cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Relationships between Seismic and Hydrological Properties

Reflection seismology is capable of producing detailed three-dimensional images of the earth’s interior at the resolution of a seismic wavelength. Such images are obtained by filtering and migrating the seismic data and give geometrical information about where in the earth the elastic moduli and mass densities change. However, information about which specific property has changed and by how much is not contained in the images. Hydrologists can use such migrated images to place geometrical constraints on their possible flow models, but must rely on well data to place constraints on the actual values of the hydrological properties.
Response to Implants by Finishing Steers at the Time Changes were Made in Program-fed Supplemental Protein

Data from three experiments involving 552 steers that were program fed supplemental protein to more closely meet their requirement were analyzed to determine if changing source or quantity of supplemental protein affected the performance of finishing steers when implanted. Comparisons were made during the beginning portions of the experiments when the cattle were implanted with estradiol benzoate and the last portion of the experiments when they were reimplanted with estradiol benzoate and trenbolone acetate. The diets were also compared during the weigh period immediately after the steers were reimplanted and again during the second weigh period after reimplanting. During the first implant period steers fed soybean meal gained faster and were more efficient than those fed urea, indicating supplementing a corn-based diet with urea did not provide adequate metabolizable protein for optimum performance. However during the second period performance was similar for steers fed soybean meal continuously, changed from soybean meal to urea or fed urea continuously. Steers fed the three diets performed similarly during the initial 21-d period or the second 21-d period following reimplanting with estradiol benzoate and trenbolone acetate. The results of these studies show that the quantity of supplemental protein fed to cattle can be significantly reduced by strategically changing from SBMbased to urea-based supplements and even a low protein urea-supplemented diet without affecting response to anabolic implants.
Violated Laws, Ceteris Paribus Clauses, and Capacities

It is often claimed that the bulk of the laws of physics –including such venerable laws as Universal Gravitation– are violated in many (or even all) circumstances because they havecounter-instances that result when a system is not isolated fromother systems. Various accounts of how one should interpretthese (apparently) violated laws have been provided. In thispaper, I examine two accounts of (apparently) violated laws, thatthey are merely ceteris paribus laws and that they aremanifestations of capacities. Through an examination of theprimary example that motivated these views, I show that given aproper understanding of the situation, neither view is optimalbecause the law is not even apparently violated. Along the way, Iam able to diagnose what has led to the mistaken belief: I showthat it originates from an element of the standard empiricistconception of laws. I then evaluate the suggestions of how tointerpret violated laws with respect to other examples and findthem wanting there too.
Integrative Propositional Analysis: A New Quantitative Method for Evaluating Theories in Psychology:

Currently, many top journals of psychology fail to specify any method for evaluating theories within submissions. The reason for this is not clear. Without a formal process, we cannot advance psych...
Treatment of Essential Tremor: Deep Brain Stimulation

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the ventralis intermedialis nucleus of the thalamus (VIM) for essential tremor (ET) is recommended for medication-refractory patients with significant tremor that impacts on activities of daily living or quality of life. Patients should be made fully aware of the potential benefits and complications of surgery and that their expectations are realistic. The most important issues regarding DBS are that the diagnosis is correct, that the patient has had an adequate trial of medical therapy, and that the odds of improvement are substantial when weighed against the risks. Consideration must also be given to physical, psychological, and socioeconomic issues. The potential of DBS to keep patients employed and functioning socially should be the highest priority. Although VIM DBS is the surgical treatment of choice in ET, newer ablative approaches, such as focused ultrasound, should be discussed.
Utilizing shared internal control arms and historical information in small-sized platform clinical trials

Recruitment of patients in concurrent control arms can be very challenging for clinical trials for pediatric and rare diseases. Innovative approaches, such as platform trial designs, including shar...
Do We Belong? A Conceptual Model for International Students' Sense of Belonging in Community Colleges.

International student enrollment in higher education has risen in the United States for the past several decades. Along with the increase within 4-year institutions, the number of international students at community colleges also continues to rise. Open Doors reports there were 91,648 total international students enrolled in community college for the 2014–2015 academic year. Since student retention is often reviewed as a measure of “the quality of educational experiences” (Lee, 2010, p. 68), these changing enrollment statistics raise questions about international students’ engagement and sense of belonging within U.S. community colleges. Guided by Deil-Amen’s (2011) construct of socio-academic integration moments and Strayhorn’s (2012) sense of belonging, and using the Community College Survey of Student Engagement dataset and structural equation modeling, this study found that socio-academic integration was instrumental for sense of belonging for international students while social integration is also, to a lesser extent, significant to sense of belonging.
A Kernel Discriminant Information Approach to Non-linear Feature Selection

