cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fillet Weld Groups Loaded with Out-of-Plane Eccentricity: Simulations and New Model for Strength Characterization

AbstractThe strength of fillet weld groups, loaded with an out-of-plane eccentricity, is controlled by complex interactions of weld yielding, as well as bearing between the connected parts. Current models that characterize connection strength, including those used in North American design specifications, are highly conservative, leading to oversized welds. These models are phenomenological, because the internal stress distribution within the welds is difficult to characterize experimentally. A new model is proposed for characterizing the strength of these connections. The model is based on insights developed from sophisticated finite-element (FE) simulations that feature accurate measurements of weld profiles, multiaxial plasticity, and simulation of contact and gapping phenomena that strongly influence connection response. The FE simulations reveal that current models do not reflect key aspects of force transfer within the connection, especially on the compression side. The proposed model incorporates th...
Effects of a Colostrum Substitute and of Dietary Brewer's Yeast on the Health and Performance of Dairy Calves

We tested the effects of substituting a whey protein concentrate for dam's colostrum at first feeding and of 1% brewer's yeast in dry feed on calf health and performance. Eighty-four calves were assigned to four preweaning and eight postweaning treatments based on feeding either dam's colostrum or a whey protein concentrate at birth and either yeast or no yeast in the dry feed both before and after weaning. After the first feeding, all calves were fed colostrum through 4 d of age and an all milk protein milk replacer from d 5 to 46 of age. Daily feed intakes, health measurements, and weekly BW were recorded. Calves fed whey protein concentrate at birth had similar health parameters and greater feed efficiency than calves fed colostrum over the preweaning period. Addition of 1% brewer's yeast to the dry feed apparently reduced the incidence of fever and the number of associated antibiotic treatments during the preweaning period, but had no effects thereafter. Under the conditions of this study, whey protein concentrate was an effective substitute for dam's colostrum at first feeding, and 1% brewer's yeast fed in dry feed may reduce susceptibility to infection prior to weaning.
Low-frequency waves in a magnetoplasma

Abstract A simplified theory for a homogeneous plasma in a uniform magnetic field is developed, and predicts wave propagation characteristics which are in good agreement with those observed on a helium discharge column.
Fischer-Tropsch synthesis : The formation of branched hydrocarbons in the Fe and Co catalyzed reaction

Abstract It appears that differences in modeling the fraction of branched products in the early work can be traced to much different products being formed in the low and high temperature FTS conditions. In the present study, for low-temperature FTS, it has been shown that, while the fraction of branched products may vary with catalyst, for a given catalyst the fraction of branched products remains constant in the C7–C14 range. The fraction for C4 is very similar to the one for the C7–C14 range for the products from eight runs, five with iron catalysts and three with cobalt catalysts. It is therefore concluded that at low-temperature FTS conditions the fraction of branched products does not vary significantly with carbon number. Essentially the same fraction of branched products are obtained using the data from the analysis of the sample as collected, after hydrogenation so that the alkenes are converted to alkanes, and after bromination to convert the alkenes to dibromides that elute from the g.c. column at much longer times than the same carbon number alkanes. Thus, it is concluded that the fraction of branching in the alkene products is the same as in the alkane products.
The economics of educational reform

Abstract This paper examines key proposals for improvements in elementary and secondary education from an economic perspective, and considers their likely effects. The role of the family as ‘producer’ of the skills and competences is emphasized, combining the effects of teacher, parent and community resource inputs on achievement. The approach raises questions about efficiency, effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, the role of incentives and equity that should have been more adequately addressed in the reports advocating educational reform.
Viburnum bracteatum (Adoxaceae) Expanded to Include Viburnum ozarkense

Abstract Viburnum ozarkense was recently resurrected as a distinct species after having been synonymized with the related and partially sympatric Viburnum molle for much of the latter half of the 20th century. Presently, V. ozarkense is considered to be endemic to the Interior Highlands physiographic region of western Arkansas, southern Missouri, and eastern Oklahoma. However, this research suggests that although V. ozarkense is morphologically distinct from V. molle, it cannot be distinguished from V. bracteatum, a species found more than 500 km away in southeastern Tennessee, northeastern Alabama, and northwestern Georgia. Based on morphological and phytogeographical evidence, V. ozarkense is here considered to be conspecific with V. bracteatum. An overview of the expanded taxonomic concept, distribution, ecology and rarity of V. bracteatum is provided.
Copper-Catalyzed Remote sp3 C−H Chlorination of Alkyl Hydroperoxides

A copper-catalyzed methodology to functionalize remote sp3 C−H bonds in alkyl hydroperoxides is presented. The atom-transfer chlorination utilizes simple ammonium chloride salts as the chlorine source, and the internal redox process requires no external redox reagents.
Prothymosin α and parathymosin: mRNA and polypeptide levels in rodent tissues

