cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
In Vitro Antibacterial Activity of Herbal Products Used in a Mexican-American Community

ABSTRACT In vitro antibacterial activity of herbal products commonly used by the Mexican-American community was analyzed in this study. Traditional uses for these herbal products include general tonics and over-the-counter medications used to treat specific conditions or diseases. The present study examined the antibacterial activity of 151 herbal products using the disk diffusion method as part of the process of understanding the chemistry, toxicity and efficacy of these plant products. Ethanol extracts of the herbs were examined using a standard antimicrobial disk diffusion method. Extracts were tested against both Gram positive (Bacillus subtilis, Micrococcus luteus, and Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram negative (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) bacteria. Pilot study data with herbal products from Phoenix resulted in 4 plants being active against Staphylococcus aureus and 1 active against Pseudomonas aeruginosa of the 38 plants tested. These results served to validate our procedures and indi...
Effect of a dual-purpose inoculant on the quality and nutrient losses from corn silage produced in farm-scale silos.

Abstract This project aimed to determine effects of applying an inoculant containing homofermentative and heterofermentative bacteria on the fermentation, nutritive value, aerobic stability, and nutrient losses from corn silage produced in farm-scale silos. Corn forage was harvested at 34% dry matter (DM) and treated without (control) or with 5×10 5 cfu/g of Lactobacillus buchneri and Pediococcus pentosaceus . The inoculant was sprayed on alternate 8-row-wide swaths of forage, and the untreated and inoculated forages were alternately packed into 3.6-m-wide bag silos. Forty-five tonnes of corn forage were packed into each of 4 replicate bags per treatment and ensiled for 166 d. Silage removed from the bags (500kg/d) was separated into good and spoiled (visibly moldy or darker) silage portions, and weighed for 35 d. Weekly composites were analyzed for chemical composition, aerobic stability, and fungal counts. Aerobic stability was measured using data loggers that recorded sample and ambient temperature every 30min for 7 d. Inoculation did not affect the chemical composition of the spoiled or good silage but decreased the quantity (5.7 vs. 12.9kg/d) and percentage (3.4 vs. 7.8) of spoiled silage in the bags by over 50%. Losses of crude protein (0.28 vs. 0.92kg/d), gross energy (6.0×10 4 vs. 1.8×10 5 kJ/d), and neutral detergent fiber (1.34 vs. 4.12kg/d) in spoiled silage were less in inoculated versus control silages. Inoculated silages had lower pH (3.91 vs. 3.99), lactate concentration (7.63 vs. 7.86%), lactate:acetate ratio (1.58 vs. 2.53%), and a greater acetate (5.11 vs. 3.56%) concentration than the control silage. Inoculated silages tended to have fewer yeasts (2.59 vs. 4.62 log cfu/g) than control silages, but aerobic stability was not different across treatments (14.7 vs. 9.5h). Applying the inoculant made the fermentation more heterolactic, inhibited the growth of yeasts, and substantially reduced the amount of spoilage and the associated energy and nutrient losses.
The Impact of Cloud Cover on Major League Baseball

Abstract Although it is often suggested that direct sunlight may affect a player’s vision, no published studies have analyzed this interaction. In this research, a variety of statistical tests were utilized to study how baseball variables respond to different cloud cover conditions. Data from more than 35 000 Major League Baseball games, spanning the seasons from 1987 through 2002, were studied. Eleven baseball variables covering batting, pitching, and fielding performance were included. Overall responses were analyzed, as well as individual responses at 21 different stadiums. Home and away team performances were evaluated separately. This study then synthesized the synergistic differences in offensive production, pitching performance, and fielding performance into changes in the “home field advantage.” Offensive production generally declines during clearer-sky daytime games compared to cloudy-sky daytime games, while pitching performance increases as conditions become clearer. Strikeouts show the stronge...
Revisiting Project Re-Engineered Discharge (RED): The Impact of a Pharmacist Telephone Intervention on Hospital Readmission Rates.

Purpose Project Re-Engineered Discharge is a discharge nurse education (DNE) and pharmacist follow-up telephone intervention protocol that was shown to decrease rehospitalization significantly. The specific value of the pharmacist intervention was not originally evaluated. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of a pharmacist telephone intervention during the transition of care process on the rate of unplanned hospitalization within 30 days of patient discharge. Methods A retrospective chart review was completed for patients who received DNE counseling and were discharged to home from the family medicine service at Boston Medical Center from July 2012 to May 2013. Patients were stratified into two groups: contacted/intervention and unable to contact/no intervention. The primary outcome was the rate of unplanned hospital utilization including emergency department visits and readmissions within 30 days of discharge. Secondary end points included number of pharmacist interventions and time spent on phone calls. Results A total of 401 patients were identified; 277 patients received a pharmacist telephone intervention, and 124 patients were unable to be contacted. Baseline characteristics did not differ between the two groups, with the exception of a higher prevalence of substance abuse in the nonintervention group (41.9% vs 21.3%, p<0.001). The rate of unplanned hospitalization (visits/patient) was significantly reduced in the intervention group, compared with the unable-to-contact group (0.227 vs 0.519, p<0.001). Pharmacists made a total of 128 interventions and spent an average of 22 minutes on each telephone intervention. Conclusion Patients unable to be contacted by a pharmacist after hospital discharge were more likely to be readmitted or visit the emergency department in the 30 days following discharge. A pharmacist telephone intervention as part of a comprehensive discharge protocol can have a positive impact on patients during the transition of care process by reducing incidence of unplanned hospital utilization.
Packed bed thermal storage systems

