cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High-density ovine endometrial cells exhibit natural killer activity during early pregnancy.

Natural killer (NK)-like activity was assessed for peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) and unfractionated and fractionated endometrial cells recovered from ewes during the estrus cycle (Days 12 to 14) and early pregnancy (Days 16 to 18). The PBL and endometrial cells (each designated as effector cells) were cocultured with chromium-51 (51Cr) labeled NK-sensitive K-562 target cells in effector:target cell ratios ranging from 25:1 to 200:1, respectively. Lytic activity (i.e., release of 51Cr into the medium) was assessed at 22 h of culture. A high-density (> or = 1.088 g/mL) population of endometrial cells from the pregnant ewes exhibited NK-like activity, whereas endometrial cells from the cyclic ewes failed to exhibit activity. Lytic activity of these cells was greater (P < 0.05) for pregnant than for cyclic ewes (12.0 and 2.1%, respectively) at the effector:target cell ratio of 100:1, respectively. For both groups of ewes, PBL exhibited NK-like activity. These data indicate that the ovine endometrium contains NK-like cells with lytic activity between Days 16 and 18 of pregnancy.
Hydrogeochemical processes governing the origin, transport and fate of major and trace elements from mine wastes and mineralized rock to surface waters

Abstract The formation of acid mine drainage from metals extraction or natural acid rock drainage and its mixing with surface waters is a complex process that depends on petrology and mineralogy, structural geology, geomorphology, surface-water hydrology, hydrogeology, climatology, microbiology, chemistry, and mining and mineral processing history. The concentrations of metals, metalloids, acidity, alkalinity, Cl−, F− and SO 4 2 - found in receiving streams, rivers, and lakes are affected by all of these factors and their interactions. Remediation of mine sites is an engineering concern but to design a remediation plan without understanding the hydrogeochemical processes of contaminant mobilization can lead to ineffective and excessively costly remediation. Furthermore, remediation needs a goal commensurate with natural background conditions rather than water-quality standards that might bear little relation to conditions of a highly mineralized terrain. This paper reviews hydrogeochemical generalizations, primarily from US Geological Survey research, that enhance our understanding of the origin, transport, and fate of contaminants released from mined and mineralized areas. Mobility of potential or actual contaminants from mining and mineral processing activities depends on (1) occurrence : is the mineral source of the contaminant actually present? (2) abundance : is the mineral present in sufficient quantity to make a difference? (3) reactivity : what are the energetics, rates, and mechanisms of sorption and mineral dissolution and precipitation relative to the flow rate of the water? and (4) hydrology : what are the main flow paths for contaminated water? Estimates of relative proportions of minerals dissolved and precipitated can be made with mass-balance calculations if minerals and water compositions along a flow path are known. Combined with discharge, these mass-balance estimates quantify the actual weathering rate of pyrite mineralization in the environment and compare reasonably well with laboratory rates of pyrite oxidation except when large quantities of soluble salts and evaporated mine waters have accumulated underground. Quantitative mineralogy with trace-element compositions can substantially improve the identification of source minerals for specific trace elements through mass balances. Post-dissolution sorption and precipitation (attenuation) reactions depend on the chemical behavior of each element, solution composition and pH, aqueous speciation, temperature, and contact-time with mineral surfaces. For example, little metal attenuation occurs in waters of low pH (
The Role of Uric Acid in Pediatric Hypertension

Over the past few years, increasing evidence has supported the possible role of uric acid as a mediator of high blood pressure. Both animal model data and tissue culture experiments suggest that uric acid might cause increased blood pressure through a 2-phase process. The first phase is dominated by a uric acid-mediated vasoconstriction followed by induction of renal afferent arteriolosclerosis and altered pressure natriuresis, leading to sodium-dependent hypertension. We have assessed children with newly diagnosed essential hypertension through cross-sectional studies and clinical trials. Elevated uric acid is closely associated with new-onset essential hypertension in children, and preliminary data suggest that lowering of uric acid can lower blood pressure in some patients. Future studies will be needed to determine whether the mechanisms shown in animal models can be extrapolated to children.
Beloved Community: The Cultural Criticism of Randolph Bourne, Van Wyck Brooks, Waldo Frank, and Lewis Mumford

