cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Integrating a complex rotation with no-till improves weed management in organic farming. A review

No-till practices are restoring and protecting soil health and are considered critical for achieving sustainability of global agriculture. Organic producers in the USA would like to no-till, but are concerned about managing weeds without tillage. In conventional agriculture, no-till improves weed management in diverse rotations when crops are arranged in 2-year intervals of cool season and warm season crops. A similar approach with organic rotations may enable producers to also accrue the weed management benefit of no-till in organic farming along with restoring soil health. Here, we review the benefits gained for weed management when a complex rotation is integrated with continuous no-till. The complex rotation included 3 years of a perennial legume and 6 years of annual crops arranged in 2-year intervals of warm season or cool season crops. The no-till, complex rotation can (1) reduce weed emergence 3- to 4-fold in some annual crops; (2) delay weed emergence 2 to 4 weeks; (3) reduce yield loss due to weed interference; (4) suppress invasion of dandelion into cropland; and (5) enhance soil restoration, improve nutrient cycling, and increase soil porosity. Furthermore, perennial red clover can be converted to no-till cropland with fall mowing; thus, organic producers can include a perennial legume in a no-till rotation. The complex rotation increases the impact of no-till on weed seed decay in soil and provides numerous opportunities for cover crops to replace tillage for controlling weeds. These benefits suppress weed growth and interference such that organic producers may be able to continuously no-till in their farming systems, thus accruing restoration of soil health and long-term sustainability gained with no-till.
A prospective study of colon and rectal cancer among Hawaii Japanese men

The goals of this study were to assess the association of diet, alcohol, smoking, and other life-style factors with the risk of colon and rectal cancer and to examine the differences in the risk factors associated with each cancer site. Information on diet, alcohol, smoking, and other life-style factors was obtained from 7945 Japanese-American men who were living in Hawaii and examined from 1965 through 1968. After 174,514 person-years of observation, 330 incident cases of colon cancer and 123 incident cases of rectal cancer were diagnosed by histology. The risk of both colon and rectal cancer increased with age, alcohol intake, and pack-years of cigarette smoking. For colon cancer, there was also a direct association with body mass index and heart rate, while an inverse association was observed with serum cholesterol, intake of monounsaturated fatty acid, and percentage of calories from fat. For rectal cancer, the risk decreased with an increase in the intake of carbohydrates as percentage of calories. These findings suggest that some of the risk factors for colon cancer are different from those for rectal cancer.
A Golgi study of mouse hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons following perinatal ethanol exposure

Golgi-impregnated hippocampal pyramidal cells were examined in 14-day-old mice following perinatal exposure to ethanol. The alcoholic insult was timed to coincide with the birth and initial stage of dendrite elaboration and was produced by dietary administration of ethanol to maternal mice during late pregnancy and the first postpartum week. Qualitative and quantitative evaluation of Golgi-impregnated cells revealed a marked reduction in the extent of basilar dendrites in ethanol-exposed animals which suggested a delay in neuronal development.
Sequence programming of DNA replication over the S phase of Chinese hamster cells.

Abstract The temporal regulation of DNA synthesis during the S phase of the cell cycle has been studied in a Chinese hamster cell line (CHO). Mitotic selection, fluorodeoxyuridine (FUdR) and hydroxyurea (HU) blocks were techniques used for synchronization. Cells that were labeled with [ 3 H]TdR for a short period of time (10–30 min) at the beginning or at the end of one S phase were given a density label by providing bromodeoxyuridine (BUdR) at intervals from early to late periods of a subsequent S phase. By the use of CsCl density gradients, a shift of the initial 3 H label to the hybrid density was detected and used as a measure of the amount of sequence programming occurring during replication of the DNA. In experiments where FUdR or HU was used to synchronize cells, the results indicate a low level or lack of temporal programming. In other experiments where the use of drugs was eliminated, the results indicate a programmed synthesis of DNA throughout the S phase which is reproduced in a subsequent S phase. However, the stringency of control is not great, especially for the DNA replicated in early S phase. The DNA replicated in late S is more likely to be replicated late in a subsequent S phase.
Automatic realignment with electronic steering of free-space-optical transceivers in MANETs: A proof-of-concept prototype

Free-Space-Optical (FSO) communication has the potential to achieve very high wireless communication rates at tens of GHz. Although it has the advantage of high-speed optical modulation, FSO communication is prone to mobility and it requires establishment and maintenance of line-of-sight (LOS) between FSO transceivers since FSO transceivers are highly directional. We consider FSO structures with multiple transceivers placed on a spherical shape with angular diversity and tackle the problem of automatically detecting and maintaining LOS alignment among neighbor multi-transceiver FSO structures. We present a prototype implementation of such multi-transceiver electronically-steered communication structures. Our prototype uses a simple LOS detection and establishment protocol and assigns logical data streams to appropriate physical links. We show that by using multiple directional transceivers and an auto-alignment mechanism, it is possible to maintain optical wireless links in a mobile setting with minimal disruptions and overhead.
Optical reflectance of molten Csx(CsCl)1-x alloys

