cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A coarse-to-fine approach for pericardial effusion localization and segmentation in chest CT scans

Pericardial effusion on CT scans demonstrates very high shape and volume variability and very low contrast to adjacent structures. This inhibits traditional automated segmentation methods from achieving high accuracies. Deep neural networks have been widely used for image segmentation in CT scans. In this work, we present a two-stage method for pericardial effusion localization and segmentation. For the first step, we localize the pericardial area from the entire CT volume, providing a reliable bounding box for the more refined segmentation step. A coarse-scaled holistically-nested convolutional networks (HNN) model is trained on entire CT volume. The resulting HNN per-pixel probability maps are then threshold to produce a bounding box covering the pericardial area. For the second step, a fine-scaled HNN model is trained only on the bounding box region for effusion segmentation to reduce the background distraction. Quantitative evaluation is performed on a dataset of 25 CT scans of patient (1206 images) with pericardial effusion. The segmentation accuracy of our two-stage method, measured by Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC), is 75.59±12.04%, which is significantly better than the segmentation accuracy (62.74±15.20%) of only using the coarse-scaled HNN model.
The Hybrid Arch Bar Is a Cost-Beneficial Alternative in the Open Treatment of Mandibular Fractures

Obtaining maxillomandibular fixation (MMF) to achieve fracture reduction and functional occlusion is essential in the management of maxillofacial trauma. The aims of this retrospective review were to compare the total time spent in the operating room (OR) when using the Erich arch bar (EAB) versus the bone anchored hybrid arch bar (HAB) as well as performing a cost–benefit analysis (CBA). The study sample comprised patients older than 18 years who underwent open reduction internal fixation of mandible fractures at two separate institutions over a 5-year period. The primary outcome variable was total surgical time in minutes, defined as the time from incision to the completion of closure. Average operative time was significantly longer for the EAB than for the HAB (186.74 ± 70.73 vs. 135.98 ± 2.69 minutes, p
Geographic Clustering of Corruption in the U.S.

We test the hypothesis that U.S. corporations headquartered in states with greater public corruption are also prone to more unethical behavior when operating abroad. We exploit passage of Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) that curtailed bribery of foreign officials and find firms in corrupt states, especially those exporting to more corrupt countries, suffer greater performance decline following FCPA, suggesting larger loss from anticipated bribery restrictions. Controlling for industry, firms in corrupt states are more likely to be targets of FCPA enforcement actions. They are also more likely to have paid foreign bribes, as disclosed during pre-FCPA investigations.
Restoring America’s Everglades: A Lobbyist’s Perspective

The Greater Everglades Ecosystem is one of the most ecologically significant wetlands on earth, and is one of the most biologically diverse areas in the world. It is also an international center for business, agriculture, and tourism, with a rapidly growing population of varied ethnic, economic, and social values – all dependent on a fully functioning Everglades ecosystem for an adequate freshwater supply, a healthy and sustainable economy, and overall quality of life. Due to the combined effects of water mismanagement and urban and agricultural pollution, the Everglades ecosystem is among the most endangered ecosystems in the world. Everglades restoration will repair much of the damage from drainage and development, bringing back the wading birds that once filled the South Florida landscape and restoring hundreds of thousands of acres of wetlands and estuarine habitat. Restoring America’s Everglades is one of Audubon’s highest priorities. Audubon public policy experts are at the forefront of changing political will in favor of restoration of our natural ecosystems.
Adsorption of propane and n -butane on polystyrene adsorbents

The adsorption isotherms of propane andn-butane adsorbed on two polystyrene adsorbents with high and low specific surface areas were measured in the concentration range from 500 ppm to 10 800 ppm in a helium carrier gas at 273, 298, 303, and 313K. The isotherms can be represented by either a Freundlich or a Langmuir-Freundlich type equation. The energetic heterogeneities of the two adsorbents were characterized in terms of the dispersion of the adsorption energy. Also, the isosteric heats were calculated from the dimensionless adsorption capacities.
Disease progression of Takayasu arteritis in two patients treated with tocilizumab

In recent years there has been growing interest in the use of tocilizumab for the treatment of large vessel vasculitis, particularly giant cell arteritis.1 Nakaoka et al recently suggested that tocilizumab may be of therapeutic benefit in patients with relapsing Takayasu arteritis (TAK).2 In this journal, a case of aortic ulceration in a patient with TAK while on tocilizumab was described.3 We report two additional patients who had disease progression despite tocilizumab therapy. ### Case 1 A 44-year-old woman with a 20-year history of seropositive rheumatoid arthritis in clinical remission on adalimumab presented with new-onset right upper extremity claudication. A diagnosis of TAK was made after angiography demonstrated arterial thickening of the aorta and arch branches with multifocal narrowing of the subclavian and common carotid arteries. …
Electro-mechanical studies of multi-functional glass fiber/epoxy reinforced composites:

An experimental study is performed to investigate the electro-mechanical response of three-dimensionally conductive multi-functional glass fiber/epoxy laminated composites under quasi-static tensil...
Trends in Opioid Prescribing for Adolescents and Young Adults in Ambulatory Care Settings

