cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Associations between the female athlete triad and injury among high school runners.

Purpose/background During the 2013-14 school year, over 763,000 female athletes participated in interscholastic running sports in the United States. Recent studies have indicated associations between the female athlete triad (Triad) and stress fracture or other musculoskeletal injuries in elite or collegiate female running populations. Little is known about these relationships in an adolescent interscholastic running population. The purpose of this study was to determine the associations between Triad and risk of lower extremity musculoskeletal injury among adolescent runners. Methods Eighty-nine female athletes competing in interscholastic cross-country and track in southern California were followed, prospectively. The runners were monitored throughout their respective sport season for lower extremity musculoskeletal injuries. Data collected included daily injury reports, Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) that assessed disordered eating attitudes/behaviors, a questionnaire on menstrual history and demographic characteristics, a dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scan that measured whole-body bone mineral density (BMD) and body composition (lean tissue and fat mass), and anthropometric measurements. Results Thirty-eight runners (42.7%) incurred at least one lower extremity musculoskeletal injury. In the BMD Z-score ≤ -1 standard deviation (SD) adjusted model, low BMD relative to age (BMD Z-score of ≤ -1SD) was significantly associated (Odds Ratio [OR]=4.6, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.5-13.3) with an increased occurrence of musculoskeletal injury during the interscholastic sport season. In the BMD Z-score ≤ -2 SDs adjusted model, a history of oligo/amenorrhea was significantly associated (OR=4.1, 95% CI: 1.2-13.5) with increased musculoskeletal injury occurrence. Conclusion Oligo/amenorrhea and low BMD were associated with musculoskeletal injuries among the female interscholastic cross-country and track runners. Clinical relevance Regular, close monitoring of adolescent female runners during seasonal and off-season training may be warranted, so that potential problems can be recognized and addressed promptly in order to minimize the risk of running injury. Level of evidence 2.
Particle Export and Resuspension Fluxes in The Western North Atlantic

Sediment traps were deployed at several locations throughout the Western North Atlantic to measure export and resuspension fluxes. Unpublished nephelometer profiles were examined prior to each cruise and water samples were filtered during each cruise to determine the distribution of particles in the water column, especially the nepheloid layer. Fluxes measured in boundary layers are probably overestimates of the net flux because of secondary circulation and turbulence. Therefore, export fluxes should be measured below the surface mixed layer and above the bottom boundary layer. In areas of active resuspension it is recommended that the export flux reaching the seafloor be measured at least 500 m above bottom to avoid including a resuspension flux component. Our flux data were combined with other data published for the Western North Atlantic to look for regional trends. Seasonal variations in the export flux of organic carbon measured 1000 m above the seafloor by Deuser (1987) (0.2–4.2 mgC/cm2/day) were larger than most of the spatial variations in the deep basin. Therefore, to accurately assess the spatial variations of export flux, it is necessary to measure the annual export flux, preferably in a time-series mode to determine the seasonal as well as the annual signal.
Toward instrumenting network warfare competitions to generate labeled datasets

Unlabeled network traffic data is readily available to the security research community, but there is a severe shortage of labeled datasets that allow validation of experimental results. The labeled DARPA datasets of 1998 and 1999, while innovative at the time, are of only marginal utility in today's threat environment. In this paper we demonstrate that network warfare competitions can be instrumented to generate modern labeled datasets. Our contributions include design parameters for competitions as well as results and analysis from a test implementation of our techniques. Our results indicate that network warfare competitions can be used to generate scientifically valuable labeled datasets and such games can thus be used as engines to produce future datasets on a routine basis.
Abstract WP35: A Comparison of Transradial versus Transfemoral Access in Anterior Circulation Mechanical Thrombectomy

Background: The transradial approach (TRA) to endovascular procedures decreases access site morbidity and mortality when compared to the traditional transfemoral technique (TFA). Despite its improv...
Evolution of litter size in North America's most common small mammal: an informatics-based approach

Determining the environmental and ecological drivers of variation in mammalian life histories is essential for effectively monitoring responses of these taxa to global change. We investigated relationships between climate and an integral life history trait (litter size) in the geographically widespread North American deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus). Using a spatiotemporally comprehensive data set of P. maniculatus embryo counts assembled from digitized museum specimens and small mammal census records (> 2,000 observations spanning more than a century), we modeled the associations of litter size with short- and long-term climate variables, and tested for shifts in litter size in response to recent climate change. Litter size in P. maniculatus was correlated with length of the frost-free period, suggesting the former trait may have evolved partly as a response to abiotic or resource-driven constraints on the number of annual breeding opportunities. Short-term climate variables (temperature and precipitation during breeding) were significant predictors of litter size in some models; however, all short-and long-term climate variables other than number of frost-free days added marginal predictive power. Further analyses confirmed age-structured breeding in the most seasonal regions, where maternal body sizes and litter sizes both decrease within a year, although maternal body size itself was poorly predictive of litter size in these populations. We also found a statistically significant decrease in P. maniculatus litter size through time and across known frost-free period regimes (pre- and post-1980), as predicted if longer frost-free periods are increasing lifetime breeding opportunities in this species, although more work is required to confirm this trend and identify underlying mechanisms. Our study refines understanding of climate impacts on P. maniculatus life history and reiterates the great potential of digitized specimen data to help address outstanding questions in mammalian life history and climate change response.
Injuries associated with long working hours among employees in the US mining industry: risk factors and adverse outcomes.

