cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The negative regulators of the host immune response: an unexplored pathway in preterm birth

Objective Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are essential mediators of host immunity. TLR activation must be tightly regulated to prevent an exaggerated immune response from devastating the host. These studies assessed the expression of negative regulators (interleukin receptor-associated kinase [IRAK]-3, IRAK-1, Fas-associated protein with death domain) during pregnancy and in preterm birth (PTB). Study Design Tissues (uterine, cervix, placenta, and spleens) from the following experimental groups were harvested: (1) nonpregnant mice, (2) pregnant mice across gestation, (3) murine model of PTB, and (4) pregnant mice exposed to medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA). Results Negative regulators are differentially expressed in the uterus during pregnancy. In the setting of PTB, IRAK-3 is significantly increased in the uterus and cervix but not the placenta. In maternal spleens, IRAK-3 and IRAK-1 are increased in response to intrauterine inflammation. MPA can increase IRAK expression in cervical tissues. Conclusion Negative regulators of the maternal immune response may play an important role in protecting pregnancies from an exaggerated inflammatory response.
Identification of a Chemoreceptor Zinc-Binding Domain Common to Cytoplasmic Bacterial Chemoreceptors

We report the identification and characterization of a previously unidentified protein domain found in bacterial chemoreceptors and other bacterial signal transduction proteins. This domain contains a motif of three noncontiguous histidines and one cysteine, arranged as Hxx[WFYL]x(21-28)Cx[LFMVI]Gx[WFLVI]x(18-27)HxxxH(boldface type indicates residues that are nearly 100% conserved). This domain was first identified in the soluble Helicobacter pylori chemoreceptor TlpD. Using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry on heterologously and natively expressed TlpD, we determined that this domain binds zinc with a subfemtomolar dissociation constant. We thus named the domain CZB, for chemoreceptor zinc binding. Further analysis showed that many bacterial signaling proteins contain the CZB domain, most commonly proteins that participate in chemotaxis but also those that participate in c-di-GMP signaling and nitrate/nitrite sensing, among others. Proteins bearing the CZB domain are found in several bacterial phyla. The variety of signaling proteins using the CZB domain suggests that it plays a critical role in several signal transduction pathways.
The significance of life events as etiologic factors in the diseases of children—II a study of a normal population

TRAUMATIC events have long been felt to be of importance as etiologic factors in disease. Physical trauma is one cause of physical illness, and psychological trauma is a cause of psychopathology. But what is psychological trauma? For the purpose of this and related studies we define psychological trauma as those events that require a readjustment on the part of the individual, a change in his life, so to speak; and we quantify this readjustment in terms of Life Change Units (L.C.U.s). This concept and terminology was introduced by HOLMES and RAHE [l] in 1967 and applied to the field of Child Psychiatry by the author [2] in 1970. The reader will note that the definition is very broad and includes events with a positive as well as a negative connotation. For example, a move to a new school district may be good or bad for a given child, but in either case requires some readjustment. By means of a survey [2] of 243 professionals (131 teachers, 25 pediatricians, and 87 mental health workers) we gathered the data necessary to assign a weight in L.C.U.s to each of the events noted in Table 2. The current study is aimed at establishing normal values for children of different ages and investigating the influence of the variables of sex, race socio-economic class, and religion on these normal values. How much psychological readjustment can the average child be expected to undergo in the course of a year? With this information a normal “growth” curve can then be constructed on which an individual child’s experience can be plotted and compared. METHOD Research was conducted by a bi-racial team of male and female students during a six week period in the summer of 1971. Attempting a valid cross-section of the population, surveying was done around the Columbus, Ohio, area at suburban and city swimming pools, community recreation centers, day care centres, county fairs, and by door-to-door canvassing. Parents were asked to complete the preschool and elementary school age forms, while junior high and senior high forms were filled out by the subjects themselves. To prevent repetition of family events, researchers polled only one member of a family and instructed him to indicate those events listed that have occurred in the past year. Information was obtained from 3620 individuals. Surveyors chose a sample population with a racial proportion approximating the state of Ohio (Table 1). Also considered was a balance of age and social class as determined by Hollingshead Index of social position score and Hollingshead Social class. Due to ambiguity of the printed forms, responses to the religious item were discounted. form through typographical error. “Death of a parent” was omitted from the elementary Further scrutiny of Table 1 reveals that 94 subjects indicated that they had had a serious illness requiring hospitalization in the past year. Since this was an attempt to study the effect of life events on the etiology of illness, these children were excluded from our calculations, hence our total N becomes 3526.
RMI: observing the distributed pattern

This paper presents a software design pattern that capitalizes on the object-oriented patterns already representing the foundation of Java RMI. Providing complete separation between the design and deployment stages, the pattern (not to be confused with an API) allows its user to write code that can run either locally on a single virtual machine, or over the network across several virtual machines, without any modification. The only restrictions placed on the user's code are those specified by Java RMI.
InGaAs/GaAs Quantum-Dot Superluminescent Diode for Optical Sensor and Imaging

