cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
EGF inhibits the differentiation of adipocyte precursors in primary cultures.

Abstract Adipocyte precursors, isolated from inguinal fat pads of 2-day old NBR rats, proliferate and differentiate in defined medium. EGF stimulates the proliferation of adipocyte precursors with an ED50 of 2 ng/ml and inhibits their differentiation with an ED50 of 0.45 ng/ml. EGF has no effect on differentiated adipocytes. EGF binding studies indicate that adipocyte precursors have two classes of receptors (Kd 4 × 10−11 M, 4800 receptors/cell and Kd 1.4 × 10−9 M, 22,000 receptors/cell). TGF-α has the same effect as EGF on adipocyte precursors. In contrast, basic and acidic FGF stimulate adipocyte precursor proliferation without inhibiting their differentiation.
Long-term results of venous reconstruction after vascular trauma in civilian practice

The natural history of venous reconstruction (VR) in terms of patency and clinical outcome after vascular trauma has not been well documented. This study consists of 32 patients who had VR performed for extremity vascular trauma and were available for long-term assessment (mean follow-up time 49 months, range 6 to 108 months). The types of repair performed were as follows: lateral venorrhaphy (simple repair) (56%), interposition grafting (22%), patch repair (12.5%), and end-to-end repair (9.5%). Seventeen patients underwent venography after the operation with documentation of repair patency in eight patients (46%) and thrombosis in nine (54%). Only two patients had significant clinical edema at follow-up examination. Noninvasive venous evaluation consisted of Doppler ultrasonography, impedance plethysmography, photoplethysmography, and color-flow duplex scanning (CFDS). The photoplethysmography-derived venous refilling time of the injured extremity was 34.9 +/- 16.2 seconds whereas that of the contralateral noninjured extremity was 36.8 +/- 16.1 seconds (p = 0.5). Based on standard criteria for CFDS, 90% of VRs were patent. Eight repairs that were patent in the early postoperative period remained patent on CFDS. Of the nine repairs with early thrombosis, eight were assessed as patent on follow-up CFDS. In conclusion, VR is a durable surgical procedure associated with minimal morbidity, good long-term patency, and preservation of venous competence. The natural history of thrombosed VRs appears to be one of thrombus absorption with recanalization.
Weighing the Universe and its smallest constituents

The masses of both the neutrino and the Universe are derived from a mutually consistent set of equations in which the neutrino is coupled to the ground state of the Universe. A mass of m/sub v/ >
Reducing the Complexity of an Agent-Based Local Heroin Market Model

This project explores techniques for reducing the complexity of an agent-based model (ABM). The analysis involved a model developed from the ethnographic research of Dr. Lee Hoffer in the Larimer area heroin market, which involved drug users, drug sellers, homeless individuals and police. The authors used statistical techniques to create a reduced version of the original model which maintained simulation fidelity while reducing computational complexity. This involved identifying key summary quantities of individual customer behavior as well as overall market activity and replacing some agents with probability distributions and regressions. The model was then extended to allow external market interventions in the form of police busts. Extensions of this research perspective, as well as its strengths and limitations, are discussed.
Mnk kinase pathway: Cellular functions and biological outcomes

The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) interacting protein kinases 1 and 2 (Mnk1 and Mnk2) play important roles in controlling signals involved in mRNA translation. In addition to the MAPKs (p38 or Erk), multiple studies suggest that the Mnk kinases can be regulated by other known kinases such as Pak2 and/or other unidentified kinases by phosphorylation of residues distinct from the sites phosphorylated by the MAPKs. Several studies have established multiple Mnk protein targets, including PSF, heterogenous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A1, Sprouty 2 and have lead to the identification of distinct biological functions and substrate specificity for the Mnk kinases. In this review we discuss the pathways regulating the Mnk kinases, their known substrates as well as the functional consequences of engagement of pathways controlled by Mnk kinases. These kinases play an important role in mRNA translation via their regulation of eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) and their functions have important implications in tumor biology as well as the regulation of drug resistance to anti-oncogenic therapies. Other studies have identified a role for the Mnk kinases in cap-independent mRNA translation, suggesting that the Mnk kinases can exert important functional effects independently of the phosphorylation of eIF4E. The role of Mnk kinases in inflammation and inflammation-induced malignancies is also discussed.
Contractile function and reserve during acute ischaemia in the canine lateral border zone

