cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of Different Basic Seedling Numbers on Yield of Mechanical Transplanted Double Season Late Hybrid Rice

Quan-you 527 were adopted to investigate the yield and main characters of six different basic seedling numbers,and then,the optimum transplanted basic seedling number of mechanical transplanted double late hybrid rice was studied.The results showed that when the basic seedling number below 832 500 shoots/hm2,the yield increased obviously with increasing basic seedling number;when beyond this number,the yield increased not obviously.It indicated that the suitable basic seedling number for mechanical transplanted double season late hybrid rice is 832 500 shoots/hm2.
The calibration of the Stanton tube as a skin-friction meter

The available calibrations of a wide variety of Stanton tubes as wall skinfriction meters in a boundary layer, made between 1920 and 1954, are gathered and presented systematically. A dimensional analysis argument indicates that the tube pressure reading P is related to the skin friction τ w by a law of the form $$ \frac{{P{\varrho _w}{h^2}}} {{{\mu _{{w^2}}}}} = f\left( {\frac{{{\tau _w}{\varrho _w}{h^2}}} {{{\mu _{{w^2}}}}},\frac{h} {\delta },M} \right) $$ (A) where ϱ w , μ w are the density and viscosity at the wall, h is a characteristic height of the tube, and δ is the boundary layer thickness.
The relationship between study strategies and academic performance

Objectives: To investigate if and to what extent the Learning and Study Strategy Inventory (LASSI) and the SelfDirected Learning Readiness Scale (SDLRS) yield academic performance predictors; To examine if LASSI findings are consistent with previous research. Methods: Medical school students completed the LASSI and SDLRS before their first and second years (n = 168). Correlational and regression analyses were used to determine the predictive value of the LASSI and the SDLRS. Paired t-tests were used to test if the two measurement points differed. Bivariate correlations and R 2 s were compared with five other relevant studies. Results: The SDLRS was moderately correlated with all LASSI subscales in both measures (r(152) =.255, p=.001) to (r(152) =.592, p =.000). The first SDLRS, nor the first LASSI, were predictive of academic performance. The second LASSI measure was a significant predictor of academic performance (R 2 (138) = 0.188, p = .003). Six prior LASSI studies yielded a range of R 2 s from 10-49%. Conclusions: The SDLRS is moderately correlated with all LASSI subscales. However, the predictive value of the SDLRS and LASSI differ. The SDLRS does not appear to be directly related to academic performance, but LASSI subscales: Concentration, Motivation, Time Management, and Test Strategies tend to be correlated. The explained LASSI variance ranges from 10% to 49%, indicating a small to substantial effect. Utilizing the LASSI to provide medical school students with information about their strengths and weaknesses and implementing targeted support in specific study strategies may yield positive academic performance outcomes.
Alternative activation-skewed microglia/macrophages promote hematoma resolution in experimental intracerebral hemorrhage.

Microglia/macrophages (MMΦ) are highly plastic phagocytes that can promote both injury and repair in diseased brain through the distinct function of classically activated and alternatively activated subsets. The role of MMΦ polarization in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is unknown. Herein, we comprehensively characterized MMΦ dynamics after ICH in mice and evaluated the relevance of MMΦ polarity to hematoma resolution. MMΦ accumulated within the hematoma territory until at least 14 days after ICH induction. Microglia rapidly reacted to the hemorrhagic insult as early as 1–1.5 h after ICH and specifically presented a “protective” alternatively activated phenotype. Substantial numbers of activated microglia and newly recruited monocytes also assumed an early alternatively activated phenotype, but the phenotype gradually shifted to a mixed spectrum over time. Ultimately, markers of MMΦ classic activation dominated at the chronic stage of ICH. We enhanced MMΦ alternative activation by administering intraperitoneal injections of rosiglitazone, and subsequently observed elevations in CD206 expression on brain-isolated CD11b+ cells and increases in IL-10 levels in serum and perihematomal tissue. Enhancement of MMΦ alternative activation correlated with hematoma volume reduction and improvement in neurologic deficits. Intraventricular injection of alternative activation signature cytokine IL-10 accelerated hematoma resolution, whereas microglial phagocytic ability was abolished by IL-10 receptor neutralization. Our results suggest that MMΦ respond dynamically to brain hemorrhage by exhibiting diverse phenotypic changes at different stages of ICH. Alternative activation-skewed MMΦ aid in hematoma resolution, and IL-10 signaling might contribute to regulation of MMΦ phagocytosis and hematoma clearance in ICH.
Abstract 4742:APCWT/RASWT/BRAFWTtumors represent an under recognized poor prognostic group of right sided colorectal cancer

