cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Determination of subpixel fractions of nonforested area in the Amazon using multiresolution satellite sensor data

[1] We present the results of an analysis that combines coarse and fine spatial resolution remote sensing data to reconstruct time series of nonforested area in a region of the Brazilian Amazon. We used a 10-year sequence (1989–1998) of Landsat Thematic Mapper data for one scene (∼30,000 km2) in Rondonia, Brazil, to parameterize a regression model that uses subsets of AVHRR GAC reflectance data. This model detected information on interannual changes in nonforested area with a combination of detail and coverage greater than would normally be available using either data set alone. Within this domain we retrieved nonforest cover fraction in a cross-validation test with coefficients of determination (R2) of 0.32 at 8–km resolution and 0.64 at 48-km resolution. At the 48-km resolution the model captures interannual variability and trends of fractional cover within individual pixels that changed considerably over the 10 years of this analysis. The results for this region suggest that retrospective analyses will benefit from further development of techniques combining AVHRR, TM, and other prior information.
Inefficacy of Aspirin in Reducing Broodiness in Turkeys

Abstract An experiment was conducted to determine whether or not oral administration of aspirin would reduce loss in egg production due to broodiness in turkeys. Administration of one, two, or three aspirin tablets did not significantly affect number of hens returning to production or duration of pause in production.
Parameters of Technological Growth

The key parameters to technological growth have been identified as societal resources and societal expectations. Both of these are evident functions of technology, and their combined effects can be expected to continue technology's historical exponential growth. This growth pattern would be substantially altered only if we assume that knowledge is bounded or if society makes a conscious decision to stop the flow of resources into the production of new technological options. Although such conscious selection among individual technical fields is to be expected, it is very unlikely to apply to the totality of technology since, as society grows more complex it continuously creates new needs (priority factor), which in turn provide new opportunities for the application of technological options (payoff factor). The analysis also clearly emphasizes the important role which awareness of new technologies plays in forming societal expectations. These considerations indicate that the technological component of the world simulation model proposed by Meadows et al. (1) and Forrester (2) is best represented by an exponential growth function. The importance of this has been shown by Boyd (3) (Fig. 1), whose "technological optimist" curve has slightly less than exponential growth. Private comnmunication with Boyd indicates that an exponential assumption would reduce the time for equilibrium by several decades. Boyd also indicated that in his modification of the world dynamics model, an exponential technological growth would eventually dominate all other parameters in determining the long-term approach to a steady state. It is evident that the behavior of any world system model is very sensitive to the growth and interaction assumptions for its principal parameters. Thus, model studies should not be easily presumed to represent reality. The one conclusion that appears to be valid regardless of approach is the evident merit of reducing population growth. The parameter for quality of life shown in Fig. 1, parts 2 and 5, is the product of material levels, overcrowding, food, and pollution. The one factor that a "technological optimist" cannot expect to substantially alter in this model is the effect of overcrowding (Fig. 1, parts 3 and 6). Certainly, the many clear values of reducing population growth and improving the environment do not appear to require the justification of a world system analysis. In like manner, it seems appropriate to encourage the "technological optimist" to provide future options for societal choice, even though there may be present philosophical uncertainties as to their eventual merits. Unlike resources found in nature, technology is a manmade resource whose abundance can be continuously increased, and whose importance in determining the world's future is also increasing.
Praise in Public, Criticize in Private? An Assessment of Performance Feedback Transparency in a Classroom Setting

Conventional wisdom in sales management encourages public delivery of positive feedback, and private delivery of negative feedback. In stark contrast, U.S. educators typically provide all performance feedback in relative (if not strict) privacy to comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). To investigate this discrepancy, we hypothesize and test the effects of feedback transparency (i.e., public versus private delivery) and feedback valence (i.e., positive versus negative feedback) on key student outcomes: motivation, fairness, and satisfaction. The paper concludes with a discussion of implications for research and educational practice, including whether or not FERPA legislation may hamper desired student outcomes.
Sequence-dependent solution structure and motions of 13 TATA/TBP (TATA-box binding protein) complexes.