The "Young American" critics -- Randolph Bourne, Van Wyck Brooks, Waldo Frank, and Lewis Mumford -- are well known as central figures in the Greenwich Village "Little Renaissance" of the 1910s and in the postwar debates about American culture and politics. In Beloved Community , Casey Blake considers these intellectuals as a coherant group and assesses the connection between thier cultural criticisms and their attempts to forge a communitarian alternative to liberal and socialist poitics. Blake draws on biography to emphasize the intersection of questions of self, culture, and society in their calls for a culture of "personality" and "self-fulfillment." In contrast to the tendency of previous analyses to separate these critics' cultural and autobiographical writings from their politics, Blake argues that their cultural criticism grew out of a radical vision of self-realization through participation in a democratic culture and polity. He also examines the Young American writers' interpretations of such turn-of-the-century radicals as William Morris, Henry George, John Dewey, and Patrick Geddes and shows that this adversary tradition still offers important insights into contemporary issues in American politics and culture. Beloved Community reestablishes the democratic content of the Young Americans' ideal of "personality" and argues against viewing a monolithic therapeutic culture as the sole successor to a Victorian "culture of character." The politics of selfhood that was so critical to the Young Americans' project has remained a contested terrain throughout the twentieth century. |James Anderson critically reinterprets the history of southern black education from Reconstruction to the Great Depression. By placing black schooling within a political, cultural, and economic context, he offers fresh insights into black commitment to ed
Common and conflicting interests in the engagements between conservation organizations and corporations.

Abstract: The conservation community increasingly views the corporate sector as a positive force for con-servation. Collaborations between corporations and nongovernmental conservation organizations (NGOs)seek to mitigate the negative effects of corporate activities and augment positive conservation outcomes. Ireviewed the establishment of corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies by corporations; the emerging fo-cus on environmental practices and sustainability; and the history of engagement between corporations andnongovernmental organizations. I considered the ethical and reputation vulnerabilities of these collabora-tions, which depend especially on the financial nature of the relationship and reviewed how CSR approacheshave influenced corporate practices. I concluded that whereas CSR practices can act to mitigate negativeenvironmental impact, to date they have had limited positive effect on biodiversity conservation. Keywords: business, collaborations, commodity certification, conservation organizations, corporate social re-sponsibility, corporations, impact mitigation, sustainabilityIntereses Comunes y Conflictivos en los Compromisos entre Organizaciones y Corporaciones de Conservacion´
A Beta Regression Model for Improved Solar Radiation Predictions

Predicting global solar radiation is an integral part of much environmental modeling. There are several approaches for predicting global solar radiation at a site where no instrumentation exists. One popular approach uses the difference between daily high and low temperature, typically using a nonlinear equation to express the relationship between change in temperature and estimated global solar radiation. Additional variables are usually included in successive steps creating a hierarchy of analysis. The authors propose an alternative beta regression approach to modeling global solar radiation, allowing for the inclusion of multiple environmental predictor variables and strata into one flexible model. The model is applied to several case studies, and results are compared with recently proposed empirical solar radiation models. Beta regression provides a robust,flexible modeling approach for predicting global solar radiation that allows for the addition and removal of independent variables as appropriate and can be interpreted using standard inferential statistics. In addition, the beta regression model provides estimates of uncertainty that can be incorporated into subsequent models and calculations.
Face-to-Face Peer Evaluation Improved Student Perception of Feedback in a Preclinical Course

A possible solution to assessment of professionalism and communication skills is peer evaluation. To determine if non-anonymous feedback could improve student perception of the peer-feedback process and result in better feedback, we implemented a face-to-face feedback approach in a large, preclinical course. Student pairs were asked to meet in person to discuss their contributions in small group activities. A post-course survey suggested that this approach was well received by students and that a majority of the students felt the feedback they received was more useful than feedback they had previously received when using an online, anonymous approach.
Go Green: Making the Case for Eco-Friendly Printing at Your Organization

Relying on 100-percent virgin paper and petroleum-based inks, traditional printing strategies leave a large and damaging ecological footprint on our planet. Green-minded consumers concerned about our environment are pressuring businesses to adopt green printing practices-and rewarding those who do so with their dollars. The development of new eco-friendly inks, paper, and print processes have made it easier for professional communicators to take their companies in a green direction and print eco-friendly documents. This paper discusses strategies for being an advocate for environmentally responsible printing practices and describes some of the eco-friendly and price-competitive print options now available.
Time-Integrated Photoluminescence Studies of In0.3Ga0.7As/GaAs Quantum Dot Molecules

We investigate experimentally and theoretically optical and electronic properties of In0.3Ga0.7As/GaAs quantum dot molecules (QDMs) formed by two layers of self-assembled, vertically stacked quantum dots (QDs). Structures with In0.3Ga0.7As/GaAs QD layers separated by a thin GaAs barrier were grown by solid source molecular beam epitaxy, and were characterized by time-integrated photoluminescence (PL). For the temperature-dependent PL measurements a He-flow optical cryostat was used to control the temperature between 4 and 300 K. The experimentally observed behavior is in good agreement with that expected from our eight-band k·p calculations. Optical and electronic properties of these QDMs are further compared with those of dots grown under conditions that did not promote vertical organization.
The Role of Technology in Supporting Students’ Mathematical Thinking: Extending the Metaphors of Amplifier and Reorganizer

