cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interactive Retrieval Practice in Renal Physiology Improves Performance on Customized National Board of Medical Examiners Examination of Medical Students.

Retrieval practice improves long-term retention. Use of interactive retrieval practice in large group, in-person and online live classes, in combination with outside resources, is unreported for medical physiology classes. The primary study purpose was to compare student cohorts' performance with or without retrieval practice in renal physiology classes, relative to the national average on customized national examinations in renal physiology, non-physiology, and all questions. The secondary purpose was to examine the students' educational experience. For the primary purpose, we used a non-equivalent group, post-test only design. For the secondary purpose, we used cross-sectional and qualitative designs. We analyzed examination results of 684 students in four academic years. For renal physiology questions, students performed significantly better in years with retrieval practice compared to years without it (P < 0.001). There was no change in non-physiology scores over the four years. Performance in all questions, too, significantly improved (P < 0.001). A large majority (86%) of students indicated retrieval practice helped them learn renal physiology. Student ratings of quality in online classes, which featured interactive retrieval practice, were higher than that of in-person classes (P < 0.001). Qualitative analysis revealed students found interactive retrieval practice, scaffolding, outside resources, and the instructor's teaching style helpful. Educators in medical physiology classes can use our findings to implement interactive retrieval practice.
Perceptually fluent features of study words do not inflate judgements of learning: evidence from font size, highlights, and Sans Forgetica font type

Judgments of learning (JOL) are often used to assess memory monitoring at encoding. Participants study a cue-target word pair (e.g., mouse-cheese) and are asked to rate the probability of correctly recalling the target in the presence of the cue at test (e.g., mouse -?). Prior research has shown that JOL accuracy is sensitive to perceptual cues. These cues can produce metamemory illusions in which JOLs overestimate memory, such as the font-size effect (Rhodes & Castel, 2008), which occurs when participants inflate JOLs for pairs presented in large versus small fonts without a concomitant increase to recall. The present study further tests the font-size effect and examines whether other perceptual manipulations can affect the correspondence between JOLs and recall. Experiments 1A and 1B were designed to replicate the font-size effect and test whether the effect extended to highlighted pairs that were related or unrelated in the same study list. Experiment 2A and 2B examined font size and highlighting effects on JOLs using only unrelated pairs. Finally, Experiment 3 tested whether Sans Forgetica—a perceptually disfluent font designed to improve memory—would result in inflated JOLs and/or recall. Large fonts similarly increased both JOLs and recall relative to small fonts, highlights had no effect on JOLs or recall, and Sans Forgetica font yielded a memory cost (though no effect on JOLs). Collectively, perceptually fluent and disfluent study pairs do not appear to inflate JOLs relative to subsequent recall.
Fine print in isotope effects: the glucose anomeric equilibrium and binding of glucose to human brain hexokinase

Isotope effects reveal differences in the vibrational properties of a molecule as it passes between two states. They have been used extensively in chemistry and enzymology to probe structure changes in transition state formation. More recently, equilibrium isotope effects have been used to investigate substrate-enzyme binding reactions. We have undertaken the measurement of binding isotope effects for glucose binding to human brain hexokinase in order to: 1) estimate the impact of binding isotope effects on kinetic isotope effect studies and transition-state determination, and 2) obtain information on the structural changes carbohydrates undergo upon binding their receptors. We have found that isotope effects exist for both the binding of glucose to human brain hexokinase and for the anomeric equilibrium of glucose in water. The data were taken using radioisotope competition studies for the binding studies, or by 13C-NMR spectroscopy for studies of the anomeric equilibrium. Ab initio electronic modeling is necessary to understand the underlying processes. The results of these computations and studies are presented herein.
The relative impacts of elevation and rainy days on the incidence of scab damage of pecan nuts in the southeastern USA

SummaryThe fungus, Fusicladosporium effusum (G. Winters) Partridge & Morgan-Jones, causes scab disease in pecan [Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh.) C. Koch] in the southeastern USA. Infections of the fruit shuck severely reduce nut production and could be minimised with a greater understanding of the ecology of the disease. We investigated the relative impacts of rain and elevation on the incidence of scab, as noted by a decline in nut weight. Data on the suppression of nut growth (weights from sprayed trees – weights from unsprayed trees) due to scab were collected from 18 orchards within ten counties in southern Georgia over 6 years, along with rainfall and elevation data from the National Climatic Data Center. Stepwise multiple regression analyses demonstrated that scab-mediated inhibition of nut growth decreased with elevation, but increased with the maximum rain period in April, June, July, and August (R2 = 0.82). Elevation had twice the effect of rain on the reduction in nut growth due to scab. Substitu...
Applications of Active Control

This chapter introduces active and semi-active control systems. We first describe the fundamental differences between active and passive systems. Then, the importance of feedback, computational requirements, and system modelling for active control are discussed. This material is followed by an introductory example involving dynamic feedback control. We also present several active and semi-active device technologies, as well as advanced mitigation schemes including smart materials and hybrid systems.
A DISTINCTIVE NEW CLOUD-FOREST RODENT (HYSTRICOGNATHI: ECHIMYIDAE) FROM THE MANU BIOSPHERE RESERVE, PERU

