cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Initial Condition Uncertainty on Numerical Simulations of Large-scale Explosive Cyclogenesis

Abstract The impact of initial condition uncertainty on short-range (up to 48 h) forecasts of large-scale explosive cyclogenesis is examined. Predictability experiments are conducted on 11 cases of rapid oceanic cyclogenesis that occurred in a long-term, perpetual January integration of a global, high-resolution, spectral model. Results are derived from the 11-case ensemble average. The perturbation used to represent the initial condition error in this study has a magnitude and spatial distribution that closely matches estimates of global analysis error. Results from the predictability experiments are compared to a set of physics sensitivity experiments which are used to represent an estimate of a “typical” modeling, error. Compared to the control simulations, the inclusion of initial error produces a composite cyclone with maximum deepening rate that is slightly reduced and a 24 h period of most rapid deepening that is somewhat delayed. The absolute position error in the surface cyclone is approximately ...
Financing vaccines: cornerstone of prevention.

* Abbreviation: ARRA = : American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Among its first acts, the 111th Congress crafted the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), which President Barack Obama quickly signed into law. ARRA includes significant investment by the federal government in preventive health services, an area in which vaccines play a fundamental role.1 In addition to expanding access to vaccines and related services, ARRA funding should help increase national public awareness and knowledge of the benefits of vaccines in reducing vaccine-preventable diseases. Furthermore, ARRA funding is supporting biomedical research that is critical for future vaccine development. Beyond the immediate impact these efforts have on improving the immunization status of many individuals in the United States, they should strengthen the evidence base for vaccination policies and programs, helping shape the future of our nation's immunization program. Historically, investments in vaccine development coupled with programs that implement widespread use of vaccines have transformed the health of individuals and communities in the United States and around the world by converting … Address correspondence to Bruce G. Gellin, MD, MPH, National Vaccine Program Office, 200 Independence Ave SW, Room 717H, Washington, DC 20201-0004. E-mail: bruce.gellin{at}hhs.gov
Kidney function: Gateway to a long life?

A molecule has been identified that seems to regulate the levels of uric acid in humans. The discovery has implications for understanding diseases such as gout and may even shed light on human longevity.
PIV Error Correction

A non-post-interrogation method of reducing subpixel errors and eliminating spurious vectors from particle image velocimetry (PIV) results is presented. Unlike methods that rely on the accuracy or similarity of neighboring vectors, errors are eliminated before correlation information is discarded using available spatial and/or temporal data. Anomalies are removed from the data set through direct element-by-element comparison of the correlation tables calculated from adjacent regions. The result is a correction method that improves subpixel accuracy and effective spatial resolution and is highly robust to out-of-boundary particle motion, particle overlap, inter-particle correlations, and electronic and optical imaging noise.
16. Cryoablation as an alternative to lumpectomy for breast cancer

With improvements in technology, cryoablation as an alternative to surgery, has been used to treat cancers of the skin, prostate, liver, lung and bone. There is significant interest in cryoablation of breast cancer. Potential advantages over lumpectomy include the minimally invasive nature of the treatment, improved cosmetic results, patient comfort, decreased costs and the possible immune response to the ablated tissue. Several pre-clinical and clinical studies have demonstrated both the feasibility of breast cancer cryoablation and the generation of an anti-tumor immune response, and clinical experience with cryoablation of benign breast tumors is growing. The on-going American College of Surgeons Oncology Group Trial Z1072, a phase II trial examining the success of breast cancer cryoablation, is an important first step in possibly replacing lumpectomy with cryoablation for a subset of breast cancer patients. This discussion will review the breast cryoablation literature to date and discusses the directions the field needs to move into realize that goal.
Morphology and Syntax in Late Talkers at Age 5

Purpose This study reports age 5 morphology and syntax skills in late talkers identified at age 2 (n = 34) and typically developing comparison children (n = 20). Results The late talkers manifested significant morphological delays at ages 3 and 4 relative to comparison peers. Based on the 14 morphemes analyzed at age 5, the only significant group difference was on the third person regular –s inflection. This was also the only significant difference when we compared late talkers with continuing delay, late bloomers (who scored within 1 standard deviation of the comparison group in mean length of utterance), and typically developing peers. The late talker and comparison children differed greatly in mean total scores on the Index of Productive Syntax (Scarborough, 1990), a measure of syntactic complexity. The group with continuing delay scored significantly lower on the IPSyn than the late bloomer and typically developing groups, which did not differ from each other. Conclusions Findings are consistent with ...
NRAO contributions to the VSOP mission

Abstract The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) is a participant in the VSOP Space VLBI mission, an international collaboration led by Japan's Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS). The Observatory's contributions fall in six main areas, all developed and operated with support from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). NRAO has committed 30% of scheduled observing time on the VLBA, and smaller allocations of time on other NRAO instruments, to joint observations with the VSOP mission's Halca spacecraft. NRAO also provides tracking of Halca, including downlinking and recording of the observations, at an earth station at NRAO's Green Bank site. The VLBA correlator is committed for processing of any VSOP observations involving NRAO ground-based telescopes. About 75% of all General Observing Time scientific observations have been processed at the VLBA correlator. The Astronomical Image Processing System (AIPS) was also modified to accommodate a number of unique features of Space VLBI observations. Most of the images derived from VSOP observations have been produced using AIPS. NRAO has integrated Space VLBI observing into routine VLBA operations, and operates a regional user support facility to assist US-based astronomers in analysis of VSOP observations.
Electromagnetic modeling of phase-shifting contact lithography by broadband ultraviolet illumination

