cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Temperature on the Uropygial Gland Alkane Diol Diesters in the Kn Mutation of the Domestic Chicken

Abstract Lipids from the uropygial glands of Kn/Kn males raised at 34.4 C, and Kn/Kn and k+/k+ males raised at 22.2 C were quantitatively analyzed to determine if lowering the metabolic rate of this semi-naked mutant would alter the composition of its uropygial gland lipids. No significant differences were found between the two Kn/Kn groups in fatty acid or diol composition. Body weights also did not significantly differ nor did total gland weight as a percent of body weight or lipid weight as a percent of total gland weight. The only significant difference was in comb weight as a percent of body weight. The Kn/Kn males raised at 34.4 C had much larger combs as compared to the Kn/Kn males raised at 22.2 C.
Public (Mis)Understanding of Crime Policy: The Effects of Criminal Justice Experience and Media Reliance

Scholars attribute the public’s low level of knowledge about sentencing and corrections to its lack of extensive criminal justice experience and consequent reliance on the media for justice-related information. However, scant research exists that evaluates how criminal justice experience affects media consumption, or how such consumption may influence knowledge about sentencing laws or the extent of imprisonment. To extend this literature, we develop and test three hypotheses about the relationships between prior criminal justice experience, reliance on the mass media for information about crime and justice, and knowledge about criminal punishment. Analysis of data from a random telephone survey of 1,308 adult Floridians reveals that individuals with prior criminal justice experience are less likely to rely on the media for crime-related information. The evidence also shows that media reliance is associated with lower levels of knowledge about criminal punishment, and that this effect is particularly stro...
Total elbow arthroplasty for primary osteoarthritis.

Background Primary osteoarthritis of the elbow is a less common indication for total elbow arthroplasty (TEA). Higher complication rates in younger, active patients may offset short-term improvements in pain and function. The purpose of this study was to determine pain relief, functional outcomes, complications, and survival of TEA in this population. Methods Between 1984 and 2011, 20 consecutive TEAs were performed for primary elbow osteoarthritis. Two patients died before the 2-year follow-up. Mean age at surgery was 68 years (range, 51-85 years). Outcome measures included pain, motion, Mayo Elbow Performance Score, satisfaction, complications, and reoperations. Mean follow-up was 8.9 years (range, 2-20 years). Results Three elbows sustained mechanical failures. Complications included intraoperative fracture (n = 2), wound irrigation and debridement (n = 1), bony ankylosis (n = 1), humeral loosening (n = 1), humeral component fracture (n = 1), and mechanical failure of a radial head component (n = 1). Fifteen elbows without mechanical failure were examined clinically. Pain improved from 3.6 to 1.5 ( P P > .05), with preoperative flexion contractures not improving. Mayo Elbow Performance Scores were available for 13 elbows without mechanical failure, averaging 81.5 points (range, 60-100 points); these were graded as excellent (n = 5), good (n = 2), and fair (n = 6). Subjectively, all patients without mechanical failure were satisfied. Conclusion TEA represents a reliable surgical option for pain relief in patients with primary osteoarthritis. However, restoration of extension is not always obtained, indicating that more aggressive soft tissue releases or bony resection should be considered. Complications occurred in a large number of elbows, but mechanical failure was low considering the nature of this population and the length of follow-up.
The Use of Graft Augmentation in the Treatment of Massive Rotator Cuff Tears

Rotator cuff repair can be a challenging task. Large tears and poor tissue quality can compromise healing resulting in structural failures. High re-tear rates of 30–74 % have been reported. Adding graft material is an option to aid in rotator cuff repair by adding strength and collagen at the repair site. Augmenting a large or massive repair with graft material has been met with mixed results and appears to be largely dependent on the graft type and patient characteristics. Using the appropriately selected graft material may enhance rotator cuff repair healing in patients where a complete repair was otherwise unattainable. In certain cases of irreparable tears, spanning the defect with a graft may be of significant benefit.
Disparities in Who Receives Weight-Loss Advice From a Health Care Provider: Does Income Make a Difference?

INTRODUCTION The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends that all patients be screened for obesity and, if needed, be provided weight-loss advice. However, the prevalence of such advice is low and varies by patient demographics. This study aimed to describe the determinants of receiving weight-loss advice among a sample with a high proportion of low-income, racial/ethnic minority individuals. METHODS Data were collected from a telephone survey of 1,708 households in 2009 and 2010 in 5 cities in New Jersey. Analyses were limited to 1,109 overweight or obese adults. Multivariate logistic regression determined the association of participants' characteristics with receiving weight-loss advice from their health care provider. Two models were used to determine differences by income and insurance status. RESULTS Of all overweight or obese respondents, 35% reported receiving advice to lose weight. Receiving advice was significantly associated with income in multivariate analysis. Compared with those with an income at or below 100% of the federal poverty level (FPL), those within 200% to 399% of the FPL had 1.60 higher odds of receiving advice (P = .02), and those with an income of 400% or more of the FPL had 1.73 higher odds of receiving advice (P = .03). The strength of the association did not change after adjusting for health insurance. CONCLUSION Income is a significant predictor of whether or not overweight or obese adults receive weight-loss advice after adjustment for demographic variables, health status, and insurance status. Further work is needed to examine why disparities exist in who receives weight-loss advice. Health care providers should provide weight-loss advice to all patients, regardless of income.
Potassium channels contribute to activity-dependent scaling of dendritic inhibition

