cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Robust non-contact peripheral oxygenation saturation measurement using smartphone-enabled imaging photoplethysmography.

We propose a robust non-contact method to accurately estimate peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) using a smartphone-based imaging photoplethysmography. The method utilizes the built-in color camera as a remote sensor and the built-in flashlight as illumination to estimate the SpO2. Following the ratio of ratios between green and red channels, we introduce a multiple linear regression algorithm to improve the SpO2 estimation. The algorithm considers the ratio of ratios and the reflectance images recorded at the RGB channels during a calibration process to obtain a set of weighting coefficients to weigh each contributor to the final determination of SpO2. We demonstrate the proposed smartphone-based method of estimating the SpO2 on five healthy volunteers whose arms are conditioned by a manual pressure cuff to manipulate the SpO2 between 90∼100% as detected simultaneously by a medical-grade pulse oximeter. Experimental results indicate that the overall estimated error between the smartphone and the reference pulse oximeter is 0.029 ± 1.141%, leading to a 43% improvement over the conventional ratio of ratios method (0.008 ± 2.008%). In addition, the data sampling time in the current method is 2 seconds, similar to the sampling cycle used in the commercial medical-grade pulse oximeters.
Inherent issues regarding the use of in situ x-ray diffraction measurements to determine temperature in shock-compressed metals

Temperature determination in shock-compressed solids constitutes an important and long-standing scientific need. Since the reduction of Bragg diffracted peaks due to temperature increase, using the Debye-Waller factor, is well established, we examined the use of this approach to determine temperatures in shock-compressed gold and platinum by representing the shocked state as a superposition of density and temperature changes. Comparison of the calculated and measured diffraction peaks did not show good agreement, because x-ray diffraction (XRD) profiles in the shock-compressed state are not governed solely by density and temperature changes. XRD results are also influenced measurably by shock wave induced microstructural changes. Our results demonstrate that contributions from microstructural changes need to be incorporated and modeled in the theoretical analysis to use XRD measurements for reliable temperature determination in shock-compressed solids.
Pornography vs. sexual science: The role of pornography use and dependency in U.S. teenagers’ sexual illiteracy

This study examined U.S. adolescents’ pornography consumption, pornography dependency, and belief in a variety of notions contradicted by basic sexological science. Data were from 595 youth aged 14...
A taxonomic revision of the Malagasy endemic genus Micronychia (Anacardiaceae)

Revision de Micronychia Oliv. (Anacardiaceae : Rhoideae), genre endemique de Madagascar represente par des arbres et des arbustes. Une cle de determination, les descriptions des especes ainsi que des informations sur leurs distribution, habitat et phenologie sont aussi presentees. Cinq especes (dont une nouvelle) et une variete sont reconnues. La nouvelle espece, M. acuminata Randrianasolo, se distingue facilement des autres especes de Micronychia par ses feuilles qui sont petites et longuement acuminees.
Protein Kinase Stimulated by Cyclic GMP in Uninfected and Simian Virus 40-Infected Monkey Kidney Cells

Uninfected African green monkey kidney cells contain a cyclic GMP-stimulated protein kinase. The level or specific activity of the enzyme was not significantly increased after infection of the cells with simian virus 40. This enzyme probably catalyzes the phosphorylation of the structural proteins of the virus.
Digital Training Devices

Publisher Summary Training devices are equipment especially designed or configured for instructing either individuals or groups. These devices have increasingly used digital techniques, including large general purpose computers. This chapter discusses the use of digital techniques in training devices and, in particular, training simulators. A training simulator is a device that effectively reproduces certain aspects of a given system so that training may be obtained. The aspects reproduced depend upon a particular training problem and not only include external appearance, but also simulation of the operation of parts of the system and selected characteristics of the environment in which the system operates. The chapter also discusses training requirements and serves as the framework for understanding the unique application of digital techniques to training simulators. Certain aspects of general purpose computers are discussed to clarify their particular use in training devices.
Cultural interface design: global colors study

This paper discusses the design of culturally appropriate web user interfaces in the age of globalization A research study that focuses on identification and rating of visual web interface design elements that act as “cultural markers” is presented Within this study, a web crawling technology collected data on verifiable, culture specific, web page design elements In particular, data was collected on color usage for fifteen countries, based on the large number of country-specific websites We found that there is a palette of certain colors that is predominantly used for website design in all countries studied This palette was identified as an “international” color palette to distinguish it from country-specific color preferences, also found in our study Based on these findings, international and country-specific color palettes, when incorporated in to a Web design tool, will allow designers to develop localized and international interface designs for global social networking and business applications.
Proteomic changes to the sarcoplasmic fraction of predominantly red or white muscle following acute heat stress.