Abstract The normal reflectance of 13 Cs x (CsCl) 1-x alloys was obtained. The measurements were made 25°C above the liquidus curve over a 0.65 to 5.50 eV range. A large drop in reflectance was observed over a small range of concentration: from a clearly metallic regime for x ≥ 0.98 to an apparent insulating state for x ≤ 0.85. The low reflectance is the result of absorption, not the transparency of the pure salt. The M-NM transition is sharp and well marked in the optical data. However, measurements of dc conductivity reported for similar alloys K x (KBr) 1-x vary only from 4 to 17 × 10 3 ohm −1 cm −1 on the 0.80 ≤ × ≤ 1.00 range.
Limitations of surface analytical techniques for determining the surface composition of bimetallic particles

Calculations of expected X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy intensity ratios for both homogeneous and segregated bimetallic particles demonstrate that a minimum particle size exists, below which reliable differentiation between homogeneous alloy particles and particles in which one component has segregated to the surface cannot be made. This minimum particle size varies between 3 and 8 nm depending on the specific metal combination in question. In cases of partial segregation of one component, the minimum particle size is even larger. The implications of these results for the study of surface segregation in supported bimetallic catalyst particles are discussed.
AFM/SEM Study of Thermally Induced Hillock Coalescence

The growth of hillocks and voids in metal films was studied. The applicability of a model involving fractals and kinetic equations was examined on the basis of whether there is independent justification for using scaling arguments in the model and whether there is reason to connect the evolution of hillocks with that of voids. Hillocks and voids were found to be self-similar across about three orders of magnitude of variation in spatial scale with the same fractal dimension. Voids and hillocks were found to have the same fractal dimension whether studied using atomic force microscopy (AFM) or scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The parameters obtained from these fractal analyses demonstrate quantitative internal consistency with an earlier time dependent study of thermal annealing effects on hillock distributions. Remarkably, area-perimeter data obtained from either a long-time study of a single void or a spatial average of a large number of different voids both yield quantitatively identical results.
Depth-resolved photoemission spectroscopy with soft X-ray standing waves

Abstract Depth-resolved soft X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (SXPS) is performed in which depth sensitivity is provided by use of a periodic multilayer [B4C (22.5 A)/W (17.1 A)40] that shows sizeable standing wave effects of ±∼50–60% for soft X-rays at hν≈750 eV. The photoelectron intensities of each element in the sample, including impurity overlayers, are sharply altered when the incidence angle is tuned over the Bragg condition, in excellent agreement with theoretical simulations. The angular dependence of the photoelectron intensity also shows unique chemical-state resolved behavior depending on the location of a given species in the multilayer structure. Depth-resolved SXPS with soft X-ray standing wave excitation should thus be a very useful tool for studying surface and interface chemical, electronic and magnetic properties.
Flat laminated microbial mat communities

Abstract Flat laminated microbial mats are complex microbial ecosystems that inhabit a wide range of environments (e.g., caves, iron springs, thermal springs and pools, salt marshes, hypersaline ponds and lagoons, methane and petroleum seeps, sea mounts, deep sea vents, arctic dry valleys). Their community structure is defined by physical (e.g., light quantity and quality, temperature, density and pressure) and chemical (e.g., oxygen, oxidation/reduction potential, salinity, pH, available electron acceptors and donors, chemical species) parameters as well as species interactions. The main primary producers may be photoautotrophs (e.g., cyanobacteria, purple phototrophs, green phototrophs) or chemolithoautophs (e.g., colorless sulfur oxidizing bacteria). Anaerobic phototrophy may predominate in organic rich environments that support high rates of respiration. These communities are dynamic systems exhibiting both spatial and temporal heterogeneity. They are characterized by steep gradients with microenvironments on the submillimeter scale. Diel oscillations in the physical-chemical profile (e.g., oxygen, hydrogen sulfide, pH) and species distribution are typical for phototroph-dominated communities. Flat laminated microbial mats are often sites of robust biogeochemical cycling. In addition to well-established modes of metabolism for phototrophy (oxygenic and non-oxygenic), respiration (both aerobic and anaerobic), and fermentation, novel energetic pathways have been discovered (e.g., nitrate reduction couple to the oxidation of ammonia, sulfur, or arsenite). The application of culture-independent techniques (e.g., 16S rRNA clonal libraries, metagenomics), continue to expand our understanding of species composition and metabolic functions of these complex ecosystems.
The Politics of Crime Control Policy

Books reviewed in this articles: Ann Heinz, Herbert Jacob, and Robert L. Lineberry (eds.), Crime in City Politics Stuart Nagel, Erika Fairchild, and Anthony Champagne (eds.), The Political Science of Criminal Justice James Q. Wilson (ed.), Crime and Public Policy
Subthreshold Psychotic Symptoms in 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome

