cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Laboratory and field evaluation of a pyrethrum-based product (Agrothrin®) for the protection of stored beans from Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in Rwanda

The bean bruchid, Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), a serious pest of kidney beans, Phaseolus vulgaris L., worldwide. In Rwanda, management of this pest in stored beans is generally based on conventional chemical insecticide applications with high residues. In this study, a pyrethrum-based product (Agrothrin®), a natural extract from the African pyrethrums with no side effects, was evaluated under laboratory and warehouse conditions. In both laboratory and warehouse assays, the product was tested at seven different doses ranging from 0.9 kg/ton to 2.1 kg/ton and compared with an untreated control and a conventional chemical insecticide control (malathion). The results showed that the insecticidal activity of Agrothrin® was low and not quick at lower doses and shorter exposure times, and higher doses ≥ 1.5 kg/ton and longer exposures > 2 weeks were needed to obtain an adult mortality more than 80%. In warehouse assays, the product gave effective bean seed protection against A. obtectus. The pest was predominantly present in positive (mean no. of living and dead beetles: 1.33 and 0.83/5 kg seed) and negative (mean no. of living and dead beetles: 2.50 and 3.33/5 kg seed) controls, but absent or in low number (mean no. of living and dead beetles: generally lower than 0.50/5 kg seed) in bean seeds treated with the product. Overall results suggest that Agrothrin® may be a very effective alternative to the existing conventional chemical insecticides in stored bean protection at doses equal to or higher than 1.7 kg/ton of seeds.
Automated debugging: past, present, and future (ISSTA impact paper award)

The paper titled “Are Automated Debugging Techniques Actually Helping Programmers?” was published in the proceedings of the International Symposium on Software Testing and Analysis (ISSTA) in 2011, and has been selected to receive the ISSTA 2021 Impact Paper Award. The paper investigated, through two user studies, how developers used and benefited from popular automated debugging techniques. The results of the studies provided (1) evidence that several assumptions made by automated debugging techniques did not hold in practice and (2) insights on limitations of existing approaches and how these limitations could be addressed. In this talk, we revisit the original paper and the work that led to it. We then assess the impact of that research by reviewing how the area of automated debugging has evolved since the paper was published. Finally, we conclude the talk by reflecting on the current state of the art in this area and discussing open issues and potential directions for future work.
Executive function and dopamine response in Parkinson's disease freezing of gait.

Abstract Background This investigation examined whether aspects of attention and executive functioning differed between Parkinson's Disease (PD) patients with freezing of gait (FOG) based on responsiveness to dopamine. We also explored association of cognition with FOG severity and gait metrics. Methods Fifty-four individuals with PD completed the study protocol: 17 without freezing (PDC), 23 with dopa-responsive FOG (RFOG), and 14 with dopa-unresponsive (URFOG). Standardized neuropsychological tests assessed attention (focused and sustained), psychomotor speed, and set-switching (time and errors). FOG severity was measured using the new FOG Questionnaire (nFOG-Q). Metrics from timed up and go (TUG) tasks were obtained while “on” and “off” dopamine, with and without dual cognitive tasks. Results After controlling for clinical and demographic factors, analysis of covariance revealed a significant between-group difference for set-switching errors; planned contrasts revealed increased set-switching errors in URFOG relative to RFOG and PD control groups. Groups were not different in other cognitive domains. FOG severity was modestly associated with set-switching errors in RFOG but not URFOG. TUG performances while “on” were associated with set-switching errors in PD controls, and with focused attention in RFOG. Conclusion PD patients with dopa-unresponsive FOG are more prone to set-switching errors than those who respond to treatment. Furthermore, executive function appears relevant to FOG severity only in patients who show dopamine response. Together, these findings suggest disruption of a common dopamine-mediated pathway for FOG and ability to monitor rules while alternating cognitive processes. Consideration of dopa-response could be useful in characterizing cohorts and treating FOG in PD.
Equivariant Hopf bifurcation with general pressure laws

Abstract The equivariant Hopf bifurcation dynamics of a class of system of partial differential equations is studied. The connections between the current dynamics and fundamental concepts in hyperbolic conservation laws are explained. The unique approximation property of center manifold reduction function is used in the current work to determine certain parameter in the normal form. The current work generalizes the study of the second author (J. Yao, 2014) and discovers a class of examples of O ( 2 ) Hopf bifurcation with two parameters arising from systems of partial differential equations.
Metabranding and Intermediation: A Response to Prof. Fleischer