Feature selection has become a de facto tool for analyzing high-dimensional data, especially in bioinformatics. It is effective in improving learning algorithms’ scalability and facilitating feature generalization or interpretability by removing noise and redundancy. Our focus is placed on the paradigm of supervised feature selection, which aims to find an optimal feature subset to best predict the target. We propose a nonlinear approach for finding a feature subset that achieves the highest inter-class separability in terms of the kernel Discriminant Information (KDI) measure. Theoretically, we prove the existence of good prediction hypotheses for feature subsets with high KDI value. We also establish the equivalency between maximizing the KDI statistic and minimizing a functional dependency measure of label variable on data. Moreover, we asymptotically prove the concentration property of the optimal feature subset found by maximizing the KDI measure. Practically, we provide an efficient gradient optimization algorithm for solving the KDI feature selection problem. We evaluate the proposed method based on 19 benchmark datasets in various domains, and demonstrates a noticeable improvement against state-of-the-art baselines on the majority of classification and regression tasks. Notably, our method is robust to the choice of hyper-parameters, works well with various downstream classifiers, has competitive computational complexity among the kernel based methods considered, and scales well the large-scale object recognition dataset, with generalization enhancement on CIFAR.
A six-gene leukemic stem cell score identifies high risk pediatric acute myeloid leukemia.

Recently, mRNA-expression signature enriched in LSCs was used to create a 17-gene leukemic stem cell (LSC17) score predictive of prognosis in adult AML. By fitting a Cox-LASSO regression model to the clinical outcome and gene-expression levels of LSC enriched genes in 163 pediatric participants of the AML02 multi-center clinical trial (NCT00136084), we developed a six-gene LSC score of prognostic value in pediatric AML (pLSC6). In the AML02 cohort, the 5-year event-free survival (EFS) of patients within low-pLSC6 group (n = 97) was 78.3 (95% CI = 70.5–86.9%) as compared with 34.5(95% CI = 24.7–48.2 %) in patients within high-pLSC6 group (n = 66 subjects), p < 0.00001. pLSC6 remained significantly associated with EFS and overall survival (OS) after adjusting for induction 1-MRD status, risk-group, FLT3-status, WBC-count at diagnosis and age. pLSC6 formula developed in the AML02 cohort was validated in the pediatric AML-TARGET project data (n = 205), confirming its prognostic value in both single-predictor and multiple-predictor Cox regression models. In both cohorts, pLSC6 predicted outcome of transplant patients, suggesting it as a useful criterion for transplant referrals. Our results suggest that pLSC6 score holds promise in redefining initial risk-stratification and identifying poor risk AML thereby providing guidance for developing novel treatment strategies.
Assessment of risk of variant creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) from use of bovine heparin

Purpose In the late1990s, reacting to the outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in the United Kingdom that caused a new variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) in humans, manufacturers withdrew bovine heparin from the market in the United States. There have been growing concerns about the adequate supply and safety of porcine heparin. Since the BSE epidemic has been declining markedly, the US Food and Drug Administration reevaluates the vCJD risk via use of bovine heparin. Methods We developed a computational model to estimate the vCJD risk to patients receiving bovine heparin injections. The model incorporated information including BSE prevalence, infectivity levels in the intestines, manufacturing batch size, yield of heparin, reduction in infectivity by manufacturing process, and the dose-response relationship. Results The model estimates a median risk of vCJD infection from a single intravenous dose (10 000 USP units) of heparin made from US-sourced bovine intestines to be 6.9 × 10-9 (2.5-97.fifth percentile: 1.5 × 10-9 -4.3 × 10-8 ), a risk of 1 in 145 million, and 4.6 × 10-8 (2.5-97.fifth percentile: 1.1 × 10-8 -2.6 × 10-7 ), a risk of 1 in 22 million for Canada-sourced products. The model estimates a median risk of 1.4 × 10-7 (2.5-97.fifth percentile: 2.9 × 10-8 -9.3 × 10-7 ) and 9.6 × 10-7 (2.5-97.fifth percentile: 2.1 × 10-7 -5.6 × 10-6 ) for a typical treatment for venous thromboembolism (infusion of 2-4 doses daily per week) using US-sourced and Canada-sourced bovine heparin, respectively. Conclusions The model estimates the vCJD risk from use of heparin when appropriately manufactured from US or Canadian cattle is likely small. The model and conclusions should not be applied to other medicinal products manufactured using bovine-derived materials.
Factors that affect a victim's self-disclosure in father-daughter incest.