We report on the design and fabrication of a novel wideband superluminescent diode (SLD) based on InGaAs/GaAs quantum-dot structure. In this device, we monolithically integrate a photon absorber section to suppress lasing action and optical feedback oscillation. The fabricated SLDs produce a close-to-Gaussian shaped spectrum centered at 1210 nm with a bandwidth of 135 nm. Spectral ripple as low as 0.3 dB has been measured
Connection vector fields for underactuated systems

In this paper, we build off results from geometric mechanics to gain fresh insight into the locomotion of underactuated systems. More specifically, we use the connection, which relates body velocity to internal shape changes, to create a set of vector fields on the shape space. Each of these fields corresponds to one component of the body velocity (forward, lateral, rotational), and together they highlight how a given shape change will move the system through ambient space. To demonstrate this approach, we use it to analyze the motion of several model systems, both simulated and physically instantiated.
Regression-Based Estimates of Observed Functional Status in Centenarians

Purpose of the Study: There is lack of consensus on the best method of functional assessment, and there is a paucity of studies on daily functioning in centenarians. We sought to compare associations between performance-based, self-report, and proxy report of functional status in centenarians. We expected the strongest relationships between proxy reports and observed performance of basic activities of daily living (BADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs). We hypothesized that the discrepancy between self-report and observed daily functioning would be modified by cognitive status. We additionally sought to provide clinicians with estimates of centenarians’ observed daily functioning based on their mental status in combination with subjective measures of activities of daily living (ADLs). Design and Methods: Two hundred and forty-four centenarians from the Georgia Centenarian Study were included in this cross-sectional population-based study. Measures included the Direct Assessment of Functional Status, self-report and proxy report of functional status, and the MiniMental State Examination (MMSE). Results: Associations between observed and proxy reports were stronger than between observed and self-report across BADL and IADL measures. A significant MMSE by type of report interaction was found, indicating that lower MMSE performance is associated with a greater discrepancy between subjective and objective ADL measures. Implications: Results demonstrate associations between 3 methods of assessing functional status and suggest proxy reports are generally more accurate than self-report measures. Cognitive status accounted for some of the discrepancy between observed and self-reports, and we provide clinicians with tables to estimate centenarians’ performance on observed functional measures based on MMSE and subjective report of functional status.
Kinetics of Rheological Properties of Acacia Solutions

Abstract The kinetics of the rheological properties of acacia solutions prepared from two different lots of USP grade acacia were investigated with respect to preservative, temperature, and pH. A rotating viscometer was used to measure the viscosity of samples stored at 40, 50, 60, and 70° for up to 6 weeks. Solutions were prepared using benzoic acid as a preservative. Control solutions containing no preservative were also studied. An analog computer was used to analyze the viscosity and time. An Arrhenius-type relationship was established for the apparent first-order rate constants.
Exploring the Relationship Between Spectral and Cepstral Measures of Voice and the Voice Handicap Index (VHI)

Summary Objectives The purpose of this study was to examine the strength of relationship between impairment-level acoustic measures derived from spectral- and cepstral-based analyses (including the cepstral peak prominence [CPP]; ratios of low vs high frequency spectral energy; and the respective standard deviations [SDs] for these measures) and a disablement measure (the total Voice Handicap Index [VHI] score) in a large and diverse group of voice-disordered and control subjects. The relationship between total VHI and the Cepstral Spectral Index of Dysphonia (CSID—a multivariate estimate of dysphonia severity) was also examined. Methods Subjects were 332 adults (116 males and 216 females) comprised of voice-disordered subjects who presented to a physician with a voice-related complaint (n = 258) and a group of nonvoice-disordered control subjects (n = 74). A VHI 30-item score and speech/voice samples including the second and third sentences of The Rainbow Passage and productions of the sustained vowel /ɑ/ were obtained for each subject. Sentence and sustained vowel samples were analyzed using the Analysis of Dysphonia in Speech and Voice ( ADSV ) program ( ADSV model 5109 v.3.4.2; KayPENTAX, Montvale, NJ). Results Across all subjects, low-to-moderate strength Spearman rho ( r s ) correlations were observed between the total VHI and the CPP and the CSID in both speech and vowel contexts and for the CPP SD from continuous speech ( r s 's ranging from −0.45 to −0.49 for VHI vs CPP; 0.47 for VHI vs CSID; −0.44 for VHI vs CPP SD). Several other measures obtained from spectral or cepstral analyses also were observed to correlate with total VHI, although increased variability in the strength, direction, and overall significance of these other variables was observed depending on gender and elicited context. Conclusions Voice-related disablement occurs within a context. In contrast, impairment-level measures of phonatory function (like the spectral and cepstral measures included in this study) are by nature decontextualized and appear to correlate low-to-moderately with quality of life measures like the VHI. Therefore, spectral and cepstral acoustic measures and the VHI should be viewed as providing relatively unique, meaningful, and complementary information.
The Moral Status of Terrorism: Some Recent Cases

