cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Democracy and Taiwan-mainland China ties: A critique of three dominant views

The advent of democracy in Taiwan creates regime asymmetry between Taiwan and mainland China. Given that the size asymmetry so acutely favors mainland China, does democracy make Taiwan better or worse off? Taiwan’s principal opposition party posits that democracy presents a viable shortcut to an independent Taiwanese nation-state. A second perspective, held by proactive unificationists, emphasizes that Taiwan’s democracy, through a demonstration effect, can trigger or accelerate the long overdue political transformation of the mainland, and thereby contribute to the unification of the “greater China.” The third position, held by the mainstream ruling elites, highlights the corrosive and divisive effects that democracy may generate to undermine Taiwan’s political defense against her hereditary adversary. All three views are flawed. The first two are unwarrantedly sanguine and incorrectly assume risk neutrality as opposed to risk aversion for the majority of voters in Taiwan. The third perspective is an overstatement. Democracy permits subethnic cleavages to surface, but it also provides legitimate institutional devices to peacefully deal with intricate issues Taiwan faces, namely, her identity and her ties to the mainland.
Pulled in Too Many Directions: The Causes and Consequences of Work-Work Conflict:

Previous research has documented the influence of overwork and inflexible hours on work-life conflict for working professionals. In this paper, we build on this literature and explore the novel the...
Removal of Cumulus from Mammalian Zygotes using Microfluidic Techniques

We designed, fabricated, and tested a microfluidic device for mechanical removal of cumulus cells from individual in-vitro fertilized mammalian (bovine) cumulus-oocyte complexes. Building devices in poly-dimethylsiloxane with channel dimensions on the same order as that of the cumulus-oocyte complex (Φ≅400 μm) allows for tracking and fluidic manipulation of individual cumulus-oocyte complexes. Two regions slightly more narrow than the ovum reorient the cumulus into a doughnut shape around the ovum. Two ports (channels significantly narrower than the ovum) are used to remove the cumulus via suction. The system uses pressure-driven flow to achieve positioning and movement of the cumulus-oocyte complex leading to the complete separation and removal of the cumulus cells from the oocyte.
E-cigarette use and perceived health change: Better healththrough vaping?

Introduction As e-cigarette use increases, questions about individual and public health effects remain unanswered (e.g. cessation tool, addiction path). Despite increasing use, few studies have focused on vape shop patrons. This study examined whether vape shop patrons believe their health is affected by the use of e-cigs; more specifically, the aim was to evaluate the association between e-cig use, change in tobacco use, and perception of health. Methods A survey of e-cig users (N=78) was conducted in vape shops. Questions included e-cig and traditional tobacco use, health perceptions, and demographics. Descriptive techniques were used to characterize participants as either those who perceived e-cig use improved their health or those who perceived their health unaffected. Logistic regression assessed the association between change in tobacco use, e-cig use, and perception of health effects. Results Most reported daily e-cig (91%) and current (11.5%) or former (78.2%) combustible cigarette use. Approximately, three-fourths (76.9%) perceived better health; the remainder (23.1%) perceived unaffected health. Change in cigarette use was significantly associated with perceptions that health is better with e-cig use. Participants who decreased cigarette use by 2-3 cartons/month and more than 3 cartons/month were significantly more likely to indicate that e-cig use has improved their health compared to those who decreased tobacco use by 1.5 cartons or fewer per month (OR=4.35, 95% CI: 1.13-16.9; OR=25.67, 95% CI: 2.97-221.7, respectively). Conclusions The majority of e-cig users perceived better health. Our findings suggest that health campaign designers should carefully assess the scientific uncertainty surrounding the use of these devices and consider means to clearly convey this information. Given the lack of scientific agreement on the health effects of e-cigs and the important role that perceptions play in behavior, health campaign designers, health education practitioners, policy makers, and health care providers should err on the side of caution when advising individuals about e-cig use.
Racial and sex differences of fruit and vegetable self-efficacy and intake among college students in a rural, southern location

Objective: To examine fruit and vegetable intake and self-efficacy among U.S. college students in a rural, Southern location. Participants: Undergraduate students (n = 1503) enrolled in a universit...
Developing and assessing tutorials for quantum mechanics: Time dependence and measurements

The development and testing of a sequence of three tutorials focused on quantum measurements and time dependence.
Field evaluation and components of peanut rust resistance of newly developed breeding lines

ABSTRACT Field, greenhouse, and growth chamber experiments were conducted to determine the level of resistance to Puccinia arachidis Speg. in newly developed breeding lines of peanut (Arachis hypog...
Postrelapse survival in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma after therapy failure following autologous transplantation

