cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Animal inhalation studies on ammonia, ethylene glycol, formaldehyde, dimethylamine, and ethanol.

Abstract : Ammonia, ethylene glycol, formaldehyde, dimethylamine, and ethanol were tested for toxic effects by the inhalation route in rats, guinea pigs, rabbits, monkeys, and dogs during continuous or repeated exposures. Repeated exposures at 155 mg/cu m of ammonia produced no adverse effects; at 770 mg/cu m there was ocular and nasal irritation in rabbits and dogs and nonspecific inflammatory changes in the lungs of rats and guinea pigs. Following continuous exposures at 40 mg/cu m, nonspecific inflammatory changes were noted in the lungs; at 127 and 262 mg/cu m similar changes were seen in the lungs and kidneys. Continuous exposures at levels of 455 and 470 mg/cu m caused 90-98% mortality in rats, and marked eye irritation in rabbits and dogs. Animals in repeated ethylene glycol exposures at 10 and 57 mg/cu m showed no changes that were considered to be chemically induced. Continuous exposure at 12 mg/cu m resulted in moderate to severe eye irritation in rabbits and corneal damage with apparent blindness in 2 of 15 rats after 8 days. Animals continuously exposed to 4.6 mg/cu m formaldehyde, 9 mg/cu m dimethylamine, and 86 mg/cu m ethanol showed only mild inflammatory changes, primarily in the lungs.
Development of a CAI Module and Comparison of its Effectiveness with Traditional Classroom Instruction

This paper reports the development and evaluation of a computer-aided instruction module to teach an advanced apparel construction technique. Participants were recruited and assigned to see the same procedure delivered either via CAI module or traditional lecture-demonstration. An attempt was made to balance the two groups with persons of similar age, computer experience, and sewing experience. There was no statistically significant difference in performance scores for zipper insertion between instructional methods; CAI was as effective as traditional instruction. The quality of work was high regardless of means of delivery, indicating that the procedure was carefully developed and the steps clearly explained. CAI modules have many advantages and the procedure used to develop the module for this experiment could be used for other content that is taught repetitively.
Communication: rovibrationally selected study of the N2+(X; v+=1, N+= 0-8) + Ar charge transfer reaction using the vacuum ultraviolet laser pulsed field ionization-photoion method.

By employing an electric field pulsing scheme for vacuum ultraviolet laser pulsed field ionization-photoion (PFI-PI) measurements, we have been able to prepare a rovibrationally selected PFI-PI beam of N2+(v+ = 1, N+) with not only high intensity and high quantum state purity, but also high kinetic energy resolution, allowing absolute total cross sections [σ(v+ = 1, N+)] for the N2+(X; v+ = 1, N+) + Ar, N+ = 0–8 charge transfer reaction to be measured at center-of-mass collision energies (Ecm) down to thermal energies. The σ(v+ = 1, N+ = 0–8) values determined at Ecm = 0.04–10.00 eV are in good agreement with the theoretical predictions based on the Landau-Zener-Stuckelberg formulism. Taking into account the experimental uncertainties, the σ(v+ = 1, N+), N+ = 0–8, measured at Ecm = 1.56 eV are found to be independent of N+.
A Method for Converting a Mallet Finger Splint into a Boutonniere Splint

Abstract The treatment for an acute boutonniere injury to a finger proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint is a PIP joint extension splint, which leaves the distal interphalangeal (DIP) joint free for active flexion. The Stack mallet finger splint can easily be converted into such a boutonniere splint. This modified Stack splint places the PIP joint in mild hyperextension, which may better approximate the torn ends of the central tendon, and allow tendon healing at the proper length.
FINITE ELEMENT MODELLING OF STRUCTURES INCLUDING PIEZOELECTRIC ACTIVE DEVICES

Finite element modelling is used to study the response of plate structures on which piezoelectric active devices are mounted. Such devices are typically small in relation to the size of the structure which can be modelled as a plate or shell structure. In modelling the response of such devices, it is necessary to use a detailed model of the device but to do the same for the whole structure is computationally expensive and unnecessary. Full three-dimensional elements are used to model the piezoelectric devices because such devices are anisotropic, couple electric and elastic fields and satisfy boundary conditions independently on the two fields. Shell elements, approximated by many flat-shell elements are used in modelling the structure. Transition elements have been derived to connect the three-dimensional solid elements in the piezoelectric region to the flat-shell elements used for the plate. This approach has merits in terms of accuracy in modelling the piezoelectric device and computational economy for the plate structure. The use of shell elements is preferred for the structure since brick elements lead to unnatural stiffening of the plate and artificially high natural frequencies. The aspect ratio of the transition elements are first optimized through a numerical study and the sensor and actuator performance of the devices is then verified. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Increasing weak measurement snr with recycling

Recycling unmeasured photons in a system utilizing weak measurements can substantially improve the signal-to-noise ratio, even in a double-pass system. We achieve an improvement by a factor of 1.36 over a system without recycling.
Kinetics of taurine depletion and repletion in plasma, serum, whole blood and skeletal muscle in cats.

