cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Teaching systems thinking through game design

In this mixed-methods study, we examined if students benefitted from a game design course offered during an enrichment hour in terms of gains in their system analysis and design skills. Students at a rural middle school in Southeast US (n = 19) attended a 1-hour game design course offered weekly during an academic enrichment class period, for the duration of a school year, learning basics of digital game-design and practicing system design skills such as making flowcharts. The results of quasi-experimental data indicated that the treatment group’s pretest–posttest system analysis and design skills, compared to the control group, which did not receive any training, further improved, F(1,33) = 16.516, p < 0.001. Results from the interviews showed that the participants were able to verbalize how they applied system analysis and design skills developed during the course to problem-solving in different contexts. We discussed the instructional aspects of learning game-design that align with systems thinking. We also explored the possible influence of initial cognitive skills on student learning outcomes from such interventions.
Euclidean Yang-Mills and Related Equations

By a generally accepted philosphy, the basic constituents of hadrons (protons, neutrons, mesons, etc.) are quarks. But quarks have never been directly confirmed by experiment because they have never been isolated. The proposition has been that quarks are permanently confined inside hadrons and cannot be liberated in high energy particle collisions. It is expected that pairs (and some triplets) of quarks are attracted by forces which increase linearly with the distance between quarks. Thus when the quarks are near to each other they behave like free particles (“asymptotic freedom”), while when they are separated their attractive forces keep them together in the form of a bound state. According to this philosophy, we observe only these bound states (i.e. protons, neutrons, mesons, etc.)
Sensation Seeking (Psychology Revivals) : Beyond the Optimal Level of Arousal

Originally published in 1979, this title represents a summary of 17 years of research centring around the Sensation Seeking Scale (SSS) and the theory from which the test was derived. Now an integral part of personality testing, including adaptations for use with children, this reissue is a chance to see where it all began.
High Calcineurin Inhibitor Intrapatient Variability Is Associated With Renal Allograft Inflammation, Chronicity, and Graft Loss.

Background High calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) intrapatient variability (IPV) has been associated with poor kidney allograft outcomes. However, the relationship between early allograft histological changes, their progression, and CNI-IPV is less well studied. Hence, we evaluated effect of CNI-IPV defined by the degree of fluctuation of CNI levels in all kidney transplant patients over 2 to 12 months posttransplant on early allograft inflammation, subsequent chronicity, and later clinical outcomes. Methods Two hundred eighty-six patients transplanted from January 2013 to November 2014 were enrolled with protocol and indication biopsies. The mean CNI-IPV was 28.5% and a quarter of our cohort had IPV of 35% or greater (high CNI IPV). Baseline demographic differences were similar between high and low CNI IPV groups. Results High CNI-IPV was associated with a higher incidence of acute rejection (AR) within 1 year (52% vs 31% P 30% decline in eGFR from baseline), regardless of donor-specific antibody, delayed graft function, rejection, or race. In a multivariate Cox Proportional Hazards Model, high CNI-IPV was independently associated with GL + iGL (hazard ratio, 3.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.6-5.9, P < 0.001). Conclusions High CNI-IPV within 1 year posttransplant is associated with higher incidence of AR, severe AR, allograft chronicity, GL, and iGL. This represents a subset of patients who are at risk for poor kidney transplant outcomes and potentially a modifiable risk factor for late allograft loss.
Evolution of parental knowledge and efficacy across the pediatric neuropsychological evaluation process.

Objective: The handful of studies examining parent satisfaction after pediatric neuropsychological evaluations have focused on post-evaluation appraisals. By examining parent experiences across the...
על המגבלות האינהרנטיות על סמכות ההתגברות בחוקה הישראלית: סיפורה של ההתגברות מסעיף 4 לחוק יסוד: הכנסת דרך תיקונים רטרואקטיביים לחוקה וכלה בעקרונות העל The Inherent Limits on the Override Power in the Israeli Constitution

