cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chaos reduces species extinction by amplifying local population noise

IN the mid-1970s, theoretical ecologists were responsible for stimulating interest in nonlinear dynamics and chaos1–3. Ironically, the importance of chaos in ecology itself remains controversial4–17. Proponents of ecological chaos point to its ubiquity in mathematical models and to various empirical findings15,16,18. Sceptics12,19,20 maintain that the models are unrealistic and that the experimental evidence is equally consistent with stochastic models. More generally, it has been argued9,11,21,23 that interdemic selection and/or enhanced rates of species extinction will eliminate populations and species that evolve into chaotic regions of parameter space. Fundamental to this opinion is the belief24,25 that violent oscillations and low minimum population densities are inevitable correlates of the chaotic state. In fact, rarity is not a necessary consequence of complex dynamical behaviour26,27. But even when chaos is associated with frequent rarity, its consequences to survival are necessarily deleterious only in the case of species composed of a single population. Of course, the majority of real world species (for example, most insects) consist of multiple populations weakly coupled by migration, and in this circumstance chaos can actually reduce the probability of extinction. Here we show that although low densities lead to more frequent extinction at the local level28, the decorrelating effect of chaotic oscillations reduces the degree of synchrony among populations and thus the likelihood that all are simultaneously extinguished.
Use of natural sounds and metaphors for data perceptualization

We describe three systems that use natural or event-based sounds as means of data delivery. In these systems we have mapped data to natural sounds using metaphors. In the first system we evaluate the use of sounds of air, horn, and train to convey ordered numeric values between 1 to 6. An example of the metaphor used here is the association of speed values to the sound of a moving train at different speeds. In the second system, we use sounds of ocean waves to convey whether the exposure in a protein structural alignment is buried, partially exposed or fully exposed. The metaphor used here is the association of sound with how exposed the user is with respect to the ocean. In the third system, we map animal sounds such as the sound of a roaring lion or a chirping bird to certain stocks based on user preferences. The behavior of the stocks are then sounded by the use of whistles and car crash to signify the movement in process of the stocks. An up whistling sound can be clearly associated with an uptrend. We present and discuss the results of user evaluation studies for all the three systems.
Rochester's demonstration home program: A comprehensive parent‐infant project

This program is designed for parents of children from birth to age 3 who are suspected of being hearing impaired. Children are referred to the program because of inconsistent responses to sound or delayed speech and language behavior. Some may have lost their hearing because of disease or injury after beginning to talk. Others are deaf for genetic reasons. The Demonstration Home Program (DHP) focuses on teaching parents how to accelerate the children's listening skills and language development through the use of everyday household activities. A child may be referred to the program if his parents or physician suspect a hearing impairment. Weekly appointment sessions then provide the following services: (1) audiological examinations and individual loaner hearing aids; (2) home visits; (3) informal discussion groups for mothers only, fathers only, and parent education meetings; (4) special lessons for parent follow-through during summer vacations; (5) psychological examinations; and (6) follow-up examinations for hearing, speech, and language after children leave the program. Pediatricians, otologists, and community agencies associated with each child receive biannual reports. The DHP is located in a homelike apartment setting on the second floor of the administration building at the Rochester School for the Deaf. The program has been supported by a Title I ESEA federal grant, the Woman's Club of Rochester, and the Rochester School for the Deaf. There is no fee for program services.
Static analysis of structures by the quadrature element method(QEM)

Abstract The differential quadrature method (DQM) is an alternative discrete approach to solving directly the governing equations of engineering and mathematical physics. Since the DQM does not require the derivation of the weak forms of the governing equations like the FEM, it can greatly reduce formulation efforts in higher order approximation. The DQM has been applied in the past to the analyses of various single structural components such as bars, beams, membranes and plates. All of the component analyses yielded good to excellent results. However, previous studies were limited to simple geometries and simple boundary conditions due to the limitation of using global basis functions. In the present study, a domain decomposition technique for the DQM is proposed to analyse truss and frame structures where the whole structural domain is represented by a collection of simple element subdomains connected together at specific nodal points. This method is named the quadrature element method (QEM).
Two continuous coupled assays for ornithine-δ-aminotransferase

Abstract We have developed two new continuous coupled assays for ornithine-δ-aminotransferase (OAT) that are more sensitive than previous methods, measure activity in real time, and can be carried out in multiwell plates for convenience and high throughput. The first assay is based on the reduction of Δ 1 -pyrroline-5-carboxylate (P5C), generated from ornithine by OAT, using human pyrroline 5-carboxylate reductase 1 (PYCR1), which results in the concomitant oxidation of NADH (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, reduced form) to NAD + (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, oxidized form). This procedure was found to be three times more sensitive than previous methods and is suitable for the study of small molecules as inhibitors or inactivators of OAT or as a method to determine OAT activity in unknown samples. The second method involves the detection of l -glutamate, produced during the regeneration of the cofactor pyridoxal 5’-phosphate (PLP) of OAT by an unamplified modification of the commercially available Amplex Red l -glutamate detection kit (Life Technologies). This assay is recommended for the determination of the substrate activity of small molecules against OAT; measuring the transformation of l -ornithine at high concentrations by this assay is complicated by the fact that it also acts as a substrate for the l -glutamate oxidase (GluOx) reporter enzyme.
Low temperature annealing behavior of electroplated nickel