Background: Side of primary tumor has prognostic and predictive significance in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). RAS/BRAF wild type (WT) left (L) sided tumors have improved outcomes with anti-EGFR therapy while right (R) sided tumors do worse. We aimed to identify mutations (MTS) in RAS/BRAF WT patients (pts) which may explain the differing response. Methods: Using a 46 gene panel, we compared MT frequencies by side in 1880 mCRC pts. Overall survival (OS) was summarized with Kaplan-Meier curves, the log rank test, and Cox models. Microsatellite unstable pts were excluded from univariate OS analysis. Results: RAS mutant (MT) pts were more likely to be APC MT (OR 1.64, P Given the association of tumor location and OS, we stratified pts by side and compared APC MT/WT pts. Improved OS with APC MTS was independent of side (L-HR 0.70, P=0.0011; R-HR 0.62, P=0.0012), but pts with R APC WT tumors stood out as an extreme risk group with the worst OS of all L/R and APC MT/WT combinations even in RAS/BRAF WT pts (P When stratifying APC MT by genomic location, only MTS in the mutation cluster region (n=686) that contains axin and β-catenin binding sites remained prognostic in multivariate models (HR 0.63, P Conclusion: APC WT R sided pts represents a group with poor prognosis regardless of RAS/BRAF MT status. Given the difference in CTNNB1 MT rate and importance of MTS in axin/ β-catenin binding sites, WNT signaling differences between L and R sided tumors may be important to explore further. Citation Format: Jonathan M. Loree, Krittiya K. Korphaisarn, Michael Lam, Van K. Morris, Kanwal P. Raghav, Michael J. Overman, Cathy Eng, Arvind Dasari, Bryan K. Kee, David Fogelman, Robert A. Wolff, Kenna Shaw, Russell Broaddus, Mark J. Routbort, Rajyalakshmi Luthra, Dipen M. Maru, David G. Menter, Funda Meric-Bernstam, Scott Kopetz. APCWT/RASWT/BRAFWT tumors represent an under recognized poor prognostic group of right sided colorectal cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4742. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-4742
Automated Coverage-Based Testing of XACML Policies

While the standard language XACML is very expressive for specifying fine-grained access control policies, defects can get into XACML policies for various reasons, such as misunderstanding of access control requirements, omissions, and coding errors. These defects may result in unauthorized accesses, escalation of privileges, and denial of service. Therefore, quality assurance of XACML policies for real-world information systems has become an important issue. To address this issue, this paper presents a family of coverage criteria for XACML policies, such as rule coverage, rule pair coverage, decision coverage, and Modified Condition/Decision Coverage (MC/DC). To demonstrate the assurance levels of these coverage criteria, we have developed methods for automatically generating tests, i.e., access requests, to satisfy the coverage criteria using a constraint solver. We have evaluated these methods through mutation analysis of various policies with different levels of complexity. The experiment results have shown that the rule coverage is far from adequate for revealing the majority of defects in XACML policies, and that both MC/DC and decision coverage tests have outperformed the existing methods for testing XACML policies. In particular, MC/DC tests achieve a very high level of quality assurance of XACML policies.
Meningococcal Disease Among College-Aged Young Adults: 2014-2016.

BACKGROUND: Freshman college students living in residence halls have previously been identified as being at an increased risk for meningococcal disease. In this evaluation, we assess the incidence and characteristics of meningococcal disease in college-aged young adults in the United States. METHODS: The incidence and relative risk (RR) of meningococcal disease among college students compared with noncollege students aged 18 to 24 years during 2014–2016 were calculated by using data from the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System and enhanced meningococcal disease surveillance. Differences in demographic characteristics and clinical features of meningococcal disease cases were assessed. Available meningococcal isolates were characterized by using slide agglutination, polymerase chain reaction, and whole genome sequencing. RESULTS: From 2014 to 2016, 166 cases of meningococcal disease occurred in persons aged 18 to 24 years, with an average annual incidence of 0.17 cases per 100 000 population. Six serogroup B outbreaks were identified on college campuses, accounting for 31.7% of serogroup B cases in college students during this period. The RR of serogroup B meningococcal (MenB) disease in college students versus noncollege students was 3.54 (95% confidence interval: 2.21–5.41), and the RR of serogroups C, W, and Y combined was 0.56 (95% confidence interval: 0.27–1.14). The most common serogroup B clonal complexes identified were CC32/ET-5 and CC41/44 lineage 3. CONCLUSIONS: Although the incidence is low, among 18- to 24-year-olds, college students are at an increased risk for sporadic and outbreak-associated MenB disease. Providers, college students, and parents should be aware of the availability of MenB vaccines.
The chemoreceptors and odorant binding proteins of the soybean and pea aphids.

