cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A new model for the prediction of rainfall interception in forest canopies

Abstract A new model without empirical parameters for the prediction of rainfall interception in forests is derived. All the parameters used in the model, including canopy storage capacity, canopy dryness index, canopy closure, and evaporation rate from the wet canopy, have specific physical meanings. The model can be run on an hourly, daily or event basis according to the availability of meteorological data. The relationships between the new model and some other models are also discussed. The model is successfully applied to the cypress wetlands and slash pine uplands in the Florida flatwoods and is compared with other models using data from the literature. The predicted weekly rainfall interception explains 89% of the variation in interception measured at six cypress wetlands and pine uplands.
Relationships of quantitative structure-activity to comparative toxicity of selected phenols in the Pimephales promelas and Tetrahymena pyriformis test systems

Abstract The relative toxic response of 27 selected phenols in the 96-hr acute flowthrough Pimephales promelas (fathead minnow) and the 48- to 60-hr chronic static Tetrahymena pyriformis (ciliate protozoan) test systems was evaluated. Log K ow -dependent linear regression analyses revealed that the data from each test system consisted of two linear equations. The less toxic chemicals form a relationship which models polar narcosis; these chemicals are slightly more active than the baseline toxicity of nonionic narcotic chemicals. The more toxic chemicals form a relationship which models uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation. Regression analysis of fathead minnow toxicity (log LC 50 (mol/liter)) vs Tetrahymena toxicity (log BR (mmol/liter)) showed good correlation between the two systems. An exception appears to be 4-nitrophenol, which is more active in the Tetrahymena system than in the fathead minnow and lies outside the 95% confidence interval. Reanalysis following deletion of 4-nitrophenol results in the equation log LC 50 = −0.9192 (log BR) − 3.5035; n = 26, r 2 = 0.887.
On the use of higher-order finite-difference schemes on curvilinear and deforming meshes

This study enables the use of very high-order finite-difference schemes for the solution of conservation laws on stretched, curvilinear, and deforming meshes. To illustrate these procedures, we focus on up to 6th-order Pade-type spatial discretizations coupled with up to 10th-order low-pass filters. These are combined with explicit and implicit time integration methods to examine wave propagation and wall-bounded flows described by the Navier-Stokes equations. It is shown that without the incorporation of the filter, application of the high-order compact scheme to nonsmooth meshes results in spurious oscillations which inhibit their applicability. Inclusion of the discriminating low-pass high-order filter restores the advantages of high-order approach even in the presence of large grid discontinuities. When three-dimensional curvilinear meshes are employed, the use of standard metric evaluation procedures significantly degrades accuracy since freestream preservation is violated. To overcome this problem, a simple technique is adopted which ensures metric cancellation and thus ensures freestream preservation even on highly distorted curvilinear meshes. For dynamically deforming grids, an effective numerical treatment is described to evaluate expressions containing the time-varying transformation metrics. With these, techniques, metric cancellation is guaranteed regardless of the manner in which grid speeds are defined. The efficacy of the new procedures is demonstrated by solving several model problems as well as by application to flow past a rapidly pitching airfoil and past a flexible panel.
Mechanical energy balances for a capillary viscometer

Abstract The entrance and exit flow processes for a cylindrical geometry are analyzed by writing macroscopic mechanical energy balances for a capillary viscometer. These equations can be used to compute the entrance and exit excess dissipation integrals from measured pressure differences if viscometric normal stress data are available for the material of interest. Upper and lower bounds are derived for these integrals for cases when high shear rate normal stress data are not available. The utilization of macroscopic mechanical energy balances in the interpretation of capillary viscometer results is illustrated using numerical solutions for a Maxwell fluid and experimental pressure drop data for high density polythylene.
Simulation of CO2-EGS in a Fractured Reservoir with Salt Precipitation

The use of CO2 as a working fluid in place of formation brines in Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) could allow, in addition to CO2 sequestration, a more efficient recovery of reservoir heat for any given pressure gradient between injection and production wells. We simulate an idealized low-salinity brine-filled reservoir in which we inject CO2. We produce heat from the extracted fluid that is at first just brine, later brine + CO2, and finally CO2 only. As the CO2 plume develops the aquifer dries out, precipitating salt and inducing clogging of the fractures in proximity to the production well. To mitigate this effect, we have simulated combined brine and CO2 injection that, at specific mass fractions, doubles the life of the well but limits the rate of heat extraction. The total heat extracted over the life of the well is 40% larger than in the dry CO2 case. Simulation of more realistic geologic settings with involvement of chemical reactions would be necessary to evaluate the feasibility of CO2-EGS in any particular geothermal system.
Marked hypodiploidy in blast phase chronic myelogenous leukemia: Report of a case and review of the literature