BACKGROUND: Adolescents and young adults are at high risk for opioid misuse after exposure from medical treatment. However, the epidemiology of opioid prescribing among outpatient adolescents and young adults remains poorly described. We aimed to characterize opioid prescribing in adolescents and young adults receiving care in emergency departments (EDs) and outpatient clinics. METHODS: We analyzed National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey data from 2005 to 2015. We included visits to EDs and outpatient clinics for adolescents (13–17 years old) and young adults (18–22 years old). Rates of opioid prescribing were calculated with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and linear trends over time were examined with logistic regression models. RESULTS: Nearly 57 million visits (5.7%; 95% CI 5.4% to 6.0%) by adolescents and young adults were associated with an opioid prescription. The rate of opioid prescribing was 14.9% (95% CI 14.4% to 15.6%) for ED visits and 2.8% (95% CI 2.5% to 3.1%) for outpatient clinic visits. There was a small but significant decrease in the rate of opioid prescriptions among ED visits (odds ratio 0.96; 95% CI 0.95 to 0.98); no change was seen for outpatient clinic visits. Among ED visits, opioid-prescribing rates were highest among adolescents and young adults with dental disorders (59.7% and 57.9%, respectively), followed by adolescents with clavicle (47.0%) and ankle fractures (38.1%). CONCLUSIONS: Rates of opioid prescribing in EDs and outpatient clinics remain high for adolescents and young adults, especially for certain emergency conditions. These findings inform targeted educational campaigns aiming to ensure judicious use of opioids in this high-risk population.
Local Propagation of Impulsive GravitationalWaves

In this paper, we initiate the rigorous mathematical study of the problem of impulsive gravitational spacetime waves. We construct such spacetimes as solutions to the characteristic initial value problem of the Einstein vacuum equations with a data curvature delta singularity. We show that in the resulting spacetime, the delta singularity propagates along a characteristic hypersurface, while away from that hypersurface the spacetime remains smooth. Unlike the known explicit examples of impulsive gravitational spacetimes, this work in particular provides the first construction of an impulsive gravitational wave of compact extent and does not require any symmetry assumptions. The arguments in the present paper also extend to the problem of existence and uniqueness of solutions to a larger class of nonregular characteristic data. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
p53 Activation by Cr(VI): A Transcriptionally Limited Response Induced by ATR Kinase in S-phase

Cellular reduction of carcinogenic chromium(VI) causes several forms of Cr-DNA damage with different genotoxic properties. Chromate-treated cultured cells have shown a strong proapoptotic activity of the DNA damage-sensitive transcription factor p53. However, induction of p53 transcriptional targets by Cr(VI) in rodent lungs was weak or undetectable. We examined Cr(VI) effects on the p53 pathway in human cells with restored levels of ascorbate that acts as a principal reducer of Cr(VI) in vivo but is nearly absent in standard cell cultures. Ascorbate-restored H460 and primary human cells treated with Cr(VI) contained higher levels of p53 and its Ser15 phosphorylation, which were induced by ATR kinase. Cr(VI)-stimulated p53 phosphorylation occurred in S-phase by a diffusible pool of ATR that was separate from the chromatin-bound pool targeting DNA repair substrates at the sites of toxic mismatch repair of Cr-DNA adducts. Even when more abundantly present than after exposure to the radiomimetic bleomycin, Cr(VI)-stabilized p53 showed a much more limited activation of its target genes in two types of primary human cells. No increases in mRNA were found for nucleotide excision repair factors and a majority of proapoptotic genes. A weak transcription activity of Cr(VI)-upregulated p53 was associated with its low lysine acetylation in the regulatory C-terminal domain, resulting from the inability of Cr(VI) to activate ATM in ascorbate-restored cells. Thus, p53 activation by ascorbate-metabolized Cr(VI) represents a limited genome-protective response that is defective in upregulation of DNA repair genes and proapoptotic transcripts for elimination of damaged cells.
Arthroscopic On-Lay Biceps Tenodesis: The Loop-Lock Technique

The biceps tendon is a common pain generator in the shoulder. Long head of the biceps tendon pathology occurs in a variety of different ways. There are several different treatment options available to address the long head of the biceps. With advances in arthroscopy, all-arthroscopic tenodesis is becoming a more popular choice to address biceps tendon pathology. We describe an all-arthroscopic technique, termed "the loop-lock," for performing a biceps tenodesis.
Investigation of the conserved reentrant membrane helix in the monotopic phosphoglycosyl transferase superfamily supports key molecular interactions with polyprenol phosphate substrates.