Objective Chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) confers 25% risk for psychosis and is an invaluable window for understanding the neurobiological substrate of psychosis risk. The Structured Interview for Prodromal Syndromes (SIPS) is well validated in nondeleted populations for detecting clinical risk but has only recently been applied to 22q11DS. We assessed the largest 22q11DS cohort to date and report on SIPS implementation and symptoms elicited. Method The SIPS, including its 19 subscales, was administered to 157 individuals with 22q11DS aged 8 to 25 years. Youth and caregiver interviews were conducted and rated separately, then compared for agreement. Implementation of the SIPS in 22q11DS was challenging because of the prevalence of developmental delay and comorbid conditions. However, by explaining questions and eliciting examples, we were able to help youths and caregivers understand and respond appropriately. Consensus ratings were formulated and analyzed with itemwise and factor analysis. Results Subthreshold symptoms were common, with 85% of individuals endorsing 1 or more. The most commonly rated items were ideational richness (47%) and trouble with focus and attention (44%). Factor analysis revealed a 3-factor solution with positive, negative, and disorganized components. Youth–caregiver comparisons suggested that youths report greater symptoms of perceptual abnormalities, suspiciousness, trouble with emotional expression, and bizarre thinking. Caregivers reported more impaired tolerance to normal stress, poor hygiene, and inattention. Conclusion The SIPS was adapted for 22q11DS through comprehensive and semi-structured administration methods, yielding a high prevalence of subthreshold psychotic symptoms. The significance and predictive validity of these symptoms require future longitudinal analysis.
Morphological and trophic specialization in a subterranean amphipod assemblage

SUMMARY 1. Sympatric species are expected to exhibit specialisation that reduces interspecific competition in environments with food resources that exhibit little spatial or temporal variation in availability, while sympatric species in more unpredictable environments should exhibit generalised feeding strategies to exploit a wide range of variable resources. 2. We combined stable isotopes and quantitative mouthpart morphometric data to investigate trophic structure among sympatric species in a diverse subterranean amphipod assemblage in the Edwards Aquifer, Texas, U.S.A. 3. Seven amphipod species occupied different regions of isotopic (d 13 C and d 15 N) space, suggesting the use of different food resources. Trophic position, measured as d 15 N, was negatively correlated with planar area of the mandible and number of molar ridges, while it was positively correlated with incisor width. Reduced molar size and robust incisors are generally associated with predatory feeding strategies in non-subterranean amphipods. d 13 C exhibited non-significant relationships with mouthpart morphology although one species, Texiweckeliopsis insolita, had significantly different mouthpart and d 13 C values. Another species, Stygobromus russelli, had more generalised mouthparts, but isotope values indicate that it had a unique and unidentified feeding method and food source, illustrating the obfuscating effect of phylogeny on form–function relationships. 4. Intraspecific relationships between body size and isotope values indicate that amphipod species showed little to moderate ontogenetic shifts in trophic position. Furthermore, body size did not predict trophic position when data were combined across species, suggesting that larger amphipods do not necessarily feed at higher trophic levels in this community. 5. Our results indicate that sympatric subterranean amphipod species can exhibit specialised feeding strategies, suggesting that competition among species is driving niche partitioning. These results contradict the assumption that variable resource availability in groundwater habitats selects for trophic generalists among sympatric species.
Analysis of the Kodiak Shelf Basin using 1D and 2D fluid flow/compaction models

The Kodiak Shelf Basin is one of the undeveloped basins in Alaska. In surrounding areas, hydrocarbon accumulations have been found. It is of interest to investigate whether there might also be hydrocarbons generated in the Kodiak Shelf Basin. Using both one- and two-dimensional fluid flow/compaction models, together with geological, geophysical and geochemical data from the Kodiak Shelf Basin, we simulate the development with time and depth of sedimentary compaction, porosity, permeability, pressure, palaeoheat flux variation and palaeotemperature variation. We then evaluate quantitatively the maturation of organic matter in the basin. The model results indicate that there was only a low likelihood of hydrocarbon generation in the basin due mainly to the combined effects of a cool palaeothermal history and low organic carbon content.
Effect of progesterone on tachykinin concentrations in the hypothalamus and anterior pituitary of female siberian hamsters.

Abstract The effect of progesterone on SP- and NKA-like immunoreactive substances in the hypothalamus and anterior pituitary was studied in ovariectomized and in ovariectomized, estrogen treated Siberian hamsters. Neither ovariectomy nor progesterone or estradiol treatment resulted in apparent changes in the tachykinin concentration in the hypothalamus. No effect of the treatments was seen on the release of tachykinins by hypothalami incubated in vitro in presence of high KCl concentrations. Ovariectomy resulted in a significant increase in the concentrations of both tachykinins in the anterior pituitary, as compared with intact animals. Progesterone (5 mg/animal) significantly reduced tachykinin concentrations in the anterior pituitary, as compared with the values found in ovariectomized animals. Estradiol completely suppressed the post-ovariectomy increase in anterior pituitary tachykinins, and progesterone did not significantly modify the response to estradiol. Lower doses of progesterone (250 μg or 1 mg/animal) significantly reduced NKA concentrations in the anterior pituitary of ovariectomized Siberian hamsters, but SP concentrations, although showing a similar tendency, were not significantly different in progesterone-treated as compared with ovariectomized, control animals. These results suggest that progesterone may modulate tachykinin stores in the anterior pituitary gland of Siberian hamsters.
Ranges of 40 keV ions in polycrystalline tungsten and gold.