The emergence of a near-haploid clone of cells in blast phase chronic myelogenous leukemia is an unusual event. We report such a case and review eight other cases described in the English literature. The significance of the substantial loss of genetic material is discussed as is the phenotypic and genotypic heterogeneity observed in this group of patients.
Application of Viscous Flow Computations for the Aerodynamic Performance of a Backswept Impeller at Various Operating Conditions

Three-dimensional flowfields in a centrifugal impeller with backswept discharge at various operating points have been numerically investigated with a three-dimensional viscous flow code. Numerical results and experimental data were compared for the detailed flowfields and overall performance of the impeller at three operating conditions (optimum efficiency, choke, and near-surge conditions). The comparisons indicate that for engineering applications the numerical solution accurately predicts various complex real flow phenomena. The overall aerodynamic performance of the impeller is also well predicted at design and off-design conditions.
Semiclassical linear-stability analysis of homogeneous electric-field modes coupled to a scalar quantum field.

We examine the problem of a homogeneous, time-dependent electric field {ital E}({ital t}) in the presence of a scalar quantum field in its vacuum state, using the semiclassical Maxwell equations. We obtain the Laplace transform of {ital E}({ital t}) as a function of initial conditions in the linear approximation. For the case we study, this approximation is valid for a certain length of time which is increased indefinitely as the initial values of the electric field and other perturbation quantities are made vanishingly small. We find the existence of unphysical instabilities (exponentially growing modes) with an imaginary frequency which is shown to be identical to the homogeneous Landau ghost mode at the one-loop level in scalar QED. We show that this mode may be suppressed, however, by a certain restriction on the initial data, which then leads to asymptotically well-behaved solutions for {ital E}({ital t}). For {ital t}{much gt}{ital m}{sup {minus}1}, these solutions approach a constant value which differs from {ital E}(0) only by a small relative amount of {ital O}({alpha}) in general.
TRPM8, but not TRPA1, is required for neural and behavioral responses to acute noxious cold temperatures and cold-mimetics in vivo

Somatosensory neurons detect environmental stimuli, converting external cues into neural activity that is relayed first to second-order neurons in the spinal cord. The detection of cold is proposed to be mediated by the ion channels TRPM8 and TRPA1. However, there is significant debate regarding the role of each channel in cold-evoked pain, complicating their potential as drug targets for conditions such as cold allodynia and hyperalgesia. To address this debate, we generated mice lacking functional copies of both channels and examined behaviors and neural activity in response to painful cold and noxious cooling compounds. Whereas normal mice display a robust preference for warmth over cold, both TRPM8-null (TRPM8(-/-)) and TRPM8/TRPA1 double-knockout mice (DKO) display no preference until temperatures reach the extreme noxious range. Additionally, in contrast to wildtype mice that avoid touching cold surfaces, mice lacking TRPM8 channels display no such avoidance and explore noxious cold surfaces, even at 5 degrees C. Furthermore, nocifensive behaviors to the cold-mimetic icilin are absent in TRPM8(-/-) and DKO mice, but are retained in TRPA1-nulls (TRPA1(-/-)). Finally, neural activity, measured by expression of the immediate-early gene c-fos, evoked by hindpaw stimulation with noxious cold, menthol, or icilin is reduced in TRPM8(-/-) and DKO mice, but not in TRPA1(-/-) animals. Thus our results show that noxious cold signaling is exclusive to TRPM8, mediating neural and behavioral responses to cold and cold-mimetics, and that TRPA1 is not required for acute cold pain in mammals.
Assessing juvenile chinook salmon behavior and entrainment risk near unscreened water diversions: Large flume simulations

Abstract Juvenile Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha from California's Central Valley must pass thousands of unscreened water diversion pipes during their out-migration to the Pacific Ocean. The number of fish that become entrained into (drawn through) these diversions at different hydraulic and environmental conditions is currently unknown. We tested the ability of juvenile Chinook Salmon to avoid entrainment into a 0.46-m-diameter unscreened water diversion pipe while swimming in a large-river-simulation flume. Fish swimming experiments were conducted at 0.15, 0.38, and 0.61 m/s sweeping velocities (simulating the river current) with 0.42 and 0.57 m3/s water diversion rates during the day and at 0.15 and 0.61 m/s with a diversion rate of 0.57 m3/s in turbid water and during the night. The number of fish entrained during day experiments ranged from 0.8% (SE, 0.3) to 8.5% (SE, 0.3). The percentage of pipe passage events resulting in fish entrainment nearly doubled at the 0.57 m3/s water diversion rat...
Small Molecules Driving Myotube Fission

In this issue of Chemistry & Biology, Duckmanton et al. [1] have rigorously studied myotube fragmentation, or "cellularization," triggered by microtubule-disrupting agents. They convincingly demonstrate that cellularization remains integral to myogenic dedifferentiation, but is insufficient for reentry of the mononucleate progeny into the cell cycle.
Financial Incentives to Control Hypertension in Patients—Reply