This essay is a response to Prof. Victor Fleischer's analysis of the MasterCard IPO as part of a symposium on the topic hosted by the Harvard Negotiation Law Review. In his article, Prof. Fleischer contends that the structure of the MasterCard IPO -- in particular, for purposes of this essay, the decision to create a charitable foundation to hold a large block of MasterCard stock -- suggests that branding and antitrust concerns, rather than economics, were at the forefront. This essay responds to Prof. Fleischer's assessment of the branding implications of the MasterCard IPO by considering, first, questions of audience. A corporation using its IPO structure to communicate something about the brand to the broader consumer market is not likely to be speaking to that market directly, given the presumably small overlap between consumers and IPO participants. In fact, I contend that the audience is in fact a third group through which much of the interpretive work is likely to occur and which will help intermediate this message: financial newspapers, brokers, and the like. If this is the case, then the factual disconnect between the branding message and the realities of implementation that concerns Prof. Fleischer -- i.e., whether MasterCard is in fact a charitable, public-minded organization -- becomes less important: the messenger creates the message. And because such branding intermediaries have a significant role to play in the creation of the brand, recognizing their importance -- in particular, their ability to disrupt the very brand message they are being asked to help create -- calls into question more fundamental trademark doctrines that depend, in part, on a stable brand meaning.
A first look at vehicle data collection via smartphone sensors

Smartphones serve as a technical interface to the outside world. These devices have embedded, on-board sensors (such as accelerometers, WiFi, and GPSes) that can provide valuable information for investigating users' needs and behavioral patterns. Similarly, computers that are embedded in vehicles are capable of collecting valuable sensor data that can be accessed by smartphones through the use of On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) sensors. This paper describes a prototype of a mobile computing platform that provides access to vehicles' sensors by using smartphones and tablets, without compromising these devices' security. Data such as speed, engine RPM, fuel consumption, GPS locations, etc. are collected from moving vehicles by using a WiFi On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) sensor, and then backhauled to a remote server for both real-time and offline analysis. We describe the design and implementation details of our platform, for which we developed a library for in-vehicle sensor access and created a non-relational database for scalable backend data storage. We propose that our data collection and visualization tools are useful for analyzing driving behaviors; we also discuss future applications, security, and privacy concerns specific to vehicular networks.
Methods for detecting horizontal transfer of genes

Horizontal gene transfers are events that have no eyewitnesses; therefore, inferences regarding the nature and even existence of transfer events rely solely upon circumstantial evidence. Two general approaches have been taken to identify genes having participated in gene exchange: either examining the evolutionary history of a gene within its phylogenetic context and equating an incongruity with a transfer or examining the sequence composition of a gene within its genomic context and attributing incongruity with differential history. In both cases, discordance can arise from sources aside from gene transfer, and the degree of the discordance can provide some measure of confidence that a transfer has occurred. Keywords: gene transfer; recombination; GC content; dinucleotide frequencies; Markov models; phylogenetics
The Current Understanding of Clinical Data on Ovarian Toxicity from Cancer Treatment

Chemotherapy is usually administered as part of cancer treatment alone or in combination with radiotherapy, but may also be given to patients with autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus. Although the survival rates for many cancers in females of reproductive age are increasing, quality of life is influenced by complications of chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is toxic to the ovarian cells, causing premature ovarian insufficiency in many cases. In this chapter, we analyse human data describing the effects of chemotherapy agents on ovarian function and their relative risks on inducing ovarian damage, alone and in combination. We also discuss the mechanisms by which chemotherapeutic agents damage the ovary and how this damage could relate to specific biochemical processes, such as BRCA mutations.
The first stars: Where did they form?

Several emerging links between high-redshift observational cosmology and the Galactic fossil evidence found in the kinematics, metallicities and ages of Milky Way stars are discussed. In a flat Cold Dark Matter model with $\Omega\simeq 0.3$ that agrees with present large-scale structure observations, the oldest stars in the Milky Way should have formed in the first halos where gas was able to cool, at $z\simeq 20$. These earliest, weakly bound dwarf galaxies probably turned only a small fraction of their gas to stars, which should be metal-poor. However, the merging rate in the early universe was much faster than the present one, so massive halos with more efficient star formation and metallicities up to the highest values present today in the bulge could have formed less than $10^9$ years after the oldest stars. The mean metallicity produced in the universe by a given redshift is related to the mean surface brightness of star-forming galaxies above this redshift, and also to the reionization epoch if galaxies were the dominant sources of ionizing radiation. The biased distribution of the early dwarf galaxies where the first stars formed should result in an age gradient with radius of the low-metallicity stars in the Milky Way, with the oldest ones concentrated in the bulge and the youngest in the outer halo.
Structure and Bonding in Crystalline Materials: Models for Predicting Phase Stability and Structure

Introduction We began Chapter 1 by noting that the central, fundamental question that motivates continued materials research is, how can elements be combined to produce a solid with specified properties? Previously, we divided this problem into three separate issues that we restate here to provide appropriate context for the final chapter. First, when any given elements are combined under some controlled conditions, will they react to form a compound, will they dissolve in one another, or will they be immiscible? Second, what structure will the product of this combination have and how will it be influenced by the conditions under which the elements were combined? Third, given the product phase or phases and the structure, what are the properties of this material? In this chapter, we will discuss approaches that have been developed to predict answers to at least parts of the first two questions. For the purposes of this course, we limit our structural discussion to the atomic structure. However, we note that to fully answer these two questions, the defect structure and microstructure must also be addressed. It was noted earlier that the quantitative physical models for bonding described in Chapters 6–9 were not able to reliably predict the equilibrium crystal structure of a compound. Despite impressive theoretical achievements and the development of more advanced models during the past few decades, phase stability, crystal structures, and the properties of solids must still be determined experimentally.
Nonfullerene Polymer Solar Cells with 8.5% Efficiency Enabled by a New Highly Twisted Electron Acceptor Dimer

