cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Understanding the control of Pseudomonas aeruginosa alginate synthesis and the prospects for management of chronic infections in cystic fibrosis

Decades of research have been dedicated to the study of the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a Gram-negative, environmental bacterium that secretes the exopolysaccharide alginate during chronic lung infection of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Although P. aeruginosa utilizes a variety of factors to establish a successful infection in the lungs of CF patients, alginate has stood out as one of the best-studied prognostic indicators of chronic lung infection. While the genetics, biosynthesis and regulation of alginate are well understood, questions still remain concerning its role in biofilm development and its potential as a therapeutic target. The purpose of this review is to provide a brief summary of alginate biosynthesis and regulation, and to highlight recent discoveries in the areas of alginate production, biofilm formation and vaccine design. This information is placed in context with a proposed P. aeruginosa infectious pathway, highlighting avenues for the use of existing therapies as well as the potential for novel agents to reduce or eliminate chronic infections in CF patients.
Consumer perceptions on food safety in Asian and Mexican restaurants

Dining out is a frequent activity for most Americans. Ethnic-food restaurants like Chinese and Mexican are the most sought after dining experience after American cuisine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) foodborne outbreak data from 1990 to 2000 shows an increase of foodborne outbreaks from ethnic restaurants. Focus groups and an online survey were conducted to explore consumer perceptions of restaurant food safety and attitudes toward ethnic restaurants. Twenty-seven Californians participated in focus groups and volunteers (n¼994) in both California and Florida completed an internet survey. While respondents noted that they only dine at restaurants where they trust the food, Mexican restaurants scored higher in food safety confidence than Asian restaurants. Kitchen cleanliness was the most important factor influencing safety followed by restroom cleanliness and cooking temperature. People believed all restaurant employees should be trained in food safety, restaurant inspections should be more frequent, and the government should be more active in protecting consumers. Food safety is an underlying factor in restaurant selection and continued patronage. Women and seniors scored higher on seriousness of food safety adherence in restaurants while young males respondents reported to worry less about food safety when dining out. Word of mouth and the internet were the most frequently cited sources of food safety information. While respondents believed they are knowledgeable about food safety, they often failed to recognize signs of foodborne illness. Incorporating information about consumer attitudes into food safety training courses could help ethnic restaurant
Essential Ca2+-independent Role of the Group IVA Cytosolic Phospholipase A2 C2 Domain for Interfacial Activity

The cytosolic Group IVA phospholipase A2 (GIVAPLA2) translocates to intracellular membranes to catalyze the release of lysophospholipids and arachidonic acid. GIVAPLA2 translocation and subsequent activity is regulated by its Ca2+-dependent phospholipid binding C2 domain. Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PI-4,5-P2) also binds with high affinity and specificity to GIVAPLA2, facilitating membrane binding and activity. Herein, we demonstrate that GIVAPLA2 possessed full activity in the absence of Ca2+ when PI-4,5-P2 or phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate were present. A point mutant, D43N, that is unable to bind Ca2+ also had full activity in the presence of PI-4,5-P2. However, when GIVAPLA2 was expressed without its Ca2+-binding C2 domain (DeltaC2), there was no interfacial activity. GIVAPLA2 and DeltaC2 both had activity on monomeric lysophospholipids. DeltaC2, but not the C2 domain alone, binds to phosphoinositides (PIPns) in the same manner as the full-length GIVAPLA2, confirming the location of the PIPn binding site as the GIVAPLA2 catalytic domain. Moreover, proposed PIPn-binding residues in the catalytic domain (Lys488, Lys541, Lys543, and Lys544) were confirmed to be essential for PI-4,5-P2-dependent activity increases. Exploiting the effects of PI-4,5-P2, we have discovered that the C2 domain plays a critical role in the interfacial activity of GIVAPLA2 above and beyond its Ca2+-dependent phospholipid binding.
Difficult Interactions between IRBs and Investigators: Applications and Solutions

This essay describes efforts by the University of Iowa administration and Human Subjects Office to adapt review procedures and interpret federal regulations in ways that were appropriate to the distinctive methodologies of social science and humanistic research, including applied research. Two moments of significant change in those procedures are described and several recommendations are offered for addressing the difficulties institutional review boards and applied researchers encounter when they interact: ask questions and be prepared to respond to them, in person when necessary; be reasonable and accountable and assume the other side is too; recognize that human subjects protection is complicated and that real risks are posed by procedures sometimes assumed to be risk-free by nature. The importance of an adequately funded, well-trained staff is emphasized as the precursor to all of those measures.
Investigation of country bias in international genetic evaluations using full-brother information.

