cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Contrasting the epidemiological and evolutionary dynamics of influenza spatial transmission

In the past decade, rapid increases in the availability of high-resolution molecular and epidemiological data, combined with developments in statistical and computational methods to simulate and infer migration patterns, have provided key insights into the spatial dynamics of influenza A viruses in humans. In this review, we contrast findings from epidemiological and molecular studies of influenza virus transmission at different spatial scales. We show that findings are broadly consistent in large-scale studies of inter-regional or inter-hemispheric spread in temperate regions, revealing intense epidemics associated with multiple viral introductions, followed by deep troughs driven by seasonal bottlenecks. However, aspects of the global transmission dynamics of influenza viruses are still debated, especially with respect to the existence of tropical source populations experiencing high levels of genetic diversity and the extent of prolonged viral persistence between epidemics. At the scale of a country or community, epidemiological studies have revealed spatially structured diffusion patterns in seasonal and pandemic outbreaks, which were not identified in molecular studies. We discuss the role of sampling issues in generating these conflicting results, and suggest strategies for future research that may help to fully integrate the epidemiological and evolutionary dynamics of influenza virus over space and time.
The word-superiority effect: Is its locus visual-spatial or verbal?

Hemispheric specialization was used to study letter detection. Better detection of letters in words than nonwords was found only in the right hemifield, both for horizontal (Experiment I) and vertical arrays (Experiment II). These results indicate that the present variant of the word-superiority effect has a verbal locus (left hemisphere) rather than a visual-spatial locus (right hemisphere).
Automatic fairing algorithm for B-spline curves

Abstract An algorithm is presented for locally fairing B-spline curves. The algorithm is based on repeatedly removing and reinserting knots of the spline. These knots are selected automatically by means of a fairness criterion. The proposed scheme involves a new knot removal algorithm that compares favourably to existing ones.
First trimester fetal heart rate as a predictor of newborn sex

AbstractObjective: To predict the sex of newborns using first trimester fetal heart rate (FHR).Methods: This was a retrospective review of medical records and ultrasounds performed between 8 and 13 weeks of gestation. Continuous variables were compared using Student’s t-tests while categorical variables were compared using Chi-square test.Results: We found no significant differences between 332 (50.7%) female and 323 (49.3%) male FHRs during the first trimester. The mean FHR for female fetuses was 167.0 ± 9.1 bpm and for male fetuses 167.3 ± 10.1 bpm (p = 0.62). There was no significant difference in crown rump length between female and male fetuses (4.01 ± 1.7 versus 3.98 ± 1.7 cm; p = 0.78) or in gestational age at birth (38.01 ± 2.1 versus 38.08 ± 2.1 weeks; p = 0.67). The males were significantly heavier than females (3305.3 ± 568.3 versus 3127.5 ± 579.8 g; p < 0.0001) but there were no differences in the proportion of small for gestational age (SGA), average for gestational age (AGA) and large for ge...
Novel approaches to the management of bone metastases in patients with breast cancer

Bone metastases appear frequently in patients with advanced breast cancer. They are associated with substantial morbidity and occasionally produce life-threatening complications. Systemic anticancer therapies (chemotherapy and hormonal therapies) represent the treatment of choice for these and other distant metastases from breast cancer. Aggressive use of prophylactic and therapeutic orthopedic surgery is warranted, especially for lesions in weight-bearing areas. Judicious use of external radiotherapy and bone-seeking radionuclides contributes to the control of pain and local control of lesions in strategic locations. In recent years, the development of osteoclast-inhibitory therapy added a new dimension to symptom control and prevention of skeletal complications. The bisphosphonates, clodronate, pamidronate, and zoledronic acid, are potent osteoclast inhibitors with marked clinical effects. They represent the drugs of choice for control of hypercalcemia of malignancy, and they are critical adjuvants to systemic anticancer therapy of metastatic disease. More recently, the development of recombinant osteoprotegerin and an anti-parathyroid hormone-related protein monoclonal antibody represent promising new options for the treatment of patients with bone metastases.
Searching for alloy configurations with target physical properties: impurity design via a genetic algorithm inverse band structure approach.

The ability to artificially grow different configurations of semiconductor alloys---random structures, spontaneously ordered and layered superlattices---raises the issue of how different alloy configurations may lead to new and different alloy physical properties. We address this question in the context of nitrogen impurities in GaP, which form deep levels in the gap whose energy and optical absorption sensitively depend on configuration. We use the ``inverse band structure'' approach in which we first specify a desired target physical property (such as the deepest nitrogen level, or lowest strain configuration), and then we search, via genetic algorithm, for the alloy atomic configurations that have this property. We discover the essential structural motifs leading to such target properties. This strategy opens the way to efficient alloy design.
Frequency of use of the rubber dam: a survey

Results of a survey including more than 1,200 dentists indicated that the rubber dam is neglected—especially in general practice.
SOLVENT EXTRACTION SEPARATION OF RUBIDIUM WITH A CROWN ETHER FOR NEUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS IN ROCK SAMPLES

