cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Heritability of the Length of the Gestation Period in Dairy Cattle

Summary The data for this study consisted of 2,063 gestations representing the five major breeds of dairy cattle in the University of Illinois herd. These data were analyzed to determine the heritability and the variance of the length of the gestation period, so as to indicate the possibility of shortening the duration of pregnancy in dairy cattle. A comparison of the fiducial limits of the duration of pregnancy of each of the five breeds indicated breed differences in all possible comparisons, except between Jerseys and Holstein-Friesians. The effect of sex of fetus and the variance components for service sire and sire of the dam were estimated. The effects of the sex of the fetus of Ayrshires, Holstein-Friesians, and Jerseys were statistically significant and, in general, the male calves were carried about 1.5 days longer than the females. Heritability was estimated by multiplying the paternal half-sib correlation by four and by doubling the regression of offspring on dam. The paternal half-sib estimate of heritability refers to gestation as a characteristic of the fetus, whereas the regression estimate refers to gestation both as a characteristic of the fetus and of the dam. The pooled estimates for the five breeds by the two different methods were 0.420 and 0.474, respectively. A comparison between the two heritability estimates, as well as a comparison of these estimates with repeatability estimates, demonstrated that the length of the gestation period was primarily a characteristic of the fetus. Regressions of birth weight on the length of the gestation period indicated that calves carried one day less than average are approximately 1 lb. lighter than average at birth. It was predicted that the mean length of the gestation period would be decreased by almost ten days in three generations, if 5% of the male and 50% of the female calves resulting from the shortest gestations were saved as breeding stock. Experimentation is necessary to determine if any deleterious effects would be associated with this change.
Pharmacokinetics and tissue uptake of mitomycin C in isolated perfusion of pancreas

Abstract Isolated perfusion of organs or anatomic sites with chemotherapeutic agents offers a pharmacokinetic advantage of increasing drug bioavailability to target tissues which may result in a greater magnitude of biologic effect (pharmacologic or toxic) without systemic toxicity. Using a previously developed animal model, isolated perfusion (IP) of the canine pancreas-duodenum with incremental doses of mitomycin C (MMC) had shown a dose of 0.25 mg/kg body weight to be the maximum tolerable dose. The current study was designed to compare the pharmacologic advantage of drug delivery by IP by directly measuring tissue drug levels of radiolabeled MMC and comparing them with tissue levels attained by selective intraarterial (IA) and intravenous (IV) routes using identical doses of drug ( n = 4 each). IP of pancreas-duodenum was performed for 45 min with a perfusateto-systemic drug leak rate of P
Estimation of Pathogen Prevalence in Pooled Samples Using Maximum Likelihood Methods and Open-Source Software

Abstract We provide the computer program code to estimate pathogen prevalence and calculate confidence intervals for estimates based on maximum likelihood methods for the open-source statistical and graphics package R and a commercially licensed statistical package, the Statistical Analysis System (SAS). We correct a previously published SAS program to allow use of newer versions of the SAS software and provide a second SAS program that will work in either version of SAS. All of the programs allow users to calculate prevalence from any number of pooled samples representing different numbers of individuals, and two of these programs allow users to make estimates from data pools that are entirely test-positive or test-negative.
A premerger profile of Columbia and HCA hospitals

This article profiles the premerger marketing, management, and mission characteristics of the combined Columbia and Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) entity relative to local market hospitals. The findings show that the Columbia/HCA hospitals had fewer Medicaid patients, lower proportion of outpatient revenues, higher operating cash flow per bed, lower occupancy rates, lower salary expense per discharge, higher debt to total assets, fewer beds, and a higher case-mix index relative to local competitors.
Corrosion resistance of structural materials to Ga2O at 1000 °C

Abstract The thermally-induced gallium removal (TIGR) process is capable of removing gallium from oxide powders through the sublimation of Ga 2 O at elevated temperatures in a reducing atmosphere. Heat-resistant structural materials typically used in the construction of furnaces and reaction chambers may be susceptible to embrittlement and corrosion in the gallium-rich environment of the TIGR process. The susceptibilities of several heat-resistant structural materials to corrosion in Ga 2 O-rich atmospheres are experimentally evaluated. Tungsten and SiC are found to be highly resistant to corrosive attack by Ga 2 O at elevated temperatures. Superalloys containing chromium and cobalt as well as a tungsten alloy containing nickel and copper are found susceptible to corrosive attack by gallium.
Generalized Wheland polynomial for large graphs

We report the generalized Wheland polynomial for acyclic graphs depicting polyenes havingn = 10 carbon atoms. We consider the problem of deriving generalized Wheland polynomials for larger chains by recursion. The recursion Wh(n + l;x) =, Wh(n; x) + (1 −x)Wh(n − 1;x) allows one to find the next larger generalized Wheland polynomial for a chain having an even number of vertices by knowing generalized Wheland polynomials of chains having fewer vertices. The recursion, however, does not allow one to predict the generalized Wheland polynomial for a chain having an odd number of vertices from smaller chains! Here we report a procedure which allows one to derive the generalized Wheland polynomial for a chain having an odd number of vertices. This is achieved by combining the coefficients for rings having the same number of vertices. The generalized Wheland polynomials for odd rings are simply related to the generalized Wheland polynomials for smaller chains and can be derived from the information on smaller chains. This makes it possible to extend the recursion for generalized Wheland polynomials for arbitrarily largen.
Mutagenesis in phages ϕX174 and T4 and properties of the genetic material