GABAergic inhibition plays a critical role in the regulation of neuronal activity. In the neocortex, inhibitory interneurons that target the dendrites of pyramidal cells influence both electrical and biochemical postsynaptic signaling. Voltage-gated ion channels strongly shape dendritic excitability and the integration of excitatory inputs, but their contribution to GABAergic signaling is less well understood. By combining 2-photon calcium imaging and focal GABA uncaging, we show that voltage-gated potassium channels normally suppress the GABAergic inhibition of calcium signals evoked by back-propagating action potentials in dendritic spines and shafts of cortical pyramidal neurons. Moreover, the voltage-dependent inactivation of these channels leads to enhancement of dendritic calcium inhibition following somatic spiking. Computational modeling reveals that the enhancement of calcium inhibition involves an increase in action potential depolarization coupled with the nonlinear relationship between membrane voltage and calcium channel activation. Overall, our findings highlight the interaction between intrinsic and synaptic properties and reveal a novel mechanism for the activity-dependent scaling of GABAergic inhibition.
Vitamin K, Osteoarthritis, and Joint Pain

Osteoarthritis is the leading cause of joint pain and lower extremity disability in older adults and there is no known cure. Vitamin K has been implicated in osteoarthritis because vitamin K–dependent proteins are present in joint tissues, such as cartilage and bone. In order to function, vitamin K–dependent proteins must be carboxylated, which requires vitamin K. Ex vivo experiments found vitamin K–dependent proteins in joint tissues from patients with osteoarthritis were undercarboxylated (less functional) and several observational studies found that lower vitamin K nutritional status was associated with more osteoarthritis, as summarized in this review. Because there are no clinical trials that have been designed specifically to test the effect of vitamin K supplementation on osteoarthritis, whether vitamin K supplementation improved osteoarthritis and related pain and disability remains to be determined.
Advanced Construction Technology System

The Advanced Construction Technology System (ACTS) is a computer database for the classification, documentation, storage and retrieval of information about emerging construction technologies. ACTS consists of a custom MS Windows application, classification and keyword files, and a database of emerging technologies. It currently includes 397 technologies that relate to civil, architectural, electrical, instrumentation, mechanical, and piping systems. Technologies have been classified according to the CSI Masterformat, indexed using a predetermined set of keywords, and described according to a standard format that determines the type, amount and organization of information about each technology. The ACTS project was supported by the Construction Industry Institute and the Construction Productivity Advancement Research program (CPAR) of the Corps of Engineers.
Top-Down Impacts of Sea Nettles (Chrysaora quinquecirrha) on Pelagic Community Structure in Barnegat Bay, New Jersey, U.S.A.

ABSTRACT Bologna, P.A.X.; Gaynor, J.J.; Barry C.L., and Restaino, D.J., 2017. Top-down impacts of sea nettles (Chrysaora quinquecirrha) on pelagic community structure in Barnegat Bay, New Jersey, U.S.A.. In: Buchanan, G.A.; Belton, T.J., and Paudel, B. (eds.), A Comprehensive Assessment of Barnegat Bay–Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey. Coastal communities are substantially affected by human activities and create environments conducive to opportunistic species and structural changes in food webs. The Mid-Atlantic coast of the United States is highly urbanized with significant landscape modification and elevated pollutant loads. The appearance and development of resident populations of the Atlantic sea nettle (Chrysaora quinquecirrha) in Barnegat Bay, New Jersey demonstrates a successful establishment to this estuary. This research indicates that two species of gelatinous zooplankton (Mnemiopsis leidyi, C. quinquecirrha) play important structuring roles in the pelagic community. Specifically, M. leidyi exerts ...
Attention - brains at work!

Two new studies use event-related fMRI to reveal a network of brain regions that are activated during different steps in the control of visual spatial attention.
Microbiological, physical and chemical studies on fresh red meats packaged under different modified gas atmospheres