The extraction behavior of rubidium with a crown ether has been studied and methods for the separation and determination of rubidium have been developed. Rubidium was separated with tetraphenylborate from sample solution, and then quantitatively extracted into nitrobenzene by 18-crown-6 from 0.05 mol/l picric acid (pH 6) and back-extracted by 6 mol/l hydrochloric acid. Rubidium was determined by the neutron activation method in rock samples.
Elastohydrodynamic Analysis of Reverse Pumping in Rotary Lip Seals With Microundulations

An elastohydrodynamic analysis of a rotary lip seal containing microundulations, incorporating both the fluid mechanics of the lubricating film and the elastic behavior of the lip, has been performed numerically. The results indicate that, under dynamic conditions, the undulation pattern deforms such that it produces reverse pumping. The reverse pumping rate is substantial, and overwhelms the natural leakage induced by the sealed pressure, thereby preventing leakage through the seal. The results also show that the undulations hydrodynamically generate sufficiently high pressures, within the film, to provide load support and maintain the integrity of the film
Aortic biomechanical properties in pediatric patients with the marfan syndrome, and the effects of atenolol

Abstract The Marfan syndrome is a heritable disorder involving biochemical abnormalities of the extracellular matrix. These abnormalities underlie the absence of structural integrity of the cardiovascular system.1–4 Recently, these connective tissue abnormalities were shown to be associated with hemodynamic and biomechanical alterations of the aorta.5,6 Adults with the Marfan syndrome demonstrate abnormal elastic properties manifest by decreased aortic distensibility and an increased aortic stiffness index.6 The present investigation sought to determine both the aortic biomechanical properties of pediatric patients with the Marfan syndrome and if therapy with a β-adrenergic blocking agent had any effect on these properties.
Postinfectious glomerulonephritis in renal allograft recipients

Postinfectious glomerulonephritis (PIGN) is a rare etiology of de novo glomerulonephritis following kidney transplantation. To date, there have only been eight cases reported in the literature. We report an additional three patients transplanted at our institution between January 2000 and October 2004 who had clinical and pathologic findings consistent with posttransplant PIGN. All three patients were type 1 diabetics. One had received a cadaveric kidney transplant, one a simultaneous kidney-pancreas transplant, and the third a living related kidney transplant followed by a pancreas transplant. All patients were on triple immunosuppressive therapy with tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, and prednisone. In each case, an acute decline in allograft function developed in association with a known or suspected infectious process, and renal biopsies revealed an immune complex glomerulonephritis with features of PIGN. All regained renal function with treatment of their known or suspected infections and without specific therapies for their glomerulonephritis, including corticosteroids.
Paramagnetic neutron scattering from an amorphous Fe80Cr5B15 alloy

The spin dynamics of the amorphous ferromagnet Fe80Cr5B15 has been investigated by means of inelastic neutron scattering. The Lorentzian form of the neutron scattering cross section describes the data above TC well. In the range of momentum transfers 0.02 A-1<q<0.15 A-1 the half-width of the quasielastic scattering varies as q52 at T=Tc. The inverse correlation length changes with temperature as (0.36±0.02) ϵ0.73±0.02, where ϵ=(T-TC. The dynamical scaling function is found to differ quantitatively from the dynamical scaling function calculated by Resibois and Piette.
Arabic Diacritization Using Weighted Finite-State Transducers

Arabic is usually written without short vowels and additional diacritics, which are nevertheless important for several applications. We present a novel algorithm for restoring these symbols, using a cascade of probabilistic finite-state transducers trained on the Arabic treebank, integrating a word-based language model, a letter-based language model, and an extremely simple morphological model. This combination of probabilistic methods and simple linguistic information yields high levels of accuracy.
Nonlinear viscoelasticty plays an essential role in the functional behavior of spinal ligaments

Abstract Despite the significant role ligament viscoelasticity plays in functional spinal biomechanics, relatively few studies have been performed to develop constitutive models that explicitly characterize this complex behavior. Unfortunately, the application and interpretation of these previous models are limited due to the use of simplified (quasi-linear) viscoelastic formulations or characterization techniques that have been shown to affect the predictive accuracy of the fitted coefficients. In order to surmount these previous limitations, the current study presents the application of a novel fitting technique (applied to stress relaxation experiments) and nonlinear viscoelastic constitutive formulation to human cervical spine anterior longitudinal ligament (ALL), posterior longitudinal ligament (PLL) and ligamentum flavum (LF). The fitted coefficients were validated by quantifying the ability of the constitutive equation to predict an independent cyclic data set across multiple physiologic strain amplitudes and frequencies. The resulting validated constitutive formulation indicated that the strain-dependent viscoelastic behavior of the longitudinal ligaments (ALL and PLL) was dominated by both the short-term (t=0.1 s) and the steady-state (as t→∞) behavior. Conversely, the LF exhibited consistent relaxation behavior across the investigated temporal spectrum. From these data, it can be hypothesized that the unique strain-dependent temporal behavior of these spinal ligaments may be a functional adaptation that minimizes muscular expenditure during quasi-static postures while maximizing structural stability of the spine during transient loading events.
Ethical issues in palliative care

