cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Preterm Prediction Study: Maternal Serum Relaxin, Sonographic Cervical Length, and Spontaneous Preterm Birth in Twins:

Objective:The risk of spontaneous preterm birth has been related to decreased cervical length and to increased serum relaxin. To explore a relationship between these findings, we used data collected from two prior studies to correlate relaxin levels with cervical length and risk of spontaneous preterm birth in women with twin pregnancies.Methods:In a secondary analysis of data collected in two previous observational studies of risk factors for preterm birth, relaxin levels in maternal serum and cervical length were measured at 24 (n = 188) and 28 (n = 145) weeks in women with spontaneous twin pregnancies. Relaxin, as a continuous variable, was related by logistic regression analysis to risk of spontaneous preterm birth before 37, 35, and 32 weeks' gestation, and by Spearman correlation coefficients to cervical length at 24 and 28 weeks. Cervical length at 24 week was known to be correlated with spontaneous preterm birth before 37, 35, and 32 week (P = .03, .01, and .002, respectively) in this study popula...
Facility-level characteristics associated with serious suicide attempts and deaths from suicide in juvenile justice residential facilities

Little is known about how facility-level characteristics affect the risk of suicide and suicide attempts in juvenile justice residential facilities. This leaves facility administrators and mental health providers without evidence-based guidance on how the facility itself affects risks. The current study uses data from two recently developed censuses of juvenile justice facilities in the United States to examine the relationship between facility-level characteristics and the likelihood of a facility reporting serious suicide attempts and deaths from suicide. Results suggest highest risks for facilities housing larger populations of Black young people and for facilities locking sleeping room doors. Lower risks are found for facilities screening all young people within 24 hours of arrival.
Polyamorphism and density anomalies in network‐forming fluids: Zeroth‐ and first‐order approximations

A molecular model of network‐forming liquids has been formulated in terms of a lattice fluid in which bond formation depends strongly on molecular orientations and local density. The model has been solved in the zeroth‐ and first‐order approximations for molecular and bond geometries similar to water or silica. Results are presented in the form of fluid‐phase boundaries, limits of stability, and loci of density extrema. At low temperatures and high pressures the first‐order solution shows a liquid–liquid transition with upper and lower consolute temperatures, in addition to vapor–liquid equilibrium; and two loci of density extrema. In contrast to previous models which display a second fluid–fluid transition, the phase behavior of the present model fluid does not result from an a priori imposed dependence of the bonding interaction upon bulk density. The zeroth‐order solution shows only one, vapor–liquid, phase transition; and a single, continuous locus of density maxima. The results suggest that low‐temperature polyamorphic phase transitions in a pure substance can arise from orientation‐dependent interactions; and in particular that a phase transition between two dense fluids can be driven by the greater orientational entropy of high density states which are not fully bonded. The predicted phase behavior is, however, sensitive to the level of approximation used to solve the partition function.
A Descriptive Analysis of Error Correction in Instrumental Music Rehearsals

This study is a description of the error correction process in 40 instrumental music rehearsals taught by 10 teachers, each of whom was observed conducting 4 consecutive rehearsals. A total of 332 ...
Currents in the high drag environment of a coastal kelp stand off California

Abstract The physical environment within a California kelp bed is modified from that of the region by the large drag of the massed plants. The change is greatest for longshore motions, where velocities diminish with distance upcoast of the leading edge of the bed in a manner consistent with the damping expected for coastally-trapped waves. Cross-shore velocity fluctuations are more important for the movement of material between offshore waters and the kelp bed interior. Results suggest that penetration of water for distances of 400 m into the kelp is common. The importance of water motions for ecological processes ranging from enhancing boundary layer transport to kelp blades to moving planktonic larvae implies that size of a kelp bed and position within it are important for the kelp ecosystem.
Soil-binding pilosity and camouflage in ants of the tribes Basicerotini and Stegomyrmecini (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)

Workers of the tropical ant tribes Basicerotini and Stegomyrmecini possess two dominant forms of setae on the dorsal surfaces of the body and outer surfaces of the legs: longer “brush” hairs with splintered distal ends, and shorter “holding” hairs that vary among species from plumose to blade-shaped or filiform. The two usually but not invariably occur together to create a double layer. The brush hairs evidently scrape or otherwise capture fine particles of soil, while the holding hairs help to keep them in place next to the surface exoskeleton. As the worker ages, the soil accumulates as a thin, mud-like layer, greatly enhancing the overall camouflage of the body. The material appears to be primarily or entirely exogenous; no special secretory cells were found (in Basiceros manni, studied for this purpose) that might contribute cryptically colored chemicals or adhesive substances to hold the soil in place.
The institutional challenges of participatory communication in international aid