Fresh pork chops packaged in air, vacuum, and eleven modified gas atmospheres and stored at 4°C were studied to determine the influence of varying the concentrations of carbon dioxide and oxygen on the microbiological, physical and chemical characteristics of the chops. The concentrations of carbon dioxide and oxygen were in the range of 0 to 40%. The headspace gaseous composition changed over time as the concentration of the carbon dioxide increased while that of the oxygen decreased during storage. Increasing the carbon dioxide concentration delayed growth of aerobic psychrotrophic and mesophilic bacteria, and the Enterobacteriaceae, but slightly enhanced that of lactic acid bacteria. Increasing the oxygen concentration reduced growth of facultative anaerobic and anaerobic bacteria and enhanced that of Brochotrix thermosphacta. In general, carbon dioxide had more influence on the microbiological storage life of the chops than oxygen. Increasing the carbon dioxide concentration also reduced the redness of the chops, increased purge losses and promoted lipid oxidation, but retarded the formation of volatile basic nitrogen (VBN). Increasing oxygen concentration also increased lipid oxidation but generally there was no interactive effect of carbon dioxide and oxygen for all the parameters tested. Modified gas atmospheres with more than 10% carbon dioxide concentration were superior to air for extending the microbiological storage life of fresh pork chops. Gas mixture containing 20%C02 without oxygen was as effective as mixtures containing 40%C02 with or without oxygen in extending the storage life of fresh pork chops. Mixtures containing 40%C02 with or without oxygen had better performance than
Neutron Transmutation Doped Silicon for Power Semiconductor Devices

Power semiconductor devices operate at high currents and voltages. The fabrication of these devices requires high-resistivity silicon wafers with good spatial uniformity over large areas. Neutron transmutation doping (NTD) has been demonstrated to be an excellent technique for achieving these requirements. The development of commercially available NTD silicon has consequently led to substantial improvements in the yield of high- voltage power rectifiers and thyristors. In addition, the greater spatial uniformity, as well as the precise control over the resistivity achievable by using the NTD process, has led to a substantial increase in the breakdown voltage capability of thyristors.
Lumbar Range of Motion and Flexion Relaxation Phenomenon Onset During Static Trunk Bending Postures

The purpose of the current study was to assess the changes in lumbar tissue load sharing mechanism and lumbar range of motion at different trunk flexion postures. Eight participants performed the t...
Lingering Effects of Herbivory and Plant Defenses on Pollinators

In order to survive and reproduce, flowering plants must balance the conflicting selective pressures of herbivore avoidance and pollinator attraction. Links between herbivory and reproduction are often attributed to indirect effects of leaf damage on pollination via reductions in floral allocation, or increases in chemical defenses on herbivore-damaged plants. However, the impacts of herbivory on pollinators have the potential to extend beyond initial floral visits when plant defenses impact pollinator health, foraging behavior, and reproductive success. Here, we examine important but underexplored ways in which herbivory may alter floral phenotype and thus impact pollinators. First, we outline genetic and biochemical mechanisms predicted to underlie floral changes following herbivory, as they impact the floral resources (nectar and pollen) sought by pollinators. Next, we discuss how the consumption of secondary compounds might impact pollinator fitness, including carryover effects on subsequent foraging, mating success, and transgenerational effects on offspring. We consider how pollinator health, life history, and coevolutionary history might result in context-dependent impacts of plant defensive chemistry on pollinator fitness. Finally, we call for studies that measure the impact of herbivore-induced plant defenses on the full spectrum of flower visitors, and contrast case studies on conventional pollinators (for example, generalized bees) versus insects whose larvae are herbivores on the same plants that adults pollinate (such as several butterflies and moths). By linking these consequences of herbivory to fitness effects on both herbivores and pollinators, we will better understand how coevolution between plants, herbivores, and pollinators shapes both defensive and reproductive plant traits.
Eltrombopag in long‐term management of pediatric thrombocytopenia

Eltrombopag is a thrombopoietin receptor agonist that may be effective in a broad range of thrombocytopenias of distinct etiology. We have observed rapid, robust, and sustained responses to eltrombopag in two young patients with refractory thrombocytopenia, one with primary immune thrombocytopenia and the other with Evans syndrome.
Postoperative cystogram findings predict recovery of urinary continence after robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy

OBJECTIVES To assess the association between postoperative cystogram findings and subsequent outcomes on urinary continence after robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALP). METHODS A retrospective review of 250 consecutive patients who were observed for at least 12 months after RALP. The postoperative cystogram findings examined were: the location of the bladder neck, degree of bladder abnormalities, and presence of outflow of contrast medium into the urethra during the filling phase of cystography. The continence status based on pad usage was recorded. Those who required no pad or only a safety pad were defined as continent. RESULTS Patients with a bladder neck location above the middle of the pubic symphysis height exhibited significantly higher continence levels than those with a lower bladder neck location at both postoperative 3 and 12 months (P < 0.0001 and P = 0.0002, respectively). The higher a bladder neck was located, the earlier the urinary continence was achieved after RALP (P < 0.0001). Patients without contrast outflow into the urethra during cystogram demonstrated a significantly more favorable continence status at the 3-month follow-up (P = 0.004). Patients without bladder abnormalities on postoperative cystogram demonstrated a significantly more favorable continence status at the 12-month follow-up than those with bladder abnormalities (P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Postoperative cystogram findings may predict recovery of urinary continence after RALP.
EVA2: exploiting temporal redundancy in live computer vision

