cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Increasing stereotypy in adult zebra finch song correlates with a declining rate of adult neurogenesis

Adult neurogenesis is often correlated with learning new tasks, suggesting that a function of incorporating new neurons is to permit new memory formation. However, in the zebra finch, neurons are added to the song motor pathway throughout life, long after the initial song motor pattern is acquired by about 3 months of age. To explore this paradox, we examined the relationship between adult song structure and neuron addition using sensitive measures of song acoustic structure. We report that between 4 and 15 months of age there was an increase in the stereotypy of fine-grained spectral and temporal features of syllable acoustic structure. These results indicate that the zebra finch continues to refine motor output, perhaps by practice, over a protracted period beyond the time when song is first learned. Over the same age range, there was a decrease in the addition of new neurons to HVC, a region necessary for song production, but not to Area X or the hippocampus, regions not essential for singing. We propose that age-related changes in the stereotypy of syllable acoustic structure and HVC neuron addition are functionally related.
Alterations of yeast artificial chromosome transgenic sequences in stretched embryonic stem-cell chromatin visualized by fluorescence in situ hybridization

Transgenic mice have been generated from embryonic stem (ES) cells carrying functional genes cloned within yeast artificial chromosomes (YACs). Information on the integrity and organization of the inserted sequences, including the number of copies and their orientation to each other, is still limited by current methods. We have applied fluorescence in situ hybridization to stretched chromatin preparations from YAC-transfected ES cells to analyze the organization and copy number of the integrated sequences.
CARIBOU MORTALITY DUE TO THE MENINGEAL WORM (Parelapostrongylus tenuis)

Fourteen woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus terraenovae) were released into a game reserve occupied by white-tailed deer (Odocoiles virginianus) with a high prevalence of the meningeal worm (Parelapostrongylus tenius). Within 6 months all of the caribou had succumbed to this parasite. The clinical, pathological, and epizootiological findings associated with this die-off are described.
Thyroid hormone stimulation of mitochondrial protein synthesis supported by an ATP generating system.

Thyroid hormones have been shown to stimulate mitochondrial amino acid incorporation supported by succinate. An effect with an ATP generating system has not been reported. In the present studies, thyroid hormones were found to stimulate incorporation with an ATP generating system (ATP, phosphoenol pyruvate, and pyruvate kinase) while increasing ATPase activity approximately 100%. Oligomycin did not inhibit incorporation though it diminished ATPase activity to levels well below control values. With an oxidizable substrate (succinate) the hormones stimulated incorporation, but oligomycin inhibited both control and stimulated incorporation. Although the hormones were able to stimulate protein synthesis supported by succinate in the presence of moderate (to 30%) inhibition of phosphate utilization, higher hormone concentrations greatly inhibited incorporation while causing marked (90%) inhibition of phosphate utilization. These findings indicate that ATP formation is required for control and thyroid hormone s...
Colonic Stenosis Following Necrotizing Enterocolitis of the Newborn

Abstract Three cases of stenosis of the colon following neonatal enterocolitis and one stricture of the ileum presumed to be due to neonatal enterocolitis are presented. If evidence of intestinal obstruction occurs in a patient who has recovered from necrotizing enterocolitis, intestinal stenosis may have developed.
Skill transfer through goal-driven representation mapping

In this paper, we present an approach to transfer that involves analogical mapping of symbols across different domains. We relate this mechanism to Icarus, a theory of the human cognitive architecture. Our system can transfer skills across domains hypothesizing maps between representations, improving performance in novel domains. Unlike previous approaches to analogical transfer, our method uses an explanatory analysis that compares how well a new domain theory explains previous solutions under different mapping hypotheses. We present experimental evidence that the new mechanism improves transfer over Icarus' basic learning processes. Moreover, we argue that the same features which distinguish Icarus from other architectures support representation mapping in a natural way and operate synergistically with it. These features enable our analogy system to translate a map among concepts into a map between skills, and to support transfer even if two domains are only partially analogous. We also discuss our system's relation to other work on analogy and outline directions for future research.
Lifecycle bias in estimates of intergenerational earnings persistence

Abstract This paper identifies a significant negative relationship between estimated intergenerational earnings persistence and the age at which fathers are observed. In total, the estimation methodology and the age of the father at observation account for 40 percent of the variation among existing studies. The paper explores two possible causes of this pattern: increasing attenuation bias resulting from growing transitory earnings variance and a lifecycle bias which follows from the rise in permanent earnings variance over the lifecycle. Evidence presented favors the latter explanation over the former. The paper also considers both formal and informal approaches to mitigating the lifecycle bias.
Evaluating passive integrated transponder tags for tracking movements of round gobies