Objectives To review important issues that address respect for patient autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice, which are included in communication surrounding the determination of decision-making capacity, informed consent, breaking bad news, and creating shared goals of care. Data sources Review articles, and government and organizational reports. Conclusion Palliative care and its proximity to end-of-life care issues frequently raises ethical issues for patients, their families, and the clinicians caring for them. Supporting the identification and honoring the patient’s preferences for treatment are central components of ethical behavior. Implications for nursing practice Advance care planning provides an important opportunity for respecting patient autonomy and may be helpful when discussing care options surrounding resuscitation, withholding or withdrawal of treatment, or the determination of medical futility.
Radiative Properties of MoO3 and Al Nanopowders From Light-Scattering Measurements

The combustion behavior of nanometer-scale energetic materials is much different than micron size or larger materials. Burning rates up to 950 m∕s have been reported for a thermite composition of nanosized aluminum and molybdenum trioxide. The energy transport mechanisms in the reactive wave are still uncertain. The relative contribution of radiation has not yet been quantified. To do so analytically requires dependent scattering theory, which has not yet been fully developed. Radiative properties for nanoaluminum and nanomolybdenum-trioxide were obtained experimentally by comparing light scattering measurements on a one-dimensional slab of powder with multiple-scattering simulations using Monte Carlo and discrete ordinate methods. The equivalent isotropic-scattering extinction coefficient for close-packed molybdenum trioxide (MoO3 ) nanopowder was found to be 5900±450cm−1; the equivalent isotropic-scattering albedo was 0.97±0.035. Aluminum (Al), which proved to be more difficult to work with, had an albedo of 0.35 and 0.38 from two tests. The radiative conductivity based on the MoO3 results is two orders of magnitude less than the diffusive thermal conductivity, indicating that radiation is not a dominant heat transfer mode for the reactive wave propagation of nanothermites under optically thick conditions.
NOAA profiler network and other emerging global profiler networks

The U.S. NOAA Profiler Network operated by the Forecast Systems Laboratory for more than a decade represents the culmination of several decades of research and development of wind profiling Doppler radars. The NOAA Profiler Network is comprised of 35 tropospheric wind profilers (404/449 MHz) mostly located in the central United States. The infrastructure, built over the years for the NOAA Profiler Network has the flexibility and capacity to handle many other profilers in addition to the 35 NOAA Profiler Network systems. With recent advances in computers, networking and communication technologies, real-time profiler data can be acquired from almost anywhere on the globe. Data from remote sites are submitted to quality control and placed onto the Global Telecommunication System. Currently the Forecast Systems Laboratory is receiving data from about 80 sites in the continental U.S., Alaska, Canada, and along the equator west from South America. The data are routed to operational forecast centers where the data are used in a variety of numerical weather prediction models and also distributed to the local forecast offices to tailor model guidance to local conditions. The data are also placed on the Forecast Systems Laboratory web site http://www.profiler.noaa.gov. Here the data may be viewed in many graphical forms and are also available for downloading to a user’s site in numeric format.
Mechanisms of semantic change in Chinese

This paper aims to investigate the mechanism of semantic change in the grammaticalization of Chinese verbs. It demonstrates with diachronic and synchronic evidence that subjectification affects every stage of semantic change in the grammaticalization of Chinese verbs, a somewhat different pattern from that found in Indo-European languages. It argues that this difference is derived from the typological difference between the structure of Chinese and that of some Indo-European languages, such as Old English.
Performance prediction using spatial autocorrelation

Evaluation of information retrieval systems is one of the core tasks in information retrieval. Problems include the inability to exhaustively label all documents for a topic, generalizability from a small number of topics, and incorporating the variability of retrieval systems. Previous work addresses the evaluation of systems, the ranking of queries by difficulty, and the ranking of individual retrievals by performance. Approaches exist for the case of few and even no relevance judgments. Our focus is on zero-judgment performance prediction of individual retrievals. One common shortcoming of previous techniques is the assumption of uncorrelated document scores and judgments. If documents are embedded in a high-dimensional space (as they often are), we can apply techniques from spatial data analysis to detect correlations between document scores. We find that the low correlation between scores of topically close documents often implies a poor retrieval performance. When compared to a state of the art baseline, we demonstrate that the spatial analysis of retrieval scores provides significantly better prediction performance. These new predictors can also be incorporated with classic predictors to improve performance further. We also describe the first large-scale experiment to evaluate zero-judgment performance prediction for a massive number of retrieval systems over a variety collections in several languages.
X-BAND ENDOR OF THE LIGANDING ENVIRONMENT FROM THE RADICAL X INTERMEDIATE OF ESCHERICHIA COLI RIBONUCLEOTIDE REDUCTASE

