cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Conflict resolution at the end of life.

Objective Limited empirical research has examined how decisions are made when the preferences of terminally ill patients conflict with physicians’ recommendations. This study sought to investigate physicians’ strategies for resolving conflicts with dying patients. Design Cross-sectional, qualitative interviews. Subjects Subjects were 158 physicians caring for at least one terminally ill patient. Setting University medical center. Measurements and Main Results We analyzed physicians’ responses to the open-ended interview questions, “How do you handle a situation when a patient wants a treatment that you believe does not provide any benefit?” and “How do you handle a situation when a patient does not want a treatment you think would be beneficial?” For patient requests of nonbeneficial treatments, physicians reported the following as important: negotiating with and educating patients (71%), deferring to patient requests for benign or uncomplicated treatments (34%), convincing patients to forgo treatments (33%), refusing patient requests for nonbeneficial treatment (22%), using family influence (16%), not offering futile treatments (13%), and referring to other physicians for disputed care (9%). Potential harm (23%) and cost of treatment (18%) were reasons cited for withholding treatments. In response to patient refusals of beneficial treatments, physicians report the following as important: negotiating with patients (59%), convincing patients to receive treatment (41%), assessing patient competence (32%), using family influence (27%), and referring to other physicians (21%). Conclusions Physicians vary in the communication and negotiation strategies they use when their medical judgment conflicts with dying patients’ preferences. Medical ethicists could play a greater role in teaching ethically important communication skills. Physicians providing care at the end of life report strategies for respecting patients that reflect graduated degrees of accommodation tailored to the costliness and riskiness of requests; they are most accepting of patient requests for benign, technically easy, inexpensive, and medically effective treatments.
Accurate analytical expressions for partition functions for all values of temperature

Abstract We obtain accurate analytical expressions for partition functions valid for all values of temperature by the application of the Euler—Maclaurin summation formula to that part of the sum over the energies that is dominant at high values of T. Several useful properties of the Euler—Maclaurin summation formula are easily derived by means of an operator formalism. As an illustrative example we explicitly consider the rotational partition function for diatomic molecules and use the analytical expressions to introduce centrifugal distortion effects and to calculate the contribution of the rotational motion to the specific heat. The accuracy of the analytical expressions is tested by comparison with exact numerical calculations.
Lithium Doped Polyethylene-Glycol-Based Thermal Interface Pastes for High Thermal Contact Conductance

Polyethylene-glycol-based thermal interface paste containing trifluoroacetic acid lithium salt (1.5 wt. percent optimum) and boron nitride particles (;18.0 vol. percent optimum), as well as water and N, N-dimethylformamide for helping the dissociation of the salt to release Li ions, gives thermal contact conductance that is almost as high as that given by Sn-Pb solder, similar to that given by boron nitride particle filled sodium silicate, and much higher than that given by boron nitride particle filled silicone. @DOI: 10.1115/1.1477191#
Percolative c(2×2) adlayer structure in nonequilibrium adsorption models

We consider simple adsorption models describing two systems [${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$O on Fe(001) and ${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ on Pd(100)] in which c(2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}2) short-range order is formed during chemisorption, and metastable saturation states result. This ordering is characterized using concepts from correlated percolation theory. Rapid increases in average domain size near saturation are associated with ``ghost percolation thresholds'' just above saturation. Generalizing these adsorption models to include an island-forming propensity, \ensuremath{\alpha}, is shown to move the saturation state closer to c(2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}2) percolation. The \ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty} behavior is elucidated by analyzing corresponding ``continuum two-phase grain growth models'' using ideas from stochastic geometry, continuum, and random lattice percolation theory.
PTSD symptoms, disclosure, and relationship distress: Explorations of mediation and associations over time ☆

Abstract Emotional numbing symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are negatively associated with relationship satisfaction in combat veterans and their romantic partners. Many speculate that one mechanism of this association may be decreased disclosure by veterans, but previous studies lacked appropriate data to test this hypothesis. In a sample of 224 OIF/OEF-era National Guard service members (SMs) and 214 of their romantic partners, we measured SMs’ PTSD symptoms. Four to six months later, we assessed both partners’ reports of SMs’ emotional disclosure and both partners’ relationship satisfaction (83 SMs and 91 partners completed Time 2). In a path analysis, SMs’ emotional numbing was negatively associated with their later relationship satisfaction. Furthermore, SMs’ emotional numbing was negatively associated with both partners’ reports of SMs’ emotional disclosure. Finally, SMs’ emotional numbing exerted significant or nearly significant indirect effects on both partners’ relationship satisfaction via decreased emotional disclosure. The findings demonstrated the importance of accounting for both partners’ perceptions when studying couple functioning in the context of PTSD or treating PTSD via conjoint intervention.
Intestinal maturation: The effect of glucocorticoids on in vivo net magnesium and calcium transport in the rat