Recent surveys in Peru's Manu National Park and Biosphere Reserve uncovered a new species of hystricognath rodent, a spiny rat (Echimyidae) with dense, soft fur. Inhabiting Andean cloud-forests at 1900 m, the new rodent belongs to a radiation of "brush- tailed tree rats" previously known only from the Amazon, Orinoco, and other lowland river drainages. Phylogenetic analysis of morphology (cranial and dental characters) unambiguously allies the new species with species of Isothrix. While the inclusion of the new taxon does not resolve the "star phylogeny" which underlies the echimyid radiation, it identifies the Andes as a possible theatre for the evolution of some soft-haired members of the group. The new species is described and a revised diagnosis of the genus Isothrix is presented. RESUMEN: Nueva especie de roedor (Histriocognathi: Echimydae) del bosque nubla- do en la Reserva de Biosfera del Manu, Peru. Recientes inventarios en el Parque Nacional y Reserva de Biosfera del Manu en Peru revelaron una nueva especie de roedor histricognato, una rata espinosa (Echimyidae) con pelaje denso y suave. Este roedor habita el bosque nublado andino a 1900 m, y pertenece a la radiacion de los Echimyidae conocidos previamente de las cuencas de los rios Amazonas, Orinoco, y de otras cuencas de rios de bosque bajo. El analisis filogenetico morfologico (caracteres craneales y dentales) inequivocamente agrupa la nueva especies con las otras especies de Isothrix. A pesar de que la inclusion del nuevo taxon no resuelve la filogenia en forma de estrella que domina la radiacion de los Echimyidae, sugiere a los Andes como posible escenario para la evolucion de algunos de los miembros del grupo de pelo suave. Esta nueva especie es descrita y se presenta un diagnostico revisado del genero.
A new affine invariant for polytopes and Schneider’s projection problem

New affine invariant functionals for convex polytopes are introduced. Some sharp affine isoperimetric inequalities are established for the new functionals. These new inequalities lead to fairly strong volume estimates for projection bodies. Two of the new affine isoperimetric inequalities are extensions of Ball's reverse isoperimetric inequalities. If K is a convex body (i.e., a compact, convex subset with nonempty interior) in Euclidean n-space, Rn, then on the unit sphere, Sn-l, its support function, h(K, * ) : Sn-1 -R, is defined for u E Sn-l by h(K,u) = max{u y : y E K}, where u y denotes the standard inner product of u and y. The projection body, HK, of K can be defined as the convex body whose support function, for u E Sn-1, is given by h(IHK, u) = vol_n1 (Klu1), where voln_l denotes (n 1)-dimensional volume and Klul denotes the image of the orthogonal projection of K onto the codimension 1 subspace orthogonal to u. An important unsolved problem regarding projection bodies is Schneider's projection problem: What is the least upper bound, as K ranges over the class of origin-symmetric convex bodies in R , of the affine-invariant ratio (*) [V(HnK)/V(K) n1-]1/n1, where V is used to abbreviate vol. See [S1], [S2], [SW] and [Le]. Schneider [S1] conjectured that this ratio is maximized by parallelotopes. In [S1], Schneider also presented applications of such results in stochastic geometry. However, a counterexample was produced in [Br] to show that this is not the case. We will present a modified version of Schneider's conjecture that has an affirmative answer. In addition, we will obtain an inequality that gives an upper bound for the affine ratio (*). While our upper bound is not sharp for any n, nevertheless it is asymptotically optimal. To be more specific, in this paper, we introduce a new centro-affine functional U, defined on the class of polytopes, which is closely related to the volume functional V. While in general U(K) < V(K), if K is a random polytope (with many faces), then U(K) is very close to V(K). We shall prove the following variation of Schneider's projection conjecture: Received by the editors February 26, 2000. 1991 Mathematics Subject Classification. Primary 52A40.
A Review of “The Oxford Handbook of Social Relations in the Roman World”

The Oxford Handbook of Social Relations in the Roman World is a fascinating, exhilarating, at times uneven and disappointing, but ultimately indispensable survey of the social world of the Romans f...
Proof-of-concept in vivo evaluation of targeted therapeutics: lessons from immunoliposomes