Abstract Blot hybridization analyses have established the presence of mRNAs for prothymosin α (ProTα) and for parathymosin (ParaT) in rat and mouse lung, liver, kidney, and brain, confirming the biosynthesis of these peptides in nonlymphoid tissues. In these tissues the levels of mRNAs paralleled the content of the polypeptides, determined with specific radioimmunoassays. The mRNA levels also confirmed the reciprocal relation between the two polypeptides; ProTα and its mRNA were found in highest concentrations in spleen and thymus, followed by lung, kidney, and brain, with lowest concentrations in liver. On the other hand, liver contained highest concentrations of ParaT and the mRNA for ParaT, with lowest levels present in spleen and thymus. In comparison to tissues from young (6–8 week) mice, older (18 month) mice contained lower concentrations (20–40%) of both polypeptides, with qualitatively similar decreases in mRNA content.
Defective enzyme protein in lipoprotein lipase deficiency

A monoclonal antibody to lipoprotein lipase (LPL) has been used in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for LPL protein mass. Measurement of LPL immunoreactive mass in pre- and postheparin plasma distinguished three classes of abnormalities in patients with classical deficiency of lipoprotein lipase activity. The class I defect consisted of the absence of LPL immunoreactive homodimer in pre- and postheparin plasma compatible with a potential 'null allele'. Patients with a class II defect had almost no LPL immunoreactive mass in preheparin plasma but showed an increase in their LPL mass of 68 +/- 23 ng ml-1 (mean +/- SD) after heparin. Patients with the class III defect had considerable amounts of LPL immunoreactive material in preheparin plasma (159 +/- 190 ng ml-1). Heparin administration, however, caused very little additional release of LPL into the plasma (16 +/- 51 ng ml-1). Thus although both class II and class III patients had an LPL protein with abnormal catalytic activity, class III patients also appeared to have a defect in heparin binding of LPL. To test this hypothesis, postheparin plasma of classes II and III patients was analysed by heparin-Sepharose chromatography. In contrast to class II patients, the LPL immunoreactive mass of class III patients did not show affinity for the heparin and eluted in the column void volume, suggesting the class III defect is also associated with a defect in heparin binding.
Emotional Creativity, Alexithymia, and Styles of Creativity

ABSTRACT Averill's Emotional Creativity Inventory (ECI) was correlated (n = 322) with self-report measures of creative capacity, alexithymia, fantasy proneness, and styles of creativity in everyday life. Two sets of findings suggest an overlap between the emotional and cognitive aspects of creativity: (a) a principal components analysis of the 3 ECI subscales, the creative capacity, and the fantasy proneness measures revealed 1 factor with high loading on all 5 measures; and (b) the pattern of correlations of the different creative capacity measures with styles of creativity were similar. As expected, the ECI and its subscales correlated with a measure of fantasy proneness and negatively correlated with a measure alexithymia. Earlier findings of the relationship between the measures of creative capacity, fantasy proneness, and styles of creativity were replicated and extended to the ECI.
The role of SIG/CON in the advancement of information science

Historique et role joue par le SIG/CON (Coterminous Operation of neo-Nodes) dans l'evolution des sciences de l'information
Selenium in San Francisco Bay zooplankton: Potential effects of hydrodynamics and food web interactions

The potential toxicity of elevated selenium (Se) concentrations in aquatic ecosystems has stimulated efforts to measure Se concentrations in benthos, nekton, and waterfowl in San Francisco Bay (SF Bay). In September 1998, we initiated a 14 mo field study to determine the concentration of Se in SF Bay zooplankton, which play a major role in the Bay food web, but which have not previously been studied with respect to Se. Monthly vertical plankton tows were collected at several stations throughout SF Bay, and zooplankton were separated into two operationally defined size classes for Se analyses: 73–2,000 μm, and ≥2,000 μm. Selenium values ranged 1.02–6.07 μg Se g−1 dry weight. No spatial differences in zooplankton Se concentrations were found. However, there were inter- and intra-annual differences. Zooplankton Se concentrations were enriched in the North Bay in Fall 1999 when compared to other seasons and locations within and outside SF Bay. The abundance and biovolume of the zooplankton community varied spatially between stations, but not seasonally within each station. Smaller herbivorous-omnivorous zooplankton had higher Se concentrations than larger omnivorous-carnivorous zooplankton. Selenium concentrations in zooplankton were negatively correlated with the proportion of total copepod biovolume comprising the large carnivorous copepodTortanus dextrilobatus, but positively correlatid with the proportion of copepod biovolume comprising smaller copepods of the family Oithonidae, suggesting an important role of trophic level and size in regulating zooplankton Se concentrations.
Short-term outcome after mesh or Shouldice herniorrhaphy: A randomized, prospective study