The relationship between taurine concentrations of plasma, whole blood, serum and skeletal muscle during taurine depletion and repletion was investigated in cats, to identify the most useful indicators of taurine status. Sixteen cats were fed a purified diet containing either 0 or 0.15 g/kg taurine for 5 months. Treatments were then reversed and the taurine concentration was measured during repletion and depletion phases. Plasma taurine exhibited the fastest rate (slow component) of depletion (t1/2 = 4.8 wk), followed by serum (5.3 wk), whole blood (6.2 wk), and skeletal muscle (11.2 wk). Whole blood taurine was the first to replete at a rate of 0.74 wk to ½ maximal repletion, followed by serum (2.1 wk), skeletal muscle (3.5 wk), and plasma (3.5 wk). Whole blood more closely reflected skeletal muscle taurine concentrations than plasma during depletion, while plasma taurine concentrations appear to be the most valuable predictor of skeletal muscle taurine concentrations during repletion. This study suggests that the best clinical method to evaluate the taurine status of the cat is the determination and interpretation of both plasma and whole blood taurine concentrations.
Diagnosing ancient Diphyllobothriasis from Chinchorro mummies

Diphyllobothrium pacificum has been reported as a human parasite from coprolites and skeletons in Peru and Chile. Our analysis of Chinchorro mummies from Chile provides the oldest evidence of D. pacificum directly associated with human mummies. These mummies date between 4,000 and 5,000 years ago. The basis for our diagnosis is presented. We find that the size of the eggs in the mummies is smaller than other discoveries of D. pacificum. We suggest that this is due to the peculiar circumstances of preservation of parasite eggs within mummies and the release of immature eggs into the intestinal tract as the tapeworms decompose after the death of the host. This information is important to consider when making diagnoses from mummies.
Lessons Learned From a Parkinson's Disease Caregiver Intervention Pilot Study

This article discusses the pilot test of a psychoeducational intervention designed to improve the care skills, self-health skills, and resource-acquisition skills of caregivers of adults with Parkinson's disease. It describes the intervention and discusses specific feasibility issues explored in the pilot test as well as the modifications made in an ongoing randomized trial as a result of the pilot test. Recommendations for researchers who conduct interventions with older persons in community-based settings are included.
Propagation of intense, ultrashort laser pulses in plasmas

We have investigated the propagation of terawatt-power laser pulses in gases. The spatial distribution of focused radiation is modified by refraction that results from the spatially inhomogeneous refractive index of the plasma generated by high field ionization. We observe Thomson scattering, stimulated Raman scattering, and large wavelength shifting of the laser light.
Special Issue Papers: Pricing issues in web-hosting services

This paper considers a web-hosting application where a web server hosts a website for a client organisation. Users that access this web server are sensitive to the quality of service (QoS) they receive (such as response time and request loss). In the current state of practice, web-hosting services charge clients only based on the amount of information stored but do not negotiate any quality of service details. This is changing as users expect good QoS. From a cost standpoint, these web server farms consume a lot of electric power which needs to be incorporated in the price charged to clients. In addition, the internet domain in the web server farm vicinity experiences severe congestion. This paper considers two main parameters that the web servers tune, namely, caching strategy which is a one-time decision and the processing speed to run the web server which can be tuned from time to time. A detailed methodology is presented which web servers can incorporate to make the above decisions. Based on the dynamics between the three players (users, clients and web servers), it is shown that the price and web server settings could both either stabilise or oscillate between several points, indicating chaos.
Preparation of an intra-laboratory reference material--determination of the aluminum content of a pooled 5% albumin (human) solution by ETAAS, MFS and ICP-AES.

.Human albumin solutions as well as other biological products intended for human use may contain aluminum as a result of intentional addition due to manufacturing protocol or through inadvertent contamination occuring during the manufacturing process. Because of the implication of aluminum in human disease, it is desirable that aluminum levels in these products be monitored. To satisfy the need for a reference material that is representative of albumin products that are intended for therapeutic use, a pooled 5% human albumin solution was prepared in bulk to serve as a reference for aluminum during analytical procedures. Aliquots of the albumin pool were analyzed for their aluminum content by three independent analytical methods, namely, electrothermal atomic absorption, molecular fluorescence and inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry. Measured values for aluminum in the albumin solution showed good agreement between the different analytical methods. The concentration of aluminum was determined to be 0·512μg Al/ml by the atomic absorption method, 0·502μg Al/ml by molecular fluorescence, and 0?498μg Al/ml by the inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission method. The overall average concentration was calculated to be 0·507μg/ml ± 0?009μg Al/ml. The preparation of the albumin reference and its subsequent aluminum analysis is described.
Impact Of Minimally Invasive Mitral Valve Surgery

