cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Vomeronasal neuroepithelium and forebrain Fos responses to male pheromones in male and female mice.

Male urinary pheromones modulate behavioral and neuroendocrine function in mice after being detected by sensory neurons in the vomeronasal organ (VNO) neuroepithelium. We used nuclear Fos protein immunoreactivity (Fos-IR) as a marker of changes in neuronal activity to examine the processing of male pheromones throughout the VNO projection pathway to the hypothalamus. Sexually naive male and female Balb/c mice were gonadectomized and treated daily with estradiol benzoate (EB) or oil vehicle for 3 weeks. Subjects were then exposed to soiled bedding from gonadally intact Balb/c males or to clean bedding for 90 min prior to sacrifice and processing of their VNOs and forebrains for Fos-IR. Male pheromones induced similar numbers of Fos-IR cells in the VNO neuroepithelium of oil-treated male and female subjects; however, EB-treated females had significantly more Fos-IR neurons in the VNO than any other group. There was an equivalent neuronal Fos response to male odors in the mitral and granule cells of the anterior and posterior accessory olfactory bulb of males and females, regardless of hormone treatment. In central portions of the VNO projection pathway (i.e., bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, medial preoptic area) neuronal Fos responses to male pheromones were present in female but absent in male subjects, regardless of hormone treatment. In a separate experiment, mating induced neuronal Fos-IR in these brain regions at levels in gonadally intact male subjects which were equal to or greater than those seen in ovariectomized females primed with estrogen and progesterone. This suggests that neurons in the central portions of the male's VNO pathway are capable of expressing Fos. Our results suggest that sexually dimorphic central responses to pheromones exist in mice that may begin in the VNO neuroepithelium.
Expectation affects verbal judgments but not reaches to visually perceived egocentric distances

Two response measures for reporting visually perceived egocentric distances—verbal judgments and blind manual reaches—were compared using a within-trial methodology. The expected range of possible target distances was manipulated by instructing the subjects that the targets would be between .50 and 1.00 of their maximum arm reach in one session and between .25 and .90 in another session. The actual range of target distances was always .50–.90. Verbal responses varied as a function of the range of expected distances, whereas simultaneous reaches remained unaffected. These results suggest that verbal responses are subject to a cognitive influence that does not affect actions. It is suggested that action responses are indicative of absolute perception, whereas cognitive responses may reflect only relative perception. The results also indicate that the dependant variable utilized for the study of depth perception will influence the obtained results.
Multi-modal quantitative MRI investigation of brain tissue neurodegeneration in multiple sclerosis.

Purpose: To investigate the utility of multimodal quantitative MRI (qMRI) and atlas-based methods to identify characteristics of lesion-driven injury and neurodegeneration in relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Materials and Methods: This work is health insurance portability and accountability act compliant. High resolution T1-weighted, dual echo, and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery and diffusion tensor MRI images were prospectively acquired on 68 RRMS patients (range, 25–58 years) and 68 age-matched controls. The data were analyzed using standardized human brain atlas-based tissue segmentation procedures to obtain regional volumes and their corresponding T2 relaxation times and DTI maps. Results: Group-averaged brain atlas-based qMRI maps of T2, fractional anisotropy and diffusivities are visually presented and compared between controls and RRMS. The analysis shows a widespread injury in RRMS. Atrophy of the corpus callosum (CC) was substantial in RRMS. The qMRI attributes of the neocortex in combination with the CC such as T2 and diffusivities were elevated and correlated with disability. Conclusion: Using a standardized multimodal qMRI acquisition and analyses that accounted for lesion distribution we demonstrate that cerebral pathology is widespread in RRMS. Our analysis of CC and neocortex qMRI metrics in relation to disability points to a neurodegenerative injury component that is independent from lesions. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2012;35:1300–1311. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A veterinary perspective on methicillin-resistant staphylococci.

Objective – To familiarize the reader with the epidemiology, diagnosis, and infectious and zoonotic potential of methicillin-resistant staphylococci. Data sources – Original research publications, scientific reviews and abstracts, case reports, and conference proceedings. Human Data Synthesis – Staphylococcus aureus is a common human commensal organism; acquisition of genes encoding an altered penicillin-binding protein confers resistance to β-lactam antimicrobial drugs. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) are often resistant to non–β-lactam antimicrobial drugs as well. Originally described as an important cause of nosocomial infection, MRSA colonization and infection are now often identified in humans outside healthcare settings. Like other S. aureus, MRSA may be present without clinical illness. However, when they do cause infection the consequences can be extremely serious. Veterinary Data Synthesis – The major domestic animal species, including pets and livestock, may become contaminated, colonized, or infected with methicillin-resistant staphylococci, including MRSA. Dogs and cats are more likely to be colonized/infected with Staphylococcus pseudintermedius than S. aureus, but this pathogen can acquire genes encoding methicillin resistance (ie, MRSP). Diagnosis of MRSA or MRSP has implications not only for treatment of infected animals, but for potential zoonotic transmission. Conclusions – MRSA infection is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in humans. Animals may be contaminated, colonized, or infected with MRSA, with implications for the animal's health and as a potential reservoir for human infection. Staphylococci other than S. aureus may also acquire genes for methicillin resistance, and these species can also result in animal and occasionally human morbidity or mortality.
The M band. Studies with fluorescent antibody staining.

