cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lessons From Rural Madagascar on Improving Air Quality in the Kitchen

Household air pollution is the second leading cause of disease in Madagascar, where more than 99% of households rely on solid biomass for cooking. This article presents findings and conclusions fro...
Active Learning Applied to Patient-Adaptive Heartbeat Classification

While clinicians can accurately identify different types of heartbeats in electrocardiograms (ECGs) from different patients, researchers have had limited success in applying supervised machine learning to the same task. The problem is made challenging by the variety of tasks, inter- and intra-patient differences, an often severe class imbalance, and the high cost of getting cardiologists to label data for individual patients. We address these difficulties using active learning to perform patient-adaptive and task-adaptive heartbeat classification. When tested on a benchmark database of cardiologist annotated ECG recordings, our method had considerably better performance than other recently proposed methods on the two primary classification tasks recommended by the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation. Additionally, our method required over 90% less patient-specific training data than the methods to which we compared it.
Recurrent thromboembolism in patients with vena cava filters

Abstract Background: Patients with venous thromboembolic disease are treated with anticoagulation or vena cava filter placement to prevent pulmonary embolism. A recent report suggested that filter placement may increase the risk of recurrent deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and prompted a review of our experience. Methods: Prospectively collected data on 2109 consecutive patients receiving filters were evaluated for recurrent thromboembolism, vena cava occlusion, or venous stasis ulceration. Outcomes were stratified and analyzed according to the use of anticoagulants at the time of insertion and at follow-up. Incidence rates were also compared with reports in the literature. Results: Of 1191 patients with DVT at filter placement, complete follow-up data at a mean of 9 years were available for 465. Recurrent DVT was found in 12% of the 241 patients who were given anticoagulants and 15% of the 224 who were not ( P >.05). We also failed to find a significant association between the use of anticoagulation and the incidence of pulmonary embolism (2%), stasis ulceration (2%), and vena cava occlusion (0.0). Conclusions: Recurrent DVT in patients with existing thromboembolic disease is not an unexpected event, which, in our experience, is not associated with anticoagulant or filter use. Anticoagulation should be used when possible to treat existing DVT to reduce thrombus progression and potentially to reduce subsequent complications but does not seem to reduce the rate of recurrent DVT. Rates of recurrent thromboembolism were consistently less than the 20% to 50% reported in the literature. (J Vasc Surg 2001;33:510-4.)
Self-adaptive common-path Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography with real-time surface recognition and feedback control

We demonstrated a self-adaptive common-path Fourier-domain OCT system with real-time surface recognition and feedback control. The scanning probe tracks the sample surface variance and effective imaging depth was largely extended to the probe's free-moving range.
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) stimulates phosphatidylinositol metabolism in rat granulosa cells: mechanism of action of GnRH

This report describes the effects of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH; gonadoliberin) and an agonist, [D-Ala6, des-Gly10]GnRH ethyl amide (GnRHa), on phospholipid metabolism in rat granulosa cells isolated from mature Graafian follicles. As indicated by the incorporation of 32PO4, GnRHa rapidly (less than 2 min) stimulated the labeling of phosphatidic acid and phosphatidylinositol but had no effect on the labeling of other phospholipids. Increased phosphatidylinositol labeling was also observed when myo-[2-3H]inositol was incubated with granulosa cells in the presence of GnRHa. Increases in labeling were dependent on the dose of GnRH and time of incubation. Thyrotropin-releasing hormone and a specific GnRH antagonist had no effect on labeling, but a GnRH antagonist prevented the stimulatory action of GnRH. In addition, treatment with GnRHa slightly increased the levels of phosphatidylinositol (15%) in 60-min incubations but had no effect on the levels of other phospholipids. Significant increases in progesterone accumulation were observed after 30 min of incubation with GnRHa, and further increases were correlated with the time of incubation. The stimulatory action of GnRH on phospholipid metabolism and progesterone accumulation was not related to increases in cyclic nucleotide accumulation. In incubations lasting up to 30 min, GnRHa had no effect on cAMP accumulation. However, a transient decrease in cGMP levels was observed in response to GnRHa. These studies suggest that the rapid and specific effects of GnRH on phospholipid metabolism in rat granulosa cells represent early events in the action of GnRH.
Pathogenesis of Tourette's Syndrome

This review presents a model of disease pathogenesis in the context of CNS development M begins with an exploration of the clinical features and natural history of Tourette's syndrome. This is followed by a consideration of the role of genetic and non gene tic factors. An effort is then made to review the anatomical organization of the basal ganglia and related cortical sites. These circuits are intimately involved in (he normal processing of sensorimotor, cognitive, and emotionally laden information. Evidence implicating these circuits in the pathobiology of Tourette's syndrome is then considered. The review closes with the prospects for advances in interdisciplinary research and therapeutics using this model as a guide.
Instructional Issues and Practices in Secondary Special Education

