cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
LIFE HISTORIES AND THE STRENGTHS OF SPECIES INTERACTIONS: COMBINING MORTALITY, GROWTH, AND FECUNDITY EFFECTS

Interactive effects of one species on another may simultaneously influence mortality, growth, and fecundity. To quantify the strength of an interaction between two species, we must therefore use techniques that integrate these various responses into es- timates of overall effect. Demographic models of populations provide such a framework. Here we develop a demographic model describing the life history of a hemimetabolous insect to evaluate the relative importance of predator effects on mortality and growth of damselflies (Enallagma boreale) in fishless ponds and mayflies (Baetis bicaudatus) in trout streams. Previous experiments have shown that dragonfly predators in fishless ponds inflict direct mortality and cause reduced growth rates in Enallagma damselflies. Parameterization of the demographic model from these data show, however, that only the direct mortality effects of dragonflies should significantly influence damselfly population dynamics. This is because damselfly size at emergence does not influence adult female fecundity, so the effects of dragonflies on damselfly larval growth do not influence adult fecundity. Likewise, both trout and stonefly predators inflict mortality on larval Baetis mayflies and cause decreases in growth rates. However, our demographic analyses indicate that the growth effects of both predators should dominate the population-dynamic effects on Baetis. This is because size at emergence translates directly into adult fecundity in mayflies. We also present data suggesting that developmental responses to changes in environmental conditions (e.g., predator abundances, resource availabilities) differ between species depending on these same life history parameters. The biological significance of lethal vs. sublethal predator impacts must be evaluated in a demographic framework to identify whether alterations in growth rate, and the timing of and size at metamorphosis, significantly influence population dynamics. The demographic model used for any particular organism must be tailored to its life history, but the various impacts of interactions with other species can all be integrated into estimates of projected population growth that can then be readily compared among species with different life histories.
Land-Atmosphere interactions for climate system Models: coupling biophysical, biogeochemical, and ecosystem dynamical processes

The biogeographical distribution of different vegetation types and the physiological status of vegetation are significant controls of energy, water, and CO{sub 2} exchanges between land surfaces and the atmosphere. These exchanges affect local, regional, and global climate, which feedback to affect the biogeography and physiology of the vegetation. Consequently, there is interest in developing a comprehensive land surface scheme that integrates biophysical, biogeochemical, and ecosystem dynamical processes. Land surface process models of energy and moisture exchanges, ecosystem biogeochemistry models, and ecosystem dynamics models share many features. However, these models have been developed independently by groups interested in their respective field not in the integration across fields. Thus, there are important discrepancies among models that will have to be reconciled if an integrative land-atmosphere interaction package is to be developed. In particular, the temporal resolution and biophysical rigor of land surface process models and the links among energy, water, and CO{sub 2} exchange make these models the logical model to calculate land-atmosphere CO{sub 2} exchange at diurnal to annual time scales. Longer-term exchanges can be simulated by including plant demography and nutrient cycling. Models that combine the biophysical and biogeochemical controls of CO{sub 2} exchange help define remote sensing applications importantmore » to modeling the seasonal and annual carbon balance of terrestrial ecosystems. Sensitivity analyses with such a model show that the annual production of biomass and the seasonal cycle of CO{sub 2} exchange in boreal forests are well approximated merely by knowing the beginning and end of the growing season, absorbed photosynthetically active radiation, foliage nitrogen concentration, and vegetation type.« less
Effects of Landau levels on longitudinal magnetoacoustic absorption

Abstract The effect of longitudinal magnetic fields on acoustic absorption in InSb is explained by a transport theory which takes into account the effect of Landau levels on the energy dependent electronic relaxation time.
Choledochal cyst or pancreatic (retention) cyst: a case report.

Right upper quadrant cystic lesions can be difficult to differentiate using noninvasive imaging modalities. The following case report dicuss the common cystic lesions of the hepatoduodenal ligament and right sided pancreas.
Complex caddisfly-dominated bioherms from the Eocene Green River Formation

