cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Understanding the relationship between vegetation greenness and productivity across dryland ecosystems through the integration of PhenoCam, satellite, and eddy covariance data

Abstract Drylands account for approximately 40% of the global land surface and play a dominant role in the trend and variability of terrestrial carbon uptake and storage. Gross ecosystem photosynthesis – termed gross primary productivity (GPP) – is a critical driver of terrestrial carbon uptake and remains challenging to be observed directly. Currently, vegetation indices that largely capture changes in greenness are the most commonly used datasets in satellite-based GPP modeling. However, there remains significant uncertainty in the spatiotemporal relationship between greenness indices and GPP, especially for relatively heterogeneous dryland ecosystems. In this paper, we compared vegetation greenness indices from PhenoCam and satellite (Landsat and MODIS) observations against GPP estimates from the eddy covariance technique, across three representative ecosystem types of the southwestern United States. We systematically evaluated the changes in the relationship between vegetation greenness indices and GPP: i) across spatial scales of canopy-level, 30-meter, and 500-meter resolution; and ii) across temporal scale of daily, 8-day, 16-day, and monthly resolution. We found that greenness-GPP relationships were independent of spatial scales as long as land cover type and composition remained relatively constant. We also found that the greenness-GPP relationships became stronger as the time interval increased, with the strongest relationships observed at the monthly resolution. We posit that the greenness-GPP relationship breaks down at short timescales because greenness changes more slowly than plant physiological function, which responds rapidly to changes in key biophysical drivers. These findings provide insights into the potential for and limitations of modeling GPP using remotely sensed greenness indices across dryland ecosystem types.
A Politics of Peripheries: Deleuze and Guattari as Dependency Theorists

Given that Deleuze and Guattari came to prominence after May 1968, many readers attempt to determine the political significance of their work. The difficulty that some encounter finding its politic...
Clinical Importance of Placental Testing among Suspected Cases of Congenital Zika Syndrome.

Contemporaneous Zika virus (ZIKV) strains can cause congenital Zika syndrome (CZS). Current ZIKV clinical laboratory testing strategies are limited and include IgM serology (which may wane 12 weeks after initial exposure) and nucleic acid testing (NAT) of maternal serum, urine, and placenta for (+) strand ZIKV RNA (which is often transient). The objectives of this study were to determine if use of additional molecular tools, such as quantitative PCR and microscopy, would add to the diagnostic value of current standard placental ZIKV testing in cases with maternal endemic exposure and indeterminate testing. ZIKV RNA was quantified from dissected sections of placental villi, chorioamnion sections, and full cross-sections of umbilical cord in all cases examined. Quantitation with high-resolution automated electrophoresis determined relative amounts of precisely verified ZIKV (74-nt amplicons). In order to localize and visualize stable and actively replicating placental ZIKV in situ, labeling of flaviviridae glycoprotein, RNA ISH against both (+) and (−) ZIKV-specific ssRNA strands, and independent histologic examination for significant pathologic changes were employed. We demonstrate that the use of these molecular tools added to the diagnostic value of placental ZIKV testing among suspected cases of congenital Zika syndrome with poorly ascribed maternal endemic exposure.
The pioneer market for forest law compliance in Paragominas, Eastern Brazilian Amazon

Abstract This paper explores farmers’ motivations to participate in a market mechanism to come into compliance with the forest laws in Brazil. As of July 2008, farmers with deforestation beyond what is legally permitted can choose between compensating for illegal deforestation at another property or restoring this environmental debt in situ. The study analyzes the first real case of such a compensation market in the Amazonia, started in 2014 in the municipality of Paragominas, Para. I explore the main features of the Paragominas compensation market in order to understand why farmers with forest deficits would opt for such a mechanism. In particular, the main question explored in this study is: what economic and environmental factors influence the choice to compensate rather than restore in properties with a legal reserve deficit in Paragominas? Results show that an increase in the percentage of illegal deforestation that occurred up to 2008 on a property is associated with an increase in the predicted probability of choosing compensation, when keeping agriculture as a land use, the property size, and the number of land uses in the property unchanged. The study also reveals that farmers with forest deficits may prefer to buy a forest area instead of renting for compensation if they have enough capital to invest.
Groundwater Recharge from Drywells Under Constant Head Conditions.

Abstract Drywells are widely used as managed aquifer recharge devices to capture stormwater runoff and recharge groundwater, but little research has examined the role of subsurface heterogeneity in hydraulic properties on drywell recharge efficiency. Numerical experiments were therefore conducted on a 2D‐axisymmetric domain using the HYDRUS (2D/3D) software to systematically study the influence of various homogenous soil types and subsurface heterogeneity on recharge from drywells under constant head conditions. The mean cumulative infiltration (μI) and recharge (μR) volumes increased with an increase in the saturated hydraulic conductivity ( K s ) for various homogeneous soils. Subsurface heterogeneity was described by generating ten stochastic realizations of soil hydraulic properties with selected standard deviation (σ), and horizontal (X) and vertical (Z) correlation lengths. After 365 days, values of μI, μR, and the radius of the recharge area increased with σ and X but decreased with Z. The value of μR was always smaller for a homogeneous than a heterogeneous domain. This indicates that recharge for a heterogeneous profile cannot be estimated with an equivalent homogeneous profile. The value of μR was always smaller than μI and correlations were highly non-linear due to vadose zone storage. Knowledge of only infiltration volume can, therefore, lead to misinterpretation of recharge efficiency, especially at earlier times. The arrival time of the wetting front at the bottom boundary (60 m) ranged from 21 to 317 days, with earlier times occurring for increasing σ and Z. The corresponding first arrival location can be 0.1–44 m away from the bottom releasing point of a drywell in the horizontal direction, with greater distances occurring for increasing σ and X. This knowledge is important to accurately assess drywell recharged performance, water quantity, and water quality.
Online and in-Person Violence, Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying in New Jersey: 2011-2016.