The use of instructional technology in secondary mathematics education has proliferated in the last decade, and students’ mathematical thinking and reasoning has received more attention during this time as well. However, few studies have investigated the role of instructional technology in supporting students’ mathematical thinking. In this study, the implementation of 63 mathematical tasks was documented in three secondary and one middle school mathematics classroom, and the Mathematical Tasks Framework (Stein & Smith, 1998) was used to correlate the cognitive demand of mathematical tasks with the use of technology as an amplifier or reorganizer of students’ mental activity (Pea, 1985, 1987). Results indicate that the use of technology generally aligned with teachers’ current practice in terms of the distribution of low- and high-level tasks enacted in their classrooms. However, the use of technology as a reorganizer of students’ thinking was strongly correlated with these teachers’ attempts to engage their students with high-level tasks. The distinction between using technology as an amplifier or a reorganizer is refined and extended through its application at the grain size of mathematical tasks, and implications for mathematics teacher education are discussed.
Mapping the membrane topography of the TH6–TH7 segment of the diphtheria toxin T-domain channel

Low pH triggers the translocation domain of diphtheria toxin (T-domain), which contains 10 α helices, to insert into a planar lipid bilayer membrane, form a transmembrane channel, and translocate the attached catalytic domain across the membrane. Three T-domain helices, corresponding to TH5, TH8, and TH9 in the aqueous crystal structure, form transmembrane segments in the open-channel state; the amino-terminal region, TH1–TH4, translocates across the membrane to the trans side. Residues near either end of the TH6–TH7 segment are not translocated, remaining on the cis side of the membrane; because the intervening 25-residue sequence is too short to form a transmembrane α-helical hairpin, it was concluded that the TH6–TH7 segment resides at the cis interface. Now we have examined this segment further, using the substituted-cysteine accessibility method. We constructed a series of 18 mutant T-domains with single cysteine residues at positions in TH6–TH7, monitored their channel formation in planar lipid bilayers, and probed for an effect of thiol-specific reagents on the channel conductance. For 10 of the mutants, the reagent caused a change in the single-channel conductance, indicating that the introduced cysteine residue was exposed within the channel lumen. For several of these mutants, we verified that the reactions occurred primarily in the open state, rather than in the flicker-closed state. We also established that blocking of the channel by an amino-terminal hexahistidine tag could protect mutants from reaction. Finally, we compared the reaction rates of reagent added to the cis and trans sides to quantify the residue’s accessibility from either side. This analysis revealed abrupt changes in cis- versus trans-side accessibility, suggesting that the TH6–TH7 segment forms a constriction that occupies a small portion of the total channel length. We also determined that this constriction is located near the middle of the TH8 helix.
Retesting committee composition hypotheses for the U.S. Congress

This study replicates and extends Groseclose's (1994) tests of Congressional committee composition hypotheses for the 99th Congress. Alternative hypotheses pit partisan explanations of committee organization against the informational roles committees can play in producing "good" public policy. Other hypotheses explore the likelihood that committees reflect (rather than diverge from) floor preferences. Predictably, empirical tests of such hypotheses have produced no scholarly consensus. Groseclose (1994) enters the debate by using Monte Carlo simulations to test alternative hypotheses of Congressional committee organization, and in so doing, he makes few assumptions (and specifically avoids problematic ones) about the ideological distribution of committee and floor members. For example, difference of means tests, often used to evaluate the significance of floor committee divergence, assume that preferences are distributed normally and that the mean scores of a committee and floor are the correct test statistics. Groseclose asserts that the normality assumption is less convincing for small committees and that the median score is more appropriate. Groseclose begins with a very simple question: are committees in Congress nothing more than random outcomes? In that sense, is there nothing systematic in the organization of Congress? In asking this, he makes a persuasive argument for why Monte Carlo simulations are an alternative and compelling method of reexamining these questions. His methods are quite straightforward. In testing each hypothesis, he generates 20,000 hypothetical
Elongational rheology of LLDPE / LDPE blends

The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of low density polyethylene (LDPE) content in linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) on the crystallinity and strain hardening of LDPE / LLDPE blends. Three different linear low density polyethylenes (LL-1, LL-2 and LL-3) and low density polyethylenes (LD-1, LD-2 and LD-3) were investigated. Eight blends of LL-1 with 10, 20, 30 and 70 wt % of LD-1 and LD-3, respectively, were prepared using a single screw extruder. The elongational behavior of the blends and their constituents were measured at 150°C using an RME rheometer. For the blends of LL-1 with LD-1, the low shear rate viscosity indicated a synergistic effect over the whole range of concentrations, whereas for the blends of LL-1 with LD-3, a different behavior was observed. For the elongational viscosity behavior, no significant differences were observed for the strain hardening of the 10–30% LDPE blends. Thermal analysis indicated that at concentrations up to 20%, LDPE does not significantly affect the melting and crystallization temperatures of LLDPE blends. In conclusion, the crystallinity and rheological results indicate that 10–20% LDPE is sufficient to provide improved strain hardening in LLDPE. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 88: 3070–3077, 2003
A Permutation Test for Multivariate Matched-Pair Analyses: Comparisons with Hotelling's Multivariate Matched-Pair T2 Test:

