cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Public Opinion toward Intergovernmental Policy Responsibilities

This study examines public opinion toward the policy responsibilities of the national, state, and local governments. We use new data from a national survey to analyze citizens’ attitudes toward the general and policy-specific activities of the respective governmental levels. We find that people want all levels of government to do more. But, they also differentiate among national, state, and local responsibilities for particular policy areas. In fact, public opinion corresponds quite closely to actual policy efforts manifested at different governmental levels. Moreover, citizens’ preferences for specific programmatic activities are guided by a combination of general beliefs about governmental responsibilities and assessments of economic capacities. These findings have important theoretical and practical implications for understanding the American intergovernmental system.
Two-Dimensional Numerical Simulation of Bottom-Gate and Dual-Gate Amorphous In-Ga-Zn-O MESFETs

In this letter, the electrical properties of bottom-gate and dual gate (DG) amorphous In-Ga-Zn-O (a-IGZO) metal-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MESFETs) are studied by a 2-D numerical simulation. A subgap density of state model is proposed and used in the simulation. The bottom gate MESFET shows field-effect mobility (μFE) of 9 cm2/Vs, threshold voltage (Vth) of -6.3 V, and subthreshold swing of 0.12 V/decade. The DG a-IGZO MESFET structure is suggested to effectively increase the device operational current (Ion).
The effects of child abuse and neglect on cognitive functioning in adulthood

Abstract Aims Recent research has revealed that early life trauma (ELS), including abuse (sexual and/or physical) and neglect, produce lasting changes in the CNS. We posited that cognitive deficits, often observed in psychiatric patients, result, in part, due to the neurobiological consequences of ELS. Additionally, we hypothesized that the nature and magnitude of cognitive deficits would differ according to the subtype of ELS experienced. Method The Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) was used to assess neurocognitive functioning in 93 subjects (60 with ELS and 33 without). In the patients with a history of ELS, 35% and 16.7%, respectively, met criteria for current major depression and PTSD. Results Significant associations between ELS status and CANTAB measures of memory and executive and emotional functioning were found. Conclusions These data suggest that exposure to ELS results in a cascade of neurobiological changes associated with cognitive deficits in adulthood that vary according to the type of trauma experienced.
Resistant starch and energy balance: impact on weight loss and maintenance

The obesity epidemic has prompted researchers to find effective weight-loss and maintenance tools. Weight loss and subsequent maintenance are reliant on energy balance--the net difference between energy intake and energy expenditure. Negative energy balance, lower intake than expenditure, results in weight loss whereas positive energy balance, greater intake than expenditure, results in weight gain. Resistant starch has many attributes, which could promote weight loss and/or maintenance including reduced postprandial insulinemia, increased release of gut satiety peptides, increased fat oxidation, lower fat storage in adipocytes, and preservation of lean body mass. Retention of lean body mass during weight loss or maintenance would prevent the decrease in basal metabolic rate and, therefore, the decrease in total energy expenditure, that occurs with weight loss. In addition, the fiber-like properties of resistant starch may increase the thermic effect of food, thereby increasing total energy expenditure. Due to its ability to increase fat oxidation and reduce fat storage in adipocytes, resistant starch has recently been promoted in the popular press as a "weight loss wonder food". This review focuses on data describing the effects of resistant starch on body weight, energy intake, energy expenditure, and body composition to determine if there is sufficient evidence to warrant these claims.
Rewarding and locomotor-activating effects of direct dopamine receptor agonists are augmented by chronic food restriction in rats.

Rationale: Previous studies indicate that chronic food restriction augments the rewarding and motor-activating effects of diverse drugs of abuse. The drugs that have so far proved susceptible to the augmenting effect of food restriction all increase synaptic concentrations of dopamine (DA). It is not known whether behavioral effects of selective, direct DA receptor agonists are also subject to the augmenting effect of food restriction. Objectives: The first objective of this study was to investigate whether the rewarding and locomotor-activating effects of the D1 agonist, A77636, and the D2 agonist, quinpirole are augmented by chronic food restriction. The second purpose was to investigate whether the augmented rewarding and locomotor-activating effects of d-amphetamine in food-restricted rats are reversed by the D1 antagonist, SCH23390. Methods: Rewarding effects of drugs were measured in terms of their ability to lower the threshold for lateral hypothalamic self-stimulation (LHSS) using a rate-frequency method. Locomotor-activating effects were measured in terms of the number of midline crossings exhibited by rats in a shuttle apparatus. Results: A77636 (1.0 and 2.5 mg/kg, i.p.) produced a greater threshold-lowering effect in food-restricted than ad libitum fed rats but produced variable effects on locomotor activity with no difference between groups. Quinpirole (0.2 and 0.5 mg/kg, i.p.) produced a marginally greater threshold-lowering effect in food-restricted rats and a dramatic locomotor response that was exclusive to food-restricted rats. The D1 antagonist, SCH23390, at a dose of 0.01 mg/kg (i.p.), had no effect on the lowering of LHSS threshold by amphetamine (0.5 mg/kg, i.p.) in ad libitum fed rats but blocked the augmentation otherwise observed in food-restricted rats. SCH23390, at a dose of 0.025 mg/kg, had no effect on locomotor activity induced by amphetamine (0.5 mg/kg) in ad libitum fed rats but blocked the augmentation otherwise observed in food-restricted rats. Conclusions: These results indicate that the augmentation of reward by food restriction extends to drugs that bypass the DA terminal and act postsynaptically. When taken together with prior immunohistochemical and behavioral findings, these results suggest that food restriction may increase the "enabling" effect of the D1 receptor on DA-mediated behaviors.
The Impact of a Fellowship on Resident Training in an Academic Pediatric Urology Practice