Abstract The low temperature annealing characteristics of electroplated nickel containing an occluded brightener, fuchsin, have been studied in the temperature range 25–250°C. Supportive annealing experiments were also conducted between the temperatures 250°C and 700°C to assist in evaluating the lower temperature behavior. The effect of annealing was monitored by measuring resistivity changes at liquid nitrogen temperatures and by viewing selected samples by transmission electron microscopy. In addition, various chemical analysis techniques were employed to follow the variations in impurity content. A detailed comparison was made between deposits from a standard “watts” nickel electrolyte and those from a “watts” nickel solution containing the fuchsin additive. Isochronal anneals of fuchsin-containing deposits were characterized by a large decrease in resistivity up to a temperature of 175°C. Higher temperature annealing from 175°C to 275°C demonstrated an increase in resistivity with increasing temperature. This increase was then followed by a general decrease in resistivity at temperatures greater than 350°C. The first two minima at 175°C and 300°C on the Δϱ°/Δϱ versus temperature curve were found to coincide with temperatures where partial decomposition of the fuchsin reagent occured. The low temperature resistivity decrease from 28°C to 125°C was attributed to the diffusion of divacancies to fixed sinks such as grain boundaries. A high non-equilibrium vacancy concentration is believed to be present owing to the accommodation of fuchsin molecules in the nickel lattice. The resistivity decay is described by an Arrhenius-type equation: dp dt =K exp − 19.4 kcal RT The experimentally determined activation energy agrees favorably with literature values for divacancy diffusion in nickel. During this interval no visual change in structure was noted, and fuchsin could be extracted from the deposit unaltered.
Trees of integral triangles with given rectangular defect

Abstract The rectangular defect of a triangle with side lengths a , b and c is a 2 + b 2 − c 2 where a , b ≤ c . For a given integer d we examine the set PIT ( d ) consisting of all primitive integral triangles with rectangular defect equal to d . There are simple transformations τ 1 , τ 2 and τ 3 which produce new elements of PIT ( d ) from any triangle with defect d . They determine a partial ordering on PIT ( d ) in which applying any τ i moves upward. We will show that the poset PIT ( d ) has finitely many components and that each of these components is isomorphic to one of two rooted trees T or T ˜ (where T is the regular rooted tree of valence three and T ˜ is a subtree of it). It follows that the minimal elements of PIT ( d ) form a finite set from which any triangle in PIT ( d ) can be uniquely obtained by applying a finite sequence of the τ i ’s. In order to prove these statements we will analyze a larger poset Σ ( d ) which contains copies of both PIT ( d ) and its inverse − PIT ( d ) as subposets. The elements of Σ ( d ) are equivalence classes of solutions to the equation x 1 2 + x 2 2 + x 3 2 − 2 x 2 x 1 − 2 x 2 x 3 = d . The key result will assert that the complement of ± PIT ( d ) in Σ ( d ) is a finite poset, denoted by Core ( d ) . The proof of this key result is very different according to whether d is nonpositive (the obtuse case) or d is positive (the acute case), and the two cases must be analyzed separately. In the obtuse case we will see that the components of Core ( d ) are singletons while in the acute case they are poset segments or poset circuits (these are the finite connected posets in which each element has at most two neighbors). For all values of d the analysis of Σ ( d ) will produce algorithms for constructing both Core ( d ) and the minimal elements of PIT ( d ) .
The Effect of Media Composition, pH, and Formulation Excipients on the In Vitro Lipolysis of Self-Emulsifying Drug Delivery Systems (SEDDS)

The objective of the present work was to investigate the effects of pH, ions, and excipients on the in vitro lipolysis of self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDS). Studies were performed in bio-relevant media using a pH stat autotitrator for analysis. The results demonstrated that alkaline media were essential for lipolysis, which was enhanced by divalent CaCl2 ions and medium chain glycerides. Monovalent NaCl and the hydrophile-lipophile balance (HLB) of the surfactant had insignificant effect on lipolysis. Consequently, it was concluded that the activity of lipase, at an optimum pH of 6.5, is the predominant factors for digestion of SEDDS.
Total External Reflection at Optical Wavelengths

Total external reflection can occur at the interface between vacuum and a medium with refractive index less than unity. Here, analytical and numerical models predict such reflection at optical wavelengths for a metal-dielectric composite material.
The flow induction process of compressors designed to accept supersonic inflow velocity.