In the previous chapter, I analyzed philosophically the nature of terrorism, as well as the conditions under which it might be morally justified. As stated in that chapter, terrorism is the attempt to achieve (or prevent) political, social, economic or religious change by the actual or threatened use of violence against other persons or other persons’ property; the violence (or threat thereof) employed in terrorism is aimed partly at destabilizing the existing political or social order, but mainly at publicizing the goals or cause espoused by the terrorists or by those on whose behalf the terrorists act; often, though not always, terrorism is aimed at provoking extreme counter-measures which will win public support for the terrorists and their cause. It is clear, then, that terrorism correctly construed involves a political, social, religious and/or economic motivation on behalf of the terrorist or on behalf of those on whose behalf the terrorist acts.
Stability of peripheral blood lymphocyte count and E-rosette forming lymphocytes in healthy adults.

Highly reproducible peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL) count and percent E-rosette forming lymphocyte (%E-RFL) assays were developed by modifying existing procedures. PBL count assay variation was reduced by using replicate electronic white blood cell (WBC) counting and 2,000 WBC differentials. The %E-RFL assay modifications reduced variation and include the use of: (a) a capillary buffy coat isolation procedure that recovered more than 85% of the PBL without the use of chemical separation media, (b) centrifugation temperatures of 20–22°C, and (c) toluidine blue staining that allowed enumeration of %E-RFL and not E-rosette forming cells, by exclusion of nonlymphoid cells. Day-to-day variation of PBL count and %E-RFL was defined by making serial determinations over a period of months. The data indicate that healthy adults maintain PBL counts and %E-RFL within narrow ranges that are specific for each individual.
Spondylolisthesis and Tight Hamstrings

The syndrome of spondylolisthesis and tight hamstrings occurs in adolescent children and is characterized by severe restriction of straight-leg raising, inability to bend the trunk forward, and a peculiar gait. The mechanism that produces the hamstring spasm is not well understood, but certainly ham
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HUMAN FIGURE DRAWINGS AND SELF-ESTEEM

For nearly a half century, researchers have investigated the relationship between human-figure drawing and self-perception. Paine, el al., (1985) indicated that pediatric oncology patieno drew self-drawings significantly smaller in size than those of their healthy peers, suggesting that the smaller self-drawings reflected lower self-esteem associated with their physiological disease. DeLatte and Hendrickson (1982) reported that boys tended to draw larger picrures of themselves than girls, but Dalby and Vale (1977) found that there was no significant relation of drawing size and self-perception. Coopersmith, et al. (1976) indicated that figure drawings were related to esteem but the association was not as simple or direct as generally believed. Fu (1981) stated that further study was necessary to use children's self-drawings as an indicator of self-concept. The present study is based on the premise that self-drawings are related to selfesteem. Two hypotheses were tested: There will be no correlation between mental age
Antifouling gold surfaces grafted with aspartic acid and glutamic acid based zwitterionic polymer brushes.

We report two new amino acid based antifouling zwitterionic polymers, poly(N4-(2-methacrylamidoethyl)asparagine) (pAspAA) and poly(N5-(2-methacrylamidoethyl)glutamine) (pGluAA). The vinyl monomers were developed from aspartic acid and glutamic acid. Surface-initiated photoiniferter-mediated polymerization was employed to graft polymer brushes from gold surfaces. Different thickness of polymer brushes was controlled by varying UV irradiation time. The nonspecific adsorption from undiluted human blood serum and plasma was studied by surface plasmon resonance (SPR). With the polymer film as thin as 11–12 nm, the adsorption on pAspAA from serum and plasma was as low as 0.75 and 5.18 ng/cm2, respectively, and 1.88 and 10.15 ng/cm2, respectively, for pGluAA. The adsorption amount is comparable to or even better than other amino acid based zwitterionic polymers such as poly(serine methacrylate), poly(lysine methacrylamide), and poly(ornithine methacrylamide) and other widely used antifouling polymers such as pol...
THE MOXCE PROJECT: NEW CELLS FOR PRODUCING OXYGEN ON MARS

In situ propellant production is a possible means for lowering costs of missions to return soil samples from Mars. The easiest propellant to produce is oxygen, which can be extracted from the CO2 atmosphere of Mars. One way of removing oxygen atoms from CO2 molecules is to use electrochemical cells with solid oxide electrolytes, usually zirconia doped with yittria. In the past, those electrolytes have been polycrystalline ceramics, plated with platinum electrodes and separated by ceramic interconnects. This paper describes a new and more robust type of electrochemic al device called MOXCE (Mars Oxygen Cells), made of single crystal zirconia disks and platinum alloy interconnects. A theory is presented for the operation of such devices and is applied to a proof of concept cell called MiniMOX, with a single zirconia disk of diameter 5 cm. MiniMOX tests are described and compared with theory. The theory and test results agree rather well, though some anomalies remain to be explained. The paper concludes with a description of MOXCE 2, a system with two cells and zirconia disks 10.16 cm in diameter. MOXCE 2 is designed to test issues related to stacks of cells made of single crystal oxygen ion conductors and platinum alloy components.
Evaluation of Cylindrical Electric Grids as Pheromone Traps for Loopers and Tobacco Hornworms