Given the unique demands of educating secondary school students with disabilities, the recent emphasis on the accountability movement, the establishment of general education curriculum standards, the discussion of high-stakes assessment, the conclusions from special education efficacy studies, and the emphasis on transition services, there is a need to examine the roles and responsibilities of secondary special education teachers. The results from this survey of secondary school teachers indicate the need for additional research regarding the effectiveness of various methods with secondary school learners; an investigation of the tutorial role of secondary school teachers; research looking at the long-term use of methods employed by teachers during different stages in their professional development; practical solutions to concerns about perceived excessive paperwork and lack of appropriate curricula at this level; and the systematic collection and analysis of local postschool outcomes for students with di...
LISP: a link-indexed statistical traffic prediction approach to improving IEEE 802.11 PSM

We present a novel and complementary mechanism, called link-indexed statistical traffic predictor (LISP) to improve IEEE 802.11 power saving mechanism (PSM). LISP employs a simple, light-weight traffic prediction mechanism and enables each node to seek the inherent correlation between ATIM.ACKs and incoming traffic. Thereby nodes en route can stay awake in the BI in which a packet is anticipated to arrive, thus bridging a "freeway" for the packet to rapidly traverse the route. Meanwhile, the number of duty cycles is minimized and more energy is conserved. We conduct analytical and simulation studies and demonstrate the effectiveness of LISP.
Microscopy of the junctional region between human coronal primary and secondary dentine.

The junction between human primary dentine and regular and irregular secondary dentine was examined with a number of different light and electron microscopic techniques. In decalcified material, a narrow band along the innermost surface of the primary dentine stained intensely. The walls of the tubules within the band stained intensely, whereas the tubular walls within the bulk of the primary dentine were not stained. Generally, the walls of the tubules in both types of secondary dentine were also preferentially stained. Although not readily apparent in ground sections, observations of thin sections revealed a dramatic reduction in the number of tubules in regular secondary dentine. Generally, the radiodensity of the intertubular matrix was the same in primary and secondary dentine and the intensely stained band was not seen radiographically. The pulpal ends of the tubules in primary dentine were often occluded with a material having the same radiodensity as peritubular matrix. Both patent and occluded tubules were seen in irregular secondary dentine. Scanning electron microscopy of acid-etched specimens of secondary dentine revealed that some tubules had irregular walls of highly mineralized matrix which was less acid-soluble than the peritubular matrix of primary dentine.
Statistics and dependency analysis of the uniform discrete curvelet coefficients and hidden Markov tree modeling

The uniform discrete curvelet transform (UDCT) is a variant of the discrete curvelet transform with basis function located on a uniform grid. The transform is implemented based on a filter bank structure in the frequency domain. In this paper, we study statistics and dependency analysis of the UDCT coefficients and impose the hidden Markov tree (HMT) model for the UDCT. Finally, the experiment in image denoising is shown as an application of the modeling.
Colimitation of the unicellular photosynthetic diazotroph Crocosphaera watsonii by phosphorus, light, and carbon dioxide

We describe interactive effects of total phosphorus (total P 5 0.1–4.0 mmol L21; added as H2NaPO4), irradiance (40 and 150 mmol quanta m22 s21), and the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PCO2 ; 19 and 81 Pa, i.e., 190 and 800 ppm) on growth and CO2- and dinitrogen (N2)-fixation rates of the unicellular N2-fixing cyanobacterium Crocosphaera watsonii (WH0003) isolated from the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii. In semicontinuous cultures of C. watsonii, elevated PCO2 positively affected growth and CO2- and N2-fixation rates under high light. Under low light, elevated PCO2 positively affected growth rates at all concentrations of P, but CO2- and N2-fixation rates were affected by elevated PCO2 only when P was low. In both high-light and low-light cultures, the total P requirements for growth and CO2 -a nd N 2-fixation declined as PCO2 increased. The minimum concentration (Cmin) of total P and half-saturation constant (KK) for growth and CO2- and N2-fixation rates with respect to total P were reduced by 0.05 mmol L21 as a function of elevated PCO2 . We speculate that low P requirements under high PCO2 resulted from a lower energy demand associated with carbon-concentrating mechanisms in comparison with lowPCO2 cultures. There was also a 0.10 mmol L21 increase in Cmin and KK for growth and N2 fixation with respect to total P as a function of increasing light regardless of PCO2 concentration. We speculate that cellular P concentrations are responsible for this shift through biodilution of cellular P and possibly cellular P uptake systems as a function of increasing light. Changing concentrations of P, CO2, and light have both positive and negative interactive effects on growth and CO2-, and N2-fixation rates of unicellular oxygenic diazotrophs like C. watsonii.
Promoting Appropriate Uses of Technology in Mathematics Teacher Preparation