Abstract Background: Retrospective analyses have shown that long-term recurrence rates after Lichtenstein mesh and Shouldice herniorrhaphies are low. Therefore differences in short-term outcome may be important determinants of one's choice of repair. Although proponents of the mesh repair claim that their method is less morbid, to our knowledge no prospective comparative studies of short-term morbidity have been reported. Methods: One hundred five adult patients were randomized to undergo either a mesh or Shouldice inguinal hernia repair. Postoperative pain, narcotic use, and time to resumption of usual activities and employment were recorded. Patients were blinded to the type of repair received until all data were collected. Results: There was no difference between the herniorrhaphy methods with respect to postoperative pain, duration of narcotic use, and time to resumption of usual activity and employment. Recovery was rapid for both groups of patients. By 3 days after operation, 50% of patients rated their pain as very mild or less and no longer required narcotic analgesics. Patients in both groups returned to usual activity and work by a median of 9 days after operation. Conclusions: Both of these well-established methods can be used to repair inguinal hernias with local anesthetics in an outpatient setting with minimal morbidity. Despite the “tension-free” design of the mesh repair, short-term outcomes of mesh and Shouldice repairs of inguinal hernias do not differ. (Surgery 1998;123:121-6.)
Effective quantum potentials for molecular dynamics simulation of non-ideal plasmas

Molecular dynamics simulation of electron-ion systems are prone to the so-called “Coulomb catastrophe” which is due to the infinitely deep Coulomb potential of the ion without any stabilizing effect in a classical framework. Quantum mechanically this is forbidden by the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. In addition, many electron systems need to satisfy the Pauli Exclusion Principle as well. Fermion Molecular Dynamics1 accommodates the two effects in a quasi-classical treatment through the momentum-dependent pseudo-potentials that exclude the regions of phase space forbidden by the quantum principles. The extent of exclusion is determined by a set of parameters which need to be chosen carefully to include the quantum effects specific to the system. Initial attempts to determine these parameters were ad-hoc2 followed by accurate calculation of the Heisenberg parameters for Hydrogen or Helium-like systems3. The results so far do not suffice to study plasmas where multi-electron effects are important in atomic processes. We report the first attempt to accurately determine the Heisenberg and Pauli parameters for a set of atoms. The parameters are found to take a set of correlated values and the correlation is elliptic for all the atoms we studied. It is possible that the coefficients of the ellipse could be functions of atomic number indicating a possible connection with a quantum mechanical treatment in the limiting case.
Biosonar sources in odontocetes: considering structure and function.

In a recent paper in The Journal of Experimental Biology , Madsen and his colleagues, ‘hypothesize that all toothed whale species only click with one set of their phonic lips at a time, and preferably their right pair’ [([Madsen et al., 2010][1]) see p. 3110 of their article]. This conclusion
Lumbar microdiscectomy and lumbar decompression improve functional outcomes and depression scores.

Study design: Retrospective review. Introduction: Lumbar radiculopathy and claudicant leg pain are common degenerative spinal conditions often treated by elective microdiscectomy or decompression. Published outcome data for these procedures have focused on improvement in pain scores, and not on grounded functional outcome or depression scores.1,2,3 Moreover, depression is considered by many surgeons to be a red flag for poor outcome for surgical treatment. We asked what effect lumbar microdiscectomy and laminectomy procedures had on functional outcome and depression scores in our clinical population. Methods: Beginning in January 2010, the following outcome data were prospectively gathered before and after surgery from all patients at the Cleveland Clinic undergoing either lumbar microdiscectomy or lumbar decompression: EQ-5D (EuroQOL, quality-of-life measure), PHQ-9 (measure of depressive symptoms), PDQ (pain disability questionnaire), and Rankin scores (disability or dependence in daily activities). Results: The mean EuroQOL scores improved by 35% (from 0.4–0.75 of a maximum of 1.0) for both microdiscectomy and lumbar laminectomies. The mean PHQ-9 scores (measure of depressive symptoms) significantly improved for most patients undergoing either procedure. In line with previously published reports, we also found improvement in Rankin scores and Pain Disability Questionnaire scores. Conclusions: Our outcome data indicate that microdiscectomy and lumbar decompression not only reduce disability and pain but also improve depressive symptoms and overall quality of life for patients. These findings support operative treatment of lumbar radiculopathy and neurogenic claudication including treatment performed in the depressed population.
The girth of groups satisfying Tits Alternative

Abstract We prove that if a non-cyclic finitely generated group is hyperbolic (or one-relator, or linear), then it has infinite girth iff it is not virtually solvable.
P-Cube: Answering Preference Queries in Multi-Dimensional Space

Many new applications that involve decision making need online (i.e., OLAP-styled) preference analysis with multidimensional Boolean selections. Typical preference queries includes top-k queries and skyline queries. An analytical query often comes with a set of Boolean predicates that constrain a target subset of data, which, may also vary incrementally by drilling/rolling operators. To efficiently support preference queries with multiple boolean predicates, neither Boolean-then-preference nor preference-then-Boolean approach is satisfactory. To integrate Boolean pruning and preference pruning in a unified framework, we propose signature, a new materialization measure for multi-dimensional group-bys. Based on this, we propose P-Cube (i.e., data cube for preference queries) and study its complete life cycle, including signature generation, compression, decomposition, incremental maintenance and usage for efficient on-line analytical query processing. We present a signature-based progressive algorithm that is able to simultaneously push boolean and preference constraints deep into the database search. Our performance study shows that the proposed method achieves at least one order of magnitude speed-up over existing approaches.
Novel quadrupole ion trap methods for characterizing the chemistry of gaseous macro-ions