Cylindrical electric grid traps baited with synthetic pheromone of the cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni (Hubner), caught 6–7 times more males than a similarly baited can trap developed specifically for this insect. Also, grid traps baited with virgin female tobacco hornworms, Manduca sexta (L.), were 2–9 times more effective in trapping males than a screenwire pheromone trap designed for this purpose. Moreover, when both attractants were used together on the same grid trap both cabbage loopers and hornworms were captured, indicating that it can be used with at least 2 different pheromones simultaneously.
William Lee Stokes Earth historian from Hiawatha

When I was a boy, my father would send me out into the wilderness to find cattle. I was never successful at this, but I could always find my way home with some dinosaur bone . —William Lee Stokes, 1971 The Roman head of William Lee Stokes (Fig. 1), moustached, bespectacled, wry smile, bushy white hair parted on the left side, comes to me often, though he drifted into the Mesozoic – exact whereabouts unknown – on December 12, 1994. In his life, Stokes wrote and talked to great effect of worlds he had earned the hard way – in the field, hand lens to an eye, down on his hands and knees on rocks, searching for remains of ancient life. From such attention to Earth, we have gained his interpretations of the Mesozoic lands of the Colorado Plateau, his comprehensive 1987 account of the Geology of Utah , and the four editions (starting in 1960) of Essentials of Earth history . Along the way he was director of the program to compile the first geologic map of Utah, a major accomplishment that he shared with Lehi F. Hintze and J. H. Madsen, Jr. Publication of several geologic maps in the early 1960s spurred mineral and hydrocarbon exploration and the search for and development of coal deposits. In the United States, Utah ranks ninth in natural gas production, and 13th in coal and oil production. Figure 1. Lee Stokes preparing for a class. Photo couresy of Mrs. Betty Stokes. For many years, Essentials was the book most often used in historical geology courses at universities. It was adopted in all fifty states. It was translated into Spanish. First with Sheldon Judson (1968) and then with Judson and me (1978), Stokes also wrote two much-used editions of Introduction to geology : …
The associations of leptin, adiponectin and resistin with incident atrial fibrillation in women

Objectives Higher body mass index (BMI) is an important risk factor for atrial fibrillation (AF). The adipokines leptin, adiponectin and resistin are correlates of BMI, but their association with incident AF is not well known. We explored this relationship in a large cohort of postmenopausal women. Methods We studied an ethnically diverse cohort of community-dwelling postmenopausal women aged 50–79 who were nationally recruited at 40 clinical centres as part of the Women9s Health Initiative investigation. Participants underwent measurements of baseline serum leptin, adiponectin and resistin levels and were followed for incident AF. Adipokine levels were log transformed and normalised using inverse probability weighting. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to estimate associations with adjustment for known AF risk factors. Results Of the 4937 participants included, 892 developed AF over a follow-up of 11.1 years. Those with AF had higher mean leptin (14.9 pg/mL vs 13.9 pg/mL), adiponectin (26.3 ug/mL vs 24.5 ug/mL) and resistin (12.9 ng/mL vs 12.1 ng/mL) levels. After multivariable adjustment, neither log leptin nor log adiponectin levels were significantly associated with incident AF. However, log resistin levels remained significantly associated with incident AF (HR=1.57 per 1 log (ng/mL) increase, p=0.006). Additional adjustment for inflammatory cytokines only partially attenuated the association between resistin and incident AF (HR=1.43, p=0.06 adjusting for C-reactive protein (CRP); HR=1.39, p=0.08 adjusting for IL-6). Adjusting for resistin partially attenuated the association between BMI and incident AF (HR=1.14 per 5 kg/m 2 , p=0.006 without resistin; HR=1.12, p=0.02 with resistin). Conclusions In women, elevated levels of serum resistin are significantly associated with higher rates of incident AF and partially mediate the association between BMI and AF. In the same population, leptin and adiponectin levels are not significantly associated with AF.
Probabilistic population projections with migration uncertainty

We produce probabilistic projections of population for all countries based on probabilistic projections of fertility, mortality, and migration. We compare our projections to those from the United Nations' Probabilistic Population Projections, which uses similar methods for fertility and mortality but deterministic migration projections. We find that uncertainty in migration projection is a substantial contributor to uncertainty in population projections for many countries. Prediction intervals for the populations of Northern America and Europe are over 70% wider, whereas prediction intervals for the populations of Africa, Asia, and the world as a whole are nearly unchanged. Out-of-sample validation shows that the model is reasonably well calibrated.
Neural Tube Defects: Non-Closure V. Early Closure