The radical Intermediate X of ribonucleotide reductase was probed by X-band ENDOR to elucidate the electronic environment near its diiron center. A large hyperfine coupling in the 18−23 MHz range w...
PREVENTION OF CHOLESTEROL CHOLELITHIASIS BY DIETARY UNSATURATED FATS IN HORMONE-TREATED FEMALE HAMSTERS

We examined the effect of diet on gallstone incidence and the composition of biliary phosphatidylcholines in methyltestosterone-treated female hamsters. These hamsters were fed a nutritionally adequate purified lithogenic diet containing 2% corn oil, 4% butterfat, 0.3% cholesterol, and 0.05% methyltestosterone, resulting in a cholesterol gallstone incidence of 86%. This incidence was lowered when mono- and polyunsaturated fats or fatty acids were added to the diet: 2.5% oleic acid resulted in total prevention of cholesterol cholelithiasis, 2.5% linoleic acid, and 4% safflower oil (78% linoleic acid content) reduced gallstone incidence to 26 and 8%, respectively. An additional 4% butterfat (29% oleic acid content) produced gallstones in 50% of the animals. At the end of the 6-wk feeding period, the bile of all hamsters was supersaturated with cholesterol. The major biliary phosphatidylcholine species in all groups were (sn-1-sn-2): 16:0-18:2, 16:0-18:1, 18:0-18:2, 16:0-20:4, and 18:2-18:2. The safflower oil- and linoleic acid-fed hamsters exhibited an enrichment of 16:0-18:2 (16-18%); added butterfat or oleic acid increased the proportion of 16:0-18:1 (9 and 25%, respectively). We conclude that the phosphatidylcholine molecular species in female hamster bile can be altered by dietary fats/fatty acids and that mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids play a role in suppressing the induced cholelithiasis.
Conceptual Design of a 10-Mw e Nuclear Rankine System for Space Power

The conceptual design of a 10-Mwe Rankine system for nuclear-electric space power is described. A compact nuclear reactor operating at 1650°K (^2500°F) uses uranium mononitride as the fuel, lithium as the coolant, and tungsten-25% rhenium as a structural material. The reactor is controlled by a dual control system consisting of lithium-6 liquid control tubes and a movable molybdenum side reflector. A lithium-hydride and tungsten nuclear shield, which reduces radiation to an acceptable dose for a manned payload over a 10,000hr life, is provided. The shield accounts for about half the total system specific mass of 7 kg/kwe. A lightweight heat-pipe radiator rejects waste heat at 1100°K (^1500°F). Over-all system efficiency is 17.5%.
Response to bidirectional selection for body weight in channel catfish

Abstract Brood channel catfish used in this experiment were the first generation progeny of a base population originating from six different hatcheries in Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. Between and within family selections for body weight were performed at 40 weeks of age in the upward ( W + ) and downward ( W − ) directions. Five-year old females and males from the two divergent lines were pair-mated in all four possible combinations to produce the first generation offspring. A randombred control line was also maintained to monitor the growth and survival in the four direct and reciprocal lines. The total of 16 spawns produced for this study were artificially hatched and the fish were reared in indoor tanks for 40 weeks and in cages for 48 weeks thereafter to determine the response to bidirectional selection for body weight. Body weight changes, measured as deviations from the control line, were about 20% in either direction at the end of the cage and tank tests. Total length difference between the upward and downward lines was 13%. Catfish produced from ♀ (W + ) × ♂ (W − ) line were comparable in growth to those from ♀ (W + ) × ♂ (W + ) line but differed significantly from ♀ (W − ) × ♂ (W + ) . The ♀ ( W − ) brood should not be used in fingerling production. Realized heritability estimates for body weight and total length were considerably lower than those estimated from full- and half-sib components of variance.
Restoration of peak vascular conductance after simulated microgravity by maximal exercise

We sought to determine if (i) peak vascular conductance of the calf was reduced following prolonged exposure to simulated microgravity, and (ii) if maximal cycle ergometry performed at the end of microgravity exposure stimulated a restoration of peak calf vascular conductance. To do this, peak vascular conductance of the calf was recorded following ischaemic plantar flexion exercise to fatigue in seven men after 16 days of head-down tilt (HDT) under two conditions: (i) after one bout of maximal supine cycle ergometry completed 24 h prior to performance of ischaemic plantar flexion exercise, and (ii) in a control (no cycle ergometry) condition. Following HDT, peak vascular conductance was reduced in the control condition (0.38 +/- 0.02 to 0.24 +/- 0.02 ml 100 ml-1 min-1 mmHg-1; P = 0.04), but was restored when subjects performed cycle ergometry (0.33 +/- 0.05 to 0.28 +/- 0.04 ml 100 ml-1 min-1 mmHg-1; P = 0.46). After HDT, time to fatigue during ischaemic plantar flexion exercise was not different from pre-HDT 24 h after performance of exhaustive cycle ergometry (120 +/- 24 vs. 122 +/- 19 s), but was decreased in the control condition (116 +/- 11 vs. 95 +/- 8 s; P = 0.07). These data suggest that a single bout of maximal exercise can provide a stimulus to restore peak vascular conductance and maintain time to fatigue during performance of ischaemic plantar flexion exercise.
Genotypic influences on infanticide in mice: environmental, situational and experiential determinants.