Purpose: The impact of a fellowship on resident operative experience and education is unclear. We sought to address this issue by comparing resident operative case logs and the pediatric portion of the American Urological Association resident inservice examination at our institution before and after establishing a pediatric urology fellowship in 2002.Materials and Methods: Pediatric operative case logs of all urological residents from 1998 to 2006 at Vanderbilt University were reviewed. We recorded index and total number of cases as specified by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. All residents had completed 6 months of pediatric urology training. Statistical analysis was performed using 2-sample equal variance Student t tests. We compared the 8 index categories and total index cases performed by residents, scores on the pediatric portion of the American Urological Association inservice examination and resident average percentiles for index cases referenced to national data, before a...
STAND, a dynamic model for sediment transport and water quality

Abstract We introduce a new model–STAND (Sediment-Transport-Associated Nutrient Dynamics)–for simulating stream flow, sediment transport, and the interactions of sediment with other attributes of water quality. In contrast to other models, STAND employs a fully dynamic basis for quantifying sediment transport, thus distinguishing it from the well-known HEC-6 model. This latter, in particular, computes a steady-state form of sediment transport based on an approximation of transient flow regimes by a sequence of steady-state hydraulic conditions. STAND has a three-level structure. The first level accounts for the hydraulics of open-channel flow, using the conventional St Venant equations. The second level computes sediment transport potential and actual transport rates based on the information provided by the first level. In the third level (not discussed herein), changes of nutrient concentrations along the studied river can be computed as a function of nutrient transport, adsorption/desorption of nutrients to suspended sediment, and releases from bed-sediment pore water. Having introduced STAND and compared and contrasted its structure with HEC-6, STAND's performance is evaluated against a comprehensive data set obtained from a section of the Weihe River, a major tributary of the Yellow River, in China, and compared to results from HEC-6. From both visual evaluation and the statistics of the residual time series, it can be concluded that STAND provides the better simulation, notably under conditions of strongly transient stream behavior.
A ruptured spleen due to body surfing

A 15-year-old male ruptured his enlarged spleen while body surfing. He experienced sharp abdominal pain after being thrown and pinned to the sand by a wave. He developed signs and symptoms of intraperitoneal bleeding and was taken to surgery. The pathology report confirmed the presence of a laceration of the capsule of a spleen with reactive lymphoid hyperplasia. It is suggested that the usual definition of "contact sports" be expanded to include body surfing.
Magnetic phase transitions and electrical switching in Gd5(Sn0.3Ge3.7) induced by magnetic field

Abstract Temperature and magnetic field dependences of the magnetization and electrical resistivity of zero-field-cooled (ZFC) Gd5(Sn0.3Ge3.7) with a distinctly layered crystal structure have been studied. The unit cell of Gd5Ge4-based compounds is formed by 2D-like fragments, so-called slabs. Between 4.2 and 17 K, ZFC Gd5(Sn0.3Ge3.7) shows an antiferromagnetic state [AFM(I)], which can be irreversibly transformed by a magnetic field to the ferromagnetic (FM) state. The critical magnetic field required for the irreversible AFM(I)→FM transition in Gd5(Sn0.3Ge3.7) at 4.2 K is 38 kOe, which is 2-fold larger than observed in Ge5Ge4, 19 kOe. Additionally, ZFC Gd5(Sn0.3Ge3.7) above ∼30 K shows another antiferromagnetic state [AFM(II)], which can be reversibly transformed by a magnetic field to the FM state. The difference between AFM(I) and AFM(II) states (phases) in Gd5(Sn0.3Ge3.7) can be attributed to the orientation of Gd magnetic moments, i.e., their orientation perpendicular or parallel to the slabs. In the temperature range of 17 K≤T≤30 K, both AFM(I) and AFM(II) states (phases) may coexist in the alloy and can be irreversibly or reversibly transformed to the FM state. Magnetic phase transitions in Gd5(Sn0.3Ge3.7) are accompanied with reversible or irreversible switching between the low- [AFM(I) and AFM(II)] and high-resistivity (FM) states.
Dangling Bonds and Sub-Gap Optical Absorption in Silicon

The silicon ''dangling bond'' defect plays a large part in controlling the electronic properties of a-Si, polycrystalline silicon, and Si/SiO/sub 2/ interface. Jackson et al. have suggested that transitions of electrons occupying this defect produce the Urbach-like sub-gap absorption tail seen in two of these materials. We have performed optical and electron spin resonance measurements on polycrystalline silicon, plastically deformed silicon, and Si/SiO/sub 2/ interfaces to further examine this contention. In addition to seeing no measurable absorptance due to dangling bond interface states in the latter system, we conclude from the poor correlation of ESR signals with optical data that the Urbach tail in polycrystalline and deformed silicon is not due to transitions of dangling bond electrons.
Explosive tephra emissions at Mount St. Helens, 1989-1991: The violent escape of magmatic gas following storms?