The M band can be extracted from fibrils suspended in 5 mM Tris buffer, pH 8.0, for 15 min. The M band is completely removed only from fibrils of sarcomere lengths greater than 2.1 µ. Extraction does not alter the fluorescent antimyosin staining pattern of the A band, thus providing strong evidence that no alteration of the structural integrity of the thick filament has occurred. Fluorescent antibody staining of the M band of unextracted fibrils can be prevented specifically by absorbing the fluorescent antibody with extracted M band material prior to staining. This verifies the specificity of the extraction procedure.
Influence of inorganic phosphate on the kinetics of heart mitochondrial calcium accumulation

Abstract Well coupled guinea pig heart mitochondria were isolated and used for determinations of the initial rates of energy dependent Ca2+ accumulation in the presence and absence of added inorganic phosphate. Either glutamate and malate or succinate were used as substrates supporting the electron transfer activity. In both cases Ca2+ accumulation rates were unmeasurable or low in the absence of inorganic phosphate (∼5 nmoles Ca2+/min/mg protein) and were enhanced several fold by an adequate supply of the permeant anion (∼200–500 nmoles Ca2+/min/mg). These data confirm that inorganic phosphate stimulates the initial rates of heart mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake not only when succinate but also when glutamate and malate are used as respiratory substrates.
NOISE-INDUCED INTERMITTENCY IN CELLULAR PATTERN-FORMING SYSTEMS

We study the effects of thermal noise in a stochastic, Langevin formulation, of a spatio-temporal pattern-forming Partial Differential Equation (PDE) model with circular domain. Modification of a recently developed numerical integration scheme reveals that the pattern-forming model exhibits, in the presence of noise, a greater tendency towards dynamic states and towards intermittent patterns in which ordered states appear randomly, preceded and succeeded by disorganized states. In order to gain additional insight, we focus on a region of parameter space where the patterns of the deterministic system arise from the steady-state interaction of two pairs of modes with wave numbers in a 1:2 ratio. Analysis of the associated stochastic normal form equations allows us to explain the underlying bifurcations of the noise-induced patterns, some of which had only been observed, until now, in laboratory experiments.
Plant glutathione biosynthesis: diversity in biochemical regulation and reaction products.

In plants, exposure to temperature extremes, heavy metal-contaminated soils, drought, air pollutants, and pathogens results in the generation of reactive oxygen species that alter the intracellular redox environment, which in turn influences signaling pathways and cell fate. As part of their response to these stresses, plants produce glutathione. Glutathione acts as an antioxidant by quenching reactive oxygen species, and is involved in the ascorbate-glutathione cycle that eliminates damaging peroxides. Plants also use glutathione for the detoxification of xenobiotics, herbicides, air pollutants (sulfur dioxide and ozone), and toxic heavy metals. Two enzymes catalyze glutathione synthesis: glutamate-cysteine ligase (GCL), and glutathione synthetase (GS). Glutathione is a ubiquitous protective compound in plants, but the structural and functional details of the proteins that synthesize it, as well as the potential biochemical mechanisms of their regulation, have only begun to be explored. As discussed here, the core reactions of glutathione synthesis are conserved across various organisms, but plants have diversified both the regulatory mechanisms that control its synthesis and the range of products derived from this pathway. Understanding the molecular basis of glutathione biosynthesis and its regulation will expand our knowledge of this component in the plant stress response network.
DIRECT SENSITIVITY COEFFICIENT METHOD FOR SOLVING TWO-DIMENSIONAL INVERSE HEAT CONDUCTION PROBLEMS BY FINITE-ELEMENT SCHEME

Abstract A simple, but versatile, algorithm called the direct sensitivity coefficient (DSC) method has been developed to deal with multidimensional inverse heat conduction (IHC) problems. Different sensitivity coefficients have been used to assess the physical responses of the domain considered under unit loading conditions. The concept of the finite-element discretization has been applied to evaluate the global responses under total loading conditions. The method developed is capable of dealing with unknown surface heat flux, surface temperature, heal transfer coefficient, or any combination of them. In this article the formulation as well as the theory adopted is discussed. The finite-element procedures for solving a two-dimensional steady-state problem art specifically illustrated. Analysis for several selected benchmark problems is then presented, emphasizing accuracy estimations. Both linear and nonlinear problems are considered. Recommendations for further work are also included in this article.
Optimal Timing of Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery After Acute Myocardial Infarction

