cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
TRANSPORT CHARACTERISTICS OF SUSPENSIONS: II. MINIMUM TRANSPORT VELOCITY FOR FLOCCULATED SUSPENSIONS IN HORIZONTAL PIPES

The minimum transport velocity was determined for flocculated thorium oxide and kaolin suspensions flowing in glass pipes. The pipes ranged from 1 to 4 in. in diameter, and the concentration was varied from 0.01 to 0.17 volume fraction solids. Two flow regimes were observed depending on the concentration of the suspension. In the first the suspension was sufficiently concentrated to be in the compaction zone and hence had an extremely low settling rate. The second regime was observed with more dilute suspensions which were in the hindered-settling zone and settled ten to one-hundred times faster than slurries which were in compaction. The concentration for transition from one regime to the other was dependent on both the tube diameter and the degree of flocculation. The suspension particles were smaller than the thickness of the laminar sublayer, and they settled according to Stokes' law for the particular conditions of this study. Under these circumstances the relation developed for dilute suspensions is consistent with particle transfer in the radial direction owing to Bernoulli forces on the particle and the action of turbulent fluctuations which penetrate the laminar sublayer. For concentrated suspension in compaction the minimum transport velocity was given by a characteristic criticalmore » Reynolds number. (auth)« less
The Diffraction of Electromagnetic Waves by Dielectric Steps in Waveguides

The problem of determining the scattered electromagnetic fields when a dielectric step discontinuity is placed in a waveguide is considered. Although an exact method of solution is not presently known, the recently introduced modified residue-calculus technique (MRCT) can be successfully extended to obtain a very accurate and numerically efficient approximate solution of the semi-infinite dielectric step. A still further extension of the modified residue-calculus method yields the approximate solution for the case of a finite dielectric step. A unique advantage of the present methods is that the degree of accuracy obtained is independent of the relative permittivity of the dielectric material and of the frequency. Thus very high permittivities or frequencies can be considered without an attendant increase in computational complexity. Numerical data are presented which confirm the accuracy of the method.
Call-pattern specialisation for Haskell programs

User-defined data types, pattern-matching, and recursion are ubiquitous features of Haskell programs. Sometimes a function is called with arguments that are statically known to be in constructor form, so that the work of pattern-matching is wasted. Even worse, the argument is sometimes freshly-allocated, only to be immediately decomposed by the function.In this paper we describe a simple, modular transformation that specialises recursive functions according to their argument "shapes". We describe our implementation of this transformation in the Glasgow Haskell Compiler, and give measurements that demonstrate substantial performance improvements: a worthwhile 10% on average, with a factor of 10 in particular cases.
The Appropriateness of Routine Medication Treatment for Schizophrenia

Objective: Although national guidelines specify appropriate strategies for the treatment of schizophrenia, this disorder presents challenges to clinicians and health-care organizations. To improve care, it is useful to understand how often patients receive appropriate treatment. Most research evaluating treatment was performed when first-generation antipsychotic medications were the modal treatment. Given that most prescriptions are now for second-generation medications, this study describes current clinical problems and the appropriateness of treatment in routine practice. Method: Between 2002 and 2004, a random sample of patients (n = 398) were interviewed at baseline and 1 year at 3 Department of Veterans Affairs mental health clinics. Symptoms and side effects were assessed. Analyses examined whether prescribing were consistent with guidelines in patients with significant psychosis, depression, parkinsonism, akathisia, tardive dyskinesia, or elevated weight. Results: Few patients met criteria for depression, parkinsonism, or akathisia. A total of 44% of patients had significant psychosis, 11% had tardive dyskinesia, and 46% were overweight. Medication was appropriate in 27% of patients with psychosis, 25% of patients with tardive dyskinesia, and 2% of patients with elevated weight. Management of elevated weight improved modestly over time. Treatment was more likely to improve for patients whose psychiatrists had more than 12 patients with schizophrenia in their caseload. Conclusion: Compared with the 1990s, outpatients are more likely to have significant psychosis. The rate of appropriate treatment of psychosis is unchanged. Weight gain has become a prevalent side effect, yet treatment is rarely changed in response to weight. There is a need for interventions that improve management of psychosis and weight.
New Species of Apoloniinae (Acari: Trombiculidae) from the Laysan Albatross Taken in the Midway Islands and a Key to the Species of Apoloniinae of the World

Womersia midwayensis Goff, Sievert and Sileo is described as a new species from specimens taken off a Laysan albatross chick, Diomedea immutabilis (L.), collected on Sand Island, Midway Islands. A key to the genera and species of larval Apoloniinae of the world is given.
Relation of Sex Hormones and Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate (DHEA-SO4) to Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Postmenopausal Women