Objectives The mining industry is increasingly adopting extended workdays of 10–12 hour shifts. Studies demonstrate that long work hours are associated with psychomotor impairments caused by fatigue and an increased risk of injury. However, studies involving miners remain limited. This analysis aimed to identify risk factors associated with long working hour injuries and to determine if long working hour incidents were associated with being killed or incidents involving multiple injured workers. Methods Data from US Mine Safety and Health Administration Part 50 reports, 1983–2015, were used to identify long working hour injuries, which were defined as incidents occurring nine or more hours after the start of a shift. Results A total of 52 206 injuries (9.6%) occurred during long working hours. The proportion of long working hour injuries increased from 5.5% of all injuries in 1983 to its peak in 2015 at 13.9% (p Conclusions Long working hour injuries were associated with a lack of routine, being new at the mine and specific mining activities. An international shift towards using contract labour and extended workdays indicates that injuries during long working hours will likely continue to grow as a problem in the mining industry.
Vowel coarticulation in the Buckeye corpus

Theories of vowel perception, production, and acquisition have moved on from the early simple assumption of a single target for each vowel in auditory space, and yet modern variations continue to employ this notion in more sophisticated garb. The vowel prototype is lately conceived as the result of an auditory processing function incorporating information about both vowel dynamics and flanking sounds. Vowel sounds most often are flanked by consonants which are coarticulated with the vowel. It is commonly presumed that listeners apply an unknown auditory transformation to undo the coarticulatory effects when processing speech cognitively. This presumption requires coarticulation to be systematically predictable from neighboring consonants, which some studies have not found to be the case. The present study examines the vowel formants of 35 speakers from the Buckeye corpus of American English. It is found that consonant-vowel coarticulation effects are not sufficiently systematic across speakers to be predictable from the consonants. Moreover, since the coarticulation effects are so large and ubiquitous, there are no “ideal” vowels to be found in the data. There appears to be no way to transform such acoustic data by relying on the consonants that could yield a set of ideal vowel prototypes.
Cadence impact on cardiopulmonary, metabolic and biomechanical loading during downhill running

Abstract Background Distance runners can approach long descents with slow cadence and long steps, or a fast cadence with shorter steps. These approaches differentially affect mechanical loading and energy demand. Research question This study determined the cadence range in which biomechanical loads, caloric unit cost and energy cost were simultaneously minimized during downhill running (DR). Methods Trained runners (N = 40; 25.6 ± 7.2 yr; 42.5% female) participated in this experimental study. Participants ran on an instrumented treadmill while wearing a portable gas analyzer during six conditions: control normal level running (LR) at 0 deg inclination (CON-0); control DR -6 deg inclinaton (CON-6); DR at cadences +/-5% and +/-10% different from CON-6. A motion analysis system was used to capture running motion, and an instrumented treadmill captured force data. Cardiopulmonary measures, rating of perceived exertion (RPE), and biomechanical measures (temporal spatial parameters, peak ground reaction forces [GRF], vertical average loading rate [VALR], impulses) were calculated. Caloric unit cost and energy costs were standardized per unit distance. Results Running at -10% cadence increased HR by 10 bpm compared to CON-6 (p Significance Changing cadence across level and downhill stretches is likely not necessary and may actually increase perceived effort of running. Running downhill at cadences that range +/-5% of preferred simultaneously minimize caloric unit cost and impulse loading.
Surgeon Reimbursement Unchanged as Hospital Charges and Reimbursements Increase for Total Joint Arthroplasty.

Abstract Background Despite increasing demands on physicians and hospitals to increase value and reduce unnecessary costs, reimbursement for healthcare services has been under downward pressure for several years. This study aimed to analyze the trend in hospital charges and payments relative to corresponding surgeon charges and payments in a Medicare population for total hip (THA) and knee arthroplasty (TKA). Methods The 5% Medicare sample database was used to capture hospital and surgeon charges and payments related to 56,228 patients who underwent primary THA and 117,698 patients who underwent primary TKA between 2005 and 2014. Two values were calculated: (1) the charge multiplier (CM), the ratio of hospital to surgeon charges and (2) the payment multiplier (PM), the ratio of hospital to surgeon payments. Year-to-year variation and regional trends in patient demographics, Charlson Comorbidity Index, length of stay (LOS), CM, and PM were evaluated. Results Hospital charges were significantly higher than surgeon charges and increased substantially for both THA (CM increased from 8.7 to 11.5, P Conclusion Hospital charges and payments relative to surgeon charges and payments have increased substantially for THA and TKA despite stable patient complexity and decreasing LOS.
Change in Self-Reported Motivation before to after Test Completion: Relation with Performance