Background To assess optimal timing for coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) after an acute myocardial infarction (AMI), all patients undergoing CABG without associated procedures at our institution from January 1, 1991, to July 30, 1992, were reviewed. Patients were divided into three groups based on time from infarct to revascularization. The control group consisted of patients operated on for angina refractory to medical management. Relative risks (incident infarction group divided by incident control group) were established for need of vasopressors, new balloon to separate from bypass, perioperative myocardial infarction, and hospital mortality. Methods and Results One hundred sixteen patients underwent CABG within 6 weeks of infarction. In the experimental group, 58 patients underwent CABG for non–Q-wave infarction, and 58 patients underwent CABG for Q-wave infarction. In the control group, 255 patients underwent surgery for angina without infarction. Patients were analyzed by group relative t...
Hydrazine and biological nitrogen fixation.

Abstract The disappearance of hydrazine from washed suspensions of Azotobacter vinelandii was stimulated by the addition of potassium cyanide and acetaldehyde to the reaction mixture and was inhibited by the addition of ammonium sulfate. Most of the hydrazine which disappeared in this reaction could be recovered by acid hydrolysis of the organic azines which were formed; N2 and ammonia- were minor products of this reaction. Hydrazine and α-ketoglutarate combine to form 3,4-dihydropyridazinone-5-carboxylic acid in very dilute buffered solutions near neutrality without the mediation of biological agents. The organic azines formed in the biologically mediated disappearance of hydrazine appeared to be identical to those formed in the chemical reaction between α-ketoglutarate and hydrazine. These azines were present in A. vinelandii cells grown on N2 and in the nodules of field-grown soybeans. The fractions from paper chromatograms carrying the azines contained a higher relative and absolute atom % 15N excess than ammonia or glutamic acid when the azotobacter cells were exposed to 15N2, but not when they were supplied 15NH4+. The implications of these results for the mechanism of biological N2 fixation are discussed.
High-Dimensional Heteroscedastic Regression with an Application to eQTL Data Analysis

We consider the problem of high-dimensional regression under non-constant error variances. Despite being a common phenomenon in biological applications, heteroscedasticity has, so far, been largely ignored in high-dimensional analysis of genomic data sets. We propose a new methodology that allows non-constant error variances for high-dimensional estimation and model selection. Our method incorporates heteroscedasticity by simultaneously modeling both the mean and variance components via a novel doubly regularized approach. Extensive Monte Carlo simulations indicate that our proposed procedure can result in better estimation and variable selection than existing methods when heteroscedasticity arises from the presence of predictors explaining error variances and outliers. Further, we demonstrate the presence of heteroscedasticity in and apply our method to an expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) study of 112 yeast segregants. The new procedure can automatically account for heteroscedasticity in identifying the eQTLs that are associated with gene expression variations and lead to smaller prediction errors. These results demonstrate the importance of considering heteroscedasticity in eQTL data analysis.
Dose adjustment of anaesthetics in the morbidly obese

Anaesthesiologists must be prepared to deal with pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic (PD) differences in morbidly obese individuals. As drug administration based on total body weight can result in overdose, weight-based dosing scalars must be considered. Conversely, administration of drugs based on ideal body weight can result in a sub-therapeutic dose. Changes in cardiac output and alterations in body composition affect the distribution of numerous anaesthetic drugs. With the exception of neuromuscular antagonists, lean body weight is the optimal dosing scalar for most drugs used in anaesthesia including opioids and anaesthetic induction agents. The increased incidence of obstructive sleep apnoea and fat deposition in the pharynx and chest wall places the morbidly obese at increased risk for adverse respiratory events secondary to anaesthetic agents, thus altering the PD properties of these drugs. Awareness of the pharmacology of the commonly used anaesthetic agents including induction agents, opioids, inhalation agents and neuromuscular blockers is necessary for safe and effective care of morbidly obese patients.
A case-cohort study with propensity score matching to evaluate the effects of mannitol on venous thromboembolism

Abstract Mannitol has been shown to damage endothelial cells and activate coagulation pathways leading to intravascular thrombosis. Dehydration and hemagglutination have also been associated with mannitol use, although the risk of clinically evident venous thromboembolism (VTE) disease is not well-defined. The aim of this study was to compare the risk of VTE in critically ill neurological patients who received mannitol compared to only hypertonic saline. A case-cohort study design with propensity score matching was used to evaluate the risk of VTE among patients who received mannitol compared to those who received hypertonic saline alone. The odds of thrombosis were evaluated by the Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel method and conditional logistic regression was used to adjust for year of treatment. Ninety-one of 330 patients (27.6%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 23–33%) developed a VTE; however, the yearly proportion remained unchanged over the 8 year study period. Cumulative use of mannitol declined and use of hypertonic saline increased significantly. The odds of thrombosis for those exposed to mannitol compared to hypertonic saline alone was 1.11 (95% CI 0.65–1.73; p = 0.75). This remained insignificant after adjusting for year of injury. In conclusion, despite a significant change in the pattern of osmotic therapy used at our institution, the proportion of patients with VTE remained unchanged. We found no evidence that mannitol use was associated with VTE compared to hypertonic saline alone.
The near-wake of an oscillating trailing edge: mechanisms of periodic and aperiodic response