הדיון על סמכות המחוקק להתגבר על חוקי היסוד או על פסיקת בית המשפט המפרשת אותם רווי יצרים פוליטיים. על הפרק עומדת ההכרעה בשאלה למי מסור כוח המילה האחרונה בתחום ההגנה על זכויות האדם בישראל: האם יימסר לבית המשפט או למחוקק הישראלי? הדיון מתנהל כאילו כל הסוגיות פתוחות למקח וממכר פוליטי, החל בעצם הסמכות להתגבר וכלה בעיצובה של פסקת ההתגברות. מאמר זה מציע זווית חשיבה אחרת. הוא מציע כי סמכות ההתגברות של המחוקק מתיישבת עם ההיסטוריה החוקתית של מדינת ישראל, במסגרתה התגבר המחוקק דרך קבע על סעיף 4 לחוק יסוד: הכנסת לפני המהפכה החוקתית ובית המשפט אישר מספר פעמים בהזדמנויות שונות את הלגיטימיות של כלי זה. סמכות זו גם מתיישבת עם המופעים השונים של התגברות בחוקה הישראלית לאחר חקיקת חוקי היסוד בדבר הגנה על זכויות האדם. לשיטתו של השופט חשין בפרשת בנק המזרחי, סמכות ההתגברות מסורה כבר כיום למחוקק הישראלי בכלל חוקי היסוד, אף בהעדר פסקת התגברות מפורשת. השופט חשין היה נכון לקרוא פסקת התגברות שיפוטית לתוך חוק יסוד: כבוד האדם וחירותו. יתר על כן, בית המשפט אחראי במידה רבה ללידתה ולניסוחה של פסקת ההתגברות המפורשת בחוק יסוד: חופש העיסוק. זו נולדה כחלק מתקופה היסטורית (1995-1992) שבמסגרתה הנוסחה הפוליטית הייתה תמיכה בתהליך השלום בתמורה לסטטוס קוו בענייני דת, כשמנגנון היישום היה התגברות, בין בדרך של פסקת התגברות מפורשת ובין בדרך של הסכם ולנר הידוע לשמצה. מנגנון ההתגברות "תואם" אפוא את אופייה של החוקה הישראלית. עם זאת, יש חשש מוצדק כי אימוצה כמנגנון מפורש כללי יביא לזילות ההגנה על זכויות האדם בישראל. לפיכך, המאמר מציע כי סמכות המחוקק להתגבר תחומה במגבלות אינהרנטיות הניתנות לאכיפה על ידי בתי המשפט. מגבלות אינהרנטיות אלה נובעות מאופייה של ההתגברות ככלי לפגיעה בחוקה על ידי המחוקק הרגיל, ולא ככלי לשינוי חוקתי באמצעות מתקן החוקה.
Review: Roger D. Sell, Anthony W. Johnson, and Helen Wilcox (eds), Community-Making in Early Stuart Theatres: Stage and Audience .

This review considers Roger D. Sell, Anthony W. Johnson, and Helen Wilcox (eds), Community-Making in Early Stuart Theatres: Stage and Audience (2017).
Rapid Modeling and Simulation of Integrated Circuit Layout in Both Frequency and Time Domains From the Perspective of Inverse

In this article, starting from full-wave partial differential equation (PDE)-based Maxwell’s equations where $\mathbf {E}$ and $\mathbf {H}$ are coupled, we derive a closed-form model of the inverse of Maxwell’s system of equations in the physical layout of an integrated circuit, package, and board. In this model, we decompose the inverse rigorously into $R$ , $C$ , $L$ , and full-wave components, with neither numerical computation nor approximation, and for an arbitrary physical layout. As a result, each component can be found independently and then superposed to obtain the total response of a layout to any circuit stimuli. The time marching and point-by-point frequency sweeping are also avoided for the $RC$ component as this component’s time and frequency dependencies are analytically revealed in the proposed model. Moreover, the full-wave component is efficiently represented by a small number of high-frequency modes. Using the proposed model, not only many accuracy issues related to existing layout modeling can be addressed but also we drastically speed up layout modeling and simulation and provide circuit designers with an effective model for layout automation. In addition, we develop fast and large-scale algorithms to find each component of the inverse rapidly, where many steps are made analytical, thus further saving CPU run time. The proposed work has been applied to large-scale layout extraction and analysis. Superior performance has been demonstrated in accuracy, efficiency, and capacity.
“A Critique of Countertransference”: Commentary on Session XIII

This commentary addresses the issue of countertransference in the seminar. Countertransference was never a notion that Lacan wholeheartedly embraced and over the years he came to disavow the idea altogether, ultimately suggesting that what is identified by other analysts as countertransference is simply part of ‘the transference.’ In his 1960–1961 seminar, one can see the beginnings of his broader critique of the notion of countertransference emerge with stunning clarity.
Adding filters to improve reservoir computer performance

Abstract Reservoir computers are a type of neuromorphic computer that may be built with analog hardware, potentially creating powerful computers that are small, light and consume little power. Typically a reservoir computer is build by connecting together a set of nonlinear nodes into a network; connecting the nonlinear nodes may be difficult or expensive, however. This work shows how a reservoir computer may be expanded by adding functions to its output. The particular functions described here are linear filters, but other functions are possible. The design and construction of linear filters are well known, and such filters may be easily implemented in hardware such as field programmable gate arrays (FPGA’s). The effect of adding filters on the reservoir computer performance is simulated for a signal fitting problem, a prediction problem and a signal classification problem.
Differences in heart rate among recent marijuana use groups.

Background Marijuana use increases cardiac sympathetic activity within minutes of its use and this effect may begin to decrease as soon as one hour after marijuana use. However, the cardiovascular effects of marijuana use more than an hour after use is poorly characterized. The purpose of the current study is to compare heart rate, a marker of cardiac sympathetic activity, across recent marijuana use groups (never used=63; recent use [in the past 24 hours; subacute] = 13; in the past 7 days, but not in the past 24 hours = 17). Overall, the current sample included 93 African American/Black college students, with a mean age of 20.03 (SD = 2.21). Methods Participants completed a demographic form, a brief battery of psychological questionnaires, and had their heart rate assessed at baseline. Results Analysis of covariance showed that heart rate was statistically significantly lower in the recent use group (M = 62.38) compared with the non-users group (M = 73.92). This difference persisted before and after statistically adjusting for demographic covariates. Conclusions These results suggest that there may be a cardiovascular process that occurs when using marijuana that results in a compensatory, reduced heart rate.
Segregation of a Different Sort: Age-Segregation in the Housing and Accommodation of Older Americans