From 24 August 1989 until 18 June 1991, Mount St. Helens produced at least 28 shallow, explosion-like seismic events with signatures similar to those produced by gas explosions on the dome during the mid 1980s. At least six were accompanied by violent emission off non juvenile tephra, ejection of blocks of rock nearly 1 km from the vent, and avalanching of debris off the north side of the dome. Four produced no emission of tephra, and the remainder occurred when the crater could not be observed (although later crater visits found no new tephra deposits). All six confirmed emissions and most (although not all) other seismic events took place hours to days after storms. Over time periods ranging from 2 to 15 days, statistical goodness of fit tests give a probability of 1 x 10 -2 to 1 x 10 -5 that the precipitation prior to emissions was fortuitously greater than normal. Similar tests for precipitation prior to all 28 events give probabilities of 3 x 10 -2 to 1 x 10 -3 . The short delay between storms and emissions suggests that the events that follow storms originate at very shallow depth, probably within the dome itself. Although the exact causal mechanism is not known, it is speculated that slope instability or accelerated growth of cooling fractures following storms may have released gas trapped within or at the base of the dome. Of the events that did not follow storms, three were located seismically between 1.4 and 2.1 km depth. Thus the events as a group are not confined to shallow depth and probably record gas transport from a deeper, magmatic source. A deep source is also suggested by an unprecedented, 4-yr-long increase in background seismicity at 2- to 9-km depth that peaked in 1989 and 1990. Calculations indicate that the energy content of gas exsolved from the crystallizing conduit was probably sufficient to power the emissions.
Thomson scattering from an ICP

Abstract Fundamental parameters related to laser light scattering by electrons in the ICP are explained and calculated. The theory concerning how electrons in the plasma scatter incident laser light and how the scattered-light spectra are related to electron-density fluctuations is briefly described. Special problems and detailed experimental considerations for Thomson scattering from an ICP are discussed.
Pseudocoarctation of the aorta: An unusual variant with coarctation

Abstract A case of pseudocoarctation associated with probable coarctation, hypoplasia of the left vertebral artery, aneurysmal dilatation of the left subclavian artery and a previously undescribed anomaly of the descending thoracic aorta is reported. Based on the concept of aortic arch derivatives, a hypothesis is advanced to explain the development of this additional anomaly.
Early-stop and motion vector reuse for MPEG-2 to H.264 transcoding

In this paper, early-stop and Motion Vector (MV) re-use approaches are proposed for the MPEG-2 to H.264 transcoding to reduce the computation of the variable block-size motion estimation. By combining the two approaches, the number of MV search points is reduced by more than 80% without significantly affecting the video quality. The proposed approaches can also be used in fast variable block-size motion estimation for the H.264 video encoding.
Drug-Induced Change in the Distribution of Sulfonamides in the Mother Rat and Its Fetus

The distribution of a highly bound antibacterial sulfonamide was markedly altered in both the mother rat and its fetus by interfering with the binding of this drug to plasma protein in the mother. This effect was due to binding displacement, since the displacing agent had little or no effect on the distribution of another sulfonamide with very low binding to plasma protein.
Enhanced aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase activity after interaction between solubilized cytochrome P-448 and microsomes low in endogenous cytochrome P-450

Abstract The effects of cumene hydroperoxide on microsomal mixed-function oxidase components and enzyme activities were determined. In vitro cumene hydroperoxide treatment decreased cytochrome P-450 content, benzphetamine N -demethylase activity and aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase activity of hepatic and renal microsomes from adult male and female rats, and of hepatic microsomes from fetal rats. Cumene hydroperoxide-treated microsomes, as well as fetal liver and adult renal microsomes, which are naturally low in cytochrome P-450 and mixed-function oxidase activity, were used to incorporate partially purified hepatic cytochrome P-448 isolated from 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo- p -dioxin-pretreated immature male rats. This resulted in an enhanced rate of benzo[ a ]pyrene hydroxylation. Aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase activity was increased 12-, 26-. 31- and 53-fold when 1.0 nmole of partially purified cytochrome P-448 was incubated with fetal liver microsomes, microsomes from kidney cortex of female rats, and cumene hydroperoxide-pretreated hepatic microsomes from female and male rats, respectively. The increased rate of benzo[ a ]pyrene hydroxylation was linear with cytochrome P-448 over the range 0.25 to 1.0 nmole. Because cumene hydroperoxide-pretreated microsomes from male rat liver and the hepatic and renal microsomes from female rats have a combination of high NADPH-cytochrome c reductase activity and low mixed-function oxidase activity, they are an attractive choice for catalytic studies of the interaction between cytochrome P-448 and microsomes.
GABAB-receptor modulation of short-term synaptic depression at an excitatory input to murine hippocampal CA3 pyramidal neurons