– The round goby (Neogobius melanostomus Pallas) is an invasive species in North America and Europe. We evaluated the efficacy of passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags for marking round gobies and tracking their movements with a portable underwater antenna in shallow areas (≤1 m) of a lake. Tagging did not markedly decrease growth of fish <105 mm; however, growth decreased unexpectedly for tagged fish ≥105 mm during the final sampling period. Nevertheless, tagging did not increase mortality regardless of size class, and tag retention was 100% for caged fish. Tagged round gobies in a 20 × 20-m2 block net avoided detection by the portable underwater antenna, and a high proportion of fish probably escaped from the net, suggesting that round gobies may be more mobile than previously reported. In conclusion, PIT tags are a viable method for individually marking round gobies, but detecting tagged round gobies with a portable underwater antenna, given current technology, does not appear promising in shallow areas with low habitat complexity.
Animal Bites and Pasturella Infections

1. Victor F. Garcia, MD* 1. 2. *Division of Pediatric Surgery, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH. 1. The majority of animal bites are minor. 2. Children more commonly are the victims of animal bites than adults and are predominantly bitten on the face and scalp by dogs and on the arms and hands by cats. 3. Cat bites are the second most common type of mammalian bite after dogs and have a nearly twofold greater incidence of infection than do dog bites. 4. Pasturella multocida is the most frequent organism seen in cat bite infections, but it can be seen in 26% of dog bite wounds. Other anaerobic and aerobic organisms involved in animal bites generally are sensitive to penicillin. 5. Amoxicillin/clavulanic acid may provide better coverage for the potential pathogenic anaerobic and aerobic bacteria. If there is any risk of rabies, early prophylaxis should be instituted without waiting for clinical evidence of the disease. It is estimated that 109 million dogs and cats are kept as domestic pets in the United States. The true incidence of mammalian bites is not known because many patients who are bitten by animals do not present to the emergency department. Fortunately, the majority (80%) of the estimated 2 million annual mammalian bites are minor wounds. Still, bite wounds account for approximately 1% of all emergency department visits: 10% of victims require suturing and follow-up visits and 1% to 2% require hospitalization. Mammalian bites account for about $30 million in annual health-care costs. Generally those who present to the emergency department are a self-selected group more likely to have serious wounds or infectious complications. Dog bites account for 80% to 90% of animal bites. Fifty-eight percent of American families own a dog. Most dog bites are by dogs in the family; only 6% of bites are by stray dogs. The risk of being bitten by a dog varies with age; animal bites predominantly involve children. …
The role of psychosocial factors in peptic ulcer disease: Beyond Helicobacter pylori and NSAIDs

A variety of organic etiologies are associated with peptic ulcer disease, and the most relevant of these are infection with Helicobacter pylori and use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Between 5% and 20% of patients with gastric or duodenal ulcer, however, lack an identifiable organic etiology. In these patients particularly and in all ulcer patients in general, psychosocial factors may play a significant role. At present, there is no definitive study proving a causal relationship between psychological stress and the development of ulcer disease. Studies to date suffer from significant methodological limitations and have not effectively addressed the poor correlation between ulcer craters and ulcer symptoms. A conservative application of available data would suggest that psychosocial factors play a significant role in symptom perception and reporting in patients with dyspeptic symptoms and may play a role in ulcer formation.
Wet etching of sputtered tantalum thin films in NaOH and KOH based solutions

In this paper, a wet chemical etching technique to selectively etch tantalum thin film in sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide based solutions was developed. Tantalum thin films were deposited by a DC-magnetron sputtering technique on silica and yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) substrates. After deposition, the films were etched in hot NaOH/ H2O2 and KOH/H2O2 based solutions with Au/Cr film as a hard mask. The etch rate was studied as a function of temperature and concentration of the etchants.
310 mμ absorbance in Physalia physalis: Distribution of the absorbance and isolation of a 310 mμ absorbing compound

Abstract 1. 1. The Portuguese man-of-war, Physalia physalis , contains extractable material which absorbs intensely at 310 mμ. 2. 2. The highest 310 mμ absorbance per unit dry weight is found in portions of the float and in the ampullae that synthesize the nematocysts. 3. 3. A pigment, with λ max = 310 m μ ( ϵ ∼ 5 × 10 5 ) shifting to 298 mμ in strong acid, has been purified from Physalia float autolysate. 4. 4. It contains β-alanine, β-aminoisobutyric acid and probably tryptophan or a derivative thereof. 5. 5. It has a molecular weight of about 1200.
Single-voxel proton MRS of the human brain at 1.5T and 3.0T

Single-voxel proton spectra of the human brain were recorded in five subjects at both 1.5T and 3.0T using the STEAM pulse sequence. Data acquisition parameters were closely matched between the two field strengths. Spectra were recorded in the white matter of the centrum semiovale and in phantoms. Spectra were compared in terms of resolution and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and transverse relaxation times (T(2)) were estimated at both field strengths. Spectra at 3T demonstrated a 20% improvement in sensitivity compared to 1.5T at short echo times (TE = 20 msec), which was lower than the theoretical 100% improvement. Spectra at long echo times (TE = 272 msec) exhibited similar SNR at both field strengths. T(2) relaxation times were almost twofold shorter at the higher field strength. Spectra in phantoms demonstrated significantly improved resolution at 3T compared to 1.5T, but resolution improvements in in vivo spectra were almost completely offset by increased linewidths at higher field.
The relationship between inhibition of phosphofructokinase activity and the mode of action of trivalent organic antimonials on Schistosoma mansoni.