Minimally invasive cardiac surgery has been introduced for the surgical treatment of isolated valvular heart disease. Interest among cardiac surgeons is growing as the potential benefits to the patient have become more reproducible. Ten years ago, surgeons began to recognize the advantages of performing smaller incisions compared to the traditional median sternotomy.1 Our group at the Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center began our anatomic studies relating the cardiac valve position to the surface anatomy of the chest wall in 1998 as we launched our own efforts in this area.2 Since that time, experience with large numbers of cases has shown minimally invasive mitral valve surgery to be reproducible, reliable, and much better tolerated by our patients.3,4 Recently, the Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center robotic mitral valve surgery program was successfully launched by Dr. Gerald Lawrie and his team with outstanding early results.
Producing physiologically realistic individual muscle force estimations by imposing constraints when using optimization techniques.

Abstract Static optimization techniques have been used to estimate individual muscle forces in order to assess joint loads and muscle function. This study examined the validity of such techniques. Forces in the individual muscles, causing elbow flexion, were estimated using four different objective functions: minimizing the sum of the muscle stress either squared or cubed, and minimizing the sum of the relative muscle forces either squared or cubed. Constraints were placed on the maximum muscle forces based on physiological considerations. The resulting force estimates were compared with those from a validated muscle model that took account of the physiological properties of the muscles. The objective functions produced physiologically unrealistic muscle force estimations, unless the maximum muscle forces were constrained. By imposing constraints, individual muscle force predictions were restricted to those that were within physiologically realistic bounds. Using this procedure for sub-maximal activity resulted in some muscle activity being equal to the constraint, which, whilst possible, is still unrealistic. Therefore, by imposing constraints, the muscle forces can be kept within physiological boundaries, but the inferred recruitment is not necessarily the solution that the ‘body’ selects, but reflects a set of muscle forces that meet the solution to the optimization problem.
Growth Inhibition in Tetrahymena by Folic Acid Analogs.

SummaryThe antifolics, 4-amino-9-methylpteroylglutamic acid (A-ninopterin), 4-amino-10-methylpteroylglutamic acid (A-methopterin) and 4-amino-9;10-dimethyl-pteroylglutamic acid (A-denopterin) are all inhibitory to Tetrahymena. The inhibition produced by A-ninopterin is strictly competitive, being released over wide ranges of concentration of folic acid. The inhibition indices of the other two analogs decrease as the amount of folic acid in the medium increases until a certain level is reached, at which they become constant. This shifting index is tentatively explained on the basis of the ability of Tetrahymena to deaminate the 4-position of the analogs.
Belt Positioning Booster Seats and Reduction in Risk of Injury Among children in Vehicle Crashes

ContextAlthough more than a dozen states have ratified laws that require booster seats for children older than 4 years, most states continue to have child restraint laws that only cover children through age 4 years. Lack of booster seat effectiveness data may be a barrier to passage of stronger child restraint laws.ObjectivesTo quantify the association of belt-positioning booster seats compared with seat belts alone and risk of injury among 4- to 7-year-old children and to assess patterns of injury among children in booster seats vs seat belts.Design, Setting, and PopulationCross-sectional study of children aged 4 to 7 years in crashes of insured vehicles in 15 states, with data collected via insurance claims records and a telephone survey. A probability sample of 3616 crashes involving 4243 children, weighted to represent 56 593 children in 48 257 crashes was collected between December 1, 1998, and May 31, 2002.Main Outcome MeasureParent report of clinically significant injuries.ResultsInjuries occurred among 1.81% of all 4- to 7-year-olds, including 1.95% of those in seat belts and 0.77% of those in belt-positioning booster seats. The odds of injury, adjusting for child, driver, crash, and vehicle characteristics, were 59% lower for children aged 4 to 7 years in belt-positioning boosters than in seat belts (odds ratio, 0.41; 95% confidence interval, 0.20-0.86). Children in belt-positioning booster seats had no injuries to the abdomen, neck/spine/back, or lower extremities, while children in seat belts alone had injuries to all body regions.ConclusionBelt-positioning booster seats were associated with added safety benefits compared with seat belts to children through age 7 years, including reduction of injuries classically associated with improper seat belt fit in children.
Sympathetic blockade of isolated rat hindlimbs by intra-arterial guanethidine : the effect on blood flow and arterial-venous shunting