Abstract In vitro treatment of phages ϕX174 and T4 with nitrous acid produces mutants. Mutants of ϕX174 arise in pure clones, whereas most T4 mutants arise in mixed clones, suggesting that there is only one copy of genetic information in ϕX174 and at least two copies in T4. The alteration of one of the T4 copies yields a type of heterozygote. The results is consistent with the picture that the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) of T4 is in the Watson-Crick double-stranded configuration, both strands carrying the same information, whereas the DNA of ϕX174 is single-stranded. The production of mutants in ϕX174 follows a single-hit kinetics, showing that the alteration of a single nucleotide is sufficient to produce a mutant. The process of nitrous acid mutagenesis in DNA is discussed.
Lessons learned from the library: building partnerships between campus and departmental IT support

How to do more with less has become a recurring theme in discussions amongst IT professionals, but this has been a theme for library professionals for many years. Libraries have worked to build consortiums allowing them to minimize duplication of services, thereby maximizing their utilization of resources while assuring a high quality of service for patrons. A review was undertaken of the University of Illinois Library system to consider how the lessons they have learned regarding resource sharing amongst campus and departmental libraries could be applied to University of Illinois IT support groups. This paper will provide an overview of the findings from this study. In addition, specific examples of how the University of Illinois campus-wide IT support group and departmental IT support groups are working together to optimize centralized and distributed services as a means for increasing the overall service levels while minimizing overall support costs.
Implications of a Tariff on Imported Canadian Softwood Lumber

The United States has been a net importer of softwood lumber for several decades, with more than 90% of its 1985 imports coming from Canada. A four-equation simultaneous sytem was developed to analyze the impact of a proposed tariff on domestic softwood lumber consumption production and on imports. The structural coefficients were estimated by two-stage least squares estimators using annual data from 1965 through 1985. The analysis indicated that U.S. softwood lumber consumption was price inelastic (-0.029) while import demand was highly elastic (-3.08). Consequently, the imposition of an import tariff or Canadian export tax on softwood lumber, as requested by the U.S. softwood lumber industry, will have little effect on total consumption, but will reduce imports significantly and will lead to higher prices for U.S. producers and consumers. Les Etats-Unis ont ete un importateur net de bois ďoeuvre de resineux pendant plusieurs decennies et plus de 90% de leurs importations de 1985 provenaient du Canada. Nous avons elabore un systeme simultane a quatre equations permettant ďanalyser ľincidence ďun droit qu'on songe a imposer sur la consommation et la production interieures du bois ďoeuvre de resineux et sur les importations. Les coefficients structuraux ont ete estimes a ľaide ďune methode ďanalyse des moindres carres a deux stades, a partir de donnees recueillies annuellement de 1965 jusqu'a 1985. Ľanalyse a demontre que la consommation americaine de bois ďoeuvre de resineux n'est pas elastique quant au prix (-0,029) mais que la demande a ľimportation est tres elastique (-3,08). En consequence, ľimposition ďun droit a ľimportation ou ďune taxe canadienne a ľexportation pour le bois ďoeuvre de resineux, telle que reclamee par le secteur americain de la production de bois ďoeuvre de resineux, aura peu ďeffets sur la consommation totale mais elle reduira sensiblement les importations et menera a une augmentation des prix pour les producteurs et les consommateurs americains.
Comparison of the protective efficacy of DNA and baculovirus-derived protein vaccines for EBOLA virus in guinea pigs.

Abstract The filoviruses Ebola virus (EBOV) and Marburg virus (MARV) cause severe hemorrhagic fever in humans for which no vaccines are available. Previously, a priming dose of a DNA vaccine expressing the glycoprotein (GP) gene of MARV followed by boosting with recombinant baculovirus-derived GP protein was found to confer protective immunity to guinea pigs (Hevey et al., 2001. Vaccine 20, 568–593). To determine whether a similar prime-boost vaccine approach would be effective for EBOV, we generated and characterized recombinant baculoviruses expressing full-length EBOV GP (GP 1,2 ) or a terminally-deleted GP (GPa-) and examined their immunogenicity in guinea pigs. As expected, cells infected with the GPa- recombinant secreted more GP 1 than those infected with the GP 1,2 recombinant. In lectin binding studies, the insect cell culture-derived GPs were found to differ from mammalian cell derived virion GP, in that they had no complex/hybrid N-linked glycans or glycans containing sialic acid. Despite these differences, the baculovirus-derived GPs were able to bind monoclonal antibodies to five distinct epitopes on EBOV GP, indicating that the antigenic structures of the proteins remain intact. As a measure of the ability of the baculovirus-derived proteins to elicit cell-mediated immune responses, we evaluated the T-cell stimulatory capacity of the GPa- protein in cultured human dendritic cells. Increases in cytotoxicity as compared to controls suggest that the baculovirus proteins have the capacity to evoke cell-mediated immune responses. Guinea pigs vaccinated with the baculovirus-derived GPs alone, or in a DNA prime-baculovirus protein boost regimen developed antibody responses as measured by ELISA and plaque reduction neutralization assays; however, incomplete protection was achieved when the proteins were given alone or in combination with DNA vaccines. These data indicate that a vaccine approach that was effective for MARV is not effective for EBOV in guinea pigs.
A tutorial on recovery conditions for compressive system identification of sparse channels