Abstract Complex, caddisfly-dominated (Insecta: Trichoptera) carbonate mounds up to 9 m tall and 40 m in diameter formed in the nearshore environment of Eocene Lake Gosiute. The mounds outcrop for 70 km in reef-like geometries along the northern margin of Lake Gosiute in Wyoming. The relationships among the caddisfly larvae, the benthic microbial mat and physicochemical nearshore processes of Eocene Lake Gosiute resulted in unique external and internal carbonate mound morphology. Externally, the large carbonate mounds are formed by the lateral and vertical coalescence of several layers of smaller columns. The smaller columns are generally 1–2 m tall and are 0.5–1 m in diameter. Each layer or generation of smaller columns tends to have a unique external morphology. This suggests that variable paleoenvironmental conditions produced subtle differences in tufa and stromatolite morphology. Internally, each of the smaller columns is composed of a core of caddisfly larval cases surrounded by layers of tufa and stromatolites. The smaller column cores are characterized by centimeter thick microbial-caddisfly couplets in which layers or packets of calcified caddisfly larval cases are covered by microbial mat-mediated, microlaminated carbonate. The microbial-caddisfly couplets suggest that both metazoans and microbes were responsible for column height and shape. In this paper, we propose a mechanism for the growth of these caddisfly-dominated mounds. The base of the Laney Member of the Green River Formation records a freshwater lacustrine transgression over the surrounding floodplains and mudflats of the Cathedral Bluffs Tongue of the Wasatch Formation. In nearshore areas of the lake's northern margin, carbonate hardgrounds developed in some areas of the softer, carbonate-rich, bottom muds. These hardgrounds provided nucleation sites for the carbonate mounds and columns by providing a stable substrate for the benthic microbial mat and for caddisfly larval case attachment during pupation. The larval cases became calcified, and became a new stable substrate for the benthic microbial mat during, or shortly after, pupation. The microbial-caddisfly couplets may record a yearly cycle in which caddisfly pupation and aggregation behavior regularly interrupted the microbial mat-mediated carbonate buildups in these unique carbonate mounds.
MAMMALIAN CELL FUSION: INDUCTION OF PREMATURE CHROMOSOME CONDENSATION IN INTERPHASE NUCLEI

Further evidence is put forward for the inducibility of chromosome condensation, particularly its consequences in interphase cells that are not ready for mitosis.
Intraoperative performance and postoperative outcomes of endocapsular ring implantation in pediatric eyes

Purpose To study the intraoperative performance and postoperative outcomes of Cionni modified capsule tension ring (CTR) and intraocular lens (IOL) implantation in the capsular bag in pediatric eyes with ectopia lentis. Setting John A. Moran Eye Center, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Methods Thirty-five eyes (22 children) with ectopia lentis and visually significant cataract that had lens aspiration and in-the-bag implantation of single-piece AcrySof IOL and Cionni CTR were included. Single- and double-eyelet CTRs were used. The rings were sutured to the sclera using 9-0 or 10-0 polypropylene (Prolene) sutures. Preoperative and postoperative best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraoperative performance, IOL centration, and complications were studied. Results The mean patient age was 8.2 years ± 5.1 (SD) and the median follow-up, 28 months. A double-eyelet CTR was implanted in 12 eyes and a single-eyelet CTR, in 23 eyes. The mean BCVA at the final follow-up (0.37 ± 0.25 logMAR, 33 eyes) was significantly better than preoperatively (0.78 ± 0.42 logMAR, 28 eyes) ( P = .003). At the last examination, the BCVA was 20/40 or better in 16 eyes (45.7%). Three eyes (8.5%) required resuturing for IOL decentration. Nineteen eyes (54.3%) had a secondary procedure for posterior capsule opacification. Other complications included anterior capsule opacification (2.85%), cystoid macular edema (5.71%), chronic uveitis (5.71%), and vitreous prolapse (2.85%). Conclusion Implantation of the Cionni CTR and single-piece AcrySof IOL in the capsular bag in pediatric eyes with subluxated lenses was safe and effective and led to a stable IOL with few significant complications.
An analysis of Spanish bien as a marker of classroom management in teacher-student interaction

Abstract This paper analyzes the function of the Spanish marker bien in classroom interaction. It is argued that bien has two main functions: a transitional and an evaluative one. Transitional bien is used to signal upcoming transitions between or within activities, while evaluative bien is used to signal a positive response by the teacher in the feedback move of an initiation/response/feedback cycle. Thus, transitional bien is essentially a contextualization cue since by signalling changes in classroom activities it leads to realignments and redefinitions of the situation by participants. The use of bien in classroom discourse is compared to its use in conversation and similarities and differences are discussed. It is argued that the study of markers within specific ‘language games’ can provide important elements to general analyses of the same markers since it allows an investigation of the situational variables that influence variations in their function and meaning.
Interleukin-18 mediates interleukin-1-induced cardiac dysfunction

Patients with heart failure (HF) have enhanced systemic IL-1 activity, and, in the experimental mouse model, IL-1 induces left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction. Whether the effects of IL-1 are...
Dynamic Trajectory Evolution Incorporating Modeling Of Arm Movement Neural Data

An approach is presented for the real-time generation and tracking of manipu- lator jdnt trajectories. The trajectory gener- ation is derived from a vector-integration-to- endpoint (VITE) model of human arm neural dynamics. The VITE model ia coupled with models of manipulator kinematics and dynam- ics. The joint trGectories are implicitly gen- erated and converge to the desired end effec- tor global coordinates without requiring an ex- plicit solution to the inverse mapping problem. The manipulator kinematics model assures re- alizable trajectories, while the manipulator dy- namics model regulates the speed of trajectory evolution to attain satisfactory tracking accu- racy. The resulting manipulator motion implice My exhibits VITE model characteristics inclnd- ing synchronous jdnt operation, no overshoot and bell shaped velocity profiles. The method is illustrated with a two-link manipulator.
The modified Fontan operation for children less than 4 years old.