The hypothesis that there is a lateral border zone with function intermediate to adjacent ischaemic and non-ischaemic tissue was tested in 10 open chest anaesthetised dogs. Four pairs of segment length crystals were placed in parallel so as to span the ischaemic and non-ischaemic zones. Graded occlusion was produced with a screw clamp applied to a carotid to left anterior descending artery cannulation system. Contractile reserve was assessed using postextrasystolic potentiation. A balloon perfusion labelling system was used to label negatively the potentially ischaemic zone and quantify the admixture of ischaemic and non-ischaemic tissue in the lateral border zone, defined by the fraction of normal zone tissue. When the 40 crystal pairs from the 10 dogs were grouped according to fraction of normal zone tissue (FNZT), 13 were in the central ischaemic zone (FNZT less than 0.1), seven were in the border ischaemic zone (FNZT 0.1-0.5), five were in the border non-ischaemic zone (FNZT 0.5-1.0), and 15 were in the non-ischaemic zone (FNZT 1.0). When the lateral border zone is predominantly non-ischaemic tissue, the tissue behaves as though it is non-ischaemic. Segmental shortening before and after postextrasystolic potentiation in the border non-ischaemic zone and non-ischaemic zone did not change with ischaemia. When tissue in the lateral border zone is predominantly ischaemic, it behaves as though it is ischaemic. Segmental shortening decreased in parallel with progressive ischaemia in the border ischaemic zone and ischaemic zone. At total occlusion, segmental shortening in the border ischaemic zone was -2.3(5.9%) and in the ischaemic zone -3.5(3.6)% (NS).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Influence of the Phase-Structural State of the Surface Layers on the Mechanical Properties of VT1-0 Titanium Alloy

We study the influence of various functional (oxide, nitride, carbonitride, and carboxide) coatings with similar morphologies and sizes formed by the thermodiffusion saturation on the mechanical properties (short-term strength, plasticity, delayed fracture, and fatigue life) of VT1-0 commercially pure titanium. It is shown that, for the comparable morphologies of the surface layers, the phase-structural state of the coating exerts, in general, a noticeable influence on the mechanical properties of titanium under various loading conditions. At the same time, the minimum effect is produced by the two-component oxide coatings.
Prosthetic valve endocarditis: a continuing challenge for infection control

Abstract Conventional medical thought accepts the risks of nosocomial prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) to be between 0·7 and 1·4%, the incidence within several months after surgery. More careful actuarial analysis of recent series suggests the risk of nosocomial PVE is 1·4–3·0%, with cases occurring throughout the year after surgery. Methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci are the predominant cause of nosocomial PVE and account for 60% of cases. Intraoperative contamination by Staphylococcus epidermidis of nosocomial origin has led to small epidemics of PVE. Aside from the fundamental elements of aseptic surgical technique, studies have failed to identify elements of intraoperative or postoperative care that might be modified to reduce the incidence of sporadic cases of nosocomial PVE. Prophylactic antibiotics have become an essential element in the effort to prevent PVE. Some recent studies have advocated using cefamandole or cefuroxime for prophylaxis; however, other studies have failed to find these agents more effective than cefazolin. The use of vancomycin for prophylaxis requires additional study. Intensive studies are needed to define elements of perioperative and postoperative care that can be modified to reduce the frequency of nosocomial PVE.
On the Wind Generated by a Collapsing Diffusion Flame

Abstract We examine the stationary spherical diffusion flame attached to a fuel drop, and consider the consequences of an instantaneous reduction of the Damkohler number below the extinction threshold, so that steady vigorous burning is no longer possible. Extinction occurs in two stages that are described by a combination of analysis and numerical calculation, valid in the limit of infinite activation energy. The first stage is characterized by a small but very rapid drop in the flame temperature, and a corresponding small but rapid density increase within the reaction zone or flame sheet. The associated increase in mass within the sheet is fed by an unsteady 0(1) velocity field, induced beyond the sheet, and superimposed on the initial 0(1) velocity defined by the steady state. This induced velocity is responsible, in due course, for the drawing in of fluid from infinity towards the collapsing flame. The second stage takes over once reaction becomes negligible, and is characterized by the dispersion of ...
Local-density-functional total energy gradients in the linear combination of Gaussian-type orbitals method

Gradients of the total energy with respect to nuclear coordinates within the linear combination of Gaussian-type orbitals approach to local-density-functional theory are discussed. We explicitly include the effects of the fitting procedures for both the direct Coulomb and the exchange-correlation energies in the evaluation of the energy-gradient expression.
The reversed alumina contents of orthopyroxene in equilibrium with spinel and forsterite in the system MgO-Al 2 O 3 -SiO 2

