cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Band Selection of Hyperspectral Images for Automatic Detection of Poultry Skin Tumors

This paper presents a spectral band selection method for feature dimensionality reduction in hyperspectral image analysis for detecting skin tumors on poultry carcasses. A hyperspectral image contains spatial information measured as a sequence of individual wavelength across broad spectral bands. Despite the useful information for skin tumor detection, real-time processing of hyperspectral images is often a challenging task due to the large amount of data. Band selection finds a subset of significant spectral bands in terms of information content for dimensionality reduction. This paper presents a band selection method of hyperspectral images based on the recursive divergence for the automatic detection of poultry carcasses. For this, we derive a set of recursive equations for the fast calculation of divergence with an additional band to overcome the computational restrictions in real-time processing. A support vector machine is used as a classifier for tumor detection. From our experiments, the proposed band selection method shows high detection accuracy with low false positive rates compared to the canonical analysis at a small number of spectral bands. Also, compared with the enumeration approach of 93.75% detection rate, our proposed recursive divergence approach gives 90.6% detection rate, which is within the industry-accepted accuracy of 90-95%, while achieving the computational saving for real-time processing.
IR surface plasmon attenuation coefficients for Ag and Au films

Abstract We have remeasured the surface plasmon attenuation coefficients of Ag and Au films in the 10 μ wavelength region using a different coupling geometry than earlier investigators and find much smaller values. Good agreement with the Drude model is obtained when the optical relaxation time includes both the measured d.c. contribution and diffuse scattering of the electrons at the metal surface.
Reactivity and unreliability of husbands as participant observers

This study examined the reliability and reactivity of participant observation. Twelve couples engaged in two discussions in a laboratory, one on a conflict topic and one on a consensus topic. For the eight couples in the experimental sequences, a baseline discussion was followed by participant observation in which the husband recorded his wife's use of “I” while continuing to converse. The four couples in the control sequences conversed without participant observation. Compared to observations made by a trained observer, the husbands were unreliable observers, underestimating their wives' use of “I.” Participant observation was reactive (P<.01), with more wives decreasing their use of “I” in the experimental sequences than in the control sequences (p<.094). The topic of discussion did not differentially influence reliability or reactivity.
An Improved Quasilinearization Method for Second Order Nonlinear Boundary Value Problems

Abstract Solutions to the general second order nonlinear boundary value problems, arising in many physical phenomena, such as dynamic programming, fluid flow over a solid object, and heat transfer in a solid and/or adjacent to a solid body in a liquid, are obtained. Also, existence, uniqueness, and convergence results are established by using quasilinearization and monotone iterative methods. Furthermore, examples are presented to demonstrate the application of the solution techniques.
Thermo-Wetting and Friction Reduction Characterization of Microtextured Superhydrophobic Surfaces

Microtextured superhydrophobic surfaces have become ubiquitous in a myriad of engineering applications. These surfaces have shown potential in friction reduction applications and could be poised to make a big impact in thermal management applications. For instance higher heat transfer rate with less pumping power might be achievable through the aid of superhydrophobic surfaces. However, past and current research on superhydrophobic surface has focused mainly on modifying either the chemical component or the roughness factors of such surfaces. The purpose of this paper is to account for the thermal effects of the heated fluid flowing in superhydrophobic microfluidic channels. Herein we characterize the wetting behavior as a function of temperature of microtextured superhydrophobic surfaces, for both active and passive thermal management applications. A series of PDMS microtextured samples were fabricated using micromachining and soft lithography techniques. Flow measurements were performed using the superhydrophobic microfluidic channel. The channel surface roughness was large enough to induce the Cassie-Baxter state, a phenomenon in which a liquid rests on top of a textured surface with a gas layer trapped underneath the liquid layer. This gas layer induces a two-phase flow, and friction reduction can be achieved for the liquid channel flow. With this channel, flow rates were measured by varying the equilibrium temperature of the substrate. The temperature in the constant pressure source was controlled by circulating the water through a water-bath. As the heating reached a certain threshold the curvature of the liquid-gas interface was reversed and dewetting of the penetrated liquid layer was observed. This result suggests that the Cassie state in fluid flow can be prolonged even under increased pressure drops by increasing the temperature in the gas layer.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Work-in-progress - what can students learn in an extended role-play simulation on technology and society?