Abstract Acute heat stress negatively impacts both human health and livestock production. In order to characterize the skeletal muscle cellular response to acute heat stress, the muscle sarcoplasmic proteome was analyzed via 2-D DIGE. Pigs (n = 8 per treatment) were exposed to one of the three treatments for 12 h: heat stress (HS; 37 °C), thermal neutral (TN; 21 °C), or TN while pair-fed (PFTN; 21 °C, feed limited based on HS group consumption). After euthanasia, the semitendinosus muscle was excised, separated into predominately red (RST) and white (WST) fiber type portions, and sarcoplasmic proteins were extracted. Spots determined in 2D-DIGE to be different due to HS were identified using ESI–MS or LC–MS/MS. Several proteins involved in glycolysis, glycogenesis, and glycogenolysis were increased or modified, indicating enhanced glycolytic capacity in response to HS. In the WST, HS decreased abundance of tubulins and soluble actin and increased phosphorylated cofilin 2 abundance, indicating a loss of microtubule structure and a likely increase in stable actin microfilaments. HS increased manganese superoxide dismutase abundance, but decreased peroxiredoxin 2 abundance, indicating an antioxidant response to HS. The proteomic response to HS suggests marked cellular changes in carbohydrate metabolism, structure, and antioxidant machinery in skeletal muscle. Significance This paper examines the proteome response of skeletal muscle to acute (short duration, high intensity) heat stress (HS). Defining changes in the sarcoplasm proteome increases our understanding of the mechanisms of how muscle responds to HS. Moreover, demonstration of a fiber type differential response to HS illustrates the dynamic nature of muscle. The experimental design of the experiment allows for the differentiation between the true effects of HS and HS-induced hypophagia. Data such as these will provide the foundation for developing future mitigating solutions and preventative therapies to reduce the detrimental effects of acute heat stress on muscle function and metabolism.
Dossier Évolution et créationnisme La téléologie de Darwin

Durant ces trois dernieres decennies, les debats sur la fonction dans les sciences de la vie ont mene a un reexamen du concept de design. Des philosophes tels que Herbert Simon ont plaide en faveur du developpement des « sciences de l’artificiel », visant a codifier les processus de design (conception et organisation) et a analyser leur relation aux processus naturels. Le travail de Simon et celui d’autres chercheurs ont introduit le discours du design dans des champs academiques aussi divers que la biologie, la cybernetique et l’intelligence artificielle. Dans le meme temps, des themes similaires ont ete diffuses dans la culture populaire par le defi qu’a lance le mouvement du « dessein intelligent » (Intelligent Design, ci-apres ID) a la theorie neodarwinienne de l’evolution1. Dans un effort pour reactualiser les interpretations religieusement motivees du monde vivant vu comme resultat de l’action divine, l’ID affirme que certaines structures biologiques sont trop complexes pour etre apparues par le fait de la seule selection naturelle. Les partisans de l’ID resistent a l’aspect de la theorie evolutionniste qui a fait le plus scandale depuis sa conception, a savoir l’idee qu’un processus de selection qui est a la fois non aleatoire et non dirige suffit a expliquer la compatibilite des organismes avec leur environnement. Des theoriciens de l’ID tels que Michael Behe revisitent le moment ou est nee, dans la pensee de Darwin, une science purement naturaliste de l’evolution, et le reevaluent afin d’inclure une deite interventionniste responsable
Treatment of recalcitrant atopic dermatitis with the oral Janus kinase inhibitor tofacitinib citrate

Background Treatment of moderate to severe atopic dermatitis (AD) is often inadequate. Objective We sought to evaluate the efficacy of the oral Janus kinase inhibitor tofacitinib citrate in the treatment of moderate to severe AD. Methods Six consecutive patients with moderate to severe AD who had failed standard treatment were treated with tofacitinib citrate. Response to treatment was assessed using the Scoring of AD index. Results Decreased body surface area involvement of dermatitis and decreased erythema, edema/papulation, lichenification, and excoriation were observed in all patients. The Scoring of AD index decreased by 66.6% from 36.5 to 12.2 (P Limitations Small sample size, lack of placebo control group, and the possibility of bias are limitations. Conclusion The oral Janus kinase inhibitor tofacitinib citrate may be beneficial in the treatment of moderate to severe AD.
Dental visits among adult Hispanics – BRFSS 1999 and 2006

Objectives: This study examined and compared utilization of dental services by adult US Hispanics 18 years and older in the years 1999 and 2006. Methods: Dental utilization data collected by telephone interviews by the state-based Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) were analyzed. Results: In 2006, the state mean and median prevalence of adult Hispanics with dental visits during the past year were 56.2 percent and 62.1 percent, respectively, and had not changed significantly since 1999. In 40 states, utilization was well below the national prevalence of 70.3 percent. Frequency of dental visits was significantly higher among females and those with higher income (>$50,000), higher education, nonsmokers, and persons having medical health insurance. Conclusions: Findings from this study suggest that barriers to utilization of dental services among Hispanic adults exist in most states and may contribute to existing oral health disparities. The magnitude of this problem may increase in the future with the expansion of the US Hispanic population.
Online Vertical Layout: Chinese Characters, Images and the Web

Nowadays the share of the World Wide Web in storing, organizing and disseminating information has expanded to such a degree that conventional librarianship seems to have less and less to offer. The foundation of traditional library services—cataloguing and classification—is called into question. The Web itself is also evolving, as there is growing interest in its being a two-way interactive front between content providers and users. Amidst these soul searching and questioning processes in our library field, it seems justifiable that we may also explore more on the potential of the Web in accommodating international contents at the cultural level. An instance of Web empowerment in this direction is its support of vertical layout. Digital preservation of traditional texts may be an area in which vertical layout would be adoptable. Naturally, once technical possibilities materialize, their practical applications are open to our creativity.
The use of endobronchial valve device to eliminate air leak