Abstract Long-chain polyprenol phosphates feature in membrane-associated glycoconjugate biosynthesis pathways across domains of life. These unique amphiphilic molecules are best known as substrates of polytopic membrane proteins, including polyprenol-phosphate phosphoglycosyl and glycosyl transferases, and as components of more complex substrates. The linear polyprenols are constrained by double bond geometry and lend themselves well to interactions with polytopic membrane proteins, in which multiple transmembrane helices form a rich landscape for interactions. Recently, a new superfamily of monotopic phosphoglycosyl transferase enzymes has been identified that interacts with polyprenol phosphate substrates via a single reentrant membrane helix. Intriguingly, despite the dramatic differences in their membrane-interaction domains, both polytopic and monotopic enzymes similarly favor a unique cis/trans geometry in their polyprenol phosphate substrates. Herein, we present a multipronged biochemical and biophysical study of PglC, a monotopic phosphoglycosyl transferase that catalyzes the first membrane-committed step in N-linked glycoprotein biosynthesis in Campylobacter jejuni. We probe the significance of polyprenol phosphate geometry both in mediating substrate binding to PglC and in modulating the local membrane environment. Geometry is found to be important for binding to PglC; a conserved proline residue in the reentrant membrane helix is determined to drive polyprenol phosphate recognition and specificity. Pyrene fluorescence studies show that polyprenol phosphates at physiologically-relevant levels increase the disorder of the local lipid bilayer; however, this effect is confined to polyprenol phosphates with specific isoprene geometries. The molecular insights from this study may shed new light on the interactions of polyprenol phosphates with diverse membrane-associated proteins in glycoconjugate biosynthesis.
Transport of inertial particles in high-Reynolds-number turbulent boundary layers

We investigate the transport of size-selected particles suspended in turbulent boundary layers at friction Reynolds numbers up to . We use microscopic glass spheres in air, spanning a wide range of viscous Stokes numbers, . These are imaged simultaneously with the flow tracers, and particle image and tracking velocimetry are used to measure the two-phase flow along a wall-normal plane in the logarithmic region. The air flow statistics are not altered by the particles at the present mass loading. In comparison to the classic equilibrium solution, the particle concentration profiles display weaker wall-normal gradients. This is shown to be an effect of particle inertia: this manifests itself through different mechanisms in different strata of the flow, and the effects on the concentration are captured by a three-layer parameterization of the profile. The particles lag the fluid across the boundary layer, with a mean slip velocity of the order of the friction velocity and increasing with particle inertia. Near the wall this lag is mainly due to the instantaneous slip of the particles relative to the surrounding fluid, while away from the wall the leading cause is the preferential sampling of low-speed fluid regions. Larger particles (in the size range of sand, as opposed to dust) display a qualitatively different behaviour, likely because of nonlinear drag effects. All considered particles oversample specific regions of the fluid flow: they favour regions of negative streamwise fluctuations, especially ejection events, and are likely to be found about the centre of strain cells with backward-leaning compressive axis and forward-leaning extensive axis. This pattern is visible for a wide range of Stokes numbers, underscoring the multi-scale nature of preferential concentration. The present findings highlight how high-Reynolds-number features of turbulent boundary layers impact the transport of suspended inertial particles, and thus are especially relevant to environmental and geophysical flows.
Finding uncommon ground: Extremist online forum engagement predicts integrative complexity

How do interactions with an ideologically extreme online community affect cognition? In this paper, we examine whether engagement with an online neo-Nazi forum is associated with more one-sided, "black and white" thinking. Using naturalistic language data, we examined differences in integrative complexity, a measure of the degree to which people acknowledge and reconcile conflicting ideas and viewpoints, and contrasted it with Language Style Matching, a measure of group cohesion. In a large web scraping study (N = 1,891), we tested whether two measures of engagement and interaction with the community are associated with less complex, balanced cognition. Using hierarchical regression modeling, we found that both individuals who had been community members for longer and those who had posted more tended to show less complexity in their language, even when accounting for mean differences between individuals. However, these differences in integrative complexity were distinct from group cohesion, which actually decreased with our measures of engagement. Despite small effect sizes, these findings indicate that ideologically extreme online communities may exacerbate the views of their members and contribute to ever-widening polarized cognitions.
Promoting the Dissemination of Reliable Consumer Health Information about COVID-19 to Patients

During the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, information about COVID-19 abounds from a variety of sources including word of mouth from friends and family, online including social media and from tele...
Reply to Li et al.: Estimate of the association between TB risk and famine intensity is robust to various famine intensity estimators.

We thank Li et al. (1) for their interest in our paper (2) and agree that different approaches to estimating famine intensity, expressed here as the cohort size shrinkage index (CSSI), could affect estimates of its association with tuberculosis (TB) risk in the birth cohort directly impacted by famine. We acknowledge their contention that our published CSSI estimates could be biased upward due to postfamine increases in fertility that suggest delayed births. However, the proposal to use only prefamine (1953 to 1957) births to estimate the counterfactual size of the famine cohort (1958 to 1962) strikes us as ill-advised, since it ignores secular increases in cohort size that are clearly observable in data for Sichuan Province (Fig. 1) and for China as a whole (3). We respond here by examining alternative approaches to estimating the counterfactual cohort size and their impacts on estimates of the … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence may be addressed. Email: jvr{at}berkeley.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Temporal Changes in Reverse Torque of Locking-Head Screws Used in the Locking Plate in Segmental Tibial Defect in Goat Model.