Fullerene-free and processing additive-free 8.5% efficient polymer solar cells are achieved by using a new 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene-linked arylene diimide dimer with a 76° twist angle. The devices combine high (78-83%) external quantum efficiency with high (0.91-0.95 V) photovoltages and thus have relatively low optical bandgap energy loss.
Transitions of Care: A Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Nursing Education Project Across the Trajectory.

Background Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) is a complicated treatment modality used to address hematologic malignancies and other disorders. The complex care of patients undergoing HCT places them at high risk for poor outcomes during times of transition. Education is a critical component of preparing patients and caregivers to move through the many phases of the HCT treatment trajectory (i.e., preadmission, preparative regimens, inpatient admission, discharge, outpatient management, survivorship). Objectives The purpose of this article is to provide a useful systematic approach to the standardization of patient teaching methods across various professional nursing roles in the HCT trajectory (i.e., nurse coordinator, midlevel staff, case manager, inpatient nurse, day hospital nurse) in an effort to improve outcomes related to patient transitions. Methods A performance improvement project based on physician and health services researcher Avedis Donabedian's conceptual framework was implemented at a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in the western United States, with the intention of enhancing nurses' knowledge and standardizing the education of patients undergoing HCT and their caregivers from pretransplantation to survivorship. Findings Donabedian's framework was a helpful model in enacting changes focused on transitions in care for the population of patients undergoing transplantation. For this population, implementing and sustaining coordinated care across multiple nursing roles in a treatment trajectory is complex. However, early possible indicators of success (e.g., decreased length of stay, lower readmission rates) were promising outcomes.
Quality of adult child-aging parent relationships: a structural equations approach using merged cross-generational data

In a study of the attachment bond, determinants of the quality of the adult child-aging parent relationship are analyzed from the child's perspective for 180 adult child-aging parent pairs. Structural equation models are estimated for thefull sample andfor parent-child pairs living more than 60 miles apart and within 60 miles of each other. In the full sample, quality of the adult child-elderly parent relationship is enhanced by greater frequency of intergenerational interaction; a stronger sense of filial obligation; adult children who are married, have less education, and are in better health; smaller sibling unit size; only-child status; and parents who are married, older, and are in better health. Different predictors are significant in thefull-sample, near-proximity, andfar-proximity models, but the direction of significant effects is consistent across equations.
Alternative supported aqueous-phase catalyst systems

Abstract The concept of supported aqueous-phase (SAP) catalysis has been extended to olefin hydroformylations by the use of in situ formed Rh-, PtSnCl 3 - and Co-complexes containing HexDPPDS, TAPTS and TPrPTS as ligands, respectively. (HexDPPDS = hexyl-bis(sodium- m -sulfonatophenyl)phosphine; TAPTS = tris(ω-(sodium- p -sulfonatophenyl)alkyl)phosphines, where alkyl CH 2 , TBeTS; C 2 H 4 , TEtPTS, C 3 H 6 , TPrPTs). Furthermore, some data are reported on the SAP asymmetric hydroformylation of styrene by the use of PtCl 2 [( S,S )-BDPP-(( p -NMe 3 )(BF 4 )) 4 ] + SnCl 2 system and on the SAP asymmetric hydrogenation of dehydro-phenylalanine derivatives with Rh(COD)[( S,S )-BDPP-( p -NME 3 ) 4 ](BF 4 ) 5 and Rh(COD)[( S,S )-Chiraphos-( p -NMe 3 ) 4 ](BF 4 ) 5 complexes. (BDPP = 2,4-bis(diphenylphosphino)pentane; Chiraphos = 2,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)butane). For the sake of comparison, the two-phase catalytic results are also given with each alternative SAP catalytic applications, as well as the appropriate (organic) homogeneous values, which were obtained with the analogous complexes containing the respective non-funtionalized ligands. With the exception of the Co-system, the SAP catalytic systems show similar selectivity only to the analogous non-aqueous catalysts. The anomalous behavior of the Co-system in the presence of water is attributed to the presence of sulfonate groups on the ligand which may interact with the cobalt.
Functions of acidic transmembrane residues in human melanocortin-3 receptor binding and activation.