The TATA element is a well-known example of a DNA promoter sequence recognized by the TATA box binding protein (TBP) through its intrinsic motion and deformability. Although TBP recognizes the TATA element octamer unusually (through the minor groove, which lacks the distinctive features of the major groove), single base-pair replacements alter transcriptional activity. Recent crystallographic experiments have suggested that TATA/TBP complexes differing by a single base pair retain substantial structural similarity despite their functional differences in activating transcription. To investigate the subtle role of sequence-dependent motion within the TATA element and certain aspects of its effect on assembly of the transcriptional complex, we examine 5-ns dynamics trajectories of 13 variant TATA/TBP complexes differing from each other by a single base pair. They include the wild-type (WT) adenovirus 2 major late promoter (AdMLP) TATA element, TATAAAAG (the octamer specifies positions -31 to -24 with respect to the transcription initiation site), and the variants A31 (i.e., AATAAAAG), T30, A29, C29, G28, T28, T27, G26, T26, C25, T25, and T24. Our simulated TATA/TBP complexes develop sequence-dependent structure and motion trends that may lead to favorable orientations for high-activity variants (with respect to binding TFIIA, TFIIB, and other transcription factors), while conversely, accelerate dissociation of low-activity TATA/TBP complexes. The motions that promote favorable geometries for preinitiation complexes include small rotations between TBP's N- and C-terminal domains, sense strand DNA backbone "slithering," and rotations in TBP's H2 and H2' helices. Low-activity variants tend to translate the H1 and H1' helices and withdraw the intercalating phenylalanines. These cumulative DNA and protein motions lead to a spatial spread of complex orientations up to 4 A; this is associated with an overall bend of the variant TATA/TBP complexes that spans 93 degrees to 110 degrees (107 degrees for the crystal reference). Taken together, our analyses imply larger differences when these local structural and bending changes are extended to longer DNA (upstream and downstream) and suggest that specific local TATA/TBP motions (e.g., shifts in TBP helices and TATA bases and backbone) play a role in modulating the formation and maintenance of the transcription initiation complex.
Stability and integrity enforcement by integrating variable pairing and controller design

The Relative Gain Array (RGA) and the Niederlinski Index (NI) represent powerful tools for variable pairings selection to achieve minimum interaction subject to stability and integrity in decentralized control systems. Nevertheless, closed-loop integrity of the highest priority (against single loop failure) can not be guaranteed by variable pairing choice only, particularly when pairing on negative RGA elements becomes inevitable for a given process. In parallel to the Generalized Niederlinski Index (GNI), a generalized integrity criterion based on steady state information of both the process and the controller is developed. Both the GNI and the generalized integrity criterion allow for joint consideration of variable pairing selection and controller design and reduce to the NI and RGA rules, thus representing more general tools than the NI and RGA for simultaneously ensuring closed-loop stability and integrity in decentralized control systems. The new criteria are particularly useful when it is impossible to find a pairing corresponding to all RGA elements positive. Guidelines for integrating variable pairing and controller design are offered. The inclusion of controller design imposes no considerable difficulty, since only directional change of individual controllers is important with no specific controller design actually required.
Methylhopane biomarker hydrocarbons in Hamersley Province sediments provide evidence for Neoarchean aerobiosis

Abstract Bacteriohopanepolyols with A-ring methyl substituents are bacterial lipid biomarkers that are presently known to originate from just a few specific taxa. When preserved in ancient rocks, the fossilized hydrocarbon skeletons of these molecules have the potential to provide biogeochemical records of those taxa and their respective physiologies. Considering both their occurrences in modern organisms, and their Proterozoic and Phanerozoic sedimentary distributions, hopanes carrying 2-methyl or 3-methyl substituents are proposed to be derived from cyanobacteria and oxygen-respiring methanotrophs, respectively. Here we report the distribution of methylhopanes in 2.72–2.56 billion-year-old, Neoarchean rocks from the Hamersley Province on the Pilbara Craton. The relative abundance of C 31 -3β-methylhopane, but not that of C 31 -2α-methylhopane, shows a strong correlation to the carbon isotopic composition of co-occurring kerogen (insoluble particulate organic matter). The unanticipated nature of this relationship provides evidence for a shallow-water locus of carbon cycling through aerobic oxidation of CH 4 and, coincidentally, a means to demonstrate biomarker syngenicity. 2α-Methylhopanes are most abundant in both shale and carbonate from shallow-water sediments, and a positive correlation to carbonate abundance, contrasts to variable, but generally lower, 2α-methylhopane abundances of deeper water facies. These observations are consistent with their origin from cyanobacteria which were likely the cornerstone of microbial communities in shallow-water ecosystems providing molecular oxygen, fixed carbon, and possibly fixed nitrogen.
Multiple imputation methods for longitudinal blood pressure measurements from the Framingham Heart Study

Missing data are a great concern in longitudinal studies, because few subjects will have complete data and missingness could be an indicator of an adverse outcome. Analyses that exclude potentially informative observations due to missing data can be inefficient or biased. To assess the extent of these problems in the context of genetic analyses, we compared case-wise deletion to two multiple imputation methods available in the popular SAS package, the propensity score and regression methods. For both the real and simulated data sets, the propensity score and regression methods produced results similar to case-wise deletion. However, for the simulated data, the estimates of heritability for case-wise deletion and the two multiple imputation methods were much lower than for the complete data. This suggests that if missingness patterns are correlated within families, then imputation methods that do not allow this correlation can yield biased results.
Incremental ring-core cutting around an interferometric strain/slope rosette for residual stress measurement