In a small course on technology and society, students participated in an extended role-play simulation for two weeks. Each student played a different adult character in a fictional community, which faces technological decisions in three scenarios set in the near future. The three scenarios involved stem cell research, nanotechnology, and privacy. At the beginning, students were apprehensive, excited, and uncertain. During the first and second sessions, they experienced some frustration, but by the end, they were generally satisfied with the outcomes. Over the two weeks, students changed their definitions of success: initially they tried to convince others to agree with their positions; at the end, they felt that a consensus represented success. In their final reflective essays, students reported that the role-play experience helped them learn to understand the perspectives of others.
An assessment of fisher (Pekania pennanti) tolerance to forest management intensity on the landscape

Forest restoration intended to reduce the overabundance of dense vegetation can be at odds with wildlife habitat conservation, particularly for species of wildlife that are strongly associated with structurally diverse forests with dense canopies. The fisher (Pekania pennanti), a mesopredator that occurs in midelevation forests of the southern Sierra Nevada, is such a species and managers are challenged to address fuel accumulations while at the same time maintaining sufficient habitat. We were interested in whether fishers tolerate the amount of management-related disturbance that fire ecologists predict will be sufficient to reduce the severity and spread rate of fires. To address this question we related an index of relative fisher abundance to data on the amount of each sample area that has been affected by one or more forms of disturbance. These are forms of forest management associated with either restoration activities (e.g., thinning, prescribed fire) or timber harvest (e.g., clear cutting, selection harvest). We used scat detection dogs to determine the relative abundance of scats in each of 15, 14 km 2 hexagonal sample areas that were sampled twice a year for 4 years. These data were used to classify each sample area as either low, moderate or high relative abundance of fishers. We also summarized for each of the sample areas the total number of hectares (including overlap) affected by management activities each year, and generated a 3-year running average. The areas exhibiting the highest use by fishers had an average of 36.7 hectares per year affected by ground-disturbing activities. Given that each sample area was 1400 hectares, this suggests that fishers consistently occupy at the highest rate of use – places where an average of 2.6% of the area has been disturbed per year. This translates to an average of 7.4 ha of disturbance/
Senior design as an agent for change in engineering education

The Electrical and Computer Engineering Departments at Michigan State University (MSU) and Lake Superior State University (LSSU) collaborated in a multifaceted, multi-year project to experiment with new ideas for the senior design experience and to develop new experiments for instructional embedded systems laboratories. In this paper, we describe the joint MSU-LSSU project, including the distributed teaming, the distributed remote monitoring and control concepts and technologies, and the transfer of components to an undergraduate instructional laboratory. We have found, through this joint project and related projects, that senior design is an agent for change in engineering education. In particular, it brings students into the change process directly and in a role that leverages their educational experiences. We present our experiences and observations on the effectiveness of upgrading and improving instructional laboratories using senior design teams.
Learned helplessness in Black and White children identified by their schools as retarded and nonretarded: Performance deterioration in response to failure.

The life experience of retarded children may heighten susceptibility to learned helplessness. Earlier literature has supported this hypothesis but has failed to demonstrate a key feature of the helplessness syndrome: performance deterioration in response to failure feedback. This study was designed to fill this gap. Children who had been identified by their school systems as retarded and nonretarded but were similar in mental age were administered a series of concept formation problems designed to reveal the children's use of strategies. When feedback was veridical the groups did not differ in their use of effective strategies, but when feedback became consistently negative the groups diverged markedly. Under negative feedback, retarded children showed striking deterioration in strategy usage (p < .001), but nonretarded children showed no deterioration. Consistent with these findings, teachers rated retarded children as significantly more helpless than their nonretarded peers on a checklist of relevant school behavior. Additional findings suggested that black retarded children may be more susceptible to helplessness than are their white counterparts. Finally, group differences in children's verbalizations during problem solving bore little relation to group differences in actual performance. Overall, the findings point to helplessness deficits in retarded children that may interfere significantly with expression of their actual abilities. The learned-helplessness model (see Abramson, Seligman, & Teasdale, 1978) provides an explanation of certain behavioral deficits that do not result directly from deficient ability. Deficits in perseverance and even in problem-solvi ng effectiveness, the model suggests, can result from a learned perception that one cannot control outcomes. Such a perception, known as "learned helplessness," has been shown to be caused by repeated failure to exercise control (see Seligman, 1975) and by feedback suggesting that failures result from stable, uncontrol
Can People Benefit From Acute Stress? Social Support, Psychological Improvement, and Resilience After the Virginia Tech Campus Shootings

People’s responses to acute stress are largely thought to comprise four prototypical patterns of resilience, gradual recovery, chronic distress, and delayed distress. Here we present evidence of an...
Different mechanisms for the increased enzymatic activity of renin in plasma of patients with chronic renal failure and patients receiving glucocorticoid therapy.

The in vitro enzymatic activity of renin is increased in plasma of patients with chronic renal failure and patients with glucocorticoid excess. To evaluate mechanisms for increased renin reactivity, measurements of plasma renin reactivity, renin substrate, and concentrations of previously identified inhibitors of renin were compared in normotensive controlsubjects, patients on chronic renal dialysis, and renal allograft recipients on maintenance prednisone therapy. After the addition of exogenous renin, the in vitro rate of angiotensin generation was significantly increased (P < 0.01) in the plasma of dialysis patients (mean ± SE, 60.6 ± 2.9 ng⁄ml-h) and steroidtreated subjects (63.5 ±5.0 ng⁄ml·h) compared to that in control subjects (46.3 ± 4.6 ng⁄ml-h). Renin substrate concentration was increased (P < 0.01) in steroid-treated patients but not in patients with chronic renal failure. In subjects on steroid therapy, there was a significant correlation between renin reactivity and renin substrate (r = 0.55;...
Simultaneous high gain and wide dynamic range in a model of bacterial chemotaxis

