cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multiple Scattering at Rough Ocean Boundaries

This is a brief review paper on several recent theoretical approaches to rough surface scattering with the emphasis on multiple scattering. The limitations of single scattering theories are generally well understood. On this basis, it is our belief that future research on rough surface scattering should concentrate on multiple scattering methods. This includes both formal development of rigorous theories of scattering as well as multiple scattering approximation methods to make the whole development useful. Much of the material we present here can be found further developed in a forthcoming review paper by DeSanto and Brown (1986). Single scattering ideas are also developed in this paper and it is shown how the techniques used in the latter development have a natural extension to multiple scattering theories.
The Trouble with Taxing Those at the Top

Democratic presidential candidates and members of Congress are vying with one another to raise marginal tax rates for high-income earners, particularly the top 1 or 2 percent of taxpayers. A careful review of economic theory and evidence suggests that raising tax rates at the top is an inefficient and undesirable way to generate revenue.
Connection or Independence Cross-Cultural Comparisons of Adolescents’ Coping With Peer Victimization Using Mixed Methods

This study investigates differences and similarities in coping responses to peer victimization and the way culture is reflected in the social cognitions adolescents used in choosing their coping responses through a mixed-method design with 731 Taiwanese and 470 U.S. adolescents. Adolescents provided coping responses to peer victimization via both hypothetical situations and within structured open-ended questions. Two culturally distinctive psychological frameworks, seeking connection in Taiwan and showing independence in the United States, were reflected in both the coping responses that adolescents endorsed (i.e., more seeking adults’ support in Taiwan and more problem-solving coping in the United States) and the social cognitions used in the coping process (e.g., connection seeking in Taiwan and self-independence demonstration in the United States). Taiwan and U.S. adolescents also differ in the prevalence of coping strategies in the real-life peer victimization descriptions in a way that was comparable...
Polymerase chain reaction amplification of the genome of infectious bronchitis virus.

SUMMARY. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to amplify a portion of the genome of infectious bronchitis virus (IBV). Two synthetic primers that annealed to segments of the IBV genome in the matrix and nucleocapsid genes facilitated PCR amplification of a 1020-base sequence. Amplification was successful using template DNA from an IBV sequencecontaining plasmid and using copy DNA created by reverse transcription of IBV genomic RNA. The PCR product was the expected size and had the expected nucleotide sequence.
Primary Discussion on Teaching Reform of Instrumental Analysis in Application-oriented Undergraduate Schools

The characteristics of pharmacy specialty in College of Food and Drug of Anhui Science and Technology University were analyzed,and the development of instrumental analysis course was also introduced.A series of reforms were conducted in the connection between its teaching content and related disciplines including the instrumental analysis course itself as well as in the teaching means and methods.Integrated teaching which is based on basic points and replenished and updated timely enhances students′ ability to master and apply knowledge.The use of multimedia,live demonstrations and other means raises the students′ awareness in large equipment and makes them master necessary methods of operation.The practical and innovative ability should be trained by conducting multi-level teaching in various forms.
Bladder Outlet Obstruction

Bladder outlet obstruction in the female is rare. The patient may complain of symptoms of obstruction such as the need to strain, difficulty in starting the stream, interrupted or prolonged stream, or the sensation of incomplete emptying. The patient’s symptoms may not correlate with the residuals of urine, which can be low or high. Patients with chronic retention can present with minimal symptoms of obstruction but a significant residual of urine.
Wire-guided droplet manipulation for molecular biology

Wire-guided droplet manipulation (WDM) is a simple method of manipulating liquid droplets in a hydrophobic environment to conduct experiments, reactions, and assays. In WDM, a wire (or needle tip) manipulates microliter-sized liquid droplets within an immiscible liquid or on a hydrophobic surface. The attributes of this format for liquid handling address some of the challenges facing the use of conventional techniques. Specifically, WDM provides solutions for development of automated, sample-to-answer, point-of-care systems with potential applications in medicine, life science research, forensics, veterinary diagnostics, and disease control.
Designing Clinical Trials for Neural Repair

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the appropriate design and performance of clinical trials for neural repair. Clinical trial designs fall into two categories—cross-over design and parallel-group design. Cross-over designs may be more appropriate for presumed symptomatic treatments in patients with nonprogressive illness such as chronic spinal cord injury and parallel group designs may be preferable for neurodegenerative diseases. The choice of a trial's primary and secondary outcome measures is an essential feature of designing clinical trials, especially when trying to assess the value of neuroregenerative therapies. The outcome measures must be chosen based on the expected effect of the therapeutic intervention. Therapeutic trials aim at preventing disease, reduce the rate of progression, or ameliorate symptoms of the disease without altering its underlying structural pathology. The chapter discusses how these various therapeutic aims can be incorporated into the study design. Trials involving agents for which symptomatic improvement of the disease is the objective should examine a common and relevant core symptom of the disease.
Host Cell Interactions Are a Significant Barrier to the Clinical Utility of Peptide Antibiotics.

