co-cultures had negligible mineralized bone formation. Overall, even with a reduced number of chondrocytes, co-cultures led to an equal level of cartilage repair compared to the chondrocyte samples, thus demonstrating the potential for the use of co-cultures of articular chondrocytes and MSCs for the in vivo repair of cartilage defects.
Recognition of convex blobs

Abstract Because of the discrete nature of the memory and logic of a digital computer, a digital computer “sees” pictures in cellular form, each cell containing a number that represents the density of the viewed object at that cell. In particular, when the picture is binary, each cell holds a 1 or 0, depending on whether or not the viewed object is projected onto that cell. The convexity of cellular blobs—a restricted class of binary cellular figures—is discussed and defined in terms of the continuous blobs of which the cellular blobs are images. The elements of a theory of convex cellular blobs are given. As an application of the theory, the use of the “minimum-perimeter polygon” in an algorithm for testing the convexity of cellular blobs on a rectangular mosaic is described.
Biographical Sketch: William S. Baer (1872–1931)

This biographical sketch on William S. Baer corresponds to the historic text, The Classic: The Treatment of Chronic Osteomyelitis With the Maggot (Larva of the Blow Fly), available at DOI 10.1007/s11999-010-1416-3.
INTEGRATING DELIBERATIVE JUSTICE THEORY INTO SOCIAL WORK POLICY PEDAGOGY

Deliberation that upholds the social work values of justice and inclusion is an essential component of the policy-making process; yet most social welfare policy curricula focus instead on the goals of distributive justice. This article presents a model that demonstrates how deliberative justice can be easily incorporated into beginning level social welfare policy classes. Feedback from social work students indicates their understanding of the concepts of deliberative justice presented in a policy class and their appreciation of a class role-play designed to illustrate the implementation of related theory. Social work practitioners at the policy level may also find this model useful.
Gestational urinary bisphenol A and maternal and newborn thyroid hormone concentrations: The HOME Study

Bisphenol A (BPA), an endocrine disruptor used in consumer products, may perturb thyroid function. Prenatal BPA exposure may have sex-specific effects on thyroid hormones (THs). Our objectives were to investigate whether maternal urinary BPA concentrations during pregnancy were associated with THs in maternal or cord serum, and whether these associations differed by newborn sex or maternal iodine status. We measured urinary BPA concentrations at 16 and 26 weeks gestation among pregnant women in the HOME Study (2003-2006, Cincinnati, Ohio). Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and free and total thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) were measured in maternal serum at 16 weeks (n=181) and cord serum at delivery (n=249). Associations between BPA concentrations and maternal or cord serum TH levels were estimated by multivariable linear regression. Mean maternal urinary BPA was not associated with cord THs in all newborns, but a 10-fold increase in mean BPA was associated with lower cord TSH in girls (percent change=-36.0%; 95% confidence interval (CI): -58.4, -1.7%), but not boys (7.8%; 95% CI: -28.5, 62.7%; p-for-effect modification=0.09). We observed no significant associations between 16-week BPA and THs in maternal or cord serum, but 26-week maternal BPA was inversely associated with TSH in girls (-42.9%; 95% CI: -59.9, -18.5%), but not boys (7.6%; 95% CI: -17.3, 40.2%; p-for-effect modification=0.005) at birth. The inverse BPA-TSH relation among girls was stronger, but less precise, among iodine deficient versus sufficient mothers. Prenatal BPA exposure may reduce TSH among newborn girls, particularly when exposure occurs later in gestation.
The development of sensitivity to cast and attached shadows in pictures as information for the direction of the source of illumination

The development of the perception of cast and attached shadows as information in pictures for the direction of the light source was studied with children in kindergarten, third and sixth grades, and adults in college. Subjects viewed photographs of objects under four different positions of illumination, with either cast or attached shadows alone, or with both present. Error in angular displacement from the correct position of the light source was 76.5° for kindergarten children, 40.5° for those in the third grade, 34.9° for those in the sixth, and 18.0° for college students. Neither position of light nor type of object affected performance. Results are discussed in the context of a developmental hypothesis of changing interpretation of the relations between pictorial and nonpictorial space from childhood to adolescence.
Acute and Chronic Effects of Unilateral Cerebral Infarction on the EEG and Behavior of the Rat

