cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tropical tree species traits drive soil cation dynamics via effects on pH: a proposed conceptual framework

Humid tropical forests are major players in the global carbon cycle, despite evidence that cations (rock-derived, positively charged ions) can limit or co-limit net primary productivity (NPP). In mature forests, tight cation cycling, i.e., without leaching losses, could maintain cation stocks on site. That mechanism does not explain how regenerating tropical secondary forest trees start from seeds and accrue large cation stocks in biomass, when growing on soils depleted in available cations. We propose a new mechanism that links tree species’ traits to soil cation availability via impacts on soil pH, a ‘master’ biogeochemical driver. We tested plot-level effects of tree species on soil pH, soil extractable cations, and cation accrual in biomass in a unique, 25-yr-old, randomized-complete-block experiment in which climate, soil, and previous land-use history were similar across four native tree species grown in mono-dominant plantations in Costa Rica. Surface-soil pH in this Oxisol, initially 4.52 (±0.02), declined to 4.14 (±0.02) under Pentaclethra macroloba, a nodulated legume, and increased to 4.71 (±0.08) under Vochysia guatemalensis, an aluminum (Al) accumulator. The range in pH corresponds to a five-fold difference in proton concentrations, which is sufficient to alter dispersion of organo-mineral colloids. Cation stocks in biomass differed across species by 1.7-, 1.9-, 2.8-, 2.9-, 3.1-, 3.5-, and 17.2-fold for iron (Fe), calcium (Ca), potassium (K), manganese (Mn), strontium (Sr), magnesium (Mg), and Al, respectively. Differential acquisition of available soil cations was an unlikely explanation for measured differences among species because changes in extractable soil cation stocks were unrelated to cation accrual in biomass. Soil pH and biomass cation stocks were highly correlated, however. By our proposed conceptual framework, species traits that strongly increase proton concentrations and decrease pH in soil, e.g., support of N fixation, increase colloid aggregation, reducing cation availability. Traits that reduce soil protons and increase pH, e.g., Al+3 accumulation, disperse colloids, thereby releasing cations occluded during pedogenesis. This highlights a novel biogeochemical role for the Al-accumulation trait, i.e., liberation of occluded soil cations. Further studies would clarify effects of soil pH on cation supply via colloid dispersion, and its importance for nutrient acquisition in cation-depleted soils. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Impact of the Aggregated Data Sizes on the Optimality of Multi-level Clustering

Multi-level clustering offers the scalability that is essential to large-scale ad hoc and sensor networks in addition to supporting energy-efficient strategies for gathering data. The optimality of a multi-level network largely depends on two design variables: 1) The number of levels, and 2) The number of nodes operating at each level. We characterize these variables within a multi-hop, multi-level hierarchical network of variable size that gathers and aggregates data at each level. Our network communication cost model (EEHC-VA) is parameterized by the size of the data forwarded at each level, which depends on the application and aggregation strategy in place. We minimize the communication cost to obtain the optimal probabilities of distributed and independent selection of level-(n+1) nodes from level-n nodes. Interestingly, we have identified intervals&#x2014;based on the number of nodes and aggregated data sizes&#x2014;within which single- or two-level hierarchies are optimal. The results have been numerically verified for a wide range of parameters and validated with network simulations.
Catastrophizing Interferes with Cognitive Modulation of Pain in Women with Fibromyalgia

Background Pain modulation is a critical function of the nociceptive system that includes the ability to engage descending pain control systems to maintain a functional balance between facilitation and inhibition of incoming sensory stimuli. Dysfunctional pain modulation is associated with increased risk for chronic pain and is characteristic of fibromyalgia (FM). Catastrophizing is also common in FM. However, its influence on pain modulation is poorly understood. Objective To determine the role of catastrophizing on central nervous system processing during pain modulation in FM via examining brain responses and pain sensitivity during an attention-distraction paradigm. Methods Twenty FM patients and 18 healthy controls (CO) underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while receiving pain stimuli, administered alone and during distracting cognitive tasks. Pain ratings were assessed after each stimulus. Catastrophizing was assessed with the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS). Results The ability to modulate pain during distraction varied among FM patients and was associated with catastrophizing. This was demonstrated by significant positive relationships between PCS scores and pain ratings (P 0.05). Conclusions FM patients with higher levels of catastrophizing were less able to distract themselves from pain, indicative of catastrophizing-related impairments in pain modulation. These results suggest that the tendency to catastrophize interacts with attention-resource allocation and may represent a mechanism of chronic pain exacerbation and/or maintenance. Reducing catastrophizing may improve FM symptoms via improving central nervous system regulation of pain.
Implementation of stable PUFs using gate oxide breakdown