International Bull Evaluation Service evaluations from May 2005 were examined for country bias by comparing Holstein full-brother families. Countries with ≥25 bulls in multicountry full-brother families were included. The model fit evaluations of US estimated breeding values (EBV) by absorbing full-brother family and producing solutions for country of brothers. For yield and somatic cell score, 24,611 and 22,802 bulls, respectively, were included in the analysis. The study was repeated fitting evaluations on the scales of 9 countries other than the United States. On all countries’ scales, bulls from Australia, Germany, Great Britain, and Japan had greater EBV for milk yield than did their full brothers from the United States; Italian bulls had lower EBV. Bulls from Australia, Great Britain, and South Africa had an advantage in EBV for fat yield. For EBV for protein yield, bulls from Germany, Great Britain, Japan, and South Africa had an advantage, whereas bulls from the Netherlands were disadvantaged. For somatic cell score, US bulls were advantaged compared with bulls from South Africa. Significance and rankings of apparent biases were similar across country scales of the international evaluations. Causes of those differences are unknown; differences in incorporation of parental data in national and International Bull Evaluation Service evaluations are a possibility.
Use of Cryopreserved Small Aortic Homografts for Large Vein Replacement

Total obstruction, stenosis, or ligation of any large vein is associated with significant morbidity. No synthetic grafts can adequately replace large veins, particularly in areas subjected to motion (flexion or extension). Artificial prosthetic materials usually occlude within a short period.Since 1987, the author has used cryopreserved allografts of small aortas varying from 1 to 1.7 cm in diameter to replace large vein channels in the upper or lower body. These allografts provide a manageable, pliable conduit with normal endothelium. He implanted grafts bridging gaps from 4 to 30 cm in length, in 14 patients (10 women, 4 men). Veins replaced were five iliac, three iliofemoral, and six subclavian-innominate. The long-term patency rate (follow-up 3 months to 10 years) is 93%.The use of small aortic cryopreserved homografts for large vein replacement, particularly in mobile areas (groin, thoracic inlet, pelvis) is recommended. These grafts appear superior to any previous grafts used for the same purpose.
An Active Contour Method for Bone Cement Reconstruction From C-Arm X-Ray Images

A novel algorithm is presented to segment and reconstruct injected bone cement from a sparse set of X-ray images acquired at arbitrary poses. The sparse X-ray multi-view active contour (SxMAC-pronounced “smack”) can 1) reconstruct objects for which the background partially occludes the object in X-ray images, 2) use X-ray images acquired on a noncircular trajectory, and 3) incorporate prior computed tomography (CT) information. The algorithm's inputs are preprocessed X-ray images, their associated pose information, and prior CT, if available. The algorithm initiates automated reconstruction using visual hull computation from a sparse number of X-ray images. It then improves the accuracy of the reconstruction by optimizing a geodesic active contour. Experiments with mathematical phantoms demonstrate improvements over a conventional silhouette based approach, and a cadaver experiment demonstrates SxMAC's ability to reconstruct high contrast bone cement that has been injected into a femur and achieve sub-millimeter accuracy with four images.
Characterization of fast and slow diffusion from diffusion-weighted MRI of pediatric Crohn's disease.

Purpose: To characterize fast and slow diffusion components in diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) of pediatric Crohn's disease (CD). Overall diffusivity reduction as measured by the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in patients with CD has been previously demonstrated. However, the ADC reduction may be due to changes in either fast or slow diffusion components. In this study we distinguished between the fast and slow diffusion components in the DW-MRI signal decay of pediatric CD. Materials and Methods: We acquired MRI from 24 patients, including MR enterography (MRE) and DW-MRI with 8 b-values (0–800 s/mm2). We characterized fast and slow diffusivity by intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) model parameters (f, D*, D), and overall diffusivity by ADC values. We determined which model best described the DW-MRI signal decay. We assessed the influence of the IVIM model parameters on the ADC. We evaluated differences in model parameter values between the enhancing and nonenhancing groups. Results: The IVIM model described the observed data significantly better than the ADC model (P = 0.0088). The ADC was correlated with f (r = 0.67, P = 0.0003), but not with D (r = 0.39, P = 0.062) and D* (r = −0.39, P = 0.057). f values were significantly lower (P < 0.003) and D* values were significantly higher (P = 0.03) in the enhancing segments, while D values were not significantly different between the groups (P = 0.14). Conclusion: For this study population the IVIM model provides a better description of the DW-MRI signal decay than the ADC model. The reduced ADC is related to changes in the fast diffusion rather than to changes in the slow diffusion. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2013;37:156–163. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Water Solutions of Boric Acid and Sugar for Management of German Cockroach Populations in Livestock Production Systems