This article offers an explanation for the limited uses of participatory communication in development by taking an institutionalist perspective that examines prevalent notions about communication and organizational uses in international aid institutions. The argument is that institutional goals and dynamics determine the use of disciplinary and theoretical approaches. The selection of specific communication approaches is not primarily based on their analytical or normative value, but rather, on institutional factors and expectations. Institutional dynamics undercut the potential contributions of participatory communication in three ways. First, bureaucratic requirements favor the use of informational models over participatory approaches to communication. Standard institutional procedures inside development agencies, donors and governments perpetuate understandings and uses of communication as a set of technical skills to disseminate messages. Second, the weak status of communication as a field of study an...
Improved Hydrophilic Interaction Chromatography LC/MS of Heparinoids Using a Chip with Postcolumn Makeup Flow

Heparan sulfate (HS) and heparin are linear, heterogeneous carbohydrates of the glycosaminoglycan (GAG) family that are modified by N-acetylation, N-sulfation, O-sulfation, and uronic acid epimerization. HS interacts with growth factors in the extracellular matrix, thereby modulating signaling pathways that govern cell growth, development, differentiation, proliferation, and adhesion. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-chip-based hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry has emerged as a method for analyzing the domain structure of GAGs. However, analysis of highly sulfated GAG structures decasaccharide or larger in size has been limited by spray instability in the negative-ion mode. This report demonstrates that addition of postcolumn makeup flow to the amide-HPLC-chip configuration permits robust and reproducible analysis of extended GAG domains (up to degree of polymerization 18) from HS and heparin. This platform provides quantitative information regarding the oligosac...
Entrepreneurial Intensity: Sustainable Advantages for Individuals, Organizations, and Societies

‘Entrepreneurial Intensity: Sustainable Advantages for Individuals, Organizations, and Societies,’ by Michael H. Morris, is a book about the concept of entrepreneurship, and it synthesizes abstract principles, definitions, and frameworks in a valuable way. The author seems to have a firm foundation in both the world of practice and the world of academia, and, as the title indicates, the book is panoramic in its coverage of multiple levels of entrepreneurial activity. It is also succinct (170 pages, including the index), without academic jargon, well organized, and clearly written. Thus, it is an interesting and fast read.
Eimeria tenella: Host Specificity in Gallinaceous Birds

Eight species representing 8 genera of gallinaceous birds were used: Alectoris graeca; Colinus virginianus; Coturnix coturnix; Gallus gallus; Meleagris gallopavo; Numidia meleagris; Pavo cristatus; Phasianus colchicus. Three week-old birds were dosed with sporulated oocysts of Eimeria tenella Beltsville strain. At 4, 24, 48, 72, 96, 120 and 144, and 168 hr after inoculation, 1-3 infected birds and uninoculated controls of each species were killed by cardiac exsanguination. Pieces of intestines were fixed and examined for stages of E. tenella as stained paraffin sections or indirect fluorescent antibody preparations. Oocyst counts were made in droppings collected for the first 6 days of the patent period. Sporozoites were found in the lamina propria of some birds of 5 species at 4 hr postinoculation, but no stages were found thereafter except in the breeds of G. gallus and A. gracea. At 144 and 168 hr postinoculation, a few macrogametes were found in the ceca of 2 A. gracea, but no oocysts were found in the feces. No statistical difference was found between the number of oocysts produced/bird in the breeds of G. gallus examined. It is evident from these observations the E. tenella did not complete its life cycle in several close phylogenetic relatives of G. gallus, even though in other studies this parasite was found to complete its life cycle in cell cultures derived from the same birds.
The impact of commitment and moral reasoning on auditors' responses to social influence pressure

Abstract This paper reports the results of an experiment examining whether social influence pressures within the accounting firm affect auditors' willingness to sign-off on financial statements that are materially misstated. We also evaluate the effects of organizational commitment, professional commitment, and moral development as three variables that may impact individual responses to social influence pressure. A sample of 171 auditors from one international firm participated in a between-subjects experiment with obedience pressure from superiors and conformity pressure from peers as the social influence pressure treatments. The results indicate that obedience pressure significantly increased auditors' willingness to sign-off on an account balance that was materially misstated, although conformity pressure did not. The findings also supported the predictions for organizational commitment. However, the predicted effects for professional commitment and moral development did not emerge.
Butlerius Micans N. Sp. (Nematoda: Diplogasterinae) From Illinois, With Observations On Its Feeding Habits and a Key To the Species of Butlerius Goodey, 1929

Butlerius micans n. sp. is characterized by the presence of prominent transverse ridges in the lumen of the procorpus and by the short pro-mesorhabdion. This nematode was reared in the laboratory on bacterial-amoebic cultures as well as Aphelenchus avenae. An account of the feeding habits of this predacious nematode is given.
Classifying US association meeting planners based on international destination selection criteria: a case study of South Korea.