Outcomes for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients relapsing after autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (auto-HCT) have been historically poor. We studied outcomes of such patients using data from 4 transplantation centers. Eligibility criteria included adult patients (age ≥18 years) with DLBCL experiencing disease relapse after auto-HCT performed during 2006 to 2015. The time period was stratified into 2 eras (era 1, 2006-2010; era 2, 2011-2015). The primary end point was postrelapse overall survival (PR-OS). Secondary end points were factors prognostic of PR-OS. Of the 700 patients with DLBCL who underwent auto-HCT, 248 (35%) relapsed after auto-HCT. Median PR-OS of all relapsed DLBCL patients after auto-HCT (n = 228) was 9.8 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 7-15). Median PR-OS was significantly better for patients in complete (17.8 months; 95% CI, 7.9-41.6) vs partial remission at auto-HCT (7.1 months; 95% CI, 5.4-11; P = .01), those undergoing auto-HCT >1 year (12.8 months; 95% CI, 7.6-24.9) vs ≤1 year after DLBCL diagnosis (6.3 months; 95% CI, 4.5-9.2; P = .01), and those with late (56.4 months; 95% CI, 23.7-∞) vs early relapse (5.9 months; 95% CI, 4.5-8.8; P < .0001). On multivariate analysis, although late relapse (hazard ratio [HR], 0.21; 95% CI, 0.13-0.34; P < .0001) was associated with significantly lower mortality, the risk of mortality increased with age (HR, 1.25 per decade; 95% CI, 1.06-1.48; P = .009). This is the largest study to date to evaluate outcomes of DLBCL patients relapsing after auto-HCT. Our study provides benchmarking for future trials of chimeric antigen receptor T cells and other promising agents evaluating PR-OS after auto-HCT.
Hunter-Gatherer Sleep and Novel Human Sleep Adaptations

Abstract In this volume, we review sleep in diverse, nonelectric populations worldwide and present some background on the different lifestyles of these populations. In particular, we focus on hunter-gatherers and foragers, because humans lived as foragers, exclusively, since we first evolved, 315,000 years ago, until the first recorded instance of agriculture, 9500 years ago. While modern foragers cannot be seen as an analogue for the past, they do present a unique lens to study how people's biology and behavior respond to contemporary hunting and gathering conditions. Rather than advance arguments that one population sleeps better than all the rest, we approach sleep as an adaptation, shaped by natural selection, that allows people to best fit their sleep into their specific conditions. We discuss how this approach can improve our understanding of worldwide variation in sleep and suggest some ways it may apply to sleep patterns in the West as well.
Tiered intake assessment for food colours.

A tiered intake assessment approach, ranging from the conservative default and refined budget method to refined dietary exposure assessments using national food consumption surveys is presented and...
Optimal Trapping for Brownian Motion: a Nonlinear Analogue of the Torsion Function

We study the problem of maximizing the expected lifetime of drift diffusion in a bounded domain. More formally, we consider the PDE $$ - {\Delta} u + b(x) \cdot \nabla u = 1 \qquad \text{in}~{\Omega} $$ subject to Dirichlet boundary conditions for $\|b\|_{L^{\infty }}$ fixed. We show that, in any given C2 −domain Ω, the vector field maximizing the expected lifetime is (nonlinearly) coupled to the solution and satisfies $b = -\|b\|_{L^{\infty }} \nabla u/ \lvert \nabla u\rvert $ which reduces the problem to the study of the nonlinear PDE $$ -{\Delta} u - b \cdot \left| \nabla u \right| = 1, $$ where $b = \|b\|_{L^{\infty }}$ is a constant. We believe that this PDE is a natural and interesting nonlinear analogue of the torsion function (b = 0). We prove that, for fixed volume, $\| \nabla u\|_{L^{1}}$ and $\|{\Delta } u\|_{L^{1}}$ are maximized if Ω is the ball (the ball is also known to maximize $\|u\|_{L^{p}}$ for p ≥ 1 from a result of Hamel & Russ).
The hydration of viruses.

Publisher Summary The size and shape of virus nucleoprotein particles can be evaluated unambiguously only when the degree of hydration is known. This chapter discusses several methods that are available for the determination of the hydration of protein crystals. These include the gravimetric analysis of crystals before and after drying, density determinations of crystals, analyses of secondary solute concentrations in equilibrium with crystals, X-ray diffraction analyses of crystal lattice dimensions in the hydrated and in the unhydrated state, and optical analyses of crystals. Only the X-ray diffraction and the optical methods actually have been applied to the crystals of virus nucleoproteins. Most methods of investigating hydration, particularly hydration of particles in solution, fall into three categories. The first category provides information about the total displacement of the hydrated particle. This category includes the direct displacement method of Lauffer and Taylor and methods involving various combinations of sedimentation, diffusion, rotational diffusion, and viscosity. The second category evaluates the effective specific volume of the hydrated particle such as sedimentation in media of different densities. The third category evaluates directly the volume or the mass of solvate bound by the particle. This category includes the methods that presumably determine the amount of solvent not free to dissolve a secondary solute such as vapor pressure determinations, freezing point depressions, boiling point elevations, and the distribution of secondary solute among phases or across membranes. Direct gravimetric or chemical analyses and X-ray diffraction analyses of crystals also fall within this classification.
Internalizing symptoms and externalizing behaviors in Latinx adolescents with same sex behaviors in Miami

