cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A large-scale fire suppression edge-effect on forest composition in the New Jersey Pinelands

Broad scale ecological edge-effects are most likely common in urbanized landscapes prone to wildfire, but most edge-effect studies have focused on fine scale processes such as shade tolerance and seed dispersal. Evidence has suggested a shift from pine dominated to oak dominated forests at the interface of developed land and natural areas in the Pinelands of New Jersey with the presence of a large edge-effect due to fire suppression. The goal of this study was to assess the location, magnitude and mechanism of the shift from pine to oak cover focusing on distance to human-altered land as the driver of fire suppression and forest composition changes. Overall, fire frequency and upland pine cover decreased sharply closer to human-altered land and affected up to 420 m of adjacent upland forest. Other factors, such as prescribed fire and wetlands configurations may play a role in the interior forest dynamics, but trends toward lower upland pine forest cover and higher upland oak cover near human altered were dominant. The areal summations of distance from altered land and the use of percent change thresholds for determining the scale and magnitude of large scale ecological edge-effects could be useful to managers attempting to maintain or restore forest types in areas of high wildland–urban interface.
Measuring the benefits and costs of community education and outreach in marine protected areas

Abstract Conservation organizations often invest considerable resources in education and outreach activities in and around marine protected areas (MPAs). The expectation is that such efforts will change local knowledge, attitudes and ultimately behavior. This is one of the first studies to assess the efficacy of using education and outreach activities to improve community knowledge and attitudes about an MPA. Random sample surveys in 2005 and 2010 ( n =1213) before and after education and outreach activities are compared. Program budgets for the same period give the investment levels. With an investment level averaging US$24 per capita/year, the result was an average increase of 33% in “yes” responses across 15 indicators of knowledge and attitudes towards marine conservation. The increase in knowledge and positive attitudes was associated with a large decrease in “not sure” responses, suggesting that community members with fewer initial preconceptions are the most effective target for education and outreach activities. This study demonstrates that investments in MPA education and outreach can generate increases in local knowledge and positive attitudes, and changing knowledge and attitudes is expected to contribute to the long-term compliance with MPA regulations.
Time course and predictors of symptoms after primary prostate cancer therapy.

Purpose: Understanding the distinctive patterns of treatment-related dysfunction after alternative initial treatments for early prostate cancer (PC) may improve patients’ choice of treatment and later help them adjust to its consequences. We characterized the time course of treatment complications while adjusting for potentially confounding pretreatment factors hindering other observational studies. Patients and Methods: In a prospective cohort study of 417 men we assessed urinary, bowel, and sexual function from before primary treatment to 24 months after. To control for potential confounding, we measured sociodemographic and PC prognostic factors, medical comorbidity, and pretreatment function commonly affected by PC and its treatment. Results: Patients who underwent external beam radiotherapy (EBRT), radical prostatectomy (RP), and brachytherapy (BT) differed significantly in sociodemographic factors, cancer prognostic factors, and pretreatment symptom status, especially sexual function. Urinary incont...
Spontaneous neural tube defects in splotch mice supplemented with selected micronutrients.

Abstract Splotch (Sp/Sp) mice homozygous for a mutation in the Pax3 gene inevitably present with neural tube defects (NTDs), along with other associated congenital anomalies. The affected mutant embryos usually die by gestation days (E) 12–13. In the present study, the effect of modifier genes from a new genetic background (CXL-Sp) and periconceptional supplementation with selected micronutrients (folic acid, 5-formyltetrahydrofolate, 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, methionine, myoinositol, thiamine, thymidine, and α-tocopherol) was determined with respect to the incidence of NTDs. In order to explore how different exposure parameters (time, dose, and route of compound administration) modulate the beneficial effects of micronutrient supplementation, female mice received either short- or long-term nutrient supplements via enteral or parenteral routes. Embryos were collected on E12.5 and examined for the presence of anterior or posterior NTDs. Additionally, whole mount in situ hybridization studies were conducted in order to reveal/confirm normal expression patterns of the Pax3 gene during neurulation in the wild-type and Sp/Sp homozygous mutant mouse embryos utilized in this study. A strong Pax3 signal was demonstrated in CXL-Sp embryos during neural tube closure (E9.5 to E10.5). The intensity and spatial pattern of expression were similar to other Splotch mutant mice. Of all the micronutrients tested, only supplementation with folic acid or 5-methyltetrahydrofolate rescued the normal phenotype in Sp/Sp embryos. When the folate supplementation dose was increased to 200 mg/kg in the diet, the incidence of rescued splotch homozygotes reached 30%; however, this was accompanied by six-fold increased resorption rate.
Assessing diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in a local community: role of sampling effort and spatial heterogeneity

Diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) was assessed in two 9.2 × 9.2-m plots planted with landscape trees and shrubs at an experimental site in Phoenix, AZ, USA. Twenty-five soil samples were collected in a regular grid pattern from each plot, and AMF species were identified using trap cultures. A total of 12 species were detected, with 7 species detected in one plot and 11 in the other. We found that sampling effort had a major impact on assessing species richness and composition in this local community. Fifteen samples would be necessary to detect 70–80% of species present in each plot. A limited number of additional undetected species are likely to be present in both plots, based on the sampling effort curves and jackknife estimates. Only two species, Glomus eburneum and Glomus microaggregatum, were detected in over 50% of the samples from both plots, and rank–frequency plots revealed a lognormal species distribution. Despite the patchiness of plants in the plots, the number of species detected per point exhibited spatial structuring only at the smallest sampling scale in a single plot, and only a single species in each plot was not randomly distributed. These results indicate that sampling effort and strategy can affect perceptions of AMF community structure.
A longitudinal study of the impact of village health education on environmental sanitation.

Health educators working in developing nations commonly encounter administrative constraints and methodological problems which prevent rigorous program evaluation. Using a time series design this study followed approximately 600 families in 2 Guatemalan villages during a 4 year period to measure the impact of community health education on 7 indicators of change in environmental sanitation. Adoption of new behavior was accompanied by widespread change in village attitudes and perceptions of health benefits. At the level of the family change in perception was not predictive of change in behavior. A strong relationship between participation in planned educational events and the adoption of sanitation changes suggests that the formative educational strategy was responsible for stimulating change for 5 of 7 indicators. Suggestions are made about the usefulness of the methodology ways that private behavioral changes may be measured are discussed and the advantages of the time series design for health education evaluation and monitoring are noted. (authors)
Activation of phosphorylase in response to cold and heat stress in the flesh fly, Sarcophaga crassipalpis

Abstract Glycogen phosphorylase can be activated in diapausing pupae and nondiapausing pharate adults of the flesh fly, Sarcophaga crassipalpis in response to both cold and heat stress. The greatest activation was observed at 0 and above 30°C. Activation was rapid: following exposure to 0°C activated phosphorylase increased 36–58% within 30 min. The proportion of activated phosphorylase was consistently lower in diapausing pupae than in nondiapausing pharate adults. Among the nondiapausing stages, only pharate adults and adults responded to cold stress (2 h at 0°C) and heat stress (2 h at 40°C) by activating phosphorylase. No such response was observed in larvae or young pupae. During diapause, the proportion of activated phosphorylase was highest at the onset of diapause, declined and remained fairly constant throughout the remainder of diapause. Diapausing pupae held continuously at 0°C maintained a higher proportion of activated phosphorylase throughout the diapause than pupae held at 20°C. Cold stress consistently activated phosphorylase in diapausing pupae held at 20°C, but heat stress elicited this response only during the last half of diapause. The activation of phosphorylase by brief periods of chilling and the activation observed in diapausing pupae held continuously at low temperature is consistent with our earlier work showing an elevation of glycerol under these conditions.
Microcommunities and microgradients: Linking nutrient regeneration, microbial mutualism, and high sustained aquatic primary production

Nutrient regeneration is essential to sustained primary production in the aquatic environment because of coupled physical and metabolic gradients. The commonly evaluated ecosystem perspective of nutrient regeneration, as is illustrated among planktonic paradigms of lake ecosystems, functions only at macrotemporal and spatial scales. Most inland waters are small and shallow. Consequently, most organic matter of these waters is derived from photosynthesis of emergent, floating-leaved, and submersed higher plants and microflora associated with living substrata and detritus, including sediments, as well as terrestrial sources. The dominant primary productivity of inland aquatic ecosystems is not planktonic, but rather is associated with surfaces. The high sustained rates of primary production among sessile communities are possible because of the intensive internal recycling of nutrients, including carbon. Steep gradients exist within these attached microbial communities that (a) require rapid, intensive recycling of carbon, phosphorus, nitrogen, and other nutrients between producers, particulate and dissolved detritus, and bacteria and protists: (b) augment internal community recycling and losses with small external inputs of carbon and nutrients from the overlying water or from the supporting substrata; and (c) encourage maximal conservation of nutrients. Examples of microenvironmental recycling of carbon, phosphorus, and oxygen among epiphytic, epipelic, and epilithic communities are explained. Recalcitrant dissolved organic compounds from decomposition can serve both as carbon and energy substrates as well as be selectively inhibitory to microbial metabolism and nutrient recycling. Rapid recycling of nutrient and organic carbon within micro-environments operates at all levels, planktonic as well as attached, and is mandatory for high sustained productivity.
Convergence behavior of Karmarkar's projective algorithm for solving a simple linear program

We describe the convergence behavior of Karmarkar's projective algorithm for solving a simple linear program. We show that the algorithm requires at least n - 1 iterations to reach the optimal solution, while the simplex method may need one pivot step. Thus in the worst case, Karmarkar's algorithm will require at least @W(n) iterations to converge.
Integrating soil tests and tissue analysis to manage the nutrition of highbush blueberries