In order to improve the understanding of the role of sympathetic nerve degeneration in reimplantation failure, the hindlimbs of eight rats (Group I) underwent near-complete amputation. The soft tissues of the hindlimb were transected at the proximal thigh with the femoral artery, vein and femur left intact. The femoral vessels were clamped and guanethidine was infused into a branch of the femoral artery of the right leg of each animal, while saline was injected into the left leg. The clamps were removed after 15 minutes. A baseline preoperative injection of radiolabeled microspheres was made, and subsequent injections at 6, 12, 18, and 24 hours postoperation. Twelve rats (Group II) were then used to assess the amount of arterial-venous shunting preoperatively (n = 6) and at 18 hours postoperation (n = 6), by venous sampling. Blood flow to both limbs increased postoperation, but there was significantly more flow in the guanethidine treated limb at 18 and 24 hours postoperation. The amount of shunting was approximately 50% in both limbs at 18 hours, as compared to 10% preoperation. These results highlight the potential benefit of guanethidine and other sympathetic blocking agents in reimplantation to increase blood flow, decrease tissue ischemia and increase anastomotic patency rates. They also suggest that sympathetic nerve degeneration did not affect the volume of arterial-venous shunting in this model, but the difference in blood flow was likely due to arteriolar vasospasm. Further study is needed to elucidate the clinical significance of sympathetic nerve degeneration in reimplantation failure.
An approximation theory for the estimation of parameters in degenerate Cauchy problems

Abstract An abstract approximation theory is developed for the problem of estimating unknown parameters which appear in linear degenerate distributed systems. The approach is based on an approximation result for regular and degenerate implicit distributed systems which is in the spirit of the Trotter-Kato theorem for the approximation of linear semigroups. This result is used to develop an abstract approximation framework for inverse problems involving rather broad classes of linear degenerate systems. As an application of the theory, the general approach is outlined for parabolic systems and the results of a numerical study involving the identification of a degenerate one dimensional heat or diffusion equation are included.
TYPOLOGY FOR BUS TRANSIT

Peer groups of similar transit systems are needed for comparative analysis of transit performance and facilitation of econometric analysis. Cluster analysis was used to construct 12 peer groups based upon size, average speed and peak-to-base ratios of urban, fixed-route motor bus transit systems. Analysis of variance, discriminant analysis and a decision tree typology confirmed differences in operating characteristics among the peer groups. The peer groups were also found to be significantly different on seven variables representing the major dimensions of transit performance. Performance profiles are given for each peer group, and suggestions are made for using the peer groups in performance evaluations.
Over-Expression of DSCAM and COL6A2 Cooperatively Generates Congenital Heart Defects

A significant current challenge in human genetics is the identification of interacting genetic loci mediating complex polygenic disorders. One of the best characterized polygenic diseases is Down syndrome (DS), which results from an extra copy of part or all of chromosome 21. A short interval near the distal tip of chromosome 21 contributes to congenital heart defects (CHD), and a variety of indirect genetic evidence suggests that multiple candidate genes in this region may contribute to this phenotype. We devised a tiered genetic approach to identify interacting CHD candidate genes. We first used the well vetted Drosophila heart as an assay to identify interacting CHD candidate genes by expressing them alone and in all possible pairwise combinations and testing for effects on rhythmicity or heart failure following stress. This comprehensive analysis identified DSCAM and COL6A2 as the most strongly interacting pair of genes. We then over-expressed these two genes alone or in combination in the mouse heart. While over-expression of either gene alone did not affect viability and had little or no effect on heart physiology or morphology, co-expression of the two genes resulted in ≈50% mortality and severe physiological and morphological defects, including atrial septal defects and cardiac hypertrophy. Cooperative interactions between DSCAM and COL6A2 were also observed in the H9C2 cardiac cell line and transcriptional analysis of this interaction points to genes involved in adhesion and cardiac hypertrophy. Our success in defining a cooperative interaction between DSCAM and COL6A2 suggests that the multi-tiered genetic approach we have taken involving human mapping data, comprehensive combinatorial screening in Drosophila, and validation in vivo in mice and in mammalian cells lines should be applicable to identifying specific loci mediating a broad variety of other polygenic disorders.
The role of the large airways on smooth muscle contraction in asthma.

You are invited to submit a brief commentary on this Viewpoint, which will be reviewed by Journal editors for possible publication in the Journal of Applied Physiology . Please limit your comment to 250 words and 5 peer-reviewed published references. the major symptoms of asthma are produced by
In vivo lactose digestion in preterm infants.