A permutation alternative for Hotelling's multivariate matched-pair T2 test is introduced. The permutation test allows for analyses when the number of subjects is less than or equal to the number o...
Bayesian Statistics: Mathematical Tools for Computers*

This tutorial article deals with a branch of statistics known as "Bayesian statistics." To better understand the underlying philosophy of Bayesian statistics, let us contrast its outlook with that of "classical statistics."
Transmural Movements of Zinc, Manganese, Cadmium and Mercury by Rat Small Intestine

To elucidate some features of the mechanism of distribution and localization of trace metals in soft mammalian tissues, we studied the simultaneous uptake and transport patterns of 2 essential metals, Zn and Mn, and 2 nonessential metals, Cd and Hg. The radioisotopes of the metals and loops of rat small intestine were used in a new in vitro perfusion method. The characteristic rates of metal uptake and metal transport varied markedly. During the first hour of perfusion, very small amounts of Zn, Hg or Cd were transported across the rat intestinal wall, whereas Mn was transported to an appreciable extent. Except for Mn, when the tissue uptake of a metal was high, its accumulation in the serosal solution was proportionately slow. The relative uptake-to-transport molar ratios for Zn, Hg, Cd and Mn were approxi mately 20:12:6:1, respectively. The uptake or transport of a metal was strikingly en hanced or depressed by the presence of a second metal particularly when the initial concentration of the second metal exceeded the concentration of the first. The effects of each of the chemical agents, L-ascorbate, dehydroascorbate, phlorhizin, iodoacetate and EDTA on the simultaneous uptake and transport of each of these 4 metals were measured. Zinc, Cd and Mn uptakes were depressed by L-ascorbate, dehydroascorbate or EDTA, whereas their transports were enhanced, except for Mn transport which was unaffected by L-ascorbate. Iodoacetate depressed Zn and Hg transports but markedly enhanced the uptakes of Zn, Hg, and Cd. Phlorhizin enhanced the uptake and depressed the transport of Cd nearly 3-fold. Both Zn uptake and transport were enhanced by phlorhizin. The transmural passages of this tetrad of metals Zn, Mn, Cd, and Hg are not dependent on the expenditure of metabolic energy, are not unidirec tional, and are not carried against a concentration difference. Competition among these metals for uptake and transport appears to be primarily a competition for the common available uptake sites. Transport is controlled to a lesser degree by the dif- fusibility characteristics of the ions of the particular metal. Advances in understanding the nature Zn, Mn, Cd and Hg by segments of rat of the mechanisms involved in the absorp- small intestine. The uptake by the intesti- tion of divalent trace metals by cells and nal wall of the rat and transport across it tissues have been slow. Relatively little is were simultaneously measured. Observa- known about the characteristics of the tions on the effects of various pharma- movements of these metals whereby their cologic agents on metal uptake and trans- tissue concentrations are regulated. That port as well as mutual competition for there is some control mechanism operative transmural passage between pairs of these at the cell membrane level, at least for the metals are also presented, essential metals, is suggested by their selec tive tissue localization and their variability
Patterns of Men’s Use of Sexual and Reproductive Health Services

CONTEXT: Men have been neglected as a target population for sexual and reproductive health services. As a result, little is known about the rates and antecedents of men’s service utilization. METHODS: Data from the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth were used to examine utilization of sexual and reproductive health services among 3,611 men aged 20–44 who had ever had sex with a woman. Associations between demographic and behavioral variables and measures of service utilization were assessed in univariate and logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: Only 48% of men reported receiving sexual and reproductive health services in the past year. The testicular exam was the most commonly received service (35%), but half of men who had had a testicular exam had received no other sexual and reproductive health services. Levels of unmet need for services among men engaging in sexual risk behaviors were substantial (32–63%). The odds of having received nontesticular services were elevated among men who were nonwhite and older, engaged in sexual risk behaviors, had had a physical exam and had public health insurance. The odds of having received only a testicular exam were elevated among men who were white, had lower levels of sexual risk, had had a physical exam and had private or no insurance. CONCLUSIONS: Men who have sex with women are not receiving adequate levels of sexual and reproductive health care, and the care they receive is neither comprehensive nor integrated. Standards of clinical care need to be defined and communicated to men and providers.
Carbonate Cementation of Gulf Coast Barrier-Island Sands and Formation of a Stratigraphic Trap: ABSTRACT