Equilibrium alumina contents of orthopyroxene coexisting with spinel and forsterite in the system MgO-Al2O3-SiO2 have been reversed at 15 different P-T conditions, in the range 1,030–1,600° C and 10–28 kbar. The present data and three reversals of Danckwerth and Newton (1978) have been modeled assuming an ideal pyroxene solid solution with components Mg2Si2O6 (En) and MgAl2SiO6 (MgTs), to yield the following equilibrium condition (J, bar, K): $$\begin{gathered} RT{\text{ln(}}X_{{\text{MgTs}}} {\text{/}}X_{{\text{En}}} {\text{) + 29,190}} - {\text{13}}{\text{.42 }}T + 0.18{\text{ }}T + 0.18{\text{ }}T^{1.5} \hfill \\ + \int\limits_1^P {\Delta V_{T,P}^{\text{0}} dP = 0,} \hfill \\ \end{gathered} $$ where $$\begin{gathered} + \int\limits_1^P {\Delta V_{T,P}^{\text{0}} dP} \hfill \\ = [0.013 + 3.34 \times 10^{ - 5} (T - 298) - 6.6 \times 10^{ - 7} P]P. \hfill \\ \end{gathered} $$ The data of Perkins et al. (1981) for the equilibrium of orthopyroxene with pyrope have been similarly fitted with the result: $$\begin{gathered} - RT{\text{ln(}}X_{{\text{MgTs}}} \cdot X_{{\text{En}}} {\text{) + 5,510}} - 88.91{\text{ }}T + 19{\text{ }}T^{1.2} \hfill \\ + \int\limits_1^P {\Delta V_{T,P}^{\text{0}} dP = 0,} \hfill \\ \end{gathered} $$ where $$\begin{gathered} + \int\limits_1^P {\Delta V_{T,P}^{\text{0}} dP} \hfill \\ = [ - 0.832 - 8.78{\text{ }} \times {\text{ 10}}^{ - {\text{5}}} (T - 298) + 16.6{\text{ }} \times {\text{ 10}}^{ - 7} P]{\text{ }}P. \hfill \\ \end{gathered} $$ The new parameters are in excellent agreement with measured thermochemical data and give the following properties of the Mg-Tschermak endmember: $$H_{f,970}^0 = - 4.77{\text{ kJ/mol, }}S_{298}^0 = 129.44{\text{ J/mol}} \cdot {\text{K,}}$$ and $$V_{298,1}^0 = 58.88{\text{ cm}}^{\text{3}} .$$
Colorectal cancer and socioeconomic status in Miami-Dade County: Neighborhood-level associations before and after the Welfare Reform Act

This study analyzed spatial patterns of colorectal cancer (CRC) in Miami-Dade County (MDC), Florida, evaluating them in relation to neighborhood characteristics and the 1996 Welfare Reform Act. Late-stage CRC cases and CRC-related mortality from the Florida Cancer Data System were mapped. Age-adjusted spatial patterns of CRC were then analyzed in relation to indices of neighborhood-level socioeconomic status (SES) derived from United States Bureau of the Census data releases. Statistical analyses were repeated for two distinct time periods corresponding to before and after the 1996 Welfare Reform Act. CRC incidence and mortality are significantly associated with poverty-related factors in the first time period, and race-related factors in the second. There was a possible shift in the role of SES in mediating CRC outcomes at this scale of analysis after the Welfare Reform Act implementation.
A re-examination of the sex ratios of families with a neurodevelopmentally disordered child.

It has been claimed that mothers with certain hormonal imbalances and/or immunological disorders are more likely to give birth to male than female children and that they are more likely to give birth to a neurodevelopmentally disordered (ND) child. Liederman and Flannery (1995) reported that the sex ratio of families with an index ND child did not significantly differ from the sex ratio of families without an index ND child. The data were derived from the National Collaborative Perinatal Project (NCPP). James (in the current issue) challenged us to reconsider the standard against which we judged the sex ratio of siblings of ND children, since the 1.10 sex ratio that we obtained for the siblings of non-ND children is much higher than the sex ratio of children born during that period according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In the current paper, the NCPP data were re-examined and it was demonstrated that the high sex ratio of siblings in our non-ND sample was not due to various retention or recruitment biases. Thus, we suggest that use of the sex ratio of siblings of non-ND children was the proper standard against which to judge the sex ratio of ND families, and that our data provide no evidence to support the notion that these families are male biased.
On axisymmetric deformations of nonlinear viscoelastic membranes

Abstract In previous work it was shown that a class of axisymmetric viscoelastic membrane problems can be reduced to the numerical solution of a system of partial differential—Volterra integral equations. This general method has the disadvantage that a change in constitutive equation requires rederiva- tion of specific details of the governing system. In this paper, a re- vised method is presented in which a change in constitutive equation does not affect the details of the governing equations. All that is needed is a change in the subprogram for computing stress from the deformation history. The revised method is illustrated for the case of the inflation of a cir- cular membrane by lateral pressure, a rheological experimental configura- tion. The membrane material is assumed to be a fluid such as polyisobuty- lene. This is in contrast to the solid type models used in all earlier examples. For this purpose, a BKZ model is developed from various sources.
Cell type-specific termination of transcription by transposable element sequences

Transposable elements (TEs) encode sequences necessary for their own transposition, including signals required for the termination of transcription. TE sequences within the introns of human genes show an antisense orientation bias, which has been proposed to reflect selection against TE sequences in the sense orientation owing to their ability to terminate the transcription of host gene transcripts. While there is evidence in support of this model for some elements, the extent to which TE sequences actually terminate transcription of human gene across the genome remains an open question. Using high-throughput sequencing data, we have characterized over 9,000 distinct TE-derived sequences that provide transcription termination sites for 5,747 human genes across eight different cell types. Rarefaction curve analysis suggests that there may be twice as many TE-derived termination sites (TE-TTS) genome-wide among all human cell types. The local chromatin environment for these TE-TTS is similar to that seen for 3′ UTR canonical TTS and distinct from the chromatin environment of other intragenic TE sequences. However, those TE-TTS located within the introns of human genes were found to be far more cell type-specific than the canonical TTS. TE-TTS were much more likely to be found in the sense orientation than other intragenic TE sequences of the same TE family and TE-TTS in the sense orientation terminate transcription more efficiently than those found in the antisense orientation. Alu sequences were found to provide a large number of relatively weak TTS, whereas LTR elements provided a smaller number of much stronger TTS. TE sequences provide numerous termination sites to human genes, and TE-derived TTS are particularly cell type-specific. Thus, TE sequences provide a powerful mechanism for the diversification of transcriptional profiles between cell types and among evolutionary lineages, since most TE-TTS are evolutionarily young. The extent of transcription termination by TEs seen here, along with the preference for sense-oriented TE insertions to provide TTS, is consistent with the observed antisense orientation bias of human TEs.
Wide-Area Egomotion Estimation from Known 3D Structure