The Interferometric Strain/Slope Rosette (ISSR) is combined with ring-core method to measure residual stresses. The method has many advantages such as non-contacting and short gage-length compared with resistance strain rosette/ring-core method. The ISSR measures the relived strains during ring-core cutting. A finite element model is set up to calculate residual stresses. Two experiments are conducted on an aluminum plate to determine the residual stresses induced form its manufacturing processes. The residual stress distributions with depth are measured by using incremental ring-core cutting around an ISSR.© (2002) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Information Search and Purchase Patterns in a Multichannel Service Industry

For many consumer service industries, it is critical that marketers understand the segmentation implications of online information search. The potential migration of consumers from “brick-and-mortar” to “bricks-and-clicks” offers a unique perspective on multichannel strategies. This research considers how competitive forces, availability of consumer information, and the changing role of traditional channel structures (e.g., sales agents) might affect the search and purchase phases. In the context of the automotive insurance market, this research found significant differences in search preferences, benefit/cost perceptions, demographic characteristics, and psychographic characteristics among four information search segments. Key distinctions were identified between single channel and multichannel auto insurance consumers.
A new approach for residual and Jacobian arrays construction in reservoir simulators

The authors describe a simple and convenient approach for constructing the residual and Jacobian arrays in a reservoir simulator. The key idea is to keep track of all the connections in a model, as opposed to the conventional approach of keeping track of gridblocks and wells when computing the flux terms. Each gridblock may have a variable number of connections that depends on the grid geometry. A connection, however, always links to nodes, which can be gridblock nodes or source/sink nodes. A data structure identifying each pair of connected nodes and the corresponding geometric factors of each connection are sufficient to implement this approach. No-flow boundaries and internal barriers are excluded because of the absence of a connection. The residual function computation is divided into two principal steps: (1) computation of the accumulation term, which is local to each grid block, and (2) computation of flux terms and/or potential difference between all connections by traversing the list of connections and their allocation to the appropriate nodes. This approach can be extended in a natural way to include node connections in well and surface flowline networks.
Transcranial electric stimulation of motor pathways: a theoretical analysis

The response to transcranial electrical stimulation of the brain is an important means of assessing motor pathways in the anesthetized patient. The purposes of this study were to elucidate the pattern of axonal excitation produced by transcranial stimulation and to demonstrate how this pattern is affected by changes in the conductivity or geometry of the skull-CSF-brain complex. To this end, analytic solutions to the problem of electrodes placed on a three shell spherical model were obtained under constant current conditions. The potentials, currents and fields generated were computed and the "activating function" was computed for an idealized set of radially organized axons in order to estimate the degree of membrane depolarization produced by stimulation. The degree to which electromagnetic/radiation effects change these solutions was also estimated. The pattern of stimulation was only slightly dependent on the conductivity and the thickness of the CSF layer. Axons very close to the anode were stimulated with lowest threshold at the brain surface. Axons further away were stimulated with higher thresholds and the point of maximum stimulation moved nearer the center of the sphere. Near the cathode, stimulation was maximal about 5-7 degrees away from the edge of the electrode but the peak magnitude of the activating function was generally 20 times lower than over the anode.
Liquidity Costs and Stock Price Response to Convertible Security Calls

Firms' announcements to call in-the-money convertible securities for redemption essentially force their conversion into common stock, and such announcements are generally met with significant reductions in the calling firms' equity values. An explanation based on liquidity costs is advanced and tested. The explanation implies that investors who choose to sell their shares early in the conversion period bear liquidity costs by selling at reduced prices. Consistent with the explanation, the average share price decline is short-lived, lasting most of the conversion period. Thus, a component of the call announcement effect appears to be due to liquidity costs. Copyright 1992 by University of Chicago Press.
Mammary excretion of cannabidiol in rabbits after intravenous administration

The present study examined the distribution of cannabidiol into milk after an intravenous bolus injection (3 mg kg-1) to lactating rabbits. Drug concentrations in milk and serum were measured by HPLC. Cannabidiol was excreted into milk rapidly and the drug levels in milk increased over a 4-24-h period following the maternal injection. The mean milk to serum concentration ratio was 25.9, indicating a significant accumulation of the drug in milk.
Group characters, permutation actions and sharpness

We extend the work which has appeared in papers on sharp characters and originated with Blichfeldt and Maillet to the Burnside ring of a finite group G. We show that the polynomial whose zeros are the set of marks of non-identity subgroups on a faithful G-set X evaluated at X is an integral multiple of the regular G-set, and deduce a result about the size of a base of X. Further consequences for ordinary group characters are obtained by re-examining Blichfeldt's work and we provide alternative definitions of sharpness. Conjectures are given related to the set of values of a permutation character, and it is proved that for a faithful transitive G-set X certain polynomials (in the Burnside ring) evaluated at X necessarily give G-sets.
Genetic influences on the stability of low self-control: Results from a longitudinal sample of twins