Despite longstanding promise and many known examples, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have failed, thus far, to impact human medicine. On the basis of the physical chemistry and mechanism of action of AMPs, we hypothesized that host cell interactions could contribute to a loss of activity in vivo where host cells are highly concentrated. To test this idea, we characterized AMP activity in the presence of human red blood cells (RBC). Indeed, we show that most of a representative set of natural and synthetic AMPs tested are significantly inhibited by preincubation with host cells and would be effectively inactive at physiological cell density. We studied an example broad-spectrum AMP, ARVA (RRGWALRLVLAY), in a direct, label-free binding assay. We show that weak binding to host cells, coupled with their high concentration, is sufficient to account for a loss of useful activity, for at least some AMPs, because >1 × 108 peptides must be bound to each bacterial cell to achieve sterilization. The effect of host ce...
Toward a working taxonomy of geodesign practice

As an emerging area of study, geodesign discussions and publications have used practice as a vital source of inspiration and evidence of the early successes of the field. A closer examination of geodesign projects reveals some similarities and differences within the practice currently discussed as geodesign. Using 28 examples of geodesign projects, this paper identifies classes of examples that are similar. Based on the practical evidence represented in the examples, a 3-level classification system is proposed for providing a basic taxonomy for geodesign projects. This taxonomic system characterizes the classes based on: (1) whether the examples ceded some design control to the computer; (2) whether public participation is incorporated into the design process; and (3) whether it employs complex substantive models. This taxonomy offers a means for understanding and describing the diversity of geodesign while also raising new questions about the boundaries and structure of the field.
Elevated cerebral spinal fluid biomarkers in children with mucopolysaccharidosis I-H.

Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) type-IH is a lysosomal storage disease that results from mutations in the IDUA gene causing the accumulation of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). Historically, children with the severe phenotype, MPS-IH (Hurler syndrome) develop progressive neurodegeneration with death in the first decade due to cardio-pulmonary complications. New data suggest that inflammation may play a role in MPS pathophysiology. To date there is almost no information on the pathophysiologic changes within the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) of these patients. We evaluated the CSF of 25 consecutive patients with MPS-IH. While CSF glucose and total protein were within the normal range, we found a significantly mean elevated CSF opening pressure at 24 cm H2O (range 14-37 cm H2O). We observed a 3-fold elevation in CSF heparan sulfate and a 3-8 fold increase in MPS-IH specific non-reducing ends, I0S0 and I0S6. Cytokine analyses in CSF of children with MPS-IH showed significantly elevated inflammatory markers including: MCP-1 SDF-1a, IL-Ra, MIP-1b, IL-8, and VEGF in comparison to unaffected children. This is the largest report of CSF characteristics in children with MPS-IH. Identification of key biomarkers may provide further insight into the inflammatory-mediated mechanisms related to MPS diseases and perhaps lead to improved targeted therapies.
Have Pay Equity Laws in Canada Helped Women? A Synthetic-Control Approach

ABSTRACTOntario passed a very aggressive Pay Equity Act in 1988, and in 1996 Quebec passed a similar Pay Equity Act. We use synthetic-control methods to examine what has happened to the gender pay gap (female–male earnings ratio) in Ontario since 2005 and to see whether Quebec’s Pay Equity Act has had any effect on its pay gap. Ontario and Quebec are chosen simply because they are the provinces with the most comprehensive and “aggressive” pay equity laws. We also use synthetic-control methods to investigate whether these acts may have had an adverse effect on the female–male employment ratios in Ontario and Quebec. We find that Ontario’s act has had a negligible effect on that province’s gender pay gap and employment ratio. However, Quebec’s act appears to have reduced the gender pay gap, although at a cost of a somewhat smaller employment ratio for women in that province.
3-D digital preservation of at-risk global cultural heritage

Recent current events have dramatically highlighted the vulnerability of the world's material cultural heritage. The 3-D Digital Preservation of At-Risk Global Cultural Heritage project, led by Thomas Levy at UC San Diego, catalyzes a collaborative research effort by four University of California campuses (San Diego, Berkeley, Los Angeles and Merced) to use cyber-archaeology and computer graphics for cultural heritage to document and safeguard virtually some of the most at-risk heritage objects and places. Faculty and students involved in this project are conducting path-breaking archaeological research - covering more than 10,000 years of culture and architecture - in Cyprus, Greece, Egypt, Ethiopia, Israel, Jordan, Morocco, Turkey, and the United States. This project uses the 3-D archaeological data collected in numerous at-risk heritage places to study, forecast, and model the effects of human conflict, climate change, natural disasters and technological and cultural changes on these sites and landscapes. The greater challenge undertaken by this project is to integrate archaeological heritage data and digital heritage data using the recently-announced Pacific Research Platform (PRP) and its 10--100Gb/s network as well as virtual reality kiosks installed in each participating UC campus. Our aim is to link UC San Diego and the San Diego Supercomputer Center to other labs, libraries and museums at the other UC campuses to form a highly-networked collaborative platform for curation, analysis, and visualization of 3D archaeological heritage data.
Enhancing light transmission through a disordered waveguide with inhomogeneous scattering and loss