Abstract We examined the genome of the soybean aphid , Aphis glycines , and an updated genome assembly of the pea aphid , Acyrthosiphon pisum , for members of the three major families of chemoreceptors , the Odorant Receptors (ORs), Gustatory Receptors (GRs) and Ionotropic Receptors (IRs), as well as the Odorant Binding Proteins (OBPs). The soybean aphid has 47 ORs, 61 GRs, 19 IRs, and 10 OBPs, compared with 87 ORs, 78 Grs, 19 IRs, and 18 OBPs in the pea aphid, with variable numbers of pseudogenes in the OR and GR families. Phylogenetic analysis reveals that while all of the IRs are simple orthologs between these two species, the OR, GR, and OBP families in the pea aphid have experienced major expansions of particular gene lineages and fewer losses of gene lineages. This imbalance in birth-and-death of chemosensory genes has led to the larger pea aphid gene repertoire, which might be related to the broader host range of pea aphids versus the specialization of soybean aphids on a single summer host plant . Examination of the expression levels of these chemosensory genes in parthenogenetic and sexual females and males of pea aphids revealed multiple genes that are differentially expressed in sexual females or males and might be involved in reproductive biology. Examination of the soybean aphid genes in parthenogenetic females under multiple stressors revealed multiple genes whose expression levels changed with heat or starvation stress, the latter potentially important in finding new food sources.
Elevated C-reactive protein in umbilical cord blood: Neonatal case review

BACKGROUND C-reactive protein (CRP) has limited placental transportability. Relying on CRP level in umbilical cord blood alone is an inaccurate way to predict early onset neonatal sepsis, and we retrospectively reviewed the clinical courses of neonates with elevated CRP in umbilical cord blood. METHODS This study was a retrospective case review of neonates with elevated CRP in umbilical cord blood (>0.5 mg/dL) in the Nara Prefecture General Medical Center, Nara, Japan between February 2013 and August 2017. We investigated the association of maternal and neonatal factors with neonatal clinical course. Then, we compared the cases of neonates with and without elevated CRP in umbilical cord blood. RESULTS The subjects consisted of a total of 22 neonates with elevated CRP in umbilical cord blood and 344 neonates without elevated CRP in umbilical cord blood. Of the 22 neonates with elevated CRP, 18 had some symptoms of sepsis at birth, but the symptoms of 85% of the symptomatic patients resolved ≤24 h after birth. Two neonates with elevated CRP in umbilical cord blood had bacteremia, and they had poor prognoses. Elevated CRP in umbilical cord blood was associated with length of antimicrobials (P = 0.021), immature/total neutrophil ratio (P = 0.017), and pathological chorioamnionitis (CAM; P = 0.028) on multivariable logistic regression analysis. CONCLUSION Elevated CRP in umbilical cord blood was associated with pathological CAM. Most symptoms of sepsis resolved <24 h after birth.
Treatment of Hypertrophic Granulation Tissue: A Literature Review.

Background Hypertrophic granulation tissue (HGT) is an uncommon but a frustrating complication of wound healing. Given its low prevalence and often refractory nature, many treatment options have been explored. Objective No comprehensive review exists on HGT management in dermatology literature; thus, the authors hope to compile a review of available treatments. Materials and methods An exhaustive key word search of 3 databases was performed for treatment of HGT. Results from these reports were summarized in this review. Results Methods of treatment included silver nitrate, topical steroids (n = 11), intralesional steroids (n = 55), steroid tape (n = 25), surgical removal, polyurethane foam dressing (n = 32), and pulsed-dye laser (n = 13). Conclusion With all treatment methods, the cases and studies reported varying degrees of successful treatment with HGT reduction. Given the lack of published literature, it remains unknown whether the initial injury preceding HGT formation determines treatment modality success. For HGT refractory to silver nitrate, choice of treatment depends on accessibility, ease of use, cost, and location of the wound. Intralesional and topical steroids should both be considered. Polyurethane foam can be considered an adjunct treatment. If resources allow, laser treatment should also be considered.
Parameter estimation in the stochastic superparameterization of two-layer quasigeostrophic flows

Geophysical turbulence has a wide range of spatiotemporal scales that requires a multiscale prediction model for efficient and fast simulations. Stochastic parameterization is a class of multiscale methods that approximates the large-scale behaviors of the turbulent system without relying on scale separation. In the stochastic parameterization of unresolved subgrid-scale dynamics, there are several modeling parameters to be determined by tuning or fitting to data. We propose a strategy to estimate the modeling parameters in the stochastic parameterization of geostrophic turbulent systems. The main idea of the proposed approach is to generate data in a spatiotemporally local domain and use physical/statistical information to estimate the modeling parameters. In particular, we focus on the estimation of modeling parameters in the stochastic superparameterization, a variant of the stochastic parameterization framework, for an idealized model of synoptic scale turbulence in the atmosphere and oceans. The test regimes considered in this study include strong and moderate turbulence with complicated patterns of waves, jets, and vortices.
The Insensitivity of the Iterative Learning Control Inverse Problem to Initial Run When Stabilized by a New Stable Inverse