In the Principles and Standards of School Mathematics the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) identified the "Technology Principle" as one of six principles of high quality mathematics education (NCTM, 2000). This principle states: "Technology is essential in teaching and learning mathematics; it influences the mathematics that is taught and enhances students' learning" (p. 24). There is widespread agreement that mathematics teachers, not technological tools, are the key change agents to bringing about reform in mathematics teaching with technology (Kaput, 1992; NCTM 1991, 2000). Yet, preparing teachers to use technology appropriately is a complex task for teacher educators (Mergendoller, 1994). Waits and Demana (2000) argue that adoption of technology by teachers requires professional development that focuses on both conceptual and pedagogical issues, ongoing support in terms of "intensive start-up assistance and regular follow-up activities" and a desire to change from within the profession (p. 53). In addition, studies of teachers' implementation of educational technology document that at least three to five years are needed for teachers to become competent and confident in teaching with technology (Dwyer, Ringstaff, & Sandholtz, 1991; Means & Olson, 1994).
Presentation layer primitives for the layered multimedia data model

The Layered Multimedia Data Model (LMDM) adds structure to the problem of specifying multimedia compositions by dividing the task into smaller, more manageable pieces. This paper outlines the basic constructs of the third LMDM layer, the Data Presentation Layer (DPL). The DPL allows specification of multimedia presentations, which describe the audio and visual display of temporally linked data objects specified at the lower layers. The strengths of the DPL, include: reusability of presentation templates, a general model of media synchronization, acknowledging and limiting system dependencies, and generalization of a traditional animation model.
Equilibrium solubilities of spearmint oil components in supercritical carbon dioxide

Abstract The equilibrium solubilities of l -carvone and l -limonene in the binary ( l -carvone–CO2 and l -limonene–CO2) and ternary ( l -carvone– l -limonene–CO2) systems were obtained at 39°C and 49°C and at pressures ranging from 6 to 10 MPa. The solubilities of these components increased with a pressure increase or a temperature decrease. The solubility of l -limonene was higher than that of l -carvone at the same temperature and pressure. The correlation of the solubilities using Chrastil equation revealed that the solubilities of both components were strongly dependent on the density of CO2. In the ternary system simulating the actual spearmint oil composition, the solubility of l -carvone was similar but the solubility of l -limonene was lower as compared to their solubilities in the binary systems.
On the Phylogenetic Position of the New Caledonian Endemic Families Paracryphiaceae, Oncothecaceae, and Strasburgeriaceae: A Comparison of Molecules and Morphology

Following his collecting trips to New Caledonia in 1979 and 1981, William C. Dickison published a series of papers focused on the anatomy, morphology, and systematic relationships of the monogeneric, endemic families Strasburgeriaceae, Oncothecaceae, and Paracryphiaceae. He and his collaborators concluded thatParacryphia, Oncotheca, andStrasburgeria should each be treated as distinct families positioned near Sphenostemonaceae, Theaceae, and Ochnaceae, respectively. These anatomical data proved to be a valuable source of systematic characters, but the precise phylogenetic positions of these enigmatic families continue to be in doubt. In fact, even the ordinal classification of flowering plants published by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG, 1998) left uncertain the position of two of these three families. More recently, however, phylogenies for eudicots based on multiple-gene data sets firmly place Oncothecaceae within Garryales, a position that has never been suggested previously. In the case of Paracryphiaceae, molecular data support the most often cited, historical placement of the family within Dipsacales. New molecular data presented here support the position of Strasburgeriaceae as sister to Ixerbaceae within Crossosomatales. This is one of several historical placements suggested for the family, but a placement that has not been cited in recent years. A comparison of anatomy/morphology betweenStrasburgeria andIxerba is presented in the context of this molecular phylogenetic hypothesis.
Methodological Considerations in Measuring Biomass, Production, Respiration and Nutrient Resorption for Tree Roots in Natural Ecosystems

Field monitoring of roots presents different problems from those encountered in laboratory or greenhouse studies, where a distinct individual plant is studied under non-competitive conditions. Examinations of individual plant roots in the field present different problems because (1) roots from many individuals may occupy the same rooting zone, (2) root grafting is common, (3) root distribution is irregular and (4) roots from one individual may extend a considerable distance from the parent plant so their origin is not easily identifiable. This paper discusses field methods for studying carbon and nutrient cycling through the belowground and identifies how sampling schemes need to be adjusted when laboratory-developed techniques are transferred to the field. Specific types of data collection will be examined involving direct field measurements on intact tissues monitored over time (i.e. respiration) and on excised tissues sampled over time (i.e. biomass, production, resorption).
Blog Posts, Short Articles and Book Reviews on Financial Inclusion, Mobile Money and Branchless Banking: 2011

A collection of short notes posted mostly on NextBillion, CGAP, GSMA's MMU, IFMR and World Bank blogs during 2011.
Independent predictors of reliability between full time employee-dependent acquisition of functional outcomes compared to non-full time employee-dependent methodologies: a prospective single institutional study.