The objective of this study was to evaluate changes in peak reverse torque (PRT) of the locking head screws that occur over time. A locking plate construct, consisting of an 8-hole locking plate and 8 locking screws, was used to stabilize a tibia segmental bone defect in a goat model. PRT was measured after periods of 3, 6, 9, and 12 months of ambulation. PRT for each screw was determined during plate removal. Statistical analysis revealed that after 6 months of loading, locking screws placed in position no. 4 had significantly less PRT as compared with screws placed in position no. 5 (p 0.05). Intracortical fractures occurred during the placement of 151 out of 664 screws (22.7%) and were significantly more common in the screw positions closest to the osteotomy (positions 4 and 5, p < 0.05). Periosteal and endosteal bone reactions and locking screw backout occurred significantly more often in the proximal bone segments (p < 0.05). Screw backout significantly, negatively influenced the PRT of the screws placed in positions no. 3, 4, and 5 (p < 0.05). The locking plate-screw constructs provided stable fixation of 2.5-cm segmental tibia defects in a goat animal model for up to 12 months.
Silent Myocardial Infarction and Subsequent Ischemic Stroke in the Cardiovascular Health Study.

Objective To test the hypothesis that silent myocardial infarction (MI) is a risk factor for ischemic stroke, we evaluated the association between silent MI and subsequent ischemic stroke in the Cardiovascular Health Study. Methods The Cardiovascular Health Study prospectively enrolled community-dwelling individuals ≥65 years of age. We included participants without prevalent stroke or baseline evidence of MI. Our exposures were silent and clinically apparent, overt MI. Silent MI was defined as new evidence of Q-wave MI, without clinical symptoms of MI, on ECGs performed during annual study visits from 1989 to 1999. The primary outcome was incident ischemic stroke. Secondary outcomes were ischemic stroke subtypes: nonlacunar, lacunar, and other/unknown. Cox proportional hazards analysis was used to model the association between time-varying MI status (silent, overt, or no MI) and stroke after adjustment for baseline demographics and vascular risk factors. Results Among 4,224 participants, 362 (8.6%) had an incident silent MI, 421 (10.0%) an incident overt MI, and 377 (8.9%) an incident ischemic stroke during a median follow-up of 9.8 years. After adjustment for demographics and comorbidities, silent MI was independently associated with subsequent ischemic stroke (hazard ratio [HR], 1.51; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03–2.21). Overt MI was associated with ischemic stroke both in the short term (HR, 80; 95% CI, 53–119) and long term (HR, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.04–2.44). In secondary analyses, the association between silent MI and stroke was limited to nonlacunar ischemic stroke (HR, 2.40; 95% CI, 1.36–4.22). Conclusion In a community-based sample, we found an association between silent MI and ischemic stroke.
PATIENT PERSPECTIVES OF TELEHEALTH FOR FERTILITY CARE: A NATIONAL SURVEY

Objective: Telehealth is used in various healthcare settings with patient satisfaction and reduced patient cost. [1, 2] However, fertility care is a uniquely personal journey and patient attitudes towards telehealth are relatively unknown. We evaluated attitudes of fertility patients across the United States towards telehealth using a validated telehealth satisfaction and usefulness questionnaire. Materials and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey study. An anonymous, web-based survey was distributed to national infertility groups between Feb-April 2021.The survey gathered demographic information and included the Telehealth Usability Questionnaire (TUQ), which assesses aspects of telehealth usability with a 7-point Likert scale (strongly disagree to strongly agree). We solicited general comments regarding telehealth for fertility care. The primary outcome was overall satisfaction using telehealth. We computed descriptive statistics to compare satisfied vs unsatisfied participants. Results: 104 respondents initiated and 74 completed the survey. Participants represented 24 different states and all regions of the United States. Most respondents were white (81.1%) with a median age of 35 years old. Most participants (80%) were satisfied using telehealth. Given low frequency of patient dissatisfaction, we were unable to perform statistical tests to compare demographic differences between satisfied and unsatisfied participants. Most (86.5%) respondents would use telehealth again. When given an option, 63.5% prefer in person for new patient visits. For follow up visits, 47.3% prefer telehealth and 27% had no preference. Only 25.7% preferred a follow up visit in person. Conclusions: Telehealth can improve access to care with high rates of patient satisfaction. Most fertility patients still prefer new visits be conducted in person. Impact Statement: Our findings suggest fertility clinics should continue to offer telehealth visits even after the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. References: 1. Alex Zhu, D., et al., TELEHEALTH FOR MALE-INFERTILITY IS FEASIBLE AND SAVES PATIENTS’ TIME AND MONEY. ASRM 2020 2. Tenforde, A.S., et al., Outpatient Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapy Synchronous Telemedicine: A Survey Study of Patient Satisfaction with Virtual Visits During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Am J Phys Med Rehabil, 2020.
Comparison of False-Positive Versus True-Positive Findings on Contrast-Enhanced Digital Mammography.