In routine feedback control, the input command is the desired output. The actual output is a convolution integral of the forcing function—which essentially is never equal to the command. If it were equal, control system designers would be solving an inverse problem. For systems that execute the same task repeatedly, Iterative Learning Control (ILC) addresses the inverse problem by adjusting the command the next time the task is executed, based on the error observed during the current run, aiming to converge to that command that produces the desired output. For a majority of real world systems, this asks to solve an ill-conditioned inverse problem whose exact solution is an unstable control action. A simple robot example performing a one-second maneuver asks to invert a Toeplitz matrix of Markov parameters that is guaranteed full rank, but has a condition number of \(10^{52}\). The authors and co-workers have developed a stable inverse theory to address this difficulty for discrete-time systems. By not asking for zero error for the first or first few time steps (the number determined by the number of discrete-time zeros outside the unit circle), the inverse problem has stable solutions for the control action. Incorporating this understanding into ILC, the stable control action obtained in the limit as the iterations tend to infinity, is a function of the tracking error produced by the command in the initial run. By picking an initial input that goes to zero approaching the final time step, the influence becomes particularly small. And by simply commanding zero in the first run, the resulting converged control minimizes the Euclidean norm of the underdetermined control history. Three main classes of ILC laws are examined, and it is shown that all ILC laws converge to the identical control history. The converged result is not a function of the ILC law. All of these conclusions apply to ILC that aims to track a given finite time trajectory, and also apply to ILC that in addition aims to cancel the effect of a disturbance that repeats each run.
Comprehensive Properties of 3D Printed High Permittivity Dielectrics Fabricated by Stereolithography Apparatus

Dielectrics with high permittivity have promising prospective in various electrical/electronic fields. UV curable resin/BaTiO3 inorganic fillers composites were prepared by stereolithography apparatus (SLA) 3D printing in our previous works. Herein, comprehensive properties of printed parts including electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties are systematically investigated. Experimental results show that the permittivity and dielectric loss increase with the increase of fillers' content. Meanwhile, the mechanical properties like impact strength deteriorate to some extent due to the addition of inorganic fillers. On the other hand, the pure resin and UV/filler composites share similar thermal degradation patterns. This work can provide fruitful guideline for the application of 3D printed high permittivity composites by SLA.
Crop modeling defines opportunities and challenges for drought escape, water capture, and yield increase using chilling-tolerant sorghum

Many crop species, particularly those of tropical origin, are chilling sensitive so improved chilling tolerance can enhance production of these crops in temperate regions. For the cereal crop sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) early planting and chilling tolerance have been investigated for >50 years, but the potential value or tradeoffs of this genotype X management change has not been formally evaluated with modeling. To assess the potential of early-planted chilling-tolerant grain sorghum in the central US sorghum belt, we conducted CERES-Sorghum simulations and characterized scenarios under which this change would be expected to enhance (or diminish) drought escape, water capture, or yield. We conducted crop growth modeling for a full- and short-season hybrids under rainfed systems that were simulated to be planted in early (mid-April), normal (mid-May), and late (mid-June) planting dates from 1986 to 2015 in four locations in Kansas representative of the central US sorghum belt. Simulations indicated that early planting will generally lead to lower initial soil moisture, longer growing periods, and higher evapotranspiration. Early planting is expected to extend the growing period by 20% for short- or full-season hybrids, reduce evaporation during fallow periods, and increase plant transpiration in the two-thirds of years with the highest precipitation (mean > 428 mm), leading to 11% and 7% increase grain yield for short- and full-season hybrids, respectively. Thus, in this major sorghum growing region early planting could reduce risks of terminal droughts, extend seasons, and increase rotation options, suggesting that further development of chilling tolerant hybrids is warranted.
Color of COVID and Gender of COVID: Essential Workers, Not Disposable People

We live in a moment of interconnected pandemics. The COVID-19 crisis provides a window into the underlying pandemics of inequality, economic insecurity, and injustice. The viruses of sexism, racism, and economic instability are the pre-existing conditions of an unjust legal system — baked into our nation at the Founding in the shadow of chattel slavery, female disenfranchisement, property requirements for voting rights, and dispossession of Native Americans. COVID-19 has not recreated these conditions, but instead has amplified the persisting inequalities upon which the nation was built. At the same time, the current viral moment reveals that we all share common vulnerabilities, making a vulnerability analysis particularly timely in gaining support for solutions. As commentators have observed, “COVID-19 doesn’t discriminate[, but] America does.” Even while unmasking deeply embedded structural inequalities, this moment of interlinked pandemics of disease, economic insecurity, and violence affects us all and has torn at the very fabric of the social contract we owe to each other and, in fact, depend on. I propose a new concept, “viral convergence,” to both analyze this moment of interlinked crises and to utilize this moment, in which our share vulnerabilities are so clear, to theorize a way forward. The road ahead calls for legal paradigms that recognize both the need for universal and more targeted solutions. As Arundhati Roy suggests, we must both acknowledge the tragedy while also utilizing this crisis for transformational change by viewing the COVID-19 pandemic as a “portal” to a more just and equal world.
Incorporation of Metal Phosphide Domains into Colloidal Hybrid Nanoparticles.

Colloidal hybrid nanoparticles have generated considerable attention in the inorganic nanomaterials community. The combination of different materials within a single nanoparticle can lead to synerg...
The Effect of Delay Duration on Delay Discounting across Adulthood.