Experiments were conducted on a vertical flow packed bed sensible thermal storage system. The packing consisted of hollow high density polyethylene spheres filled approximately 95% with water, and water was also used as the working fluid. Experimental results show the effect of altering DE (the equivalent sphere diameter of the packing) on the degree of axial dispersion in thermally short packings. The significance of thermally short versus thermally long packings to designers of sensible storage packed bed systems is discussed. Experimentally measured average temperature wave velocities in the packing are presented. The significance of natural convection during heat exchanger operation is also demonstrated experimentally. Natural convection may explain instabilities in packed bed convection coefficients reported in the literature. It is shown that one-dimensional temperature profiles in the packing can be obtained using rectangular storage tanks in conjunction with flow distributors.
Measurement of Femoral Torsion by Ultrasound and Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Concurrent Validity

Background Abnormal femoral torsion has been linked to osteoarthritis in the knee as well as to patellofemoral pain. Inexpensive, valid, and reliable methods for assessing femoral torsion are needed. Ultrasound (US) is a noninvasive and clinically accessible method that can be used for the assessment of bone morphology, such as femoral torsion. Objective The objective of this study was to determine the concurrent validity of US for the measurement of femoral torsion with a reference method, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Design Repeated measurements of femoral torsion were obtained with US and MRI in a laboratory setting. Methods Twenty-eight people (4 men, 24 women; mean age=26.8 years [SD=4.0 years], mean body height=170.3 cm [SD=8.0 cm], mean body weight=64.7 kg [SD=9.8 kg]) participated in this study. T1-weighted axial oblique images of the femoral neck and epicondylar axis were acquired with a 1.5-T magnetic resonance system. Ultrasonographic measurements then were obtained by a tilting technique with a linear transducer that was 4.5 cm long and operated at a frequency of 10 MHz and a depth of 5 cm. Results The average angles of anteversion measured by US and by MRI were 20.7 degrees (SD=11.0) and 19 degrees (SD=11.3), respectively. The reliability, reported as the intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC (2,1)], of repeated measurements of in vivo femoral torsion by US was .98. The reliability [ICC (2,1)] of magnetic resonance image analysis was .96. The standard error of the measurement for US was 2.2 degrees, and that for MRI was 1.9 degrees. The concurrent validity of US with MRI ( R 2) was .93 ( r =.96). Limitations Obtaining measurements by US requires appropriate training before data collection. Conclusions Ultrasound measurement of femoral torsion has high concurrent validity with in vivo MRI and may be used when an assessment of bony morphology is needed but MRI is not available.
Chiral dynamics in bag-model QCD at low energy

The Goldberger-Treiman relation is studied in bagged QCD and related to the lowest order of chiral expansions of hadronic wave functions involving quark-antiquark admixtures. The latter contribute to meson-nuclear dynamics, e.g. the pion-nucleon absorption vertex and the neutron charge from factor.
Childhood or adolescent parental divorce/separation, parental history of alcohol problems, and offspring lifetime alcohol dependence

Abstract Background This study examined whether the experiences of childhood or adolescent parental divorce/separation and parental alcohol problems affected the likelihood of offspring DSM-IV lifetime alcohol dependence, controlling for parental history of drug, depression, and antisocial behavior problems. Method Data were drawn from the 2001–2002 National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC), a nationally representative United States survey of 43,093 civilian non-institutionalized participants aged 18 and older, interviewed in person. Logistic regression models were used to calculate the main and interaction effects of childhood or adolescent parental divorce/separation and parental history of alcohol problems on offspring lifetime alcohol dependence, after adjusting for parental history of drug, depression, and antisocial behavior problems. Results Childhood or adolescent parental divorce/separation and parental history of alcohol problems were significantly related to offspring lifetime alcohol dependence, after adjusting for parental history of drug, depression, and antisocial behavior problems. Experiencing parental divorce/separation during childhood, even in the absence of parental history of alcohol problems, remained a significant predictor of lifetime alcohol dependence. Experiencing both childhood or adolescent parental divorce/separation and parental alcohol problems had a significantly stronger impact on the risk for DSM-IV alcohol dependence than the risk incurred by either parental risk factor alone. Conclusions Further research is needed to better identify the factors that increase the risk for lifetime alcohol dependence among those who experience childhood or adolescent parental divorce/separation.
Jitter Decomposition in High-Speed Communication Systems