Field investigations in the area of Grand Isle, Louisiana, indicate the presence of active carbonate precipitation. Modern shoreline facies are being cemented by high-magnesium calcite, ranging from 10 to 50 mole % magnesium carbonate. Cementation occurs between the beach and marsh environments as surface crusts or laminae. The environment is characterized by seasonal high temperature (up to 50°C), high salinity (40 to 90^pmil), supratidal stromatolites and organic decomposition. After burial, lithified crusts undergo chemical alteration, as indicated by a decrease in magnesium carbonate content (20 to 35 mole %). The cement eventually undergoes dissolution and reprecipitation, forming a well-cemented sandstone. Rip-up clasts of these sandstones are found along Gulf Coast beaches where a transgressive sequence occurs. These clasts are typically cemented by high-magnesium calcite with 10 to 15 mole % magnesium carbonate. Carbon isotope analyses of rip-up clasts indicate that dissolution and reprecipitation processes are methane-derived due to organic decomposition. Buried crusts may be preserved in the subsurface and form an effective barrier to fluid migration. Where cementation is extensive, porosity is occluded on the marsh-side of the barrier-island sequence. Cement distribution is, therefore, a primary controlling agent of hydrocarbon migration and subsequent entrapment. Migration of hydrocarbons from organic-rich marsh sediments would be prevented by the early formation of the permeability barrier. Cementation, then, would account for accumulation of hydrocarbons on the marsh side of the barrier-island sequence and the formation of a stratigraphic (or "diagenetic") trap. End_of_Article - Last_Page 245------------
AVIAN POPULATION TRENDS WITHIN THE EVOLVING AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPE OF EASTERN AND CENTRAL UNITED STATES

Abstract State-level Breeding Bird Survey (1980–1998) and U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics were used to test the hypothesis that changes in agricultural land use within the eastern and central U.S. have driven population trends of grassland and shrub habitat birds over the past two decades. The degree to which population trends differed between grassland and shrub habitats was evaluated with respect to migratory and nesting behavior. Grassland birds declined significantly between 1980 and 1999, but, on average, shrub habitat species did not. Grassland-breeding, long-distance migrants exhibited the strongest negative trends. Most species (78%; n = 63) exhibited at least one significant association between population trends and changes in agricultural land use, and in most, land use “explained” 25–30% of the variation in population trends among states. Changes in the farmland landscape accounted for more of the interstate variability of population trends of short-distance migrants than of both long...
Exposures and symptoms among workers after an offsite train derailment and vinyl chloride release.

Objective: In 2012 in New Jersey, a train derailment resulted in the puncture of a tanker car carrying liquid vinyl chloride under pressure, and a resulting airborne vinyl chloride plume drifted onto the grounds of a nearby refinery. This report details the investigation of exposures and symptoms among refinery workers. Design and setting: The investigation team met with refinery workers to discuss their experience after the derailment and provided workers a self-administered survey to document symptoms and worker responses during the incident. Associations among categorical variables and experiencing symptoms were evaluated using Fisher’s exact test. Participants: Twenty-six of 155 (17 percent) workers present at the refinery or driving on the access road the date the spill occurred completed the survey. Main outcome measure(s): Any self-reported symptom following exposure from the vinyl chloride release. Results: Fifteen workers (58 percent) reported ≥ 1 symptom, most commonly headache (12, 46 percent). Three (12 percent) reported using respiratory protection. No differences in reporting symptoms were observed by location during the incident or by the building in which workers sheltered. Workers who moved from one shelter to another during the incident (ie, broke shelter) were more likely to report symptoms (Fisher’s exact test, p = 0.03); however, there are only limited data regarding vinyl chloride concentrations in shelters versus outside. Conclusions: Breaking shelter might result in greater exposures, and managers and health and safety officers of vulnerable facilities with limited physical access should consider developing robust shelter-in-place plans and alternate emergency egress plans. Workers should consider using respiratory protection if exiting a shelter is necessary during a chemical incident.
Biochemical Studies of Human Semen and its Relation to Mucus of the Cervix Uteri

Summary 1. There is present in human semen a substance that dissolves human cervical mucus. 2. The properties of this lytic substance suggest that it is an enzyme. 3. Considerations are offered relating this substance to sterility and fertilization. 3. Considerations are offered relating this substance to sterility and fertilization. 4. Semen has a strong reducing action on thionin and the possible significance of this reaction is discussed. 5. The reduction phenomenon of semen may have a bearing on the oxidative processes following fertilization. 6. Semen contains neither oxidase nor glutathione.
New bootstrap inference for spurious regression problems

Phillips [11] provides asymptotic theory for regressions that relate nonstationary time series including those integrated of order 1, I(1). A practical implication of the literature on spurious regression is that one cannot trust the usual confidence intervals (CIs). In the absence of prior knowledge that two series are cointegrated, it is therefore recommended that we abandon the specification in levels and work with differenced or detrended series. For situations when the specification in levels is sacrosanct we propose new CIs based on the Maximum Entropy bootstrap explained in Vinod and Lopez-de-Lacalle (Maximum entropy bootstrap for time series: The meboot R package, J. Statist. Softw. 29 (2009), pp. 1–19). An extensive Monte Carlo simulation shows that our proposal can provide more reliable conservative CIs than traditional and block bootstrap intervals.
Advancing Bullying Research From a Social–Ecological Lens: An Introduction to the Special Issue