Summary We evaluated an endobronchial valve device in the treatment of surgically created air leak or pneumothorax by eliminating antegrade flow. Methods Six sheep underwent general anesthesia with positive pressure ventilation and left thoracotomy. After division of the mediastinal pleura, the contralateral cranial lobe was identified and a 2.5 cm×1.5 cm laceration created with resultant air leak. Using bronchoscopy, we deployed a valve device in the bronchus of the injured segment. Chest drainage tube was placed and the thoracotomy closed. At 1 week ( n = 3 ) and 4 weeks ( n = 3 ), the animals underwent general anesthesia, bronchoscopy and right thoracotomy. Results All animals survived the procedure. Bronchoscopic valve device placement in the segmental bronchus resolved the air leak immediately. After closure of thoracotomy, the chest tube demonstrated minimal drainage with no air leak. At 1 and 4 weeks, bronchoscopy showed no change in device location, and the treated segments were atelectatic with fibrous scar at the injured site. Conclusions Collapse of a selected lung segment with resolution of air leak can be achieved using bronchoscopically implanted valve device. The valve device may facilitate treatment of patients with post-surgical or post-traumatic persistent air leak.
Relationships of Chewing Sounds to'Judgments of Food Crispness

- ABSTRACT The relationships lretween biting and chewing sounds and judgments of food crispness vfere examined in two studies. In the fist, subjects used magnitude es1 imation to separately judge the loudness of chew- ing sounds and the crispness of a wide range of wet and dry crisp foods. Judgments of perceived crispness and loudness were highly correlated both when food samples were fractured by single bites and when further broken down by chewing. In the second study, biting and chewing sounds were blocked by a loud masking noise. Subjects had no difficulty determining crispness. Correlations between judgments obtained with and without an auditory block were high. It is lroposed that vibrations produced by fracturing crisp foods may ur deriie the perception of crispness. THE ROLE of sound in judgments of food quality was first examined Iry Drake (1963) who showed that sounds produced by crtrshing a variety of foods differed in ampli- tude, frequency, and temporal characteristics. The author suggested that 4:hewing sounds and related vibrations are utilized as a complement to other tactile cues in the sensory evaluation of tire mechanical properties of foods. Drake (1965) also formd a significant correlation between the measured ampli:ude of chewing sounds and sensory deter- minations of their loudness for a variety of crisp foods. Vickers and Bourne (1976) suggested that acoustical sensations are involved in the perception of crispness in foods. They found that crisp foods, when bitten, produced a characteristic .rcoustical profile and hypothesized that the amplitude of the: sounds produced by biting a food was the most salient dinlension of crispness. Sherman and Deghaidy (1978) reportec. that their panelists used auditory cues, particularly dur.ng the first bite, to determine food crisp- ness. Vickers and Wasserman (1980) demonstrated that subjects could successfully rate the sensation of crispness by listening to tape-recorded sounds of the foods being crushed. Furthe::more, there was a high positive correlation between the per:eived loudness of the food crushing sounds and their perceij ed crispness. The cumulative data strongly suggest that biting and chewing sounds particularly the loudness of these sounds, correlate with tlte sensation of crispness in foods. This hy- pothesis was te:.ted in the first experiment. Subjects were instructed to either bite or bite and chew a series of foods varying in crisp less. Using magnitude estimation, the sub- jects separately evaluated the loudness of their chewing sounds and the crispness of the food samples; correlations were obtained bt:tween the two sets of judgments. A second exIreriment tested the more general hypothesis that auditory sensations are necessary for judgments of crispness. Subjec:ts judged the crispness of a series of foods while their bitirlg and chewing sounds were blocked by a
Influence of the propagation of three phase contact line on flotation recovery

Abstract Froth flotation is considered the most effective process of beneficiating low grade ores and is widely used in the base metals industry. For effective flotation, the attachment of mineral particles to air bubbles is important and has been studied by many researchers by measuring quantities such as attachment time, film-thinning time and induction time. This paper identifies an important step in the bubble–particle attachment process, namely, the expansion mechanism of the three phase contact (TPC) line between liquid, solid and air. It has been shown that the TPC expansion time is determined by the drainage of the surrounding fluid. It is influenced by factors such as pulp chemistry surrounding the particle, variations in surface forces and pressure inside the bubble. It has been observed experimentally that the TPC expansion time bears square root relationship to attachment efficiency. In this work, it has been argued that the attachment efficiency is related to the TPC circle radius propagation.
Spin‐Exchange Interactions of MnCl2 in LiCl/KCl Eutectic at High Temperatures

Spin‐exchange interactions of MnCl2 in molten LiCl/KCl eutectic over the temperature range 700°—1200°K have been studied by the method of electron magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The resonance linewidths are determined by the exchange‐narrowing process under the experimental conditions used in the present investigation. p, the probability that a paramagnetic ion—paramagnetic ion encounter will result in exchange, is found to be given by the expression pT≈1—exp(—Cη/T), where C is a constant, η is the solvent viscosity, and T is the absolute temperature.
Does competition for food imply skewness