AbstractPerceived test importance and test-taking effort are typically measured after test completion, contrary to the temporal ordering specified by expectancy-value theory. Retrospective importan...
Consumerism in Contemporary China

Why have the values of consumerism become predominant in the contemporary world? This chapter explores the rise of consumerism through the recent history of China and the spread of its defining value. Consumerism is embedded in industrialization everywhere. Consumerism has not spread spontaneously. The history of China since the Communist Revolution in 1949 suggests that every industrializing state has played a critical role in spreading consumerist values. Because humans and their institutions create consumerism, the possibility of promoting non-consumerist values exists. In recent decades, more consumerism also has seen more opposition to the values associated with consumerism. However, it remains an open question whether the recent history of consumerism also suggests the ability of non-consumerist values to resist commodification—and defy being turned into consumerist expressions.
Assessment of Disparities in Digital Access Among Medicare Beneficiaries and Implications for Telemedicine

This cross-sectional study uses data from the 2018 American Community Survey to assess disparities in digital access among Medicare beneficiaries by demographic and socioeconomic characteristics.
Obesity is Associated with Shorter Telomere Length in Prostate Stromal Cells in Men with Aggressive Prostate Cancer.

In our prior studies, obesity was associated with shorter telomeres in prostate cancer associated stromal cells (CAS), and shorter CAS telomeres were associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer death. To determine if the association between obesity and shorter CAS telomeres is replicable, we conducted a pooled analysis of 790 men who were surgically treated for prostate cancer, whose tissue samples were arrayed on five tissue microarray (TMA) sets. Telomere signal was measured using a quantitative telomere-specific FISH assay and normalized to DAPI for 351 CAS cells (mean) per man; men were assigned their median value. Weight and height at surgery, collected via questionnaire or medical record, were used to calculate body mass index (BMI; kg/m2) and categorize men as normal ( =30). Analyses were stratified by grade and stage. Men were divided into tertiles of TMA- (overall) or TMA- and disease aggressiveness- (stratified) specific distributions; short CAS telomere status was defined by the bottom two tertiles. We used generalized linear mixed models to estimate the association between obesity and short CAS telomeres, adjusting for age, race, TMA set, pathologic stage and grade. Obesity was not associated with short CAS telomeres overall, or among men with non-aggressive disease. Among men with aggressive disease (Gleason>=4+3 and stage>T2), obese men had a 3-fold increased odds of short CAS telomeres (OR: 3.06, 95%CI: 1.07-8.75; P-trend=0.045) when compared to normal weight men. Telomere shortening in prostate stromal cells may be one mechanism through which lifestyle influences lethal prostate carcinogenesis.
Variable Gate Voltage Control for Paralleled SiC MOSFETs

Silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFETs have been widely used in different power conversion applications due to their advantages of high switching frequency and low loss. Parallel connection of SiC MOSFET is a cost-effective and necessary solution for high power rating converter. However, due to the differences of devices parameters, imbalance current exists, which may damage the system. In this paper, the issues of the paralleling SiC MOSFETs are well analyzed based on the static characteristics of the devices. Based on the analysis, we can find that the unbalanced transient current caused by the differences of threshold voltages are important and require to be mitigated when paralleling SiC MOSFETs. Then, the operational principles of the proposed variable gate voltage control are presented. Simulation and experiment results are presented and analyzed to validate the effectiveness of the proposed active gate driving method.
Using Law School Faculty Author Profiles to Promote Impact: The U.S. News & World Report Saga Continues

INTRODUCTION: When U.S. News & World Report announced that it would rank law schools’ scholarly impact, U.S. News asked law schools to work with HeinOnline, a legal database, to ensure the accuracy of the database-created faculty author profiles because they would be using Hein’s database to gather citation metrics to measure scholarly impact. DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM: This practice article describes a project at UNC Chapel Hill in the law library to ensure that their faculty publications were included in HeinOnline’s database and that HeinOnline Author Profiles were accurate. This case study helps librarians tackling either similar law library projects or similar projects throughout academia as metrics gathering for scholarly impact in a variety of manners, including educational rankings, becomes more prevalent. NEXT STEPS: Following this project, Hein contacted UNC to inform the law library they had identified an additional 119 articles for faculty members not previously attached to UNC faculty Hein Author Profiles. Some implications from this project are unclear and changing methodology, scalability issues, authority control concerns, lack of capturing interdisciplinary works, and an increased workload for librarians. Librarians, especially Scholarly Communications Librarians, are well equipped to promote our faculty’s scholarship by understanding the methodology of these educational ranking systems and by connecting our faculty and their research to the database tools of our field. This article represents just one field, but the implications apply more broadly.
Racial/ethnic discrimination as race-based trauma and suicide-related risk in racial/ethnic minority young adults: The explanatory roles of stress sensitivity and dissociation.