Abstract A variety of ion manipulation techniques that have been developed to study the chemistry of gas-phase macro-ions are described and illustrated. These techniques take advantage of several unique characteristics of the quadrupole ion trap, including operation at relatively high (1 mTorr) bath gas pressure and the ability to simultaneously store positive and negative ions in overlapping regions of space. Efforts to characterize unimolecular dissociation in the ion trap via resonance excitation and thermal dissociation at elevated bath gas temperatures are described; such dissociation is of interest as a means for obtaining primary structural information and Arrhenius activation parameters for macro-ions. The use of ion/molecule chemistry to obtain composition and higher level structural information is illustrated with a description of novel HI attachment chemistry which yields information on the number and accessibility of neutral basic sites in macro-ions. Ion/ion chemistry for the manipulation of parent and product ion charge states is shown to expand the range of charge states accessible for tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) analysis, and to greatly simplify the interpretation of MS/MS spectra obtained from multiply charged parent ions.
The distribution of Recent benthic foraminifera in the Polar Front region, southwest Atlantic

Abstract Twenty-five core-top samples from the Maurice Ewing Bank (MEB) and Islas Orcadas Rise (IOR) were examined to determine the distribution of benthic foraminifera in the vicinity of the Polar Front in the southwest Atlantic Ocean. The Polar Front has a subsurface expression that effects the areal and depth distribution of benthic foraminifera in this region. Three faunal assemblages were identified by Q -mode factor analysis. The shallowest assemblage, dominated by Bulimina aculeata , is present from 1500 to 2600 m on the Maurice Ewing Bank and is associated with potential temperatures of 1.71-0.50°C, salinities of 34.74-34.70‰ and potential density values of 45.84–46.04 sigma-4. A second assemblage, dominated by Uvigerina peregrina , occurs in water depths from 2600 to 3100 m and is associated with potential temperatures of 0.40-0.26°C, salinities of 34.70-34.69‰ and potential density values of 46.05–46.07 sigma-4. The third assemblage is dominated by Nuttallides umbonifera, Ehrenbergina trigona and secondarily by Oridorsalis umbonatus and Pullenia bulloides (the N. umbonifera-E. trigona assemblage) is present form 2770 to 3120 m on the Islas Orcadas Rise. This assemblage is associated with potential temperatures of 0.36-0.14°C, salinities of 34.69-34.68‰, and potential density values of 46.06–46.09 sigma-4. Although the U. peregrina assemblage and the N. umbonifera-E. trigona assemblage overlap bathymetrically, they are present in waters of slightly different properties. The Bulimina aculeata assemblage is within the core of the Lower Circumpolar Deep Water (LCDW), while the other two assemblages occur within transition zones between the LCDW and Weddell Sea Deep Water (WSDW). The difference in the benthic foraminiferal assemblages at similar depths on the Islas Orcadas Rise and the Maurice Ewing Bank is the result of different water-mass regimes separated by the Polar Front.
J-dependence in the (p, α) reaction☆

Abstract A strong J -dependence has been observed in (p, α) angular distributions with an orbital angular momentum transfer L = 1. This effect was measured in 66 Zn and 68 Zn targets at 17.5 MeV and 66 Zn and 92 Zr targets at 28 MeV.
Ultrasound of focal hepatic lesions

Hepatic sonography is useful in characterizing many focal liver lesions (Tables 2-6). It is safe, portable, and relatively inexpensive. With the development of color Doppler imaging, power Doppler imaging, and intravenous-ultrasound contrast agents, the ability to detect and precisely diagnose a focal hepatic lesion may be improved.
Concordance study of direct PCR kits: PowerPlex 18D and Identifiler Direct

Abstract The ability to perform robust STR typing of a single-source reference sample while bypassing extraction and quantitation can provide a savings of time and cost. Several commercial direct PCR kits and enzyme systems have been specifically developed for this purpose (e.g. Identifiler Direct and PowerPlex 18D). These newer direct PCR typing kits contain PCR master mix components not typically found in traditional STR kits and are optimized to overcome PCR inhibitors commonly found in blood such as heme, immunoglobin G, and lactoferrin. A cohort of 50 blood samples was spotted on FTA and 903 collection cards and amplified using the direct PCR technique. An aliquot of each blood sample was also extracted and purified with a standard forensic protocol (Qiagen EZ1 Advanced platform) for non-direct genotyping and STR concordance comparisons. Successful STR amplifications (full profiles) were obtained from 1.2mm punches of blood adhered onto FTA and 903 paper substrates without prior extraction. Comparisons between PowerPlex 18D and Identifiler Direct kits revealed a single discordant genotype call for the D2S1338 locus.
Anarchism and the Assassination of McKinley