Abstract A total of 539 leaf and soil samples collected from commercial blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) plantings throughout Michigan between 1975 and 1985 were analyzed for P, K, Ca and Mg. Significant but weak correlations were found between soil and leaf nutrient levels for P (r=0.084), K (0.239), Ca (0.088) and Mg (0.132). Soil levels of K, Ca and Mg were more closely correlated with leaf nutrient levels in young plants (< 7 years old) than in older plants, suggesting that soil tests may be most useful in monitoring the nutrient status of young plants.
Geologic and geochemical reconnaissance of Isla San Esteban: post-subduction orogenic volcanism in the Gulf of California

Abstract Isla San Esteban is a calc-alkaline volcanic island in the center of the Gulf of California, a zone of active continental rifting. Its rocks range in composition from andesitic to rhyolitic with dacitic flows and sills making up more than 80% of its volume. Most other islands of the north-central Gulf of California are fragments of continental crust and include extensive metamorphic and sedimentary, as well as igneous units. K-Ar age determinations have resulted in ages of 2.5 to 2.9 m.y. for samples from Isla San Esteban. These ages indicate that a volcano was erupting siliceous lava flows and pyroclastic units in the center of the Gulf of California 9.5 m.y. after subduction beneath the continental margin ceased and a minimum of 4.5 m.y. after extension began to open the Gulf. A site of young orogenic volcanism at one other location in the Gulf of California region is further evidence that a lag time of more than 9 m.y. may elapse between the end of subduction of a lithospheric plate and the last eruption of orogenic rocks. A fragment of subducted oceanic crust may be the source of the calc-alkaline magma and the complex tectonic setting of the region may provide the environment necessary for the unusual volcanism.
AN ELECTRON-MICROSCOPE STUDY OF ELASTOIDIN.

Abstract An electron-microscope study has been made of elastoidin from Cetorhinus maximus . Longitudinal, cross and oblique sections of permanganate-stained material have been studied. Longitudinal sections show an extremely regular banding. The bands extend apparently over the entire width of the fibres. The same pattern of three dark stained lines occurs in all of the sections studied. Oblique sections show a larger but less well defined period. Cross and, indeed, the longitudinal and oblique sections have a granular appearance at the highest magnifications. These electron-microscope observations are discussed in relation to other electron-microscope and X-ray work.
Memory for pictorial information and the picture superiority effect

This research compared the performance of younger (mean age — 20.7 years) and older (mean age–68.3 years) adults on a memory task that involved pictures, words, and pictures‐plus‐words as stimuli. The results, consistent with previous research, indicated an equivalent picture superiority effect for both young and old adults when pictures were compared to words. More specifically, although recall scores were significantly higher for younger adults compared to older adults, the superior recall scores for pictures versus words did not differ between the age groups. However, the performance of older adults declined markedly, compared to the younger adults, in the picture‐plus‐word condition. These findings are interpreted as providing support for a divided attention model, which involves effortful processing of both visual and verbal aspects of stimuli. This situation of divided attention appears to put older adults at a relative disadvantage compared to young adults.
Interactions between benign breast disease and other risk factors for breast cancer.

Abstract A population-based incident case-control study of breast cancer in Northern Alberta, Canada, provided an opportunity to evaluate interactions between the occurrence of benign breast disease (BBD) and other potential risk factors. Overall there was a 2-fold excess risk of breast cancer among women with BBD. This excess persisted regardless of the number of years from first biopsy for BBD to diagnosis of breast cancer, suggesting a permanent alternation in risk with BBD. Significant variations of the BBD-breast cancer association were noted with several factors. The excess risk of breast cancer among women with BBD was enhanced by having a later age at menarche, a later age at first birth, or lower parity. The usual protective effect of late age at menarche was seen only among women without BBD, and was supplanted by a 4-fold elevated risk among women with BBD. The deleterious effects of later age at first birth and nulliparity were greater among women with BBD. These patterns generally support the notion that hormonal factors mediate the relation between BBD and the development of breast cancer.
Effects of Subchronic Exposures to Concentrated Ambient Particles (CAPs) in Mice: II. The Design of a CAPs Exposure System for Biometric Telemetry Monitoring