Mathematical modelling and sensitivity analysis of the signal transduction pathway underlying chemotaxis in Escherichia coli suggests a mechanism for high sensitivity over a dynamic range of five orders of magnitude. The analysis reveals that the enhancement in sensing ability occurs in the signal receiving module that is comprised of ligand binding, change of occupancy and change of receptor activities. The clustering of receptors contributes to the signal capability by exploiting interactions between receptors for the activity change. The role of the autophosphorylation of the histidine kinase CheA and the phosphotransfer to the response regulator protein CheY is to relay the signal to the cell's motor apparatus at little expense to the sensitivity at low stimuli. The results also provide insight on the values of kinetic parameters that maximise the efficiency of the signalling pathway.
A mass spectrometry investigation of the conformational changes in adrenocorticotropic hormones

Electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) was employed to study methanol-induced conformational changes in adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH). ACTH, a 39-residue peptide, is a member of the proopiomelanocortin family of peptides. Chargestate distribution (CSD) and hydrogen–deuterium (H/D) exchange were used to monitor the conformational changes as a function of methanol concentration. The latter experiments were conducted via time-resolved ESI-MS in a continuous-flow apparatus. The CSD and the H/D exchange experimental data both reveal that ACTH exists, presumably in a random coil open structure in aqueous media, but assumes a more compact helical conformation with increased concentration of methanol. The H/D exchange experiments also reveal that 79% of ACTH is present as α-helix in mixed water-methanol solvent media.
Thoracic Anesthesia in the Elderly

Projections are that the elderly population is increasing by as much as 50% by 2025. Increasing age and noncardiac thoracic surgery are both risk factors for increased morbidity and mortality. Thoracic anesthesia for the elderly patient requires optimization of medical status when possible. Coexisting diseases and subtle changes in physiology can affect the stability of an anesthetic. Drug metabolism may be decreased or brain sensitivity may be increased leading to more profound effects of various anesthetic drugs. Cardiovascular and respiratory complications as well as delirium increase morbidity. Short acting drugs and minimally invasive techniques may allow for a rapid return to preoperative function. No single anesthetic technique has been found to improve outcome. Further studies will help elucidate what factors are important in the anesthetic care of the elderly.
Preoperative Steroid Use and the Risk of Infectious Complications After Neurosurgery

Background and Purpose:The association between preoperative corticosteroid use and infectious complications after neurosurgical procedures is unclear. We aim to determine whether corticosteroids in...
Applications of the Particle Gun in Plant Biology

The BiolisticTM technique represents a new approach that permits the direct delivery of DNA into intact cells and tissues (1,2). The process utilizes DNA-bearing particles that are accelerated to velocities that permit their penetration of cell walls and membranes. These microprojectiles are small enough so that penetration is not necessarily lethal and results in the direct deposition of DNA within the affected cell. Genes can be introduced into a wide range of tissues including suspension cultures, callus cultures, tissues isolated directly from plants or even tissues of whole seedlings. Table 1 lists the species and tissue types into which genes have been successfully introduced by microprojectiles.
Mechanistic Approach to the Problem of Hybridization Efficiency in Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization

In fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), the efficiency of hybridization between the DNA probe and the rRNA has been related to the accessibility of the rRNA when ribosome content and cell permeability are not limiting. Published rRNA accessibility maps show that probe brightness is sensitive to the organism being hybridized and the exact location of the target site and, hence, it is highly unpredictable based on accessibility only. In this study, a model of FISH based on the thermodynamics of nucleic acid hybridization was developed. The model provides a mechanistic approach to calculate the affinity of the probe to the target site, which is defined as the overall Gibbs free energy change (ΔG°overall) for a reaction scheme involving the DNA-rRNA and intramolecular DNA and rRNA interactions that take place during FISH. Probe data sets for the published accessibility maps and experiments targeting localized regions in the 16S rRNA of Escherichia coli were used to demonstrate that ΔG°overall is a strong predictor of hybridization efficiency and superior to conventional estimates based on the dissociation temperature of the DNA/rRNA duplex. The use of the proposed model also allowed the development of mechanistic approaches to increase probe brightness, even in seemingly inaccessible regions of the 16S rRNA. Finally, a threshold ΔG°overall of −13.0 kcal/mol was proposed as a goal in the design of FISH probes to maximize hybridization efficiency without compromising specificity.
Callus formation and bark moisture as potential physical defenses of northern red oak, Quercus rubra, against red oak borer, Enaphalodes rufulus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)