As part of a longstanding collaborative project within the Bay Area Breast Cancer Translational Research Program (UCSF Breast SPORE), we have continued to use nude mouse human breast cancer xenograft models to test our hypothesis that more effective and less toxic delivery of potent anticancer drugs can be achieved using immunoliposomes (ILs), consisting of receptor-internalizing monoclonal antibody fragments covalently linked to drug-encapsulated long-circulating liposomes (Ls). Our lead agent, anti-HER2 immunoliposomes containing doxorubicin (anti-HER2 ILs-dox), now approaches clinical testing after preclinical evaluation and optimization against multiple breast cancer xenograft models expressing high (+3), moderate (+2), or low (+1) levels of the HER2/ErbB2 growth factor receptor. The enhanced in vivo therapeutic index achieved by anti-HER2 ILs-dox over immunoliposomes containing doxorubicin (+/- Herceptin/trastuzumab) or free doxorubicin was found to be due to the greater intracellular drug delivery achieved by receptor internalizing ILs. A new bioassay measuring HER2 receptor internalization by ILs and performed ex vivo on breast tumor cells or explants appears capable of identifying a subset of HER2 overexpressing breast tumors that may not respond to some HER2 receptor-targeted therapeutics. Other standard breast cancer chemotherapeutics (e.g. vinorelbine, camptothecins) and investigational agents (e.g. ellipticine, hydroxamic acid inhibitors of histone deacetylase) have been similarly encapsulated and evaluated against these tumor xenograft models, all showing enhanced therapeutic efficacy by the targeted ILs > nontargeted Ls > free drug. Likewise, the modular versatility of this drug delivery platform has been proven by linking drug-encapsulated Ls with an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)/HER1 targeting/internalizing antibody and demonstrating the significantly improved efficacy and specificity of anti-EGFR ILs against EGFR overexpressing human breast cancer xenografts.
Los saberes ancestrales en la era del antropoceno: hacia una teoría de textualidad alternativa de los Pueblos originarios de la Amazonia

La arqueologia nos indica que los pueblos amazonicos habian desarrollado sociedades complejas en el alto Napo (Porras 1985) y en otros sitios miles de anos antes del nacimiento de Cristo (Whitehead 2009). Aunque la evidencia arqueologica es escasa en muchos lugares podemos afirmar que los Amazonicos han aportado mucho a la humanidad, incluyendo tales descubrimientos como: la domesticacion de la yuca, conocimiento sobre miles de plantas medicinales, el manejo y mejoramiento de la biodiversidad de la selva con tecnicas de agricultura de pequena escala con patrones de caza y pesca— y numerosos otras maravillas como la chicha (las mujeres de laAmazoniaAltadeNapo saben haceralgunasclasesdechicha, todas ricas), los famosos maytu (pescado asado en hoja de bijao), el uchu manga (una olla de aji mezclado con carne ahumado, cacao blanco), y los yuyu (palmito, tuta yuyu, helechos) que se come con la yuca. Pero, las culturas Amazonicas han hecho otros aportes a la humanidad mas alla de la gastronomia y plantas medicinales.
Practice-Based Teaching for Health Policy Action and Advocacy

The Institute of Medicine has issued numerous reports calling for the public health workforce to be adept in policy-making, communication, science translation, and other advocacy skills. Public health competencies include advocacy capabilities, but few public health graduate institutions provide systematic training for translating public health science into policy action. Specialized health-advocacy training is needed to provide future leaders with policy-making knowledge and skills in generating public support, policy-maker communications, and policy campaign operations that could lead to improvements in the outcomes of public health initiatives. Advocacy training should draw on nonprofit and government practitioners who have a range of advocacy experiences and skills. This article describes a potential model curriculum for introductory health-advocacy theory and skills based on the course, Health Advocacy, a winner of the Delta Omega Innovative Public Health Curriculum Award, at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, Maryland.
Mini-mental state exam domains predict falls in an elderly population: follow-up from the Hispanic Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly (H-EPESE) study.

OBJECTIVES: Assessment of the predictive ability of the Mini-Mental Status Exam (MMSE) domains (orientation to time, orientation to place, registration, attention and calculation, recall, language, and visual construction) for falls in Mexican American elders tested the hypothesis that low MMSE domain scores are related to an increased number of falls. DESIGN: Data were obtained from the 1998-99 re-survey (Wave 3) Hispanic Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly (H-EPESE), a population-based study of older Mexican Americans residing in the southwestern United States. METHODOLOGY: We used a retrospective case control study design; 926 subjects who were aged > or = 77 years at Wave 3 were examined. MMSE scores were utilized to predict falls two years later. Measurements included sociodemographic characteristics, MMSE scores, activities of daily living (ADL), instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), and fall rates. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Relationships between MMSE domain scores and falls. RESULTS: Of the 681 subjects examined two years later, 35.7% experienced at least one fall. Subjects with errors on orientation to place (OR = 2.01) and visual construction (OR = 1.9) were most likely to fall. CONCLUSIONS: MMSE domains with poor scores and most predictive of falls in Mexican Americans elders were orientation to place and visual construction. Further evaluation for confusion level and visual ability in elders presenting with dysfunction on these domains may lead to a reduction of falls in this ethnic group. Language: en
Duality and eventually periodic systems