Background New Jersey (NJ) Safe Schools Program, primarily funded by the NJ Department of Education, has aims concerning safety and health including helping to alleviate harassment, intimidation, and bullying (HIB) in secondary school because HIB can affect learning. We evaluated officially reported adolescent HIB total incidents and estimated rates in NJ public city and county school districts for the 2011-2016 school years. Methods A cross-sectional observational study using population-based state-reported public data. We calculated point prevalence and incidence rates for K-12 students in 22 public city school districts, students in 21 career-technical-vocational education (CTE) school districts, and 8 special services school districts during 2011-2016. Results HIB is prevalent in NJ school classrooms. HIB comprised ≥75% of total officially reported in-school violence-related incidents in a given school year. Rates per 100 enrollees of total officially reported incidents for the 5-year period of 2011-2016 was highest in special services school districts (5.00; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.67, 5.34) followed by CTE districts (1.94; 95% CI: 1.86, 2.01), and lowest in city districts (1.46; 95% CI: 1.44, 1.48). The special services school district also had the highest rates per year and the 5-year period. Conclusions Data analyses suggested ideas for further research and improvements for school HIB incident reports. Policies and programs could remedy issues observed in state secondary school classrooms. Best practices within districts and schools can help protect students from HIB and promote safety, health, learning, and maturation.
'Love for Sale' - Sex and the Second American Revolution

"Love for Sale" is the title of one of Cole Porter's most beautiful songs. Written in 1930, its lyrics were banned from public performance for many years because they dealt none too subtly with prostitution. But by the 1960s the ban had disappeared, and today the lyrics would hardly raise an eyebrow. If one wonders what happened, the answer is that from the end of World War II in 1945 to the present, this country has undergone a sexual revolution. Why this revolution came when it did, or so rapidly, isn't easy to say. But in a little over half a century, the sexual landscape of America has been profoundly transformed. Love is still for sale: the question today is at what price. My aim here is to trace the history of this revolution and to raise some of its implications for men and women struggling to come to terms with issues of sexuality - issues bound up with religion, morality, home and family, the workplace, the political process, and their private lives.
“Mi amparo y Fortaleza”: Seeing Psalms through a Trans-Iberian Worldview in Espejo fiel de vidas (Life’s True Mirror)

This article studies Espejo fiel de vidas (Life’s True Mirror, 1720) of Daniel Israel Lopez Laguna as an example of Baroque Spanish poetry that reworks the book of Psalms for an audience that like the author were conversos, or New Christians, that is, Spanish and Portuguese Catholics of Jewish origin and their descendants. Likewise, it studies the geographic and spiritual journey of one such Iberian New Christian through the Hispano-Portuguese Jewish diaspora who became a practicing Jew upon settling in Jamaica. Besides showing elements of this journey in Lopez Laguna’s paraphrase of Psalms, the article explores how the poet incorporates features of Golden Age Baroque Spanish into his text. As a result, it positions Lopez Laguna as a Jewish and Spanish author in ways that never seem incongruous, despite the exclusion of Jews from Spain and Portugal during the two centuries before he wrote the poem. Our analysis of specific passages of Espejo fiel de vidas shows how Lopez Laguna navigates a hybrid worldview reflective of his years living first as a New Christian and subsequently as a “New Jew.” The following pages accompany the poet on this journey by situating Espejo fiel within his lived experiences; connecting the poem to trends of converso and Baroque Spanish literature; and discussing how the spiritual wandering, or peregrinaje, and Inquisitorial consciousness that permeate the text represent the converso condition.
Preparing Blacks and Latinx for Workforce 2000: Unfulfilled Promises and Lost Opportunities:

In the mid-1980s, economists made predictions about what the workforce would look like in the 21st century and the implications for employees and employers. For example, it was predicted that due t...
Can You Ever Be Too Smart for Your Own Good? Comparing Linear and Nonlinear Effects of Cognitive Ability on Life Outcomes:

Despite a long-standing expert consensus about the importance of cognitive ability for life outcomes, contrary views continue to proliferate in scholarly and popular literature. This divergence of beliefs presents an obstacle for evidence-based policymaking and decision-making in a variety of settings. One commonly held idea is that greater cognitive ability does not matter or is actually harmful beyond a certain point (sometimes stated as > 100 or 120 IQ points). We empirically tested these notions using data from four longitudinal, representative cohort studies comprising 48,558 participants in the United States and United Kingdom from 1957 to the present. We found that ability measured in youth has a positive association with most occupational, educational, health, and social outcomes later in life. Most effects were characterized by a moderate to strong linear trend or a practically null effect (mean R2 range = .002-.256). Nearly all nonlinear effects were practically insignificant in magnitude (mean incremental R2 = .001) or were not replicated across cohorts or survey waves. We found no support for any downside to higher ability and no evidence for a threshold beyond which greater scores cease to be beneficial. Thus, greater cognitive ability is generally advantageous-and virtually never detrimental.
Self-reported allergies correlate with a worse patient-reported outcome after hip arthroscopy: a matched control study.

Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in patients with and without at least one self-reported allergy undergoing hip arthroscopy were compared. Data on 1434 cases were retrospectively reviewed, and 267 patients were identified with at least one self-reported allergy and randomly matched to a control group on a 1:2 ratio. Four PROMs [Modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS), Hip Outcome Score-Activities of Daily Living (HOS-ADL), Hip Outcome Score-Sports (HOS-Sport) and 33-item International Hip Outcome Tool (iHOT-33)] were collected preoperatively, and at 5-11, 12-23 and 24-35 months postoperatively. Significant PROM differences were found 5-11 months postoperative on mHHS (P < 0.001), HOS-ADL (P = 0.002), HOS-Sport (P < 0.001) and iHOT-33 (P < 0.001). At 12-23 months postoperative, the allergy cohort had significantly worse scores on mHHS (P = 0.002), HOS-ADL (P = 0.001), HOS-Sport (P < 0.001) and iHOT-33 (P < 0.001). They also had significantly worse measures 24-35 months postoperative on mHHS (P = 0.019), HOS-Sport (P = 0.006) and iHOT-33 (P < 0.001). Multivariable logistic regression showed that each additional allergy reported significantly increased the risk of failing to meet the minimal clinically important difference 5-11 months after surgery on mHHS by 1.15 [OR (95% CI): 1.15 (1.03, 1.30), P = 0.014], on HOS-ADL by 1.16 [OR (95% CI): 1.16 (1.02, 1.31), P = 0.021] and on iHOT-33 by 1.20 [OR (95% CI): 1.20 (1.07, 1.36), P = 0.002]. Results suggest self-reported allergies increase the likelihood of a patient-perceived worse outcome after hip arthroscopy. An understanding of this association by the physician is essential during presurgical planning and in the management of postoperative care.
The dimensionality of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, Second Edition in a clinical sample

The parent-report Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, Second Edition (BRIEF-2) is a widely used pediatric neuropsychological measure. Unfortunately, despite meaningful changes from its...
The Trouble with Coarsened Exact Matching

“Balancing” methods, using matching or reweighting to improve the balance between treated and control units, have become central methodological tools for causal inference in the social sciences using cross-sectional observational data. We address here one method which has attained substantial popularity in political science, Coarsened Exact Matching (CEM) (Iacus, King, and Porro 2012). We report evidence that CEM performs substantially worse than an array of other methods and explain why it does so. We replicate five recent papers that use CEM and compare CEM-based results to those from other balancing methods. CEM drops substantially more observations, does so in non-obvious ways, can severely misidentify average treatment effects, and is much less precise than other methods. Our advice: never use CEM as the sole balancing method, and there is little to be said for using it at all. The Online Appendix for this paper is available at http://ssrn.com/abstract=3705007.
Profitability and market performance of smallholder vegetable production: evidence from Ethiopia.

Abstract Regardless of the fact that the vegetable crop is crucial for Ethiopia's economy, public research on vegetable crops was negligible, and limited attention has been given to the sector. The main objective of the study was to analyze profitability of vegetable production, market performance and identify major constraints of smallholder vegetables production, specifically potato, tomato and cabbage. A multi-stage sampling procedure was employed to select 420 sample households randomly from nine kebeles, and 139 traders were selected purposively. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected from primary and secondary sources by using structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics, gross profit formula and structure-conduct-performance model was applied to analyze the data. The result of profitability analysis showed that potato, tomato and cabbage production in the study area was profitable. The result of structure analysis indicated that the market structure for potato, tomato and cabbage was characterized by weak oligopolistic market. The analysis of market conduct showed that the price of vegetables was determined by traders. Performance analysis demonstrated that the total gross marketing margin and profit margin was highest when producers sold vegetables to consumers and the lowest when they sold vegetables to collectors across the channel. Shortage of inputs, pests and diseases, lack of improved storage, post-harvest loss, brokers' interventions, low price of the product, poor transportation facility and information flow were the major constraints. Therefore, policy initiatives aiming at increasing farmers' access to quality vegetables inputs, strengthen vegetable extension services, improving infrastructure, disseminating reliable market information, reducing unfair profit distribution and increasing bargaining power of farmers to accelerate rural economic growth and poverty reduction. In addition, research institutes and universities should significantly contribute in releasing high yielding and disease resistant varieties to improve production and productivity of vegetables sector.
What’s Fair in International Politics? Equity, Equality, and Foreign Policy Attitudes:

How do concerns about fairness shape foreign policy preferences? In this article, we show that fairness has two faces—one concerning equity, the other concerning equality—and that taking both into ...
Marmot Biology: Sociality, Individual Fitness, and Population Dynamics

Introduction Part I. The Diversity and Evolutionary History of Marmots: 1. Marmots in human culture: from folklore to research 2. Marmots: their history and diversity 3. Marmot habitats 4. Use of resources 5. Evolution of sociality 6. Body-mass variation 7. Hibernation energetics and the circannual rhythm Part II. Biotic and Abiotic Environments: 8. The environment of the yellow-bellied marmot 9. Environmental physiology Part III. Social Structure and Behavior of the Yellow-Bellied Marmot: 10. The role of kinship: resource sharing 11. The role of kinship: social behavior and matriline dynamics 12. Social behavior: play and individuality 13. Communication 14. Alarm responses of the yellow-bellied marmot Part IV. Reproductive Success: 15. Male reproductive success 16. Female reproductive success Part V. Population Dynamics: 17. Basic demography 18. Dispersal and immigration 19. Metapopulation dynamics 20. Population regulation or population limitation Part VI. The Future of Marmots: 21. Climate change and conservation 22. Major life-history traits References Index.
The Effect of Organizational Culture on the Implementation of Knowledge Management

The focus of the majority of knowledge management (KM) research to date has been on advanced technology and techniques used to facilitate knowledge sharing (Davenport and Prusak, 1998). A knowledge organization has been defined as “...an entity that realizes the importance of its knowledge, internal and external, to the organization, and applies techniques to maximize the use of this knowledge to its employees, shareholders and customers” (Liebowitz and Beckman, 1998). However, any firm interested in making the transition to becoming a knowledge organization has to ensure that its culture is aligned with the requirements for KM success. Not to do so risks KM being underutilized, ignored, or abandoned by the firm’s employees. As attractive as KM is for enhancing an organization’s operations, many commonly agree that there is an important precondition. Davenport (1997) says that twothirds of a firm’s KM efforts should focus upon organizational and cultural issues. Rifkin (1996) quotes Bob Buckman as saying “What’s happened here [successful use of KM at Buckman Laboratories] is 90% culture change. You have to change the way you relate to one another. If you can’t do that, you won’t succeed.” Mizumori (1998) reports “The greatest challenge to implementing effective Knowledge Management is to transition Knowledge Hoarders into Knowledge Sharers.” Thus, one needs to understand what the culture of the firm is, and one needs to understand whether or not this culture will enable KM or hinder KM. Schein (1992) defines corporate culture as “A pattern of shared basic beliefs that the group learned as it solves its problems of external adaptation and internal integration, that has worked well enough to be considered valid, and
Escherichia coli Alkaline Phosphatase METAL BINDING, PROTEIN CONFORMATION, AND QUATERNARY STRUCTURE

Abstract Reversible, pH-dependent changes in the secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structure of Escherichia coli alkaline phosphatase have been studied by optical rotatory dispersion, circular dichroism, and sedimentation velocity and sedimentation equilibrium centrifugation, with the use of the native zinc enzyme, the apoenzyme, and an enzyme in which the zinc has been replaced by cobalt. Ultracentrifugation studies show that the molecule remains a dimer between pH 8 and 4. The weight average molecular weight, Mw, as determined by the Yphantis method of equilibrium centrifugation, over this pH range varies from 80,000 to 100,000 depending on conditions of pH and ionic strength. Optical rotatory dispersion and circular dichroism spectra show only minor changes in protein conformation in this region. The circular dichroism spectrum shows some contributions from the α-helical conformation of the polypeptide chain with negative ellipticity bands at 222 mµ and 209 mµ. However, a major positive band occurs at 195 mµ, and detailed analysis of the curves indicate that β and random coil conformations of the peptide bond must make major contributions as well. Below pH 4, the molecule undergoes a radical change in conformation associated with the dissociation of the molecule into subunits. Mw is near 40,000 at pH 2. All changes can be completely reversed by returning the molecule to neutral pH. Reassociation of the molecule, however, follows a different pathway, and complete redimerization does not occur until pH 6.0. Thus, a major hysteresis effect occurs in the pH dependence of Mw and s20,w corresponding to the hysteresis previously observed for the hydrogen ion titration of the protein (Schlesinger, M. J., and Barrett, K., J. Biol. Chem., 240, 4284 (1965)). The apoenzyme at neutral pH is about 25% monomer, and has a conformation similar to that of the native enzyme. Determinations of Mw and s20,w as functions of pH show that the apoenzyme undergoes dissociation and reassociation like the native dimer. However, 25% monomer remains on return of the apoenzyme to neutral pH. Addition of either Zn(II) or Co(II) causes the residual monomer to reassociate to the dimer. Equilibrium dialysis studies show that the biosynthesized 65Zn enzyme or the apoenzyme labeled with 65Zn bind between 2 and 3 g atoms of Zn(II) per mole at neutral pH. 65Zn dissociates from the enzyme between pH 6 and 4, and is halfdissociated at pH 5. Reassociation of the metal ion follows the same pH function. Binding studies with 60Co show that 2 g atoms of cobalt are bound to the apoenzyme in the neutral pH range, and that they dissociate about 1 pH unit higher than does zinc.
Connections Between Thermodynamics, Statostocal Mechanics, Quantum Mechanics, and Special Astrophysical Processes

