cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Restoring open canopy pine barrens from the ground up: Repeated burns correspond with increased soil hydraulic conductivity.

Prescribed fire is widely used for ecosystem restoration, yet the mechanisms that determine its effectiveness remain poorly characterized. Because soil hydrology influences ecosystem processes like erosion, runoff, and plant competition, it is important to understand how fire affects soil hydrology. A systematic approach to understanding relationships among vegetation, topography, and fire is needed to advance knowledge of how fire influences soil properties that in turn affect restoration success. Our objective was to characterize relationships among burn severity, vegetation, and soil hydrology in a heterogenous landscape under restoration management. Our study took place in a barrens-forest mosaic with recent prescribed fire history ranging from 0 to 10 burns since 1960, and additional variation in fuel loading, burn severity, vegetation cover, topography, and soils. We measured soil hydraulic conductivity (SHC) during two consecutive years, which represented control, prefire, postfire, and 1-year postfire conditions. Regression tree analysis identified an important threshold effect of antecedent soil moisture on SHC; soils with initial moisture 13%. Furthermore, above this threshold, sites with intermediate to high recent burn frequency (4-10 burns) had significantly greater SHC than unburned control sites. High fuel loads associated with brush cutting and piling increased SHC at barrens sites but not brush or pine sites, suggesting an interaction between vegetation cover and fire effects on SHC. At the local hillslope scale, toe-slopes had greater SHC than summits. Our results suggest that repeated prescribed fires of moderate to high frequency may enhance SHC, thereby reducing soil water retention and potentially restoring functional pine barren processes that limit woody plant growth. Prescribed fire may therefore be an important management tool for reversing mesophication and restoring a global array of open canopy ecosystems.
Real-time observation and control of optical chaos.

Optical chaotic system is a central research topic due to its scientific importance and practical relevance in key photonic applications such as laser optics and optical communication. Because of the ultrafast propagation of light, all previous studies on optical chaos are based on either static imaging or spectral measurement, which shows only time-averaged phenomena. The ability to reveal real-time optical chaotic dynamics and, hence, control its behavior is critical to the further understanding and engineering of these systems. Here, we report a real-time spatial-temporal imaging of an optical chaotic system, using compressed ultrafast photography. The time evolution of the system’s phase map is imaged without repeating measurement. We also demonstrate the ability to simultaneously control and monitor optical chaotic systems in real time. Our work introduces a new angle to the study of nonrepeatable optical chaos, paving the way for fully understanding and using chaotic systems in various disciplines.
Coupled Inductors for Fast-Response High-Density Power Delivery: Discrete and Integrated

Multiphase interleaved buck converters benefit from coupling inductors between phases. The coupling fundamentally alters the trade-offs between ripple current, loss, energy storage, and transient response, enabling improvements in one or more of these aspects without compromises in the others. Coupled-inductor buck converters implemented with discrete or integrated switches, controls, and inductors have become a standard technique for power delivery applications. This paper reviews developments in this technology across many applications and shows how a simplified analysis approach can offer added design insight for both magnetics designers and circuit designers.
PageRank’s behavior under degree correlations

The focus of this work is the asymptotic analysis of the tail distribution of Google’s PageRank algorithm on large scale-free directed networks. In particular, the main theorem provides the convergence, in the Kantorovich–Rubinstein metric, of the rank of a randomly chosen vertex in graphs generated via either a directed configuration model or an inhomogeneous random digraph. The theorem fully characterizes the limiting distribution by expressing it as a random sum of i.i.d. copies of the attracting endogenous solution to a branching distributional fixed-point equation. In addition, we provide the asymptotic tail behavior of the limit and use it to explain the effect that in-degree/out-degree correlations in the underlying graph can have on the qualitative performance of PageRank.
Navigating Student Resistance in the Classroom: Challenges and Strategies for Female Faculty

The #Me Too movement has called attention to the importance of sexism in experiencing mistreatment in a number of professions. In this paper, we explore the experiences of female college instructor...
The International Community's Reaction to Coups

On February 11, 2011, Hosni Mubarak was forced to step down as president of Egypt as the result of a military coup (Grier 2011; Powell and Thyne 2011). The international community, including the European Union, Arab League, and United Nations, praised the efforts of Egyptians and the army to oust their standing leader (Morey et al. 2012). By contrast, the 1952 coup in Egypt that overthrew King Farouk and the monarchical regime received virtually no reaction from international organizations. Why did the international community react so differently to the two crises? The events in Egypt reveal that the global community responds differently to coups, and the contrast in responses is certainly not unique to Egypt. In 198'8 eleven states and three international organizations (IOs) responded to the Bolivian coup with official statements, for example, while not a single actor paid attention to coups in Suriname, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Burkina Faso and Uganda. Over time we see that sometimes outside actors overwhelmingly respond to turnover of a regime, while at other times they ignore unconstitutional changes in leadership. One might expect that the anti-coup norm that emerged after the Cold War automatically leads global actors to condemn coups against democratically elected governments. In fact, policies of states like the United States and IOs like the OAS mandate the automatic punishment of coup leaders for overthrowing democratic governments. Yet we cannot say for sure because surprisingly little research addresses the reaction of the international community to coups. This paper asks: What characteristics of coups elicit reactions from the international community? To gauge global reactions, we use a new dataset that tracks the responses of states and international organizations to successful coups as identified by Powell and Thyne (2011). We explore the number of signals, positive and negative, that a state receives from IOs and states in the aftermath of a coup. The analyses reveal that coups within democracies draw more attention than coups within non-democracies. Additionally, the end of the Cold War has led the global community to react more to coups, particularly international institutions. Finally, we find that wealthier regimes receive more attention when overturned by a coup, although heavily trading and oil-rich states do not necessarily receive more reaction.
Modeling Heart Development