Abstract Gottfredson and Hirschi's theory contained two propositions that have been the source of an emerging line of empirical scrutiny. First, according to the general theory of crime, levels of self-control are largely determined by parental management techniques and not by biogenic factors. Second, Gottfredson and Hirschi argued that low self-control should remain relatively stable over the life course. Data from twins drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health were used to test these two hypotheses. The results of univariate model-fitting techniques revealed that genetic factors accounted for between 52 and 64 percent of the variance in low self-control, with the remaining variance attributable to the nonshared environment. Further, low self-control was stable over a two-year time period (r = .64). Bivariate Cholesky decomposition models indicated that the stability of self-control was determined almost exclusively by genetic factors, and that genetic factors also explained a moderate amount of change in self-control.
Measurement of smoke point in velocity-matched coflow laminar diffusion flames with pure fuels at elevated pressures

Using a coflow burner, a quartz chimney, and a pressure vessel with good optical access, smoke points of pure fuels were measured in a laminar jet diffusion flame. The smoke point is a fundamental kinetic parameter, as this is the point where production of soot is exactly offset by its oxidation. Ethylene and methane, burning in a velocity-matched, overventilated coflow of air, were tested over a range of pressures from 1 to 16 atm. Fuel flow rate and air coflow rate were iteratively increased, keeping the exit velocity equal, until the smoke point was reached. The volumetric fuel flow and flame height were measured as a function of pressure to determine the functional relationship between these parameters and pressure. The volumetric fuel flow at the smoke point is observed to scale as a power law with pressure, while the smoke point height is best described by a log law with pressure. The residence time, based on flame height and exit velocity, was also calculated as a function of pressure and found to have a nonmonotonic behavior, with a peak at lower pressures.
Tablet Position and Basket Type Effects in Spin-Filter Dissolution Device

The effects of stirring and basket placement on tablet dissolution using the previously developed Shah spin-filter device were investigated. Visualization of flow and dissolution patterns was possible by testing nondisintegrating colored tablets. Dissolution experiments were conducted on nondisintegrating double-layered tablets containing salicylic acid as the dissolving layer and ethylcellulose as an inert non-dissolving layer. Visual observations revealed that color was drawn more rapidly from the tablet face resting on the bottom of the basket. Dissolution data from multilayered tablets revealed that when the salicylic acid face was resting on the bottom of the basket, the dissolution was appreciably more rapid than when it was facing up in the basket. This phenomenon was found for several stirring speeds.
You must be joking... warns you: don't drink and type

I would like to apologise to both of my fans (which I will call Tom and Jerry respecting their request for anonymity for obvious reasons) for missing my column in the last issue. Their response was extremely flattering although the points of "silence is gold" and "measure twice, speak once, fool you thrice" kept appearing in their emails.
Comparison between 155 cases of robotic vs. 150 cases of open surgical staging for endometrial cancer

Abstract Objective To compare the outcomes of 155 cases of endometrial cancer who had robot-assisted surgical staging to 150 open cases. Methods Retrospective chart review of cases of endometrial cancer that underwent staging two different ways by two surgeons at an academic institution. Results Mean age was 62.4years in the robotic arm and 65 ( P =0.04) in the open arm. Mean body mass index was 34.5Kg/m 2 in the robotic arm and 33Kg/m 2 in the open arm ( P =0.2). Pelvic and para-aortic lymph node dissection were performed in 94.8% and 67.7% of the robotic cases versus 95.3% and 74% of the open cases, respectively. Mean operative time was 127min in the robotic arm, and 141min in the open arm ( P =0.0001). Mean lymph node count was 20.3 in the robotic arm, and 20 in the open arm ( P =0.567). Mean estimated blood loss was 119ml in the robotic arm and 185 in the open arm ( P =0.015). Mean hospital stay was 1.5days in the robotic arm, and 4days in the open arm ( P =0.0001). The incidence of postoperative ileus (0.6% vs. 10.7%, P=0.0001), infections (5.2% vs. 24%, P =0.0001), anemia/transfusion (1.3% vs. 7.7%, P =0.005), and cardiopulmonary complications (3.2% vs.14.7%, P =0.003) was significantly lower in the robotic arm vs. the open arm. There was one death in the robotic arm attributed to pre-existing cardiac condition. Conclusion Robotic-assisted staging reaps the benefits of minimally invasive surgery without compromising the adequacy of the procedure. Dedication to the technique shortens the operative time.
Upper Bounds on the Number of Resonances for Non-compact Riemann Surfaces

Let X be a Riemannian surface of finite geometric type and with hyperbolic ends. The resolvent (ΔX−s(1−s))−1, Re s > 1 of the Laplacian on X extends to a meromorphic family of operators on C and its poles are called resonances. We prove an optimal polynomial bound for their counting function.
Antiproliferative Cardenolides of an Elaeodendron sp. from the Madagascar Rain Forest