Instability has been an Achilles heel for physical unclonable functions (PUF) requiring complex error correction or other stability enhancement approaches. This instability originates from parametric nature of variations leveraged as a source of randomness. We develop highly stable PUFs using two random gate oxide breakdown mechanisms: plasma induced damage during semiconductor manufacturing and voltage stressed damage post manufacturing. These gate oxide breakdown PUFs can be easily implemented in commercial silicon processes without extra cost on PUF manufacturing and design, and they are stable and resistant to physical attacks. We fabricated bit generation units for the stable PUFs on 99 testchips with 65nm CMOS bulk technology. Measurement results show that the plasma induced breakdown can generate completely stable responses for all 2871 bits and significant area reduction compared with SRAM PUF can be achieved by eliminating the error correction code (ECC) hardware implementation. For the voltage stressed breakdown, the area cost is further reduced, and its 0.12% bit error rate at a worst case corner can be effectively accommodated by taking the majority vote from multiple measurements without ECC. We show that the responses of gate oxide breakdown PUFs are unique. In addition, we analyze the data of our testchips and show through various statistical distance measures that the bits of our fabricated PUFs are independent.
Nanogap-Based Electrochemical Measurements at Double-Carbon-Fiber Ultramicroelectrodes

Electrochemical measurements with unprecedentedly high sensitivity, selectivity, and kinetic resolution have been enabled by a pair of electrodes separated by a nanometer-wide gap. The fabrication of nanogap electrodes, however, requires extensive nanolithography or nanoscale electrode positioning, thereby preventing the full exploration of this powerful method in electrode design and application. Herein, we report the simple fabrication of double-carbon-fiber ultramicroelectrodes (UMEs) with nanometer-wide gaps not only to facilitate nanogap-based electrochemical measurements but also to gain high time resolution, signal-to-background ratio, and kinetic selectivity for dopamine against ascorbic acid. Specifically, ∼7 μm-diameter carbon fibers are inserted into a double-bore glass capillary, heat-pulled, and milled by focused ion-beam technology to yield ∼50 μm-long double-cylinder UMEs. The redox cycling of the Ru(NH3)63+/2+ couple across a nanogap between voltammetric generator and amperometric collecto...
As Matronas da Igreja de Roma na Antiguidade Tardia

In the present work we will present in the ascetic movement in Christianity and the gender relations existing in these religious tendencies in Late Antiquity. The characteristics and forms of Christian asceticism, sexual renunciation and, finally, women in the Church of Rome in the late fourth century CE. These matrons led a significant monastic movement in the city of Rome, of the aristocracy, the widows Marcela and Paula, in the region of Aventine. Moreover, these women were tutored by the monk Jerome of Stridon who can share the radical ascetic experience of the Syrian desert, the teaching of Christian Holy letters and Eastern languages.
The Min Oscillator Defines Sites of Asymmetric Cell Division in Cyanobacteria during Stress Recovery.

Summary When resources are abundant, many rod-shaped bacteria reproduce through precise, symmetric divisions. However, realistic environments entail fluctuations between restrictive and permissive growth conditions. Here, we use time-lapse microscopy to study the division of the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus as illumination intensity varies. We find that dim conditions produce elongated cells whose divisions follow a simple rule: cells shorter than ∼8 μm divide symmetrically, but above this length divisions become asymmetric, typically producing a short ∼3-μm daughter. We show that this division strategy is implemented by the Min system, which generates multi-node patterns and traveling waves in longer cells that favor the production of a short daughter. Mathematical modeling reveals that the feedback loops that create oscillatory Min patterns are needed to implement these generalized cell division rules. Thus, the Min system, which enforces symmetric divisions in short cells, acts to strongly suppress mid-cell divisions when S. elongatus cells are long.
What Is the Role of Imaging and Reimaging in Patients with Chronic Abdominal Pain

A frequent clinical question when caring for patients with chronic abdominal pain is when to obtain imaging or repeat imaging. Little consensus guidance exists on this issue. As a significant proportion of patients presenting with chronic abdominal pain have functional syndromes rather than underlying organic disease, providers must be judicious with imaging decisions. The choice of imaging modality should be tailored to assessing for a particular diagnosis, rather than as a screening tool. “Red-flag” symptoms can be useful in raising suspicion for underlying organic disease, but may not always necessitate immediate imaging in the emergency department (ED). More studies are needed, but limited evidence appears to indicate that repeating abdominal CT-imaging after previous negative scans has a relatively low yield.
A more compliant prosthetic foot better accommodates added load while walking among Servicemembers with transtibial limb loss.