Abstract The melanocortin-3 receptor (MC3R) is an important regulator of energy homeostasis, inflammation, and cardiovascular function. Inactivating mutations in MC3R gene are associated with childhood obesity. How MC3R binds to its ligands has rarely been studied. In the present study, we systematically mutated all ten acidic residues in transmembrane (TM) domains and measured the cell surface expression levels as well as ligand binding and signaling properties of these mutants. Our results showed that of the 19 mutants stably expressed in HEK293 cells, all were expressed on the cell surface, although some mutants had decreased levels of cell surface expression. We showed that with the superpotent analog [Nle4, D-Phe7]-α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH), E92, E131, D154, D158, D178, and D332 are important for ligand binding. D121 and D332 are important for binding and signaling. Further experiments using other ligands such as D-Trp8-γ-MSH, α-MSH and γ-MSH showed that different ligands induce or select different conformations. In summary, we showed that acidic residues in TMs 1 and 3 are important for ligand binding whereas the acidic residues in TMs 2 and 7 are important for both ligand binding and signaling.
The outcome of extreme prematurity.

Significant advances in perinatology and neonatology in the last decade have resulted in increased survival of extremely premature infants. Survival rates for infants born in tertiary perinatal and neonatal care centers in the United States in the 1990s increase with each week of gestational age from 22 through 26 weeks. Reported survival rates at 22 weeks range from 0% to 21% in the few reporting studies. Reported survival rates at 23 and 24 weeks range from 5% to 46% and from 40% to 59%, respectively. These may not be the maximum survival rates possible because at these gestational ages information is either insufficient to determine that obstetric and neonatal intensive care strategies to maximize neonatal survival were used or it is specified that such strategies were not used. Reported survival rates at 25 and 26 weeks range from 60% to 82% and from from 75% to 93%, respectively. The literature regarding the prevalence of major neurodevelopmental disabilities among extremely premature survivors in the last 25 years is heteogeneous, and the reported prevalances of major disability vary much more than do survival rates. However, the majority of extremely premature infants who survive will be free of major disability. Overall, approximately one fifth to one quarter of survivors have at least one major disability-impaired mental development, cerebral palsy, blindness, or deafness. Impaired mental development is the most prevalent disability (17%–21% [95% CI] of survivors affected), followed by cerebral palsy (12%–15% of survivors affected). Blindness and deafness are less common (5% to 8% and 3% to 5% of survivors affected, respectively). Approximately one half of disabled survivors have more than one major disability. Based on studies of infants less than 750 to 1,000 grams birth weight, it can be anticipated that approximately another half of all extremely premature survivors will have one or more subtle neurodevelopmental disabilities in the school and teenage years. There is little evidence to suggest that long-term neurodevelopmental outcome has changed from the late 1970s to the early 1990s or with increasing survival. Survival of individual extremely premature infants cannot be accurately predicted in the immediate perinatal period. Major disability cannot be accurately predicted for individual survivors during the course in the newborn intensive care unit.
A Sensor Placement Strategy for the Hybrid Adaptive Feedforward Observer

A sensor placement technique is proposed for implementing the hybrid adaptive feedforward observer. The observer is a conventional dynamic observer augmented with an adaptive feedforward component for estimating the effect of persistent, nonstationary disturbances. The placement technique searches for the least possible number of sensors that satisfy two criteria, the observability of the plant, and the lowest condition number of the error dynamic system's state matrix. Demonstration was performed on a one-dimensional acoustic duct. The results show that the proposed technique is an effective guideline for identifying the optimal sensor locations.
Comparison of sea cucumber hemoglobin structures

Abstract 1. 1. The hemoglobins of Cucumaria curata and C. pseudocurata are dimeric in the oxy-form and aggregate to putative tetramers in the deoxy-state. The hemoglobins of these two species are very similar, if not identical, to one another. 2. 2. The hemoglobins of three other holothurians, C. miniata, Sclerodactyla briareus and Eupentacta quinquesemita can be distinguished from one another and from C. curata and C. pseudocurata hemoglobins by SDS gel electrophoresis as well as by amino acid compositions. 3. 3. A comparison of hemoglobins from nine different sea cucumber species correlates well with taxonomic comparisons based on morphological features.
Health policy analysis: a simple tool for policy makers

Policy analysis is not an easy task. Its scope is broad and can include both the analysis of policy process and the analysis of policy content. This paper is concerned with the analysis of policy content and offers some practical guidance regarding how to analyse health policy and link it to health outcomes. An eight-step framework for policy analysis is proposed that public health policy makers and public health practitioners may find especially useful due to its simplicity.
Brown University network - BRUNET

Abstract In October 1981, Brown University completed the Installation of a 300 MHz broadband communication network which ties together 110 campus buildings. The network backbone consists of redundant 300 MHz midsplit CATV systems which are run in underground conduits. Network outlets or taps are being installed in all lecture rooms, offices, laboratories and student dormitory rooms throughout the university. More than 1000 terminals, computer ports and other devices are currently operating on the network. The design and construction of the network, cost, performance and operating experience are discussed. Initial applications and management of the network are also described.
Origin of Woodbine-Eagle Ford Reservoir Facies, Kurten Field, Brazos County, Texas: ABSTRACT