Abstract This study analyzed data gathered from 180 association meeting planners in the United States. Fifteen selection criteria that might be considered with regards to selecting South Korea as a meeting destination were factor analyzed resulting in four factors. Based on the factor scores, cluster analysis was performed to identify three distinct groups: distance/environment-oriented, social elements-oriented, and logistics/cost-oriented. The results of multiple discriminant analysis indicated that education, type of association, and type of meeting to be planned were the significant variables that distinguish one cluster from another.
ATP-independent diffusion of double-stranded RNA binding proteins

The proteins harboring double-stranded RNA binding domains (dsRBDs) play diverse functional roles such as RNA localization, splicing, editing, export, and translation, yet mechanistic basis and functional significance of dsRBDs remain unclear. To unravel this enigma, we investigated transactivation response RNA binding protein (TRBP) consisting of three dsRBDs, which functions in HIV replication, protein kinase R(PKR)–mediated immune response, and RNA silencing. Here we report an ATP-independent diffusion activity of TRBP exclusively on dsRNA in a length-dependent manner. The first two dsRBDs of TRBP are essential for diffusion, whereas the third dsRBD is dispensable. Two homologs of TRBP, PKR activator and R3D1-L, displayed the same diffusion, implying a universality of the diffusion activity among this protein family. Furthermore, a Dicer–TRBP complex on dsRNA exhibited dynamic diffusion, which was correlated with Dicer’s catalytic activity. These results implicate the dsRNA-specific diffusion activity of TRBP that contributes to enhancing siRNA and miRNA processing by Dicer.
Rent dissipation through self-regulation: The social cost of monopoly under threat of reform

This piece offers an alternative perspective on the social cost of monopoly and rent seeking. An existing monopolist whose right is contested in a political market has an incentive to expend resources on direct lobbying efforts while also attempting to defuse reformist opposition. Because the strength of reformist opposition will generally be a function of the monopolist's past, present, and expected future pricing/output decisions, such opposition is endogenous. The probability that an existing monopoly right will be retained depends on both direct lobbying efforts by the monopolist as well as the strength, resolve, and cohesiveness of the reformers. By modifying its output/pricing decision and, in effect, engaging in self-regulation, the monopolist gives up current profits in exchange for the expected future profits associated with retaining its monopoly rights. Such opposition dissipating effort is a form of indirect rent seeking that is complementary to direct lobbying efforts. And unlike the Tullock costs implied by the incumbent's direct lobbying, this form of indirect rent seeking may imply a reduction in the social cost of monopoly.
Career Guidance and the Web: Bridging the Gap Between the AAMC Careers in Medicine Web Site and Local Career Guidance Programs

Background : Medical students face a difficult challenge choosing a specialty. The Web offers several advantages in guiding students in the decision-making process. Description: The Vanderbilt University School of Medicine created a school-specific Web site to complement the Association of American Medical College's Careers in Medicine program. The goals were: connecting students with institution-specific resources, providing students with information on specialty choices and residency preparation, and promoting an interactive Web-based tool. A student team developed the Web site over several months. The site incorporates tracking tools to assess usage. During the first 240 days of use, the Web site has had 3,782 sessions viewing 29,864 Web pages. Monthly usage has trended upward. Conclusions : Using the Web to provide school-specific career information can guide students in the difficult process of specialty selection. Future studies are required to assess the Web site's overall effectiveness and overall...
Role of Calcium Scoring in the Patient with a Normal SPECT

Effective medical management and strategies of secondary prevention for coronary artery disease (CAD) have greatly contributed to the dramatic improvement in heart disease mortality rates seen in the United States during the past decade. Myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) is useful for diagnosing cardiac ischemia and is a powerful tool for risk stratification of patients with CAD. Indeed, patients with a normal MPI have a very good short to intermediate prognosis. Coronary artery calcium scoring (CACS) using multi-slice or electron beam CT assists in the diagnosis of subclinical CAD, potentially allowing risk factor reduction to begin before physiological significant CAD and coronary events develop. Combining CACS during MPI or performing it after MPI to assist in detecting CAD in patients with normal MPI studies is being utilized with increasing frequency. The additional information obtained by CACS allows the detection of many patients with subclinical disease, alters the prognostic advice to them, leads to alteration in prescribed medical treatment and patient lifestyle, and results in improved risk factor profiles. These cardiovascular risk factor modification and lifestyle changes will presumably result in a reduction in mortality and morbidity related to cardiovascular disease. This review discusses the clinical implications in the diagnosis and treatment of CAD when coronary artery calcium scoring is performed in patients who have a normal myocardial perfusion imaging study.
Neural network and regression spline value function approximations for stochastic dynamic programming