Non-closure of open neural tube defects above L2 in 105 infants born between 1978 and 1985 resulted in a significantly lower incidence (p < 0.001) of hydocephalus, shunt insertions, and ventriculitis during the first few months of life, and mortality was not increased throughout the first year, in a study reported from the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children, Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Capital’s Challenge to Right

This chapter comprehensively examines how the system of capitals as a whole presents a challenge to the reality of freedom, as institutionalized in the different spheres of right. Although it is shown how capital remains an institution of economic freedom whose abolition would restrict civil autonomy, the chapter proceeds to show how capital still jeopardizes the environmental conditions of right, property right, morality, household freedom, equal economic opportunity, and political freedom. Only once this challenge is fully recognized can we understand the private and public interventions that should be taken to give capitalism a human face and make capital compatible with justice.
Assisted Mobility Gait Training System

Gait training is a rehabilitation process which helps patients improve their ability to walk or stand. Current gait training methods require patients to be in hospitals or rehabilitation facilities to acquire data on their recovery progress; there is no method of monitoring patient’s walking pattern continuously. Patients can fall into bad habits when they are not with their physician. Assisted Mobility Gait Training System is a redesigned walker that wirelessly provides data to patients and healthcare professionals throughout the rehab process. With continuous monitoring of data, patients can obtain live feedback about their walking pattern when they are outside a hospital setting.Assisted Mobility Gait Trainer combines tele-medicine and out-patient monitoring to improve the gait rehabilitation process. Portability and ease of use allows the device to be used as an outpatient monitoring tool decreasing recovery time and healthcare visitations. Data acquisition and progress monitoring are achieved through load cells and a Microsoft Kinect 2 that collects data regarding the patient’s gait. Imaging arrays within the Microsoft Kinect 2, including an RGB camera, infrared emitter, and depth sensor, monitor limb trajectories. Angle of rotation of each joint is obtained through the use of blob detection and trigonometry, specifically a variation of the dot product. Use of the camera, load cells, and wheel encoder ensures there is minimal set up time, other than turning on the system. Four load cells in each leg measure the force applied to the gait trainer, which allows physicians to identify if the patient is utilizing one leg more than the other, as well as determining if the patient becomes less reliant on the walker over time. Gait speed and distance traveled during use is measured by a wheel encoder. Data collected is sent into cloud storage where it is processed and saved. Saved data is then electronically communicated to the healthcare professional and the patient in two separate user interfaces. Healthcare professionals are able to help patients gage their rehabilitation progress more efficiently. Patients benefit by receiving feedback regarding their gait while they are not at a rehab facility, which assists against patients falling into of bad habits during the rehabilitation process.Copyright © 2016 by ASME
Book Review: On Shared Human Capital, Promotion Tournaments, and Exponential Law Firm Growth

Tournament of Lawyers: The Transformation of the Big Law Firm is part of the scholarly literature that seeks to understand the ongoing metamorphosis of the American legal profession. Authors Marc Galanter and Thomas Palay’s basic argument is that traditional law firm promotion practices make growth in firm size inevitable and such growth is linked to many recent developments. These developments include increased lateral hiring, the creation of tiered partnerships, and the collapse of entire firms. The exponential character of law firm growth means that inevitable structural modifications will be greater than in years past. At the same time, greater dissemination of information about the legal profession, particularly law firms, makes it more difficult for firms to avoid challenges to traditional modes of operation. If Galanter and Palay err, it is in stating their thesis too strongly. In their argument regarding the inevitability of rapid and exponential expansion based on traditional large-firm practices, the authors place more weight on the facts than the evidence will bear. To state their thesis so emphatically, the authors must construct a model that ignores too many realities and speaks too faintly to the actual conditions of modern law practice. The last part of the authors’ book ruminates on the future shape of legal practice. Here, the authors have diligently documented the history of large firms and articulated a theory that helps explain the internal dynamics of such enterprises. Although their theory is open to question on a number of grounds, Tournament of Lawyers is a valuable book which deserves to be read and carefully considered. If not the final word on the growth of big law firms, it nonetheless makes important contributions to a better understanding of the ongoing transformation of the American legal profession.
An Update on the Genetic Polymorphism of HLA-B*27 With 213 Alleles Encompassing 160 Subtypes (and Still Counting).