Anoxic ischemia with resultant unilateral cerebral infarction was produced in the rat by unilateral ligation of the external and common carotid arteries and exposure of the animal to nitrogen. EEG and behavior were studied for one month after the anoxic insult. Infarcted animals showed prominent circling, contralateral flexion postures, and absent visual and tactile placing. At the end of one month the only persistent clinical abnormality was absent contralateral tactile placing. Acutely the EEG showed loss of normal background activity and high voltage slow waves over the infarcted hemisphere. EEG improvement paralleled clinical improvement. At the end of one month only minor asymmetries were observed in the EEG but sleep spindles remained absent on the infarcted side. Present address: VA Hospital, San Diego, California 92161
Evidence-based treatment of common extensor tendinopathy

Common extensor tendinopathy, or tennis elbow, is the most common cause of lateral elbow pain. While most cases are self-limiting, a percentage will become chronic and lead to substantive time away from work and sport. There is no clear consensus on timing and choice of modality for treatment. There are a multitude of treatment options available including watchful waiting, physical therapy, topical nitroglycerin, extracorporeal shockwave therapy, corticosteroid injection, prolotherapy, neovessel sclerosis, autologous growth factor injections, percutaneous needle tenotomy, and surgery. This article presents a comprehensive review of the current literature on the treatment of common extensor tendinopathy
The Epidemiology and Demographics of Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis

The etiology of slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) is unknown with many insights coming from epidemiologic/demographic information. A systematic medical literature review regarding SCFE was performed. The incidence is 0.33/100,000 to 24.58/100,000 children 8 to 15 years of age. The relative racial frequency, relative to Caucasians at 1.0, is 5.6 for Polynesians, 3.9 for Blacks, and 2.5 for Hispanics. The average age is 12.0 years for boys and 11.2 years for girls. The physiologic age when SCFE occurs is less variable than the chronologic age. The average symptom duration is 4 to 5 months. Most children are obese: >50% are >95th percentile weight for age with average BMI is 25–30 kg/m2. The onset of SCFE is in the summer when north of 40°N. Bilaterality ranges from 18 to 50%. In children with bilateral involvement, 50–60% present with simultaneous SCFEs and those who present with a unilateral SCFE and subsequently develop a contralateral SCFE do so within 18 months. The age at presentation is younger for those who present with a unilateral SCFE and later develop a contralateral SCFE. The age-weight, age-height, and height test are useful to differentiate between an idiopathic and atypical SCFE.
Strategic Information Systems Planning: Planning System Dimensions, Internal Coalignment, and Implications for Planning Effectiveness

Improving strategic information systems planning (SISP) remains a critical concern of both practitioners and academics. To date, a rather large number of studies have examined or proposed analytical techniques, frameworks, and tools for developing strategic plans. As a direct consequence of this emphasis, methodologies have often become the basis for characterizing the entire process of SISP within the information systems literature. Recent theoretical work suggests that such characterizations are unnecessarily narrow and that planning activities within organizations can be more accurately conceptualized as systems of behaviors, agendas, or process dimensions. Working within this contemporary theoretical perspective, the findings of this study suggest that SISP can be operationalized along distinct dimensions of comprehensiveness (extent of solution search), formalization (rules and procedures to guide activities), focus (creativity or control), flow (top down, bottom up), participation (number and variety of planners), and consistency (frequency of planning cycles). Similar to previous theoretical work and case studies, higher order factor modeling of these dimensions suggests that planning systems that exhibit aspects of rationality (high comprehensiveness, high formalization, control focus, top-down flow), and adaptation (high participation, high consistency) are positively associated with planning effectiveness.
Subunit b-Dimer of the Escherichia coli ATP Synthase Can Form Left-Handed Coiled-Coils ☆