Background: The prospective acquisition of reliable patient-reported outcomes (PROs) measures demonstrating the effectiveness of spine surgery, or lack thereof, remains a challenge. The aims of this study are to compare the reliability of functional outcomes metrics obtained using full time employee (FTE) vs . non-FTE-dependent methodologies and to determine the independent predictors of response reliability using non FTE-dependent methodologies. Methods: One hundred and nineteen adult patients (male: 65, female: 54) undergoing one- and two-level lumbar fusions at Duke University Medical Center were enrolled in this prospective study. Enrollment criteria included available demographic, clinical and baseline functional outcomes data. All patients were administered two similar sets of baseline questionnaires—(I) phone interviews (FTE-dependent) and (II) hardcopy in clinic (patient self-survey, non-FTE-dependent). All patients had at least a two-week washout period between phone interviews and in-clinic self-surveys to minimize effect of recall. Questionnaires included Oswestry disability index (ODI) and Visual Analog Back and Leg Pain Scale (VAS-BP/LP). Reliability was assessed by the degree to which patient responses to baseline questionnaires differed between both time points. Results: About 26.89% had a history an anxiety disorder and 28.57% reported a history of depression. At least 97.47% of patients had a High School Diploma or GED, with 49.57% attaining a 4-year college degree or post-graduate degree. 29.94% reported full-time employment and 14.28% were on disability. There was a very high correlation between baseline PRO’s data captured between FTE-dependent compared to non-FTE-dependent methodologies (r=0.89). In a multivariate logistic regression model, the absence of anxiety and depression, higher levels of education (college or greater) and full-time employment, were independently associated with high response reliability using non-FTE-dependent methodologies. Conclusions: Our study suggests that capturing health-related quality of life data using non-FTE-dependent methodologies is highly reliable and maybe a more cost-effective alternative. Well-educated patients who are employed full-time appear to be the most reliable.
Simple one-pot synthesis of disulfide fragments for use in disulfide-exchange screening.

Disulfide exchange screening is a method for evaluating the binding of small molecule fragments to proteins that have at least one accessible cysteine. While operationally simple, it does require a large library of small fragment molecules bearing disulfide-containing side chains. These specialized fragments are not available commercially and this has limited the adoption of the method. We report here a convenient one-pot procedure that enables facile preparation of disulfide screening fragments while also producing less of an environmental impact. The new synthetic method involves the initial formation of symmetric disulfides, followed by a disulfide exchange reaction in which the symmetrical dimer is converted into the final screening fragment by introduction of a solubilizing ‘cap’. The method is amenable to parallel synthetic methods and can be carried out in air without the need for the specialized equipment typically required for performing organic synthesis.
MR imaging measurement of compartmental water diffusion in perfused heart slices

Myocardial tissue slices were isolated from the left ventricular free wall (7 slices) and left ventricular papillary muscle (3 slices) of New Zealand White male rabbits (n= 4) and were subsequently...
Critical aspects of RO desalination: A combination strategy

Abstract Due to a significant drop in the energy needed for RO desalination from 12 kWh/m 3 to ~ 2 kWh/m 3 over the past 20 years, which is close to the theoretical minimum for recovering salt-free water from seawater of 1 kWh/m 3 , the focus here is on the critical aspects that offer opportunities to further reduce costs. These include pre- and post-treatment; and analysis and optimization of the performance of RO systems, such as selectivity, capacity, and flux decline. Flux decline includes concentration polarization and fouling from inorganic, organic, and biological constituents. We call these the “three legs” that undergird all membrane processes. The approach here is quantitative and includes detailed fluid mechanics and associated mass transfer of RO systems for optimizing performance.
Recent Progress in Integrated Optics

In this chapter, progress in integrated optics during the past two years is briefly reviewed. Some of the literature references that have been cited here have also been mentioned in preceding chapters. However, most of this work has been published after the particular corresponding chapter was written. In addition to using the specific references provided in this chapter, the reader is advised to review the proceedings of recent conferences on integrated optics [17.1–5], and to refer to special journal issues dealing with the field [17.6–9]. A number of books have also been published that cover integrated optics and closely related topics [17.10–13]. In June 1983, the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers and the Optical Society of America began joint publication of the Journal of Lightwave Technology (IEEE J. LT), which is devoted exclusively to all aspects of optical guided-wave science, technology and engineering.
Building portfolio fragility functions to support scalable community resilience assessment

Community resilience planning, risk mitigation, and recovery optimization must assume a system perspective at the level of the overall community built environment. While engineers can quantify the ...
Analysis of geometrical and statistical features of Lagrangian stretching in turbulent channel flow using a database task-parallel particle tracking algorithm

A careful, thorough, theoretical study of turbulent stretching behaviors in confined flow is presented.
Predicting the ductile failure of Al5083-H116 specimens with a mechanistic model and no free fitting parameters