Abstract Integral range profiles for various 40 keV radioactive ions from 7Be to 204Tl were measured in tungsten and gold using sectioning techniques based on anodizing and stripping. Measured range distributions exhibited long tails extending into the metals. Median range values for a given ion were the same in tungsten as in gold, but were about 1.7 times greater than calculations of projected ranges based on the SRIM computer code.
Mapping and inspection of damage and artifacts in large-scale optics

We have developed tools for accurately and economically mapping and inspecting damage and artifacts in the bulk as well as on the surface of meter-sized optics intended for use on large-scale lasers such as Beamlet and NIF. Optics are illuminated by white light through the optic edge or externally at grazing incidence using linear fiber- optics arrays. The mega-pixel camera records a digital map of the entire optic with precise addresses of highlighted artifacts. From these coordinated, artifacts are located and digitally recorded with resolution of less than 5 microns using a long-working-distance microscope. Total internal reflection of edge illumination efficiency couples light into the entire optic to inspect for bulk artifacts, such as bubbles, inclusions, edge-cladding flaws and laser- induced damage as well as surface scratches and pits which propagate into the substrate. Surface contamination such as dust, fingerprints, coating flaws, and cleaning flaws are highlighted by external grazing illumination. The procedures permit accurate recording of the evolution of damage after many laser shots as well as correlation of damage from one optic to the next in a laser chain.
Photoperiodic regulation of seasonal diapause induction in the field bindweed moth, Tyta luctuosa (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

Field and laboratory experiments were conducted to determine the influence of photoperiod on diapause induction in an Italian population of the moth Tyta luctuosa (Denis and Schiffermuller), which has been released as a potential biological control agent of field bindweed in North America. In the laboratory, the percentage of pupae that entered diapause at 25°C was related inversely to photoperiod. Most, and possibly all, instars were sensitive to photoperiod. Sensitivity increased as a function of both the larval stage of development and the duration of exposure to diapause-inducing short day lengths. Soil-inhabiting, late fifth instars and pupae did not respond to photoperiod. All insects underwent diapause when reared in the laboratory at 13.5:10.5 (L:D) h. The critical photoperiod (50% diapause) was estimated to be between L:D 15:9 and 15.5:8.5 h. About 20% of T. luctuosa entered diapause under the longest day length (16:8 [L:D] h), indicating a strong tendency for diapause in this population. When T. luctuosa was field-reared under natural day lengths and temperatures, a variable but generally high percentage underwent diapause from spring to late summer. Under the shorter day lengths of August and early September, most of the insects entered diapause and the variation was lower. A variable diapause response may represent an adaptation to periods of unpredictable bindweed quality during summers in southern Europe. Our findings have immediate utility for developing mass-rearing and release strategies for T. luctuosa. In addition, they will allow better predictions of its phenology and population dynamics if this species becomes established in North America.
Resident and fellow experiences after the introduction of endovascular aneurysm repair for abdominal aortic aneurysm

Objectives This study assessed trends in open and endovascular repair (EVAR) of intact and ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) in the Medicare population and evaluated recent trends in AAA repair at vascular fellowship training programs. Methods We identified all Medicare beneficiaries with a diagnosis of AAA who underwent repair or had a primary diagnosis of rupture (1995-2008). Cohorts were compared by type of repair (open vs EVAR) and presentation (intact vs ruptured AAA). Demographics of age, sex, and race were evaluated. We used unique hospital identifier codes to compare trends and 30-day mortality between hospitals that participate in vascular surgery fellowship training and those that do not. American Council on Graduate Medical Education data, only available for the years 1999 to 2008, were further used to better understand the changes in number of EVAR and open repairs of AAA performed each year for vascular fellows and general surgery residents, over time. Results We identified 449,122 patients (76% men), with 376,355 intact AAAs (84%) and 72,767 ruptured AAAs (16%). Mean age was 75.1 years. Use of EVAR for intact AAA rose to from 35% in 2001 to 63% in 2005 and comprised 78% of repairs by 2008. During the same period, the number of ruptured AAAs decreased by 40% overall, with nonoperative ruptured AAAs decreasing by 29% and EVAR increasing to 31% of rupture repairs. Hospitals training vascular fellows were quicker to adopt EVAR (2-year lag time) for intact AAA and had higher rates of EVAR for ruptured AAA (41.1% vs 29.2%; P = .001) than did hospitals without fellows. Mortality rates for open repairs of intact (4.0% vs 5.0%; P = .01) and ruptured AAA (34.1% vs 41.0%; P = .031) were lower at fellowship hospitals. The average number of open AAA repairs performed by vascular fellows dropped 50% (44.1 to 21.6/year) from 1999 to 2008. Conclusions Contrary to the expectation of a plateau, use of EVAR for intact AAA continues to rise at fellowship and nonfellowship hospitals. Use of EVAR for rupture is being used more often at fellowship programs. The decline in open repairs performed by vascular fellows, and at fellowship and non-fellowship hospitals, may have important implications for future attending experience.
Voltage regulation in electricity distribution networks using the conditional value-at-risk