Abstract Approximately 20–30% of adult, 60–70 day old, DBA/2J male mice exhibit infanticide toward standard stimulus 1–3 day old Rockland-Swiss Albino mouse pups, while 50–80% of adult C57BL/6J males display the behavior. Reciprocally-crossed hybrid males exhibit DBA-like levels of low pup-killing behavior and cross-fostered DBA and C57BL males retain their strain-typical phenotype. Also DBA males continue to exhibit low levels of infanticide and C57BL males display high levels of the behavior regardless of the length of pup exposure, or the sex, age, or strain of the stimulus newborn. Thus, strain differences in pup-killing behavior are not related to differences in the prenatal or postnatal maternal environment, or to situational or experiental factors. Inherent biological differences may be responsible for the strain differences in infanticidal behavior.
An Examination of the Tripartite Model of Anxiety and Depression in an Outpatient Sample of Adolescents

Anxiety and depressive disorders are the most common mental health problems for adolescents; understanding their etiology and course is necessary for developing effective prevention and treatment programs. The tripartite model of anxiety and depression was evaluated in a random, clinical sample of 185 adolescents, with an average age of 15.09 years (SD = 1.9), with 58.4% males (n = 108). Survey packets were mailed to participants (61% response rate). Two models were evaluated: (a) Model one fit adequately, however, modification indices and prior research and theory suggested adding paths between anxiety and depression. (b) Model two tested paths between anxiety and depression; this revised model fit the data well, suggesting a relationship from anxiety to depression. Further, physiological hyperarousal may be a distinct component for anxiety and negative affectivity may be a general risk factor for anxiety and depression in adolescents. The findings that different factors contribute to the cause of anxiety and depression have implications for practice.
Linear stability of supersonic cone boundary layers

The effect of the variable surface geometry of a cone on the linear stability of a supersonic boundary layer flowing over it is investigated subject to different quasiparallel flow approximations. It is shown that, if a suitable set of disturbance state variables is chosen for the normal mode analysis, these effects can accurately be accounted for. In fact, a planar coordinate system can be used for the stability analysis of the cone boundarylayer profiles and a simple "correction" can subsequently be applied to obtain an accurate approximation to the spatial growth rates.
Doubly averaged effect of the Moon and Sun on a high altitude Earth satellite orbit

Infinite series expansions are obtained for the doubly averaged effects of the Moon and Sun on a high altitude Earth satellite, and the results used to interpret numerically integrated examples. New in this paper are: (1) both sublunar and translunar satellites are considered; (2) analytic expansions include all powers in the satellite and perturbing body semi-major axes; (3) the fact that retrograde orbits have more benign eccentricity behavior than direct orbits should be exploited for high altitude satellite systems; and (4) near circular orbits can be maintained with small expenditures of fuel in the face of an exponential driving force one forI a<I<Ib, whereI b=180°−I a andI a is somewhat less than 39.2° for sublunar orbits and somewhat greater than 39.2° for translunar orbits.
Algebraic criteria for positive realness relative to the unit circle

A definition is presented of the circle positive realness of real rational functions relative to the unit circle in the complex variable plane. The problem of testing this kind of positive reality is reduced to the algebraic problem of determining the distribution of zeros of a real polynomial with respect to and on the unit circle. Such reformulation of the problem avoids the search for explicit information about imaginary poles of rational functions. The stated algebraic problem is solved by applying the polynomial criteria of Marden (1966) and Jury (1964), and a completely recursive algorithm for circle positive realness is obtained.
Introduction to special section: Coastal Advances in Shelf Transport

[1] The Coastal Ocean Advances in Shelf Transport (COAST) program conducted an interdisciplinary study of coastal upwelling off central Oregon during summer 2001. Two intensive field efforts during May–June and August 2001 were coordinated with ocean circulation, ecosystem, and atmospheric modeling of the region. A primary goal was to contrast the coastal ocean response to wind forcing in a region of relatively simple alongshore bottom topography versus that associated with a substantial submarine bank. In this overview we provide background motivation for the COAST project and summarize the major research findings.
Cellulose chemistry: perspective and retrospect