W RITING in the Outlook of August IO, i9oi, just one month prior to the assassination of President William McKinley, the newspaper correspondent Francis H. Nichols noted that since the assassination of King Humbert of Italy by the anarchist Bresci the question had been many times asked in the United States as to whether the nation's government and the President were themselves secure from anarchist attack.1 Few though they were in number in the United States in the closing decades of the nineteenth century,2 the anarchists, as Nichols suggests, were viewed with alarm by the American community. Anarchism was regarded as "the most dangerous theory which civilization has ever had to encounter," and the anarchist ranks, it was thought, were filled by common criminals and psychopaths
A CNN-inspired mixed signal processor based on tunnel transistors

Novel devices are under investigation to extend the performance scaling trends that have long been associated with Moore's Law-based device scaling. Among the emerging devices being studied, tunnel FETs (or TFETs) are particularly attractive, especially when targeting low power systems. This paper studies the potential of analog/mixed-signal information processing using TFETs. The design of a highly-parallel processor — inspired by cellular neural networks — is presented. Signal processing is performed partially in the time-domain to better leverage the unique properties of TFETs, i.e., (i) steep slopes (high g m /I DS ) in the subthreshold region, and (ii) high output resistance in the saturation region. Assuming an InAs TFET with feature sizes comparable to the 14 nm technology node, a power efficiency of 10,000 GOPS/W is projected. By comparison, state-of-the-art hardware assuming CMOS technology promises a power efficiency only close to 1,000 GOPS/W.
Changes in Sex Ratios of Spermophilus beldingi in Oregon

this set of animals had significantly smaller home ranges compared to those for animals with 1-2 days of powdertracking data (t-tests, P < 0.05). From these results, we conclude that powdertracking can give comparable data to radiotracking for measuring home-range size and position. Because it is easier to use, powdertracking often may be preferred to indicate home range. However, powdertracking does not indicate when or how long an animal uses each location, so radiotracking still may be preferred when timing of movements is an important consideration. We gratefully acknowledge the help given to us by Elizabeth Desy, who provided penned populations on which to work, Joyce Hofmann, who provided technical assistance with the radio transmitters, Christopher Lesieutre who assisted with data analysis, and William Enriquez and Sandy Remley, both of whom assisted in the fieldwork. Support for this study was provided in part by NIH grant HD 09328 to Lowell Getz.
A randomized trial comparing conventional and robotically assisted total laparoscopic hysterectomy

Objective The purpose of this study was to compare operative time and intra- and postoperative complications between total laparoscopic hysterectomy and robotic-assisted total laparoscopic hysterectomy. Study Design This study was a blinded, prospective randomized controlled trial conducted at 2 institutions. Subjects consisted of women who planned laparoscopic hysterectomy for benign indications. Preoperative randomization to total laparoscopic hysterectomy or robotic-assisted total laparoscopic hysterectomy was stratified by surgeon and uterine size (> or ≤12 weeks). Validated questionnaires, activity assessment scales, and visual analogue scales were administered at baseline and during follow-up evaluation. Results Sixty-two women gave consent and were enrolled and randomly assigned; 53 women underwent surgery (laparoscopic, 27 women; robot-assisted, 26 women). There were no demographic differences between groups. Compared with laparoscopic hysterectomy, total case time (skin incision to skin closure) was significantly longer in the robot-assisted group (mean difference, +77 minutes; 95% confidence interval, 33–121; P P = .016). Mean docking time was 6 ± 4 minutes. There were no significant differences between groups in estimated blood loss, pre- and postoperative hematocrit change, and length of stay. There were very few complications, with no difference in individual complication types or total complications between groups. Postoperative pain and return to daily activities were no different between groups. Conclusion Although laparoscopic and robotic-assisted hysterectomies are safe approaches to hysterectomy, robotic-assisted hysterectomy requires a significantly longer operative time.
Analysis of Emergency Staffing for Nuclear Power Plants

Determination of staffing requirements for response to nuclear plant emergencies should be based upon task analysis in order to ensure that emergency functions can be performed in any type of accident. The method of analysis must recognize the differences between personnel performance in normal and emergency conditions and the limited information available for analysis of emergency tasks. A four-phase method is described that consists of generic analysis (identification of general emergency functions and tasks), situational analysis (definition of the characteristics of the classes of emergencies that can occur), quantitative analysis (determination of workloads, by position) and sensitivity analysis (examination of the degree to which changes in assumptions produce changes in required staffing levels).
Differential genetic etiology of reading disability as a function of mathematics performance

In order to assess the etiology of reading disability as a function of mathematics performance, data from 168 monozygotic (MZ) and 127 same-sex dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs in which at least one member of each pair was reading-disabled were subjected to quantitative genetic analyses. MZ and DZ concordance rates for reading disability were computed for different levels of mathematics performance, and reading performance data were fitted to an extension of the basic multiple regression model for the analysis of selected twin data. Results of these analyses suggest that genetic factors may be especially salient as a cause of reading disability in children with borderline deficits in mathematics performance: thus, mathematics performance may be a valid dimension for diagnosing subtypes of reading disability.
Spectrum and Structure of the Free Methylene Radical