Dynamic programming is a multi-stage optimization method that is applicable to many problems in engineering. A statistical perspective of value function approximation in high-dimensional, continuous-state stochastic dynamic programming (SDP) was first presented using orthogonal array (OA) experimental designs and multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS). Given the popularity of artificial neural networks (ANNs) for high-dimensional modeling in engineering, this paper presents an implementation of ANNs as an alternative to MARS. Comparisons consider the differences in methodological objectives, computational complexity, model accuracy, and numerical SDP solutions. Two applications are presented: a nine-dimensional inventory forecasting problem and an eight-dimensional water reservoir problem. Both OAs and OA-based Latin hypercube experimental designs are explored, and OA space-filling quality is considered.
Regulation of Gene Expression in Neurospora crassa with a Copper Responsive Promoter

Precise control of gene expression is a powerful method to elucidate biological function, and protein overexpression is an important tool for industry and biochemistry. Expression of the Neurospora crassa tcu-1 gene (NCU00830), encoding a high-affinity copper transporter, is tightly controlled by copper availability. Excess copper represses, and copper depletion, via the use of a copper chelator, activates expression. The kinetics of induction and repression of tcu-1 are rapid, and the effects are long lived. We constructed a plasmid carrying the bar gene (for glufosinate selection) fused to the tcu-1 promoter. This plasmid permits the generation of DNA fragments that can direct integration of Ptcu-1 into any desired locus. We use this strategy to integrate Ptcu-1 in front of wc-1, a circadian oscillator and photoreceptor gene. The addition of excess copper to the Ptcu-1::wc-1 strain phenocopies a Δwc-1 strain, and the addition of the copper chelator, bathocuproinedisulfonic acid, phenocopies a wc-1 overexpression strain. To test whether copper repression can recapitulate the loss of viability that an essential gene knockout causes, we placed Ptcu-1 upstream of the essential gene, hpt-1. The addition of excess copper drastically reduced the growth rate as expected. Thus, this strategy will be useful to probe the biological function of any N. crassa gene through controlled expression.
The A-Complexity of a Space

Suppose that A is a pointed CW-complex. The paper looks at how difficult it is to construct an A-cellular space B from copies of A by repeatedly taking homotopy colimits, this is determined by an ordinal number called the complexity of B. Studying the complexity leads to an iterative technique, based on resolutions, for constructing the A-cellular approximation CWA(X) of an arbitrary space X.
Joint waveform and firing rate spike-sorting for continuous extracellular traces

This paper discusses recent work in automatic spike-sorting for continuous extra-cellular cortical traces. Our spike-sorting framework jointly models neuronal firing times and corresponding action potential waveforms as a discrete-state latent variable process. We model the likelihood of the observed firing occurrence times as the aggregation of multiple hidden point processes based on inter-arrival probability distributions. We evaluate our method on two real, continuous, partially labeled recordings of extracellular traces from rat hippocampus obtaining total error rates (false positives + false negatives) of 5.60% and 1.86% in clean conditions, outperforming both a Gaussian mixture model (GMM) baseline and the state-of-the-art WaveClus method. Our method continues to outperform in the presence of added noise on the same data. We then perform an empirical study of two free parameters for our method on a semi-artificial dataset. We find that our method is more sensitive to parameter tuning in more difficult data and noise conditions.
A simple-minded direct approach to estimating the calibration parameter for proportionate data

Abstract In non-destructive assay there exist techniques founded on physics principles and experimental design for which the quantity of interest y True to be estimated is expected to vary in direct proportion to the true value x True of the experimentally observed predictor quantity x . In other words, the calibration is a straight line passing through the origin, so that the assay method is fully described by a single parameter, the slope. In principle a single reference item is sufficient to estimate the slope. However, there are good reasons for including more than a single item in the calibration procedure. When multiple items are used questions arise regarding how to make best use of all the available calibration data in estimating the slope. This paper shows that the usual weighted least squares curve fitting approach can be circumvented by using only the familiar notion of a weighted arithmetic mean. In particular we draw attention to the ease with which uncertainties in both x and y can be incorporated using this simple and direct approach. Moreover the uncertainty in the calibration parameter is estimated using familiar techniques and with an appropriate magnitude for subsequent use, for instance, in setting reasonable uncertainties on assay results performed using the calibration. For completeness, weighted least squares accounting for nonzero covariances among the measurements y of y True together with an errors in predictors approach accounting for errors in x is also presented.
Interactions between brown bears and chum salmon at McNeil River, Alaska

Abstract Predation on returning runs of adult salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) can have a large influence on their spawning success. At McNeil River State Game Sanctuary (MRSGS), Alaska, brown bears (Ursus arctos) congregate in high numbers annually along the lower McNeil River to prey upon returning adult chum salmon (O. keta). Low chum salmon escapements into McNeil River since the late 1990s have been proposed as a potential factor contributing to concurrent declines in bear numbers. The objective of this study was to determine the extent of bear predation on chum salmon in McNeil River, especially on pre-spawning fish, and use those data to adjust the escapement goal for the river. In 2005 and 2006, 105 chum salmon were radiotagged at the river mouth and tracked to determine cause and location of death. Below the falls, predators consumed 99% of tagged fish, killing 59% of them before they spawned. Subsequently, the escapement goal was nearly doubled to account for this pre-spawning mortality and to ensure ...
[Comment on “Natural radioactivity, earthquakes, and the ionosphere” by S.A. Pulinets] Earthquake prediction: Facts versus hypotheses