We modified, assembled, tested, and validated the versatile aerosol concentration enrichment system (VACES) developed by Sioutas et al. (1999) for use in a subchronic experiment that involved exposure of mice in vivo and of respiratory epithelial cells in vitro to concentrated ambient particles (CAPs). Since the labor-intensive nose-only exposure regimen is not an option in a long-term experiment, a whole-body exposure mouse chamber was designed specifically for use with the VACES. The exposure system concsists of a stainless-steel (SS) tub with 32 cubicles (1 mouse per cubicle) separated by perforated SS sheets. The tops of these cubicles are covered with perforated plastic sheets to allow telemetry monitoring during the exposure. In each exposure chamber, perforated aluminum tubes are used to distribute CAPs evenly (within 2% difference) throughout the exposure chamber. The exhaust consists of perforated aluminum tubes covered with a urine shield. The modification to the original design of the VACES facilitated the operation of the system in a subchronic study. Mass flow controllers maintain a constant flow rate into the exposure chambers. For a sham control exposure, the identical system is used, except that a HEPA filter at the inlet to the VACES removes 98% of ambient particles. The entire system allow for simultaneous exposure of 64 mice to CAPs, with an equal number of sham-expose mice as controls. Telemetry receives have been modified so that 16 mice per group with electrocardiograph (EKG) transmitters can be monitored during exposure. Furthermore, a BioSampler is used to collect CAPs (one sample per day) for the in vitro exposures. In this article, the assessments of flow and particle distribution of the exposure chamber as well as the performance of the system during the subchronic exposure experiment are described.
Clinical experience with open renal cryoablation

Abstract Objectives. To evaluate the safety and efficacy of open renal cryoablation of small solid renal masses, since the delivery of freezing temperatures has been shown to effectively ablate solid neoplasms of the liver, uterus, and prostate. Methods. A total of 29 patients were treated with open renal cryoablation since December 1996 and followed up to evaluate the treatment safety and initial radiographic response. Results. The median preoperative lesion size was 2.2 cm, with 22 solid renal masses and 7 complex renal lesions. Five serious adverse events occurred in 5 patients, with only one event directly related to the procedure. One patient experienced a biopsy-proven local recurrence, and 91.3% of patients (median follow-up 16 months) demonstrated a complete radiographic response with only a residual scar or small, nonenhancing cyst. Conclusions. Open renal cryoablation appears to be a safe technique for the in situ destruction of solid or complex renal masses. However, inadequate freezing of renal cell carcinoma may result in local disease persistence. The expected slow growth rate of small renal cancers necessitates prolonged radiologic follow-up. Continued clinical research is required before renal cryoablation can be considered an acceptable curative treatment for renal cancer.
Study on the grain size, valence state and electrical properties of bismuth ferrite nanofibers

We report the effect of diameter on the composition, optical, and electronic properties of the BiFeO 3 (BFO) nanofibers. Bismuth ferrite nanofibers with different diameter (20 to 150nm) have been fabricated by a sol gel based electrospinning route. The effect of quantum confinement has been found to influence the photoconductivity, grain size and optical properties of the nanofibers. A shift in the band gap to 2.1 eV was observed as a result of the variation on the nanofiber diameter. The position and intensity of the Raman peaks in the low wavenumber are found to shift depending on the diameter due to local stress in the nanofiber. Transmission electron microscopy revealed the nanocrystalline morphology. The composition analysis through energy dispersive detector and electron energy loss spectroscopy revealed the heterogeneous nature of the composition with Bi-rich and Fe-rich regions. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results confirmed the combination of Fe3+ and Fe2+ valence state in the nanofibers with a major contribution from Fe3+ which varies with the nanofiber diameter. Photoconductivity measurements show a considerable increase in the current flowing through the nanofibers when measured under illumination. The photoresponse of the nanofibers is increased considerably with decreasing the diameter. This effect is described by a size dependent surface recombination mechanism.
Effects of recent experience on foraging in tephritid fruit flies

In field-cage studies, we investigated how the foraging behavior of tephritid fruit flies is modified by experience immediately prior to release on host plants. We observed females of a relatively monophagous species,Rhagoletis mendax (blueberry maggot fly), an oligophagous species,Rhagoletis pomomella (apple maggot fly), and a polyphagous species,Ceratitis capitata (Mediterranean fruit fly). Just prior to release on a host plant, the following kinds of stimuli were supplied: (1) single oviposition in a host fruit, (2) contact with 20% sucrose, (3) contact with a mixture of protein food (bird feces and sucrose), (4) contact with water, and (5) a walk over a host-plant leaf. When flies foraged on host plants without resources, search was most intensive (as measured by number of leaves visited) following a single oviposition in fruit, but residence time generally was the same following exposure to sugar, protein, and fruit stimuli.Rhagoletis mendax andC. capitata females visited the fewest leaves following exposure to water or host leaves, whereasR. pomonella foraged equally intensively following exposure to food stimuli, water, or leaves. On host plants containing resources (fruit and protein food), a single oviposition dramatically increased the number of females of all three species that found fruit compared to females that received experience with food, water or foliar stimuli. We found no significant effect of recent brief experience with any of the stimuli on subsequent attraction to protein food. Overall,C. capitata exhibited a higher propensity to abandon host plants than eitherR. mendax orR. pomonella. We suggest that this may reflect adaptations to differences in distribution of host plants in nature, strategies of dispersal, and host range.
Effects of dietary fibers on weight gain, carbohydrate metabolism, and gastric ghrelin gene expression in mice fed a high-fat diet