SEVENTEEN years ago, one of us1 suggested that the so-called γ4050 group observed in comets was due to the free methylene radical (CH2). This suggestion was not confirmed by later experiments2–4.
Variable Coupling Scheme for High-Frequency Electron Spin Resonance Resonators Using Asymmetric Meshes

The sensitivity of a high-frequency electron spin resonance (ESR) spectrometer depends strongly on the structure used to couple the incident millimeter wave to the sample that generates the ESR signal. Subsequent coupling of the ESR signal to the detection arm of the spectrometer is also a crucial consideration for achieving high spectrometer sensitivity. In previous work, we found that a means for continuously varying the coupling was necessary for attaining high sensitivity reliably and reproducibly. We report here on a novel asymmetric mesh structure that achieves continuously variable coupling by rotating the mesh in its own plane about the millimeter-wave transmission-line optical axis. We quantify the performance of this device with nitroxide spin label spectra in both a lossy aqueous solution and a low-loss solid-state system. These two systems have very different coupling requirements and are representative of the range of coupling achievable with this technique. Lossy systems, in particular, are a demanding test of the achievable sensitivity and allow us to assess the suitability of this approach for applying high-frequency ESR, e.g., to the study of biological systems at physiological conditions. The variable coupling technique reported on here allows us to readily achieve a factor of ca. 7 improvement in the signal-to-noise ratio at 170 GHz and a factor of ca. 5 at 95 GHz over what has previously been reported for lossy samples.
Possible Role for the New Fluoroquinolones (Levofloxacin, Grepafloxacin, Trovafloxacin, Clinafloxacin, Sparfloxacin, and DU-6859a) in the Treatment of Anaerobic Infections: Review of Current Information on Efficacy and Safety

The currently available fluoroquinolones have modest activity against anaerobes. Newer fluoroquinolones with increased in vitro activity against anaerobes are under development and include levofloxacin, clinafloxacin, sparfloxacin, trovafloxacin, grepafloxacin, and DU-6859a. Side effects of the quinolones have varied according to the specific compounds and include central nervous system stimulation, gastrointestinal disturbances, vasculitis, and photosensitization. Monitoring for toxicity is incompletely reliable in identifying all potential serious side effects such as the temafloxacin syndrome. Other fluoroquinolones may produce this syndrome rarely or not at all. In this paper, I review limited published studies on the use of these agents for skin and skin-structure infections and gynecologic infections. Studies in progress are noted, and when available, in vitro data on the efficacy of these agents against bacterial isolates from specific sources are reviewed and evaluated in terms of potential clinical utility.
A Necessary and Sufficient Condition for the $\Lambda$-Coalescent to Come Down from Infinity.

Let $\Pi_{\infty}$ be the standard $\Lambda$-coalescent of Pitman, which is defined so that $\Pi_{\infty}(0)$ is the partition of the positive integers into singletons, and, if $\Pi_n$ denotes the restriction of $\Pi_{\infty}$ to $\{ 1,\ldots, n \}$, then whenever $\Pi_n(t)$ has $b$ blocks, each $k$-tuple of blocks is merging to form a single block at the rate $\lambda_{b,k}$, where $\lambda_{b,k} = \int_0^1 x^{k-2} (1-x)^{b-k} \Lambda(dx)$ for some finite measure $\Lambda$. We give a necessary and sufficient condition for the $\Lambda$-coalescent to ``come down from infinity'', which means that the partition $\Pi_{\infty}(t)$ almost surely consists of only finitely many blocks for all $t > 0$. We then show how this result applies to some particular families of $\Lambda$-coalescents.
Coordinated Rhythmic Motion by Uncoupled Neuronal Oscillators with Sensory Feedback

This paper explores the potential of biological oscillators as a basic unit for feedback control to achieve rhythmic motion of locomotory systems. Among those properties of biological control syste...
Interactional reconstruction in real-time language processing**

This study documents and characterizes a phenomenon in naturally-occurring conversation which I have termed interactional reconstruction. Interactional reconstruction involves retroactive reinterpretation of an earlier utterance (or set of utterances) on the basis of a more recent utterance (or set of utterances). This work is meant to serve two functions: first, to enrich our theories of human communication; and second, to explore directions and implications for theories of meaning and discourse modeling within cognitive science.
Closed Photobioreactor Assessments to Grow, Intensively, Light Dependent Microorganisms: A Twenty-Year Italian Outdoor Investigation

Twenty years of Italian outdoor investigations on closed photobioreactors are discussed in this review. Many photobioreactor designs have been projected; some have been built, tested and patented. The Italian research approach from tubular (single tube and traditional loop) to flat and column and again to tubular photobioreactors (coil and loops) has improved microalgal yield. It increased from 25.0 gm -2 d -1 in 1986 (using a traditional loop set down on the ground) to 47.7 gm -2 d -1 in 2003, when results of a new tubular undulating row photobioreactor (TURP) were reported. This very high TURP productivity was attributed to a light dilution growth-strategy using Arthrospira platensis; the photic ratio (Rf) ranged from 3 to 6.
Interview with a quality leader: Karen H. Timmons on education and consultation with Joint Commission Resources. Interview by Susan V. White

In this interview, Karen Timmons of the Joint Commission Resources Inc. (JCR) responds to questions about the role JCR plays in promoting patient safety and quality in the international community. Ms. Timmons describes the types of services provided by JCR including strategies, approaches, and challenges. She concludes with recent work examples and some personal perspectives.
Colonic exfoliative cytology by an improved technic.