I feel obligated to offer perspective on the article “Natural radioactivity, earthquakes, and the ionosphere,” by S. A. Pulinets, which headlined the 15 May issue of Eos. Contrary to the confident statements therein, there is no consensus, in fact there is considerable skepticism, within the seismological community about an “increased radon concentration in the vicinity of active tectonic faults a few weeks before strong seismic events,” “an increase in surface temperature…observed before earthquakes,” and an “earthquake preparation area…for large earthquakes…of the order of several hundred thousand square kilometers.” At least the last assertion is now being warmly debated in the community.
Traumatic Intracardiac Communication: Detection by Color Flow Mapping

A previously healthy 20-year-old man underwent emergency surgery for repair of a right ventricular free wall laceration that was the result of a knife wound. A systolic murmur was first heard 1 month later, and two-dimensional echocardiography and color flow mapping demonstrated a communication between the left and right ventricle in the region of the membranous septum. The visualized turbulent flow was consistent with a ventriculoseptal defect but also appeared to extend posteriorly into the left atrium in a direct line with the septal communication. At cardiac catheterization the calculated left-to-right shunt was 1.2:1.
Defective monocyte chemotactic responses in diabetes mellitus.

A variety of polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) defects has been described in diabetics, but to date no investigations of monocyte (MN) function have been reported in diabetics. In the present studies, we have employed an underagarose chemotactic assay to examine directed and random motility of MNs from diabetic individuals. Among 45 diabetics and 25 controls there was no significant difference in the maximal distance migrated by the leading front of cells to zymosan-activated serum (chemotaxis) or medium alone (random migration). In contrast, many fewer diabetic MNs [293±28 (SE)] moved toward the attractant than did control MNs (446±21;P<0.001). Random motility of the diabetic MNs (121±14 SE) was also decreased compared to that of the controls (225±24;P<0.0004).In vitro incubation of the diabetic monocytes with insulin (25, 75, and 100 µU/ml) failed to improve chemotactic function. Treatment of diabetic MNs with 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid, a scavenger of H2O2 and O 2 − , increased both random motility and directed movement, however. In addition,in vivo therapy of 7 diabetic patients with α-tocopherol (vitamin E) resulted in a marked increase in the number of MNs moving toward the chemoattractant (pretherapy, 118±12; posttherapy, 246±31;P<0.05). These results indicate that diabetic individuals have defective monocyte chemotactic function which can be corrected, in part, byin vitro orin vivo treatment with antioxidants. Thus, defective function may be, at least partly, the result of autooxidative membrane damage.
Sustainability: An integral engineering design approach

Abstract The work described in this paper won an Engineering Award from the UNESCO and the United Nations. It qualified among the top 30 finalists from a pool of about 3200 engineering entries from the world's most prestigious universities in 89 countries, including Cambridge, Oxford, MIT, Stanford and Yale. This paper describes the methods employed in a sustainability project titled ‘Global Basic Needs in an Integrated Sustainable Approach’ submitted by the author to the UNESCO in agreement with the United Nations Millennium Goals and within their framework of the Mondialogo Engineering Award. A six-nation international jury of renowned leading scientists and engineers selected this project for a nomination award. While we all anxiously wait for science to provide the solutions to global warming and catastrophic climate change, a holistic engineering approach was used to halt pollution, and to provide sustainable shelter, clean water, energy, food and education to the global population. This approach can be used anywhere in the world and conceptualizes a revolutionary sustainability paradigm for present and future societies. This work is a contribution to the advancement of the science of sustainability everywhere on the planet.
Faint Blue Objects at High Galactic Latitude. VIII. Performance Characteristics of the US Survey

The US survey has cataloged 3987 objects in seven high Galactic latitude fields according to their optical colors, magnitudes, and morphologies using photographic techniques. This paper analyzes the effectiveness of the survey at producing finding lists for complete samples of hot stars and quasars that exhibit blue and/or ultraviolet excess (B-UVX) relative to the colors of halo F and G subdwarf stars. A table of 599 spectroscopic identifications summarizes the spectroscopic coverage of the US objects that has been accomplished to date. In addition, some of the survey plates have been reexamined for objects missed during the original selection, and the literature has been searched for all other spectroscopically identified blue stars and quasars with z < 2.2 that have been selected by other surveys within the US survey areas. These results are used to estimate empirically both the accuracy of the US survey selection boundaries (in color, morphology, and brightness) and the completeness of the resulting samples of B-UVX US objects within those boundaries. In particular, it is shown that the reliability of the US color classifications is high and that the previously derived US morphological boundary for the complete selection of unresolved quasars is accurate. The contribution of color and morphological classification errors to B-UVX sample incompleteness is therefore correspondingly small. The empirical tests indicate high levels of completeness (95%) for the samples of US quasars and hot stars isolated within the stated survey selection limits. Errata and improvements to some of the published catalog data are presented in Appendices.
Continuing professional education: ensuring librarian engagement