In vitro studies of intestinal lactase activity and breath-hydrogen studies have suggested that the capacity for lac- tose digestion in preterm infants is less than the usual intake. To explore this question using an in vivo approach, we determined the fraction of dietary lactose hydrolyzed to glucose (and galactose) in 14 preterm infants with a gestational age of 26-31 wk at the time of birth but a postconceptional age of 31-37 wk at the time of study. The percentage of lactose digested was estimated after 6-h, primed, constant gastric infusions of (l-'3C)glucose and D-(-l- '3C)lactose on alternate days. A coefficient of lactose fermentation was derived from the rates of pulmonary excretion of hydrogen and carbon dioxide. Mean (± SD) lactose digestion was 79 ± 26%. There was a significant inverse rank (r = -0.799, P < 0.01) and linear (r = -0.587, P < 0.05) correlation between this variable and postconceptional age. The percentage of lactose fermented averaged 35 ± 27%. Am J C/in Nutr l996;64: 700-5.
Teaching Negotiation Skills through Practice and Reflection with Virtual Humans

Although the representation of physical environments and behaviors will continue to play an important role in simulation-based training, an emerging challenge is the representation of virtual humans with rich mental models (e.g., including emotions, trust) that interact through conversational as well as physical behaviors. The motivation for such simulations is training soft skills such as leadership, cultural awareness, and negotiation, where the majority of actions are conversational, and the problem solving involves consideration of the emotions, attitudes, and desires of others.The educational power of such simulations can be enhanced by the integration of an intelligent tutoring system to support learners' understanding of the effect of their actions on virtual humans and how they might improve their performance. In this paper, we discuss our efforts to build such virtual humans, along with an accompanying intelligent tutor, for the domain of negotiation and cultural awareness.
Beyond MLU: An application-centric comparison of traffic engineering schemes

Traffic engineering (TE) has been long studied as a network optimization problem, but its impact on user-perceived application performance has received little attention. Our paper takes a first step to address this disparity. Using real traffic matrices and topologies from three ISPs, we conduct very large-scale experiments simulating ISP traffic as an aggregate of a large number of TCP flows. Our application-centric, empirical approach yields two rather unexpected findings. First, link utilization metrics, and MLU in particular, are poor predictors of application performance. Despite significant differences in MLU, all TE schemes and even a static shortest-path routing scheme achieve nearly identical application performance. Second, application adaptation in the form of location diversity, i.e., the ability to download content from multiple potential locations, significantly improves the capacity achieved by all schemes. Even the ability to download from just 2–4 locations enables all TE schemes to achieve near-optimal capacity, and even static routing to be within 30% of optimal. Our findings call into question the value of TE as practiced today, and compel us to significantly rethink the TE problem in the light of application adaptation.
Incidence and morbidity of concomitant spine fractures in combat-related amputees.

Abstract Background context High-energy blasts are the most frequent cause of combat-related amputations in Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF). The nondiscriminating effects of this mechanism often result in both appendicular and axial skeletal injuries. Despite this recognized coincident injury pattern, the incidence and consequence of spine fractures in trauma-related combat amputees are unknown. Purpose This study sought to determine the incidence and morbidity of the associated spine fractures on patients with traumatic lower extremity amputation sustained during OIF/OEF. Study design/setting Retrospective case control. Patient sample Two hundred twenty-six combat-related lower extremity amputees presenting to a single institution and injured between 2003 and 2008 were included for analysis. Outcome measures Physiologic and functional outcome measures were used to determine the influence of spine fractures on combat amputees. Physiologic measures included intensive care unit (ICU) admission rates, injury severity score (ISS), rate of narcotic/neuropathic pain use, and heterotopic ossification (HO) rates. Functional outcome measures included return-to-duty rates and ambulatory status at final follow-up. Methods Data from 300 consecutive combat-related lower extremity amputations were retrospectively reviewed and grouped. Group 1 consisted of amputees with associated spine fractures, and Group 2 consisted of amputees without spine fractures. The results of the two groups were compared with regard to initial presentation and final functional outcomes. Results A total of 226 patients sustained 300 lower extremity amputations secondary to combat-related injuries, the most common mechanism being an improvised explosive device. Twenty-nine of these patients had a spine fracture (13%). Group 1 had a higher ISS than Group 2 (30 vs. 19, p Conclusions The incidence of spine fractures in combat-related amputees is 13%. The results suggest that combat-related amputees with spine fractures are more likely to sustain severe injuries to other body systems, as indicated by the significantly higher ISS and rates of ICU admission. This group also had a significantly higher rate of HO formation, which may be attributable to the greater local and/or systemic injuries sustained by these patients.
Effective Phrase Translation Extraction from Alignment Models

Phrase level translation models are effective in improving translation quality by addressing the problem of local re-ordering across language boundaries. Methods that attempt to fundamentally modify the traditional IBM translation model to incorporate phrases typically do so at a prohibitive computational cost. We present a technique that begins with improved IBM models to create phrase level knowledge sources that effectively represent local as well as global phrasal context. Our method is robust to noisy alignments at both the sentence and corpus level, delivering high quality phrase level translation pairs that contribute to significant improvements in translation quality (as measured by the BLEU metric) over word based lexica as well as a competing alignment based method.
Decreased T Cell Ecto-5′-Nucleotidase Activity in Agammaglobulinemia Patients is Not Due to Altered Proportions of Helper and Suppressor T Cells as Defined by the Monoclonal Antibodies Okt4 and Okt8