Objective: Drawing on race-based trauma models, the present study examined common reactions to trauma exposure (i.e., stress sensitivity, dissociative symptoms, depressive symptoms), as potential explanatory factors in the relation between racial/ethnic discrimination and suicide-related risk among racial and ethnic minority young adults. Method: A group of racial and ethnic minority (N = 747; 61% women; 63% U.S.-born; 34% Asian American) young adults, ages 18-29 (M = 19.84; SD = 2.22), completed a battery of self-report measures online. Accounting for demographics and other trauma exposures, direct and indirect associations between racial/ethnic discrimination and suicide attempt (SA) through stress sensitivity, dissociative symptoms, depressive symptoms, and suicide ideation (SI) were examined using hierarchical linear regression models and bootstrapping methods. Results: There was a direct association between racial/ethnic discrimination and stress sensitivity, dissociative symptoms, and depressive symptoms, but not SI or SA, after accounting for demographics and trauma exposures. There was also an indirect association between racial/ethnic discrimination and SI and SA through stress sensitivity, dissociative symptoms, and depressive symptoms. Conclusion: Experiences of racial/ethnic discrimination may function as a source of traumatic stress in racial and ethnic minority young adults to confer risk for SI and SA via stress sensitivity, dissociation, and depressive symptoms. Addressing racial/ethnic discrimination may help reduce suicide-related risk by targeting stress-related exposures particularly relevant to racial and ethnic minority young adults. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Automatic power control method of regional power grid considering voltage control electrolytic aluminum load

Automatic power control system (APC) is a set of real-time control system based on the upgrade of automatic generation control (AGC) system. The system regulates the generator and other active power adjustable equipment uniformly. Electrolytic aluminum (EA) load is a kind of adjustable equipment with great adjustable potential. This paper proposes a set of APC system architecture considering EA load, and describes the functions of each module, data interaction content and operation process of APC system. According to the power consumption characteristics of EA load, the equivalent model of EA load is built, the control constraints are refined, and the control strategy is proposed and applied to APC. Finally, APC system considering EA load is deployed on a provincial dispatching platform in Northwest China, and simulation is carried out based on Northwest power grid model. According to the simulation results, the influence on the control performance and reserve capacity is analyzed.
Modeling of Darcy's Flow in Generally Anisotropic Porous Media Containing Discontinuity Surface by SGBEM-FEM Coupling

In this paper we present a computational procedure for modeling steady-state, Darcy’s flow in a generally anisotropic porous medium containing the discontinuity surface. This computational technique provides a useful means to gain an insight into certain real problems, e.g. flow in a porous reservoir containing seals and/or fractures. The technique employs a weakly singular, symmetric Galerkin boundary element method (SGBEM) to model fluid flow within a (local and homogeneous) region containing the discontinuity surface while employs a standard Galerkin finite element method (FEM) to treat fluid flow in the remaining (possibly very complex and nonhomogeneous) region. The SGBEM is based on a pair of weakly singular, weak-form fluid pressure and fluid flux integral equations which contains only weakly singular kernels of O(1/r) and is applicable to both isotropic and generally anisotropic permeability [1,2]. The formulations of the two methods are properly combined to obtain a final formulation which is in a symmetric form.
Economic Evaluation with Hormetic, Hockey-Stick, and Linear Response Functions: An Application to Radon in Drinking Water

Economic evaluation of policies to reduce exposure to environmental-health threats usually assumes that the exposure-response function is linear and exhibits no threshold exposure below which the incremental risk is zero. However, for many agents there is evidence that the exposure-response function has a threshold below which exposure produces no incremental risk, or is hormetic so that small exposures are beneficial and large exposures are harmful. We explore some of the practical issues involved in conducting economic evaluation using nonlinear exposure-response functions in the context of a case study: proposed regulation of radon in drinking water. This case study was chosen because of the availability of both an economic evaluation using a linear no-threshold model and an estimated nonlinear (hormetic) exposure-response function. We illustrate that economic evaluation can be conducted using nonlinear exposure-response functions, though the analysis requires more information than in the case of a linear no-threshold function because of the need to account for differences within the population in the benefits of exposure reduction that depend on initial exposure. The indicated stringency of regulation depends on the shape of the exposureresponse function and on uncertainty about its shape, but it is not true that the linear function always suggests more (or less) stringent regulation than alternative non-linear functions.
Explaining the ineffable: AI on the topics of intuition, insight and inspiration