SUMMARY This paper employs semidefinite programming duality theory to develop new alternative linear matrix inequality (LMI) tools for eventually periodic systems. These tools are then utilized to rederive an important version of the Kalman–Yakubovich–Popov (KYP) Lemma for such systems, and further give new synthesis results. Copyright # 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. In this paper, we continue our work started in Reference [1] on the control of eventually periodic systems. Such systems are aperiodic for an initial amount of time, and then become periodic afterwards. Eventually periodic dynamics arise in various scenarios. One of these scenarios is when linearizing a system along a trajectory composed of an aperiodic manoeuver and a subsequent periodic orbit. Another is when considering plants with uncertain initial states. It is worth noting that both finite horizon and periodic systems are subclasses of eventually periodic systems. Primarily, this paper serves as a gateway for the use of semidefinite programming duality results in control problems involving eventually periodic systems. In fact, we will show that all analysis and synthesis convex conditions pertaining to the ‘2-induced control of such systems can be provided in terms of finite-dimensional semidefinite programming problems. Then, by appealing to the vast literature on duality, it is possible to develop new alternative tools that would potentially offer new theoretical insight and possibly help provide new results in this area of research. Specifically, in this paper, we will invoke one of the theorems of alternatives of Reference [2], which is itself a special case of the Hahn–Banach separation theorem, to develop new alternative linear matrix inequality (LMI) tools that would be later used to rederive an
Resting-State Functional Connectivity of Subgenual Anterior Cingulate Cortex in Depressed Adolescents

Background Very few studies have been performed to understand the underlying neural substrates of adolescent major depressive disorder (MDD). Studies in depressed adults have demonstrated that the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC) plays a pivotal role in depression and have revealed aberrant patterns of resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC). Here, we examine the RSFC of the sgACC in medication-naive first-episode adolescents with MDD. Methods Twenty-three adolescents with MDD and 36 well-matched control subjects underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging to assess the RSFC of the sgACC. Results We observed elevated connectivity between the sgACC and the insula and between the sgACC and the amygdala in the MDD group compared with the control subjects. Decreased connectivity between the sgACC and the precuneus was also found in the MDD group relative to the control subjects. Within the MDD group, higher levels of depression significantly correlated with decreased connectivity between the sgACC and left precuneus. Increased rumination was significantly associated with reduced connectivity between sgACC and the middle and inferior frontal gyri in the MDD group. Conclusions Our study is the first to examine sgACC connectivity in medication-naive first-episode adolescents with MDD compared with well-matched control participants. Our results suggest aberrant functional connectivity among the brain networks responsible for salience attribution, executive control, and the resting-state in the MDD group compared with the control participants. Our findings raise the possibility that therapeutic interventions that can restore the functional connectivity among these networks to that typical of healthy adolescents might be a fruitful avenue for future research.
Polyunsaturated dicarboxylate tethers connecting dimolybdenum redox and chromophoric centers: absorption spectra and electronic structures.

The absorption spectra of a series of compounds of the type [Mo2(DAniF)3](O2CXCO2)[Mo2(DAniF)3] (DAniF = N,N ‘-di-p-anisylformamidinate) have been measured and revealed a strong dependence of the electronic transitions and, therefore, the colors upon the chemical nature of the dicarboxylate linker. The more intense colors and lower energy absorptions are observed with those compounds having unsaturated dicarboxylate linkers. Static and time-dependent DFT calculations were undertaken to identify the electronic excitations responsible for the observed colors. For those compounds with chemically unsaturated and fully conjugated dicarboxylate linkers (oxalate, 6; fumarate, 8; acetylene dicarboxylate, 9; cis,cis-muconate, 11; trans,trans-muconate, 12; tamuate, 13; texate, 14; terephthalate, 15), the lowest energy absorptions are Mo24+ δ → dicarboxylate π* metal-to-ligand charge transfer transitions. Those compounds with chemically saturated linkers (succinate, 20) have δ → δ* transitions as their lowest energy...
REPRODUCTIVE DEVELOPMENT IN LOBLOLLY PINE. II. THE EFFECT OF AGE, GIBBERELLIN PLUS WATER STRESS AND OUT‐OF‐PHASE DORMANCY ON LONG SHOOT GROWTH BEHAVIOR

The effects of age from seed, out-of-phase dormancy, and gibberellin treatment with water stress on the reproductive and vegetative development of the long shoot terminal bud were observed. Scions of different ages were grafted onto 1-yr-old rootstocks, and the younger scions grew more and produced fewer strobili than older ones. Out-of-phase dormancy promoted both male and female flowering at all ages, but the older scions responded better. Gibberellin4,7 plus water stress promoted development of female strobili only. Treatments that promote flowering also increase the size of the resting bud. It is proposed that treatment effects promoting flowering appear to fall into two categories: 1) Those which promote the formation of a resting bud, and 2) those which affect the subsequent development of resting buds which have the potential to
Health effects relevant to the setting of EMF exposure limits.