In keeping with the spatial separation of young and old that is widespread in modern society, many older Americans live almost only with other older Americans. This article explores this age-segregation in nursing homes, public housing, and private retirement communities. In each area, law and public policy support and encourage the segregation, often arguing it is for the benefit of those who are segregated. Quite to the contrary, the age-segregation of older Americans contributes to feelings of loneliness and isolation among seniors and leads many to internalize the idea that they are weak and primarily a burden for the larger society. Younger Americans, meanwhile, lose a sense of the lives and experiences of their elders and are less prepared to for the days when they, too, will become elderly.
Lentigo solaris

Deze bijdrage in de serie ‘Kleine kwalen in de huisartsenpraktijk’ wordt gepubliceerd in de volgende druk van het gelijknamige boek onder redactie van J.A.H. Eekhof, A. Knuistingh Neven en anderen, 7e druk. Amsterdam: Reed Business Education. Publicatie in Huisarts en Wetenschap gebeurt met toestemming van de uitgever.
Near-field electrospinning polycaprolactone microfibers to mimic arteriole-capillary-venule structure.

The ability to create three-dimensional (3D) cell-incorporated constructs for tissue engineering has progressed tremendously. One of the major challenges that limit the clinical applications of tissue engineering is the inability to form sufficient vascularization of capillary vessels in the 3D constructs. The lack of a functional capillary network for supplying nutrients and oxygen leads to poor cell viability. This paper presents the near-field electrospinning (ES) technique to fabricate a branched microfiber structure that mimics the morphology of capillaries. Polycaprolactone solution was electrospun onto a sloped collector that resulted in morphological and geometric variation of the fibers. With proper control over the solution viscosity and the electrospinning voltage, a single fiber was scattered into a branched fiber network and then converged back to a single fiber on the collector. The obtained fibers have a diameter of less than 100 microns at the two ends with coiled and branched fibers of less than 10 microns that mimics the arteriole-capillary-venule structure. The formation of such a structure in the near-field ES strongly depends on the solution viscosity. Low viscosity solutions form beads and discontinuous lines thus cannot be used to achieve the desired structure. The branching of PCL fiber occurs due to an electrohydrodynamic instability. The transition from the straight large fiber to smaller coiled/branched fibers is not instantaneous and stretches over a horizontal region of 1.5 cm. The current work shows the feasibility of electrospinning the stem-branch-stem fibrous structure by adopting a valley-shaped collector with potentials for tissue engineering applications.
Nanocrystal quantum dots, second edition

"Soft" Chemical Synthesis and Manipulation of Semiconductor Nanocrystals, J.A. Hollingsworth and V.I. Klimov Electronic Structure in Semiconductor Nanocrystals: Optical Experiment, D.J. Norris Fine Structure and Polarization Properties of Band-Edge Excitons in Semiconductor Nanocrystals, A.L. Efros Intraband Spectroscopy and Dynamics of Colloidal Semiconductor Quantum Dots, P. Guyot-Sionnest, M. Shim, and C. Wang Multiexciton Phenomena in Semiconductor Nanocrystals, V.I. Klimov Optical Dynamics in Single Semiconductor Quantum Dots, K.T. Shimizu and M.G. Bawendi Electrical Properties of Semiconductor Nanocrystals, N.C. Greenham Optical and Tunneling Spectroscopy of Semiconductor Nanocrystal Quantum Dots, U. Banin and O. Millo Quantum Dots and Quantum Dot Arrays: Synthesis, Optical Properties, Photogenerated Carrier Dynamics, Multiple Exciton Generation, and Applications to Solar Photon Conversion, A. J. Nozik and O.I. Micic Potential and Limitations of Luminescent Quantum Dots in Biology, H. Mattoussi Colloidal Transition-Metal-Doped Quantum Dots, R. Beaulac, S.T. Ochsenbein, and D.R. Gamelin Index
The Neural Dynamic and Our Political Choices

In recent decades the studies of political science and economics have largely gone their separate ways. The emerging new emphasis on political economy reflects a change in that state of separation. It is based upon the perceived underlying unity of the political and economic sides of social life. Political economy emerges at the point on a spectrum at which the disciplines of political science and economics, coming from differing perspectives on social life, flow into each other or converge. At this point there is occurring an exchange or blending of theory and methodology.
Catenary action in steel framed buildings with buckling restrained braces

Abstract Progressive collapse is disproportionate failure of the structure due to the failure of a relatively small part of it. Catenary action is a load mechanism that is developed to resist the additional loads as a result of sudden column loss and prevent disproportionate collapse. Buckling restrained braces (BRBs) have been widely adopted as a dependable lateral load mechanism since the early 1990s. The impact of BRBs on the performance of steel frames subjected to lateral seismic forces suggests that BRBs might be beneficial to steel frames that are subjected to progressive collapse loads as well. The objective of this research is to conduct a detailed study on the impact of BRBs on the catenary action demands in steel framed structures. Push-down analysis of three, five and eight story steel frames with and without BRBs was carried out. The results showed that buckling restrained braced frames had a higher load carrying capacity compared to the bare steel frames. Different BRB placement scenarios and building heights were considered for this study. The BRB placement scenarios had more impact on the catenary action demands of the steel frame compared to the different building heights. Different loading types were studied and results showed that the loading of the model has significant impact on developed catenary forces. Finally, the results of the study highlight the importance of incorporating BRBs in future guidelines addressing the progressive collapse resistance of steel structures.
Carbon-Support Requirements for Highly Durable Fuel Cell Operation