Diets that are high in dietary fiber are reported to have substantial health benefits. We sought to compare the metabolic effects of 3 types of dietary fibers—sugarcane fiber (SCF), psyllium (PSY), and cellulose (CEL)—on body weight, carbohydrate metabolism, and stomach ghrelin gene expression in a high-fat diet–fed mouse model. Thirty-six male mice (C57BL/6) were randomly divided into 4 groups that consumed high-fat diet alone (HFD) or high-fat diet containing 10% SCF, PSY, and CEL, respectively. After baseline measurements were assessed for body weight, plasma insulin, glucose, leptin, and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), animals were treated for 12 weeks. Parameters were reevaluated at the end of study. Whereas there was no difference at the baseline, body weight gains in the PSY and SCF groups were significantly lower than in the CEL group at the end of study. No difference in body weight was observed between the PSYand SCF animals. Body composition analysis demonstrated that fat mass in the SCF group was considerably lower than in the CEL and HFD groups. In addition, fasting plasma glucose and insulin and areas under the curve of intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test were also significantly lower in the SCF and PSY groups than in the CEL and HFD groups. Moreover, fasting plasma concentrations of leptin were significantly lower and GLP-1 level was 2-fold higher in the SCF and PSY mice than in the HFD and CEL mice. Ghrelin messenger RNA levels of stomach in the SCF group were significantly lower than in the CEL and HFD groups as well. These results suggest differences in response to dietary fiber intake in this animal model because high-fat diets incorporating dietary fibers such as SCF and PSY appeared to attenuate weight gain, enhance insulin sensitivity, and modulate leptin and GLP-1 secretion and gastric ghrelin gene expression.
Coupling Between Waveguide-Fed Planar Slot Arrays

Coupling between two waveguide-fed planar slot arrays is investigated using full-wave analysis. The analysis employs the method-of-moments solution to the pertinent coupled integral equations for the aperture electric field of all slots. From the TE10 mode scattered by the slots, the complex coefficient of the wave incident at the input port of each array is computed. By exciting the input port of one of the arrays and match-terminating the other, we determine the incident wave amplitude at the input port of the second array, thereby determining the coupling. Computed coupling values are presented for different array geometries.
Recent Performance of Nonpolar and Semipolar GaN-Based Light Emitting Diodes and Laser Diodes

This article discusses recent advances of nonpolar and semipolar GaN-based light emitting diodes (LEDs) and laser diodes (LDs). Devices fabricated on these alternative orientations are already beginning to realize significant performance milestones. Nonpolar GaN has been employed to facilitate high-power LEDs and to realize CW operation of novel AlGaN-cladding-free LD structures. Semipolar GaN has also been successfully used to demonstrate LDs and to realize high-power, high-efficiency green LEDs.
Results of Revision Anterior Cruciate Ligament Surgery

BackgroundRevision anterior cruciate ligament surgery remains challenging.PurposeTo analyze the authors’ experience with revision anterior cruciate ligament surgery and determine the association between stability and functional results.Study DesignCase series; Level of evidence, 4.MethodsBetween 1991 and 2002, 95 of 102 patients who underwent revision anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction at the authors’ institution met the criteria for inclusion in the study. Of those, the 63 (66%) who returned for complete clinical and radiologic evaluation (mean follow-up, 72.7 months) formed the study group. Subjective evaluation focused on return to sports, arthritic symptoms, and subjective International Knee Documentation Committee criteria. Clinical evaluation included examination, KT-1000 arthrometer and functional testing, and radiographic analysis of alignment and arthritis.ResultsBased on International Knee Documentation Committee subjective scores and return to sports, results were rated as excellent/good...
Optimization of Pediatric Rheumatology Therapeutics

Therapeutics used in pediatric rheumatology have evolved substantially over the past few decades; they currently target specific cytokines that are known to be involved in the pathophysiology of these complex diseases. The field is limited by a lack of full understanding of the etiology and pathophysiology of these conditions, as well as by the rarity of these diseases in the pediatric population. Advances in biomarkers, pharmacogenomics, and biologic therapies, along with a more unified effort from clinicians and investigators, have enabled continued growth in the field, fostering the hope for the most effective and appropriate therapeutics for pediatric patients.
SNP Formation Bias in the Murine Genome Provides Evidence for Parallel Evolution

In this study, we show novel DNA motifs that promote single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) formation and are conserved among exons, introns, and intergenic DNA from mice (Sanger Mouse Genomes Project), human genes (1000 Genomes), and tumor-specific somatic mutations (data from TCGA). We further characterize SNPs likely to be very recent in origin (i.e., formed in otherwise congenic mice) and show enrichment for both synonymous and parallel DNA variants occurring under circumstances not attributable to purifying selection. The findings provide insight regarding SNP contextual bias and eukaryotic codon usage as strategies that favor long-term exonic stability. The study also furnishes new information concerning rates of murine genomic evolution and features of DNA mutagenesis (at the time of SNP formation) that should be viewed as “adaptive.”
Effects of epizootic shell disease in American lobster Homarus americanus determined using a quantitative disease index.