Dr Norris expresses concern that financial incentives1 may have had only the effect of driving a temporary focus on blood pressure measurements in our study, and due to regression to the mean, falsely produced an association between incentives and the study outcome measure. It is important to note that blood pressure measurements were performed by the nurses in the primary care clinic, who followed a standard Veterans Affairs guideline.2
Managing Cultural Landscapes

Managing Cultural Landscapes, edited by Ken Taylor and Jane L. Lennon, London: Routledge, 2012. xvii + 379 pp., US$42.17 (paperback), ISBN: 978-0-4156-7225-2 Managing Cultural Landscapes provides an introduction to cultural landscape as an 'approach', which challenges nations to depart from the time honored construct of monument-based preservation schemes. Editors Ken Taylor and Jane Lennon, with the book's many contributors, argue that emphasis on great monuments and archaeological sites has resulted in the preservation of selected ancient complexes while the associated natural and cultural landscapes degenerate. The holistic lived-landscape has not been protected because everyday landscapes are generally undervalued. Therefore, surrounding villages often face demolition with the inscription of ancient and natural sites. The established framework is challenged in the cultural landscape approach, which puts at its forefront a widening scope of landscape including ordinary rural and urban settings. The objective of the book is to explore the latest thought, critical discussion, and key issues in landscape and place. In this edited volume of 18 chapters, the collection of authors present the cultural landscape not simply as a designation, but reveal a means for applying the study of landscapes. This is particularly useful for cultural geography, where discussions of landscape are commonly theoretical rather than applied. Embedded in this framework is the maintenance of traditional skills and knowledge, a respect for landscape change, and involvement of local people in all stages of planning, execution, and management of programs. The contributors consider this a paradigm shift in the way we approach landscapes and preservation planning. Although not given away by its title, the book has a clear Asia-Pacific regional focus. It identifies the struggles and challenges present for Asian-Pacific countries as they incorporate the World Heritage cultural landscape listing into their preservation programs. The book is divided into four parts. Part One and the introduction acquaint the reader with the development of the cultural landscape concept. It highlights the scholars and history of landscape study within geography and reviews emerging trends, threats, and key issues in landscape management. Nicely tied in is an introduction to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and its World Heritage Committee, the non-governmental organizations around which the book is framed. Part Two presents a case study approach to landscape management exposing the reader to the challenges of the region and offering some solutions. …
Cosmid mapping of the human chorionic gonadotropin β subunit genes by field-inversion gel elect rophoresis

A cosmid clone containing the entire hCG beta gene cluster has been isolated. The restriction map of this clone has been determined by an indirect-end-label FIGE (field inversion gel electrophoresis) method. Analysis of this cosmid clone shows that there are 6 hCG beta genes in human genomic DNA. A previously uncloned portion of the hCG beta cluster, termed the "gap" region, has been shown not to contain any sequences homologous to the hCG beta cDNA. The restriction mapping method employed in this study takes advantage of the superior resolution of FIGE for high molecular weight DNA fragments in the size range 15-50 kb. This method is broadly applicable and permits rapid and accurate restriction mapping for extended regions of genomic DNA that have been cloned into cosmid or lambda vectors.
The project coordinator's problem

Abstract A project coordinator has a set of activities with known durations and values which are available for scheduling within a given horizon. There may be both precedence and corequisite restrictions (two activities are corequisites if scheduling one implies the other must be scheduled). The project coordinator's problem is to select the activities to be scheduled, and their start times, so as to maximize the net value of the project when there is no penalty for failing to schedule an activity. An efficient solution procedure is developed and illustrated and several generalizations are discussed.
Air-breathing in a California sculpin

The intertidal sculpin Clinocottus recalvus has been observed emerged and showing signs of air-breathing near tidepools in a cave on the central California coast. In the laboratory the fish consumed oxygen at nearly equal rates in water and air, but release of carbon dioxide was retarded in air. The cause of emergence appeared to be low oxygen levels in the tidepools. This is the first report of air-breathing in the sculpin family.
Chronic cocaine alters brain mu opioid receptors

The possibility that dopamine may modulate the expression of opioid receptors was investigated by determining the effects of chronic cocaine administration on the density of mu opioid receptors. Quantitative in vitro autoradiography with the highly selective mu opioid ligand [3H]DAMGO was used to measure and localize changes in mu opioid receptors in the brains of rats administered cocaine or saline three times daily for 14 days. Significant increases in [3H]DAMGO binding were measured in areas of the cingulate cortex, nucleus accumbens, caudate putamen, and basolateral amygdaloid nucleus of the cocaine-treated animals. These results demonstrate that mu opioid receptors undergo upregulation in response to chronic cocaine exposure and suggest that dopamine activity can regulate the expression of mu opioid receptors.
Osmoregulation of Endothelial Nitric-oxide Synthase Gene Expression in Inner Medullary Collecting Duct Cells ROLE IN ACTIVATION OF THE TYPE A NATRIURETIC PEPTIDE RECEPTOR