Owing to its unique electrical and structural properties, high surface area carbon has found widespread use as a catalyst support material in proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) electrodes. The highly dynamic operating conditions in automotive applications require robust and durable catalyst support materials. In this chapter, carbon corrosion kinetics of commercial conventional-carbon-supported membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) are presented. Carbon corrosion was investigated under various automotive fuel cell operating conditions. Fuel cell system start/stop and anode local hydrogen starvation are two major contributors to carbon corrosion. Projections from these studies indicate that conventional-carbon-supported MEAs fall short of meeting automotive the durability targets of PEMFCs. MEAs made of different carbon support materials were evaluated for their resistance to carbon corrosion under accelerated test conditions. The results show that graphitized-carbon-supported MEAs are more resistant to carbon corrosion than nongraphitized carbon materials. Fundamental model analyses incorporating the measured carbon corrosion kinetics were developed for start/stop and local hydrogen starvation conditions. The combination of experiment and modeling suggests that MEAs with corrosion-resistant carbon supports are promising material approaches to mitigate carbon corrosion during automotive fuel cell operation.
A new transference theorem in the geometry of numbers

We prove a new transference theorem in the geometry of numbers, giving optimal bounds relating the successive minima of a lattice with the minimal length of generating vectors of its dual. It generalizes the transference theorem due to Banaszczyk. The theorem is motivated by our efforts to improve Ajtai's connection factors in the connection of average-case to worst-case complexity of the shortest lattice vector problem. Our proofs are non-constructive, based on methods from harmonic analysis.
Spiritual Dimensions of Pain and Suffering

Pain is a multi-dimensional, complex experience. It is a struggle to adequately identify and meet the needs of patients experiencing pain in a bio-psycho-social–spiritual context. In this chapter we explore the relationship between the spiritual dimensions of suffering and the experience of physical pain. By intertwining research with clinical case studies, the chapter reviews definitions, the relationship between spiritual anguish and physical pain, and finally interdisciplinary and evidence-based approaches to alleviating suffering.
Case report of transfusion-related acute lung injury in a pediatric spine surgery patient transfused leukoreduced red blood cells.

Summary Despite leukoreduced red blood cells (LR-RBCs) reducing the risk of transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI), we present a case of a 16-year-old female with kyphosis who received a transfusion of one unit of LR-RBCs, which lead to life-threatening, intraoperative TRALI. The clinical presentation included pulmonary edema, severe postoperative lactic acidosis, left ventricular dysfunction, increased creatine phosphokinase, fatty infiltration of the liver, and hemodynamic instability requiring inotropic support. This presentation is not the classic description of TRALI. Our patient improved with supportive treatment and was successfully extubated on postoperative day 4. TRALI work-up revealed antibody formation to HLA A2, A68, B44, and DQA 5 for the LR-RBCs unit administered.
The Ambleside Survey: Important Topics in DB/HCI Research

In 1989, and again in 1993, panels of database researchers were surveyed about which research areas they considered promising. In both cases, the area of user interfaces was chosen more than any other. This paper describes a follow up survey conducted in 1994 at the 2nd International Workshop on User Interfaces to Databases. The aim of this survey was to refine the results of the earlier panels, giving a better picture of work in the Database/Human-Computer Interaction field.
A dynamic programing analysis of multiple guidance corrections of a trajectory

Adaptive guidance correction policy developed from dynamic programming point of view for perturbed trajectory of spacecraft
Signal Design for Improved Reliability

It was recognized very early during the development of communications that the possible transmission rate of symbols of a communication channel depended on its frequency response of attenuation and phase shift. For instance, the famous theorem by Nyquist [1] states that one independent symbol may be transmitted per time interval of duration Δ through an idealized frequency low-pass filter of bandwidth Δf, where $$\tau = 1/2\Delta f$$ (1)
Safety of an abbreviated duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (≤6 months) following second-generation drug-eluting stents for coronary artery disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials.