Pest management in confinement swine production relies primarily on calendar-based applications of broad-spectrum insecticides. However, regulatory restrictions imposed by the U.S. Food Quality Protection Act of 1996, the large financial obligation of pesticide registration, and development of insecticide resistance have led to a renewed search for alternative control methods. Boric acid dust has long served as an insecticide in urban pest management and has been shown an effective alternative for use in sensitive environments such as swine production. However, dust formulations are difficult to apply and require specialized equipment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of liquid baits containing boric acid for the control of German cockroaches in a commercial swine nursery. Bait, consisting of 1 or 2% boric acid and 0.5 M sucrose, was deployed in 21 bait delivery tubes per room. Results of a 2-yr study showed significant reductions in cockroach populations. When baits were withdrawn in the summer, the cockroach population increased significantly faster than when the baits were removed during the winter. These data indicate that liquid formulations of boric acid effectively reduce the burden of cockroach infestation in swine production. This approach should have applications in structures in other urban and agricultural environments.
A low distortion MOS sampling circuit

This paper presents a sampling technique with reduced distortion for use in a sample-and-hold circuit for high resolution analog-to-digital converters and switched capacitor filters. The technique involves bootstrapping both the gate and the bulk terminal of the sampling switch to improve linearity. Circuit implementation and SPICE level simulation results are presented.
EQAR: Effective QoS-Aware Relay Node Placement Algorithm for Connecting Disjoint Wireless Sensor Subnetworks

In some applications of wireless sensor networks (WSNs), it may be necessary to link a number of disjoint segments in order to form a federated system. The segments can be simply distinct WSNs that operate autonomously or partitions of a single WSN that has suffered significant damage. Linking these segments may be subject to different intersegment quality of service (QoS) requirements. This paper presents an effective approach for federating these segments by populating the least number of relay nodes (RNs) such that the connectivity and QoS requirements are satisfied. Finding the optimal number and position of RNs is NP-hard and heuristics are thus pursued. The deployment area is modeled as a grid with equal-sized cells. A cost is assigned to each cell based on the residual capabilities of relays populated in it. The optimization problem is then mapped to finding the cell-based least-cost paths that collectively meet the QoS requirements. The performance of our approach is validated through extensive simulation experiments. We further demonstrate the beneficial aspects of the resulting topology with respect to degree of connectivity and fault resilience.
Environmental biotechnology: Challenges and opportunities for chemical engineers

Over the past few decades enormous quantities of industrial pollutants have been released into the environment. A large number of them, particularly those structurally related to natural compounds, are readily degraded or removed by microorganisms found in soil and water. However, superimposed on the wide variety of pollutants present in the environment is an increasing number of novel industrial compounds rarely found in nature. These xenobiotic compounds are usually removed slowly and tend to accumulate in the environment (Figure 1). Due to the high degree of toxicity, their accumulation can cause severe environmental problems. Because of the problems associated with pollutant treatment by conventional methods, such as incineration or landfills, increasing consideration has been placed on the development of alternative, economical and reliable biological treatments. Although natural microorganisms collectively exhibit remarkable evolutionary capabilities to adapt to a wide range of chemicals, natural evolution occurs at a relatively slow rate, particularly when the acquisition of multiple catalytic activities is necessary (Figure 2). In these cases, the acceleration of these events via genetic engineering/processing engineering is helpful since the desirable traits can be carefully designed and controlled. The drive toward this goal represents the essence of environmental biotechnology.
ARC - a source of multisensor satellite data for polar science

The NSF's Antarctic Research Center (ARC) has been established to furnish real-time polar-orbiting satellite data in support of Antarctic field studies, as well as to maintain a multisensor satellite data (MSD) archive for retrospective data analysis. An account is presently given of the ways in which the complementary nature of an MSD set can deepen understanding of Antarctic physical processes. An active microwave SAR with 30-m resolution and a radar altimeter will be added to the ARC resources later in this decade, as will the Earth Observing System.
Simultaneous observations of a tropical cyclone from dual-pol TerraSAR-X and ground-based weather radar

Recent advances in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) technology have revived meteorological applications with this type of radar. SARs are designed for surface imaging, but now that several X-band, multi-polarization SAR satellites are in orbit, the attenuation and backscatter change caused by precipitation can be better studied. The results presented here demonstrate some of the possibilities by analyzing observations from dual-polarization (HH, VV) TerraSAR-X acquisitions over central Florida during and after Tropical Storm Fay on August 19, 2008. Simultaneously, WSR-88D ground weather radars in Melbourne and Tampa Bay, FL collected reflectivity and radial velocity data from the storm where a strong precipitation cell is roughly co-located with severe attenuation in the SAR image. The SAR measurements are explained quantitatively by simultaneous ground radar observations. In addition, polarization analysis comparing the SAR image a subsequent TerraSAR-X acquisition 11 days later shows the impact of the storm over the entire image.
Spectral and physiological uniqueness of perennial pepperweed (Lepidium latifolium)