Abstract The addition of purified mammalian phosphofructokinase to homogenates of schistosoma mansoni increased the rate of lactic acid production from glucose and reversed the inhibition of glycolysis produced by low concentrations of trivalent organic antimonials. Neither mammalian phosphofructokinase nor trivalent antimonials affected the rate of lactic acid production from fructose-1:6-diphosphate (HDP) by schistosome homogenates. Accordingly, in the schistosome, the rate of glycolysis of glucose is determined by the activity of phosphofructokinase. The aldolase of S. mansoni has a high requirement for HDP; relatively slight reductions in the concentration of this substrate below the optimum resulted in a sharp decline of aldolase activity. Therefore, decreased formation of HDP, due to inhibition of schistosome phosphofructokinase activity by antimonials, reduced the activity of aldolase and resulted in an inhibition of glycolysis of schistosome homogenates. Kinetic data revealed differences in the nature of the phosphofructokinase of S. mansoni and that of the enzyme catalysing the same reaction in the host. Exposure of schistosomes to low concentrations of potassium antimonyl tartrate or administration of subcurative doses of stibophen to the host resulted in an accumulation of the substrate (fructose-6-phosphate), and a reduction of the product (HDP) of the phosphofructokinase reaction, indicating that the activity of this enzyme was inhibited by antimonials in the intact parasite. It is concluded that inhibition of phosphofructokinase activity can account for the mechanism of the chemotherapeutic action of trivalent organic antimonials in schistosomiasis.
When and How? A Behavioral Explanation for A Firm’s Strategy of Deploying Uncertain Technology

Building upon and extending the behavioral theory of the firm, this paper develops a broad framework for behavioral explanation of a firm’s risk behavior. We propose that both risk perception (as r...
Conversational turn-taking in a Caribbean English Creole☆

Abstract Conversations in Caribbean Creole English have been described as ‘contrapuntal’ and ‘anarchic’ (Reisman, 1974a). Such descriptions contrast with that put forth by Sacks, Schegloff and Jefferson for American English conversations. Repeated inspection of tape-recorded conversations from a Caribbean English Creole speaking community reveals a fundamental orderliness in the organization of turn-taking and other practices of talk-in-interaction. It is suggested that the orderliness of conversation (and of talk-in-interaction generally) is grounded in a species-specific adaptation to the contingencies of human social intercourse. The perspective of conversation analysis allows one to empirically reassess the place of ‘culture’ and the scope of diversity within human social and interactional practice.
Pathophysiology of blast-induced ocular trauma in rats after repeated exposure to low-level blast overpressure.

Background The incidence of blast-induced ocular injury has dramatically increased due to advances in weaponry and military tactics. A single exposure to blast overpressure (BOP) has been shown to cause damage to the eye in animal models; however, on the battlefield, military personnel are exposed to BOP multiple times. The effects of repeated exposures to BOP on ocular tissues have not been investigated. The purpose of this study is to characterize the effects of single or repeated exposure on ocular tissues. Methods A compressed air shock tube was used to deliver 70 ± 7 KPa BOP to rats, once (single blast overpressure [SBOP]) or once daily for 5 days (repeated blast overpressure [RBOP]). Immunohistochemistry was performed to characterize the pathophysiology of ocular injuries induced by SBOP and RBOP. Apoptosis was determined by quantification activated caspase 3. Gliosis was examined by detection of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Inflammation was examined by detection of CD68. Results Activated caspase 3 was detected in ocular tissues from all animals subjected to BOP, while those exposed to RBOP had more activated caspase 3 in the optic nerve than those exposed to SBOP. GFAP was detected in the retinas from all animals subjected to BOP. CD68 was detected in optic nerves from all animals exposed to BOP. Conclusion SBOP and RBOP induced retinal damage. RBOP caused more apoptosis in the optic nerve than SBOP, suggesting that RBOP causes more severe optic neuropathy than SBOP. SBOP and RBOP caused gliosis in the retina and increased inflammation in the optic nerve.
Angiogenic Profile of Soft Tissue Sarcomas Based on Analysis of Circulating Factors and Microarray Gene Expression