Background: Contrast-enhanced digital mammography (CEDM) has been shown to outperform standard mammography while performing comparably to contrast-enhanced MRI. Objective: To compare imaging characteristics of false-positive and true-positive findings on CEDM. Methods: This retrospective study included women who underwent baseline screening CEDM between January 2013 and December 2018 assessed as BI-RADS category 0, 3, 4, or 5 and who underwent biopsy with histopathologic diagnosis or had two-year imaging follow-up. Lesion characteristics were extracted from CEDM reports. A true-positive finding was defined as a lesion in which biopsy yielded malignancy. A false-positive finding was defined as a lesion in which biopsy yielded benign or benign high-risk pathology, or two-year imaging follow-up was negative. Results: Of 157 patients (median age, 52 years), 24 had a total of 26 true-positive lesions, and 133 had a total of 147 false-positive lesions. Of the 26 true-positive lesions, 1 (4%) exhibited only a mammographic finding on low-iodine images, 13 (50%) only a contrast finding on iodine images, and 12 (46%) both a mammographic finding on low-energy images and a contrast finding on iodine images. A true-positive result was more likely (p=.02) for lesions present on both low-energy and iodine images (31%) than on low-energy images only (4%) or iodine images only (12%). Among lesions present on both low-energy and iodine images, a true-positive result was more likely (p<.001) when the type of mammographic finding was asymmetry (50%) or calcification (80%) than mass (11%) or distortion (0%). A true-positive result was more likely (p=.01) among those with, versus without, an ultrasound correlate (36% vs 9%), and also more likely (p=.02) among those with, versus without, an MRI correlate (18% vs 2%). Of 25 false-positive calcifications, 24 had no associated mammographic enhancement; of 5 true-positive calcifications, 4 had mammographic enhancement. Conclusion: A low-energy mammographic finding with associated enhancement, or a finding with sonographic or MRI correlate, predicts a true-positive result. Calcifications with associated enhancement had a high malignancy rate. Nonetheless, half of true-positive lesions enhanced on iodine images without a mammographic finding on low-energy images. Clinical impact: These observations inform radiologists' management of abnormalities detected on screening CEDM.
Monochloramine Disinfection of Biofilm-Associated Legionella pneumophila in a Potable Water Model System

This chapter aims at determining the susceptibility of biofilm-associated Legionella pneumophila to free chlorine and monochloramine. A biofilm reactor was developed to grow biofilms containing L. pneumophila on 24 replicate stainless-steel surfaces in potable water. The ability of this reactor to produce reproducible biofilms was validated by the fact that the standard deviations of the base biofilm densities on stainless-steel coupons (n = 3) ranged from 0.06 to 0.18 log CFU per coupon. When Legionella containing biofilms were exposed to the same dosages of monochloramine for identical contact periods, the treatments were significantly more effective. In summary, the authors have shown that biofilm-associated L. pneumophila are significantly less susceptible to chlorine than are planktonic L. pneumophila, while susceptibility of planktonic and biofilm-associated L. pneumophila to monochloramine are similar. When monochloramine and free chlorine were compared under identical conditions, monochloramine was significantly more effective, indicating that monochloramine may be an effective disinfectant for the inactivation of L. pneumophila within potable water distribution systems. Further research using open system biofilm reactors and model distribution systems is needed to determine the utility of monochloramine as a disinfectant against biofilm-associated L. pneumophila.
Scattering Problems, Coding, and Multifractal Invariant Measures

The two topics of this last chapter have only recently entered into the discussion of chaotic Hamiltonian systems; in both cases the author (Gutzwiller 1983; Gutzwiller and Mandelbrot 1988) was the first, with a safe headstart, to consider the problems involved, and to demonstrate the basic features by working out a typical example in some mathematical detail. Scattering in a surface of constant negative curvature was discussed at the end of the last chapter; but quite generally, the phase shift can be expected to depend in an analytically smooth, and yet essentially chaotic manner on the wave vector. Moreover, this behavior is the result of a straightforward approximation based on classical mechanics, even though the purely classical interpretation of scattering by itself may not yield reasonable, let alone good results.
Superovulation-induced intrauterine growth retardation in mice.

Abstract Existing animal models for inducing intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) involve severe maternal compromise or acute fetal insult. We postulated that superovulation would produce IUGR gradually by enhancing fetal competition for nutrients. Mice were superovulated with pregnant mare serum and human chorionic gonadotropin and killed on day 19 of gestation. Compared to controls, the mean number of fetuses was significantly increased; body, brain, liver, and placental weights were reduced; and brain/liver weight ratios were increased. Additional mice underwent partial unilateral oophorectomy before superovulation. Marked asymmetry in the number of fetuses in the two uterine horns of the same mother was produced, and the fetuses on the more crowded side manifested smaller brains and livers and increased brain/liver ratios. In the mouse, superovulation is a simple, preconceptual method for achieving IUGR and may be combined with partial unilateral oophorectomy to permit comparisons between fetuses with different growth characteristics within the same mother.
Site-Specific Analysis of a Droughted Corn Crop: I. Growth and Grain Yield

Soil in the southeastern USA Coastal Plain exhibits marked variation, especially near shallow depressions called Carolina Bays. This variation causes correspondingly severe variation in yield, particularly for corn (Zea mays L.) during drought. Though important to precision farming, these features often are overlooked in 1:20 000 scale county soil surveys. They are visible in 1:1200 scale soil surveys, but the ability to explain yield variation using soil map units at this scale must be unequivocally demonstrated before committing resources to such a detailed survey. Our objectives were (i) to compare paired samples of four soil map units to determine if grain yield variation were sufficiently explained to be of practical value, and (ii) to extend this evaluation to include data with greater spatial coverage. Corn grain yields were measured at 209 sites in an 8-ha field, including two Carolina Bays near Florence, SC. Site-specific effects of soil variation on crop phenology, biomass, and yield components were measured at 11 sites during a drought. Variations in yield components were large and sometimes compensatory (e.g., kernel number and mass), with distinctly different routes to sometimes similar final grain yields. Multiple sites within map units were frequently different at a = 0.05. Analysis of variance for grain yield on soil map unit was statistically significant (P < 0.001) but of limited explanatory value (r 2 = 0.16). We conclude that to create soil management zones for precision farming, one must augment even detailed soil map units with additional spatial data, such as yield maps.
Humanity's Burden: A Global History of Malaria