Jitter impairs the bit-error rate in high-speed communication systems. Jitter decomposition is important for accurately deriving the total jitter in a system and for aiding in identifying the root causes of jitter. We extend a previous approach for jitter decomposition in clock signals is to enable separation of correlated and uncorrelated jitter in both data and clock signals. We use time lag correlation functions with special test patterns to estimate the characteristic parameters of different jitter components such as peak-to-peak value of DDJ and RMS value of RJ. Our approach can be implemented using only one-shot capture instead of multiple captures to average out the uncorrelated jitter from the correlated jitter. Hardware measurements are presented to validate the proposed technique.
Intracellular fate of Mycobacterium avium: use of dual-label spectrofluorometry to investigate the influence of bacterial viability and opsonization on phagosomal pH and phagosome-lysosome interaction.

Mycobacterium avium is a facultative intracellular pathogen that can survive and replicate within macrophages. We tested the hypotheses that survival mechanisms may include alteration of phagosomal pH or inhibition of phagosome-lysosome fusion.M. aviumwas surface labeled withN-hydroxysuccinimidyl esters of carboxyfluorescein (CF) and rhodamine (Rho) to enable measurement of the pH of individual M. aviumcontaining phagosomes and the interaction of bacterium-containing phagosomes with labeled secondary lysosomes. CF fluorescence is pH sensitive, whereas Rho is pH insensitive; pH can be calculated from their fluorescence ratios. Surface labeling of M. avium did not affect viability in broth cultures or within J774, a murinemacrophage-likecellline.Byfluorescencespectroscopy,liveM.aviumwasexposedtoanenvironmental pH of ’5.7 at 6 h after phagocytosis, whereas similarly labeled Salmonella typhimurium, zymosan A, or heat-killedM.aviumencounteredanenvironmentalpHof<5.0.Videofluorescenceandlaserscanningconfocal microscopy gave consistent pH results and demonstrated the heterogeneity of intracellular fate early in infection. pH became more homogeneous 6 h after infection.M. aviumcells were coated with immunoglobulin G (IgG) or opsonized to investigate whether phagocytosis by the corresponding receptors would alter intracellular fate. Opsonized, unopsonized, and IgG-coated M. avium cells entered compartments of similar pH. Finally, the spatial distribution of intracellular bacteria and secondary lysosomes was compared. Only 18% of live fluorescent M. avium cells colocalized with fluorescent lysosomes, while 98% of heat-killed bacteria colocalized. Thus, both inhibition of phagosome-lysosome fusion and alteration of phagosomal pH may contribute to the intracellular survival ofM. avium.
The effect of area ratio on microjet array heat transfer

Abstract The heat transfer performance of five submerged and confined microjet arrays using air and deionized water as the working fluids was investigated. Both inline and staggered array arrangements of jet with diameters of 54 and 112 μm were investigated, and the area ratio (total area of the jets divided by the surface area) was varied between 0.036 and 0.35. Reynolds numbers defined by the jet diameter were in the range of 180–5100 for air and 50–3500 for water. A heat flux of 1100 W/cm 2 was obtained at a fluid inlet-to-surface temperature difference of less than 30 °C. The results were compared with established correlations, and no evidence was found to suggest that the behavior of submerged and confined jets at the microscale is fundamentally different than at the macroscale. Reynolds number, Prandtl number, and area ratio were found to significantly affect the heat transfer performance, and a curve fit was developed, which correlated 290 of the 295 data points within ±25% with an MAE of 11%.
von Hippel-Lindau protein mutants linked to type 2C VHL disease preserve the ability to downregulate HIF

von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease is a hereditary cancer syndrome caused by germ line mutation of the von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor gene (VHL). Tumors observed in this disorder include retinal and central nervous system hemangioblastomas, clear cell renal carcinomas and pheochromocytomas. The VHL gene product, pVHL, is a component of a ubiquitin ligase which targets the transcription factor known as hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) for degradation in the presence of oxygen. pVHL also plays roles in the control of extracellular matrix formation and cell-cycle exit. Different VHL mutations confer different site-specific risks of cancer. Type 2C VHL mutations confer an increased risk of pheochromocytoma without the other stigmata of VHL disease. Here we report that the products of such type 2C VHL alleles retain the ability to down regulate HIF but are defective for promotion of fibronectin matrix assembly. Furthermore, pVHL L188V, a well studied type 2C mutant, retained the ability to suppress renal carcinoma growth in vivo. These studies strengthen the notion that HIF deregulation plays a causal role in hemangioblastoma and renal carcinoma, and raises the possibility that abnormal fibronectin matrix assembly contributes to pheochromocytoma pathogenesis in the setting of VHL disease.
In vivo Skeletal Muscle Function and Doxorubicin Treatment in the Rat

