cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Preobrazhenskii-Feldman Myth and the Soviet Industrialization

The standard view of Soviet industrialization is that it aimed at accelerating economic growth by giving preference to heavy industry, a strategy credited to Preobrazhenskii and Feldman. This view ignores massive evidence on the objectives of industrialization and implies irrational behavior by the Soviet rulers. A simpler interpretation accepts the Soviet proclamations about the military buildup as the objective of both industrialization and the priority of heavy industry. Such a policy, well known from history, did not need to be invented by economic theorists. It was not Soviet secrecy, but the incentives of academic Sovietology that gave rise to the standard view.
Changing paradigms in lower extremity reconstruction in war-related injuries

Background Ballistic high-energy trauma has substantially increased the severity of non-fatal extremity injuries incurred in modern warfare. Expedient medical care, refinement in surgical techniques, and soft tissue coverage have brought about a paradigm shift in the management of lower extremity wounds during the last decade with an increased emphasis on limb salvage.
Imaging errors in localization of COMS-type plaques in choroidal melanoma brachytherapy.

PURPOSE To investigate mathematically and experimentally the sources of errors in localization of COMS-type plaques in melanoma brachytherapy when using ultrasound and transillumination and to give recommendations to avoid such errors. METHODS A computer-aided simulation tool was developed to model the errors seen in the patient images when using ultrasound imaging and transillumination during localization of the COMS-type plaque in melanoma brachytherapy. Several laboratory experiments were performed on sheep eyes to confirm the validity of the error sources and the simulator outputs. Results were compared to the intraoperative ultrasonographic patient images for validation. RESULTS Based on mathematical modeling and computer simulation results, transillumination provides acceptable accuracy for small to medium tumors with less than 7-mm height but shows poor accuracy as the tumor height increases. In ultrasound imaging, two sources of error are predicted in longitudinal scan using our computer simulation modeling, and the results are supported by the experiments on sheep eyes and patient images taken during the operation. Both errors are related to the lens. The first error is due to attenuation and refraction of the lens causing opaque areas and a change of curvature in the image of the plaque edge that is nearest to the lens. The second type of error is related to the total internal reflection from the lens. CONCLUSIONS The simulation method presented in this article allows quantitative assessment of the sources, mechanisms, and measures of errors in localization of the CMOS-type plaques by ultrasound and transillumination techniques. Errors predicted by the simulation method are validated by experiments. Error assessment by this method provides guidelines for avoiding such errors.
Evidence for Hypothalamic α and β Adrenergic Receptors Involved in the Control of Food Intake of the Pig

SUMMARY Intrahypothalamic injections of 2.7 μmol of DL-isoproterenol HCl, a β agonist, caused a 66 and 52 per cent reduction in food intake of the 24-hour-fasted pig at 1 and 2 hours respectively when compared to similar injections of normal saline. Injecting 2.5 μmol of DL-propranolol HCl, a β antagonist, 5 minutes before DL-isoproterenol HCl eliminated this depression in food intake at 1 and 2 hours. Food intake at 24 hours was not significantly affected by any of the intrahypothalamic injections. These data support the hypothesis that “satiety” in the pig is mediated through β receptors located in the hypothalamus.
Inhibition of the biosynthesis of thymidylic acid by 4-N-Hydroxy-2'-deoxycytidine in L5178Y leukemic cells.

Reproduction of L5178Y leukemic cells in culture was inhibited by 10-5M 4- N -hydroxy-2'-deoxycytidine. Thymidine and deoxyuridine specifically protected the cells from growth inhibition. In whole cell incubations in vitro thymidine-3H incorporation into DNA-thymine was slightly stimulated, whereas deoxycytidine-3H, deoxyuridine-3H, and formate-14C incorporation into acid-soluble thymidylate nucleotides and DNA-thymine was markedly inhibited by 4- N -hydroxy-2'-deoxycytidine. Thymidylate synthetase activity from partially purified extracts of E. coli and cell-free preparations of sonically disrupted L5178Y leukemic cells was competitively inhibited by 4- N -hydroxy-2'-deoxycytidylic acid. Studies in which L5178Y leukemic cells were incubated in vitro with 4- N -hydroxy-2'-deoxycytidine-3H demonstrated that the analog was phosphorylated to the monophosphate. Although 4- N -hydroxy-2'-deoxycytidine did not inhibit phosphorylation of thymidine-3H, deoxyuridine-3H, or deoxycytidine-3H in vitro , the phosphorylation of 4- N -hydroxy-2'-deoxycytidine-3H in this system was inhibited by thymidine and deoxyuridine. These experiments indicate that 4- N -hydroxy-2'-deoxycytidine is a functional analog of deoxyuridine that is phosphorylated to 4- N -hydroxy-2'-deoxycytidylic acid, and produces its cellular effects through inhibition of the biosynthesis of thymidylic acid. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We are grateful to Dr. G. A. Fischer for his help with L5178Y growth experiments and to Miss Judith Pascale and Dr. William H. Darrow for their excellent technical assistance. This research was supported by Grant No. CA 08236 from the United States Public Health Service.
Aroma Effects on Physiologic and Cognitive Function Following Acute Stress: A Mechanism Investigation.