We enhanced the total transmission of light through a disordered waveguide with spatially inhomogeneous scattering and loss by shaping the incident wavefront of a laser beam. Using an on-chip tapered lead, we were able to access all input modes in the waveguide with a spatial light modulator. The adaptive wavefront shaping resulted in selective coupling of input light to high transmission channels, which bypassed the regions of higher scattering and loss in the waveguide. Spatial inhomogeneity in scattering and loss leads to the modification of the spatial structures of transmission eigenchannels, allowing wavefront shaping to redirect the energy flux to circumvent regions of higher scattering and loss and thereby enhancing the energy transported through the system. This work demonstrates the power of wavefront shaping in coherent control of light transport in inhomogeneous scattering media, which are common in real applications.
Choose your neighborhood wisely: implications of subsampling and autocorrelation structure in simultaneous autoregression models for landscape ecology

Context Large datasets that exhibit residual spatial autocorrelation are common in landscape ecology, introducing issues with model inference. Computationally intensive statistical techniques such as simultaneous autoregression (SAR) are used to provide credible inference, yet landscape studies make choices about autocorrelation structure and data reduction techniques without adequate understanding of the consequences for model estimation and inference.
Improved frequency regulation in an islanded mixed source microgrid through coordinated operation of DERs and smart loads

The advent of microgrids paved the way for energy decentralization and self-sufficiency among consumers. Reciprocating engine-driven synchronous generators (also known as gensets) are one of the most commonly found distributed energy resources (DERs) installed in a microgrid. A key concern in microgrid operation is the frequency regulation, especially when it is islanded from the main grid. In recent years, the inverter-based DERs have witnessed huge growth. When fast-responding inverter-based DERs are working in parallel with the slow-acting gensets within the islanded mixed source microgrid, many challenges exist in coordinating their operation. In particular, an inverter-based DER is susceptible to collapse due to its large transient loading and this can bring down the entire system. This paper investigates load sharing and proposes new techniques for improved frequency regulation in an islanded mixed source microgrid. An improved coordination scheme between DERs is presented in this paper by accounting for their inertial and governor response characteristics. The unequal transient load sharing between gensets and inverter-based DERs is redistributed to prevent system collapse as well as achieve desired frequency regulation. For dealing with extreme scenarios, a smart load shedding scheme is integrated into the coordinated operation of DERs.
Genotoxic stress induces Sca-1-expressing metastatic mammary cancer cells

We describe a cell damage‐induced phenotype in mammary carcinoma cells involving acquisition of enhanced migratory and metastatic properties. Induction of this state by radiation required increased activity of the Ptgs2 gene product cyclooxygenase 2 (Cox2), secretion of its bioactive lipid product prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), and the activity of the PGE2 receptor EP4. Although largely transient, decaying to low levels in a few days to a week, this phenotype was cumulative with damage and levels of cell markers Sca‐1 and ALDH1 increased with treatment dose. The Sca‐1+, metastatic phenotype was inhibited by both Cox2 inhibitors and PGE2 receptor antagonists, suggesting novel approaches to radiosensitization.
Crisis intervention team training: when police encounter persons with mental illness

The Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) model is an established training program used to improve police response to encounters involving persons with mental illness (PwMI). Diversion of PwMI from the cr...
Preserving Community through Radical Collaboration: Affordable Housing Preservation Networks in Chicago, Washington, DC, and Denver

Collaborative planning efforts to address complex problems such as affordable housing and climate change traditionally manifest as government-led processes meant to gain legitimacy and engage with ...
Swine and Influenza: A Challenge to One Health Research

The challenge of increasing swine production and a rising number of novel and known swine influenza viruses has prompted a considerable boost in research into how and why pigs have become such significant hosts for influenza viruses. The ecology of influenza A viruses is rather complicated, involving multiple host species and a segmented genome. Wild aquatic birds are the reservoir for the majority of influenza A viruses, but novel influenza viruses were recently identified in bats. Occasionally, influenza A viruses can be transmitted to mammals from avian species and this event could lead to the generation of human pandemic strains. Swine are thought to be “mixing vessels ” because they are susceptible to infection with both avian and mammalian influenza viruses; and novel influenza viruses can be generated in pigs by reassortment . At present, it is difficult to predict which viruses might cause a human pandemic . Therefore, both human and veterinary research needs to give more attention to the potential cross-species transmission capacity of influenza A viruses.
Web Services Overview for Net-Centric Operations