Abstract In numerous natural and laboratory populations of animals and plants, overcrowding and resource (food) shortages tend to produce positively skewed and increasingly dispersed distributions of individual weights (as contrasted to symmetric distributions in the conditions of resource abundance). Stochastic models of populations of individuals (animals) competing for resources are considered to account for this phenomenon. The modeling is successful in qualitatively reproducing the dependence of weight distributions on the resource amount and on the number of individuals competing. For a single laboratory population for which detailed data were available, one of the models employed provides an approximate quantitative fit. These findings provide one more argument that, in ecology and elsewhere, modeling of population dynamics should involve the consideration of interindividual variation.
Alkoxido, Amido, and Imido Derivatives of Titanium(IV) Tetratolylporphyrin

Treatment of (TTP)TiCl2 (1) [TTP = meso-5,10,15,20-tetra-p-tolylporphyrinato dianion] with excess NaOR (R = Ph, Me, t-Bu) affords the bis(alkoxide) derivatives (TTP)Ti(OR)2 [R = Ph (2), Me (3), t-Bu (4)] in moderate yield. The corresponding amido derivative (TTP)Ti(NPh2)2 (5) is prepared in an analogous fashion employing LiNPh2. The disubstituted complexes 2, 3, and 5 react cleanly with (TTP)TiCl2 to afford the ligand exchange products (TTP)Ti(OR)Cl [R = Ph (6), Me (7)] and (TTP)Ti(NPh2)Cl (8), respectively. The monosubstituted complexes 6−8 are also obtained by treatment of 1 with 1 equiv of the appropriate NaOR or LiNPh2 reagent. Treatment of 5 with excess phenol produces the bis(phenoxide) derivative 2 and 2 equiv of HNPh2. The imido derivatives (TTP)TiNR [R = t-Bu (9), Ph (10), C6H4-p-Me (11)] are prepared by the treatment of 1 with excess LiNHR. The t-Bu derivative (9) is also obtained by reaction of 1 with excess H2N-t-Bu at elevated temperatures. The phenyl imido complex (10) may be produced by the...
Virtual Options Program Offers Global Reach to Fall Meeting Presentations

Through the Fall Meeting Virtual Options program, AGU expanded existing virtual offerings and piloted new concepts at the 2013 Fall Meeting. The program seeks to engage AGU members and the broader scientific community in a global knowledge-sharing effort that goes beyond a physical meeting. This includes the dissemination of research outside the meeting venue and the inclusion of remote audiences and presenters in the on-site discourse.
Estimating Information-Theoretical nand Flash Memory Storage Capacity and its Implication to Memory System Design Space Exploration

Today and future NAND flash memory will heavily rely on system-level fault-tolerance techniques such as error correction code (ECC) to ensure the overall system storage integrity. Since ECC demands the storage of coding redundancy and hence degrades effective cell storage efficiency, it is highly desirable to use more powerful coding solutions that can maintain the system storage reliability at less coding redundancy. This has motivated a growing interest in the industry to search for alternatives to BCH code being used in today. Regardless to specific ECCs, it is of great practical importance to know the theoretical limit on the achievable cell storage efficiency, which motivates this work. We first develop an approximate NAND flash memory channel model that explicitly incorporates program/erase (P/E) cycling effects and cell-to-cell interference, based on which we then develop strategies for estimating the information-theoretical bounds on cell storage efficiency. We show that it can readily reveal the tradeoffs among cell storage efficiency, P/E cycling endurance, and retention limit, which can provide important insights for system designers. Finally, motivated by the dynamics of P/E cycling effect revealed by the information-theoretical study, we propose two memory system design techniques that can improve the average NAND flash memory programming speed and increase the total amount of user data that can be stored in NAND flash cell over its entire lifetime.
Effective treatment for acute alkali injury to the esophagus using weak-acid neutralization therapy: an ex-vivo study.

OBJECTIVE 1) To evaluate whether neutralization therapy with weak acid is effective in reducing observed histopathologic esophageal tissue injury secondary to liquid alkali, 2) to quantify the temperature change of the neutralizing agent, and 3) to determine the effect of interval to therapy on injury severity. METHODS Harvested Sprague-Dawley rat esophagi were catheterized and placed in an oxygenated saline bath (37 degrees C) for 60 minutes and then fixed in 10% formalin. Nine groups (n = 10) were perfused with 50% sodium hydroxide (NaOH). Six of the groups were treated by neutralization with cooled orange juice (OJ) or cola that was maintained between 2 degrees C and 4 degrees C. This was performed at 0, 5, or 30 minutes after injury. In addition, two positive control groups were exposed to OJ or cola at time 0 and were not exposed to strong alkali. A third control group was exposed to strong alkali but was not administered any subsequent treatment. The temperature of the neutralizing agent was recorded prior to instillation and after exiting the esophagus. Blinded pathologic scoring of 0 (no injury) to 3 (severe) was recorded performed for six histopathologic categories: epithelial cell viability, cornified epithelial cell differentiation, granular cell differentiation, epithelial cell nuclei, muscle cells, and muscle cell nuclei. Comparisons were made among treatment times using the Kruskal-Wallis test and linear trend analysis. RESULTS For each histopathologic category and each treatment mode, the Kruskal-Wallis test showed significant differences between the groups (p < 0.002) over time. Trend analyses showed more severe injury with delayed neutralization therapy (p < 0.05) for each treatment mode and histopathologic category. CONCLUSION Early neutralization therapy with OJ or cola reduces acute esophageal alkali injury. Additional in-vivo study is needed before neutralization therapy is adopted for clinical use.
Social Learning Theory and the Prediction of Achievement in Telemarketers