Woodbine-Eagle Ford reservoirs are productive over an area of about 55 mi2 (140 km2) in Kurten field. The Woodbine "C" sandstone is the most extensive reservoir and has an average net thickness of 30 ft (9 m). The "C" sandstone shows distinctive changes in rock type from south to north: (1) a cross-bedded facies consists of thin-bedded, medium-grained End_Page 1417------------------------------ (0.28-mm) quartzose sandstones; (2) a rippled facies is thinly interbedded shale and fine-grained (0.17-mm) sandstone; and (3) a bioturbated facies is highly churned, very fine-grained (0.12-mm) sandstone. These facies result in permeabilities decreasing from an average 47 md in the south to 0.1 md in the north. The "C" sandstone was deposited in a middle to outer shelf location, and sands were supplied by storm-driven or tidal currents from the "Harris delta" to the east. The south limit of the reservoir is controlled by a deep northeast-trending salt dome or ridge, called Hill dome. The upper Woodbine-Eagle Ford section was truncated by erosion along this trend and unconformably overlain by carbonate muds of the Austin Chalk. Sandstone facies suggest that salt uplift during deposition created a high on the sea floor, which was scoured by currents. Successively finer grained sands were deposited to the north under conditions of decreasing current flow and increasing water depths. End_of_Article - Last_Page 1418------------
A GENERALIZATION OF THE BALLOT PROBLEM AND ITS APPLICATION IN THE THEORY OF QUEUES

Abstract The following generalization of the classical ballot theorem is given: Suppose that an urn contains n cards marked with nonnegative integers whose sum is k ≦ n. All the n cards are drawn without replacement from the urn. The probability that for r = 1, 2, ···, n the sum of the first r numbers drawn is less than r is 1 —k/n. By using the ballot theorem and its generalization the author finds G n (x) the probability that a busy period consists of serving n customers and its length is ≦x for single-server queues when either the inter-arrival times or the service times have an exponential distribution. Finally, the author gives the general solution of the classical ballot problem as well as an application of it in the theory of Bernoulli trials.
The Migration Toward Ethical Decision Making as a Core Course Into the B-School: Instructional Strategies and Approaches for Consideration

Many academicians are asking the following question: “Are we ill-preparing our business students if we fail to offer future business professionals the opportunity to engage in a greater understanding of the ethical decision making process?” The authors provide a current review of the literature on the state of ethics education in business curricula, as well as a detailed justification and rationale for incorporating ethical concepts as a core course in business school programs. They conclude with a wealth of resources, approaches, and instructional strategies to help develop a culture of integrity, inclusive of simulations, articles, cases, role-playing, and presentations.
Hematological responses to arsine exposure: Quantitation of exposure response in mice

Abstract Hematological responses of mice to arsine exposures for 1 hr at 5 to 26 part per million volume (ppmv) are described. Exposure concentrations ranged from a no-effect level for the endpoints studied (5 ppmv) to a concentration lethal to all mice in 4 days (26 ppmv). Hematocrit values at 24 hr after exposure decreased linearly with increasing arsine concetration in the range 5 to 26 ppmv; the hematocrit of the 26-ppmv group reached 10.5% at 24 hr, compared to 48.4% for control mice. Hematocrits of mice from all surviving groups were at or slightly above control values by 11 days after exposure. Changes in numbers of erythrocytes paralleled changes in hematocrit. Significant increases in circulating reticulocytes occurred at 1 and 5 days after exposure; reticulocyte values returned to control levels by 11 days after exposure. Changes in erythrocyte osmotic fragility were observed in mice exposed to 15 and 26 ppmv arsine.
Hypodense middle cerebral artery with fat embolus.

A 44-year-old man developed a right middle cerebral artery territory stroke due to a large fat embolism after an aortic valve repair. We briefly review the phenomenon of fat embolism and discuss the salient radiographic (CT) finding in this case – a “hypodense artery sign.”
Electroencephalographic patterns resembling those of sleep in certain comatose states after injuries to the head.

Abstract Eleven patients suffered severe injuries to the head followed immediately by coma. This condition later evolved into stuporous or semicomatose states resembling sleep. At this stage the EEG showed sleep-like patterns with 14 c/sec spindles, vertex sharp waves and fairly typical K-complexes. In all cases the clinical course was favorable. We offer the hypothesis that this electroclinical pattern may reflect a transient and reversible functional state indicative of resolving derangement of function of the midbrain reticular formation.
Global observability of a class of nonlinear discrete time systems

Abstract It is shown that discrete time systems whose dynamics are governed by piecewise monotone maps of the interval are globally observable under a general class of observations. The results rest on the fact that the dynamics are ergodic.
Non-muffin-tin formalism for random-semiconductor-alloy calculations.