We investigated with an in vivo single pass perfusion technique, the effect of glucocorticoids on net magnesium and calcium absorption from the small and large intestine of suckling and adolescent rats. In control rats, rates of net magnesium and calcium absorption were several fold greater in both small and large intestinal segments of suckling rats compared to corresponding rates in segments of adolescent rats. Methylprednisolone 30 mg/kg body weight daily for three days, suppressed significantly net magnesium and calcium absorption from the small and large intestinal segments of suckling rats only. Methylprednisolone had no effect on either net magnesium or calcium absorption in adolescent rats. The mechanism(s) responsible for the observed decrease in net magnesium and calcium absorption in the suckling period by glucocorticoids are discussed.
Application of the weighted residual method to diffraction by 2-D canyons of arbitrary shape: II. Incident P, SV and Rayleigh waves

Abstract A solution for the two-dimensional scattering and diffraction of plane P and SV waves by canyons of arbitrary shape in an elastic half space is presented. Numerical computation of the wave field is carried out on and near the canyon surfaces using the method of weighted residues (moment method). The wave displacement fields computed by the residual method for the cases of shallow to semi-circular canyons were shown to agree with those from the analytic solutions. As in the SH wave case, the same observations about ground amplifications, their dependence on frequencies and orientation of the incident waves, can be stated for canyons of arbitrary shape as for those of regular shape.
Spectroscopic diagnostic of Langmuir turbulence in magnetic fusion plasmas

We derive the dynamical Stark width and shift of hydrogenic spectral lines caused by Langmuir turbulence in magnetic fusion plasmas. We show that this additional broadening mechanism can dominate over the Stark broadening by the plasma microfield. Based on this analysis, we propose a method for the spectroscopic diagnostic of Langmuir turbulence in magnetic fusion plasmas.
Hemispheric activation of anterior and inferior prefrontal cortex during verbal encoding and recognition: a PET study of healthy volunteers.

Abstract Evidence of bilateral prefrontal activation during memory encoding and retrieval has increased attention given to anatomical subdivisions within the prefrontal cortex. The current study examined anterior and inferior aspects of the prefrontal cortex to determine their degree of functional and hemispheric overlap during encoding and recognition. Cerebral blood flow of 25 healthy volunteers was measured using PET 15 O-water methods during four conditions: resting baseline, sequential finger movement, word encoding, and word recognition. Resting and motor images were averaged to provide a single reference that was subtracted from encoding and recognition using statistical parametric mapping (SPM96). Memory conditions were also subtracted from each other to identify differences in regional activity. Subjects performed well (86% correct) and had a slightly conservative response bias. Baseline subtraction from encoding revealed focal activation of left inferior prefrontal cortex (area 45) without significant contralateral activation. Recognition minus baseline subtraction produced a focal right anterior prefrontal activation (areas 9 and 10) that was not present in the left hemisphere. Bilateral effects were seen in area 45 during recognition. Subtraction of memory tasks from each other did not reveal any areas of greater activity during encoding. However, the recognition task produced greater activation in right area 9 extending into the anterior cingulate. Greater activity during recognition was also observed in left insula and bilateral visual integration areas. These results are discussed in relation to the prevailing model of prefrontal hemispheric asymmetry during episodic memory.
p21(WAF1/Cip1) retards the growth of human squamous cell carcinomas in vivo.

Abstract The excessive proliferation exhibited by cancer cells is frequently a result of their failure to adequately regulate cell cycle progression. In the present study, we developed a xenograft model of oral cancer in athymic mice, using squamous carcinoma cell lines and examined the ability of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 (WAF1/Cip1) to retard tumour growth in vivo , using a retroviral delivery system. Human p21 cDNA was cloned by polymerase chain reaction, expressed, and the encoded protein shown to have biological activity in in vitro kinase assays. Amphotropic retrovirus cultures which expressed recombinant p21 were generated and used to treat established squamous cell carcinoma xenografts. Two weeks following onset of treatment, tumours injected with p21 virus producer cells showed a reduction in size between 3- and 10-fold compared with tumours which received control cells which produced control virus alone. The data indicate that recombinant p21 may be of future use for therapeutic intervention in oral cancer.
Analysis and comparison of inertinite-derived adsorbent with conventional adsorbents.

To increase U.S. petroleum energy-independence, the University of Texas at Arlington (UT Arlington) has developed a coal liquefaction process that uses a hydrogenated solvent and a proprietary catalyst to convert lignite coal to crude oil. This paper reports on part of the environmental evaluation of the liquefaction process: the evaluation of the solid residual from liquefying the coal, called inertinite, as a potential adsorbent for air and water purification. Inertinite samples derived from Arkansas and Texas lignite coals were used as test samples. In the activated carbon creation process, inertinite samples were heated in a tube furnace (Lindberg, Type 55035, Arlington, UT) at temperatures ranging between 300 and 850 °C for time spans of 60, 90, and 120 min, using steam and carbon dioxide as oxidizing gases. Activated inertinite samples were then characterized by ultra-high-purity nitrogen adsorption isotherms at 77 K using a high-speed surface area and pore size analyzer (Quantachrome, Nova 2200e, K...
Improving the time resolution of surfzone bathymetry using in situ altimeters