(1994). Social Learning Theory and the Prediction of Achievement in Telemarketers. The Journal of Social Psychology: Vol. 134, No. 4, pp. 547-548.
Spectral Phase-Corrected GRAPPA Reconstruction of Three-Dimensional Echo-Planar Spectroscopic Imaging (3D-EPSI)

MR spectroscopic (MRS) images from a large volume of brain can be obtained using a 3D echo-planar spectroscopic imaging (3D-EPSI) sequence. However, routine applications of 3D-EPSI are still limited by a long scan time. In this communication, a new approach termed "spectral phase-corrected generalized autocalibrating partially parallel acquisitions" (SPC-GRAPPA) is introduced for the reconstruction of 3D-EPSI data to accelerate data acquisition while preserving the accuracy of quantitation of brain metabolites. In SPC-GRAPPA, voxel-by-voxel spectral phase alignment between metabolite 3D-EPSI from individual coil elements is performed in the frequency domain, utilizing the whole spectrum from interleaved water reference 3D-EPSI for robust estimation of the zero-order phase correction. The performance of SPC-GRAPPA was compared with that of fully encoded 3D-EPSI and conventional GRAPPA. Analysis of whole-brain 3D-EPSI data reconstructed by SPC-GRAPPA demonstrates that SPC-GRAPPA with an acceleration factor of 1.5 yields results very similar to those obtained by fully encoded 3D-EPSI, and is more accurate than conventional GRAPPA.
Selective feeding and grazing rates of oyster ( Crassostrea virginica ) larvae on natural phytoplankton assemblages

Results of laboratory feeding experiments suggest that oyster (Crassostrea virginica) larvae select small phytoplanktonic organisms (<10 μm) over larger-celled forms from natural estuarine assemblages, but that little selection occurs within the small phytoplankton fraction. Laboratory-reared larvae grazed each of five small-celled phytoplankton groups enumerated (coccoids, centrate diatoms, pennate diatoms, dinoflagellates, and flagellates) at rates proportional to phytoplankton group densities in controls (no larvae added). Larval grazing rates (number of cells removed per larva per hour) were inversely proportional to both larval density and experimental duration.
Approximation of the Friction Integral in Water Hammer Equations

AbstractA method is proposed to improve the accuracy of the approximation commonly used with the friction term in the water hammer equations. This method partially corrects the truncation error of the friction integral by incorporating the truncation error associated with a linear flow profile into the solution algorithm. The effectiveness and utility of this accuracy enhancement are demonstrated by examples.
A possible role for cyclic AMP in the initiation of DNA synthesis by isoproterenol‐activated parotid gland cells

An intraperitoneal injection of the β-adrenergic agonist dl-isoproterenol hydrochloride (100 mg/Kg body weight) into a rat caused an early, very large (400-fold) cyclic AMP surge (peaking at 10 minutes) in the parotid gland which was followed by a second, much smaller (two-fold) surge 12 to 16 hours later. DNA synthesis began about 16 to 20 hours after the isoproterenol injection and peaked between 24 and 28 hours. The maximum level of DNA-synthetic activity at 24 hours was correlated positively to the magnitude of the small cyclic AMP surge at 12 hours, but not to the size of the much larger cyclic AMP surge at 10 minutes. An intraperitoneal injection of dl-propranolol hydrochloride (59 mg/Kg body weight) at 8 hours after isoproterenol injection abolished the second cyclic AMP surge at 12 hours and markedly (65-75%) reduced the incorporation of [3H]-thymidine into DNA. Injection of dibutyryl cyclic AMP (6.3 mg/Kg body weight) and theophylline (25 mg/Kg body weight) at 8 hours prevented propranolol from inhibiting DNA synthesis. Propranolol appeared specifically to affect the cyclic AMP-dependent pre-DNA-synthetic step because it did not reduce [3H]-thymidine incorporation when injected after the second cyclic AMP surge had passed and DNA synthesis had just begun. Thus, the initial, large cyclic AMP surge following β-adrenergic stimulation may not be necessary for the initiation of prereplicative development, while the much smaller second surge may be needed for the initiation of DNA synthesis.
Factors influencing rumen microbial growth rates and yields: effects of urea and amino acids over time.