OBJECTIVES: Literature about the relationship between age and delay discounting, or the willingness to wait for delayed rewards, is mixed. We posit that some of this heterogeneity may be attributable to inconsistent delay durations across studies. Here we investigate how delay duration influences discounting across adulthood by systematically varying the duration of the delay between the smaller, sooner and the larger, later option. METHODS: 288 healthy participants (Age range: 25-84 years) completed an online delay-discounting task that probed 12 different time delays across 3 discount rates. Discounting was analyzed in two statistical models that treated delay duration as either a categorical or a continuous predictor. RESULTS: Longer delays were generally associated with decreased discounting. However, this was dependent on both age of the participant and delay duration. Both models revealed that, at short to moderate time delays, older adults discounted less than younger adults. However, at very long delays (5 and 10 years), older adults discounted at similar rates to younger adults. DISCUSSION: Results suggest that delay length can moderate the relationship between age and discounting. Using delays longer than those tested here (>10 years) could reveal yet another trend (i.e., a reversal) to those found here. Future research should investigate whether this reversal in discounting exists, why it exists, and where the inflection point lies.
Subjective markers of successful aging and change in Internet use among older adults: The distinctive role of subjective health

Abstract Lower rates of Internet adoption among older adults pose significant challenges in delivering important online services to older adults. Addressing the age-related digital divide requires determining factors that can influence Internet use in aging and may be targeted for intervention. Candidate factors include self-perceptions associated with successful aging, but prior research has not determined whether changes in self-perceptions are related to changes in Internet use within individuals. The present study examined the relationship between self-perception measures (subjective age, subjective health, and life satisfaction) and Internet use among older adults, using longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study. Results indicated a selectively robust relationship between Internet use and better subjective health among older Americans. Further, these relationships were not altered by changes in technology adoption over time. Finally, longitudinal data over eight years revealed that change in Internet use was selectively associated with changes in subjective health. Together, these results indicate that among self-perception measures of successful aging, subjective health has a robust relationship with both current Internet use and changes in Internet use over time among older Americans. Such findings suggest that effective interventions to increase digital technology utilization likely require accommodations for older adults with poor subjective health.
A Cultural–Historical Perspective on the Depressed Fertility Among the Matrilineal Moso in Southwest China

Family systems exert substantial influence on the demographic processes of populations. The Moso in Southwest China feature an institutionalized visiting sexual system, which differs from marriage, and a grand household system without conjugal units. Moso women enjoy virtually unlimited reproductive autonomy. On the basis of surveys of 127 Moso households conducted in 1988 and 1989, this paper analyzes the fertility experience of Moso women during the twentieth century and the mortality rates of the Moso population in the PRC era. Moso fertility patterns are characterized by a late age at first birth (median 23 years), long interbirth intervals (median 3 years), and a high rate of childlessness (16%). We conclude that this pattern of low fertility is an outcome of the unique Moso cultural practices. For the cohorts of Moso women born between 1905 and 1929, pathological sterility caused by STD is likely to have depressed fertility as well.
Long duration, room temperature preservation of filtered eDNA samples

The use of environmental DNA is a rapidly evolving approach for surveillance and detection of species. Often water samples are collected in the field and then immediately cooled, filtered, and the resulting filters are stored in freezers to preserve the DNA for subsequent analyses. Recently it was shown that filtered samples could be stored at room temperature for 14 days without any discernable loss in the total DNA. However, for many conservation applications, particularly in remote settings with limited capacity to freeze samples, it would be advantageous to store samples at room temperature for longer periods of time. Here we test for significant loss of DNA yield from storage of polycarbonate track etched filters in Longmire’s lysis buffer at room temperature (20 °C) for 150 days.
Sildenafil citrate attenuates acute renal injury in an animal model of contrast-induced nephropathy (LB573)

Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is defined as acute renal failure occurring within 48 hr of exposure to intravascular contrast agents. Although the exact etiology of CIN remains unclear, one hyp...
dBug: systematic testing of unmodified distributed and multi-threaded systems

In order to improve quality of an implementation of a distributed and multithreaded system, software engineers inspect code and run tests. However, the concurrent nature of such systems makes these tasks challenging. For testing, this problem is addressed by stress testing, which repeatedly executes a test hoping that eventually all possible outcomes of the test will be encountered.
59%-efficient cw-modelocked second harmonic generation of blue light in backswitch-poled lithium niobate

Summary form only given. We demonstrate cw modelocked second harmonic generation of blue light in 0.5-mm-thick backswitched periodically-poled LiNbO/sub 3/ (PPLN). We backswitch-poled 4-/spl mu/m-period gratings in 76-mm-diameter 0.5-mm-thick congruent z-cut LiNbO/sub 3/ wafer substrates. PPLN samples, ranging in length from 0.5 to 50 mm, were obtained from these wafers. Using a cw-modelocked Ti:sapphire pump laser, uncoated PPLN samples were characterized for single-pass SHG efficiency. Conversion efficiencies of 43% and 59% were achieved from the 0.5-mm and 12-mm length samples, respectively.
Religion and Realpolitik

