cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
TOWARDS PRACTICAL NON-DESTRUCTIVE FATIGUE DAMAGE INDICATORS

— The applicability of measurements of residual stress, X-ray diffraction line broadening, ultrasonic absorption, and phase changes, for the purpose of fatigue damage detection was explored on SAE 1008 plain carbon steel and type 304 and type 316 stainless steels. The most promising indicators of progressive damage appear to be residual stress and phase change measurements. While diffraction line broadening is not very useful as an indicator of progressive damage, it can serve as an indicator of the stress or strain range to which a critical part has been subjected, and may therefore prove useful for monitoring and diagnostic purposes. From the limited data on ultrasonic absorption measurements little can be said about their applicability to fatigue damage assessment.
Imaging soft tissue through bone with ultrasound transmission tomography by reconstruction.

A phantom consisting of a 2.5‐cm‐diameter aluminum rod, a balloon filled with castor oil, and a balloon filled with a phenylated silicone fluid was imaged in water with ultrasound transmission tomography by reconstruction (UTTR). This phantom was chosen for investigation of the feasibility of detecting small changes in the ultrasound velocity and ultrasound attenuation coefficient of soft tissues in planes containing bones. Attenuationimages of a transverse section of a leg of lamb were obtained as well. Opposed transmitting and receiving transducers were scannned on either side of the imaged object, just as an x‐ray tube and detector are scanned in the pencil beam geometry employed with the first x‐ray computerized axial tomographic system. More than adequate signal was transmitted through the aluminum rod and the bone to obtain reconstructions; but, in these crude images, there were numerous artifacts which maintain the uncertainty regarding the future utility of this promising technique. Although velocityimaging should not be as sensitive to reflection and refraction as attenuationimaging, a very narrow ultrasound beam must be employed to obtain reasonable resolution in velocityimaging.
Meaning of Family—Professional Partnerships: Japanese Mothers' Perspectives:

This study inquired into the meaning of family-professional partnerships from the perspective of Japanese families of children with disabilities. Data were collected from 30 mothers who participated in focus groups and/or interviews in Japan. Qualitative data analysis guided identification of four themes. The study's contributions are discussed in relation to not only Japanese society, but also to the global community including the United States. The study's implications for developing partnerships with culturally diverse families also are discussed.
Bio-active monoterpenes from red seaweeds

Abstract A new ochtodane from Chondrococcus hornemanii and the biotoxocity of other seaweed monoterpenes is reported.
Early trends in landcover change and forest fragmentation due to shale-gas development in Pennsylvania: a potential outcome for the Northcentral Appalachians.

Worldwide shale-gas development has the potential to cause substantial landscape disturbance. The northeastern U.S., specifically the Allegheny Plateau in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky, is experiencing rapid exploration. Using Pennsylvania as a proxy for regional development across the Plateau, we examine land cover change due to shale-gas exploration, with emphasis on forest fragmentation. Pennsylvania’s shale-gas development is greatest on private land, and is dominated by pads with 1–2 wells; less than 10 % of pads have five wells or more. Approximately 45–62 % of pads occur on agricultural land and 38–54 % in forest land (many in core forest on private land). Development of permits granted as of June 3, 2011, would convert at least 644–1072 ha of agricultural land and 536–894 ha of forest land. Agricultural land conversion suggests that drilling is somewhat competing with food production. Accounting for existing pads and development of all permits would result in at least 649 km of new road, which, along with pipelines, would fragment forest cover. The Susquehanna River basin (feeding the Chesapeake Bay), is most developed, with 885 pads (26 % in core forest); permit data suggests the basin will experience continued heavy development. The intensity of core forest disturbance, where many headwater streams occur, suggests that such streams should become a focus of aquatic monitoring. Given the intense development on private lands, we believe a regional strategy is needed to help guide infrastructure development, so that habitat loss, farmland conversion, and the risk to waterways are better managed.
Electron impact fragmentation of gases by molecular beam mass spectrometry. Application to AsCl3 and a GaCl3/Ga2 Cl6 mixture

Abstract Molecular beam mass spectrometry is a powerful method for anlayzing and characterizing gas mixtures. Realization of the full potential of the technique requires that accurate simulations of the data be available for comparison to experiment. In this paper, details of how simulations can be optimized for a specific instrument are presented. The utility of the combination of theory and experiment is illustrated by determination of the cracking patterns of AsCl 3 , and GaCl 3 in equilibrium with Ga 2 Cl 6 . The results are in poor agreement with previous determinations and origins of the discrepancies are discussed.
Phase delay of the solid earth tide

Phase delay of solid earth tide, minimizing ocean and atmosphere loading by strain seismograph measurement
Drug metabolism and variability among patients in drug response

Differences in drug responsiveness are common, often leading to challenges in optimizing the dosage regimen for a particular patient. Recent advances provide a rational framework for understanding many interpatient differences in drug disposition and their clinical consequences. This article focuses on the cytochrome P-450 enzymes, a superfamily of microsomal drug-metabolizing enzymes that play an important role in oxidative drug metabolism.
Religiosity in the Abandoned Apple Newton Brand Community