Abstract Selecting an optimal prosthetic foot is particularly challenging for highly active individuals with limb loss, such as military personnel, who need to seamlessly perform a variety of demanding activities/tasks (often with and without external loads) while minimizing risk of musculoskeletal injuries over the longer term. Here, we expand on prior work by comparing biomechanical and functional outcomes in two prosthetic feet with the largest differences in mechanical response to added load (i.e., consistently “Compliant” and “Stiff” forefoot properties). In each foot, fourteen male Servicemembers with unilateral transtibial limb loss (from trauma) completed instrumented gait analyses in all combinations of two loading conditions (with and without 22 kg weighted vest) and two walking speeds (1.34 and 1.52 m/s), as well as the Prosthesis Evaluation Questionnaire. With the Stiff foot, sound limb peak loading was 2% smaller (p = 0.043) in the loaded versus unloaded condition, but similar between loading conditions in the Compliant foot (note, the Stiff foot was associated with larger loads, overall). Independent of load or walking speed, the Compliant (versus Stiff) foot provided 67.9% larger (p
A device for sampling aquatic insects associated with carrion in water

A device that permits the sampling of aquatic insects associated with carcasses in water with minimal disturbance of the natural environment is described. A field study conducted in early summer documented strictly aquatic insects recovered from decaying pig carcasses in an Iowa freshwater lake using this sampling method. Forty carcasses of newborn pigs were placed in the devices and removed at two-day intervals to simulate a complete decomposition sequence. Twenty species of insects from twelve families in five orders were documented, along with water mites (Arachnida:Acari) and amphipods (Crustacea:Amphipoda).
Chapter 64 – Localized Osteolysis

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews osteolytic bone disease and osteoporosis, with major attention on osteolytic and osteoblastic bone disease. It focuses primarily on myeloma, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and myeloma as true malignancies which exemplify the spectrum of bone changes that occupy advanced cancer. Metastatic bone disease occurs commonly in solid tumors of the breast, prostate and lungs. These are the three commonest solid tumors that affect humankind, and they are usually associated with bone metastasis at the stage that the patient has advanced disease. Patients with metastatic bone disease due to these solid tumors have a marked impairment of their quality of life due to skeletal-related events such as intractable bone pain, bone fragility, and susceptibility to pathologic fracture. This study also describes the osteolytic and osteoblastic process in breast cancer, and the important cell-cell interactions that occur in the bone microenvironment. Following this, it deals with prostate cancer and bone metastasis. Furthermore, multiple myeloma is a hematological malignancy which is characterized by the development of a progressive and destructive osteolytic bone disease which differs from the osteolysis frequently seen with solid tumors. Finally, deals with the occurrence of osteoporosis in patients with cancer.
Real-Time Path Integral Simulation of Exciton-Vibration Dynamics in Light-Harvesting Bacteriochlorophyll Aggregates

The mechanism of excitation energy transfer in photoexcited bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) aggregates poses intriguing questions, which have important implications for the observed efficiency of photosynthesis. We investigate this process through fully quantum mechanical calculations of exciton-vibration dynamics in chains and rings of BChl a molecules, with parameters characterizing the B850 ring of the LH2 complex of photosynthetic bacteria. The calculations are performed using the modular path integral methodology, which allows the exact treatment of 50 intramolecular vibrations on each pigment using parameters obtained from spectroscopic Huang-Rhys factors with computational effort that scales linearly with aggregate length. Our results indicate that the interplay between electronic and vibrational time scales leads to the rapid suppression but not the overdamping of electronic coherence, which facilitates the spreading of excitation energy throughout the aggregate.
Effect of Postpartum Depo Medroxyprogesterone Acetate on Lactation in Mothers of Very Low-Birth-Weight Infants.

Objective: This study examined the effect of postpartum administration of depo medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) on milk production, time to onset of secretory activation, lactation duration, and ...
Black fashion designers matter: A qualitative study exploring the experiences of Black female fashion design entrepreneurs

Black female fashion designers come from a rich heritage that uniquely prepares them for entrepreneurship. The societal challenges and limitations they have faced throughout history and continue to face today have served as motivational factors, often pushing them to seek solace through self-employment. The historical past of Black women's involvement in the textile, apparel and fashion industries is important in developing the complex understanding of the motivation that drives them to succeed today despite the limitations that are still placed before them. Through in-depth interviews the researcher inquired into the characteristics, personality traits, background, education and life experiences of 15 Black female fashion design entrepreneurs. The barriers and challenges they face in regards to their race, class, gender and other factors; their motivational factors for starting and maintaining a business; how they define and measure success; as well as an identification of resources that they benefit from were also explored.
Abstract 20134: Frequency of Psychiatric Disorders in Persons With Stress Induced Cardiomyopathy

