cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genetic Control of Left Atrial Gene Expression Yields Insights into the Genetic Susceptibility for Atrial Fibrillation.

Background: Genome-wide association studies have identified 23 loci for atrial fibrillation (AF), but the mechanisms responsible for these associations, as well as the causal genes and genetic variants, remain undefined. Methods: To identify the effect of common genetic variants on gene expression that might explain the mechanisms linking genome-wide association loci with AF risk, we performed RNA sequencing of left atrial appendages from a biracial cohort of 265 subjects. Results: Combining gene expression data with genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism data, we found that approximately two-thirds of the expressed genes were regulated in cis by common genetic variants at a false discovery rate of cis -expression quantitative trait loci, at PRRX1 (chromosome 1q24), SNRNP27 (1q24), CEP68 (2p14), FKBP7 (2q31), KCNN2 (5q22), FAM13B (5q31), CAV1 (7q31), ASAH1 (8p22), MYOZ1 (10q22), C11ORF45 (11q24), TBX5 (12q24), and SYNE2 (14q23), suggesting that altered expression of these genes plays a role in AF susceptibility. Allelic expression imbalance was used as an independent method to characterize the cis-control of gene expression. One thousand two hundred forty-eight of 5153 queried genes had cis -single nucleotide polymorphisms that significantly regulated allelic expression at a false discovery rate of Conclusions: We provide a genome-wide catalog of the genetic control of gene expression in human left atrial appendage. These data can be used to confirm the relevance of genome-wide association loci and to direct future functional studies to identify the genes and genetic variants responsible for complex diseases such as AF.
Inhibition of tumor necrosis factor prevents myocardial dysfunction during burn shock.

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) is a pluripotent cytokine that mediates many of the hemodynamic manifestations of endotoxic shock. To determine whether TNF is responsible for postburn myocardial dysfunction, we compared cardiac function (Langendorff preparation) in 49 guinea pigs 18 h after thermal injury. Group 1 (n = 15) was sham burned; all remaining animals received a 43% surface area burn under anesthesia. Group 2 (n = 15) received lactated Ringer solution (LR, 4 ml.kg-1.%burn-1). Group 3 (n = 9) received LR and drug vehicle. Group 4 (n = 10) received LR plus 1 mg of TNF inhibitor consisting of the human p80 TNF receptor linked to the Fc portion of human immunoglobulin G1, which was shown to specifically bind and neutralize TNF secreted by guinea pig peritoneal macrophages in vitro. Burn injury caused a significant fall in left ventricular pressure (LVP, from 86 +/- 2 to 62 +/- 3 mmHg, P < 0.05) and maximal rate of LVP rise (+) and fall (-) (+/- dP/dtmax) [from 1,365 +/- 42 to 1,109 +/- 44 mmHg/s (P < 0.05) and from 1,184 +/- 31 to 881 +/- 40 mmHg/s (P < 0.05), respectively], a decrease in time to peak systolic LVP (from 111 +/- 2 to 102 +/- 2 ms, P < 0.05), and a decrease in time to +dP/dtmax (from 57 +/- 1 to 48 +/- 1 ms, P < 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
An Analysis of the Minimal Spanning Tree Structure

In this paper the minimal spanning tree (MST) structure is analyzed by means of the distance random variable and Wroclaw Taxonomy algorithm [2].
The Generic Rank of A 2

We define a structured matrix A to be the set of all matrices (of a given dimension n × n) in which certain entries are constrained to be zero. We then define the generic rank of A to be the maximum of the ranks of any A ∈ A. It turns out that the generic rank of A may be computed easily. Form a bipartite graph G = (V, E), where the set of vertices is \(V = \{ 1,2, \ldots ,n ; 1\prime , \ldots ,n\prime \}\). For any (i, j ∈ {1,...,n}2, the edge (i, j´ ) belongs to E if and only if the ijth entry of matrices in A is not constrained to be zero. Then, the generic rank of A equals the maximum number of edges in any bipartite matching of that graph.
Origins of abrupt change? Postfire subalpine conifer regeneration declines nonlinearly with warming and drying

Robust tree regeneration following high‐severity wildfire is key to the resilience of subalpine and boreal forests, and 21st century climate could initiate abrupt change in forests if postfire temperature and soil moisture become less suitable for tree seedling establishment. Using two widespread conifer species, lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia) and Douglas‐fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca), we conducted complementary experiments to ask (1) How will projected early‐ to mid‐21st‐century warming and drying affect postfire tree seedling establishment and mortality? (2) How does early seedling growth differ between species and vary with warming and drying? With a four‐year in situ seed‐planting experiment and a one growing season controlled‐environment experiment, we explored effects of climate on tree seedling establishment, growth, and survival and identified nonlinear responses to temperature and soil moisture. In our field experiment, warmer and drier conditions, consistent with mid‐21ˢᵗ‐century projections, led to a 92% and 76% reduction in establishment of lodgepole pine and Douglas‐fir. Within three years, all seedlings that established under warmer conditions died, as might be expected at lower elevations and lower latitudes of species’ ranges. Seedling establishment and mortality also varied with aspect; approximately 1.7 times more seedlings established on mesic vs. xeric aspects, and fewer seedlings died. In the controlled‐environment experiment, soil temperatures were 2.0°–5.5°C cooler than the field experiment, and warming led to increased tree seedling establishment, as might be expected at upper treeline or higher latitudes. Lodgepole pine grew taller than Douglas‐fir and produced more needles with warming. Douglas‐fir grew longer roots relative to shoots, compared with lodgepole pine, particularly in dry soils. Differences in early growth between species may mediate climate change effects on competitive interactions, successional trajectories, and species distributions. This study demonstrates that climate following high‐severity fire exerts strong control over postfire tree regeneration in subalpine conifer forests. Climate change experiments, such as those reported here, hold great potential for identifying mechanisms that could underpin fundamental ecological change in 21st‐century ecosystems.
Agentic Action in Context