Sexual minorities report poorer mental health relative to heterosexual counterparts, but this is underexplored in Latinx youth. This study compares internalizing symptoms and externalizing behavior...
The Virtual as the Digital

abstract i reply to seven commentaries on “the virtual and the real”. in response to claus beisbart, jesper juul, peter ludlow, and neil mcdonnell and nathan wildman, i clarify and develop my view that virtual are digital objects, with special attention to the nature of digital objects and data structures. in response to alyssa ney and eric schwitzgebel, i clarify and defend my spatial functionalism, with special attention to the connections between space and consciousness. in response to marc silcox, i clarify and develop my view of the value of virtual worlds, with special attention to the case where we experience these worlds as virtual.
Environmental Impact on Cereal Crop Grain Damage from Pre-harvest Sprouting and Late Maturity Alpha-Amylase

Pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) and late maturity alpha-amylase (LMA) result from increased alpha-amylase (AA) activity in wheat, rice, barley, rye, and maize grain prior to harvest leading to undesirable degradation of seed starch. The starch degradation can reduce grain quality and thus crop values by up to 30% and in severe cases make them unfit for human consumption and usable only as animal feed. Specific environmental conditions of temperature and rain occurring at or near seed maturity lead to the onset of PHS or LMA. While environmental effects cannot be controlled in the field, genetic resistance/tolerance is possible. Genetic control of PHS and LMA is complicated by the numerous factors involved in modulating AA which ultimately leads to starch degradation. This includes multiple enzymatic pathways, multiple plant hormones, a complex signaling pathway, several physical factors, and potential protein inhibitors that have been found to mitigate AA. Here we review how AA activity is measured; what environmental, physical, chemical, and genetic factors influence it; and perspective on how PHS and LMA can be best mitigated with changes in climate favoring an increase in their occurrence in cereal crops, which form the bulk of calories consumed worldwide.
Structured micro/nano materials synthesized via electrospray: a review

The development of synthetic methods for micro/nano materials with precisely controlled structures, morphologies, and local compositions is of great importance for the advancement of modern nanotechnology. The electrospray method is a "platform" approach for the preparation of a broad range of micro-/nanostructures; electrospray is simple and scalable. This review summarizes recent research on the micro-/nanostructures prepared via the electrospray route. These include spherical structures (e.g. simple, porous, Janus, and core-shell particles), non-spherical structures (e.g. red blood cell-like and spindle-like particles, multi-compartment microrods, 2D holey nanosheets, and nanopyramids), and assembled structures. The experimental details, underlying physical/chemical principles, and key benefits of these structures are comprehensively discussed. The effects and importance of nozzle design, properties of feeding solutions (e.g. concentration of solute, polymer additives, solvent/nonsolvent combinations), working environment (e.g. temperature and humidity), and types of collection media are highlighted.
A Graded Approach to Intravenous Dextrose for Neonatal Hypoglycemia Decreases Blood Glucose Variability, Time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and Cost of Stay.

Objective To determine associations between a graded approach to intravenous (IV) dextrose treatment for neonatal hypoglycemia and changes in blood glucose (BG), length of stay (LOS), and cost of care. Study design Retrospective cohort study of 277 infants born at ≥35 weeks of gestation in an urban academic delivery hospital, comparing the change in BG after IV dextrose initiation, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) LOS, and cost of care in epochs before and after a hospital protocol change. During epoch 1, all infants who needed IV dextrose for hypoglycemia were given a bolus and started on IV dextrose at 60 mL/kg/day. During epoch 2, infants received IV dextrose at 30 or 60 mL/kg/day based on the degree of hypoglycemia. Differences in BG outcomes, LOS, and cost of hospital care between epochs were compared using adjusted median regression. Results In epoch 2, the median (IQR) rise in BG after initiating IV dextrose (19 [10, 31] mg/dL) was significantly lower than in epoch 1 (24 [14,37] mg/dL; adjusted β = -6.0 mg/dL, 95% CI -11.2, -0.8). Time to normoglycemia did not differ significantly between epochs. NICU days decreased from a median (IQR) of 4.5 (2.1, 11.0) to 3.0 (1.5, 6.5) (adjusted β = -1.9, 95% CI -3.0, -0.7). Costs associated with NICU hospitalization decreased from a median (IQR) $14 030 ($5847, $30 753) to $8470 ($5650, $19 019) (adjusted β = -$4417, 95% CI -$571, -$8263) after guideline implementation. Conclusions A graded approach to IV dextrose was associated with decreased BG lability and length and cost of NICU stay for infants with neonatal hypoglycemia.
Assessing Managerial Impact in Virtual Teams: Possible Directions for Future Research

Virtual teams are touted as the cornerstone of successful organization of the 21 century. As viable technology to implement and support this novel organizational structure is now available, research attention should focus on the social and managerial challenges posed by this new form of teamwork. The wealth of findings generated by the Computer Mediated Communication literature points to potential issues in need of investigation. This paper reviews relevant research findings and their implication for exploration of virtual teams. Then it presents four propositions concerning virtual team management that future research should explore.
Dissociation of locus coeruleus activity and blood pressure: Effects of clonidine and corticotropin-releasing factor