Of 500 patients who had a modified Fontan operation at this institution between 1973 and 1987, 54 (33 boys and 21 girls) were Multivariate analysis of survival for the entire group of 500 patients revealed the following factors to be significantly associated with poorer survival: absence of tricuspid atresia (p = 0.011), asplenia (p On the basis of this study of 500 patients, age
ADOPTION OF TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION IN A DEVELOPING COUNTRY: AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF ENTERPRISES IN LAO PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC

This study investigates the adoption of technological innovation in a least-developed economy: Lao People's Democratic Republic. World Bank Survey data encompassing nearly 380 enterprises from 2009 and 2012 were used to analyze the effects of collaboration between smaller domestic firms and larger firms, both foreign and domestic. Collaboration with larger firms is statistically significant for adopting new technologies and for adopting new processes, with the former significant for sales. In addition, foreign ownership is statistically significant for sales in one of the OLS estimates. This suggests small and medium enterprises (SMEs), particularly the latter at this point in Lao PDR, would benefit from membership in global value/supply chains.
Safety of Virus-Resistant Transgenic Plants Two Decades After Their Introduction: Lessons from Realistic Field Risk Assessment Studies*

AbstractPotential safety issues have been raised with the development and release of virus-resistant transgenic plants. This review focuses on safety assessment with a special emphasis on crops that have been commercialized or extensively tested in the field such as squash, papaya, plum, grape, and sugar beet. We discuss topics commonly perceived to be of concern to the environment and to human health—heteroencapsidation, recombination, synergism, gene flow, impact on nontarget organisms, and food safety in terms of allergenicity. The wealth of field observations and experimental data is critically evaluated to draw inferences on the most relevant issues. We also express inside views on the safety and benefits of virus-resistant transgenic plants, and recommend realistic risk assessment approaches to assist their timely deregulation and release.
Improving API documentation usability with knowledge pushing

The documentation of API functions typically conveys detailed specifications for the benefit of interested readers. In some cases, however, it also contains usage directives, such as rules or caveats, of which authors of invoking code must be made aware to prevent errors and inefficiencies. There is a risk that these directives may be “lost” within the verbose text, or that the text would not be read because there are so many invoked functions. To address these concerns for Java, an Eclipse plug-in named eMoose decorates method invocations whose targets have associated directives. Our goal is to lead readers to investigate further, which we aid by highlighting the tagged directives in the JavaDoc hover. We present a lab study that demonstrates the directive awareness problem in traditional documentation use and the potential benefits of our approach.
Allelic Effect Variation at Key Photoperiod Response Quantitative Trait Loci in Maize

Tropical maize (Zea mays L.) represents a valu- able genetic resource containing unique alleles not present in elite temperate maize. The strong delay in fl owering in response to long daylength photoperiods exhibited by most tropical maize hinders its incorporation into temperate maize breeding programs. We tested the hypothesis that diverse tropical inbreds carry alleles with similar effects at four key photoperiod response quantitative trait loci (QTL) previously identifi ed in maize. Four tropical maize inbreds were each crossed and backcrossed twice to the temper- ate recurrent parent B73 to establish four sets of introgression lines. Evaluation of these lines under long daylengths demonstrated that all four QTL have signifi cant effects on fl owering time or height in these lines, but the functional allelic effects varied substantially across the tropical donor lines. At the most important pho- toperiod response QTL on chromosome 10, one tropical line allele even promoted earlier fl ower- ing relative to the B73 allele. Signifi cant allelic effect differences among tropical founders were also demonstrated directly in an F 2 population derived from the cross of Ki14 and CML254. The chromosome 10 photoperiod response QTL position was validated in a set of heterogeneous inbred families evaluated in fi eld tests and in controlled environments.
Feeling Healthy: So Why Should Mexican-Descent Women Screen for Breast Cancer?

Mexican-descent women are at particular risk of late-stage breast cancer diagnosis by being the least likely of the major U.S. Hispanic subgroups to undergo breast cancer screening. This grounded theory study investigated how cultural health beliefs regarding the causes and nature of breast cancer influence women’s decision to participate in screening. Thirty-four women (age 49 to 81) were interviewed in five focus groups using theoretical sampling across levels of acculturation and socioeconomic status. Analysis of the most prevalent cultural health beliefs led to a discovery that the core problem Mexican-descent women face is that they perceive there is no reason to participate in breast cancer screening when they are “feeling healthy.” In addition, women who subjectively and cognitively feel healthy and otherwise have no evidence of illness according to their cultural health beliefs are unlikely to risk feeling ill rather than healthy by seeking to discover breast cancer through screening.
A software system for interactive MR signal processing.