Starting from a self-consistent virtual-crystal energy-band calculation, we derive a formalism for calculating the total energy and spectral density of random semiconductor alloys which is especially suited to the ${\mathrm{Ga}}_{\mathrm{x}}$${\mathrm{Al}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{x}}$As system. The method can be made exact for all scattering paths of fourth or lower order (with the rest approximately evaluated) while still remaining computationally feasible.
On the reconstruction of pleistocene ice sheets: A review

Abstract Pleistocene ice sheets can be reconstructed through three separate approaches: (1) Evidence based on glacial geological studies, such as erratic trains, till composition, crossing striations and exposures of multiple tills/nonglacial sediments. (2) Reconstructions based on glaciological theory and observations. These can be either two- or three-dimensional models; they can be constrained by ‘known’ ice margins at specific times; or they can be ‘open-ended’ with the history of growth and retreat controlled by parameters resting entirely within the model. (3) Glacial isostatic rebound after deglaciation provides a measure of the distribution of mass (ice) across a region. A ‘best fit’ ice sheet model can be developed that closely approximates a series of relative sea level curves within an area of a former ice sheet; in addition, the model should also provide a reasonable sea level fit to relative sea level curves at sites well removed from glaciation. This paper reviews some of the results of a variety of ice sheet reconstructions and concentrates on the various attempts to reconstruct the ice sheets of the last (Wisconsin, Weischelian, Wurm, Devensian) glaciation. Evidence from glacial geology suggests flow patterns at variance with simple, single-domed ice sheets over North America and Europe. In addition, reconstruction of ice sheets from glacial isostatic sea level data suggests that the ice sheets were significantly thinner than estimates based on 18 ka equilibrium ice sheets (cf. Denton and Hughes, 1981). The review indicates it is important to differentiate between ice divides, which control the directions of glacial flow, and areas of maximum ice thickness, which control the glacial isostatic rebound of the crust upon deglaciation. Recent studies from the Laurentide Ice Sheet region indicate that the center of mass was not over Hudson Bay; that a major ice divide lay east of Hudson Bay so that flow across the Hudson Bay and James Bay lowlands was from the northeast; that Hudson Bay was probably open to marine invasions two or three times during the Wisconsin Glaciation; and that the Laurentide Ice Sheet was thinner than an equilibrium reconstruction would suggest.
Communication: covalent nature of X⋯H2O (X = F, Cl, and Br) interactions.

Open-shell halogen (X = F, Cl, Br) atoms form entrance-channel complexes with H2O, which play an important role in the X + H2O reactions. To understand their structures and origin of stability, we report an extensive ab initio study of such complexes and contrast them with complexes between H2O and H/O(3P). Evidence is presented to show that the interaction between a halogen atom and H2O is dominated by a weak but covalent bond, rather than dispersion and/or electrostatic interactions.
Another Look at Paragraphs in Technical Writing

Because of doubts about the status of paragraphs after World War II and the influence of readability formulas which emphasize sentence length and word length, technical writing teachers and texts have not been concerned very much with stylistic matters, especially at the paragraph level. However, recent research advances in the fields of linguistics, discourse analysis, cognitive psychology, and readability all redirect our attention to matters beyond the sentence in technical writing. A familiarity with such advances—including an understanding of cohesion elements, the “given-new contract,” and tagmemics—can enable technical writing instructors to improve student writing.
Accuracy of 3-Tesla MR and MR arthrography in diagnosis of meniscal retear in the post-operative knee

This study assesses the accuracy of 3-Tesla (3-T) conventional MR imaging, 3-T MR arthrography, and the combined use of conventional MR and MR arthrography in the diagnosis of meniscal retears as compared with arthroscopy. The study also assess whether there are false-negative cases in which injected contrast does not extend into the meniscus despite a meniscal retear being seen on arthroscopy. One hundred consecutive knee MR arthrograms performed on patients with previous knee surgery were reviewed retrospectively. 3-T conventional MR imaging, 3-T MR arthrography, and the combined use of conventional MR and MR arthrography were assessed for meniscal retears as compared with arthroscopy. The criterion used to diagnose a meniscal retear on MR arthrogram was injected contrast tracking into the meniscus. All patients underwent second-look arthroscopy. Seventy-four patients had conventional MR findings consistent with a meniscal retear. In 83 of the 100 patients, intraarticular contrast helped in demonstrating a retear. In ten patients, there were MR findings consistent with a meniscal retear despite intra-articular contrast not tracking into the meniscus. Ninety-four of the 100 patients had meniscal retears on second-look arthroscopy. Three-Tesla conventional MR examination was 78 % sensitive and 75 % specific, MR arthrogram examination was 88 % sensitive and 100 % specific, and the combined use of MR and MR arthrogram imaging was 98 % sensitive and 75 % specific in the diagnosis of a meniscal retear. The combined use of 3-T MR and MR arthrography allows for high sensitivity and specificity in meniscal retear detection. In some patients, intraarticular contrast will not track into a meniscal retear. When MR findings are consistent with a meniscal retear but contrast does not extend into the meniscus, a meniscal retear is likely.
How should risk adjustment data be collected

Risk adjustment has broad general application and is a key part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). Yet, little has been written on how data required to support risk adjustment...
A tetanus toxin sensitive protein other than VAMP 2 is required for exocytosis in the pancreatic acinar cell.