AbstractEnduring groups that seek to preserve themselves, as sacred communities do, face a structural contradiction between the interests of individual group members and the survival interests of the group. In addressing existential threats, sacred communities rely on a spectrum of coercive and violent actions that resolve this contradiction in favor of solidarity. Despite different histories, this article argues, nationalism and religiosity are most powerfully organized as sacred communities in which sacred violence is extracted as sacrifice from community members. The exception is enduring groups that are able to rely on the protection of other violence practicing groups. The argument rejects functionalist claims that sacrifice guarantees solidarity or survival, since sacrificing groups regularly fail. In a rereading of Durkheim's totem taboo, it is argued that sacred communities cannot survive a permanent loss of sacrificial assent on the part of members. Producing this assent is the work of ritual soc...
Using data mining findings to aid searching for better cognitive models

One key component of creating an intelligent tutoring system is forming a model that monitors student behavior Researchers in machine learning area have been using automatic/semi-automatic techniques to search for cognitive models One of the semi-automatic approaches is learning factor analysis, which involves human making hypothesis and identifying difficulty factors in the related items In this paper, we propose a hybrid approach in which we leverage findings from our previous educational data mining work to aid the search for a better cognitive model and thus, improve the efficiency of LFA Preliminary results suggest that our approach can lead to significantly better fitted cognitive models fast.
Email mining toolkit supporting law enforcement forensic analyses

The Email Mining Toolkit (EMT) is a data mining tool that visualizes a very wide range of detailed analyses of email and email flows derived from an archive of email in a variety of formats. EMT may be leveraged in many applications. In this project we focus on providing support to detectives and analysts in law enforcement to develop powerful means of analyzing emails acquired under due process as evidence in various investigations.
Hydrogen as an intermediate in the rumen fermentation.

A method for measuring the steady state concentration of hydrogen gas dissolved in rumen contents was developed, which consisted of equilibrating the intercellular fluid with sterile salt solution within a dialysis sac immersed in the rumen or in the in vitro system under study. After about 1 hr of equilibration the contents of the sac were withdrawn and transferred without loss of hydrogen to a flask devoid of materials except water and water vapor. Carbon dioxide was absorbed with alkali and the remaining gas displaced by boiling, with condensation of vapor in a water-cooled hypodermic syringe. The hydrogen was collected in the syringe and analyzed with a gas chromatograph. The rate of methane production correlated more closely with concentration of dissolved hydrogen than with formate. At saturating formate concentrations, addition of hydrogen increased methanogenesis. It is concluded that hydrogen is a very important intermediate in the rumen production of methane.
Cytotoxic effects of sodium phenylbutyrate on human neuroblastoma cell lines

Sodium phenylbutyrate (NaPB) is used in urea cycle disorders. We screened 6 neuroblastoma cell lines for in vitro potency of NaPB as an antiproliferative agent, evaluated multiple dosing schedules, and assessed its activity in combination with clinically active agents for neuroblastoma. We determined that NaPB achieves a 30-80% growth inhibition at 5 mM. Repeated dosing and prolonged drug exposure enhanced the cytotoxic effect. NaPB had additive cytotoxic effects when administered with vincristine; however, NaPB did not affect the activity of etoposide, adriamycin, 4-hydroxycyclophosphamide or cisplatinum. These results suggest that NaPB is an active agent against neuroblastoma and could be combined with vincristine in novel chemotherapy regimens.
Effect of pheromone trap placement on capture of male european corn borer (Lepidoptera : Pyralidae) in three North Carolina crops

Modified screen mesh versions of the Hartstack pheromone trap were placed within and adjacent to fields of potato, corn, and cotton to investigate the effect of trap placement on male capture during the first, second, and third flights of Ostrinia nubilalis (Hubner). During the first flight in 1988, traps within potato fields captured greater numbers of males than traps outside of the field in the grass border. In 1990, total captures were few and capture rates were equal between locations. Weekly trap captures within the field were significantly correlated with weekly egg mass numbers sampled in the field in 1990. During 1989 and 1990, traps within cornfields at ear level captured greater numbers of second-flight males than traps in the field at canopy height and traps in the field border. Weekly trap captures within the field at ear and canopy level and adjacent to the field were significantly correlated with egg masses. In cotton, traps within the field captured more males than traps outside the field during 1988 and 1989, and captures were equal between locations in 1990. These results confirm that in North Carolina, O. nubilalis males seek mates both within and outside of field boundaries and indicate the potential merit of trap placement within the field.
Credentialing dementia training: the Florida experience.

Background Florida is a leader in requiring that all direct care staff employed in assisted living, nursing homes, hospice, adult day care and home health undergo Alzheimer's disease (AD) training. Legislative requirements prescribe the curricula components and require a review of curricular content and minimum standards for the training providers. Methods We describe Florida's AD training program review process, and report the results of our review of 445 curricula received over four and a half years. Results On initial submission, over 90% of curricula submitted did not include learning objectives, time formats or didactic approach. During a review of content we often found inaccurate information, language that was not person-centered, and missing required training components. Conclusion Form and content problems were prevalent across all curricular types. We propose the Florida credentialing program as a model to ensure that accurate and educationally sound curricula are used to train direct care workers.
Conventional Synapses for Unconventional Cells