Abstract Washed cell suspensions of mixed rumen bacteria were used to evaluate effects of 100% urea-nitrogen and 75% urea-nitrogen plus 25% amino acid-nitrogen in growth media upon microbial growth rate and yield, specific rate of glucose consumption, and incorporation of glucose into mixed cells, carbon dioxide, and end products. Rumen microbial dry matter, nitrogen, ribonucleic acid, deoxyribonucleic acid, glucose disappearance, and production of volatile fatty acids were considerably higher in medium containing urea plus amino acids as compared with urea only. Specific growth rates of microbes were .104 and .203 and mean doubling times were 6.7 and 3.4 h in the urea and urea plus amino acid growth media. Microbial growth in mg per 100 mg glucose used, per mole glucose and per mole adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and specific rate of glucose consumption in mmol per mg cells·h were 19.3, 34.7, 15.4, and .016 with urea, and 24.4, 44.2, 20.6, and .014 with urea plus amino acids. Percentages of catabolized glucose incorporated into microbial cells, carbon dioxide, and end products did not differ between treatments and averaged 19.5, 7.8, and 64.4%.
Short-term plasticity constrains spatial organization of a hippocampal presynaptic terminal

Although the CA3–CA1 synapse is critically important for learning and memory, experimental limitations have to date prevented direct determination of the structural features that determine the response plasticity. Specifically, the local calcium influx responsible for vesicular release and short-term synaptic facilitation strongly depends on the distance between the voltage-dependent calcium channels (VDCCs) and the presynaptic active zone. Estimates for this distance range over two orders of magnitude. Here, we use a biophysically detailed computational model of the presynaptic bouton and demonstrate that available experimental data provide sufficient constraints to uniquely reconstruct the presynaptic architecture. We predict that for a typical CA3–CA1 synapse, there are ∼70 VDCCs located 300 nm from the active zone. This result is surprising, because structural studies on other synapses in the hippocampus report much tighter spatial coupling. We demonstrate that the unusual structure of this synapse reflects its functional role in short-term plasticity (STP).
Transfer of hip arthroplasty patients leads to increased cost and resource utilization in the receiving hospital.

Abstract Factors other than complexity of care often drive the transfer of orthopedic patients to tertiary centers. We sought to compare the demographics, diagnoses, insurance data, peri-operative outcomes and institutional costs of total hip arthroplasty patients transferred from outside facilities with those of patients derived from our clinics. We analyzed 419 consecutive patients as part of a prospective risk study. Transferred patients were older ( P =0.01), less likely to have private insurance ( P P =0.04). Both dislocation and fracture were more prevalent in transferred patients ( P =0.04; P =0.003). Across all key metrics – including length of stay, mortality scoring, peri-operative complications, and direct and total costs – transferred patients more significantly strained the resources of our arthroplasty center.
Immunological comparison of enzymes of the beta-ketoadipate pathway.

β-Carboxy-cis,cis-muconate lactonizing enzyme and γ-carboxymuconolactone decarboxylase catalyze sequential reactions in the β-ketoadipate pathway, the subunit sizes of the enzymes from Pseudomonas putida, biotype A, are 40000 and 13000, respectively. The cross reaction of antisera prepared against the enzymes was tested with the isofunctional enzymes formed by representatives of other bacterial species. Despite the differences in the subunit sizes of the enzymes, the antisera revealed the same general pattern: cross reaction was observed with the corresponding enzymes formed by other strains in the fluorescent Pseudomonas RNA homology group I and generally was not observed with enzymes from other Pseudomonas species or from other bacterial genera. Exceptions were provided by representatives of Pseudomonas cepacia. Members of this species are classified outside the fluorescent Pseudomonas RNA homology group. Nevertheless, the γ-carboxymuconolactone decarboxylases from these organisms formed precipitin bands with antisera prepared against the corresponding enzyme from P. putida, biotype A; the lactonizing enzymes from the two species did not appear to cross react. Immunodiffusion experiments with γ-carboxymuconolactone decarboxylase indicated that a common set of antigenic determinants for the enzyme is conserved among strains that have been classified together by other criteria; the relative immunological distances of the decarboxylases of each taxon from the reference P. putida, biotype A, enzyme were indicated by spurring patterns on Ouchterlony plates. These results suggested that the interspecific transfer of the structural gene for the enzyme is not a common event in Pseudomonas.
Assets, parental expectations and involvement, and children's educational performance

Abstract This study examines the relationships between parental assets with their expectations and involvement of children's education, and children's educational performance measured 2 years later. Through the analysis of the mother–child data set of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY79), results indicate that after controlling for family income and other parent characteristics, parental assets were positively related to children's math and reading scores. Parental assets were also positively associated with their expectations and involvement of school activities. Furthermore, parent expectations partially mediated the relationship between assets and children's educational performance. These findings imply that in order to improve children's education, how to enhance parental assets warrants the consideration of public policy.
Strategies for efficient incremental nearest neighbor search

Abstract Algorithms for determining the m nearest neighbors of a query point in k -dimensional space can be inappropriate when m cannot be determined in advance. We recast the m nearest neighbor problem into a problem of searching for the next nearest neighbor. Repeated invocations of an incremental searching algorithm allow an arbitrary number of nearest neighbors to be determined. It is shown that incremental search can be implemented as a sequence of invocations of a previously published non-incremental algorithm. A new incremental search algorithm is then presented which finds the next nearest neighbor more efficiently by eliminating redundant computations. Finally, the results of experimental computer runs comparing the two approaches are presented.
Field Programmability of Supply Voltages for FPGA Power Reduction