Humanity's Burden provides a panoramic overview of the history of malaria. It traces the long arc of malaria out of tropical Africa into Eurasia, its transfer to the Americas during the early years of the Columbian exchange, and its retraction from the middle latitudes into the tropics since the late nineteenth century. Adopting a broadly comparative approach to historical patterns and processes, it synthesizes research findings from the natural and social sciences and weaves these understandings into a narrative that reaches from the earliest evidence of malaria infections in tropical Africa up to the present. Written in a style that is easily accessible to non-specialists, it considers the significance of genetic mutations, diet, lifestyle, migration, warfare, palliative and curative treatment, and efforts to interrupt transmission on the global distribution of malaria.
Review article from ASHRAE symposium, San Francisco, January 1986. Transient performance and frosting of unitary heat pumps

Abstract Three papers relating to the transient performance and frosting of unitary air-source heat pumps were presented at this symposium. The titles and respective authors of the papers are: 1. 1. Effect of short cycling and fan delay on the efficiency of a modified residential heat pump by W.J. Mulroy, National Bureau of Standards. 2. 2. Air-to-air heat pumps operating under frosting conditions on the outside coil by C. Tantakitti and R. H. Howell, University of Missouri, Rolla. 3. 3. Design and preliminary analysis for measuring transient mass rate of flow in unitary heat pumps by M. I. Belth and D. R. Tree, Purdue University, West Lafayette. A short review of each of these is given in this Paper.
The Analysis of Queues with Time-Varying Rates for Telecommunication Models

Time dependent behavior has an impact on the performance of telecommunication models. Examples include: staffing a call center, pricing the inventory of private line services for profit maximization, and measuring the time lag between the peak arrivals and peak load for a system. These problems and more motivate the development of a queueing theory with time varying rates. Queueing theory as discussed in this paper is organized and presented from a communications perspective. Canonical queueing models with time-varying rates are given and the necessary mathematical tools are developed to analyze them. Finally, we illustrate the use of these models through various communication applications.
Biochemical response to acute temperature change in Atlantic killifish, Fundulus heteroclitus (586.1)

It is documented that after temperature acclimation, the killifish Fundulus heteroclitus shows differences in the activities of a number of enzymes including lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), an important catalyst in anaerobic respiration. Less well understood is the temporal pattern of change in activity from one temperature to another. We acclimated fish to 22°C, and shifted the temperature such that an equilibrium was reached at 4°C after 9 hours. During the shift, we collected liver and white muscle samples and assayed homogenates for the specific activity of LDH. After three hours, LDH activity in liver increased from 22.2 µmol·min-1·mg protein-1 to 75.1 µmol·min-1·mg protein-1 , but then dropped by nine hours to 25.4 µmol·min-1·mg protein-1. Conversely, LDH activity in muscle decreased from 154 µmol·min-1·mg protein-1 to 61.3 µmol·min-1·mg protein-1 and continued to decrease at a slowed rate. These data demonstrate that F. heteroclitus adjusts LDH activity extremely rapidly in response to temperature cha...
The Aspergillus FlbA RGS domain protein antagonizes G protein signaling to block proliferation and allow development

flbA encodes an Aspergillus nidulans RGS (regulator of G protein signaling) domain protein that is required for control of mycelial proliferation and activation of asexual sporulation. We identified a dominant mutation in a second gene, fadA, that resulted in a very similar phenotype to flbA loss-of-function mutants. Analysis of fadA showed that it encodes the alpha-subunit of a heterotrimeric G protein, and the dominant phenotype resulted from conversion of glycine 42 to arginine (fadA(G42R)). This mutation is predicted to result in a loss of intrinsic GTPase activity leading to constitutive signaling, indicating that activation of this pathway leads to proliferation and blocks sporulation. By contrast, a fadA deletion and a fadA dominant-interfering mutation (fadA(G203R)) resulted in reduced growth without impairing sporulation. In fact, the fadA(G203R) mutant was a hyperactive asexual sporulator and produced elaborate sporulation structures, called conidiophores, under environmental conditions that blocked wild-type sporulation. Both the fadA(G203R) and the fadA deletion mutations suppressed the flbA mutant phenotype as predicted if the primary role of FlbA in sporulation is in blocking activation of FadA signaling. Because overexpression of flbA could not suppress the fadA(G42R) mutant phenotype, we propose that FlbA's role in modulating the FadA proliferation signal is dependent upon the intrinsic GTPase activity of wild-type FadA.
K-parity for systems withSU3 and charge-conjugation symmetry