Mechanics plays a major role in heart development. This paper reviews some of the mechanical aspects involved in theoretical modeling of the embryonic heart as it transforms from a single tube into a four-chambered pump. In particular, large deformations and significant alterations in structure lead to highly nonlinear boundary value problems. First, the biological background for the problem is discussed. Next, a modified elasticity theory is presented that includes active contraction and growth, and the theory is incorporated into a finite element analysis. Finally, models for the heart are presented to illustrate the developmental processes of growth, remodeling, and morphogenesis. Combining such models with appropriate experiments should shed light on the complex mechanisms involved in cardiac development.
User interface design

Part 1 Introduction: interacting with computers interface widgets four approaches to human-computer interaction. Part 2 Empirical approach: experimental methodology experimental designs and analysis hazards. Part 3 Cognitive approach: mental models human information processing connectionist and neural network models metaphors and analogies spatial reasoning and graphics attentional resources. Part 4 Predictive modelling approach: the model human processor GOMS - ngomsl production systems grammar representations. Part 5 Anthropomorphic approach: human-human communication natural interface design - alterantive input methods natural interface design - perceptual and cognitive mismatches affordances, constraints and world knowledge. Part 6 Issues in HCI (Application of Approaches): feedback menu displays database applications groupware.
Constructed Functionalism: A Revisionist Framework for the Functional Analysis of Courts

Courts are widely acknowledged to play an important role in constitutional systems, yet a unified, precise, and self-conscious theoretical framework for the functional analysis of judicial institutions remains lacking. In this light, the purpose of this paper is to propose a revisionist functional approach, which I term constructed functionalism, that draws heavily from, and modifies significantly, structural functionalist theory via the selective use of rational choice theory and more recent scholarship in public law and comparative legal institutions. Via structural functionalism courts are characterized as serving both a particularistic manifest function (triadic dispute resolution) and a systemic latent function (the promotion of the health of the constitutional system). Yet unlike structural functionalist analysis, the latent function is not seen as natural or given, but is rather modeled as politically constructed by judges embracing widely varying constitutional ideologies and subsequently deriving from them equally divergent blueprints of how best to promote constitutional-systemic health. Thus while judges are portrayed as (self-consciously) Durkheimian figures, a traditional structural functionalist interpretation of the constitutional system and its interaction with society is rejected. Rational choice theory is incorporated to explain how judges pursue their latent function – strategically and subject to exogenous political and institutional constraints. Finally, from recent scholarship on popular constitutionalism, the judicially constructed latent function is characterized as open to contestation by non-judicial actors, revealing the disharmonies endogenous to constitutional law. Such conflict inherent to the law arises precisely because judges are seldom able to monopolize the marketplace of constitutional ideas and can also misdiagnose systemic needs. Due to space constraints, the use of empirical examples is limited to providing illustrations of the framework’s components via brief case studies of noteworthy US Supreme Court cases.
Deepening Multicultural Competencies through Immersion in West African Dance Camps

ABSTRACT Dance camps offer opportunities to refine artistic skills, learn complex routines, deepen personal growth, and celebrate movement with like-minded artists. An in-country West African dance camp experience provides an additional opportunity for deepening multicultural competency for both dance teachers and students by drawing on the richness that a culturally immersed exposure entails, by promoting an intentional reflection on our own cultural socialization process, and by taking advantage of concomitantly rich opportunities for emotional and psychological work. A focused desire to acquire and examine the knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs necessary to process the complexities inherent in a dance camp experience will facilitate authentic learning and promote a socially conscious attitude. A culturally alert orientation entails an understanding of the multifaceted dimensions of the West African dance teacher, the dance(s) being studied, and personal behavior. A culturally alert orientation transform...
Bi-Dimensional Zero Padding Angular Interpolation for Arc Handling in Computed Tomography Scanner