Sex hormones play a major role in determining the risk of cardiovascular disease. While several studies have shown that reduced sex hormone-binding globulin is associated with an atherogenic pattern of lipoproteins and increased glucose concentrations in premenopausal women, little data are available examining the association of sex hormone-binding globulin and sex hormones with cardiovascular risk factors in postmenopausal women, a group with high rates of cardiovascular disease. The investigators hypothesized that in postmenopausal women decreased sex hormone-binding globulin and increased testosterone would be associated with an atherogenic pattern of cardiovascular risk factors. The sex hormone-binding globulin, total and free testosterone, estrone, and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-SO4) in 253 postmenopausal women who were not taking hormones were measured in a population-based study, the Beaver Dam Eye Study (Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, 1988-1990). Sex hormone-binding globulin was significantly inversely correlated with body mass index (r = -0.53, p 0.001), glycosylated hemoglobin (r = -0.34, p < 0.001), and diastolic blood pressure (r = -0.25, p < 0.001), and positively correlated with high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL cholesterol) (r = 0.31, p < 0.001), and HDL cholesterol/total cholesterol (r = 0.31, p < 0.001). Total (r = -0.20, p < 0.01) and free (r = -0.14, p < 0.05) testosterone were significantly inversely correlated with HDL cholesterol/total cholesterol ratio. Total testosterone concentrations were also significantly positively correlated with total cholesterol (r = 0.15), body mass index (r = 0.16), and systolic (r = 0.17) and diastolic (r = 0.18) blood pressures (all p < 0.01). DHEA-SO4 was not associated with any of the metabolic variables, while estrone was inversely associated only with the HDL cholesterol/total cholesterol ratio (r = 0.13, p < 0.05). The authors conclude that increased androgenization in postmenopausal women is associated with atherogenic changes in cardiovascular risk factors.
Probabilistic Verification of Global and Mesoscale Ensemble Forecasts of Tropical Cyclogenesis

AbstractProbabilistic forecasts of tropical cyclogenesis have been evaluated for two samples: a near-homogeneous sample of ECMWF and Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model–ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) ensemble forecasts during the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Pre-Depression Investigation of Cloud-systems in the Tropics (PREDICT) field campaign (15 August–30 September 2010) and ECMWF ensemble forecasts during the 2010–12 Atlantic hurricane seasons. Quantitative criteria for tropical cyclone (TC) formation were first determined from model analyses based on threshold values of lower-tropospheric circulation, local thickness anomaly, and minimum sea level pressure. A binary verification was then performed for all ensemble forecasts with initial-time tropical disturbances. During the PREDICT period, the ECMWF and WRF–EnKF had similar verification statistics, with reliability diagrams of positive slope flatter than unity, and relative operating characteristic (ROC) curves that demonstrate skill. F...
Facilitation of preparatory behavior in an artificial prey paradigm by D1-subfamily dopamine receptor activation

Dopamine agonists facilitate, and antagonists inhibit, conditioned preparatory behaviors in rats. Similar effects are demonstrated on an unconditioned preparatory behavior: predatory search and contact of a moving artificial prey stimulus. Apomorphine (0.1, 0.2 mg:kg), a direct agonist, had no effect relative to a within-subject injection of saline vehicle but d-amphetamine (0.1 mg:kg), an indirect agonist, increased contact frequency without altering overall motor activation. To determine the relative importance of the D1 and D2 subfamilies of receptors in the amphetamine effect, separate groups of animals received amphetamine co-injected with either SCH23390 (0.01 and 0.005 mg:kg) or eticlopride (0.01 mg:kg), D1 and D2 antagonists, respectively. Whereas the eticlopride‐amphetamine group showed no change in contact frequency from baseline, co-injections of either dose of SCH23390 and amphetamine led to near total suppression of contact, as did treatment with SCH23390 (0.005 mg:kg) alone. Treatment with 0.01 mg:kg eticlopride alone increased contact frequency while treatment with a higher dose (0.1 mg:kg) had no effect. Treatment with the D1-subfamily agonist SKF81297 (0.1 mg:kg) increased contact frequency. Collectively, these results support the hypothesis that dopamine mediates unconditioned preparatory behavior and suggest differing roles for the D1 and D2 receptor subfamilies. © 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Stock prices and house prices in California: new evidence of a wealth effect?