This investigation addresses the unsteady wake from a blunt trailing edge subjected to controlled perturbations. The relationship between the structure of the near wake, the surface loading on the edge, and the motion of the edge is characterized by flow visualization in conjunction with velocity and pressure measurements. The response of the near wake can be classified into two general categories: a modulated wake, characterized by ordered variations in the near-wake flow structure over a number of cycles of oscillation of the trailing edge; and a phase-locked wake, whereby the near-wake structure does not change from cycle to cycle of the edge oscillation. For the modulated wake, there are large, repetitive excursions of the near-wake vortex pattern in the stream wise direction due to coexistence of the self-excited global instability of the wake and the applied excitation. These excursions can have an amplitude two orders of magnitude larger than the amplitude of the edge motion. The duration of these excursions, in relation to the cyclic motion of the trailing edge, is deterministic. For the phase-locked wake, small changes of the edge oscillation frequency produce large changes in the phase shift of the initially formed vortex from the edge. These phase shifts are due to changes in the times required for vortex formation and departure from the near wake. The corresponding mechanisms are interpreted in terms of the crucial topological features of the near wake and a phase clock concept.
Development of Product Lifecycle Management metrics: measuring the impact of PLM

Companies that have implemented Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) or planning to implement PLM must justify their current and future investments as a function of organisational performance, both at the functional and organisational levels. To be able to assess the performance of PLM, companies need to identify relevant and appropriate measures. The primary focus of this paper is to propose a PLM Assessment Plan and PLM Waste Reduction and Innovations Conceptual Frameworks. Also, results are presented from a web-based survey in which perceptions of current and potential future PLM users indicate the utility of PLM metrics.
The Development of Psychopathy

In this review, we explore two aspects of the development of psychopathy. First, we examine what psychopathy looks like across time. Second, we ask where psychopathy comes from. Much recent empirical work supports the idea that psychopathy in childhood and adolescence looks much like psychopathy in adulthood. Research utilizing recently created juvenile psychopathy indices demonstrates that juvenile psychopathy can be assessed reliably and that the nomological network surrounding the construct is quite similar to the one around adult psychopathy. Juvenile psychopathy is robustly related to offending, other externalizing problems, low levels of Agreeableness and Conscientiousness, and deficits in emotional processing and inhibition. Juvenile psychopathy is also relatively stable across adolescence. Much less research has examined from whence psychopathy comes, although several theories are reviewed. We close with a discussion of recent objections to the downward developmental extension of psychopathy to juveniles and some suggestions for additional research.
Single Nanoscale Cluster Species Revealed by 1H NMR Diffusion‐Ordered Spectroscopy and Small‐Angle X‐ray Scattering

A solved structure: The hydrated Ga(13) cluster, [Ga(13)(μ(3)-OH)(6)(μ-OH)(18)(H(2)O)(24)](NO(3))(15)], persists as a discrete nanoscale structure in an aqueous polar solvent at millimolar concentration. SAXS data confirm the presence of Ga(13) in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). In aqueous [D(6)]DMSO (1)H NMR signals for the hydroxo and aquo ligands of Ga(13) were detected, thus showing a cluster with a hydrodynamic radius of (11.2±0.8) A (see picture).
Structure of the Homer EVH1 domain-peptide complex reveals a new twist in polyproline recognition

Abstract Homer EVH1 (Ena/VASP Homology 1) domains interact with proline-rich motifs in the cytoplasmic regions of group 1 metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs), inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors (IP3Rs), and Shank proteins. We have determined the crystal structure of the Homer EVH1 domain complexed with a peptide from mGluR (TPPSPF). In contrast to other EVH1 domains, the bound mGluR ligand assumes an unusual conformation in which the side chains of the Ser–Pro tandem are oriented away from the Homer surface, and the Phe forms a unique contact. This unusual binding mode rationalizes conserved features of both Homer and Homer ligands that are not shared by other EVH1 domains. Site-directed mutagenesis confirms the importance of specific Homer residues for ligand binding. These results establish a molecular basis for understanding the biological properties of Homer-ligand complexes.
Decentralized feedback controllers for multi-agent teams in environments with obstacles

We propose a method for synthesizing decentralized feedback controllers for a team of multiple heterogeneous agents navigating a known environment with obstacles. The controllers are designed to drive agents with limited team state information to goal sets while avoiding collisions and maintaining specified proximity constraints. The method, its successful application to nonholonomic agents in dynamic simulation, and its limitations are presented in this paper.
An Airspace Planning Model for Selecting Flight-plans Under Workload, Safety, and Equity Considerations