Abstract Objective: Aromas may improve physiologic and cognitive function after stress, but associated mechanisms remain unknown. This study evaluated the effects of lavender aroma, which is commonly used for stress reduction, on physiologic and cognitive functions. The contribution of pharmacologic, hedonic, and expectancy-related mechanisms of the aromatherapy effects was evaluated. Methods: Ninety-two healthy adults (mean age, 58.0 years; 79.3% women) were randomly assigned to three aroma groups (lavender, perceptible placebo [coconut], and nonperceptible placebo [water] and to two prime subgroups (primed, with a suggestion of inhaling a powerful stress-reducing aroma, or no prime). Participants' performance on a battery of cognitive tests, physiologic responses, and subjective stress were evaluated at baseline and after exposure to a stress battery during which aromatherapy was present. Participants also rated the intensity and pleasantness of their assigned aroma. Results: Pharmacologic effects of la...
Multi-Objective Advanced Inverter Controls to Dispatch the Real and Reactive Power of Many Distributed PV Systems.

The research presented in this report compares several real - time control strategies for the power output of a large number of PV distributed throughout a large distribution feeder circuit. Both real and reactive power controls are considered with the goal of minimizing network over - voltage violations caused by large amounts of PV generation. Several control strategies are considered under various assumptions regarding the existence and latency of a communication network. The control parameters are adjusted to maximize the effectiveness of each control. The controls are then compared based on their ability to achieve multiple objectiv es. These objectives include minimizing the total number of voltage violations , minimizing the total amount of PV energy curtailed or reactive power generated, and maximizing the fairness of any control action among all PV systems . The controls are simulat ed on the OpenDSS platform using time series load and spatially - distributed irradiance data.
Refining Vegetable Oils by Membrane Technology

Membranes can solve some of the major drawbacks of current vegetable oil processing methods. They can greatly enhance the efficiency of hexane recovery, combine de-gumming and bleaching into one step, solve the pollution problems of alkali deacidification, and also be used to treat gas and vapor streams.
Partial Pocket Experiments for IFE Thick-Liquid Pocket Disruption and Clearing

Thick-liquid pockets can minimize the final-focus standoff for heavy-ion inertial fusion and substantially simplify materials requirements. Scaled water experiments have now demonstrated the creation of single stationary and oscillating jets suitable for forming a variety of potential pocket geometries. Efforts are now beginning to study multiple jet interactions, particularly those that occur during pocket disruption and regeneration, including droplet generation and clearing. Initially these experiments will consider the interactions of smaller clusters of jets, creating scaled partial pockets. This paper presents scaling analysis and experiments to show that cartridges loaded with smokeless gunpowder can match, in scaled water-jet experiments, the impulse-induced trajectories and clearing phenomena that IFE targets would generate with molten salt jets.
Graphic Design and Social Networks: Methodological Proposal Supported by the Open Innovation and Co-creation

This paper proposes a methodology for the process of graphic design in which public participation in decision-making through social networks is contemplated. And it takes advantage of a particular case study to show the proposal in detail. The proposal is novel in two ways: a creative technique and public participation are used in the selection of the final design. Graphic design is, above all, a communication tool that works with visual signs. And these signs must convey meanings evenly decodable by receivers. Hence, the theory of communication is a fundamental discipline for graphics. In addition, the design is also a semiotic process. In this sense, brand’s graphic design is a symbolic exercise of identification and differentiation, as brands are symbolic translations of the organizations they represent. And within the universe of semiotics, rhetoric is of particular relevance, since the creative technique proposed is based on the development of visual metaphors. The public participation in the selection of the final design is carried out through social media, showing followers some sketches and asking them to votes, according to “open innovation” and co-creation theories. Through the case study allows doing a meta-communication work, while the proposed methodology is applied for the design of the head of an academic journal of communication.
Higher Education Makerspaces and Engineering Education

While originating in non-academic settings, the “Maker Movement” has quickly made inroads within academia. More significant than the facility that may be referred to as a makerspace is the makerspace culture, including the community that forms around the physical facility and the activities (programs) of that community. This paper reviews the history of the maker-phenomenon, details the development of higher education makerspace cultures over the last five years, and explores the impact of makerspace cultures on mechanical engineering education. The makerspace culture at two higher education institutions is used to illustrate the effect on engineering education within each institution. The paper concludes with a review of common practices within the higher education makerspace ecosystem.Copyright © 2016 by ASME
Transradial Prosthesis Performance Enhanced with the Use of a Computer Assisted Rehabilitation Environment