Abstract GABA B agonists inhibit excitatory transmission to hippocampal CA3 neurons during low frequency stimulation. We examined whether GABA B receptor activation can also enhance synaptic efficacy, when investigated at an input with high initial release probability. Short-term depression of field excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP) amplitude was observed during trains of stimuli applied to associational/commissural inputs (10–50 Hz; 22 °C). Baclofen (10 μM) reduced the amplitude of initial EPSPs in a train, and also reduced the degree of short-term depression. EPSPs recorded late in a train were significantly larger in baclofen than those recorded in control solution. These dual effects were mimicked by another selective GABA B agonist (SKF 97541, 10 μM), and abolished by a GABA B -selective antagonist (SCH 50911, 20 μM). The effects of baclofen were similar at a higher recording temperature (32 °C), where short-term depression was observed at higher stimulation frequencies. These results are consistent with the idea that a reduction of transmitter release probability could increase the fidelity of high-frequency transmission at this input, an effect that could help account for excitatory effects of GABA B agonists in some seizure models.
α-Silicon carbide/β-silicon carbide particulate composites via polymer infiltration and pyrolysis (PIP) processing using polymethylsilane

Abstract The β-SiC precursor polymethylsilane [PMS, [(MeSiH)x,(MeSi)y]]n. Mn=2100 Da], when modified with 12 wt% crosslinking aid, gives a hyperbranched polymer (mPMS) that transforms to phase pure, nanocrystalline β-SiC with an 80–85% ceramic yield on heating to ≈1100°C/Ar. Particulate reinforced β-SiC composites (PRCs) can be formed by PIP processing green powder compacts. We describe here PIP processing of α-SiC/β-SiC PRCs using mPMS. The resulting composites have densities >2.5 g/cc (85% theory) after 10 PIP cycles. XRD and FTIR studies suggest that α-SiC seeds crystallization of mPMS derived β-SiC at temperatures ⩽1200°C.
GABA in peripheral tissues: Presence and actions in endocrine pancreatic function

Abstract Of 9 male Sprague-Dawley rat organs examined, GABA was present at highest levels in the pancreas, thymus, and adrenal (34–40 pmol/mg wet weight) and lowest in heart and testis (6–10). Intermediate levels were present in stomach, liver, spleen and lung. Streptozotocin, a B cytotoxic agent, lowered pancreas GABA levels to 1/3 control values without significantly affecting that of the other organs or plasma levels. Collagenase isolated rat islets contained 190 ± 25 (SE) whereas hand isolated catfish Brockmann bodies contained 121 ± 16 (SD) pmol GABA/mg wet weight. Rabbit pancreas contained 14 ± 4 and 3 ± 1 pmol/mg in the tail and body, respectively. In cannulated rats, injection of GABA increased plasma glucose with and without AOAA. In 15 normal SD rats, plasma glucose correlated with plasma GABA in a positive manner (r + 0.644), though in 6 human diabetics (treated) this correlation was of a negative nature and of low order (r = − 0.339). Incubation of rabbit pancreas pieces in vitro (method of Coore and Randle) indicated GABA may facilitate insulin release and inhibit glucagon release. Additionally, GABA was released in response to high glucose concentration, and pieces of pancreas incubated in 10−3 M GABA for 30 min evidenced significant uptake of GABA whereas those in 10−5 or 10−7 did not. Though the variation in these later data is large, further experiments using more refined techniques are warranted. (Supported in part by H. D. Foundation and USPHS Grant MH-28243.)
Individual differences in long-term memory access

In a study of individual differences in long-term memory access, university undergraduates verified (1) whether an item was a member of a category, (2) whether two items belonged to the same category, and (3) whether two words had the same name. Reaction times from these tasks were correlated with verbal ability, as measured by performance on a standardized test of vocabulary and reading comprehension. A relationship was found between verbal ability and reaction time in the verification tasks. These results are contrasted with those of Hogaboam and Pellegrino (1978), who failed to find such a relationship. The results indicated that the various reaction time measures form a single factor that bears a moderate relationship to reading and vocabulary measures.
Comparison of Predicted to Measured Photovoltaic Module Performance