In this paper, we present an airspace planning model (APM) that has been developed for use in both tactical and strategic planning contexts under various airspace scenarios. Given a set of flights for a particular time horizon, along with (possibly several) alternative flight-plans for each flight that are based on delays and diversions, due to special-use airspace (SUA) restrictions prompted by launches at spaceports or adverse weather conditions, this model prescribes a set of flight-plans to be implemented. The model formulation seeks to minimize and delay fuel-cost-based objective function, subject to the constraints that each flight is assigned one of the designated flight-plans, and that the resulting set of flight-plans satisfies certain specified workload, safety, and equity criteria. These requirements ensure that the workload for air-traffic controllers in each sector is held under a permissible limit, that any potential conflicts are routinely resolvable, and that the various airlines involved derive equitable levels of benefits from the overall implemented schedule. To solve the resulting 0--1 mixed-integer programming problem more effectively using commercial software (e.g., CPLEX-MIP), we explore the use of reformulation techniques designed to more closely approximate the convex hull of feasible solutions to the problem. We also prescribe a polynomial-time heuristic procedure that is demonstrated to provide solutions to the problem within 0.01% of optimality. Computational results are reported on several scenarios based on actual flight data obtained from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed approach for air-traffic management (ATM) purposes.
To release or not to release: evaluating information leaks in aggregate human-genome data

The rapid progress of human genome studies leads to a strong demand of aggregate human DNA data (e.g, allele frequencies, test statistics, etc.), whose public dissemination, however, has been impeded by privacy concerns. Prior research shows that it is possible to identify the presence of some participants in a study from such data, and in some cases, even fully recover their DNA sequences. A critical issue, therefore, becomes how to evaluate such a risk on individual data-sets and determine when they are safe to release. In this paper, we report our research that makes the first attempt to address this issue. We first identified the space of the aggregate-data-release problem, through examining common types of aggregate data and the typical threats they are facing. Then, we performed an in-depth study on different scenarios of attacks on different types of data, which sheds light on several fundamental questions in this problem domain. Particularly, we found that attacks on aggregate data are difficult in general, as the adversary often does not have enough information and needs to solve NP-complete or NPhard problems. On the other hand, we acknowledge that the attacks can succeed under some circumstances, particularly, when the solution space of the problem is small. Based upon such an understanding, we propose a risk-scale system and a methodology to determine when to release an aggregate data-set and when not to. We also used real human-genome data to verify our findings.
On stance and rationality

This collection is especially striking in two ways. The first is the extent to which the concept of a stance is investigated and elaborated, both critically and sympathetically. The second is the number of ways in which these papers bring to the fore new issues for further work—new technical problems as well as new avenues for exploration. I am grateful to the editors for this chance to offer both my appreciation, and some comments on the two main themes: voluntarism in epistemology, and the relation between empiricism and metaphysics. There is a great deal more in these papers than I have managed to address, and my selection reflects only my own limitations at this point.
Modification of Asn374 of nsP1 Suppresses a Sindbis Virus nsP4 Minus-Strand Polymerase Mutant

Our recent study (C. L. Fata, S. G. Sawicki, and D. L. Sawicki, J. Virol. 76:8632-8640, 2002) found minus-strand synthesis to be temperature sensitive in vertebrate and invertebrate cells when the Arg183 residue of the Sindbis virus nsP4 polymerase was changed to Ser, Ala, or Lys. Here we report the results of studies identifying an interacting partner of the region of the viral polymerase containing Arg183 that suppresses the Ser183 codon mutation. Large-plaque revertants were observed readily following growth of the nsP4 Ser183 mutant at 40 degrees C. Fifteen revertants were characterized, and all had a mutation in the Asn374 codon of nsP1 that changed it to either a His or an Ile codon. When combined with nsP4 Ser183, substitution of either His374 or Ile374 for Asn374 restored wild-type growth in chicken embryo fibroblast (CEF) cells at 40 degrees C. In Aedes albopictus cells at 34.5 degrees C, neither nsP1 substitution suppressed the nsP4 Ser183 defect in minus-strand synthesis. This argued that the nsP4 Arg183 residue itself is needed for minus-strand replicase assembly or function in the mosquito environment. The nsP1 His374 suppressor when combined with the wild-type nsP4 gave greater than wild-type levels of viral RNA synthesis in CEF cells at 40 degrees C ( approximately 140%) and in Aedes cells at 34.5 degrees C (200%). Virus producing nsP1 His374 and wild-type nsP4 Arg183 made more minus strands during the early period of infection and before minus-strand synthesis ceased at about 4 h postinfection. Shirako et al. (Y. Shirako, E. G. Strauss, and J. H. Strauss, Virology 276:148-160, 2000) identified amino acid substitutions in nsP1 and nsP4 that suppressed mutations that changed the N-terminal Tyr of nsP4. The nsP4 N-terminal mutants were defective also in minus-strand synthesis. Our study implicates an interaction between another conserved nsP1 region and an internal region, predicted to be in the finger domain, of nsP4 for the formation or activity of the minus-strand polymerase. Finally, the observation that a single point mutation in nsP1 results in minus-strand synthesis at greater than wild-type levels supports the concept that the wild-type nsP sequences are evolutionary compromises.
Lightning and surface rainfall during Florida thunderstorms