All patients with congenital X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA) and the majority of patients with common variable immunodeficiency (CVI) have reduced ecto-5′-nucleotidase (ecto-5′-NT) activity in their peripheral blood lymphocytes (1–3). Ecto-5′-NT deficiency in XLA and CVI patients may be partially explained by an absence of mature B lymphocytes. However, the majority of these patients also have decreased ecto-5′-NT activity in total T cell preparations. We have previously demonstrated that T? (suppressor) cells have only one third the ecto-5′-NT activity of Tμ (helper) cells (4); however, little is known regarding ecto-5′-NT activity in T cell subsets as defined by the monoclonal antibodies OKT4 (helper/inducer) and OKT8(cytotoxic/suppressor). Since many agammaglobulinemia patients have defects in T cell regulation of immunoglobulin biosynthesis, the experiments described here were designed to determine: (1) whether OKT4+ and OKT8+ cells isolated from normal individuals have different levels of ecto-5′-NT activity, and (2) whether low T cell ecto-5′-NT activity in XLA and CVI patients can be explained by altered proportions of subsets of regulatory T cells.
Coconut scale Aspidiotus destructor (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) seasonal occurrence, dispersion and sampling on banana in Hawaii

Aspidiotus destructor Signoret (coconut scale) occurs on bananas in Hawaii, infesting leaves and fruit. Seasonal population fluctuations on two banana varieties and a preliminary sampling plan for management decision making are described. There were distinct seasonal variations in A. destructor numbers on bananas in Hawaii and varietal differences in population densities and proportions of plants infested, with cv Cavendish incurring highest A. destructor populations. An aggregated dispersion was found for A. destructor. A preliminary sequential sampling plan based on a nominal threshold is provided.
Exercise for patients with osteoporosis: management of vertebral compression fractures and trunk strengthening for fall prevention

Maintenance of bone health and quality requires mechanical strain, but the mechanical force needs to be within the bone's biomechanical competence. In osteoporosis, compression of vertebral bodies can be insidious. Therefore, absence of pain does not necessarily indicate absence of vertebral microfracture and deformity. Further, patients with previous vertebral fractures are at risk for further vertebral fractures and their associated morbidity. Exercise is a part of the comprehensive management of patients with osteoporosis and has been associated with improvement of quality of life and lowered risk of future fracture. The exercise prescription needs to match the needs of the patient. If exercise is not prescribed properly, then it may have negative consequences. In general, an exercise program, therapeutic or recreational, needs to address flexibility, muscle strength, core stability, cardiovascular fitness, and gait steadiness. As with pharmacotherapy, therapeutic exercises need to be individualized on the basis of musculoskeletal status and an individual's exercise interest. In osteoporosis, axial strength and stability are of primary importance. In particular, a spinal extensor strengthening program should be performed with progressive measured resistance as tolerated. To address falls and fractures, an exercise program should also include balance and lower extremity strength training. Proper dosing of oral cholecalciferol and calcium supplements can enhance the effect of strengthening exercises. Finally, a coordinated approach, such as the Spinal Proprioception Extension Exercise Dynamic (SPEED) program, can improve back extensor strength, the level of physical activity, and locomotion, and reduce back pain and fear and risk of falls.
Phosphorylation and Recruitment of BAF60c in Chromatin Remodeling for Lipogenesis in Response to Insulin

Fatty acid and triglyceride synthesis is induced in response to feeding and insulin. This lipogenic induction involves coordinate transcriptional activation of lipogenic enzymes, including fatty acid synthase and glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase. We recently reported the importance of USF-1 phosphorylation and subsequent acetylation in insulin-induced lipogenic gene activation. Here, we show that Brg1/Brm-associated factor (BAF) 60c is a specific chromatin remodeling component for lipogenic gene transcription in liver. In response to insulin, BAF60c is phosphorylated at S247 by atypical PKCζ/λ, which causes translocation of BAF60c to the nucleus and allows a direct interaction of BAF60c with USF-1 that is phosphorylated by DNA-PK and acetylated by P/CAF. Thus, BAF60c is recruited to form the lipoBAF complex to remodel chromatin structure and to activate lipogenic genes. Consequently, BAF60c promotes lipogenesis in vivo and increases triglyceride levels, demonstrating its role in metabolic adaption to activate the lipogenic program in response to feeding and insulin.
The cost structure of sensemaking

Making sense of a body of data is a common activity in any kind of analysis. Sensemaking is the process of searching for a representation and encoding data in that representation to answer task-specific questions. Different operations during sensemaking require different cognitive and external resources. Representations are chosen and changed to reduce the cost of operations in an information processing task. The power of these representational shifts is generally under-appreciated as is the relation between sensemaking and information retrieval. We analyze sensemaking tasks and develop a model of the cost structure of sensemaking. We discuss implications for the integrated design of user interfaces, representational tools, and information retrieval systems.
Array Composition and Decomposition for Optimizing Embedded Applications