Agentic action, or action that is purposive, is central to co-constructing lives going forward in contemporary times, especially in relation to the flux of change and the loss of normative scripts for helping to construct lives. This chapter locates the centrality of agentic action in a theoretical understanding of contextualism and specifies four major contexts through which most people construct lives; market work, unpaid care work, personal relationships, and market work relationships. The construction of lives going forward through the emergence of agentic action is further linked to a deep narrative process that locates people in relation to both past and future. From this perspective, agentic actions constitute the emerging story lines of the future. Agentic action in context also brings to the foreground issues of power and the extent to which the social context in which people co-construct their lives support empowerment or disempowerment. The complications of power are addressed through three perspectives; a mental health lens, a social structural lens, and the lens of the counseling relationship. Finally, this consideration of agentic action raises the question of how agentic actions are likely to be critical for enabling ongoing and transactional senses of identity fully located in the changing and evolving interactions and transactions between people and their social contexts. This kind of evolving identity challenges the more commonplace sense of identity as a stable individual characteristic, while, at the same time, it avoids the danger of loss of identity or rootlessness in a sea of change.
History of Children's Camping

(1980). History of Children's Camping. Journal of Physical Education and Recreation: Vol. 51, No. 2, pp. 84-85.
Synthesis and structural characterization of 2-mercapto-1-tert-butylimidazole and its Group 12 metal derivatives (HmimtBu)2MBr2(M = Zn, Cd, Hg)

2-Mercapto-1-tert-butylimidazole (HmimtBu) and its Group 12 metal complexes (HmimtBu)2 MBr2 (M = Zn, Cd, Hg) have been readily prepared and structurally characterized. Whereas the former displays a dimeric structure in the solid state with two S ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ H–N interactions linking each pair of molecules, the four-coordinate complexes exhibit distorted tetrahedral geometries with the S–M–S angles in the range 103.2–135.2○. The average M–Br bond lengths are 2.401, 2.567, and 2.688 A for M = Zn, Cd, and Hg, respectively, and the corresponding average M–S bond distances are 2.350, 2.540, and 2.467 A. The average C–S bond length for all the complexes (1.72 A) is only ca. 0.02 A longer than the corresponding value in the free ligand. HmimtBu is orthorhombic, space group Pbca, a = 10.1571(5) A, b = 9.7906(5) A, c = 17.6616(9) A, V = 1756.34(15) A3, Z = 8; (HmimtBu)2ZnBr2 is monoclinic, space group C2/c, a = 17.187(3) A, b = 8.9908(17) A, c = 15.560(3) A, β = 117.206(3)○, V = 2138.3(7) A3, Z = 4; (HmimtBu)2CdBr2 is triclinic, space group P $${\bar 1}$$ , a = 7.4625(6) A, b = 9.6149(9) A, c = 31.020(3) A, α = 93.485(2)○, β = 94.579(2)○, γ = 103.872(2)○, V = 2146.6(3) A3, Z = 4; (HmimtBu)2HgBr2 is monoclinic, space group P21/c, a = 6.8908(6) A, b = 10.2397(9) A, c = 29.859(3) A, β = 94.364(2)○, V = 2100.7(3) A3, Z = 4.
Constitutionalist Pu Dianjun and his new cultural movement

This article challenges the standard historiography of the New Culture Movement by tracing the important role played by Pu Dianjun, a key member of the Constitution Research Group, in the broader c...
Book Review Unsung: South African jazz musicians under apartheid By Chatradari Devroop and Chris Walton (2007)

Stellenbosch:SUN. ISBN 978-1-920109-66-0. 144 pp., photographs (black & white). ZAR 150 (paper). Journal of the Musical Arts in Africa Volume 4 2007, 75–78
A Fall Within 3 Months Before Total Joint Arthroplasty is Associated With Adverse Outcomes in Elderly Patients