Hardware support for deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) is critical to advanced computer vision in mobile and embedded devices. Current designs, however, accelerate generic CNNs; they do not exploit the unique characteristics of real-time vision. We propose to use the temporal redundancy in natural video to avoid unnecessary computation on most frames. A new algorithm, activation motion compensation, detects changes in the visual input and incrementally updates a previously-computed activation. The technique takes inspiration from video compression and applies well-known motion estimation techniques to adapt to visual changes. We use an adaptive key frame rate to control the trade-off between efficiency and vision quality as the input changes. We implement the technique in hardware as an extension to state-of-the-art CNN accelerator designs. The new unit reduces the average energy per frame by 54%, 62%, and 87% for three CNNs with less than 1% loss in vision accuracy.
Disruptions to the limb muscle core molecular clock coincide with changes in mitochondrial quality control following androgen depletion

Androgen depletion in humans leads to significant atrophy of the limb muscles. However, the pathways by which androgens regulate limb muscle mass are unclear. Our laboratory previously showed that ...
Mean Platelet Volume. The Inverse Relation of Platelet Size and Count in Normal Subjects, and an Artifact of Other Particles

We measured whole-blood mean platelet volume (MPV) and platelet count, determined by the Coulter Counter model S-Plus, in 683 normal subjects. There was nonlinear, inverse relation between MPV and platelet count throughout the normal range of platelet count: the change in MPV was most pronounced at the lower platelet counts. Because of this non-linear relation, "platelet-crit," the product of platelet count and MPV, was not constant, but varied directly with platelet count. Thus, the definition of "normal" values for MPV requires simultaneous reference to platelet count. In the whole blood of 13 patients, non-platelet cell fragments spuriously increased the automated platelet count. Seven patients with erythrocyte fragmentation had spuriously high MPV also: correct MPV and platelet count could be obtained from platelet rich plasma (PRP). In five patients with leukemic blast fragmentation, MPV remained spuriously low and platelet count spuriously high in PRP: only phase count allowed correct count. A patient with megakaryoblastic leukemia had megakaryoblast fragments confused for platelets.
Relationships Between Food Security, Fruit and Vegetable Availability, and Fruit and Vegetable Intake in Elementary Children and Their Parents.

Objectives The purpose of this cross-sectional analysis is to explore baseline findings on the relationships between food security, fruit and vegetable availability, and fruit and vegetable intake in elementary children and their parents before the start of a school-garden program. Methods Third-grade students (n = 154) and their parents were recruited from a Texas elementary school that participates in a school-garden program. Prior to the start of the program, student participants along with one of their parents completed the National Cancer Institute's All-Day Screener to assess fruit, juice, and vegetable intake. Parent participants also completed other validated questionnaires to assess home availability of fruits and vegetables and food security. Regression and ANOVA were used to examine the relationships between food security, fruit and vegetable availability at home, and fruit and vegetable intake in parent and student participants. Results A total of 64 students provided consent, and 39 students (∼58% female), each with one parent (∼97% female), completed the questionnaires. Parents who reported low food security had significantly greater total fruit and vegetable intake (4.7 servings/day) along with their children (6.0 servings/day) compared with parents (2.8 servings/day) and children (3.3 servings/day) with high food security. Fruit availability at home was positively correlated with fruit intake in parents (β = 0.18; P = .0261; R2 = 0.13; ) but not children (P = .8931). No significant associations were found between vegetable availability and vegetable intake in student or parent participants. Conclusions These baseline findings indicate greater fruit and vegetable intake for children and parents with low food security, which may be due to differences in fruit intake rather than vegetable intake. Although greater fruit intake was associated with fruit availability in the home for parents, this association was not observed for children. Funding sources None.
Enhanced Electrocatalytic Activity of a Zinc Porphyrin for CO2 Reduction: Cooperative Effects of Triazole Units in the Second Coordination Sphere.

The control of the second coordination sphere in a coordination complex plays an important role in improving catalytic efficiency. Herein, we report a zinc porphyrin complex ZnPor8T with multiple flexible triazole units comprising the second coordination sphere, as an electrocatalyst for the highly selective electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) to carbon monoxide (CO). This electrocatalyst converted CO 2 to CO with a Faradaic efficiency of 99% and a current density of -6.2 mA/cm 2 at -2.4 V vs Fc/Fc + in N,N -dimethylformamide using water as the proton source. Structure-function relationship studies were carried out on ZnPor8T analogs containing different numbers of triazole units and distinct triazole geometries; these unveiled that the triazole units function cooperatively to stabilize the CO 2 -catalyst adduct in order to facilitate intramolecular proton transfer. Our findings demonstrate that incorporating triazole units that function in a cooperative manner is a versatile strategy to enhance the activity of electrocatalytic CO 2 conversion.
Fictions of Origin: Music Appreciation, Multiculturalism, and World Music