Web Services are being adopted as the enabling technology to provide net-centric capabilities for many Department of Defense (DoD) operations. The Navy Enterprise Portal, for example, is Web Services-based, and the Department of the Navy is promulgating guidance for developing Web Services. In this chapter, we provide an overview of Web Services and provide examples of the use of Web Services for net-centric operations as applied to meteorological and oceanographic (MetOc) data. We then present issues related to the Navy’s use of MetOc Web Services. Finally, we describe our work on the Advanced MetOc Broker (AMB). The AMB supports a new, advanced approach to using Web Services; namely, the automated identification, retrieval and fusion of MetOc data. Systems based on this approach would not require extensive end-user application development for each new Web Service from which data can be retrieved.
Basilar Membrane Properties and Cochlear Response

A WKB solution for a simplified analytical model of a guinea pig cochlea was used to investigate the effect of basilar membrane (BM) mass and orthotropy on response. The conclusion is reaffirmed that a physiological value of BM mass has little effect. The degree of orthotropy has no effect on peak location, but increases the subsequent decay of amplitude. The BM stiffness is highly dependent on the microstructure, particularly the fiber density. With such anatomical detail the localization can be estimated which agrees with direct measurement.
Assessing Asian American Family Acculturation in Clinical Settings: Guidelines and Recommendations for Mental Health Professionals

In this chapter, we present the background and rationale for assessing acculturation in Asian American families. We discuss key Asian American family acculturation issues: family dynamics, family structure, developmental considerations, and family ecologies. In addition, we present clinical guidelines to assess Asian American family acculturation and its impact on the parent–child and couple subsystems.
Chemistry of Engine Combustion Deposits: Literature Review

As an autombile engine runs, its fuel quality requirements, as measured by the octane number of the fuel needed to inhibit knocking, may change in time. Historically, this phenomenon is referred to as the “ORI” problem, standing for octane requirement increase.
Putting the Principle of Human Dignity to the Test: A “Useless” Concept from an American Perspective?

The concept of human dignity has received renewed attention, for some time now, from legal scholars and commentators in the United States. It is cited in jurisprudential writings, in court opinions, and often in the Supreme Court’s dissenting opinions. Several scholars consider that it does already play a role in American constitutional jurisprudence; they appeal to a more consistent use of the concept in modern constitutionalism. However, there is a lot of disagreement as to whether human dignity should be incorporated into the domestic legal framework and whether importing a European concept, more attuned to communitarian values and possibly fraught with ambiguity and vagueness, is necessary. Many deem the notion of dignity, which is absent from the Constitution, alien to American tradition and culture. This chapter explores the use of dignity in some of the jurisprudence of the Supreme Court as well as in American bioethics through the so-called “Ashley case”—a case in which dignity, a notion seldom referenced in bioethics, was identified as the fundamental value at stake.
Communication and side payments in a duopoly with private costs: An experiment

Abstract We design an experiment to examine the role of chat communication and side payments in facilitating collusion and fostering productive efficiency in repeated Bertrand duopoly markets. Sellers in the experiment are privately informed about their costs, which are randomly drawn every period. When side payments are feasible, theory predicts that a seller with a low cost will offer a side payment to a high cost rival for the high cost seller to stay out of the market. The low cost seller then proceeds to serve the entire market at the monopoly price, thereby achieving both joint profit maximization and productive efficiency. In the experiment, we find that prices are higher when sellers are allowed to engage in chat communication and when they choose to use side payments. However, the mere availability of the side payment option does not lead to greater collusion and side payments have a weakly positive effect on productive efficiency.
A molecular toolbox for interrogation of membrane contact sites.

Membrane contact sites (MCSs) are specialized subcellular compartments formed by closely apposed membranes from two organelles. The intermembrane gap is separated by a distance ranging from 10 to 35 nm. MCSs are typically maintained through dynamic protein-protein and protein-lipid interactions. These intermembrane contact sites constitute important intracellular signalling hotspots to mediate a plethora of cellular processes, including calcium homeostasis, lipid metabolism, membrane biogenesis and organelle remodelling. In recent years, a series of genetically encoded probes and chemogenetic or optogenetic actuators have been invented to aid the visualization and interrogation of MCSs in both fixed and living cells. These molecular tools have greatly accelerated the pace of mechanistic dissection of membrane contact sites at the molecular level. In this review, we present an overview on the latest progress in this endeavour, and provide a general guide to the selection of methods and molecular tools for probing interorganellar membrane contact sites.
Response to Commentaries on “Transgender Children and the Right to Transition”

I am grateful to all who took time to write commentaries, even those with whom I imminently disagree. Each commentary provided an opportunity to either clarify a potential confusion, emphasize a po...
Cinema, nation, and empire in Uzbekistan, 1919-1937: by Chloé Drieu, translated by Adrian Morfee, Bloomington, Indiana University Press, 2018, 293 pp., illustrations, appendices, bibliography, index, $42.00 (paperback), $100.00 (cloth), ISBN: 978-0-253-07848

Cloe Drieu’s Cinema Nation and Empire in Uzbekistan, 1919–1937 offers an outstanding exploration of the development of silent cinema on the Soviet Central Asian periphery. As the title suggests, Dr...
Multifunctional integrated photonics in the mid-infrared with suspended AlGaAs on silicon