Voltage regulation in distribution networks featuring high penetration of distributed photovoltaic (PV) generation is particularly challenging due to the stochastic nature of solar energy. To ensure that voltage levels remain within safety margins, this paper introduces a real and reactive power optimization model that penalizes the conditional value-at-risk of the voltage deviation from its nominal value. This risk-averse approach guarantees that node voltages across the network remain close to their nominal value with a specified probability. Decision variables are the real power consumption of controllable loads and reactive power consumption or generation from PV inverters. Adopting a scenario-based model for the uncertain solar power, the overall problem amounts to a convex quadratic program. Numerical tests for typical residential distribution networks exhibit the effectiveness of the model in achieving voltage regulation as compared to alternative risk-neutral approaches.
Na+, K+-ATPase in HeLa cells after prolonged growth in low K+ or ouabain.

Effects of long-term, subtotal inhibition of Na/sup +/-K/sup +/ transport, either by growth of cells in sublethal concentrations of ouabain or in low-K/sup +/ medium, are described for HeLa cells. After prolonged growth in 2 x 10/sup -8/ M ouabain, the total number of ouabain molecules bound per cell increases by as much as a factor of three, mostly due to internalization of the drug. There is only about a 20% increase in ouabain-binding sites on the plasma membrane, representing a modest induction of Na/sup +/, K/sup +/-ATPase. In contrast, after long-term growth in low K/sup +/ there can be a twofold or greater increase in ouabain binding per cell, and in this case the additional sites are located in the plasma membrane. The increase is reversible. To assess the corresponding transport changes, we have separately estimated the contributions of increased intracellular (Na/sup +/) and of transport capacity (number of transport sites) to transport regulation. During both induction and reversal, short-term regulation is achieved primarily by changes in (Na/sup +/). More slowly, long-term regulation is achieved by changes in the number of functional transporters in the plasma membrane as assessed by ouabain binding, V/sub max/ for transport, and specific phosphorylation.more » Parallel exposure of cryptic Na/sup +/, K/sup +/-ATPase activity with sodium dodecyl sulfate in the plasma membranes of both induced and control cells showed that the induction cannot be accounted for by an exposure of preexisting Na/sup +/, K/sup +/-ATPase in the plasma membrane. Analysis of the kinetics of reversal indicates that it may be due to a post-translational event.« less
Continuous infusion versus intermittent bolus furosemide in ADHF: An updated meta-analysis of randomized control trials†

OBJECTIVE: Administering intermittent boluses of furosemide to patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) often leads to unfavorable hemodynamic changes. Continuous infusion may induce similar or greater diuresis without adverse hemodynamic consequences. We conducted a systemic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials that compared the effects of continuous infusion and intermittent bolus of furosemide in patients hospitalized with ADHF. METHODS: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, and The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases from their inception until March 2011. Two investigators independently abstracted data on study characteristics, quality, and selected outcomes. Differences between investigators were resolved by mutual consensus. Comparisons were reported as the weighted mean difference (WMDs). RESULTS: Ten trials involving a total of 564 patients were included. When administered as a continuous infusion, furosemide resulted in greater diuresis (WMD, −240.54 mL/24 hours/100 mg furosemide; 95% confidence interval [CI], −462.42 to −18.66) and reduction in total body weight (WMD, −0.78 kg; 95% CI, −1.54 to −0.03), than when administered in intermittent boluses. Urinary sodium excretion (WMD, −20.26 mmol/24 hours; 95% CI, −60.48 to 19.96) and duration of hospital stay (WMD, 0.99 days; 95% CI, −2.08 to 4.06) were not different between the 2 groups. CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis showed statistical support for administering furosemide as a continuous infusion for greater diuresis and reduction in total body weight in patients hospitalized with ADHF. With the exception of greater diuresis, available data are homogenous for the reported outcomes but lack information on clinical endpoints. Larger studies are needed to provide robust recommendations for clinical practice. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2011. © 2011 Society of Hospital Medicine.
Automated pollen identification system for forensic geo-historical location applications