Background Broader understanding of diverse angiogenic pathways in a particular cancer can lead to better utilization of anti-angiogenic therapies. The aim of this study was to develop profiles of angiogenesis-related gene and protein expression for various histologic subtypes of soft tissue sarcomas (STS) growing in different sites. Materials and methods Plasma levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), angiopoietin 2 (Ang2), and leptin were determined in 108 patients with primary STS. Gene expression patterns were analyzed in 38 STS samples and 13 normal tissues using oligonucleotide microarrays. Results VEGF and bFGF plasma levels were elevated 10–13 fold in STS patients compared to controls. VEGF levels were broadly elevated while bFGF levels were higher in patients with fibrosarcomas and leiomyosarcomas. Ang2 levels correlated with tumor size and were most elevated for tumors located in the trunk, while leptin levels were highest in patients with liposarcomas. Hierarchical clustering of microarray data based on angiogenesis-related gene expression demonstrated that histologic subtypes of STS often shared similar expression patterns, and these patterns were distinctly different from those of normal tissues. Matrix metalloproteinase 2, platelet-derived growth factor receptor, α and Notch 4 were among several genes that were up-regulated at least 7-fold in STS. Conclusions STS demonstrate significant heterogeneity in their angiogenic profiles based on size, histologic subtype, and location of tumor growth, which may have implications for anti-angiogenic strategies. Comparison of STS to normal tissues reveals a panel of upregulated genes that may be targets for future therapies.
Osteoinductive bone graft substitutes for lumbar fusion: a systematic review.

Object Autograft and allograft, the standard approaches for lumbar fusion procedures, have important disadvantages. Bone graft substitutes such as recombinant human bone morphogenetic proteins (rhBMP-2 and rhBMP-7) have emerged as viable alternatives. The authors conducted a systematic review to compare the efficacy and safety of osteoinductive bone graft substitutes using autografts and allografts in lumbar fusion. Methods A search for prospective controlled trials was conducted on MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases. Data were extracted for key outcomes including radiographically demonstrated nonunion, Oswestry Disability Index, operating time, blood loss, and length of hospital stay. The quality of randomized controlled trials was assessed using the Jadad scale. Meta-analyses were performed when feasible, and heterogeneity was assessed using the Q statistic and the I2 statistic. Results Seventeen of 732 potential studies met the inclusion criteria, with 9 e...
Learning disabled children's comprehension and production of syntactic devices for marking given versus new information

This study examined learning disabled children's ability to understand and use syntactic devices for marking given versus new information in discourse, a skill where syntactic and pragmatic knowledge intersect. Using a modification of Hornby's (1971) paradigm, learning disabled and nondisabled children in grades 1 through 6 selected pictures on the basis of varying sentence types, such that their choices revealed their identification of the given information in each sentence. The production of syntactic structures for marking new elements in sentences was also assessed. Multivariate analyses revealed grade and sex effects on the comprehension task, but the only effect involving group status indicated that learning disabled girls were less able to comprehend cleft sentences than the other children. On the production task, learning disabled children relied on less complex sentence types; however, their strategies for marking given versus new information were as effective as those of nondisabled children. Implications of these findings for the relations between syntactic repertoire and the ability to integrate given and new information in oral and written discourse are discussed.
Microparticipation with Social Media for Community Engagement in Transportation Planning

Transportation planning processes may be enhanced and plans improved by engaging the community through social media technologies. "Microparticipation" means the engagement of the public with social media methods for the purpose of maximizing the information going into a planning process while minimizing the plan's development time and the cost to the public. Twitter, Facebook, and other microparticipation media have been used for planning but have not been extensively evaluated for that purpose. This study examined more than 49,000 posts on Twitter and other social networking sites tracked by the Social Networking and Planning Project to determine public engagement in the Austin Strategic Mobility Plan. With the use of a mixed methods approach, relevant posts were examined to determine sentiment, extent of engagement, and impact on the decision-making process. The study found methods that could be used to analyze microparticipation. The report concluded that microparticipation could be effective in genera...
VARIATION OF HERPES SIMPLEX VIRUS IN PERSISTENTLY INFECTED TISSUE CULTURES

Hinze, Harry C. (University of Wisconsin, Madison), and Duard L. Walker. Variation of herpes simplex virus in persistently infected tissue cultures. J. Bacteriol. 82: 498–504. 1961.—Cultures of human conjunctiva, HeLa, and KB cells infected with herpes simplex virus (HF strain) were cultured for prolonged periods in medium containing low levels of antibody. After continuous culture of the infected cell lines for 6 months, two major changes were noted in the character of the virus present in the cultures. These changes consisted of an alteration in the type of cytopathic effect produced by the virus and marked loss of virulence for mice. Further study of the virus from the cultures revealed that it was still antigenically similar to the original strain of herpes virus. It was found that the variant produced an altered, proliferative type of cytopathic effect only in the presence of herpes antibody. The variant multiplied more slowly in human conjunctiva cells in culture than did the parent virus, and the variant had lost practically all capacity for multiplication in the brain of mice. Images
Generalized UDF for analytics inside database engine