Abstract Perennial pepperweed is an aggressive, exotic weed invading wetland and riparian areas in California, including the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta Estuary. Effective management will require detailed and accurate maps of its distribution. Remote sensing technologies offer the capability to map weed species over broad areas and with rapid return intervals. As a first step in assessing the potential to map perennial pepperweed with hyperspectral remote sensing data, this study determined its spectral uniqueness relative to co-occurring species. Spectral measurements were conducted during summer drought conditions in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta region. Reflectance spectra of perennial pepperweed and seven co-occurring species were collected with a portable spectrometer. Nineteen physiological indexes were calculated from the reflectance data. Physiological indexes are sensitive to narrow spectral features and encapsulate reflectance information in ecologically relevant ways. Clas...
Pricing of Deposit Insurance Considering Investment, Deductibles and Policy Limit

We discuss the risk-based valuation model for deposit insurance. We establish models of determining the premium rate of deposit insurance considering the deductibles, the investment activities of the deposit insurer, and the requirements of capital regulation. Based on the criterion of safety first proposed by Roy (1952), we discuss selection of the investment policy of deposit insurer under stochastic return rates. We also propose a plan of claim payment with upper limit that is a decreasing function of the insolvency probability instead of a fixed value in order to discourage bank’s risk-taking behaviors, and provide an approach to determine the premium rate in this case. Finally, we discuss the pricing model of deposit insurance with the consideration time-varying default risk.
Swimming Black-Crowned Night-Herons (Nycticorax nycticorax) Kleptoparasitize American Coots (Fulica americana)

Abstract I observed black-crowned night-herons (Nycticorax nycticorax) swimming and kleptoparasitizing American coots (Fulica americana) at an artificial lake in Pinal County, Arizona. This appears to be the first record of interspecific kleptoparasitism by a swimming ardeid.
The impact of pontine disease on lower urinary tract symptoms in patients with multiple sclerosis

Aims To investigate the relationship between pontine lesion characteristics on MRI and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods We performed a prospective cohort study of patients with MS and LUTS who were undergoing brain/spine MRI. Patients were administered the American Urological Association Symptom Score (AUA-SS), Medical, Epidemiologic, and Social Aspects of Aging questionnaire (MESA), and Urogenital Distress Inventory questionnaire (UDI-6), underwent Kurtzke Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scoring by a neurologist, and had their MRIs reviewed by a neuroradiologist. The relationships between symptom scores and lesion number, size, and location were analyzed. Results There were 42 patients that completed the study and 20 (48%) had one or more pontine lesions. Total AUA-SS and UDI-6 were related to multiple Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) scales and not EDSS scoring. Weak urinary stream measured on the AUA-SS (P = 0.028), and urgency incontinence measured on the MESA questionnaire (P = 0.034) were related to pontine lesion diameter. There was no difference in urinary symptoms according to the presence or absence of a pontine lesion, or according to lesion location within the pons. Conclusions Pontine lesion size appears to be related to lower urinary tract symptoms (weak stream and urgency incontinence) in patients with MS. Therefore, CNS lesion characteristics may be able to phenotype voiding symptoms in patients with MS. Neurourol. Urodynam. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Dysphagia in head and neck cancer: prevention and treatment.

Purpose of reviewSwallowing difficulties are among the most problematic outcomes associated with head and neck cancer (HNCA) and the strategies employed to treat it. With a rising incidence of human papilloma virus-associated HNCA, a larger number of patients are expected to survive their cancer, an
Time for Permanent Estate Tax Reform

On January 1, 2013, the federal estate tax regime in effect from 2001 to 2012 is scheduled to revert to its pre-2001 structure. A 35% rate will soar to a 55% rate. A $5 million exemption will plummet to $1 million. Some deductions and credits enacted in 2001 will disappear while others repealed in that year suddenly will reappear. In fundamental ways, the estate tax in effect on inauguration day will bear little resemblance to the tax as it existed on election day. Regardless of one’s personal politics, there is little redeeming to be found in such dramatic shifts in tax policy. In the next four years, preferably in the next four months, Congress and the President must work together to implement their own vision for the estate tax, rather than allowing mere inertia to effectuate choices made by their predecessors. I offer this essay as a modest contribution to that effort. This paper is organized in two major parts. In Part I, I explore the recent history of the federal estate tax, highlighting how changes made in the last dozen years have brought Congress to a moment of crisis. In Part II, I offer a suggestion for permanent reform of two provisions of the current estate tax regime: enacting a permanent estate tax exemption of $3.5 million to $5 million and restoring the state death tax credit.
Reduced cell cohesiveness of outgrowths from eccrine sweat glands delays wound closure in elderly skin.