Artificial intelligence methods may be used to model human intelligence or to build intelligent (expert) computer systems. AI has already reached the-stage of human simulation where it can model such "ineffable" phenomena as intuition, insight and inspiration. This paper reviews the empirical evidence for these capabilities.
A Beginning Bibliography and Sample Curriculum for Teaching Psychoanalysis in the Community

This paper provides suggestions for teaching community based psychanalysis, including references and a course outline. It also attempts a brief historical review of how it has faired as a field in the last several decades. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A general theory of multimetric indices and their properties

Summary 1. Stewardship of biological and ecological resources requires the ability to make integrative assessments of ecological integrity. One of the emerging methods for making such integrative assessments is multimetric indices (MMIs). These indices synthesize data, often from multiple levels of biological organization, with the goal of deriving a single index that reflects the overall effects of human disturbance. Despite the widespread use of MMIs, there is uncertainty about why this approach can be effective. An understanding of MMIs requires a quantitative theory that illustrates how the properties of candidate metrics relates to MMIs generated from those metrics. 2. We present the initial basis for such a theory by deriving the general mathematical characteristics of MMIs assembled from metrics. We then use the theory to derive quantitative answers to the following questions: Is there an optimal number of metrics to comprise an index? How does covariance among metrics affect the performance of the index derived from those metrics? And what are the criteria to decide whether a given metric will improve the performance of an index? 3. We find that the optimal number of metrics to be included in an index depends on the theoretical distribution of signal of the disturbance gradient contained in each metric. For example, if the rank-ordered parameters of a metric-disturbance regression can be described by a monotonically decreasing function, then an optimum number of metrics exists and can often be derived analytically. We derive the conditions by which adding a given metric can be expected to improve an index. 4. We find that the criterion defining such conditions depends nonlinearly of the signal of the disturbance gradient, the noise (error) of the metric and the correlation of the metric errors. Importantly, we find that correlation among metric errors increases the signal required for the metric to improve the index. 5. The theoretical framework presented in this study provides the basis for understanding the properties of MMIs. It can also be useful throughout the index construction process. Specifically, it can be used to aid understanding of the benefits and limitations of combining metrics into indices; it can inform selection/collection of candidate metrics; and it can be used directly as a decision aid in effective index construction.
Compartment pressures, limb length changes and the ideal spherical shape: a case report and in vitro study.

Background: Changes in compartment pressures have been noted during traction, reduction, and intramedullary fixation of fractures. Changes in limb length and compartment volumes are suspected contributing factors. Pressure and volume changes are known to be related in animal models. If an acute increase in limb length can adversely affect compartment pressures, reversal or delay of such an increase in length may be of value in the treatment and prevention of compartment syndromes. Methods: A clinical example is presented in which a documented anterior compartment syndrome was successfully treated by deliberate loss of fracture reduction, without fasciotomy. Fracture reduction was later restored when swelling subsided. Anterior compartment pressures were recorded in response to limb length changes in osteotomized cadaver limbs stabilized with external fixation. Results: The pressure in the anterior compartment varies directly with acute changes in the length of the leg, in an experimental model. Mathematical analysis indicates that available volume within a compartment varies inversely with acute changes in its length. Conclusions: Fracture reduction that restores the length of an acutely injured extremity may increase pressure in the compartments by decreasing available volume. Deliberate loss of reduction can decrease pressure in the compartments, offering a potential alternative to fasciotomy in the care of compartment syndrome in cautiously selected, monitored patients. Early stabilization without reduction, followed by delayed reduction, may be preferable during treatment of fractures prone to compartment syndrome. Decreased available compartment volume may contribute to compartment syndrome after distraction with intramedullary rods or skeletal traction.
Specular UV reflectance measurements for cavity radiometer design.

Specular reflectance measurements were made on a black paint used in a solar constant monitoring cavity radiometer. Interference filters peaking at 180, 200, and 220 nm were used in conjunction with a deuterium lamp source and a silicon photodiode detector. Results showed that the black paint was specular for light incident 60° from normal and it reflected ~8% of the light at these wavelengths. We conclude that the high absorptance of the radiometer calculated for visible wavelengths should remain valid down to ~190-nm UV wavelengths.
Chemosensory organs as models of neuronal synapses

Neuronal synapses are important microstructures that underlie complex cognitive capacities. Recent studies, primarily in Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster, have revealed surprising parallels between these synapses and the 'chemosensory synapses' that reside at the tips of chemosensory cells that respond to environmental stimuli. Similarities in the structures, mechanisms of action and specific molecules found at these sites extend to the presynaptic, postsynaptic and glial entities composing both synapse types. In this article I propose that chemosensory synapses may serve as useful models of neuronal synapses, and consider the possibility that the two synapse types derive from a common ancestral structure.
Gravitational microlensing and the galactic halo.