Bioassay-guided fractionation of an ethanol extract obtained from the Madagascar plant Elaeodendron sp. led to the isolation of two new cardenolides, elaeodendrosides T and U (1 and 2). The structures of the new compounds were elucidated using 1D and 2D NMR experiments and mass spectrometry. Compounds 1, 3, 4, and 5 showed significant antiproliferative activity against A2780 human ovarian cancer cells with IC50 values of 0.085, 0.019, 0.19, and 0.10 μM, respectively, while compounds 2 and 6 were less active.
Geochronology of Proterozoic Metamorphism in the Deformed Southern Province, Northern Lake Huron Region, Canada

Abstract Metamorphic geochronology and thermochronology of the deformed Southern Province north of Lake Huron in Ontario, Canada reveals a complex and protracted tectonothermal history for the Proterozoic southern Laurentide margin that is distinct from that of the Lake Superior region to the west. While Penokean-interval deformation is well-constrained in the Lake Superior area, a well-defined geon 18 geochronometric signature is lacking in the Huronian vicinity. The oldest metamorphic ages revealed by in situ monazite U-Th-total Pb electron microprobe analyses are ca. 1800 Ma, with a strong geon 17 (Yavapai-interval) and local geon 14/15 magmatic influences. Furthermore, conventional 40 Ar/ 39 Ar incremental step-heating of hornblende indicates Paleoproterozoic heating through 500 °C occurred only adjacent to geon 17 intrusions; regional analysis of mica cooling ages suggests that Mesoproterozoic thermal overprinting of primary geon 17 magmatism and metamorphism is limited to south of the Murray fault. The Penokean orogeny, long considered the dominant Paleoproterozoic event in the Great Lakes region, is now recognized as only the first of several accretionary events that impinged on the southern Laurentide margin. However, the Penokean orogen is restricted to the 2100 Ma embayment of the Superior Province rifted margin. Moreover, subsequent tectonothermal pulses (Yavapai, Mazatzal, and ca. 1450 Ma) recorded in the rocks of the Southern Province in Ontario mimic that documented across much of the central and western United States. Based on the distinct lack of Penokean-interval ages and the strong geon 17 and geon 14 total-Pb and 40 Ar/ 39 Ar geochronometric signature, the tectonothermal history of Southern Province more closely resembles that of the southwest United States than the Lake Superior region.
University of Nottingham Ningbo China and Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University: Globalization of Higher Education in China.

This essay studies the University of Nottingham Ningbo China and Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University—the two Chinese campuses established respectively by the University of Nottingham and the University of Liverpool. They represent successful models of globalization of higher education in China; however their rationale, strategies, curricula, partnership, and orientation are very different. Through a comparative analysis, the paper reveals their unique development and offers a template for studies of globalization of higher education in China and elsewhere through branch campuses.
CIGUATERA FISH POISONING: A FOODBORNE DISEASE

This review is an extensive up-to-date compilation of ciguatera fish poisoning, a food borne disease, which covers all aspects of the problem, with the exception of clinical and therapeutic information. Thus brief accounts of the history, biology, chemistry, pharmacology, epidemiology, detection methods, pathology, and comprehensive references are presented.
Phosphorylation of Histone H2AX in Radiation-Induced Micronuclei

Abstract Medvedeva, N. G., Panyutin, I. V., Panyutin, I. G. and Neumann, R. D. Phosphorylation of Histone H2AX in Radiation-Induced Micronuclei. Radiat. Res. 168, 493–498 (2007). DNA double-strand breaks are thought to precede the formation of most radiation-induced micronuclei. Phosphorylation of the histone H2AX is an early indicator of DNA double-strand breaks. Here we studied the phosphorylation status of the histone H2AX in micronuclei after exposure of cultured cells to ionizing radiation or treatment with colchicine. In human astrocytoma SF268 cells, after exposure to γ radiation, the proportion of γ-H2AX-positive to γ-H2AX-negative micronuclei increases. The majority of the γ-H2AX-positive micronuclei are centromere-negative. The number of γ-H2AX-positive micronuclei continues to increase even 24 h postirradiation when most γ-H2AX foci in the main nucleus have disappeared. In contrast, in normal human fibroblasts (BJ), the proportion of γ-H2AX-positive to γ-H2AX-negative micronuclei remains consta...
Simmonds’ Disease with a Cranio-Pharyngioma

THE MAJORITY of reported cases of Simmonds’ disease have occurred among multiparous women. In these cases the cause is believed to be postpartum necrosis of the pituitary either following ischemia (1) or embolic infarction of the gland (2). It is of course known that any process which destroys or severely injures the anterior pituitary may produce this syndrome. Among the other causes ascribed are syphilis, tuberculosis, abscesses, inflammation and tumors. Only a relatively small number of proven cases of Simmonds’ disease following destruction of the pituitary by a tumor have been reported. Whether this paucity of reports is a reliable index of the actual number of such cases is open to question. In our clinic only two patients with Simmonds’ disease have been recognized and in both instances a pituitary tumor has been found. One of these cases has been reported (3). The present case has a striking similarity to the first.
Predictors of Pain During and the Day After Corticosteroid Injection for Idiopathic Trigger Finger