Surfzone bathymetry often is resolved poorly in time because watercraft surveys cannot be performed when waves are large, and remote sensing techniques have limited vertical accuracy. However, accurate high-frequency bathymetric information at fixed locations can be obtained from altimeters that sample nearly continuously, even during storms. A method is developed to generate temporally and spatially dense maps of evolving surfzone bathymetry by updating infrequent spatially dense watercraft surveys with the bathymetric change measured by a spatially sparse array of nearly continuously sampling altimeters. The update method is applied to observations of the evolution of shore-perpendicular rip current channels (dredged in Duck, NC, 2012) and shore-parallel sandbars (observed in Duck, NC, 1994). The updated maps are compared with maps made by temporally interpolating the watercraft surveys, and with maps made by spatially interpolating the altimeter measurements at any given time. Updated maps of the surfzone rip channels and sandbars are more accurate than maps obtained by using either only watercraft surveys or only the altimeter measurements. Hourly altimeter-updated bathymetric estimates of five rip channels show rapid migration and infill events not resolved by watercraft surveys alone. For a 2-month observational record of sandbars, altimeter-updated maps every 6 h between nearly daily surveys improve the time resolution of rapid bar-migration events.
The synthesis and structure of two filled skutterudite compounds : BaFe4Sb12 and BaRu4Sb12

Abstract Two compounds, BaT4Sb12 (T = Fe, Ru), have been synthesized using high temperature methods. These compounds crystallize in the cubic LaFe4P12 structure type. Two methods are described for the synthesis of BaFe4Sb12. Single crystals of BaFe4Sb12 can be prepared by reacting BaSb, Fe, and Sb in a 1:4:18 (Ba:Fe:Sb) molar ratio (method I). Single crystal X-ray diffraction data (room temperature, a = 9.200(3) A) for BaFe4Sb12 prepared by Method I were refined (cubic, Im 3 (No. 204), Z = 2, R = 1.96%, Rw = 1.73% for 179 independent reflections). BaFe4Sb12 can also be prepared in ≥80% yield from the reaction of stoichiometric amounts of Ba2Sb3, FeSb2, and Sb (method II). Low temperature (130 K, a = 9.188(2)) single crystal X-ray diffraction data on BaFe4Sb12 crystals produced from Method II were also measured and refined (R = 2.29%, Rw = 2.45% for 179 independent reflections). The structure of BaFe4Sb12 will be compared to that of the LaFe4Sb12 and CoSb3.
Electrophysiological interaction through the interstitial space between adjacent unmyelinated parallel fibers

The influence of interstitial or extracellular potentials on propagation usually has been ignored, often through assuming these potentials to be insignificantly different from zero, presumably because both measurements and calculations become much more complex when interstitial interactions are included. This study arose primarily from an interest in cardiac muscle, where it has been well established that substantial interstitial potentials occur in tightly packed structures, e.g., tens of millivolts within the ventricular wall. We analyzed the electrophysiological interaction between two adjacent unmyelinated fibers within a restricted extracellular space. Numerical evaluations made use of two linked core-conductor models and Hodgkin-Huxley membrane properties. Changes in transmembrane potentials induced in the second fiber ranged from nonexistent with large intervening volumes to large enough to initiate excitation when fibers were coupled by interstitial currents through a small interstitial space. With equal interstitial and intracellular longitudinal conductivities and close coupling, the interaction was large enough (induced Vm approximately 20 mV peak-to-peak) that action potentials from one fiber initiated excitation in the other, for the 40-microns radius evaluated. With close coupling but no change in structure, propagation velocity in the first fiber varied from 1.66 mm/ms (when both fibers were simultaneously stimulated) to 2.84 mm/ms (when the second fiber remained passive). Although normal propagation through interstitial interaction is unlikely, the magnitudes of the electrotonic interactions were large and may have a substantial modulating effect on function.
Complementary and alternative medicine use among people with asthma and health-related quality of life

AbstractObjective: This study investigated the relationship between complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use and self-reported health-related quality of life among people with asthma. Method: Data from the 2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey and the 2010 Asthma Callback Survey (ACBS) were used. Survey respondents were men and women with asthma who were 18–99 years of age who responded to both surveys. Results: CAM use was associated with an increase in the number of days of poor mental health (OR = 1.02, 95% CI 1.02, 1.03) and poor physical health (OR = 1.02, 95% CI 1.01, 1.02). The odds ratios are adjusted for covariates such as asthma severity, age, sex, race/ethnicity, income, and educational attainment. CAM users report more days of poor mental health (7.2 versus 4.6) and poor physical health (9.6 versus 6.5) compared with those not using CAM therapies. Conclusions: Contrary to the hypotheses, CAM use is associated with poorer health-related quality of life. Implicat...
Raman spectra of isotopic bisulfite and disulfite ions in alkali salts and aqueous solution

Abstract The Raman spectra of solid lithium, sodium, potassium, cesium, rubidium, and ammonium disulfite and of rubidium and cesium bisulfite were recorded and compared with the spectrum of an aqueous solution saturated with 1.2 m K2S2O5. Deuterium, 34S8, and 18O2 were used to label cesium bisulfite, CsHSO3, cesium disulfite, Cs2S2O5, and potassium disulfite. All six fundamentals of the bisulfite ion were observed and assigned. Eleven of the fifteen expected fundamentals of the disulfite ion were observed and correlated to older experimental data, as well as recent calculations. Isotope shifts confirm assignments in the SO stretching region. In the low frequency region, assignment is less conclusive and two frequencies have been tentatively reassigned.
Limb regeneration: Re-entering the cell cycle

Understanding the cellular plasticity that enables urodeles to regenerate many tissues is important for determining why mammals repair those same tissues with scar. The answer may lie partly in a recently discovered differential responsiveness of urodele cells to factors present in serum at the wound site.
Plasmapheresis with acute inflammatory polyneuropathy.