The neurotoxin sensitivity of regulated exocytosis in the pancreatic acinar cell was investigated using streptolysin-O permeabilized pancreatic acini. Treatment of permeabilized acini with botulinum toxin B (BoNT/B) or botulinum toxin D (BoNT/D) had no detectable effect on Ca2+-dependent amylase secretion but did result in the complete cleavage of VAMP 2. In comparison, tetanus toxin (TeTx) treatment both significantly inhibited Ca2+-dependent amylase secretion and cleaved VAMP 2. These results indicate that regulated exocytosis in the pancreatic acinar cell requires a tetanus toxin sensitive protein(s) other than VAMP 2.
Propionate metabolism by bovine liver homogenates with particular reference to stress of lactation.

Abstract Nuclear-free liver homogenates were employed to study the rate of incorporation of specifically labeled propionate into methyl-malonate and tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates. The liver tissue was homogenized in a hypotonic solution. The medium was supplemented with essential coenzymes and incubated for 15min at 37C. Reaction products were isolated by column chromatography. Liver samples were obtained by biopsy from dairy cows representing various stages of lactation and levels of milk production. Considerable variation was found among cows in their ability to metabolize propionate. The incorporation of 14 C-label from propionate into metabolic intermediates beyond methylmalonate was positively correlated with liver vitamin B 12 concentration. This assay criterion was a reflection of methylmalonyl-CoA mutase activity; however, to what extent variations in propionyl-CoA synthetase and carboxylase and racemase enzyme activities affected the magnitude of this parameter could not be assessed. The absence of stimulation by in vitro addition of coenzyme B 12 was interpreted to suggest that the apoenzyme was saturated with coenzyme. A portion of the variation in ability to metabolize propionate could be accounted for by differences in certain lactation characteristics. In general, as the degree of stress of lactation increased, the ability to metabolize propionate decreased.
A Prospective Study of Complications of Pulmonary Artery Catheterizations in 500 Consecutive Patients

Five hundred twenty-eight pulmonary artery catheters were inserted in 500 patients at the New York University Medical Center between May and November, 1981. Complications occurred in 126 of 528 catheterizations. Serious complications occurred in only 23 of these 528 catheterizations (4.4 percent). These complications, while serious, did not contribute directly to any of 31 deaths seen in these patients. Pulmonary artery catheters were reported by clinicians to have been of benefit in the management of 80 percent of these patients. We conclude, in view of this experience, that the wide use of these catheters is justified, but only if there is a probability that the catheters will significantly contribute to the management of the individual patient.
Robotically assisted ablative treatment guided by freehand 3D ultrasound

Abstract Robots can improve the accuracy of image-guided needle placement over traditional freehand techniques. While many research groups have demonstrated this, widespread clinical adoption of needle placement robots has not immediately followed, because (1) robots are generally expensive and (2) they are difficult to calibrate and register to the patient in a manner fast and user-friendly enough to be practical in the operating room. Our solution to these considerations is a novel, clinically applicable, low-cost system consisting of a robot (manipulating the needle through a surgeon-specified trajectory), guided by tracked freehand three-dimensional ultrasound (3DUS). We address cost by algorithmically enabling the robot to be unencoded, uncalibrated, and mechanically simple. We address ease of use by eliminating pre-operative registration, and nearly eliminating calibration. The surgical tool is tracked and thereby registered imager intra-operatively. A structured 3DUS volume, created using a tracked conventional 2DUS probe, provides the basis for accurate and reliable volumetric visualization, simulation, and planning. The system components are integrated using a 3D Slicer-based software package. Experiments have been conducted on both mechanical and calf liver phantoms (with embedded olives simulating tumors) with an overall accuracy of 2.54 mm and a targeting success rate of 100%.
Existence and uniqueness of pseudo-almost periodic solutions to some classes of partial evolution equations

Abstract Some sufficient conditions for the existence and uniqueness of pseudo-almost periodic (mild) solutions to some classes of partial evolution equations are given. We then make use of our abstract results to discuss the existence of pseudo-almost periodic solutions to some partial differential equations.
Some seventh degree integration formulas for the surface of ann-sphere

A new class of integration formulas is given for the surface of ann-dimensional sphere. Each formula of the class is exact when the integrand is a polynomial of degree ? 7.
Satisfying whitespace requirements in top-down placement

In this invited note we outline several algorithms and features appearing in Capo 10, free open-source software for congestion-driven standard cell placement, mixed-size placement and floorplanning. Capo scales on par with industry placers and has been successfully used with a broad range of netlists. It can also satisfy lower bounds on local whitespace, using several techniques for global, detail and macro placement.
Binding of α-ketoisovalerate to α-isopropylmalate synthase Half-of-the-sites and all-of-the-sites availability☆