Lightning and surface rainfall data are presented which were obtained during summer air mass thunderstorms at the NASA Kennedy Space Center. Attention is given to a computer algorithm which employed abrupt changes in the thundercloud electric fields to detect and count flashes. Statistics are given for the occurrence of lightning in 79 storms during the summer seasons of 1976-1980, as well as 28 lightning storms from the summers of 1977 and 1978. The relationship between lightning and rainfall is examined in the case of two thunderstorms whose locations allow a direct comparison of measurements. It is found that when meteorological conditions favor the production of lightning, there is an almost direct proportionality between the total rain volume and the total number of flashes.
Minimizing Game Score Violations in College Football Rankings

One metric used to evaluate the myriad ranking systems in college football is retrodictive accuracy. Maximizing retrodictive accuracy is equivalent to minimizing game score violations: the number of times a past game's winner is ranked behind its loser. None of the roughly 100 current ranking systems achieves this objective. Using a model for minimizing violations that exploits problem characteristics found in college football, I found that all previous ranking systems generated violations that were at least 38 percent higher than the minimum. A minimum-violations criterion commonly would have affected the consensus top five and changed participants in the designated national championship game in 2000 and 2001-but not in the way most would have expected. A final regular season ranking using the model was perhaps the best prebowl ranking published online in 2004, as it maximized retrodictive accuracy and was nearly the best at predicting the 28 bowl winners.
Thirty and ninety-day reoperation rates after shoulder arthroplasty.

Background: The purpose of the present study was to assess thirty and ninety-day reoperation rates after shoulder arthroplasty from 2000 to 2010. Methods: Our institution’s joint registry was queried to identify shoulder arthroplasties performed from January 2000 to December 2010. Data regarding patient demographics and the type of procedure were reviewed. Reoperations within thirty and ninety days after the index procedure were analyzed. During the eleven-year study period, 2305 primary arthroplasties (502 hemiarthroplasties, 1440 anatomic total shoulder arthroplasties, and 363 reverse total shoulder arthroplasties) and 518 revision arthroplasties (twenty-one hemiarthroplasties, 356 anatomic total arthroplasties, and 141 reverse arthroplasties) were performed. Fifty-four percent of patients were female; mean age was sixty-eight years (range, eighteen to ninety-seven years) and body mass index was 30.3 kg/m2 (range, 14.7 to 65.9 kg/m2). Results: Reoperation was required within thirty days after fourteen primary arthroplasties (0.6%) and eight revision arthroplasties (1.5%); it was required within ninety days after thirty-two primary arthroplasties (1.4%) and thirteen revision arthroplasties (2.5%). The most frequent causes for reoperation after primary and revision arthroplasty were instability (n = 14 and 6) and infection (n = 13 and 3). The mean number of additional procedures required was 1.3 (range, one to four) for primary arthroplasties and 1.8 (range, one to three) for revision arthroplasties; 20% of patients undergoing reoperation required two or more additional procedures. Reoperations led to readmission in 82% of cases. Conclusions: Short-term reoperation after shoulder arthroplasty was infrequent. Wound complications and shoulder instability were the most frequent causes for reoperation. Reoperation was twice as frequent after revision surgery as after primary shoulder arthroplasty. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence. Peer Review This article was reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief and one Deputy Editor, and it underwent blinded review by two or more outside experts. The Deputy Editor reviewed each revision of the article, and it underwent a final review by the Editor-in-Chief prior to publication. Final corrections and clarifications occurred during one or more exchanges between the author(s) and copyeditors.
The Effects of Homeownership on Children's Outcomes: Real Effects or Self-Selection?

This article examines whether there is a “homeownership effect” for lower-income racial and ethnic groups who have been the target of public policies to expand homeownership. We use two different methods to account for selection, statistical matching and instrumental variable analysis; test direct and indirect (mediator) effects of homeownership on children's cognitive achievement, behavior problems and health using the Panel Study of Income Dynamics and its Child Development Supplement; and replicate the main effects tests using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. We find little evidence of beneficial homeownership effects and suggest that previous analyses may have mistaken selection differences for the effect of homeownership itself.
Taking on the herbal education challenge: commentary on increasing physician awareness of the common uses and contraindications of herbal medicines. Utility of a case-based tutorial for residents.