In this tutorial, we review some of the recent results concerning Compressive System Identification (CSI) (identification from few measurements) of sparse channels (and in general, Finite Impulse Response (FIR) systems) when it is known a priori that the impulse response of the system under study is sparse (high-dimensional but with few non-zero entries) in an appropriate basis. For the systems under study in this tutorial, the system identification problem boils down to an inverse problem of the form Ax = b, where the vector x ∈ ℝN is high-dimensional but with K ≪ N nonzero entries and the matrix A ∈ ℝM×N is underdetermined (i.e., M &#60; N). Over the past few years, several algorithms with corresponding recovery conditions have been proposed to perform such a recovery. These conditions provide the number of measurements sufficient for correct recovery. In this note, we review alternate approaches to derive such recovery conditions concerning CSI of FIR systems whose impulse response is known to be sparse.
Evaluation of Auditory Cortex Activation by Using Silent FMRI

Purpose: To evaluate auditory cortex activation evoked by pure-tone stimulus using silent functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI). Material and Methods: Nine volunteers with normal hearing as determined with pure-tone audiometry were studied. Auditory cortex activation was evoked by pure-tone stimuli presented monaurally at 1,000, 2,000, and 4,000 Hz. Images of auditory cortex activation were obtained using silent and conventional FMRI techniques. Heschl’s gyrus activation was evaluated by the number of voxels exceeding a predetermined significance level (P .0001). Results: In both techniques, all subjects showed activation in the Heschl’s gyrus. Silent FMRI detected more activation in all studied frequencies compared with the conventional FMRI. The observed difference in the Heschl’s gyrus activation between the techniques reached statistical significance for 1,000 Hz frequency (P .05). Conclusions: The amount of Heschl’s gyrus activation detected with silent FMRI is greater than that of conventional FMRI. Silent FMRI technique can be used to acquire functional images of the auditory cortex without the confounding effects of scanner noise. (Am J Otolaryngol 2003;24:281-289. © 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
Variational methods in irreversible thermoelasticity: theoretical developments and minimum principles for the discrete form

A variational approach for fully coupled dynamic irreversible thermoelasticity is developed for continua, which considers both the conservative and dissipative character in terms of mixed variables. By introducing a consistent variational scheme for the spatial and temporal discretization of the governing equations, a mixed continuum element is established under the Hamiltonian-Lagrangian formalism. The proposed method leads to the development of minimum principles in discrete form with the proper selection of state variables and temporal action sum operators. Consequently, this novel mixed variational formulation can provide the basis for a class of optimization-based methods for irreversible thermomechanics. Several applications are considered to demonstrate the robustness of the proposed variational approach, including transient dynamic response of thermoelastic media due to surface heating caused by ramp- and step-type heat fluxes, and a sequence of laser pulses.
Selecting a first‐guess sea surface temperature field as input to forward radiative transfer models

[1] Advanced Clear-Sky Processor for Oceans (ACSPO), developed at National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service, reports observed top-of-atmosphere clear-sky brightness temperatures (BT) in AVHRR channels 3B (3.7), 4 (11), and 5 (12μm) along with the sea surface temperatures (SST) retrieved from these BTs as a level 2 (L2) product. Additionally, ACSPO provides the corresponding BTs simulated with Community Radiative Transfer Model (CRTM), using Reynolds daily Level 4 (L4) optimum interpolation SST (OISST) and NCEP-GFS profiles as inputs. Accuracy of simulated BTs is critical for ACSPO functionalities, including detecting clouds, retrieving physical SSTs, monitoring sensor performance, and validating CRTM. This paper tests 11 gap-free gridded L4 SSTs for their potential use as first-guess fields in ACSPO to improve accuracy of simulated BTs. As a first step toward the objective, this study checks for consistency between various L4 products and ACSPO L2 SSTs. This SST consistency was shown earlier to be representative of, and equivalent to, the consistency between measured and simulated BTs, thus avoiding expensive CRTM calculations. The metrics employed in L4 comparisons include the global spatial L4-L2 SST biases and variances and their temporal stability. Also, the effect of L4 fields on the corresponding satellite-to-satellite consistency (calculated as L2-L2 double differences) is examined. Several L4 products, including the GHRSST Multi-Product Ensemble and Canadian Meteorological Centre analysis (CMC-0.2°), show better consistency with ACSPO L2 SST and will be explored in the future versions of ACSPO.
Measurements in the near wake of a hovering rotor