Experiments have recently indicated that phase-shifting contact lithography (PSCL) could provide sub-wave-length resolution by using broadband ultraviolet sources of illumination. Electromagnetic modeling of PSCL is performed to characterize absorption features of the photoresist layer one of whose faces is in contact with a quartz binary phase-shift mask. The electromagnetic field of the broadband ultraviolet source is represented as a spectrum of normally incident plane waves, and a rigorous coupled--wave analysis is performed to determine spectral absorption in the photoresist layer. The specific absorption rate in the photoresist layer is calculated and examined in relation to the geometric parameters of experimental samples. As illustrated by the modeling, columnar features are formed in the photoresist layer due to the localization of absorption. Feature resolution and profile are noticeably affected by the phase--shift mask's thickness. Ideally, the feature linewidth can be less than 200 nm for transverse-magnetic mode illumination.
An assessment of the quality of rotator cuff randomized controlled trials: utilizing the Jadad score and CONSORT criteria

Background: The AAOS’s Clinical Practice Guideline on ‘‘Optimizing Care of Rotator Cuff Problems’’ suggested a lack of high-quality data. Our purpose is to quantify the quality of randomized controlled trials of rotator cuff disorders via the Jadad score, and to apply the 2010 Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials CONSORT Criteria to determine factors associated with high Jadad scores and areas for improvement. Methods: A systematic review using PRISMA guidelines was performed. Utilizing an iterative search strategy of the top 6 impact factor orthopaedic journals from 2001 to 2011, all randomized controlled studies involving rotator cuff disorders were identified and scored in a systematic, blinded fashion. Each study received a Jadad score. Adherence to CONSORT criteria was quantified and linked to the Jadad score via linear regression. Common deficiencies were described. Results: A total of 129 manuscripts were identified; 54 met inclusion criteria: total patients n ¼ 4099; mean patients per article ¼ 76; range, 16-660. The mean Jadad score was 3.0. Sixty-six percent (35/53) of studies were high quality (high quality: >3). Among these, the majority (63%, 22/35) were nonoperative trials. Adherence to CONSORT Criteria was associated with higher Jadad scores (R 2 ¼ 0.3). The most common deficient CONSORT Criteria were: trial design descriptions (66%; 36/54 studies), descriptions of randomization type (65%; 35/54), and power analysis (46%; 25/54). Conclusion: The majority of randomized controlled trials of rotator cuff pathology are high-quality studies based on the Jadad score. Adherence to CONSORT criteria is linked to high-quality scores. Future studies should use full CONSORT Criteria. Level of evidence: Level II, Systematic Review. 2013 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees.
Reward and aversion in a heterogeneous midbrain dopamine system.

Abstract The ventral tegmental area (VTA) is a heterogeneous brain structure that serves a central role in motivation and reward processing. Abnormalities in the function of VTA dopamine (DA) neurons and the targets they influence are implicated in several prominent neuropsychiatric disorders including addiction and depression. Recent studies suggest that the midbrain DA system is composed of anatomically and functionally heterogeneous DA subpopulations with different axonal projections. These findings may explain a number of previously confusing observations that suggested a role for DA in processing both rewarding as well as aversive events. Here we will focus on recent advances in understanding the neural circuits mediating reward and aversion in the VTA and how stress as well as drugs of abuse, in particular cocaine, alter circuit function within a heterogeneous midbrain DA system. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled ‘NIDA 40th Anniversary Issue’.
Cyclic GMP-phosphodiesterase inhibition does not alter cerebral oxygen consumption

The effect of zaprinast, a cyclic guanosine monophosphate inhibitor, on the level of cyclic GMP and cerebral O2 consumption was determined. Anesthetized male Long-Evans rats were divided into a control group (n=15) and a zaprinast treated group (n=15). Vehicle was applied topically to the left cortex and 3·10−3 M zaprinast was applied to the right cortex. A saline treated control group was also studied. Regional cerebral blood flow was determined by [14C]-iodoantipyrine and regional O2 extraction was determined by microspectrophotometry. The level of cyclic GMP was measured by radioimmunoassay. There were no hemodynamic or blood gas differences between groups. The level of cyclic GMP was not significantly different between the right and left cerebral cortex of the control group (17.0±4.3 and 17.7±4.6 pmol/g). In the zaprinast treated group, there was a significant (46%) increase in the level of cyclic GMP in the zaprinast treated cortex (20.5±8.1) in comparison to the vehicle treated cortex (14.0±5.7). Zaprinast did not significantly alter cerebral blood flow. There were no significant differences in regional O2 extraction. The O2 consumption of the zaprinast treated cortex (8.0±3.3 ml O2·min−1·100 g−1) was not different from that of the vehicle treated cortex (7.0±2.9) or those of the control group. Thus, our data indicated that the increased level of cyclic GMP had no significant effect on cerebral oxygen consumption.
“It had no voice to it”: Sydney Pollack's film translation of Isak Dinesen's out of Africa

