cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A phase I trial of BMS-247550 (NSC# 710428) and gemcitabine in patients with advanced solid tumors.

The purpose of this study is to establish the maximum tolerated dose and define the dose-limiting toxicity of the investigational epothilone BMS-247550 in combination with fixed dose-rate gemcitabine. Patients with advanced, recurrent solid tumors who had received ≤2 prior cytotoxic regimens for recurrent disease were treated with gemcitabine over 90 min on days 1 and 8 plus BMS-247550 over 3 h on day 8, every 21 days in a phase I study. Dose-limiting toxicity definitions were based on severe myelosuppression, or grade 3 or 4 treatment-related non-hematologic toxicity, or dose delay of greater than 2 weeks due to treatment toxicity observed in the first treatment cycle. Dose cohort 1 received gemcitabine 900 mg/m2 and BMS-247550 20 mg/m2. Grade 4 neutropenia lasting ≥7 days occurred in one of six patients. Two of three patients in cohort 2 (gemcitabine 900 mg/m2 plus BMS-247550 30 mg/m2) had dose-limiting toxicities of grade 4 neutropenia. An additional three patients were treated at dose level 1 with no additional dose-limiting toxicities observed. At an intermediate dose level (gemcitabine 750 mg/m2 plus BMS-247550 30 mg/m2), two of six patients experienced a dose-limiting toxicity (febrile neutropenia and grade 3 hypophosphatemia in 1, grade 3 hypophosphatemia and grade 3 hyponatremia in (1), and five of six patients experienced dose delays. In the final cohort (gemcitabine 750 mg/m2 plus BMS-247550 25 mg/m2), two of two patients experienced a dose-limiting toxicity. Treatment-related toxicites included neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, neutropenic fever, hypophosphotemia, and hyponatremia. Nine of 14 patients evaluable for response had stable disease. The maximum tolerated dose for this schedule is gemcitabine 900 mg/m2 over 90 min days 1 and 8 plus BMS-247550 20 mg/m2 on day 8. Attempts to increase the dose of BMS-247550 by decreasing the gemcitabine dose did not sufficiently ameliorate myelosuppression. Stable disease was observed in some patients with prior taxane exposure.
The effect of quadriceps femoris muscle strengthening exercises on spasticity in children with cerebral palsy.

Background and Purpose. The Bobath neurodevelopmental treatment approach advised against the use of resistive exercise, as proponents felt that increased effort would increase spasticity. The purpose of this study was to test the premise that the performance of exercises with maximum efforts will increase spasticity in people with cerebral palsy (CP). Spasticity, in the present study, was defined as a velocity-dependent hyperexcitability of the muscle stretch reflex. Subjects. Twenty-four subjects with the spastic diplegic form of CP (mean age=11.4 years, SD=3.0, range=7–17) and 12 subjects without known neurological impairments (mean age=11.6 years, SD=3.5, range= 7–17) were assessed. Methods. Knee muscle spasticity was assessed bilaterally using the pendulum test to elicit a stretch reflex immediately before and after 3 different forms of right quadriceps femoris muscle exercise (isometric, isotonic, and isokinetic) during a single bout of exercise training. Pendulum test outcome measures were: (1) first swing excursion, (2) number of lower leg oscillations, and (3) duration of the oscillations. Results. There were no changes in spasticity following exercise between the 2 groups of subjects. Discussion and Conclusion. These results do not support the premise that exercises with maximum efforts increase spasticity in people with CP.
Recent Literature on Lichens—199*

AGUIRRE-HUDSON, B. 2005. [Review] P. Dobbeler & G. Rambold (eds.). Contributions to lichenology: Festschrift in honour of Hannes Hertel. Bibliotheca Lichenologica 88: 739 pp. J. Cramer, Berlin. 2004. THE BRYOLOGIST 108: 340. ALEXEEVA, N. 2005. Lichens from islands in the Russian part of the Gulf of Finland [Samblikud Venemaale kuuluvatel Soome lahe saartel]. Folia Cryptogamica Estonica 41: 5–12, 1 fig., 1 tab. [Lists 171 spp.] ANDERSEN, H. L. & S. EKMAN. 2005. Disintegration of the Micareaceae (lichenized Ascomycota): a molecular phylogeny based on mitochondrial rDNA sequences. Mycological Research 109: 21–30, 2 figs. APTROOT, A. 2005. [Review] R. Turk, J. Hafellner & C. Taurer-Zeiner. Die Flechten Karntens. Eine Bestandsaufnahme nach mehr als einem Jahrhundert lichenologischer Forschungen. 333 pp. Naturwissenschaftlicher Verein fur Karnten, Klagenfurt. 2004. Lichenologist 37: 275. APTROOT, A., P. CZARNOTA, I. JURIADO, J. KOCOURKOVA, M. KUKWA, P. LOHMUS, Z. PALICE, T. RANDLANE, L. SAAG, E. SERUSIAUX, H. SIPMAN, L. B. SPARRIUS, A. SUIJA & H. THUS. 2005. New or interesting lichens and lichenicolous fungi found during the 5th IAL Symposium in Estonia [IAL5 sumpoosioni ajal Eestist leitud uued ning huvipakkuvad samblikud ja lihhenikoolsed seened]. Folia Cryptogamica Estonica 41: 13– 22. [Lists 74 species, with 30 of them new to Estonia: Absconditella celata, A. dellutula, A. sphagnorum, Bacidia adastra, B. caligans, Bacidina chloroticula, Cladonia monomorpha, Dirina massiliensis f. sorediata, Lecanora subcarpinea, Lecidella flavosorediata, Micarea anterior, M. lutulata, M. micrococca, Ramonia aff. nigra, Rinodina degeliana, Thelocarpon lichenicola, Trapelia involuta, Verrucaria bryoctona, V. dolosa, Arthonia digitatae, A. galactinaria, Cercidospora macrospora, Cornutispora lichenicola, Marchandiomyces aurantiacus, Merismatium heterophractum, Phoma epiphyscia, Pronectria xanthoriae, Telogalla olivieri, Trichonectria anisospora, T. hirta.] ARUP, U. & M. WESTBERG. 2005. Candelariella medians
Embedding electronic circuits by laser direct-write