This research explores the grassroots brand community centered on the Apple Newton, a product that was abandoned by the marketer. Supernatural, religious, and magical motifs are common in the narratives of the Newton community, including the miraculous performance and survival of the brand, as well as the return of the brand creator. These motifs invest the brand with powerful meanings and perpetuate the brand and the community, its values, and its beliefs. These motifs also reflect and facilitate the many transformative and emancipatory aspects of consuming this brand. Our findings reveal important properties of brand communities and, at a deeper level, speak to the communal nature of religion and the enduring human need for religious affiliation.
New approach to understanding sediment transport

Sediment transport is an important factor in the evolution of river channels. Bed load sediment flux, defined as the volume of particles crossing a vertical surface per unit time per unit width, is a common way to describe sediment transport. However, quantifying bed load sediment flux in terms of conceptually simple quantities is challenging, as the motion of particles in turbulent water is very complex. In a set of four related papers, Furbish et al. developed a new probabilistic definition of bed load transport and verified their approach using laboratory experiments and model simulations. Their approach, which treats particle positions and motions as stochastic quantities, shows how the particle activity and velocity distributions are key elements in describing sediment flux. Their experiments, using high-speed imaging of sand particle motions in a laboratory tank, allowed them to directly observe particle behavior and test their theory. Model simulations also verified their approach. (Journal of Geophysical Research-Earth Surface, doi:10.1029/2012JF002352, 2012, doi:10.1029/2012JF002353, 2012, doi:10.1029/2012JF002355, 2012, and doi:10.1029/2012JF002356, 2012)
Thermodynamic relations among olivine, spinel, and phenacite structures in silicates and germanates: I. Volume relations and the systems NiOMgOGeO2 and CoOMgOGeO2

An experimental approach is outlined to systematically obtain free energy differences among olivine, spinel, and phenacite forms of silicates and germanates from the thermodynamics of terminal solid solutions in ternary systems. This is applied to the ternary systems NiOMgOGeO2 and CoOMgOGeO2 at 1200°C in air and to the system NiOMgOGeO2 at 800°C and 0.57 kbar water pressure. From the location of conjugation lines, activity-composition relations along each orthogermanate join are calculated. The free energies of transformation from the olivine to the spinel structure at 1200°C are estimated to be +1.6, −3.5, and −8.2 kcal/mole for Mg2GeO4, Co2GeO4, and Ni2GeO4, respectively. Volume changes for the spinel-olivine and olivine-phenacite transitions are estimated for the silicates and germanates of Mg, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, and Zn.
A sensitive mechanical test for slow crack growth in polyethylene

Slow crack growth (SCG) in a wide variety of polyethylenes has been investigated by a constant tensile load test (the PENT test) for a single edge notched specimen. The PENT test is very sensitive to the changes in molecular structure and morphology of polyethylene. The resistance to SCG depends on the density of the tie molecules and the strength of the crystals.
Theory of Diffraction by Black Obstacles

A mixed or impedance-type boundary condition is examined as a description of a black or perfectly absorbing obstacle. The problems of diffraction by a cylinder and semi-infinite screen with this boundary condition are considered, and the results are compared with those obtained for other boundary conditions.
Ipomoea batatas: The sweet potato revisited

As part of a larger community nutrition study,t one section of our research was devoted to the examination of sweet potato consumption in a North Carolina community in transition from a rural to a suburban way of life. One key question guided our research: What social and cultural factors affect the acceptance or rejection of this vegetable in or from the diet? Since sweet potatoes are an important crop in North Carolina and a valuable source of the provitamin A carotenoids, the decline in its use deserves immediate and serious scientific attention. This study should shed some light on the probable causes for the decline of the sweet potato in the North Carolina and national dietaries. INDEX TERMS OR WORDS: sweet potatoes; sweet potato consumption, attitudes toward … , changes in … ; and nutritional anthropology.
Regulation of Autophagy by TGF-β: Emerging Role in Kidney Fibrosis

Autophagy is a highly conserved homoeostatic mechanism for cell survival under conditions of stress, and is widely implicated as an important pathway in many biological processes and diseases. In progressive kidney diseases, fibrosis represents the common pathway to end-stage kidney failure. Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) is a pleiotropic cytokine that has been established as a central mediator of kidney fibrosis. A recently emerging body of evidence from studies in renal cells in culture and experimental animal models suggests that TGF-β1 regulates autophagy and that autophagy regulates many critical aspects of normal and disease conditions associated with kidney fibrosis, such as tubulointerstitial fibrosis, glomerulosclerosis, and diabetic nephropathy. Here, we review the recent advances exploring the process of autophagy, its regulation by TGF-β1, and the implication in the pathogenesis of progressive kidney fibrosis and injury responses. Understanding the cellular and molecular bases of this process is crucial for identifying potential new diagnostic and therapeutic targets of kidney fibrosis.
MLL2: A new mammalian member of the trx/MLL family of genes.