Running analytics computation inside a database engine through the use of UDFs (User Defined Functions) has been investigated, but not yet become a scalable approach due to several technical limitations. One limitation lies in the lack of generality for UDFs to express complex applications and to compose them with relational operators in SQL queries. Another limitation lies in the lack of systematic support for a UDF to cache relations initially for efficient computation in multi-calls. Further, having UDF execution interacted efficiently with query processing requires detailed system programming, which is often beyond the expertise of most application developers. To solve these problems, we extend the UDF technology in both semantic and system dimensions. We generalize UDF to support scalar, tuple as well as relation input and output, allow UDFs to be defined on the entire content of relations and allow the moderate-sized input relations to be cached in initially to avoid repeated retrieval. With such extension the generalized UDFs can be composed with other relational operators and thus integrated into queries naturally. Furthermore, based on the notion of invocation patterns, we provide focused system support for efficiently interacting UDF execution with query processing. We have taken the open-sourced PostgreSQL engine and a commercial and proprietary parallel database engine as our prototyping vehicles; we illustrated the performance, modeling power and usability of the proposed approach with the experimental results on both platforms.
Healthy people 2000 and community health planning

Categorical public health programs have always set process and outcome objectives for specific diseases and health promotion efforts (5), but Healthy People 2000 (64) and its predecessor report Promoting Health/Preventing Disease: Objectives for the Nationfor 1990 (63) were the first to set detailed objectives for the entire public health system in the United States, Efforts at establishing and achieving the national public health objectives have been well documented by researchers, the lead Public Health Service agencies, and their state counterparts (65-67). However, implementing the objectives at the local level is a complicated task that has not been as well documented. As part of a growing interest in community health planning, Healthy People 2000 and other planning tools have been increasingly used to mobilize communities for health. In this review we will summarize the relevance of national health objectives for community use, other health planning tools available to implement these objectives, and the formation of partnerships between health agencies and community groups.
Model reduction for discrete and elastic structures with inertial quadratic non-linearities

This work discusses model reduction for non-linear structural systems under harmonic excitations. Model reduction can be achieved by different techniques, one of the recent techniques being the non-linear normal modes (NNMs) of the system. The dimension reduction achievable depends on the possibilities of internal resonances. A master–slave separation of degrees of freedom is used, and a non-linear relation between the slave and master coordinates is constructed based on the method of multiple timescales. More specifically, three cases involving external resonance of a mode without any internal resonance, and subharmonic as well as superharmonic resonances for systems with 1:2 internal resonances are considered. Reduced-order models based on the ‘Conservative NNMs’ as well as ‘Damped NNMs’ are constructed. The steady-state periodic responses of the reduced models determined by the method of multiple timescales are compared to exact solutions of the system models computed by the bifurcation analysis and pa...
Measure for Measure and the Problem of Popularity

AbstractThis essay uses King James I's rejection of Elizabethan practices of “popularity” during his accession progresses as an entry point into how Measure for Measure explores tensions between absolutism and a public sphere. Like James, Duke Vincentio dislikes performing affability with his subjects; Shakespeare expands the Duke's reticence into a larger rejection of the public and its networks of news, analysis, and gossip. The Duke sees this public, whose noise he seeks to control, as the chief impediment to his authority. When the play ends with the Duke's successful return to absolute power and a sense of real presence (which is instantiated in his silencing of the other characters), Shakespeare teaches playgoers how to interact with their new king without offending him (to be silent and still). But even as Measure for Measure critiques the London public that demanded “popularity” from James, its critique of that consuming public is simultaneously undercut by the play's own use of news and its analy...
Fusing correlated data from multiple classifiers for improved biometric verification

Dynamically weighting and combining data from correlated biometric classifiers, having different statistical distributions and characteristics, is accomplished via a Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm. Real time data collected from correlated biometric classifiers are fused using various normalizing score fusion techniques, z-normalization and min-max normalization. Since individual classifiers have varying degree of accuracy, weighting is paramount to achieve higher benefits. Weights are found using a PSO algorithm and are a function of accuracy and degree of correlation. Results are presented for, a) synthetic score data generated using a multivariate normal distribution with different covariance matrices and b) NIST BSSR dataset. The performance of the PSO technique, for correlated biometric classifier, is better than the traditional score level fusion techniques.
The effects of diagenesis and dolomitization on Ca and Mg isotopes in marine platform carbonates: Implications for the geochemical cycles of Ca and Mg