The chemotherapy drug doxorubicin (DOX) has been shown to cause skeletal muscle dysfunction when measured ex vivo, but little is known about the effects of DOX on in vivo skeletal muscle function. ...
Kinematic Analysis of the Reverse Total Shoulder Replacement During the Golf Swing

Purpose: The reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA) was approved for use by the United States FDA in 2004. Since its introduction, its popularity for treating a number of shoulder conditions has grown considerably. However, many patients inquire about the potential to return to playing recreational golf, and at present there are no published data about how the RTSA prosthesis affects the golf swing. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the biomechanics of the golf swing in patients with RTSA, as well as the postoperative changes in handicap, driving distance, and holes played/week. Methods: A review of patient records for those that had an RTSA placed between June 2004 and December 2008 was performed. These patients were sent a questionnaire inquiring about details of golfing before and after RTSA. Patients who were still golfing after implantation of the RTSA prosthesis were selected for six-camera motion analysis testing of their golf swing. Computer analysis program was used to calculate parameters to biomechanically describe the golf swing. Results: Of the 97 patients that had an RTSA placed during the specified time period, 23 patients responded to the questionnaire and only 3 patients had ever and were still playing golf. A mean increase of 2.3 points in the handicap as well as a 33.3 yard decrease in driving distance was observed. The number of holes played per week decreased by 12 postoperatively. Motion analysis of the golf swings in patients with an RTSA showed decreased motion compared to high handicap golfers at the peak of the backswing at every shoulder parameter measured (forward flexion, horizontal adduction, external rotation); however, these differences were not statistically significant. The mean postoperative external rotation in our patients was 26.2°. Discussion: Though patients can return to golf after RTSA, self-reported trends towards worse handicaps, decreased driving distances, as well as decreased number of holes played/week were found. Furthermore, the RTSA prosthesis changes the biomechanics of the shoulder, resulting in alterations in ROM, specifically external rotation. Patients with the prosthesis in the leading and trailing shoulders compensate by increasing rotation through their torso during follow-through or increasing abduction during the backswing, respectively. Slower swing speeds during backswing and downswing were also observed. Conclusion: Patients can continue to play golf after RTSA; however, they may observe slower swing speeds, increases in their preoperative handicaps, as well as decreased driving distances. Possible changes in their swing may also occur that will require compensatory mechanisms to complete a full swing.
Effects of Nuclear y Mutations on Expression of Plastid Genes Required for Light-Independent Chlorophyll Formation in Chlamydomonas

During evolution two distinct mechanisms were established for the reduction of protochlorophyllide (pchlide) to chlorophyllide (chlide), a key step in the chlorophyll biosynthesis pathway. One mechanism, catalyzed by the enzyme NADPH: protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase (POR), is completely dependent upon light for its activity [1–2]. Light-dependent POR is present in cyanobacteria, green algae, most non-vascular and vascular plants, and is the only mechanism used for chlorophyll formation in angiosperms. The second mechanism, present in anoxygenic photosynthetic bacteria as well as cyanobacteria, non-vascular plants, ferns and gymnosperms, is capable of reducing pchlide to chlide in a light-independent manner [3]. All organisms containing this mechanism for pchlide reduction are capable of chlorophyll formation in the dark. While a significant amount of information is now available on the regulation of POR biosynthesis and activity [1], little is known about the enzyme mediating light-independent pchlide reduction (designated LIPOR), the factors that regulate its formation, and its requirements for catalytic function [3].
Concepts to Facilitate Very Large Blades.

Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) is developing concepts that will enable the utilization of longer blades that weigh less, are more efficient structurally and aerodynamically, and impart reduced loads to the system. Several of these concepts have been incorporated into subscale prototype blades. The description of these concepts and the results of prototype blade fabrication and testing are covered here.
Bird Predation on Gypsy Moth (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) Larvae: An Aviary Study

Using captive birds, two aspects of bird predation on gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (L.), larvae were examined: whether birds are more likely to attack and consume early rather than late larval instars, and whether birds will attack gypsy moth larvae in the presence of alternative prey. Of 37 individuals of nine passerine bird species offered second-instar gypsy moth larvae, 27 individuals of seven species accepted them. Of 22 individual birds of six species offered third- to sixth-instar larvae, 15 individuals of five species accepted them. Birds given a simultaneous choice between gypsy moth larvae and alternative prey (two nonhairy types and one hairy type) preferred the nonhairy alternatives. We conclude that birds may be important sources of mortality for early (first and second) as well as late (third to sixth) instars. Most field studies of gypsy moth population dynamics have documented bird predation primarily on the latter, but our results indicate that bird predation on early instars must also be taken into account in analyses of gypsy moth population dynamics.
Implementing a stand-alone packaged pharmacy computer system in a 580-bed hospital