Purpose – The purpose of this column is to discuss the importance of continuing professional education for working librarians whose skills and knowledge need to be kept up to date in order to best serve the public.Design/methodology/approach – The approach takes the form of a literature review and commentary on this topic.Findings – Continuing professional education and training for librarians is essential to enhance the skills and knowledge of those so engaged.Originality/value – The value in addressing the issue is to proffer suggestions to libraries of the benefits of providing funding, even during an economic downturn, and of providing opportunities for librarians to expand their knowledge and increase their engagement in the workplace as a result of continuing professional education.
Effects of cover crop systems on soil physical properties and carbon/nitrogen relationships in the coastal plain of southeastern USA

Abstract Uncertainty exists concerning the impact of cover crops with conservation tillage on the total agricultural environment. A study conducted from 2002 to 2005 by USDA-ARS and the Univ. of GA assessed the effects of cover crops on soil physical properties and C/N relationships in a sandy coastal plain soil. The cropping systems were (A) sunn hemp ( Crotalaria juncea L.), crimson clover ( Trifolium incarnatum L.), sweet corn ( Zea mays L.); (B) sunn hemp, fallow, sweet corn; (C) fallow, crimson clover, sweet corn; (D) fallow, fallow, sweet corn; or (E) fallow, fallow, fallow. Three N rates (0, 67, or 133 kg ha −1 ) were tested on the corn for cropping systems A, B, and C, while N rates of 0, 67, 133, 200, and 267 kg ha −1 were used for cropping system D. No N was applied to cropping system E. Soil physical property measurements made on minimally disturbed cores (7.6 cm height × 7.6 cm diameter) collected from the top 7.6 cm both within the row and interrow of each plot seven times during the study included bulk density (BD), saturated hydraulic conductivity ( K s ), and volumetric soil moisture content ( θ ) over a range of matric suctions. Carbon/nitrogen levels were determined from samples of the top 2.5 cm of soil collected quarterly. Three year mean biomass added to the soil from sunn hemp ranged from 6.9 to 9.8 Mg ha −1 , while that from crimson clover ranged from 3.3 to 5.0 Mg ha −1 . The input of cover crop biomass increased soil C (0.3–4.7 mg g −1 ) and N (0.1–0.5 mg g −1 ), which contributed to improvements in soil structure and fertility. Significantly greater C (2.2 mg g −1 vs. 1.8 mg g −1 ), lower BD (1.71 Mg m −3 vs. 1.73 Mg m −3 ) and greater θ at field capacity (0.126 vs. 0.113 cm 3 cm −3 ) were found in the rotations with sunn hemp as crop 1 as compared to rotations with fallow as crop 1. There were significant differences in BD, K s , and θ between soil in the rows and that in the interrows for all treatments. In general, BD were lower, K s were greater, and θ were greater in the rows than in the interrows. Overall the study indicated that high residue input from fall and winter cover crops is important for adding C, retaining plant-available N in organic matter, increasing fertilizer use efficiency, and improving soil physical properties in the very sandy soils of the southeastern (SE) USA coastal plain region.
Pervaporation and Vapor Permeation Tutorial: Membrane Processes for the Selective Separation of Liquid and Vapor Mixtures

Pervaporation and vapor permeation are membrane-based processes proposed as alternatives to conventional separation technologies. Applications range from organic solvent removal from water, ethanol, or butanol recovery from fermentation broths, solvent/biofuel dehydration to meet dryness specifications, and organic-organic separations such as the removal of sulfur compounds from gasoline. Unlike membrane filtration processes, which rely on an applied liquid pressure gradient and size sieving to accomplish a separation, pervaporation and vapor permeation separate compounds based on a chemical activity driving force and the sorption and diffusion of the compounds through the membrane. These properties enable the separation of even miscible liquid mixtures.
Locomotor rehabilitation of individuals with chronic stroke: difference between responders and nonresponders.