Robust egomotion recovery for extended camera excursions has long been a challenge for machine vision researchers. Existing algorithms handle spatially limited environments and tend to consume prohibitive computational resources with increasing excursion time and distance. We describe an egomotion estimation algorithm that takes as input a coarse 3D model of an environment, and an omnidirectional video sequence captured within the environment, and produces as output a reconstruction of the camera's 6-DOF egomotion expressed in the coordinates of the input model. The principal novelty of our method is a robust matching algorithm that associates 2D edges from the video with 3D line segments from the input model. Our system handles 3-DOF and 6-DOF camera excursions of hundreds of meters within real, cluttered environments. It uses a novel prior visibility analysis to speed initialization and dramatically accelerate image-to-model matching. We demonstrate the method's operation, and qualitatively and quantitatively evaluate its performance, on both synthetic and real image sequences.
Track of a sperm whale from delays between direct and surface-reflected clicks

One dataset made available for the 2nd international workshop on detection and localization of marine mammals using passive acoustics featured a single sperm whale recorded for 25 min on five widely spaced, bottom-mounted hydrophones in the Tongue of the Ocean. In this paper, we track the whale using a model-based method that relies on the difference in arrival times along direct and surface-reflected propagation paths. Four receivers are required to estimate positions in three-dimensions. Details of the method are presented, and tracks are estimated using an isospeed and a depth-dependent sound speed profile (SSP). Depth estimates for the isospeed SSP are about 50–100 m shallower than for the depth-dependent SSP, and horizontal positions are similar. Performance estimates indicate that the depth-dependent SSP results are more accurate, with estimated depths of 650–760 m and average vertical and horizontal swim speeds (not accounting for current) of 0.30 m/s and 2.40 m/s, respectively. 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Response assessment of aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma by integrated International Workshop Criteria and fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography.

Purpose To determine whether a response classification based on integration of fluorine-18–fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) into the International Workshop Criteria (IWC) provides a more accurate response assessment than IWC alone in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Patients and Methods Fifty-four patients with aggressive NHL who underwent FDG-PET and computed tomography 1 to 16 weeks after four to eight cycles of chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone were assessed for complete response (CR), unconfirmed CR (CRu), partial response (PR), stable disease (SD), and progressive disease (PD) by the IWC and by integrated IWC and FDG-PET (IWC+PET). Progression-free survival (PFS) was also compared between IWC- and IWC+PET-assigned response designations. Results By IWC, 17 patients had a CR, seven had a CRu, 19 had a PR, nine had SD, and two had PD. In comparison, by IWC+PET, 35 patients had a CR, 12 had a PR, six had SD, one had PD, and ze...
Analytical approximation of a stochastic, spatial simulation model of fire and forest landscape dynamics

Abstract Recent increases in computation power have prompted enormous growth in the use of simulation models in ecological research. These models are valued for their ability to account for much of the ecological complexity found in field studies, but this ability usually comes at the cost of losing transparency into how the models work. In order to foster greater understanding of the functioning of computer simulation models, we develop an analytical approximation of the Landscape Age-class Demographics Simulator (LADS; Wimberly, 2002 ), a representative example of broad group of models that simulate landscape-scale forest dynamics in response to a series of recurring disturbances that interact spatially with existing landscape structure. Much of the model output was produced mathematically, without generating a series of disturbances (in this case, fire) or simulating the forest response to each disturbance. The approximation provides a detailed understanding of the modeled fire regime. Also, it provides equations that directly specify the roles of key input parameters rather than having to infer these roles indirectly from model output in a sensitivity analysis. The application of analytical methods typically has been limited to simple scenarios that lack feedbacks or spatial interactions, but in this exercise, analytical methods address much of the complexity more commonly addressed by simulation: the modeled landscape is composed of two provinces, each with a unique fire frequency and fire-size distribution; stochastic variation in the number of fires per year and the size of each fire; and two levels of fire severity that each have different effects on forest structure. Analytical approximation is not suggested as an alternative to simulation models, but rather, as a complementary approach aimed at improving insight into model function.
Toward an Integrated Model of Capsule Regulation in Cryptococcus neoformans