Power reduction is of growing importance for field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). In this paper, we apply programmable supply voltage (Vdd) to reduce FPGA power. We first design FPGA logic fabrics using dual-Vdd levels and show that field-programmable power supply is required to obtain a satisfactory power-versus-performance tradeoff. We further design FPGA interconnect fabrics for fine-grained Vdd programmability with minimal increase of the number of configuration static-random-access-memory cells. With a simple yet practical computer-aided design flow to leverage the field-programmable dual-Vdd logic and interconnect fabrics, we carry out a highly quantitative study using placed and routed benchmark circuits, and delay, power, and area models obtained from detailed circuit designs. Compared to single-Vdd FPGAs with the Vdd level suggested by the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors for 100-nm technology, field-programmable dual-Vdd FPGAs reduce the total power by 47.61% and the energy-delay product by 27.36%
Observations on the Making of Policemen

The process of organizational socialization is examined in a large, urban police department. The interpenetration and eventual fusion by which persons acquire the motives, sentiments, and behavioral patterns of the occupational culture is viewed from the perspective of the novitiates "breaking-in" to a police department. The development of a community of purpose and action among the police recruits is characterized as a four-phase socialization process. The phases are labeled choice, introduction, encounter, and metamorphosis and, while only analytically distinct, serve as useful markers for describing the route traversed by recruits. The results of the newcomers' early police experiences and adventures are cast in terms of the common culture shared by police officers. Progress along the socialization continuum is seen as the gradual incorporation of an "in the same boat" collective consciousness stressing a "don't make waves" occupational philosophy.
Photochemical synthesis of tetrahydrobenzazepines via intramolecular stilbene-amine photoaddition

Abstract The photochemical reactions of several ortho-(aminoalkyl)stilbenes and their N-methyl derivatives have been investigated under conditions of direct and electron-transfer sensitized irradiation and are found to provide an efficient method for the synthesis of benzazepines.
Experimental consequences of family unification.

Theories of family unification predict four left-handed and four right-handed families of quarks and leptons, all with masses below 265 GeV. The lightest mirror quark has a mass of less than 140 GeV. All charged leptons are lighter than 55 GeV, and the lightest is below 40 GeV. All five new neutrinos have masses less than 40 GeV and contribute to the width of the ${Z}^{0}$. We study the decays of these new families, and discuss rare processes such as $\ensuremath{\mu}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}e\ensuremath{\gamma}$. We also examine proton decay, and show that it can proceed into ${e}^{+}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0}$ at the observable but acceptable rate of ${10}^{32\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1}$ yr.
Causal Inference on the Difference of the Restricted Mean Lifetime Between Two Groups

Summary. When comparing survival times between two treatment groups, it may be more appropriate to compare the restricted mean lifetime, i.e., the expectation of lifetime restricted to a time L, rather than mean lifetime in order to accommodate censoring. When the treatments are not assigned to patients randomly, as in observational studies, we also need to account for treatment imbalances in confounding factors. In this article, we propose estimators for the difference of the restricted mean lifetime between two groups that account for treatment imbalances in prognostic factors assuming a proportional hazards relationship. Large-sample properties of our estimators based on martingale theory for counting processes are also derived. Simulation studies were conducted to compare these estimators and to assess the adequacy of the large-sample approximations. Our methods are also applied to an observational database of acute coronary syndrome patients from Duke University Medical Center to estimate the treatment effect on the restricted mean lifetime over 5 years.
Extracellular Adaptations to Altered Force Transmission in Muscle Cells

Interaction between active force generating components and passive extracellular matrix (ECM) force transmitting components provides skeletal muscle with its characteristic biomechanical properties, enabling it to produce work and resist extension. However, the mechanisms behind this “communication” and the cellular structures that enable it are poorly understood. Desmin is an intermediate filament protein integral to the muscle fiber cytoskeleton. It is thought to be involved in stabilizing the contractile apparatus and transmitting force between the cytoskeleton and the ECM. In this study, we investigated the effects of desmin deletion (des-/-) on the composition and mechanical properties of the cellular and extracellular components of muscle.We found that, while des-/- and wt muscles have identical fiber and bundle (fibers+ECM) material properties at birth, these properties diverge becoming disparate with age. Specifically, des-/- fibers become more compliant compared to wt fibers (tangent modulus: 42.8±6 kPa/um and 66.8±7 kPa/um respectively), while des-/- bundles become progressively stiffer compared to wt (tangent modulus: 193.3±19 kPa/um and 129±13 kPa/um respectively). This result suggests that des-/- muscles are chronically altering their ECM. Evidence supporting this hypothesis was provided by significantly increased collagen protein content (des-/-: 8.0±1 ug/mg, wt: 3.4±1 ug/mg), ECM area fraction (des-/-: 15.1±1%, wt: 10.5±1%) and fibrosis-related gene expression patterns in des-/- muscle compared with wt. Additionally, significantly increased numbers of centrally nucleated fibers (des-/-: 5.6±0.5%, wt: 0.7±0.2%) and inflammatory gene expression patterns in des-/- muscle suggest that an increased susceptibility to injury in des-/- fibers may underlie the measured fibrotic response. Thus, in this study, we identify a possible causal relationship between increased cellular compliance, due to reduction in force transmission and stabilization by desmin, and the proliferative response of the extracellular matrix cellular constituents.
EVOLUTION OF POLYGAMY IN THE LONG-BILLED MARSH WREN