In this work we examine the accuracy of our proposed interpolation algorithm by zero-padding comparing to standard techniques for the task of interpolating additional projections to be insert in sinogram witch lost some projections caused by an X-ray tube arcing in computed tomography scanners. During the time that the X-ray tube recovers to full voltage after an arc, image data is not collected and data projections are lost caused poor image quality in the tomography reconstruction process. We have developed an algorithm based on an estimated calculation of a virtual projection using the zero-padding interpolation. The results show a significant reduction of the star effect noise on the reconstructed image. Our algorithm was compared to simple interpolation linear method using statistical hypothesis testing .Our test simulation was experimented with a R × R (R number of pixels in row and column) value phantom simulating the human body while the programming is carried out in MATLAB 6.5.
Theory of the Terrestrial Propagation of VLF Electromagnetic Waves

There is now a vast literature on the subject of radio propagation of long electromagnetic waves in the waveguide formed by the earth’s surface and the lowest ionosphere. The attention is focused most heavily on the VLF (very low frequency) band, which corresponds to frequencies from 3 to 30 kHz,, the principal reason being that the attenuation of the waves is very low and the phase stability of the waves is very high. Thus, these waves find numerous applications in global communications and in long-range navigation systems.
Field demonstration of a portable flow immunosensor

A portable biosensor known as the FAST 2000, developed by the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) and engineered by Research International, Inc., has been field tested for effectiveness in performing on-site analyses for two selected explosives, TNT and RDX. The biosensor uses antibody recognition of analyte molecules and subsequent fluorescence detection downstream to measure contaminant levels in groundwater and soil. In field trials at military bases identified by the U. S. EPA as priority Superfund cleanup sites, samples containing unknown concentrations of explosives were collected from groundwater monitoring wells at various locations and analyzed in the NRL sensor with no sample pretreatment or concentration. Test sites included the Volunteer Army Ammunition Plant, Chattanooga, TN and Umatilla Army Depot Activity, Umatilla, OR. Field samples were analyzed on-site by the portable FAST 2000, and splits were analyzed by an independent U. S. EPA-certified laboratory with the use of HPLC SW846 Method 8330. Results demonstrated that the FAST 2000 can detect explosives in environmental samples with accuracy and precision. Statistical analyses based on regression curves comparing the FAST 2000 and HPLC methods showed a high degree of correlation, with r2 values between 0.86 and 0.97. The assay system required small sample volumes (150 μl/test) and samples were analyzed in less than 3 min. The sensor was quantitative, with a method detection limit (MDL) of 10 μg/l. Beyond contaminated field samples, appropriate controls, blanks, and interferents were tested in the lab for certification and validation data requirements. Results were evaluated based on accuracy, precision, cost, time, and waste generation. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Field Analyt Chem Technol 2: 341–350, 1998
Changes in Left Ventricular Systolic Wall Stress during Biventricular Circulatory Assistance

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) reduces the systolic stress integral (SSI) in the normal left ventricle. We tested the hypothesis that the SSI does not decrease in poorly contracting, dilated, ejecting hearts during ECMO. In 14 sheep, four pairs of ultrasonic crystals measured changes in left ventricular (LV) wall thickness and three LV diameters. Volume calculations were validated by balloon distention of the ventricles after death (slope = 0.85; r = 0.85). SSI was measured during ECMO flows of 20 to 100 ml/kg/min in both normal and dilated, poorly contracting hearts produced by 30 minutes of warm ischemia. After warm ischemia, end-systolic elastance, an index of contractility, decreased from 8.3 +/- 0.6 mm Hg/ml to 2.9 +/- 0.4 mm Hg/ml (p = 0.001) and peak systolic pressure decreased from 47.4 +/- 0.7 mm Hg to 37.5 +/- 0.08 mm Hg (p = 0.01). In normal hearts, as ECMO flow increased, SSI decreased from 10.5 +/- 2.2 mm Hg.sec to 7.7 +/- 0.8 mm Hg.sec at 60 ml/kg/min (p = 0.001). However, in postischemic hearts, SSI progressively increased from 6.6 +/- 0.3 mm Hg.sec before ECMO to 12.4 +/- 1.8 mm Hg.sec at ECMO = 100 ml/kg/min. These studies indicate that the initial effect of ECMO on the poorly contracting, dilated heart increases LV wall stress and that the increase in stress is proportional to ECMO flow. The increase in stress is primarily due to an increase in afterload, which more than offsets decreases in systolic and diastolic volumes.
Gauge-invariant cosmological fluctuations of uncoupled fluids

The gauge-invariant approach to cosmological perturbations introduced by Bardeen is extended to the case of multiple fluids which are uncoupled, except for gravitational interactions. The most general scalar, vector, and tensor fluctuations are considered. The resulting equations are applied to fluctuations involving axions and radiation and axions and baryons in the early universe.
Music Therapy Assessment for Children with Developmental Disabilities: A Survey Study