In this paper an operator is discussed that applies to a system withSU3 and charge-conjugation invariance, analogous toG-parity for a system with isospin and charge-conjugation invariance. The analogy is not complete because the operator cannot be written in terms of charge conjugation and the abstractSU3 operations. However, it is well defined in the space produced by free field operators acting on the vacuum. provided that, for each set of fields present that forms the basis of a representation ofSU3, another set is present that forms the basis of the conjugate representation. TheK-parity operator has period two and commutes with theSU3 generators. For anySU3 and charge-conjugation invariant reaction the possible reaction operators can be classified as scalar or pseudoscalar underK-parity. TheK-parity of single-particle meson states is a well-defined quantum number which is conserved for scalar reactions. A discussion is given of three- and four-particle interactions which have a unique interaction operator and hence a definiteK-parity.
Rheology of planetary ices

Laboratory measurements of the brittle and ductile behavior of several of the major icy planetary building materials have been made: water ice phases I through VI, ices in the ammonia-water system, mixtures of water ice plus particulates, and methane clathrate. All the materials measured thus far are sufficiently ductile that they can be expected to participate in convective motion in planetary interiors, and the quantitative rheological laws presented here provide constraints for models of evolutionary and present-day processes on icy moons of the solar system. Some unusual behavior is worth special note: ice III is several orders of magnitude less viscous than the other water ice phases. Ammonia dihydrate has a strength that is so temperature sensitive that, although it melts near 176 K, it becomes as strong as ice I after a decrease in temperature of only 23 K. Because of the extrapolation over many orders of magnitude in strain rate from the laboratory to planetary interiors, some of the material strength values calculated on the basis of the laboratory data may be only upper bounds on strength in the planetary setting.
Myeloperoxidase-mediated oxidation of methionine and amino acid decarboxylation

The myeloperoxidase (MPO)-mediated decarboxylation of amino acids and the MPO-mediated oxidation of methionine, two potential bactericidal mechanisms, were compared. In the presence of the MPO system (MPO, 50 mU/ml; H2O2, 0.1 mM; Cl−, 75 mM), 50% of alanine (0.1 mM) was decarboxylated, whereas only 5% of methionine (0.1 mM) was decarboxylated. In contrast, under similar conditions, 80% of methionine was oxidized to methionine sulfoxide. Once methionine was oxidized to methionine sulfoxide, it was decarboxylated (75%) by the MPO system. Methionine at 0.1 mM completely inhibited the decarboxylation of alanine, whereas alanine at a concentration 200 times that of methionine had no effect on the MPO-mediated oxidation of methionine. Sodium azide, an MPO inhibitor, inhibited the decarboxylation of alanine and the oxidation of methionine to the same extent. Tryptophan markedly inhibited the oxidation of methionine, whereas histidine stimulated it. Alanine, glycine, and taurine had no effect. In contrast, all of these amino acids and taurine markedly inhibited the MPO-mediated decarboxylation of alanine. NaN3, tryptophan, and methionine, which inhibited the MPO-mediated oxidation of methionine, also inhibited the killing of Staphylococcus aureus or Klebsiella pneumoniae by the MPO system; whereas histidine, alanine, and glycine, which did not inhibit the oxidation of methionine, had less or no effect on the killing of these two bacteria by the MPO system. Results suggest that methionine is preferentially oxidized to methionine sulfoxide by the MPO system. Once methionine is oxidized to methionine sulfoxide, it is then readily decarboxylated by the MPO system. The agent responsible for the oxidation of methionine may play an important role in the MPO-mediated killing of bacteria.
SPARK: a benchmark package for sparse computations

As the diversity of novel architectures expands rapidly there is a growing interest in studying the behavior of these architectures for computations arising in different applications. There has been significant efforts in evaluating the performance of supercomputers on typical dense computations, and several packages for this purpose have been developed, such as the Linpack benchmark, the Lawrence Livermore Loops, and the Los Alamos Kernels. On the other hand there has been little effort put into evaluating the performance of these architectures on the more complicated and perhaps more important sparse computations. In this paper a package is proposed to fill this gap. Its goal is not only to evaluate the performance of supercomputers on sparse computations, but also to analyze the machine-algorithm interaction.
Does the U.S. health care sector suffer from Baumol's cost disease? Evidence from the 50 states

This study examines if health care costs in the United States are affected by Baumol's cost disease. It relies on an empirical test proposed by Hartwig (2008) and extended by Colombier (2010) and uses a panel data set of 50 states over the 1980-2009 period. The results suggest that health care costs grow more rapidly when economy-wide wage increases exceed productivity gains. The findings are fairly robust with respect to time- and state-fixed effects, individual state time trends, and two-stage least square estimation. Consequently, this study suggests that the U.S. health care sector suffers from Baumol's cost disease.
Baseball Head Impacts to the Non-Helmeted and Helmeted Hydrid III ATD