A crucial macroeconomic question facing the US economy is whether the value of the stock market has implications for consumption. If it does, it means that any severe downturn in the market could lead to a contraction of consumption, and therefore a contraction in the overall economy. The issue is one on which academics and the financial community seem to disagree. Rigorous academic works (Fama, 1981; Fisher and Merton, 1984; Barro, 1990; Poterba and Samwick, 1995), have generally found that the wealth effect on consumption is quite small, while research reports from financial service companies generally assert that the effect is real and important. This paper is different from its predecessors in that it focuses on one particular market: the San Francisco Bay area housing market. It will argue that this market is a prime candidate for a wealth effect to be large, and it will compare it to another market (Southern California) where we would expect the effect to be considerably smaller. We find that under circumscribed conditions, it is possible to 1 find a strong wealth effect in a particular market .
Controlling Urban Epidemics of West Nile Virus Infection

THIS SUMMER, DALLAS, TEXAS, HAS BEEN IN THE CENTER of its worst-ever regional epidemic of West Nile virus (WNV) infection, with one-quarter of the nation’s cases identified in Dallas County. With a record high number of trapped mosquitoes testing positive for WNV, from June 20 to August 21 WNV infections have been confirmed in 270 county residents; 160 have been hospitalized, 51 have required intensive care unit admission, and 11 have died. Given this epidemic in Dallas, which has spilled over into Fort Worth and the 14 surrounding counties, and similar WNV activity in Louisiana, Alabama, Oklahoma, and the Midwest, physicians and the public should be aware of key information about WNV infection to enable informed decision making in countering urban WNV epidemics.
Integrating Herbicide-Resistant Crops into Discovery Research

Technology is now available to create herbicide-tolerant soybeans. This technology, when combined with environmentally- and toxicologically-sound herbicides and when used wisely in an integrated weed management program, can contribute positively to soybean production. Sulfonylurea-tolerant soybeans will be commercialized in 1993, and by 2000, will be available in most soybean-growing countries. Sulfonylurea-tolerant soybeans will provide crop safety during periods of reduced metabolism of chlorimuron ethyl and thifensulfuron methyl caused by environmental stresses. They will also allow the selection of new soybean-safe herbicides with the optimum biology, toxicology, and environmental properties from the tens of thousands of sulfonylurea herbicides that have been synthesized.
An Efficient Path Precomputation Technique for QoS Routing

To enable QoS routing it is necessary to compute the QoS metrics of the paths through the network. Path precomputation, which consists of computing the QoS metrics of the paths at regular intervals can be used for this purpose. The precomputed paths are then used to select a suitable one to route a requested QoS connection. The primary drawback of path precomputation is that the precomputed paths may not be an accurate depiction of the present network state when they are used for routing, which may lead to inefficient and inaccurate routing decisions. The discrepancy between the precomputed paths and the current network state increases as the time elapsed from the last precomputation process increases. In order to alleviate this issue, path precomputation must be performed frequently and to facilitate frequent precomputation, the communication and the computation overheads associated with path precomputation must be reduced. In this paper we present an efficient path precomputation technique which reduces the overheads associated with path precomputation significantly over the prevalent precomputation techniques. We compare the overheads of the proposed technique with the prevalent techniques via extensive simulations. Since the proposed technique offers a significant reduction in the path precomputation overheads, for given level of overheads, it can be employed more frequently than the prevalent techniques. Intuitively, this suggests that the quality and the efficiency of the routing decisions facilitated by the proposed technique will be better compared to the prevalent techniques for the same level of overheads. Our simulation results confirm this intuition.
SOCIOLOGY OF MARKETS

This paper surveys sociological approaches to the study of markets. Afte considering the economic approach, I delineate the wide range of theoretical schools, including alternative schools in economics, economic anthropology, cultural sociology, the embeddedness approach, and the new political economy. I also briefly discuss recent debates on the transition from planned economy to market and on globalization. I conclude by noting the difficulties of theorizing about the historical and institutional complexity of markets.
Dwarf mistletoe effects on fuel loadings in ponderosa pine forests in northern Arizona

Southwestern dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium vaginatum (Willd.) J. Presl ssp. cryptopodum) infests about 0.9 million ha in the southwestern United States. Several studies suggest that dwarf mistletoes affect forest fuels and fire be- havior; however, few studies have quantified these effects. We compared surface fuel loadings and predicted fire behavior among four levels of dwarf mistletoe infestation (none, light, moderate, and severe) in a total of 239 plots on 11 sites on basaltic soils in northern Arizona. In each plot we measured tree attributes, dwarf mistletoe rating and surface fuel loading. Stands severely infested by dwarf mistletoe had lower (P 7.62 cm and 7,62 cm et <7,62 cm, que dans les peuplements sains. Cependant, il n'y avait pas de differences statistiques entre les classes d'infestation pour aucune des variables des combustibles de la canopee. Le comportement si- muledu feu a indiqueque la vitesse du vent requise pour qu'un feu de surface s'etende ala cime etait plus faible dans les peuplements fortement infestes que dans les peuplements sains. Ces resultats indiquent que les peuplements fortement in- festes par le faux-gui devraient etre des zones prioritaires pour le traitement des combustibles dans le nord de l'Arizona. (Traduit par la Redaction)
Efficacy of conjugated linoleic acid for reducing fat mass: a meta-analysis in humans