Through a thematic analysis, this study investigates the rhetorical implications of Sydney Pollack's translation of Isak Dinesen's autobiographical texts. Specifically, the essay argues that Pollack's film uses strategies of transference, redefinition, antithesis, and displacement to renarrate Dinesen's writings, resulting in a depoliticized romantic adventure. These strategies marginalize, or mute altogether, pivotal elements of Dinesen's texts and life, including her complex voice and unconventional beliefs regarding the role of women, of race, and of colonialism. The consequence of Pollack's translation is a film narrative that honors patriarchal norms and cinematic conventions while fundamentally misrepresenting Dinesen and her life stories.
Evaluation of Select Approximations for Calculating Particle Charging Rates in the Continuum Regime

Select approximations for particle charge acquisition in the continuum regime were evaluated by comparison with numerical calculations of continuum field-diffusion theory. Charging rates as calculated by five approximations—White, diffusion, field, Klett, and Wang—were evaluated as a function of dimensionless particle charge, ν, and dimensionless field, ω, over the domains - 20 ≤ ν ≤ 20 and 0.01 ≤ ω ≤ 100. None of the approximations was found to be valid over the full domain of charge and field strength encountered in aerosol charging applications, and the subdomains over which each of the approximations is accurate were determined. Based on these results, various combinations of approximations and polynomial curve fits were evaluated. A combination consisting of the diffusion and field approximations along with a polynomial curve fit was found to yield good estimates of the charging rate over the full domain of charge and field. Sample calculations using this combination to determine charge as a function...
Experimental Spondyloarthropathy in HLA-B27 Transgenic Rats

Rats of the LEW, F344, and PVG strains bearing high copy numbers of transgenes for HLA-B27 and human beta 2-microglobulin develop a multisystem disorder, many features of which resemble aspects of the human spondyloarthropathies, most dramatically axial and peripheral arthropathy. The disease is not seen in rats with comparable expression of HLA-B7, and so is relatively specific for HLA-B27. It requires T cells and another bone marrow derived cell, as well as an intact gut flora. Characteristic cytokine profiles distinguish the inflammatory infiltrates in the gut and the joint, and the earliest T cell infiltrates at these sites are polyclonal. Polymorphism at the Tap-2 peptide transporter locus has no significant effect on disease, whereas the DA strain background abrogates disease. The molecular role of the B27 molecule in disease remains to be elucidated, but there is good reason to believe that it will eventually yield to continued investigation of this animal model.
The physical properties of bisphenol-A-based epoxy resins during and after curing. II: Creep behavior above and below the glass transition temperature

The creep behavior of a series of fully cured epoxy resins with different crosslink densities was determined from the glassy compliance level to the equilibrium compliance Je at temperatures above Tg and at the glassy level below Tg during spontaneous densification at four aging temperatures, 4,4-diamino diphenyl sulfone DDS was used to crosslink the epoxy resins. The shear creep compliance curves J(t) obtained with materials at equilibrium densities near and above Tg were compared at their respective Tgs. Tgs from 101 to 205°C were observed for the epoxies which were based on the diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A. Creep rates were found to be the same at short times, and equilibrium compliances Je were close to the predictions of the kinetic theory of rubberlike elasticity. Time scale shift factors determined during physical aging were reduced to Tg. At compliances below 2 × 10−10 cm2/dyn, Andrade creep, where J(t) is a linear function of the cube root of creep time, was observed. The time to reach an equilibrium volume at Tg was found to be longer for the epoxy resin with lower crosslink densities. The increase of density during curing is illustrated for the epoxy resin with the highest crosslink density.
pGPro1, a novel binary vector for monocot promoter characterization

Promoter analyses can be compromised by interactions between the test promoter and those driving the expression of other genes within the same construct. Our laboratory is engaged in identifying and characterizing promoters that will be useful in controlling transgene expression in monocot crops. For this purpose, we have built the pGProl binary vector construct, a pGreen derived binary vector that contains a useful multiple cloning region allowing the creation of transcriptional or translational fusions to agusA::enhanced Green Fluorescent Protein bifunctional reporter gene. The pGProl vector has many features that make it an efficient tool forAgrobacterium-mediated transformation, and most importantly, its design minimizes the potential impact the promoter/selectable marker gene cassette has on the fidelity of the expression controlled by the test promoter. We demonstrate that the pGProl T-DNA is functional in both transient expression assays in onion cells and transgenic rice plants. This new binary vector will be a useful tool for characterizing promoter function in transgenic monocot plants.
AMPS-1D simulation examination of the measured performance of a PbSe QD tandem solar cell structure