Abstract Background Falls are associated with morbidity and death in the elderly. The consequences of falls after total joint arthroplasty (TJA) are known, but the consequences of preoperative falls are unclear. We assessed associations between preoperative fall history and hospital readmission rates and discharge disposition after primary TJA. Methods We queried the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Geriatric Pilot Project for cases of primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) (n = 3671) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) (n = 6194) performed between 2014 and 2018 for patients aged ≥65 years. Patient characteristics, comorbidities, functional status indicators, and 30-day outcomes were compared among patients with falls occurring within 3 months, from >3 to 6 months, and from >6 to 12 months before surgery, and patients with no falls in the year before surgery. The timing of falls was assessed for independent associations with hospital readmission and discharge to a skilled care facility (SCF). Alpha = 0.05. Results Patients who fell within 3 months before surgery had greater odds of SCF discharge (for THA, odds ratio [OR] 2.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.8-3.4; for TKA, OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.4-2.3) and hospital readmission (for THA, OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.1-3.0; for TKA, OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.6-3.5) compared with the no-fall cohort. No such associations were observed for the other two fall cohorts. Conclusion Falls within 3 months before primary TJA are associated with SCF discharge and readmission for patients aged ≥65 years. Fall history screening should be included in preoperative evaluation. Level of Evidence III.
Acoustic source centering of musical instrument directivities using acoustical holography

The acoustic center of a source is commonly defined as the point from which spherical wavefronts appear to diverge. Measuring directivities of sound sources with a surrounding spherical array whose geometric origin is not aligned with the acoustic center of the source can lead to distortions in directivity patterns. Thus, a method is desired to obtain both the far-field directivity pattern and to determine the acoustic center of a source. This work illustrates how acoustical holography can identify the reference frame from which spherical waves diverge by studying various musical instruments’ acoustic centers.
Justiciability and the Role of Courts in Adequacy Litigation: Preserving the Constitutional Right to Education

In the first study of opinions handed down in education adequacy litigation between January 2005 and January 2008, this paper shows a marked shift away from outcomes favorable to adequacy plaintiffs. Following two decades in which courts spurred significant reforms in our nation’s neediest schools by interpreting the education clauses of their state constitutions to guarantee an “adequate” education for all students, the years 2005 to 2008 have seen a dramatic change in the judicial response to adequacy litigation. Through an analysis of the latest body of cases, this paper shows that separation of powers concerns have begun to drive state courts out of this important avenue of education reform. These separation of powers concerns have become more salient as litigators pressure courts to mandate concrete remedies that would trump legislative discretion. The most problematic such remedy is one that would require courts to order the legislature to make specific budgetary allocations. This trend spans courts seeing adequacy claims for the first time and those presiding over a second round of adequacy litigation. This paper argues that despite this shift recent courts have not wholly disavowed their role in substantiating the state constitutional right to education. Courts remain willing to act as a constitutional check on the legislature’s actions within the field of education if only plaintiffs can find a way to respond to concerns over remedies. This paper examines the nature of and reasons for courts’ increasing separation of powers concerns and then briefly explores what lessons adequacy plaintiffs might take away for use in future litigation.
The Response of Corporate Financing and Investment to Changes in the Supply of Credit

We examine how shocks to the supply of credit impact corporate financing and investment using the collapse of Drexel Burnham Lambert, Inc.; the passage of the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989; and regulatory changes in the insurance industry as an exogenous contraction in the supply of below-investment-grade credit after 1989. A difference-in-differences empirical strategy reveals that substitution to bank debt and alternative sources of capital (e.g., equity, cash balances, and trade credit) was limited, leading to an almost one-for-one decline in net investment with the decline in net debt issuances. Despite this sharp change in behavior, corporate leverage ratios remained relatively stable, a result of the contemporaneous decline in debt issuances and investment. Overall, our findings highlight how even large firms with access to public credit markets are susceptible to fluctuations in the supply of capital.
Surgeon Volume and Complications in Lateral Neck Dissection for Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Multidatabase Analysis

ObjectiveTo determine whether annual surgeon volume of lateral neck dissections for squamous cell carcinoma is associated with complication rates.Study DesignRetrospective review.SettingTwo US data...
A protocol for whole-mount immuno-coupled hybridization chain reaction (WICHCR) in zebrafish embryos and larvae.

Summary Characterizing mRNA and protein expression with temporal and spatial resolution is a valuable component of nearly every developmental study. Here, we describe a protocol that combines in situ hybridization chain reaction (HCR) and immunofluorescence, allowing for the detection of mRNAs and proteins simultaneously, in zebrafish embryos and larvae. This protocol expands the flexibility of multiplexed HCR by coupling it with traditional immunofluorescence detection. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Choi et al. (2010 , 2016 , 2018) and Howard et al. (2021) .
Networked Self-Defense and Monetized Vigilantism: Private Surveillance Systems

As more and more Americans install internet-connected cameras in and around their homes, in their cars, on their bodies, and everywhere else, and then connect what they see on apps designed to transform surveillance into a social activity, we can see both old connections and novel ones. These developments build upon longstanding American traditions of lawful self-defense and extralegal vigilantism. Yet because these technologies also make use of internet-connected devices and cellphone apps, they introduce new dynamics of networking and monetization that raise questions distinct from issues of information privacy. Private surveillance systems offered to the public today are best understood not as standalone products, but networked surveillance ecosystems. And because these technologies are offered as consumer products, corporate interests further complicate how and why these private surveillance networks have expanded. This essay explores these connections as it situates this emerging world of networked self-defense and monetized vigilantism.
The prosody of negative yeah