Abstract Eleven children with acute inflammatory polyneuropathy were treated with a short course of intensive plasmapheresis. The 5 males and 6 females ranged in age from 19 months to 16 years (mean: 7.8 years). The interval from disease onset to the initiation of plasmapheresis therapy was less than 7 days in 5 patients and less than 2 weeks in the others. At the time of the first plasmapheresis, 3 patients were on respirators (Grade 5 on the Guillain-Barre syndrome scale 0–6); 7 were bedridden (Grade 4); and 1 required assisted ambulation (Grade 3). One week after the last plasmapheresis, all but 1 patient had improved by 1 or more grades on the Guillain-Barre syndrome scale. At subsequent examination 6 months later, all patients were ambulatory and 9 of 11 had no significant neurologic findings. Electrophysiologic studies performed shortly before treatment initiation revealed predominant demyelinating neuropathy in 9 and axonal changes in 2. During the 76 plasmapheresis procedures, no severe complications were encountered. Although the number of patients treated is small, the clinical response observed would indicate plasmapheresis to be a safe and effective therapy in children with acute inflammatory polyneuropathy.
Estimating Illumination Chromaticity via Kernel Regression

We propose a simple nonparametric linear regression tool, known as kernel regression (KR), to estimate the illumination chromaticity. We design a Gaussian kernel whose bandwidth is selected empirically. Previously, nonlinear techniques like neural networks (NN) and support vector machines (SVM) are applied to estimate the illumination chromaticity. However, neither of the techniques was compared with linear regression tools. We show that the proposed method performs better chromaticity estimation compared to NN, SVM, and linear ridge regression (RR) approach on the same data set.
Shear rheology of extended nanoparticles

Nonequilibrium molecular-dynamics simulations are presented for the shear rheology of suspensions of extended "jack"-shaped nanoparticles in an explicit solvent. The shear viscosity is measured for two jack-shaped nanoparticle suspensions for volume fractions from 0.01 to 0.15 and compared to spherical nanoparticles of the same mass. Large differences, in some cases, orders of magnitude, are observed for both the equilibrium viscosity and diffusion constant as the shape of the nanoparticle is varied. The source of enhanced viscosity is the very large effective volume swept out by these extended nanoparticles which allows them to become highly entangled even at low volume fraction.
Binding of tissue-specific forms of αA-CRYBP1 to their regulatory sequence in the mouse αA-crystallin-encoding gene: double-label immunoblotting of UV-crosslinked complexes

The alpha A-CRYBP1 regulatory sequence (alpha A-CRYBP1RS), at nucleotides -66 to -57 of the mouse alpha A-crystallin-encoding gene (alpha A-CRY) promoter, is an important control element involved in the regulation of mouse alpha A-CRY expression. The gene encoding a protein (alpha A-CRYBP1) that specifically binds to the alpha A-CRYBP1RS sequence has been cloned from a cultured mouse lens cell line. In the present study, we have used an antibody (specific to the alpha A-CRYBP1 protein and made against a synthetic peptide) to directly identify UV-crosslinked protein-DNA complexes via a double-label immunoblotting technique. Multiple alpha A-CRYB1 antigenically related proteins interacted with alpha A-CRYBP1RS in nuclear extracts from both a cloned mouse lens cell line (alpha TN4-1) that expresses alpha A-CRY and a mouse fibroblast line (L929) that does not express the gene. Two sizes (50 kDa and 90 kDa) of proteins reacting with the alpha A-CRYBP1-specific Ab were detected in both cell lines and, in addition, a > 200-kDa protein reacting with the Ab was unique to the fibroblast line. Thus, alpha A-CRYBP1 antigenically related proteins interact with alpha A-CRYBP1RS regardless of alpha A-CRY expression. Moreover, differential processing of the alpha A-CRYBP1 protein and/or alternative splicing of the alpha A-CRY transcript may affect expression of alpha A-CRY.
Sentence matching and overgeneration.