The red oak borer, Enaphalodes rufulus (Haldeman), is a native wood-boring beetle implicated as a major contributor to recent high levels of oak mortality in northern Arkansas. Northern red oaks, Quercus rubra L. (Fagaceae), were grouped into three classes of red oak borer infestation history based on crown condition and basal red oak borer emergence holes: class I (low infestation), class II (moderate infestation), and class III (high infestation). In 2004 and 2005, trees from each class were mechanically wounded and callus formation was measured after one year. Class I trees exhibited significantly greater callus formation than class III trees in both years. Monthly measurements in spring and summer of 2006 indicated significant differences in callus formation among classes, with class I trees healing over significantly earlier. Moisture was measured in bark samples removed 1 week and 4 weeks after initiation of three treatments: control, mechanical wounding, and artificial insertion of larvae. Moisture...
Donor lymphocyte count and thymic activity predict lymphocyte recovery and outcomes after matched-sibling hematopoietic stem cell transplant

Delayed immune recovery is a characteristic feature of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in adult recipients. Although recipient thymic T-cell neogenesis contributes to T-cell regeneration after transplantation, thymic recovery in the transplant recipient decreases with increasing age, and is diminished by intensive preconditioning regimens and graft-versus-host disease. In adult recipients, most events that determine transplant success or failure occur during the period when the majority of circulating T cells is derived from the donor's post thymic T-cell repertoire. As a result, the make-up of the donor lymphocyte compartment may strongly influence immune recovery and transplant outcomes. The aim of this study was to examine donor lymphocyte counts in a series of patients undergoing an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant to identify the potential contribution of donor regulatory and conventional T lymphocyte populations to immune recovery and transplant outcomes. We examined donor lymphocyte subset counts in relation to post-transplant lymphocyte recovery and transplant events in 220 consecutive myeloablative, T-cell-depleted, HLA-identical sibling hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients with hematologic malignancies. In a multivariate analysis, absolute numbers of donor CD4(+) recent thymic emigrants were associated with overall survival (P=0.032). The donors' absolute lymphocyte count and thymic production of regulatory T cells were both associated with extensive chronic graft-versus-host disease (P=0.002 and P=0.022, respectively). In conclusion, these results identify donor immune characteristics that are associated with lymphocyte recovery, extensive chronic graft-versus-host disease, and survival in the recipient following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The study reported here was performed using peripheral blood samples drawn from donors and patients enrolled in the ClinicalTrials.gov-registered trials NCT00001623, NCT00001873, NCT00353860, NCT00066300, NCT00079391, and NCT00398346.
Influence of Surface Chemistry on Dehydrogenation in Carbon Cryogel Ammonia Borane Nanocomposites

This paper reports the synthesis and characterization of boron- and nitrogen-modified carbon cryogel (CC) ammonia borane (AB) nanocomposites (BNCC-AB) for hydrogen storage. Resorcinol–formaldehyde (RF) derived CCs were modified by homogeneous dispersion of AB in RF hydrogel prior to pyrolysis. Nanocomposites were fabricated by immersing CC in the AB solution. Nitrogen sorption analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry at multiple heating rates were used to study the structure and dehydrogenation properties of the nanocomposites. The results demonstrated lower dehydrogenation temperatures and reduced activation energies for AB when confined inside pores of B- and N-modified CCs relative to AB when confined in the unmodified CC with the same pore size.(© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2009)
Relevance of Molecular Mimicry in the Mediation of Infectious Myocarditis

Heart disease, the leading cause of death in humans, is estimated to affect one in four American adults in some form. One predominant cause of heart failure in young adults is myocarditis, which can lead to the development of dilated cardiomyopathy, a major indication for heart transplantation. Environmental microbes, including viruses, bacteria, and fungi that are otherwise innocuous, have the potential to induce inflammatory heart disease. As the list is growing, it is critical to determine the mechanisms by which microbes can trigger heart autoimmunity and, importantly, to identify their target antigens. This is especially true as microbes showing structural similarities with the cardiac antigens can predispose to heart autoimmunity by generating cross-reactive immune responses. In this review, we discuss the relevance of molecular mimicry in the mediation of infectious myocarditis.
Carbohydrate and Dietary Management of Individuals With Insulin-Requiring Diabetes

Diet has always been considered a major component in the treatment of diabetes mellitus. However, it has been and continues to be one of the most difficult aspects of the treatment regimen for both the patient and healthcare professionals.
Effects of food concentration and diet on chromophoric dissolved organic matter accumulation and fluorescent composition during grazing experiments with the copepod Calanus finmarchicus