Human skin heals more slowly in aged vs. young adults, but the mechanism for this delay is unclear. In humans, eccrine sweat glands (ESGs) and hair follicles underlying wounds generate cohesive keratinocyte outgrowths that expand to form the new epidermis. Here, we compared the re-epithelialization of partial-thickness wounds created on the forearm of healthy young ( 70 yo) adults. Our results confirm that the outgrowth of cells from ESGs is a major feature of repair in young skin. Strikingly, in aged skin, although ESG density is unaltered, less than 50% of the ESGs generate epithelial outgrowths during repair (vs. 100% in young). Surprisingly, aging does not alter the wound-induced proliferation response in hair follicles or ESGs. Instead, there is an overall reduced cohesiveness of keratinocytes in aged skin. Reduced cell-cell cohesiveness was most obvious in ESG-derived outgrowths that, when present, were surrounded by unconnected cells in the scab overlaying aged wounds. Reduced cell-cell contact persisted during the repair process, with increased intercellular spacing and reduced number of desmosomes. Together, reduced outgrowths of ESG (i) reduce the initial number of cells participating in epidermal repair, (ii) delay wound closure, and (iii) lead to a thinner repaired epidermis in aged vs. young skin. Failure to form cohesive ESG outgrowths may reflect impaired interactions of keratinocytes with the damaged ECM in aged skin. Our findings provide a framework to better understand the mediators of delayed re-epithelialization in aging and further support the importance of ESGs for the repair of human wounds.
Flexible Ag-ChG Radiation Sensors: Limit of Detection and Dynamic Range Optimization Through Physical Design Tuning

Silver-chalcogenide glass flexible sensors were tested to study the impact of physical design parameters on the performance characteristics of the sensors in response to ionizing radiation. Results show that by changing lateral spacing between adjacent electrodes, the limit of detection and dynamic range can be regulated. Likewise, by changing the diameter of the electrodes, the sensor high and low resistance states can be adjusted to a desired range. In contrast, the influence of the electrode diameter on the sensor performance characteristics was found to have less of an impact on sensor performance. Mechanisms for ion transport and reactions are investigated using TCAD simulations in which the standard statistics and transport equations for free carriers are simultaneously solved. The simulation results are qualitatively in a good agreement with experimental data.
Hospitality customers: their roles in service blueprints

More recently, research has examined how customer participation in an operation impacts firm productivity and profitability and how uncertainty may be reduced by appropriate task assignment and supervision of customer roles in business organizations. The insertion of the customer into the hospitality service delivery system is of particular interest and to this end we explore the progress which has been made toward understanding how exactly the customer and the hospitality firm commingle to achieve their goals. Drawing upon an integrated literature base, a framework for managing customer participation in the hospitality firm is presented. This may assist future research on the significant roles performed by customers and provides insight into related tactical issues that require managerial attention in hospitality operations. The chapter begins by examining how customers engage in relations with hospitality firms – to set the stage for understanding how what customers do (their participation in the organizational system) impacts the hospitality operation and ultimately the customer’s own perception of service.
Expanded circumscription of Didiereaceae and its division into three subfamilies

Trois genres de Portulacaceae (Calyptrotheca, Ceraria et Portulacaria) qui sont plus proches de Didiereaceae que d'autres Portulacaceae sont transferes dans les Didiereaceae. La famille est ainsi constituee de trois sous-familles, Calyptrothecoideae, Didiereoideae et Portulacarioideae.
Helitron Proliferation and Gene-Fragment Capture

Helitrons stand out as rare transposons discovered by bioinformatic, rather than genetic, studies. Although they comprise an ancient superfamily of transposons found in plants, animals, and fungi, it is in plants where they have been studied most extensively. Well-annotated plant genomes contain increasingly higher numbers of identified Helitrons, including putative autonomous elements and nonautonomous elements with and without gene fragments. The molecular structure of the autonomous Helitron and the postulated rolling circle mode of transposition remain hypothetical, and recent evidence suggests that Helitrons may transpose by both copy-and-paste and cut-and-paste mechanisms. Two Helitron properties, in particular, have caught the imagination of biologists: their ability to undergo sudden bursts of transposition and their ability to capture fragments from different genes to make chimeric transcripts. In this chapter, we provide an overview of what we have learned in the past decade about the biology of these intriguing, newly discovered plant genome residents.
Solid state synthesis of layered sodium manganese oxide for sodium-ion battery by in-situ high energy X-ray diffraction and X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy

Abstract In situ high energy X-ray diffraction (HEXRD) and in situ X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES) were carried out to understand the solid state synthesis of NaxMnO2, with particular interest on the synthesis of P2 type Na2/3MnO2. It was found that there were multi intermediate phases formed before NaMnO2 appeared at about 600 °C. And the final product after cooling process is a combination of O′3 NaMnO2 with P2 Na2/3MnO2. A P2 type Na2/3MnO2 was synthesized at reduced temperature (600 °C). The influence of Na2CO3 impurity on the electrochemical performance of P2 Na2/3MnO2 was thoroughly investigated in our work. It was found that the content of Na2CO3 can be reduced by optimizing Na2CO3/MnCO3 ratio during the solid state reaction or other post treatment such as washing with water. We expected our results could provide a good guide for future development of high performance cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries.
Application of Fuzzy Logic to develop a wildland fire-predicting UAS