Out of concern about the underreporting of father-daughter incest, the author has conducted a study in Virginia to test certain observations in the literature about the relatively small number of cases that come to light voluntarily. The findings point clearly to contributory case characteristics that can sensitize practitioners to the possibility of undisclosed incest. Language: en
Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism has gradually increased in recognition and prevalence since the seminal case reports published in 1943 by Leo Kanner and Hans Asperger. With this development the authors have found risk factors and etiologies that range from genetic mutations to toxic exposures and maternal factors. The evolution of this understanding is critical to the development of targeted treatments for affected individuals. This article addresses a broad overview of our current understanding regarding the rise in autism spectrum disorder prevalence, autism etiologies, diagnostic considerations, comorbid conditions, evaluation, and treatment.
African Seasonal Ataxia

Since biblical times man has consumed insects as a primary food source (entomophagy). Insects are, of course, also consumed as a delicacy in many cultures and served in fine restaurants around the world. In Western Africa, and especially in Nigeria, a silkworm larvae, Anaphe venata, is consumed in large numbers during the rainy season of July–October. These larvae serve as a primary protein source for hundreds of thousands of indigenous people during this period. Over several years, it became apparent that there were neurological manifestations occurring during the rainy period in those consuming Anaphe venata larvae and that this syndrome had many features of thiamine deficiency.
The Role of Biological Detail

One of the primary goals of this model was to include a high degree of detail in the phytoplankton and zooplankton compartments. It is therefore of particular interest to investigate the consequences of these additions in terms of possible implications for the natural ecosystem as well as for future modeling efforts.
Partisan Differences in Social Distancing Response to COVID-19 in the United States

This paper intends to analyze if political beliefs influence the effectiveness of shelter-in-place policies, which intend to slow the transmission of COVID-19 in the United States. I use the geolocation mobility data as an estimate to document people’s compliance with the social distancing orders. People in Democratic and Republican counties tend to perform differently under the restriction of government policies. My research results indicate that residents in Democratic counties are more willing to follow the state-issued stay-at-home orders compared to those in Republican counties. When the strictness of lockdown policies increases, people are more likely to comply and reduce their mobility. When considering political differences, I find that Republican-leaning counties decrease compliance more than Democratic-leaning counties as the restriction policies become stricter. My study demonstrates that how partisanship affects the public response to government policies. Policymakers should take these results into account and be aware of the impact of political polarization.
The Male Athlete Triad-A Consensus Statement From the Female and Male Athlete Triad Coalition Part II: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Return-To-Play.

ABSTRACT The Male Athlete Triad is a medical syndrome most common in adolescent and young adult male athletes in sports that emphasize a lean physique, especially endurance and weight-class athletes. The 3 interrelated conditions of the Male Athlete Triad occur on spectrums of energy deficiency/low energy availability (EA), suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, and impaired bone health, ranging from optimal health to clinically relevant outcomes of energy deficiency/low EA with or without disordered eating or eating disorder, functional hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, and osteoporosis or low bone mineral density with or without bone stress injury (BSI). Because of the importance of bone mass acquisition and health concerns in adolescence, screening is recommended during this time period in the at-risk male athlete. Diagnosis of the Male Athlete Triad is best accomplished by a multidisciplinary medical team. Clearance and return-to-play guidelines are recommended to optimize prevention and treatment. Evidence-based risk assessment protocols for the male athlete at risk for the Male Athlete Triad have been shown to be predictive for BSI and impaired bone health and should be encouraged. Improving energetic status through optimal fueling is the mainstay of treatment. A Roundtable on the Male Athlete Triad was convened by the Female and Male Athlete Triad Coalition in conjunction with the 64th Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine in Denver, Colorado, in May of 2017. In this second article, the latest clinical research to support current models of screening, diagnosis, and management for at-risk male athlete is reviewed with evidence-based recommendations.
Platelet transcriptome identifies progressive markers and potential therapeutic targets in chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms

Predicting disease progression remains a particularly challenging endeavor in chronic degenerative disorders and cancer, thus limiting early detection, risk stratification, and preventive interventions. Here, profiling the three chronic subtypes of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), we identify the blood platelet transcriptome as a proxy strategy for highly sensitive progression biomarkers that also enables prediction of advanced disease via machine-learning algorithms. The MPN platelet transcriptome reveals an incremental molecular reprogramming that is independent of patient driver mutation status or therapy. Subtype-specific markers offer mechanistic and therapeutic insights, and highlight impaired proteostasis and a persistent integrated stress response. Using a LASSO model with validation in two independent cohorts, we identify the advanced subtype MF at high accuracy and offer a robust progression signature toward clinical translation. Our platelet transcriptome snapshot of chronic MPNs demonstrates a proof-of-principle for disease risk stratification and progression beyond genetic data alone, with potential utility in other progressive disorders.
Charge Transfer Plasmons: Optical Frequency Conductances and Tunable Infrared Resonances

A charge transfer plasmon (CTP) appears when an optical-frequency conductive pathway between two metallic nanoparticles is established, enabling the transfer of charge between nanoparticles when the plasmon is excited. Here we investigate the properties of the CTP in a nanowire-bridged dimer geometry. Varying the junction geometry controls its conductance, which modifies the resonance energies and scattering intensities of the CTP while also altering the other plasmon modes of the nanostructure. Reducing the junction conductance shifts this resonance to substantially lower energies in the near- and mid-infrared regions of the spectrum. The CTP offers both a high-information probe of optical frequency conductances in nanoscale junctions and a new, unique approach to controllably engineering tunable plasmon modes at infrared wavelengths.
CaMKII-dependent myofilament Ca2+ desensitization contributes to the frequency-dependent acceleration of relaxation.