The incidence of epizootic shell disease in American lobster Homarus americanus has increased in southern New England, USA, in the last decade, but few longitudinal studies have fol- lowed the disease progress in individual lobsters or demonstrated direct effects on mortality or growth. Diseased lobsters were held in the laboratory for 1 yr, and the progression of disease and its effects on molting, mortality, and growth were monitored. A quantitative disease index (QDI) was developed by measuring disease lesions in digital images of the carapace and expressing the result as a proportion of shell area. Some lobsters died due to high temperatures, but at least 13 of 55 lob- sters (24%) died as a direct result of disease-related problems, mostly during molting, and there was a significant relationship between mortality and high values of the QDI. Lobsters that molted success- fully were free of disease lesions, but many had exoskeletal deformities. There was no relationship between pre-molt size and disease severity, but molt increment was significantly correlated with pre- molt carapace length (CL) and negatively correlated with QDI. However, percentage growth was negatively correlated with QDI, but not with pre-molt CL. These significant lethal and sublethal effects of epizootic shell disease should be considered in lobster management.
An AlGaAs/InGaAs pseudomorphic high electron mobility transistor with improved breakdown voltage for X- and Ku-band power applications

The authors determined that RF drain current degradation is responsible for the poor power performance of wide-recessed pseudomorphic high-electron-mobility transistors (PHEMTs). A model based on surface states was proposed to explain this phenomenon, which then led to the use of charge-screen layers and a double-recessed gate process to suppress surface effects. Combined, these two modifications increased the device's gate-drain reverse breakdown voltage without causing a degradation in the transistor's RF drain current. This allowed the simultaneous achievement of high power-added efficiency and high power density which established a new performance record for power PHEMTs at X- and Ku-bands. Delay time analysis of single- and double-recessed PHEMTs revealed that the benefit of a larger breakdown voltage in the latter device design came at the cost of a larger drain delay time. Drain delay accounted for 45% of the total delay when the 0.35- mu m double-recessed PHEMT was biased at V/sub ds/=6 V. >
Area and power efficient mismatched filters based on sidelobe inversion

A computationally efficient mismatched filter comprised of a matched filter in cascade with a multi-stage filter based on sidelobe inversion is proposed. For this approach to work, the given code has to satisfy certain conditions as derived in this work. For the proposed filter to be of practical significance, the given autocorrelation must have a computationally efficient representation including the case of sparse and/or small integer valued sidelobes such as in Barker codes. When implemented in VLSI, significantly smaller chip area and less power are required compared to the length-optimal filters achieving comparable sidelobe suppression.
Time Preference, Noncognitive Skills and Well Being across the Life Course: Do Noncognitive Skills Encourage Healthy Behavior?

A number of prominent diseases are influenced by health behaviors. For example, it is well-known that the decision to smoke comes with considerable risks of developing smoking-related ailments such as lung cancer, emphysema, and heart disease. Obesity is another health condition that can be costly. It is associated with increased risk for diseases such as coronary heart disease and diabetes (Centers for Disease Control 2009). Nationally, it is estimated that about one-third of the U.S. population is obese, and estimates suggest that obesity costs society anywhere from $27 to $47 billion in health care expenditures annually (Centers for Disease Control 2009, National Center for Health Statistics 2008). Research suggests that changing individuals’ diets and getting them to exercise would help to reduce the prevalence of obesity in society (Melayne McInnes and Judith Shinogle, 2009). Smoking and obesity provide just two examples of cases in which the nation’s burden of disease is influence by behaviors that its citizens engage in. Because the United States spends a large share of GDP on health care each year, understanding the determinants of health behaviors is important, as it may allow scholars to identify ways to reduce these costs. This paper examines the relationship between individuals’ health behaviors and the “non-cognitive” skills that individuals possess. In the past decade the economics discipline has seen a burst of interest in human capabilities that contribute to labor market productivity beyond the usual foci of attention—levels of education and learning by doing. The collection of personality traits, soft-skills, incentive-enhancing preferences, and socio-emotional factors that economists are now studying has been loosely grouped together under the heading “non-cognitive” skills.1 While the term may be something of a misnomer because many of the worker attributes that the authors writing in this subfield are interested in require reasoning or cognition, the skills of interest have been found to be important determinants of labor market success (James Heckman, Jora Stixrud, and Sergio Urzua 2006; Samuel Bowles, Herbert Gintis, and Melissa Osborne 2001).2James Heckman (2007) has stated that these socio-emotional attributes--as non-cognitive skills are sometimes called--are also likely to affect health behaviors. This paper tests this hypothesis. It provides a theoretical and an empirical analysis of the connection between socio-emotional attributes and the choices that individuals make about health. It uses data from a large, nationally representative dataset to analyze the relationships.
Who's invited to the (political) party: race and party politics in the USA