The purpose of this study was to survey music therapists working with children with developmental disabilities to examine and describe the following: (a) the major skill areas and subcategories most frequently assessed, (b) how these areas are assessed, (c) the common features of their current assessment tools, (d) the positive and/or negative aspects of their current assessment tools, and (e) the 3 most important features desired in a standardized music therapy assessment for use in their clinical practice. Of the 207 respondents who expressed interest in completing a music therapy assessment survey in a pilot study, 108 surveys were returned for a 52% return rate; 95 (46%) were used as data for this study. The respondents most frequently assessed the following major skill areas: Motor (95%), Communication (83%), Social (79%), Cognitive (64%), and Music (35%). Of the 34 (36%) respondents who enclosed an actual assessment form with their survey, 100% require data collection through behavior observation. Respondents most frequently noted the following positive aspects of their forms: Thorough (34%), Individualized (26%), and Easy to Use (26%), and the following negative aspects of their forms: Subjective (28%), Limiting (26%), and Time Consuming (22%). The 3 most commonly desired features of a standardized assessment were the following: Easy to Use (23%), Comprehensive (19%), and Adaptable (13%).
Stable carbon isotope compositions of individual amino acid enantiomers in mollusc shell by GC/C/IRMS

Abstract Gas chromatography/combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry was used to determine the stable carbon isotope composition of d - and l -enantiomers of amino acids in a fossil Mercenaria shell and in modern samples of Helix pomatia shell that were heated (80°C) for up to 289 days. The similarity in δ 13C values for the d - and l -enantiomers of neutral amino acids in Mercenaria implies that these components are indigenous. Whereas differences in the 13C contents of the d - and l -enantiomers of aspartic and glutamic acid in Mercenaria may indicate inputs from exogenous sources, similar discrepancies exist for the acidic amino acids in the heated samples of H. pomatia, suggesting more complicated diagenetic pathways and concomitant isotope effects for the acidic amino acid constituents of shell protein.
Mechanical properties of selected nanostructured materials and complex bio-nano, hybrid and hierarchical systems

AbstractFundamental investigations into mechanical behaviour and properties, e.g. elasticity, plasticity, hardness, toughness, strength and failure, exhibited at the nanoscale have increased rapidl...
Cocaine elevates striatal dopamine efflux in spontaneously hypertensive and Wistar-Fyoto rats

The effects of acute cocaine administration on central dopaminergic systems were examined in the striata of spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) and Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats with the use of an in vivo microdialysis technique. Increased extracellular levels of dopamine were observed for 45 to 75 minutes following acute cocaine administration in both halothane-anesthetized and conscious SHR and WKY. However, no significant differences were noted between anesthetized and conscious SHR and WKY in either baseline levels or cocaine-induced changes in extracellular levels of dopamine and its metabolites. A positive, linear correlation between extracellular levels of dopamine and cocaine was demonstrated for the 60-min period following acute cocaine administration in both SHR and WKY. The slopes of the linear regression plots obtained from the data of each 15-min sample was slightly, but significantly, higher in conscious SHR than in conscious WKY. The present results suggest a transient and dose-related stimulation of striatal dopamine release following acute cocaine administration and a linear relationship between striatal extracellular levels of dopamine and cocaine in both SHR and WKY.
A preliminary report on a mechanical crawfish harvesting unit

Abstract The commercial crawfish industry in Louisiana is rapidly expanding. Because current harvesting methods are labor intensive and expensive, an automated mechanical harvester was developed. The automated harvester is based on high density trapping with frequent trap movements. A linear move irrigator, which is adapted to large areas, was used as a chassis. Movement of the harvester was controlled automatically. The machine lowered traps for a preset trapping time, lifted and emptied the traps and moved a programmed distance before resetting the traps. In a comparison test, the machine equaled or exceeded the efficiency of standard trapping methods. Little mechanical difficulty was experienced with the harvester.
Adult rat forelimb dysfunction after dorsal cervical spinal cord injury

Repairing upper extremity function would significantly enhance the quality of life for persons with cervical spinal cord injury (SCI). Repair strategy development requires investigations of the deficits and the spontaneous recovery that occurs when cervical spinal cord axonal pathways are damaged. The present study revealed that both anatomically and electrophysiologically complete myelotomies of the C4 spinal cord dorsal columns significantly increased the adult rat's averaged times to first attend to adhesive stickers placed on the palms of their forepaws at 1 week. Complete bilateral myelotomies of the dorsal funiculi and dorsal hemisection, but not bilateral dorsolateral funiculi injuries, also similarly increased these times at 1 week. These data extend a previous finding by showing that a forepaw tactile sensory deficit that occurred in the adult rat after bilateral C4 spinal cord dorsal funiculi injury is due to damage of the dorsal columns. Averaged times to first attend to the stickers also decreased to those of sham-operated rats at 3 and 4 weeks post-dorsal hemisection with weekly testing. In contrast, a separate group of rats with dorsal hemisections had significantly increased times when tested only at 4 weeks. These data indicate that frequent assessment of this particular behavior in rats with dorsal hemisections extinguishes it and/or engenders a learned response in the absence of sensory axons in the dorsal columns and dorsolateral funiculi. This finding contrasted with weekly testing of grid walking where increased forelimb footfall numbers persisted for 4 weeks post-dorsal hemisection.
Role of Surgery in the Era of Highly Successful Air Enema Reduction of Intussusception