Supersonic compressor flow induction process as affected by Mach number, cone angle, rotational speed and blade angle
Pattern recognition techniques for the analysis of electron microdiffraction patterns

Abstract Pattern recognition techniques have been applied to the detection and recording of electron microdiffraction patterns obtained from areas of thin films of about 15 A in diameter. The patterns produced as an incident beam in a scanning trabsmission electron microscope is scanned over the specimen are compared with a model pattern representing a particular structural feature, and the patterns which bear a sufficient likeness to the model are recorded for further processing. The method is applied to the recognition and recording of patterns from small regions, having [100] and [110] orientations relative to the incident beam, in a thin polycrystalline foil of a Cu 3 Au alloy. It is evisaged that this method may provide a basis for the analysis of microcrystalline or near-amorphous films, allowing the relative frequency of occurrence of various atomic configurations to be measured and allowing more detailed structure to be determined for atom groups of any particular category and for their environments.
Novel Missense and Frameshift Mutations in the Activin Receptor-Like Kinase-1 Gene in Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia

Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia (HHT) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized bymultisystemic vascular dysplasia and recurrent hemorrhage. One of the causative genes is the activinreceptor-like kinase-1 (ALK-1) gene located on chromosome 12q13. ALK-1 is an endothelial cell type Ireceptor for the TGF- superfamily of ligands. As a number of mutations have been identified in the kinasedomain of ALK-1, we initiated a mutation analysis specifically targeting the first four coding exons of ALK-1in order to determine if mutations in the extracellular and transmembrane domains are also present in HHT.Six new mutations have been identified. Three frameshift mutations were identified in exons encoding theextracellular and transmembrane domains. These mutations would grossly truncate the ALK-1 protein and arethus classic null alleles. Three new missense mutations within the exons encoding the extracellular domain, inaddition to two previously described missense mutations, are located at or near highly conserved cysteines.These mutations may disrupt intra- or inter-molecular disulfide bridges required for ligand binding. Thecombined data suggest that both severe and subtle changes in the ALK-1 amino acid sequence can lead toreceptor dysfunction and result in the HHT disease phenotype.
TuningFork: a platform for visualization and analysis of complex real-time systems

Debugging the timing behavior of real-time systems is notoriously difficult, and with a new generation of complex systems consisting of tens of millions of lines of code, the difficulty is increasing enormously. We have developed TuningFork, a tool especially designed for visualization and analysis of large-scale real-time systems. TuningFork is capable of recording high-frequency events at sub-microsecond resolution with minimal perturbation. Users can visualize system activity online in real-time and interactively explore the data. Data can be gathered from multiple layers and/or components and synthesized into visualizations that illuminate whole system interactions. Interactive exploration of hypothesis is naturally supported by direct manipulation to quickly build up complex visualizations.
Processes of mammalian tooth development as illustrated by dental ontogeny in the mole Scapanus latimanus (Talpidae: Insectivora)

Abstract Tooth ontogeny in the dentally primitive placental Scapanus latimanus was investigated by means of serial sections and wax-plate reconstructions. The anterior two milk incisors, the posterior milk premolar, and first molar generally remain the most advanced teeth throughout ontogeny. At any stage, there is a developmental decline from either end of the milk—and often the adult—tooth row towards the middle of the series, centred on the first premolar site. The unreplaced first premolar and molars fit more smoothly into the developmental gradient curves of the milk, rather than the adult, antemolars and thus appear serially homologous with the milk dentition. Although a functionless residual dental lamina forms briefly at each adult tooth primordium, no other structures that could be interpreted as either “post-permanent” or “pre-lacteal” dentitions are evident. Certain milk primordia may extend their development antero-laterally from the dental lamina into the oral epithelium, subsequently becoming suspended by means of a “lateral string”. The antero-lateral growth area is fully functional only in the incisor region, where it alleviates crowding between both adjacent milk primordia and corresponding milk and adult primordia. The developmental gradients along the embryonic tooth row suggest that in most dentally unspecialized mammals, at least, evolutionary tooth loss occurs posteroanteriorly for incisors and antero-posteriorly for premolars. Posterior molars may easily be evolutionarily added or subtracted, as selective pressures dictate, by variations in length of the embryonic tooth-forming period.
Classification Systems for Hallux Rigidus : A Review of the Literature

Background: Hallux rigidus (HR) is one of the most common causes of forefoot pain. A number of classification systems have been developed to evaluate HR. These systems are based on either radiological parameters alone or a combination of radiological and clinical features. The purpose of this paper is to critically evaluate HR classification systems by undertaking a detailed review using English language medical and paramedical databases. Materials and Methods: The authors identified 18 formal HR classification systems described in the literature, some of which are variations on a theme. Results: No clear consensus on the construction of HR classification systems appears to exist. Different criteria and methods are used which make comparison difficult. Furthermore, it appears that, no serious consideration has been given to their reliability and validity. Criteria used to justify inclusion of these parameters have been based mainly on clinical experience rather than formal research. Conclusion: For such a...
SU-E-T-76: Monte Carlo Based Assessment of Matrixx Array as a QA Tool for HDR