The use of pollen grain analysis for forensic geo-historical location has been explored for several decades, yet it is not widely adopted in the United States. We confirmed significant improvement in geographic precision, i.e., from 2.5×107 to 1.2×105 km2, by simultaneously applying flowering plant data from four different taxa at the genus and species levels. Moreover, when we calculated precision using collected pollen data, we found that co-occurring, pairwise genus-level distinctions based on expert-provided indicator taxa resulted in average precision values of 4° and 4.5° in latitude and longitude, respectively - corresponding to roughly 1.8×105 km2. We also applied computer vision techniques to identify morphologically similar pollen grains, which resulted in grain-identification error rates of 2.18% and 6.24% at the genus and species levels, respectively, surpassing previously published records. Collectively, our results demonstrate that algorithmic identification of species-specific pollen morphology, founded on established computer vision techniques, when combined with species-level pollen distribution, has the potential to revolutionize the scope, accuracy, and precision of forensic geographic attribution.
Effect of the aromatase inhibitor CGS-16949A on pregnancy and secretion of progesterone, estradiol-17β, prostaglandins E and F2α (PGE; PGF2α) and pregnancy specific protein B (PSPB) in 90-day ovariectomized pregnant ewes

The aromatase inhibitor CGS-16949A was used to determine whether CGS-16949A altered secretion of progesterone, estradiol-17beta, PGE (PGE1 + PGE2), PGF2alpha and PSPB. Ninety day pregnant ewes were ovariectomized and received vehicle, PGF2alpha, CGS-16949A or PGF2alpha+CGS-16949A. None of the ewes treated with PGF2alpha, CGS-16949A or PGF2alpha+CGS-16949A aborted (P > or = 0.05) during the 108-h experimental period. Treatment with CGS-16949A lowered (P or = 0.05) by treatment with PGF2alpha. Concentrations of estradiol-17beta and PSPB in jugular venous plasma and PGE in inferior vena cava plasma were decreased (P or = 0.05) by treatment with CGS-16949A. Decreases in estradiol-17beta occurred before decreases in PSPB, which was then followed by decreases in PGE (P < or = 0.05). It is concluded that these data support the hypothesis that estradiol-17beta regulates placental secretion of PSPB; PSPB regulates placental secretion of PGE; and PGE regulates placental secretion of progesterone during mid-pregnancy in ewes.
Workload Migration into Clouds Challenges, Experiences, Opportunities

The steady drumbeat of Cloud as a disruptive influence for Infrastructure Service Providers (ISP’s) and the enablement vehicle for Software As A Service (SAAS)providers can be heard loud and clear in the industry today. In fact, Cloud is probably at the peak of the hype curve, and already there are identified challenges associated with effective deployment for business critical applications (so called Production Applications) in mature enterprises. One of these challenges is the smooth migration of workload from the previous environment to the new cloud enabled environment in a cost effective way, with minimal disruption and risk. In this paper we introduce extensions to an integrated automation capability called the Darwin framework that enables workload migration for this scenario and discuss the impact that automated migration has on the cost and risks normally associated with migration to clouds.
Using standardized patients in continuing medical education courses on proper prescribing of controlled substances.

ABSTRACT Controlled prescription drug (CPD) abuse is an increasing threat to patient safety and health care providers (HCPs) are not adequately prepared nor do they routinely employ proper screening techniques. Using standardized patients (SPs) as an instructional strategy, the trained physicians on proper prescribing practices and SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment) in a continuing medical education (CME) course. The authors compared two physician cohorts receiving standard CME course (control) versus CME plus SP practice. They measured knowledge and attitudes in all participants and skills and perceived competence in the SP group only. Knowledge and attitudes improved significantly for both groups. Screening behaviors for CPD use also improved. Participants overestimated their performance but increased their use of SBIRT with practice. The SP comfort levels with physician's competence improved after 2 practice sessions. Standardized patients can be an effective teaching tool...
Experimental examination of an InAs/GaAs(Sb)/AlAsSb quantum dot approach to the intermediate band solar cell

In this study work towards an InAs/AlAs 0.56 Sb 0.44 quantum dot (QD) prototype intermediate band solar cell(IBSC) grown on InP is presented. InAs QDs are suspended in an AlAs 0.56 Sb 0.44 /GaAs matrix in the unintentionally doped (uid) region of an In 0.52 Al 0.48 As solar cell are compared to a bulk In 0.52 Al 0.48 As solar cell. While addition of the InAs/AlAsSb matrix results in a drastic drop in AM1.5G performance, electroluminescence shows a peak shift from 855nm to 1623nm and spectral responsivity shows a similar absorption edge shift. A proposed design improvement uses an AlAs 0.56 Sb 0.44 emitter to remove the injection barrier created by the use of AlAs 0.56 Sb 0.44 in the uid-region
The Chagas' Disease Parasite Trypanosoma cruzi Exploits Nerve Growth Factor Receptor TrkA to Infect Mammalian Hosts