While development of wildland firefighting tools has focused on better on-spot attack equipment, fire-managers still suffer large number of loss of lives of personnel. Many incidents have recorded the deaths of several firemen during air-drops or on-field action. Studies have shown that this is caused to a large extent by the unavailability of accurate information about the growth of fire. Enhanced situational awareness tools can help improve proper planning of such activities and decrease response-time. The key is to develop a real-time and dynamic fire-prediction model that can clearly depict the perimeter of affected area during the expected response time. Mathematical models involve the tedious manual classification of the vegetation cover into select models for different behavior with fire ignition. Following is an attempt to imply tools of Fuzzy logic to make this process less consuming. Land cover data has been taken from national agencies and then categorized into prescribed models using a fuzzy-logic based decision making tool.
American Catholics and World Religions, Theory and Praxis: 1893-1959

The publication of the Second Vatican Council's Nostrae aetate in 1965 signaled a marked change in the view that Roman Catholics had toward world religions. However, well before that time, U.S. Catholics had begun to explore questions related to Catholicism's place among religions found around the world. Both in theory and in practice, the work of John J. Keane at the World Parliament of Religions, Charles F. Aiken and John Montgomery Cooper at the Catholic University of America, and Medical Missionary Sisters foundress, Anna Dengel,laid the foundation for a more positive view of non-Catholic religions, in spite of the overcast of Modernism.
Relationships among Moral and Contesting Variables and Prosocial and Antisocial Behavior in Sport.

The current study of US intercollegiate athletes (n = 1066) involved in multiple sports investigated relationships among moral (moral reasoning maturity, moral value evaluation [MVE], and moral ide...
137 Emotional reactions to conducting violence research

Purpose Researchers increasingly recognise emotional challenges can emerge when studying emotionally sensitive topics such as violence. This exploratory study examined emotional challenges research staff (research assistants/interviewers/study clinicians) experienced while working on violence-related research studies and identified supports that helped staff deal with emotionally-charged content. Methods Semi-structured qualitative interviews (n=34; Mean=48 min; sd=7 min) were conducted with a purposefully selected sample of research staff recruited through web-based searches (NIH RePorter, clinicaltrials.gov) and expert recommendations. Participants were between 20–67 years old; 77% women; 62.9% white, 14.3% Latino, 11.4% African-American, and 11.4% other races/ethnicities). A quarter reported personal histories of physical/sexual victimisation (25.7% as adult and 22.9% as child). A thematic approach for qualitative data analysis was used. We began with deductive codes developed from prior research/theory and then used Erickson’s (1986) method of analytic induction. This iterative procedure was used to develop and test empirical assertions for this qualitative study. Results There was tremendous diversity in the emotional reactions to experienced by research staff. Although participants noted positive aspects of their work (e.g., feeling inspired), they also reported emotional challenges including difficult thoughts, feelings (e.g., exhaustion, overwhelmed) and behaviours (e.g., short temper, bad dreams/nightmares). Helpful supports included clinical supervision and informal supports (e.g. peer-debriefing, self-care activities, social supports). Participants identified barriers that prevented the utilisation of formal supports (e.g., difficulty accessing supervisors, not wanting supervisors to think less of them) and how supports could be more helpful (e.g., consistent clinical supervision, in-person supervision, supervisors discussing their reactions). Conclusions and Significance Findings suggest that emotional challenges are an important and often overlooked aspect of violence research. Emotional challenges need to be taken into account by investigators planning research on violence and emotionally sensitive topics. Resources need to be budgeted to provide adequate emotional support for the research staff.
Holistic radar waveform diversity

Abstract Practical radar operation involves a complex interaction between electromagnetics, radio frequency (RF) system engineering, and signal processing. At a general level, radar waveform diversity involves the joint consideration of the range, Doppler, spatial, polarization, and frequency domains to enhance radar capabilities and potentially enable various forms of multimode operation. To make such waveform-diverse capabilities/mode practical, it is likewise necessary to consider waveform diversity from a more holistic perspective. This chapter summarizes the realistic radar attributes that affect the waveform and discusses waveform design structures that intrinsically adhere to these realistic requirements. These physically realizable structures are then used to construct more complex waveform-diverse sensing schemes.
Arterial Baroreceptor Function and Exercise