By means of extensive galactic modeling we study the implications of the MACHO, EROS, and OGLE microlensing results for the composition of the dark halo of the Galaxy as well as for other properties of the Galaxy. While microlensing toward the LMC most directly probes the halo MACHO mass fraction, microlensing toward the bulge is almost equally important as it strongly constrains the Galactic model. We take the Galaxy to be comprised of luminous and dark disk components, a bulge, and a dark halo consisting of both MACHO's and cold dark matter with each component being described by several observationally motivated parameters. We pare down an initial model space of millions of galactic models to viable models, those which are consistent with the observational data, including rotation curve, local projected mass density, and microlensing rates toward the LMC and bulge. On the basis of a conservative, minimal set of observational constraints an all-MACHO halo cannot yet be excluded, although in most viable models of the Galaxy the halo MACHO fraction is between 0% and 30%, consistent with expectations for a universe whose primary component is cold dark matter. An all-MACHO halo is required to be light, and when data on the local escape velocity and satellite-galaxy proper motions, which probe the extent of the dark halo, are taken into account, models which have a high MACHO mass fraction are ruled out. We also explore the possibility that there are no MACHO's in the halo. Finally, we point out several important tests that could definitively exclude an all-MACHO halo, e.g., evidence that the optical depth for microlensing is less than 1.5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}7}$ toward the LMC or greater than 3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}6}$ toward the bulge. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
A MASS CULTURE METHOD FOR Tetraselmis sp A PROMISING FOOD FOR LARVAL CRUSTACEANS1

Tetraselmis sp., a green flagellate, shows promise as a good source for larval crustaceans. This paper discusses culture techniques. Typical densities produced in the mass-culture tanks ranged from 275,000 to 450,000 cells per ml.
Members of the SNARE hypothesis are associated with cortical granule exocytosis in the sea urchin egg

Cortical granule exocytosis is important for the block to polyspermy at fertilization in the eggs of most vertebrates and many invertebrates. Cortical granules are poised at the cell surface and exocytose in response to sperm stimulation. Following exocytosis, the cortical granule contents modify the extracellular environment of the egg, the major result of which is to block additional sperm binding. Here we show that proteins homologous to members of the SNARE hypothesis-a molecular model designed to explain the trafficking, docking, and exocytosis of vesicles in the secretory compartment-are present in eggs at the right time and place to be involved in the regulation of cortical granule exocytosis. Using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) screens we have found homologues of synaptobrevin/VAMP, syntaxin, synaptotagmin, and rab3. Antibodies generated to fusion proteins or to synthetic peptides encoded by the cloned cDNAs were used in an immunofluorescence assay to show that each of the cognate proteins are present in the cortex of the egg. A synaptobrevin/VAMP homologue appears to be specifically associated with the membrane of cortical granules before fertilization and, following cortical granule exocytosis, is incorporated into the plasma membrane of the zygote. A rab3 homologue is also associated with cortical granules specifically but, following fertilization, the protein reassociates with different, yet undefined, vesicles throughout the cytoplasm of the zygote. Homologues of synaptotagmin and syntaxin are also present at the egg cortex but, in contrast to rab3 and VAMP, appear to be associated with the plasma membrane. Following fertilization, syntaxin and tagmin remain associated with the plasma membrane and are more readily immunolabeled, presumably due to an increased accessibility of the antibodies to the target protein domains. We also show by immunoblotting experiments that the cognate proteins are of the sizes predicted for these homologues. These results suggest that at least some steps in the biology of cortical granules may be mediated by SNARE homologues, and this finding, along with the unique biology of cortical granules, should facilitate examination of specific events of the fertilization reaction and the mechanism of stimulus-dependent exocytosis.
Transition of hertzian fracture to flexure fracture produced in glass plates by impact

Abstract The strength and fracture of a glass plate in a three-dimensional state of stress produced by the transverse impact of a spherical body is investigated. The plate is supported by a ring foundation whose radius is comparable to the thickness of the plate. A general impact theory is developed to determine the critical stresses in the plate as a function of impact velocity, plate thickness, and support span. Impact experiments were carried out to measure the impact velocity required to fracture a glass plate specimen as a function of support span. Hertzian fracture was observed at a short span of support whereas flexure fracture was observed at a larger support span. The impact velocity of fracture was measured to be increasing with increasing support span and its corresponding critical stress of fracture was also determined.
Influence of minor Fe addition on the oxidation performance of Mo–Si–B alloys

Multiphase Mo–Si–B alloys composed of Mo, Mo 3 Si and Mo 5 SiB 2 phases offer excellent high-temperature mechanical properties with the ability to resist oxidation via production of a borosilica surface layer. In the current study the effects of Fe addition were examined on the oxidation performance of Mo–2Si–1B and Mo–3Si–1B (wt.%) alloys. The analysis of the results indicated that the Fe addition limits the initial oxidation stage appreciably, primarily by enhancing the fluidity of the borosilica.
Calcium ionophore and phorbol ester increase membrane binding of annexin a7 in alveolar type II cells.