Significant reduction in weight and volume for a given circuit design can be obtained by embedding the required passive devices, semiconductor IC's and interconnects into the circuit board. In addition, embedded structures allow for improved electrical performance and enhanced function integration within traditional circuit board substrates and non-traditional surfaces. Laser-based direct-write (LDW) techniques can be used for developing such embedded structures at a fraction of the cost and in less time than it would take to develop system-on-chip alternatives. In this work, subtractive LDW in the form of laser micromachining is used to machine vias and trenches on polymer resin circuit board substrates, while additive LDW in the form of laser forward transfer, or laser printing, is used to deposit patterns of electrically conductive materials. The combination of these laser direct-write techniques resulted in the fabrication of a fully operational planar embedded electronic circuit. This embedded prototype occupies only a fraction of the volume required by the equivalent circuit fabricated on top of a printed circuit board using traditional manufacturing processes.
Ultrasonic Heating Distribution in Lossy Cylinders and Spheres

A6struct-The distribution of heat generation by viscous loss in infinitely long cylinders and spheres is estimated, based on the lossless acoustic wave distributions resulting from an incident plane wave. The characteristics of the objects are typical of tissue, while the lossless surrounding medium is similar to water. Impedance mismatches of up to 20 percent are considered for 1 < ka < 40. Plots of typical heat generation distributions are presented, and apparent trends are summarized. The greatest spatial nonunifonnity and highest peaks of heat generation were found for maximum ka and impedance mismatch.
Effects of arachidonic acid metabolites in a murine model of squamous cell carcinoma.

Background A murine model (C3H mice) of squamous cell carcinoma (SCCVII) has been used to investigate the role of arachidonic acid (AA) metabolites in head and neck cancer. Inhibition of tumor growth by cyclooxygenase (COX) and lipoxygenase (LOX) inhibitors of AA metabolism has been associated with changes in levels of AA metabolites in tumor tissues and inflammatory cell infiltrates. To characterize this model further, the effects of exogenous AA metabolites on tumor growth in vitro and in vivo were investigated. Methods Following subcutaneous inoculation with SCCVII tumor cells, control (16 mice) and treatment (24 mice) groups were injected with peritumoral vehicle or AA metabolite. Peritumoral injections of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), leukotriene B4 (LTB4), and 12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (12-HETE) were performed for 16–21 days, and final excised tumor weights were measured. In vitro production of PGE2 and LTB4 was assayed in 2–5 day cultures of SCCVII. Exogenous PGE2 effects on tumor cell growth was assessed with the MTT assay in vitro. Results Tumor growth was significantly inhibited (p = .03) following peritumoral injection of PGE2. Final tumor weights were not affected by LTB4 or 12-HETE. Tumor inhibition by PGE2 was associated with increased tumor tissue levels of LTB4 (p = .04). In vitro, SCCVII produced minimal amounts of PGE2 and LTB4, and PGE2 had minimal effect on growth. Conclusions In this model, tumor inhibition by exogenous PGE2 is primarily mediated by affecting host-tumor interactions, although there may be some direct effect on tumor cells. Changes in tumor tissue levels of LTB4 following peritumoral PGE2 administration may be attributable to negative feedback inhibition of the COX pathway with shunting into the LOX pathway. SCCVII cells are probably not a significant source of prostaglandins and leukotrienes in vivo. These data provide insight into the mechanism of action of inhibitors of AA metabolism on tumor growth. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Head Neck 22: 149–155, 2000.
Characterizing the Composition of Economic Activities in Central Locations: Graph-Theoretic Approach to Urban Network Analysis