This publication updates an earlier review on the ever increasing knowledge about genetic polymorphism of HLA-B*27 and discusses its clinical relevance. As of January 1, 2017, there are 213 known alleles of HLA-B*27 at nucleotide sequence level, while at the translated protein level, there are 160 known subtypes based on one or more amino acid sequence differences. Some of these subtypes exhibit differential association with ankylosing spondylitis, and there may even be some level of hierarchy in this regard. On the other hand, HLA-B*27 has a protective effect against HCV, and this effect is also influenced by some of the subtypes of HLA-B*27. This may have important implications for designing anti-viral vaccines for global population and also for developing individualized treatments and vaccines. Disease association and disease protective roles of HLA-B*27 suggest a common ground, i.e., promoting a more pronounced immune/inflammatory response for effective clearance of some pathogens, but that might, on the other hand, lead to autoimmunity and tissue injury in some circumstances.
Agroforestry Practices and Soil Ecosystem Services

Abstract Supporting, regulating, provisioning, and cultural services are ecosystem benefits enjoyed by humans. According to the 2005 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, humans are depleting the Earth’s natural resources and living capital, decreasing biodiversity, and putting the well-being of current and future humanity at risk. Balancing ecosystem services with agricultural production is essential to meet the needs of a growing global population while minimizing environmental impacts of agriculture. Soils under agroforestry (AGF) practices promote many ecosystem services. Enhanced carbon sequestration is a major regulating service that helps mitigate global warming and can increase soil productivity. Agroforestry practices also improve soil and water conservation, soil water storage, soil biodiversity, and reduce chemical pollution effects on water quality. These services are difficult to measure independently, because they are interlinked. Landowners and farmers who adopt these practices provide multiple services and benefits to society at local, regional, continental, and global scales.
Supporting Dialogically Organized Instruction in an English Teacher Preparation Program: A Video-Based, Web 2.0-Mediated Response and Revision Pedagogy

Background/ContextThis paper theorizes and describes a program-wide pedagogical design for teacher preparation that addresses central problems related to supporting beginning teacher candidates in ...
MODIS: a global imaging spectroradiometer for the Earth Observing System

MODIS, a 36 band (0.42 - 14.24 micrometer) moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer is the keystone sensor for the 15 year (1998-2013) Earth Observing System (EOS). MODIS sensors on both the AM and PM EOS spacecraft will each collect data from the entire globe every two days. This data will be used to generate numerous scientific products which will enhance knowledge of changes in the global climate system due to both natural and anthropogenic causes. MODIS, under development by the Santa Barbara Research Center (SBRC), Goleta, California, and the EOS Project at the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), Greenbelt, Maryland, will include bands with spatial resolutions of 250, 500 or 1,000 meters at nadir, SNR’s as large as several thousand, onboard spatial, spectral and radiometric calibration, solar and lunar radiometric stability monitoring, knowledge of pixel location to less than 500 meters (including spacecraft errors) and radiometric accuracy of 5 percent or less for the 19 reflected solar bands and 1 percent or less for the 17 thermal emission bands. Polarization sensitivity will be limited to less than two percent for bands with wavelengths less than 2.2 micrometers.
A Few Reflections on the Practicality of Economic Evaluation Methods and Conclusions

The third section of this book described some key challenges encountered when decision makers attempt to use economic evaluations of HIV prevention programs in their resource allocation decision making. However, solutions to some of the challenges were also offered in this book (e.g., Norton et al.’s coverage of the uses of threshold analyses1). Kahn and Washington have previously discussed some ways of making mathematical modeling techniques as relevant as possible to policy making situations.2 In this final chapter, I provide a few personal reflections on ways of making economic evaluation studies and methods as practical as possible. This chapter includes many statements based on one person’s experience and hence should be read with that caveat in mind.
Role of the Ku autoantigen in V(D)J recombination and double-strand break repair

All cells have biochemical pathways for repairing DNA double-strand breaks induced by ionizing radiation (X-rays) and oxidative metabolism. Lymphoid cells also have a V(D)J recombination pathway for rearranging B cell immunoglobulin or T cell receptor genes (Lewis 1994a). V(D)J recombination involves the cleavage of chromosomal DNA and subsequent resolution of the double-strand breaks. In the past few years, it has become clear that the two pathways share a number of common factors.
Heterogeneous Lead Phosphate Nucleation at Organic-Water Interfaces: Implications for Lead Immobilization

Phosphate is added to Pb-contaminated soils to induce lead immobilization through lead phosphate precipitation. Organic coatings on soils, which may affect heterogeneous lead phosphate nucleation, can impact the effectiveness of lead immobilization. Here, SiO2 surfaces were coated with silanol self-assembled thin films terminated with −COOH and −OH functional groups to act as model organic coatings on soil particles. Using grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS), heterogeneous lead phosphate nucleation on coatings was measured from mixed Pb(NO3)2 and Na2HPO4/NaH2PO4 solutions at pH 7 with varied ionic strengths (IS = 0.58, 4, and 11 mM). Raman spectroscopy identified the homogeneous precipitates in solution as hydroxylpyromorphite (Pb5(PO4)3OH). The smallest lead phosphate nuclei (4.5 ± 0.5 nm) were observed on −COOH coatings, which resulted from the highest level of lead and phosphate ion adsorption on −COOH coatings. The IS of the solution also affected the sizes of the heterogeneous pre...
Characterization of siderophores from Ustilago maydis