Abstract Background Previous studies suggest that CaMKII activity is required for frequency-dependent acceleration of relaxation (FDAR) in ventricular myocytes. We propose that the underlying mechanism involves CaMKII-dependent regulation of myofilament Ca 2+ sensitivity. Methods and results Cardiac function was measured in mice using murine echo machine. [Ca 2+ ] i and sarcomere length were measured by IonOptix Ca 2+ image system. Increasing pacing rate from 0.5 to 4 Hz in left ventricular myocytes induced frequency-dependent myofilament Ca 2+ desensitization (FDMCD) and FDAR. Acute inhibition of PKA or PKC had no effect, whereas CaMKII inhibition abolished both FDMCD and FDAR. Co-immunoprecipitation of CaMKII and troponin I (TnI) has been detected and CaMKII inhibition significantly reduced serine residue phosphorylation of TnI. Finally, chronic inhibition of CaMKII in vivo reduced TnI phosphorylation and abolished both FDAR and FDMCD, leading to impaired diastolic function. Conclusions Our results suggest that CaMKII-dependent TnI phosphorylation is involved in FDMCD and the consequent FDAR and that CaMKII inhibition removes this mechanism and thus induces diastolic dysfunction.
Unity Plus motor winding method advantages and disadvantages

The Unity Plus method of winding a motor is presented. The differences between the Wanlass motor winding method and the Unity Plus method are discussed. The difference between power factor correction and efficiency is discussed. The characteristics that influence the efficiency of a motor are listed. The limitations and restrictions that are inherent in a motor, once it is built, and the items that are available to be manipulated to improve the efficiency are included. The different testing methods and tests that have been performed on the Unity Plus rewound motors are covered. A compilation of observations and comments by manufacturers, engineers, and users on the Unity Plus motor winding method is presented. >
Cysteine 532 and cysteine 545 are the N-ethylmaleimide-reactive residues of the Neurospora plasma membrane H+-ATPase.

Abstract Previous studies from this laboratory (Brooker, R. J., and Slayman, C. W. (1983) J. Biol. Chem. 258, 222-226; Davenport, J. W., and Slayman, C. W. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 16007-16013) have used the sulfhydryl reagent N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) to define two sites on the Neurospora plasma membrane H+-ATPase: a "fast" site which reacts in several minutes with no loss of enzymatic activity and a "slow" site which reacts in tens of minutes to produce complete inactivation of the enzyme. The slow site is protected when MgATP or MgADP is bound to the catalytic site of the ATPase. The present study demonstrates that the fluorescent reagent 5-[2-iodoacetamido)ethyl)-1-aminonaphthalenesulfonic acid (IAEDANS) can be used to label five of the eight cysteine residues of the Neurospora ATPase (Cys376, Cys409, Cys472, Cys532, Cys545). Tryptic peptides bearing those residues have been purified by high performance liquid chromatography and located within the known primary structure of the ATPase by amino acid analysis and/or sequencing. By pretreating the enzyme with NEM in the presence or absence of MgADP before incubation with IAEDANS, it has been possible to identify the fast NEM site as Cys545 and the slow MgADP-protectable NEM site as Cys532. Both residues lie within the central hydrophilic domain of the protein, close to a highly conserved stretch of amino acids that may be involved in nucleotide binding. However, all five IAEDANS-reactive cysteines can be nearly completely modified by the less bulky sulfhydryl reagent methyl methanethiosulfonate with less than 20% inhibition of enzyme activity; thus, none of the five cysteines can be considered to play a direct role in the reaction cycle of the ATPase.
Use of lateral/parallel FMS procedures and implementation issues

The lateral offset operation allows a trailing aircraft to overtake a leading aircraft (subject to clearance by air traffic control [ATC]), by: turning off course, intercepting a parallel route, effecting the overtake, and then, optionally returning to course. Alternately, the leading aircraft could perform the offset, allowing the trailing aircraft to pass while staying on course. With modern flight management computers (FMCs), the procedure is easily performed with just a few button pushes. In a previous presentation at this forum, testing at Albuquerque and Houston air route traffic control centers (ARTCCs) was described. That testing demonstrated the feasibility and general acceptance of the procedure. Controllers and pilots were able to agree on phraseology, angle of turn, etc. Controllers at adjoining facilities were able to coordinate to allow boundary crossing of flights on the parallel offset route. Recent testing at the Minneapolis ARTCC extended these tests. Whereas the initial tests demonstrated feasibility, the Minneapolis test was designed to demonstrate benefits. For flights westbound from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, faster, trailing aircraft were able to be offset and overtake slower, leading aircraft. Although there was ample airspace to solve these situations using other techniques (e.g., turn-out, then direct), we were able to compute a provisional benefit of the lateral offset procedure, probably most applicable to more constrained airspace conditions. This paper will describe the test and present numerical results of time and distance savings, and the subjective responses of air traffic controllers surveyed at the end of the test.
Using a Self‐Advocacy Intervention on African American College Students’ Ability to Request Academic Accommodations