Exercise is a frequent and often the major stress on the mammalian cardiovascular system. During exercise, the active skeletal muscles increase their demand for oxygen delivery and blood flow. During heavy rhythmic exercise in humans, muscle blood flow can reach 20–35 1 × min-1 [13,16,36]. If such exercise is undertaken in a hot environment, or is prolonged in a more comfortable environment, the increase in skin blood flow necessary to maintain thermal balance can exceed 5 1 × min-1 [36]. In response to these challenges a complex series of local, humoral, and neural events occur to provide the necessary increase in cardiac output to meet the metabolic and thermal demands while maintaining arterial blood pressure at a level that insures adequate perfusion of the vital organs, especially of the brain and heart (Fig. 1). In this chapter the role of the arterial baroreflexes in governing the circulation during exercise is reviewed, with particular reference to the following questions. First, what are the cardiovascular responses to muscular exercise? Second, are the arterial baroreflexes necessary for these responses? Third, is the function of these reflexes altered during exercise? Fourth, do the arterial baroreflexes play a role regulating blood flow to contracting muscles?
Ontogeny of Second Messenger Systems

Abstract Second messengers provide a direct connection between signaling molecules such as neurotransmitters, cytokines, and growth factors and changes in gene expression that are ultimately responsible for the proliferation, differentiation, and maturation of nerve cells. This interaction of signaling molecules through second messenger systems might direct the development of the nervous system. Numerous studies have suggested a role of cell signaling during different stages of nervous system development, thereby enhancing the action of extracellular signals. These cell-signaling pathways are highly interactive and maintain a modulatory interaction with each other via a complex network of second messenger systems. Our increasing understanding of these second messengers mediated cellular signaling systems at specific ontogenetic stages suggests that certain developmental neurotoxicants may exert their toxicity by interfering with these processes. By understanding the pathways of toxicity induced by a developmental neurotoxicant and correlating such mechanisms of toxicity with certain second messenger pathways, it is possible to construct experimentally viable hypotheses on potential mechanisms of neurotoxic damage.
Effect of inorganic sediment on whole-stream productivity

Sediment from agricultural, logging, and mining activities impairs more miles of rivers and streams in the United States than any other type of pollutant, including bacteria, nutrients, oxygen-depleting substances, and metals. However, specific impacts of sediment to streams have not been well studied or understood. To study the effect of inorganic sediment on plant and animal communities in stream ecosystems, we added clay to outdoor experimental streams 520 m long and 3.5 m wide at the Monticello Ecological Research Station (MERS). The streams take water from the Mississippi River and are designed to represent higher order streams in the upper midwestern United States. The sediment loading rates were 300, 200, 100, and 50 mg l−1. Our first dosing period (mid-August to November 1994) began at the start of a fall bloom in autotroph productivity, and the second (May to August 1995) began before the summer communities were established. During both treatment seasons, the addition of clay significantly increased turbidity and sedimentation, and decreased light penetration in treated streams corresponding roughly to 30–35, 25–30, 15–20, and 5–10 NTU, respectively. In general, the macrophyte and periphyton communities responded quickly after only a few weeks exposure to the sediment additions. Whole-stream respiration was significantly lower in treated streams, decreasing as the amount of sediment added increased. Periphyton biomass (chl a) on tiles and percent cover of macrophytes was significantly lower in treatment streams than in controls. In contrast to expectations and previous findings in two sets of field streams, total whole-stream productivity in the MERS streams was not significantly lower in streams receiving sediment loads than in control streams because the overall photosynthetic efficiency by the plant community compensated for the loss in irradiance.
A Binary Index Notation for Clifford Algebras

Hagmark and Lounesto’s binary labeling of the generators of a Clifford algebra can be extended by ordering the basis elements in either ascending order, denoted by a post-scripted binary index, or descending order, denoted by a pre-scripted binary index. Reversion is then represented by swapping prescripts and postscripts, grade involution by changing the sign of the index, and conjugation by both swapping and changing the sign. Bit inversion of the binary index is a duality operation that does not suffer the handedness problems of the Clifford dual or of the Hodge dual. Generators whose binary indices are bit inverses of each other commute (anti-commute) if the product of their grades is even (odd). If the number of generators is even (odd), the commutators (anti-commutators) of basis vectors labeled with binary indices and of covectors labeled by bit inversion of binary indices yield generalizations of the Heisenberg commutation relations.
Interview by Hans-Ulrich Obrist — The Creative Life: Science vs. Art

[Roissy/CDG Airport, October 2000. This interview took place in a cafe at the airport, and began at 5:30 in the morning. It’s part of a “Bridge the gap” series of discussions and exchanges on science, art and humanity organized by the Center for Contemporary Art in Kitakyushu, Japan. Hans-Ulrich Obrist is a curator at the Museum of Modern Art of the City of Paris.]
Interaction of Dictyostelium discoideumα-mannosidase with beef liver phosphomannosyl receptor

Abstract Both intracellular and secreted α-mannosidase from D. discoideum bind quantitatively and specifically to immobilized phosphomannosyl receptor from beef liver. Almost all the intracellular enzyme molecules retain tight binding capacity subsequent to exhaustive alkaline phosphatase treatment. This supports the idea that uncovered phosphates are not essential for optimal recognition by the phosphomannosyl receptor. However, approximately 50% of the extracellular enzyme was converted to a weak binding form by the same treatment.
Physiological changes in maize seed (Zea mays L.) quality associated with genotype, drying temperature and aging