To date, electric and magnetic exposure limits for frequencies below 100 kHz have been based on vaguely defined neurobiological responses to electric fields induced in tissues in vivo by magnetic fields and on perceptual responses to external electric fields. Advances in tissue dosimetry, risk assessment methods, and biological research on stimulation thresholds and mechanisms are providing new bases for exposure limits. This paper reviews the historical basis for current electric and magnetic exposure limits in preparation for the development of the next generation of electric and magnetic occupational and public exposure guidelines. This is followed by an overview of reported neurobiological effects of electric and magnetic stimulation that should be considered in new exposure guidelines. For magnetic fields, there is stronger evidence for setting exposure limits to protect against adverse effects of nerve stimulation than for protecting against visual magnetophosphenes. Magnetophosphenes are not adverse, and the evidence that these perceptual responses of the eye are a precursor or surrogate for other adverse neurologic responses is weak. Rather than relying just on theoretical models to set exposure limits, data from human subjects exposed to pulsed magnetic fields should be used to estimate nerve stimulation thresholds. Such data can provide a solid basis for setting magnetic field exposure limits if uncertainties in the data and inter-individual variability are addressed. Research on sensory perception, spontaneous and evoked potentials, and epidemiologic studies of neuropsychiatric conditions in electric and magnetic exposed populations does not suggest a need for lower exposure limits. However, a report that a 60-mT magnetic field (below the threshold for peripheral nerve stimulation) produces prolonged alterations of brain excitability and indisposure of subjects should be investigated in future research.
Inhibition of Biologic Activity of Poly I: Poly C by Human Plasma:

SummaryHuman serum and plasma have been shown to abolish the pyrogenicity of poly I:poly C. Chicken serum and, to a lesser extent, fetal calf serum also possess this inhibitory effect, while serums of six other animal species do not alter the pyrogenic properties of this compound. The inhibitory effects are time- and temperature-dependent and suggest that they are enzymatic in origin.
Skeletal variation among early Holocene North American humans: Implications for origins and diversity in the Americas

The movement of humans into the Ameri- cas remains a major topic of debate among scientific disci- plines. Central to this discussion is ascertaining the tim- ing and migratory routes of the earliest colonizers, in addition to understanding their ancestry. Molecular stud- ies have recently argued that the colonizing population was isolated from other Asian populations for an extended period before proceeding to colonize the Americas. This research has suggested that Beringia was the location of this ''incubation,'' though archaeological and skeletal data have not yet supported this hypothesis. This study employs the remains of the five most complete North American male early Holocene skeletons to examine pat- terns of human morphology at the earliest observable time period. Stature, body mass, body breadth, and limb proportions are examined in the context of male skeletal samples representing the range of morphological varia- tion in North America in the last two millennia of the Hol- ocene. These are also compared with a global sample. Results indicate that early Holocene males have variable postcranial morphologies, but all share the common trait of wide bodies. This trait, which is retained in more recent indigenous North American groups, is associated with adaptations to cold climates. Peoples from the Americas exhibit wider bodies than other populations sampled glob- ally. This pattern suggests the common ancestral popula- tion of all of these indigenous American groups had reduced morphological variation in this trait. Further- more, this provides support for a single, possibly high lati- tude location for the genetic isolation of ancestors of the human colonizers of the Americas. Am J Phys Anthropol 149:525-536, 2012. V C 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Dissecting the Role of COPI Complexes in Influenza Virus Infection

As an obligate pathogen, influenza virus requires host cell factors and compartments to mediate productive infection and to produce infectious progeny virus. Recently, several small interfering RNA (siRNA) knockdown screens revealed influenza virus host dependency proteins, all of which identified at least two subunits of the coat protein I (COPI) complex. COPI proteins oligomerize to form coated vesicles that transport contents between the Golgi apparatus and the endoplasmic reticulum, and they have also been reported to mediate endosomal trafficking. However, it remains unclear which steps in the influenza virus infection cycle rely on the COPI complex. Upon systematic dissection of the influenza virus infection cycle, from entry to progeny virion production, we found that prolonged exposure to COPI complex disruption through siRNA depletion resulted in significant defects in virus internalization and trafficking to late endosomes. Acute inhibition of COPI complex recruitment to the Golgi apparatus with pharmacological compounds failed to recapitulate the same entry defects as observed with the COPI-depleted cells but did result in specific decreases in viral membrane protein expression and assembly, leading to defects in progeny virion production. Taken together, our findings suggest that COPI complexes likely function indirectly in influenza virus entry but play direct roles in viral membrane protein expression and assembly.
Absolute results concerning one-way functions and their applications

A new approach to one-way functions is considered. A one-way function is defined to be a function which is easy to compute but hard to invert in the sense that its inverse is not inDTIME(n k ) for fixed largek. While this is weaker than the usual definition of one-way functions it requires no complexity-theoretic assumptions. Some of these functions are proved to exist, while the existence of other, stronger functions is shown to bear upon open problems in complexity theory. An application to public-key cryptosystems is given.
The FPGA Pixel Array Detector

Abstract A proposed design for a reconfigurable x-ray Pixel Array Detector (PAD) is described. It operates by integrating a high-end commercial field programmable gate array (FPGA) into a 3-layer device along with a high-resistivity diode detection layer and a custom, application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) layer. The ASIC layer contains an energy-discriminating photon-counting front end with photon hits streamed directly to the FPGA via a massively parallel, high-speed data connection. FPGA resources can be allocated to perform user defined tasks on the pixel data streams, including the implementation of a direct time autocorrelation function (ACF) with time resolution down to 100 ns. Using the FPGA at the front end to calculate the ACF reduces the required data transfer rate by several orders of magnitude when compared to a fast framing detector. The FPGA-ASIC high-speed interface, as well as the in-FPGA implementation of a real-time ACF for x-ray photon correlation spectroscopy experiments has been designed and simulated. A 16×16 pixel prototype of the ASIC has been fabricated and is being tested.
Comparing accuracy of the Yale swallow protocol when administered by registered nurses and speech‐language pathologists