Cryptococcus neoformans is an opportunistic fungal pathogen that causes serious human disease in immunocompromised populations. Its polysaccharide capsule is a key virulence factor which is regulated in response to growth conditions, becoming enlarged in the context of infection. We used microarray analysis of cells stimulated to form capsule over a range of growth conditions to identify a transcriptional signature associated with capsule enlargement. The signature contains 880 genes, is enriched for genes encoding known capsule regulators, and includes many uncharacterized sequences. One uncharacterized sequence encodes a novel regulator of capsule and of fungal virulence. This factor is a homolog of the yeast protein Ada2, a member of the Spt-Ada-Gcn5 Acetyltransferase (SAGA) complex that regulates transcription of stress response genes via histone acetylation. Consistent with this homology, the C. neoformans null mutant exhibits reduced histone H3 lysine 9 acetylation. It is also defective in response to a variety of stress conditions, demonstrating phenotypes that overlap with, but are not identical to, those of other fungi with altered SAGA complexes. The mutant also exhibits significant defects in sexual development and virulence. To establish the role of Ada2 in the broader network of capsule regulation we performed RNA-Seq on strains lacking either Ada2 or one of two other capsule regulators: Cir1 and Nrg1. Analysis of the results suggested that Ada2 functions downstream of both Cir1 and Nrg1 via components of the high osmolarity glycerol (HOG) pathway. To identify direct targets of Ada2, we performed ChIP-Seq analysis of histone acetylation in the Ada2 null mutant. These studies supported the role of Ada2 in the direct regulation of capsule and mating responses and suggested that it may also play a direct role in regulating capsule-independent antiphagocytic virulence factors. These results validate our experimental approach to dissecting capsule regulation and provide multiple targets for future investigation.
The Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion creates incentive for state Medicaid agencies to provide reimbursement for hospital-based violence intervention programmes

Mass casualty shootings push violence to the forefront of the US public's attention. While the events at the Washington Navy Yard, Aurora, Newtown, and Oak Creek were horrific tragedies, many Americans live in communities where violent injury is an everyday event. In 2012, mass casualty shootings resulted in 88 fatal and 102 non-fatal injuries.1 Yet, in the same year, 388 fatal and 8662 non-fatal aggravated assault injuries were reported to the police in Philadelphia alone.2 Nationwide, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that 1.7 million non-fatal assault injuries were treated at hospitals in 2011.3 The year prior, homicide was responsible for 16259 deaths. The incidence of violent injury is disproportionately high among racial and ethnic minority males in low-income communities. In 2011, African–American men aged 18–27 years were treated in hospitals across the country for an estimated 90 854 non-fatal assault injuries—approximately one injury per 38 individuals in this demographic group, compared with one injury per 86 non-Hispanic white men of the same age. Homicide is the leading cause of death among African–Americans aged 15–34 years, and the second leading cause of death among Hispanics in this age group, but only the fifth cause among non-Hispanic whites. With violent injury contributing to excess mortality and racial and ethnic health disparities in the USA, many have deemed interpersonal violence to be an ‘epidemic’ that should be treated like an ‘infectious disease.’4 Although this analogy is useful in promoting a public health approach to violence prevention, it also likens violent injury to an acute illness and shapes the design of preventive interventions that treat it as such. Evidence of the recurrent nature of violent injury and its sequelae, however, suggest that violent injury might be more appropriately viewed through the lens of a chronic disease model.5 , …
Figure-ground segmentation from occlusion

Layered video representations are increasingly popular; see for a recent review. Segmentation of moving objects is a key step for automating such representations. Current motion segmentation methods either fail to segment moving objects in low-textured regions or are computationally very expensive. This paper presents a computationally simple algorithm that segments moving objects, even in low-texture/low-contrast scenes. Our method infers the moving object templates directly from the image intensity values, rather than computing the motion field as an intermediate step. Our model takes into account the rigidity of the moving object and the occlusion of the background by the moving object. We formulate the segmentation problem as the minimization of a penalized likelihood cost function and present an algorithm to estimate all the unknown parameters: the motions, the template of the moving object, and the intensity levels of the object and of the background pixels. The cost function combines a maximum likelihood estimation term with a term that penalizes large templates. The minimization algorithm performs two alternate steps for which we derive closed-form solutions. Relaxation improves the convergence even when low texture makes it very challenging to segment the moving object from the background. Experiments demonstrate the good performance of our method.
Design, fabrication, and benchtop testing of a helicopter rotor blade section with warp-induced spanwise camber variation

This article focuses on the design, fabrication, testing, modeling, and validation of a spanwise variable camber section of a helicopter rotor blade. The lower surface skin was slit aft of the trai...
Action research for instructional improvement: the Bad, the Ugly, and the Good

In the wake of accreditation cycles stressing student outcomes, we believed the reflective and practitioner-centered philosophy of action research a perfect fit for effecting institutional improvements for a four-year grant-funded effort in our urban–suburban community colleges in California. We learned that things were both worse and better than we had imagined. While we had anticipated what we will call ‘the Bad’, the classic budgetary and institutional forces buffeting us, our project, and our institutions, we had not anticipated what we will call ‘the Ugly’. And perhaps because of our grasp of ‘the Bad’, we also had not anticipated what we will call ‘the Good’. We found ourselves challenged to rethink how to encourage colleagues to become reflective practitioners, yet able to appreciate the power of action research to lead to genuine transformation.
Robotic laparoscopic fundoplication