The main aim of this chapter is to show how multiculturalism and its latest iteration “world music” emerged from the theories of cultural, geographic, and racial origins present in foundational documents of early music education and Music Appreciation, the dominant music curriculum in public schools for most of the twentieth century. It describes the major shifts in the music curriculum from 1900 through the early decades of the twenty-first century, sequentially appearing as Music Appreciation, Multiculturalism, and World Music.
Predator Environment Does Not Predict Life History in the Morphologically Constrained Fish Alfaro cultratus (Cyprinodontiformes: Poeciliidae)

Predation is known to have a significant effect on life history diversification in a variety of species. However, physical constraints of body shape and size can sometimes limit life history divergence. We test this idea in the Costa Rican livebearing fish Alfaro cultratus. Individuals in this species have a narrow body and keeled ventral surface, and females do not develop a distended abdomen when pregnant like other livebearing fishes. Here, we describe the life history of A. cultratus from 20 different populations across both predator and non-predator environments. We found significantly lower reproductive allotment in females from predator environments than in females from non-predator environments, but no significant difference in female or male size at maturity, number of offspring produced by females, or size of offspring. We found that A. cultratus exhibit isometric patterns of allocation for clutch dry mass in relation to female dry mass in predator and non-predator environments. Our results suggest that body shape constraints in this species limit the life history divergence we typically see between populations from predator and non-predator environments in other species.
Genome size influences adaptive plasticity of water loss, but not metabolic rates in lungless salamanders.

Many expressions of phenotype, such as physiological performance, integrate multiple underlying traits to function. Linking component traits to adaptive physiology thus gives insight into mechanisms of selection acting on performance. Genome size (C-value) is a trait that influences physiology in multiple taxa by exerting a nucleotypic effect, constraining cell size and cellular physiology such that whole-organism mass-specific metabolism is reduced with increasing C-value. We tested for this mechanism of C-value function acting in lungless salamanders, plus an unexplored potential mechanism of C-value effects constraining water transport across the body surface to influence cutaneous water loss rates. We found no evidence for a nucleotypic effect on metabolic rates, but we demonstrate a relationship between C-value and water loss physiology. Under warmer experimental conditions, C-value was inversely correlated with water loss and positively correlated with resistance to water loss, which demonstrated adaptive plasticity at higher temperatures. We hypothesize that this pattern results from differences in cell size constraining diffusion and evaporation of water from the skin under warm conditions when cutaneous perfusion is reduced. Testing this hypothesis may confirm a previously unappreciated adaptive role for C-value variation in this group, and reveals the possibility that genome size influences physiological exchange across transport barriers more broadly.
A comparative study of the effect of the soil constitutive model on the seismic response of buried concrete pipes

Abstract No attention has been given in previous studies to understand the influence of the sophistication of the soil constitutive model on the response of buried concrete pipes subjected to transverse seismic effect. This research, therefore, has been conducted to address this gap in knowledge by analyzing the behavior of a buried concrete pipe subjected to transverse seismic shake employing the linear elastic (LE) model, elasto-plastic Mohr-Coulomb (MC) model, hardening soil (Hs) model, and hardening soil model with small strain stiffness (Hs small) to provide a benchmark study that helps the designers and the researchers to select the most suitable and less computationally demanding soil constitutive model. The cases of good and poor installation conditions have been considered in the analyses. In addition, numerous earthquake records have been used to allow the consideration of wide range of earthquake intensities to aid general conclusions. It was found that all of the considered constitutive models produce the same trend of the circumferential bending moment (BM) that is developed around the pipe. In general, the maximum BM produced using the LE and MC models is significantly lower than that produced using the Hs and Hs small models with one exception for the LE model for a predominant frequency of 0.66 Hz. Furthermore, the maximum BM produced using the LE and MC models is not sensitive to the increase of the peak ground acceleration (PGA). More importantly, the Hs and Hs small models produce almost similar results with a percentage difference ranges between 1% to 9%. In addition, the Hs and Hs small models show a decrease of the maximum BM as the predominant frequency rises and an increase of the maximum BM as the PGA rises.
Feasibility study of using solid state refrigeration technologies for electronic cooling

Solid state refrigeration technologies claim no moving parts and could possibly be one of the promising technologies for electronic cooling in the future. This paper focuses on the use of a thin film thermoelectric cooler (TFTEC) directly above the hotspot to provide localized cooling. We discuss different packaging concepts including placing the TFTEC within the silicon die, between the silicon die and the copper integral heat spreader (IHS), and embedded in the IHS. Estimates of the cooling performance of each concept are provided. In addition, we discuss the modeling approaches including the required TFTEC performance parameters, heat flux through the cold side of the TFTEC device and the temperature difference of the extreme outside surface of the TFTEC device, that impact the targeted hotspot cooling. We also report the requirement curves of those two parameters in order to provide the targeted hotspot temperature reduction. Modeling results show that the performance requirements depend significantly on TFTEC efficiency which would also be discussed in this paper
Detrital zircon geochronology of Cordilleran retroarc foreland basin strata, western North America