The microscale integration of mid- and long-wave-infrared photonics could enable the development of fieldable, robust chemical sensors, as well as highly efficient infrared frequency converters. However, such technology would be defined by the choice of material platform, which immediately determines the strength and types of optical nonlinearities available, the optical transparency window, modal confinement, and physical robustness. In this work, we demonstrate a new platform, suspended AlGaAs waveguides integrated on silicon, providing excellent performance in all of these metrics. We demonstrate low propagation losses within a span of nearly two octaves (1.26–4.6 μm) with exemplary performance of 0.45 dB/cm at λ=2.4 μm. We exploit the high nonlinearity of this platform to demonstrate 1560 nm-pumped second-harmonic generation and octave-spanning supercontinuum reaching out to 2.3 μm with 3.4 pJ pump pulse energy. With mid-IR pumping, we generate supercontinuum spanning from 2.3 to 6.5 μm. Finally, we demonstrate the versatility of the platform with mid-infrared passive devices such as low-loss 10 μm-radius bends, compact power splitters with 96±1% efficiency, and edge couplers with 3.0±0.1 dB loss. This platform has strong potential for multifunctional integrated photonic systems in the mid-infrared.
Satellite-based monitoring of groundwater depletion in California's Central Valley.

Range change data, obtained from Synthetic Aperture Radar satellites, form the basis for estimates of aquifer volume change in California's Central Valley. The estimation algorithm incorporates a function penalizing changes far from known well locations, linking the aquifer volume changes to agricultural, industrial, and municipal pumping within the Tulare basin. We show that the range changes are compatible with the hypothesis that the source of aquifer volume changes are variations in effective pressure around documented wells. Specifically, inclusion of the well distance penalty does not degrade the fit to the observations, inversions with and without it both give variance reductions of 99.6%. The patterns of aquifer volume change vary significantly from the drought year, between October 2015 and October 2016, to a wet year in 2017, and into 2018, a year with near average rainfall. The 2.3 million acre-feet of estimated volume reduction, a lower bound on the amount of water extracted from the basin between October 2015 and 2016, agrees with independent estimates of 1.8 and 2.3 million acre-feet. The aquifer volume reduction is also compatible with a loss of 3.1 km3 (2.5 million acre-feet) in groundwater volume derived from Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite data.
Why Natural History Is Important to (Primate) Science: A Baboon Case Study

Natural history was the scientific approach used in early primate field studies and through the 1960s. After that, natural history fell out of favor, considered either bad science or not science at all. In my plenary talk at the 2018 IPS Congress in Nairobi, I argued that primate science once again needs natural history. Here, I reprise that argument, illustrating the long and tortuous route that took me to this conclusion. I use information on wild baboons (Papio anubis) from my 47-year field study in Kenya to support my claims. I then explain the historical and current reasons why science, including primate science, needs natural history, particularly in the Anthropocene.
Russia at Crossroads

Russia is a country that lies at the crossroads of pressures from powerful international actors—Europe and the United States—yet it is producing its own distinctive and strong influence globally and rediscovering its national identity. Kochtcheeva demonstrates that despite the advance of global interconnectedness, the crisis in relations between Russia and the West reveals that economic interdependencies and security-based cooperation are not sufficient to prevent conflicts based on (geo)political, historical, moral, and ideological drives. While Russia’s position in a globalizing world started with the uncomfortable reality of its geopolitical retreat, Russia has transformed itself from a devoted follower of the West to its critic, projecting with varying degrees of success the image of a world power. Russia should be seen as both contributing and reactive to globalization.
Chapter 15 – Traditional and Alternative Medicines

Publisher Summary The Medicines Act makes special provision for two difficult areas: homeopathy and herbal medicines. Both present problems for the licensing system. Both represent traditional forms of treatment that have numbers of practitioners who are unable to use the exemptions from control provided for doctors and pharmacists. Additionally, certain groups of medicines may be sold in non-pharmacy outlets. Herbal products that make no medicinal claims (even if they may have a medicinal use) can be sold as foods, for example, parsley, or as food supplements. Where an ingredient has no use other than a medicinal use, the product will fall within the medicines controls. The purpose of the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive is to establish within the community a harmonized legislative framework for authorizing the marketing of traditional herbal medicinal products, involving a simplified registration procedure. At present, there are no specific safeguards on quality and safety for unlicensed herbal remedies. Labeling and leaflets must include information and instructions about the safe use of the product, as with any licensed medicine. It must be made clear to the consumer that the indications are based on information obtained from its long-standing use and experience.
Effects of Lespedeza cuneata invasion on tallgrass prairie plant and arthropod communities