This article discusses several diverse “zero-point” notions, ranging from early classical blackbody radiation analysis, to astrophysical and cosmological considerations now being contemplated. The now commonly accepted quantum mechanical meaning of “zeropoint” is compared with the early historical thermodynamic meaning. Subtle points are then reviewed that were implicitly imposed in the early thermodynamic investigations of blackbody radiation. These assumptions prevented this analysis from applying to the situation when classical electromagnetic radiation does not vanish at temperature T=0. These subtle points are easy to skip over, yet significantly change the full thermodynamic analysis. Connections are then made to some proposed mechanisms involved in various astrophysical processes. The possible connection with the observed increasing expansion of the universe is noted, and the increasing inclination of scientists to attribute this expansion to “vacuum energy.” However, since the universe is not in a state of thermodynamic equilibrium, then the commonly accepted notion of “vacuum energy” or “zero-point” energy may not really be accurate. Altering this perspective may be helpful in coming to terms with the full physical description.
Microcomputer based estimator for power system parameters in the presence of harmonics

A microcomputer-based parameter estimator for determining the distribution characteristics of a power system is discussed. The use of this parameter estimator is illustrated on an analog of a single-phase feeder. It is found that even in the presence of source harmonics and with a nonlinear load the system parameters can be determined to a high degree of accuracy. Such measurements can be used in the design of a fixed-components optimal compensator or permit the dynamic control of an online optimal compensator. >
Case Study Teaching Method Improves Student Performance and Perceptions of Learning Gains

Following years of widespread use in business and medical education, the case study teaching method is becoming an increasingly common teaching strategy in science education. However, the current body of research provides limited evidence that the use of published case studies effectively promotes the fulfillment of specific learning objectives integral to many biology courses. This study tested the hypothesis that case studies are more effective than classroom discussions and textbook reading at promoting learning of key biological concepts, development of written and oral communication skills, and comprehension of the relevance of biological concepts to everyday life. This study also tested the hypothesis that case studies produced by the instructor of a course are more effective at promoting learning than those produced by unaffiliated instructors. Additionally, performance on quantitative learning assessments and student perceptions of learning gains were analyzed to determine whether reported perceptions of learning gains accurately reflect academic performance. The results reported here suggest that case studies, regardless of the source, are significantly more effective than other methods of content delivery at increasing performance on examination questions related to chemical bonds, osmosis and diffusion, mitosis and meiosis, and DNA structure and replication. This finding was positively correlated to increased student perceptions of learning gains associated with oral and written communication skills and the ability to recognize connections between biological concepts and other aspects of life. Based on these findings, case studies should be considered as a preferred method for teaching about a variety of concepts in science courses.
Down syndrome, Alzheimer's disease and the trisomy 16 mouse.

Abstract Recent findings have implicated genes on human chromosome 21 as important in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). These include the high incidence of the pathological features characteristic of AD in individuals with Down syndrome (trisomy 21) and the localization of both a familial AD gene and the gene encoding amyloid precursor protein on chromosome 21. Substantial genetic homology exists between human chromosome 21 and mouse chromosome 16, including the gene encoding the amyloid precursor protein. Mice that are trisomic for chromosome 16 offer a genetic model for studies relevant to Down syndrome that may also help to clarify molecular mechanisms involved in Alzheimer's disease.
AN UNUSUAL CASE OF DEFICIENCY DISEASE IN A PATIENT WITH DIABETES MELLITUS(12)12

THIS CASE is of special interest because of the diagnostic and therapeutic problems it presents. The patient, an unemployed paper hanger and painter, age 52, when first seen on the wards of the Beth Israel Hospital in January 1936, gave a history of diabetes mellitus of about 6 years duration. A t first his diabetes was controlled by diet alone. Later he was given small doses of insulin. However, he was not very faithful to his diet. About one year prior to his admission he developed a burning pain in his calves and feet. He lost his appetite, and as a result ate only crackers for a while. Two months laterhe developed leg ulcers. While still on an inadequate diet pain developed i n his arms, shoulders, chest, abdomen and back. The pain was irregular and resembled a toothache in character. It became progressively worse and more frequent.
Unipolar aerosol diffusion charging. I. Particle dielectric constant and ion mobility distribution effects

Abstract The equations of unipolar aerosol charging are written to include ion polydispersity. It is shown that the frequently used N0t parameterization of aerosol charging is not unique but can be replaced by a Ct (C = conductivity) parameterization which is for slip-flow and continuum regime spherical particles of uniform composition. The equations are simplified for the monodisperse unipolar case and, by choosing polydisperse ion distributions which are representative of realistic atmospheric ions, the sensitivity of aerosol charging to specific ion distributions is illustrated. The role of the particle dielectric constant in aerosol charging is assessed.
Genetic reduction of class IA PI-3 kinase activity alters fetal hematopoiesis and competitive repopulating ability of hematopoietic stem cells in vivo.