Background: Stress induced cardiomyopathy is thought to be induced by various stressors in at risk individuals. However, the frequency of concomitant psychiatric disorders in persons with stress induced cardiomyopathy has not been well characterized. Methods: We identified cases of stress induced cardiomyopathy in a large community based cohort in Southern California (USA). Cases were identified from 6 community medical centers. Each case underwent coronary angiography to exclude obstructive coronary artery disease and had subsequent evaluation of left ventricular function to document normalization of function and wall motion abnormalities. The frequency of a history of depression, anxiety, and use of psychiatric medications was determined. Results: There were 53 consecutive patients identified between 2005 and 2010. The mean age for the cohort was 65 ± 12yrs (range: 41 to 87), 96% female, 83% were white, and 15% hispanic. Stress induced cardiomyopathy was confirmed in the absence of obstructive coronary artery disease and wall motion abnormalities which were extensive involving multiple coronary artery distributions. Characteristics of the clinical presentation included: angina (93%), shortness of breath (33%), congestive heart failure (19%), syncope (6%), and cardiac arrest (6%). The frequency of prior depression was 36% and anxiety disorder was 30%. The use of any psychiatric medications prior to the index event was 40%. The peak troponin I value was greater among patients with a history of depression (median and interquartile range): 2.3 (1.3 – 2.9) vs. 1.3 (0.6 – 2.5), P=0.14. Conclusions: The frequency of psychiatric disorders and prior use of psychiatric medications is common in patients presenting with stress induced cardiomyopathy. Details of the severity of the psychiatric illness and medications used will be presented.
Optical Techniques to Measure Genetic Instability in Cell and Tissue Cultures

Biotechnology has great potential in forestry, particularly in plantation forestry, where rapid reforestation is financially and ecologically imperative, and especially in situations where the desirable species grows well in an exotic environment but does not reproduce there. The potential benefits of biotechnology include: rapid multiplication of selected genotypes; cloning; somatic hybridization; increased disease, insect, and herbicide resistance; germplasm preservation; triploid production; rapid haploid and pure line production; somatic embryogenesis; and somaclonal variation (see Berlyn et al. 1986a; Bajaj 1986). However, there are potential problems which include: low yield of somatic embryos, especially in conifers; inability to regenerate almost all forest trees from protoplasts, which prevents application of somatic hybridization; delayed expression of undesirable traits; morphological incompatibility of plant organs in genetically engineered plants; out-of-phase development, that alters timing mechanisms such as bud flushing, dormancy induction, initiation of earlywood and latewood formation and reproductive development; and genetic instability of regenerated plantlets and consequent inability to regenerate true to type. As has been documented, high levels of auxins employed in plant tissue culture for root initiation and organogenesis can cause DNA content polymorphisms (Renfroe and Berlyn 1985; Berlyn et al. 1987). These effects are probably deleterious, especially in conifers, but the long-term significance of these changes is not well understood.
APS TBC performance on directionally-solidified superalloy substrates with HVOF NiCoCrAlYHfSi bond coatings

Abstract Directionally-solidified (DS) superalloy components with advanced thermal barrier coatings (TBC) to lower the metal operating temperature have the potential to replace more expensive single crystal superalloys for large land-based turbines. In order to assess relative TBC performance, furnace cyclic testing was used with superalloys 1483, X4 and Hf-rich DS 247 substrates and high velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF)-NiCoCrAlYHfSi bond coatings at 1100 °C with 1-h cycles in air with 10% H2O. With these coating and test conditions, there was no statistically-significant effect of substrate alloy on the average lifetime of the air plasma sprayed (APS) yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) top coatings on small coupons. Using photo-stimulated luminescence piezospectroscopy maps at regular cycling intervals, the residual compressive stress in the α-Al2O3 scale underneath the YSZ top coating and on a bare bond coating was similar for all three substrates and delaminations occurred at roughly the same rate and frequency. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) measurements collected from the bare bond coating surface revealed higher Ti interdiffusion occurring with the 1483 substrate, which contained the highest Ti content.
Nitrate and ammonium uptake for single-and mixed-species communities grown at elevated CO2.

Sustained increases in plant production in elevated CO2 depend on adequate belowground resources. Mechanisms for acquiring additional soil resources include increased root allocation and changes in root morphology or physiology. CO2 research to date has focused almost exclusively on changes in biomass and allocation. We examined physiological changes in nitrate and ammonium uptake in elevated CO2, hypothesizing that uptake rates would increase with the amount of available CO2. We combined our physiological estimates of nitrogen uptake with measurements of root biomass to assess whole root-system rates of nitrogen uptake. Surprisingly, physiological rates of ammonium uptake were unchanged with CO2, and rates of nitrate uptake actually decreased significantly (P 0.80). Root-system rates of nitrogen uptake were more strongly correlated with physiological uptake rates than with root biomass in unamended soil, but the reverse was true in fertilized replicates. We discuss nitrogen uptake and changes in root biomass in the context of root nutrient concentrations (which were generally unchanged with CO2) and standing pools of belowground plant nitrogen. In research to date, there appears to be a fairly general increase in root biomass with elevated CO2, and little evidence of up-regulation in root physiology.
Measurement of Frequency, Phase Noise and Amplitude Noise

The sections in this article are 1 Basic Concepts and Definitions 2 Measurement Systems 3 Carrier Suppression Measurement Systems
The measurement of fairness or equality perceptions of management information systems users