Abstract. Bullying has emerged as a distinct, pervasive subset of peer aggression that affects youth worldwide. Although bullying is a complex phenomenon, some subgroups of youth are at escalated risk based on individual characteristics, skill deficits, and peer group or societal norms. Therefore, the field needs reliable measurement systems, precise understanding of social-ecological risk and protective factors, and effective prevention and intervention approaches. This special issue addresses bullying from a social-ecological framework. It examines measurement issues, as well as risk and protective factors, with an emphasis on the disproportionate involvement of specific subpopulations of school-aged youth. It concludes with a series of original articles on expanding intervention targets through evidence-based practices for reducing bullying among students from early childhood through high school. Ultimately, this special issue should serve as a call-to-action for increased research on predictive and pr...
An example of two-dimensional synthetic seismogram modeling

Abstract Synthetic seismograms for laterally inhomogeneous velocity and Q structures can be calculated by the disk ray theory (DRT) method. Ray tracing through the model provides travel-time, distance, slowness, and ray amplitude data which are combined to synthesize seismic record sections by DRT. The amplitude factors include geometrical spreading, attenuation due to Q -1 , reflection and transmission coefficients, and the free surface conversion coefficient. Comparison of DRT synthetic seismograms with those calculated by the reflectivity method for a layer over a half-space model shows excellent agreement in both amplitude and waveform character of all arrivals. Direct, reflected, P to S converted, multiply reflected, and head waves may be synthesized by the DRT method. In an application of two-dimensional synthetic seismogram modeling using the DRT method, synthetic seismogram record sections were calculated for a complicated geological model of the crust in the eastern Snake River Plain, Idaho and compared with observed seismic data. In this application, we find that a small modification of the Snake River Plain velocity model which was interpreted from travel-time data produces DRT synthetic seismograms which compare well with the amplitude and waveform character of the observed seismograms.
MEASUREMENTS OF THE VELOCITY FIELD WITH MTV DURING THE SOLIDIFICATION OF AN ALLOY ANALOG WITH MUSHY REGION

A previous application of the advanced diagnostic method, Molecular Tagging Velocimetry (MTV), showed promise with respect to providing an improved understanding of velocity fields in the complex thermo-solutal flows associated with solidification in the presence of significant buoyancy. The present study extends the earlier results (Wirtz et. al, 1998) in an ammonium-water alloy analog by demonstrating the capability of quantifying two components of the instantaneous velocity vectors of such flows. The model alloy was directionally-solidified by chilling from below. Velocity vectors were measured near the solidification front at early phases (~3minutes) of the solidification when fine structures exist. Well-defined convective flow patterns were documented with velocities on the order of 1 mm/s measured for both velocity components. Velocity vectors within and around a plume were also measured further away from the solidification front later in the solidification process (~100 minutes). The optical grid used for tagging must be refined to provide adequate spatial resolution within the plumes. The capabilities and limitations of the MTV method in its present realization are described. The results demonstrate that the MTV method is a powerful tool that can be expected to provide valuable data related to complex thermo-solutal flows associated with solidification in the presence of significant buoyancy.
Capacitive Power Transfer Through a Conformal Bumper for Electric Vehicle Charging

Wireless power transfer (WPT) is emerging as a practical means for electric vehicle (EV) charging. Of the most common approaches to WPT, inductive coupling, and capacitive coupling, capacitive power transfer (CPT) is proposed to charge an EV at a kilowatt scale power level. CPT implementation replaces copper coils and permeable focusing/shielding materials of inductive approaches with foil surfaces, making CPT a cost effective and structurally simple system to implement while maintaining efficient power transfer capability. This paper addresses the primary technical hurdles to kilowatt scale CPT system development, namely, safe field confinement by achieving high coupling capacitance between the vehicle and the charging station. High capacitive coupling is achieved through a conformal (flexible and compressive) transmitter bumper that molds and contours itself to the vehicle. This minimizes the air gap and confines the field during charging. Here, a conformal surface demonstrates 3–5 times more coupling capacitance than its rigid counterpart of equal area. The associated power electronics are also discussed in detail, utilizing a Class $\text{E}^{2}$ amplifier/rectifier. An experimental docking station was built to charge the 156 V battery pack of a Corbin Sparrow EV and measured throughput power is demonstrated at $>1$ kW at $\sim 90$ % efficiency via a coupling capacitance of 10 nF operating at 530 kHz.
Frequency control of passive power grid with VSC-HVDC supply

For the passive power grid with voltage source converter based high voltage direct current systems(VSC-HVDC)supply,if faults occurr on the sending network,the receiving network will suffer power shortage due to current limiter affecting.Furthermore,it may cause voltage collapse.The relationship between DC voltage variation and dynamic frequency response under disturbance was analyzed,and the mechanism of DC voltage variation with active power unbalance was obtained in this paper.The frequency control strategies of inverter were thus proposed.According to the active demand of the load frequency regulation characteristics,the unbalance information was transmit to the protection devices,and the fault ride-through capability of the power grid was improved.PSCAD/EMTDC simulation results showed that the proposed control scheme can improve the fault ride-through capability.
How Three Journalism Advocacy Organizations Defended Journalists during the 2011 Protests in Egypt