Background Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) is recommended for ≥12 months following coronary drug-eluting stents (DES) to reduce risk of major adverse ischemic events. Randomized trials suggest an abbreviated DAPT duration (≤6 months) is adequately protective. However, these trials are individually underpowered to detect differences in rare but serious events such as stent thrombosis (ST). Objectives We performed a meta-analysis of published randomized trials to define the impact of abbreviated DAPT (≤6 months) on death, myocardial infarction (MI), stent thrombosis (ST), and bleeding complications compared to standard-duration DAPT (≥12 months). Methods Seven randomized controlled trials comparing abbreviated vs. standard DAPT regimens following DES use were identified by two independent investigators. Study characteristics were reviewed and clinical endpoint data were abstracted and analyzed in aggregate using fixed and random-effects models. Results The seven trials included 15,874 randomized patients. Second-generation DES were used in most patients. Compared to standard-duration DAPT, abbreviated DAPT was not associated with an increase in mortality (OR 0.93; CI: 0.73 to 1.17; P = 0.52), MI (OR 1.14; CI: 0.89 to 1.45; P = 0.30) or ST (OR 1.25; CI: 0.81 to 1.93; P = 0.31). Abbreviated DAPT was associated with significantly fewer major bleeding complications (OR 0.52; CI: 0.34 to 0.82; P = 0.005). The results were consistent between fixed and random-effects models, with no heterogeneity. Sensitivity analyses adjusting for inclusion of bare metal stents, 1st generation DES and/or abbreviated DAPT regimens of 3 months resulted in similar conclusions. Conclusions In a meta-analysis of >15,000 patients primarily treated with second-generation DES, abbreviated-duration DAPT (≤6 months) was associated with a significant reduction in major bleeding complications with no evidence of a significant increase in risk of death, MI or ST. Accordingly, abbreviated DAPT should be strongly considered for patients receiving second generation DES . © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Response of semi‐desert grasslands invaded by non‐native grasses to altered disturbance regimes

Aim Using a long-term data set we investigated the response of semi-desert grasslands to altered disturbance regimes in conjunction with climate patterns. Specifically, we were interested in the response of a non-native grass (Eragrostis lehmanniana), mesquite (Prosopis velutina), and native species to the reintroduction of fire and removal of livestock. Location The study site is located on the 45,360-ha Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge (31°32′ N, 110°30′ W) in southern Arizona, USA. In 1985, livestock were removed and prescribed fires were reintroduced to this semi-desert grassland dominated by non-native grasses and encroaching mesquite trees. Methods Plant species cover was monitored along 38, 30-m transects five times over a period of 15 years. Data were analysed using principal components analysis on the variance–covariance and correlation matrix, multivariate analysis of variance for changes over time in relation to environmental data, and analysis of variance for altered disturbance regimes. Results Reintroduction of fire and removal of livestock have not led to an increase in native species diversity or a decrease in non-native grasses or mesquite. The cover of non-native grass was influenced by soil type in 1993. Main conclusions Variability of plant community richness, diversity, and cover over time appear to be most closely linked to fluctuations in precipitation rather than human-altered disturbance regimes. The effects of altered grazing and fire regimes are likely confounded by complex interactions with climatic factors in systems significantly altered from their original physiognomy.
High molecular weight derivatives of human fibrinogen produced by plasmin. I. Physicochemical and immunological characterization

Abstract Two high molecular weight derivatives of fibrinogen (Fragments X and Y) produced by plasmin digestion have been identified by comparative analyses of the digests in agar, agarose, and acrylamide electrophoresis, immunoelectrophoresis, Sephadex G-200 gel filtration, and analytical ultracentrifugation. These fragments were purified by salt precipitation and Sephadex G-200 gel filtration and their physicochemical and immunological properties were defined. Fragment X has a molecular weight of 240,000, as compared with 300,000 for fibrinogen, and is slowly but almost completely (85%) clotted by thrombin. Fragment Y has a molecular weight of 155,000 and cannot be clotted by thrombin. Fragments X and Y can be further digested by plasmin to form the known "end stage" products, Fragments D and E. The molecular weight of Fragment D was found to be 83,000, in agreement with previous reports, while the molecular weight of Fragment E was 50,000, somewhat higher than reported values. These various findings clarify the sequence and stoichiometry of reactions involved in the fragmentation of fibrinogen by plasmin.
Automatic synthesis and fault-tolerant experiments on an evolvable hardware platform

Outer solar system exploration and missions to comets and planets with severe environmental conditions require long-term survivability of space systems. This challenge has recently been approached with new ideas, such as using mechanisms for hardware adaptation inspired from biology. The application of evolution-inspired formalisms to hardware design and self-configuration lead to the concept of evolvable hardware (EHW). EHW refers to self-reconfiguration of electronic hardware by evolutionary/genetic reconfiguration mechanisms. The paper describes a fine-grained Field Programmable Transistor Array (FPTA) architecture for reconfigurable hardware, and its implementation on a VLSI chip. A first experiment illustrates automatic synthesis of electronic circuits through evolutionary design with the chip-in-the-loop. The chip is rapidly reconfigured to evaluate candidate circuit designs. A second, fault-tolerance experiment shows how evolutionary algorithms can recover functionality after being subjected to faults, by finding new circuit configurations that circumvent the faults.
Aggressiveness and diversity of Phytophthora capsici on vegetable crops in Georgia

Phytophthora blight induced by Phytophthora capsici causes significant yield loss in a number of vegetable crops. It is imperative to understand the diversity and aggressiveness of the pathogen to design more efficient disease management programs. A collection of P. capsici strains isolated from different vegetable crops in Georgia, USA, were characterised in this study. Of the 49 isolates tested, 24 were A1 and 25 were A2 mating type, respectively, with both mating types found in the same fields. Variability of the isolates was assessed in terms of their aggressiveness on six pepper genotypes. The isolates differed in their aggressiveness on different pepper cultivars with 10 pathotypes identified. No correlation between aggressiveness of the isolates and their host origin or geographical location of isolation was observed. Randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis was used to evaluate genetic variability among P. capsici populations. RAPD analysis using 15 random primers resulted in 133 reproducible bands and cluster analysis separated the isolates into 5 groups. Analysis of molecular variance showed that there was moderate genetic differentiation associated with host origin and geographical location of the isolates. No correlation was found between RAPD groups and pathotypes or mating types. These results indicate that P. capsici populations infecting vegetable crops in Georgia were genetically diverse, which should be taken into account in developing resistant cultivars or other disease management programmes.
The tail of sea-surface radar backscatter distribution and its dependence on the long waves