AIAA, Fluid Dynamics Conference, 27th, New Orleans, LA, June 17-20, 1996 Primarily an experimental effort, this study focuses on the velocity and vorticity fields in the near wake of a hovering rotor. Drag terminology is reviewed, and the theory for separately determining the profile- and induced-drag components from wake quantities is introduced. Instantaneous visualizations of the flow field are used to center the laser velocimeter measurements on the vortex core and to assess the extent of the positional meandering of the trailing vortex. Velocity profiles obtained at different rotor speeds and distances behind the rotor blade clearly indicate the position, size, and rate of movement of the wake sheet and the core of the trailing vortex. The results also show the distribution of vorticity along the wake sheet and within the trailing vortex. (Author)
Remarks on module-finite pairs

Let R £ T be an extension of commutative rings having the same identity. A. Wadsworth (10) studies the situation when R and T are integral domains, and all rings between R and T are Noetherian. In this case (R, T) is called a Noetherian pair. In a similar vein, E. Davis (4) studies normal pairs and I. Papick (8) shows when coherent pairs are Noetherian pairs. These papers are the motivation for this article. We study the concept of a module-finite pair—that is a pair (R, T) in which each intermediate ring (including T) is module-finite over JR. It is clear that in the category of Noetherian rings such pairs abound, and it is our intention (Theorem 2) to show that in a very general setting this is the only place these pairs exist. However, in complete generality, module-finite pairs do exist in non-Noetherian categories. (Remark (a)). Note that we do not necessarily assume that R and T are domains. Let (R,T) be a module-finite pair, I = (R:T), PeSpec(K), and S = R + PT. By R
Faculty Use and Non-Use of Electronic Mail: Attitudes, Expectations and Profiles

This paper raises four research questions about the relationships between expectations about the faculty use of e-mail and the level of e-mail usage among faculty. The study uses a survey design to test expectations about technology on several attitude measures. We report that positive expectations about the functionality of technology are related to higher incidence of e-mail use. Furthermore, the results suggest higher existing levels of computer use in general, and that positive anticipation of future use is also related to higher levels of e-mail use in particular. These findings are then used to develop profiles of users and non-users. The results indicate that younger faculty with greater exposure to computers tend to be more frequent users of e-mail than older faculty whose customary communication styles do not include the use of e-mail. Finally it is suggested that expectations about the “promise of technology” are related to the actual use of technology.
Ciprofloxacin in management of urinary tract infection

Abstract Ciprofloxacin is a new quinolone derivative which is particularly well adapted for the treatment of bacterial urinary tract infection. Virtually all uropathogens are susceptible, and the development of resistance is uncommon. Its pharmacokinetic characteristics reveal that effective concentrations of the drug are easily achieved with twice a day oral therapy in the blood, urine, kidneys, and prostate-even in advanced renal failure. The drug is well tolerated, even with prolonged courses of therapy. It will be particularly useful in the treatment of antibiotic-resistant, complicated, and/or prostatic infection.
The influence of suture technique on early wound healing.

Abstract The burst strength, swelling, and microcirculatory dynamics were compared in model skin wounds closed by interrupted or continuous suturing techniques. Incised skin wounds of the midline abdomen and anteromedial and anterolateral knee of the pig were used. Microcirculatory kinetics were assessed by means of skin fluorescence following intravenous fluorescein at intervals of up to 12 days. The burst strength of wounds was measured at 12 days using an Instron Tensiometer. In wounds closed with an interrupted suture technique a 30 to 50% greater tensile strength, less edema and induration, and less impaired microcirculation at the wound margin was demonstrated in comparison to that observed in wounds closed with a continuous suture technique. The results support the use of interrupted rather than continuous suture technique for skin wound closure in instances where impaired healing can be anticipated due to disease or age, or where early stress on the healing wound is planned as in incisions about a moveable joint.
Detecting concept relations in clinical text: Insights from a state-of-the-art model

This paper addresses an information-extraction problem that aims to identify semantic relations among medical concepts (problems, tests, and treatments) in clinical text. The objectives of the paper are twofold. First, we extend an earlier one-page description (appearing as a part of [5]) of a top-ranked model in the 2010 I2B2 NLP Challenge to a necessary level of details, with the belief that feature design is the most crucial factor to the success of our system and hence deserves a more detailed discussion. We present a precise quantification of the contributions of a wide variety of knowledge sources. In addition, we show the end-to-end results obtained on the noisy output of a top-ranked concept detector, which could help construct a more complete view of the state of the art in the real-world scenario. As the second major objective, we reformulate our models into a composite-kernel framework and present the best result, according to our knowledge, on the same dataset.
BRST quantization of the CP 1 model with Chern-Simons term in 2+1 dimensions

Field theory on ${\mathrm{CP}}^{1}$ with a Chern-Simons term is analyzed classically and then quantized. The constrained system is disentangled using the elegant Becchi-Rouet-Stora-Tyutin (BRST) method. The quantum Hamiltonian, the BRST charge, and the anti-BRST charge are derived. Application to a recently proposed model with principal chiral fields is elaborated.
PREDICTING RECOVERY FROM ACIDIC DEPOSITION: APPLYING A MODIFIED TAF (TRACKING AND ANALYSIS FRAMEWORK) MODEL TO MAINE (USA) HIGH ELEVATION LAKES