Normally, yeah has positive polarity, but with a change in prosody, it can convey a negative stance (e.g., polite disagreement/rejection). This study examines acoustic-prosodic features of ‘negative yeahs’ in a stance-rich corpus of collaborative tasks. Four categories are identified based on degree of agreement/acceptance and distinguished by an interaction between pitch and intensity: while two groups have low, flat pitch, and two have high domed or dipping contours, this division is cross-cut by intensity, again low-flat vs. high domed. These patterns show that fine-grained stance analysis can reveal word-level acoustic patterns that are not apparent in coarser approaches.
The Timing of Donations in Presidential Campaigns

When do donors make contributions to presidential candidates? We examine the patterns of contributions to candidates and compare those patterns to the candidates’ standing in the polls and performance in primary elections and caucuses. As part of a larger project, we have successfully linked contribution records within the Federal Election Commission data set, which allows us to track individual donors’ contribution dates and amounts over time. This data set allows us to track the temporal pattern in contributions for over a million presidential donors who gave in the aggregate more than $200 to a candidate in in the 2008 or 2012 elections. We compare the date of donations to campaign events, state presidential primary election outcomes, standing in the polls, and reporting deadlines. We find that contributions spike at particular points in time like FEC reporting deadlines and soon after major campaign events. Donors favoring candidates also react to the behavior of their opponents.
Wither the Weathercaster

The only scientist that most Americans see in their daily lives is the local weather person. Weathercasters are often presented in the climate change communication community as a cohort of public science educators in waiting, who might finally be unleashed by social media. Working at the nexus of critical rhetoric, political economy, and engineering this article reads the social design features of television station weather websites. The results are not promising. Social media platforms presented by television stations do not present the socially productive sites proposed by environmentalists, further the analysis suggests that the sites show an emerging trend toward the elimination of the human weather broadcaster in favor of self-generating content machines. By taking an approach that is between disciplines, this article takes a challenging position in the ongoing debate about the role of broadcast professionals as climate educators and contributes to the emerging literature on the critical/cultural reading of web interfaces.
Group B streptococcal cellulitis in infants: a disease modified by prior antibiotic therapy or hospitalization?

Among 78 cases of group B streptococcal infections in children hospitalized at our institution during 1981 to 1985, five cases of cellulitis in infants were identified. Age at onset was 4 to 11 weeks. Group B streptococci were isolated from each of two aspirate cultures, all four blood cultures obtained before administering antibiotics, and none of four spinal fluid cultures obtained. All five infants had previously been treated with IV antibiotics in the hospital. Two infants had been previously treated for group B streptococcal infections (one each meningitis and neonatal sepsis). In contrast, among the 29 other patients with late-onset (2 weeks of age or older) group B streptococcal infection, four had prior treatment with IV antibiotics (P less than .001). These data suggest that hospitalization and/or parenteral antibiotic therapy may be a risk factor for development of group B streptococcal cellulitis.
Dynamic pricing in customer markets with switching costs

Abstract In a dynamic competitive environment, switching costs have two effects. First, they increase the market power of a seller with locked-in customers. Second, they increase competition for new customers. I provide conditions under which switching costs decrease or increase equilibrium prices. Taken together, the results suggest that, if markets are very competitive to begin with, then switching costs make them even more competitive; whereas if markets are not very competitive to begin with, then switching costs make them even less competitive. In the above statements, by “competitive” I mean a market that is close to a symmetric duopoly or one where sales take place with high frequency.
An 'object-use fingerprint': the use of electronic sensors for human identification

We describe an experiment in using sensor-based data to identify individuals as they perform a simple activity of daily living (making coffee). The goal is to determine whether people have regular and recognizable patterns of interaction with objects as they perform such activities. We describe the use of a machine-learning algorithm to induce decision-trees that classify interaction patterns according to the subject who exhibited them; we consider which features of the sensor data have the most effect on classification accuracy; and we consider ways of reducing the computational complexity introduced by the most important feature type. Although our experiment is preliminary, the results are encouraging: we are able to do identification with an overall accuracy rate of 97%, including correctly recognizing each individual in at least 9 of 10 trials.
Diet and Prey Consumption Rates of Nesting Boreal Owls, Aegolius funereus , in Alaska

Dietary composition and prey consumption rates of nesting Boreal Owls, Aegolius funereus , were investigated during 2004–2006 using two methods. Dietary composition was determined during nest visits through examination of 1882 fresh remains containing at least 11 mammalian and 15 avian species. Consumption rates were calculated based on laboratory examination of seven prey detritus bricks following fledging, yielding 1051 items of five different taxa. During 2003–2006, small mammal snap-trapping was conducted in the vicinity of occupied nest boxes, and relative abundance of potential prey items was estimated. A total of 4020 trap-nights yielded 695 small mammal captures of eight species. Consumption rates of nestling owls ranged from 22.0 to 29.7 g of food per day, averaging 24.2 g (SD = 1.8). Comparisons between availability of small mammals (as indicated by snap-trapping) and consumption (as indicated by nest visits and analysis of prey detritus bricks) showed that Boreal Owls are generally preying on mammals proportionate to their occurrence.
Simulation of the Adapt on-line diagnosis algorithm for general topology networks