Abstract The Ca, Mg, O, and C isotopic and trace elemental compositions of marine limestones and dolostones from ODP Site 1196A, which range in depth (∼58 to 627 mbsf) and in depositional age (∼5 and 23 Ma), are presented. The objectives of the study are to explore the potential for non-traditional isotope systems to fingerprint diagenesis, to quantify the extent to which geochemical proxies are altered during diagenesis, and to investigate the importance of diagenesis within the global Ca and Mg geochemical cycles. The data suggest that Ca, which has a relatively high solid to fluid mass ratio, can be isotopically altered during diagenesis. In addition, the alteration of Ca correlates with the alteration of Mg in such a way that both can serve as useful tools for deciphering diagenesis in ancient rocks. Bulk carbonate δ 44 Ca values vary between 0.60 and 1.31‰ (SRM-915a scale); the average limestone δ 44 Ca is 0.97 ± 0.24‰ (1SD), identical within error to the average dolostone (1.03 ± 0.15 1SD ‰). Magnesium isotopic compositions (δ 26 Mg, DSM-3 scale) range between −2.59‰ and −3.91‰, and limestones (−3.60 ± 0.25‰) and dolostones (−2.68 ± 0.07‰) are isotopically distinct. Carbon isotopic compositions (δ 13 C, PDB scale) vary between 0.86‰ and 2.47‰, with average limestone (1.96 ± 0.31‰) marginally offset relative to average dolostone (1.68 ± 0.57‰). The oxygen isotopic compositions (δ 18 O, PDB scale) of limestones (−1.22 ± 0.94‰) are substantially lower than the dolostones measured (2.72 ± 1.07‰). The isotopic data from 1196A suggest distinct and coherent trends in isotopic and elemental compositions that are interpreted in terms of diagenetic trajectories. Numerical modeling supports the contention that such trends can be interpreted as diagenetic, and suggests that the appropriate distribution coefficient ( K Mg ) associated with limestone diagenesis is ∼1 to 5 × 10 −3 , distinctly lower than those values (>0.015) reported in laboratory studies. With respect to Mg isotopes, the modeling also suggest that diagenetic fractionation factors of ∼0.9955 (−4.5‰) and 0.9980 (−2‰) are appropriate for limestone diagenesis and dolomitization, respectively.
Region-specific tolerance criteria for the living brain.

Computational models of traumatic brain injury (TBI) can predict injury-induced brain deformation. However, predicting the biological consequences (i.e. cell death or dysfunction) of induced brain deformation requires tolerance criteria. Here, we present a tolerance criterion for the cortex which exhibits important differences from that of the hippocampus. Organotypic slice cultures of the rat cortex, which maintain tissue architecture and cell content consistent with that in vivo, were mechanically injured with an in vitro model described previously. Cultures were stretched equibiaxially up to 0.35 Lagrangian strain at strain rates up to 50 s -1 . Cell death was quantified at 1, 2, 3, and 4 days following injury. Statistical analysis (repeated measures ANOVA) showed that all three factors (Strain, Strain Rate, and Time post-injury) significantly affected cell death. An equation describing cell death as a function of the significant parameters was then fit to the data. Compared to the hippocampus, the cortex was less vulnerable to stretch-induced injury and demonstrated a strain threshold below 0.20. Strain rate was also a significant factor for cortical but not hippocampal cell death. Cortical cell death began at an earlier time point than in the hippocampus, with cell death evident at 1 day post-injury versus 3 days in the hippocampus. In conclusion, different regions of the brain respond differently to identical mechanical stimuli, and this difference should be incorporated into finite element models of TBI if they are to more accurately predict in vivo consequences of TBI.
Nonpareil: a redundancy-based approach to assess the level of coverage in metagenomic datasets.

Motivation: Determining the fraction of the diversity within a microbial community sampled and the amount of sequencing required to cover the total diversity represent challenging issues for metagenomics studies. Owing to these limitations, central ecological questions with respect to the global distribution of microbes and the functional diversity of their communities cannot be robustly assessed. Results: We introduce Nonpareil, a method to estimate and project coverage in metagenomes. Nonpareil does not rely on high-quality assemblies, operational taxonomic unit calling or comprehensive reference databases; thus, it is broadly applicable to metagenomic studies. Application of Nonpareil on available metagenomic datasets provided estimates on the relative complexity of soil, freshwater and human microbiome communities, and suggested that � 200 Gb of sequencing data are required for 95% abundance-weighted average coverage of the soil communities analyzed. Availability and implementation: Nonpareil is available at https:// github.com/lmrodriguezr/nonpareil/ under the Artistic License 2.0.
The melodic-harmonic 'divorce' in rock

Several authors have observed that rock music sometimes features a kind of independence or ‘divorce’ between melody and harmony. In this article, I examine this phenomenon more systematically than has been done in the past. A good indicator of melodic-harmonic divorce is cases where non-chord-tones in the melody do not resolve by step. I argue that this does occur frequently in rock ‐ often with respect to the local harmony, and sometimes with respect to the underlying tonic harmony as well. This melodic-harmonic ‘divorce’ tends to occur in rather specific circumstances: usually in pentatonically based melodies, and in verses rather than choruses. Such situations could be said to reflect a ‘stratified’ pitch organisation. A particularly common situation is where the verse of a song features stratified organisation, followed by a chorus which shifts to a ‘unified’ organisation in which both melody and accompaniment are regulated by the harmonic structure.
Edge chasing delayed consistency: pushing the limits of weak memory models