The problems experienced by a hospital pharmacy department in implementing a stand-alone packaged computer system are discussed, and recommendations for avoiding and managing these problems are presented. In 1984, a stand-alone packaged computer system was implemented in a 580-bed, tertiary-care institution that provides services from a central pharmacy and five satellite pharmacies. The department developed a request for proposal and contracted with a vender for a system that would support unit dose drug distribution and i.v. admixture services. During the implementation process, the following problems were experienced: The hardware was insufficient for the department's workload, the software design was limited, and personnel were frustrated with learning to use the system. These problems were intensified by the heavy workload and the large number of users. In the 18 months since implementation, the department has purchased more hardware, improved the software applications, and resolved many of the problems associated with employee frustration. Pharmacy departments at other large institutions might avoid some of these problems by training personnel adequately before implementation and by researching and estimating hardware and software needs in advance. In this large hospital, the efficiency of a stand-alone packaged pharmacy computer system has improved 18 months after implementation.
Research on Resonance of Startup Transient for Dynamic Voltage Restorer

The circuit topology of dynamic voltage restorer(DVR) without series transformer is introduced.Analyses and research on the startup transient resonance problem of DVR are carried out.The principles of IGBT over current and distortion on output voltage are described.The restraint methods are proposed based on the designed output filter and control strategy.The simulation and experimental results prove that the resonance during the startup transient of DVR is effectively con-trolled by resonance damping controller.
Was plio-pleistocene hominid brain expansion a pleiotropic effect of adaptation to heat stress?

This paper examines the hypothesis (Fialkowski 1978, 1986) that hominid brain expansion was largely a side effect of an evolutionary response to increased heat stress under conditions of primitive hunting, with reduction in reliability of brain components due to a rise in temperature having been offset by increases in the number of cerebral sub-units and interconnections among them. Fialkowski's hypothesis is shown here to be based on measurements that are seriously inaccurate, and the explanatory mechanism to be contradicted by existing data on response to heat stress by smaller-brained nonhuman primates.
Objective determinations of sensibility in the upper extremity. Part I. Median nerve sensory conduction velocities.

Distal sensory conduction velocities were determined in 109 normal median nerves. A significant decrease in sensory conduction velocity was noted with increasing age. Latencies increased with age but this relationship was not significant in men. Variables which contribute to the wide range of normal conduction velocities are discussed, and the need for each clinician to establish his own testing procedure is stressed. An additional method for assessing sensory function is suggested.
Teaching Across Cultures

Teaching Across Cultures: Building pedagogical relationships in diverse contexts examines the tensions and opportunities in teaching in a cross-cultural context as well as the centrality of culture and relationship in teaching and learning. The previous chapters highlighted how my engagement with self-study became a transformational experience that resulted in a reflective inquiry into my teaching and my students’ learning and consequently, reframing my practice in a variety of ways.
Hemiarthroplasty for Displaced Femoral Neck Fractures in the Elderly Has a Low Conversion Rate

Abstract Background Hemiarthroplasty (HA) has been a mainstay treatment for displaced femoral neck fractures for many years. The purpose of this study was to report the conversion rate of HA to total hip arthroplasty (THA) for displaced femoral neck fractures and compare outcomes between implant constructs (bipolar vs unipolar), fixation options (cemented vs cementless stems), and age groups ( Methods We retrospectively reviewed the results of a consecutive cohort of 686 patients who underwent HA for the treatment of femoral neck fractures at our institution between 1999 and 2013 with a minimum of 2-year follow-up. Results The overall component revision rate, including conversion to THA, revision HA, revision with open reduction internal fixation, and Girdlestone procedure, was 5.6% (39/686). Seventeen patients (2.5%) were converted from HA to THA at an average of 1.9 years after index procedure. A significantly lower conversion rate of 1.4% (7/499 patients) was found in the older patient cohort (≥75 years old) compared to 5.3% (11/187) in the younger cohort. The most common causes for conversion surgery to THA were acetabular wear (5 patients), aseptic loosening (4 patients), and periprosthetic fracture (3 patients). There was a significantly lower rate of periprosthetic fracture (0.4% vs 2.5%, P value .025) in the cemented implant group compared to the cementless group. We observed a higher rate of dislocations in the bipolar vs unipolar group (3.8% vs 1%, P value .02) and no other significant differences between these groups. Conclusion We observed a low reoperation rate for this cohort of patients, relatively higher conversion rates for the younger population, fewer periprosthetic fractures with the use of cemented stems, and no advantage of bipolar over unipolar prostheses.
Connections to Gases

This chapter provides an introduction to the gas laws. It discusses the chemical basics of several issues related to that. One of the issues is what causes an egg to crack if it is boiled too rapidly. A close look at the shell of an egg reveals thousands of tiny pores, through which carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and moisture in the egg may exit over time, allowing air to enter. As a consequence, the air pocket developed during laying increases in size as the egg ages. During the boiling of an egg, the increase in temperature causes the air pocket to increase in volume. If the boiling occurs too rapidly, the expanded air volume does not have time to diffuse through the porous shell, causing the egg shell to crack. Other issues addressed in this chapter include when a flambe is prepared, why is the liqueur heated prior to lighting the flame; how do correction fluids like liquid paper and white-out work; and why do cosmetic cold creams feel cool when applied to the skin.
Concepts of Large Herbivore Population Dynamics