Lead selenide (PbSe) quantum-dot (QD) tandem and corresponding single junction solar cell structures have been fabricated and compared. Transparent organics are used for electron blocking/hole transport and zinc oxide (ZnO) is used for hole blocking/electron transport layer functions. Device light current-voltage behavior shows that recombination at the tandem inter-solar cell region is required to support the tandem photocurrent. AMPS-1D modeling is used to elucidate the tandem and single solar cell band diagrams and the current flow mechanisms.
Grain Boundary Behavior in an Ultrafine-Grained Aluminum Alloy

The low-angle grain boundary (LAGB) stability in an ultrafine-grained (UFG) Al alloy during monotonic loading was investigated by orientation imaging microscopy (OIM). The experiments show that boundaries with misorientation below ~2.5 deg are stable, while boundaries with misorientation between 2.5 and 15 deg are unstable. Similar results were observed during cyclic loading of UFG Al alloy. This behavior was rationalized using the nonequilibrium thermodynamics concept. On the other hand, it is postulated that the grain boundary behavior in microcrystalline alloy is different because of the larger dislocation mean free path.
Distribution of fixed-point energies of a quasiperiodic Hamiltonian flow.

Energy distributions ρ±(E) for the elliptic and hyperbolic fixed points of the Hamiltonian H(x,y)=∑k=04 cos [x cos(2πk/5)+y sin(2πk/5)] are calculated as integrals over a one‐dimensional manifold M(E) in five‐dimensional space. Singular points of M(E) produce three logarithmic singularities of ρ±(E), and vanishing of connected components of M(E) gives rise to three discontinuities. The strengths of the singularities and discontinuities of ρ±(E) are determined analytically, and the distributions are evaluated numerically for representative points in the nonsingular intervals. The calculation provides an explicit realization of general theorems concerning the critical points of infinitely smooth functions defined on an n‐dimensional torus and restricted to a k‐dimensional linear subset. Formally the calculation resembles the determination of the density of states of a dynamical system with one degree of freedom on a 2‐torus, but with important differences due to topology and symmetry.
Direct Binding of the Platelet Integrin αIIbβ3 (GPIIb-IIIa) to Talin EVIDENCE THAT INTERACTION IS MEDIATED THROUGH THE CYTOPLASMIC DOMAINS OF BOTH αIIb AND β3

Abstract As a consequence of platelet activation and fibrinogen binding, glycoprotein (GP)IIb-IIIa (integrin αIIbβ3) becomes associated with the cytoskeleton. Although talin has been suggested to act as a linkage protein mediating the attachment of GPIIb-IIIa to actin filaments, direct binding of GPIIb-IIIa to this cytoskeletal protein has not been demonstrated. In the present study, we examined the interaction of GPIIb-IIIa with purified talin using a solid-phase binding assay. Soluble GPIIb-IIIa bound in a time- and dose-dependent manner to microtiter wells coated with talin but not with BSA. Time course studies demonstrated that steady-state binding was achieved after 4–5 h incubation at 37°C. Binding isotherms with varying concentrations of GPIIb-IIIa showed that half-saturation binding was achieved at approximately 15 nM GPIIb-IIIa. At saturation, there was 211 ± 8 fmol of GPIIb-IIIa bound per well containing 117 ± 10 fmol of immobilized talin. Besides binding to immobilized talin, GPIIb-IIIa also bound to talin captured by the anti-talin monoclonal antibody 8d4. Moreover, the interaction of GPIIb-IIIa to 8d4-captured talin was blocked by mAb10B2, a monoclonal antibody raised against a synthetic peptide encompassing the entire cytoplasmic sequence of GPIIb. The interaction of talin with the cytoplasmic domain of GPIIb-IIIa was further investigated using peptide-coated wells. Purified talin was found to bind to both synthetic peptides corresponding to the cytoplasmic sequences of GPIIb (P2b) and GPIIIa (P3a). As expected, the binding of talin to P2b-coated wells was specifically blocked by mAb10B2. Thus, these results demonstrate direct binding of GPIIb-IIIa to talin and suggest a role of the cytoplasmic sequences of both GPIIb and GPIIIa in mediating this interaction.
Lung Irradiation Increases Mortality After Influenza A Virus Challenge Occurring Late After Exposure

Purpose To address whether irradiation-induced changes in the lung environment alter responses to a viral challenge delivered late after exposure but before the appearance of late lung radiation injury. Methods and Materials C57BL/6J mice received either lung alone or combined lung and whole-body irradiation (0-15 Gy). At 10 weeks after irradiation, animals were infected with 120 HAU influenza virus strain A/HKx31. Innate and adaptive immune cell recruitment was determined using flow cytometry. Cytokine and chemokine production and protein leakage into the lung after infection were assessed. Results Prior irradiation led to a dose-dependent failure to regain body weight after infection and exacerbated mortality, but it did not affect virus-specific immune responses or virus clearance. Surviving irradiated animals displayed a persistent increase in total protein in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and edema. Conclusions Lung irradiation increased susceptibility to death after infection with influenza virus and impaired the ability to complete recovery. This altered response does not seem to be due to a radiation effect on the immune response, but it may possibly be an effect on epithelial repair.
Strategic Voting in Multi‐Office Elections