Abstract Freedman and Forster (1985) claim that sentence matching times for ungrammatical sentences demonstrate the psychological reality of different types of ungrammaticality, and that this implies that sentences are mentally assigned multilevel syntactic derivations as characterized by Government Binding Theory. We question the notion of overgeneration which links F&Fs conclusions to their data. And we present further experimental results which suggest that the observed differences among ungrammatical sentences do not reflect their linguistic status. Rather, they are due to a tendency for subjects to spontaneously correct some, but not all, kinds of ungrammaticality.
Characterization of Rabbit Uterine Estrogen Receptor Proteins by Radioiodination and Partial Peptide Mapping

Two estrogen binding proteins (Mr = 50,000 and 65,000) were purified from rabbit uterine cytosol using an improved procedure for affinity chromatography on diethylstilbestrol- agarose. The estrogen receptors were radioiodinated while adsorbed to the resin using the lactoperoxidase or Bolton-Hunter techniques. After elution, the labeled receptors were utilized for peptide mapping studies and investigations of receptor function. Partial peptide mapping revealed strong homology between the Mr 50,000 and 65,000 proteins suggesting common structural features. Estrogen receptors labeled by the lactoperoxidase procedure were rendered unable to bind immobilized heparin or hormone; in contrast, the Bolton-Hunter labeling technique yields proteins that retain both their ability to bind hormone and to adsorb on heparin-agarose. The development of these iodination methodologies appears useful for the investigation of both the structure and functional properties of the receptor proteins. (Endocrinology 119: 2177–2185,...
Comments: Defining the Scholarly and Scholarship Common Program Requirements

Why do we have program requirements? When looking at the essence of this question, one realizes that program requirements help us to identify the basic elements needed to train a competent physician. The Common Program Requirements mandate that the training program monitor resident performance, faculty development, graduate performance, and the process by which the program attempts to improve its approach to training. These requirements make sense. We teach to develop proficiencies in the core competencies of patient care, medical knowledge, practice-based learning and improvement, interpersonal and communication skills, professionalism, and systems-based practice. Proficiency in each of the core competencies is critical to becoming a good physician. The Common Program Requirements also direct resident participation in scholarly activity, with the specific requirements left to the determination of each Residency Review Committee, and mandate that at least some members of the faculty demonstrate scholarship as defined by peer-reviewed funding, publication of original research, publication or presentation of case reports, and participation in national committees or educational organizations. Although our program has been compliant with these resident and faculty requirements, I am not certain that either the resident scholarship or the faculty scholarship outlined in these requirements is necessary to train a great physician.
Fresh Mushroom Quality as Affected by Modified Atmosphere Packaging

The effect of O 2 concentration, at 2-6% CO 2 , on shelf-life of fresh mushrooms in modified atmosphere packages (MAP) was studied. For conventional mushrooms optimum in-package O 2 was 6% to reduce cap development. Mushrooms irrigated with 0.3% calcium chloride during cropping had a higher rate of maturation and optimum O 2 was 2% during storage. At this low O 2 concentration, however, storage may be potentially hazardous and is not recommended. Surface moisture of mushrooms significantly increased during storage and may have obscured any beneficial effect of MAP on mushroom color. Precise control of relative humidity in the package is recommended
A micromachined silicon sieve electrode for nerve regeneration applications

A micromachined silicon sieve electrode has been developed and fabricated to record and stimulate individual axons of the peripheral nerve system by utilizing the nerve regeneration principle. The electrode structure is composed of a 15- mu m-thick silicon support rim, a 4- mu m-thick diaphragm containing different-size holes to allow nerve regeneration, and an integrated silicon ribbon cable, all fabricated using boron etch-stop. The diaphragm is etched using reactive ion etching to obtain different size holes with diameters as small as 2 mu m and center-center spacings as small as 10 mu m. The holes are surrounded by 100-200- mu m/sup 2/ anodized iridium oxide sites, which can be used for both recording and stimulation. These sites exhibit low impedances of less than 100 k Omega at 1 kHz and charge delivery capacities in the 4-6-mC/cm/sup 2/ range. The fabrication process is single-sided, has high yield, requires only five masks, and is comparable with integrated silicon ribbon cables. The sieve electrodes were implanted between the cut ends of peripheral taste fibers of rats (glossopharyngeal nerve), and axons have successfully regenerated through the holes. >
Impact of cardiac rehabilitation on mortality and cardiovascular events after percutaneous coronary intervention in the community.

Background—Although numerous studies have reported that cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is associated with reduced mortality after myocardial infarction, less is known about its association with mortality after percutaneous coronary intervention. Methods and Results—We performed a retrospective analysis of data from a prospectively collected registry of 2395 consecutive patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention in Olmsted County, Minnesota, from 1994 to 2008. The association of CR with all-cause mortality, cardiac mortality, myocardial infarction, or revascularization was assessed with 3 statistical techniques: propensity score–matched analysis (n=1438), propensity score stratification (n=2351), and regression adjustment with propensity score in a 3-month landmark analysis (n=2009). During a median follow-up of 6.3 years, 503 deaths (199 cardiac), 394 myocardial infarctions, and 755 revascularization procedures occurred in the study subjects. Participation in CR, noted in 40% (964 of 2395) of ...
Application of merged 1-m and 4-m resolution satellite data to research and management in tropical forests