ABSTRACT Cellulose and the related polysaccharides found in plant cell walls, historically, have provided raw materials for many of mankind's requirements. Due to the increasing demands caused by the expanding population, rising economy and developing technology, during the 20th century, these renewable materials are no longer considered as inexhaustible. Under these circumstances the public sentiment is turning more and more towards the conservation, efficient utilization and reduction of waste. Wasteful practices such as burning substantial quantities of cellulosic materials without due concern for environmental degradation are no longer acceptable. The increasing concern for safety and quality of the environment and development of a multi-disciplinary approach towards the chemistry of natural products indicate that in future research programmes more emphasis should be placed on investigation and understanding of the cell-wall polysaccharides as a significant biological material and environmental substrate rather than an abundant raw material or a chemical commodity.
Supporting humanitarian relief logistics operations through online geocollaborative knowledge management

Over the past two years, horrific disasters such as the Asian Tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, and the Pakistan Earthquake have demonstrated the critical need for effective technological infrastructure that is scientifically grounded in geo-visual group interaction theory [1] and humanitarian knowledge management procedures [2] to quickly and effectively facilitate planning for predictable events and post-event response. In this demonstration, we address specific issues that negatively impact the effectiveness of geocollaborative process in disaster relief. These include lack of common group operating picture, lack of command structure understanding and blatant miscommunication and misunderstanding about where relief supplies needed to be delivered, who will deliver them, when they need to be delivered, and the relevancy of deliveries to stricken areas. Our approach improves on existing systems by using methods and technologies that meet the challenges of coordinating the efforts of diverse and spatially distributed private, public, and governmental agencies throughout the world responding to disasters. This is accomplished by applying new forms of distributed geospatial data, technology, and collaboration functionality. We present our progress on the development of the Geocollaborative Web Portal (GWP), an asynchronous, open source geospatial information framework designed to support international group interaction and knowledge management in the context of humanitarian relief logistics.
Electrostatic Core Shielding in Dendritic Polyglutamic Porphyrins

Polyglutamic dendritic porphyrins of the general formula H2PophGlu(N)OR (H2Porph = free-base meso-tetra-4-carboxyphenylporphyrin (H2TCPP), Glu=dendrimer layer composed of L-glutamates, N= 1-3: dendrimer generation number, R = terminal group (All, H)) were synthesized and characterized with NMR and MALDI-TOF mass spectroscopy. The free-acid terminated compounds were found to be highly soluble in water, with both their absorption and fluorescence spectra dependent on pH. The value of the porphyrin mono-protonation constant, measured by fluorescence rationing, increased monotonously in the studied series of dendrimers (pK3=6.31. 6.70, and 6.98, for N=1, 2, 3, respectively). For the largest dendrimer, H2PorphGlu(3)OH, pK3 was found shifted by almost two pH units relative to the non-modified H2Porph. The second protonation constant (K4) was much less affected by the dendritic substituents. At pH values less than 3.5 there were noticeable changes in fluorescence intensity and quantum yield even for the highly soluble H2PorphGlu(3)OH. This suggests that interactions between individual dendritic molecules in solution are favored by full protonation of the peripheral glutamic carboxyls. The "dendrimer-protected" porphyrins are convenient fluorescent pH sensors in the biological pH range.
The construct of resilience: Implications for interventions and social policies

The focus of this article is on the interface between research on resilience—a construct representing positive adaptation despite adversity —and the applications of this work to the development of interventions and social policies. Salient defining features of research on resilience are delineated, as are various advantages, limitations, and precautions linked with the application of the resilience framework to developing interventions. For future applied efforts within this tradition, a series of guiding principles are presented along with exemplars of existing programs based on the resilience paradigm. The article concludes with discussions of directions for future work in this area, with emphases on an enhanced interface between science and practice, and a broadened scope of resilience-based interventions in terms of the types of populations, and the types of adjustment domains, that are encompassed.
Work-Oriented Midcareer Development: A Commentary

Power and Rothausen (2003 [this issue]) have proposed a midcareer development model that expands on the tasks traditionally associated with Super's maintenance stage. The model delineates three levels of midcareer development for workers who are interested in staying in their chosen fields. In this commentary, the author discusses some of the strengths and limitations of the model. The strengths of the model include the following: It clearly identifies the target population for the model, it describes proactive behaviors workers may engage in to manage their careers, and it provides specific ideas for its implementation. However, Power and Rothausen seem to overemphasize the degree to which workers may be able to individually control their career destinies. The author believes that Power and Rothausen's model of midcareer development would be strengthened by the incorporation of aspects of the larger social, economic, and psychological context that impinge on people's career outcomes.
Effect of histamine, histidine, and some related compounds on the zinc-deficient chick.