We have identified a gene at chromosome band 19q13.1, which is closely related to MLL. MLL is located in a region of chromosome 11q23 that has partial synteny with chromosome 19q. We have named this gene at 19q13.1, MLL2. MLL2 encodes a protein that exhibits a high level of similarity to MLL over several important protein domains. MLL2 is also ubiquitously expressed among adult human tissues, as is MLL. MLL is a homologue of the Drosophila gene trithorax (trx), which encodes a regulator of homeotic gene expression. MLL is involved in chromosome rearrangements associated with leukemia in mammals. However, no MLL2 rearrangements associated with leukemia have been recorded.
Counting permutations by their alternating runs

We find a formula for the number of permutations of [n] that have exactly s runs up and down. The formula is at once terminating, asymptotic, and exact. The asymptotic series is valid for n->~, uniformly for s= 0).
An FFT chart

This letter contains a graph paper summarizing many properties of Fourier transforms and fast Fourier transform (FFT) devices. It shows the interrelationships among data block length, frequency resolution sampling rate, FFT stages, and other related variables. The letter shows the limiting factors in a pipeline FFT and allows its performance to be effectively compared with a random access oriented FFT.
Effects of auxiliary carbon sources and electron acceptors on methanogenic degradation of chlorinated phenols

The authors studied the degradation of chlorinated phenols under methanogenic conditions by establishing enrichment cultures on 4-chlorophenol and 2,4-dichlorophenol with or without a supplementary substrate. p-Cresol was chosen as a nonchlorinated aromatic compound structurally similar to the chlorophenols, and propionate was chosen as a readily utilizable carbon source. 2,4-Dichlorophenol was dechlorinated to 4-chlorophenol, which was degraded without further detection of metabolites. The rates of chlorophenols and supplementary substrates. The addition of p-cresol or propionate as an auxiliary carbon source enhanced the rate of 4-chlorophenol degradation. Methanogenic cultures capable of ortho dechlorination were repeatedly subcultured by dilution into fresh media and refeeding of 2,6-dichlorophenol and either p-cresol or propionate as auxiliary substrates. 2,6-Dichlorophenol was sequentially dechlorinated to 2-chlorophenol and phenol and ultimately mineralized to methane and carbon dioxide. Cultures adapted to 2,4- or 2,6-dichlorophenol also readily dechlorinated other dichlorophenols containing an ortho chlorine. The alternative electron acceptors nitrate, sulfite, and thiosulfate completely inhibited dechlorination of 2,6-dichlorophenol, whereas sulfate slowed the dechlorination rate.
"Impact of Offshore Outsourcing Scale, Scope, and Vendor Relationships on Firm Market Value Creation"

As outsourcing expands in scale and scope to increasingly higher-end tasks, the outcomes and implications are unclear. The current literature poses contradictory predictions on whether a firm shoul...
Epitaxial growth of cubic GaN on (111) GaAs by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

We are reporting the first comprehensive investigation of the structural properties of cubic GaN grown on (111) GaAs substrates by low-pressure metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. The minimum full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the x-ray diffraction (XRD) peak of (111) GaN was found to be ∼12 min. The use of low temperature GaN buffers helps to reduce the FWHM of the XRD. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM) revealed the presence of columnar structures in the GaN film with widths of the order of 500A. Selected area electron diffraction (SAD) patterns at the interface confirmed that cubic (111) GaN was grown in-plane with the (111) GaAs substrate. Highresolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) showed that the interface characteristics of GaN on (111)A GaAs substrate were better than those of the GaN on (lll)B GaAs substrate.
Abstract IA14: Cetuximab in NSCLC and predictive markers

The role of the EGFR humanized monoclonal antibody cetuximab (Erbitux®, Bristol-Myers Squibb) in the treatment of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has until recently been controversial. While it is clear that the EGFR pathway plays an important role in NSCLC development and progression, the clinical data with cetuximab in NSCLC has not been consistent from the different studies including the two large phase III studies (BMS -099 and FLEX), despite the overall survival in the FLEX study was statistically significant in favor the combination of chemotherapy plus cetuximab (HR 0.87 [0.76–1.0]) (1, 2). The FLEX study comparing gemcitabine/cisplatin with and without cetuximab required EGFR positive tumor (IHC > 1% positive cells) as inclusion criteria, while the non-significant results from BMS -099 was based on “all comers”. However, most recently a more detailed analysis of the EGFR protein expression in the FLEX study, by using the H-score (intensity:0–3 x percentage of cells within each intensity category:0–100% for a final H-score of 0–300) was presented (3). Patients having tumors with EGFR H-score≥ 200 (about 30% of the patients) had a significant better survival from chemotherapy plus cetuximab compared to cetuximab alone (HR=0.73 [0.58–0.93]), and even better for the largest subgroup of patients; the Caucasians with H-score ≥ 200 (HR=0.64 [0.49–0.83]) with a 3.5 months difference in median survival (11.4 months vs. 7.9 months HR= 0.49 [0.29–0.81]). Patients with high EGFR expression and adenocarcinoma had a median survival of 20.2 months on the combined therapy versus 8.0 months for chemotherapy alone (3). A reproducibility study of the H-score classification showed a high concordance (91%) among 10 pathologists after specific assessment training (4). A previous reported randomized phase II study comparing chemotherapy with concomitant cetuximab versus sequential cetuximab from SWOG (0342) demonstrated a doubling of PFS and OS in the EGFR FISH positive patients compared to the FISH negative patients (5), while he EGFR FISH assay did not show a significant impact on outcomes in the large randomized BMS -099 study or the FLEX study. Thus, very encouraging biomarker results are achieved retrospectively for selection of patients to chemotherapy plus cetuximab therapy, and these biomarkers are currently being prospectively validated in the large prospective randomized phase III study SWOG 0819, which compare chemotherapy (+/− bevacizumab) with and without cetuximab.
Traceless native protein labeling in mice.