Approximately 10 million people live with a limb loss worldwide, with around 30% being an upper extremity amputee [1]. The sudden loss of a hand or arm causes the loss of fine, coordinated movements, reduced joint range of motion (ROM), proprioceptive feedback and aesthetic appearance, all which can be improved with the use of a prosthesis and proper training [2]. An effective prosthetic training and rehabilitation regime is important in returning the patient to the highest level of independence and functioning possible. The present study describes a virtual reality (VR) environment system to facilitate an effective training and rehabilitation process to return amputees to the highest level of independence and functioning possible. This was done through the implementation of a real time stick-figure model and a character avatar animating individualized optimal goal motions. This was implemented into the Computer Assisted Rehabilitation Environment (CAREN) system (Motek Medical, Amsterdam, Netherlands) to provide real-time visual feedback to the users while performing specified training and rehabilitating tasks. With the integration of the optimal model visualization, real time visual feedback, and additional CAREN system capabilities, upper extremity training and rehabilitation was shown to be enhanced with the use of virtual reality, through improved movement symmetry, task performance, and functional advances.
Insertions into Historiographic Circuits

This article establishes the context for the original publication of Ronaldo Brito's pioneering 1975 essay, “Neo-concretism Apex and Rupture of the Brazilian Constructive Project” in the third and last issue of the Rio de Janeiro-based art journal Malasartes. It argues that Brito's text was a concerted effort to intervene within the determining logic of what the author and others termed “the circuit,” that is, the conjunction of protagonists, operations, and effects that produce and reproduce “the art world.” In this sense, Brito's essay was nothing less than a discursive rejoinder to the provocation of Cildo Meireles's seminal conceptual work Insertions Into Ideological Circuits (1970–75), likewise published in Malasartes. Brito not only provided the first political and structural analysis of the Neo-concrete movement as a localized response to a transnational field of constructive practices, he advanced a model of critical art history that realigned theoretical production with ideological critique.
Immune checkpoint inhibitors in neuroendocrine tumors: A single institution experience with review of literature.

// Aman Chauhan 1 , Millicent Horn 2 , Gray Magee 2 , Kurt Hodges 3 , Mark Evers 1 , Susanne Arnold 1 and Lowell Anthony 1 1 Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA 2 School of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA 3 Department of Pathology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA Correspondence to: Aman Chauhan, email: // Keywords : immune check point inhibitor; neuroendocrine tumors Received : October 15, 2017 Accepted : December 18, 2017 Published : December 28, 2017 Abstract This unique case series and review of literature suggests that immune checkpoint inhibitors may have clinical activity in neuroendocrine tumors. Objective: Summarize advances of immuno-oncology in neuroendocrine tumors with the help of a case series. Design: Case series and review of literature. Intervention or Exposure: The patients were treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (pembrolizumab or nivolumab). Main Outcome(s) and Measures(s): Life expectancy, quality of life, disease progression. Results: Maximum durable response of 16 months in one of the patients so far. All patients showed improvement in quality of life before disease progression. Two out of four are still on therapy. None of the patients experienced immune checkpoint inhibitor associated side-effects. All patients had failed standard of care therapy prior to the initiation of immune checkpoint inhibitors and were on the verge of hospice. Conclusions: Immune checkpoint inhibitors have revolutionized cancer management and the last 5 years have seen a rapid expansion in the indications for this class of drug. Neuroendocrine tumors, unfortunately, have been slow to catch on to the immuno-oncology, partly due to difficulties in establishing relevant preclinical neuroendocrine tumors models for immune-oncology studies. In this manuscript, we review the current status of immunotherapy in neuroendocrine tumors.
Envisioning Family Ecosystems Perspective for Interreligious Education: A Christian View

The family ecosystems perspective is a way of seeing each religious organization and the environment in their interconnectedness, and of ordering multi-related reality for dialogical, meaningful, and productive interrelational existence. Such an organic view provides a philosophical ground for doing interreligious education. The underlying principle of the ecosystem perspective is the attainment of stability and mutual consideration in all of societal transactions, as well as reciprocal cooperation between the various parts of the ecosystem. This transaction and cooperation is evidenced in the family which is the foundational and fundamental unity of the entire social and political order. Thus, the family ecosystems perspective is fundamentally pertinent for envisioning a curriculum of interreligious education that is creatively responsive to the dynamics of global existential realities.
Effect of a Suspension-Trainer-Based Movement Program on Measures of Fitness and Functional Movement in Children: A Pilot Study.