This paper considers the conceptual basis of large herbivore population dynamics. Carrying capacity is discussed in its many meanings, and K-carrying capacity, the maximum number of animals an area will support based on resources, is suggested as the basic meaning of the term. I-carrying capacity is defined as the population yielding the maximum sustainable yield (MSY). Density-dependent functions and how they are detected are considered. There is a growing appreciation of the non-linear density functions of large mammals, with more K-selected ones having a “plateau” of nearly constant population growth rate, followed by a “ramp” of density dependent decline in growth rate. This complicates the detection of density dependence, and shifts I-carrying capacity to much nearer K-carrying capacity than the K/2 of the linear model. Constraints on the range of reproductive parameter values are severe, and population limits are strongly conditioned by the limitations on life expectance. Age at first reproduction is the most important parameter influencing population growth rate in most K-selected large herbivores. As population growth rate declines near K-carrying capacity the necessary adjustment in life expectancy to maintain population equilibrium increases rapidly. Yield can be taken periodically rather than annually without loss of yield if the species has a long, constant growth rate plateau, I-carrying capacity occurs at, and MSY is obtained from the point of conjunction of the plateau and ramp. Consequently, the more K- selected the species, the nearer I-carrying capacity will be to K-carrying capacity. Assuming a linear density-dependent function (as with the logistic model where I-carrying capacity is K/2) is a formula for overexploitation of large herbivores.
Performance analysis of CyberManufacturing Systems

CyberManufacturing System is an advanced vision for future manufacturing where physical components are fully integrated and seamlessly networked with computational processes, forming an on-demand, ...
Error Cascades in Collective Behavior: A Case Study of the Gradient Algorithm on 1000 Physical Agents

The gradient, or hop count, algorithm is inspired by natural phenomena such as the morphogen gradients present in multi-cellular development. It has several applications in multi-agent systems and sensor networks, serving as a basis for self-organized coordinate system formation, and finding shortest paths for message passing. It is a simple and well-understood algorithm in theory. However, we show here that in practice, it is highly sensitive to specific rare errors that emerge at larger scales. We implement it on a system of 1000 physical agents (Kilobot robots) that communicate asynchronously via a noisy wireless channel. We observe that spontaneous, short-lasting rare errors made by a single agent (e.g. due to message corruption) propagate spatially and temporally, causing cascades that severely hinder the algorithm's functionality. We develop a mathematical model for temporal error propagation and validate it with experiments on 100 agents. This work shows how multi-agent algorithms that are believed to be simple and robust from theoretical insight may be highly challenging to implement on physical systems. Systematically understanding and quantifying their current limitations is a first step in the direction of improving their robustness for implementation.
Roles of Ontologies in Cognitive Radios

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the role of knowledge representation (ontologies) in cognitive radio. The emphasis is on those capabilities of cognitive radio that are practical and amenable to ontological treatment. The chapter develops an ontology for cognitive radio functionality that is organized by using the same layers as communication networks. Specific examples of the use of ontologies in cognitive radio have been developed detail. The examples show how ontologies can be the basis for achieving interoperability at the physical (PHY) and data link (DL) layers. The chapter outlines some of the major research issues for ontology-based cognitive radio. This chapter showed examples of querying of radios by other radios. Although it did not show any queries by end users, such queries can be implemented in the same manner as queries by other radios. This chapter also discusses that self-aware radios can execute commands. For instance, if two radios agree to use a specific length of the training sequence, they first negotiate a contract, and then both update their internal structures. In general, any information expressible in terms of the ontology can be retrieved and modified.
Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy With a Rapidly Resolved Left Ventricular Thrombus

This article presents the case of a 53-year-old man who presented with acute right superficial femoral and popliteal arterial thrombosis for which he underwent an emergent uncomplicated thrombectomy. He denied preceding cardiovascular or neurologic symptomatology and had no history of coronary or peripheral arterial disease, trauma, hypercoagulability, or malignancy. However, he reported having several days of intense emotional stress prior to presentation. His cardiac exam was normal, his electrocardiogram showed normal sinus rhythm and nonspecific ST-T wave abnormalities, and his troponin levels were normal. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) revealed a large (2.4 × 2 cm) apical left ventricle (LV) thrombus, LV apical akinesis, and LV ejection fraction of 40% to 45%. Coronary angiography revealed only luminal irregularities. A repeat TTE performed 3 days after initiating unfractionated heparin revealed complete resolution of the LV thrombus. The patient had an uneventful clinical course and was discharged home in stable condition on oral anticoagulants. The lower incidence of LV thrombus in takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TC) of 1.3% in comparison to 4% to 8% in acute myocardial infarction due to coronary artery disease in the current era of early reperfusion may be explained by the lower extent of ischemic myocardial necrosis associated with TC. This case suggests that the lower extent of myocardial necrosis in TC may also lead to faster resolution of LV thrombus. Therefore, earlier follow-up with TTE (within 2 weeks) and shorter duration of anticoagulation (<3 months) may be considered in patients with TC complicated by LV thrombus formation with or without systemic embolism.
Analysis of Gender Differences in the Efficacy of Psoriasis Treatment Modalities Resulting in Clearance