SummaryHistidine at 1.0% and 2.0% of the diet, or histamine at 0.2% of the diet prevented the “arthritic-like” or “perosis-like” syndrome in zinc-deficient chicks fed soy protein diets, while having little or no effect on other symptoms of zinc deficiency. Other histidine metabolites and related compounds such as urocanic acid, β-imidazole acetic acid, imidazole and thiolhistidine had little or no effect on the zinc-deficient chick. A direct histidine-histamine relationship is postulated.The authors acknowledge the assistance of Wayne M. Becker in writing the programs used in the statistical analysis of these experiments.
Covariate-modulated local false discovery rate for genome-wide association studies

Author(s): Zablocki, Rong W; Schork, Andrew J; Levine, Richard A; Andreassen, Ole A; Dale, Anders M; Thompson, Wesley K | Abstract: MotivationGenome-wide association studies (GWAS) have largely failed to identify most of the genetic basis of highly heritable diseases and complex traits. Recent work has suggested this could be because many genetic variants, each with individually small effects, compose their genetic architecture, limiting the power of GWAS, given currently obtainable sample sizes. In this scenario, Bonferroni-derived thresholds are severely underpowered to detect the vast majority of associations. Local false discovery rate (fdr) methods provide more power to detect non-null associations, but implicit assumptions about the exchangeability of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) limit their ability to discover non-null loci.MethodsWe propose a novel covariate-modulated local false discovery rate (cmfdr) that incorporates prior information about gene element-based functional annotations of SNPs, so that SNPs from categories enriched for non-null associations have a lower fdr for a given value of a test statistic than SNPs in unenriched categories. This readjustment of fdr based on functional annotations is achieved empirically by fitting a covariate-modulated parametric two-group mixture model. The proposed cmfdr methodology is applied to a large Crohn's disease GWAS.ResultsUse of cmfdr dramatically improves power, e.g. increasing the number of loci declared significant at the 0.05 fdr level by a factor of 5.4. We also demonstrate that SNPs were declared significant using cmfdr compared with usual fdr replicate in much higher numbers, while maintaining similar replication rates for a given fdr cutoff in de novo samples, using the eight Crohn's disease substudies as independent training and test datasets. Availability an implementation: https://sites.google.com/site/covmodfdr/Contact: wes.stat@gmail.comSupplementary informationSupplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Analysis of Turbulent Mixing Jets in a Large Scale Tank

Flow evolution models were developed to evaluate the performance of the new advanced design mixer pump for sludge mixing and removal operations with high-velocity liquid jets in one of the large-scale Savannah River Site waste tanks, Tank 18. This paper describes the computational model, the flow measurements used to provide validation data in the region far from the jet nozzle, and the extension of the computational results to real tank conditions through the use of existing sludge suspension data. A computational fluid dynamics approach was used to simulate the sludge removal operations. The models employed a three-dimensional representation of the tank with a two-equation turbulence model. Both the computational approach and the models were validated with onsite test data reported here and literature data. The model was then extended to actual conditions in Tank 18 through a velocity criterion to predict the ability of the new pump design to suspend settled sludge. A qualitative comparison with sludge removal operations in Tank 18 showed a reasonably good comparison with final results subject to significant uncertainties in actual sludge properties.
DIVERSITY ENHANCES COVER AND STABILITY OF SEAWEED ASSEMBLAGES: THE ROLE OF HETEROGENEITY AND TIME

Generalizations regarding the mechanisms underlying the effects of plant diversity on ecosystem processes, and whether the patterns transcend study systems remain elusive. Many terrestrial plant diversity manipulations have found that plant biomass increases with diversity, but most marine studies find little or no effect of seaweed diversity on producer biomass or production. However, differences in experimental approach (field vs. mesocosm) and duration (years vs. weeks) between published terrestrial and marine experiments confound the interpretation of these differences in response to changing diversity. We conducted a three-year field manipulation of seaweed diversity on intertidal rocky reefs in central California, USA, to examine the effect of diversity on seaweed cover. We found that diversity increased standing algal cover and decreased the availability of free space relative to monocultures, but this effect took nine months to materialize. Furthermore, diverse assemblages did not consistently exceed the best performing monocultures until 18 months after the experiment was initiated, suggesting that the effect of diversity strengthens over time. Overall, diversity's effect was consistently stronger than that of individual species and not attributable to the influence of any particular species (sampling effect) because (1) polycultures eventually achieved higher cover than even the best performing monoculture and (2) monocultures rarely differed much, precluding a strong sampling effect. Instead, mechanisms such as facilitation and differential use of microhabitats in a heterogeneous environment likely caused the higher cover in polycultures. Our findings contrast with short-term experiments with other seaweeds but are similar to longer-term experiments with terrestrial plants, suggesting that experimental design and approach, rather than inherent differences between marine and terrestrial ecosystems, underlie contrasting responses among systems. We argue that experiments conducted in the field, and for a greater length of time, allow for the manifestation of a greater number of potential mechanisms of overyielding in diverse communities, increasing the likelihood of observing a strong diversity effect.
Atmospheric biomarkers of subsurface life on Mars