Abstract Previously, we showed that increased extracellular tonicity promotes increased type A natriuretic peptide receptor (NPR-A) expression through a p38 MAPKβ pathway in inner medullary collecting duct cells. The endothelial and inducible nitric-oxide synthase (eNOS and iNOS respectively) genes are also expressed in this nephron segment and are thought to play a role in regulating urinary sodium concentration. We sought to determine whether changes in tonicity might regulate NOS gene expression, and if so, whether these latter changes might be linked mechanistically to the increase in NPR-A gene expression. Increased extracellular tonicity effected a time-dependent reduction in eNOS and iNOS protein levels, eNOS mRNA levels, and eNOS gene promoter activity over the first 8 h of the incubation. Although levels of the eNOS mRNA and promoter activity had returned to normal after 24 h, eNOS protein levels remained low at 24–36 h, and recovery was not complete even at 48 h. The decrease in eNOS expression was signaled in large part through a p38 MAPK-dependent mechanism. Reduction in eNOS expression together with the concomitant decline in intracellular cyclic GMP levels appears to account for a significant portion of the p38 MAPK-dependent osmotic stimulation of NPR-A gene expression noted previously. Collectively, these findings support the existence of a complex regulatory circuitry in the cells of the inner medullary collecting duct linking two independent cyclic GMP-generating signal transduction systems involved in regulation of urinary sodium concentration.
Effect of photoreduction of the photosystem-II intermediary electron acceptor (pheophytin) on triplet state of carotenoids

Photochemical reaction in photosystem(PSII) reaction centers results in an electron transfer from the primary donor, P680, probably a chlorophyll (chl) dimer, to the primary acceptor, Q, a special form of plastoquinone (reviewed [I ,2]). Pheophytin (Ph), with redox potential of -610 mV [7], acts as an intermediary electron acceptor between P680 and Q [3-lo]. When Q is reduced beforehand, the state [P680’+ . F’h’-] formed during photochemical charge separation decays in -3 ns as determined by measurements of recombination luminescence [5]. Continuous illumination of PSI1 preparations at Eh = -450 mV (when Q is reduced in the dark), however, leads to a reversible photoaccumulation of the long-lived state [P680 . Ph.-], probably due to the fast reduction of P680” (Gl ps [ 1 l-1 31) by a secondary electron donor competing with the charge recombination [ 3-5,8]. Photoreduction of Ph in PSI1 is accompanied by the appearance of a narrow EPR signal bf Ph.169,101, as well as a broad EPR ‘doublet’ ascribed to an exchange interaction between Ph.and a singly reduced plastoquinone coupled to Fe [9,10]. All these observations [3-lo] indicate many similarities between PSI1 reaction centers and those of photosynthetic bacteria [9,10]. In reaction centers of photosynthetic bacteria, when normal photochemistry is blocked under reducing conditions, charge recombination between the photooxidized primary electron donor, P’+, and photoreduced intermediary acceptor, BPh’-, leads to
HAS THE 18-MONTH OUTCOME FOR EXTREMELY LOW GESTATIONAL AGE (ELGA) INFANTS OF 23-25 WEEKS GESTATION IMPROVED? † 1614

Our purpose was to examine the neurodevelopmental outcome at 18 months corrected age of surviving ELGA infants of 23-25 weeks gestation born in 1991-3, and to compare the results with those from an earlier cohort born in 1983-9 (Synnes A et al J Pediatr 1994:125:952-60). ELGA infants delivered in British Columbia's tertiary perinatal center had their gestational age (GA) ascertained as accurately as possible by early ultrasound and dates using predetermined criteria. There were no survivors at <23 weeks in the two time periods. The results of multidisciplinary assessments performed at a corrected age of 18 months were reviewed for survivors of 23-25 weeks GA. Major impairment was defined as a Bayley MDI below -2 s.d., definite signs of cerebral palsy (CP), visual acuity in the better eye with optimal refractive correction worse than 20/200, or sensorineural hearing loss requiring amplification. Of 111 live births, 48 survived to 18 months corrected age and follow-up data was available in 35 (73%). 4 of 12 infants with major impairment, had multiple impairments. The recent cohort was smaller in size(3-year vs 7-year period) and the follow-up rate was lower (73% vs 93%), with a sampling bias toward the lower birthweight infants. Survival rate (to discharge) for 23-25 weeks GA has not improved (44% vs 44%) and the survivors had comparable incidence of major impairment at 18 months (34%; vs 36% resp.). Of children with impairments, multiple impairments were present in 33% (vs 38% in earlier cohort). As there were so few 23 week babies, the results were re-analyzed for infants 24-25 weeks GA. Survival (53% vs 50%) and impairment rate (32% vs 34%) remained not statistically different. There is no evidence in this survey that the introduction of recent innovations such as surfactant therapy has produced any improvement in outcomes for the smallest babies.Table
Binding site in eag voltage sensor accommodates a variety of ions and is accessible in closed channel.