Purpose: Verification of HDR dose delivered from surface applicators is challenging because there is a lack of backscatter and most brachytherapy TPS dose calculations do not accurately model such situations. IBA Matrixx™ provides a means to measure HDR dose, but brachytherapy sources are outside the manufacturers energy specification. This work investigates the use of an ion chamber array for HDR treatment verification. Methods: A Harrison‐Mick (HAM) applicator in conjunction with an Ir192 afterloader was used to deliver a superficial plan with 9 × 9 dwells on a grid separated by 1cm, normalized to 100cGy a depth of 3mm in skin. The Matrixx™ array was used to measure the dose. Backscatter contribution to the measured dose was changed by varying layers of solid water on the HAM applicator. The brachytherapy module of EGSnrc was used to simulate this experimental setup. The microselectron V2 Ir192 source was carefully modeled following published literature. Rayleigh scattering, bound Compton scattering, photo‐electric absorption were all simulated. Results: Taking the HAM applicators inherent backscatter of about 0.5cm as reference, the dosimetric contribution saturates around 6cm. An absence of backscatter material reduces the dose at 3mm into skin by about 3.5 – 4%. Dose from Monte Carlo simulation compares favorably with Matrixx™ measurements; beyond 5cm of backscatter the increase in measured dose is less than 0.5% and our results from Monte Carlo simulations reflect this. Conclusion: A maximum difference of 0.5% between measured and simulated doses for different amounts of backscatter material indicates that the Matrixx™ ion chamber array, even when used in the kV energy domain of the HDR source, can be a satisfactory clinical QA device for checking planar dose distributions.
Using Study Guides with Three Classifications of Secondary Students

This research examined the effectiveness of using study guides with learning disabled, remedial, and regular education students enrolled in social studies and science classes at the secondary level. In two separate studies, the efficacy of two varieties of study guides was compared to a self-study condition, as methods to increase textbook comprehension. To increase the generalizability of research findings to actual classroom practices, no changes were made in the teachers, settings, textbooks, grouping arrangements, or the sequences of instruction that were normally used. Results indicated that study guides, whether teacher directed or student directed, produced significantly higher performace than self-study for the three classifications of students. Several practical issues involving the use of study guides with heterogeneous groups of secondary students are discussed.
Estimation Methodology in Contemporary Small Mammal Capture-Recapture Studies

Estimators of population size and survival rate based on the Jolly-Seber capture-recapture model and the “enumeration method” are described. Enumeration estimators are shown to estimate complicated functions of capture and survival probabilities and, in the case of the population size estimator, population size. Frequently-listed reasons for preferring enumeration estimators are discussed and the Jolly-Seber estimators are shown to be superior even in the case of heterogeneity and trap-happy response, the two sources of unequal capture probability most likely to occur in small mammal studies. New developments in probabilistic capture-recapture models are described, and these models are recommended for future small mammal capture-recapture studies.
Seasonal variations in enzyme activity and organic carbon in soil of a burned and unburned hardwood forest

Abstract This study examined variations in soil organic C content and the activity of acid phosphatase, α-glucosidase, phenol oxidase, chitinase, and l -glutaminase in ultisols of burned and unburned areas in Quercus -dominated forests in Ohio, USA. The low intensity, prescribed fires were conducted in April 2001, with temperature 10 cm above the forest floor averaging 160–240 °C. Sampling was conducted throughout the six month growing season (May–October) of 2003, two years after the fire. Organic C content in these ultisols varied between 20 and 30 g C/kg soil, and varied little through the growing season, except for a late season increase to ∼32 g C/kg soil in the burned areas. When enzyme activity was expressed per unit soil organic C, there was no statistically significant variation among sample dates in soil enzyme activity except l -glutaminase, which demonstrated a distinct maximum in activity in spring. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMS) ordination resulted in no clear separation of burned and unburned sample areas based on soil organic C and enzyme activity. When the growing season was divided into three segments (early spring, late spring/early summer, and late summer/early autumn), there was again a lack of separation between burned and unburned areas in the earlier two segments, whereas in the late summer/early autumn segment the burned and unburned areas were clearly separated on the basis of differences in soil organic C and l -glutaminase activity. As environmental factors (e.g. soil temperature, moisture) and substrate availability do not vary in parallel through the growing season in this region, seasonal patterns often differ among enzyme systems based on their predominant control mechanism. Sampling time during the growing season appears to have little effect on holistic judgments of fire effects based on soil enzymes, except under restrictive conditions.
Monitoring of Spinal Cord Function during Descending Thoracic and Thoracoabdominal Aneurysm Repair