Background/ObjectiveCharacterize gender differences in efficacy of psoriasis treatments, as this has not been well studied.MethodsIn this retrospective cohort study, data were collected on patients...
Exploring Blacks’ Perceptions of Whites’ Racial Prejudice as a Function of Intergroup Behavior and Motivational Mindsets:

When Whites believe prejudice cannot change, they often adopt a behavioral style that is intended to reduce the possibility that they are seen as racist (i.e., performance-oriented behaviors). The ...
Phenomenology and Treatment of Rumination

This article describes the topographic and temporal characteristics of rumination, focusing on features that distinguish it from vomiting. It discusses diagnostic issues, with an emphasis on organic and behavioral factors. A section on differential diagnosis stresses important differences among organic vomiting, operant vomiting, and rumination. A review of treatment options primarily considers behavioral and dietary approaches, with special emphasis on dietary research findings.
Non-Vanishing of Certain Values of L -Functions

Let K be an imaginary quadratic field. The L-functions that we will consider are defined by $$L(\chi ,{\rm{s}}){\rm{ = }}\sum\limits_a {\frac{{x\left( a \right)}}{{N{{\left( a \right)}^s}}}}$$ where the sum is over the nonzero ideals of the ring of integers OK of K. Here χ is a grossencharacter of K of type Ao. That is, χ is a complex-valued multiplicative function on the ideals of OK such that \(\chi \left( {\left( \alpha \right)} \right){\rm{ = }}{\alpha ^{\rm{n}}}{\bar \alpha ^{\rm{m}}}\) for all α OK, α = 1 (mod fχ), where n, m ∈ Z and fχ is an ideal of OK (the conductor of χ). We call (n,m) the infinity type of χ. The above series defines an analytic function for Re(s) sufficiently large which can be analytically continued to the entire complex plane and satisfies a functional equation. By translating s or applying complex conjugation, we can clearly assume that χ has infinity type (n,0) with n = nχ > 0, as we will from here on. The functional equation is then as follows.
Amblyopia Treatment 2009

Wearing optimum refractive correction before initiation of patching or other amblyopia therapy is associated with improvement in amblyopia in about three quarters of children and a cure in about one fourth. This improvement may facilitate subsequent treatment. For initial therapy of moderate anisometropic and strabismic amblyopia among children 3–7 years of age, patching and atropine are equivalent. Atropine is slightly more acceptable than patching on the basis of parental questioning. For initial therapy of moderate amblyopia, 2 h of daily patching or twice weekly topical atropine administered to the sound eye are equally effective. For initial therapy of severe amblyopia for children 3 to less than 7 years of age, 6 h of daily patching and full-time patching appear to be equally effective. Amblyopia therapy can be beneficial for older children up to 17 years of age, especially if they have not been previously treated. There have not been any studies to date which demonstrate the best therapy for patients with residual amblyopia following initial therapy. There are also no studies that have identified the best treatments for deprivation amblyopia.
A Case Study Evaluation of Subsea Preferential Weld Haz Corrosion

Annual subsea inspections of Murchison's major welded joints have indicated that a significant proportion of the welds have suffered from preferential corrosion of their heat affected zones. Only a limited number of joints can economically be inspected each year, and the programme is normally biased towards structurally important welds with relatively low predicted fatigue lives. The presence of corrosion grooves modifies considerably the weld SCFs and thus impacts the fatigue rankings and choice of welds for inspection. With only limited inspection data, there was a need to identify the extent of the corrosion problem. This paper discusses the parameters that Conoco studied in an attempt to correlate the spread and severity of the corrosion problem with variances in geometry, metallurgy and cathodic protection. Correlations were found which have enabled the successful prediction of location of further corrosion grooves and have allowed a new optimum inspection programmed based on both fatigue prediction and weld corrosion history. The presence of the corrosion grooves in many cases gives spurious crack-like indications with MPI inspection. This paper also discusses how ACPD inspection techniques together with profile moulding techniques were used to eliminate spurious readings and to characterize the grooving shape for detailed fracture mechanicsmore » assessment.« less
Temporal Discrimination in Aphasoid and Normal Children

This study investigated the ability of eight normal and eight aphasoid children to perform tasks involving judgments of succession and order. There was a significant difference in performance betwe...
Off-topic essay detection using short prompt texts

Our work addresses the problem of predicting whether an essay is off-topic to a given prompt or question without any previously-seen essays as training data. Prior work has used similarity between essay vocabulary and prompt words to estimate the degree of ontopic content. In our corpus of opinion essays, prompts are very short, and using similarity with such prompts to detect off-topic essays yields error rates of about 10%. We propose two methods to enable better comparison of prompt and essay text. We automatically expand short prompts before comparison, with words likely to appear in an essay to that prompt. We also apply spelling correction to the essay texts. Both methods reduce the error rates during off-topic essay detection and turn out to be complementary, leading to even better performance when used in unison.
STUDY OF SOME HEXANUCLEAR MIXED-METAL CLUSTER COMPOUNDS CONTAINING TANTALUM AND MOLYBDENUM.