Abstract A mechanistic model that does not depend on free fitting parameters was developed for predicting the ductile failure of Al 5083-H116. The model takes three inputs: (1) the large deformation constitutive response of the matrix, (2) the initial second phase particle fraction, and (3) the average nearest neighbor spacing of second phase particles. Using these inputs, a micro-scale cell model consisting of a spherical void inside a rectangular prismatic matrix was constructed. The mechanical response of the cell was simulated and cataloged, examining approximately 3000 distinct loading paths using a large deformation finite element approach. A homogenized material model was then calibrated to mimic the response of the cell across the range of stress states that were examined. Finally, the homogenized material model was used with a component-scale finite element approach to model the ductile failure of laboratory specimens having various geometries. As a whole, the hierarchical multiscale model was found to predict macroscopic failure initiation to within 25% of values measured in laboratory tests spanning a wide range of stress states. The performance of the model is compared to other common phenomenological models at both the component- and micro-scale.
Na–Ca Exchange Currents

Publisher Summary This chapter offers brief information on the current knowledge of Na+-Ca2+ exchange currents. The early studies paved the way for a number of subsequent investigations that have led to molecular cloning and elucidation of the structure of the exchanger molecule itself. This in turn introduced the possibility of studying the relationship between molecular structure and function. The chapter discusses several aspects of Na+-Ca2+ exchanger, including structure, topology, and distribution, phylogeny, isoforms, energetics, methods and problems associated with the measurement, isolation of Na+-Ca2+ exchange current, ionic dependencies, regulation of current, current-voltage relationships and voltage dependence of Na+-Ca2+ exchange current and mechanism, Na+-Ca2+ exchange currents during the cardiac action potential, and excitation-contraction coupling. Isolation of Na+-Ca2+ exchange current includes whole-cell patch-clamp studies, and Na+-Ca2+ exchange current reversal potential. It is mentioned that the generation of phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) is an important regulator of Na+-Ca2+ exchange activity in heart. The ease with which heart cells can be patch-clamped, together with the presence of a vigorous exchange activity, clearly explains the fact that most of our information on exchange current comes from this tissue. Na+-Ca2+ exchange currents have been measured in other cell types, including the squid giant axon. Although measurements of exchange current are difficult in many tissues, it is now possible to express Na+-Ca2+ exchangers in frog oocytes. This together with the development of giant excised patches that can be voltage clamped has made studies of the relationship between structure of the exchanger and function much easier. Measurements of both whole-cell currents as well as currents in giant patches have produced evidence in favor of the idea that a consecutive mechanism can explain exchange activity. Most recently, Na+-Ca2+ exchange currents have been proposed as a trigger for SR Ca2+ release under physiological conditions. Thus, in the last 30 years, the study of exchange currents has expanded enormously to provide not only insight into the way that the Na+-Ca2+ exchange controls intracellular Ca2+ at the whole-cell level, but also into the details of the molecular mechanism of the exchange reaction itself.
On the adaptive control of spherical actuators

This paper addresses the control problem of multi-degree-of-freedom actuators with uncertain torque models and unmodelled system parameters, such as the rotor’s moments of inertia. The control scheme relies on (i) the parameterization of the system nonlinearity in terms of two regression functions and the unknown parameters, and (ii) a control structure with filtered input torque and projection-based adaptation laws. The input–output mapping analysis rigorously shows that the proposed controller maintains the bounded deviation of the control system from a stable, non-adaptive reference system. The size of the deviation is inversely proportional to the filter bandwidth. Simulations using a standard model of spherical motors illustrate the tracking performance of the controlled rotor’s orientations.
Probability and Quantum Dynamics

The simplest dynamical system is the point particle characterized by its mass. Its state is specified by its position and momentum. The dynamical law is the description of how these quantities change in time. For a free particle, the momentum remains constant while the position increases in the direction of the momentum. The increase is directly proportional to the elapsed time and inversely proportional to the mass. When such a particle is subjected to a force, the momentum also changes proportional to the force. The instantaneous state may be represented as a point in phase space which moves along a trajectory. For complicated interactions, the trajectories may form an intricate pattern but they do not intersect, and the generic dynamical evolution may be viewed as a mapping of the phase space onto itself.
LIMITS OF MANUALS AND LOGICS

Publisher Summary This chapter explains the existence of inductive limits of inductive systems of manuals. An inductive system of manuals is called a field of manuals. The chapter reviews orthomodular posets from a categorical standpoint and discusses the covariant functor logic from a certain category of Dacey manuals into a category of orthomodular posets. It also explains orthomodular posets and describes orthogonality relations. Keeping fields of manuals in focus, the chapter reviews the continuity of covariant functor. It explains the foundation of quantum mechanics and quantum field theories, and the empirical logic approach to empirical sciences. The chapter illustrates that the manuals and their morphisms form a concrete category. There are two types of manuals: the classical manual and the discrete manual.
Dietary taurine requirement of cats is determined by microbial degradation of taurine in the gut.