A technique for studying radar sea backscatter modulation and non-Bragg scattering is developed. It is based on simultaneous measurements of the radar backscattered field and the surface elevation from the same location on the sea surface. Instantaneous ocean wave frequencies are determined from the surface elevation using a parametric auto-regressive (AR) model. They are used to calculate the average received power and the radar power distribution tail contribution (sea spikes) with respect to the phase of the long (12- to 150-m) ocean waves. The analysis shows that sea spikes are the result of different non-linear phenomena and are present at every wave location, not only at the crest.
Production of large-mass diffractive states at high energies

We investigate the forward production of large-but-fixed-mass fermion diffractive states in the multichannel eikonal model in the high-energy limit. The sum over paths to reach the final diffractive state can be treated and solved as a random-walk problem with constraints, i.e., it is a diffusion problem with various boundary conditions. We find that the sum of paths is not dominated by a ''single-hard-multiple-soft'' transition path, unlike fixed-angle elastic scattering.
Signal processing approach to feature edge extraction in mesh surfaces

Mesh surfaces are an important form of 3D object representation which has become increasingly significant in recent years due to evolving 3D acquisition techniques, computing power, and commercial needs. Feature edge extraction in polygonal meshes has numerous applications ranging from scene segmentation and object recognition to mesh compression. The method proposed in this paper for feature edge extraction in polygonal mesh surfaces follows the signal processing approach to edge detection in images at multiple scales and in the presence of noise. Namely, multiple smoothing iterations in the spatial domain are used to produce several versions of the original mesh at different scales, whereas the same topology is maintained throughout the scales. Edges are extracted at each scale by applying a differential operator to an underlying locally smooth surface represented by the mesh at that scale so as to evaluate the curvature at each vertex of the mesh. The proposed approach is based on the identification of multiple local support planes that facilitate the representation of an arbitrary mesh surface by a set of overlapping Monge patches. Such a representation enables the application of curvature estimation techniques commonly employed for range image analysis, and provides an alternative to Laplacian smoothing by local quadratic surface fitting. The proposed approach is suitable for irregular and non-dense meshes.
Creating Strong Listening Environments: A Key Hospitality Management Task

The listening environment is viewed as an aspect of organizational culture that both influences and is influenced by individual behaviour. Discusses the concept of the listening environment within hospitality organizations from a symbolic/culture perspective. Examines the ways in which this environment influences both the accomplishment of organizational tasks and the development of interpersonal relationships on the job. Suggests that managers can deliberately control many aspects of the listening environment, and that effective hospitality leaders foster strong listening environments as one approach to increasing employee participation, excellent guest service and organizational commitment.
Caveat emptor : The construction of nonprofit consumer watchdog organizations

This article investigates how new organizational forms are constituted as cultural objects. Since new organizational forms jeopardize existing interests, institutional entrepreneurs recombine prevalent cultural materials to frame the form as necessary, valid, and appropriate. When rival entrepreneurs promote incompatible frames, the frame that enjoys greater political support from the state, professions, and other organizations becomes ascendant. Proponents of losing frames can exit, migrate, or convert to the ascendant frame. A case study of the creation of nonprofit consumer watchdog organizations demonstrates how the boundaries of an organizational form and its cultural contents are shaped by politics.
SURFACE TENSION RETARDATION OF MARANGONI WAVES

When a chemical reaction creates, in a system with a fluid interface, a concentration pattern of a surface active species, a hydrodynamic structure can develop as a result of Marangoni tractions derived from the concentration waveform. This concept was demonstrated by Dagan and Pismen (1984) who showed that a bistable reaction which produces a solitary, propagating chemodiffusive wave can induce a corresponding hydrodynamic wave on the surface of a thin film. The object of this paper is to study the influence of surface tension on the propagating wave, an effect which was not considered by Dagan and Pismen. Results indicate that the surface deflection which accompanies the hydrodynamic wave is diminished as the surface tension is increased. In addition, it is shown that surface tension acts to slow the propagating wave down. This behavior is attributed to an adverse pressure gradient which develops in a direction opposite to the Marangoni flow.
American Political Science, Liberalism, and the Invention of Political Theory

The contemporary estrangement of political theory from political science is in large measure the product of a quarrel that originated in the challenge to the values of U.S. political science initiated by emigre scholars during the 1940s. The behavioral revolution was in an important respect a conservative rebellion in defense of the values of liberalism and related notions of science, relativism, and historical progress that had traditionally informed the discipline. This controversy in the context of political science fundamentally structured the discourse of academic political theory and the contemporary constitution of the field both as a division of political science and as a wider interdisciplinary enterprise.
Genetic variation in insulin pathway genes and distal colorectal adenoma risk.