Gastroesophageal reflux disease is a very common disorder, and both medical and surgical treatments have shown outstanding results. Whereas proton pump inhibitors are the mainstay of treatment, laparoscopic fundoplication has become a very attractive alternative due to its efficacy and low morbidity. There are defined patient categories that may benefit more from laparoscopy than medical therapy, but a conclusive comparison between the two is lacking. Robotic laparoscopic fundoplication can be performed safely without increased morbidity. Potential advantages include enhanced precision, improved dexterity, and remote telesurgical applications. Disadvantages include increased cost and prolonged operative times. Further studies and more longterm outcome data are needed to fully evaluate the procedure. Robotic surgery is currently in its infancy and not cost effective but has a very promising future. With further development of automatization and miniaturization features, robotic surgery may prove more efficient than conventional laparoscopy.
The Defeat of L. Metellus Denter at Arretium

The consuls of 284, according to the Fasti Capitolini, were L. Caecilius Metellus Denter and C. Servilius Tucca. Of Tucca we know nothing else at all, and if the literary sources also tell us that Metellus Denter was defeated and killed by Gauls at Arretium, the date of this setback and Metellus' status at the time have long been matter for dispute. The surviving accounts of Rome's campaigns against the Gauls in this period fall into three categories. First, there is Polybius, who apparently sets Metellus' death in 284 and terms him , prima facie consul. Then there are the sources which seem clearly to derive from a later, annalistic tradition; they describe Metellus as praetor and place his death in 283. And finally there is Appian, whose account represents an attempt to conflate these views and consequently falls between two stools; in his account Metellus is not even mentioned.
Investigation of paper dryer picking, web transfer and quality issues using a new web adhesion and drying simulator

Paper dryer surface contamination can influence the severity of fiber picking, result in increased adhesion of the paper web to the surface, and impact the severity of cockle (out-of-plane deformation), a paper quality issue. The Web Adhesion and Drying Simulator (WADS) is a unique apparatus designed for investigation of paper sticking and fiber picking. Using the WADS, it has been found that the work of separation and amount of picking depend on roll surface material, contamination and temperature, and on the composition, moisture content and temperature of the web, and contact time. The WADS was also found to be convenient for studying the effect of drying conditions on severity of cockle. Cockle was found to depend on ingoing sheet solids content, surface temperature and degree of heat transfer non-uniformity.
Recent Changes in Financial Reporting Standards

The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) periodically issues new financial reporting standards that affect the way firms measure and report the results of their business activities. This article summarizes and illustrates recent financial reporting standards involving corporate acquisitions, asset impairments, and derivatives.
Rollierende Planung des Demand Fulfillment bei Assemble-to-Order

Die vorangegangene Analyse von Planungsproblemen des Demand Fulfillment im ATO-Fall und die Ubersicht uber dazu vorhandener Literatur hat gezeigt, dass fur diesen Bereich ein Forschungsbedarf besteht. Deshalb werden nun Methoden fur das Demand Fulfillment bei der ATO-Montage eines Computerherstellers vorgestellt. Zunachst werden die Zusammenhange zwischen Order Promising und Demand Supply Matching weiter detailliert. Diese Zusammenhange werden genutzt, um ein Konzept fur die rollierende Planung des Demand Fulfillment zu erarbeiten. Anschliesend werden Optimierungsmodelle fur die Lieferterminierung einer Menge von Auftragen entwickelt und es werden Moglichkeiten zu deren Losung vorgeschlagen. Das Kapitel schliest mit der Vorstellung eines Steuerungskonzepts fur die rollierende Planung des Demand Fulfillment.
In vitro replication of mutagen-damaged DNA: sites of termination.

We have examined the effect of DNA lesions, which in vivo are potentially mutagenic, on in vitro DNA synthesis carried out by a number of purified DNA polymerases using a OX174 template. Both acetyl aminofluorene (AAF) adducts and UV-induced pyrimidine dimers are blocks to elongation by DNA polymerases. On UV-irradiated DNA templates synthesis terminates one nucleotide before the sites of pyrimidine dimers with all of the enzymes tested: Pol I and Pol III holoenzyme from Escherichia coli, T4 DNA polymerase, avian myeloblastosis virus reverse transcriptase and a mammalian DNA polymerase a. With AAF, which reacts at the C-8 position of guanine, differences are observed between the above enzymes, with the latter two inserting a nucleotide opposite the site of the lesion. Substitution of Mn2+ for Mg2+ as the cation in the Pol I reactions causes changes in the termination pattern on both UV-irradiated and AAF-reacted templates. The significance of these results to the process of inducible error-prone repair and the possible bypass of lesions in the DNA is discussed.
Experimental Investigation on Underwater Buckling of Thin-Walled Composite and Metallic Structures

An experimental study on the underwater buckling of composite and metallic tubes is conducted to evaluate and compare their collapse mechanics. Experiments are performed in a pressure vessel designed to provide constant hydrostatic pressure through the collapse. Filament-wound carbon-fiber/epoxy, glass/polyester (PE) tubes, and aluminum tubes are studied to explore the effect of material type on the structural failure. Three-dimensional digital image correlation (DIC) technique is used to capture the full-field deformation and velocities during the implosion event. Local pressure fields generated by the implosion event are measured using dynamic pressure transducers to evaluate the strength of the emitted pressure pulse. The results show that glass/PE tubes release the weakest pressure pulse and carbon/epoxy tubes release the strongest upon collapse. In each case, the dominating mechanisms of failure control the amount of flow energy released.
The effect of Na-Ca-Cl brines on the dissolution of arsenic from arsenopyrite under geologic carbon dioxide storage conditions