Abstract The fusion of lamellar body with plasma membrane, a distal obligatory step in exocytosis of lung surfactant, may be mediated by annexin a7 (anx a7; synexin). To understand the mechanism of anx a7 action, we tested the hypothesis that anx a7 binding to membranes would increase in order to facilitate membrane fusion during stimulation of lung surfactant secretion. Isolated rat alveolar type II cells were treated with established secretagogues of lung surfactant and the membrane and cytosol fractions were analyzed for in vitro binding of anx a7. In cells treated with calcium ionophore (A23187) or phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), anx a7 binding to the membrane fraction was increased by 120%, while that to the cytosol fraction was decreased by 40%, when compared with binding to corresponding fractions from control cells. Protein kinase inhibitors prevented the PMA effects on anx a7 binding. The lamellar body and plasma membrane fractions of A23187-treated cells also showed increased binding of anx a7. The lamellar bodies of A23187-treated cells showed lower Km for Ca2+ and higher maximal binding of anx a7, when compared with those from control cells. Collectively, our findings suggest that these two agents modify membrane proteins to regulate anx a7 binding, which may facilitate increased membrane fusion activity during stimulation of surfactant secretion.
Secrecy capacity of SIMO and slow fading channels

We present a single letter characterization of the secrecy capacity of the single-input multiple-outputs (SIMO) channel under Gaussian (and possibly colored) noise. To do so, we transform the channel into a scalar Gaussian wiretap channel using standard techniques of communications theory. The result is used to study the impact of slow fading on the secrecy capacity of the channel, and how the use of multiple receive antennas could improve the performance of the system
Further characterization of axonally transported proteoglycans

We report further analysis of axonally transported proteoglycans in soluble and membranous subfractions of goldfish optic tectum. Distribution of transported 35SO4 radioactivity was 35.2% soluble, 63.4% Triton-NaCl extractable and 1.4% unextracted. Proteoglycans isolated on DEAE cellulose were treated with chondroitinase AC or nitrous acid and remaining heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) and chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) were sized on Sepharose CL-6B. Kav values and estimated molecular weights were: Soluble CSPG-0.36 (160 kDa), Triton-NaCl extracted CSPG-.031 (200 kDa), Soluble HSPG-0.37 (150 kDa), Triton-NaCl extracted HSPG-0.37 (150 kDa). For constituent CS and HS chains the Kav values and estimated molecular weights on CL-6B were: Soluble CS-0.55 (15 kDa), Triton-NaCl extracted CS-0.55 (15 kDa), Soluble HS-0.59 (13 kDa) and Triton-NaCl extracted HS-0.65 (9 kDa). CS was shown to be sulfated exclusively at carbon 4 for both soluble and Triton NaCl extracted fractions.
Indirect assessment of small hydrophobic ligand binding to a model protein using a combination of ESI MS and HDX/ESI MS.

Direct mass spectrometric characterization of interactions between proteins and small hydrophobic ligands often poses a serious problem due to the complex instability in the gas phase. We have developed a method that probes the efficacy of ligand—protein interactions indirectly by monitoring changes in protein flexibility. The latter is assessed quantitatively using a combination of charge state distribution analysis and amide hydrogen exchange under both native and mildly denaturing conditions. The method was used to evaluate binding of a model protein cellular retinoic acid binding protein I to its natural ligand all-trans retinoic acid (RA), isomers 13-cis- and 9-cis-RA, and retinol, yielding the following order of ligand affinities: All-trans RA > 9-cis RA > 13-cis RA, with no detectable binding of retinol. This order is in agreement with the results of earlier fluorimetric titration studies. Furthermore, binding energy of the protein to each of retinoic acid isomers was determined based on the measured hydrogen exchange kinetics data acquired under native conditions.
Vascular endothelial growth factor-B is neuroprotective in an in vivo rat model of Parkinson's disease

Developing novel neuroprotective strategies for the treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD) is of great importance. We have previously shown that vascular endothelial growth factor-B (VEGF-B) is up-regulated in an in vitro model of PD using the neurotoxin rotenone. Addition of exogenous VEGF-B(167) was neuroprotective in this same model, suggesting that VEGF-B is a natural response to neurodegenerative challenges. Now we have extended this research using in vivo experiments. We tested a single intra-striatal injection of 3 μg VEGF-B(186), the more diffusible VEGF-B isoform, in a mild progressive unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) rat in vivo PD model. Treatment with VEGF-B(186) 6h prior to lesioning with 6-OHDA improved amphetamine-induced rotations and forepaw preference at 2, 4 and 6 weeks post-injection, indicating a neuroprotective effect. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that VEGF-B(186) treatment partially protected dopaminergic fibers in the striatum and demonstrated a partial rescue of the dopaminergic neurons in the caudal sub-region of the substantia nigra. Altogether our data suggest that VEGF-B(186) could be a new candidate trophic factor for the treatment of PD.
Measurement of total protein in plant samples in the presence of tannins