Abstract This paper describes a new software platform called “V” which is designed for interactive processing of magnetic resonance data. The package currently contains a variety of functions for image reconstruction and spectral data analysis. More importantly, it provides a framework to facilitate the exchange and application of processing algorithms among researchers in the field. We discuss the architecture of the package, give an example to demonstrate its operation and provide instructions for obtaining the software.
The Distribution of Mating-Type Bias in Natural Populations of the Anther-Smut Ustilago violacea on Silene alba in Virginia

Complete individual-wide mating-type bias (retrieval of sporidia of only one mating type from germinated teliospores of one fungal individual) was observed to be a common and widespread feature of ...
Quantitative angiography: densitometry guided edge detection using mean field annealing

Coronary angiograms are degraded by blur and noise from the imaging system. Previously the authors proposed a method of deblurring and edge-preserving smoothing using Mean Field Annealing. Here, they show the results of the application of DMFA technique on clinical cineangiography. Also, they propose a new edge detection method which uses densitometric information as well as gradient information in the estimation of the edges. These techniques are applied to 13 synthetic vessel images and several clinical angiograms and the results are compared to those of the conventional gradient-based techniques. These methods may improve QCA measures of vessel diameters. >
Evaluation of an expeller-extruded soybean meal for broilers

SUMMARY Any variation in processing soybeans for inclusion in poultry diets requires validation of the ability of the soybean meal to sustain growth performance similar to what is achieved with solvent-extracted soybean meal. Three experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of feeding an expeller-extruded soybean meal vs. a commercial solvent-extracted soybean meal. Growth performance attributable to the source of soybean meal did not differ for 0- to 18-d-old broilers fed 2 levels of Lys (1.0 or 1.3%) and 2 levels of ME (3,000 or 3,300 kcal/kg). Similar growth performance was obtained for broilers fed solvent-extracted soybean meal vs. expellerextruded soybean meal for 0 to 49 d. However, broilers fed the expeller-extruded soybean meal had lower breast meat yield (24.95 vs. 26.30%). True digestibility values determined with adult cecectomized roosters for the expeller-extruded soybean meal indicated digestibility values of 86.6, 83.5, 87.4, 85.5, 86.5, and 86.7 for Lys, Thr, Met, Val, Ile, and Leu, respectively, which are lower than those reported by the NRC for solvent-extracted soybean meal. The feeding value of expeller-extruded soybean meal used in these experiments was similar to that of solventextracted soybean meal; however, consideration must be given to amino acid digestibility to achieve optimal breast meat yield.
Precision and error analysis of MATLAB applications during automated hardware synthesis for FPGAs

We present a compiler that takes high level signal and image processing algorithms described in MATLAB and generates an optimized hardware for an FPGA with external memory. We propose a precision analysis algorithm to determine the minimum number of bits required by an integer variable and a combined precision and error analysis algorithm to infer the minimum number of bits required by a floating point variable. Our results show that on average, our algorithms generate hardware requiring a factor of 5 less FPGA resources in terms of the configurable logic blocks (CLBs) consumed as compared to the hardware generated without these optimizations. We show that our analysis results in the reduction in the size of lookup tables for functions like sin, cos, sqrt, exp etc. Our precision analysis also enables us to pack various array elements into a single memory location to reduce the number external memory accesses. We show that such a technique improves the performance of the generated hardware by an average of 35%.
Self-interaction Error of Local Density Functionals for Alkali-halide Dissociation

Abstract We document the effect of self-interaction error in local density functionals for the dissociation of alkali–halide salts. The dissociated species have energies which are below the sums of atomic energies. There is a dramatic effect on the density itself, leaving unphysical partial charges on the atoms at dissociation. Unlike the cation-dimer paradigm, this manifestation of self interaction occurs in an overall neutral system with an even number of electrons. The reason why salts draw out this error is discussed in terms of electronegativity.
The effect of blood drawing techniques and equipment on the hemolysis of ED laboratory blood samples

Abstract Objective: The objective of this study was to identify venipuncture and blood draw factors associated with hemolysis (red blood cell damage) of ED blood samples. Methods: A convenience sample of ED blood samples was studied for degree of hemolysis and phlebotomy technique using data obtained from surveys completed by ED nurses and/or ED clinical technicians. The questionnaires were submitted with each blood sample sent to the laboratory for diagnostic testing. The level of hemolysis per sample was designated by laboratory technicians. Completed questionnaires were gathered and analyzed. Chi-square analysis was used to determine significant relationships. Results: During the 19-day study, 598 surveys were collected, and 76% (n = 454) were complete enough to be included in the analysis. The predominant technique for drawing blood in new venipunctures (n = 372) was by intravenous catheters (69% [n = 255]), versus straight needles (31% [n = 117]). Thirty-two percent of the samples had some degree of hemolysis; 13% were so hemolyzed that tests were canceled by the laboratory. Blood drawn through intravenous catheters resulted in significantly more hemolysis and test cancellation than that drawn with a straight needle (20% versus P P = .02). Conclusion: Drawing blood through intravenous catheters was associated with significantly more hemolysis than drawing blood with straight needles. Using a combination of intravenous catheter and vacutainer caused more hemolysis than using an intravenous catheter with a syringe.
Soliton phase conjugation in fourwave nonlinear interactions