Summary 1. Until very recently there have been no digital data from satellites for studying events that occur at scales of 10‐1000 m 2 over large areas (100‐100 000 ha). Many phenomena of interest to ecologists, such as impacts of selective logging on forest processes, occur over large extents but at local scales. Here we report results from a pilot project to evaluate through visual interpretation the potential of newly available 1-m panchromatic and 4-m multi-spectral data from the IKONOS satellite, for studying forest structure, dynamics and logging impacts in logged and old-growth tropical moist forest. 2. The study area, the Mil Madeireira Itacoatiara Ltda site of Precious Woods Amazon, near Itacoatiara, Amazonas, Brazil, is managed using reduced-impact logging practices to minimize environmental impacts, and thus represents a lower bound for logging impacts in tropical rain forests. 3. The IKONOS image was georeferenced using uncorrected global positioning system (GPS) locations for 10 control trees whose crowns were clearly visible in the image. The root mean square error (RMSE) of the geometric transformation was 4 m, while the mean crown diameter of 50 randomly chosen trees in old-growth forest was 9·4 m. The fact that the RMSE was less than half the average crown diameter implies that it will usually be possible to locate from the ground crowns that are distinct on the image, given sufficiently accurate GPS locations. 4. IKONOS data are well suited for evaluating and monitoring logging impacts. Many impacts of logging were clearly observable in the image, including major and some minor roads, logging patios and larger logging gaps. Smaller extraction roads and logging gaps were not observable. 5. Many individual trees were distinct on the IKONOS image, indicating that it is now feasible to conduct demographic studies of tropical rain forest canopy trees based on repeated satellite observations. Linking these remotely sensed data to ground data will require improved GPS positions, because it is currently difficult to obtain accurate GPS readings in tropical rain forest understoreys. 6. Synthesis and applications. IKONOS 1-m and 4-m data were found to be useful for identifying individual trees as well as some logging management features in a tropical moist forest in central Amazonia. These data will have many applications for research and management of intervened and old-growth tropical forests, including planning and assessment of logging activities, as well as monitoring adherence to certification criteria such as those of the Forest Stewardship Council. Rapid development of these
Comparative sequence analysis reveals an intricate network among REST, CREB and miRNA in mediating neuronal gene expression.

Background Two distinct classes of regulators have been implicated in regulating neuronal gene expression and mediating neuronal identity: transcription factors such as REST/NRSF (RE1 silencing transcription factor) and CREB (cAMP response element-binding protein), and microRNAs (miRNAs). How these two classes of regulators act together to mediate neuronal gene expression is unclear.
Capital Allocation by Public and Private Firms

We compare investment policies across public and private firms in different institutional settings. Using a large cross-country data set, we find that public listed firms are better positioned to take advantage of growth opportunities than private firms. Specifically, public listed firms exhibit higher investment sensitivity to growth opportunities than private firms. This differential, however, only exists in countries with well-developed stock markets. Furthermore, the relative advantage public firms have at allocating capital depends on the degree of agency costs and reliance on external equity.
Abiotic, bottom-up, and top-down influences on recruitment of Rocky Mountain elk in Oregon: A retrospective analysis

Understanding the relative effects of the many factors that may influence recruitment of ungulates is fundamental to managing their populations. Over the last 4 decades, average recruitment in some populations of elk (Cervus elaphus) in Oregon, USA declined from >50 to <20 juveniles per 100 females, and several competing hypotheses address these declines. We developed a priori models and constructed covariates spanning 1977–2005 from hunter-killed elk, elk population estimates, cougar harvest, and weather statistics to evaluate abiotic, bottom-up, and top-down factors that may explain annual variation and long-term trends of pregnancy, juveniles-at-heel in late autumn, and recruitment of juvenile elk in spring. In models of pregnancy status, August precipitation, age, and cougar index had positive effects, whereas previous year (t − 1) winter severity or winter precipitation(t−1) and elk density had negative effects. In models of juvenile-at-heel in late autumn, August precipitation, August precipitation(t−1), cougar index × elk density(t−1), and age had positive effects, whereas cougar index, elk density(t−1), and winter precipitation(t−1) had negative effects. Juvenile recruitment was best explained by positive effects of August precipitation(t−1), lactation rate, and cougar index × elk density(t−1) and negative effects of cougar index and elk density(t−1). Winter severity, precipitation, and temperature were not significant in explaining variation in elk recruitment. Annual variation in pregnancy, juvenile-at-heel, and recruitment was most influenced by August precipitation, whereas long-term trends in recruitment were most influenced by cougar densities with relatively weak effects of elk density. These results provide insight into causes of year-to-year and long-term trends of elk recruitment and provide a basis for more rigorous evaluation of factors affecting recruitment of elk. © 2012 The Wildlife Society.
Polychlorinated biphenyl serum concentrations, lifestyle and time-to-pregnancy