Abstract Arsenopyrite (FeAsS) is one of the most common mineral sources of arsenic in rocks, sediments, and ores. The dissolution of arsenopyrite releases arsenic, which has potential implications for human and environmental health. With carbon dioxide storage in saline, sedimentary geologic formations being an important component of mitigation strategies for global warming, the effect of injected CO2 mixed with anoxic brines on dissolution of arsenic from arsenopyrite merits examination. Arsenopyrite dissolution was studied using anoxic Na–Ca–Cl brines in the presence and absence of CO2, at both ambient and high temperature and pressure conditions. Results revealed that the dissolution rate of arsenic ranged from 10− 10 to 10− 12 mol/m2 s, with an average dissolution rate of 10–10.7 ± 0.2 mol/m2 s in the absence of CO2. Understanding effects of particular brine constituents on arsenopyrite dissolution requires further investigation, however. The observed arsenopyrite dissolution rates under anoxic conditions are about two orders of magnitude lower than those observed under oxidizing conditions. The presence of dissolved CO2 in brines resulted in dissolution rates marginally lower than those observed in the absence of CO2, with an average dissolution rate of 10–11.2 ± 0.5 mol/m2 s, even though a reduction in pH to approximately 3.5 was observed. Increase in temperature and pressure from 25 °C to 60 °C, and 1 bar to 100 bars respectively, increased As dissolution rate from arsenopyrite by 1 log unit.
Three-dimensional viscous incompressible flow in curved polar ducts

The viscous flow in curved ducts of polar cross section has been analyzed using the three-dimensional parabolized Navier-Stokes equations in a toroidal coordinate system. Analytical coordinate transformations are used to achieve adequate representation of the high-gradient regions near the duct walls. An appropriate discretized representation is derived for the Poisson operator in the transformed mordinates in order to obtain efficient solutions of the Neumann boundary-value problems encountered in the analysis. Solutions are obtained for several configurations of the curved polar duct and are presented in terms of axial and cross flow veloci-. ties, axial pressure drop and skin friction coefficient. Some results are also obtained for a case where the outer wall rotates at constant angular velocity in order to analyze the effect of wall rotation on the flow behavior.
Distribution of P32 Following the Injection of TEPA∗ in Rats.†

SummaryThe distribution of P32 following the injection of tagged TEPA∗ resulted in a fairly uniform distribution of P32 activity throughout the tissues of the body, but there was a greater concentration in the testes and a smaller concentration in bone as compared with injection of inorganic phosphate. There was a gradual accumulation of P32 in the spleen over a period of 30 hours following injection of TEPA∗, a result not observed with inorganic phosphate. Approximately 60% of the P32 activity in serum or plasma was associated with the globulin fraction, the remainder being in solution after precipitation of all proteins. About 20% of P32 was associated with nuclei and/or relatively heavy cellular components from liver, testes, and tumor tissue, most of the remaining activity being found in the protein-free filtrate. Some 65% of the activity was excreted over a period of 30 hours.
Swash Zone Morphodynamics and Sediment Transport Processes

Observations offoreshore morphologic change and swash flow velocities were made at Duck, NC in an effort to estimate cross-shore sediment flux magnitudes. The three-dimensional foreshore surface over an approximately 10 x 20m study area was determined repeatedly to roughly centimeter accuracy using a stereometric video method. Sediment flux magnitudes derived from the temporal gradient of these data showed erosion rates of over 25 cm/hr. Near-bed, cross-shore swash velocities were measured at multiple cross-shore locations using a separate video technique. Swash velocities estimated using this method were found to be consistent with current measurements obtained using acoustic Doppler and ducted impeller current meters. The swash zone profile observations and velocity estimates were used to test an energetics-based total load sediment transport model. Although the trends of both the model and the observations were qualitatively consistent, the magnitudes and positioning of observed sediment fluxes did not match the transport model predictions. This discrepancy implies that other factors, such as water depth variations, infiltration, or sediment advection, may be important.
Infidelity: When, Where, Why

Pair-bonding is a hallmark of humanity. Data from the Demographic Yearbooks of the United Nations on 97 societies canvassed in the 1990s indicate that approximately 93.1% of women and 91.8% of men married by the age of 49 (Fisher, 1992). Worldwide marriage rates have declined somewhat since then; but today 85% to 90% of men and women in the United States are projected to marry (Cherlin, 2009). Cross-culturally, most who marry wed one person at a time: Monogamy. Polygyny is permitted in 84% of human societies; but in the vast majority of these cultures, only 5% to 10% of men actually have several wives simultaneously (Frayser, 1985; Murdock & White, 1969; van den Berghe, 1979). Monogamy, wedding one mate at a time, is the norm for Homo sapiens.
Generation Rescheduling Under Uncertain Load Growth Pattern