Abstract Objectives To identify the clinical measures associated with improved walking speed after locomotor rehabilitation in individuals poststroke and how those who respond with clinically meaningful changes in walking speed differ from those with smaller speed increases. Design A single group pre-post intervention study. Participants were stratified on the basis of a walking speed change of greater than (responders) or less than (nonresponders) .16m/s. Paired sample t tests were run to assess changes in each group, and correlations were run between the change in each variable and change in walking speed. Setting Outpatient interdisciplinary rehabilitation research center. Participants Hemiparetic subjects (N=27) (17 left hemiparesis; 19 men; age: 58.74±12.97y; 22.70±16.38mo poststroke). Intervention A 12-week locomotor intervention incorporating training on a treadmill with body weight support and manual trainers accompanied by training overground walking. Main Outcome Measures Measures of motor control, balance, functional walking ability, and endurance were collected at pre- and postintervention assessments. Results Eighteen responders and 9 nonresponders differed by age (responders=63.6y, nonresponders=49.0y, P =.001) and the lower extremity Fugl-Meyer Assessment score (responders=24.7, nonresponders=19.9, P =.003). Responders demonstrated an average improvement of .27m/s in walking speed as well as significant gains in all variables except daily step activity and paretic step ratio. Conversely, nonresponders demonstrated statistically significant improvements only in walking speed and endurance. However, the walking speed increase of .10m/s was not clinically meaningful. Change in walking speed was negatively correlated with changes in motor control in the nonresponder group, implying that walking speed gains may have been accomplished via compensatory mechanisms. Conclusions This study is a step toward discerning the underlying factors contributing to improved walking performance.
Apparel retailers: website quality dimensions and satisfaction

Abstract Online retailers would benefit from studies that examine which website attributes can be manipulated to favorably affect consumer satisfaction. The purposes of the study were (1) to examine the dimensionality of website quality for apparel retailers and (2) to determine which dimensions of website quality were significant predictors of shopper satisfaction. Data were collected from 273 female online apparel shoppers. Loiacono's WebQual™ instrument was used to measure shopper perceptions of websites. Factor analysis identified six dimensions of website quality: (1) web appearance, (2) entertainment, (3) informational fit-to-task, (4) transaction capability, (5) response time, and (6) trust. Only three dimensions, informational fit-to-task, transaction capability, and response time, were significant predictors of shopper satisfaction.
Acidity of machine-made snow and its effect on pH and aluminum speciation in New England streams during spring thaw

The pH of machine-made snow and its effect on an acid-sensitive watershed in Vermont were studied. Spring runoff from snowmaking was found to be less acidic and to contain less dissolved inorganic aluminum. Dissolved inorganic aluminum has been associated with damage to aquatic life. The extensive use of machine-made snow by the ski industry in most of the northeast region of the US may be beneficial to aquatic life.
In-vivo investigation of the human cingulum bundle using the optimization of MR diffusion spectrum imaging

Diffusion spectrum imaging (DSI) is a generalization of diffusion tensor imaging to map fibrous structure of white matter and potentially very sensitive to alterations of the cingulum bundles in dementia. In this in-vivo 4T study, DSI parameters especially spatial resolution and diffusion encoding bandwidth were optimized on humans to segment the cingulum bundles for tract level measurements of diffusion. The careful tailoring of the DSI acquisitions in conjunction with fiber tracking provided an optimal DSI setting for a reliable quantification of the cingulum bundle tracts. The optimization of tracking the cingulum bundle was verified using fiber tract quantifications, including coefficients of variability of DSI measurements along the fibers between and within healthy subjects in back-to-back studies and variogram analysis of spatial correlations between diffusion orientation distribution functions (ODF) along the cingulum bundle tracts. The results demonstrate that the identification of the cingulum bundle in human brain is reproducible using an optimized DSI parameter for maximum b-value and high spatial resolution of the DSI acquisition with a feasible acquisition time of whole brain in clinical practice. This optimized DSI setting should be useful for detecting alterations along the cingulum bundle in Alzheimer disease and related neurodegenerative disorders.
The population biology of the free-living phase of Haemonchus contortus.

A deterministic model for the demography of the free-living stages of Haemonchus contortus is described. The model consists of three compartments: the pre-infective stages, comprising the eggs and first- and second-stage larvae combined; third-stage larvae in the faeces; and third-stage larvae on the pasture. The mortality (μj) of each of these stages was a function of temperature (K, where K = (degrees Celsius + 30)/100) of the form, μj = aj exp [xj K] + bj exp [– βj K]. The minimum time to second moult (γ) and the moulting rate thereafter (σ) were also functions of temperature (In [1/γ] = c1 + c2[1/K], and σ = d1 exp [d2 K] respectively). The rate at which L3 larvae migrated out of the faeces was treated as a constant (0.165/larva/day).
Decrease in lipogenesis and glucose oxidation of rat adipose tissue after chronic ethanol feeding.