Background: Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) has been shown to be an effective supplement for reducing fat mass in animals, whereas results in humans have been inconsistent. Objective: This is a meta-analysis of human studies in which CLA was provided as a dietary supplement to test its efficacy in reducing fat mass. Design: We searched the PubMed database (National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD) and references from the resulting search to identify studies in which CLA was provided to humans in randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trials and in which body composition was assessed by using a validated technique. Results: We identified 18 eligible studies. Of these, 3 were single-isomer studies, and results comparing CLA isomers were inconclusive. We compared the length of treatment by using studies in which a mixture of purified isomers were used and those in which purified trans-10,cis-12 isomers were used. This comparison indicated that the effect of CLA was linear for up to 6 mo and then slowly approached an asymptote at 2 y. An analysis of the dose effect indicated that fat loss compared with placebo was -0.024 kg·gCLA -1 · wk -1 (P = 0.03). After adjustment to the median dose of 3.2 g CLA/d, CLA was effective and produced a reduction in fat mass for the CLA group alone (0.05 ± 0.05 kg/wk; P < 0.001) and for the CLA group compared with placebo (0.09 ± 0.08 kg/wk; P < 0.001) Conclusion: Given at a dose of 3.2 g/d, CLA produces a modest loss in body fat in humans.
Membrane-based solvent extraction for selective removal and recovery of metals

Abstract A membrane-based solvent extraction process was developed for selective removal and recovery of metals from aqueous solutions. The process utilizes microporous membranes as an interface between an aqueous solution and organic solvents containing liquid ion exchangers. Metal ions are transported from the aqueous solution to the organic phase at the interface created in the pores of membrane. The organic solvent, which is loaded with metal ions in the extraction module, is regenerated in contact with the stripping solution in the stripping module. One important feature of this process is the stability of the membrane system, which results from using an aqueous—organic separator to remove aqueous solution from the organic circulating line. This process was evaluated for enrichment of copper using solvents containing LIX 64N. The process is applicable to selective recovery of metals from ore leachates or metal-containing wastewater.
Giant field-induced strains in magnetoactive elastomer composites

Magnetoactive elastomers (MAEs) are composite materials consisting of nearly rigid, magnetically susceptible particles embedded in a soft, magnetically insensitive elastomer matrix. These multi-functional materials exhibit field-dependent strains and changes in stiffness. However, the strains that have been achieved experimentally to date are still relatively small (of the order of 1%). The reason for these small strains can be traced back to the dipolar nature of the forces between particles. Large particle concentrations are required to generate strong forces, but large concentrations also lead to large overall stiffness for the composite material, which, in turn, tends to reduce the overall strain. In this paper, we propose a new class of MAEs with doubly layered, herringbone-type microstructures capable of generating much larger field-induced strains of up to 100%. This is accomplished by combining the strong action of magnetic torques on suitably oriented magnetic layers, which interact directly with the applied magnetic field, together with the excitation of soft modes of simple shear deformation in the elastomer layers. Theoretical predictions, based on an exact analytical solution for the macroscopic magnetoelastic response of the materials, allow for the optimization of the microstructure for enhanced magnetostriction.
The Problem of Local, Private, and Special Legislation in the Nineteenth-Century United States

Until the midto late-nineteenth century, state legislatures mostly enacted local, private, and special legislation, and very little general legislation. Local legislation refers to statutes that apply to localities rather than to the state as a whole. Private legislation refers to statutes benefitting individuals rather than the general public. Special legislation can be either local or private, and this term will be used throughout this study to describe local and private legislation. General legislation applies to the entire state.1 State legislatures inherited their tradition of special legislation from their colonial antecedents, which, in turn, adopted the practice from Parliament. By the establishment of the English colonies in North America, it was customary in England for individuals and localities to petition Parliament for legislative redress of their particular problems. In solving individual and local problems by legislation, Parliament acted in a quasi-judicial fashion and fashioned elaborate procedures when performing this role. Unlike Parliament, neither colonial, nor later state, legislatures established elaborate procedures that governed special legislation, and by the mid-nineteenth century, this kind of legislation constituted a major obstacle to an efficient legislative process. To remove that obstacle, most states by the end of the nineteenth century or the early twentieth prohibited or restricted much of the special legislation that had routinely been enacted by legislature.2 Before reform the ratio of special to general legislation ranged from three to one to more than ten to one. In 1851 the delegates to the Indiana Constitutional Convention of 1850-1851 proclaimed that more than two-thirds of the laws enacted since statehood (1816) were special, not
An iterative algorithm for solving sparse linear equations

ABSTRACTThis article introduces a new iterative technique for solving systems of linear equations of the kind Ax = b. Convergence, and with a given rate, is guaranteed with the square nonsingular matrix A being non-negative. The iterative algorithm depends on a scheme derived from Bayesian updating. The algorithm is shown to compare very favorably with the wisely used GMRES routine. With the algorithm being easy to code, it has the potential to be highly useable.
Tendon-Driven Limbs