This research draws on advances in spatial networks by representing a city as a weighted primal graph of a street network; this format takes into account the context of the location and its importance. The link-based multiple centrality indexes (L-MCIs) are introduced to represent location properties in terms of closeness, intermediacy, straightness, and accessibility to all other locations. The proposed methodology was built on concepts of the multiple centrality assessment model. Results from the L-MCIs clearly identified the major city centers in Santa Barbara County, California, on the basis of the geometric configuration of the network. Moreover, these centrality indexes also exhibited some unique properties that could be observed across other network structures. A clustering technique accounted for spatial dependence in centrality values across multiple spatial scales; this technique aided in classifying the region into locations of high centrality and low centrality. The novelty of this approach wa...
Frontal eye field lesions impair predictive and visually-guided pursuit eye movements

The study initially explored the frontal eye field's (FEF) control of predictive eye movements, i.e., eye movements driven by previous rather than current sensory signals. Five monkeys were trained to pursue horizontal target motion, including sinusoidal targets and “random-walk” targets which sometimes deviated from a sine motion. Some subjects also tracked other target trajectories and optokinetic motion. FEF ablations or cold lesions impaired predictive pursuit, but also degraded visually guided foveal pursuit of all targets. Unilateral lesions impaired pursuit of targets moving in both horizontal orbital fields and in both directions of movement. Saccadic estimates of target motion were generally accurate. The slow-phase velocity of optokinetic pursuit (collected after 54 s of OKN) also appeared normal. Pursuit recovered over 1–3 weeks after surgery but the deficits were then reinstated by removal of FEF in the other hemisphere. Thereafter, a slight deficit persisted for up to 10 weeks of observation in two subjects. The pattern of symptoms suggests that FEF lies subsequent to parietal area MST and prior to the pontine nuclei in controlling pursuit eye movements.
Development of vapor deposited silica sol–gel particles for use as a bioactive materials system†

Silica-based sol-gel and bioglass materials are used in a variety of biomedical applications including the surface modification of orthopedic implants and tissue engineering scaffolds. In this work, a simple system for vapor depositing silica sol-gel nano- and micro-particles onto substrates using nebulizer technology has been developed and characterized. Particle morphology, size distribution, and degradation can easily be controlled through key formulation and manufacturing parameters including water:alkoxide molar ratio, pH, deposition time, and substrate character. These particles can be used as a means to rapidly modify substrate surface properties, including surface hydrophobicity (contact angle changes >15°) and roughness (RMS roughness changes of up to 300 nm), creating unique surface topography. Ions (calcium and phosphate) were successfully incorporated into particles, and induced apatitie-like mineral formation upon exposure to simulated body fluid Preosteoblasts (MC3T3) cultured with these particles showed up to twice the adhesivity within 48 h when compared to controls, potentially indicating an increase in cell proliferation, with the effect likely due to both the modified substrate properties as well as the release of silica ions. This novel method has the potential to be used with implants and tissue engineering materials to influence cell behavior including attachment, proliferation, and differentiation via cell-material interactions to promote osteogenesis.
Urban Images: A Social Psychological Approach*

An urban social psychological approach suggests that shared social meanings aid in organizing the complex reality of an urban environment and that place preference may motivate and influence behaviors. The application of procedures for the measurement of roles to urban images suggests the use of discriminant analysis to identify dimensions that distinguish the meanings of downtown Atlanta, city residential areas, suburbs, and small towns. Findings include: (1) the identification of urbanism of place, middle-class social status, and impersonal or quasi-primary interaction as three social dimensions that distinguish places; (2) males, females, whites, and blacks appear to share a common set of meanings about urban areas but they differ somewhat more in their assessments of the areas and in their place preferences; and (3) some of the preferred place images significantly influence the use of downtown Atlanta for instrumental and entertainment activities.
Flood frequency analysis using radar rainfall fields and stochastic storm transposition

Flooding is the product of complex interactions among spatially and temporally varying rainfall, heterogeneous land surface properties, and drainage network structure. Conventional approaches to flood frequency analysis rely on assumptions regarding these interactions across a range of scales. The impacts of these assumptions on flood risk estimates are poorly understood. In this study, we present an alternative flood frequency analysis framework based on stochastic storm transposition (SST). We use SST to synthesize long records of rainfall over the Charlotte, North Carolina, USA metropolitan area by “reshuffling” radar rainfall fields, within a probabilistic framework, from a 10 year (2001–2010) high-resolution (15 min, 1 km2) radar data set. We use these resampled fields to drive a physics-based distributed hydrologic model for a heavily urbanized watershed in Charlotte. The approach makes it possible to estimate discharge return periods for all points along the drainage network without the assumptions regarding rainfall structure and its interactions with watershed features that are required using conventional methods. We develop discharge estimates for return periods from 10 to 1000 years for a range of watershed scales up to 110 km2. SST reveals that flood risk in the larger subwatersheds is dominated by tropical storms, while organized thunderstorm systems dominate flood risk in the smaller subwatersheds. We contrast these analyses with examples of potential problems that can arise from conventional frequency analysis approaches. SST provides an approach for examining the spatial extent of flooding and for incorporating nonstationarities in rainfall or land use into flood risk estimates.
Lamivudine for hepatitis B in clinical practice.