Purpose: The purpose of this pilot study was to assess the efficacy of a suspension-training movement program to improve muscular- and skill-related fitness and functional movement in children, compared with controls. Methods: In total, 28 children [male: 46%; age: 9.3 (1.5) y; body mass index percentile: 68.6 (27.5)] were randomly assigned to intervention (n = 17) or control (n = 11) groups. The intervention group participated in a 6-week suspension-training movement program for two 1-hour sessions per week. Muscular- and skill-related fitness and functional movement assessments were measured at baseline and following the intervention. Analyses of covariance models were used to assess the effects of time and intervention. Results: The intervention participants achieved greater improvements in Modified Pull-Up performance (P = .01, Cohen’s d = 0.54) and Functional Movement Screen score (P < .001, Cohen’s d = 1.89), relative to controls. Conclusion: The suspension-training intervention delivered twice a we...
Hydrodynamic Dispersion in Sedimenting Suspensions

Even if all of the particles in a suspension are identical spheres of the same size and density, they will not all fall at the same velocity. The variation in fall velocities during sedimentation is a result of hydrodynamic interactions between the particles which, in turn, depend on the local microstructure or arrangement of the particles. The relative locations of the particles continually change with time, and so the velocity of each particle fluctuates about the mean. These fluctuations give rise to a dispersion process, termed self-induced hydrodynamic diffusion.
Update of the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial

The prostate portion of the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial began in the early 1990s to assess the ability of annual PSA and DRE to reduce prostate cancer specific mortality in men aged 55–74. Approximately 80,000 men have been randomized and followed for a minimum of 13 years. Thus far, annual screening in this study has not been associated with a reduction of prostate cancer specific mortality. The potential explanations for this finding are reviewed.
Electron dynamics of metal-carbon clusters

This chapter studies the ionization and electron detachment dynamics of several transition metal–carbon clusters with time-resolved multiphoton ionization mass spectrometry and anion photoelectron spectroscopy. Although nanosecond experiments on metallocarbohedrenes (Met-Car) clusters exhibit significant delayed ionization, prompt ionization is preferential with femtosecond ionization. Photodetachment experiments on anionic vanadium carbides provide insights into the growth mechanism of Met-Cars and other large metal–carbon networks. A connection is made among VC 2 , V 2 C 3 , and V 4 C 6 based on the electron affinities that are determined. These clusters display the lowest electron affinities of all clusters considered in the chapter. A similar effect was observed for the Met-Car with respect to similar-sized metal–carbon clusters. The influence of laser vaporization conditions on the geometric and electronic properties of the clusters generated is investigated.
Evaluation of saline versus gel as contact medium for ultrasonographic image quality

OBJECTIVES Evaluate the time taken to visualize the internal jugular vein and carotid arteries, and subjective image quality assessed on a 0-100 visual analogic scale, on an ultrasound model using either traditional ultrasound gel or normal saline. METHODS Twenty-two anesthesiology residents and twenty anesthesiology faculty were blinded and randomized into four separate groups using gel and saline as a conduction medium, in different sequences. RESULTS Subjective image quality was 12.2 ± 4.2 better with gel than with saline (P < 0.01). Image acquisition time did not differ significantly between the two mediums. There was no significant difference in subjective image quality or time to image acquisition between faculty and residents. CONCLUSIONS Internal jugular vein and carotid artery identification time using ultrasonography were similar between gel and saline as conduction mediums. The difference in subjective image quality did not appear clinically relevant. Better image quality resulted in less time taken to identify the structures, as expected. We conclude that saline may be an effective alternative medium to gel for vessel imaging and access guidance. Further study in a clinical setting is warranted.
The Strategic Agility Gap: How Organizations Are Slow and Stale to Adapt in Turbulent Worlds

How can organizations cope with accelerating change in more complex worlds? The growth of capabilities produces expanded scales of operation, extensive interdependencies, new vulnerabilities, and puzzling failures. The result is the strategic agility gap where organizations are slow and stale in recognizing changing risks and fall behind the pace of change. The chapter addresses what factors drive the gap and what adaptive capabilities allow organizations to flourish in the gap. The result is a new paradigm for continuous adaptability illustrated in web-powered enterprises.
Flexible regression approach to propensity score analysis and its relationship with matching and weighting

In propensity score analysis, the frequently used regression adjustment involves regressing the outcome on the estimated propensity score and treatment indicator. This approach can be highly efficient when model assumptions are valid, but can lead to biased results when the assumptions are violated. We extend the simple regression adjustment to a varying coefficient regression model that allows for nonlinear association between outcome and propensity score. We discuss its connection with some propensity score matching and weighting methods, and show that the proposed analytical framework can shed light on the intrinsic connection among some mainstream propensity score approaches (stratification, regression, kernel matching, and inverse probability weighting) and handle commonly used causal estimands. We derive analytic point and variance estimators that properly take into account the sampling variability in the estimated propensity score. Extensive simulations show that the proposed approach possesses desired finite sample properties and demonstrates competitive performance in comparison with other methods estimating the same causal estimand. The proposed methodology is illustrated with a study on right heart catheterization.
Historiography as exorcism: Conjuring up “foreign” worlds and historicizing subjects in the context of the multiculturalism debate