What are the incentives for voters to vote strategically when legislative policy outcomes are constrained by a system of checks and balances? The policy-balancing theory supposes that moderate voters split their tickets because such splitting is the only way these voters can achieve moderate policy outcomes. I show that a different type of strategic voting, policy stacking, is characteristic of legislatures that endow the majority party with only limited institutional powers. Focusing on voting for the president and House of Representatives in the United States reveals that a substantial proportion of voters engage in policy-stacking behavior, but very few engage in policy-balancing behavior.
Rapid method for deblurring spiral MR images

A method for fast off-resonance frequency deblurring of spiral MR images is presented. The method utilizes image-space deconvolution. The off-resonance phase is approximated as a separable quadratic function to allow rapid one-dimensional deconvolution with a small compromise in accuracy. The method is used to deblur an MR angiographic image to illustrate its effectiveness.
Liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry quantitation of urinary [pyridine-D4]4-hydroxy-4-(3-pyridyl)butanoic Acid, a biomarker of 4-(Methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone metabolic activation in smokers

4-(Methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK, 1) is a potent tobacco-specific lung carcinogen believed to play a key role in the development of lung cancer in smokers. Metabolic activation of NNK to DNA damaging reactive intermediates proceeds via α-hydroxylation pathways. The end products of these pathways are excreted in the urine of smokers as 4-oxo-4-(3-pyridyl)butanoic acid (keto acid, 3) and 4-hydroxy-4-(3-pyridyl)butanoic acid (hydroxy acid, 4). The sum of these biomarkers (after NaBH4 treatment), referred to as total hydroxy acid, could potentially be used to measure the extent of NNK metabolic activation in smokers. However, the same metabolites are formed from nicotine; therefore, there is a need to distinguish the NNK- and nicotine-derived keto and hydroxy acid in smokers’ urine. We previously developed a unique methodology based on the use of [pyridine-D4]NNK ([D4]1), which metabolizes to the correspondingly labeled biomarkers. In this study, we developed a sensitive and reproducible as...
N-Linked glycans on dengue viruses grown in mammalian and insect cells

This study compared the ability of mosquito and mammalian cell-derived dengue virus (DENV) to infect human dendritic cell-specific ICAM3-grabbing non-integrin (DC-SIGN)-expressing cells and characterized the structure of envelope (E) protein N-linked glycans on DENV derived from the two cell types. DENVs derived from both cell types were equally effective at infecting DC-SIGN-expressing human monocytes and dendritic cells. The N-linked glycans on mosquito cell-derived virus were a mix of high-mannose and paucimannose glycans. In virus derived from mammalian cells, the N-linked glycans were a mix of high-mannose and complex glycans. These results indicate that N-linked glycans are incompletely processed during DENV egress from cells, resulting in high-mannose glycans on viruses derived from both cell types. Studies with full-length and truncated E protein demonstrated that incomplete processing was most likely a result of the poor accessibility of glycans on the membrane-anchored protein.
Maternal Responsiveness Moderates the Relationship between Allostatic Load and Working Memory

A substantial amount of research has demonstrated the deleterious effects of chronic stress on memory. However, much less is known about protective factors. In the current study we test the role of maternal responsiveness in buffering the effects of childhood allostatic load on subsequent adolescent working memory. Allostatic load is a marker of cumulative stress on the body that is caused by mobilization of multiple physiological systems in response to chronic environmental demands. Results of the study suggest that allostatic load negatively affects working memory, but that this effect is significantly attenuated in children with responsive mothers.
Electro-plasmonics: Dynamical plasmonic circuits with minimized parasitic scattering

We demonstrate that enhanced electro-optical effect in plasmonic microstructures is accompanied by dramatically reduced parasitic scattering of surface waves. Analytical description of relevant physics and implications for creation of high-performance dynamical plasmonic circuits are discussed.
Geologic controls on transgressive-regressive cycles in the upper Pictured Cliffs Sandstone and coal geometry in the lower Fruitland Formation, northern San Juan Basin, New Mexico and Colorado

Three upper Pictured Cliffs Sandstone tongues in the northern part of the San Juan Basin record high-frequency transgressive episodes during the Late Cretaceous and are inferred to have been caused by eustatic sea level rise coincident with differential subsidence. Outcrop and subsurface studies show that each tongue is an amalgamated barrier strand-plain unit up to 100 ft (30 m) thick. Successive upper Pictured Cliffs tongues display an imbricate relation and are offset basinward, reflecting net shoreline progradation northeastward. Upper Pictured Cliffs barrier strand-plain sandstones underlie and bound thickest Fruitland coal seams on the seaward side. Controls on Fruitland coal-seam thickness and continuity are a function of local facies distribution in a coastal-plain setting, shoreline positions related to transgressive-regressive cycles, and basin subsidence. During periods of relative sea level rise, the Pictured Cliffs shoreline was temporarily stabilized, allowing thick, coastal-plain peats to accumulate. Although some coal seams in the lower Fruitland tongue override abandoned Pictured Cliffs shoreline deposits, many pinch out against them. Differences in the degree of continuity of these coal seams relative to coeval shoreline sandstones are attributed to either differential subsidence in the northern part of the basin, multiple episodes of sea level rise, local variations in accommodation and progradation, stabilization of the shoreline by aggrading peat deposits, or a combination of these factors. Fruitland coalbed methane resources and productivity are partly controlled by coal-seam thickness; other important factors include thermal maturity, fracturing, and overpressuring. The dominant production trend occurs in the northern part of the basin and is oriented northwestward, coinciding with the greatest Fruitland net coal thickness. Similar relationships between trends of thick coal seams of coeval origin with stacked shoreface sandstones exist in other Western Interior basins in the United States and serve as models for coalbed methane exploration in other basins of the world.
Assessment of theories for the behavior and blowout of lifted turbulent jet diffusion flames