Powerful synapses between climbing fibers (CF) and Purkinje cells are crucial to cerebellar motor learning. In this issue of Neuron, Lin and colleagues provide compelling evidence for the existence of direct synaptic contacts between CFs and NG2-expressing glia cells, adding to the intrigue of neuro-glial interactions.
Circuit-Level Layout-Aware Single-Event Sensitive-Area Analysis of 40-nm Bulk CMOS Flip-Flops Using Compact Modeling

A circuit-level layout-aware single-event simulation capability is presented. Multiple 40-nm bulk CMOS flip-flops are analyzed to determine single-event upset (SEU) sensitive area. Comparisons between simulation results and broadbeam heavy-ion test data show excellent agreement. Simulations of single-event strikes over the entire flip-flop layout can be performed in less than 1 h.
Some aspects of the theory of high temperature superconductors

Abstract A qualitative survey of the theory of high-temperature superconductors as strongly correlated electron system is presented. Various microscopic models and their implications for the theory of the normal state are described. Constraints on the mechanism and many-body theory of the superconducting state are discussed.
Internet resource discovery at the University of Colorado

The author discusses aspects of Internet's resource discovery problem: how users specify searches, the difference between discovering classes of resources and locating appropriate instances, system-management problems that can be cast as global state discovery searches, issues involved with characterizing resources and with the efficient distribution of characterizing information, and social issues, especially privacy. Results of efforts to address these problems as part of the Networked Resource Discovery project at the University of Colorado are presented. These efforts use a variety of experimental approaches, including prototype systems, network measurement studies, and simulation studies. >
On the self ignition of hydrocarbon mixtures

The mechanism of vaporization and self ignition of fuel drops of hydrocarbon mixtures was investigated. Distillate and heavy residual fuels and various fractions and components of these residuals, were suspended on thermocouple beads and suddenly subjected to air streams at atmospheric pressure and high temperatures up to 1800°F, causing self ignition and simulating conditions in actual combustors. Simultaneous temperature, size and flame histories were recorded by the thermocouple and optical low-speed and high-speed photography, respectively. Distillate fuels were found to burn uniformly. The residuals showed irregular behavior both in their temperature and shape histories. The behavior of residuals can be divided into (a) liquid phase, and (b) residue phase. In the liquid phase successive swellings and contractions were observed due to thermal expansion, evolution of volatiles, and changes in liquid density and viscosity with temperature. Thermal decomposition begins towards the end of the liquid phase at about 800°–900°F drop temperature. In the residue phase, residual carbonaceous material is burned. Both liquid and residue phases are usually of comparable duration. A heat and mass balance on residual fuel drops., based on experimental temperature and size data, showed heat transfer to the drops in excess of that required in the evaporation process. The excess was equated to that used in an endothermic reaction process. A study was made to determine the components of residual fuels responsible for their irregular burning behavior. Drops of distillate grades 1 and 2, residual grades 5 and 6, distilled fractions, and solvent-extracted constituents of the latter, or any combinations of these, were used. This study showed that the burning, irregularity is mostly attributable to the asphaltene and, to a lesser extent, the heavy unstable resin components. Ignition-delay data was obtained and correlated as a function of initial drop diameter and fuel, and as an exponential function of temperature. A high-speed motion picture of the burning mechanism of residual fuels is available as a supplement to this paper.
Caspase-3 Cleaves Specific 19 S Proteasome Subunits in Skeletal Muscle Stimulating Proteasome Activity

With muscle wasting, caspase-3 activation and the ubiquitin-proteasome system act synergistically to increase the degradation of muscle proteins. Whether proteasome activity is also elevated in response to catabolic conditions is unknown. We find that caspase-3 increases proteasome activity in myotubes but not in myoblasts. This difference is related to the cleavage of specific 19 S proteasome subunits. In mouse muscle or myotubes, caspase-3 cleaves Rpt2 and Rpt6 increasing proteasome activity. In myoblasts, caspase-3 cleaves Rpt5 to decrease proteasome activity. To confirm the caspase-3 dependence, caspase-3 cleavage sites in Rpt2, Rpt6, or Rpt5 were mutated. This prevented the cleavage of these subunits by caspase-3 as well as the changes in proteasome activity. During differentiation of myoblasts to myotubes, there is an obligatory, transient increase in caspase-3 activity, accompanied by a corresponding increase in proteasome activity and cleavage of Rpt2 and Rpt6. Therefore, differentiation changes the proteasome type from sensitivity of Rpt5 to caspase-3 in myoblasts to sensitivity of Rpt2 and Rpt6 in myotubes. This novel mechanism identifies a feed-forward amplification that augments muscle proteolysis in catabolic conditions. Indeed, we found that in mice with a muscle wasting condition, chronic kidney disease, there was cleavage of subunits Rpt2 and Rpt6 and stimulation of proteasome activity.
Implications of genetic variation within and between human populations