The theory of four-wave interactions is extended to lend insight into interpreting physical wave relationships of solitons in finite nonlinear media. The coupled-mode equations are solved in terms of Jacobian elliptic functions, and it is found that four- wave interaction processes produce a phase conjugate pair of bright solitons and a single dark soliton.
Power, Class, and Family: Men and Women in the Mexican Elite, 1750-1810*

This essay explores the social relations within a landed elite—the dominant class in eighteenth-century Mexico. It aims to outline the nature of the powers that sustained that elite, to determine who directly exercised those powers, and to detail the relations between those pivotal powerholders and the remaining majority of elite class members. My primary concern, then, is the relationship between elite power and class membership. That, in turn, brings atttention to the roles of elite men and women, and the relations between them. Powerholders were usually men while class membership was shared equally between men and women. Was the internal structure of the elite thus based on sexual stratification? Were men able to be powerful and thus wealthy, while women could be wealthy only through subordination to a powerful man? To a great extent, that was true. But the majority of men within the Mexican elite were also wealthy while subordinate to a powerful man. And in a few notable cases, elite women exercised great power while men and women lived as their dependents. Sex was not the only principle of stratification among late colonial Mexican elites. Rather, sexual differentiation interacted with inequalities primarily based on economic power. This essay attempts to study the relations between economic power and sexual differentiation to approach an understanding of life within the late colonial landed elite in Mexico.
Epidemiology of periprosthetic fracture of the femur in 32 644 primary total hip arthroplasties: a 40-year experience

Aim and Methods The goals of this study were to define the risk factors, nature, chronology, and treatment strategies adopted for periprosthetic femoral fractures in 32 644 primary total hip arthroplasties (THAs). Results There were 564 intra-operative fractures (1.7%); 529 during uncemented stem placement (3.0%) and 35 during cemented stem placement (0.23%). Intra-operative fractures were more common in females and patients over 65 years (p < 0.001). The majority occurred during placement of the femoral component (60%), and involved the calcar (69%). There were 557 post-operative fractures (20-year probability: 3.5%; 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.2 to 3.9); 335 fractures after placement of an uncemented stem (20-year probability: 7.7%; 95% CI 6.2 to 9.1) and 222 after placement of a cemented stem (20-year probability: 2.1%; 95% CI 1.8 to 2.5). The probability of a post-operative fracture within 30 days after an uncemented stem was ten times higher than a cemented stem. The most common post-operative fracture type was a Vancouver A G (32%; n = 135), with 67% occurring after a fall. In all, 36% (n = 152) were treated with revision arthroplasty. Conclusion In summary, intra-operative fractures occur 14 times more often with uncemented stems. Female patients over 65 years of age are at highest risk. Post-operative fractures are also most common with uncemented stems, but are independent of age or gender. Cumulative risk of post-operative periprosthetic femur fracture was 3.5% at 20 years. Take home message: Intra-operative fractures occur 14 times more often with uncemented stems, particularly with female patients over 65 years of age, while post-operative fracture risk is independent of age or gender, but still increased with uncemented stems. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2016;98-B:461–7.
Investigation of Barcelona and Du Chilly filbert nuts. I. Chemical study of Barcelona and Du Chilly filbert nuts and oils

Barcelona and Du Chilly fibert nuts have been analyzed for their principal constituents. The characteristics of the oils obtained by solvent extraction and by cold expression have been determined and their fatty acid composition has been ascertained. Most of the chemical and physical characteristics of the oils as determined in this laboratory agree well with values previously reported by other investigators on European varieties. However, our study of the oil components shows a considerable difference in fatty acid composition.
COAGULATION OF CATFISH BLOOD.

SummaryThe blood of the fresh water catfish (Ameiurus nebulosus) clots rapidly. There appears to be species specificity of the prothrombin-thromboplastin reaction with both the one- and two-stage methods. Catfish brain thromboplastin causes rapid clotting of catfish plasma, but acts as a partial thromboplastin with canine plasma. Catfish plasma does not correct the long partial thromboplastin time of human plasmas deficient in factor V, factor VIII, factor IX, factor X, or factor XII.
Dimension availability with antecedent success or failure in concept identification

Concept identification (CI) performance was evaluated under conditions where pattern dimensions were either available (DA) or not available (DNA), with three levels of complexity, and antecedent success or failure, i. e., misinformation feedback (MF) on a preceding task. CI was negatively influenced by DNA, antecedent MF, and irrelevant information. DNA, antecedent MF, and Complexity significantly interacted, in pairs, to inhibit rate of information processing. Interpretation of results was that the three variables function as salient determinants of the potential universe of hypotheses which S may be considering in search of solution.
Perioperative Considerations of Do Not Resuscitate and Do Not Intubate Orders in Adult Patients