Many competing theories have been published to describe the characteristics and blowout of lifted turbulent jet diffusion flames. The assumptions which are made as to the physical processes responsible for these behaviors vary widely. In this paper these assumptions are summarized for each model and compared with the actual turbulent behaviors of unignited fuel jets. As part of this discussion, recent unpublished measurements of real-time concentration fluctuations along a line in a turbulent fuel jet are introduced. To the extent possible, each theory is also assessed as to its capabilities to accurately predict experimentally observed lift off and blowout behaviors. The conclusion of these analyses is that none of the currently-available theories for flame stabilization are satisfactory. Further experimentation is required before the actual physical processes responsible for flame stabilization can be identified and models which are capable of accurate prediction of lift off heights and blowout velocities developed.
Residual stresses in polycrystalline Cu/Cr multilayered thin films

Residual stresses in sputter-deposited Cu/Cr multilayers and Cu and Cr single-layered polycrystalline thin films were evaluated by the substrate curvature method. The stresses in the multilayers were found to be tensile and to increase in magnitude with increasing layer thickness (h) to a peak value of ∼1 GPa for h = 50 nm. For h > 50 nm, the residual stress decreased with increasing h but remained tensile. The same trends were observed in single-layered Cu and Cr thin films, except that the maximum stress in Cu films is 1 order of magnitude lower than that in Cr. Transmission electron microscopy was used to study the microstructural evolution as a function of layer thickness. The evolution of tensile growth stresses in Cr films is explained by island coalescence and subsequent growth with increasing thickness. Estimates of the Cr film yield strength indicated that, for h ≥ 50 nm, the residual stress may be limited by the yield strength. Substrate curvature measurements on bilayer films of different thicknesses were used to demonstrate that a non-negligible contribution to the total stress in the multilayers arises from the interface stress.
Long-Term Followup After Surgical Treatment for Renal Cell Carcinoma Extending into the Right Atrium

AbstractPurpose: Renal cell carcinoma extends into the inferior vena cava in 4 to 10 percent of patients and it is believed that the cephalad extent of inferior vena caval involvement is inversely correlated with survival. We evaluated this issue further.Materials and Methods: From June 1984 to August 1993, 18 patients underwent surgical treatment for localized renal cell carcinoma and an inferior vena caval thrombus extending into the right atrium. One patient had a contralateral adrenal metastasis at operation. All patients underwent complete tumor excision with radical nephrectomy and inferior vena caval thrombectomy using adjunctive cardiopulmonary bypass and deep hypothermic circulatory arrest. Pathological study indicated no renal capsular penetration of renal cell carcinoma in 10 patients and perinephric fat involvement in 8.Results: The overall and cancer-specific 5-year survival rates were 56.6 percent and 60.2 percent, respectively. Eight patients (45 percent) were free of malignancy at a mean o...
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY, GENETICS, AND TREATMENT OF HYPERANDROGENISM

Hirsutism and virilism are common presenting complaints of many patients. Hirsutism may include generalized increases in body hair and may be idiopathic, genetic, or induced by drugs. Drug-induced hirsutism, or hypertrichosis, does not follow the bodily distribution of the hair associated with male secondary sexual characteristics. By contrast, virilism is mediated by androgens; therefore, an understanding of androgen biosynthesis must underlie any consideration of disorders of hyperandrogenism. Hyperandrogenic disorders can present in childhood as contrasexual virilization in girls or as precocious pseudopuberty in boys. With the exception of very rare androgen-secreting tumors and a rare genetic disorder of gonadotropin receptors, these disorders are caused by genetic lesions in the enzymes for steroid hormone synthesis.
Delayed sensory learning and development of dialect songs in brown-headed cowbirds, Molothrus ater