A limited number of harvest days coupled with threats of early frost often require harvesting seeds at high moisture and artificially drying to approximately 120 g HjO kg ' fw (fresh weight) moisture content for safe storage. Further, a substantial amount of seed is carried over in storage for more than one year. These practices often result in a loss of seed quality. This study was conducted to determine the effects of drying temperature and aging on seed quality parameters in A632 and B73 hybrids differing in sensitivity to drying temperature and to identify the physiological and biochemical parameters or processes associated with drying and/or aging damage. Compared with 35°C, drying at 45°C reduced seedling vigor of B73 harvested at 450 g HjO kg"' fw moisture whereas A632 was relatively tolerant. Greater reductions in seedling vigor for both A632 and B73 were found from high moisture seeds dried at 45°C and followed by four years of storage. Reductions in ATP, EC and GTP levels were demonstrated in both fresh and aged axes from seeds harvested at 450 g HiO kg ' fw moisture and dried at 45°C. Oxygen and (l-'^C)or (6-'^C)-glucose uptake, and the evolution of '^COz fi"om (l-'^C)or (6-'*C)-glucose in axes from seeds harvested at 450 g HjO kg"' fw moisture were reduced by high temperature drying or high temperature drying followed by four years of storage. Electron microscopy of axis tissues showed high
Ethical Considerations for Mental Health Clinicians Working with Adolescents in the Digital Age.

Adolescents’ use of digital technologies is constantly changing and significantly influences and reflects their mental health and development. Technology has entered the clinical space and raises new ethical dilemmas for mental health clinicians. After an update on this shifting landscape, including a brief review of important literature since 2014, this article will demonstrate how core ethical principles may be applied to clinical situations with patients, using vignettes for illustration. The vast majority of adolescents (95%) across all demographic groups can access smartphones (Anderson et al. 2018•). Technology use in mental health is also expanding, including a proliferation of “apps.” While qualitative data from technology experts reports overall positive effects of technology (Anderson and Rainie 2018), concern about its potential negative impact on youth mental health remains high, and an association between technology use and depression is strong. Internet addiction, online sexual exploitation, and accessing illicit substances through the “dark net” pose additional clinical and legal concerns. In this context, clinicians have an ethical responsibility to engage in education and advocacy, to explore technology use with teen patients and to be sensitive to ethical issues that may arise clinically, including confidentiality, autonomy, beneficence/nonmaleficence, and legal considerations such as mandated reporting. New media and digital technologies pose unique ethical challenges to mental health clinicians working with adolescents. Clinicians need to stay abreast of current trends and controversies about technology and their potential impact on youth and engage in advocacy and psychoeducation appropriately. With individual patients, clinicians should watch for potential ethical dilemmas stemming from technology use and think them through, with consultation as needed, by applying longstanding core ethical principles.
Use of ab interno Kahook Dual Blade trabeculectomy for treatment of primary congenital glaucoma

Introduction:Primary congenital glaucoma is a rare ocular disorder that is responsible for 0.01%–0.04% of total blindness worldwide.1 The goal of congenital glaucoma management is to allow for prop...
Wish you were here? The prevalence of farmers markets in food deserts: an examination of the United States

Food deserts have received considerable attention in recent years. Research has shown that individuals living in these areas have less nutritional diets and experience worse health outcomes compare...
Comparative Efficacy of Therapies for Treatment of Depression for Patients Undergoing Maintenance Hemodialysis: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Nearly 30% of patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis have symptoms of depression, but most do not receive treatment for this condition. This multicenter, randomized controlled trial examined ...
Estimating location parameters in entangled single-sample distributions

We consider the problem of estimating the common mean of independently sampled data, where samples are drawn in a possibly non-identical manner from symmetric, unimodal distributions with a common mean. This generalizes the setting of Gaussian mixture modeling, since the number of distinct mixture components may diverge with the number of observations. We propose an estimator that adapts to the level of heterogeneity in the data, achieving near-optimality in both the i.i.d. setting and some heterogeneous settings, where the fraction of ``low-noise'' points is as small as $\frac{\log n}{n}$. Our estimator is a hybrid of the modal interval, shorth, and median estimators from classical statistics; however, the key technical contributions rely on novel empirical process theory results that we derive for independent but non-i.i.d. data. In the multivariate setting, we generalize our theory to mean estimation for mixtures of radially symmetric distributions, and derive minimax lower bounds on the expected error of any estimator that is agnostic to the scales of individual data points. Finally, we describe an extension of our estimators applicable to linear regression. In the multivariate mean estimation and regression settings, we present computationally feasible versions of our estimators that run in time polynomial in the number of data points.