From the political behemoths of the Democratic and Republican Parties, to the Civil Rights Era racially progressive Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party and reactionary American Independent Party, to the contemporary third party Green and Libertarian Parties, party politics in the USA has a long and storied relationship to the reproduction and contestation of racial domination. Recent works illuminate the strategic use of racial discourse by major party political elites, their deployment of racialized political platforms, and the relationship of these phenomena to power dynamics and racial interests but have yet to fully move beyond the two-party system and engage with innovations in political and cultural sociology. We outline openings for an empirically-grounded sociology of political parties that would reveal the micro- and meso-level features of racialized party politics and the operations of discursive and performative power within both major and minor political parties.
Structured Discriminative Model For Dialog State Tracking

Many dialog state tracking algorithms have been limited to generative modeling due to the influence of the Partially Observable Markov Decision Process framework. Recent analyses, however, raised fundamental questions on the effectiveness of the generative formulation. In this paper, we present a structured discriminative model for dialog state tracking as an alternative. Unlike generative models, the proposed method affords the incorporation of features without having to consider dependencies between observations. It also provides a flexible mechanism for imposing relational constraints. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, we applied it to the Let’s Go domain (Raux et al., 2005). The results show that the proposed model is superior to the baseline and generative model-based systems in accuracy, discrimination, and robustness to mismatches between training and test datasets.
Scrutinising the positions of students and teacher engaged in argumentation in a high school physics classroom

Despite the importance of scientific argumentation, it rarely occurs in science classrooms. Researchers have designed argumentation interventions to bridge this gap, but those efforts have limited ...
Probing Segmental Dynamics of Polymer Glasses during Tensile Deformation with Dielectric Spectroscopy

An advanced broadband dielectric relaxation spectroscopy technique was developed to measure dipolar reorientation dynamics in an actively deforming amorphous polymer below the glass transition temperature. The application of a weak oscillating electric field during deformation allows for direct probing chain segment mobility. Results show that the application of a monotonically increasing strain on a glassy poly(vinyl chloride) induces a significant increase of the out-of-phase dielectric permittivity, thereby reflecting enhancement of the transition activity of chain segments. Moreover, the strain-dependent relaxation spectra suggest that the bifurcation of the relaxation processes decreases together with an overall increase in molecular mobility upon active deformation. The dielectric results also display a highly pronounced sensitivity to the apparent strain rate used for the mechanical excitation and isothermal aging prior to the deformation.
Transfinite Solution to Last Theorem of Fermat

(1981). Transfinite Solution to Last Theorem of Fermat. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 88, No. 9, pp. 696-696.
The Biosynthesis of Cellulose

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the biosynthesis of cellulose. Biologically and biochemically, cellulose has two main functions. First, it is an essential strengthening and protective component for structures elaborated by plant, bacterial, or animal cells. Second, the relatively large mass and resistance to degradation of cellulose provides a useful reservoir for stabilization of energy and of nutrient in the biosphere. The evidence is available for the participation of a soluble transient intermediate polymer in the biosynthesis of the cellulose microfibril, both by bacteria and green plants. Cellulose is an aggregate of linear polymers of D-glucopyranosyl residues in the chair form that are linked together exclusively in the β l–4 conformation. Cellulose is insoluble in all solvents except those that cause hydrolysis of the glycosidic linkages among residue or break the hydrogen bonds among chains. The final stages of assembly of the cellulose microfibril may be regarded not as a biological process but as a physical transformation along the lines.
Response to eight cycles of full-sib reciprocal recurrent selection for grain yield and standability in BS10 and BS11 maize populations

Developing heterotlc patterns is important in applied maize breeding programs. Interpopulation recurrent selection can be helpful for developing new heterotic patterns and enhancing those identified previously. The objective of this research was to estimate the direct and indirect responses to eight cycles of full-sib reciprocal recurrent selection in maize populations BSIO and BSll. The populations themselves and their crosses corresponding to cycles 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 were evaluated at two levels of inbreeding (F=0 and F-0.5). Testcrossed populations to the respective cycle 0 populations, and unrelated inbred lines were included in the evaluations. The experiments were conducted in eight environments. Eight cycles of selection were effective for increasing grain yield for the population cross (7.5%) as well as for BSIO (2.9%) and BSll (1.6%). Standability, prolificacy, and other important agronomic traits also changed in the desired direction. In most instances the responses were linear over cycles of selection. The selected populations also performed better than the unselected populations in crosses with testers, other than the opposite population. Changes in inbreeding depression and heterosis were associated with selection. FSRRS seems to
Electrical actuation and shape memory behavior of polyurethane composites incorporated with printed carbon nanotube layers