A method for measuring total protein in situ in plant samples has been developed using the determination of amino acids released by acid hydrolysis of dried plant material. Standard proteins and plant samples were hydrolyzed with 3% sulfuric acid at 100 degrees C for 24 h and the amino acids released were measured with ninhydrin. Unhydrolyzed plant extracts were also analyzed for free amino acids with ninhydrin. Total amino acid equivalents (protein plus free amino acids) of a diverse set of plant samples was significantly correlated with total protein as estimated by elemental analysis (N X 6.25). The Lowry method as modified by precipitation of proteins with trichloroacetic acid was found to be unsatisfactory for dried plant samples due to the incomplete extractability of proteins. Although some alkaloids caused increased absorbance with ninhydrin, interference with quantification of protein is likely to be minimal. Tannins interfered with the Lowry and Bradford methods but not the ninhydrin method.
Infants with Single Ventricle Physiology in the Emergency Department: Are Physicians Prepared?

Objective To assess emergency department (ED) utilization and physician preparedness for infants with single ventricle (SV) physiology between stage 1 and stage 2 surgical palliation. Study design Records of infants with SV physiology discharged after stage I palliation between July 2006 and June 2009 were retrospectively reviewed. Next, a cross-sectional survey of registered ED physicians in Michigan was performed. Results Thirty-three of 42 patients (79%) required 65 ED visits, most commonly presenting with respiratory distress (35%). Six patients died in the ED; 35 other visits resulted in hospital admission, 4 requiring urgent surgery or catheterization. Median initial hospital stay in those with ED visits was significantly longer (21 days; IQR, 17-45 days) than those without (12 days; IQR, 5.5-24 days) (P = .032). Three hundred seventy-six of 915 surveyed ED physicians responded. Most (72%) were unsure of the acceptable range of arterial oxygen saturation for these infants, and 58% felt “uncomfortable” or “worried” about their treatment. Despite these concerns, 59% deemed education in SV physiology as low priority. Conclusions Between stages I and II, infants with SV physiology utilized the ED frequently, often with high disease acuity. Most ED physicians surveyed appeared underprepared for these infants. These findings underscore the need for educational efforts aimed at increasing ED preparedness.
An elastase-dependent pathway of plasminogen activation

In reaction mixtures containing Glu-plasminogen, alpha 2-antiplasmin, and tissue plasminogen activator or urokinase, either pancreatic or leukocyte elastase enhances the rate of plasminogen activation by 2 or more orders of magnitude. This effect is the consequence of several reactions. (a) In concentrations on the order of 100 nM, elastase degrades plasminogen within 10 min to yield des-kringle1-4-plasminogen (mini-plasminogen), which is 10-fold more efficient than Glu-plasminogen as a substrate for plasminogen activators. Des-kringle1-4-plasminogen is insensitive to cofactor activities of fibrin(ogen) fragments or an endothelial cell cofactor. (b) Des-kringle1-4-plasmin is one-tenth as sensitive as plasmin to inhibition by alpha 2-antiplasmin: k" = 10(6) M-1 s-1 versus 10(7) M-1 s-1. (c) alpha 2-Antiplasmin is disabled efficiently by elastase, with a k" of 20,000 M-1 s-1. The elastase-dependent reactions are not influenced by 6-aminohexanoate. In diluted (10-fold) blood plasma, the capacity of endogenous inhibitors to block plasmin expression is suppressed by 30 microM elastase. It is proposed that elastases provide an alternative pathway for Glu-plasminogen activation and a mechanism for controlling initiation of fibrinolysis by urokinase-type plasminogen activators.
Poverty, stress, and support: patterns of parenting behaviour among lower income black and lower income white mothers

The relation between parenting behaviour and poverty has been established, with impoverished parents' related experiences of stress and support typically implicated in the development of negative parenting behaviour. Additionally, differences in parenting behaviour have been identified for families with different ethnic backgrounds. However, whether ethnicity continues to effect similar differences in families' parenting behaviour in the face of the challenges associated with poverty or whether poverty leads to greater similarities or differences in parenting behaviour across ethnicity is not clear. Understanding how parenting behaviour is affected by the challenges of poverty is essential for identifying appropriate supportive programmes to enhance the development of children in these families. To better understand the parenting behaviours of lower income African American and European American mothers, this study identified levels of stress, family- and community-based support, and qualitative and quantitative measures of parenting for 30 African American and 30 European American mothers with children between 3 and 5 years of age. Both groups of mothers reported high levels of stress and low levels of support in their role as parents. Few differences in either mothers' ratings of how they parented or their descriptions of their parenting behaviours were identified suggesting similar parenting styles between these two groups of low-income parents. All mothers used less authoritarian parenting than expected based on poverty levels. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.