Labeling endogenous proteins in their natural environment with synthetic probes represents a major challenge in chemical biology. In a recent study, an elegant traceless labeling technique has been reported that allows attachment of biophysical probes to the targeted proteins in vivo.
Post-injury administration of BIBN 99, a selective muscarinic M2 receptor antagonist, improves cognitive performance following traumatic brain injury in rats.

Mild to moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI) is associated with enduring impairments of cognitive function in both humans and animals. However, few experiments have investigated the role of post-injury pharmacologic strategies for attenuating the observed cognitive impairment after TBI. This investigation examined the effects of selective blockade of the presynaptic muscarinic M2 autoreceptor with BIBN 99 on cognitive recoveryy following rodent TBI. Experiment 1 investigated the effects of delayed post-injury administration of BIBN 99 on cognitive performance following moderate central fluid percussion TBI (2.1 ± 0.05 atm). On days 11–15 after injury-cognitive performance was assessed with a Morris water maze (MWM) task. One hour before MWM testing injured rats were injected (s.c.) with either vehicle (n = 9), 0.5 (n = 8), or 1.0 (n = 8) mg/kg of BIBN 99. Results indicated that injured rats receiving the delayed post-injury treatment with BIBN 99 performed no better than injured-vehicle treated rats. In experiment 2, injured rats were injected (s.c.) once daily with either vehicle (n = 9), 0.5 (n = 9), or 1.0 (n = 9) mg/kg of BIBN 99 throughout the duration of the experiment beginning 24 h after TBI. Sham-injured animals injected (s.c.) with vehicle (n = 9) or 1.0 (n = 8) mg/kg of BIBN 99 were included for comparison. On days 11–15 after injury, cognitive performance was assessed with the MWM procedure. Results of the second experiment indicated that both doses of BIBN 99 were effective in attenuating cognitive deficits in the MWM as compared to the injured-vehicle treated animals (P < 0.05 for both comparisons). The results also revealed that sham-injured animals were unaffected by the 1.0 mg/kg dose of BIBN 99 on MWM performance. Thus, cholinergic enhancement by selective blockade of the presynaptic M2 autoreceptor is an efficacious strategy for the post-injury amelioration of cognitive deficits following experimental TBI. However, time and duration of administration may be important factors that affect the efficacy of treatment.
The primary structure of rat ribosomal protein L15.

Abstract The amino acid sequence of the rat 60S ribosomal subunit protein L15 was deduced from the sequence of nucleotides in two recombinant cDNAs. Ribosomal protein L15 has 203 amino acids, the NH2-terminal methionine is removed after translation of the mRNA, and has a molecular weight of 24,000. Hybridization of the cDNA to digests of nuclear DNA suggests that there are 13 to 15 copies of the L15 gene. The mRNA for the protein is about 850 nucleotides in length. Rat L15 is related to ribosomal proteins from other eukaryotes. Rat L15 has the hexapeptide, TYKFFE, that also occurs in the amyloidogenic glycoprotein A4 which is associated with Alzheimer′s disease and Down′s Syndrome.
Centrifugal Force and Blood Pressure Elevation in the Wings of Flying Hummingbirds (Trochilidae)

Abstract Whereas circulatory consequences of large body size are known to include dramatic elevation of blood pressure, other physical contexts such as acceleration of fluid systems may also impose physiological demands. Centrifugal forces acting on rapidly reciprocating appendages may in particular challenge circulatory system performance. In hummingbirds, a physical model suggests that mean wing blood pressure during flapping flight can increase by about 50 mm Hg through centrifugal forces acting on spanwise blood columns. These centrifugally induced pressures correspond to a blood pressure elevation of approximately 30% relative to resting avian blood pressures. For hummingbird species ranging over an order of magnitude in body mass, estimated allometric variation in blood-pressure elevation owing to centrifugal forces is small. Centrifugal enhancement of blood pressure may characterize large amplitude wing motions in all flying animals.
The plasma membrane-associated NADH oxidase (ECTO-NOX) of mouse skin responds to blue light

NADH oxidases of the external plasma membrane surface (ECTO-NOX proteins) are characterized by oscillations in activity with a regular period length of 24 min. Explants of mouse skin exhibit the oscillatory activity as estimated from the decrease in A(340) suggesting that individual ECTO-NOX molecules must somehow be induced to function synchronously. Transfer of explants of mouse skin from darkness to blue light (495 nm, 2 min, 50 micromol m(-1) s(-1)) resulted in initiation of a new activity maximum (entrainment) with a midpoint 36 min after light exposure followed by maxima every 24 min thereafter. Addition of melatonin resulted in a new maximum 24 min after melatonin addition. The findings suggest that the ECTO-NOX proteins play a central role in the entrainment of the biological clock both by light and by melatonin.
Development of immunochemical personal exposure monitors for pentachlorophenol