This article reports the development of an instrument to measure the perceptions of fairness or equity experienced by users in the context of allocation of information systems resources by the centralized MIS function. Literature in the area of equity and social justice is presented to identify the dimensions of equity relevant to the MIS environment. The article presents the results of data analysis on a cross-sectional survey conducted to refine and evaluate the instrument. Support for reliability and validity of the instrument is presented. Possible applications of the instrument are discussed in the concluding section.
All Runways Lead to Accra: The Importance of Ghana's Capital as a Fashion City

This paper explores how Accra, the capital city of Ghana, has encouraged the development of a vibrant and dynamic fashion culture by serving as a crossroads for the exchange of fashion and dress practices between Ghanaians and a larger, global fashion community. I begin by situating these exchanges in a historical context, exploring how Accra’s fashion culture was influenced by a myriad of international designers during the 1950s, ranging from British couturier Norman Hartnell to designers from the United States and Senegal. In addition to fashion designers, individual Ghanaians’ overseas experiences and exposure to world fashions were featured in Ghanaian newspapers, serving as vehicles for the importation of innovative world fashions and educating the Ghanaian populous on the latest trends in fashionable dressing. It is this continuous exchange of people and their experiences, and Ghanaians subsequent exposure to a diverse array of fashions in Ghana and abroad, that transformed Accra into a center for fashion. I demonstrate that Accra continues to operate in this capacity, with fashion increasingly becoming an ever-present aspect of the cultural and social fabric of the city. Ultimately my presentation argues that Accra has been, and continues to be, an increasingly influential fashion city within the broader context of global fashion.
Oral Cavity and Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Erythroplakia>leukoplakia are premalignant conditions which require monitoring/biopsy. Bone invasion (mandible or maxilla) portends poor prognosis and represents T4 disease (see TNM staging below). Cervical metastasis is the most influential prognostic factor and confers a 50 % decrease in survival. Tumors >5 mm thickness have higher (20 %>) risk of cervical metastasis. Cervical metastasis (neck mass) is a common presenting sign of oropharyngeal malignancy. HPV viral induced oropharyngeal SCCA has dramatically improved prognosis when compared with HPV− cancers and has shifted treatment paradigms and research protocols.
Studies of a halophilic NADH dehydrogenase. II. Kinetic properties of the enzyme in relation to salt activation.

Abstract 1. 1. An NADH dehydrogenase, obtained from an extremely halophilic bacterium, was activated by various salts when enzyme activity was measured as the observed velocity, whereas the maximum velocity was unaffected by either the salt concentration or the nature of the salt. 2. 2. Two ion effects were observed; a quantitative cation effect, reflected in changes in the apparent Michaelis constant for 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol, and a qualitative anion effect, reflected in the apparent Michaelis and dissociation constants for NADH. 3. 3. The data suggest that cations act by neutralizing electrostatic charges surrounding the 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol-binding site, whereas the anions affect the conformation of the enzyme by altering the accessibility of the NADH-binding site to the bulk solvent. 4. 4. Thus, the apparent activation of this enzyme, obtained from an extremely halophilic bacterium, is a reflection of measuring enzyme activity at non-saturating substrate concentrations.
Instantonic branes, Atiyah–Hirzebruch spectral sequence, and SL(2,Z) duality of N=4 SYM

Abstract We study the equivalence among orientifold three-planes in the context of the Atiyah–Hirzebruch spectral sequence. This equivalence refers to the fact that two different cohomology classes in the same cohomology group, which classify the orientifolds, are lifted to the same trivial class in K-theory. The physical interpretation of this mathematical algorithm is given by the role of D-brane instantons. By following some recent ideas, we extend the sequence to include a classification of NS–NS fluxes. We find that such equivalences, in the low energy limit of the dynamics on the worldvolume of type IIB D3-branes on top of the orientifolds, are interpreted as the SL(2, Z ) duality in four-dimensional N =4 SYM theories.
Comment on Policy Issues and Control Strategies of U.S. Epa, Ozone Naaqs

Abstract Unlike other atmospheric pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, lead, volatile organic compounds and total suspended particulates, ozone is not a primary pollutant, but is produced from a variety of sources. Its concentration in the atmosphere is largely dependent on the ratio of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to nitrogen oxides in the presence of sunlight. Despite reduction in VOCs, there has been non-attainment of the proposed ozone standard in more than 60 major U.S. urban areas. This paper discusses the following: (i) EPA's post-1987 proposal for attaining the ozone standard, (ii) the use of the Lowest Observed Adverse Effect Level [LOAEL] rather than the Lowest Observed Effect Level [LOEL] in setting the standard; and (iii) EPA's framework for assessing adversity of effect for acute ozone exposure.
Comparison of energy balance modeling schemes using microwave‐derived soil moisture and radiometric surface temperature