Aims and objectives (1) To describe the results of a web-based teaching module used by registered nurses to identify patients at risk of aspiration and (2) to determine accuracy of the registered nurse-administered 3-ounce water swallow challenge protocol, that is, drinking three ounces of water, a basic cognitive screen and oral mechanism evaluation, when compared with blinded ratings from speech-language pathology. Background Early identification of potential swallowing problems is important prior to ingestion of food, fluid and medications. Unfortunately, current nurse-administered screens use a variety of non-evidence-based assessments. It would be beneficial to use a valid, reliable and evidence-based screen, that is, the Yale swallow protocol. Design Prospective, blinded, referral-based. Methods Fifty-two registered nurses and 101 inpatients participated. First, each participant was administered the 3-ounce water swallow challenge protocol by a speech-language pathologist. Second, a nurse administered the protocol to the same patient within one hour and independently recorded results and diet recommendations. The nurse was blinded to the study's purpose and results of the speech-language pathologist's initial screening. Out of view, but simultaneous with the nurse-administered protocol, a speech-language pathologist rerated the patient's challenge for comparison with initial results and determined the accuracy of the nurse-administered protocol. Results Intra- and inter-rater protocol agreements for the two speech-language pathologists were 100%. Inter-rater protocol agreement between registered nurses and speech-language pathologists was 98·01%. Conclusions Results confirm the reliability and accuracy of a registered nurse–administered Yale swallow protocol. The consequence of 98% accuracy combined with previously reported 96·5% sensitivity, 97·9% negative predictive value and <2% false negative rate allowed for adoption of the protocol for the entire general hospital population. Relevance to clinical practice Avoidance of preventable prandial pulmonary aspiration as a cause of nosocomial infection is an important goal for all acute care hospitalised patients deemed at risk of aspiration.
Harvesting operations and energetics of tall grasses for biomass energy production: a case study.

Abstract The U.S.A. imports about 50% of its energy needs while Florida imports about 85%. Among the renewable energy sources available, biomass appears promising especially in the southeast which includes Florida because of a favorable environment for production and the available methods to convert biomass to energy. Optimal production of biomass requires the identification and management of high yielding persistent perennial cultivars. Elephantgrass ( Pennisetum purpureum Schum.) and energycane ( Saccharum spontaneum L.) are two tall grasses that meet these requirements. To optimize the supply of convertible biomass, suitable methods of harvesting the crop must be available. The purpose of this research was to study the feasibility and energetics of harvesting, drying, and baling tall grasses with conventional farm machinery. A Mathews rotary scythe and a New Holland 849 Auto Wrap large round baler were determined to provide a practical harvesting system for baled biomass averaging 15–27 Mg ha −1 . The rotary scythe can be used for harvesting and fluffing or turning a windrow over to expedite drying. This harvesting system requires about 3 kg diesel fuel Mg −1 dry biomass (DB), 25 min of time Mg −1 DB, and a cost of about $10 to 12 Mg −1 DB. Energy requirements of harvesting operations would be about 300–375 MJ Mg −1 DB, and primary energy requirements for production and harvesting are about 1100–1500 MJ Mg −1 DB. For each unit of fossil fuel invested in the total production and harvesting system, 12–15 units would be returned in biomass.
Sleep, Hunger, Satiety, Food Cravings, and Caloric Intake in Adolescents

Background and Purpose: Prevalence of adolescent obesity has increased worldwide. Although diet and exercise patterns are major determinants of weight, recent studies with adults and children have shown that total amount of sleep is inversely associated with body mass index (BMI). The purpose of this study was to examine associations among total sleep time (TST), hunger, satiety, food cravings, and caloric intake in a sample of healthy adolescents. Design-Methods: Participants were recruited from the community and a local high school. Demographic data such as sleeping habits, pubertal status, food cravings, caloric intake, physical activity, height, and weight were collected between October 2006 and April 2007. Participants also completed a 7-day sleep-hunger-satiety diary. Descriptive and parametric procedures were used for data analyses (α=.05). Findings: The sample (N=85) included 56% females (n=48), 76% African American (n=65) adolescents. Mean age was 15.6±1.4 years and mean BMI was 24.3±5.4 kg/m2. Mean reported 7-day cumulative nocturnal sleep was 52.9 (±6.0) hours; mean reported cumulative daytime sleep (or napping) was 3.7 (±3.4) hours. Multiple regression analyses showed age, gender, and race were associated with feelings of hunger, satiety, total food cravings and caloric intake. A greater total food-cravings score was associated with increased daytime sleep. Conclusions: These findings indicate an unexpected association between increased daytime sleep and eating behaviors that potentially lead to obesity. Longitudinal studies using objective measures of sleep, appetite regulation, and caloric intake are needed to better understand relationships between appetite and sleep in adolescents from varying racial and gender groups. Clinical Relevance: By carefully considering adolescent sleep (especially daytime sleep), race, and gender, clinicians and school health nurses in the US and other countries are in a unique position to develop novel approaches to prevent and reduce obesity.
Multiple Sclerosis Presenting as Catatonia