We adapted a reduced-form model, built to predict the aquatic effects of alternative nitrogen and sulfur emissions scenarios on Adirondack lakes, New York, for use on high elevation lakes of Maine (HELM), USA. The Tracking and Analysis Framework (TAF) model was originally designed to evaluate the biotic, economic, and health effects of acid deposition. The TAF model developed in our study was used to assess the biotic effects of different levels of sulfate deposition resulting from alternative emissions scenarios. The aquatic portion of the model is based on a lumped-parameter watershed chemistry model, MAGIC (Model of Acidification of Groundwater in Catchments). The original TAF model was built by calibrating MAGIC to 33 lakes in the Adirondack Mountains. We calibrated MAGIC to 78 HELM lakes, and built reduced-form models from these MAGIC predictions. We evaluated TAF predictions of acid neutralizing capacity (ANC), a fish acid stress index (ASI), and the probability of fish presence in 2030 for four different SO2 emissions-reduction scenarios. The most dramatic emissions reduction scenario produced only modest increases in mean ANC (16.8 μeq/L ± 7.9 μeq/L) and slight increases in mean predicted probability of presence of acid-sensitive fish (0.07± 0.09) across all lakes. However, a small number of lakes were predicted to have more substantial increases in ANC and improvements in other conditions for acid-sensitive fish. Our results reflect the reality that many of the high elevation lakes of Maine historically had low ANC and that some were even acidic in pre-industrial times. Thus, ’recovery’ for most of the high elevation lakes of Maine will be modest under any scenario of reduced acidic deposition.
Response of saltmarsh fungi to the presence of mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls at a Superfund site

Ascomycetous fungi are the major decom- posers of standing-decaying smooth cordgrass (Spar- tina alterniflora), the major grass of saltmarshes of the southeastern U.S.A. In Brunswick, Georgia, smooth-cordgrass marshes have received a potentially severe chemical insult at the USEPA LCP Superfund Site (dumping of mercury and polychlorinated bi- phenyls (PCB)). We have examined levels of living- fungal standing crop (as ergosterol) and fungal sex- ual productivity (rate of ascospore expulsion) in nat- urally decaying leaf blades of smooth cordgrass at the LCP site, at a nearby, moderately polluted site, and at a pristine site in Georgia. Although toxicant levels in sediments at the LCP site are very high (total Hg, to 71 pLg g-~ dry sediment; methylmercury, to 190 ng g-1; PCB, to 156 Ig g-~), living-fungal biomass was higher at the LCP site (about 890 ILg ergosterol g-~ organic mass of decaying-leaf system, for dead blades on wholly dead shoots) than at the nearby moderate- ly polluted site (about 630 (ig g-1) or the pristine site (about 590 JLg g-~). Ascospore release was also high- er at LCP than at the pristine site. Only methylmer- cury at tens of ng g-l sediment gave any evidence of negative impact upon levels of living-fungal crop. We speculate that urban/industrial nitrogen input was responsible for the higher biomass of fungi at the Brunswick sites, and that either the toxicants and/or the hypothesized N input were responsible for the major difference in cordgrass-fungal species compo- sition found (replacement of Phaeosphaeria spartini-
Evolutionary Ecology: When Relatives Cannot Live Together

The importance of competition in determining species coexistence has been much debated. A phylogenetic analysis of sedges indicates that competitive exclusion may inhibit co-occurrence among closely related species, but not among more distant relatives.
The Sertoli cell occluding junctions and gap junctions in mature and developing mammalian testis.

Abstract Special occluding junctions between Sertoli cells near the base of the seminiferous epithelium are the structural basis of the blood-testis permeability barrier. In micrographs of thin sections, multiple punctate pentalaminar contacts between apposed membranes are observed in the junctional regions. In freeze-fractured mature testis, the junctional membranes exhibit up to 40 parallel circumferentially oriented rows of intramembrane particles preferentially associated with the B-fracture face, but with complementary shallow grooves on the A-face. Short rows of particles may remain with the A-face resulting in discontinuities in the B-face particle rows. In addition, elongate aggregations of particles of uniform size (∼70 A) arranged in one or more closely packed rows are occasionally found adjacent to the linear depressions on the A-face of the Sertoli junction. These are interpreted as atypical gap junctions. In immature testis, occluding junctions are absent but typical gap junctions are common. These gradually disappear. In the second postnatal week, linear arrays of particles appear on the B-face. Initially meandering and highly variable in direction, these gradually adopt a consistent orientation parallel to the cell base. The establishment of the blood-testis barrier appears to be correlated with this reorganization of the intramembrane particle rows. Sertoli junctions were shown to be resistant to hypertonic solutions that rapidly dissociate junctions of other epithelia. Sertoli junctions thus differ from other occluding junctions in their (1) basal location, (2) large number of parallel particle rows, (3) absence of anastomosis between rows, (4) preferential association of the particles with the B-face, (5) intercalation of atypical gap junctions, (6) unusual resistance to dissociation by hypertonic solutions.
Comparison of electromyographic response patterns during posture and stress tasks in chronic low back pain patterns and control.