Traumatic brain injury may occur in baseball due to a head impact with a thrown, pitched, or batted ball. It has been shown that the average pitching speed of youth pitchers and high school pitchers is approximately 63 mph (28 m/s) and 74 mph (33 m/s), respectively. At pitching speeds of approximately 52 mph (23 m/s), the bat exit velocity (BEV) for metal bats has been shown to be approximately 100 mph (45 m/s). Head kinematics, such as linear and angular head accelerations, are often used to establish head injury risk for head impacts. With a possible ball impact velocity reaching speeds in excess of those typically tested for baseball headgear, it is necessary to understand how the head will respond to high velocity impacts in both helmeted and non-helmeted situations. In this study, head impacts were delivered to the front and side of a Hybrid III 50th percentile male anthropomorphic test device (ATD) by a baseball traveling at speeds of 60 mph (27 m/s), 75 mph (34 m/s), and 100 mph (45 m/s). Head impacts were performed on the non-helmeted ATD head and with the ATD wearing a standard batting helmet certified in accordance with the NOCSAE standard. The Hybrid III headform was instrumented with a nine accelerometer array to measure linear accelerations of the head and determine angular accelerations. Peak resultant linear head accelerations for the non-helmeted ATD were approximately 200–400 g for frontal impacts and approximately 220–480 g for lateral impacts. Peak resultant angular head accelerations for the non-helmeted condition were approximately 17,000–32,000 rad/s2 for frontal impacts and approximately 30,000–60,000 rad/s2 for lateral impacts. For the helmeted ATD, peak resultant linear accelerations of the head were approximately 70–300 g for frontal impacts and approximately 80–360 g for lateral impacts. Peak resultant angular head accelerations for the helmeted ATD were approximately 5,000–14,000 rad/s2 for frontal impacts and approximately 7,500–30,000 rad/s2 for lateral impacts. HIC values for the non-helmeted ATD were approximately 193–1,025 for frontal impacts and approximately 241–1,588 for lateral impacts. SI values for the non-helmeted ATD were approximately 235–1,267 for frontal impacts and approximately 285–1,844 for lateral impacts. HIC values for the helmeted ATD were approximately 16–415 for frontal impacts and approximately 23–585 for lateral impacts. SI values for the helmeted ATD were approximately 25–521 for frontal impacts and approximately 32–708 for lateral impacts. In comparison to the non-helmeted condition, the results demonstrate the effectiveness of a batting helmet in mitigating head accelerations for the frontal and lateral impact conditions tested.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Comparison of Shoemaker–McLean–Pratt and Modified Mehlich Buffer Tests for Lime Requirement on Pennsylvania Soils

Abstract The Shoemaker–McLean–Pratt (SMP) buffer test is commonly used in Pennsylvania and throughout the United States to determine the lime requirement (LR) of acid soils. The buffer contains potassium chromate, a carcinogen, and all waste must be collected for disposal in a hazardous waste facility. An alternative to the SMP buffer is the Mehlich buffer. Although the Mehlich buffer contains barium chloride (BaCl2), also a hazardous and regulated compound, calcium chloride (CaCl2) has been shown to be an effective substitute. The goal of this study was to compare the SMP buffer and the modified Mehlich buffer (CaCl2 substituted for BaCl2) for estimating LR on PA soils and to determine if the modified Mehlich buffer could provide an effective alternative to the SMP test. Twenty‐two agriculturally important Pennsylvania soils with pH values ranging from 4.5 to 6.4 were collected, and the actual LR of each soil was determined by incubating soils for 3 months with calcium carbonate. The modified Mehlich buf...
CXC receptor-2 knockout genotype increases X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein and protects mice from acetaminophen hepatotoxicity

Although acetaminophen is a commonly used analgesic, it can be highly hepatotoxic. This study seeks to further investigate the mechanisms involved in acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity and the role of chemokine (C-X-C motif) receptor 2 (CXCR2) receptor/ligand interactions in the liver's response to and recovery from acetaminophen toxicity. The CXC chemokines and their receptor, CXCR2, are important inflammatory mediators and are involved in the control of some types of cellular proliferation. CXCR2 knockout mice exposed to a median lethal dose of acetaminophen had a significantly lower mortality rate than wild-type mice. This difference was at least partially attributable to a significantly decreased rate of apoptosis in CXCR2 knockout mice versus wild-type mice; there were no differences seen in hepatocyte proliferation in wild-type mice versus knockout mice after this injury. Conclusion: The decreased rate of apoptosis in the knockout mice correlated with an almost undetectable and significantly decreased level of activated caspase-3 and significantly increased levels of X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein, which also correlated with increased levels of nuclear factor kappa B p52 and decreased levels of c-Jun N-terminal kinase; this provides a possible mechanism for the decrease in apoptosis seen in CXCR2 knockout mice. Hepatology 2010
Ribosomal DNA Connectives between Human Acrocentric Chromosomes

ASSOCIATION of satellite regions of the human acrocentric chromosomes 13, 14, 15, 21 and 22 has received much attention because of its possible relation to nondisjunction, translocation and lesser structural variations, to which these chromosomes seem unusually prone. (A list of references relevant to this subject is available from the authors.) The overall frequency of associations in metaphase varies with techniques of cell culture and preparation as well as with the individual1–4. The participation of different acrocentric chromosomes is random in some people, but nonrandom in others3–13. As individual variation may account, in part, for contradictory reports concerning correlation of association characteristics with age14,15, sex4,14,17,18 and chromosomal abnormalities12–14,18–22 it is an important feature to explain.