Urban-Rich, J., McCarty, J. T., and Shailer, M. 2004. Effects of food concentration and diet on chromophoric dissolved organic matter accumulation and fluorescent composition during grazing experiments with the copepod, Calanus finmarchicus. e ICES Journal of Marine Science, 61: 542e551. Laboratory experiments were conducted with Calanus finmarchicus copepodites IVe Vt o examine the effects of food concentration, food type, and life stage on chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) release from copepods. Changes in CDOM absorption and fluorescence were monitored by incubating copepods in rotating bottles for 24 h in the dark with controlled diets. Copepods were fed a range of food concentrations from 800 to 15 000 cells l � 1 of either Thalassiosira weissflogii and Skeletonema costatum or Prorocentrum minimum in stationary and exponential growth phases. Results from these studies indicate that diet does have an effect on the amount and type of CDOM released by C. finmarchicus. A diet of either diatoms or dinoflagellates in exponential growth will result in a release of humic-like material, while feeding on senescent cells leads to a net input of protein-like material. Only at very high senescent cell concentrations (O5000 cells l � 1 ) can humic-like material accumulate. This could lead to seasonal cycles in the amount and type of CDOM released by copepods, such that humic-like material will be released in the spring and at the height of phytoplankton blooms, while protein-like material will be added to the water as the bloom dies. The humic-like material found in these studies is blue-shifted compared to the standard humic material (Peaks A, M, and C) measured in seawater. The role of this humic-like material in the environment is currently unknown, but it could be important in absorbing UV radiation.
The Relationship of Symptoms and Neurocognitive Performance to Perceived Recovery From Sports-Related Concussion Among Adolescent Athletes

Sports medicine practitioners often consider athletes' self-reports of recovery for the management of concussion, and it is not clear which factors (i.e., neurocognitive performance and symptoms) athletes consider when forming perceptions of recovery from concussion. The current study assessed the relationship of perceptions of recovery to neurocognitive performance on the Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) battery and to symptoms using the Post-Concussion Symptom Scale (PCSS). A total of 101 concussed athletes (62 males, 39 females) aged 12 to 18 years old were included in the study (M(age) = 14.75, SD = 1.76). Athletes were asked to rate their "percent back to normal" (i.e., perception of recovery) at the time of evaluation. A multiple regression for neurocognitive performance and symptoms revealed a significant model that accounted for 58% of the variance in perceptions of recovery. Adolescent athletes base their perceptions primarily on somatic symptoms (e.g., headache, nausea, vomiting, etc.), and these perceptions may be incongruent with objective neurocognitive measures. Athletes' tendency to overlook several factors when forming their perceptions of recovery should caution the sports medicine practitioner from relying on self-reported symptoms as their primary criterion for return-to-play decisions. These data further support the need for valid and reliable measures for concussion management.
Small Angle X-Ray Scattering (Saxs) and IR Study of Microvoid Dynamics in Annealed RF Sputter-Deposited A-SI:H

A SAXS and IR study of microvoid distribution and dynamics in a-Si:H deposited by rf sputtering at 200 – 600 W on nominally unheated substrates is described and discussed. The 640 cm -1 band of the 200 W film yielded a total Si-bonded H content C H =21 at. %; the 840 – 890 cm -1 band yielded a dihydride content CH 2 3.4 at. %. The SAXS measurements yielded a microvoid volume fraction vf=8.2 vol.%, and tilting SAXS data indicated elongated voids consistent with a columnar microstructure. In the other films, 9 H 2 was negligible, vf was -2 vol. %. Annealing from 250°C to 310°C for 6 hrs resulted basically in no changes of C H and vf. However C H decreased and vf increased significantly after annealing at 350°C and above. The results showed a strong correlation between the IR determined C H and C H2 and the SAXS determined vf.
Soil profile carbon and nitrogen in prairie, perennial grass-legume mixture and wheat-fallow production in the central High Plains, USA

Abstract Conversion of native prairie land for agricultural production has resulted in significant loss and redistribution of soil organic matter (SOM) in the soil profile ultimately leading to declining soil fertility in a low-productivity semiarid agroecosystem. Improved understanding of such losses can lead to development of sustainable land management practices that maintain soil fertility and enhance soil quality. This study was conducted to determine whether conservation practices impact soil profile carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) accumulation in central High Plains. Soil samples were taken at four-depth increments to 1.2 m in July of 2011 from five unfertilized fields under long-term management with varying degrees of soil disturbance: (1) historic wheat (Triticum aestivum)-fallow (HT) – managed with tillage alone, (2) conventional wheat-fallow (CT) – input of herbicides for weed control and fewer tillage operation than historic wheat-fallow, (3) no-till wheat-fallow (NT) – not plowed since 2000 and herbicides used for weed control, (4) grass–legume mixture – established in 2005 as in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), and (5) native mixed grass prairie (NP) – representing a relatively undisturbed reference location. Cumulative soil organic C (SOC) was not significantly different among the three wheat-fallow systems when the whole profile (0–120 cm) was analyzed. However, SOC, dissolved organic C (DOC), and total soil N contents decreased in the direction NP > CRP ≥ NT > HT ≥ CT in the surface 0–30 cm depth. In the surface 0–30 cm depth, estimated annual SOC storage rate averaged 0.28 Mg C ha−1 year−1 since the cessation of tillage in 2000 and 0.58 Mg C ha−1 year−1 since the establishment of CRP grass–legume mixture in 2005. Cumulative soil inorganic C (SIC) accumulation ranged between 8.1 and 24.9 Mg ha−1and was greatest under wheat-fallow systems, particularly at deeper soil layers, relative to the perennial systems (NP and CRP). Results from this study suggest that repeated soil disturbance induced by cropping and fallow favored large accumulation of SIC which presence may result in decline in soil fertility and productivity; whereas conversion from tilled wheat-fallow to CRP grass–legume mixture offers great SOC storage potential relative to NT wheat-fallow practices.
Functional Replacement and Positional Dependence of Homologous and Heterologous L Domains in Equine Infectious Anemia Virus Replication