In ether-a-go-go K+ channels, voltage-dependent activation is modulated by ion binding to a site located in an extracellular-facing crevice between transmembrane segments S2 and S3 in the voltage sensor. We find that acidic residues D278 in S2 and D327 in S3 are able to coordinate a variety of divalent cations, including Mg2+, Mn2+, and Ni2+, which have qualitatively similar functional effects, but different half-maximal effective concentrations. Our data indicate that ions binding to individual voltage sensors in the tetrameric channel act without cooperativity to modulate activation gating. We have taken advantage of the unique phenotype of Ni2+ in the D274A channel, which contains a mutation of a nonbinding site residue, to demonstrate that ions can access the binding site from the extracellular solution when the voltage sensor is in the resting conformation. Our results are difficult to reconcile with the x-ray structure of the KvAP K+ channel, in which the binding site residues are widely separated, and with the hydrophobic paddle model for voltage-dependent activation, in which the voltage sensor domain, including the S3–S4 loop, is near the cytoplasmic side of the membrane in the closed channel.
Millikan’s Oil-Drop Experiments

Millikan’s oil-drop experiments are justly regarded as a major contribution to twentieth-century physics [1, 2]. They established the quantization of electric charge, the existence of a fundamental unit of charge, and also measured that unit of charge precisely. As Gullstrand remarked in his Nobel Prize presentation speech, “Millikan’s aim was to prove that electricity really has the atomic structure, which, on the base of theoretical evidence, it was supposed to have.... By a brilliant method of investigation and by extraordinarily exact experimental technique Millikan reached his goal.... Even leaving out of consideration the fact that Millikan has proved by these researches that electricity consists of equal units, his exact evaluation of the unit has done physics an inestimable service, as it enables us to calculate with a higher degree of exactitude a large number of the most important physical constants” [3].1
DIRECT IN VIVO IDENTIFICATION OF ALKOXYL RADICAL BY ELECTRON SPIN RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPY IN BRAIN HYPOXIA ▴ 297

DIRECT IN VIVO IDENTIFICATION OF ALKOXYL RADICAL BY ELECTRON SPIN RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPY IN BRAIN HYPOXIA ▴ 297
Multifunctional dimensions of ecologically-based agriculture in Latin America

SUMMARY Today in Latin America there are still regions with microcosms of traditional farming systems, (i.e. in Mesoamerica, the Andean region, and the Amazon Basin) that have emerged over centuries of cultural and biological evolution. These are based on locally available resources and the cultivation of a diversity of crops and varieties in time and space, and have allowed traditional farmers to maximize harvest security and the multiple use of the landscape with limited environmental impact. Agro-biodiverse traditional agroecosystems represent a strategy which ensures diverse diets and income sources, stable production, minimum risk, efficient use of land resources, and enhanced ecological integrity. This legacy of traditional agriculture demonstrates that the combination of stable and diverse production, internally generated and maintainable inputs, favourable energy input/output ratios, and articulation with both subsistence and market needs, comprises an effective approach to achieve food security, ...
Preserving the integrity of knowledge and information in R&D

Abstract This article joins the research and development (R&D) and knowledge management literature to provide new insight into how to better manage the development of innovative new products and services. This process is still widely acknowledged to be problematic and inefficient. Fundamental to the new product and service development process is that new knowledge must be developed, maintained, and applied across the entire R&D commercialization spectrum. While a great deal of knowledge is often created, much is also lost as projects traverse through the numerous distinct phases of this process. The prevailing notion is that information technology systems help lessen knowledge loss, but current solutions fall short, leaving gaps or chasms in which knowledge is lost or translated in a manner that diffuses or redirects the original purpose. Through a study of 146 firms, we identify five primary areas of knowledge loss and highlight management opportunities to remedy this issue. Finally, we propose and explain a content management model for R&D as a new solution framework.
The Construction of Experience: A Longitudinal Study of Representation and Behavior

Continuity in relationship representation and developmental links between relationship representation and behavior from infancy to late adolescence were examined using longitudinal data from a risk sample (N = 185). Significant correlations were found among diverse representational assessments (e.g., interview, drawing, projective narrative) and between representational and concurrent observational measures of relationship functioning. Structural equation models were analyzed to investigate the relations among caregiving experience in infancy; relationship representation and experience in early childhood, middle childhood, and early adolescence; and socioemotional functioning in adolescence. A model representing interactive contributions of representational and behavioral experience represented the data significantly better than a model representing noninteractive contributions. Findings support an organizational developmental view that socioemotional adaptation arises from the progressive construction of mutually informing expectations and experience.
Effect of experimentally altered food abundance on fat reserves of wintering birds