In order to determine whether pharmacologically-induced alterations in the spontaneous activity of neurons in the locus coeruleus are associated with changes in blood pressure, the activity of the locus coeruleus and blood pressure were recorded simultaneously in anesthetized rats after the administration of agents known to affect both of these parameters. Spontaneous activity of the locus coeruleus was decreased by intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of both clonidine and St 91, [2,(2,6-diethylphenylimino)imidazolidine chloride], a charged analogue of clonidine. However, only clonidine decreased the mean blood pressure after intracerebroventricular administration suggesting that either the receptors mediating decreases in the activity of the locus coeruleus are different to those mediating hypotension, or that St 91 does not distribute to sites involved in the control of blood presure even after intracerebroventricular administration. Intravenous administration of clonidine, but not of St 91, decreased the activity of the locus coeruleus and produced a prolonged hypotension, thus suggesting a central mechanism for these effects. Both clonidine and St 91 administered intravenously, produced a brief initial period of hypertension which was not associated with consistent changes in the spontaneous activity of the locus coeruleus. Thus, noradrenergic agonists can decrease the activity of the locus coeruleus without affecting blood pressure, and increase blood pressure without affecting the activity of the locus coeruleus. The spontaneous activity of cells in the locus coeruleus was increased by 100% after the intracerebroventrieular administration of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF; 3.0 μg). However, blood pressure was not altered by this dose of corticotropin-releasing factor. This demonstrates that increasing the spontaneous activity of the locus coeruleus does not directly affect blood pressure. The results of the present study demonstrate that the activity of the locus coeruleus can be decreased or increased without a resulting change in blood pressure, and conversely, that an increase in blood pressure need not be accompanied by changes in the spontaneous activity of the locus coeruleus.
Vertical profile design and transit time analysis of nano-scale SiGe HBTs for Terahertz f/sub T/

We present a nano-scale SiGe HBT design for above Terahertz f/sub T/. The graded profile is shown to produce better performance than the box profile with the same total Ge (and hence film stability). A 2000 GHz/spl middot/V f/sub T//spl times/BV/sub CEO/ is shown in simulations using the graded Ge profile.
CONTRACTS Contracts in Partial Restraint of Trade: Restrictive Covenant Act

The Act provides that contracts in partial restraint of trade that are reasonable are valid and enforceable. The Act establishes rules for determining when a restrictive covenant is reasonable and establishes procedures for identification, clarification and reformulation of such covenants. Courts must enforce restrictive covenants independently of the enforceability of any other covenant, or part of a covenant, contained in a non-compete agreement. A post-employment loss or forfeiture provision conditioned upon the occurrence of subsequent competition does not constitute a restraint of trade and is enforceable regardless of the unenforceability of non-compete covenants contained in the same contract.
Some chemical and morphological properties of five clover species (Trifolium sp.) at different aspect of pasture in Belovets village (Razgrad), Bulgaria

The aim of investigation was to determine the effects of aspect (north and south) on some morphological [plant height (cm), number of stems per plant, main stem diameter (mm), number of leaves per main stem, petiole length (cm), leaflet length (cm), leaflet width (cm), leaf: stem ratio] and chemical [crude protein (%), crude cellulose (%), calcium (%), phosphorus (%), potassium (%) and magnesium (%) ratios] properties of five clover species [hare’s-food clover (Trifolium arvense L.), field clover (T. campestre Schreb.), suckling clover (T. dubium Sibth.), alsike clover (T. hybridum L.) and zigzag clover (T. medium L.)] in pasture vegetation. The plant height, main stem diameter, number of leaves per main stem, petiole length, leaflet length, leaflet width, leaf: stem, crude protein, crude cellulose, calcium and potassium ratios were affected by aspect. The maximum plant height (65.53 cm), leaf: stem ratio (1.17) and crude protein ratio (20.00%) were found in zigzag clover on north-facing of pasture. The highest magnesium ratio (0.41%) and lowest number of stems per plant (4.85) were determined from the zigzag clover. The hare’s-food clover showed lower values (P<0.01) than the other clovers for phosphorus content (0.275%). The main stem diameter ranged from 3.53 to 5.27 mm. The north-facing of pasture had highest number of leaves per main stem (17.07) and petiole length (1.83 cm). The maximum leaflet length (3.50 cm) and width (2.55 cm) were measured for alsike clover on north-facing of pasture. The highest crude cellulose (28.23%) and calcium (3.13%) ratios were determined in hare’s-food clover on south-facing of pasture, whereas the lowest potassium ratio (2.37-2.39) was found in same clover species on each aspect of pasture.
Ultrasonic NDE Techniques for Integrally Fabricated Rotors