Computer simulation models to accurately predict the electrical performance of photovoltaic modules are essential. Without such models, potential purchasers of photovoltaic systems have insufficient information to judge the relative merits and cost effectiveness of photovoltaic systems. The purpose of this paper is to compare the predictions of a simulation model, developed by Sandia National Laboratories, to measurements from photovoltaic modules installed in a vertical wall facade in Gaithersburg, MD. The photovoltaic modules were fabricated using monocrystalline, polycrystalline, tandem-junction amorphous, and copper-indium diselenide cells. Polycrystalline modules were constructed using three different glazing materials — 6 mm low-iron glass, 2 mm ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene copolymer (ETFE), and 2 mm polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). In order to only assess the simulation model’s ability to predict photovoltaic module performance, measured solar radiation data in the plane of the modules is initially used. Additional comparisons are made using horizontal radiation measurements. The ability of the model to accurately predict the temperature of the photovoltaic cells is investigated by comparing predicted energy production using measured versus predicted photovoltaic cell temperatures. The model was able to predict the measured annual energy production of the photovoltaic modules, with the exception of the tandem-junction amorphous modules, to within 6% using vertical irradiance measurements. The model overpredicted the annual energy production by approximately 14% for the tandem-junction amorphous panels. Using measured horizontal irradiance as input to the simulation model, the agreement between measured and predicted annual energy predictions varied between 1% and 8%, again with the exception of the tandem-junction amorphous silicon modules. The large difference between measured and predicted results for the tandem-junction modules is attributed to performance degradation. Power measurements of the tandem-junction amorphous modules at standard reporting conditions prior to and after exposure revealed a 12% decline. Supplying post-exposure module parameters to the model resulting in energy predictions within 5% of measured values.
Electrophysiologic studies before and after myocardial revascularization in patients with life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias

Electrophysiologic studies with programmed cardiac stimulation were performed in a selected group of 17 patients with severe proximal coronary artery disease involving at least 2 major vessels and left ventricular ejection fractions >30% who were undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery after prehospital cardiac arrest or ventricular tachycardia (VT) unassociated with acute myocardial infarction. Before surgery and without antiarrhythmic drug therapy, programmed cardiac stimulation induced ventricular fibrillation (VF) in 4 patients, and VT (≥5 beats) in 11 patients. Inducible VT or VF was suppressed by antiarrhythmic drugs in 7 of 13 patients in whom they were tried. Patients underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery unassociated with perioperative myocardial infarction. When studied again an average of 19 days after surgery, 10 patients had no inducible VT or VF without antiarrhythmic drug therapy; 6 had induced VT. One patient had spontaneous VT. An effective antiarrhythmic regimen that suppressed inducible or spontaneous VT, or both, was defined by serial electrophysiologic studies in 4 patients, whereas 3 patients continued to manifest electrically inducible VT with all antiarrhythmic regimens tested. All but 1 patient, in whom postoperative VT could not be suppressed, are free of arrhythmias after a mean follow-up period of 23 months (range 6 to 53). It is concluded that myocardial revascularization alone may improve the abnormal electrophysiologic findings in certain patients; however, this effect of coronary artery bypass graft surgery is unpredictable, and pre- and postoperative electrophysiologic studies are recommended as part of the evaluation of these patients.
Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for myeloproliferative disorders and myelodysplastic syndromes.

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (SCT) is the only proven curative therapy for patients with myeloproliferative diseases. As a stem cell disorder, chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) has served as a prototypic disease in the development of allogeneic SCT. Since the initial reports of the successful use of bone marrow transplantation for CML, the use of SCT for this disorder has become standard therapy. CML currently is one of the most common indications for allogeneic SCT, and the success of SCT in the treatment of CML has served as a benchmark for transplantation trials in other malignancies. The curative potential of an allogeneic graft-versus-leukemia effect also has been shown in CML, which has fueled major efforts in the study and application of this new approach to anticancer therapeutics. This article highlights the principles and results of allogeneic SCT in the treatment of CML and discusses the use of SCT for other myeloproliferative diseases and myelodysplastic syndromes.
Inactivation of Mycobacterium avium with monochloramine.

Batch experiments were performed to study the inactivation kinetics of Mycobacterium avium in the presence of monochloramine at 5−30 °C, pH 6−10, and 0.30−42.3 mg Cl2/L. For each temperature and pH...
The kinetics of mutagen excretion in the urine of cigarette smokers.

Abstract The excretion of mutagens in the urine of cigarette smokers was studied as a model for absorption and elimination of complex carcinogenic and mutagenic mixtures in humans. Urine was collected from an occasional smoker who smoked 1 cigarette (17 mg tar/cigarette) and from a heavy smoker (smokes approximately 20 cigarettes/day) who quit for 2 days and then resumed smoking. Urine samples were collected for 6 days, including a 2-day pre-smoking period for the occasional smoker and pre-abstention period for the heavy smoker, respectively. Mutagen excretion patterns were determined by extracting the mutagens in each urine sample with XAD-2 resin and testing the extract in a microsuspension modification of the Salmonella/microsome liquid-incubation assay using bacterial strain TA98 with metabolic activation. Peak mutagenic activity of the urine collected from the two smokers appeared 4–5 h after the beginning of smoking. Activity decreased to pre-smoking ‘baseline’ levels in approximately 12 h for the occasional smoker, and the activity for the heavy smoker approached the occasional smoker's ‘baseline’ in approximately 18 h after the cessation of smoking. The mutagen excretion patterns of the occasional smoker after smoking a single cigarette suggests that, the mutagens, as detected by the Salmonella assay, are absorbed rapidly (3–5 h) and are eliminated from the body following first order kinetics. The excretion rate constant for the occasional smoker was approximately 0.1 h −1 and the half-life ( T 1 2 ) was approximately 7 h.
Bone health: it's more than calcium intake.