Background Despite routine use of air enema reduction in childhood intussusceptions, some still require operative management. This study evaluated the role of surgery and identified factors associated with failed air enema reduction and bowel resection. Methods We reviewed 24 patients who underwent laparotomies for intussusception between 1 July 1999 and 31 July 2002. Demographic data, clinical presentations, investigations, surgical interventions and their outcomes were reviewed. Results Twenty-four (14.5%) of 166 patients treated for intussusceptions between 1 July 1999 and 31 July 2002 underwent laparotomies. A significant proportion (45.8%) was younger than 3 months and older than 36 months of age. Intussusception was diagnosed on ultrasonography in 21 patients. Eighteen underwent attempted air enema reduction. Ileocolic intussusceptions occurred in 54.2% of patients. Five patients had small bowel intussusceptions, all of whom required bowel resection. Seven patients (29.2%) had pathological lead points. Presence of pathological lead points and intussusceptions occurring outside the ileocolic region strongly predicted the need for bowel resection. Conclusion Air enema reductions are less likely to succeed in patients less than 3 months old and those more than 3 years old. Bowel resection is most likely required when pathological lead points are present and when intussusceptions occur outside the ileocolic region. Early surgical intervention may obviate the need for bowel resection in selected patients, thereby reducing surgical morbidity.
Benefit/Risk Ratio of Statins in Primary Prevention

Both the US 1,2 and European 3 guidelines for cardiovascular disease prevention recommend lipid-lowering drugs, particularly a statin, if risk of a cardiovascular event exceeds 10% in 10 years. The benefit of statin therapy for primary prevention in asymptomatic people has little supporting evidence. This is particularly true for elderly people whose risk of cardiovascular events exceeds this threshold because of their age but who have none of the major risk factors for such events other than a low-density lipoprotein level above the desired concentration. Furthermore, the risks of long-term statin therapy appear to be undervalued.
Ventricular dysphonia: a case of false vocal fold mucosal traveling wave.

Ventricular dysphonia, also known as dysphonia plicae ventricularis, is a disorder of speech in which the ventricular folds (false vocal folds, FVFs) participate pathologically in phonation. 1,2 Although the first anatomic illustrations of the false folds were done in 1775 by Santorini ,3 their role in phonation was not completely understood. In 1860, 6 years after the introduction of the laryngeal mirror by Garcia, J.N. Czermak was the first to recognize that involvement of the false folds in phonation is a pathological phenomenon.’ The ventricular folds are composed of soft and elastic connective tissue containing fat cells with scattered muscle fibers from the thyroarytenoideous (TA) muscle.2 They are lined by pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium and tubuloacinar glands.4,5 Under normal circumstances, these folds adduct with the arytenoids and assist in laryngeal closure. However, they do not participate in normal voice production1 In some pathological states, the false folds adduct before the true vocal folds (TVFs) and hence hamper normal voice production. This pattern is caused by either underactivity of the TVFs or overactivity of the FVFS.~ However, in some other reports, it has been stated that during laryngeal examination of a patient with ventricular phonation, the FVFs adduct either immediately before or after the adduction of TVFs.” The vocal quality in ventricular dysphonia has been described as a rough, weak, breathy,
Interaction of Postsynaptic Receptor Saturation with Presynaptic Mechanisms Produces a Reliable Synapse

Synapses that reliably activate their postsynaptic targets typically release neurotransmitter with high probability, are not very sensitive to changes in calcium entry, and depress. We have determined the mechanisms that give rise to these characteristic features at the climbing fiber to Purkinje cell synapse. We find that saturation of presynaptic calcium entry, of presynaptic release, and of postsynaptic receptors combine to produce a postsynaptic response that is near maximal. Postsynaptic receptor saturation also accelerates recovery from depression, in part by accentuating a rapid calcium-dependent recovery phase. Thus, postsynaptic receptor saturation interacts with presynaptic mechanisms to produce highly reliable synapses that can effectively drive their targets even during sustained activation.
Identification of sequences required for inhibition of oncogene-mediated transformation by pp32.

Abstract Oncogenic potential in prostate cancer is modulated in part by alternative use of genes of the pp32family. This family includes the tumor suppressor pp32, expressed in normal tissue, and the pro-oncogenic genespp32r1 and pp32r2 that are found principally in neoplastic cells. At the protein level, pp32, pp32r1, and pp32r2 are approximately 90% identical, yet they subsume opposite functions. In this study, we identify the region of pp32 associated with the ability to inhibit oncogene-mediated transformation in a rat embryo fibroblast system, an in vitro correlate of tumor-suppressive activity. Deletion and truncation analysis define a region spanning pp32 amino acids 150–174 as absolutely required for inhibition of transformed foci elicited by RAS and MYC. Comparison of pp32 with the pp32r1 sequence by moving averages of sequence identity reveals divergence over this region; pp32r2 also differs in this region through truncation after pp32 amino acid 131. The deletion experiments and the experiments of nature therefore converge to demonstrate that tumor-suppressive functions of pp32 reside in amino acids 150–174. Identification of this minimal tumor-suppressive region should help elaborate the pathways and mechanisms through which pp32 family members exert their functions.
Counseling and rehabilitation