Lamivudine is a potent, once-daily, oral antiviral therapy that is effective and well tolerated in most patient groups with chronic hepatitis B virus infection, including those with pre-core mutant infection. Studies to date show that lamivudine suppresses serum viral replication, causing reductions in serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA and enhancing hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion (loss of HBeAg plus presence of antibodies to HBeAg [anti-HBe]). Lamivudine also improves liver disease, as shown by normalisation of alanine transaminase (ALT) levels and reduced progression to cirrhosis. Lamivudine is effective in patients who are interferon (IFN) alpha naive and in those who have failed to respond to IFN alpha, and it suppresses HBV in decompensated liver disease and in liver transplantation. Variants with mutations in the YMDD (tyrosine-methionine-aspartate-aspartate) motif may emerge with prolonged lamivudine therapy, but most patients maintain clinical control. Lamivudine has a safety profile similar to that of placebo and it is better tolerated than IFN alpha. In conclusion, lamivudine represents a major advance in the therapeutic options available for the management of patients with chronic hepatitis B and should now be considered the drug of choice for most patients who require treatment.
SbcCD-mediated Processing of Covalent Gyrase-DNA Complex in Escherichia coli

Quinolones trap the covalent gyrase-DNA complex in Escherichia coli, leading to cell death. Processing activities for trapped covalent complex have not been characterized. A mutant strain lacking SbcCD nuclease activity was examined for both accumulation of gyrase-DNA complex and viability after quinolone treatment. Higher complex levels were found in ΔsbcCD cells than in wild-type cells after incubation with nalidixic acid and ciprofloxacin. However, SbcCD activity protected cells against the bactericidal action of nalidixic acid but not ciprofloxacin.
Isolation of Infiltrating Leukocytes from Mouse Skin Using Enzymatic Digest and Gradient Separation

Dissociating murine skin into a single cell suspension is essential for downstream cellular analysis such as the characterization of infiltrating immune cells in rodent models of skin inflammation. Here, we describe a protocol for the digestion of mouse skin in a nutrient-rich solution with collagenase D, followed by separation of hematopoietic cells using a discontinuous density gradient. Cells thus obtained can be used for in vitro studies, in vivo transfer, and other downstream cellular and molecular analyses including flow cytometry. This protocol is an effective and economical alternative to expensive mechanical dissociators, specialized separation columns, and harsher trypsin- and dispase-based digestion methods, which may compromise cellular viability or density of surface proteins relevant for phenotypic characterization or cellular function. As shown here in our representative data, this protocol produced highly viable cells, contained specific immune cell subsets, and had no effect on integrity of common surface marker proteins used in flow cytometric analysis.
Increased plasma osmolality stimulates peripheral and central vasopressin release in male and female rats

It has been demonstrated that the neurohypophysial hormones can be released intrahypothalamically by the paraventricular (PVN) and supraoptic nuclei. The present experiments were undertaken to determine whether a physiological stimulus for vasopressin release, increased plasma osmolality, will stimulate the release of vasopressin by the PVN into the surrounding interstitial fluid, and whether the responses are affected by gender. Intravenous infusion of 2.5 M NaCl for 60 min (0.1 ml.kg-1.min-1) in conscious rats resulted in an increased vasopressin concentration in the dialysate from a microdialysis probe adjacent to the PVN. This response was greater in nonestrous females than in males. On the other hand, the rise in the plasma vasopressin concentration was greater in males than in nonestrous females. Mean arterial blood pressure increased and heart rate decreased, but these responses were not affected by gender. The role of centrally released vasopressin in the control of the peripheral release of vasopressin is conjectural, but both responses may be modulated by the gonadal steroid hormones.
Providing Family-Centered Care in Maternal-Newborn Settings: A Case Study

Abstract Family-centered care is a term that has been used to describe caregiving which involves close collaboration between family members and health care providers. The definition of family depends on the parent or parents’ own ideas about who constitutes their immediate family. Nurses must identify the members of the family and how they can be engaged into the care plan to fulfill the needs of the patient as well as family members’ needs. Also, nurses must identify, which family member will be the main collaborator with the health care team. In the maternal-child health care settings, the expected outcome is the delivery of high quality, safe care which will support the introduction of a new family member.
Advances in the Surgical Management of Resectable and Borderline Resectable Pancreas Cancer

Successful surgical resection offers the only chance for cure in patients with pancreatic cancer. However, pancreatic resection is feasible in less than 20% of the patients. In this review, the current state of surgical management of pancreatic cancer is discussed. The definition of resectability based on cross-sectional imaging and the technical aspects of surgery, including vascular resection and/or reconstruction, management of aberrant vascular anatomy and extent of lymphadenectomy, are appraised. Furthermore, common pancreatic resection-specific postoperative complications and their management are reviewed.
Extracting physics through deep data analysis