Due to an increase in enrollment of African American students with disabilities in postsecondary education, there is a need to identify strategies that may lead to improved transition and self-advocacy skills for these students. These strategies include teaching students to request academic accommodations and to have an understanding of how their disability affects their academic learning. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to provide an in-depth explanation of a self-advocacy strategy that was used to teach three African American male college students how to request their academic accommodations. Results indicated this strategy may be a promising intervention for African American college students with disabilities.
Gene differences between the sex ratio and standard gene arrangements of the X chromosome and linkage disequilibrium between loci in the standard gene arrangement of the X chromosome in Drosophila pseudoobscura

The Standard and Sex Ratio gene arrangements of the X chromosome of D. pseudobscura differ from each other in allele frequencies at the four X chromosome loci, esterase-5, adult acid phosphatase-6, phosphoglucomutase-1 and octanol dehydrogenase-3. The Standard arrangement which is the common arrangement in all populations is polymorphic at these loci in varying degrees, the geographically less widespread Sex Ratio arrangement has little polymorphism and is genically predominantly E-51.04 AP-6- Pgm11.0 ODH-31.0. The Sex Ratio arrangement from different populations is alike at all of the four loci, the Standard arrangement shows some gene frequency differences among populations. The Standard and Sex Ratio arrangements differ from each other by three inversions which suggests that the two arrangements are "old". Gene differences between these two chromosome arrangements can be explained due to differential natural selection of alleles in the Standard and Sex Ratio arrangments.—The order and percent recombination among these four loci in the Standard arrangement are: E-5—.294—AP-6—.335—Pgm-1—.024—ODH-3. The Standard X chromosomes from four different wild populations were analyzed for evidence of linkage disequilibrium between pairs of loci at these four loci. No evidence of linkage disequilibrium between pairs of loci was obtained. However, when linkages involving simultaneously three loci, E-5, AP-6 and Pgm-1 are considered, then significant departure from linkage equilibrium is observed.
Revised graduate software engineering curriculum at Monmouth College

Monmouth College has been offering courses in Software Engineering at the graduate level for the past three years and two years ago began a fully accredited Master's program in Software Engineering. Two students completed the degree requirements during the summer of 1987, and it is expected that thirty students will complete the program of study during the summer of 1988. There are currently seventy-five students enrolled in the program; most of whom are part-time students taking from one to three courses each term. At the present time, 65% of the students are male, and the average age is twenty-five. All courses in the program are offered during the .day and meet one day each week. Almost all the students are sponsored (Their tuition is fully paid, and they are granted release time to attend classes.) by local high technology firms. The list of participating organizations (those sponsoring five or more students) includes AT&T Bell Laboratories, AT&T Information Systems, Concurrent Computer Corporation, and Fort Monmouth.
Caste control through worker attack in the ant Myrmica

Simulation of the way workers attack big larvae in spring has produced evidence that the mechanical component of this alone is sufficient to induce earlier metamorphosis with a consequent switch from queen to worker formation. As the jaws are used and the mandibular glands contain a proteinase normally used in the external digestion of prey, it is highly probable that this, too, is involved in attack. It is shown that the mandibular gland material causes major damage to the cuticle of the larva and may cause it to lose water. Like queens, workers contain fatty acids in their heads and the chain length frequency is quite similar. In both castes the commonest is oleic acid. Applied topically this enters the larva, reduces its growth rate and damages its water-proofing. Water-impermeability can be restored by workers. These fatty acids, however, are not very abundant inMyrmica. They are present in the pharyngeal gland which is used to feed larvae and is very palatable. There is no evidence that it is used topically as a poison though it is certainly able to pass straight in through the larval cuticle; if implanted it is harmless. The mandibular glands of queens and workers have been removed surgically. Workers are still able to rear larvae quite well and are susceptible to the influence of queens, but to a lesser degree than normal. This is either because they are undernourished, as the gland is their main oral source of proteinase, or because they need the mandibular chemicals to raise the intensity of their group aggression. the pharyngeal glands of queens and workers have also been removed. This destroys much of the worker drive towards larvae and leads to their gradual emaciation, probably because some dligestion and absorption takes place there. Larvae lose weight, too, and so the influence of queens on broodrearing cannot be tested.
The interaction of drug and radiation effects on normal tissues.

Abstract The influence of cancer chemotherapeutic agents on the radiation response of normal tissues is reviewed. A wide range of drugs is found to increase radiation effects in normal tissues. Three basic types of compounds are found: (1) those that appear to sensitize all tissues and are primarily antibiotic DNA binding agents; (2) compounds which have specific drug toxicity in the organ under irradiation; and (3) drugs with little specific toxicity in the organ and no evidence of radiation damage enhancement at this time. Drug enhancement of radiation effects appears to be tissue specific, a function of drug type and drug dose, altered by the time of administration of drug relative to the time of administration of radiation, and modified by the cell cycle kinetics of the tissue involved.
MicroRNA regulation of cardiac conduction and arrhythmias.