Trypanosoma cruzi, the agent of Chagas' disease, is an obligate intracellular parasite that invades various organs including several cell types in the nervous system that express the Trk receptor tyrosine kinase. Activation of Trk is a major cell-survival and repair mechanism, and parasites could use Trks to invade cells as a strategy to protect their habitat and prolong parasitism of vertebrate hosts. We show that T. cruzi binds to TrkA specifically and activates TrkA-dependent survival mechanisms. This interaction facilitates parasite adherence and promotes efficient invasion of neuronal, epithelial, and phagocytic cells via a process that requires TrkA kinase activity. Diffusible TrkA and TrkA-blocking agents neutralized infection in cellular and animal models of acute Chagas' disease, suggesting cellular receptors as therapeutic targets against parasitic diseases. Thus, TrkA, the nerve growth factor receptor commonly associated with neural survival and protection, may also underlie clinical progression of an important human parasitic disease.
A competency analysis of law enforcement training and its linkage to recreation as intervention in youth crime prevention

The increase in the occurrence of juvenile crime has become a major concern for most communities throughout the United States. As a result, law enforcement efforts have been intensified, thus bringing the policing authority closer to the daily existence of all youth. The focus of this study was how police are trained in the area of human relations. It was the purpose of the study to investigate whether community relations aspects of police training are addressing community recreation issues as they relate to youth crime prevention. A total of 525 police academy training administrators were selected via a stratified random sampling process. A validated questionnaire, the results of a Delphi, was administered to elicit the importance placed on twenty-two competencies in the community relations area of police training. A total of 232 (44.2 percent response) respondents were used in the data analysis. It was revealed that highest priority is given to those elements of human relations training directly related to law enforcement. Police administrators noted the lack of sufficient priority placed on this area of training. There appeared to be little consensus as to the role of human relations training for anything beyond direct law enforcement. It was concluded that the leisure service organization and the police department should address the way that the linkage can be effective in addressing recreation as intervention. Further study as to the future of collaborative relationships between these two functions is suggested. © 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Probabilistics: A Lost Science

For certain methodological and historical reasons, the science of probability (probabilistics) had never been constructed before as a single whole, and it has basically split into probability theory and into statistics. One of the reasons was the neglect of an extremely important methodological principle which reads: It is necessary to distinguish strictly between concrete objects and abstract objects. This principle is displayed and exemplified. Its use has made it possible to discover the basic phenomenon of probalilistics and to construct the science, whose outlines are given. The application of probabilistics to physics gives rise to probabilistic physics, whose particular domains are, among others, both classical statistical physics and quantum physics. The actual meaning of quantum physics becomes quite clear and no artificial interpretation of it proves to be necessary.
Testing the Utility of a Modified Organ Donation Model among African American Adults

African Americans are overrepresented on the organ transplant waiting list because they are disproportionately impacted by certain health conditions that potentially warrant a life-saving transplant. While the African American need for transplantation is considerably high, organ and tissue donation rates are comparatively low, resulting in African Americans spending more than twice the amount of time on the national transplant waiting list as compared to people of other racial/ethnic backgrounds. There are a multitude of factors that contribute to the reluctance expressed by African Americans with respect to organ donation. This study proposes the use of an adaptation of the Organ Donation Model to explore the ways in which knowledge, trust in the donation/allocation process, and religious beliefs impact African American donation decision making. Bivariate and path analyses demonstrated that alignment with religious beliefs was the greatest driving factor with respect to attitudes towards donation; attitudes were significantly associated with donation intentions; and knowledge is directly associated with intentions to serve as a potential deceased organ donor. The significance of these variables speaks to the importance of their inclusion in a model that focuses on the African American population and offers new direction for more effective donation education efforts.
Isolation of myelin basic protein-reactive T-cell lines from normal human blood

Abstract T-Cell lines which responded by proliferation to the autoantigen, myelin basic protein (MBP), were isolated from the blood of six of nine normal humans. These T-cell lines could be maintained in in vitro culture for up to 2 months through the use of Interleukin 2 and repeated MBP stimulation. Optimal antigen-induced proliferation required both antigen and antigen-presenting cells found in the adherent cell population of autologous peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBM). The T-cell lines were predominantly of the helper phenotype (OKT3 + , OKT4 + , OKT8−) and responded to both human and guinea pig myelin basic protein.
Disturbance decoupling problems via dynamic output feedback

This paper considers the disturbance decoupling problems, with or without internal stability and pole placement, via dynamic output feedback using polynomial and rational matrix techniques. We show that in all three problems considered, the central solvability condition can be expressed as a two-sided matching problem A = BXC , where A, B , and C are the polynomial system matrices of certain natural subsystems of the system model and X is to be determined over various subrings of the rational functions. This matching problem can in turn be reduced to certain appropriate zero-cancellation conditions on the polynomial system matrices A, B , and C .
Motion as an Instructional Feature in Maintenance Training

This paper draws upon both an extensive review of the literature, and a series of experiments manipulating motion-based (videotaped) versus static (35-mm slide) presentations of instructional material across a variety of instructional conditions. Performance measures in the experiments included both hands-on tasks and conceptual knowledge tests. Results indicated that electromechanical maintenance performance did not differ significantly between statically and dynamically trained groups across a variety of types and complexities of electromechanical maintenance tasks and instructional strategy conditions.
Learned Helplessness as a Schedule-Shift Effect.