The purpose of this chapter is to introduce you to the fundamentals of tendon-driven limbs , and to begin to explore how they affect our understanding of vertebrate and robotic limbs. Many robotic limbs are driven by motors or pistons that act on the kinematic degrees of freedom (DOFs, e.g., rotational joints) either via linkages, cables, or gears. These actuators can exert forces and torques in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions, symmetrically in either direction—which in the robotics literature are idealized and analyzed as torque-driven limbs. The term ‘tendon-driven’ comes from the robotics literature where limbs are actuated via a variety of motors or muscles that pull on strings, cables, or tendons that cross the kinematic DOFs. Thus, these actuators can only pull on, or resist stretch in, the tendons. But they cannot not push on the tendons. This discontinuity and asymmetry in actuation makes tendon-driven limbs distinctly different from their torque-driven counterparts with symmetric actuation. While this asymmetric actuation in tendon-driven limbs might have some mechanical disadvantages and complicate their analysis, it can also have advantages such as being light weight, and allowing remote actuation and flexibility of tendon routing. As the reader will discover, varying tendon routings and moment arms can enable multiple solutions for specific functional requirements, especially when size and power constraints are critical. More importantly, because the nervous system is unavoidably confronted with the need to actuate and control the tendon-driven limbs in vertebrates, the nuances of tendon-driven limbs provide insights into the nature of neural control, evolutionary adaptations, disability, and rehabilitation that is not available in the torque-driven formulation. Note that throughout this book, I use the terms muscle when relating specifically to the behavior, forces, or state of the muscle tissue, musculotendon when relating to issues that involve the muscle and its tendons of origin and insertion, and tendon when relating specifically to the behavior, forces, or state of the tendon of insertion of the muscle. For most mathematical and mechanical analyses, however, the term tendon suffices as it applies to both robots and vertebrates. When the analysis continues on to consider muscle mechanics and its neural control, I will prefer to use the term musculotendon.
Detection of cancer cells using SapC-DOPS nanovesicles.

Unlike normal cells, cancer cells express high levels of phosphatidylserine on the extracellular leaflet of their cell membrane. Exploiting this characteristic, our lab developed a therapeutic agent that consists of the fusogenic protein, saposin C (SapC) which is embedded in dioleoylphosphatidylserine (DOPS) vesicles. These nanovesicles selectively target cancer cells and induce apoptosis. Here we review the data supporting use of SapC-DOPS to locate tumors for surgical resection or for treatment. In addition, there is important evidence suggesting that SapC-DOPS may also prove to be an effective novel cancer therapeutic reagent. Given that SapC-DOPS is easily labeled with lipophilic dyes, it has been combined with the far-red fluorescent dye, CellVue Maroon (CVM), for tumor targeting studies. We also have used contrast agents incorporated in the SapC-DOPS nanovesicles for computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, and review that data here. Administered intravenously, the fluorescently labeled SapC-DOPS traversed the blood–brain tumor barrier enabling identification of brain tumors. SapC-DOPS-CVM also detected a variety of other mouse tumors in vivo, rendering them observable by optical imaging using IVIS and multi-angle rotational optical imaging. Dye is detected within 30 min and remains within tumor for at least 7 days, whereas non-tumor tissues were unstained (some dye observed in the liver was transient, likely representing degradation products). Additionally, labeled SapC-DOPS ex vivo delineated tumors in human histological specimens. SapC-DOPS can also be labeled with contrast reagents for computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. In conclusion, labeled SapC-DOPS provides a convenient, specific, and nontoxic method for detecting tumors while concurrently offering a therapeutic benefit.
Determination of sevoflurane by capillary gas chromatography

Objective:To establish the condition of CGC for detecting the sevoflurane.Methods: Sevoflurane was detected by capillary gas chromatography equipped with a flame ionization detector(FID).Results: Standard calibration curves were linear over the concentration range 50 μg/ml~800.0 μg/ml with split 10∶ 1 and correlation coefficients r20.999.The determination limit was 0.50 μg/ml which was calculated as the concentration of sevoflurane that gives rise to peak height with a signal-to-noise ratio of 3.The recovery was more than 98%.The relative standard deviations of inter-day and intra-day was less than 1%,respectively.Conclusion: The method was rapid,simple and can be used to detect the sevoflurane.
Brief Analysis of Smart Grid Operation System for District Power Networks

This paper analyzes the difference between smart grid dispatch and traditional grid dispatch in the intelligent processing and the information sharing,then discusses the main characteristics of the system and pattern,and elaborates on the technical features and function structure of smart grid operation system for district power networks in the future,and the key technology.
The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda

Following the establishment of the Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia in May 1993, the Security Council created on 8 November 1994 a second ad hoc international criminal court, the International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Genocide or Other Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of Rwanda and Rwandan Citizens Responsible for Genocide and Other Such Violations Committed in the Territory of Neighbouring States, Between 1 January 1994 and 31 December 1994 (Res. 955). The Council had expressed its grave concern at the reports indicating that genocide and other systematic, widespread and flagrant violations of international humanitarian law had been committed in Rwanda and determined that this situation continued to constitute a threat to international peace and security. The establishment of the Tribunal would contribute to ensuring that such violations were halted and effectively redressed and would also contribute to the process of national reconciliation and to the restoration and maintenance of peace. The Council decided that ‘all States shall cooperate fully with the … Tribunal …’.
Weed Management in Organic Farming

Cultivation remains the foundation of weed management in organic farming. Low and variable efficacy, increasingly unpredictable weather, cost, and perceived harm to soil quality inspire organic farmers, to varying degrees, to learn and implement ecologically based management practices. Crop rotation and cover cropping are system-level practices frequently cited as weed management tools; however, unless their implementation is guided by knowledge of weed biology and targeting sensitive life history stages, these practices may have minimal benefit, or even increase weed populations. To reduce cultivation events or improve the outcome of existing events, reduction in the weed seedbank is required, a management goal increasingly adopted by organic farmers. In diversified systems, short-season cash or cover crops can be grown in sequence to completely preempt weed seed rain. Because many weed seeds have relatively short half-lives in the soil, a single season without replenishment by seed rain will have a large effect on their seedbank. In addition to preventing such “credits” to the weed seedbank, organic growers often employ management practices to “debit” the seedbank. Knowledge of weed emergence periodicity and the importance of germination as a mechanism to deplete the seedbank, for example, have contributed to refinements in the use of fallow periods, sometimes varying between early and late season, to avoid proliferation of particular weed species. Innovations in cultivation tools promise improved efficacy, greater working rates, and better control of intrarow weeds. Supporting these tools with ecologically based management practices guided by weed biology knowledge and focused on reducing the seedbank, enhancing crop–weed interference, and managing dispersal will provide durable weed management recommendations for organic farming.
Research, policy, and programmatic considerations from the Biomarkers Reflecting Inflammation and Nutritional Determinants of Anemia (BRINDA) project

The Biomarkers Reflecting Inflammation and Nutritional Determinants of Anemia (BRINDA) project sought to inform the interpretation of iron and vitamin A biomarkers (ferritin, serum transferrin receptor, and retinol binding protein) in settings of prevalent inflammation as well as the prevention of and control strategies to address anemia. Our purpose is to comment on the contributions of the BRINDA to advance global knowledge with regard to iron and vitamin A status assessment in women and preschool children and to analyze the findings in terms of their rigor and usefulness for global nutrition research and programs. BRINDA investigators found that the acute-phase response is so prevalent that it must be assessed in surveys of iron and vitamin A status for valid interpretation of micronutrient biomarkers. Furthermore, they found that C-reactive protein and α-1-acid glycoprotein provide important and different information about these responses and that common survey variables cannot replace the information they provide. Developing a method for adjusting micronutrient biomarkers for the independent influence of inflammation is challenging and complex, and BRINDA has brought greater clarity to this challenge through the use of large and diverse data sets. When comparing approaches, the regression methods appear to perform best when sample sizes are sufficient and adequate statistical capacity is available. Further correction for malaria does not appear to materially alter regression-adjusted prevalence estimates. We suggest that researchers present both adjusted and unadjusted values for the micronutrient biomarkers. BRINDA findings confirm that iron deficiency is a common and consistent risk factor for anemia globally and that anemia control must combine iron interventions with control of infection and inflammation. Anemia control strategies must be informed by local data. By applying the knowledge in these studies, researchers, program planners, and evaluators working in populations with prevalent inflammation can use and interpret biomarkers with more confidence, tempered with necessary caution.
Effects of environmental enrichment on self-administration of the short-acting opioid remifentanil in male rats