Abstract Activity of the paraspinals, abdominals, and hip extensor muscles, heart rate, and skin conductance were measured in 13 chronic low back pain patients (CLBP) and 13 controls during static Postures and psychological stress. After 10 min of baseline-rest, a subject was tested during standing, 45 bend, maximum bend, posterior and anterior pelvic tilts, sitting, and supine with kness up, followed by mental arithmetic and the cold pressor. The postures were grouped into supported, balanced, and unbalanced categories. Multivariate analyses of variance revealed differences due to posture categories, but not due to group membership. It was concluded that while work is needed to understand normal muscle function during common movements, there is no compelling evidence that back muscle functioning in CLBP patients differs significantly from control subjects.
Contrasting rupture processes during the April 11, 2010 deep-focus earthquake beneath Granada, Spain

Abstract The Mw=6.3 deep-focus earthquake beneath Granada, Spain, in 2010 consisted of three resolvable sub-events occurring within a time span of 5 s. Estimated sub-event seismic moment partitioning is 12%, 7% and 81%, respectively. All sub-events had similar focal mechanisms with a vertical and a near-horizontal nodal plane, and all occurred within 5 km of each other at a similar depth, suggesting rupture on the near-horizontal nodal plane. However, directivity analyses indicate that the first sub-event ruptured unilaterally on the vertical plane. Its modeled rupture length of ∼9 km and stress drop of ∼2 MPa are typical of crustal earthquakes. In contrast, the following sub-events show no clear directivity. The third, best resolved, sub-event had a hypocenter ∼2 km from the first and a focal mechanism indistinguishable from the first, but it had a rupture dimension of 40 MPa. This requires an ambient stress field significantly greater than the stress drop of the first sub-event, implying that the first sub-event ruptured as a slip pulse with a transient weakening mechanism. The large stress drops of the second and third sub-events suggest a crack-like rupture without fault healing and with nearly total stress drop. Fault-zone melting and metastable olivine are viable mechanisms for these ruptures. In contrast, the rupture characteristics of the first sub-event seem incompatible with most mechanisms currently under consideration for deep-focus earthquakes.
1,2,4,5-tetrakis(2-vinylpyridyl)-benzene-dichloromethane (1/2).

The title compound, C(34)H(26)N(4) x 2CH(2)Cl(2), lies about an inversion center. The solvent molecules interact with the benzene molecule both through C-H...N hydrogen bonding to span pyridine N atoms of adjacent vinyl groups, possibly stabilizing the rotational conformation observed, and through a pi interaction between a dichloromethane Cl atom and a pyridyl ring C-C bond of a c-glide-related molecule. The benzene molecules form stacks along the a axis such that two of the four olefin groups are properly oriented for photoreactivity (2+2 cyclodimerization).
Assessment of the intersection probabilities of random line segments and squares

Abstract Geometric probability techniques are used to evaluate intersection algorithms. Since the average computing time of an algorithm for finding the intersection of two line segments or two squares usually depends on the probability that the two figures will intersect, it is important to compute their intersection probability under some general conditions. Based on the assumption that figures are randomly placed in a plane, a method of comparing algorithms is derived.
International information cross‐fertilization in marketing ‐ An empirical assessment

Global awareness and international information exchange have long been highlighted by academia as a principal component of continued business competitiveness. In order to examine the extent to which academics practise what they preach, key marketing journals in Europe, Japan and the USA were examined to determine the level of international authorship of their content. While the European Journal of Marketing and the Journal of International Marketing were found to have substantial international representation among their authors, most other marketing journals had only limited international input. Recommendations are made on how to increase the international cross‐fertilization of marketing knowledge.
Cardiac, thoracic, and abdominal pump mechanisms in cardiopulmonary resuscitation: Studies in an electrical model of the circulation☆

To investigate alternative mechanisms generating artificial circulation during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), an electrical model of the circulation was developed. Heart and blood vessels were modeled as resistive-capacitive networks; pressures in the chest, abdomen, and vascular compartments as voltages; blood flow as electric current; blood inertia as inductance; and the cardiac and venous valves as diodes. External pressurization of thoracic and abdominal vessels, as would occur in CPR, was simulated by application of half-sinusoidal voltage pulses. Three modes of creating artificial circulation were studied: cardiac pump (CP), in which the atria and ventricles of the model were pressurized simultaneously; thoracic pump (TP), in which all intrathoracic elements of the model were pressurized simultaneously; and abdominal pump (AP), in which the abdominal aorta and inferior vena cava of the model were pressurized simultaneously. Flow was greatest with the CP, less with the TP, and least with the AP mechanism. However, the AP could be practically combined with either the CP or TP by interposition of abdominal compressions between chest compressions (IAC-CPR). Our model predicts that this combined method can substantially improve artificial circulation, especially when cardiac compression does not occur and chest compression invokes only the thoracic pump mechanism.
Working Poor Unemployment and Wage Rigidity Evidence of Economic Distress