Evolution of polygyny in a species whose young require parental care, to which the male can contribute directly, presents certain interesting problems. With each additional mate, the male may have more young to care for simultaneously; less time being devoted to each may influence their survival. Even if polygamy increases the male's total contribution to future generations, as compared to monogamy, the reverse would probably be true for each of the females mated to him. Since it is generally accepted that in birds females select mates from among available males, it seems unlikely that selection would favor those females that bred with males already mated. This has probably led to the general belief that polygamy in avian mating systems is a by-product of an unbalanced sex ratio (cf. Chapman, 1928; Kendeigh, 1941a; Mayr, 1941; Ryves and Ryves, 1934; Skutch, 1935; Williams, 1952), an assumption which is not necessarily true but which has probably led to a stagnation of thought concerning evolution of polygamy in birds. Fisher (1958) and Kolman (1960) indicate that sex ratio at fertilization would be adjusted by selection so that average parental expenditure to rear males equals that to rear females. Willson and Pianka (1963) point out that if sexual selection results in sexual dimorphism expressed during the period of parental care, there may be a change in average expenditure per sex with a consequent change in sex ratio. Thus, mate preference, which in my opinion should have a profound influence on the mating system, may alsohave an influence on the sex ratio. This does not preclude the possibility that sex ratios may
PSYCHIATRIC DIAGNOSIS IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN

Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry - Vol. 42 - N° 2 - p. 128-129
Conversion of Coccidioides immitis in tissue culture

Utilization of a pre-treatment resulted in the establishment of a simple technique to enhance spherulation ofC. immitis in tissue culture.
Evaluation of bottom ash and composted manure blends as a soil amendment material.

Abstract The long-term goal of this project was to find alternative uses for bottom ash (BA) and composted dairy manure (CM), by-products of coal combustion and livestock production, respectively. The study discussed in this paper focused on potential water quality impacts associated with using blended BA and CM as a soil amendment. The constituents of BA and CM include heavy metals and other chemicals that, while essential nutrients for plant growth, also pose a potential threat to water quality. Four blends (BA:CM, v/v) namely, B1 (100%:0%), B2 (70%:30%), B3 (50%:50%) and B4 (0%:100%), were subjected to flow-through water table management and two blends, B2 (70%:30%) and B3 (50%:50%), were subjected to constant head water table management using de-ionized water. Leachate and standing water from saturated and flooded blends of BA and CM were examined for total solids (TS), volatile solids (VS), COD, pH, total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), NO 3 -N, total P, total K as well as selected metals over a 5 and 7 week period for flow-through and constant head watertables, respectively. The results showed that higher CM content resulted in higher TS, VS, TKN, P and K concentrations in the leachate and standing water. Concentrations of these constituents were higher in leachate than in the standing water. Even though, marked reductions of most chemicals in the leachate and standing water were realized within one to three weeks, initially high concentrations of chemicals in leachate and standing water from these particular blends made them unsuitable as soil amendment material. Based upon these results, it was concluded that additional column studies of BA and CM blends with reduced CM content (5%, 10% and 20%) should be performed to further assess the feasibility of BA and CM blends as an environmentally safe soil amendment material.
CH∗ chemiluminescence modeling for combustion diagnostics

Abstract CH∗ chemiluminescence is often employed in combustion diagnostics, for example as a measure of heat release rate and for equivalence ratio sensing. However, most interpretations of CH∗ chemiluminescence rely either on heuristic arguments or empirical data gathered under limited conditions. More rigorous analysis is required to understand the effects of combustion conditions, e.g., pressure, reactant composition and preheat, strain and exhaust gas recirculation, on CH∗ chemiluminescence. Chemiluminescence modeling holds promise in this regard. The predictive accuracy of four proposed CH∗ chemiluminescence formation models were experimentally tested in premixed, methane–air and prevaporized Jet-A–air flames. Two of the models, based on CH∗ formation via reactions between C2H and O or O2, are able to predict the experimental data within the experimental uncertainty, in both room temperature methane and preheated Jet-A flames. The utility of CH∗ chemiluminescence for sensing heat release rate and equivalence ratio (ϕ), when combined with OH∗ chemiluminescence, is then analyzed in methane flames for varying pressure, preheat temperature and strain. The CH∗/OH∗ chemiluminescence ratio is found to be useful for sensing equivalence ratio in lean methane systems, but only at certain pressure and reactant temperature conditions. The relationship between CH∗ chemiluminescence and heat release varies with ϕ, pressure, temperature and strain. At high pressures, however, the dependence on ϕ and strain are small, making CH∗ attractive for heat release sensing applications in gas turbine combustors.