In recent decades humankind has become very apt at generating and recording enormous amounts of data, ranging from tweets and selfies on social networks, to financial transactions in banks and stores. The scientific community has not shunned this popular trend and now routinely produces hundreds of petabytes of data per year [1]. This is because materials and phenomena in the world around us exist in an interweaved, entangled form, which gives rise to the complexity of the Universe and determines the size and complexity of the data that describes it. Science and technology endeavor to unravel this convolution and extract pure components from the mixtures, be it in ore mining and metal smelting or separation of thermal conductivity into the electronic and phononic contributions. Decomposition of complex behavior is the key to understanding manifestations of Nature. However, tools to carry out this task are not readily available, and therefore, intricate systems often remain well-characterized experimentally, but still not well understood due to intricacy of the collected data. Lastly, in materials science, understanding and ultimately designing new materials with complex properties will require the ability to integrate and analyze data from multiple instruments, including computational models, designed to probe complementary rangesmore » of space, time, and energy.« less
Spin-state dependent radical stabilization in nitrenes: the unusually small singlet-triplet splitting in 2-furanylnitrene.

Geometries and energies of the triplet and singlet states of 2-furanylnitrene and 3-furanylnitrene have been calculated by using spin–flip coupled-cluster methods. Calculations with triple-ζ basis sets predict a singlet–triplet splitting of 10.9 kcal/mol for 2-furanylnitrene, 4.5 kcal/mol smaller than that in phenylnitrene. In contrast, the singlet–triplet splitting in 3-furanylnitrene is computed to be 1.9 kcal/mol larger than that in phenylnitrene. The differences in the singlet–triplet splittings for the furanylnitrenes are attributed to the differences in the radical stabilizing abilities of the 2-furanyl- and 3-furanyl-groups compared to a phenyl ring. Comparison of the singlet–triplet splittings of more than 20 substituted aromatic nitrenes and the radical stabilizing ability of the aromatic systems reveals a high degree of correlation between the singlet–triplet splitting and the radical stabilizing ability, indicating that singlet states of aromatic nitrenes are preferentially stabilized by radica...
Progression of knockdown and mortality of honey bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) sprayed with insecticides mixed with Penncap-M

Carbaryl, malathion, methomyl, microencapsulated methyl parathion, oxamyl, permethrin, phosalone, and binary mixtures of microencapsulated methyl parathion with all but the first two were sprayed directly on honey bees, Apis mellifera L., in the laboratory in a manner simulating field exposure. Knockdown and mortality were evaluated at periods ranging from 0.25 to 48 h after application. Methomyl and permethrin had the quickest knockdown of insecticides tested. Permethrin had a much lower mortality level than did methomyl, within 1 h of application. Phosalone had the least effect on bees. Within the 1st h of application, knockdown occured in 50% knockdown. Mixtures of insecticides with microencapsulated methyl parathion had knockdown and mortality patterns similar to those of the most toxic insecticide in the mixture, but with additional toxicity. Results of this study suggest that oxamyl is highly toxic to bees, whereas it was previously reported as moderately toxic.
Learning of Concepts and Definitions in Different Disciplines

345 college students' memorization of definitions and key words and the associations with their course performance were investigated in nine biology, social science, and English classes. Median rs were 0.02 and 0.24, respectively.
Parafoil Glide Slope Control Using Canopy Spoilers

Current autonomous parafoil and payload aircraft are controlled by deflection of left and right brakes, leading to lateral-directional control. While left and right brakes can be deployed symmetrically, the main effect is to alter speed and not glide slope of the vehicle. Thus the use of left and right brakes produces lateral control but not longitudinal control of the vehicle. As a consequence, landing accuracy is reduced, especially when difficult terrain or significant atmospheric gusts are present near the landing area. Previous research has shown that improved landing accuracy can be achieved using glide slope control generated by dynamic modification of the canopy incidence angle. The work reported here considers generation of glide slope control authority for parafoil and payload aircraft using a novel approach of integrating aerodynamic spoilers into the canopy. Both an upper surface slitspoiler and a lower surface flap-spoiler are investigated. It is shown that significant glide slope control can be achieved with either device.
The effect of depth on development and sexual dimorphism of the sonic system in deep sea neobythitine fishes: The upper continental slope

Background: Cusk-eels from the subfamily Neobythiitinae are one of the major groups of soundproducing fishes on the continental slope. Sounds have never been recorded from a member of this subfamily, and sonic anatomy is considered a proxy for sound production. As the first part of a study on the effects of depth on sonic anatomy, we examined three relatively shallow species from the upper continental slope. Methods: Three species (Hoplobrotula armata, Neobythites longipes and Neobythites unimaculatus) were examined for sonic anatomy (skeleton, swimbladder and sonic muscles), and sonic and epaxial muscle fibers were measured for diameter. Regressions of dimensions and weights of sonic muscles and swimbladders against fish total length and weight were compared to determine sexual dimorphism and relative development between species. Results: Four pairs of sonic muscles (two medial and two lateral) originate on the skull and insert on the medial swimbladder or on modified epineural ribs that attach to the lateral swimbladder. The medial and medial intermediate muscles are generally larger in males than females and are made of relatively small fibers (ca 10 um in diameter), and lateral muscles are generally larger in females and consist of larger fibers as in epaxial muscles. Medial muscles are considerably larger in Hoplobrotula armata than in the Neobythites species. Conclusion: Neobythitines from the upper slope have relatively well-developed sexuallydimorphic sonic systems, suggesting that males produce advertisement calls for courtship. There are major quantitative differences between species. We suggest that sound production involves tonic contraction of the large-fibered lateral muscle pair and oscillatory contractions of the
Graphic musculoskeletal model for biomechanical analyses and animation in sport sciences and medicine