Monitoring of spinal cord function is gradually being accepted as a useful adjunct during surgery for aneurysms of the descending and thoracoabdominal aorta. The most common type of monitoring used clinically involves somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP), but motor evoked potentials (MEP) and direct spinal cord measurements are also feasible. SSEP measurements involve stimulating the posterior tibial nerve of the foot and recording the response via cortical electrodes; median nerve stimulation is used as a control to allow identification of situations in which an abnormal SSEP indicates a problem in the cortical response rather than a peripheral nerve or lower spinal cord injury. SSEPs are not reliable or cannot be recorded if there is peripheral nerve ischemia or during hypothermia, and the response can be affected by anesthetics, but in contrast to MEP, SSEPs can be used even in patients who are awake postoperatively.
Defining and Choosing Us against the Other: Book Reviews

Book reviewed in this article: Gender and Management Issues in Education: an international perspective Pat Drake & Patricia Owen Schooling Sexualities Debbie Epstein & Richard Johnson Assimilating Identities. Racism and Educational Policy in Post 1945 Britain Ian Grosvenor Answering Back: girls, boys and feminism in schools Jane Kenway, Sue Willis With Jill Blackmore & Leonie Rennie Bilingual Education: teachers' narratives Nancy Lemburger Educating Muslim Girls: shifting discourses Kaye Haw with contributions from Saeeda Shah & Maria Hanifa Class Work: mothers' involvement in their children's primary schooling Diane Reay International Perspectives on the Design of Technology-supported Learning Environments Stella Vosniadou, Erik De Corte, Robert Glaser & Heinz Mandl (Eds) Acting in Classroom Drama: a critical analysis Gavin Bolton Forces Series: Science Processes and Concept Exploration: the SPACE research reports Liverpool, Liverpool University Press. T. Russell, L. Mcguigan & A. Hughes
On the motion of a sphere in a Stokes flow parallel to a Brinkman half-space

A three-dimensional analysis is presented of the Stokes flow, adjacent to a Brinkman half-space, that is induced or altered by the presence of a sphere in the flow field that (a) translates uniformly without rotating, (b) rotates uniformly without translating, or (c) is fixed in a shear flow that is uniform in the far field. The linear superposition of these three flow regimes is also considered for the special case of the free motion of a neutrally buoyant sphere. Exact solutions to the momentum equations are obtained in terms of infinite series expansions in the Stokes-flow region and in terms of integral transforms in the Brinkman medium. Attention is focused on the approach to the asymptotic limit as the ratio of Newtonian- to Darcy-drag forces vanishes. From the leading-order asymptotic approximations, implicit recursion relations are derived to determine the coefficients in the series solutions such that those solutions exactly satisfy the boundary and interfacial conditions as well as the continuity equations in both the Stokes-flow and Brinkman regions. For each of the three flow regimes considered, results are presented in terms of the drag force on the sphere and torque about the sphere centre as a function of the dimensionless separation distance between the sphere and the interfacial plane for several small values of the dimensionless hydraulic permeability of the Brinkman medium. Finally, the free motion of a neutrally buoyant sphere is found by requiring that the net hydrodynamic drag force and torque acting on the sphere vanish. Results for this case are presented in terms of the dimensionless translational and rotational speeds of the sphere as a function of the dimensionless separation distance for several small values of the dimensionless hydraulic permeability. The work is motivated by its potential application as an analytical tool in the study of near-wall microfluldics in the vicinity of the glycocalyx surface layer on vascular endothelium and in microelectromechanical systems devices where charged macromolecules may become adsorbed to microchannel walls.
Pen confinement of yearling ewes with cows or heifers for 14 days to produce bonded sheep.

Abstract Mixed species stocking is commonly a more ecologically sound and efficient use of forage resources than single species stocking, especially in pastures having complex assemblages of forage species. However, in many environments livestock predation on especially smaller ruminants adds an extra challenge to mixed species stocking. When mixed sheep and cattle remain consistently as a cohesive group (flerd), predation risks are lessened, while fencing and herding costs are reduced. To establish a cohesive group (bond), a 30-day bonding period in which young sheep and cattle pairs are penned together is currently recommended. The purpose of this research was to test if a bond could be produced in 2 m ×6 m pens for 14 days. The other eight-cow/ewe (NC) and heifer/ewe (NH) pairs were separated by species with each species maintained on separate pastures for the 14-day period. After 14 days, pairs were released in observation paddocks and separation distance between treatment pairs was measured during a 30-min open field test. Other behaviors were also noted and recorded during the field test. Separation distance did not differ ( P =0.973) between the PC and PH treatments; however, separation distance for NC versus NH ( P P P
Diagnosis of subclinical coronary atherosclerosis: challenges and insight

Background: In the last 30 years, significant progress has been made in our ability to stratify individuals on the basis of cardiovascular (CV) risk, allowing those at the highest risk of CV disease to be more aggressively treated. In the US, this has resulted in a gradual decline in CV mortality. Whether medical interventions in individuals at low-to-intermediate risk for CV disease translate into improved outcomes remains an open question, and depends largely on our ability to diagnose atherosclerosis at an earlier stage than is possible at present. Objective: The objective of this paper is to review current literature on the diagnosis of subclinical atherosclerosis. Methods: Medline searches for peer-reviewed publications using search terms relevant to the diagnosis of subclinical atherosclerosis were performed. Results: Data from these references are discussed and grouped into three broad categories, including biomarkers, imaging and genomics. Conclusion: The recent identification of new biomarkers an...
Are LVAD Support and Cardiac Transplantation Approaching Equipoise