ABSTRACT Current technology for monitoring personal exposures to vapor-phase toxic materials is both instrument and labor intensive.It is desirable to devise a system for monitoring such exposures using simpler equipment coupled with more rapid quantitation.Immunochemical sensors provide an avenue for developing such vapor monitoring systems because of their high sensitivity andselectivity, and the ease with which they provide quantitative information on analyte concentrations. Immunochemical personalexposure monitors (PEMs) are currently being developed for assaying pentachiorophenol (PCP) sampled from ambient air. Thesedevices will demonstrate the feasibility of direct, antibody based sampling of analytes from air with subsequent quantitation ofthe analyte by enzyme immunoassay. 1. INTRODUCTION Increasing awareness of environmental effects on human health has led to a greater interest in monitoring pollutants in a wide range of settings. Studies directed at the assessment of worker exposure to airborne toxic materials in office environments,
60Fe–60Ni chronology of core formation in Mars

Abstract The timescales of accretion, core formation, and magmatic differentiation in planetary bodies can be constrained using extinct radionuclide systems. Experiments have shown that Ni becomes more siderophile with decreasing pressure, which is reflected in the progressively higher Fe/Ni ratios in the mantles of Earth, Mars and Vesta. Mars formed rapidly and its mantle has a high Fe/Ni ratio, so the 60Fe–60Ni decay system ( t 1 / 2 = 2.62 Myr ) is well suited to establish the timescale of core formation in this object. We report new measurements of 60Ni/58Ni ratios in bulk SNC/martian (Shergotty–Nakhla–Chassigny) meteorites and chondrites. The difference in e Ni 60 values between SNC meteorites and the building blocks of Mars assumed to be chondritic (55% ordinary chondrites + 45% enstatite chondrites) is + 0.028 ± 0.023 (95% confidence interval). Using a model of growth of planetary embryo, this translates into a time for Mars to have reached ∼44% of its present size of 1.9 − 0.8 + 1.7 Myr with a strict lower limit of 1.2 Myr after solar system formation, which agrees with a previous estimate based on 182Hf–182W systematics. The presence of Mars when planetesimals were still being formed may have influenced the formation of chondrules through bow shocks or by inducing collisions between dynamically excited planetesimals.
Effects of Mutations in the l-Tryptophan Binding Pocket of the trp RNA-binding Attenuation Protein ofBacillus subtilis

Abstract The Bacillus subtilis tryptophan biosynthetic genes are regulated by the trp RNA-binding attenuation protein (TRAP). Cooperative binding ofl-tryptophan activates TRAP so that it can bind to RNA. The crystal structure revealed that l-tryptophan forms nine hydrogen bonds with various amino acid residues of TRAP. We performed site-directed mutagenesis to determine the importance of several of these hydrogen bonds in TRAP activation. We tested both alanine substitutions as well as substitutions more closely related to the natural amino acid at appropriate positions. Tryptophan binding mutations were identified in vivo having unchanged, reduced, or completely eliminated repression activity. Several of thein vivo defective TRAP mutants exhibited reduced affinity for tryptophan in vitro but did not interfere with RNA binding at saturating tryptophan concentrations. However, a 10-fold decrease in TRAP affinity for tryptophan led to an almost complete loss of regulation, whereas increased TRAP affinity for tryptophan had little or no effect on the in vivo regulatory activity of TRAP. One hydrogen bond was found to be dispensable for TRAP activity, whereas two others appear to be essential for TRAP function. Another mutant protein exhibited tryptophan-independent RNA binding activity. We also found that trp leader RNA increases the affinity of TRAP for tryptophan.
Complications of incontinence surgery

Knowledge of the complications which may result from surgical procedures for stress urinary incontinence is important for appropriate preoperative counselling. Complications addressed in this article include failure to cure incontinence, bleeding, infection, intraoperative damage to viscera, voiding dysfunction, osteitis pubis, nerve injuries, sling erosion, genital prolapse and dyspareunia.
CPG Control of a Tensegrity Morphing Structure for Biomimetic Applications

Rhythmic movements associated with animal locomotion are controlled by neuronal circuits known as central pattern generators (CPG). These biological control systems appear to entrain to the natural frequencies of the mechanical systems they control, taking advantage of the resonance of the structure, resulting in efficient control. The ultimate goal is employing these controls in a biomimetic autonomous underwater vehicle so as to capture, and possibly improve upon, the performance capabilities of animals like the manta ray. To this end, this paper investigates the CPG control of a simple tensegrity structure. The dynamics of a tensegrity structure are linearized about a nominal configuration, and a synthesized CPG is used as the control input. Successful integration is shown by the CPG's ability to tune the structure's first mode.
Empirical Analysis of Municipal Bond Portfolio Structure and Performance

The introduction of municipal bond mutual funds in 1976 as an alternative for investors increases the importance of examining the factors that may affect the performance of municipal bond portfolios. Some sponsors of unit trusts claim that diversification across states, tax districts, and purpose of issue improves performance. This study finds only slight support for this type of diversification, and the conclusion is that the prime determinants of price volatility are maturity and risk-premium.
Increased inhibition in dentate gyrus granule cells following exposure to GABA-uptake blockers