The goals of counseling are to comfort the patient and family, and to provide them with the information necessary to achieve informed consent and to optimally participate in treatment. Effective counseling requires accurate and compassionate communication, continuing at least until the conclusion of treatment. Comforting the patient Because the first contact occurs in the emergency setting, the physician–patient relationship does not enjoy the usual benefits of an orderly, planned encounter. The patient may be anxious, frightened, confused, and in pain. Due to the stress associated with an unexpected injury, it is especially important for the ophthalmologist to communicate calmness and seriousness of purpose. Careless words or gestures may quickly handicap this delicate and beginning relationship. Since suffering patients are difficult to counsel, the pain of the injured eye should be alleviated immediately, if possible. The patient will then be more able to participate in critical decision-making.
Mediterranean diet and cardiovascular disease: a step closer to mechanisms using a precision animal model?

Coronary heart disease (CHD), the leading cause of mortality in the U.S. and other western countries, is a multifactorial disease. As a result of extensive investigations spanning several decades, many contributing factors, such as age, sex, smoking, hypertension, obesity and a high cholesterol level have been identified, and these factors are now known as well-established or traditional risk factors for CHD. Novel factors, including biomarkers of vascular endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, genetics, and dyslipidemia [e.g. small dense low-density lipoprotein and lipoprotein(a)], have emerged recently and their association with CHD, as well as their potential for predicting future risk have been tested in many studies with some showing considerable promise. The diet-heart theory described more than six decades ago by Dr. Ancel Keys, the founder of “The Seven Countries Study” (SCS), has remained central in shaping the efforts to reduce global risk of CHD based on lifestyle modification. The SCS was the first epidemiological longitudinal study systematically investigating the relationship between lifestyle, diet, CHD and stroke risks in multiple populations representing different regions of the world with contrasting dietary patterns [1]. Dr. Keys and his colleagues demonstrated a direct and independent association between the serum total cholesterol level and the risk and rates of heart attack and stroke both at the population and at the individual level across diverse cultures. Through studies like these, the importance of the Mediterranean diet in modulating CHD risk, the impact of changes in lifestyle and diets of populations in the Mediterranean region on the rates of heart disease, and associations between food composition (e.g., saturated fatty acids, mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids, etc.) and coronary death rate have been explored [2-4].
Migration and sexuality: a comparison of Mexicans in sending and receiving communities.

The reconstruction of sexuality after migration is a central dimension of immigrant health and an integral part of the process of adaptation and incorporation. Despite its significance there is little quantitative information measuring the changes in sexual behavior accompanying migration. This paper contributes to the literature connecting immigrant adaptation and health risks by comparing sexual practices and attitudes among Mexicans in Durham, NC and Mexican sending communities. Consistent with a social constructivist approach to sexuality we show that compared to non-migrants, Mexicans residing in the U.S. exhibit heightened exposure to risk, including casual and, among men, commercial partners. The enhanced risks associated with migration vary systematically by gender and marital status and are accompanied by variation in attitudes towards sexuality, with the U.S. context associated with higher tolerance for infidelity and biological explanations of sexuality. We discuss the implications for immigrant adaptation and health policies in the U.S. and abroad.
TAG, You’re it! Chlamydomonas as a reference organism for understanding algal triacylglycerol accumulation

Photosynthetic organisms are responsible for converting sunlight into organic matter, and they are therefore seen as a resource for the renewable fuel industry. Ethanol and esterified fatty acids (biodiesel) are the most common fuel products derived from these photosynthetic organisms. The potential of algae as producers of biodiesel precursor (or triacylglycerols (TAGs)) has yet to be realized because of the limited knowledge of the underlying biochemistry, cell biology and genetics. Well-characterized pathways from fungi and land plants have been used to identify algal homologs of key enzymes in TAG synthesis, including diacylglcyerol acyltransferases, phospholipid diacylglycerol acyltransferase and phosphatidate phosphatases. Many laboratories have adopted Chlamydomonas reinhardtii as a reference organism for discovery of algal-specific adaptations of TAG metabolism. Stressed Chlamydomonas cells, grown either photoautotrophically or photoheterotrophically, accumulate TAG in plastid and cytoplasmic lipid bodies, reaching 46–65% of dry weight in starch accumulation (sta) mutants. State of the art genomic technologies including expression profiling and proteomics have identified new proteins, including key components of lipid droplets, candidate regulators and lipid/TAG degrading activities. By analogy with crop plants, it is expected that advances in algal breeding and genome engineering may facilitate realizing the potential in algae.
“Real World” Thoracic Endografting: Results With the Gore TAG Device 2 Years After U.S. FDA Approval