The vast majority of medical orders are for the purpose of some action being taken; for example, orders to admit patients to the hospital and orders to administer medications. DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) and DNI (Do Not Intubate) orders, however, are exceptions to these medical orders that initiate an action. DNR and DNI orders in the perioperative period may pit patients’ rights to decide which actions are (or are not) performed on their bodies against the surgeon and anesthesiologist’s duties to do their best to treat patients and to do no harm.
On the Construction of Socialist Constitution

The constitutional construction in socialist country learnt from capitalist countries.Soviet socialist constitution construction has many painful lessons,we should carefully summarize the construction of socialism with Chinese characteristics constitutional democratic system,to improve the system of people's congresses,to make our country really be practiced by the state constitution,then a socialist country ruled by law.
Experiment research on cracks propagation in a thin copper strip under cyclic tensile loadings

This paper presents a new phenomenon which was found in authors' experimental research on the propagation between two neighborly located cracks in a thin copper strip under cyclic tensile loadings with a 22.5° angle of cracks.The propagation between the two cracks is always found at the crack tip located outside the center region.This phenomenon cannot be explained through the classical theories and the stress concentration theory.
Treatment of renal failure in children.

Complementary use of dialysis and transplantation in children. Results of the treatment of 53 uremic children.
The Blau syndrome gene is not a major risk factor for sarcoidosis.

BACKGROUND A genetic predisposition to sarcoidosis has long been postulated, although no specific susceptibility genes are known. Candidate genes for the two granulomatous inflammatory disorders with clinical similarities to sarcoidosis, Blau syndrome and Crohn's disease, have been localized to a 40 centimorgan region spanning the chromosome 16 centromere. PATIENTS AND METHODS Using a sample of 35 African-American sibling pairs, who both had clinically confirmed sarcoidosis, we tested for genetic linkage between the 16p12-q21 interval (the likely location of the Blau syndrome gene) and sarcoidosis. RESULTS We found no evidence for linkage to any of the eight markers we tested in the 16p12-q21 interval. Ninety percent of the 16p12-q21 region had a LOD score < -2 for a dominant gene conferring a relative risk of 3 or greater for sarcoidosis. One hundred percent of the region had a LOD score < -2 for a dominant gene with a relative risk of 3.5 or greater or recessive gene with relative risk of 2.5 or greater. Based on simulation results we could not exclude a dominant gene with relative risk < 5 at the 0.05 significance level, nor a recessive gene with relative risk < 3, over the entire 16p12-q21 interval. CONCLUSIONS While the clinical similarities between Blau Syndrome and sarcoidosis suggest genetic homogeneity between the disorders, we found no evidence for linkage of sarcoidosis to the Blau syndrome locus. Our exclusion results suggest that the Blau Syndrome gene does not have a major effect on sarcoidosis susceptibility.
Cell-Cycle Functions and Regulation of Cdc14 Phosphatases

The Cdc14 phosphatases utilize the Cys-dependent catalytic mechanism shared by all PTPs, but outside of a short segment surrounding their active sites they exhibit no sequence similarity to the classical tyrosine-specific enzymes of this family. Cdc14 phosphatases dephosphorylate Ser/Thr as well as Tyr residues in artificial substrates in vitro, placing them among the dual-specificity phosphatases (DSPs), a distinct subgroup of the PTP family. The Cdc14 orthologs have little in common with other DSPs,many of which regulate MAP kinases. Cdcl4 orthologs and these MAP kinase phosphatases differ in their domain organization, and the only sequence similarity is restricted to a 60-residue region flanking their active sites. The basic structural organization of the prototypical budding yeast Cdc14 is shared by all orthologs identified to date. The CDC14 gene of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae encodes a protein phosphatase that is essential for cell-cycle progression and serves as a prototype for a group of closely related enzymes within the protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) family. Orthologs of yeast Cdc14 have been identified in protists, fungi, flowering plants, and animals, suggesting that this phosphatase, like many other cell-cycle regulators, is conserved among all eukaryotes. Cdc14 from budding yeast is the founding member of this subgroup of protein phosphatases and has been most thoroughly studied.
Picturing disability: beggar, freak, citizen, and other photographic rhetoric by Robert Bogdan, Martin Elks and James A. Knoll

This thought-provoking book is the third volume in the Critical Perspectives on Disability series published by Syracuse University Press. Nine of the book’s eleven chapters were researched and writ...
Estimating travel time in urban traffic by modeling transportation network systems with binary subsystems

Previous work (Spall, 2014) introduced a method for estimating the parameters of a stochastic system with binary subsystems, based on a combination of full system and subsystem experiments. This paper extends the theoretical results from the previous work to a complex transportation network system. We build up the mathematical model for the transportation network, derive the maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) for the system, and give a numerical example to illustrate our approach. In this study, we propose to collect test data of travel time from Google Maps and identify a novel method to process the rounded quantized data. Finally, our work concludes by discussing the pros and cons of the approach and identifying future work based on this study.
Shoulder acromioclavicular joint reconstruction options and outcomes