Human variation is extensive both within and between populations. This variation affects all traits, including the susceptibility to disease and responses to the environment. For social and political reasons, we tend to think of our species or our own national population as being divided into meaningful groups variously called by such terms as ‘races’, or ‘ethnic’ groups, and there is often an implicit assumption that these groups are relatively homogeneous within and very different between. Examples are given to show that there are major differences in the frequency of genetic susceptibility to various diseases between some such groups, but that the amount of variation among individuals is extensive even within such groups. Population subdivision can be useful for studying disease, but human variation is a general phenomenon tied to groups via their population and geographic history, not value-based categorical differences.
Thermoreflectance of Tetrathiafulvalinium Tetracyanoquinodimethanide (TTF-TCNQ)

We report the first observation of a marked temperature dependence in the optical properties of TTF-TCNQ, based on thermoreflectance spectroscopy. The structure just above the plasma edge exhibits an abrupt 25% drop with $\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{e}}\ensuremath{\parallel}\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{b}}$ as the temperature is lowered past 45-50 K; simultaneously, a strong response for this transition with $\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{e}}\ensuremath{\perp}\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{b}}$ emerges. This supports the suggestion that a librational distortion of the TCNQ ion may be responsible for a Peierls transition in the complex.
Detection of dynamic activity patterns at a collective level from large-volume trajectory data

Recent developments in pervasive location acquisition technologies provide the technical support for massive collection of trajectory data. Activity locations identified from trajectory data can be used to evaluate space–time activity patterns. However, the studies that explore activity patterns at collective levels often fail to address the temporal aspect. The traditional spatial statistics, which are commonly used for spatial pattern analysis, are limited in describing space–time interactions. This paper proposes a method to detect the dynamics of space–time development of urban activity patterns that are embedded in large volume trajectory data. Taxi cabs’ trajectory data in the city of San Francisco were analyzed to identify activity instances, activity hot spots, and space–time dynamics of activity hot spots. The urban activity hot spots, evolving through different stages and across the city, provide a comprehensive depiction of the space–time activity patterns in the urban landscape. The dynamic pa...
Small Deviations Observed in Beta Spectra: Na 22

The intense positron spectrum of ${\mathrm{Na}}^{22}$ has been carefully measured in a magnetic spectrometer. This transition proceeds from a 3+ to a 2+ level. The observed ${\mathrm{Na}}^{22}$ spectrum has a nonstatistical shape corresponding to an excess of low-energy electrons. The well-measured spectrum of ${\mathrm{Pm}}^{147}$ was reinvestigated and found to have a statistical shape. The many tests of the experimental procedures all indicate that the observed nonstatistical spectrum of ${\mathrm{Na}}^{22}$ is not the result of instrumental distortions. Theoretical refinements for finite de Broglie wavelength, screening, and possible contributions from the twice forbidden matrix elements were considered and found to be much too small to explain the deviation from the statistical shape observed in ${\mathrm{Na}}^{22}$. The Fermi-Kurie plot of ${\mathrm{Na}}^{22}$ can be linearized by a ($1+\frac{b}{W}$) correction factor. This same factor has been used to linearize the Fermi-Kurie plots of ${\mathrm{In}}^{114}$, ${\mathrm{Y}}^{90}$, and ${\mathrm{P}}^{32}$ (in addition to the once forbidden, unique shape factor in the case of ${\mathrm{Y}}^{90}$). In all four cases, the value of the parameter $b$ to yield a linear F-K plot is in the range $0.2lbl0.4$. At present, no theoretical explanation is offered for the correction ($1+\frac{b}{W}$). It may be regarded as an empirical correction capable of explaining the observed shapes in the case of these four Gamow-Teller transitions. A search was also made for negative electrons accompanying the normal positron decay of ${\mathrm{Na}}^{22}$. A weak, low-energy electron distribution was observed. This distribution may be explained by the theory of "shake-off" electrons.
Disruption of lens fiber cell differentiation and survival at multiple stages by region-specific expression of truncated FGF receptors.

Abstract To determine if fibroblast growth factor signaling mechanisms are required for terminal differentiation and survival of lens fiber cells, we evaluated the effects of expressing truncated fibroblast growth factor receptors (tFGFRs) in different regions of the developing lens. Two sets of transgenic mice were generated, one expressing tFGFRs from the αA-crystallin promoter (αA-tFGFR), which expresses linked genes in fiber cells throughout their differentiation program, and the other expressing tFGFRs from the γF-crystallin promoter (γF-tFGFR), which expresses linked genes beginning later during their differentiation. Histological and TUNEL analyses of lenses from αA-tFGFR and γF-tFGFR transgenic mice suggest that FGFR signaling is required for both early and late fiber cell differentiation and/or survival of the terminally differentiated cells. Additionally, multilayering and increased levels of apoptosis were observed in the anterior epithelium after the onset of fiber cell abnormalities. In situ hybridizations suggest that tFGFR transgenes were not expressed at significant levels in the epithelium. Combined with TUNEL and X-gal analyses on the lens epithelium from γF-tFGFR/Rosaβ-geo26 and nontransgenic/Rosaβ-geo26 chimeras, these results suggest that the organization and survival of the epithelial cells depend on appropriate structure and/or function of the differentiated fiber cells.