Background The Gore TAG thoracic endoprosthesis (W. L. Gore and Associates, Flagstaff, AZ) was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of thoracic aortic aneurysms on March 23, 2005, and remains the only FDA approved thoracic device to date. We present our experience with the TAG device for the 2 years post-approval to better characterize "real world" use and results outside the clinical trial setting. Methods Between March 23, 2005, and March 23, 2007, n=91 thoracic endograft procedures were performed at our institution. Of these, n=83 (91%) utilized the TAG device and form the basis of this report. Indications for endovascular repair were: fusiform or saccular aneurysm (n = 43; 52%), acute or chronic dissection (n = 30; 36%), acute or chronic traumatic transection (n = 7; 8%), and false aneurysm after prior aortic surgery (n = 3; 4%). A "hybrid" approach involving carotid-carotid bypass (n = 2), stage I elephant trunk procedure (n = 3), aortic arch debranching (n = 7), or complete visceral debranching (n = 5) was required in 20% of patients to create an adequate landing zone. Results Primary technical success rate was 98.8% (n = 82/83). Thirty-day rates of mortality and permanent stroke were both 3.6% (n = 3 each). Permanent paraparesis/paraplegia rate was 2.4% (n = 2). The 30-day rate of vascular or device-related complications requiring additional endovascular or open procedures was 7.2% (n = 6). During a mean duration of follow-up of 14 ± 8 months (range 0–28), there was one late death from aneurysm rupture (1.2%) and one late conversion to open repair (1.2%). Conclusions "Real world" utilization of the TAG device includes high rates of off-label use (nearly 50%) and "hybrid" techniques (20%) for the treatment of multiple pathologic entities of the thoracic and thoracoabdominal aorta. Regardless, short to mid-term results appear promising. Longer follow-up is needed to determine the durability of this approach.
The Radiations from Hf 181

The beta-spectrum and photoelectron spectrum of ${\mathrm{Hf}}^{181}$ have been studied with a semicircular focusing beta-ray spectrograph of 2 percent resolving power. In addition to the continuous beta-spectrum, four partially converted gamma-rays were found. An estimate of the relative intensities of the two higher energy gamma-rays can be made from the Compton and photo-electron intensities. Data have also been obtained from $\ensuremath{\beta}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\gamma}$- and $\ensuremath{\beta}\ensuremath{-}{e}^{\ensuremath{-}}$-coincidence measurements. An energy level diagram is discussed.
Knowledge of Contraceptive Effectiveness

Objective The purpose of this study was to determine women's knowledge of contraceptive effectiveness. Study Design We performed a cross-sectional analysis of a contraceptive knowledge questionnaire that had been completed by 4144 women who were enrolled in the Contraceptive CHOICE Project before they received comprehensive contraceptive counseling and chose their method. For each contraceptive method, women were asked “what percentage would get pregnant in a year: 10%, don't know.” Results Overall, 86% of subjects knew that the annual risk of pregnancy is >10% if no contraception is used. More than 45% of women overestimate the effectiveness of depo-medroxyprogesterone acetate, pills, the patch, the ring, and condoms. After adjustment for age, education, and contraceptive history, the data showed that women who chose the intrauterine device (adjusted relative risk, 6.9; 95% confidence interval, 5.6–8.5) or implant (adjusted relative risk, 5.9; 95% confidence interval, 4.7–7.3) were significantly more likely to identify the effectiveness of their method accurately compared with women who chose either the pill, patch, or ring. Conclusion This cohort demonstrated significant knowledge gaps regarding contraceptive effectiveness and over-estimated the effectiveness of pills, the patch, the ring, depo-medroxyprogesterone acetate, and condoms.
Juvenile versus adult competition

A general class of age-structured models based upon the McKendrick/von Foerster equations are used to study intraspecific competition between juveniles and adults. Criteria for the existence and stability of equilibria are obtained and the dependence of equilibrium stability (i.e. equilibrium resilience) on competition coefficients is analyzed for low inherent net reproductive numbers. The results are applied to the question of whether juvenile vs. adult intraspecific competition is stabilizing or destabilizing. Two types of competition are studied. The first, involving suppressed adult fertility due to competition from juveniles, was found to be destabilizing in that equilibrium levels are lowered and equilibrium resilience weakened by increased competition. The second, involving increased juvenile mortality due to competition from adults, was found to be considerably more complicated. While equilibrium levels were again reduced by increased competition, equilibrium resilience can either be weakened or strengthened. A criterion for determining the effects on resilience is derived and several examples are given to illustrate various possibilities in this case.
Leber hereditary optic neuropathy: bad habits, bad vision?