577 Use of herbs and dietary supplements (H/DS) is particularly common among patients suffering from incurable, chronic, or recurrent conditions such as those who receive care in tertiary hospitals housing residency training programs (Sparber et al., 2000). In addition, patients experiencing psychosocial problems such as those seen in many resident continuity clinics also frequently turn to herbal remedies (Kessler et al., 2001). Even healthy persons such as athletes and pregnant women (who need regular sports physicals and prenatal care, respectively) use H/DS, primarily to enhance their performance or well-being (Allaire et al., 2000; Baylis et al., 2001; Harnack et al., 2001; Ranzini et al., 2001). Despite the widespread use of using H/DS, only approximately 40% of patients who use complementary and alternative medical (CAM) therapies discuss their use with their physicians (Eisenberg et al., 1998). Rates of discussing such use with resident physicians are largely unknown. Because patients may not initiate discussions with their physicians about herbal remedies (viewing them as irrelevant, of no interest to their clinician, or beyond the clinician’s expertise), doctors have been urged to inquire routinely about patients’ use of H/DS (Eisenberg et al., 2001; Greger, 2001; Wynia et al., 1999). However, physicians have generally been poorly prepared to ask or address clinical questions about H/DS. Medical school courses in CAM rarely provide detailed information about H/DS or how to report adverse effects (Konefal, 2002). An increasing number of physician-oriented journal articles, reference books, and Internet sites on herbs and other dietary supplements, such as the PDR for Herbal Medicines, the Natural Medicine Comprehensive Database, the Longwood Herbal Task Force (Gardiner and Kemper, 2000), and HerbMed® (www.herbmed.org) are available. However, they have not been included in standard medical school or residency curricula, and few are familiar to practicing clinicians. Furthermore, reference books and Internet sites require an active learning approach. Unless the clinician learns about the resource, accesses it and reads it, the information is unlikely to be acquired. Mikail and colleagues (pp. 571–576) used a number of strategies proven to enhance learning in adult learners. Adult learning theories suggest that adult learners learn best when (1) the learning objectives are clear, (2) the material is relevant to their daily lives, (3) learning is self-paced, focused, and brief, (4) there are opportunities for active learning and interaction, and (5) there are opportunities to test and apply the information to their daily lives (Knowles et al., 1998). By asking for residents’ preferences about learning about H/DS (most
A Tale of Two Studies

In the anthropological world today there seem to be two reasons for studying a culture that has previously been documented: (1) to do a scientific restudy and thereby contribute to our understanding of the culture or to improve our methodology of field research and consequently to advance the science of anthropology; or (2) to refute the findings of a former investigator and by so doing to enhance one's own career. If the earlier researcher has a substantial
Tunneled hemodialysis catheter outcomes in elderly patients.

Purpose This retrospective study evaluated tunneled catheter outcomes in patients aged 75 years and older undergoing hemodialysis. Materials and Methods Patients aged 75 years or older receiving hemodialysis comprised the study group. A control group of patients 40–60 years of age was randomly selected from the same dialysis quality assurance database. Demographic data, medical comorbidities, and catheter-specific data regarding indwelling time, function, interventions, and complications were recorded. Results Sixty-nine tunneled catheters were identified in 23 patients who comprised the study group (13 men and 10 women; mean age, 81.3 years; range, 75–88 y). The mean number of catheters per patient was three (range, 1–8). The mean indwelling time was 137.4 days (range, 2–622 d). Seventy-eight catheters were identified in the control group ( n = 29; 14 men and 15 women; mean age, 50.6 years; range, 41–59 y). The mean number of catheters per patient was 2.7 (range, 1–9). The mean indwelling time was 139.7 days (range, 1–994 d). There was no statistically significant difference in the mean number of catheters per patient ( P = .83) or the mean indwelling time ( P = .93) between the two groups. There was no significant difference between the two groups in the indications for catheter removal or exchange: infection ( P = 1.0), catheter no longer needed ( P = 1.0), and physical catheter malfunction ( P = .48). The calculated infection rates in the elderly patient and younger control groups were 0.30 per 100 catheter-days and 0.26 per 100 catheter-days, respectively. Conclusions Tunneled catheter outcomes in patients aged 75 years and older undergoing hemodialysis do not vary significantly compared with those in a younger cohort.
Minimizing the application execution time through scheduling of subtasks and communication traffic in a heterogeneous computing system

In a heterogeneous computing (HC) environment consisting of different types of machines, an application program is decomposed into subtasks, each of which is computationally homogeneous. The goal is to execute subtasks on the machines in such a way that the total program execution time is minimized. A mathematical framework is presented that models the matching of subtasks to machines, scheduling of subtasks' computation, scheduling of intermachine communication steps, and selection of sources of shared data items for intermachine communication (data relocation). The goal of this work is to generate a provably optimal scheme for communicating shared data among subtasks as an enhancement to any given matching and scheduling. Initially, it is assumed that at any instant in time, only one machine is being used for program execution and only one subtask is being executed. Based on this assumption, a polynomial algorithm is introduced to optimize scheduling and data relocation with respect to any given matching of subtasks to machines. The data relocation scheme is then extended to reduce intermachine data communication time in an HC environment with a given matching and scheduling of subtasks' computation where: multiple subtasks' computations can be performed concurrently on different machines; subtask computation steps can be overlapped with other subtasks' communication steps for intermachine data transfers; and machines in the HC suite are interconnected by a shared-bus type of network.
Fault diagnosis using state information