Abstract Rats anesthetized with urethane had stimulating and recording electrodes placed in the perforant pathway and in the dentate gyrus. They were then exposed to increasing doses of either the vehicle control dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) or one of two γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-uptake blockers (SKF-100330A or SKF-89976A). Analysis of evoked field potentials from dentate granule cells indicated that the only effect of the GABA uptake blockers was to increase the threshold for evoking the field population spikes (PS). No other measure of excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) or PS's were significantly affected. The lack of effect on evoked EPSP by these drugs suggests no direct effect on transmitter release at this synapse, while the increase in PS threshold suggests a slight decrease in granule cell excitability. The effects of the two GABA-uptake blockers on synaptically mediated facilitation and inhibition was tested by using paired-pulse paradigms. Both GABA-uptake blockers increased early GABA-mediated inhibition to a greater extent than they reduced synaptically mediated facilitation. Neither GABA uptake blocker appeared to effect the late inhibition seen at paired-pulse intervals of 400–1000 ms which is presumably associated with calcium-activated increases in potassium conductance. These effects on granule cell responses occurred at doses found previously not to be associated with side effects and yet to be anticonvulsant in unanesthetized rats. These data confirm in vivo that SKF-100330A and SKF-89976A increase GABA-mediated inhibition. The effect on granule cell excitability and late inhibition are minimal. Although facilitation was reduced by exposure to these drugs, the mechanism of this reduction (direct or prolongation of early inhibition) cannot be determined.
Contour Advection with Surgery: A Technique for Investigating Finescale Structure in Tracer Transport

We present a trajectory technique, contour advection with surgery (CAS), for tracing the evolution of material contours in a specified (including observed) evolving flow. CAS uses the algorithms developed by Dritschel for contour dynamics/surgery to trace the evolution of specified contours. The contours are represented by a series of particles, which are advected by a specified, gridded, wind distribution. The resolution of the contours is preserved by continually adjusting the number of particles, and finescale features are produced that are not present in the input data (and cannot easily be generated using standard trajectory techniques). The reliability, and dependence on the spatial and temporal resolution of the wind field, of the CAS procedure is examined by comparisons with high-resolution numerical data (from contour dynamics calculations and from a general circulation model), and with routine stratospheric analyses. These comparisons show that the large-scale motions dominate the deformation field and that CAS can accurately reproduce small scales from low-resolution wind fields. The CAS technique therefore enables examination of atmospheric tracer transport at previously unattainable resolution.
Caring for One's Elders and Family-to-Work Conflict

The authors investigated whether workers caring for elderly family members reported the same types of family-to-work conflict (FTW) as did workers caring for their children. The authors also tested the validities of common FTW measures using a single sample that included elder- and childcare providers. Full-time employees (e.g., staff, faculty, administrators) of a large university were surveyed; 571 useable surveys were returned. Participants included those with elder- and childcare responsibilities (n = 16), childcare but not eldercare responsibilities (n = 177), eldercare but not childcare responsibilities (n = 41), and those with neither childcare nor eldercare responsibilities (n = 330). The mean age of participants was 46 years. Elder- and childcare providers each reported time- and strain-based conflict. Childcare providers reported higher levels of FTW than did nonchildcare providers across FTW measures in this study, supporting the measures' construct validities. The authors did not find differen...
Central venous catheters in the left-sided superior vena cava: clinical implications.

Abstract Aim Left-sided superior vena cava (LSVC) is a congenital venous anomaly with an incidence of about 0.3%, and which is sometimes discovered during vascular intervention [Le Cat. Histoire de l'acadroyale des sciences .Paris 1738:62, I Steinberg, W Dubilier, D Lucas. Persistence of left superior vena cava. Dis Chest 1953;24:479-88]. There is little clear guidance on what to do in this event. Methods Children with LSVC were identified from our prospectively collected database of percutaneous central venous catheter (CVC) insertions between 2004 and 2011. If a LSCV was suspected, usually a venogram was performed. All available documentation was reviewed to identify complications. Results Eleven children with LSVC had 12 CVCs during the study period. Mean age at operation was 5.8years (range 27days to 15years). Cardiovascular anomalies were already known in three cases. After CVC insertion, the line tip lay in the LSVC in eight cases and in the RA in 4. In 11 cases there was no immediate problem, but in 1 case there were postoperative bradyarrhythmias, which caused the CVC to be removed on day 1. This case was later found to have abdominal sepsis. The mean duration the CVCs were retained was 331days (range 1day to 4years). Other reasons for CVC removal were infection ( n =1), damaged line ( n =2), no longer required ( n =2), and death unrelated to CVC ( n =2). Conclusions Our experience suggests that a LSVC (i) is often first discovered during CVC insertion, (ii) can be safely used for parenteral nutrition or chemotherapy, and (iii) the best practice would be to leave the CVC tip high in the LSVC or in the RA via another route.
A note on a new matrix decomposition

Abstract It is shown that if det A=±1, then A=±qi=1Bi, where Bi2 = I. This decomposition is used to find the Jacobian of the linear matrix transformation: Y=AX.
Partial Tendon Release for Treatment of a Symptomatic Snapping Biceps Femoris Tendon: A Case Report:

Snapping of the biceps femoris tendon over the fibular head is an uncommon condition. Reported causes include an anomalous insertion of the tendon, trauma at the insertion site of the tendon, and an abnormality of the fibular head. This article reports a case of a painful snapping biceps femoris tendon in a patient without an anomalous tendon insertion or an abnormality of the fibular head. Partial release of the superior aspect of the tendon resulted in resolution of symptoms.
From the editors' desk: medicine as a service industry.