We examined effects of the invasive species Lespedeza cuneata on native plants and foliar arthropod communities in a tallgrass prairie. Through observational and manipulative experiments, we examined plant and arthropod responses to L. cuneata over one growing season. The observational study found little impact of the invasive plant on arthropods. By the end of the manipulative experiment, the combined biomass of native grasses and forbs was reduced by approximately 50% in Lespedeza-present plots, while total arthropod numbers were only about 15% lower. Seasonal differences were evident; L. cuneata-absent plots showed lower arthropod numbers in May, but higher abundances in June. Some feeding groups, notably carnivorous arthropods, appeared unaffected by L. cuneata. We tested three hypotheses (one bottom-up and two top-down processes) to explain the relatively weak response of the arthropod community to the invasive plant. Nitrogen content of native plants adjacent to L. cuneata areas was significantly higher compared to plants more distant. Ground arthropod predators were higher during mid-summer in L. cuneata areas, which may partially explain seasonal variation in foliar arthropods. Insectivorous birds were unaffected by L. cuneata abundance, suggesting that arthropod predation rates by birds are unchanged. We suggest that while L. cuneata has strong effects on native plants, its ability to increase neighboring plant quality compensates for the lower biomass of native plants in L. cuneata areas, moderating the arthropod response. While management of this invasive species remains a priority, tallgrass prairie food webs may be partly resistant to L. cuneata invasion.
Battle Scars and Resilience at the Health Care Frontline.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created an historic global crisis, resulting in unprecedented stressors on frontline healthcare systems. The population remains on edge, and hospitals are stretched to capacity. This is not our first pandemic. We have learned from prior outbreaks that, in addition to the sheer physical burden, there are also likely to be important but often unacknowledged behavioral and psychosocial costs.1 Frontline healthcare workers, may be particularly vulnerable to harmful psychological consequences.
Racial discrepancy in pulse oximeter accuracy in preterm infants

Objective Pulse oximetry is commonly used in Neonatology, however recent adult data suggest racial disparity in accuracy, with overestimation of oxygen saturation for Black patients. Study design Black and White infants Results A total of 294 infants (124 Black, 170 White) were identified with mean GA of 25.8 ± 2.1 weeks and mean BW of 845 ± 265 grams, yielding 4387 SaO2-SpO2 datapoints. SpO2 overestimation, measured by mean bias, was 2.4-fold greater for Black infants and resulted in greater occult hypoxemia (SpO2 > 90% when SaO2 Conclusion There is a modest but consistent difference in SpO2 error between Black and White infants, with increased incidence of occult hypoxemia in Black infants.
Magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar spine in asymptomatic older adults

Asymptomatic subjects greater than 55 years old received lumbar spine magnetic resonance imaging studies. Two radiologists, blinded to the subjects’ history, independently read the scans for the presence of abnormalities. One radiologist also measured spinal canal dimensions. In 33 subjects, at least one disc bulge was present in 28 (84.8%) subjects, at least one disc herniation in 6 (18.2%), at least one degenerated facet joint in 25 (75.7%), ligamentous thickening in 22 (66.7%), and anterolisthesis in 6 (18.2%). Twenty-four (68.5%) had at least mild, 10 (28.6%) had at least moderate, and 2 (5.6%) had severe central canal stenosis. Mean osseous spinal canal diameter gradually decreased from 20.4 mm at the L1-2 level to 16.0 mm at L5-S1. Midline thecal sac diameter and lateral recess anterior-posterior diameter were relatively unchanged. Interfacet distances both slowly increased from L1-2 to L5-S1. To achieve 95% and 90% specificities, the lower-limit cutoff should be 10.7 mm and 11.9 mm for the osseous spinal canal diameter, 6.5 mm and 7.6 mm for the thecal sac, and 3.7 mm and 4.3 mm for the lateral recess. Understanding the range of findings in asymptomatic older subjects will help clinicians better treat older patients with spinal disorders.
Types of Strokes

There are two main types of strokes: ischemic and hemorrhagic. Ischemic strokes are far more common than hemorrhagic strokes. The brain has a blood supply which is fairly consistent between individuals. Ischemic strokes can be due to large-vessel atherosclerosis, aortocardioembolism, small-vessel occlusion, other determined causes, and undetermined causes. Hemorrhagic strokes are most often due to hypertension but may be caused by specific blood vessel abnormalities and other medical problems. The clinical impact of a stroke depends largely on the stroke’s location in the brain, whether it is ischemic or hemorrhagic, and the size/severity of the stroke itself.
After Dickens: Reading, Adaptation and Performance

Acknowledgments Note on the text Introduction Part I. Set Up: 1. Dickens, adaptation and Grotowski 2. ... as upon a theatre Part II. Flashback: 3. ... to be a Shakespeare 4. Exit: 'the sanguine mirage' Part III. Resolution: 5. How to do it 6. Coda Notes References Index.
High-Energy Inelastic e-p Scattering at 6° and 10°

Cross sections for inelastic scattering of electrons from hydrogen were measured for incident energies from 7 to 17 GeV at scattering angles of 6\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} to 10\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} covering a range of squared four-momentum transfers up to 7.4 ${(\mathrm{G}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{V}/\mathit{c})}^{2}$. For low center-of-mass energies of the final hadronic system the cross section shows prominent resonances at low momentum transfer and diminishes markedly at higher momentum transfer. For high excitations the cross section shows only a weak momentum-transfer dependence.
De Guancane a Macondo: los albores de la literatura hispanoamericana

Resumen es: En La Florida del Inca (1605) Garcilaso de la Vega presenta un relato sobre una provincia floridiana llamada Guancane, cuya inexistencia en las fuente...
Assessment of aged mdx mice by electrical impedance myography and magnetic resonance imaging.