[1] We present a compilation of 8717 U-Pb analyses from 95 detrital zircon samples of Jurassic-Eocene North American Cordillera foreland basin strata. Of these samples, 30 are new and previously unpublished. Variation in detrital zircon age spectra between samples records erosion or recycling of basement and cover rocks within the Cordilleran orogenic wedge. Each sample can be classified into one of six major provenance groups, whose age spectra suggest derivation from (1) Mesozoic eolianites of the western United States, (2) Paleozoic passive margin strata of the western United States, (3) Paleozoic passive margin strata of western Canada, (4) the Mogollon Highlands, (5) the Cordilleran magmatic arc, or (6) Yavapai-Mazatzal Province crystalline basement rocks. Referencing these provenance interpretations to their location and stratigraphic deposition age produces a detailed spatial and temporal record of sediment dispersal within the foreland basin system. Late Jurassic provenance is dominated by recycling of Mesozoic eolianites from sources in the Sevier thrust belt. Cretaceous-Eocene provenance is dominated by recycling of the passive margin, with increasing complexity upsection. We interpret that this provenance transition records a basin-wide unroofing sequence. A composite age-probability plot of 1539 young (<250 Ma) detrital zircons reveals at least four age-abundance peaks that we interpret to represent periodic high-flux magmatism in the Cordilleran arc.
Use of Rupture Strength Testing in Examining the Thermal Cycle Behavior of Various Types of Planar Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Seals

A significant challenge in developing and manufacturing planar solid oxide fuel cells is in hermetically sealing the electrochemically active ceramic PEN to the metallic body of the device. One means of doing this is by chemically bonding the electrolyte surface of the PEN to the metal frame, thus forming a fixed or static seal. Typically a glass or glass-ceramic material is used in making this type of seal. However because of their brittle nature, there are number of manufacturing and operational problems that are encountered when using these materials. In an effort to efficiently screen potential solutions to these problems, a seal rupture test was developed. Details of the test procedure, the test device, and its use in thermal cycle testing various planar solid oxide fuel cell sealing concepts will be discussed.
State variations in women's socioeconomic status and use of modern contraceptives in Nigeria.

Background According to the 2014 World Population Data Sheet, Nigeria has one of the highest fertility and lowest contraceptive prevalence rates around the world. However, research suggests that national contraceptive prevalence rate overshadows enormous spatial variations in reproductive behavior in the country. Objective I examined the variations in women’s socioeconomic status and modern contraceptive use across states in Nigeria. Methods Using the 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey data (n = 18,910), I estimated the odds of modern contraceptive use among sexually active married and cohabiting women in a series of multilevel logistic regression models. Results The share of sexually active, married and cohabiting women using modern contraceptives widely varied, from less than one percent in Kano, Yobe, and Jigawa states, to 40 percent in Osun state. Most of the states with low contraceptive prevalence rates also ranked low on women’s socioeconomic attributes. Results of multilevel logistic regression analyses showed that women residing in states with greater shares of women with secondary or higher education, higher female labor force participation rates, and more women with health care decision-making power, had significantly higher odds of using modern contraceptives. Differences in women’s participation in health care decisions across states remained significantly associated with modern contraceptive use, net of individual-level socioeconomic status and other covariates of modern contraceptive use. Conclusion Understanding of state variations in contraceptive use is crucial to the design and implementation of family planning programs. The findings reinforce the need for state-specific family planning programs in Nigeria.
Subunit diversity and tissue distribution of human glutathione S-transferases: interpretations based on electrospray ionization-MS and peptide sequence-specific antisera

Uncertainties about the composition and identities of glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) in human tissue have impeded studies on their biological functions. A rigorous protocol has therefore been developed to characterize the human proteins. Cytosolic GST subunits were resolved by reverse-phase HPLC methods, individual components were assigned to Alpha, Mu and Pi classes on the basis of their immunoreactivities, and peptide-sequence-specific antisera were used to distinguish among five different Mu-class subunits (GSTM1-GSTM5). Each subunit type was characterized and identified unambiguously by electrospray ionization-MS. Acetylation of N-terminal residues in the GSTA1, GSTA2, GSTM3 and GSTM4 subunits were the only natural post-translational modifications detected. The unique structure of GSTM3, with N- and C-terminal peptide extensions predicted from cDNA sequences, was confirmed. Only testis and brain were rich sources of GSTM3 subunits. Subunit profiles were distinct and characteristic of the particular tissue type, and this tissue specificity in GST expression was evident even in organs from different individuals. For instance, livers had relatively simple GST compositions, consisting of a preponderance of Alpha-class subunits and GSTM1 (when present). By contrast, representation of most subunit types was a characteristic feature of testis, which had the highest levels of GSTs. GSTM4 and GSTM5 subunits, here identified for the first time in human tissue extracts, were minor components, with GSTM5 found only in brain, lung and testis. Specimens devoid of GSTM1 subunits, particularly those from null-genotype individuals, were readily discerned at the protein level. Liver was the only rich source of the GSTM1 subunit (although it also constituted a major fraction of adrenal GSTs), and so the functional consequences of the GSTM1 gene deletion are likely to vary in extrahepatic tissues.
Influence of breathing technique on arterial blood pressure during heavy weight lifting.