Involuntary wage-unemployment in poor agriculture is shown to apply only to the working poor who suffer economic distress--working longer at lower wage rates but earning smaller incomes; these workers are also observed to engage in low-productive self-employment activities to supplement their wage-incomes. Estimates of per capita household consumption and of food and nutritional intake functions derived by using data from three villages in Bangladesh provide strong evidence of economic distress. While this distress discourages deliberate wage-reductions, self-employment activities offer the opportunity to maintain the wage rate at its current level. Copyright 1993 by WWZ and Helbing & Lichtenhahn Verlag AG
A new paradigm for depression in new mothers: the central role of inflammation and how breastfeeding and anti-inflammatory treatments protect maternal mental health

Research in the field of psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) has revealed that depression is associated with inflammation manifested by increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines. The old paradigm described inflammation as simply one of many risk factors for depression. The new paradigm is based on more recent research that has indicated that physical and psychological stressors increase inflammation. These recent studies constitute an important shift in the depression paradigm: inflammation is not simply a risk factor; it is the risk factor that underlies all the others. Moreover, inflammation explains why psychosocial, behavioral and physical risk factors increase the risk of depression. This is true for depression in general and for postpartum depression in particular. Puerperal women are especially vulnerable to these effects because their levels of proinflammatory cytokines significantly increase during the last trimester of pregnancy – a time when they are also at high risk for depression. Moreover, common experiences of new motherhood, such as sleep disturbance, postpartum pain, and past or current psychological trauma, act as stressors that cause proinflammatory cytokine levels to rise. Breastfeeding has a protective effect on maternal mental health because it attenuates stress and modulates the inflammatory response. However, breastfeeding difficulties, such as nipple pain, can increase the risk of depression and must be addressed promptly. PNI research suggests two goals for the prevention and treatment of postpartum depression: reducing maternal stress and reducing inflammation. Breastfeeding and exercise reduce maternal stress and are protective of maternal mood. In addition, most current treatments for depression are anti-inflammatory. These include long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, cognitive therapy, St. John's wort, and conventional antidepressants.
Interaction of mixed mode loading on cyclic debonding in adhesively bonded composite joints

A combined experimental and analytical investigation of an adhesively-bonded composite joint was conducted to characterize the fracture mode dependence of cyclic debonding. The system studied consisted of graphite/epoxy adherends bonded with EC 3445 adhesive. Several types of specimens are tested which provide the cyclic debond growth rate measurements under various load conditions: mode 1, mixed mode 1 to 2, and mostly mode 2. This study shows that the total strain-energy-release rate is the governing factor for cyclic debonding.
AN IMPROVED LOWER BOUND FOR LEHMANN'S LAMBDA

ABSTRACT Let X 1, …, X 7 be i.i.d. random variables with a common continuous distribution F. The parameter λ(F) = P(X 1 + X 4<X 2 + X 3 and X 1 + X 7<X 5 + X 6), which appears in the moments of some rank statistics, has been studied by several authors. It is shown that the existing lower bound for λ(F) of 0.28254 can be improved to 0.28452. The new lower bound is 22.6% closer to the existing upper bound of 0.29132.
Renal Effects of Ibuprofen, Piroxicam, and Sulindac in Patients with Asymptomatic Renal Failure: A Prospective, Randomized, Crossover Comparison

Study objective To evaluate the effects of three chemically distinct nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on renal function in patients with asymptomatic, mild but stable chronic renal failure. Design Prospectively randomized, triple-crossover study with at least 1-month washout between each of three treatment periods. Setting Inpatient and outpatient clinical research center of a university teaching hospital. Patients Convenience sample of 12 women with serum creatinine levels between 130 and 270 mumols/L (1.5 and 3.0 mg/dL). Mean glomerular filtration rate +/- standard error was 0.36 +/- 0.03 mL/s.m2 (37 +/- 3 mL/min.1.73 m2); mean effective renal plasma flow was 1.6 +/- 0.18 mL/s.m2 (166 +/- 19 mL/min.1.73 m2). Interventions Patients received ibuprofen, 800 mg three times daily; piroxicam, 20 mg daily; and sulindac, 200 mg twice daily for 11 days. Treatment was discontinued if serum creatinine rose by 130 mumols/L (1.5 mg/dL) or serum potassium exceeded 6 mmol/L (6 mEq/L). Measurements and main results Three patients met our criteria for stopping ibuprofen by day 8; however, all patients completed piroxicam and sulindac therapy. When the three patients in whom ibuprofen was withdrawn were rechallenged with ibuprofen, 400 mg three times daily, two again developed evidence of acute renal deterioration. All three regimens suppressed renal prostaglandin production. Conclusions These findings indicate that a brief course of ibuprofen, a compound widely used on a nonprescription basis, may result in acute renal failure in patients with asymptomatic, mild chronic renal failure. Additional studies are needed to assess the risk of piroxicam and sulindac in patients with more pronounced renal impairment and in patients receiving longer courses of therapy, which, according to our data, may result in drug accumulation.
Rapid spectrum sensing with multiple antennas for cognitive radio