Summary 1 Current models of adaptive fat regulation make opposing predictions concerning the effect of increased winter food supply on size of the avian winter fat reserve. To distinguish between models, food supply was varied experimentally in nature and two measures of size of the fat reserve were taken at food-supplemented sites and non-supplemented sites. 2 In two winters, most of the seven species sampled showed slightly higher visible subcutaneous fat class at supplemented than at non-supplemented sites; treatment and species factors were statistically significant. Body mass corrected for wing length showed a similar if non-significant trend. 3 A parallel dispersal study of birds colour-banded at non-supplemented sites showed that these birds did not move 0·8 or 1·5 km to use supplemental food at private feeding stations in the study areas. In addition, accipiter hawk attack rate did not differ between supplemented and non-supplemented sites. 4 These results are consistent with a model of adaptive fat regulation (based on between-day environmental variability caused by severe weather events) that predicts an increase in the winter fat reserve at increased food supply. Other published studies, all from the north temperate zone, showed the same pattern. 5 The present results are inconsistent with a second model (based on within-day foraging interruption) which predicts a decrease in the fat reserve under increased food supply. However, a set of published studies, all from tropical regions or regions with mild maritime climate, showed the decrease at higher food predicted by the second but not the first model. 6 Models of adaptive fat regulation in small birds are therefore limited in their predictive power, perhaps because they are developed for environments that differ in the time scale of environmental stochasticity. New studies are needed that explore further the complexities of environment-specific adaptive fat models, e.g. a winter feeding experiment in a tropical bird species.
Interaction of Lewis Acids with Si(100)-2×1 and Ge(100)-2×1 Surfaces

In this work we have examined the reactions of Lewis acids (MX3, M = B, Al, or Ga and X = F, Cl, Br, or H) with the Si(100)-2×1 and Ge(100)-2×1 surfaces using Moller−Plesset second-order perturbation theory. After careful consideration of the possible surface reactions, we have determined that all metal−halide Lewis acids react via unactivated dissociative addition reactions where the metal−halide covalent bond is broken. However, two types of final products are seen that depend on the nature of the metal. In the case of aluminum and gallium halides, a weak dative bond between metal and halogen is formed, resulting in the formation of cyclic structures on the silicon and germanium surfaces. This dative bonding is absent in the case of boron, leading to open structures. Our results differ significantly from recently proposed mechanistic models and are comparable to available experimental results.
The Provision for Agricultural Credit in the United States

Provisions for Agricultural Credit prior to 1913. — I. Federal rural-credit legislation since 1913, 95. — State rural-credit legislation since 1913, 103. — II. Effect of the new institutions. — Mortgage credit, 108. — Short-term credit, 111. — Terms of loans and interest rates, 115. — III. Adequacy of mortgage credit facilities, 117. — Provisions for "low-grade" loans, 120. — Appraisal methods, 122. — Mortgage credit facilities in the South, 123. — IV. Short-term credit facilities are inadequate, 124. — Bank failures, 124. — Suggestions for improvement of the country banking situation, 127. — V. Intermediate credit. Production credit in the South, 129. — VI. Conclusion, 130.
Fault-tolerant locating-dominating sets

For facilities safeguards problems in which one is interested in detecting the presence of, and determining the exact location of, an intruder, and for determining an inoperable component in a processor network, locating-dominating sets are of interest. Vertex set S in graph G= (V,E) is a locating-dominating set if for each pair of distinct vertices u and υ in V(G) - S we have φ ≠ N(u)∩S≠N(υ)∩S, that is, each vertex outside of S is adjacent to a distinct, nonempty subset of the elements of S. This paper introduces the study of single-fault-tolerant locating-dominating sets. The percent of vertices in the 2-dimensional infinite grid required for a fault-tolerant locating-dominating set is between 52% and 60%, while that for just a locating-dominating set is 30%.
P-018 Curative transvenous embolization of craniofacial arteriovenous malformation

Background Craniofacial arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is a challenging disease to eradicate, often requiring the combination of embolization and reconstructive surgery. The tortuosity of distal feeding arteries and the presence of abundant collaterals make it difficult to obliterate the nidus with transarterial embolization. In this small case series, we report curative transvenous embolization of craniofacial AVM under transient arrest of arterial inflow. Materials and methods Four patients with craniofacial AVMs (two in the scalp, one in the face and one in the forehead) were embolized transvenously with Onyx. In all cases, the dominant feeding arteries were first embolized with Onyx to reduce arterial inflow. The major draining veins were then accessed transfemorally or via direct puncture. Detachable coils were placed in the venous pouches to further obstruct outflow from the AVM nidus. After arterial inflow was completely stopped with the placement of a tourniquet on the head or inflation of a balloon catheter in the external carotid artery, we injected Onyx into the venous pouch to retrogradely fill the entire AVM nidus. Follow-up angiograms were performed 1 year later. Results Angiographic cure was achieved in all four patients. The mass effect from the Onyx cast was not disfiguring. No patient had skin necrosis or a visible black mark on the skin. The first two patients underwent surgical removal of the Onyx cast which was scheduled before embolization. The next two patients declined surgery because they were not bothered by the Onyx cast. No recurrence was found at the 1 year follow-up angiogram. Conclusion Head and neck AVM can be safely cured with transvenous embolization using Onyx.
Hemicellulose extraction from aspen chips prior to kraft pulping utilizing kraft white liquor