Introduction: Similar to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), electrical impedance myography (EIM) is dependent on the presence and location of water in muscle to assess neuromuscular diseases. We compared the 2 technologies in mdx mice to better understand their relationship. Methods: EIM and MRI, using T2 relaxation and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), were performed on the gastrocnemius of 10 mdx and 10 wild-type mice. Muscle function and tissue composition measurements were compared with the EIM and MRI data. Results: EIM reactance and T2 relaxation mapping can discriminate healthy from diseased mice (P < 0.001 for both), but DWI could not. Both T2 relaxation and EIM reactance also correlated closely with muscle function/composition and with each other. Conclusion: Given the low cost of EIM and the simplicity of application, it may be a valuable alternative to muscle MRI in Duchenne muscular dystrophy, where simple cumulative indices of muscle health are being sought. Muscle Nerve 52: 598–604, 2015
Anti-morphine anti-idiotypic antibodies: Opiate receptor binding and isolated tissue responses

Anti-idiotypic antibodies which recognize the opiate receptor were generated in guinea pigs following immunization against purified rabbit anti-morphine antibodies. The anti-idiotypic antibodies produced a concentration-dependent inhibition of [3H]naloxone binding to opiate receptors in a membranous mouse brain preparation. Saturation analysis indicated that the antibodies produced a non-competitive inhibition of naloxone binding. The ability of the antibodies to interact with biological systems was investigated in in vitro systems. In both the isolated guinea pig ileal longitudinal muscle and mouse vas deferens, the antibodies produced a concentration-dependent, opiate agonist-like action. The anti-morphine anti-idiotypic antibodies appear to interact specifically with the opiate receptor and may serve as useful tools in characterization of this receptor system.
The causes of histidinuria in normal pregnancy.

Abstract Renal clearance studies were conducted on 10 normal pregnant women who were receiving intravenous infusions of inulin and l -histidine at a constant rate. The plasma and urinary levels of the amino acid were determined microbiologically. Identical studies were repeated on the same individuals four to seven weeks after delivery. All subjects had increased histidinuria while pregnant, with marked increases in histidine clearance. Three factors were found to account for this: 1. 1. The rate of glomerular filtration was increased in all 10 subjects from a nonpregnant mean of 104 to a pregnancy mean of 171 ml. per minute per 1.73 sq. M. of body surface. This change accounted for about half of the excess histidine excreted. 2. 2. The percentage of the filtered histidine which was reabsorbed by the renal tubules was decreased during pregnancy in every subject, accounting for about one-fourth of the excess histidine excreted. 3. 3. The rate at which the injected histidine entered the intracellular compartment of the body was decreased by pregnancy from a mean of 1.015 ± .04 to a mean of 0.81 ± 0.15 Gm. per hour. This reduction, statistically significant, causes an elevation of the plasma histidine level sufficient to account for the remainder of the excess histidine excreted. It is not known whether the altered metabolism is due to a decrease in the rate of histidine breakdown, or in the rate of histidine utilization, or both.
The Champions of the Universe

Once it was that particle theorists explained particles that were known to exist (like pion-nucleon resonances and strange particles) and predicted others that had to exist (like charmed particles, W’s and Z’s). Overwhelmed by the successes of their so-called standard model, they now find themselves enumerating the properties of particles that have no reason not to exist. Among these are countless candidates for the dark matter of galactic halos and the missing matter of the Universe, whose identification is surely a central problem at the frontier of cosmology and particle physics. With my colleagues Alvaro De Rujula and Uri Sarid, we introduce yet another, but seemingly outrageous dark matter candidate, but one that fulfils its task nonetheless: a stable and very massive electrically-charged particle.
An immersible relative saturation moisture sensor with application to transformer oil

Two polyimide-based capacitive humidity sensors were calibrated in Shell Diala A transformer oil and 10 cSt silicone oil at 35, 50, and 70 degrees C. The moisture content of the oils was found to be a linear function of the output voltage with the slope increasing with temperature. Thus, the sensitivity of the sensors to changes in the absolute moisture content of the oils was found to decrease with increasing temperature. For transformer oil the sensitivity changed from 30 mV/p.p.m. at 35 degrees C to 9 mV/p.p.m. at 70 degrees C; for silicone oil the sensitivity changed from 10 mV/p.p.m. at 35 degrees C to 4 mV/p.p.m. at 70 degrees C. Normalization of the absolute moisture content to the saturation level of moisture in the oil for all three calibration temperatures and both oils demonstrated that the sensors respond to the relative saturation of moisture in the oil. The saturation level of moisture in the oils was measured for the three calibration temperatures and could be expressed in Arrhenius form with an activation energy of 0.317 eV for transformer oil and 0.231 eV for silicone oil. >
Injection of the diaphragmatic crus with methylene blue for coloration of the canine thoracic duct.