Taurine is an essential dietary constituent for cats because in vivo synthesis is limited, and cats have an obligatory requirement for taurine for the conjugation of bile salts. Dogs and cats use only taurine to conjugate bile acids, but dogs unlike cats, appear to have a rate of synthesis adequate to meet their needs. The basis for the lower synthetic capacity in cats than in dogs and other animals has not been fully elucidated. The activity of cysteine dioxygenase is low in the liver of cats which results in limited production of cysteine sulfinate and synthesis of taurine. Other contributing factors are the low activity of cysteine sulfinate decarboxylase and the high activity of aspartate aminotransferase which transaminates cysteine sulfinate to pyruvate, rather than allowing it to be decarboxylated to hypotaurine and hence to taurine (29).
The Seventh Chapter

[1] And after that saw I four angels [2] stand on the four corners of the earth, [3] holding the four winds of the earth [4] that the winds should not blow on the earth, [5] neither on the sea, [6] neither on any tree. [7] And I saw another angel [8] ascend from the rising of the sun [9] which had the seal of the living God. [10] And he cried with a loud voice [11] to the four angels (to whom power was given to hurt the earth and the sea) [12] saying: ‘Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, neither the trees, [13] till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads’.
Plasma vasoactive intestinal polypeptide concentration determination in patients with diarrhea

Determination of plasma levels of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) has been used for screening patients with chronic diarrhea to identify potential neuroendocrine tumors. This 6-year blinded study from 1981 to 1986 examines the causes of elevated VIP levels in patients. In healthy volunteers ( n = 144), VIP concentrations ranged from 14 to 76 pg/mL (mean +/- SE, 28 +/- 12), whereas in chronic renal failure, 4 of 34 patients or 12% [serum creatinine 4.5 - 9.0 mg/dL (397-795 mumols/L)] had an elevation to greater than 100 pg/mL. No patient with idiopathic hepatic cirrhosis (n = 12) had elevation of serum concentration of this peptide. Among 588 consecutive unselected patients undergoing evaluation for chronic diarrhea (n = 362; 62%) or possible neuroendocrine tumor (n = 214; 36%), 23 patients (3.9%) had concentrations greater than 76 pg/mL. In this group, 5 patients had functioning (VIP, 160-5975 pg/mL) and 5 had nonfunctioning (VIP, 80-120 pg/mL) pancreatic islet cell carcinomas: all 10 patients had hepatic metastases. Other known cases of elevated levels of VIP, ranging from 80 to 340 pg/mL, included other neurogenic tumors (n = 3), small- bowel resection (n = 2), inflammatory bowel disease (n = 2), chronic renal failure (n = 1), and prolonged fasting (n = 1). Patients with diarrhea in which VIP-secreting tumors were identified had plasma vasoactive intestinal peptide concentrations greater than 140 pg/mL. In patients with chronic diarrhea, determination of plasma vasoactive intestinal peptide levels did identify tumors secreting this peptide, but the results from this referral institution did not show identification of these tumors early in their clinical course.
The Intercultural Classroom: A Resource and a Method

The Intercultural Classroom is a free, online resource for promoting intercultural competence in the language classroom. This report describes the project and its impetus. A review of the literature on intercultural competence explores definitions and research on the topic, the idea of “authentic” resources, and resources for implementing intercultural learning in the classroom. The methods section of this work describes how the project was completed with the hope that others might wish to replicate it in other places and with other languages. The discussion section of the report details the two main components of The Intercultural Classroom, Las Perspectivas, and Los Ojos. Finally, the report concludes with ideas for future research on the topic of intercultural competence.
Field Evaluation of Data-based Pruning Severity Levels (PSL) on Mechanical Harvesting of Apples

Abstract The increasing cost and decreasing availability of skilled orchard labor are growing concerns for orchardists, and have led to interests in potential mechanical solutions for pruning and harvesting. A critical first step in developing mechanical solutions is the establishment of precision orchard systems based on specific pruning rules. In this study, we evaluated pruning severity levels (PSL) on apple fruit removal efficiency (FRE) and harvested fruit quality using a shake-and-catch vibratory harvesting system. Approximately 300 branches from 50 randomly selected apple trees were manually subjected to five data-based PSL in field conditions. The experiment was conducted in a commercial ‘Jazz’ orchard with trees trained in a vertical fruiting-wall architecture. Five PSL were studied, including variable length (PV) for which shoots were pruned to a length determined by their basal diameters in a linear-ratio (LR-PSL). In P-10, P-15, and P-23 treatments, shoots were pruned to be no longer than 10, 15, and 23 cm, respectively, in fixed-lengths (FL-PSL). In addition, a control set (PC) with regular pruning was used. The highest FRE was observed in the PSL of P-10 (90%) and P-15 (91%), followed by PV (88%). No significant difference was observed regarding harvested fruit quality. Canopy intercepted photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) ratio and crop load of P-23 and PV were 0.67, 1.90 kg and 0.51, 2.46 kg, respectively. They were also improved compared with PC (0.51 of PAR and 1.64 kg). In summary, field results verified that LR-PSL of PV would efficiently facilitate trellis-trained ‘Jazz’ apple trees to achieve generally higher FRE with such mechanical harvesting methods, and intercepted PAR and fruit yield are not sacrificed. This optimized PSL would also serve as a proof-of-concept for the further development of a mechanical or autonomous pruning machine, while maintaining a profitable crop level in such orchards.
Dietary calcium intake and genetics have site-specific effects on peak trabecular bone mass and microarchitecture in male mice