Thresholds for LVAD varied markedly according to different life expectancy and functional limitation scenarios. Over 70% of patients equally valued an LVAD’s impact on survival and quality of life. The top three concerns about LVAD were stroke, infection, and device durability. Conclusions: Ambulatory advanced HF patients are open to considering LVAD therapy and most have acceptable implant risk. Patients should be educated about both LVAD therapy and survival with HF, then engaged about their thresholds for considering LVAD prior to becoming inotrope-dependent.
On-site diagnostic technique for smart maintenance of power cables

Polymeric insulation of power cables has excellent short-term dielectric properties but is subjected to serious degradation problems due to defects, water, ionic contamination, partial discharges, electrical treeing, etc. Since more than 20% of installed underground power cables are older than their design life-time, utilities are faced with important maintenance related questions whether to repair, refurbish or completely replace old cables. In the era of Smart Grid, accurate assessment of the operating state of cable insulation through reliable diagnostic measurements is crucial to the so called “Smart Maintenance”, i.e. the replacement of only those cables that may adversely affect the reliability of the network in the near future. At the National Research Council of Canada, an on-site testing technique for estimating the degree of degradation of power cables based on the polarization/depolarization current measurements has been developed and tested for two years on underground power network of a local utility. Using a noiseless, high voltage solid state switch, both the high frequency (HF) and the low frequency components of the depolarization current (I Dep ) were measured and analyzed. It was observed that the area under the HF component of the I Dep curve, Q Dep , could be linked to the dielectric loss factor, and the intensity of water treeing in cable insulation. Furthermore, it was observed that the I Dep waveforms of new and aged cables could be fitted to an equation, which contains a parameter that correlates with the degree of insulation degradation. This new insulation degradation indicator and the Q Dep characteristics could be used for monitoring the operating condition of cables in service and would help utilities to develop cable replacement programs based on the actual state of the insulation operating conditions. Long term aging (∼ 3.5 yrs) of XLPE miniature cables in NaCl solution has shown a large increase of the area under the polarization current curve, Q P with aging time. Comparing the Q P characteristics of miniature cables with those of cables in the field could also help to assess the degree of insulation aging.
Reactions of carbocations with carbanions through coordination and single electron transfer. Heterolysis and homolysis of carbon−carbon bonds

Thermodynamique des reactions de carbocations avec des carbanions et d'autres anions organiques
Effect of lipid-modifying drug therapy on survival after abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.

Background Lipid-modifying drug therapy (LMDT) is recommended in all patients having coronary or noncoronary atherosclerotic disease. However, the effect of LMDT after abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair, especially in the absence of other atherosclerotic manifestations, is unclear. We examined the distribution of prevalence of LMDT among patients undergoing AAA repair and its effect on survival in the presence and absence of other atherosclerotic diseases. Methods We identified patients treated at University of Alabama at Birmingham between 1985 and 2010 who had a prior AAA repair. Information was collected from health system medical charts, medical communication, and national death indices. We assessed the predictors of prevalence of LMDT by univariate analysis using t -test for continuous and χ 2 test for categorical variables, and then performed multivariate logistic regression. The survival was determined using Kaplan-Meier plots, and adjusted hazard ratios were calculated using Cox proportion regression. Results A total of 2063 patients underwent AAA repair procedure. Of these, 9% were African-American, and 20% were female. Thirty-five percent received LMDT, and 32% died during the follow-up period of up to 240 months. Significant predictors for being on LMDT included white race (odds ratio [OR], 1.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1-2.2), presence of other atherosclerotic disease or diabetes (OR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.9-3.0), hypertension (OR, 4.0; 95% CI, 3.1-5.2), smoking (OR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.2-2.1), and endovascular AAA repair (OR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.5-2.3). LMDT was associated with improved survival (hazard ratio, 0.6; 95% CI, 0.5-0.8) after controlling for traditional risk factors, diabetes, and other atherosclerotic diseases. Conclusions LMDT after AAA is associated with an increased survival compared with patients who were not using drug therapy for dyslipidemia. Aggressive management of dyslipidemia should be considered in all patients undergoing AAA repair irrespective of other atherosclerotic disease status and risk factor profile.
Holomorphic motions of hyperbolic nonautonomous Julia sets