As dependence on wide-area and other point-to-point networks increases, the need for diagnosis of the distributed resources becomes critical. Continuous online distributed diagnosis at the system-level provides a desirable solution. The Adapt algorithm, which performs online adaptive distributed diagnosis in arbitrary networks in the presence of node failures, is examined. Simulation results depicting operation for various network topologies are given, including test and message counts and diagnosis latency. The results indicate that Adapt performs significantly better than derived worst-case bounds. The best- and worst-case performance bounds are analyzed. >
Donnellan on a puzzle about belief

La plupart des problemes de comprehension d'une proposition vient d'un manque de definition ou de precision du contexte, comme le montre un exemple de Kripke (Paderewski musicien ou homme politique). Donnellan, en revanche, place l'incertitude au niveau de la pensee, et non de la phrase. Finalement, l'A. reconnait l'importance de la precision dans la proposition, mais soutient que l'incertitude essentielle concerne la connaissance de ce que croit reellement celui qui s'exprime equivoquement
Effects of Xe-ion irradiation at high temperature on single crystal rutile

Abstract Rutile (TiO 2 ) single crystals with (1 1 0) orientation were irradiated with 360 keV Xe 2+ ions at 923 K to fluences ranging from 7×10 14 to 1×10 16 Xe/cm 2 . Damage accumulation and evolution were analyzed using Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy combined with ion channeling analysis, and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy. TiO 2 crystals were found to exhibit a layer-like damage structure after irradiation, with up to three characteristic layers: (1) a thin surface layer denuded of defects; (2) a second layer centered at the peak damage position, consisting of small voids about 1–3 nm in diameter; and (3) a third, deeper layer consisting of large defects such as dislocations and dislocation loops. The defect-denuded layer at the surface results from point defect diffusion and annealing. The voids in the second layer may be attributed to aggregation of vacancies. Point defect migration and precipitation is also responsible for the large defects observed in the deepest layer within the irradiated microstructure. Amorphization was not observed in the crystals irradiated at this high temperature.
Serotonin and dopamine sensitization in the nucleus accumbens, ventral tegmental area, and dorsal raphe nucleus following repeated cocaine administration.

The present study was designed to examine the effects of chronic cocaine administration on the extracellular response of serotonin (5-HT) and dopamine (DA) to a peripheral cocaine injection using in vivo brain microdialysis in awake rats. Two different dual probe preparations were used: One group of animals had guide cannulae aimed at the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and nucleus accumbens (N ACC) and a second group of animals had guide cannulae aimed at the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) and N ACC. Rats from both groups were given daily injections of either cocaine (20 mg/kg i.p.) or saline (0.9%; 0.05 ml/kg i.p.) for 10 consecutive days. On day 11, baseline dialysate levels of DA, 5-HT, dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid were obtained from either the N ACC and VTA or the N ACC and DRN, followed by a 10 mg/kg i.p. cocaine injection and an additional 150 min of dialysate sampling. The percent baseline increases of both 5-HT and DA were significantly higher in the N ACC, VTA, and DRN of animals that received daily injections of cocaine compared with saline controls (p < 0.05, in each region). Maximum dialysate 5-HT concentrations after cocaine challenge were significantly higher in the N ACC and VTA (p < 0.05) and DRN (p < 0.01) of chronically treated animals compared with saline controls. Maximum dialysate DA concentrations were significantly higher in the N ACC and DRN (p < 0.05) of chronically treated animals compared with saline controls. There was no significant difference between acute and chronic animals in the maximum dialysate DA concentration from the VTA after cocaine challenge.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Glycerol inhibition of ruminal lipolysis in vitro

Supplemental glycerol inhibits rumen lipolysis, a prerequisite for rumen biohydrogenation, which is responsible for the saturation of dietary fatty acids consumed by ruminant animals. Feeding excess glycerol, however, adversely affects dry matter digestibility. To more clearly define the effect of supplemental glycerol on rumen lipolysis, mixed populations of ruminal bacteria were incubated with 6 or 20% glycerol (vol/vol). After 48-h anaerobic incubation of mixed culture rumen fluid, rates of free fatty acid production (nmol/mL per h) for the 6 and 20% glycerol-supplemented samples were decreased by 80 and 86%, respectively, compared with rates from nonsupplemented control cultures (12.4±1.0; mean ± SE). Conversely, assay of the prominent ruminal lipase-producing bacteria Anaerovibrio lipolyticus 5S, Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens 49, and Propionibacterium species avidum and acnes revealed no effect of 2 or 10% (vol/vol) added glycerol on lipolytic activity by these organisms. Supplementing glycerol at 6% on a vol/vol basis, equivalent to supplementing glycerol at approximately 8 to 15% of diet dry matter, effectively reduced lipolysis. However, the mechanism of glycerol inhibition of ruminal lipolysis remains to be demonstrated.
Predicting Agricultural Management Influence on Long-Term Soil Organic Carbon Dynamics: Implications for Biofuel Production