Purpose Some patients report a transient increase in pain the day after a corticosteroid injection. We investigated factors associated with greater pain during and the day after a corticosteroid injection for idiopathic trigger finger. Methods A total of 100 patients with trigger finger completed questionnaires measuring heightened illness concern, catastrophic thinking, depression, perceived health, expected pain, pain with injection, and pain the day after injection. We performed bivariate analysis to determine variables associated with pain with injection, next-day pain, and next-day pain greater than 4 points on an 11-point ordinal scale. We entered variables with a significant correlation into multivariable linear regression models. Results The average pain with injection and the day after injection were 4.3 (SD 2.8) and 1.8 (SD 2.0), respectively. Expected pain, heightened illness concern, catastrophic thinking, depression, physician, and gender correlated with pain with injection. A multivariable regression model conducted in backward stepwise fashion demonstrated that physician, depression, expected pain, and female gender explained 28% of the variance in pain with injection. Pain with injection was the only significant predictor of next-day pain and pain greater than 4 points the day after injection. Conclusions Our data suggest that psychosocial factors are the strongest correlates of pain with corticosteroid injection, but a large portion of the variability remains unexplained. Future research will investigate cognitive/behavioral methods for decreasing pain with injection. Type of study/level of evidence Prognostic I.
Langerhans Cells and Serum Precipitating Antibodies against Fungal Antigens in Bronchioloalveolar Cell Carcinoma: Possible Association with Pulmonary Eosinophilic Granuloma

In an ultrastructural study of 37 cases of bronchioloalveolar cell carcinoma (BAC), we identified seven cases (19%) in which Langerhans cells (LC) were closely associated with tumor cells. Serum precipitating antibodies against Aspergillus species and/or thermophilic actinomyces were present in five BAC patients whose tumors contained LC and in six patients whose tumors lacked LC. In a simultaneous study we identified marked atypical bronchiolar and alveolar lining cell hypertrophy and hyperplasma in pulmonary eosinophilic granuloma (PEG). Our data plus current information suggesting that PEG is a form of hypersensitivity pneumonitis support our hypothesis that those cases of BAC in which LC are present may arise in localized or diffuse pulmonary scars caused by PEG.
Using alternative flours as partial replacement of barbari bread formulation (traditional Iranian bread).

Wheat flour is used in most of breads because of its nutrient components and high availability, but different problems are associated with this flour, such as allergies and loss of nutrient components due to milling and refining. In this study, five flours were used (20 %) in combination with wheat flour (80 %).to produce traditional Iranian Barbari bread. These included amaranth, barley, DDGS, rye and oat. Compositional measurements of moisture, fat, fiber, protein and ash content were taken. Physical tests were done to understand the changes in color, thickness, and texture. Results showed that the gluten content of each flour had a significant effect on the texture and thickness of the bread. Bread made with rye flour had the highest L* and that made with oat flour had the highest a*. As for b*, the highest was for the bread made with DDGS. It was also determined that bread made with 20 % DDGS and 80 % wheat flour had the highest fiber and moisture content, while that made with amaranth had the highest ash content, and that with rye had the highest fat. Adding different flours to wheat changed the physical and chemical attributes of final producst significantly.
How optimists face skin cancer information: Risk assessment, attention, memory, and behavior

The purpose of the present study was to investigate how optimists process health-related information. Sixty-five young adults (ages 18–35) reported skin cancer-related knowledge and behaviors, and read slides of information on skin and skin cancer. Visual attention to the slides was recorded using eye tracking, and their memory for the information was measured. Additionally, participants’ self-reported skin cancer-relevant behavior was assessed prospectively in the months following the lab component of the study. Results show that individuals low in dispositional optimism or high in health-related optimism paid more attention when they were at high objective risk of developing skin cancer; and individuals high in dispositional optimism or high in health-related optimism were more likely to perform adaptive, health-promoting behaviors. In addition, optimistic beliefs were found not to be related with unrealistic optimism. Dispositional and health-related optimism therefore appear to predict health-related ...
Tidal triggering of earthquake swarms at Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii

Between 1967 and 1983, four earthquake swarms occurred on Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii, with durations ranging from 68 to 156 hours. Plots of the number of events per hour show a remarkable modulation having diurnal and semidiurnal periodicities. We test the hypothesis that these fluctuations are tidally triggered. A correlogram showing the correlation coefficient between the swarm series and tidal strain oriented at 20° intervals and phase shifted at 1-hour intervals gives the orientation and phase of the tidal strain most closely resembling the swarm plots. Maximum correlation occurs at different orientations and phases for three of the four swarms, which occur in tectonically different parts of the volcano. Two of the swarms which occur in the same region can be fit with a common tidal forcing function even though they occurred more than a year apart. The discrete Fourier transform of the swarm data shows a dominance of diurnal energy over semidiurnal energy, compared with the opposite dominance for the transform of the theoretical tidal function at the times of the swarms. We checked whether the diurnal dominance might be generated by cultural noise by raising the threshold magnitude of the earthquakes used without noticeably affecting the results. Also the phase of the correlation varies from swarm to swarm relative to local Hawaii time. Diurnal dominance remains not completely understood, but tidal influences appear to be the best explanation for the modulation of the activity. These observations limit the rate of tectonic stress change in the rift zones of Kilauea to less than the tidal stress rate.
The potential for sampling error in incisional biopsies of odontogenic keratocysts

Incisional biopsies of large lytic jaw lesions are commonly performed in order to obtain a pretreatment diagnosis. Odontogenic keratocyst (OKC) is a frequent entity in the differential diagnosis of such lesions and mandates a relatively more aggressive surgical approach. Preliminary analysis of incisional biopsies of OKCs revealed that often, in areas of inflammation, samples did not show the classic histopathologic diagnostic features. Instead, the epithelial lining displayed a squamous-type metaplasia that precluded such diagnosis if that was the only area of epithelium sampled. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to determine the likelihood of sampling error resulting in a nondiagnosis of OKC in cases which truly were OKCs. Fifteen cases of totally excised inflamed OKCs were histomorphometrically analyzed to determine the total area of epithelium in each cyst that was diagnostic or nondiagnostic, respectively, utilizing classic histopathologic criteria. The mean for the total area of lining epithelium was 0.098 mm 2 , with nondiagnostic and diagnostic epithelium comprising 0.033 mm 2 and 0.063 mm 2 respectively. Standard deviations were 0.025 for the total areas, 0.026 for nondiagnostic areas, and 0.016 for diagnostic areas. Standard errors of the mean were 0.007, 0.007, and 0.004, respectively. Results show that 33.6% of the area sampled when incisionally biopsying an inflamed OKC is likely to be nondiagnostic. We conclude that in order to minimize the risk of sampling cystic lining nondiagnostic for OKC, large lytic lesions should be sampled away from sites associated with inflammation, such as those in proximity to sulcular regions or partially impacted teeth or in areas exposed to the oral cavity. The caveat is also given that the smaller the incisional biopsy, the greater the chance for sampling error.
microRNA miR-275 is indispensable for blood digestion and egg development in the mosquito Aedes aegypti.

The mosquito Aedes aegypti is the major vector of arboviral diseases, particularly of Dengue fever, of which there are more than 100 million cases annually. Mosquitoes, such as A. aegypti, serve as vectors for disease pathogens because they require vertebrate blood for their egg production. Pathogen transmission is tightly linked to repeated cycles of obligatory blood feeding and egg maturation. Thus, the understanding of mechanisms governing egg production is necessary to develop approaches that limit the spread of mosquito-borne diseases. Previous studies have identified critical roles of hormonal- and nutrition-based target of rapamycin (TOR) pathways in controlling blood-meal–mediated egg maturation in mosquitoes. In this work, we uncovered another essential regulator of blood-meal–activated processes, the microRNA miR-275. The depletion of this microRNA in A. aegypti females after injection of its specific antagomir resulted in severe defects in blood digestion, fluid excretion, and egg development, clearly demonstrating that miR-275 is indispensable for these physiological processes. miR-275 exhibits an expression profile that suggests its regulation by a steroid hormone, 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E). In vitro organ culture experiments demonstrated that miR-275 is induced by this hormone in the presence of amino acids, indicative of a dual regulation by 20E and TOR. This report has uncovered the critical importance of microRNAs in controlling blood-meal–activated physiological events required for completion of egg development in mosquito disease vectors.
Distinct Histidine Residues Control the Acid-induced Activation and Inhibition of the Cloned KATP Channel

The modulation of KATP channels during acidosis has an impact on vascular tone, myocardial rhythmicity, insulin secretion, and neuronal excitability. Our previous studies have shown that the cloned Kir6.2 is activated with mild acidification but inhibited with high acidity. The activation relies on His-175, whereas the molecular basis for the inhibition remains unclear. To elucidate whether the His-175 is indeed the protonation site and what other structures are responsible for the pH-induced inhibition, we performed these studies. Our data showed that the His-175 is the only proton sensor whose protonation is required for the channel activation by acidic pH. In contrast, the channel inhibition at extremely low pH depended on several other histidine residues including His-186, His-193, and His-216. Thus, proton has both stimulatory and inhibitory effects on the Kir6.2 channels, which attribute to two sets of histidine residues in the C terminus.
Organ-specific stress induces mouse pancreatic keratin overexpression in association with NF-κB activation