We consider the problem of detecting a primary user in a cognitive radio network by employing multiple antennas at the cognitive receiver. In vehicular applications, cognitive radios typically transit regions with differing densities of primary users. Therefore, speed of detection is key, so detection based on a small number of samples is particularly advantageous for vehicular applications. Without assuming any prior knowledge of the primary user's signaling scheme, the channels between the primary user and the cognitive user, and the variance of the noise seen at the cognitive user, a generalized likelihood ratio test (GLRT) is developed to detect the presence/absence of the primary user. Asymptotic performance analysis for the proposed GLRT is also presented. Performance comparison between the proposed GLRT and other existing methods such as the energy detector and several eigenvalue-based methods under the condition of unknown or inaccurately known noise variance is provided. Our results show that the proposed GLRT exhibits better performance than other existing techniques, especially when the number of samples is small, which is particularly critical in vehicular applications.
Learnable Classes of Categorial Grammars

The dissertation investigates learnability of various classes of classical categorial grammars within the Gold paradigm of identification in the limit from positive data. Both learning from functor-argument structures and learning from flat strings are considered. The class of rigid grammars, the class of k-valued grammars (k = 2, 3, ...), the class of least-valued grammars, and the class of least-cardinality grammars are shown to be learnable from structures, and the class of rigid grammars and the class of k-valued grammars (k = 2, 3, ...) are also shown to be learnable from strings. An interesting class that is not learnable even from structures is treated as well. In proving learnability results, I make essential use of the concept known as finite elasticity, which is a property of language classes. I prove that finite elasticity is preserved under the inverse image of a finite-valued relation, extending results of Wright's and of Moriyama and Sato's. I use this theorem to 'transfer' finite elasticity from the class of rigid structure languages to the class of k-valued structure languages, and then to the class of k-valued string languages. The learning algorithms used incorporate Buszkowski and Penn's algorithms for determining categorial grammars from input consisting of functor-argument structures. Some of the learnability results are extended to such loosely 'categorial' formalisms as combinatory grammar and Montague grammar. The appendix presents Prolog implementations of some of the learning algorithms used in the dissertation.
Barriers to Full Compliance with Hand-washing Guidelines in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit 1487

Barriers to Full Compliance with Hand-washing Guidelines in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit 1487
The Association of Bone Mineral Density with Vitamin D Receptor Gene Polymorphisms

A recent meta-analysis of 16 publications suggested that bone mineral density (BMD) is not associated with vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphism (VDRGP) at the 0.05 significance level when a study with genotyping mistakes is excluded. We wished to determine whether ‘positive’ findings supporting the BMD–VDRGP association may be explained by chance, and what factors affect the outcomes of these studies. Seventy-five articles and abstracts on the association of VDRGP with BMD and related skeletal phenotypes published before January 1997 were identified. Twenty-three of 67 (34.3%) studies on spinal BMD and 22 of 51 (43.1%) on femoral neck BMD had found a BMD–VDRGP association at p<0.05, significantly (p= 7 × 10–14 for spinal BMD, p= 9 × 10–16 for hip BMD) higher than the expected 5% false positive rate under the null hypothesis of ‘no association’. ‘Positive’ results were more frequently observed in studies on females before the menopause than those on females after the menopause (p<0.02) or on male and female subjects combined (p<0.05) when skeletal phenotypes at any bone sites were considered. The ‘positive rate’ among studies was also influenced by the age range of subjects studied and by the inclusion of subjects with osteoporosis. It is concluded that: (1) BMD is associated with VDRGP with high levels of confidence and (2) non-genetic factors and genetic heterogeneity interfere with the detection of the effects of VDRGP on bone phenotypes.
Pole placement with feedback gain constraints

Much interest has been generated in the design of multivariable systems. In particular, the system design problem can be transformed into a problem involving a system performance index with algebraic constraints. This paper investigates several approaches to solving the system design problem through application of optimization techniques, once the system performance index and constraint problem has been formulated. The pole placement problem with feedback gain constraints is developed as the motivating example.
Investigating Leadership "Practice": Exploring the Entailments of Taking a Distributed Perspective.

This paper examines two questions: What does it mean to take a distributed perspective on leadership in schools? What are the entailments of taking a distributed perspective for research on school leadership? Arguing that the practice of leadership should be a key concern in scholarship on school leadership, the authors explore the leader-plus and the practice aspects of taking a distributed perspective. Arguing that both aspects are essential when taking a distributed perspective, the authors review findings from recent research that dwells mostly on the leader-plus aspect. Turning to the second question, the authors explore the methodological challenges involved in taking a distributed perspective. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Montreal, April 2005. This paper is based on research supported by the Distributed Leadership Studies (http://www.distributedleadership.org), with research grants from the National Science Fo...
How Important Are Iowa and New Hampshire to Winning Post-Reform Presidential Nominations?

While conventional wisdom holds that the first delegate selection events in Iowa and New Hampshire are important influences on the outcome of the presidential selection process, scholars increasing...