We have previously demonstrated by Gag polyprotein budding assays that the Gag p9 protein of equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) utilizes a unique YPDL motif as a late assembly domain (L domain) to facilitate release of the budding virus particle from the host cell plasma membrane (B. A. Puffer, L. J. Parent, J. W. Wills, and R. C. Montelaro, J. Virol. 71:6541-6546, 1997). To characterize in more detail the role of the YPDL L domain in the EIAV life cycle, we have examined the replication properties of a series of EIAV proviral mutants in which the parental YPDL L domain was replaced by a human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) PTAP or Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) PPPY L domain in the p9 protein or by proviruses in which the parental YPDL or HIV-1 PTAP L domain was inserted in the viral matrix protein. The replication properties of these L-domain variants were examined with respect to Gag protein expression and processing, virus particle production, and virus infectivity. The data from these experiments indicate that (i) the YPDL L domain of p9 is required for replication competence (assembly and infectivity) in equine cell cultures, including the natural target equine macrophages; (ii) all of the functions of the YPDL L domain in the EIAV life cycle can be replaced by replacement of the parental YPDL sequence in p9 with the PTAP L-domain segment of HIV-1 p6 or the PPPY L domain of RSV p2b; and (iii) the assembly, but not infectivity, functions of the EIAV proviral YPDL substitution mutants can be partially rescued by inclusions of YPDL and PTAP L-domain sequences in the C-terminal region of the EIAV MA protein. Taken together, these data demonstrate that the EIAV YPDL L domain mediates distinct functions in viral budding and infectivity and that the HIV-1 PTAP and RSV PPPY L domains can effectively facilitate these dual replication functions in the context of the p9 protein. In light of the fact that YPDL, PTAP, and PPPY domains evidently have distinct characteristic binding specificities, these observations may indicate different portals into common cellular processes that mediate EIAV budding and infectivity, respectively.
Effects of Naltrexone on Cortisol Levels in Heavy Drinkers

Abstract The primary objectives of this study were to: (a) examine the neuroendocrine effects of naltrexone vs. placebo by comparing serum cortisol levels; and (b) test the biobehavioral correlates of naltrexone-induced changes in cortisol. Non-treatment seeking heavy drinkers ( n = 37) completed two intravenous alcohol administrations, one after naltrexone (50 mg) and one after placebo. Cortisol levels were measured at baseline and after alcohol intake (BrAC = 0.06 g/dl) on both sessions, as were subjective responses to alcohol. Analyses revealed that naltrexone significantly raised overall cortisol levels compared to placebo. Cortisol levels decreased during alcohol administration and a stronger decrease was observed in the naltrexone condition. Cortisol levels were, in turn, inversely related to some of alcohol's the reinforcing effects (i.e., alcohol ‘high,’ vigor) and positively associated with some of its unpleasant effects (i.e., sedation and subjective intoxication). These results suggest that naltrexone alters cortisol levels in heavy drinkers and that its effects on subjective responses to alcohol may be related, in part, to naltrexone's ability to activate the HPA-axis.
Cooperative Jamming in MIMO ad-hoc networks

In this work, we investigate cooperative jamming schemes for the transmission of confidential messages in ad-hoc networks. By letting mobile units (the helpers) in the vicinity of a legitimate receiver send out jamming signals while a transmitter communicates with the receiver, an environment that is hostile to any eavesdroppers can be established. Meanwhile, the jamming signals are designed in an intelligent way such that the interference that the legitimate receiver experiences is kept low. Two particular approaches are considered, namely, Uncoordinated Cooperative Jamming (UCJ) and Coordinated Cooperative Jamming (CCJ). For both approaches, we present simulation results of the secrecy rate with respect to the node density of the network, the area the helpers occupy, and the number of transmit/receive antennas.
The African-Americanization of the Black Diaspora in Globalization or the Contemporary Capitalist World-System

This article puts forth the argument that people of African descent in the contemporary capitalist world-system under American hegemony, that is, globalization, are ever so slowly becoming African-...
Westphalia: The Last Christian Peace. By Derek Croxton. (New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013. Pp. xiv, 452. $115.00.)