Solid-state bonding methods, e.g., diffusion bonding and pressure welding, are becoming common manufacture and repair techniques for gas turbine engine components. Effective NDE inspection techniques are crucial to the utilization of this approach due to the high stresses on the bond plane associated with jet engine operation. Recently we have examined ultrasonic techniques for assessing bond quality including leaky Rayleigh waves and critical angle longitudinal waves[1], for which the illuminating waves are nearly normal to the bond plane, and longitudinal waves at near grazing incidence to the bond[1]. Based upon preliminary theoretical analyses[1,2] of ultrasonic reflectivity from imperfect interfaces, it was found that the reflection coefficient for both longitudinal and shear waves increases to unity as the incident angle approaches grazing[1]. In contrast, the bond reflection coefficients for near normal incidence can be quite small, depending upon the degree of imperfection of the bond. A second drawback to the first two approaches mentioned is that surface roughness of the blade can cause scattering noise which dominates the signals reflected from the bond. The grazing incidence technique suffers less from these problems since the probe is oriented nearly normal to the surface of the blade and the interaction of the beam with the surface is minimized.
Examples of Metric Spaces

Let C, or C[a, b], denote the set of all real-valued continuous functions f on the interval[a, b], and define $$ \varrho (f,g) = {{\sup }_{{a \leqq x \leqq b}}}|f(x) - g(x)|. $$ It is easy to verify that ϱ is a metric in C; in particular, the triangle inequality follows from the fact that $$|f(x) - h(x)| \leq |f(x) - g(x)| + |g(x) - h(x)| \leq \varrho (f,g) + \varrho (g,h)$$ for all x in [a, b]. Convergence in this metric means uniform convergence on [a, b]. For this reason, ϱ is called the uniform meteric.
Licensing in Marriage and Family Therapy

Abstract The changing patterns of health care have garnered increasing attention from both clinicians and training supervisors. One area of interest has involved professional licensing. At present, while psychologists trained at the doctoral level and social workers with master's degrees are eligible for licensing, many master's degree graduates lack regulatory credentials necessary for private practice. This paper examines licensing in marriage and family therapy as a viable creden-tialing option.
Factors Driving South African Poultry and Meat Imports

Import demand for poultry has made it South Africa’s fastest growing meat product, while demand for beef, sheep, and goat meat is generally declining. Poultry was found to be a statistically significant substitute for pork and other meat (sheep, goat, and offal), but insignificant with respect to beef. Pork tends to be complementary to beef, though statistically insignificant. The article investigates which of three crucial factors are most affecting South Africa meat imports: (1) changes in consumer tastes and/or meat processing technology, (2) prices, or (3) scales indicating the total size of the imported meat market. Major findings showed that changes in taste-technology had a greater impact on increasing poultry and pork imports than changes in prices, even though poultry prices tended to increase less than the prices of beef, pork, and other meats, making it a better bargain.
Mesially Inclined Third Molars May or May Not Be Associated With External Root Resorption in Adjacent Second Molars

Article Title and Bibliographic Information Mesial inclination of impacted third molars and its propensity to stimulate external root resorption in second molars – a cone-beam computed tomographic evaluation. Oenning AC, Melo SLS, Groppo FC, Haiter-Neto F. J Oral Maxillofac Surg 2015;73(3):379-386. Reviewer Rujuta A. Katkar, BDS, MDS, MS, Dipl. ABOMR Purpose/Question Prevalence of external root resorption in second molars adjacent to horizontally and mesioangular impacted third molars using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans. Source of Funding Information not available Type of Study/Design Retrospective cross-sectional radiographic study Level of Evidence Level 3: Other evidence Strength of Recommendation Grade Not applicable
Resistance of highly pathogenic Naegleria fowleri amoebae to complement-mediated lysis.

Abstract Weakly pathogenic and nonpathogenic Naegleria spp. are readily lysed by human and guinea pig complement. Highly pathogenic Naegleria fowleri are resistant to complement-mediated lysis. Electrophoretic analysis of normal human serum (NHS) incubated with pathogenic or nonpathogenic Naegleria spp. demonstrates that amoebae activate the complement cascade, resulting in the production of C3 and C5 complement cleavage products. To determine whether surface constituents play a role in resistance to complement lysis, trophozoites of Naegleria spp. were subjected to enzymatic treatments prior to incubation in NHS. Treatment of trophozoites with papain or trypsin for 1 h, but not with neuraminidase, increased susceptibility of highly pathogenic Naegleria fowleri to complement lysis. Treatment of trophozoites with actinomycin D or cycloheximide during incubation with NHS or pretreatment with various protease inhibitors for 4 h did not increase the susceptibility of N. fowleri amoebae to lysis. Neither a repair process involving de novo protein synthesis nor a complement-inactivating protease appears to account for the increased resistance of N. fowleri amoebae to complement-mediated lysis.
Follow-up experience in pediatric liver transplantation in an academic, non-transplant-based gastroenterology group

As pediatric liver transplantation has become relatively common since the early 1980s, most long-term follow-up care has shifted from transplant centers to the pediatric gastroenterologists at referring institutions. We reviewed our experience with 16 patients who have undergone liver transplantation at eight institutions from 1987 to 1996. Our initial follow-up visit took place at an average 4.1 months after the transplant. The mean duration of follow-up was 41 months. During this period 11 hospitalizations at the transplant center occured, including five that were to rule out lymphoma or post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease. At the Schneider Children's Hospital, NY, USA, 158 outpatient visits were recorded. Forty-two hospitalizations occurred. Twenty of the hospital admissions were accounted for by two patients. Forty-nine outpatient/inpatient surgical or diagnostic procedures were performed, including 15 percutaneous liver biopsies. In only one biopsy was there a disagreement in the histologic diagnosis between our pathologist and the pathologist at the transplant center. In conclusion, comprehensive follow-up care can be provided by an academic hospital-based gastroenterology group in conjunction with a transplant center.
Effects of cysteic acid groups on the gas-phase reactivity and dissociation of [M + 4H]4+ ions from insulin chain B.