The title for my reconsideration of some current modes of historicizing cultures and subjectivities was inspired by a recent rereading of Toni Morrison’s Beloved (1987). In this historical and historicizing ¢ction the possibility of reconstituting individual and collective identities is premised on recognizing and confronting the haunting presence of the dead among the living, the misremembered and unreconciled past in the present. The writing of history can function as a healing exorcism for Morrison because of the connection between historical knowledge as articulated in the narrative scripts (or metanarratives) into which individuals must insert their personal stories and cultural, public ‘‘memory.’’ History becomes ‘‘collective memory’’ in the sense that narrative accounts of publicly con¢rmed knowledge of the past constitute the framing script through which we tie our individual lives to the fate of the cultural or political group. Individuals assume such narratives as their own memory not just through the conscious assimilation of written accounts by historians, but in a more implicit fashion in the practices and processes of enculturation. 1 Histories that ignore or exclude available evidence of alternative or variant stories can thus be seen as disavowing, repressing, or forgetting the past. The past world conjured up in the novel and in us through the novel emerges as the forgotten ‘‘other’’ within the self that has prevented an honest confrontation with the present and thus engagement with the future. 2 Historiographical exorcism conceived from within the perspective of Morrison’s novel entails two procedures. First, it summons or conjures up the world of the departed spirits so that they may speak to the inhabitants of the present with their own voices. Its aim is to make the past, or a speci¢c past, visible and audible in ways that allow us to imagine it as if we were there. Second, it engages in experimental attempts to appropriate or integrate the voices of the dead into a more
The relation between bank credit growth and the expected returns of bank stocks

Higher bank credit growth implies that excess returns of bank stocks over the next one year are lower by nearly 3%. Credit growth tracks bank stock returns over the business cycle and explains nearly 14% of the variation in bank stock returns over a 1‐year horizon. I argue that the predictive variation in returns reflects investors' rational response to a small time‐varying probability of a tail event that impacts banks and bank‐dependent firms. Consistent with this hypothesis, the predictive power, as measured by the absolute magnitude of the coefficient on credit growth and the adjusted‐R2 at the 1‐year horizon, depend systematically on variables that regulate exposure to tail risk.
Intervalley Electron-Phonon and Hole-Phonon Interactions in Semiconductors: Experiment and Theory

Intervalley electron-phonon (EP) and hole-phonon(HP) interactions play an important role in many optical1–5, time-dependent optical6, and transport7–10 properties of semiconductors. However, relatively little is known about them either experimentally or theoretically. This deficiency can be traced to the difficulty in obtaining reliable experimental values for the matrix elements of these interactions. In multivalley indirect semiconductors the fundamental absorption process is phonon-assisted. This process can proceed by two mechanisms involving EP as well as HP scattering matrix elements and in such a way that they can interfere either constructively or destructively. However, the nature of this interference phenomena inhibits the evaluate of these matrix elements directly by measuring only one parameter, e.g. the absorption coefficient or luminescence. This difficulty can be overcome by the application of a uniaxial stress along appropriate crystallographic axes which reduces the symmetry of the valence and/ or conduction bands. We will discuss various piezospectroscopic experiments that have been performed on Si (Γ-Δ),3 GaP(Γ-X)1,11 and Ge (Γ-L)4. These studies, combined with previously measured values of the absorption coefficient, can be used to evaluate the EP and HP scattering matrix elements for the TO phonon in Si2 as well as the LA and TA phonons in GaP2,11.
The steroidogenic action of haemolymph stimulatory factor in Manduca sexta: Comparisons with prothoracicotropic hormone

Abstract A recently described protein, found in the haemolymph of Manduca sexta larvae, stimulates ecdysone synthesis by both larval and pupal prothoracic glands in vitro . The mode of action of this haemolymph stimulatory factor has been investigated, particularly as it compares to the action of the cerebral neuropeptide, prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH). Unlike PTTH, the haemolymph factor does not stimulate ecdysone synthesis via an increase in the level of cAMP in the prothoracic glands. The haemolymph factor requires extracellular calcium for maximal stimulation of the prothoracic glands, but in contrast to PTTH, significant activity is retained in calcium-free medium. Exposure of the prothoracic glands to the haemolymph factor results in enhanced steroidogenesis within 1 min. This rapid stimulation contrasts with the 10–20 min lag period observed following PTTH exposure. However, the prolonged activation elicited by brief exposure to PTTH is not observed following exposure of the glands to the haemolymph stimulatory factor. Rather, the factor appears to be required as a sustained stimulus in order to exert its steroidogenic effects. The data indicate that the mode of action of the haemolymph factor is distinctly different from that reported previously for PTTH, and are consistent with the hypothesized role of the factor as a carrier of a sterol precursor utilized in ecdysone synthesis.
Crop Plants: Evolution