The National Academy of Sciences has recommended that adequate dietary intake of calcium is necessary in children and adolescents for the development of peak bone mass and prevention of fractures and osteoporosis later in life.1 The current recommended adequate intake for children 9 to 18 years of age is 1300 mg/day, which is higher than that in other developed countries.2 This recommended intake is based largely on the results of calcium-balance studies that show that in healthy children of this age, maximal net calcium balance is achieved with this intake.3,4 At higher levels of intake, additional calcium is mostly excreted. Peak calcium accretion is attained at the ages of 12.5 years in girls and 14.0 years in boys.3 Despite this, the percent of children achieving the recommended adequate calcium intake in the United States declines dramatically after the second year of life, reaching its nadir between 12 and 19 years of age, when documented intakes in this age … Address correspondence to Frank R. Greer, MD, Wisconsin Perinatal Center, Meriter Hospital, 202 S Park St, Madison, WI 53715. E-mail: frgreer{at}wisc.edu
The effects of transmural transport in the microcirculation: a two gas species model

Diffusion of oxygen and carbon dioxide across the walls of noncapillary vessels in the microcirculation has been suggested by several studies. The formulation and steady-state solutions to a nine-compartment mathematical model of the microcirculation of skeletal muscle with transmural gas diffusion in all vessels are presented. The simultaneous transport of oxygen and carbon dioxide between arterioles, capillaries, and venules, and connective and muscle tissue at rest and exercise are described. Special attention is paid to the interactions of these gases in blood. This model predicts a longitudinal intravascular gradient in oxygen tension from large to small vessel with the tension at the precapillary vessels relatively insensitive to changes in the input tension. At rest, there is significant small arteriolar oxygen flux. However, during exercise, the precapillary transmural flux of oxygen is only a small fraction of the total metabolic demand. The model predicts large noncapillary fluxes of carbon dioxide, and also that tissue PCO2 is dependent on input tensions. The model also predicts that Bohr shifts due to either changes in input PCO2 or increased precapillary PCO2 due to increased metabolism may cause physiologically significant changes in precapillary PO2. Countercurrent shunting was predicted by the model to be significant only for carbon dioxide.
Do the BEAF insulator proteins regulate genes involved in cell polarity and neoplastic growth

Abstract It was reported that a chromosome with the BEAF NP6377 ( NP6377 ) allele leads to a loss of cell polarity and neoplastic growth in Drosophila melanogaster when homozygous ( Gurudatta et al., 2012 ). We had previously generated the BEAF AB-KO ( AB-KO ) allele by homologous recombination and did not note these phenotypes ( Roy et al., 2007 ). Both alleles are null mutations. It was unclear why two null alleles of the same gene would give different phenotypes. To resolve this, we performed genetic tests to explore the possibility that the chromosome with the NP6377 allele contained other, second site mutations that might account for the different phenotypes. We found that the chromosome with NP6377 has at least two additional mutations. At least one of these, possibly in combination with the NP6377 allele, is presumably responsible for the reported effects on gene expression, cell polarity and neoplastic growth.
Uncovering the images and meanings of international organizations (IOs) in higher education research

Employing Stuart Hall’s concept of representation, we examine how international organizations (IOs) are presented in the higher education literature. This paper examines how IOs, such as the World Bank, OECD, and UNESCO, are conceptualized and represented by higher education researchers. We focus on three main representations of IOs in the higher education literature: (1) Forces for convergence; (2) Mechanisms of influence; and (3) Dynamic networks. The purpose of the article is to identify analytical frameworks used to understand IOs in higher education in order to open up new concepts of IOs in the higher education literature. We will argue that new images of IOs are necessary to grasp the complexity of actors and processes used by IOs to create (and influence) higher education policy.
Ellipsoidal fuzzy learning for smart car platoons

A neural-fuzzy system combined supervised and unsupervised learning to find and tune the fuzzy-rules. An additive fuzzy system approximates a function by covering its graph with fuzzy rules. A fuzzy rule patch can take the form of an ellipsoid in the input-output space. Unsupervised competitive learning found the statistics of data clusters. The covariance matrix of each synaptic quantization vector defined on ellipsoid centered at the centroid of the data cluster. Tightly clustered data gave smaller ellipsoids or more certain rules. Sparse data gave larger ellipsoids or less certain rules. Supervised learning tuned the ellipsoids to improve the approximation. The supervised neural system used gradient descent to find the ellipsoidal fuzzy patches. It locally minimized the mean-squared error of the fuzzy approximation. Hybrid ellipsoidal learning estimated the control surface for a smart car controller.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Trauma Resilience Scale: Validation of Protective Factors Associated with Adaptation following Violence.