Objective:Catatonic disorder due to general medical condition must be excluded in psychiatric patients presenting with this movement disorder. This report emphasizes the association of catatonia with multiple sclerosis.Method:A patient with catatonia, psychotic depression, and the subsequent diagnosis of multiple sclerosis is described and the literature reviewed.Results:Mutism, immobility, cataplexy, waxy flexibility, and other aspects of catatonia occur in multiple sclerosis, usually as a consequence of a severe mood disorder and extensive cerebral demyelination. These symptoms may be the presenting manifestations of multiple sclerosis.Conclusions:A high index of suspicion for neurological disease is indicated in patients with new-onset catatonia. Neuroimaging and other studies may reveal underlying demyelination requiring specific therapy.
Coalitions as a Model for Intersectionality : From Practice to Theory

This conceptual paper uses the concept of coalition to theorize an alternative to categorical approaches to intersectionality based on review of an archive of oral history interviews with feminist activists who engage in coalitional work. Two complementary themes were identified: the challenge of defining similarity in order to draw members of diverse groups together, and the need to address power differentials in order to maintain a working alliance. Activists’ narratives suggest intersectionality is not only a tool for understanding difference, but also a way to illuminate less obvious similarities. This shift requires that we think about social categories in terms of stratification brought about through practices of individuals, institutions and cultures rather than only as characteristics of individuals. Implications of these themes for research practices are discussed.
Effective iron gettering in lightly-doped emitters

The goals of phosphorus diffusion in a multicrystalline silicon solar cell process are often contradictory. While high concentrations of phosphorus near the front surface are known to decrease blue response, a heavier diffusion generally leads to improved gettering of lifetime-killing iron impurities. To investigate the tradeoffs involved in selection of time-temperature profiles for lightly-diffused emitters, like those in a selective emitter formation, we use a coupled diffusion-segregation kinetics simulator to model the behavior of iron and phosphorus during phosphorus diffusion gettering. We propose novel approaches for mitigating the impact of high iron concentrations using shallow emitters. Firstly, our simulations indicate that lifetimes can be higher if higher-temperature processes are employed, since the rates of iron precipitate dissolution and iron point-defect diffusion are faster. (An additional benefit of higher-temperature processing, is a shorter annealing cycle time, i.e., higher throughput.) We assess the possible trade-offs of higher-temperature processing, including decreased emitter sheet resistance. However, we also show that for a fixed total process time and peak temperature, the sheet resistance of the emitter is a poor indicator of final lifetime. Instead, the final lifetime is a function of the fraction of time spent at high temperature (versus fraction spent cooling) and the shape of the cooling profile. Lastly, we show that different iron contamination levels demand different processes to maximize the processed lifetime.
Osmotic induction of stress proteins in nemerteans

Nemerteans can experience fluctuating salinity during exposure to low tides in intertidal mudflats. This study attempted to determine if stress proteins (SPs) can be induced in nemerteans exposed to fluctuating salinities under laboratory conditions. Paranemertes peregrina Coe 1901 were collected from intertidal mudflats. The ribbon worms were then acclimated at 34‰ for 3–4 days prior to the salinity stress experiments. For the hyperosmotic experiment, 39 and 44‰ were selected. Salinities of 24 and 29‰ were used for the hyposmotic experiment. Both experiments used 34‰ as the control. Three worms were sampled at 0, 2, 4, 6, 12, 18 and 24 h after incubation at each of the salinities. Weights were recorded before and after the sampling periods to determine water efflux and influx under hyperosmotic and hyposmotic conditions, respectively. SPs detected in the nemertean proteins were separated by SDS–PAGE electrophoresis and identified using Western immunoblots with specific antibodies. SP levels were then qua...
OPTIMIZED SCHWARZ COUPLING OF BIDOMAIN AND MONODOMAIN MODELS IN ELECTROCARDIOLOGY

The Bidomain model is nowadays one of the most accurate mathematical descriptions of the action potential propagation in the heart. However, its numerical approximation is in general fairly expensive as a consequence of the mathematical features of this system. For this reason, a simplification of this model, called Monodomain problem is quite often adopted in order to reduce computational costs. Reliability of this model is however questionable, in particular in the presence of applied currents and in the regions where the upstroke or the late recovery of the action potential is occurring. In this paper we investigate a domain decomposition approach for this problem, where the entire computational domain is suitably split and the two models are solved in different subdomains. Since the mathematical features of the two problems are rather different, the heterogeneous coupling is non trivial. Here we investigate appropriate interface matching conditions for the coupling on non overlapping domains. Moreover, we pursue an Optimized Schwarz approach for the numerical solution of the heterogeneous problem. Convergence of the iterative method is analyzed by means of a Fourier analysis. We investigate the parameters to be selected in the matching radiation-type conditions to accelerate the convergence. Numerical results both in two and three dimensions illustrate the effectiveness of the coupling strategy.
Coordination problems, risk diversification, and chance Economic Development and the Traditional Sector

Abstract This paper views the development process as a coordination problem subject to risk and chance. The degree of luck in economic experiences is limited by the extent to which an integrated market system exists. This is in turn related to the development of the traditional agricultural sector. As widespread development of this sector occurs market integration is achieved and the problem of coordinated development becomes easier. These ideas are illustrated with reference to the experiences of Japan and Taiwan. JEL classification: 01; 012
Optimal Temperature Management During Cardiopulmonary Bypass: Warm, Cold, or Tepid?