Agriculture arose independently in several locations across the world, beginning approximately 13 000 years ago in the Near East. All crop plants originated from wild plant populations. At the beginning of the domestication process, a number of changes began to appear in the genetic and physiological makeup of many crop species. Some of these changes were due to conscious selection such as increases in palatability and colour, but many of the others were the unconscious byproduct of planting and harvesting. Changes in crop species during domestication were gradual, likely taking thousands of years. Many of the traits associated with plant domestication are regulated by only a few genes, and in many cases these genes have pleiotropic effects, where they affect a number of traits simultaneously. Many of the genes associated with domestication are also clustered close together on the same chromosome. The process of domestication severely limited the amount of genetic variation in crop species. Key Concepts: The most potent force influencing variation in cultivated populations is artificial selection, a specialised case of directional selection with humans acting as the agents of selection. The morphology and physiology of crop species were gradually changed through both conscious and unconscious selection by humans. Many of the traits associated with plant domestication are regulated by only a few genes that are close together on chromosomes. A high percentage of crop species are polyploid, with more than one set of chromosomes. Agriculture probably first emerged in the hills above the Tigris River on the western edge of what is now called Iran approximately 13 000 years ago, but it also appeared independently in Mesoamerica, South America, China, Africa, Asia and Eastern North America. Until recently, it was thought that once humans began cultivation, selection for the domestication genes would be rapid; however, new archaeological evidence indicates that predomestication cultivation may have actually taken 1000 years. During the process of crop domestication, genetic variability was greatly restricted by the selection of a limited number of desirable individuals. Keywords: crop; cultivation; domestication; evolution; plant domestication; domestication syndromes; origins of cultivated populations; artificial selection; polyploidy
A Cutter Motion Simulation System

This paper discusses a simulation system for verifying 3-Axis NC tool paths generated by generic APT-like cutters. The system consists of five components -- a parametric surface converter that converts model parametric surfaces to z-map representation, a tool-path generator, a generic APT-like cutter model, an intermediate surface and an animator/simulator. The end result is a system that can take as input a CAD model surface, generate the tool path(s) necessary to cut the model surface from some stock material and verify the path's correctness and provide other state information. The system itself is implemented in OpenGL for the Windows 95/98/NT operating systems. The simulator has been fully implemented while work is still being done on the tool-path generation and model surface conversion at the time of this writing. Novel aspects of this project include the use of OpenGL (the standard and most portable 3-D graphics library available today) and the use of a generic APT-like cutter.
Effects of Trace Metals and Organic Additives on Porosity and Dielectric Constant of High Purity Mesoporous Silica Films

The beneficial effects that alkali metal and alkylammonium salt additions to molecularly templated silica sols have on the resulting mesoporous silica films formed from evaporative-coating methods with respect to porosity, elastic modulus, dielectric constant, and film surface uniformity were investigated and identified.
Abdominal Hysterectomy: Reduced Risk of Surgical Site Infection Associated with Robotic and Laparoscopic Technique.

Abstract Background: Hysterectomy is one of the most common procedures performed in the United States. New techniques utilizing laparoscopic and robotic technology are becoming increasingly common. It is unknown if these minimally invasive surgical techniques alter the risk of surgical site infections (SSI). Methods: We performed a retrospective review of all patients undergoing abdominal hysterectomy at our institution between January 2011 and June 2013. International Classification of Diseases, Ninth edition (ICD-9) codes and chart review were used to identify patients undergoing hysterectomy by open, laparoscopic, or robotic approach and to identify patients who developed SSI subsequently. Chi-square and analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests were used to identify univariate risk factors and logistic regression was used to perform multivariable analysis. Results: During this time period, 986 patients were identified who had undergone abdominal hysterectomy, with 433 receiving open technique (44%), 116 lapa...
Suppression of Narrow-Band Interference in a Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum Receiver in the Absence of Carrier Synchronization

Experimental and analytical results have shown that least-mean-squared (LMS) adaptive filtering greatly improves the performance of direct sequence spread spectrum receivers in the presence of narrow-band jammers [1,2,3]. Since the adaptive jammer suppression is, at times, performed at baseband, previous investigations have assumed that both carrier and chip synchronization have been achieved prior to the suppression of the jammer. However, the presence of the jammer can hinder both the acquisition and the maintenance of this synchronization. This paper discusses an LMS-based jammer suppression structure which does not require carrier synchronization. Monte Carlo simulation results are presented which show bit-error-rate (BER) performance for a receiver equipped with such a jammer suppressor.
Chemically and Electrochemically Mediated Release of Dendrimer End Groups

Generations 1−5 of poly(propyleneimine) dendrimers (1−5) terminated with redox-labile, trimethyl-locked quinone (TLQ) end groups were shown to release the TLQ units as lactone 6 upon chemical or el...
Doppler measurement of phasic continuous left ventricular blood flow velocity during ventricular arrhythmias.