Objectives: The Trauma Resilience Scale (TRS), assessing protective factors associated with positive adaptation following violence, was tested in three waves of data collection. Empirical and theoretical literature shaped subscale and item formation emphasizing resilience following physical abuse, sexual abuse, intimate partner violence, and/or a serious threat or injury to life. Methods: Content validation experts helped refine items. The three-factor model, including problem solving, relationships, and optimism, was tested (n = 270). A four-factor model adding spirituality was also tested (n = 307). Results: Both models demonstrated strong reliability, validity, and factor analyses results. However, the four-factor model was best supported by the data. Conclusions: Both global scales and individual factor subscales are supported for clinical and research administrations.
A Zone of Overlap and Hybridization Between Allonemobius socius and a New Allonemobius sp

This study investigates the zone of overlap and hybridization between a new species in the Allonemobius species complex and Allonemobius socius (Scudder 1877). The new species, Allonemobius sp. nov. Tex was previously misidentified as Allonemobius fasciatus (De Geer 1773). Our survey of genetic variation at 13 allozyme loci shows that the new species differs from A. fasciatus in at least two allozyme loci. A. sp. nov. Tex is distributed mainly in Texas, and it is sympatric with A. socius in some parts of its distribution where the two species hybridize. In addition to the two fixed allelic differences between the two species, there is also a unique allele at a third locus in A. sp. nov. Tex. The proportion of hybrids in the mixed populations where the two species co-occur is always low, resulting in bimodal hybrid index scores. The bimodal distribution suggests that there is reproductive isolation between the new species and A. socius. This reproductive isolation is maintained, at least in part, through conspecific sperm precedence, which also serves as the major barrier to gene flow between A. socius and A. fasciatus.
Electronic transmutation: Boron acquiring an extra electron becomes ‘carbon’

Abstract We propose a concept of electronic transmutation. According to this concept, elements, by acquiring an extra electron, begin to have the chemical bonding and geometric structure properties of compounds composed of neighboring elements. We demonstrate that boron, by acquiring an extra electron in boron–hydrogen compounds, forms molecular analogs of those of saturated hydrocarbons. We show by the means of quantum chemistry that the Li 2 B 2 H 6 molecule in the most stable geometric form has the B 2 H 6 2− kernel, which is isostructural to the C 2 H 6 ethane molecule. We believe that this concept may have a significant effect on predicting new chemical compounds.
Kimberlites: Their relation to mantle hotspots

Abstract Available age data support the hypothesis that kimberlite intrusions are formed by mantle hotspots. The hypothesis has been tested by inverting the volcanic traces formed by three hotspots to determine the post-Triassic motions of Africa, South America, and North America relative to these hotspots. Then, using these motions, the kimberlites intruded on these continents within the last 150 m.y. are relocated to their place of origin in the present hotspot reference frame. The result indicates that a majority of the kimberlites formed within 5° of a mantle hotspot. Statistical analysis shows that this kimberlite/hotspot correlation is significant at above the 90% level.
Landfill CH4: Rates, fates, and role in global carbon cycle

Published estimates for worldwide landfill methane emissions range from 9 to 70 Tg yr−1. Field and laboratory studies suggest that maximum methane yields from landfilled refuse are about 0.06 to 0.09 m3 (dry kg)−1 refuse, depending on moisture content and other variables, such as organic loading, buffering capacity, and nutrients in landfill microenvironments. Methane yields may vary by more than an order of magnitude within a given site. Fates for landfill methane include (1) direct or delayed emission to the atmosphere through landfill cover materials or surface soils; (2) oxidation by methanotrophs in cover soils, with resulting emission of carbon dioxide; or (3) recovery of methane followed by combustion to produce carbon dioxide. The percent methane assigned to each pathway will vary among field sites and, for individual sites, through time. Nevertheless, a general framework for a landfill methane balance can be developed by consideration of landfill age, engineering and management practices, cover soil characteristics, and water balance. Direct measurements of landfill methane emissions are sparse, with rates between 10−6 and 10−8 g cm−2 s−1; very high rates of 400 kg m−2 yr−1 have been measured at a semiarid unvegetated site. The proportion of landfill carbon that is ultimately converted to methane and carbon dioxide is problematical; the literature suggests that, at best, 25% to 40% of refuse carbon can be converted to biogas carbon. Cellulose contributes the major portion of the methane potential. Routine excavation of nondecomposed cellulosic materials after one or two decades of landfill burial suggests that uniformly high conversion rates are rarely attained at field sites. For a longer-term viewpoint, considering archaeologic and geologic preservation of organic carbon through anaerobic burial, one can speculate that widespread landfilling practices in developed and developing countries may be providing a measurable sink for organic carbon, as well as increasing the atmospheric methane burden.
Effect of agricultural practices on biofuels' environmental footprints