Two siderophores, ferrichrome and ferrichrome A, were found in cultures of Ustilago maydis (DC) Corda. Both siderophores were found intracellularly and extracellularly. Their authenticity was confirmed by thin layer chromatography, HPLC, UV-visible spectrometry, paper electrophoresis, amino acid analysis, NMR and fast atom bombardment mass spectroscopy. Regulation of siderophore production by iron was examined. Repression of biosynthesis of extracellular siderophores occurred at 10−5 M iron. Ferrichrome was found intracellularly at all iron concentrations employed; in general, ferrichrome A was not found to be cell-associated.
314 PATTERNS OF ATYPICAL ANTIPSYCHOTIC USE IN CHILDREN IN ARKANSAS.

Purpose The use of atypical antipsychotic (AAP) medications in the pediatric population is increasing. Only one AAP recently received FDA approval (Risperdal, October 2006) for use in children with autism and disruptive behavior; otherwise, use of AAP medications in children is “off-label.” Data supporting safety and effectiveness in pediatrics are quite limited. Our purpose was to assess the prevalence and growth pattern of AAP use in the pediatric Medicaid population in Arkansas. Methods Pharmacy claims data for Arkansas Medicaid recipients filling an AAP prescription between January 2000 and June 2006 were analyzed. The population was controlled for continuous Medicaid benefit eligibility. The results are descriptive analyses of aggregate AAP prescribing patterns for roughly half of all Arkansas children. Results Between January 2000 and June 2006, there was a 5.4-fold increase in raw number of prescriptions written for AAP to patients under the age of 18. By January 2005, prescriptions to pediatric patients for AAP had surpassed the number of prescriptions written for adults, and in June 2006, pediatric patients represented 53% of the total AAP prescribed that month. Prevalence calculations were made controlling for continuous Medicaid benefit eligibility. The data revealed doubling of the rate of use of AAPs in children since 2000. Conclusions The use of AAP medicines in children enrolled in Medicaid/ARKids has increased at an alarming rate. This has occurred despite limited research to support the use of AAP in pediatrics and no FDA approval for the use of any AAP in pediatrics for the time frame of this study. Although the FDA recently approved the use of one AAP with autism, Medicaid-eligible children in Arkansas are prescribed AAP medicines more often than the recently reported prevalence of autism (1 in 166 in the pediatric population, or 0.6%). For children between the ages of 5 and 18, roughly 2 of every 100 children eligible for Medicaid in Arkansas are receiving prescriptions for an AAP medication.
Futurity, Time, and Archaeology

There continues to be much archaeological discussion concerning temporality and the complex relationship between the past and present, but less attention is paid to how the future figures into archaeological thought, method, and interpretation. This introductory essay provides the theoretical framework for an archaeological consideration of futurity, an approach that takes seriously the expectations and imaginations of people in the past while also recognizing the urgency of our present here-and-now. An archaeology of critical futurities opens the discipline to potentialities of action, to imagine worlds otherwise in the past and to strive for change in the future. By broadening archaeological approaches to time to include futures, authors in this collection demonstrate the global potential for an archaeology poised for action in addition to exploring how the future is a critical component of understanding the past and present. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE
SU(3) vector currents in baryon chiral perturbation theory combined with the 1/Nc expansion

Baryon Chiral Perturbation Theory (BChPT) combined with the 1/Nc expansion is applied to the SU(3) vector currents. In terms of the xi power counting linking the low energy and 1/Nc expansions according to O(xi) = O(p) = O(1/Nc), the study is carried out to next-to-next-to-leading order, and it includes SU(3) breaking corrections to the |Delta S|= 1 vector charges, charge radii, and magnetic moments and radii. The results are obtained for generic Nc, allowing for investigating the various scalings in Nc.
Teaching Approaches to Select Economical Pipe Diameters in Pumping Systems

AbstractPumping systems are a topic of great relevance in the teaching of civil and environmental engineering courses related to urban water infrastructure. One key component of this teaching is th...
Federalism and Contagion: Reevaluating the Role of the CDC

The United States Government’s response to the coronavirus outbreak raises difficult questions of federalism. This essay argues for greater federal leadership and involvement to mount the most effective response to a pandemic. As history shows, a response led by local governments is vulnerable to collective action problems and political impediments. An improved response structure in a contagious disease event would include more federal leadership and policy dictated by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), to be then effectuated by state and local governments. This power can be exercised either formally, through federal grants, or informally through the influence of public locally-focused CDC recommendations. Second, this essay argues for greater federal influence over public health measures such as quarantine and isolation for a more uniform national response. As the law now exists, federal authority over everything but international border quarantines is somewhat ambiguous. State and local governments have exercised quarantine authority inconsistently, and may not possess the institutional knowledge to weigh the costs and benefits of confinement actions. Inevitably during a severe pandemic, localities may also push the limits of their authority to quarantine, potentially in opposition to federal government policy, hindering a nationwide pandemic response. Implicit in this recommendation is a call for greater statutory authorization for the CDC. Finally, the potential constitutional questions that arise from the suggested policy alterations are considered. Government officials are always in a challenging position when responding to a pandemic. This challenge is magnified when federal authority over the matter is unclear. The United States system of public health federalism must be rebalanced in some areas, to gain an effective uniform response to an outbreak of disease.
Laser Microbiopsy for Minimally Destructive Soft-Tissue Harvest