Optimizing array accesses is extremely critical in embedded computing as many embedded applications make use of arrays (in form of images, video frames, etc). Previous research considered both loop and data transformations for improving array accesses. However, data transformations considered were mostly limited to linear data transformations and array interleaving. In this paper, we introduce two data transformations: array decomposition (breaking up a large array into multiple smaller arrays) and array composition (combining multiple small arrays into a single large array). This paper discusses that it is feasible to implement these optimizations within an optimizing compiler.
Nonlinear evolution of oblique waves on compressible shear layers

The effects of critical-layer nonlinearity on spatially growing oblique instability waves on compressible shear layers between two parallel streams are considered. The analysis shows that mean temperature nonuniformities cause nonlinearity to occur at much smaller amplitudes than it does when the flow is isothermal. The nonlinear instability wave growth rate effects are described by an integrodifferential equation which bears some resemblance to the Landau equation, in that it involves a cubic-type nonlinearity. The numerical solutions to this equation are worked out and discussed in some detail. Inviscid solutions always end in a singularity at a finite downstream distance, but viscosity can eliminate this singularity for certain parameter ranges.
Composing from Memory: the convergence of archive creation and electroacoustic composition

The Video Archive of Electroacoustic Music, an oral history project begun in 1996 by the author and sociologist, Barbara Cassidy, captures a first-person history of many pioneering electroacoustic music composers, scientists and engineers from 1950 to present. Transcript excerpts from The Archive are presented. Simultaneous with the founding of The Video Archive, the author began composing a series of pieces that draw on archival materials (from within and without The Video Archive) in a number of ways. Some possible compositional opportunities and approaches are mentioned and explored as embodied in the author's Left To His Own Devices (1996), and Crossing Boundaries (2000).
Self-Trust and the Reasonableness of Acceptance

Keith Lehrer’s theory of knowledge has undergone considerable transformation since the original version he presented in his 1974 bookKnowledge[2]. Among the original elements of the theory, belief has been replaced by acceptance, subjective probability by reasonableness, the doxastic system by the acceptance system, and beating competitors by answering objections. New elements, such as the preference system and the reasoning system, have been added. These changes have enhanced the depth and plausibility of the theory.
Numerical Simulation of Ice Ridge Gouging

In coastal regions throughout the Arctic, the seabed is frequently scoured or gouged by sea ice ridges and icebergs. This presents an environmental hazard to pipelines or subsea infrastructures operating in the area and therefore a greater understanding of these processes is needed. This paper describes a three dimensional (3D), numerical model that was developed to simulate the failure behavior of a ridge keel as it interacts with the seabed. The simulation was conducted in Yade, an open-source code, which uses the Discrete Element Method (DEM) to model particle motions. The ice blocks in the ridge keel are modeled as spheres, which are initially bonded to contacting blocks via freeze-bonds. A Cohesive Frictional Model (CFM) which has cohesive bonds in tension and shear was used to simulate the freeze-bonds between ice blocks. In addition to normal and shear bonds, the model features springs which resist compression, shear, bending and torsion. Once the bonds are broken the material is assumed to behave like a Mohr-Coulomb material with a constant friction angle. Since the main focus of this paper is the failure behavior of the keel, the seabed is simplified as being rigid. Numerical simulation is compared with data collected from the Pipeline Ice risk Assessment and Mitigation (PIRAM) test program.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
SIZE, INSECT PARASITISM, AND ENERGETIC VALUE OF ACORNS STORED BY ACORN WOODPECKERS

Abstract We compared species composition, insect parasitism, and mass of acorns stored in 12 granaries with acorns present within the territories of Acorn Woodpeckers (Melanerpes formicivorus) at Hastings Reservation in central coastal California. All three species of oaks present in the study area produced excellent crops the year of the study, and thus woodpeckers could readily have filled their granaries with acorns of any one of the species. Nonetheless, species composition of stored acorns was highly variable among territories and at least some acorns of all three species were stored in all granaries. There was no consistent difference in insect parasitism between stored and unstored acorns. Relative to estimated availability, birds preferred to store Quercus lobata acorns and avoided Q. douglasii acorns, but showed no preference for Q. agrifolia acorns even though they are energetically more valuable than the other two species. Stored acorns of two of the three oak species also weighed less, and wer...
The Chief Justice, Experience, and Strategic Behavior on the Supreme Court

We develop and test a theoretical account of the effect of management tenure on the strategic behavior of the Chief Justice of the United States. Substantial evidence from a variety of learning models and the public management literature indicates that tenure (length of service) is positively related to management performance in public organizations. This suggests that the chief justice’s tenure in office should be positively related to efficiency in the use of the chief justice’s formal powers. We assess this hypothesis by replicating and extending Johnson, Spriggs, and Wahlbeck’s (2005) study of Chief Justice Burger’s conference voting behavior. The data support our management tenure hypothesis, showing that Burger used greater discretion in reserving his conference vote over time as he became more adept at discriminating between circumstances when the tactic was strategically valuable and when it was not.
On the Relative Efficacy of Q and Other Firm Quality Measures