Arterial hypertension occurring during heavy resistance exercise may be a risk factor for stroke in healthy young adults. Any training method that ameliorates the pressor effect of exercise should reduce the risk of stroke. The objective of this study was to observe the influence of breathing technique on arterial blood pressure (BP) generated during heavy, dynamic weight lifting. BP was recorded in 10 male athletes by radial artery catheterization. Each subject then performed double-leg press sets at 85% and 100% of maximum. Each exercise was performed twice, once with closed glottis Valsalva, and then with slow exhalation during concentric contraction. The mean BP at 100% maximum with Valsalva was 311/284. The highest pressure recorded in an individual was 370/360. With slow exhalation, the mean BP was 198/175 when the same 100% maximum was lifted (p < .005). A reduced pressor response was also noted at 85% maximal lifting with slow exhalation. Arterial hypertension produced during heavy weight lifting with Valsalva is extreme and may be dramatically reduced when the exercise is performed with an open glottis (without Valsalva). It is concluded that heavy resistance exercise is safer when performed while the subject breathes with an open glottis.
Actors and networks as objects

Abstract This paper explores the application of two contemporary computational methods to the development of sociological theory. Specifically, we combine the methods of object-orientation with discrete event simulation. This approach has several advantages for constructing and evaluating dynamic social theories. In object-oriented program design, objects combine and integrate the traditional concepts of data structures and algorithms, the building blocks of structured programming. Algorithms associated with objects are called methods or member functions. Constructing social actors as objects involves defining both their data attributes and the methods associated with these attributes. We also treat a social network as a computational object. It has data types of nodes and ties. As an object, the network must also have methods that add and delete nodes and ties. Once a network exists, we can create other data types and methods that describe and analyze the network. For example, networks have in-degree and out-degree vectors, and measures of hierarchy. In principle, we can create attributes of networks for all of the structural measures we use to describe networks. We use actor and network objects in a discrete event simulation of a process of formation of dominance structures, exploring several dynamic variations of the underlying theoretical model.
Embedding Real Time Ethernet: Examining feasibility of separating bus master and application master in industrial POWERLINK implementations

The standard paradigm in Real Time Ethernet systems is the master/slave configuration and although intrinsically allowed by many protocols, peer-to-peer system architectures have received little exposure. In this paper the authors present a high performance peer-to-peer Ethernet POWERLINK implementation. Instead of using a Managing Node it builds on the concept of a bus master whose sole purpose is to schedule traffic on the bus enabling the nodes to communicate with each other using the cross-traffic facility. The authors present the solution architecture, discuss implementation aspects and propose a change to the POWERLINK standard based on drawn conclusions.
Telling the Story of the Library of Congress

Describing the organization and collections of the Library of Congress seems a formidable undertaking, but over the past ten years, Charles Goodrum has been doing just that for both librarians and the general public. Goodrum's three major works on LC are mainstays for those wanting to know what's in the Library, how it works, and how to use it. They are The Library of Congress (Praeger, 1974; rev. ed. Westview, 1982); Treasures of the Library of Congress (Abrams, 1980); and Guide to the Library of Congress (LC, 1982).
Should there be a commission on medical education

In its premedical and preclinical phases our present scheme of education for medicine is intellectually deficient, wasteful of money and time, and in urgent need of overhaul. The author defines conditions under which a national commission might possibly set the educational process on the road to reform.
Swelling of colloidal systems

The role of solvent–particle and particle–particle interactions on the swelling of colloidal systems has been investigated. A density functional theory (DFT) approach is taken here to describe a colloid–solvent mixture and develop phase diagrams that give a qualitative picture of possible transitions as a function of the bulk conditions (density and temperature) and the degree of surface solvophobicity. The solvophobicity of the surface is taken as a measure of how much the surface dislikes the solvent, and is determined from the contact angle of the solvent on the surface. The results demonstrate that the nature of the surface (solvophobic or solvophobilic) is a key factor in shaping the phase diagrams. For example, when the surface is solvophilic, the dominant phase is the crystalline, where surfaces are spaced by one solvent layer, while when the surface is solvophobic, the system is most often found in the collapsed state (the surfaces are in contact). The shape of the phase diagrams also depends on t...
The synthesis and characterization of trans-ReCl2(dppe)2 and α-Re2Cl4(dppe)2