MicroRNAs are now recognized as important regulators of cardiovascular genes with critical roles in normal development and physiology, as well as disease development. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs approximately 22 nucleotides in length that regulate expression of target genes through sequence-specific hybridization to the 3′ untranslated region of messenger RNAs and either block translation or direct degradation of their target messenger RNA. They have been shown to participate in cardiovascular disease pathogenesis including atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, heart failure, and cardiac arrhythmias. Broadly defined, cardiac arrhythmias are a variation from the normal heart rate or rhythm. Arrhythmias are common and result in significant morbidity and mortality. Ventricular arrhythmias constitute a major cause for cardiac death, particularly sudden cardiac death in the setting of myocardial infarction and heart failure. As advances in pharmacologic, device, and ablative therapy continue to evolve, the molecular insights into the basis of arrhythmia is growing with the ambition of providing additional therapeutic options. Electrical remodeling and structural remodeling are identified mechanisms underlying arrhythmia generation; however, published studies focusing on miRNAs and cardiac conduction are sparse. Recent studies have highlighted the role of miRNAs in cardiac rhythm through regulation of key ion channels, transporters, and cellular proteins in arrhythmogenic conditions. This article aims to review the studies linking miRNAs to cardiac excitability and other processes pertinent to arrhythmia.
Computer simulation of weapon blast pressures on flexible surfaces

Abstract A computer program is developed that calculates dynamic reduction factors based on the stiffness and mass distribution of various aerospace structures. The program includes the influence of flexibility, elastic modulus, mass distribution of the flexible surfaces, and different support conditions. Analytical closed form solution is achieved using Duhamel integrals for impulse functions consisting of both positive and negative phases. Energy formulation is used to reduce continuous structures. The analytical results compare well with computer results which are based on numerical integration techniques.
Pulmonary Cerium Dioxide Nanoparticle Exposure Differentially Impairs Coronary and Mesenteric Arteriolar Reactivity

Cerium dioxide nanoparticles (CeO2 NPs) are an engineered nanomaterial (ENM) that possesses unique catalytic, oxidative, and reductive properties. Currently, CeO2 NPs are being used as a fuel catalyst but these properties are also utilized in the development of potential drug treatments for radiation and stroke protection. These uses of CeO2 NPs present a risk for human exposure; however, to date, no studies have investigated the effects of CeO2 NPs on the microcirculation following pulmonary exposure. Previous studies in our laboratory with other nanomaterials have shown impairments in normal microvascular function after pulmonary exposures. Therefore, we predicted that CeO2 NP exposure would cause microvascular dysfunction that is dependent on the tissue bed and dose. Twenty-four-hour post-exposure to CeO2 NPs (0–400 μg), mesenteric, and coronary arterioles was isolated and microvascular function was assessed. Our results provided evidence that pulmonary CeO2 NP exposure impairs endothelium-dependent and endothelium-independent arteriolar dilation in a dose-dependent manner. The CeO2 NP exposure dose which causes a 50 % impairment in arteriolar function (EC50) was calculated and ranged from 15 to 100 μg depending on the chemical agonist and microvascular bed. Microvascular assessments with acetylcholine revealed a 33–75 % reduction in function following exposure. Additionally, there was a greater sensitivity to CeO2 NP exposure in the mesenteric microvasculature due to the 40 % decrease in the calculated EC50 compared to the coronary microvasculature EC50. CeO2 NP exposure increased mean arterial pressure in some groups. Taken together, these observed microvascular changes may likely have detrimental effects on local blood flow regulation and contribute to cardiovascular dysfunction associated with particle exposure.
The oxidation of Cu(I) with H2O2 in natural waters

Abstract The oxidation of Cu(I) with H 2 O 2 in seawater and in NaCl solutions has been measured as a function of pH (6 to 9), temperature (5 to 45°C), ionic strength (0.5 to 6 m) and composition. The seawater rate constants, K ( M −1 s −1 ), for the oxidation d [ Cu ( I )]/ dt = − k [ Cu ( I )][ H 2 O 2 ] have been fitted to the equation log k = 11.55 − 2250/T − 3.71I 1 2 + 2.06I with a σ = 0.04. The energy of activation was 43.1 ± 1.0 kJ mol −1 . At a constant ionic strength ( I = 1, 3, and 6 m) in NaCl-NaClO 4 mixtures, the Cl − dependence has been attributed to the oxidation of various forms of Cu(I) in the solution. At a fixed Cl − concentration, the addition of Mg 2+ causes the rate to decrease, and the addition of HCO − 3 causes the rate to increase. The increase due to HCO − 3 may be due to the formation of CuHCO 0 3 which has a faster rate of oxidation than CuCl 0 . The decrease caused by Mg 2+ may be due to the slow exchange of MgEDTA or MgCO 3 with Cu 2+ , which may cause the overall oxidation rates of Cu(I) to be slower due to back reactions of Cu(II) with H 2 O 2 . Empirical equations for the rate of oxidation of Cu(I) with H 2 O 2 in natural waters are given. The H 2 O 2 results are compared with the kinetics of Cu(I) oxidation with O 2 in natural waters. At the levels of O 2 (200 μM) and H 2 O 2 (0.1 μM) in surface sea waters, the oxygen oxidation is 130 times faster than peroxide oxidation. In rainwaters, however, the concentration of hydrogen peroxide (100 μM) is great enough so that H 2 O 2 is the dominant oxidant for Cu(I).
Are non-poor households always less vulnerable? The case of households exposed to protracted civil war in Southern Sudan.