If life exists beneath the Martian surface similar to terrestrial bacteria that rely upon chemical reactions involving H_2 and/or CO as energy sources, then it may be possible to infer its existence by observing metabolic by-products that would appear as trace gases in the Martian atmosphere. We have studied the fate of organic trace gases in the Martian atmosphere and find that most have very short chemical lifetimes, however CH_4 has a chemical lifetime of about 300 yrs and thus it will tend to be uniformly distributed in the Martian atmosphere. Using the current observational upper limit on atmospheric CH_4 we deduce that its flux, from all sources, into the Martian atmosphere must be at least 10^5 times less than terrestrial value. If there are abiotic sources of CH_4 on Mars then the biological component of the CH4 must be even less.
Aspects of outreach: a framework for discussion of the social benefits of microfinance

Wide agreement about the goal of microfinance—to improve the welfare of the poor—has not led to wide agreement about how best to achieve that goal. To aid discussion, I propose a framework for outreach—the social benefits of microfinance—in terms of six aspects: worth, cost, depth, breadth, length, and scope. The framework encompasses both the poverty approach to microfinance and the self-sustainability approach. The poverty approach assumes that great depth of outreach can compensate for narrow breadth, short length, and limited scope. The self-sustainability approach assumes that wide breadth, long length, and ample scope can compensate for shallow depth. I show how to use the framework for BancoSol of Bolivia. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A novel numerical method for the calculation of iron and magnet losses of IPMSMs

This paper presents a faster and simpler approach for the calculation of iron and magnet losses of an IPMSM than Finite Element Analysis. It uses large elements and takes into account the magnetic saturation and magnet eddy currents. The machine is represented by its magnetic equivalent circuit, consisting of non-linear and constant reluctance elements and flux sources. Solution of non-linear magnetic circuit is obtained by an iterative method. The results allow the calculation of losses and efficiency of the machine. Owing to the approximations used in the formulation of the magnetic equivalent circuit, this method is less accurate but faster than non-linear transient magnetic FEM, and is more useful for the comparison of different machine designs during design optimization process.
Augustine's Mixed Feelings: Vergil's Aeneid and the Psalms of David in the Confessions

The Aeneid of Vergil and the Psalter traditionally attributed to David so influenced Augustine's writing that one scholar has called the Confessions “a recapitulation of Vergilian epic in a Christian universe,” and another has described it as an “amplified Psalter.”1 Since both works permeate Augustine's narrative, classicists and theologians have long studied the place of the Aeneid and the Psalms in the Confessions, but never in relation to each other.2 Consequently, the dialogical quality of Augustine's text, which includes these radically divergent voices, has largely gone without comment. As paradigms of classical and biblical literature, however, the Aeneid and the Psalms contribute to the formation of the author's own voice and affections. Ancient readers, for instance, widely recognized Vergil's epic as the work of the summus poeta, a book with prophetic powers and the crown of Roman literature to be emulated by all Latin writers.3 Early Christians, in turn, regarded the Psalter as the fabric of constant prayer, a kind of compendium of all scripture pointing prophetically to Christ.4 Thus, the Confessions represent a struggle among powerful voices and emotions frequently operating at cross purposes.
The physics of image formation in the neuroendoscope

Introduction The development of the neuroendoscope has allowed neurosurgeons to visualize anatomic structures deep within the nervous system with minimal disruption of the critical overlying structures. This has enabled the development of an entire system of tools and techniques for maximum effective action at the target point through minimal corridors for the treatment of an entire spectrum of pathologies.
Contractures following experimentally produced peripheral-nerve lesions.

1. Contractures do not develop in the normal extremity of a cat, immobilized for as long as ninety days; but do develop in denervated muscles, if they are maintained in a shortened position for from forty-five to 105 days. 2. After primary suture of the sciatic nerve in cats, contractures occur in 84.2 per cent. of cases in one or more muscles below the knee, and after delayed suture in 100 per cent. of cases, after ninety days. 3. Contractures occur most frequently in the dorsiflexors of the foot of the cat after section and suture of the sciatic nerve. They are less severe, less frequent, and less persistent after primary suture than after delayed suture in untreated animals. Residual contractures are more frequent after delayed than after primary suture. 4. Massage and passive motion definitely decrease the frequency and severity of contractures of the dorsiflexors of the foot, which occur after primary suture. After delayed suture, this type of treatment seems only to retard the development of the peak frequency of contractures for forty-five days, but it undoubtedly decreases their severity. 5. The addition of electrotherapy to massage and passive motion delays the appearance of contractures for a longer period after primary suture than does the latter alone. Thus electrotherapy may have some beneficial influence in the early postoperative period. The longer the period of electrotherapy, the more closely do the frequency and severity of contractures approximate those in untreated animals. Electrotherapy favors the development of contractures in the unparalyzed antagonists of paralyzed muscles. It seems to retard the dissolution of contractures which occur after delayed suture. 6. Spontaneous movement of the animal after recovery of function can serve to dissipate a contracture, no matter what influences tend to preserve it. 7. Contractures are more frequent after section and suture of the sciatic nerve of cats, if the extremity is immobilized, than if the extremity is permitted to be free.