Gas-phase ion/molecule reactions and collision-induced dissociation (CID) were conducted on [M + 4H]4+ of insulin chain B. This Fourier transform mass spectrometry work involved ions from the oxidized peptide (with two cysteic acid residues) and its reduced form (with two cysteine residues). Kinetic behavior during deprotonation and hydrogen/deuterium exchange reactions indicates that insulin B (ox) ions have two distinct structural types. In contrast, insulin B (red) ions have only one major reacting population, which has a more compact structure than the oxidized ions. No significant differences in fragmentation patterns for the two insulin B (ox) populations were observed when CID was performed as a function of deprotonating reaction time. However, markedly different fragmentation was found between [M + 4H]4+ of insulin B (ox) and (red). Therefore, the presence of cysteic acid groups in insulin B (ox) significantly impacts dissociation and presumably structure. This suggests that some insulin B (ox) ions are zwitterionic, with the five basic sites protonated and one cysteic acid group deprotonated. Molecular dynamics calculations revealed several viable structures that are consistent with the experimental results. For example, the most stable form of the reduced ion, which is unprotonated at the His10, is very compact and has lost the α-helix of native insulin. Low energy structures for the oxidized ions include a zwitterion with an intraionic interaction between anionic Cyx7 and cationic His10, as well as a nonzwitterionic conformer that lacks a proton at Phe1; both structures retain the α-helix. These structures may account for the two experimentally observed isomers, although others are possible. In addition, experiments on oxidized insulin B were conducted from methanolic solution, which may denature the conformation, and pure aqueous solution, which may leave a native conformation. These differences in solvent composition had no effect on the gas-phase results.
Dynamics of potential waterfowl foods in great salt lake marshes during summer

Changes in biomass of potential waterfowl foods were investigated in Great Salt Lake marshes during July and August of 1988–89. In freshwater habitats, biomass of midge (Chironomidae) larvae and pupae and water boatman (Corixidae) nymphs declined from early to late summer. Biomass of mayfly (Ephemeroptera) and damselfly (Zygoptera) nymphs increased over the same time interval. Seeds of horned pondweed (Zannichellia palustris), widgeongrass (Ruppia maritima), and sago pondweed (Potamogeton pectinatus) increased during summer. In saline habitats, brine fly (Ephydridae) larvae and water boatman biomass declined from early to late summer. In late June and early July, animal items made up 51% of total potential foods measured in the study area, but by mid July, plant items made up 91% of total potential foods. Changes in densities of food resources, particularly relative biomass of animal and plant foods, are probably an important determinant of dietary consumption in postbreeding adult ducks and ducklings in these marshes. For many duck species, midsummer may mark an important transition between differential animal and plant consumption.
G-hash: towards fast kernel-based similarity search in large graph databases

Structured data including sets, sequences, trees and graphs, pose significant challenges to fundamental aspects of data management such as efficient storage, indexing, and similarity search. With the fast accumulation of graph databases, similarity search in graph databases has emerged as an important research topic. Graph similarity search has applications in a wide range of domains including cheminformatics, bioinformatics, sensor network management, social network management, and XML documents, among others.Most of the current graph indexing methods focus on subgraph query processing, i.e. determining the set of database graphs that contains the query graph and hence do not directly support similarity search. In data mining and machine learning, various graph kernel functions have been designed to capture the intrinsic similarity of graphs. Though successful in constructing accurate predictive and classification models for supervised learning, graph kernel functions have (i) high computational complexity and (ii) non-trivial difficulty to be indexed in a graph database.Our objective is to bridge graph kernel function and similarity search in graph databases by proposing (i) a novel kernel-based similarity measurement and (ii) an efficient indexing structure for graph data management. Our method of similarity measurement builds upon local features extracted from each node and their neighboring nodes in graphs. A hash table is utilized to support efficient storage and fast search of the extracted local features. Using the hash table, a graph kernel function is defined to capture the intrinsic similarity of graphs and for fast similarity query processing. We have implemented our method, which we have named G-hash, and have demonstrated its utility on large chemical graph databases. Our results show that the G-hash method achieves state-of-the-art performance for k-nearest neighbor (k-NN) classification. Most importantly, the new similarity measurement and the index structure is scalable to large database with smaller indexing size, faster indexing construction time, and faster query processing time as compared to state-of-the-art indexing methods such as C-tree, gIndex, and GraphGrep.
Selectivity of cyclopean masking for the spatial frequency of binocular disparity modulation