Background Insulin, glucose, and other insulin-related proteins that mediate insulin signaling are associated with colorectal neoplasia risk, but associations with common genetic variation in insulin axis genes are less clear. In this study, we used a comprehensive tag single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) approach to define genetic variation in six insulin axis genes (IGF1, IGF2, IGFBP1, IGFBP3, IRS1, and IRS2) and three genes associated with estrogen signaling (ESR1, ESR2, and PGR).
Active target detection with mobile agents

A strategy for active target detection suitable for the use of mobile agents in a field is presented. In particular, there is an interest in autonomous underwater vehicles. By exploiting notions from group testing, the proposed algorithm decides when to collect new samples depending on whether the mobile agent perceives the sensor measurements correspond to noise or a target pattern. Under suitable assumptions about the field emanated by the target, i.e. the target signature is locally low rank in the field, one can efficiently sample the field to locate the target using O(m log m log n) samples on an n × n grid where m ≪ n is a parameter specifying the group size.
Writers at Work: Seventeen Writers at a Major Insurance Corporation.

This study is the result of personal interviews with 17 writers in four departments at a major insurance corporation. The writers, most of whom began as journalists, share their frustrations and challenges in working for a large corporation. They explain why they rarely collaborate, why they do not need written standards for each department's writing, and their document approval process. Because these writers may have an audience of 50 million readers at a time, the experiences they share about writing in the workplace should be of interest to anyone who teaches professional writing.
SU-E-T-559: TBI Lung Dose Comparison Using Bilateral and Anterior-Posterior Delivery Techniques and Tissue Density Corrections

Purpose: To compare lung dose distributions for two common techniques of total body photon irradiation (TBI) at extended source‐to‐surface distance, with and without tissue density correction (TDC). Lung dose correction factors as a function of lateral thorax separation are approximated for bilateral opposed TBI (supine), similar to those published for anterior‐posterior (AP‐PA) techniques in AAPM Report 17. Methods: 3D treatment plans were created retrospectively for eight patients treated with bilateral TBI, and for whom CT data had been acquired from the head to mid‐thigh. These plans included bilateral opposed and AP‐PA techniques, each with and without TDC, using source‐to‐axis distance of 377 cm and largest possible field size. Results: On average, bilateral TBI requires 40% more monitor units than AP‐PA TBI due to increased separation. Calculation of midline thorax dose without TDC leads to dose underestimation of 17% on average (st. dev. 3%) for bilateral TBI. Lung dose correction factors (CF) are calculated as the ratio of mid‐lung dose (with TDC) to midline thorax dose (without TDC). Bilateral CF generally increase with patient separation, with high variability. However, bilateral CF are 4% (st. dev. 2%) higher than the same corrections calculated for AP‐PA TBI. On average, mid‐lung dose is 4% (st. dev. 3%) lower in bilateral TBI than in AP‐PA TBI. However, maximum lung dose is higher with bilateral TBI (up to 30% higher than prescribed, per patient) due to the absence of arm tissue blocking the anterior chest. Conclusions: Dose calculations for bilateral TBI without TDC are incorrect by up to 21% in the thorax. Bilateral lung CF may be calculated as 1.04 times the values published in Table 6 of AAPM Report 17, though a larger patient pool is necessary to better quantify this trend. Bolus or other compensation will reduce lung maximum dose in the anterior thorax.
Helper T-Cell Type 17 Cytokines and Immunity in the Lung

The HIV epidemic has clearly demonstrated the critical role CD4+ T cells play in preventing opportunistic infections in the lung. The types of CD4+ effector T-cell populations in the lung have significantly expanded over the last 8–10 years with the discovery of helper T type 17 cells, and this review summarizes the field and discusses how these effector cells may be exploited to augment mucosal immunity in the lung.
Climate change and health in the Mid-Atlantic Region

This paper assesses potential health impacts from climate change in the Mid-Atlantic Region (MAR). It draws on diverse sources of information including health statistics and current climate and health literature. Climate projections for 2030 and 2095 from the Hadley Centre for Climate Pre- diction and Research and the Canadian Centre for Climate Modeling and Analysis are used. They indi- cate a warmer, wetter and possible stormier climate for the MAR. Morbidity and mortality from extreme events may increase somewhat. Although more speculative, climate change could increase the region's risk from water-borne and vector-borne diseases. The region's current and future health infrastructure are expected to be able to respond to the health risks, although at increased cost from measures to pro- tect the safety of food and water, control disease vectors, and provide health services. The elderly and those with limited access to health care could be disproportionately affected.
Ungulate community richness, grazer extinctions, and human subsistence behavior in southern Africa’s Cape Floral Region