In captivity, male brown-headed cowbirds can develop adult song repertoires by the time they are sexually mature at approximately 1 year, as is the case for most songbirds studied to date. However, in the wild it generally takes 2 years for cowbirds to reach this stage. We have postulated that a crucial step in this protracted development involves a sensory learning phase during a male's first breeding season when he memorizes de novo many of his adult songs. To test this hypothesis, we exposed yearling cowbirds that had been housed in acoustic isolation since being taken from the wild as juveniles to different song culture environments. One cohort of yearlings was housed with adult males (tutors) from the Mammoth Lakes, California, U.S.A., dialect (Mam) where the juveniles had been trapped, while another cohort was housed with adults from an unfamiliar dialect, Santa Barbara, California, U.S.A. (SB). One year later when the tutee birds were recorded as 2-year-old adults, all 10 males in the Mam cohort had developed song repertoires typical of adults in the Mam dialect. In contrast, only 1 of 11 SB males had a single Mam song. Four of the SB cohort produced copies of their SB tutors' songs while the majority of SB tutees produced new song types that were shared exclusively by the SB tutees in 2007. The current results offer new experimental evidence to support our model for delayed vocal development in wild cowbirds based on environmental constraints that can also affect vocal ontogeny in other songbirds.
Subsurface characterization of groundwater contaminated by landfill leachate using microbial community profile data and a nonparametric decision-making process

(1) Microbial biodiversity in groundwater and soil presents a unique opportunity for improving characterization and monitoring at sites with multiple contaminants, yet few computational methods use or incorporate these data because of their high dimensionality and variability. We present a systematic, nonparametric decision-making methodology to help characterize a water quality gradient in leachate-contaminated groundwater using only microbiological data for input. The data-driven methodology is based on clustering a set of molecular genetic-based microbial community proles. Microbes were sampled from groundwater monitoring wells located within and around an aquifer contaminated with landll leachate. We modied a self-organizing map (SOM) to weight the input variables by their relative importance and provide statistical guidance for classifying sample similarities. The methodology includes the following steps: (1) preprocessing the microbial data into a smaller number of independent variables using principal component analysis, (2) clustering the resulting principal component (PC) scores using a modied SOM capable of weighting the input PC scores by the percent variance explained by each score, and (3) using a nonparametric statistic to guide selection of appropriate groupings for management purposes. In this landll leachate application, the weighted SOM assembles the microbial community data from monitoring wells into groupings believed to represent a gradient of site contamination that could aid in characterization and long-term monitoring decisions. Groupings based solely on microbial classications are consistent with classications of water quality from hydrochemical information. These microbial community prole data and improved decision-making strategy compliment traditional chemical groundwater analyses for delineating spatial zones of groundwater contamination.
Almost free concurrency! (using GOF patterns)

We present a framework that provides concurrency-enhanced versions of the GOF object-oriented design patterns. The main benefit of our work is that if programmers improve program modularity by applying standard GOF design patterns while using the reusable pattern implementations from our framework, they receive implicit concurrency for free.
MAGNETO-HYDRODYNAMIC (MHD) PUMP FABRICATED WITH CERAMIC TAPES

The use of Magneto Hydro Dynamics (MHD) to circulate fluids in conduits fabricated with low temperature cofired ceramic tapes is described. Conduits shaped like toroidal and rectangular loops were fabricated. Electrodes printed on the ceramic substrate along the conduits' walls facilitated transmission of electric currents through the test fluids. When the devices were subjected to a magnetic field, the resulting Lorentz forces propelled the liquids. The paper details the fabrication process and describes experiments with mercury slugs, saline solution, and deionized water. The measured fluid velocities were compared with theoretical predictions.
DROUGHT-ESCAPE BEHAVIORS OF AQUATIC INSECTS MAY BE ADAPTATIONS TO HIGHLY VARIABLE FLOW REGIMES CHARACTERISTIC OF DESERT RIVERS

We document how two species of desert aquatic insects use positive rheotaxis to escape drought in desert rivers. We observed ca. 3,600 adults of the long-toed water beetle Postelichus immsi (Coleoptera: Dryopidae) crawling upstream concurrent with upstream recession of surface water in the Santa Maria River, La Paz and Mohave counties, Arizona. At the same time, we observed larvae of the gray sanddragon Progomphus borealis (Odonata: Gomphidae) burrowing and swimming upstream in large densities (690 larvae/m2). Both taxa moved with sufficient speed to arrive at perennial reaches of the river before being overtaken by drought.
Chemotactic activity of cerebrospinal fluid in experimental cryptococcal meningitis

Cerebrospinal fluid from rabbits with chronic cryptococcal meningitis was tested for its chemotactic activity towards polymorphonuclear cells and monocytes. CSF chemotactic activity was present; it peaked 5–8 days after infection, coinciding with the time when the number of inflammatory cells in CSF was greatest. However, little chemotactic activity could be found in the early stages of infection, during the initial ingress of inflammatory cells. The chemotactic activity appeared to be host-derived, with characteristics consistent with lymphokine(s) or C5a. Treatment with cortisone significantly reduced the CSF chemotactic activity for both cell types; this reduction may contribute to the severe CSF leukopenia observed in cortisone-treated animals, which are unable to eradicate this yeast infection. Modulation of CSF chemotactic activity may be important to the success or failure of the host central nervous system response to Cryptococcus neoformans.
Spatiotemporal controls of simulated metacommunity dynamics in dendritic networks