Abstract This investigation was performed to determined whether chronic ethanol feeding affects adipose tissue lipogenisis and glucose metabolism. Female Wistar rats were pair-fed nutritionally adequate liquid diets containing ethanol as 36% of energy or an isocaloric amount of carbohydrate for 3 weeks. Chronic ehtanol feeding resulted in a depression of adipose tissue lipogenesis as assessed by labeled glucose incorporation into glyceride fatty acids. Glucose oxidation was also impaired after chronic ethanol feeding. Such changes may contribute to the postprandial hypertriacyglyceridemia observed in alcoholics.
Legislative Effectiveness and Legislative Careers

We studied an underutilized source of data on legislative effectiveness and exploited its panel structure to uncover several interesting patterns. We found that effectiveness rises sharply with tenure, at least for the first few terms, even when we control for legislators' institutional positions, party affiliation, and other factors. Effectiveness never declines with tenure, even out to nine terms. The increase in effectiveness is not simply due to electoral attrition and selective retirement, but to learning-by-doing. We also found evidence that a significant amount of �positive sorting� occurs in the legislature, with highly talented legislators moving more quickly into positions of responsibility and power. Finally, effectiveness has a positive impact on incumbents' electoral success and on the probability of legislators moving to higher office. These findings have important implications for arguments about term limits, the incumbency advantage, and seniority rule.
Electrode replacement does not affect classification accuracy in dual-session use of a passive brain-computer interface for assessing cognitive workload

The passive brain-computer interface (pBCI) framework has been shown to be a very promising construct for assessing cognitive and affective state in both individuals and teams. There is a growing body of work that focuses on solving the challenges of transitioning pBCI systems from the research laboratory environment to practical, everyday use. An interesting issue is what impact methodological variability may have on the ability to reliably identify (neuro)physiological patterns that are useful for state assessment. This work aimed at quantifying the effects of methodological variability in a pBCI design for detecting changes in cognitive workload. Specific focus was directed toward the effects of replacing electrodes over dual sessions (thus inducing changes in placement, electromechanical properties, and/or impedance between the electrode and skin surface) on the accuracy of several machine learning approaches in a binary classification problem. In investigating these methodological variables, it was determined that the removal and replacement of the electrode suite between sessions does not impact the accuracy of a number of learning approaches when trained on one session and tested on a second. This finding was confirmed by comparing to a control group for which the electrode suite was not replaced between sessions. This result suggests that sensors (both neurological and peripheral) may be removed and replaced over the course of many interactions with a pBCI system without affecting its performance. Future work on multi-session and multi-day pBCI system use should seek to replicate this (lack of) effect between sessions in other tasks, temporal time courses, and data analytic approaches while also focusing on non-stationarity and variable classification performance due to intrinsic factors.
Parametric study of laser photovoltaic energy converters

Photovoltaic converters are of interest for converting laser power to electrical power in a space-based laser power system. This paper describes a model for photovoltaic laser converters and the application of this model to a neodymium laser silicon photovoltaic converter system. A parametric study which defines the sensitivity of the photovoltaic parameters is described. An optimized silicon photovoltaic converter has an efficiency greater than 50 percent for 1000 W/sq cm of neodymium laser radiation.
Thermally Driven Gap Winds into the Mexico City Basin

A southeasterly flow in the form of a low-level jet that enters the Mexico City basin through a mountain gap in the southeast corner of the basin developed consistently in the afternoons or early evenings during a fourweek 1997 winter field campaign. Peak wind speeds often exceeded 10 m s 21. Although these winds have not been studied previously, the observations suggest that they are a regular feature of the basin wind system, at least during the winter months. The jets were found more frequently during the early part of the experiment, when conditions in the basin were generally warmer, drier, and less cloudy, than in the later part when conditions were cooler, more humid, and cloudier. The winds usually were stronger during the early period, also. Temperature measurements from radiosondes launched inside and outside the basin showed a dependence of the gap wind strength on the temperature differences between the two regions. A three-dimensional numerical model was used to simulate the characteristics of the gap flows to provide information on the mechanisms responsible for their development. The maximum speed of the jet usually is reached several hours after the occurrence of the maximum temperature gradient between the basin and the region to the south. An analysis of the momentum balance shows that the gap wind is initiated by a north‐south pressure gradient across the gap in the lower boundary layer arising from temperature differences between the warmer basin and the cooler exterior air. Penetration of the gap wind into the basin is caused primarily by horizontal advection. The gap wind plays an important role in the formation of a convergence zone, which can have an important effect on surface air pollutant distributions in the basin.
Poetic animals and animal souls

Mesoamericans' rich spiritual beliefs about the importance of animals and about the correlation between the well-being of animals and that of human beings contrast with a diminutive respect accorded to animals in industrialized cultures. Some vestige of a parallel sensibility, however - granting animals an aura of dignity relatively independent of anthropocentric constructions - may be detected in the animal poetry of selected Western writers including Marianne Moore, Gary Snyder, and Jose Emilio Pacheco. Such animal poetry, although possessing no explicit links to Mesoamerican spirituality, may represent an ethos extant (albeit rare) in industrial-world culture that quietly celebrates - as Mesoamerican culture does more unabashedly - the sanctity and parity of nonhuman animals.