We generalize a number of the results of Mane, Sad, and Sullivan concerning families of analytic functions depending on a parameter. The new results are in the context of nonautonomous iteration where instead of one polynomial or rational function, one considers iterates arising from an arbitrarily chosen sequence of polynomials. We use the famous λ-lemma to show that in a parameter neigbourhood of a sequence whose associated dynamics is hyperbolic, the Julia set moves smoothly and indeed holomorphically, much as in the original situation, even when one considers the question of holomorphic dependence on infinitely many independent complex parameters. Finally, we consider the parameter space associated with sequences of quadratic polynomials and show how our results imply that the structure is significantly different from that of quadratic polynomials in standard complex dynamics.
The yin and yang of 15-lipoxygenase-1 and delta-desaturases: Dietary omega-6 linoleic acid metabolic pathway in prostate

One of the major components in high-fat diets (Western diet) is the omega (ω, n)-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) called linoleic acid (LA). Linoleic acid is the precursor for arachidonic acid (AA). These fatty acids are metabolized to an array of eicosanoids and prostaglandins depending upon the enzymes in the pathway. Aberrant expression of the catabolic enzymes such as cyclooxygenases (COX-1 and/or -2) or lipoxygenases (5-LO, 12-LO, 15-LO-1, and 15-LO-2) that convert PUFA either AA and/or LA to bioactive lipid metabolites appear to significantly contribute to the development of PCa. However, PUFA and its cellular interactions in PCa are poorly understood. We therefore examined the mRNA levels of key enzymes involved in the LA and AA pathways in 18 human donor (normal) prostates compared to 60 prostate tumors using the Affymetrix U95Av2 chips. This comparative (normal donor versus prostate cancer) study showed that: 1) the level of 15-LO-1 expression (the key enzyme in the LA pathway) is low (P < 0.001), whereas the levels of delta-5 desaturase (P < 0.001, the key enzyme in the AA pathway), delta-6 desaturase (P = 0.001), elongase (P = 0.16) and 15-lipoxygenase-2 (15-LO-2, P = 0.74) are higher in donor (normal) prostates, and 2) Contrary to the observation in the normal tissues, significantly high levels of only 15-LO-1; whereas low levels of delta-6 desaturase, elongase, delta-5 desaturase and 15-LO-2 respectively, were observed in PCa tissues. Although the cyclooxygenase (COX)-1 and COX-2 mRNA levels were high in PCa, no significant differences were observed when compared in donor tissues. Our study underscores the importance of promising dietary intervention agents such as the omega-3 fatty acids as substrate competitors of LA/AA, aimed primarily at high 15-LO-1 and COX-2 as the molecular targets in PCa initiation and/or progression.
Plotting Postmodern Being in Itziar Pascual's Père Lachaise

One of the important elements of postmodern literary expression that is a recurring feature of Itziar Pascual's theatre is the retreat from the concept of a unified subject and the affirmation of d...
Testability of parity checkers

Checkers are used in digital circuits to detect both intermittent and stuck-at faults. The most common error detectors are parity checkers. Such circuits are themselves subject to failures. The use of parity trees is outlined, and techniques for testing them are surveyed. The effect of the checker's structure on its testability is discussed. Several fault models are considered: single stuck-at, multiple stuck-at, and bridging faults. The effectiveness of single stuck-at fault test sets in detecting multiple stuck-at and bridging faults is described. Upper bounds for the double fault coverage of the minimal single fault test are given for different tree structures. The testabilities of some selected checkers are examined to illustrate the concepts developed. A built-in self-test is proposed. >
What's At Stake in High-Stakes Testing: Teachers and Parents Speak Out.

This article reports findings from interviews with 59 teachers and 20 parents in two large states. Both have standards, attendant benchmarks, and standardized tests to assess students on the standa...
Marijuana may harm developing brains.

“The adolescent brain has a lot to developing to do. Some researchers are concerned about how marijuana use might affect that process.” THE ADOLESCENT BRAIN has a lot of developing to do as it transforms the child's brain to that of an adult. Some researchers are worried about how marijuana use might affect that process. A growing number of studies report that regular use of marijuana, (Cannabis sativa), changes the structure of the adolescent brain, specifically those areas that are involved with memory and problem solving (Lisdahl et al., 2013; Smith et al., 2014). These may, in turn, affect cognition and academic performance. According to a recent report regular marijuana users, defined as more than once a week, have, on average, a school grade point one grade point lower than matched peers that do not smoke marijuana (Lisdahl et al., 2013). A second study analyzed compared IQ scores in childhood through age 38 among marijuana users and nonusers (Meier et al., 2012). It found that people using marijuana in their teenage years and then continuing to use marijuana for many years lost about eight IQ points from childhood to adulthood, whereas those who never used marijuana did not lose any points. The researchers found that the amount of marijuana smoked made a difference. Those who smoked marijuana at least once a day saw the greatest drop in IQ, eight points. In addition, the younger they were when they started smoking marijuana, the greater IQ drop. It was not only IQ points that were affected. Adults who smoked marijuana as adolescents did worse on tests of memory and decision-making compared to adults who hadn’t smoked marijuana. However, there were some limitations to the study. For example, the participants that used the most marijuana in the Meier study (2012) had lower IQ scores to begin with. The researchers noted that in this
Collision breeding: A function of crystal moments and degree of mixing