AbstractUnderstanding the mechanisms that create spatial and temporal patterns of functional diversity in stream networks is a goal of basic research and has implications for effective conservation of freshwater ecosystems. These patterns are likely to be influenced by the combination of temporally variable environmental conditions, movement constraints imposed by network structure, and the trait composition of local communities. We developed a simplified metacommunity model to investigate complex interactions among these factors under lottery competition for local resources, such as establishment sites. We used this model to examine how local and regional community composition varied in 3 scenarios: a null implementation involving only spatial effects, an implementation that combined network constraints with dispersal-trait variation, and an implementation in which a trade-off between multiple functional traits was paired with varying levels of temporal autocorrelation in the intensity of mortality. Thes...
Commentary: a homicide-suicide assessment model

In this issue of the Journal, Dr. Paolo Roma and colleagues review international research spanning 60 years and highlight the centrality of psychiatric factors in the phenomenon of homicide-suicide (H-S). This commentary examines several challenges presented by definitional variability and the use of general sources as data. We suggest directions for future research, particularly using the established violence literature, to move toward intervention and management of H-S. We also examine the similarities between H-S and stalking and reflect on the potential for the stalking literature to inform the understanding and management of H-S.
FcγRIIIa and FcγRIIa polymorphisms do not predict response to rituximab in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia

In follicular lymphoma (FL), genomic polymorphisms corresponding to the expression of valine (V) or phenylalanine (F) at amino acid 158 of FcRIIIa alter the binding affinity of immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) to the receptor and have been associated with varied responses to rituximab. We examined FcRIIIa polymorphisms of 30 CLL patients with the phenotypes V/V (n 6), V/F (n 12), and F/F (n 12) treated with thrice-weekly rituximab (375 mg/m2) for 4 weeks to correlate polymorphism type with infusion toxicity and response. Infusion toxicity (grade 3 or greater or hypoxia/hypotension requiring transient cessation of therapy) was observed equally among the groups (V/V, 50%; V/F, 33%; F/F, 41.6%; P .78). The response to rituximab was also similar among the different polymorphism phenotypes (V/V, 33%; V/F, 41.6%; F/F, 50%). These data suggest that FcRIIIa polymorphisms are not predictive of response in CLL and that, unlike the case with FL, mechanisms of tumor clearance other than antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity may be more important. (Blood. 2004; 103:1472-1474)
The Development of Ethics in Archival Practice

A code of ethics is a statement of generally accepted standards for judgment and conduct that addresses responsibilities unique to a profession. In the 1970s, changing responsibilities and increased complexities for archivists created a need for a comprehensive code of ethics. A Society of American Archivists committee wrote a code, which was adopted by the Society. The author, who chaired that committee, compares the code with the statement written in 1955 for the National Archives and with the codes of similar professions. General adherence to the principles in day-to-day practice and continuing discussion of ethics will lead to reevaluation and revision of the code of ethics.
The Presidential Manipulation of Inherited Wars of Choice: Barack Obama's Use of Nixonian Methods as Commander in Chief

Despite their apparent differences, both Richard Nixon and Barack Obama secured their party's nominations and ultimately the presidency partly due to their manipulation of contentious and inherited “wars of choice.” The wars in Vietnam and Iraq provided the political and cultural circumstances that made Nixon and Obama credible “peace candidates” in 1968 and 2008 respectively. Having championed their opposition to the wars to gain the presidency, both men continued the conflicts throughout their first term and subsequently utilized these conflicts to help secure a second term in office, declaring “victory” as part of their re-election campaigns. This study examines the manner in which Obama, like Nixon, benefited as president from an inherited “war of choice” and adopted Nixonian methods to maximize his chances for re-election in 2012.
Race effects on pathological and functional outcomes after robotic partial nephrectomy in a single academic tertiary care center.

To explore the potential effects of race on pathological outcomes of renal tumor and on kidney function preservation in the patients undergoing robotic partial nephrectomy (RPN) at our center. Retrospective review of our institutional review board approved database for African-American (AA) patients undergoing RPN from 2006 to 2014 was performed. AA and non-AA groups were compared with regards to demographics, tumor characteristics, functional data and, oncological outcomes. For functional outcomes, groups were matched (1:1) in terms of age, preoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and R.E.N.A.L score. From the total of 1005 patients, 84 were AA. Age and the tumor size were comparable between the two groups (2.7 vs. 3 cm; p = 0.29). Proportion of patients with papillary RCC was higher among AAs compared to non-AAs (43.3 vs. 19.4 %; p < 0.001). After matching AA patients with non-AA counterparts (1:1 matching), eGFR preservation at latest follow up after surgery was comparable between groups (84.3 vs. 85 %; p = 0.25). AA race (OR 3.62, p < 0.001), male gender (OR 2.05, p < 0.001) and low preoperative eGFR (OR 0.97, p < 0.001) were predictors of papillary RCC on multivariate analyses. The incidence of papillary RCC is higher in AA patients undergoing RPN. There was no difference in kidney function recovery after robotic partial nephrectomy in both AA and non-AA groups. AA race itself is not a significant factor in determining renal malignancy. Further studies are needed to clarify the impact of higher prevalence of papillary tumors in AA group in terms of long-term oncological and functional outcomes.