Hypothermia permitted the advent of cardiac surgery and is considered by many the mainstay of cerebral protection during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). How ever, some clinicians have questioned the importance of reduced temperatures during CPB and advocate "normo thermic" heart surgery. Hypothermia (mild, moderate, and profound) provides protection during periods of inadequate oxygen delivery by at least two mecha nisms. First, metabolic rate is directly related to tempera ture ; therefore, reduced temperatures increase toler ance to inadequate oxygen delivery. Q10 values (the ratio of metabolic rates at temperature X°C and tempera ture X°C - 10°C) are controversial and are reported as varying between 2.0 and 5.0. During profound hypother mia (temperature = 17°C), metabolic requirements are 10% to 15% of normothermic values. Second, reduced temperatures (even minimal reductions [34°C to 35°C]) attenuate the release of glutamate and other excitatory amines from ischemic neuronal cells. This phenomenon is th...
Spawning patterns in the leopard grouper, Mycteroperca rosacea , in comparison with other aggregating groupers

We documented the spawning patterns of the leopard grouper, Mycteroperca rosacea, from April to June 2005 in the central Gulf of California, Mexico to draw comparisons with other aggregate-spawning groupers and provide information useful for management of their fishery. Adults formed spawning aggregations of 150 to >700 individuals at specific sites, and spawning occurred daily at these sites from late April through early June. Courtship occurred throughout the day, but spawning was restricted to the evening hours. Adults spawned in groups of 6–40 fish, and pair-spawning was not observed. The group-spawning behavior of adults and the gonosomatic indices of mature males (maximum = 7.2%) suggest that sperm competition was present. The site-specificity of leopard grouper spawning aggregations and diel spawning period were typical of most aggregating groupers, and the size and structure of these aggregations was similar to other species in the genus Mycteroperca. Leopard grouper behavior patterns were unusual in that spawning aggregations persisted for extended periods, spawning was not synchronized with the lunar cycle, and adults aggregated during non-spawning periods. The extensive duration and site-specificity of spawning aggregations and the propensity of M. rosacea to form aggregations year-round increases the vulnerability of the species to overfishing. Policies that limit harvest from these aggregations are needed to improve the management of leopard grouper fisheries in the Gulf of California.
Expanded sequence dependence of thermodynamic parameters improves prediction of RNA secondary structure.

An improved dynamic programming algorithm is reported for RNA secondary structure prediction by free energy minimization. Thermodynamic parameters for the stabilities of secondary structure motifs are revised to include expanded sequence dependence as revealed by recent experiments. Additional algorithmic improvements include reduced search time and storage for multibranch loop free energies and improved imposition of folding constraints. An extended database of 151,503 nt in 955 structures? determined by comparative sequence analysis was assembled to allow optimization of parameters not based on experiments and to test the accuracy of the algorithm. On average, the predicted lowest free energy structure contains 73 % of known base-pairs when domains of fewer than 700 nt are folded; this compares with 64 % accuracy for previous versions of the algorithm and parameters. For a given sequence, a set of 750 generated structures contains one structure that, on average, has 86 % of known base-pairs. Experimental constraints, derived from enzymatic and flavin mononucleotide cleavage, improve the accuracy of structure predictions.
FUNGAL CELLWALL POLYSACCHARIDES ELICIT AN ANTIFUNGAL SECONDARY METABOLITE (PHYTOALEXIN) IN THE CYANOBACTERIUM SCYTONEMA OCELUTUM2

The addition of fungal cell-wall homogenates of Penicillium notatum and Cylindrocladium spathiphylli markedly stimulated the accumulation of tolytoxin, an antifungal secondary metabolite, in cultures of the cyanobacterium Scytonema ocellatum Lyngbye ex Bornet et Flahault. Evaluation of polysaccharides, proteins, and other polymers established that a limited range of polysaccharides, especially chitin and carboxymthylcellulose, selectively elicited enhanced tolytoxin accumulation in S. ocellatum. The elicitor activity of fungal cell-wall preparations could be correlated with the chitin content of the preparation. Polymeric chitin was half-maximally effective at a concentration (EC50) of 19 mg.L-1, whereas chitin oligoments were more effective (EC50= 3.3 mg.L-1) in eliciting enhanced tolytoxin accumulation. The elicitor activity of either purified chitin or an elicitor-active fungal cell-wall preparation could be destroyed by treatment with chitinase. The results suggest an ecological role for tolytoxin as an inducible chemical defense agent (phytoalexin) capable of protecting S. ocellatum against fungal invasion.