Objective To describe and compare onset and intensity of thoracic duct (TD) coloration after injection of methylene blue into the diaphragmatic crus and mesenteric lymph node. Study Design Experimental study. Animals Adult dogs (n = 18). Methods Methylene blue (≤0.5 mg/kg 1% solution) was injected into the left (n = 9) or right (n = 9) diaphragmatic crus via right 10th intercostal thoracotomy. TD coloration was graded over 10 minutes. A right paracostal laparotomy was then performed in all dogs, and an equal volume of methylene blue injected into a mesenteric lymph node (n = 18). TD color grading was repeated. Statistical analysis was performed on subject weight, volume of contrast agent injected between left and right crus, and number of successful outcomes between diaphragmatic crus injection and mesenteric lymph node injection. Results TD coloration occurred in 6 dogs with left crus injection and 4 dogs with right crus injection with obvious staining present in 2 and 3 dogs, respectively. Successful outcome was noted in all dogs with mesenteric lymph node injection. The number of successful outcomes was significantly greater after mesenteric lymph node injection compared with diaphragmatic crus injection (P < .001). Conclusions Methylene blue injected into the diaphragmatic crura and mesenteric lymph node was successful in coloring the TD; however, mean thoracic duct color grade and number of successful outcomes were significantly higher after mesenteric injection.
Apatite 4He/3He and (U-Th)/He Evidence for an Ancient Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon is one of the most dramatic features on Earth, yet when and why it was carved have been controversial topics for more than 150 years. Here, we present apatite ^4He/^3He thermochronometry data from the Grand Canyon basement that tightly constrain the near-surface cooling history associated with canyon incision. ^4He/^3He spectra for eastern Grand Canyon apatites of differing He date, radiation damage, and U-Th zonation yield a self-consistent cooling history that substantially validates the He diffusion kinetic model applied here. Similar data for the western Grand Canyon provide evidence that it was excavated to within a few hundred meters of modern depths by ~70 million years ago (Ma), in contrast to the conventional model in which the entire canyon was carved since 5 to 6 Ma.
Effects of robotic manipulators on movements of novices and surgeons

Background Robot-assisted surgery is widely adopted for many procedures but has not realized its full potential to date. Based on human motor control theories, the authors hypothesized that the dynamics of the master manipulators impose challenges on the motor system of the user and may impair performance and slow down learning. Although studies have shown that robotic outcomes are correlated with the case experience of the surgeon, the relative contribution of cognitive versus motor skill is unknown. This study quantified the effects of da Vinci Si master manipulator dynamics on movements of novice users and experienced surgeons and suggests possible implications for training and robot design.
A preparative method for alkylhalophosphines

Abstract CH3PCl2, (CH3)2PCl and (CH3)(C2H5)PBr were prepared by the reaction of the corresponding thiophosphoryl derivatives with tributylphosphine. The method appears to be of general applicability and gives 60–70 per cent yields.
The relation of C-reactive protein levels to total and cardiovascular mortality in older U.S. women

Abstract Purpose To determine whether serum C-reactive protein levels, a sensitive indicator of inflammation, are associated with the risk of cardiovascular mortality among older women. Methods We conducted a case-cohort study within the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures, a population-based study involving 9704 women aged ≥65 years from four U.S. centers. We randomly selected 400 women from the entire cohort plus an additional random sample of 92 women from the 1125 women in the cohort who had died during the first 6 years of follow-up. Baseline serum C-reactive protein levels were measured using a high-sensitivity immunoassay. Cause-specific mortality was ascertained by review of death certificates and hospitalization records. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression was used to determine the association between C-reactive protein levels and cardiovascular mortality. Results During 6 years of follow-up, 150 of the 492 women died, including 52 who died of cardiovascular disease. After adjusting for potential confounders, women with C-reactive protein levels in the highest quartile (>3.0 mg/L) had a 8.0-fold (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.2 to 29) greater risk of cardiovascular mortality than those in the lowest quartile (≤1.0 mg/L). The association remained strong in women who did not smoke or take estrogen, and when early deaths were excluded. Women who smoked and whose C-reactive protein levels were above the first quartile had a very high risk of cardiovascular mortality (relative risk [RR] = 13; 95% CI: 3.4 to 47). C-reactive protein levels were not associated with noncardiovascular mortality (RR = 0.92; 95% CI: 0.4 to 2.1). Conclusion C-reactive protein level was an independent predictor of cardiovascular mortality in older women.