Three new mixed-metal cluster compounds containing tantalum and molybdenum were prepared and characterized by their electronic spectra, far infrared spectra, and magnetic properties. The compounds, derivatives of the Ta$sub 6$Cl$sub 12$$sup n+$ clusters, were formulated as (R$sub 4$N)$$sub 2.3{Ta$$sub 5$MoCl$sub12$)Cl$sub 6$] and (R$sub 4$N$sub 2$${(Ta$$sub 4$Mo$sub 2$Cl$sub12$)Cl$sub 6$]. (author)
Shedding light on black titania.

Multiscale modelling provides atomic-level insights into how oxygen vacancy defect nucleation leads to the formation of the visible light photocatalyst black titania.
Rhythms of life: circadian disruption and brain disorders across the lifespan.

Many processes in the human body — including brain function — are regulated over the 24-hour cycle, and there are strong associations between disrupted circadian rhythms (for example, sleep–wake cycles) and disorders of the CNS. Brain disorders such as autism, depression and Parkinson disease typically develop at certain stages of life, and circadian rhythms are important during each stage of life for the regulation of processes that may influence the development of these disorders. Here, we describe circadian disruptions observed in various brain disorders throughout the human lifespan and highlight emerging evidence suggesting these disruptions affect the brain. Currently, much of the evidence linking brain disorders and circadian dysfunction is correlational, and so whether and what kind of causal relationships might exist are unclear. We therefore identify remaining questions that may direct future research towards a better understanding of the links between circadian disruption and CNS disorders.
Automatic Nonnutritive Suck Waveform Discrimination and Feature Extraction in Preterm Infants

Background and Objective: The emergence of the nonnutritive suck (NNS) pattern in preterm infants reflects the integrity of the brain and is used by clinicians in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) to assess feeding readiness and oromotor development. A critical need exists for an integrated software platform that provides NNS signal preprocessing, adaptive waveform discrimination, feature detection, and batch processing of big data sets across multiple NICU sites. Thus, the goal was to develop and describe a cross-platform graphical user interface (GUI) and terminal application known as NeoNNS for single and batch file time series and frequency-domain analyses of NNS compression pressure waveforms using analysis parameters derived from previous research on NNS dynamics. Methods. NeoNNS was implemented with Python and the Tkinter GUI package. The NNS signal-processing pipeline included a low-pass filter, asymmetric regression baseline correction, NNS peak detection, and NNS burst classification. Data visualizations and parametric analyses included time- and frequency-domain view, NNS spatiotemporal index view, and feature cluster analysis to model oral feeding readiness. Results. 568 suck assessment files sampled from 30 extremely preterm infants were processed in the batch mode (<50 minutes) to generate time- and frequency-domain analyses of infant NNS pressure waveform data. NNS cycle discrimination and NNS burst classification yield quantification of NNS waveform features as a function of postmenstrual age. Hierarchical cluster analysis (based on the Tsfresh python package and NeoNNS) revealed the capability to label NNS records for feeding readiness. Conclusions. NeoNNS provides a versatile software platform to rapidly quantify the dynamics of NNS development in time and frequency domains at cribside over repeated sessions for an individual baby or among large numbers of preterm infants at multiple hospital sites to support big data analytics. The hierarchical cluster feature analysis facilitates modeling of feeding readiness based on quantitative features of the NNS compression pressure waveform.
Local politicians’ advice networks and the prospect of metropolitan civil society

Intergovernmental relations among local government officials in U.S. metropolitan areas have been depicted as the foundation for metropolitan governance. Institutions, including councils of governm...
Discrete eigenseparation-based reduced order homogenization method for failure modeling of composite materials

Abstract This manuscript presents a new reduced order computational homogenization method for failure analysis of composite materials. The proposed approach relies on the discrete representation of the fracture process at the fine scale that consistently bridges to a continuum representation of damage at the coarse scale. In order to achieve very high computational efficiency, the proposed approach builds on the ideas of the eigendeformation-based reduced order homogenization method , but tracks microscale failure evolution over a set of discrete cohesive failure surfaces. The formulation concurrently achieves mesh size objectivity and multiscale consistency by establishing analytical relationships between the microstructure size and the macroscale element size. The performance of the proposed formulation is demonstrated in the context of three-dimensional, laminated fiber reinforced composite configurations. The numerical experiments demonstrate mesh size objectivity in the presence of multiscale failure mechanisms including fiber fracture and transverse matrix cracking .