Long-term fi eld experiments (LTE) are ideal for predicting the infl uence of agricultural management on soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics and examining biofuel crop residue removal policy questions. Our objectives were (i) to simulate SOC dynamics in LTE soils under various climates, crop rotations, fertilizer or organic amendments, and crop residue managements using the CQESTR model and (ii) to predict the potential of no-tillage (NT) management to maintain SOC stocks while removing crop residue. Classical LTEs at Champaign, IL (1876), Columbia, MO (1888), Lethbridge, AB (1911), Breton, AB (1930), and Pendleton, OR (1931) were selected for their documented history of management practice and periodic soil organic matter (SOM) measurements. Management practices ranged from monoculture to 2- or 3-yr crop rotations, manure, no fertilizer or fertilizer additions, and crop residue returned, burned, or harvested. Measured and CQESTR predicted SOC stocks under diverse agronomic practices, mean annual temperature (2.1–19oC), precipitation (402–973 mm), and SOC (5.89−33.58 g SOC kg −1 ) at the LTE sites were signifi cantly related (r 2 = 0.94, n = 186, P < 0.0001) with a slope not signifi cantly diff erent than 1. Th e simulation results indicated that the quantities of crop residue that can be sustainably harvested without jeopardizing SOC stocks were infl uenced by initial SOC stocks, crop rotation intensity, tillage practices, crop yield, and climate. Manure or a cover crop/intensifi ed crop rotation under NT are options to mitigate loss of crop residue C, as using fertilizer alone is insuffi cient to overcome residue removal impact on SOC stocks.
A geoarchaeological reconstruction of cowpen slough, a late archaic site in east central louisiana

We reconstruct the depositional history of a late Holocene archaeological site, Cowpen Slough (16 CT 147) in the Catahoula Lowlands of east Central Louisiana, and we place that history in regional context. Procedures including grain-size analysis, field descriptions of soil horizons, x-ray diffraction of clay minerals, and total element analysis are employed to build a description of depositional units and parent material present in onsite sediment samples and off-site subsurface core samples. to infer source, results of tests are integrated with radiocarbon dates and Saucier's chronology for this section in the Lower Mississippi Valley. We suggest that between 6000 and 4790 B.P. the Arkansas was the source of sediment present in the archaeological deposit. After 4790 B.P., sediments were deposited by the Mississippi river system.
Personal Contacts, Subcontracting Linkages, and Development in the Hong Kong‐Zhujiang Delta Region

This paper examines the locational structure and economic consequences of Hong Kong's production subcontracting activities in the Zhujiang Delta, China. Based on a comprehensive investigation of firms in the three major Hong Kong industries, I found that the subcontracting activities from the territory were widely distributed in the Delta, with Shenzhen, Dongguan, and Guangzhou as the three major centers of concentration. This pattern is attributable mainly to the extensive use of preexisting kinship and Hong Kong business ties to establish linkages. Other causes are closeness between Hong Kong and the Delta, the efforts of Chinese authorities to attract foreign investments to the Delta, and the locational advantages or specialization of individual locales. The locations of subcontracting linkages vary with different transactional channels. Linkages based on preexisting kinship or Hong Kong business ties orient to the rural, those based on other contacts to the urban, areas of the Delta. The incorporation of preexisting kinship and business ties insured exchange reliability and facilitated further cooperation between firms, which encouraged Hong Kong firms to subcontract and provide equipment and training supports to their Chinese subcontractors. The development of subcontracting activities has promoted rapid industrial development in the Zhujiang Delta, and led to production integration and economic interdependence between the two places. The study shows the relationships between firms, both preexisting social-institutional and subsequent transactional, are important locational and structural determinants of vertically disintegrated activities. It also shows the structure of transactions, while complex, is organized. A detailed examination of such structure will provide an integrated and context-specific framework for industrial organization and location research.
Thermally Cross-Linked Oligo(poly(ethylene glycol) fumarate) Hydrogels Support Osteogenic Differentiation of Encapsulated Marrow Stromal Cells In Vitro

A novel polymer, oligo(poly(ethylene glycol) fumarate) (OPF), cross-linked with a thermal radical initiation system has recently been developed in our laboratory as an injectable, biodegradable cell carrier for regeneration of orthopaedic tissues. The cross-linking, swelling, and degradative properties of hydrogels prepared from OPF with poly(ethylene glycol) of two different chain lengths were assessed. The two OPF types had similar gelation onset times ( approximately 3.6 min) but, when cross-linked for 8 min at 37 degrees C, exhibited significantly different swelling characteristics (fold swelling: 17.5 +/- 0.2 vs 13.4 +/- 0.4). Rat marrow stromal cells (MSCs) were then directly combined with the hydrogel precursors and encapsulated in a model OPF formulation at approximately 14 million cells/mL, cultured in vitro in the presence of osteogenic supplements (dexamethasone), and monitored over 28 days via histology. MSC differentiation in these samples (6 mm diameter x 0.5 mm thick before swelling), as determined by Von Kossa staining for calcified matrix, was apparent by day 21. At day 28, mineralized matrix could be seen throughout the samples, many microns away from the cells. These experiments strongly support the usefulness of thermally cross-linked OPF hydrogels as injectable cell carriers for bone regeneration.
Neutron Brillouin scattering with chopper spectrometers