methods: Eighty-three women (contributing 442 menstrual cycles) planning pregnancies completed daily diaries regarding menstruation, intercourse, home pregnancy test results, and reported use of alcohol and cigarettes. TTP denoted the number of observed menstrual cycles required for pregnancy. Preconception blood specimens underwent toxicologic analysis for 76 PCB congeners via gas chromatography with electron capture; serum lipids were quantified with enzymatic methods. A priori, PCB congeners were summed into a total and three groupings—estrogenic, anti-estrogenic and other—and entered into discrete analogs of Cox models with time-varying covariates to estimate fecundability odds ratios (FOR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). results: Estrogenic and anti-estrogenic PCB concentrations (ng/g serum) conferred reduced FORs in fully adjusted models (0.32; 95% CI 0.03, 3.90 and 0.01: 95% CI , 0.00, 1.99, respectively). Reduced FORs (0.96) were observed for alcohol consumption standardized to a 28day menstrual cycle in the same adjusted model (FOR ¼ 0.96; 95% CI 0.93, 1.00). conclusions: These data suggest that environmental exposures including those amenable to change, such as alcohol consumption, may impact female fecundity. The findings are sensitive to model specification and PCB groupings, underscoring the need to further assess the impact of chemical mixtures on sensitive reproductive outcomes, such as TTP, especially in the context of lifestyle factors which are amenable to change, thereby improving reproductive health.
Differential Effects of Pro-Inflammatory Mediators on Alveolar Epithelial Barrier Function

There has been considerable progress in understanding how the alveolar epithelium regulates fluid balance under normal and pathologic conditions [1]. There is a growing understanding of the important role of the alveolar epithelium in regulating inflammatory responses as well as in responding to several pathologic stimuli. Progress has beenmade possible because of the availability of excellent animal models for in vivo studies as well as several in vitromodels including studies of cultured human alveolar epithelial type II cells. This chapter will focus on how fourdifferent inflammatorymolecules (tumornecrosis factor [TNF]-α, leukotriene D4 (LTD4), interleukin [IL]-1β, and transforming growth factor [TGF]-β) can exert differential effects on the barrier and fluid transport capacity of the alveolar epithelium with a particular focus on their relevance to acute lung injury (ALI).
Enzymatic cross-linking of involucrin and other proteins by keratinocyte particulates in vitro

A transglutaminase-catalyzed cross-linking process characteristic of keratinocytes leads to the formation of the insoluble corneocyte envelope. The essentials of this process take place in vitro in a reconstituted system derived from subcellular fractions. A particulate fraction containing membrane-bound envelope precursor proteins and the enzyme transglutaminase is combined with cytosolic proteins; when the enzyme is activated by Ca++, cytosolic proteins are removed from solution and cross-linked to particulate proteins. This interaction is cell-type-specific, since particulates derived from fibroblasts and also containing transglutaminase activity cannot substitute for those of keratinocytes. Involucrin, a cytosolic protein known to be a precursor of the envelope, is more efficiently cross-linked than other cytosolic proteins. The cross-linking of proteins of the particulate fraction (membrane proteins) is promoted by the presence of involucrin.
Mechanisms and Control of Protein Translation in the Kidney

Translational control of protein synthesis is critical for cell division, homeostasis and survival. Recent data indicate that dysregulation of protein synthesis that leads to either increased or decre
Optimal convergence rates, Bahadur representation, and asymptotic normality of partitioning estimators☆

Abstract This paper studies the asymptotic properties of partitioning estimators of the conditional expectation function and its derivatives. Mean-square and uniform convergence rates are established and shown to be optimal under simple and intuitive conditions. The uniform rate explicitly accounts for the effect of moment assumptions, which is useful in semiparametric inference. A general asymptotic integrated mean-square error approximation is obtained and used to derive an optimal plug-in tuning parameter selector. A uniform Bahadur representation is developed for linear functionals of the estimator. Using this representation, asymptotic normality is established, along with consistency of a standard-error estimator. The finite-sample performance of the partitioning estimator is examined and compared to other nonparametric techniques in an extensive simulation study.
Giblet Yields and Dressed Weights of Four Classes of Poultry

ABSTRACT For most classes of market poultry, information concerning the individual giblet weights and their relation to live and dressed weights is apparently incomplete or unavailable. Latimer and Pedersen (1923) reported an average liver weight of 31.9 grams for 131 dressed birds averaging 865 grams. Marsden (1940) reported the gross weights and measurements of the parts and organs of well-fatted, young, roasting turkeys but didn’t report separate values for the neck. McNally (1941) found the average heart weights of RIR fowls to be 0.35% of the body weight. Newell (1954) calculated the percent yield for the parts of cut-up broilers. Giblet and neck yields were respectively, 4.61% and 4.98% of the live weights for birds weighing 2–3½ pounds each. Catering services like to know these yields based on eviscerated weights so that their broiler costs can be assessed more closely. Malcom et al. (1957) reported turkey giblet yields as percentages . . .
Safety of single daily use for one week of C31G HEC gel in women