Lasers precisely cut tissue and are a candidate tool for minimally destructive tissue harvest. A Ho:YAG laser microbiopsy system, using two axicons and an aspheric focusing lens, successfully harvested submillimeter tissue sections from porcine skin.
Predicting Extreme Parametric Roll in Container Ships

Parametric roll resonance is an unstable phenomenon that can lead a ship into dangerous situations such as possibly capsizing or loss of cargo. Container ships are particularly susceptible to parametric roll due to the time variance of the metacentric height. Recent incidents have reinvigorated the conversation concerning parametric roll which in turn has caused many to wonder what types of early stage design tools could be developed to provide parametric roll design guidance. This paper presents several predictive modeling techniques that were used to investigate if parametric roll leading indicators can possibly be identified and then considered in early stage design to avoid parametric roll resonance. This paper will utilize four predictive models that utilize and are trained by the parametric roll data created through the execution of a nonlinear non-homogenous damped Mathieu equation, subject to stochastic stiffness and forcing. The ultimate goal of the execution of these techniques is to expand the understanding the potential for parametric roll in early stage design.
Characterization of Two CHO Variants in Respect to MNNG-Induced Cell Killing, Mutations, and Repair of Methylated DNA Bases

Two Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell variants differ substantially in their sensitivity to N-methyl-N’ -nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG). The resistant clone (Cl 3) was isolated from the sensitive parent line (Cl 9) after treating Cl 9 cells with a highly cytotoxic dose of MNNG. In contrast to their different sensitivity to the toxic effect of MNNG, the two variants are equally sensitive to its mutagenic effect. MNNG methylates DNA of Cl 9 and Cl 3 to the same extent. Loss of the two methylated purines N3-methyladenine and N7-methylguanine from DNA occurs at the same rate. O6 -methylguanine is not repaired in either clone. We conclude that the increased resistance of Cl 3 is neither due to a reduced uptake or binding of MNNG, nor due to an increased repair of the major methylated bases in DNA.
Our Lower Courts Must Get in ‘Good Trouble, Necessary Trouble,’ and Desert Two Pillars of Racial Injustice — Whren v. United States and Batson v. Kentucky

This summer, following the senseless murder of George Floyd, America, once again, began to march and protest for Black Lives. All around the country and world, sports teams and leagues, businesses, universities, and other organizations issued statements or, better, started campaigns or reform efforts to address police violence against Black Lives. In taking a step beyond the four corners of the courthouse, multiple lower courts broke their silence and condemned the treatment of African Americans in our criminal justice system. One chief justice went so far as to state that “... black people are ostracized, cast out, and dehumanized.” While these statements, which, in the words of the Wall Street Journal, are a “break with tradition” and should be applauded, the lower courts must do more than make bold remarks. Our lower courts (and the Supreme Court) must reckon with their own reinforcement of systemic racism and act to dismantle oppressive precedents. As the late Representative John Lewis would suggest, the lower courts should get in “good trouble, necessary trouble.” They should begin their efforts by removing from the legal textbooks Whren v. United States and Batson v. Kentucky — both of these precedents reflect our courts’ destructive endorsement of colorblindness and racial bias. African Americans are disturbingly over-included as targets (defendants) and over-excluded as decision-makers (jurors) in our criminal justice system. In Whren v. United States, the Supreme Court unanimously granted license to disparately police communities of color through pretextual traffic stops at the unfettered discretion of law enforcement. Strong empirical data demonstrates the negative real-world consequences of Whren since its inception in the late 1990s. Further, Batson v. Kentucky created a race-neutral test for a predominantly race-neutral problem, and its progeny further exacerbated the vast disproportionate exclusion of African Americans from our juries. A recent study conducted by the Berkeley Law Death Penalty Clinic adds to the ever-growing literature illustrating this continued “whitewashing” of the jury box. This article is a call to the lower courts to abandon Whren and Batson by either overruling or “narrowing [them] from below” utilizing an analytical framework that draws upon Justice Kavanaugh’s recent concurrence in Ramos v. Louisiana, considers the actual, rather than perceived dangers, of Whren and Batson, and pays homage to the proficiency of the Supreme Court’s jurisprudence. Statements by our lower courts during a time of great distress in our nation are welcomed, but it is their messages or actions (not mere isolated words) that will bring about the nonviolent revolution needed in our criminal justice system.