Acromioclavicular joint separations are a common cause of shoulder pain in the young athletic population. In high-grade injuries, acromioclavicular joint reconstruction procedures may be indicated for functional improvement. There is currently no gold standard for the surgical management of these injuries. Multiple reconstructive options exist, including coracoclavicular screws, hook plates, endobutton coracoclavicular fixations, and anatomic ligament reconstructions with tendon grafts. This article aims to review pertinent acromioclavicular joint anatomy and biomechanics, radiographic evaluation, classification system, as well as reconstruction options, outcomes, and complications.
Towards computationally efficient planning of dynamic multi-contact locomotion

This paper considers the problem of numerically efficient planning for legged robot locomotion, aiming towards reactive multi-contact planning as a reliability feature. We propose to decompose the problem into two parts: an extremely low dimensional kinematic search, which only adjusts a geometric path through space; and a dynamic optimization, which we focus on in this paper. This dynamic optimization also includes the selection of foot steps and hand-holds—in the special case of instantaneous foot re-location. This case is interesting because 1) it is a limiting behavior for algorithms with a foot switching cost, 2) it may have merit as a heuristic to guide search, and 3) it could act as a building block towards algorithms which do consider foot transition cost. The algorithm bears similarity both to phase space locomotion planning techniques for bipedal walking and the minimum time trajectory scaling problem for robot arms. A fundamental aspect of the algorithm's efficiency is its use of linear programming with reuse of the active set of inequality constraints. Simulation results in a simplified setting are used to demonstrate the planning of agile locomotion behaviors.
Listening and Hearing

In today’s polarized milieu doublethink is refined to “sayisms,” talking points, soundbites, bullet points, and bumper stickers, announcing a stance but not necessarily seeking a response beyond approval (like) or disparagement (unfriend). Conversations become stilted, guarded, or polemical. Often they simply cease. News media seek followers rather than listeners, and content in the educational sphere is increasingly displaced by the modeling of attitudes to be mimicked. Free speech is often transmogrified into silencing -- and violence that can be fatal. The rhetoric of ever expanding rights-claims, hallmarks of a progressive faith﻿ displaces efforts toward the kind of mutual accommodation needed in any healthy community. This article is a plea for less grandstanding and more listening, even to the voices of religious traditions, which have long served, and continue to serve, as a kind of communal conscience, being repositories of the highest values and deepest concerns of the majority of mankind.
Charge-transfer interactions induce surface dependent conformational changes in apolipoprotein biocorona.

Upon introduction into a biological system, engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) rapidly associate with a variety of biomolecules such as proteins and lipids to form a biocorona. The presence of “biocorona” influences nano–bio interactions considerably, and could ultimately result in altered biological responses. Apolipoprotein A-I (ApoA-I), the major constituent of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), is one of the most prevalent proteins found in ENM-biocorona irrespective of ENM nature, size, and shape. Given the importance of ApoA-I in HDL and cholesterol transport, it is necessary to understand the mechanisms of ApoA-I adsorption and the associated structural changes for assessing consequences of ENM exposure. Here, the authors used a comprehensive array of microscopic and spectroscopic tools to elucidate the interactions between ApoA-I and 100 nm Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) with four different surface functional groups. The authors found that the protein adsorption and secondary structural changes are highly dep...
Substantial air quality and climate co-benefits achievable now with sectoral mitigation strategies in China

China is the world's top carbon emitter and suffers from severe air pollution. We examine near-term air quality and CO2 co-benefits of various current sector-based policies in China. Using a 2015 base case, we evaluate the potential benefits of four sectoral mitigation strategies. All scenarios include a 20% increase in conventional air pollution controls as well as the following sector-specific fuel switching or technology upgrade strategies. Power sector (POW): 80% replacement of small coal power plants with larger more efficient ones; Industry sector (IND): 10% improvement in energy efficiency; Transport sector (TRA): replacement of high emitters with average vehicle fleet emissions; and Residential sector (RES): replacement of 20% of coal-based stoves with stoves using liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Conducting an integrated assessment using the regional air pollution model WRF-Chem, we find that the IND scenario reduces national air-pollution-related deaths the most of the four scenarios examined (27,000, 24,000, 13,000 and 23,000 deaths reduced annually in IND, POW, TRA and RES, respectively). In addition, the IND scenario reduces CO2 emissions more than 8 times as much as any other scenario (440, 53, 0 and 52 Mt CO2 reduced in IND, POW, TRA and RES, respectively). We also examine the benefits of an industrial efficiency improvement of just 5%. We find the resulting air quality and health benefits are still among the largest of the sectoral scenarios, while the carbon mitigation benefits remain more than 3 times larger than any other scenario. Our analysis hence highlights the importance of even modest industrial energy efficiency improvements and air pollution control technology upgrades for air quality, health and climate benefits in China.
Hierarchical Successive Group Decoding Achieves Capacity in the Multiple Access Channel With General Message Sets