The puzzle that Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) represents has not been completely solved for over 250 years, despite 20 recent years of rapid advances in mitochondrial genetics (Newman, 2005; Yu-Wai-Man et al ., 2009). Although the majority of the underlying causative point mutations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) have been identified, we still cannot answer the most fundamental questions about this disease (Newman, 2002). Why does not everyone who carries a LHON mitochondrial DNA point mutation have visual loss in their lifetime? Why are males affected more often than females? Why does visual loss occur so preferentially during the second and third decades of life, and so infrequently past the age of 50? What accounts for such an abrupt and catastrophic loss of vision, either simultaneously or sequentially, within weeks to months? And, finally, what is so special about the optic nerve, and presumably the retinal ganglion cells, that makes these structures so exclusively sensitive to an abnormality in mitochondrial DNA, when this is present in every cell of the body? Researchers have proposed multiple theories to account for these unusual features of LHON, only very few of which have been proven. Regarding possible genetic/epigenetic factors, the presence of a primary mitochondrial DNA mutation, primarily those at nucleotide positions 11 778, 14 484 or 3460, is necessary but not sufficient for the phenotypic expression of the disorder (Yu-Wai-Man et al ., 2009). Heteroplasmy, presumably in the retinal ganglion cells, may diminish the chances of visual loss, but even homoplasmy cannot of itself account for most cases of LHON (Chinnery et al ., 2001). Certain mtDNA background haplotypes may influence expression (Hudson et al ., 2007), in particular haplotype J for the 11 778 and 14 484 mutations and haplotype K for the 3460 mutation; yet still, the majority of …
Adolescent Substance Use in Germany and the United States A Cross-Cultural Test of the Applicability and Generalizability of Theoretical Indicators

Theories of substance use highlight the importance of the sociocultural environment in understanding and explaining the prevalence and patterns of adolescent substance use. The likelihood to engage in substance use is said to be influenced by key social, structural and economic forces associated with the adolescents' demographic and socioeconomic background. Even though the need for cross-cultural applications of existing theoretical frameworks is apparent, the relationships posited by existing theories have mostly been tested with US samples. In the current article, data from the 2003 waves of the Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey and the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) are used to investigate and assess the relationships between theoretically grounded measures and adolescent substance use in Germany and the United States.
COMBINATORIAL FRACTAL GEOMETRY WITH A BIOLOGICAL APPLICATION

The solution to a deceptively simple combinatorial problem on bit strings results in the emergence of a fractal related to the Sierpinski Gasket. The result is generalized to higher dimensions and applied to the study of global dynamics in Boolean network models of complex biological systems.
Lost in the weeds: Ligustrum sinense reduces native plant growth and survival

Plant invasions are often implicated in declines of native plant species. However, common experimental designs have received criticism questioning the assumption that invasive plants are the primary cause for ecosystem deterioration. We used a combination of field observations and a transplant experiment to investigate the influence of an exotic invasive shrub, Ligustrum sinense (Chinese Privet) on native plant species in Piedmont floodplain forests of South Carolina, USA. We conducted vegetation surveys of 12 floodplain forests documenting abundance and cover of all herbaceous and woody plant species. Additionally, we established an experimental garden to compare survival and growth of L. sinense and four common native species transplanted into a mature L. sinense stand and an adjacent uninvaded area over two growing seasons. The vegetation survey demonstrated a strong negative relationship between L. sinense presence and herbaceous vegetation. As L. sinense cover increased, herbaceous cover and height, plant abundance, and native species richness decreased. In our transplant experiment we found drastic effects of L. sinense on native plant seedling survival and growth. Survival for all native species was lower under the L. sinense canopy and native seedling growth was substantially reduced. Results from both the vegetation survey and transplant experiment show that invasion of L. sinense suppresses herbaceous understory and prevents regeneration of native species by reducing seedling survival and growth. With an approach that combines multiple field sites and local site-specific investigations our research provides strong evidence that L. sinense is an agent of change in floodplain forests.
B74-43 Evaluation and Measurement Techniques for Digital Computer Systems

Inevitably, the author of a pioneering work faces a difficult task. In a volatile field such as performance analysis, this difficulty is increased by the likelihood that techniques which were reasonably new at the time the author commenced writing the book, will be well known by the time of its appearance and review. Unfortunately, the book by Mr. Drummond has fallen prey to this possibility. As a result, the user will find the book to contain a wealth of useful, historical information; however, it is unlikely that the user will feel, upon concluding the book, that he has the field of performance "in hand." To provide context for this comment, let us begin by citing the contents of the book.
Multiple‐attribute decision making with partial information: The expected‐value criterion

We consider the multiple-attribute decision problem with finite action set and additive utility function. We suppose that the decision maker cannot specify nonnegative weights for the various attributes which would resolve the problem, but that he/she supplies ordinal information about these weights which can be translated into a set of linear constraints restricting their values. A bounded polytope W of feasible weight vectors is thus determined. Supposing that each element of W has the same chance of being the “appropriate one,” we compute the expected utility value of each action. The computation method uses a combination of numerical integration and Monte Carlo simulation and is equivalent to finding the center of mass of the bounded polytope W. Comparisons are made with another criterion already presented, the comparative hyper-volume criterion, and two small examples are presented.