Class IA phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI-3K) is a lipid kinase, which is activated in blood cells by hematopoietic growth factors. In vitro experiments using chemical inhibitors of PI-3K suggest that this kinase is potentially important for hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSC/P) function, and recent studies identify PI-3K as a therapeutic target in treating different leukemias and lymphomas. However, the role of PI-3K in regulating fetal liver or adult hematopoiesis in vivo is unknown. Therefore, we examined PI-3K-deficient embryos generated by a targeted deletion of the p85α and p85β regulatory subunits of PI-3K (p85α-/-p85β+/-). The absolute frequency and number of hematopoietic progenitor cells were reduced in p85α-/- p85β+/- fetal livers compared with wild-type (WT) controls. Further, p85α-/-p85β+/- fetal liver hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) had decreased multilineage repopulating ability in vivo compared with WT controls in competitive repopulation assays. Finally, purified p85α-/-p85β+/- c-kit+ cells had a decrease in proliferation in response to kit ligand (kitL), a growth factor important for controlling HSC function in vivo. Collectively, these data identify PI-3K as an important regulator of HSC function and potential therapeutic target in treating leukemic stem cells.
Modeling stromal determinants of 3D tumor growth to inform PDT-mediated combination treatments

ABSTRACT Advanced stage ovarian carcinoma is characterized by poor prognosis a nd peritoneal micronodules that exhibit treatment resistance. This is partially due to interactions between multifocal di sease and the tumor microenvironment, which includes tumor endothelial cells (TECs) and extracellular matrix components (ECM). Here we describe the development of a three-dimensional model of ovarian cancer that incorporates TECs and ECM. A comparison of several methodologies to generate endothelialized ovarian micronodules along with a preliminary physical characterization is described . This model will allow for detailed investigation of tumor -stroma interactions and how they impact disease progression and treatment response. Keywords: Ovarian Cancer , Tumor Endothelial Cells , Extracellular Matrix , Three-dimensional heterocellular model, tumor microenvironment 1. INTRODUCTION Due to the time and resource intensive nature of animal models [1], the past two decades has seen the development of tumor cell -line based high throughp ut screening (HTS) platforms that enable rapid evaluation of promising cancer therapeutics. [2] Amongst these, three -dimensional cancer models have emerged as attractive tools for therapeutic screening because they mimic important structural features of tumors observed in-vivo.[3] Thus, 3D models enable treatment -screening studies that are potentially more relevant than those conducted in monolayer. [3-5] It has become increasingly clear that elements in the tumor microenvironment play a critical role in mediating response to treatment. [6-8] In recognition of this, our group previously established a high -throughput model of micrometastatic ovarian cancer (OvCa) that integrates both 3D architecture and cues from the extracellular matrix (ECM). [5, 9] While this platform , which was based on innovative work in the literature [10, 11] and was comprised of tumor cells and matrix components has been useful in characterizing several promising OvCa therapies [5, 12, 13], it does not model important paracrine interactions that ar e characteristic of the OvCa microenvironment. [14] Among these interactions are those between tumor endothelial cells (TECs) and cancer cells. Endothelial cells traditionally line blood vessels, and are especially prevalent in tumors. [15] In addition , TECs play a critical in neoangiogenesis, and are also key signaling partners that impact tumo r cell behavior .[16] Indeed, it has become apparent that the paracrine r elationship between TECs and cancer cells is complex, and depending on context, TECs can either inhibit or promote the aggressiveness of cancer cells. [14] To begin to model these interactions and to understand the role of TECs in regulating the response of OvCa to treatment, we are developing 3D heterocellular platforms of OvCa that integrate TECs and ECM components. This proceeding provides an evaluation of our early studies on several methodologies that could be useful in generating the 3D heterocellular m odels.
Sea truth and environmental characterization studies of Mobile Bay, Alabama, utilizing ERTS-1, data collection platforms

The paper reports on the scientific results obtained during a feasibility study that evaluated the potential of using ERTS data collection platforms (DCPs) in the coastal environment of Mobile Bay, Alabama. The utility of instrumented buoys operated in a coastal marine environment as ERTS DCPs is demonstrated. It is shown that these platforms are capable of providing both sea-truth data for ERTS imagery studies and time-series data for event monitoring and/or environmental characterization studies.
Gamblers favor skewness, not risk: Further evidence from United States’ lottery games

Abstract Theoretical models of risk have attempted to explain why risk-averse individuals take unfair gambles. Using all United States’ lottery games, we find theoretical and empirical evidence that skewness of prize distributions explains why risk averse individuals may play the lottery.
Reconstruction of the posterolateral corner of the knee.