Abstract Phasic instantaneous left ventricular blood velocity was continuously measured by means of the Doppler ultrasonic flowmeter catheter radiotelemetry system in 68 patients with ventricular arrhythmias. Ventricular premature depolarizations reduced peak left ventricular blood velocities in relation to their respective coupling intervals, with R-R intervals less than 0.5 second producing the greatest decline. Ventricular tachycardia in 18 subjects produced a 62 per cent mean decrease in left ventricular blood velocity. In a single subject, performance of the Valsalva maneuver effected ventricular tachycardia and a concomitant marked diminution of phasic left ventricular blood velocity. These findings demonstrate the untoward influence of ventricular extrasystoles and tachycardia on left ventricular blood velocity and provide the underlying basis for reductions of blood velocity previously demonstrated in the regional circulations of man during similar arrhythmias.
A general model for reconstructing salmon runs

A general model is developed for salmon run reconstruction based on catch, escapement, and age composition data. The model is based on “groups” of salmon, each of which share the same characteristi...
Suppression of bar instability by a massive halo

Numerical experiments are performed to determine the effect of a spherical uniform-density mass distribution or halo on the evolution of stellar disks. For a halo with radius much smaller than that of the disk, the large-scale bar-forming instability is prevented by a fixed halo (or core) component containing 60% of the total system mass. Similar results are obtained for a halo component corresponding to the Schmidt (1965) model of the Galaxy. For a uniform-density spherical halo with radius equal to that of the stellar disk, a halo component containing only 40% of the total mass is sufficient to stabilize the bar-forming mode. These results indicate that a large halo is more effective in stabilizing against bar formation than a more centrally condensed core-halo.
The difficulty of deducing behavior from resource use: an example from hilltopping in checkerspot butterflies

Resource preferences of individuals cannot be deduced from patterns of resource use at the population level. For example, a particular pattern of resource use can be produced by a variety of preference distributions in an animal population. The strength of the association between resource preference (a behavioral parameter) and resource use (an ecological parameter) detemines the extent to which natural selection acting on resource use translates into selection acting on preference. However, the mechanism underlying the evolution of resource use is the evolution of preference (unless the resource itself is evolving). Therefore, a clear distinction between ecological and behavioral parameters is necessary for any evolutionary prediction. We apply these principles to the use of a particular spatial resource, hilltops, by the butterfly Euphydryas editha. We distinguish between the occupation of a hilltop location (resource use) and preference for these locations, or "hilltopping" behavior. Previous authors estimated that the mating success of male E. editha on a hilltop was lower than that on the slopes below. In consequence, hilltopping by these males was labeled "maladaptive." We argue that the evidence presented by these authors fails to demonstrate (1) that hilltopping behavior occurred, (2) that, if it did occur, it was variable among individuals, and (3) that, if variation of hilltopping was present, it was associated with mating success. Thus, discussion of the evolutionary significance of intrapopulation variation of hilltopping behavior is premature. In our own study of a different population of the same species, we failed to find evidence of hilltopping.
Activist e-mail action alerts and identification: Rhetorical relationship building strategies in collective action

Abstract This study analyzed 111 e-mail action alerts from three activist groups on opposing ends of the political and religious ideological continuum for examples of Burke's three identification strategies. Findings show the organizations employed identification by antithesis with the greatest frequency, indicating that activist groups most often take a reactionary or confrontational approach to establishing identification with publics.
Interleukin-33 is hepatoprotective during liver ischemia/reperfusion in mice.

Interleukin (IL)-33 is a recently identified member of the IL-1 family that binds to the receptor, ST2L. In the current study, we sought to determine whether IL-33 is an important regulator in the hepatic response to ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). Male C57BL/6 mice were subjected to 90 minutes of partial hepatic ischemia, followed by up to 8 hours of reperfusion. Some mice received recombinant IL-33 (IL-33) intraperitoneally (IP) before surgery or anti-ST2 antibody IP at the time of reperfusion. Primary hepatocytes and Kupffer cells were isolated and treated with IL-33 to assess the effects of IL-33 on inflammatory cytokine production. Primary hepatocytes were treated with IL-33 to assess the effects of IL-33 on mediators of cell survival in hepatocytes. IL-33 protein expression increased within 4 hours after reperfusion and remained elevated for up to 8 hours. ST2L protein expression was detected in healthy liver and was up-regulated within 1 hour and peaked at 4 hours after I/R. ST2L was primarily expressed by hepatocytes, with little to no expression by Kupffer cells. IL-33 significantly reduced hepatocellular injury and liver neutrophil accumulation at 1 and 8 hours after reperfusion. In addition, IL-33 treatment increased liver activation of nuclear factor kappa light-chain enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), cyclin D1, and B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), but reduced serum levels of CXC chemokines. In vitro experiments demonstrated that IL-33 significantly reduced hepatocyte cell death as a result of increased NF-κB activation and Bcl-2 expression in hepatocytes. Conclusion: The data suggest that IL-33 is an important endogenous regulator of hepatic I/R injury. It appears that IL-33 has direct protective effects on hepatocytes, associated with the activation of NF-κB, p38 MAPK, cyclin D1, and Bcl-2 that limits liver injury and reduces the stimulus for inflammation. (HEPATOLOGY 2012)
A note on the intergyre mass exchange due to migrating wind