Abstract Pre-extraction of hemicelluloses before commercial pulping processes such as kraft pulping has been considered as one potential approach to generate fermentable sugars as feedstock for biofuels and bioproducts. In this study kraft white liquor with 18% active alkali and 25% sulfidity was used to partially extract xylan from commercial aspen chips. Reaction temperatures of 70–90 °C and reaction times of 1–4 h were explored. Amount of xylan extracted increased with increasing time and temperature. The extracted xylan was recovered using ultrafiltration. We were able to recover xylan at levels of up to 48 g kg−1 of dry original chips. Pre-extracted chips were used for subsequent kraft pulping. The ultrafiltration permeate was utilized as cooking liquor without any additional processing and without additional chemical addition. Due to the pre-extraction the lignin removal in subsequent kraft processes was significantly faster; offering the option of reducing cooking time and increasing mill throughput. Pulp yield remained in the same range as the control. Physical properties of pulps made from pre-extracted aspen chips showed similar strength properties as the control runs if compared at given lignin content. Pre-extraction of aspen chips using existing kraft white liquor appears to be a viable approach in an attempt to produce a side stream of fermentable sugars in an existing pulp mill.
Analysis of field failure data when modeled Weibull slope increases with time

Weibull time-to-fail distributions cannot be correctly estimated from field data when manufacturing populations from different vintages have different failure modes. To investigate the pitfalls of ongoing Weibull parameter estimation, two cases, based upon real events, were analyzed. First, a time-to-fail distribution was generated assuming the same Weibull shape parameter representing an increasing failure rate for each monthly batch or vintage of production. The shape parameter was estimated from simulated field data at regular periods as the population accumulated service time. Estimates of the shape parameter were not constant, but gradually decreased (as had occurred in a real system) with added service time. In the second case, field reliability performance was modeled to match the actual historical data for one product from a disk drive manufacturer. The actual data was proprietary and was not directly available for analysis. A production schedule was modeled with a mix of two failure characteristics. The population reaching the field in the first 12 months had a low, constant failure rate. For the second and third years of production, higher volumes were introduced that had the higher, increasing failure rates of the first case. Assessment of the mixed population at each month of calendar time resulted in an increasing Weibull shape parameter estimate at each assessment. When the two populations were separated and estimated properly, a better fit with more accurate estimates of Weibull shape parameters resulted. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Coupling-based class integration and test order

During component-based and object-oriented software development, software classes exhibit relationships that complicate integration, including method calls, inheritance, and aggregation. When classes are integrated and tested, an order of integration must be established. The difficulty arises when cyclic dependencies exist - the functionality that is used by the first class to be tested must be mimicked by creating "stubs" (sometimes called "mocks"), an expensive and error-prone operation. This problem is generally called the class integration and test order (CITO) problem, and solutions must be fully automated for integration and testing to proceed smoothly and efficiently. This paper describes new techniques and algorithms to solve the CITO problem. New results include improved edge weights that are derived from quantitative coupling measures to more precisely model the cost of stubbing, and the use of weights on nodes, allowing more information to be used. Also, a new algorithm for computing the integration and test orders is presented. The technique is compared with an existing approach with positive results.
A hybrid knowledge representation as a basis of requirement specification and reasoning

A hybrid knowledge representation technique is presented which is used as a basis of a requirement specification language FRORL, (frame-and-rule oriented requirements specification language). To easily represent the structure and behavior of a software system, the syntax of FRORL is based on the concepts of frames and production rules. The semantic interpretation of the FRORL language is defined using Horn-clause logic augmented with the concept of multiple inheritance. The completeness and soundness of the hybrid knowledge representation technique are proved. Based on the full machinery of Horn-clause logic, the FRORL specification modeling the world can be checked against the known constraints of a given domain, and the known facts pertaining to the software system. >
The Changing Nature of Rural Health Care

▪ Abstract The rural health care system has changed dramatically over the past decade because of a general transformation of health care financing, the introduction of new technologies, and the clustering of health services into systems and networks. Despite these changes, resources for rural health systems remain relatively insufficient. Many rural communities continue to experience shortages of physicians, and the proportion of rural hospitals under financial stress is much greater than that of urban hospitals. The health care conditions of selected rural areas compare unfavorably with the rest of the nation. The market and governmental policies have attempted to address some of these disparities by encouraging network development and telemedicine and by changing the rules for Medicare payments to providers. The public health infrastructure in rural America is not well understood but is potentially the most fragile aspect of the rural health care continuum.
Percutaneous vertebral augmentation: an elevation in adjacent-level fracture risk in kyphoplasty as compared with vertebroplasty