Abstract Trabecular bone (Tb) is used for rapid exchange of calcium (Ca) in times of physiologic need and the site-specific characteristics of Tb may explain why certain sites are more vulnerable to osteoporosis. We hypothesized that peak trabecular bone mass (PTBM) and Tb microarchitecture are differentially regulated by dietary Ca intake, genetics, or Gene-by-Diet (GxD) interactions at the distal femur and the fifth lumbar (L5) vertebra. Male mice from 62 genetically distinct lines were fed basal (0.5%) or low (0.25%) Ca diets from 4 to 12 wks of age. Afterwards, the right femur and L5 vertebra were removed and trabecular bone was analyzed by μCT. In mice fed the basal diet, bone volume fraction (BV/TV), trabecular number (Tb.N), and connectivity density (Conn.D) were significantly higher in the L5 vertebra than femur. Femur Tb had a weaker, more rod-like structure than the L5 vertebrae while mice fed the low Ca diet developed rod-like structures at both sites. Dietary Ca restriction also caused a greater relative reduction of Tb.N and Conn.D in the femur than L5 vertebra, i.e. it was more harmful to the integrity of Tb microarchitecture in femur. Genetics was a major determinant of Tb at both sites, e.g. heritability of BV/TV on the basal diet = 0.65 (femur) and 0.68 (L5 vertebra). However, while GxD interactions altered the impact of dietary Ca restriction on Tb parameters at both sites, the effect was not uniform, e.g. some lines had site-specific responses to Ca restriction. The significance of our work is that there are site-specific effects of dietary Ca restriction and genetics that work independently and interactively to influence the attainment of PTBM and Tb microarchitecture.
Managing Climate Change Risks in Food Systems

Understanding the pathways through which climate change will impact food security is essential to creating robust food systems. First, we present scientific evidence to show that climate change will decrease crop and livestock productivity in India. Second, we show that climate change will impact health and labor productivity by increasing susceptibility to communicable and non-communicable diseases. Finally, we show that climate change will affect agricultural production and increase the vulnerability of poor regions and poor households, worsening inequities. We propose measures to actively cut down emissions, strengthen safety nets, increase policy commitment to tackle climate change and improve investments and access to technology to both mitigate its effects and increase scope for adaptation.
Explaining Freeway Breakdown with Geometric Brownian Motion Model

AbstractA traffic volume which can trigger a breakdown event at one point in time may not trigger it at another time. The critical question is why a roadway under the same loading is stable in one ...
Effect of nitrogen and light on nutrient concentrations and associated physiological responses in birch and fir seedlings

We grew seedlings of two co-occurring high elevation tree species in controlled light and nitrogen (N) environments to examine the effect on foliar N and P concentrations and the resulting correlation with photosynthesis and growth. Foliar N concentrations in both heart-leaf paper birch (Betula cordifolia) and balsam fir (Abies balsamea) seedlings were greater in low light treatments than in high light treatments. P concentrations, however, were lower in birch and fir foliage grown in low light than in high light. N-availability had no effect on foliar N in birch but tended to increase N concentration in fir needles at all but 100% ambient light. N-availability had no effect on P concentration in fir seedlings, but high N decreased foliar P in birch. There was a positive relationship between foliar N-concentration (mg g−1) and mass-based maximum photosynthetic rate (Asat) in birch seedlings and a corresponding growth response to increased N-availability (suggesting N-limitation). Fir photosynthesis exhibited a positive correlation up to 22 mg g−1 – N and a negative correlation above that point, suggesting that high N concentrations may be detrimental to photosynthesis in the fir seedlings. There was no significant effect of N-treatment on growth.
Using an Item Bank to Construct a Local College Mathematics Placement Test.

This article discusses the use of item banks in preparing local tests, using as an example the construction of a college mathematics placement test.
Are Two-Part Intertrochanteric Femur Fractures Stable and Does Stability Depend on Fixation Method?

Objectives To determine stability of 2-part intertrochanteric femur fractures and to determine whether secondary collapse is related to fixation method. Design A retrospective cohort series. Setting Single Level I Trauma Center. Patients One hundred fourteen patients (82 female) older than 50 years (average age 75 years, range 50-100 years) with an acute low-energy standard obliquity 2-part intertrochanteric femur fracture (OTA/AO 31A) identified from an orthopaedic trauma database were studied. Intervention Twenty-three patients were treated with a sliding hip screw (dynamic hip screw [DHS]), 53 with a dual screw trochanteric entry nail (INTERTAN), and 38 with a single-blade or screw trochanteric entry intramedullary nail (trochanteric fixation nail [TFN]) based on surgeon choice by 4 fellowship-trained orthopaedic trauma surgeons. Main outcome measures Fracture collapse was measured by comparing immediate postoperative radiographs to those at final follow-up while controlling for magnification and rotation. Results Collapse averaged 6.8 mm in the DHS group, 3.7 mm in the INTERTAN group, and 7.3 mm in the TFN group. When comparing groups, there was significantly more collapse in the DHS group compared with the INTERTAN group (P = 0.021), and significantly more collapse in the TFN group compared with the INTERTAN group (P 10-mm collapse including 4 (17%) with greater than 20-mm collapse (max = 34.2 mm). Four patients (8%) in the INTERTAN group had >10-mm collapse and none had greater than 12.9 mm. Ten patients (26%) in the TFN group had >10-mm collapse and 3 (5%) had greater than 20-mm collapse (max = 30.7 mm). Conclusion Stability of 2-part intertrochanteric femur fractures is dependent on the fixation device. These fractures are not necessarily stable when treated with a sliding hip screw as 26% treated with this method collapsed greater than 10 mm and 17% more than 20 mm. Dual screw intramedullary nail fixation seems to be most effective to maintain stability for patients with this fracture pattern. Level of evidence Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Die Chancen und Risiken der Digitalisierung