Customer: (Trying to catch eye of Barista, who is staring at computer screen.) Uh hem. Barista: Good morning. How can I help you? Customer: I’d like a latte. Barista: (Sullenly.) Do you have an appointment? Customer: No. I was hoping someone could fit me in. Barista: Starbucks Record Number? Customer: (Fumbling through wallet.) Let’s see. Oh here it is. 157-08-29. Barista: Ok, Frederick. Still on Adams Park Lane? Customer: Yes. Barista: CoffeeWorks insurance? Customer: Yes. Barista: Did you know you owe us a copay? Customer: Really? I’m sure I took care of that last time. Barista: Well, you can settle later. (Typing) I can get you in for a latte at 10:45. Please have a seat. Customer: 10:45? That’s almost 2 hours from now. Don’t you have something sooner? Barista: Next time make an appointment. Customer: I tried to make an appointment, but I kept getting routed into voicemail. Barista: Well, Frederick, this is coffee we are talking about. Shouldn’t that be a priority?
Power and Pitfalls of the Genome-Wide Association Study Approach to Identify Genes for Alzheimer’s Disease

Until recently, the search for genes contributing to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) had been slow and disappointing, with the notable exception of the APOE e4 allele, which increases risk and reduces the age at onset of AD in a dose-dependent fashion. Findings from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) made up of fewer than several thousand cases and controls each have not been replicated. Efforts of several consortia—each assembling much larger datasets with sufficient power to detect loci conferring small changes in AD risk—have resulted in robust associations with many novel genes involved in multiple biological pathways. Complex data mining strategies are being used to identify additional members of these pathways and gene–gene interactions contributing to AD risk. Guided by GWAS results, next-generation sequencing and functional studies are under way with the hope of helping us better understand AD pathology and providing new drug targets.
Use of a Rapid Brain-sampling Technique in a Physiologic PreparationEffects of Morphine, Ketamine, and Halothane on Tissue Energy Intermediates

A new method of rapid sampling of brain tissue, "freeze-blowing," has been used to compare the neurochemistry of the brain during anesthesia with that in the awake state. The method avoids anoxia associated with the sampling process. Physiologic variables, including body temperature, blood-gas tensions and blood pressure, were carefully monitored and controlled in the experimental animals. None of the agents tested (halothane, morphine, and ketamine) reduced the brain tissue high-energy phosphate reserved. All three drugs doubled glucose levels. Morphine lowered both lactate and the lactate/pyruvate ratio. Uniformly, the three anesthetic agents led to twofold increases of brain cyclic 3'-5' adenosine monophosphate concentrations. These changes suggest a possible role for cyclic nucleotides in central neurotransmission.
Encapsulation of pesticides in a starch-calcium adduct

A simple method of encapsulating water-insoluble pesticides in a starch matrix is described. The method consists of mixing the pesticide with alkali starch followed by precipitation with a calcium chloride solution. A starch–calcium adduct that entraps the pesticide in small cells within granular particles is formed. Liquid and solid pesticides were successfully encapsulated by the new method. By use of the herbicide trifluralin [2,6-dinitro-N,N-dipropyl-4-(trifluoromethyl) benzenamine] as core material more than 90% recovery and encapsulation was achieved. Use of acid-modified starches and flours resulted in a lower percentage of encapsulation. Effective encapsulation was also achieved by replacing calcium chloride with strontium chloride or barium chloride.
Objects of Love and Decay: Colonial Photographs in a Postcolonial Archive

The poor condition of a collection of colonial photographs currently housed in the National Archives of The Gambia is the subject of a variety of competing discourses and practices concerning the preservation of colonial visual culture. At issue is the question of who has the right to look after the artifacts of material culture as they inevitably expire. I suggest that the discourse surrounding decaying colonial photographs is a lover's discourse. The decay causes controversy because it reminds us of our feelings for, and intimacy with, colonial culture and asks that we imagine ways of finally letting go.
Event-Locked Time-Resolved Fourier Spectroscopy

A low-cost method of adding time-resolving capability to commercial Fourier transform spectrometers with a continuously scanning Michelson interferometer has been developed. This method is specifically designed to eliminate noise and artifacts caused by mirrorspeed variations in the interferometer. The method exists of two parts: (1) a novel timing scheme for synchronizing the transient events under study and the digitizing of the interferogram and (2) a mathematical algorithm for extracting the spectral information from the recorded data. The novel timing scheme is a modification of the well-known interleaved, or stroboscopic, method. It achieves the same timing accuracy, signal-to-noise ratio, and freedom from artifacts as step-scan time-resolving Fourier spectrometers by locking the sampling of the interferogram to a stable time base rather than to the occurrences of the HeNe fringes. The necessary pathlength-difference information at which samples are taken is obtained from a record of the mirror speed. The resulting interferograms with uneven pathlength-difference spacings are transformed into wavenumber space by least-squares fits of periodic functions. Spectra from the far-infrared to the upper visible at resolutions up to 0.2 cm -1 are used to demonstrate the utility of this method.
Infant Categorization of Faces: Ladies First.