Abstract Neutron Brillouin scattering involves measurement of excitations, typically sound or spin waves, at smaller Q values than is currently customary. We outline the kinematic constraints on scattering angle and incident energy and discuss the resolution characteristics of a chopper spectrometer suitable for such studies.
Metatarsal march (fatigue) fractures

Abstract 1. 1. Metatarsal march fracture is primarily an occupational disease of soldiers. 2. 2. The author believes that metatarsal march fractures are caused by fatigue of the peroneus longus and tibialis posticus muscles. 3. 3. March fractures are more properly termed fatigue fractures. There is no basis for the belief, as some authors have indicated, that metatarsal march fractures are due to spasm and overactivity of the interossei muscles. 4. 4. The presence of an atavistic foot as an etiological factor of metatarsal march fracture is greatly over-rated. 5. 5. All of the metatarsal march fractures in this series which were investigated occurred in soldiers with normal feet, or in cases of slight degree of pes planus and in cases of pes cavus. Not a single case of severe pes planus was encountered. 6. 6. Pre-induction occupation of the soldier does not appear to be a decisive element except insofar as the tolerance of fatigue may be concerned. 7. 7. The thinness of the metatarsal bone plays no important role in the etiology of metatarsal fractures as more fractures occurred in metatarsal bones other than the thinnest. 8. 8. All age groups from eighteen to thirty-eight were involved in metatarsal march fractures but the eighteen and nineteen year old group were chiefly affected. 9. 9. March fractures of the metatarsals involved all bones of the metatarsal segment but chiefly the second and third of the right foot. 10. 10. Twenty-three cases of multiple metatarsal march fractures were encountered. 11. 11. Fractures of the metatarsal bone involved 2.35 per cent of 10,953 cases seen by the Orthopedic Surgical Section at our Station Hospital.
Currency Regimes, Capital Flows, and Crises

Ever since Greece experienced its debt crisis, fiscal discussion has been “Hellenized” — that is, there are constant warnings that other countries, including the United States, are on the verge of a similar crisis. But can countries that borrow in their own currency experience Greek-type crises? I argue, based both on evidence and on simple modeling, that the answer is no.
Comparing two methods of visual abstraction to human data

The ability to “visually abstract” a given pattern with a neural network and abstract the same pattern by using a regression/correlation analysis was investigated. Both methods were compared with human subjects performing the same task. To visually abstract a particular shape, both quantitative methods broke the shape down into its linear, quadratic, and cubic components. Using an IBM-compatible personal computer, 10 test patterns were analyzed with a neural network (designed using Brainmaker Professional and trained with known linear, quadratic, and cubic shapes) and a regression/correlation model (designed using Lotus 1-2-3). The 10 test patterns were also analyzed by 22 human subjects. The neural network data were found to be highly correlated with the human data [r(8) = .90,p < .01]. The regression/correlation model’s data were also found to be significantly correlated with the human data [r(8) = .77,p < .01]. These findings demonstrate the successful modeling of Rumelhart’s (1991) regression/correlation approach to visual abstraction.
Cermets: III, Modes of Fracture and Slip in Cemented Carbides

The modes of fracture and slip in cemented carbides were observed. Fracture and slip patterns in cemented carbides were found to vary with the microstructures which in turn were determined by the relative surface energies of various phases. The influence of particle size and metal binder content in cemented Tic and WC was also investigated. The fracture and slip in these systems are discussed in terms of the role of the metal film surrounding the carbide grains.
Comments on Mike Rose's Essay “Rethinking Remedial Education and the Academic-Vocational Divide”

The extent of our national failure to provide sizeable numbers of adults from low-income families with a meaningful postsecondary education that helps them fulfill personal and career goals is stag...
The dilemma of sensitivity versus specificity in computer-interpreted acute myocardial infarction