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (VCFs) are being increasingly treated with minimally invasive bone augmentation techniques such as kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty. Both are reported to be an effective means of pain relief; however, there may be an increased risk of developing subsequent VCFs after such procedures. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness and complication profile of kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty in a single patient series. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING: A clinical series of 36 patients with VCFs treated by vertebral augmentation procedures was retrospectively analyzed for surgical approach, volume of cement injected, cement extravasation (symptomatic and asymptomatic), the occurrence of subsequent adjacent level fracture, and pain relief. PATIENT SAMPLE: Thirty-six patients with 46 VCFs underwent either kyphoplasty or vertebroplasty after failing conservative therapy. The mean patient age was not significantly different between the kyphoplasty group (70; range, 46‐83) and vertebroplasty group (72; range, 38‐90) (p5.438). OUTCOME MEASURES: Outcomes were assessed by using self-report measures (a comparative pain rating scale) and physiologic measures (pre- and postoperative radiographs). METHODS: Thirty-six patients with VCFs underwent 46 augmentation procedures (17 patients had 20 fractures treated via kyphoplasty, and 19 patients had 26 fractures treated via vertebroplasty). Seventeen patients in this series underwent kyphoplasty using standard techniques involving bone void creation with balloon tamps, followed by cement injection. Nineteen patients underwent a percutaneous vertebroplasty procedure using a novel cannulated, fenestrated bone tap developed to direct cement anteriorly into the vertebral body to avoid backflow of cement onto neural elements. RESULTS: Pain improvement was seen inO90% of patients in both groups. Mean cement injection per vertebral body was 4.65 mL and 3.78 mL for the kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty groups, respectively (p5.014). Ninety-five percent of the kyphoplasty procedures were performed bilaterally, whereas only 19% of the vertebroplasty procedures required bilateral augmentation (p!.001). There was no cement extravasation resulting in radiculopathy, or myelopathy in either group. Asymptomatic cement extravasation was seen in 5 of 46 (11%) of the total series (3/20 [15%] and 2/26 [7.7%] of kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty, respectively) (p5.696). Within a 3-month period, there were 5 new adjacent level fractures seen in 3 patients who underwent a kyphoplasty procedure (5/20 [25%]) and none in the vertebroplasty group (p!.05). CONCLUSIONS: Vertebroplasty appears to offer a comparable rate of postoperative pain relief as kyphoplasty while using less bone cement more often via a unilateral approach and without the attendant risk of adjacent level fracture. 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Biogeography and divergence times in the mulberry family (Moraceae)

The biogeographical history of the mulberry family (Moraceae) was investigated using phylogenetic inferences from nuclear and chloroplast DNA, molecular dating with multiple fossil calibrations, and independent geological evidence. The Moraceae are centered in the tropics which has invited the hypothesis that the family has Gondwanan origins and extant distribution is the result of vicariance due to the break-up of Gondwana. However, the cosmopolitan distribution of Moraceae suggests a more complicated biogeographical history. The timing and location of Moraceae diversification also bears on the origin of the fig pollination mutualism, a model for the study of coevolution and specialization. Recent molecular dating of pollinating fig wasps suggested that an ancient Gondwanan origin coupled with vicariance and dispersal could account for the present day distribution of the mutualism. Here, we provide the first assessment of this hypothesis based on dating of figs and their relatives. Minimum age estimates suggest that the Moraceae had diversified by at least the mid-Cretaceous and major clades including the figs may have radiated during the Tertiary after the break-up of Gondwanaland. Molecular evidence together with Eurasian fossils suggest that the early diversification of Moraceae in Eurasia and subsequent migration into the southern hemisphere is at least as plausible as the Gondwanan hypothesis. These findings invite a reevaluation of the biogeography of fig pollination and highlight the need for incorporating multiple sources of evidence in biogeographical reconstructions.
Product-Related Impurities in Clinical-Grade Recombinant AAV Vectors: Characterization and Risk Assessment

Adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based vectors expressing therapeutic genes continue to demonstrate great promise for the treatment of a wide variety of diseases and together with other gene transfer vectors represent an emerging new therapeutic paradigm comparable in potential impact on human health to that achieved by recombinant proteins and vaccines. A challenge for the current pipeline of AAV-based investigational products as they advance through clinical development is the identification, characterization and lot-to-lot control of the process- and product-related impurities present in even highly purified preparations. Especially challenging are AAV vector product-related impurities that closely resemble the vector itself and are, in some cases, without clear precedent in established biotherapeutic products. The determination of acceptable levels of these impurities in vectors prepared for human clinical product development, with the goal of new product licensure, requires careful risk and feasibility assessment. This review focuses primarily on the AAV product-related impurities that have been described in vectors prepared for clinical development.