One remaining challenge to our understanding of the ATP synthase concerns the dimeric coiled-coil stator subunit b of bacterial synthases. The subunit b-dimer has been implicated in important protein interactions that appear necessary for energy conservation and that may be instrumental in energy conservation during rotary catalysis by the synthase. Understanding the stator structure and its interactions with the rest of the enzyme is crucial to the understanding of the overall catalytic mechanism. Controversy exists on whether subunit b adopts a classic left-handed or a presumed right-handed dimeric coiled-coil and whether or not staggered pairing between nonhomologous residues in the homodimer is required for intersubunit packing. In this study we generated molecular models of the Escherichia coli subunit b-dimer that were based on the well-established heptad-repeat packing exhibited by left-handed, dimeric coiled-coils by employing simulated annealing protocols with structural restraints collected from known structures. In addition, we attempted to create hypothetical right-handed coiled-coil models and left- and right-handed models with staggered packing in the coiled-coil domains. Our analyses suggest that the available structural and biochemical evidence for subunit b can be accommodated by classic left-handed, dimeric coiled-coil quaternary structures.
Ground-state phases and quantum phase transitions in a two-dimensional spin-1/2 XY model with four-spin interactions

We discuss the ground state phase transition between an antiferromagnet and a valence-bond solid in a two-dimensional spin-1/2 XY model with a four-spin interaction. This transition has been proposed as a candidate for a deconfined quantum-critical point. We analyze quantum Monte Carlo data in order to accurately characterize the transition. The central question that remains to be answered is whether the transition really is continuous, or whether it is actually weakly first-order. We present the current status of both ground state and finite-temperature calculations. Based on the results, we discuss possible scenarios for the transition, none of which is consistent with deconfined quantum-criticality. However, we argue that a deconfined quantum-critical point may be located nearby in an extended parameter space.We also discuss the staggered Ising phase obtaining in the limit of strong four-spin coupling.
Writing from memory: history, stories and narrative voices in in the time of the butterflies by Julia Álvarez

Julia Alvarez (Dominican Republic, 1951) and her family left the Dominican Republic in 1960 to escape the persecution of Rafael Leonidas Trujillo’s dictatorship, which ruled the country with terror from 1930 to 1961. Her father had gotten involved with clandestine forces that attempted to overthrow the dictator. Precisely the opposition to Trujillo’s dictatorship constitutes the referent of her second novel, In the Time of the Butterflies (1994), which deals with the life of the four Mirabal sisters, Minerva, Maria Teresa (Mate), Patria, and Dede. My article, using a theoritical framework based mostly in the works of Foucault, Hayden White and Linda Hutcheon poses that In the Time of the Butterflies revises the official history of the Mirabal sisters and their subsequent murder by providing a more humanized version of their own stories in order to divide the truth of the myth created about the three sisters. The novel shows their development as characters as we follow them in different stages of their lives while the shadow of dictator Trujillo’s looms large encompassing every aspect of their and everybody’s existence. Lastly, I argue that Julia Alvarez’s position of being born Dominican, but acculturated as an American, allows her to observe and present the text from a unique view and perspective. She travels to the places of the facts to research the sisters’ story and to get to know the archive that includes not only the official versions, but also the most credible mythicized oral accounts provided by Dede, the Mirabals’ other relatives, neighbors and the like. The novel’s greatest merit derives from its attempt to revise history from memory, the collective memory whose voices Alvarez masterfully reproduces and therefore perpetuates in the pages of the book.
Effect of Pressure on the Fermi Surface of Be

Measurements of the effect of hydrostatic pressure on five cross-sectional areas of the Fermi surface of Be are presented. The cross sections were determined from de Haas-van Alphen frequencies obtained with the field-modulation technique. Pressure derivatives were obtained in both solid He to \ensuremath{\sim}4 kbar and in fluid He, and results from the two pressure techniques were in excellent agreement in all cases. The most striking result is that for H\ensuremath{\parallel}[0001] the waist of the third-zone electron surface decreases while the hips of this surface increase. This behavior cannot be explained even in qualitative terms by free-electron considerations and is at variance with results inferred from recent magnetostriction data. Our results, however, are in substantial agreement with recent calculations by Tripp, Everett, Gordon, and Stark.
Overcoming technostress in reference services to adult learners

Summary One of the greatest challenges in delivering reference services to adult learners is technostress. This is a common syndrome among adults generally characterized by feelings of discomfort and unease around computers. Adult learners are particularly vulnerable to technostress because they grew up in a largely pre-computer era. Reference librarians can help alleviate technostress through several means. These include establishing a relaxed, psychologically supportive atmosphere, pacing one's instruction, and using active learning. In attempting to relieve technostress, it is important for librarians to remember that it is not only what is conveyed, but how it is conveyed that is critical.