Abstract In this study, a novel digitally controlled spraying-evaporation deposition modeling process was used to deposit carbon nanotube (CNT) layers on shape memory polymer (SMP) films. This system is able to produce CNT layers with variable thicknesses and arbitrary patterns on defined locations. The study on the electrical properties of composite films revealed that the composites with 50 CNT layers exhibited the lowest sheet resistance of 28.7 Ω/sq. Accordingly, the resistive heating performance of the fabricated composites was investigated at different power densities. The maximum surface temperature can be adjusted by simply tuning the numbers of printed CNT layers. Particularly, the even temperature distribution or temperature gradient could be realized on the surface of composites through modifying the design of printed CNT patterns. The study on the shape memory effect of the CNT/SMP composites indicated that the CNT/SMP composites can be actuated by the resistive heating of the printed CNT layers without an external heater. The shape recoverability of the composites was approximately 100% taking 30s under 40 V. It is worth noting that through programming the number of printed CNT layers at different locations, the shape recovery rate could be controlled and localized actuation with the desired recovery ratio was achieved. The high efficiency of heating coupling with wide adjustability of surface temperature and shape recovery ratio at specified locations make the fabricated CNT/SMP composite a promising candidate for various heating and actuation applications.
Our sense of direction: progress, controversies and challenges.

Considerable progress has been made in understanding how the brain encodes our sense of direction. This Perspective considers the link between self-motion detection and navigation circuits and discusses future challenges for establishing the neural mechanisms responsible for sensing direction in both real-world and virtual-reality environments. In this Perspective, we evaluate current progress in understanding how the brain encodes our sense of direction, within the context of parallel work focused on how early vestibular pathways encode self-motion. In particular, we discuss how these systems work together and provide evidence that they involve common mechanisms. We first consider the classic view of the head direction cell and results of recent experiments in rodents and primates indicating that inputs to these neurons encode multimodal information during self-motion, such as proprioceptive and motor efference copy signals, including gaze-related information. We also consider the paradox that, while the head-direction network is generally assumed to generate a fixed representation of perceived directional heading, this computation would need to be dynamically updated when the relationship between voluntary motor command and its sensory consequences changes. Such situations include navigation in virtual reality and head-restricted conditions, since the natural relationship between visual and extravisual cues is altered.
Imaging of Cerebrovascular Function in Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic cerebrovascular injury (TCVI) is a common pathologic mechanism of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and presents an attractive target for intervention. The aims of this study were to assess cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to assess their value as biomarkers of TCVI in chronic TBI, characterize the spatial distribution of TCVI, and assess the relationships between each biomarker and neuropsychological and clinical assessments. Forty-two subjects (27 chronic TBI, 15 age- and gender-matched healthy volunteers) were studied cross-sectionally. CBF was measured by arterial spin labeling and CVR by assessing the MRI-blood oxygen level-dependent signal with hypercapnia challenge. A focused neuropsychological battery adapted from the TBI Common Data Elements and neurobehavioral symptom questionnaires were administered at the time of the imaging session. Chronic TBI subjects showed a significant reduction in mean global, gray matter (GM), and white matter (WM) CVR, compared with healthy volunteers (p < 0.001). Mean GM CVR had the greatest effect size (Cohen's d = 0.9). CVR maps in chronic TBI subjects showed patchy, multifocal CVR deficits. CBF discriminated poorly between TBI subjects and healthy volunteers and did not correlate with CVR. Mean global CVR correlated best with chronic neurobehavioral symptoms among TBI subjects. Global, GM, and WM CVR are reliable and potentially useful biomarkers of TCVI in the chronic stage after moderate-to-severe TBI. CBF is less useful as biomarker of TCVI. CVR correlates best with chronic TBI symptoms. CVR has potential as a predictive and pharmacodynamic biomarker for interventions targeting TCVI.
On Educating While Hoping for the Impossible: Gabriel Marcel’s Absolute Hope as a Rejection of Educational Instrumentalism

Over the last 20 years, there has been an increase in philosophical inquiries of hope both in philosophy of mind and of virtue as well as in the philosophy of education. This paper wishes to add to this discussion by presenting the analysis of hope by French existentialist philosopher and theologian Gabriel Marcel and examining its possible contribution to educational practices and beliefs. As one of the very few modern, systematic accounts of hope, Marcel’s provocative conception of it and his critique of its common “technical” use could prove promising when applied to educational theory and practice. Following Marcel, I argue that in hope we find a complex and possibly contradictory view of the future: as a result of planning and technical problem-solving on one hand, and on the other, as an inclination towards the mysterious and radically unexpected. I suggest that maintaining educational hope within the tension between the planned and the unexpected, and specifically rejecting a complete disenchantment of the educational act, could help in securing education from being reduced to instrumental training and socializing, opening it up to new and unimaginable possibilities.