Abstract The essentials of learned helplessness theory are described and supporting evidence surveyed. It is shown that two main empirical phenomena are associated with learned helplessness: a low rate of responding in laboratory animals following numerous discrete trials with continuous free relief and in human subjects following continuous nonrelief/reward or traditional extinction. The explanation Seligman and Maier give for these findings is critically analyzed and found to be unsupported at several critical points. The “patchwork” nature of the theory and observations is considered and it is contended that what is new in learned helplessness research is a schedule-shift effect like that observed when extinction follows partial reinforcement. A schedule-shift discrimination theory of “learned helplessness” effects is offered which is closely parallel to a widely accepted explanation of other schedule-shift effects, notably the partial reinforcement extinction effect. Although the behavioral effects of some schedule shifts resemble clinical depression, the latter is a more complex behavioral phenomena than the former which in turn has broader relevance to human behavior than just depression.
Heliospheric plasma sheets

[1] As a high-beta feature on scales of hours or less, the heliospheric plasma sheet (HPS) encasing the heliospheric current sheet shows a high degree of variability. A study of 52 sector boundaries identified in electron pitch angle spectrograms in Wind data from 1995 reveals that only half concur with both high-beta plasma and current sheets, as required for an HPS. The remaining half lack either a plasma sheet or current sheet or both. A complementary study of 37 high-beta events reveals that only 5 contain sector boundaries while nearly all (34) contain local magnetic field reversals, however brief. We conclude that high-beta plasma sheets surround current sheets but that most of these current sheets are associated with fields turned back on themselves. The findings are consistent with the hypothesis that high-beta plasma sheets, both at and away from sector boundaries, are the heliospheric counterparts of the small coronal transients observed at the tips of helmet streamers, in which case the proposed mechanism for their release, interchange reconnection, could be responsible for the field inversions.
Biochemistry of selective toxicity and biodegradability—II. Comparative in vivo and microsomal O-dealkylation by mice and flies

Abstract 1. Rates of p -nitrophenyl alkyl ether O -dealkylation in male and female mice and flies were found to vary with chain length in the following order: house flies, methyl > ethyl > n -propyl > n -butyl; flesh flies, methyl = ethyl > n -propyl > n -butyl; mice, ethyl > methyl > n -propyl > n -butyl. 2. In all species, methoxychlor was O -dealkylated at a greater rate than ethoxychlor, and ethoxychlor was the most toxic analogue. 3. In vivo activity correlated in order of magnitude with in vitro microsomal O -dealkylation in all cases. 4. In vitro differences in activity were reduced at higher substrate concentrations, and evidence is presented to indicate the presence of both high affinity and low affinity enzymes (or active sites) which act on the same substrates.
Dynamic thoracoplasty for asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy

The life-saving procedures to expand the chests of infants born with Jeune asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy provide a static solution incapable of responding to the growth demands of thriving patients. We describe an instrument that provided a dynamic solution for an infant, where an initial methyl methacrylate midsternotomy spacer placed at 4 months of age was followed at 11 months with recurrence of his difficulties. At 8 months after the second operation the patient was stable and thriving with no recurrence of symptoms. The instrument modifications, limitations, and possible complications are described.
Atrial fibrillation associated chromosome 4q25 variants are not associated with PITX2c expression in human adult left atrial appendages

Atrial Fibrillation (AF), the most common sustained arrhythmia, has a strong genetic component, but the mechanism by which common genetic variants lead to increased AF susceptibility is unknown. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified that the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) most strongly associated with AF are located on chromosome 4q25 in an intergenic region distal to the PITX2 gene. Our objective was to determine whether the AF-associated SNPs on chromosome 4q25 were associated with PITX2c expression in adult human left atrial appendages. Analysis of a lone AF GWAS identified four independent AF risk SNPs at chromosome 4q25. Human adult left atrial appendage tissue was obtained from 239 subjects of European Ancestry and used for SNP analysis of genomic DNA and determination of PITX2c RNA expression levels by quantitative PCR. Subjects were divided into three groups based on their history of AF and pre-operative rhythm. AF rhythm subjects had higher PITX2c expression than those with history of AF but in sinus rhythm. PITX2c expression was not associated with the AF risk SNPs in human adult left atrial appendages in all subjects combined or in each of the three subgroups. However, we identified seven SNPs modestly associated with PITX2c expression located in the introns of the ENPEP gene, ∼54 kb proximal to PITX2. PITX2c expression in human adult left atrial appendages is not associated with the chromosome 4q25 AF risk SNPs; thus, the mechanism by which these SNPs are associated with AF remains enigmatic.