At long last we have a full‐fledged volume on the Congress of Westphalia that met in the two German cities of Munster and Osnabruck from late 1643 to late 1648 and produced the Peace of Westphalia,...
Peptide Hydrolysis by Metal-Cyclen Complexes and Their Analogues: Insights from Theoretical Studies

In the present DFT study, mechanisms of peptide hydrolysis by Co(III)- and Cu(II)-containing complexes of 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane (cyclen), 1-Co and 1-Cu, respectively, and 1-oxa-4,7,10-triazacyclododecane (oxacyclen), 2-Co and 2-Cu, respectively, and their analogues have been investigated. In addition, the effects of the ligand environment, pendant (an organic group containing a recognition site) and metal ion (Co(III), Cu(II), Ni(II), Zn(II), Cd(II), and Pd(II)), on the energetics of this reaction have been elucidated. The reactant of the 1-Co complex exists in the syn–anti conformation, while that of 1-Cu in the syn–syn form. For both these complexes, stepwise and concerted mechanisms were found to occur with similar barriers. The substitution of one of the nitrogen atoms in the cyclen macrocycle to create oxacyclen should occur at position 10 in the Co(III) case and at position 4 in the Cu(II) case. A comparison between the barriers using the common conformation (syn–anti) of 1-Co and 2-Co show...
Ab initio prediction of environmental embrittlement at a crack tip in aluminum

We report on ab initio predictions of environmental embrittlement in aluminum. We have used an atomistic-continuum multiscale framework to simulate the behavior of a loaded crack tip in the presence of oxygen and hydrogen. The multiscale simulations and subsequent analysis suggest that electronegative surface impurities can inhibit dislocation nucleation from a loaded crack tip, thus raising the likelihood for incremental brittle crack growth to occur during near-threshold fatigue. The metal-impurity bonding characteristics have been analyzed using a Bader charge transfer approximation, and the effect of this bond on the theoretical slip distribution has been investigated using a continuum Peierls model. The Peierls model, which is a function of the position dependent stacking fault energy along the slip plane, was used to estimate the effects of several common environmental impurities.
Exploitation of Bedding in Dairy Outdoor Calf Hutches by Immature House and Stable Flies (Diptera: Muscidae)

Examination of bedding in outdoor calf hutches (614 samples from 16 hutches on six dairy farms, 4 each during the summers of 1983 and 1984) revealed a consistent but variable abundance of house fly, Musca domestica L., and stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.), maggots. House fly density averaged 72.9 and 50.8 maggots per 1-liter sample during respective summers and was generally greater than stable fly density, which averaged 12.5 and 42.7 maggots per liter. Both house and stable fly density differed significantly between farms and, in a variable pattern, between external and internal areas of hutches. Numbers of both house and stable flies also differed significantly among sites within hutches, with house flies being generally most abundant in bedding under feed containers and in center-internal sites. Stable flies were most abundant in bedding near water containers and in center-external and center-internal sites. House and stable fly densities increased rapidly during weeks 1–3 after the introduction of a newborn calf, and thereafter remained variably constant, with maximum values occurring during weeks 4–7. Lowest overall house and stable fly densities ($\bar x$ = 12.3, 11.6, 0.1, and 0.1 for 1983 and 1984) occurred in hutches set on a slope and bedded lightly with coarse sawdust. Highest overall house and stable fly densities ($\bar x$ = 143.7, 125.8, 21.3, and 94.6) occurred in hutches bedded with straw and set on level ground. The estimated 25,000–40,000 house and stable fly maggots that develop in an outdoor calf hutch during a summer represent an outcome of dairy management that warrants corrective action.
Direct Simulation of Surface Roughness Effects with a RANS and DES Approach on Viscous Adaptive Cartesian Grids

The main objective of this research is to directly compute the skin friction (cf) and heat transfer (St) coefficients on real rough surfaces using a state-of-the-art unstructured adaptive grid-based finite volume method. Recent experiments with real roughness panels by Bons are computationally simulated in this study. Computational results are compared with experimental data to assess the simulation accuracy. A RANS (Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes) approach based on the Spalart-Allmaras turbulence model and a DES (Detached Eddy Simulation) approach are employed for the computations, and grid refinement studies are conducted to assess the effects of grid resolution. In two cases with rough surfaces, the RANS approach is capable of accurately predicting cf (within 3.5%) while under-predicting St by 8-15%. The DES approach was able to predict cf and St for smooth flat panels but failed in the cases with real roughness. The cause will be further investigated.
An Iterative Approach to Designing a Brief Encounter Training Program

Many methods for systems design and development entail an iterative approach to the development of training programs. It is intended that feedback from potential users be taken into account throughout the development and implementation of the system. Boies et al. (1985) have observed that, in practice, this is rarely done. In their development of the 1984 Olympic Message System (OMS), Boies et al. adhered to three design principles inherent to an iterative approach: (1) Early focus on user, task and training concerns; (2) empirical measurement; and (3) reformulation of the goals and procedures based on user feedback. The present paper describes our application of these principles in designing a short, informal program for training college faculty in the use of an expensive audio-visual system. Our successful application of Boies et al.'s principles to an already existing system, where there is little opportunity to make hardware modifications, and even to a situation which demands that the training period...
Response of the Optic Cortex of the Cat.