Generation rescheduling is one of effective ways for improving transmission limit of power system.To taking the uncertainty of load growth pattern in the rescheduling,a bi-level optimization model with opposite structure is proposed.The upper-lever structure of the proposed model is an generation rescheduling model that takes the maximum load margin as objecitve function while the lower-lever structure,which takes the munimum load margin as objective function,solves the most dangerous load growth pattern.By means of optimizing the upper-and lower-lever structures alternately and taking the obtained optimization solutions as parameters,which are transmitted between the two levels,the optimal generation output mode can be rapidly solved to ensure that power system possesses the highest load margin under the most dangerous load growth pattern.The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by testing results of IEEE 30-bus system,IEEE 118-bus system and an actual power system.
Hydrogen-bonded water in laumontite I: X-ray powder diffraction study of water site occupancy and structural changes in laumontite during room-temperature isothermal hydration/dehydration

The response of the laumontite crystal structure to hydration/dehydration was evaluated using Rietveld refinements with XRD data collected under controlled P H 2 O conditions at ∼28.5 °C. Refined water contents per unit cell (unit-cell formula: Ca 4 Al 8 Si 1 6 O 4 8 .nH 2 O) ranged between 12.5 H 2 O at 0.11 mbar P H 2 O and 17.3 H 2 O at 37.6 mbar. The occupancy of the two water sites hosting hydrogen-bonded water molecules, W5 and W1, ranged from 13% to 100% and from 2% to 86%, respectively. During hydration of W5, between 0.11 and 5 mbar, the unit cell expanded continuously and reversibly from 1327 to 1348 A 3 . The unit-cell volume remained nearly constant between 5 and 28 mbar. The hydration/dehydration of Wl exhibited hysteresis; hydration occurred at ∼29 mbar and dehydration at ∼24 mbar. During hydration of Wl at ∼29 mbar the unit cell expanded from 1351 to 1384 A 3 . Further hydration of W1 above 29 mbar resulted in gradual and reversible unit-cell expansion to 1386 A 3 at 37.6 mbar. Hydration/dehydration of W5 is a continuous reaction typical for zeolites. In contrast, the hydration/dehydration of W1 at room temperature is discontinuous, as manifested by the presence of two laumontite phases during hydration and dehydration. Unit-cell parameters of the two coexisting laumontite phases observed under these conditions are consistent with a vacant Wl site and ∼80%-occupied W1 site, respectively. Gradual unit-cell expansion above 29 mbar due to increased P H 2 O and increased occupancy of W 1 indicate that hydration of the remaining 20% of the W1 site proceeds continuously.
A Data-Driven Approach to Soil Moisture Collection and Prediction

Agriculture has been one of the most under-investigated areas in technology, and the development of Precision Agriculture (PA) is still in its early stages. This paper proposes a data-driven methodology on building PA solutions for collection and data modeling systems. Soil moisture, a key factor in the crop growth cycle, is selected as an example to demonstrate the effectiveness of our data-driven approach. On the collection side, a reactive wireless sensor node is developed that aims to capture the dynamics of soil moisture using MicaZ mote and VH400 soil moisture sensor. The prototyped device is tested on field soil to demonstrate its functionality and the responsiveness of the sensors. On the data analysis side, a unique, site-specific soil moisture prediction framework is built on top of models generated by the machine learning techniques SVM (support vector machine) and RVM (relevance vector machine). The framework predicts soil moisture n days ahead based on the same soil and environmental attributes that can be collected by our sensor node. Due to the large data size required by the machine learning algorithms, our framework is evaluated under the Illinois historical data, not field collected sensor data. It achieves low error rates (15%) and high correlations (95%) between predicted values and actual values across 9 different sites when forecasting soil moisture about 2 weeks ahead. Also, it is shown that the prediction outputs can remain accurate over a long period of time (one year) when reliable data are fed to the model every 45 days.
Religious belief in a secular age: Literary modernism and Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway

This article explores Virginia Woolf's conflicted relationship with Christianity, namely, her avowed atheism and hostility to religious dogma, yet her openness to mystical experience and her use of...
Effect of Environmental Toxicants on the Neuroendocrine Control of Female Reproduction

The hypothalamus and pituitary are known to play key roles in reproductive function. A growing body of evidence indicates that environmental toxicants can alter female reproductive function by disrupting hypothalamic control of the pituitary and subsequently, the endocrine control of ovarian function. This article reviews the current literature on the effects of environmental toxicants on hypothalamic regulation of pituitary hormone secretion. The impact of toxicant exposure during critical periods of the estrous cycle as well as the concept of acquired tolerance following chronic exposure to specific toxicants is also discussed. We also briefly mention several other reproductive processes that might be disrupted by environmental toxicants, which target the hypothalamic regulation of pituitary hormone secretion in the female.
Anesthesia and bariatric surgery gut preparation alter plasma acylcarnitines reflective of mitochondrial fat and branched-chain amino acid oxidation.

The period around bariatric surgery offers a unique opportunity to characterize metabolism responses to dynamic shifts in energy, gut function, and anesthesia. We analyzed plasma acylcarnitines in ...