Biobased fuels from renewable resources has gained high research and development priority due to national security and environmental concerns. To ensure resilience and sustainability of the nation's agricultural and fuel sectors, it is essential to evaluate the effect of recent and foreseeable environmental effects from agricultural cultivation. This study examines the environmental impacts of fertilizers practices with the aim of improving environmental profile of corn-derived biofuel. A comparative Life Cycle Assessment (LCAs) is conducted to elucidate overall environmental impacts of synthetic fertilizer and organic manure. Results show that using manure fertilizers as opposed to synthetic fertilizers requires less energy, however the use of manure generates significantly more CH 4 , N 2 O, CO 2 , and results in more variable concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus leaching from farmlands.
Serologic response in human papillomavirus‐associated invasive cervical cancer

Human papillomavirus (HPV) transforming proteins E6 and E7 are uniformly expressed in HPV-associated cervical cancer. Our objective was to measure antibodies to HPV-16 E6 and E7 proteins in cervical cancer patients using an assay which would detect antibodies to conformational epitopes. Serum specimens obtained from two case-control studies of HPVs and cervical cancer were tested. The studies were performed in Cali, Colombia, South America and in 9 provinces of Spain. Cases consisted of women with invasive cervical cancer associated with HPV-16 or other HPV types and women with HPV-16-associated high-grade cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia (CIN-3). Controls for invasive cases and CIN-3 cases were women who had no cytologic abnormalities and who were matched for age and country of residence. Serum antibodies to HPV-16 E6 and E7 proteins were detected by radio-immunoprecipitation of in vitro translated proteins. Antibodies to the E6 and E7 protein were observed among 56% and 43%, respectively, of invasive cases and 1.7% and 4.1%, respectively, of controls. Antibodies to either protein were detected in 72% of sera from invasive cases and 5.8% of sera from controls. High antibody reactivity and antibodies to both proteins were found almost exclusively in invasive cases. The frequency of antibodies to the E6 protein and the E7 protein among CIN-3 cases did not differ significantly from the CIN-3 controls. Five women with HPV-18-associated invasive cervical cancer were negative for serum antibody to HPV-16 E6 and E7 proteins. Antibodies to HPV-16 E6 and E7 proteins appear to be partially virus-specific and disease state-specific markers of HPV-associated cervical cancer.
Solder joint height impact on temperature cycle reliability of BGA components with thermal enabling load

Thinner organic BGA packages typically lead to higher warpage before surface mount which, after reflow, causes package corner solder joints (SJ) to have higher stand-off compared to solder joints in the package center. Hence the solder joints at package corners can change from typical barrel shape to an elongated hour-glass shape. Conventional understanding of the impact of SJ height on temperature cycling (TC) reliability states that taller SJs results in longer life. Since that understanding was derived based on the evaluations of BGAs without an enabling load applied, the question was if the same conclusions can be extended to BGAs with an enabling load, where critical SJs are in the package corner. To answer that question, a comprehensive experimental-modeling study was conducted. To investigate the solder joint height impact on temperature cycle reliability of BGA components with thermal enabling load, empirical data was collected on identical BGA packages that were intentionally deformed to create different incoming warpage and as a result different SJ height. The experimental results showed the solder joint shape impacts reliability under temperature cycle condition and that reliability is highly correlated with SJ height. Finite Element Method (FEM) modeling studies was conducted to provide physical explanation of observed behaviors. The modeling results correlate very well with experimental data. The key result of the study is that incoming warpage driven SJ height variations will impact reliability of BGAs with enabling load, that taller SJs will results in shorter life then “normal” barrel shaped joint which is contrary to the understanding held in the past.
A Linked Foraging and Bioenergetics Model for Southern Flounder

Abstract Few predation models that simulate effects on prey survival and size structure also predict the corresponding effects on predator growth and size structure. To make this link, we parameterized a bioenergetics model for southern flounder Paralichthys lethostigma by conducting a series of respiration and feeding experiments as well as obtaining values from the literature. We then linked the bioenergetics model to an existing size-dependent foraging model for southern flounder feeding on spot Leiostomus xanthurus and tested it using data from a pond experiment. Integrating these two models allowed us to investigate the effects of size-dependent interactions on predator growth by making predator growth a function of size-dependent foraging success. The linked model predicts spot effects as well as the original foraging model does, but the accuracy of flounder growth predictions were size-dependent. Predictions of prey survival and size structure were robust and were not greatly affected by slight cha...
Discrete ambiguities in extracting weak phases from B decays.

Phases of elements of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) matrix, as obtained using decays of {ital B} mesons to {pi}{sup +}{pi}{sup {minus}}, {pi}{sup {plus_minus}}{ital K}{sup {minus_plus}}, and {pi}{sup +}{ital K}{sup 0} or {pi}{sup {minus}}{ital {bar K}}{sup 0}, are shown to have a class of discrete ambiguities. In most cases these can be eliminated using other information on CKM phases. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}