Repeated fault diagnosis on large integrated circuits may often be computationally prohibitive due to expensive fault simulation requirements. Fault dictionaries can help alleviate this problem, but they may be infeasible to store because of their large sizes, and more importantly, they typically provide only a black box view of the circuit and hence almost no diagnostic flexibility. The problem occurs because dictionaries usually only store primary output information. A new approach to fault diagnosis based on state information is presented. The selective storage of state information is shown to significantly improve the time for diagnostic fault simulation. We also describe a method to reduce the amount of information stored by choosing only a subset of the state space. This approach is shown to be ideally suited for partial scan circuits whose simple structure is exploited to reduce storage requirements. Experiments on the ISCAS 89 benchmark circuits are performed to demonstrate the efficiency of the state information based diagnosis technique.
Hawaiian Waterspouts and Tornadoes

Abstract The most recent 15 years of records were examined to compare the nature of Hawaiian funnel clouds to south Florida waterspouts. The majority of Hawaiian funnel clouds were found to be small vertices which may represent the minimum vortex possible in cumulus-scale systems. Hawaiian funnels are less intense and occur less frequently than south Florida waterspounts. However, the climatology is influenced by several nonmeteorological factors. Examination of major tornadic events showed that Hawaiian tornadoes are mainly associated with intense mid-latitude cyclones. Conventional stability indices appear to be useful indications of tornado potential.
Animating physical phenomena with embedded surface meshes

Accurate computational representations of highly deformable surfaces are indispensable in the fields of computer animation, medical simulation, computer vision, digital modeling, and computational physics. The focus of this dissertation is on the animation of physics-based phenomena with highly detailed deformable surfaces represented by triangle meshes. We first present results from an algorithm that generates continuum mechanics animations with intricate surface features. This method combines a finite element method with a tetrahedral mesh generator and a high resolution surface mesh, and it is orders of magnitude more efficient than previous approaches. Next, we present an efficient solution for the challenging problem of computing topological changes in detailed dynamic surface meshes. We then introduce a new physics-inspired surface tracking algorithm that is capable of preserving arbitrarily thin features and reproducing realistic fine-scale topological changes like Rayleigh-Plateau instabilities. This physics-inspired surface tracking technique also opens the door for a unique coupling between surficial finite element methods and volumetric finite difference methods, in order to simulate liquid surface tension phenomena more efficiently than any previous method. Due to its dramatic increase in computational resolution and efficiency, this method yielded the first computer simulations of a fully developed crown splash with droplet pinch off.
The parliamentary mind and the mutable constitution

Utilizing a handful of succession treatises from the first decade of Elizabeth I's reign, this article analyses the multiplicity of ways in which early modern Englishmen and Scotsmen conceived of parliament's fundamental characteristics and decision-making processes, as well as the relationship between the changeability of the law and parliamentary authority. It argues that Elizabeth's refusal to allow her parliaments to discuss the succession opened up a discursive space in which resurrected and potential future parliaments served as logical, forward-thinking arbiters of this sensitive issue, and both pro- and anti-Stuart tract writers could identify at least one version of the Lords, Commons and crown that either had endorsed or supposedly would endorse their respective positions.
Sociological Perspectives on Ethnic Minority Teachers in China: A Review of the Research Literature.

ABSTRACTImproving the quality of education has been a central goal of the People’s Republic of China since its founding in 1949. Particular concern has been focused on ethnic minority areas where educational quality lags behind that of other regions. Since 1986 the State Education Commission has been working toward the implementation of nine years of compulsory education for all Chinese children nationwide. Implementing this policy has been particularly challenging in the less developed areas of western China where many ethnic minorities live. The solution rests in training an adequate number of teachers who are themselves from ethnic minority groups or who are willing to teach ethnic minority children. This article reviews a significant and growing body of English-language literature, drawn from the sociology of education, on minority teachers and teachers of minorities in the People’s Republic of China.
The Service Company Model: A New Strategy for Commercial Banks in Microfinance

ACCION International has developed relationships with several commercial banks to launch and expand microfinance operations through an approach known as the service company model. This paper describes how the service company model addresses the key issues in commercial bank entry into microfinance, identifies success factors for establishing a well-functioning microfinance services company, and presents results and lessons from the two microfinance service companies with the longest experience, SOGEBANK/SOGESOL in Haiti and Banco del Pichincha/CREDIFE in Ecuador.