Abstract Previous studies have presented evidence for the existence of channels tuned to the spatial frequency (SF) of binocular disparity modulation. Bandwidths reported for masking curves were extremely narrow, possibly because of off-frequency viewing, whereby observers can best detect a signal with a channel tuned to an SF on the opposite side of the signal from the masker's SF, rather than with a channel tuned directly to the signal's SF. Herein are reported the results of four detection experiments. Experiment 1 measures unmasked threshold for detection of a cyclopean grating. Experiments 2–4 are masking experiments. Experiment 2 demonstrates that threshold for detection of a cyclopean grating is proportional to the intensity of masking noise, which is consistent with the operation of linear channels. Experiments 3 and 4 demonstrate that masking curves are narrower when obtained with narrowband-noise maskers than when obtained with notched-noise maskers, which render the off-frequency viewing ineffective. Implications for understanding the processing of cyclopean images are discussed.
An Assessment of Occupational Noise Exposures in Four Construction Trades

Three hundred thirty-eight noise exposure samples were collected from 133 construction workers employed in 4 construction trades: carpenters, laborers, ironworkers, and operating engineers. Four sites using a variety of construction techniques were sampled at least 12 times on a randomly chosen date over a 22-week period. Up to 10 volunteer workers were sampled for an entire work shift on each sampling day using datalogging noise dosimeters, which recorded both daily time-weighted averages (TWAs) and 1-min averages. Workers also completed a questionnaire throughout the workday detailing the tasks performed and tools used throughout the day. Regression models identified work characteristics associated with elevated exposure levels. Comparisons were made between exposures measured using the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) exposure metric and the 1996 draft National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health/International Organization for Standardization (NIOSH/ISO) metric to examine t...
Principal component analysis to evaluate the relative performance of nine year old hybrid poplar clones

Abstract Previous studies have identified particular hybrid poplar parentage lines associated with a certain level of growth or disease resistance. This study used principal component analysis (PCA) to evaluate the relative performance of 54 hybrid poplar clones based on nine year old measures of growth and canker disease. Growth was characterized by percentage survival and total basal area per clone, while disease was characterized by the number of cankers per living tree and canker appearance. The first principal component which accounted for 85% of the variation in the data set was used to rank the clones. In general, clones which exhibited high growth and low disease measures were ranked at the top of the list. One exception, clone GA88 (ranked near the top), was uncankered and despite having low survival, produced a relatively high basal area. PCA provided an ordering of clones based upon growth and disease which can be used to select clones for larger scale testing. Future applications of multivariate techniques can incorporate additional variables considered important for biomass, wood pulp, or veneer production.
Sustained cortical and subcortical neuromodulation induced by electrical tongue stimulation

This pilot study aimed to show that information-free stimulation of the tongue can improve behavioral measures and induce sustained neuromodulation of the balance-processing network in individuals with balance dysfunction. Twelve balance-impaired subjects received one week of cranial nerve non-invasive neuromodulation (CN-NINM). Before and after the week of stimulation, postural sway and fMRI activation were measured to monitor susceptibility to optic flow. Nine normal controls also underwent the postural sway and fMRI tests but did not receive CN-NINM. Results showed that before CN-NINM balance-impaired subjects swayed more than normal controls as expected (p ≤ 0.05), and that overall sway and susceptibility to optic flow decreased after CN-NINM (p ≤ 0.005 & p ≤ 0.05). fMRI showed upregulation of visual sensitivity to optic flow in balance-impaired subjects that decreased after CN-NINM. A region of interest analysis indicated that CN-NINM may induce neuromodulation by increasing activity within the dorsal pons (p ≤ 0.01).
The thermal structure of an air-water interface at low wind speeds

High-resolution infrared imagery of an air–water interface at wind speeds of 1 to 4 ms −1 wasobtained. Spectral analysis of the data reveals several important features of the thermal structureof the so-called cool skin. At wind speeds for which wind waves are not generated, the interfacialboundary layer appears to be composed of buoyant plumes that are stretched by the surfaceshear as they reach the interface. The plumes appear to form overlapping laminae with ahead–tail structure which we have termed fish-scales. At higher wind speeds, gravity wavesappearing on the surface give rise to distinct signatures in the infrared imagery. The wavesystem appears to modulate the surface temperature with sufficient strength so that the lengthand time scales of the waves are readily revealed in a k–ω spectrum. A surface drift speed canalso be easily inferred from the spectrum. A direct numerical simulation of the cool-skin of asheared water interface has also been performed. For Richardson numbers less than about 10 −3 ,the simulations reveal a surface temperature pattern dominated by a streaky structure with acharacteristic spanwise length scale on the order of 100l + where l + =v/u*. The simulationsconfirm that this streaky structure is formed as slow moving fluid originating from belowencounters a surface shear. The thermal structure of the surface appears virtually unchangedwhen buoyancy is turned off in the simulations and shear remains. This indicates that the fishscalepattern has universal features in the sense that it forms independently of the mechanismby which the turbulence is generated. The simulations are found to be in remarkable agreementwith the experimental results for which the same streaky, fish-scale structure was observed andthe same streak spacing was obtained. DOI: 10.1034/j.1600-0870.2001.00158.x
On the existence of weak greedy matching heuristics