Genital irritation and user acceptability was compared after seven nightly bedtime exposures to 1.2% C31G hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), 2% nonoxynol-9 (N-9) (Gynol II) or HEC vehicle alone. Sixty healthy women over 18 years old at low risk for sexually transmitted disease with normal menses were randomly assigned to one of three groups. Entrance and exit pelvic exams documented vaginal pH and Gram stain. Genital irritation was assessed by patient diaries, a telephone call 24 to 48 h after first use, colposcopy done the day after last product use, and an acceptability questionnaire at exit. Eighty percent of the women using C31G HEC experienced symptoms of vaginal burning or heat compared to 25% of the N-9 users and 5% of the vehicle users. Colposcopic findings were similar for the active treatments of C31G HEC and N-9: 50% vs. 60% developed new lesions, 25% vs. 20% had lesions that disrupted epithelial integrity, and 50% vs. 45% had minor lesions, respectively. Findings with the HEC vehicle were half as frequent. Twelve percent of women had epithelial disruption that was assessed by the colposcopist as applicator-related. Gram stains were half as likely to show bacterial vaginosis after N-9 use (6 → 3) and one fourth as likely after vehicle or C31G HEC use (4 → 1). When asked if they would use the product if it were an effective contraceptive, 55% of the vehicle users, 35% of the N-9 users, and 25% of the C31G HEC users agreed. Product acceptability of C31G HEC was limited by the sensation of heat or burning. The C31G HEC product had a similar safety profile to N-9 in this comparative trial.
Research as a Guide for the Design of Intelligent Learning Environments

This paper discusses how research on the teaching and learning of physics can guide the design of intelligent learning environments. The example used to illustrate the process is a computer program that is intended to help students learn how to relate a motion to its graphical representations. The discussion is divided into two main sections. The first of these describes how research helped improve the effectiveness of the program as a teaching aid. The second part demonstrates how the computer program was used as an investigatory probe to examine student understanding of motion graphs. The paper concludes with a commentary about the importance of conducting research throughout the development of computer-based instructional materials.
Teaching a Young Child to Appropriately Gain Attention of Peers Using a Social Story Intervention

The purpose of this study Was to assess the effectiveness of a Social Story™ intervention in teaching a young child With hyperlexia to appropriately obtain the attention of his peers. The Social St...
In silico prediction of MOFs with high deliverable capacity or internal surface area

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) offer unprecedented atom-scale design and structural tunability, largely due to the vast number of possible organic linkers which can be utilized in their assembly. Exploration of this space of linkers allows identification of ranges of achievable material properties as well as discovery of optimal materials for a given application. Experimental exploration of the linker space has to date been quite limited due to the cost and complexity of synthesis, while high-throughput computational studies have mainly explored MOF materials based on known or readily available linkers. Here an evolutionary algorithm for de novo design of organic linkers for metal–organic frameworks is used to predict MOFs with either high methane deliverable capacity or methane accessible surface area. Known chemical reactions are applied in silico to a population of linkers to discover these MOFs. Through this design strategy, MOF candidates are found in the ten symmetric networks acs, cds, dia, hxg, lvt, nbo, pcu, rhr, sod, and tbo. The correlation between deliverable capacities and surface area is network dependent.
Stationary distributions for the random waypoint mobility model

In simulations of mobile ad hoc networks, the probability distribution governing the movement of the nodes typically varies over time and converges to a "steady-state" distribution, known in the probability literature as the stationary distribution. Some published simulation results ignore this initialization discrepancy. For those results that attempt to account for this discrepancy, the practice is to discard an initial sequence of observations from a simulation in the hope that the remaining values will closely represent the stationary distribution. This approach is inefficient and not always reliable. However, if the initial locations and speeds of the nodes are chosen from the stationary distribution, convergence is immediate and no data need be discarded. We derive the stationary distributions for location, speed, and pause time for the random waypoint mobility model. We then show how to implement the random waypoint mobility model in order to construct more efficient and reliable simulations for mobile ad hoc networks. Simulation results, which verify the correctness of our method, are included. In addition, implementation of our method for the NS-2 simulator is available.
Surface Localization Determinants of Borrelia OspC/Vsp Family Lipoproteins

The dimeric OspC/Vsp family surface lipoproteins of Borrelia spirochetes are crucial to the transmission and persistence of Lyme borreliosis and tick-borne relapsing fever. However, the requirements for their proper surface display remained undefined. In previous studies, we showed that localization of Borrelia burgdorferi monomeric surface lipoprotein OspA was dependent on residues in the N-terminal “tether” peptide. Here, site-directed mutagenesis of the B. burgdorferi OspC tether revealed two distinct regions affecting either release from the inner membrane or translocation through the outer membrane. Determinants of both of these steps appear consolidated within a single region of the Borrelia turicatae Vsp1 tether. Periplasmic OspC mutants still were able to form dimers. Their localization defect could be rescued by the addition of an apparently structure-destabilizing C-terminal epitope tag but not by coexpression with wild-type OspC. Furthermore, disruption of intermolecular Vsp1 salt bridges blocked dimerization but not surface localization of the resulting Vsp1 monomers. Together, these results suggest that Borrelia OspC/Vsp1 surface lipoproteins traverse the periplasm and the outer membrane as unfolded monomeric intermediates and assemble into their functional multimeric folds only upon reaching the spirochetal surface.
A reaction mechanism for the nitrous oxide decomposition on binuclear oxygen bridged iron sites in Fe-ZSM-5

The reaction mechanism for the decomposition of nitrous oxide (N2O) on hydroxylated and dehydroxylated binuclear oxygen bridged extraframework iron sites in Fe-ZSM-5 has been studied using density ...