Precipitation, primary productivity, and herbivore biomass are linked to ungulate richness (the number of species) in African ecosystems. This study compares the richness of late-middle to late Pleistocene and Holocene ungulate assemblages in southern Africa's Cape Floral Region (CFR). Regression analysis demonstrates that Pleistocene ungulate assemblages are significantly richer than their Holocene counterparts. Elevated Pleistocene ungulate richness is not explained by differential time-averaging, the presence of extinct taxa in Pleistocene assemblages, or by Middle Stone Age (MSA) to Later Stone Age (LSA) technological change, but instead by a greater number of grazing species in Pleistocene faunal communities. Based on modern African analogs, this implies that the Pleistocene assemblages examined here sample time intervals characterized by elevated primary productivity, particularly of grassland habitats, greater ungulate biomass, and altered rainfall regimes. Declining ungulate richness from the Pleistocene to the Holocene supports the hypothesis that the extinction of specialized grazers at the Pleistocene–Holocene transition in the CFR was driven by declining productivity and availability of grassland habitats. The contrast between rich Pleistocene ungulate communities and impoverished Holocene ungulate communities may also explain important differences in MSA and LSA subsistence behavior. It is proposed that intensified exploitation of fish, shellfish, tortoises, and seabirds by LSA foragers during the Holocene reflects an expansion of diet breadth in response to diminished ungulate biomass on the landscape rather than fundamental behavioral/cognitive advances.
Coastal Bermudagrass as pellets and silage compared to oats-ryegrass-crimson clover, Sudangrass, and corn silages with high and low grain levels for lactating cows.

Abstract High quality Coastal Bermudagrass pellets plus a limited amount of baled hay were compared with direct-cut silages made from a) Coastal Bermudagrass; b) Tift Sudangrass; c) oats, ryegrass, and crimson clover (O-R-C) ; and d) corn, in experiments with 48 lactating cows. Except for the corn, the silages were ensiled with addition of ground corn grain. Each forage was fed with a high and a low grain level. Cows fed the Coastal pellets consumed more forage dry matter than those given any silage, and produced more milk and FCM than those given the O-R-C silage. Differences in the SNF content of milk due to forages fed were not significant, but protein content was higher in milk from cows fed Coastal pellets than from those given O-R-C silage. The forage dry matter intake per kg of milk was much higher for cows fed pellets than for those fed any of the silages. Cows fed the higher grain level (1kg of grain per 2kg of FCM) produced more milk and FCM, and ate less forage dry matter than those fed a 1 to 4 ratio. On an average, each additional kg of concentrate dry matter increased milk by 0.46kg and FCM 0.48kg, but decreased forage dry matter intake 0.28kg. Feeding the higher grain level resulted in a small but significant increase in SNF content of milk. Each of the forages appears to be satisfactory for dairy cows with the choice depending predominantly on economic and other bases.
Paramagnetic resonance studies of a possible spin crossover system

Abstract We present evidence for the existence of a spin equilibrium between the S = 5 2 and S = 1 2 states in tris (dicyclohexyldithiocarbamato) iron (III) (μ = 2.75BM at room temperature) by identifying paramagnetic resonance lines associated with these states. Studies of tris (di-n-butyldithiocarbamato) iron (III) (μ - 5.32 BM at room temperature) help to cofirm our intepretation.
Health Services Research Clinical Trials: Issues in the Evaluation of Economic Costs and Benefits

The costs and benefits of treatment interventions are difficult both to conceptualize and to measure. This paper discusses methodologic issues that arise in measuring costs, distinguishing between social costs and transfer payments, measuring the value of life and limb, and assessing the meaning of cost differences. Long-run vs. short-run costs and average vs. marginal costs are considered. Sensitivity analysis to assess the robustness of results to alternative assumptions is stressed. Cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analyses are seen as important in assessing the policy implications of clinical trials; a proper cost-benefit analysis allows the reader to understand how results relate to the assumptions made in the analyses.
Perch diameter and branching patterns have interactive effects on the locomotion and path choice of anole lizards.

SUMMARY Natural branches vary conspicuously in their diameter, density and orientation, but how these latter two factors affect animal locomotion is poorly understood. Thus, for three species of arboreal anole lizards found on different size branches and with different limb lengths, we tested sprinting performance on cylinders with five diameters (5–100 mm) and five patterns of pegs, which simulated different branch orientations and spacing. We also tested whether the lizards preferred surfaces that enhanced their performance. The overall responses to different surfaces were similar among the three species, although the magnitude of the effects differed. All species were faster on cylinders with larger diameter and no pegs along the top. The short-limbed species was the slowest on all surfaces. Much of the variation in performance resulted from variable amounts of pausing among different surfaces and species. Lizards preferred to run along the top of cylinders, but pegs along the top of the narrow cylinders interfered with this. Pegs on top of the 100-mm diameter cylinder, however, had little effect on speed as the lizards ran quite a straight path alongside pegs without bumping into them. All three species usually chose surfaces with greater diameters and fewer pegs, but very large diameters with pegs were preferred to much smaller diameter cylinders without pegs. Our results suggest that preferring larger diameters in natural vegetation has a direct benefit for speed and an added benefit of allowing detouring around branches with little adverse effect on speed.
The binding of FITC-insulin to ANAE-positive cells in rat thymus

To determine if thymic macrophages have insulin receptors, alternate sections of rat thymus were stained with FITC-insulin and examined for nonspecific esterase (ANAE) activity. Cells showing a diffuse ANAE staining pattern also bound FITC-insulin. These cells were concentrated in the cortico-medullary border and increased in number following administration of cortisol. Thymic macrophages may be insulin-dependent and therefore could be malfunctional in diabetes.