[1] A Two-Source (soil + vegetation) Energy Balance (TSEB) modeling scheme has been developed to use either microwave-derived near-surface soil moisture (TSEBSM) or radiometric surface temperature (TSEBTR) as the key remotely sensed surface boundary condition for computing spatially distributed heat fluxes. Output of the surface heat fluxes from both two-source schemes have been validated using tower- and aircraft-based flux observations. However, these observations rarely provide the necessary spatial information for evaluating heat flux patterns produced by spatially based models. By collecting microwave and radiometric surface temperature observations concurrently during the Southern Great Plains 1997 (SGP97) experiment conducted in Oklahoma, USA, heat flux estimates by the two modeling schemes were compared on a pixel-by-pixel basis. This provided a unique opportunity for evaluating the consistency in spatial patterns of the heat fluxes. Comparisons with radiometric surface temperature observations helped to elucidate factors contributing to discrepancies between TSEBSM and TSEBTR output, because the TSEBSM modeling scheme computes an effective surface temperature. Results from the heat flux comparisons and simulated versus observed surface temperatures suggested revisions to TSEBSM parameterizations are needed to better constrain flux predictions from the soil and vegetation. When the revisions are made, TSEBSM accommodates a wider range of environmental conditions. The revisions involve an adjustment to the soil evaporation algorithm for differential drying of the near-surface soil layer and adopting the Priestley–Taylor coefficient estimated from the TSEBTR model. It was also found that areas with high fractional vegetative cover conditions, TSEBTR estimates of energy partitioning between sensible and latent heat flux at the soil surface (expressed in terms of the soil Bowen ratio, BOS), were uncorrelated to the remotely sensed near-surface soil moisture. This contributed to inconsistencies in BOS patterns estimated by TSEBTR during a dry down period. A ∼20% change in the maximum fractional vegetation cover estimated using the remote-sensing-based algorithm is shown to dramatically impact BOS values estimated by TSEBTR for the densely vegetated areas while having little effect on TSEBSM-derived values. This result suggests that under certain environmental conditions, energy balance partitioning at the soil surface over densely vegetated areas may be tenuous using the TSEBTR scheme.
Incidence and Time Trends of Herpes Zoster in Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Population-Based Cohort Study

Herpes zoster or shingles is a common cutaneous disorder caused by the reactivation of latent varicella-zoster virus dormant in the cranial nerve or dorsal root ganglia. It usually manifests as a dermatomal distribution of a vesicular eruption that can cause significant morbidity (1). Herpes zoster is known to be more frequent in patients with conditions that depress cell-mediated immunity, including malignancy, HIV, transplantation, immunosuppressive disorders and treatment with immunosuppressants (2). The overall rate of herpes zoster in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is increased compared to the general population, with a greater risk in individuals using traditional disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) or biologic therapies (3). Use of prednisone in RA is an important predisposing factor for herpes zoster, and its use in conjunction with DMARDs increases the risk beyond that seen with the DMARDs alone (4). Many unanswered questions remain regarding the relationship between RA and reactivation of herpes zoster, and how RA related disease features, treatment and herpes zoster prevention measures might be addressed to avoid recurrent and complicated herpes zoster in these patients. We performed a population-based study to assess the incidence, time trends, risk factors and severity of herpes zoster in a well defined population of patients with RA. This information should serve the eventual goal of identifying possible strategies that could be employed to minimize the risk of development of herpes zoster in patients with RA.
The artificial collective-action problem in lawsuits against insured defendants

In lawsuits against defendants covered by liability insurance, the parties negotiate toward a single settlement amount that collectively binds the plaintiff and all defense-side parties (the defendant and its liability insurer). This settlement method produces a collective-action problem whenever the trial outcome is uncertain and the potential damages exceed the limit of the defendant’s liability policy. When such a suit settles, the insurer often pays more, and the defendant/policyholder pays less, than each expected to pay if the case had gone to trial. The insurer is thus biased against, and the policyholder toward, pre-trial settlement. This conflict could produce an unnecessary trial or a settlement that overcompensates the plaintiff, depending on which bias prevails. To prevent such results, courts (and some insurance policies) place settlement duties on liability insurers. But enforcing these duties entails additional litigation, compliance costs, and the risk of legal error. An alternative solution would be to replace collective settlements with “segmented” settlements. Each defense-side party would bargain separately with the plaintiff for a release of the plaintiff’s right to collect any damages which, if awarded at trial, would be that defense-side party’s contractual responsibility. The collective-action problem would then disappear, as would the need for settlement duties. The benefits would be greatest in lawsuits against corporate defendants, which often have multiple excess insurers in addition to a primary insurer. Why parties continue to follow a settlement method that produces an avoidable collective-action problem is an open question in the study of insurance law.
Management guidelines of common kidney disorders relevant to South Africa.