We believe that our technic has simplified the examination for colonic cytology and provides good cytologic preparations. In our study the direct smearing of mucous clumps obtained by enemas gave results superior to the use of the centrifuge sediment. Unquestionably, fewer enemas are required and moderate fecal contamination of the enema returns does not hamper the effectiveness of the method. A preliminary study involving 140 consecutive examinations indicates that the procedure is of value primarily to differentiate between benign and malignant cells. The method of colonic cytologic examination described appears to be simple and promising. We would encourage its use more generally.
Protecting Children During Disasters: The Federal View

Because September 11, 2001, demonstrated that the United States is vulnerable to terrorist attack and Hurricane Katrina exhibited gaps in our disaster response system, there has been a large investment in ensuring that our population is better protected. The purpose of this article is to discuss the opportunities for improvement in preparedness for children that span all levels of government, private institutions, and individuals. These include (1) ensuring that stockpiled medical countermeasures, equipment, and supplies are appropriate for children (dosing, types of medicines, quantity of medicines in Strategic National Stockpile); (2) ensuring that state and local planning includes child and family needs; (3) increasing linkages between preparedness agencies and child experts; (4) improving pediatric education and training of responders; (5) ensuring emergency medical services systems and hospitals are prepared for children; (6) improving individual and family preparedness, especially families with children with special health care needs; and (7) opportunities for involvement for pediatric clinicians. This article will also discuss the H1N1 outbreak that started during the spring 2009.
Protein Expression by Human Pulmonary Artery Smooth Muscle Cells Containing a BMPR2 Mutation and the Action of ET-1 as Determined by Proteomic Mass Spectrometry.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a disease characterized by increased pulmonary vascular resistance and remodeling. Increase in the population of vascular smooth muscle cells is among the key events contributing to the remodeling. Endothelin-1 (ET-1), a potent vasoconstrictor, is linked to the etiology and progression of PAH. Here we analyze changes in protein expressions in response to ET-1 in pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMC) from a healthy Control (non-PAH) and a PAH subject presenting a bone morphogenetic protein type II receptor (BMPR2) mutation with exon 1–8 deletion. Protein expressions were analyzed by proteomic mass spectrometry using label-free quantitation and the correlations were subjected to Ingenuity™ Pathway Analysis. The results point to eIF2/mTOR/p70S6K, RhoA/actin cytoskeleton/integrin and protein unbiquitination as canonical pathways whose protein expressions increase with the development of PAH. These pathways have an intimal function in the PAH-related physiology of smooth muscle proliferation, apoptosis, contraction and cellular stress. Exposure of the cells to ET-1 further increases protein expression within these pathways. Thus our results show changes in signaling pathways as a consequence of PAH and the effect of ET-1 interference on Control and PAH-affected cells.
Developing Dance Literacy: Integrating Motif Writing into Theme-Based Children's Dance Classes

Abstract The following two articles conclude a two-part feature on Motif Writing, a system of movement symbols used to notate dance. In the August issue, after an introduction by feature editor Wendy Oliver, Ann Dils put Motif Writing in context by discussing a variety of other methods for representing dance on paper. Lucy Venable then presented an overview of the Motif Writing system.
Hypophysectomy and Tumor Growth: A Supplementary Statement

The retarding effect of pituitary removal on the rate of growth of Walker mammary carcinoma No. 256 which we originally observed (1, 6) has been confirmed by other workers. McEuen and Thomson (3) and Reiss and coworkers (5) have observed similar results using the same tumor as well as extending the observation to others. Approaching the problem from another angle, Sugiura and Benedict (7) have shown that of many endocrine extracts used, only those from the anterior lobe of the pituitary possessed tumor-growth-stimulating properties. This was observed for mouse melanoma and Sugiura rat sarcoma but was not manifest in a number of other tumors used. In a recent article Bischoff, Maxwell and Ullmann (2) refer to our earlier observations and deduce, following certain assumptions, that the effect of hypophysectomy on the rate of growth of Walker carcinoma No. 256 is no greater than that produced by irradiating the pituitary area with large doses of x-rays. By recalculating our data using the formula which they applied to their series1 a significant difference becomes apparent, as may be observed from Table I. Thus in the three series of experiments by Bischoff et al , which are comparable with hypophysectomy using the Walker tumor, the greatest difference observed was 3.47 times the standard deviation at the end of three weeks, whereas the difference between our control and hypophysectomized groups at three weeks is 4.39 times the standard deviation and this increases to 6.02 times at the end of the fourth week, when the irradiated animals of Bischoff et al cease to show a significant difference. Attention is called to groups D and E of our original paper (1), both of which are control groups. The 8 animals comprising group D had operative exposure of the pituitary but no removal of gland substance. In the 16 animals of group E there was no operative procedure. The tumors of group D were consistently larger than those of group E, a difference which can be observed in the present table. The differences border on statistical significance at the end of two and three weeks but not at four weeks, assuming three times the standard deviation as significant. The stimulation observed is approximately of the same degree statistically as the depression observed by Bischoff et al in their irradiated animals, using the same tumor.
Leeuwenhoek as a founder of animal demography