Purpose: To describe a technique for reconstruction of the posterolateral corner (PLC) of the knee and report the results of a prospective series of patients. Type of Study: Case series. Methods: Twenty-two patients with PLC injuries underwent reconstruction; 15 patients had multiligamentous knee injuries and 7 had isolated PLC injuries. We used the modified 2-tailed technique that reconstructs the popliteofibular ligament and fibulocollateral ligament. The technique includes use of an allograft tendon placed through transtibial and transfibular bone tunnels and around a screw on the lateral femoral condyle. All patients have been followed-up prospectively with clinical examinations, Lysholm knee scores, KT-2000 ligament arthrometer examinations, and evaluation of work and recreational functional status. Results: There were 15 male and 7 female patients (mean age, 32 years; range, 17 to 55 years). Follow-up was a minimum of 24 months (mean, 29.5 months; range, 24 to 38 months). Mean range of motion is extension of 0.2° (range, 0° to 5°) and flexion of 133.4° (80° to 144°). The range of motion for the multiligamentous knees was 0.3° to 129° compared with 0° to 143° for knees with isolated corner injuries. Mean Lysholm knee scores were 90 for the entire group with a score of 92 for the multiligamentous knees and 88 for the isolated corners. Stability was clinically graded on a scale of 0 to 3 for both varus stress and external rotation, with a score of 2 or 3 indicating a failed PLC reconstruction. The mean score for varus stress was 0.2 for the whole group, with 0.3 in the multiligamentous knee and 0.1 for the isolated injuries. Similarly, the mean score for external rotation was 0.4, with a 0.5 for multiligamentous knee and 0.3 for isolated PLC injuries. There were 2 failures in the multiligamentous knee injury group (13%), compared with no failures in the isolated PLC group. The failure rate for the whole study was 9%. Conclusions: Reconstruction of the PLC using an allograft reconstruction of the popliteus, popliteofibular, and fibulocollateral ligaments yielded a stable reconstruction with excellent functional results. Predictably, range of motion and incidence of failure were both better for patients with isolated PLC injuries than for those with multiligamentous knees. Both groups, however, showed excellent overall functional results. Level of Evidence: Level IV, case series.
Rhodium(I) and platinum(II) complexes with chelating bidentate isonitrile ligands

Abstract Rhodium(I) complexes, [Rh(DiNC) 2 ]A, where A −  Cl − , BF 4 − , or BPh 4 − , and [Rh(t-BuDiNC) 2 ]A, where A −  Cl − , BPh 4 − , or PF 6 − , were prepared by reaction of [Rh(COD)Cl] 2 with the bidentate chelating isonitrile ligands, DiNC and t-BuDiNC. The solid compounds are variously colored yellow, green, blue or violet. In dilute (∼10 −5 M ) solutions, the compounds are yellow, but as the concentrations of the solutions are increased, the colors become green or blue. Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopic studies suggest, as found previously for monodentate isonitrile rhodium(I) complexes, that the [Rh(DiNC) 2 ] + cation exists as a monomer in dilute solutions, but dimers, trimers, and tetramers are found at higher concentrations. For [Rh(t-BuDiNC) 2 ] + , only monomers and dimers are observed; presumably the bulky t-butyl groups prevent the formation of higher oligomers in this case. Equilibrium constants for the dimerizations of [Rh(DiNC) 2 ] + and [Rh(t-BuDiNC) 2 ] + were determined. When exposed to room light, blue solutions of the oligomers [Rh(DiNC) 2 ] x x + fade to the yellow color of the monomer; 1 H NMR spectra of the solutions confirm the photodissociation of the oligomers. The reaction of [Rh(DiNC) 2 ] + with I 2 yields the binuclear [Rh 2 (DiNC) 4 I 2 ] 2+ presumed to have a structure with a RhRh bond and terminal I − ligands. Under the same conditions, monodentate isonitrile complexes [Rh(CNAr) 4 ] + yield mononuclear [Rh(CNAr) 4 I 2 ] + upon reaction with I 2 . The greater stability of the dimeric structure for DiNC may be due to the smaller steric bulk of the DiNC ligand as a consequence of its near planarity as compared with monodentate CNAr ligands in which the Ar groups may rotate. Additional evidence for dimer stabilization by DiNC is the high temperature (70°C) required for RhRh bond cleavage as observed in 1 H NMR studies of [Rh 2 (DiNC) 4 I 2 ] 2+ . The yellow platinum(II) complex [Pt(DiNC) 2 ]PtCl 4 is isolated from the reaction of (Et 4 N) 2 PtCl 4 with DiNC. The reaction of K 2 PtCl 4 with t-BuDiNC yields white cis -PtCl 2 (t-BuDiNC). Complexes reported herein are characterized by their UV-visible, IR, and 1 H and 13 C NMR spectra.
Induced Strain Actuation for Solid-State Ornithopters: A Parametric Study

This numerical study seeks to find a feasible location and orientation for a piezoelectric material to actuate a solid-state ornithopter modelled after the Great Blue Heron. The analysis is first conducted statically and dynamically on a simple rectangular cantilevered plate. A separate simplified model of a plate with Great Blue Heron wing profile is also examined statically and dynamically. The parameters considered are the angles of two piezoelectric Macro-Fiber Composite patches that are adhered to the cantilevered substrate near its base and at mid-span. The orientations of the patches are swept from 0 to 180 degrees as they are actuated at amplitude of 1000 Volts either statically or harmonically. By varying the orientation angles, various bending and twisting deflections are obtained and the responses are analyzed.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Let-7-complex microRNAs regulate the temporal identity of Drosophila mushroom body neurons via chinmo.