World Kidney Day (WKD), an annual event, is celebrated on 8 March 2012. As a project for WKD, the National Kidney Foundation of South Africa (NKFSA) has arranged for a group of experienced senior nephrologists from around the country to contribute to a guideline booklet presenting the diagnosis and state-of-the-art management of renal disorders. Its main aim is to educate and update general practitioners, but it should also be useful for under- and postgraduate students, urologists and specialist physicians. The guideline is being edited and will be sent to the South African Renal Society for their endorsement. We aim to publish the guideline as a supplement to the South African Medical Journal. We thank the contributors to and supporters of the project, and the National Lotteries Distribution Trust Fund for
Chemistry and physics with many positrons

Abstract The first study of a high-density collection of positronium (Cassidy et al., 2005) revealed Ps–Ps spin exchange interactions in a porous silica sample. The prospects for further work in this field include forming di-positronium molecules and the Ps Bose–Einstein condensate, and constructing an annihilation gamma ray laser.
Use of INR to assess degree of anticoagulation in patients who have dental procedures

Dental professionals frequently treat patients who are receiving anticoagulation therapy. Proper treatment may require adjustment of the anticoagulant dose usually on the basis of the patient's current prothrombin time. This test has been shown to be less accurate than previously thought. The international normalized ratio is another method that attempts to standardize the degree of anticoagulation and to improve reproducibility of results. This system is slowly being implemented in laboratories in the United States. Practitioners who treat patients taking anticoagulants need to be aware of this system in order to make appropriate management decisions.
Are glomus cells in the rat carotid body dopaminergic or noradrenergic

Abstract The glomus cells and an extensive network of nerve fibers between them in the rat carotid body fluoresce intensely after exposure to hot paraformaldehyde vapor. Virtually all the glomera fluoresce. Sympathectomy results in disappearance of the fluorescent nerve fibers between the glomus cells; hence, these nerve fibers are noradrenergic. Reserpine administration depletes the fluorescence of glomus cells and nerve fibers. Administration of l -dopa after reserpine restores the fluorescence to the glomus cells, but not to the noradrenergic nerve fibers. Administration of l -dopa after reserpine in other tissues restores fluorescence to dopaminergic but not to noradrenergic nervous elements. The intense noradrenergic innervation of atrial heart muscle and blood vessels does not refluoresce after the sequential administration of reserpine and l -dopa, nor do sympathetic ganglion cells. After reserpine and l -dopa administration, all glomera fluoresce, although it is possible that a few isolated glomus cells within the glomera are not rendered refluorescent. It appears most likely that virtually all glomus cells contain dopamine but not noradrenaline. It is suggested that virtually all the noradrenaline present biochemically in the carotid body is located in the autonomic nerve fibers ramifying in the carotid body and in the sporadic ganglion cells found in and adjacent to the carotid body, but not in the glomus cells.
Combination Therapy with Statins and Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Combined dyslipidemia is the concurrent presence of multiple abnormalities in various lipid subfractions, including elevated concentrations of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and triglycerides (TGs), as well as decreased concentrations of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. The Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) guidelines of the US National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) lowered the cut points for classification of TG levels, established non-HDL cholesterol levels as a secondary target of therapy in patients with TGs of ≥2.26 mmol/L (200 mg/dL), and defined the metabolic syndrome as a secondary target of therapy. Although 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins) are first-line therapy for most patients with elevated LDL cholesterol, statin monotherapy may not be sufficient to achieve recommended non-HDL cholesterol goals, and statins have only modest effects on reducing TG levels. Similarly, patients whose TG levels remain elevated despite treatment with a TG-lowering agent may require the addition of a statin to provide further TG reduction. In addition, statin therapy may be needed to offset the secondary increase in levels of LDL cholesterol that frequently results from treatment with a TG-lowering agent in patients with marked hypertriglyceridemia. In a number of small studies, the combination of statins and omega-3 fatty acids has been consistently shown to be an effective, safe, and well-tolerated treatment for combined dyslipidemia. Patients with recent myocardial infarction may also benefit from this combination. When considering risks and benefits of adding a second agent to statins for treatment of combined dyslipidemia, omega-3 fatty acids provide additional lipid improvements without requiring additional laboratory tests and do not increase risk for adverse muscle or liver effects.
OBSERVATION PROCEDURE, OBSERVER GENDER, AND BEHAVIOR VALENCE AS DETERMINANTS OF SAMPLING ERROR IN A BEHAVIOR ASSESSMENT ANALOGUE

Several factors thought to influence the representativeness of behavioral assessment data were examined in an analogue study using a multifactorial design. Systematic and unsystematic methods of observing group behavior were investigated using 18 male and 18 female observers. Additionally, valence properties of the observed behaviors were inspected. Observers' assessments of a videotape were compared to a criterion code that defined the population of behaviors. Results indicated that systematic observation procedures were more accurate than unsystematic procedures, though this factor interacted with gender of observer and valence of behavior. Additionally, males tended to sample more representatively than females. A third finding indicated that the negatively valenced behavior was overestimated, whereas the neutral and positively valenced behaviors were accurately assessed.
Pseudo-percolation: Critical volume fractions and mechanical percolation in polymer nanocomposites