When journalists who were covering the 2011 political protests in Egypt became targets of assaults and intimidation, three journalism advocacy groups issued press releases condemning Egypt’s actions, advocating for the humane treatment of all journalists, and documenting dozens of incidents of press attacks.
Claim Timing and Ex Post Adverse Selection

Many health care treatments are not urgent and may be delayed if patients so choose. Because insurance coverage is typically determined by the treatment date, individuals may have incentives to strategically delay treatments to minimize out-of-pocket costs. The strategic delay of treatment—a particular form of moral hazard—can be an important source of subsequent adverse selection, in which ex ante identical individuals select insurance coverage based on their differing accumulation of previously delayed treatments. This article investigates these forces empirically in the context of the missing market for dental insurance. Using rich claim-level data, my analysis reveals that approximately 40% of individuals strategically delay dental treatments when incentivized to do so, and this flexibility in delaying treatment can explain why the market for dental insurance has largely unraveled. More generally, the counterfactual analysis suggests features such as open enrolment periods and contracting on pre-existing conditions may be helpful tools in overcoming adverse selection in insurance contexts where the timing of uncertainty is not contractible.
Blood Pressure Variability : Insights From “Big Data”∗

Implementation of electronic health records (EHR) is now widespread, enabling collection and analysis of health-related data on an unprecedented scale [(1)][1]. Large health care systems, such as the U.S. Veterans Affairs (VA), now have the ability to aggregate and parse important health care
Biomechanical Effects of an Injury Prevention Program in Preadolescent Female Soccer Athletes

Background:Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are common, and children as young as 10 years of age exhibit movement patterns associated with an ACL injury risk. Prevention programs have been shown to reduce injury rates, but the mechanisms behind these programs are largely unknown. Few studies have investigated biomechanical changes after injury prevention programs in children.Purpose/Hypothesis:To investigate the effects of the F-MARC 11+ injury prevention warm-up program on changes to biomechanical risk factors for an ACL injury in preadolescent female soccer players. We hypothesized that the primary ACL injury risk factor of peak knee valgus moment would improve after training. In addition, we explored other kinematic and kinetic variables associated with ACL injuries.Study Design:Controlled laboratory study.Methods:A total of 51 female athletes aged 10 to 12 years were recruited from soccer clubs and were placed into an intervention group (n = 28; mean [±SD] age, 11.8 ± 0.8 years) and a control...
Membranes by the Numbers

Many of the most important processes in cells take place on and across membranes. With the rise of an impressive array of powerful quantitative methods for characterizing these membranes, it is an opportune time to reflect on the structure and function of membranes from the point of view of biological numeracy. To that end, in this chapter, I review the quantitative parameters that characterize the mechanical, electrical, and transport properties of membranes and carry out a number of corresponding order-of-magnitude estimates that help us understand the values of those parameters.
Isolation, in vitro excystation, and in vitro development of Cryptosporidium sp from calves

106 Introduction 106 Materials and Methods 107 Results 112 Discussion 115 Literature Cited 118 SECTION V. TECHNIQUES FOR THE RECOVERY OF CRYPTOSPORIDIUM OOCYSTS AND SPOROZOITES FROM CALF FECES 142 Abstract 142 Introduction 142 Materials and Methods 143 Results and Discussion 146 Literature Cited 149 GENERAL SUMMARY LITERATURE CITED ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 151 154 184
Inferences and Tests in Semiparametric Finite Mixture Models

Mixture models have been widely used in many disciplines, including econometric, psychosocial, genetic and medical researches and many others.
Improved sqrt-cosine similarity measurement

Text similarity measurement aims to find the commonality existing among text documents, which is fundamental to most information extraction, information retrieval, and text mining problems. Cosine similarity based on Euclidean distance is currently one of the most widely used similarity measurements. However, Euclidean distance is generally not an effective metric for dealing with probabilities, which are often used in text analytics. In this paper, we propose a new similarity measure based on sqrt-cosine similarity. We apply the proposed improved sqrt-cosine similarity to a variety of document-understanding tasks, such as text classification, clustering, and query search. Comprehensive experiments are then conducted to evaluate our new similarity measurement in comparison to existing methods. These experimental results show that our proposed method is indeed effective.
Effects of Growing Media and Aerial Environments on Acclimatization of In Vitro-Grown Miniature Rose Plantlets

Abstract Initial acclimatization of in vitro-rooted plantlets of miniature rose (Rosa chinensis var. minima ‘Red Ace’) in high humidity and continuous light (most similar to the in vitro environment) increased plant growth (33% greater root area and 34% greater shoot area) relative to plants acclimatized under intermittent mist during early ex vitro growth stages, but later transfer to standard greenhouse conditions caused a temporary lag in continued growth. Direct transfer from in vitro culture conditions to a greenhouse mist bench inhibited growth during acclimatization, but permitted more rapid growth rate (28 and 30% more shoot and root area, respectively) during transition to the greenhouse growing environment. Direct transplant of in vitro rooted microcuttings to a growing medium containing soil resulted in high survival rate and circumvented the need for an interim potting medium, whereas transplant to Jiffy-9 pellets resulted in the highest plant losses.
Merger rate of primordial black-hole binaries