We exhibit an exponential number of greedy heuristics for minimum weight perfect matching of complete graphs of n vertices with edge weights satisfying the triangle inequality. The ratio of the weight of an approximate solution obtained by these heuristics to that of an optimal solution is shown to be bounded above by finite valued functions which depend only on n.
Percolation phenomenon : the effect of capillary network rarefaction

The relationship between microvascular network resistance and functional capillary density was investigated by computer simulation. A model of spinotrapezius muscle microcirculatory network was constructed from measured data of vessel length and diameter. Progressive rarefaction was simulated by random stepwise removal of capillaries from the network. The flow distribution in the network was calculated after each step of capillary removal. Network resistance increased little when decreases in functional capillary density were less than 30%. Furthermore, capillary flow did not decrease and its variance across the network was unchanged despite the gradual flow redistribution. However, with further decreases in capillary density, network resistance increased in a double exponential fashion. The resistance approached infinity at a critical value of functional capillary density termed the percolation threshold. The value of this parameter varied between 56 and 62% and it was lower when capillaries with the lowest flow were preferentially removed.
Framework of belief condensation filtering and deterministic discrete filters

Inferring a sequence of variables from observations is a prevalent task in a multitude of applications. However, in some nonlinear or non-Gaussian scenarios, traditional techniques such as Kalman filters (KFs) and particle filters (PFs) fail to provide satisfactory performance. Moreover, there is a lack of a unifying framework for the analysis and development of different filtering techniques. In this paper, we present a general framework for filtering that allows to formulate an optimality criterium leading to the concept of belief condensation filtering (BCF). Moreover, we develop discrete BCFs that are optimal under such framework. Finally, simulation results are presented for the important filtering task that arises in ultrawide bandwidth (UWB) ranging. We show that BCF can obtain accuracies approaching the theoretical benchmark but with a smaller complexity than PFs.
Unsteady forced-convection MHD heat transfer in a parallel plate channel

Unsteady-state, laminar, forced-convection heat transfer of an electrically conducting fluid subjected to a transverse magnetic field, flowing through a horizontal parallel plate channel has been analytically investigated for the short circuit condition using the method of characteristics. The transient is caused by a step change in the axial pressure gradient or magnetic field. Both the entrance region and fully developed heat-transfer regions were considered for a fluid with constant wall temperature. The velocity profile was assumed uniform throughout the channel at any instant of time for the purpose of calculating convective heat transfer only, but the temperature profile distribution depends 011 both the axial and transverse linear coordinates. Numerical computations were carried out which indicate that the effect of the Reynolds number and Hartmann number on the fluid temperature during a transient varies greatly depending on their initial and steady-state values. In some cases, the peak transient temperature can be orders of magnitude greater than either the initial or steadystate value.
Influence of maternal size on survival and growth of striped bass Morone saxatilis Walbaum eggs and larvae

Abstract Previous studies have shown that Chesapeake Bay striped bass Morone saxatilis Walbaum egg weights are directly related to weight of the female parent. We hypothesized that maternal size also may influence larval growth and survival. Striped bass eggs, obtained from hatchery-spawned females weighing 15 kg, were hatched and the larvae reared in the laboratory to compare growth and survival to 25 days posthatch (dph). Small females tended to produce smaller larvae, which at 5 dph averaged 193 μg dry weight and 5.5 mm standard length (SL) compared to 237 μg and 5.7 mm for larvae from large females. At 25 dph, there was no evidence of compensatory growth and the relative size differences were maintained. Mean weights and lengths of 25 dph larvae from small and large females were 2.99 mg, 11.5 mm and 3.66 mg, 12.3 mm, respectively. Mean weight-specific growth rate was 0.15 · day−1 and did not differ significantly between progeny from small and large females. However, growth-in-length rates did differ. Larvae from large females grew at 0.34 mm · day−1 while larvae from small females grew only 0.31 mm· day−1. The mean survival rate to 25 dph ranged from 72 to 87% and was not related to female size.
Reduction of seismic loads in cable tray hangers

Abstract A study has been conducted to partially assess the feasibility of using flexible rather than rigid support systems for carrying electrical and control cables in nuclear power plants. Using analytical and experimental studies, it was found that a flexible hanger design with appropriate stiffness and damping characteristics could be used to isolate trays from hanger vibration and significantly reduce hanger loads during seismic events if the connectors could be adequately tuned to account for system variables. Finite element techniques were used to select a flexible connector for a specified base hanger system. Tests were conducted on one-third-scale models to establish values for some of the parameters and to partially verify the analytical methods. For the hanger systems considered, introduction of the flexible connector allowed support-hanger loads and hanger displacements to be reduced greatly while satisfying tray displacement constraints. It appears that a flexible-connector system can provide better dynamic response than the conventional type system using rigid connectors. This conclusion is valid for all variations in system parameters studied. Although the flexible-connector concept looks very promising based on this study, substantial work, including full-scale testing, must be completed before this concept can be validated for actual plant designs.