Keratin polypeptides 8 and 18 (K8/K18) are the major intermediate filament proteins of pancreatic acinar cells and hepatocytes. Pancreatic keratin function is unknown, whereas hepatocyte keratins protect from mechanical and non-mechanical forms of stress. We characterized steady-state pancreatic keratin expression in Balb/c mice after caerulein and choline-deficient ethionine-supplemented diet (CDD), or on exposure to the generalized stresses of heat and water immersion. Keratins were studied at the protein, RNA and organizational levels. Isolated acini were used to study the role of nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB using selective inhibitors. Keratins were found to be abundant proteins making up 0.2%, 0.3% and 0.5% of the total cellular protein of pancreas, liver and small intestine, respectively. Caerulein and CDD caused a threefold transcription-mediated overall increase in K8/K18/K19/K20 proteins. Keratin overexpression begins on tissue recovery, peaks 2 days after caerulein injection, or 1 day after CDD discontinuation, and returns to basal levels after 10 days. K19/K20-containing cytoplasmic filaments are nearly absent pre-injury but form post-injury then return to their original membrane-proximal distribution after 10 days. By contrast, generalized stresses of heat or water-immersion stress do not alter keratin expression levels. Caerulein-induced keratin overexpression is associated with NF-kappaB activation when tested using ex vivo acinar cell cultures. In conclusion, keratins are abundant proteins that can behave as stress proteins in response to tissue-specific but not generalized forms of injury. Pancreatic keratin overexpression is associated with NF-kappaB activation and may serve unique functions in acinar or ductal cell response to injury.
Crisis Management in Hindsight: Cognition, Communication, Coordination, and Control

This article argues that cognition is central to performance in emergency management. Cognition is defined as the capacity to recognize the degree of emerging risk to which a community is exposed and to act on that information. Using the case of Hurricane Katrina to illustrate the collapse of the standard model of emergency management without a clear focus on the role of cognition, the author reframes the concept of intergovernmental crisis management as a complex, adaptive system. That is, the system needs to adjust and adapt its performance to fit the demands of an ever-changing physical, engineered, and social environment. The terms of cognition, communication, coordination, and control are redefined in ways that fit the reality of practice in extreme events. A reframed intergovernmental crisis management system may be conceived as a dynamic interorganizational system that is characterized by four primary decision points: (1) detection of risk, (2) recognition and interpretation of risk for the immediate context, (3) communication of risk to multiple organizations in a wider region, and (4) self-organization and mobilization of a collective, community response system to reduce risk and respond to danger.
A developer's perspective of a decision support system

The article discusses the development of a data-centric decision support system (DSS) for process industry applications. DSS is defined as a computer-aided decision environment, positioned at higher levels of the control hierarchy, where the complexity of a task or the importance of a decision calls for human supervision. The data-centric DSS was developed when none of the traditional forecasting and optimization approaches were applicable to a municipal district heating system. The designated R&D team adopted a hybrid approach in which a multiple regression model was applied to a subset of past data points. The idea of data-centric forecasting involves viewing historical data records as points in the associated data hypercube. For any query point, defined by specific values of the predictor variables, a set of similar data points in the neighborhood are retrieved and fit with a statistical model. The model is used to calculate the forecast of the response variable and then the local model is discarded. The idea of data-centric optimization involves viewing the historical data as points in the associated data hypercube. Starting at the current state of the process, a set of actions is evaluated in a relevant neighborhood of the current state. New actions are searched for in the vicinity of the past best practices while attempting to improve the objective function. The paper continues with issues relating to the selection of a suitable technology, the transfer of knowledge from the development team to a business unit, and the practical aspects of DSS application that add to the cost of operation are discussed.
Advanced analysis of coupled buffeting response of bridges: a complex modal decomposition approach

Abstract This paper presents a framework based on a complex modal decomposition technique for predicting coupled buffeting response of bridges in both time and frequency domains. The coupled equations of motion in structural modal coordinates with frequency dependent aeroelastic self-excited terms are approximated by frequency independent state-space equations, without augmented aerodynamic states, which retain the complex modal properties of the original system. These equations are then decomposed into a set of uncoupled equations of motion for buffeting response analysis. The frequency dependent unsteady buffeting characteristics and their spanwise correlation are considered in both frequency and time domain analyses instead of invoking the customary quasi-steady assumption. This framework significantly enhances computational efficiency in the frequency domain analysis by avoiding system matrix inversion at each discretized frequency when evaluating the transfer function matrix. Furthermore, it also offers simulation of buffeting response in the time domain that includes frequency dependence of buffeting and self-excited forces. A detailed discussion concerning the complex modal frequencies, damping ratios, mode shapes, and the significance of structural modes on the multimode coupled buffeting response is provided. This helps to glean additional insight and to improve our understanding of the underlying physics of wind–structure interactions. Examples of long span suspension bridges are provided to illustrate the proposed scheme and to demonstrate its effectiveness.