We review and provide empirical evidence to show that infants categorize and process male and female faces diVerently, with an advantage in processing female faces. To understand this asymmetry in categorization and processing of male and female faces, we evaluate three mechanisms inXuencing infant categorization of male and female faces: diVerential experience with female and male faces; early visual preferences for female vs. male faces; and range of physical diVerences among category exemplars. The paper concludes with a developmental trajectory for infant acquisition of face categories proposed within a framework that reXects current knowledge and theory in the infant categorization and face processing literatures. The proposed developments have important implications for the existing infant face perception literature and infant learning about females and males.
Temperature dependence-independence of antifreeze turnover in Eurosta solidaginis (Fitch)

Temperature effects on antifreeze metabolism were investigated in two populations (northern and southern) of the golden rod gallfly, Eurosta soliduginis. Sorbitol production was temperature dependent and was triggered by short-term exposure to < + IO-C. The maximal rate sorbitol synthesis occurred at 0'.C. For both populations, sorbitol was rapidly catabolized during warm acclimation at +20' C. During the first 12 h of warm acclimation. sorbitol levels decreased by 3676 (19.7 k 0.6 to 12.6 + 1.2 pg/mg) and by 837, (to 3.3 2 1.7 pg/mg) after 48 h in the northern population. The southern population decreased sorbitol levels 64': (11.8 + 0.69 to 4.2 + 0.62) after 48 h. The southern population iesynthesized more sorbitol than did" the northern population lpon re-exposure to 0°C. Glycerol levels increased linearly during the experimental period independent of temperature.
Voltage-Regulated Sodium Channel Molecules

In summary, TTX and STX binding have been used to follow the purification of sodium channel proteins from electric organ, mammalian skeletal muscle, and brain. In each instance they were proteins somewhat larger than the acetylcholine receptor and exhibited stability properties that reflect an intimate interaction with membrane lipids. The principal peptide constituent seems to be a large glycopeptide of approximately 250,000 daltons. Because this is evidently the only constituent of the electroplax protein, it must contain the TTX receptor site, probably forming the ion pathway itself. Photo-labeling with ScTX and studies with Tityus gamma toxin (58a) indicate a site involved with gating processes, also associated with the large peptide of the neuronal and electroplax proteins. The smaller peptides are not consistent features of all of the preparations, but may contribute to the molecular ensemble. If, however, the entire channel were formed from a single extremely large peptide, there would be interesting mechanistic implications, because the ion transporting and voltage-sensing mechanisms would be accounted for by domains within the folded polypeptide chain. Clearly, the prospect for combining biochemical isolation and reconstitution with the new biophysical technology offers an exciting experimental conjunction.
Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy in Women Versus Men Observational Comparative Effectiveness Study From the National Cardiovascular Data Registry

Background—Women have been under-represented in trials of cardiac resynchronization therapy-defibrillators (CRT-D). Previous studies suggest that women benefit from CRT-D at shorter QRS duration than men and that there may be no benefit of CRT-D in patients without left bundle branch block (LBBB) regardless of patient sex. Methods and Results—We compared sex-specific death risk in 75 079 patients with New York Heart Association class III or IV heart failure, reduced left ventricular ejection fraction, and prolonged QRS duration (≥120 ms) receiving either CRT-D or implantable cardioverter defibrillator in subgroups according to QRS morphology and 10-ms increments in QRS duration. We applied propensity score weighting to control for differences between treatments. Among patients with LBBB, women receiving CRT-D had a lower relative death risk than those receiving an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (absolute difference, 11%; hazard ratio=0.74 [95% confidence interval, 0.68–0.81]). In men, the lower mo...
A recipe for high impact

Our analysis highlights common statistical features of high-impact articles; we also show how information flows among various publication types.
Evaluating a Semantic Network Automatically Constructed from Lexical Co-occurrence on a Word Sense Disambiguation Task

We describe the extension and objective evaluation of a network1 of semantically related noun senses (or concepts) that has been automatically acquired by analyzing lexical cooccurrence in Wikipedia. The acquisition process makes no use of the metadata or links that have been manually built into the encyclopedia, and nouns in the network are automatically disambiguated to their corresponding noun senses without supervision. For this task, we use the noun sense inventory of WordNet 3.0. Thus, this work can be conceived of as augmenting the WordNet noun ontology with unweighted, undirected related-to edges between synsets. Our network contains 208,832 such edges. We evaluate our network's performance on a word sense disambiguation (WSD) task and show: a) the network is competitive with WordNet when used as a stand-alone knowledge source for two WSD algorithms; b) combining our network with WordNet achieves disambiguation results that exceed the performance of either resource individually; and c) our network outperforms a similar resource that has been automatically derived from semantic annotations in the Wikipedia corpus.