An experimental procedure based on continuous crystal seeding was developed which can explicitly determine the fundamental relationship between collision breeding and the leading moments of the crystal size distribution. For the aqueous, cooling crystallization of potassium dichromate, the analysis determined that only the mass moment was successful in correlating observations subject to crystal seeding. It was also observed that mixing may have a pronounced effect on the nucleation rate but that kinetic orders for collision breeding and growth rate were independent of mixing.
Choosing a medical specialty: the difference between what students want and what society needs

The choice of a specialty by medical students is a complex one that has significant implications for the future supply of physician manpower. The study by Weissman et al. portrays this choice as reflecting the degree of congruence between a student’s needs and values and his or her perception of the characteristics of the various specialties. The existing shortages in the supply of various specialists in Israel may be interpreted as signifying a lack of alignment of student needs and perceptions. This commentary will extend the implications of this work to include the connection between students’ choices and the physician manpower needs of society, and will focus on primary care physician shortages in the United States as but one example of the implications of these relationships.
Low energy scattering with a nontrivial pion

An earlier calculation in a generalized linear sigma model showed that the well-known current algebra formula for low energy pion-pion scattering held even though the massless Nambu Goldstone pion contained a small admixture of a two-quark two-antiquark field. Here we turn on the pion mass and note that the current algebra formula no longer holds exactly. We discuss this small deviation and also study the effects of a SU(3) symmetric quark mass type term on the masses and mixings of the eight SU(3) multiplets in the model. We calculate the s-wave scattering lengths, including the beyond current algebra theorem corrections due to the scalar mesons, and observe that the effect of the scalar mesons is to improve the agreement with experiment. In the process, we uncover the way in which linear sigma models give controlled corrections (due to the presence of scalar mesons) to the current algebra scattering formula. Such a feature is commonly thought to exist only in the nonlinear sigma model approach.
Serum lathosterol levels in human subjects reflect changes in whole body cholesterol synthesis induced by lovastatin but not dietary cholesterol

We measured serum lathosterol levels and whole body cholesterol synthesis by sterol balance in 12 human subjects on a metabolic ward in four randomly allocated, 6-7 week periods: 1) lovastatin (40 mg b.i.d.) + low cholesterol diet (mean 246 mg/day); 2) lovastatin + high cholesterol diet (mean 1071 mg/day); 3) low cholesterol diet alone; and 4) high cholesterol diet alone. Whole body cholesterol synthesis was significantly reduced both by lovastatin (P = 0.0004) and by high dietary cholesterol (P = 0.0005). Serum total lathosterol (micrograms/dl) was reduced by lovastatin (P < 0.0001), but was not significantly altered (and actually tended to increase) during consumption of the high cholesterol diet, presumably because eggs contained appreciable lathosterol as demonstrated by direct analysis. Results were similar for total versus free lathosterol and for lathosterol expressed as micrograms/dl serum versus micrograms/100 mg cholesterol. We conclude that serum lathosterol does not reflect changes in cholesterol synthesis induced by dietary cholesterol. Studies using serum lathosterol as an indicator of cholesterol synthesis must be carefully controlled for dietary cholesterol.
Intracorneal positioning of the lens in Pax6-GAL4/VP16 transgenic mice.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to establish a GAL4/VP16-based binary transactivation system that was active in the lens and corneal epithelium of transgenic mice. METHODS We generated transgenic mice with the transcriptional transactivator GAL4/VP16 driven by a modified Pax6 promoter that is active in lens and corneal epithelial cells. We also generated and tested UAS-lacZ reporter mice. Wild type and transgenic mice were analyzed by histological, in situ, and Southern hybridization techniques. RESULTS Five families (OVE1931, OVE1934, OVE1935, OVE1936, and OVE1937) that carry the Pax6-GAL4/VP16 transgene were generated. Unexpectedly, mice from three of the transgenic lines showed ocular abnormalities. In the family OVE1936, cataracts were seen in the heterozygous mice at the time of eyelid opening and homozygotes showed microphthalmia. Transgenic mice in families OVE1931 and OVE1937 appeared normal. Histological analysis of ocular sections of OVE1934, OVE1935, and OVE1936 homozygous transgenic mice showed intracorneal positioning of the lens. The corneal stromal cells were disorganized and there was no distinctive corneal endothelial layer. In situ hybridizations showed robust expression of the GALVP16 transgene in the lens and corneal epithelial cells of the OVE1934, OVE1935, and OVE1936, but not in OVE1931 or OVE1937 families. Bigenic embryos generated by mating the Pax6-GAL4/VP16 mice to the UAS-lacZ mice showed that the GAL4/VP16 transgenic protein is functional and can induce eye-specific expression of a UAS-lacZ reporter gene. CONCLUSIONS Our data suggest that (1) expression the GAL4/VP16 transgene induces changes in gene expression in lens cells, (2) that developmentally important genes are affected, and (3) that bigenic phenotypes will need to be interpreted with caution.