Civil wars in Africa are now the leading contributory cause of vulnerability of rural communities. Understanding vulnerability during civil war is critical for humanitarian response and post-conflict rehabilitation planning. The lack of understanding of vulnerability has led existing studies to make sweeping generalizations, either by equating the dynamics of vulnerability during civil wars with vulnerability in other risk events, or by projecting people in the ‘war zones’ as unable to cope and subsequently becoming vulnerable. This paper is an attempt to gain a more nuanced understanding of the dynamics of vulnerability during protracted civil war. It shows that during civil war the non-poor are not necessarily less vulnerable than poor households. The idea that people caught up in civil war are all vulnerable is not supported by the findings of this paper. It shows that the ‘standard’ pattern of vulnerability to drought is similar to that during exogenous counter-insurgency warfare, while a different pattern of vulnerability to endogenous shocks is identified.
Serial Joy and Serial Sorrow: The Experience of the Paraprofessional Serials Manager

Paraprofessionals play a major role in the management of serials operations in libraries. Nine paraprofessional serials managers responded to an inquiry on the SERIALST online discussion list in which they shared their impressions on several issues relating to their role, status, motivation, and general perceptions about their work. For many years, there has been an ongoing debate relating to the role of paraprofessionals in libraries. Many library paraprofessionals have advanced their careers in the field of serials and have become managers of high-level operations. This Balance Point column explores the experiences of some of these paraprofessional serials managers.
Stream Aufwuchs accumulation processes: Effects of ecosystem depopulation

The influence of ecosystem depopulation on the Aufwuchs accumulation process was studied in experimental stream ecosystems during fall, spring, and summer 1977–1978. Aufwuchs biomass (chlorophyll a, ATP, and ash-free dry weight) accumulated slower in the depopulated streams than in the reference streams. The influence of depopulation on Aufwuchs accumulation in spring and summer disappeared in less than two weeks suggesting how rapidly stream Aufwuchs may recover from short-term catastrophes. Variability among replicate ATP measurements was less after one or two days of accumulation than after longer accumulation times.
A spatiotemporal data model for river basin-scale hydrologic systems

Despite a long history of synergy, current techniques for integrating Geographic Information System (GIS) software with hydrologic simulation models do not fully utilize the potential of GIS for modeling hydrologic systems. Part of the reason for this is a lack of GIS data models appropriate for representing fluid flow in space and time. Here we address this challenge by proposing a spatiotemporal data model designed specifically for large-scale river basin systems. The data model builds from core concepts in geographic information science and extends these concepts to accommodate mathematical representations of fluid flow at a regional scale. Space-time is abstracted into three basic objects relevant to hydrologic systems: a control volume, a flux and a flux coupler. A control volume is capable of storing mass, energy or momentum through time, a flux represents the movement of these quantities within space-time and a flux coupler insures conservation of the quantities within an overall system. To demonstrate the data model, a simple case study is presented to show how the data model could be applied to digitally represent a river basin system.
Binary homogeneous nucleation theory for the gas–liquid transition: A nonclassical approach

We have employed density functional theory to study gas–liquid nucleation in binary fluids. Effects of surface enrichment and curvature are naturally included in this novel statistical mechanical approach, allowing the classical capillarity approximation to be tested. In this paper we apply the theory to mixtures of Lennard‐Jones fluids (modeled on argon and krypton). For these nearly ideal mixtures, the magnitude of nonclassical effects tend to be small, but systematic deviations do appear, with the ratio of the classical to nonclassical rate showing a maximum at intermediate compositions.
Application of bone morphogenetic proteins in spinal fusion

We are now entering an exciting new era in spinal surgery where the inherent osteoinductive capacity of the body has been harnessed for bone formation for therapeutic purposes. Recombinant bone morphogenetic proteins have been extensively studied in both the pre-clinical and clinical arena for spinal fusion with considerable success. The challenges facing spine surgeons now is the development of site-specific carriers and optimal doses for these growth factors. This review highlights the recent advances in this regard.
Nondestructive Evaluation of Tuned-Mass-Damper-Type Vibration Absorbers Using Vibration Signatures