Opioid abuse is a major problem around the world. Identifying environmental factors that contribute to opioid abuse and addiction is necessary for decreasing this epidemic. In rodents, environmental enrichment protects against the development of low dose stimulant self-administration, but studies examining the effect of enrichment and isolation (compared to standard housing) on the development of intravenous opioid self-administration have not been conducted. The present study investigated the role of environmental enrichment on self-administration of the short-acting μ-opioid remifentanil. Rats were raised in an enriched condition (Enr), standard condition (Std), or isolated condition (Iso) beginning at 21 days of age and were trained to lever press for 1 or 3 μg/kg/infusion remifentanil in young adulthood. Acquisition of self-administration and responding during increasing fixed ratio requirements were assessed, and a dose-response curve was generated. In all phases, Enr rats lever pressed significantly less than Std and Iso rats, with Enr rats pressing between 9 and 40% the amount of Iso rats. Enr rats did not acquire remifentanil self-administration when trained with 1 μg/kg/infusion, did not increase responding over increasing FR when trained at either dose, and their dose-response curves were flattened compared to Std and Iso rats. When expressed as economic demand curves, Enr rats displayed a decrease in both essential value (higher α) and reinforcer intensity (Q 0) compared to Std and Iso rats at the 1 μg/kg/infusion training dose. Environmental enrichment reduced remifentanil intake, suggesting that social and environmental novelty may protect against opioid abuse.
Infrastructuring Distributed Studio Networks: A Case Study and Design Principles

Design educators have long used studio-based learning environments to create communities of learners to support authentic learning in design. Online social media platforms have enabled the creation...
Travel-related risk factors for coccidioidomycosis

Background Coccidioidomycosis is a regionally endemic systemic mycosis with unique risk factors. Since people travel for business or pleasure, and often in conjunction with their avocations or hobbies, the objectives of this review were to describe these and other risk factors for coccidioidomycosis; to alert travel medicine clinicians to the different presenting manifestations of coccidioidomycosis; and to recommend effective treatment, disease control and prevention strategies. Methods To meet the objectives of this review, Internet search engines were queried with the keywords as medical subject headings over the study period, 1970-2017. Results The principle transmission mechanism of coccidioidomycosis is by deep inhalation of aerosolized arthroconidia with resulting symptomatic pulmonary infections ranging from febrile influenza-like illnesses to fatal disseminated mycoses. In addition to residency or travel in endemic areas, persons immunocompromised by advancing age, pregnancy, cancer, corticosteroid therapy, diabetes, organ transplantation and human immunodeficiency virus infection are at significantly increased risks of contracting coccidioidomycosis. Persons of African, Asian, Filipino and Hispanic descent are also at increased risks of contracting coccidioidomycosis. Hobbies associated with coccidioidomycosis have included armadillo hunting, model airplane flying and archaeological digging. Occupational risk factors for coccidioidomycosis include endemic exposures during military maneuvers, outdoor track and field events, road construction, solar-power and wind-power farm construction, archaeological excavation and prison work. Conclusions Coccidioidomycosis is more common in endemic and non-endemic areas than previously recognized and can result in considerable morbidity and mortality. Coccidioidomycosis is increasingly imported from endemic areas in the Western Hemisphere to non-endemic areas worldwide. Increased awareness of disease risk factors among the public and the international healthcare community will improve the timely diagnosis and treatment of coccidioidomycosis and prevent disease progression, dissemination and deaths in residents in and in travellers returning from endemic regions. A vaccine for the primary prevention of coccidioidomycosis would be cost-effective.
Transvaginal Closure of Bladder Neck

Transvaginal closure of the bladder neck in the female patient is indicated for those with a devastated outlet, usually caused by chronic indwelling urethral catheter placement. Many of these patients have a neurogenic etiology for either urinary retention or urinary incontinence. Chronic catheterization leads to urethral erosion and destruction, ultimately resulting in a patulous urethra that cannot be maintained in the bladder. Management is limited as many of these patients are debilitated due to their comorbid conditions. There is often an inadequate amount of residual urethra to allow for placement of a pubovaginal sling and many of these patients are unwilling or unable to undergo urinary tract reconstruction. Therefore, the best option is often bladder neck closure with suprapubic tube (SPT) placement. Transvaginal closure is an outstanding option that does not require an abdominal incision so is minimally invasive; however, vaginal techniques can be technically challenging for inexperienced vaginal surgeons. Primary complications include fistula formation, bladder stones, SPT site leakage or stenosis, and wound infection. Transvaginal closure of the bladder neck carries less morbidity but may require more than one procedure to achieve continence.
Ultrasonic Reflection by a Planar Distribution of Surface Breaking Cracks

A number of researchers have demonstrated the usefulness of surface acoustic waves (SAWs) as a means of evaluating crack size and investigating crack opening during fatigue crack growth. Rayleigh waves can be used to measure changes in depth of cracks beneath the surface in advanced engineering materials [1–3]. Recently, the crack growth behavior and the crack length distribution of a distribution of surface breaking fatigue cracks have been experimentally studied [4], and a simulation technique for the crack length distribution has been proposed.
Advances in E-Governance: Theory and Application of Technological Initiatives