We establish that the capacity regions of the discrete memoryless and vector Gaussian multiple access channels with general message sets are achievable with hierarchical successive group decoding, where groups of messages are successively decoded in accordance with the following rule: for each pair of messages known to nested sets of transmitters, the message known to more transmitters is decoded prior to—and not jointly with—the message known to fewer transmitters. This conclusion requires neither rate-splitting nor time-sharing, and is agnostic to whether or not the messages were encoded dependently. For instance, with private messages, hierarchical successive group decoding includes jointly decoding all messages at once, while for degraded messages, it is successive decoding in only one order. A consequence of our main result is that the capacity region of the multiple access channel with general message sets is achievable by time-sharing between only those successive decoding vertices whose decoding order respects the rule described as earlier.
Preliminary performance analysis of Hadoop 3.0.0-alpha3

Apache Software Foundation has released an alpha version of Hadoop, Apache Hadoop 3.0.0-alpha3. This research paper focuses on analyzing the performance of the new version with respect to the older version of Hadoop, Apache Hadoop 2.7.3. The performance analysis is done by running various benchmark tests included in the Apache Hadoop distribution on the two versions of Apache Hadoop installed on different isolated Virtual Machines. The results of the test runs are detailed in this paper.
The Ubiquitous Matched Filter: A Tutorial and Application to Radar Detection

In 1946, David Middleton, along with his PhD advisor J.H. Van Vleck (later to be awarded the Nobel prize), published the paper “A Theoretical Comparison of the Visual, Aural, and Meter Reception of Pulsed Signals in the Presence of Noise” in the Journal of Applied Physics [23]. This paper evolved from earlier work of Middleton in 1943. In it, a new type of device was derived and analyzed. It was to be called the matched filter. It allowed filter designers a straightforward method for detecting the presence of a signal that was obscured by additive noise. Coming at a time when radar was being developed and its important role in World War II recognized, the matched filter was to have a lasting impact on humanity. Although principally motivated by the radar application, it has found widespread use in commercial and military applications. From locating blood vessels from retinal images [11], to monitoring water pollution [1], to the design of cell phones [7], this once “military ” concept has proven to be a fundamental tool in modern signal processing. A recent Google search produced more than 568,000 hits in response to the input “matched filter”, with application fields that are widely diverse.
The Family - 100 Years of Neglect

The following address was made at an All-Day Institute convened by the Family Court Division of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas in conjunction with the Family Institute of Philadelphia to explore issues and new responsibilities faced by public and private agencies dealing with the myriad changes in family life in this last decade of social up-
The λ 747 coronal line at the 1966 eclipse

Observations are presented of emission line resonance polarization in Fe xiii λ10747 at the total solar eclipse of 12 November 1966. Useful data, with angular resolution 15″, describe three quadrants of the corona from 1.08 R⊙ to a maximum of 1.6 R⊙. The direction of the electric vector of observed polarization is perpendicular to the solar limb, to the limits of accuracy of measurement, in at least 74% of all cases. Departures in the other points are consistent with the magnetic depolarization expected from the non-radial fields of streamers. Polarizations observed range from near zero at the limb to 80 % and higher at 1.6 R⊙. Averaged polarization is highest in non-streamer regions, where above 1.2 R⊙ it suggests pure radiative excitation of the λ10747 line. Below 1.2 R⊙, and in a dense streamer, the polarization is significantly depressed, indicating dominant collisional excitation of the line wherever the electron density exceeds 50 × 106 cm−3.
Design, Modeling and Control of a Solar-Powered Quadcopter

This paper presents the design, modeling, control, and experimental test of a solar-powered quadcopter to allow for long-endurance missions. We first present the design of a large-scale quadcopter that incorporates solar energy harvesting capabilities. Based on the design results, we built the dynamical model of the customized quadcopter with analysis of the aerodynamic influence. A feedback control system is developed for the solar-powered quadcopter that takes into account the wind disturbance and is verified in virtual simulation examples. All parameters used in the modeling and simulations are based on a developed prototype of the solar-powered quadcopter. Flight tests with the prototype are presented to validate the feasibility and theoretical basis of the solar-powered quadcopter.
Oncology patients with emergency based admissions: Targets for improvement.

e18180Background: Oncology patients frequently utilize emergency room services with increased admission rates and, often, significant consequences on health care costs. National Hospital Ambulatory...
Electromagnetic Position Sensing and Force Feedback for a Magnetic Stylus With an Interactive Display

This letter describes the design, implementation, validation, and demonstration of an electromagnetic system that can be incorporated into a graphical display to provide computer-controlled planar feedback forces on the tip of a stylus or fingertip-mounted magnet held near the display surface, according to the magnet position and virtual fixtures implemented in software. An array of magnetometer sensors is used to detect the position of the magnet, while a pair of box-shaped coils behind the display produces feedback forces on the stylus parallel to the plane of the display. Electromagnetic analysis for the system design is presented and system implementation is described. Validation results are given for force generation within a 100 mm × 100 mm area and force interaction with a virtual obstacle is demonstrated.