Primordial black holes (PBHs) have long been a candidate for the elusive dark matter (DM), and remain poorly constrained in the $\ensuremath{\sim}20--100\text{ }\text{ }{M}_{\ensuremath{\bigodot}}$ mass range. PBH binaries were recently suggested as the possible source of LIGO's first detections. In this paper, we thoroughly revisit existing estimates of the merger rate of PBH binaries. We compute the probability distribution of orbital parameters for PBH binaries formed in the early Universe, accounting for tidal torquing by all other PBHs, as well as standard large-scale adiabatic perturbations. We then check whether the orbital parameters of PBH binaries formed in the early Universe can be significantly affected between formation and merger. Our analytic estimates indicate that the tidal field of halos and interactions with other PBHs, as well as dynamical friction by unbound standard DM particles, do not do significant work on nor torque PBH binaries. We estimate the torque due to baryon accretion to be much weaker than previous calculations, albeit possibly large enough to significantly affect the eccentricity of typical PBH binaries. We also revisit the PBH-binary merger rate resulting from gravitational capture in present-day halos, accounting for Poisson fluctuations. If binaries formed in the early Universe survive to the present time, as suggested by our analytic estimates, they dominate the total PBH merger rate. Moreover, this merger rate would be orders of magnitude larger than LIGO's current upper limits if PBHs make a significant fraction of the dark matter. As a consequence, LIGO would constrain $\ensuremath{\sim}10--300\text{ }\text{ }{M}_{\ensuremath{\bigodot}}$ PBHs to constitute no more than $\ensuremath{\sim}1%$ of the dark matter. To make this conclusion fully robust, though, numerical study of several complex astrophysical processes---such as the formation of the first PBH halos and how they may affect PBH binaries, as well as the accretion of gas onto an extremely eccentric binary---is needed.
Structure and Activity of Ribozymes

In this article I will review the catalytic activities of the recently discovered RNA enzymes, or ribozymes. I will emphasize the group I introns, since much more is known about this group of self-splicing introns than any other ribozyme. These molecules are of particular interest because the transesterification reaction they catalyze is chemically the same as the reaction that a primitive RNA replicase would have to carry out. The little information that we have about the structure of these RNA enzymes comes from phylogenetic sequence comparison data, although detailed genetic analysis promises to be quite informative. I will also discuss the use of nucleotide analogues and base modification procedures as structural probes. After briefly reviewing the other known and possible ribozymes, I will conclude with some speculative comments on the possibilities of making new enzymes, both from RNA and from novel ordered heteropolymers.
Manipulating post-stroke gait: Exploiting aberrant kinematics.

Post-stroke individuals often exhibit abnormal kinematics, including increased pelvic obliquity and hip abduction coupled with reduced knee flexion. Prior examinations suggest these behaviors are expressions of abnormal cross-planar coupling of muscle activity. However, few studies have detailed the impact of gait-retraining paradigms on three-dimensional joint kinematics. In this study, a cross-tilt walking surface was examined as a novel gait-retraining construct. We hypothesized that relative to baseline walking kinematics, exposure to cross-tilt would generate significant changes in subsequent flat-walking joint kinematics during affected limb swing. Twelve post-stroke participants walked on a motorized treadmill platform during a flat-walking condition and during a 10-degree cross-tilt with affected limb up-slope, increasing toe clearance demand. Individuals completed 15 min of cross-tilt walking with intermittent flat-walking catch trials and a final washout period (5 min). For flat-walking conditions, we examined changes in pelvic obliquity, hip abduction/adduction and knee flexion kinematics at the spatiotemporal events of swing initiation and toe-off, and the kinematic event of maximum angle during swing. Pelvic obliquity significantly reduced at swing initiation and maximum obliquity in the final catch trial and late washout. Knee flexion significantly increased at swing initiation, toe-off, and maximum flexion across catch trials and late washout. Hip abduction/adduction was not significantly influenced following cross-tilt walking. Significant decrease in the rectus femoris and medial hamstrings muscle activity across catch trials and late washout was observed. Exploiting the abnormal features of post-stroke gait during retraining yielded desirable changes in muscular and kinematic patterns post-training.
Introduction to Echocardiography

The principle upon which ultrasound imaging is based is similar to that used in sonar depth finders. Sound waves are produced by a piezoelectric crystal that vibrates within a known frequency range when excited by an electric current. Such crystals also act as receivers, transforming acoustic energy back into electrical energy with extreme efficiency. Some naturally occurring crystals such as quartz and Rochelle salt have piezoelectric properties. Ultrasound transducers are usually made of ceramics such as barium titanate and lead zirconate.