The ability to combine physiology and engineering analyses with computer graphics has opened the door to the possibility of creating the "Virtual Human" reality. This paper presents a broad foundation for a full-featured biomechanical simulator for the human musculoskeletal system physiology. This simulation technology unites the expertise in biomechanical analysis and graphic modeling to investigate joint and connective tissue mechanics at the structural level and to visualize the results in both static and animated forms together with the model. Adaptable anatomical models including prosthetic implants, fracture fixation devices, rehab and exercise equipment and a robust computational platform for static, kinematic, kinetic, and stress analyses under varying boundary and loading conditions are incorporated in the utility software system and the database, the VIMS (Virtual Interactive Musculoskeletal System). In the database, long bone geometry, dimensions, connective tissue material properties and a library of skeletal joint system functional activities and loading conditions are also available and they can easily be modified, updated and expanded. Application software is available for the end-users to perform biomechanical analyses interactively. Examples using the graphic models and the computational algorithms in a virtual laboratory environment for: 1) biomechanical analysis of skeletal kinematics; 2) shoulder joint force and contact pressure distribution in overhead activities; 3) hip joint contact pressure distribution in activities of daily living; 4) ankle joint contact stress and ligament loading during gait; 5) ankle injury and therapeutic management simulation; 6) knee continued passive motion and computer-aided rehabilitation; are used to demonstrate the utility of the unique database and the biomechanical simulation technology. This integrated system will impact on sport sciences and medicine through basic research, athlete screening/training, injury prevention and rehabilitation to benefit both the elite and recreational athletes.
Centimeter Level Monolayer Close-packed of Disk-Shaped Diatomite Particles

Diatomite earth, preferably maintained the morphology and structure of nature diatom, with the characteristic of unique multi-level nanopores and large specific surface area. Diatom is a low-cost at large quantity through repeatable separation from diatomite earth, suitable for industrial application. In this study, the disk-shaped diatom shell particles, size distribution between 40–80 μm, were extracted out by physical settlement method and mechanical screening method. Then, according to the particles self-assembly close-packed principles at air-water interface, the fast close-packed feasibility of hydrophobic diatom shells in a large area was studied. The results showed that by controlling the concentration and forms of diatom shell particles, centimeter level close-packed monolayer can be obtained. The close-packed monolayer area of floating diatom shell particles was over 23.7 cm2, and on drying substrate was about 5.0 cm2.
The effect of local vasodilating agents.

Contrary to the previously widely held concept that nitroglycerin is contraindicated in acute myocardial infarction, it has recently been shown that the administration of nitroglycerin to patients with acute myocardial infarction and elevated left ventricular filling pressures results in a reduction in filling pressure and in an increase in cardiac output, while in those patients with normal filling pressures, cardiac output is unchanged or may decrease. Similarly, it has been demonstrated that another potent vasodilator, nitroprusside, is also capable of inducing similar beneficial hemodynamic changes resulting in improved pump performance in patients with acute myocardial infarction and left ventricular failure. However, improvement in pump performance in patients with acute myocardial infarction does not necessarily mean improvement in the degree of ischemia, since therapy might result in enhancement of function of non-ischemic portions of the ventricle while the ischemic areas remain unchanged or even extend. Nitroglycerin, however, has been shown experimentally to result in substantial reduction in ischemic damage to the myocardium following acute coronary occlusion in the dog. Moreover, this effect is potentiated when the nitroglycerininduced hypotension and reflex tachycardia are eliminated by the simultaneous administration of methoxamine or phenylephrine, both alpha adrenergic agonists.
Calcium and Vitamin D Nutrition

Publisher Summary The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of U.S. Department of Agriculture, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. government.Many aspects of calcium and bone metabolism in men and women are similar. When their 25(OH)D levels and calcium intakes are similar, men and women have similar mean PTH levels. Although the bone turnover rate is lower in men than in women, the decrease induced by treatment with supplemental calcium and vitamin D is similar in the two groups. Evidence from calcium balance studies and from randomized, controlled calcium and vitamin D intervention trials indicates that a calcium intake of 1200 mg per day is needed to minimize bone loss in adult and older men. Men with a usual mean intake of 1200 mg per day did not benefit demonstrably from increasing their calcium intakes. These findings provided the basis for the recent increase in the recommended calcium intake from 800 to 1200 mg per day. Because the hormonal, bone turnover, and BMD responses of older men and women to changes in calcium and vitamin D intake are similar, it is reasonable to expect that men, like women, can reduce their risk of fracture by raising calcium and vitamin D intakes to recommended levels.
International Transmission of U.S. Monetary Policy Shocks in Open Financial Markets