Summary Many neural lineages display a temporal pattern, but the mechanisms controlling the ordered production of neuronal subtypes remain unclear. Here, we show that Drosophila let-7 and miR-125 , cotranscribed from the let-7-Complex ( let-7-C ) locus, regulate the transcription factor chinmo to control temporal cell fate in the mushroom body (MB) lineage. We find that let-7-C is activated in postmitotic neurons born during the larval-to-pupal transition, when transitions among three MB subtypes occur. Loss or increase of let-7-C delays or accelerates these transitions, respectively, and leads to cell fate transformations. Consistent with our identification of let-7 and miR-125 sites in a recently identified ∼6 kb extension of the chinmo 3′ UTR, Chinmo is elevated in let-7-C mutant MBs. In addition, we show that let-7-C acts upstream of chinmo and that let-7-C phenotypes are caused by elevated chinmo . Thus, these heterochronic miRNAs, originally identified in C. elegans , underlie progenitor cell multipotency during the development of diverse bilateria.
The mechanism of percussive wear of tungsten carbide composites

Abstract Percussive rock drills operate by repeated blows of a pneumatically operated piston striking a bit with cemented tungsten carbide inserts on its wear faces. In order to investigate the mechanism of wear on the faces of these inserts, bits worn in actual field operation were studied and, in addition, laboratory experiments simulating rock drilling were carried out where the wearing process could be observed. All of the experimental evidence indicates that the chief wear mechanism is a fatigue microspalling of the carbide surface related to the blows. The contribution of sliding wear, and therefore the effects of sliding velocity and hold-down force, were found to be minor. The surface fatigue wear rate is equal to the product of the average volume of a spall, the number of sites of possible spall formation and a probability factor giving the proportion of these sites that receive sufficient energy to produce a spall. From the wear data obtai, the number of sites of possible spall formation is small, sometimes less than one per insert per blow, while the probability factor is large, almost unity. This indicates that when a site becomes properly conditioned, little additional energy is required to complete the formation of a spall.
Communication and Uncertainty Management.

The fundamental challenge for refining theories of communication and uncertainty is to abandon the assumption that uncertainty will produce anxiety. To better explain processes of communication and uncertainty management the authors must answer questions about a) the experience and meaning of uncertainty b) the role of appraisal and emotion in uncertainty management and c) the range of behavioral and psychological responses to uncertainty. This paper outlines and extends a theory of uncertainty management and reviews current theory and research in this area. In addition to the theoretical advances promised by this perspective the paper describes applications to health communication practice. The drive in disease prevention to reduce uncertainty about the state of health and illness has led to a "culture of chronic illness". Constant surveillance of peoples health combined with improved methods for screening and monitoring virtually guarantee finding something wrong with every person creating a society divided into the chronically ill and the worried well (i.e. those waiting to be diagnosed). (authors)
Evaluation of specific anaerobic power in 12–14-year-old male rowers

Abstract No previous study had applied the modified Wingate rowing test to young athletes (i.e. children and adolescents). The aims of this study were to evaluate the trial-to-trial reliability of a rowing-modified Wingate test in a group of 12–14-year-old rowers (n = 98) and to compare anaerobic power values among the 12-, 13-, and 14-year-old rowers after accounting for differences in physical maturity and body size. Each subject performed two “all-out” 30-s trials on a Concept II rowing ergometer. The trials were separated by a 15-min active recovery period, which included walking and stretching and ensured the participants’ full recovery. The test proved to be highly reliable, with coefficients of variations of 2.4 and 2.9% (CI = 2.1–3.4%) and intraclass correlation coefficients of 0.994 and 0.996 (CI = 0.991–0.997) for mean power and peak power, respectively. The ANCOVA analyses accounting for differences in body size and level of physical maturity (assessed using indices of pubic hair) and the Bonferroni post hoc tests identified the 14-year-olds as having significantly greater adjusted mean power and peak power values (P
Gain and index measurements in GaAlAs quantum well lasers

Measurements of the modal gain and group index in GaAlAs single-quantum-well (SQW) lasers are presented. The elimination of substrate emission has allowed accurate results to be obtained even in the near-bandgap and below-bandgap spectral regions. Substantial lifetime broadening is observed, and the gain smoothly goes to zero as the bandgap is approached. The group velocity index measurements indicate a dispersion of -3.44 mu m/sup -1/. >
“Whacked-Out Partners”: The Inversion of Empathy in the Joey Pigza Trilogy

This essay traces how Jack Gantos' Joey Pigza trilogy undermines many common stereotypes about the disabled, focusing in particular on its rejection of the literary tradition that sets the impaired child up as a passive object of empathy. Inverting this paradigm, Gantos instead characterizes his protagonist as an empathetic agent in his own right. Joey, who has attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, even manages to sympathize with the unsympathetic adults around him, whose insensitive treatment of him complicates his life. Readers of the series are thus invited not just to empathize with Joey, but to emulate him, by extending their compassion to the imperfect adults as well as the impaired child.