Empirical researchers in finance commonly categorize firms as high or low quality, high or low growth, with good or with bad management, based on whether its q is greater than or less than unity. Other variables are also used to index firms along such quality dimensions. In this paper, we investigate the efficacy of q and four other commonly used measures in predicting the future performance of a firm in terms of profitability, operating efficiency, and growth. It is found that Tobin's q predicts future operating efficiency and growth whereas, other variables such as change in Tobin's q and change in stock price predict future growth and profitability.
Progenicide in Double-Crested Cormorants

Adult Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) have been known to attack (but rarely kill) strange, sick, or dying cormorant chicks (Lewis, H.L., The natural history of the Double-crested Cormorant, Ru-Mi-Lou Books, Ottawa, 1929). During the first week of July 1975, on Mandarte Island, British Columbia, Canada, I observed five adult cormorants killing their own chicks. The Double-crested Cormorant colony on Mandarte Island was composed of eight groups totaling 544 nesting pairs. One group, on the southern tip of the island, was a compact, isolated cluster of 43 nests containing 143 chicks. During the week of 3 July 1975, 46 chicks died (32%): 16 of these were by parental attack (see Table 1). The weekly mortality rate never exceeded 5% in the other groups during this period, and I noticed no unusual occurrences that might account for the high chick mortality in this group. Adults were identified by several characters, but for this report I considered only banded birds. Sexes were determined through behavior (i.e. courtship displays, position during copulation, etc.). Parents were identified through long-term observations of the nests-unless the birds were positively recognized by the above means, and were observed courting, copulating, incubating, and sitting at the same nest, they were not considered true parents. Because cormorants are sensitive to intrusions, the colonies were never entered, and human disturbance was minimized. Observations through binoculars and a 45x telescope, and later examination of photographs made during this period, confirmed the method by which parents killed their chicks. In all cases a parent grasped a chick and shook very quickly for about two seconds, and then paused about three seconds. This sequence was repeated until the chick became still. None of the chicks in the nests fled while their sibs were being strangled: all eventually perished. In two nests, B and TABLE 1. Characteristics of nests and occupants where cormorant parents killed their young.
Counterintuitive aspects of plane curvature

(2002). Counterintuitive Aspects of Plane Curvature. Mathematics Magazine: Vol. 75, No. 1, pp. 57-62.
Measurement of prostate-specific antigen in serum as a screening test for prostate cancer.

Abstract Background. Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is secreted exclusively by prostatic epithelial cells, and its serum concentration is increased in men with prostatic disease, including cancer. We evaluated its usefulness in the detection and staging of prostate cancer. Methods. We measured serum PSA concentrations in 1653 healthy men 50 or more years old. Those with PSA values ≥4.0 μg per liter then underwent rectal examination and prostatic ultrasonography. Ultrasound-directed prostatic needle biopsies were performed in the men with abnormal findings on rectal examination, ultrasonography, or both. The results were compared with those in 300 consecutively studied men 50 or more years old who underwent ultrasound-directed biopsy because of symptoms or abnormal findings on rectal examination. Results. Serum PSA levels ranged from 4.0 to 9.9 μ9 per liter in 6.5 percent of the 1653 men (107). Nineteen of the 85 men in this group (22 percent) who had prostatic biopsies had prostate cancer. Serum PSA leve...
Representing pedestrian activity in travel demand models: Framework and application

There have long been calls for better pedestrian planning tools within travel demand models, as they have been slow to incorporate the large body of research connecting the built environment and walking behaviors. Most regional travel demand forecasting performed in practice in the US uses four-step travel demand models, despite advances in the development and implementation of activity-based travel demand models. This paper introduces a framework that facilitates the abilities of four-step regional travel models to better represent walking activity, allowing metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) to implement these advances with minimal changes to existing modeling systems. Specifically, the framework first changes the spatial unit from transportation analysis zones (TAZs) to a finer-grained geography better suited to modeling pedestrian trips. The MPO's existing trip generation models are applied at this spatial unit for all trips. Then, a walk mode choice model is used to identify the subset of all trips made by walking. Trips by other modes are aggregated to the TAZ level and proceed through the remaining steps in the MPO's four-step model. The walk trips are distributed to destinations using a choice modeling approach, thus identifying pedestrian trip origins and destinations. In this paper, a proof-of-concept application is included to demonstrate the framework in successful operation using data from the Portland, Oregon, region. Opportunities for future work include more research on the potential routes between origins and destinations for walk trips, application of the framework in another region, and developing ways the research could be implemented in activity-based modeling systems.