Leeuwenhoek's observations relating to animal population, though scattered through many letters written during a period of over forty years, when seen in toto, were important contributions to the subject now known as animal demography. He maintained enough contact with other scientists to have received encouragement and some helpful suggestions, but the language barrier and the novelty of doing microscopic work forced him to be resourceful, inventive, and original. His multifarious investigations impinged upon population biology before he discovered a direct interest in it. He devised methods for estimating numbers of animalcules, and then he went on to estimate the population of the world. His interest in reproduction was an important avenue by which he approached the subject of reproductive capacity. Other important approaches were his studies of growth, longevity, and life histories. He discovered relationships between aspects of the life history, longevity, and reproductive capacity of several species of insects, notably calanders, scavenger flies, crane flies, aphids, and lice. An important feature of these investigations were the arithmetical calculations which he made of reproductive potentials. In spite of several limitations, these calculations were an important innovation to the study of animal population. In his later years, his investigations came more and more within the sphere of ecology. He made the first significant observations on food chains. It is especially interesting that fish were the subject of these observations, because it was not until the latter half of the nineteenth century that scientists realized that fish ultimately depend upon phytoplankton. These accomplishments did not pass unnoticed. Although Leeuwenhoek never synthesized his scattered observations concerning population, his originality and perception were appreciated by outstanding biologists of the eighteenth century. The important discussions of population biology by Reaumur, Buffon, and Bonnet all derived inspiration and assistance from the writings of Leeuwenhoek.73 This ingenious Fellow of the Royal Society, “by detecting through diligent application and scrutiny the mysteries of Nature and the secrets of natural philosophy,”74 became one of the founders of animal demography.
Community Development: "EZ HEAT" Westwood Solar Furnace Project

Abstract This paper presents a humanitarian engineering project in Denver, Colorado's Westwood community. This project was a collaboration with Metropolitan State University of Denver, the Mortenson Center in Engineering for Developing Communities at the University of Colorado Boulder and the non-profit community group ReVision International. This paper discusses the implementation of a helpful technology solution for the community that could alleviate an identified problem common for households in Westwood. This paper presents the project through all the steps: community appraisal, analysis, problem identification, strategy planning, implementation and a plan for monitoring and evaluation. The community analysis identified the financial burden of high energy bills on the residents of the community as a pervasive problem that could be alleviated with a simple design, the solar furnace, a box built using recycled aluminum cans, plywood and acrylic plastic that heats the house through the conversion of solar energy into warm air. To demonstrate the technology, students from MSU Denver constructed and tested 4 different solar furnace design units, and implemented a pilot test at Re:Vision's (a local NGO working in Westwood) office. held a focus group with community leaders (“promotoras”) for discussion about the pilot unit, calculated energy and cost savings for the design, and developed a plan to continue the project from pilot stage to community implementation and installed 4 demonstration units on family households. The paper addresses the capacity and risk analysis for this design, the design itself, the implementation plan, the monitoring and evaluation plan which are the natural next steps in the project.
Menstrual Problems During Adolescence

Medical interest in menstrual absence is antedated by that of the philosophers and theologians (Aristotle, Plato). The importance of menses induction in early medical teaching is underscored by the observation that 14% of all drugs listed by Dioscovides of Ana Zarbos in the first half of the second century AD were supposedly capable of inducing menses. It was, even in antiquity, recognized that cessation of menses was an early sign of pregnancy, yet amenorrhea was regarded as a systemic disease that required immediate intervention. Although there have been sizable gains in our understanding of amenorrhea, modernday physicians often face a comparable dilemma in approaching its differential diagnosis and determining a course of action. This article is written in order to simplify this process and, in so doing, to assist the pediatrician in dealing with the adolescent patient with amenorrhea, as well as other common menstrually related problems, such as menometrorrhagia and dysmenorrhea. AMENORRHEA In order to understand absence of menses, it is first necessary to visualize the mechanisms responsible for its presence. The first prerequisite for normal menses is presence of a functionally and anatomically intact cerebral-hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian-uterine axis. This system is apparently capable of cyclic menses from birth, the reasons for its quiescence until puberty remaining an intriguing mystery.