Abstract Two rhenium compounds, α-Re2Cl4(dppe)2 and trans-ReCl2(dppe)2, were isolated during the study of the reactivity of Re2Cl6-(P(n-Bu)3)2 with the bidentate phosphine 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane (dppe) in the presence of acetonitrile, and a high yield synthetic route was developed for α-Re2Cl4(dppe)2. The structures of α-Re2Cl4(dppe)2 · (C6H6)4, α-Re2Cl4(dppe)2 · (dppe), and trans-ReCl2(dppe)2 · ((CH3)2CO)2 were determined by X-ray crystallography and the following data obtained: α-Re2Cl2(dppe)2 · (C6H6)4, monoclinic P21/c, with a = 14.841(3), b = 12.161(4), c = 18.628(7) A , β = 95.33(3)°, V = 33348(2) A 3 , Z = 2, R1 = 0.0418 , and wR2 = 0.1046; α-Re2Cl4(dppe)2 · (dppe), monoclinic P21/c, with a = 10.695(3), b = 16.858(7), c = 19.710(7) A , β = 101.78(1)° , V = 3479(2) A 3 , Z = 2, R1 = 0.0450 and wR2 = 0.1023; trans-ReCl2(dppe)2 · ((CH3)2CO)2, monoclonic P21./c, with a = 11.507(3), b - 13.519(3), c = 17.243(4) A , β = 96.08(2)°, V = 2667.3(11) A 3 , Z = 2, R1 = 0.0369, wR2 = 0.0887 . Additional characterizations of α-Re2Cl4(dppe)2 were performed with 31P NMR and UV-Vis spectroscopy.
TIMED Solar EUV experiment

Abstract The Solar EUV Experiment (SEE) on the NASA Thermosphere, Ionosphere, Mesosphere, Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED) mission will measure the solar vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) spectral irradiance from 1 to 195 nm. To cover this wide spectral range two different types of instruments are used: a grating spectrograph for spectra above 25 nm and a set of silicon photodiodes with thin film filters for the soft x-ray (XUV) below 35 nm. Redundant channels of the spectrograph and XUV photodiodes provide in-flight calibration checks on the time scale of a week, and annual rocket underflight measurements provide absolute calibration checks traceable to radiometric standards. Both types of instruments have been developed and flight proven as part of a NASA solar EUV irradiance rocket experiment. The SEE instrument is currently on the NASA TIMED spacecraft at the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) Applied Physics Laboratory (APL). The TIMED launch is planned for October 2000 as a two year mission.
Clostridium difficile colitis following an open fracture: complications occur, even with straightforward trauma and straightforward decisions.

A65-year-old driver involved in a T-bone motor vehicle crash sustained an open, severely comminuted tibia and fibula fracture. Administration of antibiotics was begun and he was taken to the operating room for irrigation and debridement of his open wound and placement of an external fixature. Within a week of the date the patient started taking antibiotics, Clostridium difficile colitis developed. Despite treatment with metronidazole, he experienced progressive deterioration and went into septic shock from toxic megacolon. A subtotal colectomy and ileostomy were performed. Postoperatively, the patient remained septic, and osteomyelitis of his fracture developed. This infection was eventually resolved with administration of intravenous antibiotics and repeated intraoperative washouts of his leg. Two and a half months after his crash, the patient was discharged to a skilled nursing facility. Six months later, a takedown of his ileostomy was performed and some evidence of bone healing in his lower extremity was found. He now is able to drive a car and walks with use of a cane.
Unitary cardiac Na+, Ca2+ exchange current magnitudes determined from channel-like noise and charge movements of ion transport

The cardiac Na+, Ca2+ exchanger (NCX1) is thought to achieve a high turnover rate, but all estimates to date are indirect. Two new strategies demonstrate that maximum unitary exchange currents are about 1 fA (6000 unitary charges per s) and that they fluctuate between on and off levels similar to ion channel currents. First, exchange current noise has been identified in small cardiac patches with properties expected for a gated transport process. Noise power density spectra correlate well with exchanger inactivation kinetics, and the noise has a predicted bell-shaped dependence on the activation states of the exchanger. From the magnitudes of exchange current noise, maximum unitary exchange currents are estimated to be 0.6–1.3 fA. Second, charge movements with rates of approximately 5000 s-1 have been isolated for the transport of both Na+ and Ca2+ in giant membrane patches using nonsaturating ion concentrations. The Na+ transport reactions are disabled or "immobilized" by exchanger inactivation reactions, thus confirming that inactivation generates fully inactive exchanger states.
A solution approach to the fixed charge network flow problem using a dynamic slope scaling procedure

In this paper, we consider the Fixed Charge Network Flow Problem (FCNFP) which is known to be NP-hard. It has many practical applications including transportation, network design, communication, and production scheduling. Although many exact methods have been developed to solve the FCNFP, their computational requirements increase exponentially with the size of the problem. Hence, heuristic approaches are needed to solve suboptimally large-scale problems. Here, we propose a new approach for solving the general capacitated (or uncapacitated) FCNFP by adapting an economic viewpoint of the fixed cost. A new concept of the dynamic slope scaling procedure is presented and some computational results on a wide range of test problems are reported. The largest problem has 202 nodes and 10200 arcs. The results show that the proposed procedure generates solutions within 0% to 0.65% of optimality in all cases.