Abstract Polymer nanocomposites offer a basis for the design and manufacture composite materials with greatly enhanced properties at relatively low volume fractions of the included phase. One underlying mechanism, thought to contribute to these properties is the presence of an interfacial region, ∼15 nm thick, between the polymer matrix and included particles. The size of the interface makes relatively little contribution to the effective properties of composites with micro-sized particles but, because its thickness is comparable to the size of the nanoscaled included phase, its potential impact within nanocomposites is much greater. In particular, percolated nano-microstructures may result at volume fractions below theoretical thresholds, due to connectivity achieved through rod-interface-rod, or ‘pseudo-percolation’, contact. In this work the influence of the interface layer is incorporated into estimates of critical volume fraction through an excluded volume model. Results show a significant reduction in the range of critical volume fractions. These values are incorporated into a mean-field micromechanics model to illustrate mechanical percolation through changes in predicted effective elastic composite properties.
Why GRUE? An Interpoint-Distance Model Analysis of Composite Color Categories

This article applies the interpoint-distance model (IDM) to explain composite color categories that continue to challenge existing models in the literature. Using universal cognitive principles and heuristics suggested in the IDM, analyses demonstrate that the composite category blue-green (or GRUE) seen in many languages is one of several natural coding configurations expected in the development of a color lexicon for communicating about color sensations within a given ethnolinguistic society. Using the IDM, these enigmatic composite color categories can be explained and integrated into an updated view of the psychological processing responsible for similarities in cross-cultural color processing. The IDM also allows for revision of existing theories and increases our understanding of the cognition that underlies individuals' color naming, categorization, and concept formation.
Guanosine 3', 5'- Monophosphate in Sympathetic Ganglia: Increase Associated with Synaptic Transmission

Brief stimulation of cholinergic preganglionic nerve fibers resulted in an increase in guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cyclic GMP) in the bullfrog sympathetic ganglion. When the release of synaptic transmitter was prevented by a high-magnesium, low-calcium Ringer solution, stimulation of preganglionic nerve fibers did not increase cyclic GMP in the ganglion. The increase in cyclic GMP caused by preganglionic stimulation was also blocked by the muscarinic antagonist, atropine. The data indicate that the increase in cyclic GMP is associated with synaptic transmission and support the possibility that cyclic GMP may mediate the postsynaptic action of acetylcholine at muscarinic cholinergic synapses.
Optimization of preparative ion-exchange chromatography of proteins: linear gradient separations

In this study, the Steric Mass Action (SMA) model of ion exchange is employed in concert with appropriate mass balance equations to predict the separation performance of preparative ion-exchange chromatography. The model is able to accurately predict linear gradient separations of the proteins α-chymotrypsinogen A, cytochrome c, and lysozyme under overloaded conditions. The optimization behavior of preparative ion-exchange chromatography is examined under conditions of baseline resolution and induced sample displacement. This work demonstrates that a simple iterative procedure can be employed to establish optimal gradient conditions for preparative ion-exchange chromatography of proteins. The results also indicate that under appropriate conditions, sample displacement can be employed to dramatically improve the production rate with minor losses in product yield or purity. Linear gradient separations with sample displacement are also less sensitive to the adsorption properties of the feed stream than baseline resolved separations, resulting in simplified methods development.
Patterns of dietary and herbal supplement use by multiple sclerosis patients

To assess the patterns of dietary (DS) and herbal supplement (HS) use in MS patients, compare use between MS patients and healthy controls and to identify potential interactions with drugs used to treat MS. This study included 279 MS subjects and 161 controls from a study of risk factors in MS. All patients received a neurological examination. All subjects provided responses to a standardized questionnaire administered during an in-person interview. A larger proportion of MS patients (82.1%) compared to controls (60.1%) used one or more DS regularly for at least 3 months (p < 0.001). There was a trend toward a higher proportion of MS patients (26.6%) versus controls (17.8%) who used HSs for more than 1 month (p = 0.038). The most common DS used after MS onset was a multivitamin (78.1%), followed by vitamin D (65.8%). Use of the majority of specific DSs increased significantly after MS onset compared to before. The proportion of controls and MS patients after MS onset who reported using an individual HS was generally similar. The most commonly used HS in patients after MS was evening primrose oil (40.4%) followed by cranberry fruit extract (35.2%). There was no evidence for associations with progressive disease course or with choice of disease-modifying treatment. Dietary supplements are used more frequently by MS patients than controls. Use tends to increase after MS onset compared to before, especially for DS. The use of HS by MS patients is only modestly greater than by controls.