I investigate the international transmission of U.S. monetary policy shocks into open financial markets. Unlike earlier studies that impose arbitrary relationships on endogenous variables, I use the external instrument approach to identify the impact of U.S. and domestic monetary policy shocks in a structural VAR (SVAR) system. Utilizing the identified shocks for the local projection estimation, I further test non-linear features of such transmission. I find that foreign exchange rates respond to monetary shocks flexibly, i.e., without puzzles raised by earlier studies (e.g., delayed overshooting) and that the shocks strongly propagate into other types of open financial markets as well. I also conﬁrm the significant transmission of domestic monetary shocks in open economies, but U.S. shocks appear to exhibit greater and more persistent influences over domestic asset prices than domestic shocks. Furthermore, the responses of international asset prices show cyclical-dependency and asymmetry in the propagation of U.S. monetary shocks and these findings are broadly consistent across all the open economies studied in this paper. These results imply that U.S. monetary announcements and subsequent reactions of U.S. asset prices play a critical role in international financial markets and this can substantially limit the domestic effects of central banks’ policy actions.
Factors Regulating Morphogenesis in Coccidioides Immitis

The parasitic cycle of Coccidioides immitis is unique among the human systemic fungal pathogens. However, at the level of cell wall biosynthesis and modification C. immitis demonstrates features which are shared by other fungal pathogens. Three distinct events in the morphogenesis of parasitic cells, or spherules, of Coccidioides are examined in this study. These include the diametric growth phase of round cells (young spherules), spherule segmentation, and endosporulation. Three enzymatic products of developing spherules have been suggested to participate in regulation of these successive morphogenetic stages of C. immitis. Preliminary evidence is presented that a s-1,3-endoglucanase contributes to plasticization of the round cell wall, and consequently plays a role in diametric expansion of young spherules. Results of earlier studies of a 34 kDa proteinase are reviewed which suggest that this wall-associated enzyme may function in development of the segmentation wall. Data from recent studies of a 100 kDa chitinase are presented which suggest that this enzyme participates in endosporulation of the parasitic cells. Morphogenetic studies of Coccidioides may lead to the identification of regulatory factors which are common to other pathogenic fungi, and therby, to the characterization of molecular targets for development of future antifungal reagents.
The Journey and Destination Need to Be Intentional Perceptions of success in community-academic research partnerships

Research partnerships between community members and academics are dynamic microsystems that aim to increase community wellbeing within complex environments. Efforts to improve health and social outcomes in communities are challenging in their own right, but even the most experienced researchers or engaged community members can have difficulty navigating the collaborative terrain of community-academic research partnerships. Proponents of participatory research models that engage community members as co-researchers are still examining how the collaborative process interacts with, and impacts, both short- and long-term outcomes. As a result, there has been a call for additional studies that employ qualitative and quantitative methods to contribute to a holistic understanding of this approach to research. This pilot study utilized the participatory tenets of co-researcher models to explore how members of community-academic research partnerships think about partnership processes and outcomes, including how they delineate between the two. Web-based concept mapping methodology was combined with individual interviews in an innovative mixed methods research study to further the field’s understanding of how community and academic members define partnership success and evaluate the impact of their work. Our findings suggest that in the early stages of a partnership members rely on informal and intuitive evaluation of success based on how the partnership is functioning. These partnership processes, which serve as intermediate outcomes, largely influence member engagement in the work, but partnerships are ultimately deemed successful if intended community-based research outcomes are achieved. Keywords: community-academic research partnerships, participatory research, concept mapping methodology, mixed methods, partnership process, outcomes
The influence of 3 different navel dips on calf health, growth performance, and umbilical infection assessed by clinical and ultrasonographic examination

The objectives were to investigate the effect of 3 navel dips on (1) umbilical infection, (2) health events (pneumonia, diarrhea, and arthritis), and (3) average daily gain (ADG) in newborn dairy calves. A secondary aim was to compare the agreement of standardized ultrasonographic examination with clinical examination for the diagnosis of umbilical infection. In a randomized block design, newborn calves were assigned by birth order to 3 treatment groups: Navel Guard (NG; SCG-Solutions Inc., McDonough, GA), 7% iodine tincture (SI), and 2% chlorhexidine gluconate (CH). Treatment consisted of a single dip administration of the umbilicus immediately after removal of the newborn from the calving pen with 1 of the 3 navel dips. Weekly clinical examinations were carried out during the first 4wk of life with special attention being paid to the umbilicus, joints, respiratory tract, and fecal consistency, and included ultrasonographic evaluation of the umbilical structures. Body weight was assessed by using a girth tape at first and last evaluation. Multivariable logistic regression demonstrated no statistical differences in umbilical infection or health events. Multivariable linear regression analysis showed statistical differences in ADG (least squares means ± standard errors) between groups, with 494±29, 571±29, and 516±29g/d in groups NG, SI, and CH, respectively. Overall mortality during the study period was 9.5% (n=40). Postmortem examination identified diarrhea (80%) as the main disorder with 19, 4, and 9 calves in groups NG, SI, and CH, respectively. Kappa values yielded fair [0.30 (95% CI: -0.03-0.63)], good [0.61 (95% CI 0.46-0.75)], moderate [0.53 (95% CI 0.31-0.74)], and moderate [0.49 (95% CI 0.19-0.79)] agreement for detection of omphalitis between clinical and ultrasonographic evaluation in wk 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. Agreement was very good for detection of omphaloplebitis, with kappa values (95% CI) of 0.91 (0.80-1.00), 0.87 (0.75-0.98), and 0.90 (0.76-1.00) in wk 2, 3, and 4, respectively, when omphalophlebitis was diagnosed. We detected no difference in the effectiveness of the 3 treatments in the prevention of umbilical infection, pneumonia, diarrhea, or arthritis.
Contrasting effects of precipitation manipulations in two Great Plains plant communities