Abstract The use of thrombolytic therapy and out-of-hospital electrocardiogram (ECG) acquisition capability has put even greater importance on the diagnostic accuracy of computerized ECG interpretation programs. Such programs must have extremely high specificity to minimize the possibility of clinicians treating inappropriate patients; thereby needlessly subjecting the patients to the risk of potentially life-threatening complications of the medication. At the same time, studies have shown that both prehospital personnel and emergency department (ED) physicians are aided by automated ECG interpretation programs with high sensitivity. These programs assist the attending personnel in rapidly identifying patients with suspected acute coronary thrombosis, which might otherwise have been undetected or not diagnosed until more obvious ECG abnormalities were present. In previous studies, clinically correlated databases have been used to develop and test sensitivity and specificity of the acute infarction detection algorithm in the Marquette 12SL ECG interpretation program. One program revision resulted in a marked increase in sensitivity (21–53%) without loss of specificity (99.5% to 99%). More recent studies have shown the sensitivity of the interpretation program to be influenced greatly by infarct location with sensitivity lower in anterior than inferior injury. Further refinement of the acute infarction interpretation criteria along with the methodology and data used are presented. Increased sensitivity without appreciable loss of specificity has been possible for detection of both acute inferior and anterior infarction; however, different methods were used for each location. Consideration of reciprocal or concomitant repolarization changes are found to be more useful for inferior than anterior injury. Methodological approaches are presented as they relate to the compromise between sensitivity and specificity.
White phosphorescent organic light emitting devices for lighting applications

Consumer display manufacturers are increasingly interested in white organic light emitting devices (WOLEDs), because these devices offer thinner display profiles, and in combination with color filters eliminate the need for shadow masks. Additionally, WOLEDs are well suited for general-purpose illumination, and laboratory results show that their power efficiencies have surpassed that of incandescent bulbs. To replace current backlight technologies with WOLEDs, further increases must be made in the power efficiency of blue and red phosphorescent devices, and in the power density of OLEDs. In this paper, we report on a blue-red-green 6" square striped lighting panel emitting >100 lumens, and on a stacked OLED (SOLED) 6" square panel. The SOLED consists of a red and green OLED connected by a 70 nm- thick aluminum electrode that simultaneously serves as the cathode for the bottom green device and as the anode for the top red device.
A model predicting optimal parameters for deep brain stimulation in essential tremor.

In nine patients with essential tremor (14 thalami), the authors varied frequency, voltage, and pulsewidth of thalamic deep brain stimulation, and quantified postural tremor. Low frequency stimulation aggravated tremor; the effect increased with increasing voltage. High frequency stimulation had a U-shaped relation to voltage, with minimum tremor at an optimal voltage characteristic of the individual thalamus and increases in voltage beyond the optimum reduced tremor suppression. Based on the hypothesis that tremor response to deep brain stimulation resulted from two competing processes, the authors successfully modeled the relationship of tremor to voltage and frequency of stimulation using a mathematical model. The optimum voltage predicted by the model agreed with the empirically measured value. Moreover, the model made accurate predictions at high stimulation frequency based on measurements made at low stimulation frequency. Our results indicate there is an optimal voltage for tremor suppression by thalamic deep brain stimulation in most patients with essential tremor. The optimum varies across patients, and this is related to electrode position. A mathematical model based on “competing processes” successfully predicts optimum voltage in individual patients. This supports a competing processes model of deep brain stimulation effects.
Lattice parameter and short-range order

Abstract A relation has been derived between the nearest-neighbor distance, r, the composition, x, and the shortrange order parameter, σ, for binary alloys based on nearest-neighbor interactions, additivity of bond energies and quadratic expansion of energy as a function of distance. The relation is shown to be applicable to random alloys of copper and gold and silver and gold. The relation describes the dependence of r on short-range order and the theoretical predictions are compared to experiments on Cu3Au. For this alloy the right direction and about the right magnitude of Δ r are predicted upon ordering. The relation between r and σ is, in general, nonlinear, but a linear approximation is quite satisfactory for Cu3Au.
Environmental Cleanup of the Nation's Former Nuclear Weapons Sites: Unprecedented Public-Private Challenges at the Largest Facilities

In 1994, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) initiated a contract reform program intended to strengthen oversight capabilities and encourage the creation of contract and incentive structures, which would effectively facilitate the treatment of onsite contamination and waste. The remedia-tion and disposal of these legacy wastes is the core of the Department's environmental manage-ment mission (Government Accountability Office [GAO], 2003). Despite a concerted effort toward achieving the goals of the reform, progress has been slow. Many projects continue to necessitate cost and time extensions above those originally agreed upon. Although the Department insti-tuted an accelerated cleanup program in 2002, promising to shave some $50 billion and 35 years from its earlier cost and schedule projections, there have been delays in critical project areas that call into question the attainability of the proposed reductions (GAO, 2005). Numerous explana-tions have been offered as to why achieving these goals has proven so difficult, many of which have concluded that flawed contracting practices are to blame. This article concludes that the root of the problem is much deeper and that the organizational criticisms aimed at DOE are as much a legacy as the waste itself. Although the focus of this article is on large former nuclear weapons sites, these types of contracting and organizational issues are often found at other gov-ernment and private complex hazardous waste sites. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Application of Systems Analysis Techniques to Vulnerability Studies of Complex Installations

Application of reliability and risk analysis methods (particularly fault trees) to failure analysis of systems in hostile manmade environments is discussed. Methods for constructing, analyzing, and interpreting the fault trees, graphs, and diagrams are described. The application of fault-trees, directed graphs, and functional diagrams to problems in sabotage, survivability, and information protection is discussed in general terms. Special problems encountered in this type of analysis are discussed, and future research directions are considered.