In shared memory multiprocessors utilizing invalidation-based coherence protocols, cache misses caused by inter-processor communication are a dominant source of processor stall cycles for many applications. We explore a novel coherence protocol implementation called edge-chasing delayed consistency (ECDC) that mitigates some of the performance degradation caused by this class of misses. Edge-chasing delayed consistency allows a processor to non-speculatively continue reading a cache line after receiving an invalidation from another core, without changing the consistency model offered to programmers. While the idea of using stale data for as long as possible is enticing, our study shows that the benefits of such delay are small, and that the majority of these delayed invalidation benefits come from mitigating the false sharing problem, rather than any tolerance of races or an application's ability to consume stale data in a productive manner.
Factors affecting the adoption and diffusion of XML and web services standards for E-business systems

Integration is a very important issue in e-business systems integration. There are three basic mechanisms to integrate diverse applications: data interchange, application program interfaces (API), and shared repositories. Standards and standardization efforts play important roles in all three areas. XML is a standard for defining data interchange standards. Web services are a set of standards for calling remote procedures over the Internet. UDDI and other e-business registries are examples of shared repositories. This paper discusses the XML and Web Services (including UDDI) standard-related technologies in the context of e-business systems. A technology adoption life cycle model is adapted to analyse various stages of standards adoption. Organizations that tend to adopt e-business standards in each stage are identified. Based on our study of e-business standards and research of relevant literatures, several factors that affect the adoption decision of e-business standards are identified. The implications of these factors are discussed. Two case studies of the implementation of e-business standards are presented. Further studies of how standards may affect the success of e-business strategies and how companies should evaluate and implement e-business standards are proposed.
Platelet Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa Receptor Inhibitor Preserves Coronary Flow Reserve During Progressive Coronary Arteriostenosis in Swine

Abstract—Thrombosis resulting from blood platelet aggregation via glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa receptor activation triggers the local release of vasoactive substances. Therefore, inhibition of these receptors could affect coronary vasoactive function during thrombotic coronary arteriostenosis. Twenty pigs were instrumented with an aortic catheter and with hydraulic occluders and flow probes on both the left anterior descending (LAD) and the left circumflex (LCx) coronary arteries. One of these 2 coronary arteries was repeatedly injured by external clamping for 15-second periods at 30-minute intervals while the pigs were given either a GP IIb/IIIa receptor inhibitor (L-739,758) (n=5), heparin (n=5), aspirin (n=3), or saline (n=7). There were no baseline differences between the 4 groups in mean arterial pressure, resting coronary blood flow (CBF), or reactive hyperemic response (RHR), which was induced by brief coronary artery occlusion and expressed as flow debt repayment. After multiple injuries, resting CB...
Introduction: Arthritis and Myositis

In this chapter background medical information pertinent to the use of MRI and/or ultrasound in various musculoskeletal conditions is presented. Appreciation of the genetic, biochemical, histological, and immunological features of rheumatic diseases will be of benefit to the technician responsible for performing and interpreting these types of interrogations. For example, recognizing that cartilage disorder predates bone findings in osteoarthritis will help identify early versus late degenerative findings. Similarly, understanding the fibrovascular nature of rheumatoid pannus will help guide the use of more sophisticated ultrasound techniques such as power Doppler.
Sign-preserving and sign-inverting synaptic interactions between rod and cone photoreceptors in the dark-adapted retina.

Key points • Five types of rods and cones in the dark-adapted salamander retina are electrically coupled with linear and symmetrical junctional conductances Gj of different average values. • The average Gj values of the five types of rod–cone pairs recorded at day and night times suggest that the the circadian-dependent changes in rod–cone coupling observed in the fish and rodent retinas are not present in the tiger salamander. • In addition to rod–cone coupling, there is a sign-inverting, unidirectional rod→cone current IRC, and the current–voltage (IRC–VCone) relations are linear, with a reversal potential near the chloride reversal potential ECl. • I RC can be observed in rods and cones separated by at least 260 μm, and its waveform resembles that of the rod-elicited horizontal cell (HC) response IHC; a glutamate transporter-associated chloride channel blocker TBOA suppresses IRC without affecting IHC. • These results suggest that IRC is largely mediated by HCs via a sign-inverting feedback chemical synapse associated with a chloride channel in cones. Abstract We show that various types of rods and cones in the dark-adapted salamander retina are electrically coupled with linear and symmetrical junctional conductances Gj (40–223 pS) and a rank order: RodC–large single cone, rod–large single cone, rod–small single cone, rod–accessory double cone and rod–principal double cone. By systematically comparing the transjunctional current–voltage (Ij–Vj) relations and average Gj values of the five types of rod–cone pairs recorded at day and night times, our results suggest that the differences in Gj values among various types of rod–cone pairs are not caused by circadian differences, and the circadian-dependent changes in rod–cone coupling observed in the fish and rodent retinas are not present in the tiger salamander. In addition to rod–cone coupling, there is a sign-inverting, unidirectional rod→cone current IRC, and the IRC–VCone relations are linear, with a reversal potential near the chloride reversal potential ECl. IRC can be observed in rods and cones separated by at least 260 μm, and its waveform resembles that of the rod-elicited horizontal cell (HC) response IHC. A glutamate transporter-associated chloride channel blocker TBOA suppresses IRC but not IHC. These results suggest that IRC is largely mediated by HCs via a sign-inverting feedback chemical synapse associated with a chloride channel. IRC significantly reduced rod→cone coupling in the frequency range below 15 Hz, allowing better separation of rod and cone signals in the dark-adapted retina.
The ratio of the extreme to the sum in a random sequence