Question Anthropogenic climate change is altering temperature and precipitation in grasslands worldwide. As grasslands are primarily water-limited, these changes in climate will likely have dramatic impacts on ecosystem function and community structure, yet the magnitude of change and the types of species favoured may differ among ecosystems or even among local communities within ecosystems. How much might plant community responses to altered precipitation vary at two sites within one grassland region? Location Semi-arid and sub-humid natural grasslands in the US Great Plains. Methods At two sites we used rainfall shelters and irrigation to create irrigation, drought and control treatments. We measured changes in species composition, richness, Shannon's diversity, evenness and cover by plant functional groups across 4 yr (2008–2011). Results The semi-arid grassland community was relatively insensitive to precipitation manipulations, and in the few cases where there was a significant relationship between treatment precipitation and the response variable, the slope of the relationship was weak. In contrast, the sub-humid grassland community was very sensitive to changes in treatment precipitation throughout the experiment, and responded more strongly, and negatively, to drought compared to irrigation. Conclusions The differing sensitivity of the dominant species to altered precipitation amount appears to largely determine the overall differences in community response at these sites. The variable responses we observed within a single grassland region highlight the challenge of forecasting community impacts of climate change.
Supervisory system for a wide area damping controller using PDCI modulation and real-time PMU feedback

This paper describes a control scheme to mitigate inter-area oscillations through active damping. The control system uses real-time phasor measurement unit (PMU) feedback to construct a commanded power signal to modulate the flow of real power over the Pacific DC Intertie (PDCI) located in the western North American Power System (wNAPS). A hardware prototype was constructed to implement the control scheme. To ensure safe and reliable performance, the project integrates a supervisory system to ensure the controller is operating as expected at all times. A suite of supervisory functions are implemented across three hardware platforms. If any controller mal-function is detected, the supervisory system promptly disables the controller through a bumpless transfer method. This paper presents a detailed description of the control scheme, simulation results, the bumpless transfer method, and a redundancy and diversity method in the selection of PMU signals for feedback. This paper also describes in detail the supervisory system implemented to ensure safe and reliable damping performance of the real-time wide area damping controller.
The Historical Development of Forensic Anthropology

Although the term “forensic anthropology” was employed in Germany and Austria in the early 1900s, it appeared in the early 1970s in the North American literature. Roots of modern forensic anthropology can be traced to nineteenth-century European centers of comparative anatomy, but it developed in North America through early casework and research. Progress in the modern era has been stimulated by organizational advances, international developments, applications in humanitarian action and human rights investigations, and experimental research.
Individual-level exposure to disaster, neighborhood environmental characteristics, and their independent and combined associations with depressive symptoms in women

The severity of the stress response to experiencing disaster depends on individual exposure and background stress prior to the event. To date, there is limited research on the interaction between neighborhood environmental stress and experiencing an oil spill, and their effects on depression. The objective of the current study was to assess if the association between exposure to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (DHOS) and depressive symptoms varied by neighborhood characteristics. US Census data (2010) and longitudinal data collected in two waves (2012–2014 and 2014–2016) from female residents [N = 889 (Wave I), 737 (Wave II)] of an area highly affected by the DHOS were analyzed. Multilevel and individual-level negative binomial regressions were performed to estimate associations with depressive symptoms in both waves. An interaction term was included to estimate effect modification of the association between DHOS exposure and depressive symptoms by neighborhood characteristics. Generalized estimating equations were applied to the negative binomial regression testing longitudinal associations. Census tract-level neighborhood characteristics were not associated with depressive symptoms. Exposure to the DHOS and neighborhood physical disorder were associated with depressive symptoms cross-sectionally. There was no evidence of effect modification; however, physical/environmental exposure to the DHOS was associated with increased depressive symptoms only among women living in areas with physical disorder. Exposure to the DHOS remained associated with depressive symptoms over time. Findings support the enduring consequences of disaster exposure on depressive symptoms in women and identify potential targets for post-disaster intervention based on residential characteristics.