E-Governance as a field of study is relatively new when considered within the broader historical context of US democracy. The advent of the modern Internet in the early 1990s yielded new technologies that began to shift citizen expectations of how government can -- and in many cases should -- govern. Though innovations continue to emerge at a rapid pace, these technologies may be used to reinforce long-held deliberative democracy principles, including transparency, accountability and flexibility. Advances in E-Governance offers a comprehensive exploration of the role that technological innovation plays in facilitating government action and citizen participation. In this timely book, author Anthony Trotta differentiates e-governance from e-government and examines the increasingly important role social media and crowdsourcing have come to play in our democracy, and the interactions between technology, polling, voting, and outcomes. Including practical cases ranging from DMV registration to online tax filing and markers of successful implementation, Advances in E-Governance carefully addresses how the adoption and expansion of electronic platforms align with new government paradigms and looks to future trends in this rapidly expanding field.
Abstract LB-203: Metformin enhances the efficacy of tumor membrane vesicle (TMV)-based vaccine immunotherapy in a murine model of breast

Breast cancer remains the most commonly diagnosed cancers among women, with over 250,000 new cases per year in the United States. Immunotherapy has emerged as a promising treatment of breast cancer, however response rates to therapy remain far from ideal. In this study, we investigated the combinatorial effect of tumor membrane vesicle (TMV)-based vaccine immunotherapy, to induce an anti-tumor immune response, with the type 2 diabetes drug metformin, which has been reported to exert anti-tumor effects by maintaining CD8 T cell activity in the tumor microenvironment. Our results show that TMV vaccination inhibits primary tumor growth in preclinical tumor models, while combination with metformin resulted in greater inhibition of primary growth. Importantly, TMV vaccination reduced the metastatic burden in the lungs while combination with metformin further abrogated metastatic spread. Interestingly, TMV vaccination alone induced a significant increase in T cell infiltration to the tumor, while combination with metformin caused a decrease in the accumulation of T cells, despite having better outcomes. Further, we show that metformin is capable of reducing PD-L1 expression within the tumor microenvironment in both tumor cells as well as myeloid-derived suppressor cells, providing insight for the improvement of TMV-based immunotherapy. Citation Format: Luis E. Munoz, Ramireddy Bommireddy, Haley Huang, Janet Kim, Periasamy Selvaraj. Metformin enhances the efficacy of tumor membrane vesicle (TMV)-based vaccine immunotherapy in a murine model of breast [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-203.
Patterns of Cannabis Use in Patients With Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome

Background & Aims Some patients with cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS) use cannabis to relieve stress and for its antiemetic properties. However, chronic cannabis use has been associated paradoxically with cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) and some patients with CVS are thought to have CHS. We sought to characterize patterns of cannabis use by patients with CVS and identify those who could be reclassified as having CHS. Methods We performed a cross-sectional study of 140 patients with CVS (72% female; mean age, 37 ± 13 y) seen at a specialized clinic. Patients were screened for cannabis use with the cannabis use disorder identification test. Patients were classified as regular (use ≥4 times/wk) or occasional users ( Results Forty-one percent of patients were current cannabis users, with 21% reporting regular use. Regular users were more likely to be male and to report an anxiety diagnosis, and smoked cannabis with higher tetrahydrocannabinol content and for a longer duration. Most users reported that cannabis helped control CVS symptoms. Among all cannabis users, 50 of 57 (88%) reported that they had abstained for longer than 1 month, but only 1 user reported resolution of CVS episodes during the abstinence period. This patient subsequently resumed using cannabis but remains free of symptoms. Conclusions Cannabis is used commonly among patients with CVS—patients report relief of symptoms with use. We found 21% of patients with CVS to be regular users, but only 1 met the Rome IV criteria for CHS. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine the relationships among cannabis use, hyperemesis, and mood symptoms.
Self-signaling and social-signaling in giving

Abstract Can a Bayesian signaling model explain patterns of giving driven by self-image concern as well as those driven by social-image? I experimentally test the predictions of such a model about how potential givers will respond to a change in the probability that their choice will be implemented. A self-signaler is predicted to respond with increased giving, but he predicted response of a social-signaler is increased giving, no change, or decreased giving depending on the information available to an outside observer. The experiment thus presents a test of the joint, independent and relative effects of social- and self-signaling in giving. The results provide little evidence of self-signaling, but stronger evidence of social-signaling.
Zinc morphology change in pulsating current deposition

Abstract The morphology of Zn deposit can be controlled by pulse deposition. Using defined pulse parameters (20 millisecond-on and 80 millisecond-off), the deposition current density was examined in 50–200 mA cm−2, in the electrolyte 9 M KOH + 5wt% ZnO, at room temperature (approximately 20 °C) on a Zn plate. The obtained Zn morphology is a well-compact boulder microstructure below 100 mA cm−2. The coulombic efficiency of the deposition is close to 100%. The obtained Zn deposit shows over 90% packing density, with good adhesion to the Zn plate. A change in Zn morphology with deposition time is also observed. The compact boulder microstructure form in the 1 h deposition time becomes a granular spongy Zn after 5 h of deposition.