Following a single electric stimulus applied to the optic nerve, electrical potentials of 3 types are recorded from the optic cortex (Fig. 1). The first is a series of 4 or more spikes, each of 1 m.s. duration, comparable to the spikes of peripheral axons. The second is a series of waves, each of 5 to 10 m.s. duration, and the third, a series of waves of much longer duration (Fig. 2), comparable to the alpha waves. These slower potentials do not behave like after-potentials of the spikes. The first spike may follow a stimulus within 1.8 m.s. The following spikes occur at about 1.5 m.s. intervals, and are not simple repetitions of the first, but can be differentiated from it by differences in polarity at different depths in the cortex, by effects of anesthetics, etc. The spikes appear to represent activation of successive groups of elements rather than repetitive activation of one group. These spikes had not previously been recognized in the rabbit cortex, but with improved recording technic can now be see...
Concentration Dependence of Arsenic on Solid Phase Epitaxial Regrowth of Amorphous Silicon

In this work we measured the functional dependence of the solid phase epitaxial (SPE) regrowth rate, V, of amorphous silicon on the concentration of implanted arsenic (n-type) impurity, N As . The SPE regrowth rates of self-ion amorphized layers in silicon wafers with (100) substrate orientation were measured by in situ, high precision, cw laser interferometry during isothermal annealing for temperatures from 470 °C to 580 °C, and concentrations in the range 1.5×10 18 cm −3 ≤N As ≤3.5×10 20 cm −3 . In the concentration range 7×10 18 cm −3 ≤N As ≤2.2×10 19 cm 3 , selected from the medium dose sample, the SPE regrowth data satisfied a linear equation; V/Vi=1+N AS /N i , where N i (T) was fit to an Arrhenius form obtained from the temperature dependent intersections of the SPE regrowth rate data with the concentration axis and V i (T) was the temperature dependent apparent intrinsic SPE regrowth rate at zero impurity concentration. A similar linear dependence was obtained earlier for boron (B) and phosphorus (P). However, unlike B and P, an enhancement of SPE regrowth was observed for samples implanted with As in the concentration range 3×10 18 cm −3 ≤N AS ≤ 1.3×10 19 cm −3 , selected from the low dose sample. This result indicates that arsenic implanted at low dose levels has a higher fractional ionization in amorphous silicon than either boron or phosphorus implanted at the same dose. In the high dose samples with arsenic concentrations ≤N As 2.2×10 19 cm −3 , the SPE regrowth rate varied nonlinearly with N AS . The nonlinear function had a negative curvature similar to that observed previously for P.
Nominally static frictional contacts under periodic loading

We review recent developments in the response to periodic loading of elastic systems with frictional interfaces. The steady state can involve shakedown (no slip at any point), cyclic microslip leading to energy dissipation and possible fretting damage, or ratchetting (relative rigid-body motion accumulating during each cycle). Shakedown theorems can be established for systems in which the normal and tangential problems are uncoupled, but for coupled systems, the steady state depends on the initial conditions. In such cases the system ‘memory’ resides in the slip displacements at permanently stuck nodes. Analytical and asymptotic (continuum) methods for solving cyclic slip problems are also discussed.
CESEL: Securing a Mote for 20 Years

Embedded wireless sensors, once deployed, may remain in active use for decades. At the same time, as motes come to dominate both the number of hosts and data traffic of the Internet, their security will become fundamental to general Internet security. This paper argues that the next generation of embedded networked sensor devices ("motes") should consider this tension in their basic design and be designed to remain secure for 20 years in a rapidly changing and evolving security and cryptographic landscape. The key insight in this paper is that the economics of modern system-on-a-chip (SoC) designs provides ample space for hardware accelerators and cryptographic engines. A next generation mote can therefore include many such co-processors and features at almost no production cost. The paper describes an initial design for what hardware security support such a device should have, focusing on five hardware primitives: an atomic, unique counter, a random number generator based on physical entropy, additional instructions to accelerate symmetric ciphers, an elliptic curve accelerator, and support for modular polynomial multiplication used in post-quantum cryptographic signing algorithms. We call this architecture CESEL.
Anomaly Behavior Analysis System for ZigBee in smart buildings

Smart Building (SB) exploits advances in information and communication technologies in order to provide the next generation of information and automation services that will significantly reduce operational costs and improve performance and efficiency. SB elements are typically interconnected using short range wireless communication technologies such as ZigBee, which is the most used wireless communication protocol for SBs. However, ZigBee protocol has multiple vulnerabilities that can be exploited by cyberattacks. In this paper, we present an Anomaly Behavior Analysis System (ABAS) for ZigBee protocol to be used in SBs. Our ABAS can detect both known and unknown ZigBee attacks with a high detection rate and low false alarms. Additionally, after detection, our system classifies the attack based on the impact, origin, and destination. We evaluate our approach by launching many attack scenarios such as DoS, Flooding, and Pulse DoS attacks, and then we compare our results with other intrusion detection systems such as secure HAN, signature IDS, and specification IDS.