Abstract The effect of the meridional migration of the wind field on the interior Sverdrup flow is examined near the boundary between a subtropic gyre and a subpolar gyre. An idealized model ocean is used which has a flat bottom. For annual wind variation with realistic magnitude, the cross-gyre Lagrangian mass flux in the model ocean can reach more than one-tenth of the total Sverdrup transport. The maximum northward penetration occurs for those particles that leave the western boundary at the autumnal equinox while the opposite occurs at the spring equinox.
The design and simulation of an integrated millimeter-wave Fourier transform spectrometer

This paper presents the design of a millimeter-wave Fourier transform spectrometer based on microstrip transmission line circuits and PIN diode switches. The working frequency for this design is in the range of 40-70 GHz which is potentially useful for measurement of absorption spectra of biological materials. Simulation results demonstrate the feasibility of this design and indicate that a frequency resolution of 6 GHz is achievable.
Evidence that cosmic |[gamma]|-ray bursts are galactic

Balloon observations registering scatter angles in a liquid scintillator have revealed gamma-ray bursts having energies as low as 10 to the -7th ergs per square cm. The burst distribution is graphed according to energy and frequency. The hypothesis that the bursts are galactic in origin is in good agreement with their small recorded energies and their predicted distribution on the graph.
Renormalization-group analysis of the ground-state properties of dilute Bose systems in d spatial dimensions.

A low-density system of Bose particles of mass m and density n interacting through a short-range potential with range a is considered in d dimensions using a renormalization approach. The expansion parameter of the ground-state energy E per particle for d2 is (${\mathit{na}}^{\mathit{d}}$${)}^{(2\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{d})/\mathit{d}}$. For some special cases the leading universal term of the expansion E=${\mathit{C}}_{\mathit{d}}$${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Elzxh}}}^{2}$${\mathit{n}}^{2/\mathit{d}}$/m+..., where ${\mathit{C}}_{\mathit{d}}$ is a universal number, gives an exact expression for the ground-state energy. For dg2 the energy expansion scales as E=(1/2)nt[1+const(${\mathit{nf}}^{\mathit{d}}$${)}^{(\mathit{d}\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}2)/2}$], where t is the pseudopotential connected to the bare potential and f is the corresponding scattering length. This is a generalization of the generally accepted results (for d=3) of Lee and Yang [Phys. Rev. 105, 1119 (1957)], but a stronger condition for validity is found: ${\mathit{nf}}^{\mathit{d}}$\ensuremath{\ll}(f/a${)}^{2}$\ensuremath{\le}1. The possibility of the formation of quantum crystal phases is considered. We argue that for d2, crystal phases and melting transitions in the traditional sense are impossible. For dg2 the liquid phase is stable relative to the solid one. The corresponding energy difference diminishes for d\ensuremath{\rightarrow}2+0, and for d=2 it is much less than was suggested by Nelson [J. Stat. Phys. 57, 511 (1989)]; here the liquid phase is stable only in the extremely dilute regime. For dg2, attractive Bose systems exhibit a second-order phase transition connected to the formation of the bound state. For d\ensuremath{\le}2 only the bound state can occur.
Smoking history, instructions and the effects of nicotine: two pilot studies.

In study 1, ten never-smokers, ten ex-smokers and nine current smokers received nicotine (2 mg) and placebo gum hourly for 4 hours on 2 consecutive days in a randomized, double-blind, cross-over protocol. Dysphoria from nicotine was greatest in never-smokers, intermediate in ex-smokers, and least in current smokers (p<0.05). On the third day, subjects were given concurrent access to the same gums and told to chew ad lib. Across all subjects, nicotine was an aversive stimulus (i.e., self-administered less than placebo). Nicotine was avoided most in never-smokers, intermediate in ex-smokers and least in current smokers (p<0.05). Study 2 used a similar protocol and compared the nine current smokers in Study 1 who were not told they would receive nicotine with eight informed smokers, i.e., smokers told they would receive nicotine. Although nicotine appeared to be a reinforcer more often in the informed smokers than in the uninformed smokers (63% vs. 22%), this result was not statistically significant. Our results suggest 1) past drug history can influence the stimulus effects of nicotine and 2) the effects of instructions on the response to nicotine may be less in experimental settings than in therapeutic settings.