Binding of alpha-ketoisovalerate to alpha-isopropylmalate synthase (3-hydroxy-4-methyl-3-carboxyvalerate 2-oxo-3-methylbutyrate-lyase (CoA-acetylating), EC 4.1.3.12) from Salmonella thyphimurium has been studied by equilibrium dialysis. When alpha-ketoisovalerate is the only ligand present, no more than two sites per enzyme tetramer can be saturated under the conditions chosen. The binding is non-cooperative with a dissociation constant of 6.6+/- 0.4 muM. Binding of alpha-ketoisovalerate has also been studied in the presence of propionyl-CoA. This compound was selected because of its close similarity to the natural substrate acetyl-CoA. It is a competitive inhibitor with respect to acetyl-CoA while reacting only extremely sluggishly as as substrate itself. The presence of propionyl-CoA has a profound effect on alpha-ketoisovalerate binding. The number of sites available to alpha-ketoisovalerate increases to about four per tetramer. At the same time, the dissociation constant for alpha-ketoisovalerate increases approx. 4-fold. These results suggest that the active conformation of alpha-isopropylmalate synthase is not obtained unless both substrates are present. They also support the notion, based on previous studies with the feedback inhibitor L-leucine, that alpha-isopropylmalate synthase has a tendency to form "functional dimers".
Practical issues regarding the incorporation of PET into a busy SPECT practice.

Incorporating positron emission tomography (PET) imaging or PET/computed tomographic (PET/CT) imaging into a clinical cardiology practice provides opportunities to better assess patients as well as to expand the services offered by the practice. Clinical evidence continues to accrue, demonstrating the superior quality, the breadth of assessments possible, the diagnostic certainty and accuracy, and the lower patient radiation exposure of PET versus single-photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI). PET imaging is more accessible to non-hospital imaging centers than ever before because of the availability of radiopharmaceuticals that can be generated on-site or delivered in unit doses from regional cyclotrons, and camera systems of lower cost than previously available. In this manuscript, we offer guidance on the many factors a practice must address before replacing an aging SPECT camera or adding new PET or PET/CT imaging capabilities. Key among these are defining the PET and CT procedures the practice members wish to perform, learning the equipment and radiotracers required to perform those procedures, determining whether their facility has sufficient physical space and shielding to accommodate the dedicated PET or PET/CT instrumentation, and addressing issues related to the practice’s referral base, competition, cost-of-entry, reimbursement, and return on investment.
Peer-to-Peer File Sharing Communities

Abstract Peer-to-peer file sharing communities present a paradox for standard public goods theory, which predicts that free-riding should preclude the success of the community. We present a model in which users choose their level of sharing, downloading, and listening in the presence of sharing costs and endogenous downloading costs. In our model, sharing emerges endogenously, largely as a byproduct of users' attempts to reduce own-costs.
Corrosion protection using polyanujne coating formulations

Abstract Growing environmental concerns regarding the use of heavy metals in coating formulations has led to a new coating strategy employing inherently conducting polymers (ICP) as a key component. ICPs (such as polyaniline, polypyrrole and polythiophene) are electrically conductive owing to a system of conjugated double bonds. Observations of metal passivation complement this conductive nature and offer a viable alternative to traditional corrosion protection (1–8). A key potential advantage that the ICP coating technology offers is toleration of pin holes and minor scratches. The basis for this argument is that, since the ICP coating is conductive, the entire coating acts to passivate any areas of exposed metal. This paper describes a model for polyaniline (PANI) corrosion protection and presents data which clearly demonstrate significant corrosion protection in a salt fog environment. ESCA and electrochemica data are presented which show that an Fe-PANI complex is formed in the process of coating steel with PANI. The Fe-PANI complex is shown to catalytically reduce oxygen. Preliminary electrochemical impedance results are also presented which show an additional time constant at 20 kHz, which appears to correlate with the effectiveness of PANI toward corrosion protection.
Inhomogeneities as a Cause of Multiple Peaks of Heart Potential on the Body Surface: Theoretical Studies

This paper describes several studies that contribute to an understanding of the ways in which inhomogeneities and anisotropies may contribute to the formation of multiple peaks of potential on the body surface.
Hand in motion reveals mind in motion.

Recently, researchers have measured hand movements en route to choices on a screen to understand the dynamics of a broad range of psychological processes. We review this growing body of research and explain how manual action exposes the real-time unfolding of underlying cognitive processing. We describe how simple hand motions may be used to continuously index participants’ tentative commitments to different choice alternatives during the evolution of a behavioral response. As such, hand-tracking can provide unusually high-fidelity, real-time motor traces of the mind. These motor traces cast novel theoretical and empirical light onto a wide range of phenomena and serve as a potential bridge between far-reaching areas of psychological science—from language, to high-level cognition and learning, to social cognitive processes.