Nondestructive evaluation methods are often essential in order to objectively assess the condition of structural and ancillary systems for bridges, particularly in cases where visual methods provide only limited or subjective data and the function of the systems being evaluated may not be disturbed using destructive evaluation techniques. This paper describes a nondestructive evaluation procedure that was developed to objectively assess the current condition of a system of 920 aged vibration absorbers installed on a long span cantilever truss bridge. The vibration absorbers, which are essentially tuned mass dampers consisting of a steel weight attached to the end of a viscoelastic rubber stem, were installed soon after the bridge was opened to mitigate the effects of excessive wind-induced vibrations that had occurred in many of the truss members. A nondestructive evaluation procedure was developed because the vibration absorbers had to remain in service during the evaluation process, and there were only a limited number of spare absorbers that could be used to replace any that might be destructively tested. The complete evaluation program included nondestructive vibration testing in the laboratory using impact methods to determine the current dynamic properties of the absorbers, and field testing to evaluate the energy dissipation characteristics of the installed vibration absorbers as they were actually operating. In addition, a limited number of destructive material tests were conducted in order to corroborate the results of the nondestructive tests. This evaluation program revealed that the current performance characteristics of the aged vibration absorbers were within the limits of the original design specifications, and that the synthetic rubber material used for the vibration absorbers had experienced no appreciable deterioration after nearly 25 years of continuous service.
Interferon-α in combination with either imatinib (Gleevec) or gefitinib (Iressa) in metastatic renal cell carcinoma: A phase II trial

Treatments for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (MRCC) are limited. RCCs frequently overexpress epithelial growth factor receptor and express c-Kit and platelet-derived growth factor receptor-beta. Combination of interferon with tyrosine kinase inhibitors of epithelial growth factor receptor [gefitinib (Iressa)] or c-Kit and platelet-derived growth factor receptor-beta [imatinib (Gleevec)] was evaluated for efficacy and safety. Patients with MRCC received 12-week cycles of interferon [3 million units (MU) subcutaneously thrice in week 1 and 6 MU thrice weekly thereafter] and either gefitinib (500 mg daily) or imatinib (600 mg daily). The gefitinib/imatinib dose was reduced as needed owing to toxicity. The primary endpoint was objective tumor response. Secondary endpoints were time to tumor progression, overall survival, and safety. Seventeen patients were enrolled. Most had clear cell [36% (6/17)] or papillary [36% (6/17)] tumors. Most (n=14) were treated on the gefitinib arm, including two patients who crossed over from the imatinib arm after experiencing disease progression. Objective tumor responses were evaluable in 14 patients (82%). Of these 14, partial responses occurred in three (21%), stable disease in seven (50%), and progressive disease in four (29%). The most frequent treatment-related adverse events were skin rash, flu-like symptoms, and fatigue (both treatment arms); diarrhea (gefitinib arm only); and thrombocytopenia and leukopenia (imatinib arm only). Median time to tumor progression (range) for patients on the gefitinib arm only was 4.27 (1.13-15.97) months and median overall survival (range) was 11.42+ (1.13-29.07+) months. Combination of gefitinib with interferon safely delays progression of refractory MRCC. Further studies in this setting are warranted.
Plant phenolic compounds and the isolation of plant enzymes

Abstract The presence of phenolic compounds makes it impossible to isolate active enzymes by conventional techniques from many plant tissues. Phenols combine with proteins reversibly by hydrogen bonding, and irreversibly by oxidation followed by covalent condensations. The chemistry of these reactions is reviewed, and their importance in the isolation of enzymes from plants is discussed. Phenols are effectively removed from H-bonded complexes with protein by adding large amounts of substances which contain groups similar to the peptide bond. A technique is described in which insoluble polyvinylpyrrolidone is used to adsorb phenols and thus obtain active soluble enzymes. Using this technique, mevalonic kinase, phosphomevalonic kinase, glutamyl transferase and alkaline phosphatase have been demonstrated in extracts from peppermint leaves.
Effects of administration of somatostatin‐14 and immunoneutralization of somatostatin on endocrine and growth responses in rainbow trout

Injection of somatostatin-14 (SS-14) at 5 ng g -1 body mass (BM) into rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss decreased (P 0.10) in specific growth rate (G) or feed conversion ratio (FCR) between the three treatment groups during the 9 weeks of the study. Only four of the fish immunized against SS-14, however, developed antibody titres against SS. Compared to controls, these fish exhibited a G of 0.89 ± 0.09 v, 0.56 ± 0.09% per 3 weeks and FCR of 0.80 ± 0.04 v. 1.20 ± 0.05 g g -1 . In SS-14 immunized fish, levels of GH decreased (P < 0.05) by day 63 while levels of insulin like growth factor-I (IGF-I) increased (P < 0.05) by day 42 and 63. These results indicate the hypothalamic hormone SS-14 regulates GH secretion similarly in rainbow trout as it does in mammals. Active immunization against SS-14 could improve growth performance in rainbow trout but enhanced G and FCR is dependent upon generation of antibody titres.