For X1 , X2 , ..., Xn a sequence of non-negative independent random variables with common distribution function F(t), X(n) denotes the maximum and Sn denotes the sum. The ratio variate Rn = X(n) / Sn is a quantity arising in the analysis of process speedup and the performance of scheduling. O’Brien (J. Appl. Prob. 17:539–545, 1980) showed that as n → ∞, Rn →0 almost surely iff \({\sf E} X_1\) is finite. Here we show that, provided either (1) \({\sf E} X_1^2 \) is finite, or (2) 1 − F (t) is a regularly varying function with index ρ < − 1, then \({\sf E} R_n \sim { {\sf E} X_{(n)} }/{{\sf E} S_n } ,( n \rightarrow \infty )\). An integral representation for the expected ratio is derived, and lower and upper asymptotic bounds are developed to obtain the result. Since \({\sf E} X_{(n)}\) is often known or estimated asymptotically, this result quantifies the rate of convergence of the ratio’s expected value. The result is applied to the performance of multiprocessor scheduling.
Geologic Evidence for Onshore Sediment Transport from the Inner Continental Shelf: Fire Island, New York

ABSTRACT Schwab, W.C.; Baldwin, W.E.; Hapke, C.J.; Lentz, E.E.; Gayes, P.T.; Denny, J.F.; List, J.H., and Warner, J.C., 2013. Geologic evidence for onshore sediment transport from the inner continental shelf: Fire Island, New York. Sediment budget analyses along the south shore of Fire Island, New York, have been conducted and debated in the scientific and coastal engineering literature for decades. It is well documented that a primary component of sediment transport in this system is directed alongshore from E to W, but discrepancies in volumetric sediment budget calculations remain. An additional quantity of sand, averaging about 200,000 m3/y is required to explain the growth of the western segment of the barrier island, a prograding spit. Littoral sediment derived from updrift erosion of the coast, addition of beach nourishment fill, and onshore transport of inner continental shelf, shoreface sediments, or both have all been proposed as potential sources of the additional sediment needed to balance the...
A Contact Problem for a Convection-diffusion Equation

We have proposed an efficient iterative domain decomposition method that solves general convection-diffusion singular perturbation problems. Our specific application involves a piecewise constant diffusion coefficient. We have established sufficient conditions for the convergence of the method, identified suitable values of the relaxation parameter ϑ, and started investigations into the rate of convergence. The method was implemented to O(e2) to solve test problems.
The weak compatibility equations of nonlinear elasticity and the insufficiency of the Hadamard jump condition for non-simply connected bodies

We derive the compatibility equations of L 2 displacement gradients on non-simply connected bodies. These compatibility equations are useful for non-smooth strains such as those associated with deformations of multi-phase materials. As an application of these compatibility equations, we study some configurations of different phases around a hole and show that, in general, the classical Hadamard jump condition is not a sufficient compatibility condition.
Kennewick Man: coming to closure

Few human remains from the distant past have achieved the public visibility and notoriety of Kennewick Man (the Ancient One). Since his discovery in July 1996 in the state of Washington, he has appeared on one of America's best-known television news programmes, 60 Minutes. He has been on the cover of Time magazine and in the pages of People, Newsweek and The New York Times. He has been the subject of popular press books (Downey 2000; Thomas 2000; Chatters 2001), and for many years running there were almost annual updates on his whereabouts and status in Science (some 30 in the decade following his discovery). That is saying nothing of the scholarly notice and debate he has drawn (e.g. Swedlund & Anderson 1999; Owsley & Jantz 2001; Steele & Powell 2002; Watkins 2004; Burke et al. 2008), including a recently issued tome marking the culmination of almost a decade of study (Owsley & Jantz 2014a).
Effect of Humidity on Eggs of Two Populations of the Bluegrass Webworm

Effects of relative humidity at 23°C on eggs of the bluegrass webworm from a New Mexico and a Kentucky population were compared. Over 90% of the fertilized eggs hatched above 60% RH in both populations. Although mortality varied inversely with RH between 10 and 50%, eggs from the New Mexico population exhibited comparatively greater hatching success and therefore appear to be more resistant to desiccation. Completely dry air was lethal to all eggs of both populations. Development of bluegrass webworm eggs from New Mexico accelerated as relative humidity increased. At 30% RH, the required time for half of the eggs to hatch was 228–240 hr; at 100% RH the required time was 180–192 hr. No significant differences between the 2 populations were found in terms of how maternal decapitation affected hatching and fertility of eggs.