Die digitalen Medien haben langst unsere Kinder erreicht. Die moderne Technik schafft ungeahnte Moglichkeiten und ist doch die groste Herausforderung des 21. Jahrhunderts. Wie lasst sich die Digitalisierung als gesamtgesellschaftliche Herausforderung meistern? Dieser Artikel zeigt die Chancen und Risiken aus erziehungswissenschaftlicher Sicht auf.
NemoMapPy: Motif-centric network motif search on a web

Networks motifs, defined as statistically overrep-resented subgraph patterns in a network, are important to study because they are generally related to specific functional modules in the biological networks. Smaller sized network motifs are reasonably fast to detect with various programs. However, larger network motifs with more than 8 vertices, are difficult to study due to their heavy computational burden to detect and analyze. NemoMap, which is based on Grochow and Kellis' motif-centric algorithm, has been developed to overcome the issue. To increase the usability, and provide easy accessibility to NemoMap, we developed NemoMapPy as a web application. This was accomplished by porting the existing NemoMap program to Python then creating an intuitive and easy to use front-end. The result is a fully web accessible motif-centric network motif discovery tool on a web. NemoMapPy also reduces the runtime of NemoMap by on average 70% in sub-graphs larger than 10 nodes. Currently NemoMapPy is running as a part of NemoSuite which includes network-centric, motif-centric, and network motif visualization program.
“All out of print”: modernism, minor forms, and Susan Miles’s anachronistic late style

Susan Miles was a British poet, novelist, women’s rights activist, and member of Bloomsbury literary circles from the 1910s through the 1930s. While she received some recognition for her poetry ear...
Transcriptional Control of Circadian Rhythms and Metabolism: A Matter of Time and Space

All biological processes, living organisms, and ecosystems have evolved with the Sun that confers a 24-hour periodicity to life on Earth. Circadian rhythms arose from evolutionary needs to maximize daily organismal fitness by enabling organisms to mount anticipatory and adaptive responses to recurrent light-dark cycles and associated environmental changes. The clock is a conserved feature in nearly all forms of life, ranging from prokaryotes to virtually every cell of multicellular eukaryotes. The mammalian clock comprises transcription factors interlocked in negative feedback loops, which generate circadian expression of genes that coordinate rhythmic physiology. In this review, we highlight previous and recent studies that have advanced our understanding of the transcriptional architecture of the mammalian clock, with a specific focus on epigenetic mechanisms, transcriptomics, and 3-dimensional chromatin architecture. In addition, we discuss reciprocal ways in which the clock and metabolism regulate each other to generate metabolic rhythms. We also highlight implications of circadian biology in human health, ranging from genetic and environment disruptions of the clock to novel therapeutic opportunities for circadian medicine. Finally, we explore remaining fundamental questions and future challenges to advancing the field forward.
Patterned anodes with sub-millimeter spatial resolution for large-area MCP-based photodetector systems

Abstract Micro-channel-plate-based photo-detectors are unique in being capable of covering very large areas such as those required in elementary particle and nuclear physics, while providing sub-millimeter space resolution, time resolutions of less than 10 picoseconds for charged particles, and time resolutions of 30 psec–50 psec for single photons. In such systems the electronic channel count is a major cost driver. Incorporating a capacitively-coupled anode allows the use of external pickup electrodes with patterns of individual channels optimized for occupancy, rate, and time/space resolution. The signal pickup antenna can be economically implemented as a printed circuit card with a 2-dimensional array of pads for high-occupancy/high-rate applications such as in particle colliders and medical imaging, or a 1-dimensional array of strips for a lower channel count in low-occupancy/low-rate applications such as large neutrino detectors. Here we present pad patterns that enhance signal-sharing between pads to lower the channel count per unit area in large-area systems by factors up to 4, while maintaining spatial resolutions of approximately 100 to 200 μ m for charged particles and 400 to 1000 μ m for single photons. Patterns that use multiple signal layers in the signal-pickup board can lower the channel count even further, moving the scaling behavior in the number of pads versus total area from quadratic to linear.